I recently found a storage container that held a bunch of my old natural skincare ingredients and I thought it was such a shame for all that stuff to be sitting in a closet so today I set out to make some lotion bars. It was easy enough to do... even with me not feeling so well. I spent most of the morning in bed, couldn't eat, headache, nose stuffed... but started to feel better after Jessica and I got Ryan off to school (we kept J home from school today because she's sick also) and did our food shopping. Revived by Wegmans? Hmmm, maybe!
My cocoa butter was still good (though my shea butter and mango butter was not)!
After heating the cocoa butter with some beeswax I added the liquid oils and poured into the molds.
It made more than the 4 molds here so I also used one "cavity" of a more plain soap mold (that you can see below in the upper left).
These came out awesome!! Ryan even asked for one after he saw Jessica's. It smells divine - just like chocolate! This scent is perfect for me - as I adore edible scents (but no florals other than lavender) which is why I didn't add any essential oils to the mix. Why mess with the perfect smell of cocoa butter?!
Of course now this has me wanting to make more lotion bars, body souffles, and face creams... and also try making cold-process soap, which is something I've been wanting to make for more than 5 years. A year ago I wrote to a local soap-making company, whose soap I absolutely LOVE, to see if I could come and watch how they do it and be free labor for the day. They invited me down on a weekday, which is when they make their soaps but I could never find a day during the week to do it with the kids' schedules since it's a bit of a drive from where I live, so I mentioned that I would touch base with when Ryan is no longer in half-day kindergarten and is school full day. But maybe I'll already know how to do so by then as I already have a book picked out that I'm going to get to read up on the subject. I love how much there is to learn and discover. Trying something new is so much fun!
OTHER STUFF I skipped my workout today. If you saw me this morning (and only the 3 people I live with did), you'd know why. I feel zero guilt. Life will go on. I'll see how I feel tomorrow and if I feel good I'll do it and if I don't I won't. Being sick completely focuses you on getting better. And now that my two littles are BOTH going back to school tomorrow after taking turns being home the last two days. I didn't even feel like having breakfast this morning. Totally unlike me too as my plain-jane, simple-as-could-be, utterly delciious morning oats have been rocking lately but I didn't eat anything until 10-something. Yeah, that's how you know I'm not feeling well... if I skip a meal.
Preparations for Mike's birthday tomorrow are underway. Cake is in the house. Cards are written. Gifts are wrapped. Kids are planning their own activity.
Jessica is a vegetarian again (as of today). This declaration was mostly caused by a trip to the meat area for some filet at the grocery store for Mike for his birthday dinner prep. Jessi was a bit grossed out and said she'll have what I'm having on the big day, which is the everything-else-that's-being-served: baked potato, black beans, broccoli, + birthday cake.
Now don't faint, but yesterday I made some time for PAINTING! It felt good to get out some color, get loose, and not get too attached with things as I painted some various layers on top of each other, often wiping out what I thought was the best of what was underneath, only to uncover something new or see things in a different way. Good stuff. Maybe I'll do it again before another 3-4 months pass. But don't hold your breath in case I don't.
The weather was beautiful today and I really hope it stays this way because the groundhog has been dead wrong and if the cold continues my family is really going to miss me because I'm going to up and move to a tropical island. Just sayin'.
I finished Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief (#1) and now I'm onto Sea of Monsters (#2).
Ryan created his own board game this week!! How cool is that?! I HAVE to get photos of this tomorrow. I love his creativity!
