Single-Serve Frozen Fruit Cups

How to Make Single-Serve Frozen Fruit Cups

This is a summer must-have around the Haley House. We eat this in the form of single-serve frozen cups or popsicles. The best part of this recipe is as along as you start with the crushed pineapple, orange juice, lemonade, sugar, and water, you can use whatever variation of fruit you want. 

I'm not sure exactly where the recipe origin came from, but it was passed along to me from one of my aunts years ago. 

2 oz. single-serve frozen fruit cups 

Frozen Fruit Salad

6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

10 ounces maraschino cherries, halved or quartered

1/2 cup red grapes, halved or quartered

10 ounces strawberries (frozen or fresh), quartered 

3 bananas, diced

20 ounces crushed pineapple with juice

11 ounces mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup sugar

2 cup water

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into 9 oz. cups. Freeze. Makes 12. 

We almost always double this and use the full can of frozen orange juice and lemonade concentrate (which there is a way to make your own ... so that may be one of these days, just to try it out). Can't you just see it, growing your own orange tree, juicing the oranges, and then making your own orange juice frozen concentrate so you can enjoy fresh orange juice even in the dead of winter from the very oranges you grew! 

I know I am a little extreme when it comes to thinking what all I could do, but I have come to realize maybe that's what I love about the covered wagon days. Most everything was made with what you had and there were no quick trips to the store because it was at least a days trip away. Or in terms of the Oregon Trail (ooohh now here's a fleeting amount of memories, as I think back to the computer game I played growing up), you had to be fully stocked with the bare necessities and prepared for weeks or months without being able to replenish it. 

Anywhoo, back to our frozen fruit cups. :) I used to use Dixie cups and popsicle sticks, but this does create extra grocery list items and extra waste ... plus in this form I preferred them to be eaten outside otherwise we had a sticky mess everywhere. Last summer, I started using cupcake pans (and Pampered Chefs brownie pan) as the alternative to popsicles. I ladle the fruit mixture into the pans and the place them in the freeze overnight (a double batch, makes about four dozen 2 ounces servings). The next day I use a knife to pop them out and then store them in a airtight container in the freezer. This not only creates no waste but it has made it very easy to serve. 

Now no matter the season, I love the idea of going to the freezer, pulling out our container of single-serve frozen fruit cups, plopping each one in a bowl, and enjoying a refreshing side of fruit! Most of the time I will heat them up in the microwave for about 20 secs to soften them just enough to break them into smaller frozen chunks for the little ones. These also make for a great addition to school lunches, I put a frozen puck (or two) in a sealed container and by lunch time it's thawed and ready for eating!

before going into the freezer

Cost Comparison: $0.52 per 4 ounce serving (2 pucks) VS. store bought at $0.56 per 4 ounce serving

Homemade Sugar Scrub

How to Make Your Own Sugar Scrub

I am a barefoot-flip-flip kinda girl which means summer's are brutal for these poor feet of mine. I have already noticed the tell-tale sign of dry and cracked heals ... boooo!!! My feet are the last thing to get my attention and definitely the last thing I want to spend money on, but I am going to try and create some products at home to help do the trick.

This recipe was adapted from a friend of mine that was so willing to share it with me. She uses vitamin E, but since I had aloe vera gel I used that instead. Both vitamin E and aloe have great benefits, but I would love to try this out with vitamin E as well. As for the essential oils, I have an aromatherapy book that I absolutely love and when I looked up foot care, rosemary was used in almost every oil combination so I decided to add it along with the lavender.

Homemade Sugar Scrub

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup almond oil

1/2 teaspoon aloe vera gel (or vitamin E)

5 drops of essential oil (I used lavender and rosemary)

Combine all ingredients. Store in airtight container. Use as need on hands or feet. 

This is the second product I have made using the almond oil. I'm still trying to pinpoint the exact feeling the almond oil leaves and I have no other oils to compare it to. I don't dislike it but I'm not sure I LOVE it either ... it might just be that is different than what I am used to. :)

Today's Question: Do you have a favorite oil for health and beauty use?

Homemade Shaving Cream

How to Make Your Own Shaving Cream

Well, I was hoping to get this in earlier today, but there has been no rest for the weary and we are weary! The highlight of my day was for sure getting to meet our newest niece. My sis and her family finally welcomed their bundle of joy into the world yesterday evening. Oh my, her cheeks and her lips are adorable and you don't even want me to get started about that amazing new baby smell! I could enjoy an entire lifetime of just sitting and holding a newborn baby. I know babies are a lot of work but as we approach the teenage years with out oldest daughter, the baby stage is looking like a piece of cake compared to some of our preteen challenges! ;) Yikes, that could be a whole other post on it's own!

On to the shaving cream, I am off to try this as soon as I am done posting so will have to update the result. This first batch I am trying is from Homemade Mommy's site which was actually a guest post from Naturally Mindful. I wasn't able to find the homemade shaving cream post on Naturally Mindful's blog but she had a lot of other great posts in general and will definitely be checking back to her page. 

Homemade Shaving Cream

4 tablespoons shea butter

3 tablespoons coconut oil 

2 tablespoons sweet almond oil

10 - 12 drops of essential oil (see this link for suggestions, I used rosemary and rose geranium)

Melt shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler (I use a saucepan with stainless steel or glass bowl that rests on top of the saucepan). Remove from heat. Add almond oil and essential oils. Place in refrigerator to cool and solidify. Once in solid form, remove from fridge and allow few minutes to warm up. Beat mixture for 2 to 3 minutes or until whipped. Transfer to an airtight container. Good for a month. 

While working with this, I have noticed your body temperature softens and melts the cream. I am very curious how this will compare to the typical store bought shaving cream. Worse case scenario, I try a new recipe in a month. The good for one month is because it loses its whipped consistency, I was wondering this myself so a read through some of the comments on the post I linked above and discovered the reasoning. 

Cost Comparison: approximately $2 for a 8 ounce jar VS. $1.50 to $3.00 per can depending on size (typically 7 ounces), type (cream or gel), and brand

Updated 6/13/2015: Call it chance or I might just be blessed, but it has been two days since I shaved with my homemade shaving cream for the first time and I am hardly even noticing a stubble. Does this stuff really make for that much closer shave? Now that it's shorts weather and I will be shaving more often :) and  am curious to see how often I will need to! As I mentioned in my original post, your body temperature does soften and melt the cream, so you don't really see the cream on your skin like you do store bought. This leaves to feeling where you haven't shaved rather than seeing where you haven't shaved. I do however like the fact I could shave while letting the water run over my legs and it didn't wash the cream off. Also, as with my sugar scrub, I'm not sure if I am loving the feel of the almond oil, but I really don't have any other oils to compare it to, so it just may be it's different than what I am used to. Until the next shave, we will see how things go!

Water for the Soil (or Soul)

How to Make Your Own Watering Can

Nothing fancy for today, but I was in need of a watering can. Our 5 year old doberman, who prances around always with something in her mouth, got a hold of ours and although it does the trick I needed something more delicate to clean the leaves of our plants in the garden after the storm that came through Sunday night. So I indulged myself in a glass of Dr. Pepper at lunch today to empty the 2-liter bottle in the fridge and used a screw and cordless screw driver to put 7 small holes in the lid. 

my "sad" garden :)

2-liter squeeze bottle, great for delicate watering

our injured water can

As I cleaned off the leaves of our plants I was reminded, I might just be the worst gardener! I am very thankful (or maybe hopeful) my skills of taking care of plants has no correlation to the care I give my own children. :) I have seen some of my friends' gardens flourishing by now and the Mr. has questioned whether or not our garden is going to be worthwhile considering all the time I have put into it and the progress (or lack of) it is showing. Through all of this, instead of seeing it as a failure (I will not give up on my garden), I finally saw an avenue to touch on a heart issue I have been wanting to share.

So often we compete with one another to be better at whatever it might be and the world around us has pushed this mentality to "out do" the last person. It's all around us ... posts, pictures, stories that we see as others doing "better" at something than we are. Being a mom, dad, husband, wife, sister, brother, son, daughter, athlete, dancer, artist, crafter, singer. In our homes, at our jobs, with our friends. I mean the list goes on and on!

Here's my revelation, I am committed to live each moment to out-do myself and ONLY myself. If that means, I have a very sad looking garden this year, then next year I am up for the challenge to make adjustments and hopefully have an "unemotional" ;) looking garden next year, and maybe a happy one the following! If I made it through today wishing I could rewind and redo some of my choices as a mom, then tomorrow I will do what I can to make those choices better than they were today. If I have a desire to be better at (fill in the blank), then instead of comparing what I am doing to somebody else, I will compare it to what I have done in the past. We are always improving but don't always notice because we have our focus on how others are performing instead.

I may not always be better than others around me, but I can always be a better me!

Homemade Hair Detangler

How to Make Your Own Hair Detangling Spray

We had to start going this route when #3's (our second girl) hair started getting longer. Let's just say she LOVES her sleep and her hair says it all when she gets up in the morning! We used to purchase this but now have been replacing it with homemade detangler the past few times. 

Homemade Detangler

Empty spray bottle (this one is 10 ounces)

2 tablespoons of conditioner (guesstimate works just fine) 

water

Put conditioner in spray bottle. Fill with water. Shake to mix. Use as needed. 

SO simple, no extra cost AND works just as good! Now I am going to need to make some real conditioner, not just apple cider vinegar rinse. 

Homemade Conditioner (Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse)

How to Make Your Own Hair Conditioner

My hair was due for a wash last night, so I tried out the new no-poo. I will be using Reformation Acre's Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse just as soon as my aloe vera gel 

But for now, I tried out my no-poo and AVC rinse last night with a little plopping action using a long-sleeve t-shirt to wrap my hair up to sleep in. I did received a few awkward looks from the Mr. AND I am feeling a little like a guinea pig, just sure glad it's summer and I won't feel bad if my hair gets pulled back for than normal.

I ended up using my apple cider vinegar bottle and replaced the lid with one that had a flip top and smaller hole.

Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar (AVC) Rinse 

2 parts water

1 part apple cider vinegar

Pour ingredients into a squeeze bottle. Shake. Use on its own or after no-poo. Pour all over hair and scalp. Allow a few minutes. Then rinse well.

Afterwards, I dried my hair using only t-shirts, added a little gel/conditioner mixture (I will replace this as soon as my aloe vera gel gets here), and then wrapped it up in a long-sleeve t-shirt to sleep in over night.

I have notice my scalp feeling drier than normal but I am wondering if I didn't rinse well enough or if the aloe vera gel will help with that. We shall see! :)

Today's Questions: What is the one homemade health and beauty product you are very curious about but hesitant to try yourself? I'm up for being a guinea pig, WHY NOT?!? :)

Homemade Shampoo (AKA no-poo)

How to No-Poo

No-pooing is a method of washing hair without commercial shampoo. Here's is my understanding and is in no way a professional explanation! Commercial shampoos strip your hair of it's natural oils causing it to dry out which in turn causes your scalp to produce more oil making it greasy and needing to be washed again. Yes, everybody's hair is different, some producing more oil than others, so there is a fine line here of what works for one may not work exactly the same for some one else. 

Let me give a little hair background. Growing up my hair was stick-straight and thicker than thick ... four kids later, still thicker than thick and now curly! I really need to find some pictures to show proof of this. I love to joke around that I needed to have four kids otherwise my hair would be half curly and half straight. The curl (more like waves at the time) started out in the back and worked its way to the front so by #4 I finally got a full head of curls. I often wonder what hormones my children brought into my body to cause the crazy hair change. I fought the wave after #1, then attempted to work with it after #2, tried to embrace it after #3, and then said forget it after #4 ... ever since then I haven't spent too much time taking care of my hair. 

For years I had my hair thinned to actually be able to "style" it, but after a while I just didn't have the time to maintain a trim every 6-8 weeks and I couldn't go without one because I would turn into a frizz mess! So about 4 years ago I quit having it thinned and couldn't be happier, I have really had to embrace the thickness and go with the attitude of working with it rather than against it. Two and half years ago marks when I felt if my hair were long the weight would tame my mop and I decided to grow it out. Ideally, I would love to donate my hair which I have never done and is definitely on my bucket list. However, if I am going to grow my hair out long enough to donate AND still have length so I don't have a poof-ball for a hairstyle, I am going to need some help getting it to grow faster and keeping it healthy. 

I am completely stepping into the unknown here and would love to hear any of your feedback if you have used homemade products. I have read quite a bit about this whole no-pooing concept and really believe is has to be better than what I am currently doing BUT I am definitely timid about the time it's going to take to figure out a new hair regimen that works not only for my time but my hair also. I am pretty sure the procrastination on my posts lately is due to the fact that I start each day with the goal of starting a new hair regimen but then put it off another day and find something else to do. :)

My past regimen has been to wash my hair every three days using the cheapest shampoo I can buy, use conditioner (again the cheap stuff) after, brushing the conditioner through my hair with my head upside down, and then rinsing. I then flip my head up, use my fingers to part and comb through my hair, flip my head back over, and wrap it up in a towel just long enough to hop out of the shower and dry off. To style it I use a mixture of cheap (I told you I had given up on taking care of my hair) gel and conditioner to style and use a t-shirt to scrunch it and remove some of the extra water before I let it air dry the rest of the way ... about 2 hours (yes it's THAT thick). 

Reformation Acres's regimen is what I have decided to try. Here is another link from her that I can see myself embracing for my new hair life-styling change!

Homemade No-Poo

1 quart boiling water

1/4 cup baking soda

Bring water to a boil in a stock pot. Add baking soda. Stir to dissolve. Allow to cool. Pour into squeeze bottle (or old shampoo bottle). Shake before use. Apply liberally to hair. Massage into scalp. Rinse well. Repeat process approximately two times a week. 

Keep in mind this is only part of the regimen, I will be adding the conditioner and styling products over the next few days. 

Today's Question: How often do you wash your hair?

Updated 9/12/15 - So I have been pooing again! HEHEHEEEE, sorry I couldn't resist! The no-pooing was great and I do feel my hair responded positively to this process, but with as much hair as I have plus it being curly, I REALLY need the detangler action from store bought conditioners. Since the no-pooing and apple cider vinegar rinse has not been meeting my needs, I've been eyeing the shredded coconut I have in my cupboard to make a coconut milk conditioner, so hoping this happens sooner rather than later! But for now my focus is to grow my hair long enough and healthy enough to donate.

I'm about one hair trim away from chopping 8 inches off to donate to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths  and I CANNOT WAIT! As much as I love being able to pull my hair up in a cute, messy bun, I have reached that point of just TOO MUCH hair for me! I am sure after the cut I will be wishing I didn't have to style my hair every day, but being able to check this off my bucket list will be worth it. The hard part will be to figure out what style I want ... for those of you that know we well enough, know that a decision like this will take me weeks! Open to suggestions on a hairstyle! :)

Homemade Deodorant

How to Make Your Own Deodorant

Going outside the kitchen is going to be even more of a challenge for me! In the kitchen I already had most of the ingredients needed to make everything, but the bathroom, WHOLE different story. I am going to need to sit down and do some research on my products ... butters and oils, there are so many options. I'm not one to buy a bunch of different stuff and use little bits here and there, instead I would rather buy in bulk one or two things and then use them for everything. 

Throughout my brief research today I came up with a list of options, so I could refer back to when making my final decision. The links below have a great information about the many options we have to pick from.

Butters

Shea 

avocado

cocoa

mango

Oils

almond

avocado

coconut

jojoba

grapeseed

Other ingredients

beeswax

zinc oxide

vitamin E

I went with deodorant today only because I had all the ingredients :)

Homemade Deodorant

7 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 drops of palmarosa essential oil (next time will add more)

Combine all ingredients using hand mixer. Press into container or old deodorant stick. Store in a cool place. 

I will be curious how this goes on and withstands everyday activity. 

Today's Question: Do you have a favorite butter and/or oil?

Updated 6/5/2015 - First off, wish I could spell deodorant correctly ... my fingers type deoderant every time which is getting old having to correct! :) I used the homemade deodorant this morning and I'm still okay to be around without getting whiffs of a sweating locker room. Disclaimer: Most store bought deodorants are actually a deodorant and antiperspirant which actually reduces the amount of sweat. Since this is just a deodorant I definitely noticed more sweating than when using a antiperspirant; however, our bodies were made to sweat to remove toxins from our bodies so when I ran across this article about doing an armpit cleanse to reduce breast cancer risk, I found to be quite interesting and informative. Now this obviously is not the cure all for stopping breast cancer, but it reminds me just how much additional and possibly hazardous stuff we put in and on our bodies daily without thinking twice. 

Fair warning here! If I really stop and think about this it can be extremely overwhelming, disheartening, and discouraging ... I see all these things on pinterest and Facebook, pin them, like them, or make a mental note, and my list quadruples each day while I am only on a good day marking one thing off. I will say I'm feeling a little on the crazy/weird/abnormal (which all might be true anyway, heehee) side for going to the depths I am with this challenge! Bottom line, I am getting enlightened and can now make more informed decisions about what we eat and use. 

Now off to order my stuff so I can make the rest of my list!

Updated 6/6/2015 - I was asked today why I chose to use palmarosa as my essential oil so I felt the need to add some additional information to my post. There were two blogs I was inspired by when making my homemade deodorant; "passionate homemaking" and "Chocolate & Zucchini." I adapted the recipe from "passionate homemaking" then added the palmarosa from "Chocolate & Zucchini." Palmarosa is an essential oil I have used in a rejuvenating bath salt recipe of mine so I had it on hand. It has a sweet smell and anti-bacterial properties so lent itself for a great essential oil choice for a female. Tea tree oil also is a great anti-bacterial choice and has a more woodsy aroma ... I am out of tea tree oil so didn't have this option. This is day two of using the homemade deodorant and I am still very pleased with the outcome! I'm ecstatic to know there is one less unnatural product I am using AND I am saving money in the process. 

Cost: $1.40 for homemade deodorant, each batch is approximately 1 stick of store bought deodorant ... this is at least a 50% savings!

Homemade Toothpaste

How to Make Your Own Toothpaste

Today marks the start of a new routine. School for every one is done, the Mr.'s baseball season is finished (unfortunately after a tough loss last night ... So proud of the SJO Baseball Team), and we are now full-fledged at home during the day with the four kiddos and plus one occasionally! As with most transitions, it takes a few days to find my groove. I am going to need to figure out when the best time is to get my post in.

There are a few things I still would like to try in the kitchen and get posted, but they will get done periodically as I need them. For now I am excited to head over to the bathroom and eliminate ingredients and waste AND save money. Since we spend most of our summer days around the pool or outside, I can afford a few bad hair days if some of the homemade products need tweaking! :)

I was a little overwhelmed at where to start initially but toothpaste sounded like the easiest. This recipe was adapted from Organic Authority.   

Homemade Toothpaste - Kid Friendly

1/4 cup baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

water as needed

Mix baking soda and salt in a small container with lid. Moisten toothbrush. Lightly dip the moisten bristles in the soda and salt mixture. Brush as normal. 

I love the fact I don't have to worry about whether or not the little kids swallow this. We are not always the best at spitting. ;) 

Homemade Toothpaste with Whitening

6 tablespoons baking soda

1 1/2  teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon of peroxide

2 tablespoons water 

Mix baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add peroxide and water. Store in a small squeeze bottle. 

I used a baggie and cut the tip off in order to get the paste into my squeeze bottle without a huge mess. Then for a fun twist, once I use up all of my essential oils and replace them with Young Living oils that we can digest, I will be adding a few drops of essential oils to these as well. I have already tried this and it tastes just like I remember it when I was a kid. We didn't use this very often and it may have only been when I wanted to try being a pioneer! I am looking forward to seeing if it really whitens, will need to take a before picture before I forget. 

Today's Question: What was/would be the first bathroom item you would replace?

Homemade Weed Killer(s)

Best 'weed killers' around ... AND they were definitely homemade ;-)!  For the sake of us all, I'll refrain from sharing the recipe and directions for today's post! 

These four make life crazy, chaotic, exhausting, fun, joyful, hilarious, blessed, and every other emotion each and everyday ... I mean there are 4 of them so usually it's 4 different emotions all at one time! Yikes, talk about about over stimulated emotions some days! Which is why yesterday during praise and worship at church a particular verse was perfectly timed and hit my heart like a ton of bricks, it spoke of breaking through in my expectations. We are surrounded by expectations and allow them to overpower our actions and desires. The expectations I place on my kiddos are tough and may be on days unreasonable. This song has made me reevaluate my expectations and I have notice the days I struggle with the expectations I have for myself as a mom are the days I have placed slightly out of reach expectations for my kids. It's on these days I find myself seeing them through their failed expectations rather than the affection of my unconditional love for them. This was hard for me to shallow, but a great realization!

Through all the crazy, I couldn't imagine life without these weed killers ... with each other by our sides, we are going to stand up against all those pesky weeds (in our garden and our lives) and make a world of difference!