How To Make Hot Process Face Soap

My Sea Clay Avocado and Lavender Face Soap

seasoap for face1

Ingredients:

12 oz olive oil pomace

8 oz coconut oil

6 oz Avocado oil

4 oz cocoa butter

2 oz castor oil

10 oz sea water

4.42 oz lye

1 tsp of sea clay mixed with 1/2 tbs water (Add at trace)

20 drops of lavender oil, 5 drops of vitamin E oil to be added at right before pouring soap into molds (optional)

Before you begin make sure you have vinegar near by in case you spill the least little bit of lye on you. Lye can be very dangerous if not handled properly. I pour vinegar into the bowls that I used lye in and then add water before cleaning them.

It’s very important that you measure your ingredients properly. Weigh your oils and place them in your crock pot on the low setting so oils will melt.

 

Weigh lye then slowly pour lye into your sea water and stir with slotted spoon. Always pour lye into liquid, never liquid into lye. I always do this outside so that I don’t breathe in the fumes from the lye. Make sure you wear gloves, safety glasses, and a mask. A side note, I learned the hard way to make sure you have paper underneath your scale when measuring lye. It will leave white spots on your counter top if it gets on it.

After the oils have melted, turn the crock pot off, and slowly pour your lye/sea water mixture into the crock pot. Mix with the stick blender. Make sure you turn your blender off every 20 or so seconds for a moment so that you don’t burn up your blender. It will take 10 to 11 minutes to bring mixture to trace. Trace is when you can gently pull the blender stick out and see the blender marks on top of soap mixture. It will have a pudding like consistency.

Now mix the sea clay and water together and add to the mixture in the crock pot and stir. Turn the crock pot on low and cover with lid. Stir often. Your soap will gradually start to look waxy. It will look kind of like waxy mashed potatoes when it’s done. This will take approximately 45 to 60 minutes.

You can test it by putting a very small drop on a paper plate. After it cools a bit, place a tiny piece on your tongue. If it tastes soapy, it’s done. If it zaps you like when testing a battery, it’s not done yet. Rinse your mouth with water.

Now mix in Vitamin E oil and Lavender Oil. This is optional.

Scoop soap mixture into your molds. When it has cooled down you can take soap out of molds and allow time for the soap to cure. It is usable right away but the longer it cures, the longer the soap will last. I try to let my soap cure for 3 or 4 weeks before using it. The bottom of your soap should become smooth after a few uses.

Happy Soaping!

DIY Face Cream

My face cream

Click here to watch my video on how to make face cream.

Saving Avocados

 

Ripe avacados

Are you tired of wasting avocados? You don’t have to any more. One day I had a few very  ripe avocados and I didn’t want them to go bad. I love putting avocados in my breakfast smoothies and I thought to myself, “I wonder if I could freeze avocados?” The answer is absolutely yes. So I am going to share with you how to do just that.

First, cut up your avocados and put them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Put them in your freezer and flash freeze them.

sliced avacado

After one to two hours take them out and put them into a freezer zip log bag and label them and you are good to go.

frozen avacado

The pieces will not stick together. Take out what you need and immediately put the bag back into the freezer. No more wasting great tasting avocados.

Lessons From Hiking – The Townsley Five

Source: Lessons From Hiking – The Townsley Five

My Word for 2016

Focus 2

I’m not sure who started the “Word for the Year” thing, but a friend/leader encouraged me to come up with a word for this year. I really thought about it and even prayed about it. I felt that I should go with the word “focus”.

I get so busy with so many different areas of my life that I really do need to purposely choose to focus. I’ve been guilty of starting one thing and seeing something else that needs to be done and starting that and then moving on to another thing and so on and so forth. At the end of the day I would feel tired and frustrated because I didn’t accomplish near as much as I’d hoped to.

One of the things I chose to do this year to help me focus more is I downloaded an app called “Wunderlist”. This app helps me keep a list of all that I need to do and what I have done.

The more I focus on following my to do lists, the more I seem to accomplish. When you start accomplishing things, it motivates you to do even more.

It’s amazing how choosing a word for this year has really helped me. I keep reminding myself to stay focused and it really works.

People have said they don’t know how I do all that I do. Being focused definitely helps.

Do you have a word for this year and if so, what is it? How has it helped you?

 

 

Learning To Simplify

myrotissiriechicken

Why do we think everything has to be picture perfect before we invite someone over for dinner? Possibly many reasons. For some, it’s because that’s how they grew up. For others, it’s because they are trying to impress, or maybe they just don’t feel like what they have or even who they are is good enough.

I have to admit I’ve been guilty of all the above. So, I’ve chosen to set myself free and simplify my life. I still like my home to be really clean for company, but you just might eat on paper plates if you come over.

Last night we had our neighbors over for dinner and to play a game. This is the first time we’ve had these neighbors over for a meal. I’d had a super busy week and I had a choice to make: work extra hard to make a picture perfect meal or simplify. I chose to simplify by going to Sam’s Club to purchase a rotisserie chicken. All we had to do was fix a couple of side dishes and they brought dessert. Yes, I even bought the heavy duty paper plates with pretty flowers on them.

While at Sam’s I told a lady, “I’m cheating…I’m picking up a chicken for company.” She said, “Honey that’s not cheating, that’s common sense.” So when our neighbors came over they were thrilled with the chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies (cooked in the microwave) and rolls. After dinner, there wasn’t much to clean up so we threw away the plates and left the rest until our company went home. There was a lot more time to enjoy our neighbors, and clean up was a breeze. If you are wondering, yes, I admitted that I got the chicken at Sam’s.

When we simplify, it gives others permission to do the same thing. By the way, my neighbor has already said they want us to come to their house next for dinner and to make sure and bring our game.

I’m not saying there is never a time to have a fancy dinner, but with our busy schedule, it’s so much easier to use pretty disposable plates and pick up a chicken. It makes having company over fun instead of stressful. I would much rather have fun nights with friends than choose not to have company because I’m too tired to prepare a fancy meal. What do you do to simplify?

 

 

The Me I Want to Be

TheGingerOptimist with microphoneDo you wish everyone liked you? We are all born with an innate desire to not only be loved, but liked. Some personalities don’t seem to care if everyone likes them as long as the people important to them do. On the other hand, people with a personality similar to mine strongly desire for everyone to like them. It’s always been difficult for me when I feel as though someone doesn’t like me. I learned a few years ago that around 10 percent of people won’t like you no matter what you say or do. That was so freeing. I have to admit that it still bothers me a little when someone doesn’t like me, but not near as bad as it used to.

God created every person uniquely. No two people are exactly the same. The quicker we learn to love and like ourselves the better. When you decide it’s really okay to like yourself it makes it easier for others to like you. There is no real reason to not like yourself. You are made in God’s image. You are His masterpiece. You have a purpose to fulfill and it’s important you discover your purpose and go after it. Choose to be happy with your uniqueness. It’s time to stop focusing on what is wrong with you and focus on what is right. Now that doesn’t give you a license to be rude or mean and use the excuse of “that is just how I am.” Stop putting yourself down. That is a type of pride in itself, it’s not being humble. Neither do you want to brag on yourself to others. That can be a sign of insecurity.

I still have a long way to go, but some things that have helped me to start becoming the me I want to be are as follows:

First and foremost, recognizing that I am who God says I am. Second, focusing on God and others. Third, taking care of me. I take care of me by trying to get plenty of rest, eating healthy (most of the time), drinking lots of water, exercising, and taking time for fun and relaxation.

Joyce Meyer said in her book, Closer to God Each Day: 365 Devotions for Everyday Living, January 19th, “Whatever you are rooted in will determine the fruit in your life–good or bad. If you are rooted in rejection, abuse, shame, guilt, or a poor self-image–if you are rooted in thinking, something is wrong with me, your ‘tree’ will bear depression, negativism, a lack of confidence, anger…and self pity.” She said, “If you are rooted in Jesus and in His love, then you can relax and know you are loved and valuable.”

My greatest desire is to get to the end of my life and not look back with a lot of regrets. When I die, I want to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I want my life to bring joy to others. I want to be a ray of sunshine on somebody’s cloudy day. I want to add value to people. Most of all I want to have lived a life that helped draw others to true love and acceptance in Christ.

If you are struggling in being you, talk to God about it. If you don’t have a relationship with God, but you are interested in having one, please feel free to email me at thegingeroptimist@gmail.com.

Change, A Time for Growth

Change can be so hard. Right now my husband and I are facing a very difficult change in our lives. Our daughter and son-in-law (who is like a son) and our three precious little grand-daughters are getting ready to move to Colorado. We have been so blessed to have them live here in Florida just ten minutes away from us for almost ten years now. It has been such a joy to have them so close by. We have made so many memories together. I am so grateful for every moment. Two weeks from right now they will be on their way to a new adventure. I feel as though my heart will break. I’m sad for them leaving, but I’m also sad for the reason as well. Our son-in-law’s father has stage 4 cancer for the second time. We are praying for a miracle for this man we are privileged to call friend.

As hard as all this is, I do recognize that change is a time for growth. There will be lots of growing pains for my daughter, who happens to be my best girlfriend, our grands, and us. We will become stronger and better for it. I was telling our oldest grand-daughter this morning as we were on a walk, when she finds herself starting to feel really sad, to choose to think about the wonderful memories and the new adventure that lies ahead. There is always something to be joyful about even in the midst of a difficult time. I also reminded her that we are only a phone call away. I am ever so thankful that it’s not like it used to be when my kids were little and we lived far away from my parents. It cost a fortune back then to call long distance. Now we have Skype, Facetime, unlimited talking and texting. My daughter and I won’t be cooking together in my kitchen but we can Skype and cook at the same time if we want to. Technology truly is a blessing.

We will still get to watch our precious grands grow up from afar. And yes, I will be hopping a plane every chance I can to go and explore Colorado with our sweet girls.

Another thing I am thankful for is being friends with our son-in-law’s parents. They have stayed in our home on more than one occasion when they came to visit and now they have said their home is always open to us. We got to see our kids and watch our precious grands grow from babies to now, ages 10, 9, and 6 and it’s only fair for their other Papa and Nana to get to spend quality time with them.

Will this change be hard? Absolutely. But I know that we will all grow from it and when God closes one door, He always opens another. I am so grateful that I have a heavenly Father who loves me so much and will give me the courage and strength to face this new adventure in life.

 

Just Do It

Me in Facebook hoody

I have a confession to make. During Christmas, I fell off the wagon and I fell hard. I ate way more sweets than I should have and I didn’t exercise at all. It lasted even into the new year. Now I am getting back on the wagon so to speak and I feel so much better. It’s amazing how just taking a brisk two mile walk can help you to feel better.

There’s always reasons not to get out and move. It’s too cold or it’s too hot. I’m too tired. I’m too busy and the list goes on. I listened to a podcast today by Chalene from the Chalene Show and she referred to how if the presidents of the United States could take time to exercise, then we surely don’t have the excuse of not having enough time. I recommend listening to this particular podcast by her. It’s called Lose Weight Without Exercise…How to Shift Your Mindset. She talks about how you can lose weight by eating right, but exercising is good for building your confidence, feeling better, it helps you to be more creative and the list goes on.

So I’ve decided to get back to exercising and choosing to eat a lot more healthy. Today I had vegetarian tortilla soup. It was yummy! (No, I’m not a vegetarian but I want to learn how eat to some delicious meals without always eating meat.)

So if you have been struggling to get back to eating right and exercising, don’t wait until the mood hits you, it probably never will. Just decide your going to do it no matter how you feel. You will be so glad you did. Like Nike says, “Just Do It”.

You Have My Word On It

What do the words “You have my word on it” mean to you? To many people, it means I will do whatever I say I will do, and to some, it means absolutely nothing.
Recently I asked someone if I would see them at a particular event and they responded with, you guessed it, “You have my word on it”. Unfortunately they have said that to me a few times before and never followed through with their promise. I knew not to hold my breath.
I don’t think some people understand the importance of keeping their word. I realize that things come up and life happens, but I was taught not to make promises I wasn’t absolutely sure I could keep. I think it would be much better to say I will do my best or I will try to make it or if you really have no intention in keeping your word, just be truthful. Why not say, “Thanks for thinking of me but I don’t believe I will be able to make it”. I would rather people be honest than tell me what they think I want to hear.
What are your thoughts on this?