Shampoo Bars

My newest soap making adventure was embarked on this weekend, when I decided to make shampoo bars. I learned a lot from my last soap making endeavor that helped this process immensely. And I believe my hubby is going to make me a big soap mold for my next soap project. Below is the recipe that I used. Refer to this post for tips and links on soap making procedures, but I have two more tips for you.
First, stir your lye solution a couple times as it is cooling to make sure the lye doesn't just stick to the sides of the container. Second, keep on mixing that sucker until you're sure it has traced. This batch took about 30 minutes of mixing...that's a long time. But it helps it harden up really nicely. It will look like soup, then a milkshake, then pudding. Wait for the pudding look.
This recipe made 20 bars. Here's the recipe:

Gilmore's Shampoo Bar Recipe


33 oz. Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil
10 oz. Pure Organic Jojoba Oil
16 oz. Distilled Water
6 oz. Lye 
.25 oz. Essential Oils (I used 6 parts tea tree, 3 parts spearmint, 1 part patchouli)

Getting Published

SO...today we heard back that Shanna Conner (a coworker and former grad school colleague) and I are going to be published! We have a few minor revisions to make to our article but then it will appear in an actual real-life academic journal. Student Retention and Persistence to Graduation: Effects of an Introductory Life Calling Course will be published in the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, and Practice.
Most of you will probably find this article overwhelmingly dull, so I won't force you to read any of it. :) Just some exciting news to pass along.

My Desired DIY Projects

When I get about fifteen minutes to sit down, breathe and spend a little time in my DIY renewal zone. These are the things I will be making. I LOVE them! And they're super easy.

This Barney's inspired bracelet was made with some thread, ribbon, and some faux pearls by Tricia at Oh So Crafty. I love the classic black and white, but I also think it would be super cool with some wooden beads and a colorful ribbon.

I have been thinking about making this kind of headband for awhile. But Erin at Today I Made has a great tutorial for it. I think I'd want to do peacock feathers, but I really like the neutral tones she used too.

Trying Toothpaste - Homemade and Natural

So...at the Gilmore house we now make our own soap, deodorant, and laundry detergent. Next on the list, shampoo bars this weekend! But first, I think I'm going to try a homemade toothpaste.
Let's just say it, "The overabundance of fluoride that we ingest FREAKS me out!" So...:) I found several toothpaste recipes online and a way cool new blog (check out The Organic Sister).

Gilmore's Original Toothpaste Recipe:


3 T. Baking Soda
2 T. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1 T. Hydrogen Peroxide
1 t. Salt
5 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil
5 drops of Spearmint Essential Oil

Since I haven't used it yet, I'll have to get back to you and let you know how it goes. From what I've read about the ingredients, it should be a killer combo, but I'm no chemist so we'll see! At any rate, it has to be better than fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate, wouldn't you think?

(Author's note: Tried this toothpaste the day after posting the recipe. Worked great!!! Pretty salty to the taste, which most people probably will not like, so you can eliminate the salt from the recipe if you think that would be a turn off for you.)

Traditions

Last Christmas for the Gilmores was....let's just say....a little less than stellar! God blessed us with amazing family that were close by, so we could spend it with them and my husband was a gem through it all! However, we're now looking at our first set of holidays as a family in our new home. And well....I love traditions! I love the meaning and closeness that they bring.
BUT, since we're still in the process of forming some of ours, I wanted to hear about yours! What are your favorite traditions? Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. Past or Present. As a child or an adult. What do you look forward to each year?

What to do about Christmas

I know that it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I love the traditions. I love the twinkling lights, the smell of cinnamon spice, the snow (on that one day of the year), staying in pajamas all day long, the warmth, the excitement, the giggles, the love. The thought of a God that loved me so much he restricted himself to human flesh and limitations just to be closer to me! Amazing!
One of the traditions that my mom started in our home awhile ago was Operation Christmas Child. Each year, Samaritan's Purse International Relief organization collects thousands of shoeboxes filled with gifts and distributes them to needy children across the world. Their mission statement is as follows:

The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.


Next week is their collection week! Even if you don't know of a church or organization around you that is collecting boxes, you can find a drop off location that is closest to you by checking their website --> here! Their website also has instructions for packing the boxes and all the forms you'll need. You just need to print and fill out the label, fill a shoe box or small plastic box with a removable lid, and drop off your shoebox with $7 for shipping and other expenses at the closest dropoff location.
Our family will definitely be having a fun family night getting our boxes together next week! A couple other ideas for gifts that keep on giving are...


1) TOMS Shoes - For every pair of shoes you buy, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need.
2) TWLOHA TShirts - To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. Their first tshirts were sold to pay for their friends treatment and worn by a few well-known Christian bands (Switchfoot and Anberlin), before they became popular.The profits from the tshirts go to funding treatment and recovery.
3) shop.TheLiteracySite.com - Tons of fun handmade and green items you can buy. Every purchase goes toward giving books and education to children in need. Click here to find out how!
4) WearPACT Underwear - Another opportunity to promote literacy! Buy this fun 826 National underwear design to support young writers. (Other causes you can contribute to include rainforest preservation and protecting our oceans and marine life...kind of treehuggerish, but hey!)
5) XO Laptops - Right now, the One Laptop per Child movement is doing a Get One, Give One promotion. Where for a discounted price ($399) they will send one laptop to your child and one to a child in need, to provide them with educational opportunities and the power to create and collaborate.

(**Values disclaimer: While I can vouch for the vision and values of Samaritan's Purse, TOMS, and TWLOHA. I don't know about the last three. I've only heard about their charities, but I'm not aware of other alternative causes that they may or may not support, so I'll definitely do a bit more research on those before I purchase anything, and I would encourage you to do the same.**)

Umm...Is this still good?...Sniff

Have you ever found yourself staring at a food item - be it canned, frozen or fresh - and thinking, "Is this still good?" And then, what about when you open that random piece of something and you have no idea how you're supposed to store it or for how long?
Enter my newest bookmarked website --> StillTasty.com The Ultimate Shelf Life Guide. Way cool website! Did you know that you're not supposed to keep opened cheese in plastic? That's right! The plastic in a ziploc bag or seran wrap messes with it. Instead you're supposed to wrap it in parchment, wax, or freezer paper, and then in plastic, if you please. (my hubby told me this first, and StillTasty confirmed it).
You can search for anything and everything, how to keep it and store it. Also, each day they answer a new question. Some recent ones include:

Can You Safely Drink Milk After the Sell-By Date?

I Defrosted Some Chicken — Must I Cook it Right Away?

Can You Freeze Raw Eggs?

Should You Store Tomatoes in the Fridge?

Does Vinegar Ever Go Bad?

Check it out!