Advent & a small confession

Advent is rolling right along here – December 1st kicks off our chocolate Advent calendars, but we did start the other day (Monday) since the devotion that I am using this year started then!!

Robert and I have been going back and forth leading the daily devotions.  We still need to get our Jesse tree up – hopefully TODAY!!  Then we will actually hang out ornaments. 

 

E.D. with our Apple for our Jesse Tree.

We missed last night, we were thinking about Wednesday night church and not the date!!  So this morning when Robert got home from work we did last night’s devotion & opened the window of the calendar to get our chocolate treat!!

 

 

 

Last night though, E.D. and I made some fun treats for my 4th grade class that Robert and I have started teaching!!  They were fun, festive & a HUGE hit!! 

 

We took some Christmas Candy Kisses

 

unwrapped them (24 of each)

 

 

 

 

Made our bownies according to the directions – grease the mini muffin pans (2 of them)

 

Scooped (with PC mini scooper) a tiny scoop of brownie mix into each cup.  Cooked them for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. 

After 5 minutes, we then took them out, put a kiss in each and then back into the oven for about 4 minutes.

 

Like I said – HUGE hit – the kids loved them and they were super easy!!

   

 

Confession Time

 

So, I have wanted to share this for some time, but was wary of doing so.  It has been six months now that I have been doing this, and I honestly think this is plenty long enough to vouch for the benefits of such a crazy notion!

I have stopped buying conventional deodorant.  Crazy!! I know.  But I have.  It has been since about April/May that I have been making my own – and I love it.  Have you even put on your deodorant and thought – “boy I love this stuff!” ?  I have never said that before, but I do now – all the time!!

It was a gradual move to this homemade product.  It started with that clear stick stuff you get at Sprouts or Central Market - $6 a stick and up – but it was natural with no chemicals that could be toxic.  However, the big draw back was that it did not work.  I was stinky by afternoon sometime – or evening – but it rarely made it through the day.  I had to reapply – and honestly it may seem like not a big deal, it was a pain!!

So, now I use deodorant that is made with products we eat all the time.  My husband, well, he thinks I am crazy!  But, I tell him I could eat it – and therefore it is safe to apply to my skin!!  He cannot say the same thing about his deodorant.

So, the recipe is here.   The ingredients are coconut oil, arrowroot, baking soda and grapefruit essential oil.  Could it be any easier???  (note: I buy my arrowroot in the bulk section of Sprouts or Central Market for next to nothing – the coconut oil I buy cheap HERE and I use it to cook with too – and this is a fantastic moisturizer if you are up for that!!)

[The best part of going to her blog to get the recipe is that there are over 120 comments about this product and lots of other great sharing of info!!]

You mix those things together, find a container (canning jar, Tupperware, etc) and there you go.  Coconut oil is solid at 76 degrees – so most of the time is it solid, I scrape a little off and apply.  If it is melted, I simply scoop a little out and apply it like lotion (that is the consistency when it is melted – like lotion).

I am telling you – this stuff rocks!! I love it.  I love the gentle scent – and I love that it works all day!  I plan to figure out a scent for the boys when they need some – I hope they will use this stuff.  And my little girl too – no aluminum in her arm pits!! (that is what is in the commercial stuff!!)  Not to mention there is a lot of talk about conventional deodorant increasing your chances of Breast Cancer – YUCK!!

So let me know if you try and it how you like it!!