Pumpkin Oat Pancakes

I have been experimenting with recipes trying to get the whole family eating better. It's much easier to eat healthier if everyone else in the household is.

I had looked up several recipes and went with what I thought would be good, which was a mix of different recipes.

Pumpkin Pancakes:
     1 cup old fashioned oats (blended up to finer texture)
     1/2 of a big can of pumpkin (I used the kind with spices already in it)
     2 eggs
     baking soda
     baking powder

Unfortunately I didn't measure out the baking soda or powder, just did a dash of what looked right from previous baking. If you don't normally bake, or not enough to know by site, I would say maybe 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons.

I had my griddle ready to go, and something I have started using is an avocado cooking spray. So I sprayed down my griddle and then wiped it down with a paper towel to make sure the spray was covering it even.

I have to say I was impressed with banana pancakes as an alternative to regular ones, but pumpkin is my new favorite. All except my youngest were a fan. That being said, she also doesn't like change right away, so refused to try them and said she just wants regular pancakes, lol.

I hope you try them and love them!! I will post the banana oat pancake recipe another time. I also attempted using these for waffles, and will post about that later as well. Enjoy!!

DIY Coconut Oil Deodorant

So several months ago I made my first attempt at coconut oil lip balm and deodorant. I meant to post up the recipes and finished product much soon, but life gets crazy fast with working full-time, being a wife and a mom of three. This way I can share the recipes I used and how we liked them. :-)

Disclaimer before I even share the deodorant recipe. I saw several times that some people can have a reaction to the baking soda and thought I use it for baking and have used it in a homemade toothpaste, I won't have an issue, HOWEVER I DID have a reaction to it. I ended up breaking out in a rash under my arm that I tried to ignore thinking I just need to get use to it, instead it just kept getting bigger. So be prepared that that is a possibility for you. 

I again used Wellness Mama for her How to Make Natural Deodorant. I didn't have arrowroot so instead thought I will just use some beeswax, so that was my one change in the recipe. 

So I used shea butter, coconut oil, baking soda, and cedarwood essential oil. I was hoping the cedarwood would have more of a scent, but it didn't. Again I am not good at measuring, and once you get the oil dropping it just flows, so it makes it hard to count how many drops exactly. 

Again, I don't have a double boiler, so I just used a metal bowl over a sauce pan of boiling water. It feels like it takes forever for the beeswax to finally melt, but once it does it is fast. 

I was able to find some empty deodorant tubes from Amazon and that is what I put the finished product in. 

I will say that I was completely happy with how it worked! I did apply in my armpit, and kind of let it air dry a little (even though it sets as a solid, it melts a little from your body heat). I had no body odor during the time I used this deodorant, and I didn't have to reapply. 

The rash however that started small, kept getting bigger and eventually bothered me to the point that it was not worth the continued use, and I should've stopped prior to this. 

Also please note that even though I used essential oil (which I don't think was in a large enough amount to bother me, and I have used this oil for other things) you should do your own research and even seek for a licensed aromatherapist before using oils on yourself. 

There are spray deodorants that can be done, but I don't have the ingredients at this time. That will hopefully be in the future.

**There are some Amazon Affiliate Links above**

DIY Coconut Oil Lip Balm

So several months ago I made my first attempt at coconut oil lip balm and deodorant. I meant to post up the recipes and finished product much soon, but life gets crazy fast with working full-time, being a wife and a mom of three. This way I can share the recipes I used and how we liked them. :-)

I used this recipe from Wellness Mama for Homemade Lip Chap.

I had read a few other recipes as well since I was hoping for more of a natural tint balm, however I can't remember which one I took the cinnamon idea from. So I used shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax, and cinnamon. I am horrible with measurements, so I can't tell you how much cinnamon I used, but it was enough for the tint, so next time I will definitely make sure to use more, but also measure it and make note.

 I don't have a double boiler, so I just used a metal bowl over a sauce pan.

I removed it from the heat a little sooner than I should, because it was already hardening up when I was putting in the containers. I used empty Lip Balm Containers that I was able to find on Amazon.

Overall we have been happy with the finished product. I like the way it feels and works more than what I would buy from the store, and I have plenty of product left over to make several more batches. I will experience with more cinnamon, and even cocoa for tinting future batches. Now Wellness Mama includes essential oils in her recipe, but I did not put any in mine. I recommend doing your own research and doing what you feel comfortable with.

Happy DIYing!

**There are a few of my Amazon Affiliate Links above.**

DIY Essential Oil Nasal Spray

It's been awhile since I have posted anything. I have been without a computer or laptop for awhile but now I have one again! So prepare for some regular posts. :-)

I wanted to share my latest oil adventure. While I love the LLP that we use in the diffuser and when needed under our nose, sometimes my our nose just keeps a slight drip. Instead of using over the counter nose sprays, I wanted to try our own.

So I took some water, LLP, and Eucalyptus to create the spray that has worked wonders! I couldn't tell you exactly how many drops off each, but I tipped the LLP over the Nasal Spray bottle for 3 seconds, did the same with the Eucalyptus and then added water to fill it up.

I bought the Nasal Sprayer from Spark Naturals as well as my oils. Since it sprays much better than the over the count ones I have used, I barely put the tip in my nose at all, spray it, sniff just a little and then hold that side of my nose for a few seconds so it soaks in instead of out. A few minutes later I blow my nose and then BAM! Open clear passages!

Remember to use couponcode OURCRAZYLIFE247 for 10% off of your order! Happy oiling!

Happy New Year!!

I hope you all had a great New Year's Eve and Day to kick 2015 off right! We went to New Years Eve service, and it ran longer than I thought it would but I think helped us stay up later. :-)

Once we were home, I pulled out the bags that I had planned for us, one a n hour starting at 9.

The first one was to decorate the table and party hats for us. Then we had some glow in the dark necklaces, bracelets and of course some frozen cups. Next we had some party poppers and a few other fun things to make a mess. Last was the noise makers to bring in the New Year!

We did a craft where the kids each did a number for 2015 and then took a family picture. I thought it was a super cute way to start off the year and then we can see how they grow and change from now till next year.

I took the girls roller skating which they absolutely loved! My lower back and shins not so much, lol. But I will keep working at it and eventually be out there with them the whole time. Olaf made an appearance which made their day even more! 

I reflected on some decisions I made for this coming year, and they were confirmed with some things I read in the Bible. I need to pull myself back and refocus on what is important this year. God being first, then my husband, family, then friends and everyone else. I have been an assistant organizer for a meetup group for several years, and have made some amazing friends through this group, but with working full-time, it's difficult trying to fit everything in for our family so I am taking a step down.

I am also taking a step forward in regards to my health and I have started Herbalife. I am very excited about this journey and will share more as I move forward. There will be weekly weigh-ins and I will share how much I have lost and what all I have done.

So I hope you have a plan for this year, what you see and want to happen, and keep speaking life into that every day, and in your prayers. Happy 2015!!