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Made a toddler-sized backpack for my little man while Hurricane (err… Tropical Storm) Irene made its way through the Hudson Valley. Got the cute pattern from Made by Rae and the fabric from Superbuzzy. My man, surprisingly, had to be cajoled into wearing the end product, as he is reluctant to wear it for some reason. I am sure that he’ll come around.
Collecting more projects to work on this winter on Pinterest :)
Concocting homemade bar soap has been a hobby of mine since my undergraduate days in college. At that time I had a streak of making my own bath products, including bar soaps, body scrubs, lotion bars, herb-infused hair rinses, and fizzy bath bombs. Bar soap was always a favorite!
For the past several years goat’s milk has been my liquid of choice, which results in a creamy, moisturizing bar. Branched out to coconut milk in this latest batch and had smashing results. Other milks such as almond or hemp would likely work just as well.
Utilizing the cold-process soap method does come with a risk—handling caustic lye. Should you take the soapmaking plunge, keep a bottle of white vinegar handy in case of accidents, and always use goggles and rubber gloves when handling this substance. Take it from the girl who foolishly spilled concentrated nitric acid on her sandaled feet in college chemistry lab, and has some small scars to prove it!
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A few years ago a 3-pound wooden mold and cutter from Creekside Soaps came into my life. Love these and would highly recommend them to anyone interested in making their own bars.
Making your own soap is very gratifying, which I am reminded of each day after sudsing up with a bar in the shower. This soap can also be used as an ingredient in homemade laundry soap, and makes a thoughtful gift :)
Megan’s Milk Soap
Equipment:
Protective mask and gloves
2 Plastic stirring spoons
Candy thermometer
Electric hand blender
Spatula
Large bowl
Pitcher
Soap mold, lined with freezer paper
1-2 cookie racks
Ingredients:
12 ounces partially-frozen coconut or goat’s milk (freeze half ahead of time in ice cube tray)
4 2/3 ounces lye
12 ounces olive oil
12 ounces coconut oil
8 ounces palm oil
1-2 oz. essential oil of choice (or, infuse oils with fresh herbs as I did for this batch)
Melt the olive, coconut, and palm oils together in a pot over low heat. Remove pot from heat, and place in a cold water bath to bring the temperature down to 100 degrees.
Wearing goggles and gloves, place frozen and liquid milk into large bowl and slowly add lye. Stir until the mixture is smooth and without lumps. An exothermic reaction will result, bringing the temperature of the milk up and melting the frozen milk. Cool mixture to around 100 degrees, if it is above that level.
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Next, slowly add the milk mixture to the oils, using a hand blender to combine until "tracing" occurs–- when drips from the blender leave a noticeable path in the concoction. This usually takes no longer than 5 minutes (without the hand-blender, it can take all day-- I know!)
If desired, add essential oils or additives such as cinnamon, turmeric, cocoa powder, ground oatmeal, poppyseeds, or dried herbs using a plastic spoon or spatula. This will also remove bubbles.
Pour the mixture into prepared soap mold, cover, and leave alone for 24 hours. Then remove soap from mold, cut, and cure on cookie racks for 3-4 weeks.
Finally, pat yourself on the back and enjoy your homemade goodness!
~Linking up at Tatertots and Jello, Serenity Now, Under the Table and Dreaming, The Shabby Nest, Skip to my Lou~
Got a sewing machine as an early birthday present for myself last Friday! Quickly made introductions, got acquainted, and tackled my first project this weekend: a canvas knitting & crochet needle holder. Now, this thing isn’t perfect by any means and I’ll probably be laughing at the stitchwork once I hit my groove with the machine, but it is very functional!
Gotta peruse Pinterest for some more easy things to make… :)
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Finished up the Brisbane Scarf from the Lion Brand Wool website this morning. Mindless project that only took a few days. Decided on this pattern after purchasing some chunky, mustardy-yellow yarn.
Also (re)learned how to crochet this past weekend, and completed my first project. Will share soon ;)
Got this cute idea for jazzing up Finnian's summer wardrobe on Pinterest (specifically, here). Chose things he loves-- a yellow digger, an airplane, and a bus (the tie was for Denver's amusement). He loves pointing to the item and saying (err, shouting) what it is when you ask him to. So fun!
I have found that menu planning is a necessity with two working parents and a food budget. My weekly blog menu plan (which has been on hiatus as of late) has a new home after getting the idea for this cute Wipe Off Weekly Menu Board. One can of white spray paint and two wonderful Etsy transactions later, and viola! A functional addition to our itty-bitty kitchen that will never leave Denver wondering what's for dinner.
Recently picked up some knitting needles for the first time in 20 or so years, after getting inspiration from a friend of mine. Have also been a lurker on Ravelry.com for several months, but too hesitant to take the plunge.
First project? The Wham Bam Thank You Lamb neckwarmer from insaknitty. Seriously-- how could I not knit something with a name like this? The project was a cinch. So easy that two of them were completed in just a few evenings.
Next project is something a little more difficult from Aesthetic Nest... with purling, increases, decreases, and use of a stitch holder (oh my)! But not making any promises on when I'll get it done...
Easy, economical, and good on the pipes. Grated a bar of my own homemade, unscented goat's milk soap in this inaugural batch. Thinking that a lavender-essential-oil-infused bar would divine to use in the future.
Debuted the soap in two loads of laundry this afternoon. Clothes came out clean and wonderfully soft.
Planning on concocting other homemade cleaning products in the future—although I have a cabinet full of items to go through before I can justify making my own!
Homemade laundry suds
from the edible perspective
1 c baking soda
1 c washing soda
1 c borax
1 bar natural soap, grated
Mix all ingredients together. For an HE front loader, use 1-2 tablespoons per load.
lover of cookery, hoodies, handmade soaps, photography, and my marvelous family.
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