FOAMING BODY SCRUB!!

So I woke up this morning wondering why my body scrub didn't do magic tricks.  The reason was, I hadn't been the puppeteer and orchestrated anything cool with it!  So, I dug out all of my containers of fun things and got to work mixing!  I made the scrub out of some of my favorite Oils (listed below with some info about each of them) and then I added some other random things in hopes that I had a winner!

APRICOT KERNEL OIL: Works miracles in nourishing the skin, plus its also a good product for sensitive skin!
SWEET ALMOND OIL (aka, my first love): Its a great emollient and adds a soft glow to dehydrated skin.

GOLDEN JOJOBA: Aids in the clearing of acne, and its also good for sensitive skin.

CAMELINA OIL (aka, wild flax): Contains up to 45% Omega 3 fatty acid!  It helps reduce scarring from acne.
HYDROVANCE:  The new alternative to glycerin without the sticky greasy feel.  In recent studies, this product win hands down for its skin softening abilities!

CITRIC ACID:  Helps reduce the look of aging and promotes new skin growth.

SODIUM LAURYL SULFOACETATE: Derived from coconut and palm oils, it creates a rich lather that removes surface oil, dirt and bacteria on the skin.

BROWN SUGAR: Antibacterial (Fun fact #1: It was used in the war to treat wounds and infection... Who knew?!?) Its also less harsh than salts or white sugar and it is used more so for its aromatic properties.

DEAD SEA SALTS: Stimulates the skin, muscles and nerves, cleanses the pores, and improves the texture of dull bumpy skin (CHA-CHING!)

FRAGRANCE: I always come back to Coconut and Lime.  Its that summery scent with a little zip to make it exciting.  I go out of the shower a couple of hours ago, and I have to say... my skin still smells yummy!

Now I mixed all of these ingredients together in a bowl (I forgot to take pictures) and then added some baking soda at the end (citric acid and baking soda is what makes your bath bombs fizz)  I was reading that you shouldn't put this in a container because the reaction the aforementioned ingredients makes will expand and explode your container.  I opted to put it in some plastic bags I had in my tickle trunk of randomness.  I could see it foaming as I poured the mixture into the bag.  The mixture about doubled in size and filled the bag almost up to the top.

Now for the fun part!  I got in the shower and did the whole shampoo thing, rinse, put conditioner in my hair, and then turned off the shower (I'm on a limited supply of water here, so I have to conserve). I grabbed a handful out of the bag and rubbed it on my legs (and everywhere else) and it made a wonderful lather as well as did its magic scrubby thing that I love!  I know its bad, but I'm a sucker for using a scrub on my face, it just gives me that glow that makes me feel good!  Next, I turn the shower back on (I always make it hotter than it should be), and then the power goes out!  I forgot that when I put the washer and dryer on at the same time (plus shower) it overloads and blows the breaker!  So here I am, all lathered up and scrambling (in the dark) to try and get all the scrub off my body, and the conditioner out of my hair before I run out of water.   Mission completed!  I followed up with some coconut Lime body lotion I made a couple weeks ago, and my skin feels great!

The texture of the scrub was a little different.  It kind of reminded me of a cross between running your hands in wet sand and silly putty... haha yes, I know... THIS GIRL IS CRAZY!! But that's what it felt like to me!  It was nice and fluffy, but not your average scrub texture.  The best part about it was I didn't feel greasy after I got out of the shower.  Normal body scrubs tend to leave me all oily, and I hate that!  This one just made my skin feel nice and supple and extra soft!  I think with a little bit of re-formulating I could have a winner of a product on my hands!

Anyways, if you made it all the way through this I applaud you, you should be given a prize.  I'm kind of in the mood for a give-a-way, but it would be nice to have some more readers out there (or ones that leave comments:  You know who you are!!)  So if you haven't already, sign up and be a follower!  I'm pretty excited to have 11 of you.. well 10, because technically I follow myself! lol.  Anyways, enough babbling!  I hope you all have a wonderful day! 

STRAIGHTEN OUT!

I bought a flat iron awhile ago (like a year and a half ago) and never really used it because I never seemed to get the results I wanted.  It always ended up going so flat on the top, and the ends... well lets just say I'm not sure what the ends were doing (not what they were supposed to do, that's for sure!!).  I've been reading a ton of blogs and they all talk about this CHI Iron Guard, and how awesome it is!  I was in the drug store the other day and just so happened to see that they had a whole lineup of CHI products.  Now I have to say... I'm kind of cheap, and I didn't really want to spend $20 bucks on some hair stuff when I wasn't even sure if it worked.  I kinda looked at a bunch of other brands, and then realized they were all like $16.99, so what the heck, I might as well just spend the extra $3.01.

Now the first time I used it, I put WAY WAY WAY too much of it in my hair!  It felt like straw. It was so nasty!  I couldn't figure out why all these people were raving about this product.  A few days later I was watching "Juicy Tuesday's" video blogs on Youtube and she was talking about the same stuff.  She said only use a little bit of it, otherwise you're hair is going to feel gross!  Well thanks!  Where were you the day before?!?!?  So, attempt #2 turned out a little better, I only used about 6 sprays for my whole head.  My hair didn't feel quite so nasty, and it was straight!  Straight and even! And I had volume!!! YAY!!  I'm a fan for life! 

Anyways, the product I'm ranting about is the CHI 44 Iron Guard, thermal protection spray. For those of you who are looking for a sweet ass product, this is a good one!

 

So obviously this is the Before on the Left, and the after on the right!  You be the judge!            

I also want to say Hi to my Grandma who has been reading my blog!  

On another note, my Sister-in-law made me this ring, and I'm so excited I had to share it with you!  I'm sooo in love with it!  If you are too make sure you check out her blog, and then go visit her etsy shop! 

http://required2beinspired.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/required2beinspired

Who doesn't want something unique that nobody else has?  And lets support some people doing their own things!  I'd way rather buy something different than the same old thing that everyone else has!

SMILE!!

So as most of you know, I got this idea in my head that I needed to have straighter teeth.  Not that they are that bad, but my bff Candice has these gorgeous teeth, and I've always loved them!  So needless to say I decided to get braces.  I figured at my age the whole train track thing wasn't oh so attractive, so I opted for the Invisalign treatment.  I'm going on my 5th week with them and so far I'm finding them not so bad.  Obviously all of you out there who have had braces you know how much it sucks when they tightened them... It still sucks.  Now the plus thing is, I find everything gets stuck in my retainer if I eat with them in (which I'm not supposed to do) so not only am I getting better teeth, I have a perfect weight loss plan, because I'm sick of brushing my teeth every 10 mins!

 I figured I'd do a before post, and then when they're done (in 6 months) I can do an after post so you can see if there is a change!

So this is the before!!

This is with the retainer...

Now in 6 months (If I manage to make it to all of my appointments) I should be done!  YAY!!

I actually wrote this post and then decided it was kind of gross!  I mean, who really wants to look at my teeth?  But I figured maybe someone out there that reads this hadn't thought of this option, so I guess maybe it could inspire someone else to do something they might have never thought of doing!  Plus... I really don't know what else to do for a post today because I'm drawing a blank...

Have a fantastic day!

Happy Birthday!

Today's post is more of a personal one.  Today would have been my little boys first birthday, and I'm missing him terribly! For those of you who don't know, he was stillborn at 29 weeks, a year ago.  Some days I don't know how I manage to make it through the day without him, but somehow I do.  I can't believe its been a whole year since I held him in my arms.  I still have days where I feel like the heartache is never going to end, but those days are becoming less and less frequent!  The whole grief process is a funny one.  This was the first major loss in my life, and I guess I'm learning to deal with it one day at a time.

 Now I guess the best way to look at life is to find the positives, and I've had a few of those this year!  My brother and his wife, Natasha,  had a baby.  She is the most adorable little girl you've ever seen!  I didn't know how much love I still had to give, but every time I see her chubby little cheeks my heart just fills up with joy, and I feel as if my heart is going to burst with happiness.  I stole a picture off of Natasha's blog just to show you how darn cute she is!  Haha okay, obviously I couldn't just pick one because there are far too many great shots of her!  She's quite the character!  I can't wait until she gets older so that I can be her favorite and we can go do fun things like play in the park, or go for ice cream!

Secondly, I figured out who I was and what I wanted out of life.  I've become more secure with myself and I know I deserve so much more than I had settled for in the past!  I also feel like I've become more empathetic in some ways.  I'm not so quick to judge anymore.  So I guess I feel like I've grown as a person.

Thirdly, I've discovered how wonderful my friends and family truly are, and even complete strangers!  I had a pretty good idea, but the kindness and love that was shown during the past year was amazing!  So if any of you are reading this, I just want to say thanks for being there for me!  I know sometimes I might have been a little withdrawn or sad, but its part of life, and thanks for sticking with me!

Lastly I want to say Happy 1st Birthday to Hudson!  I miss you every single day, and I hope Heaven is treating you good!  I can't wait until I can finally meet you face to face again!  I love you!

XOXO,
Mommy

Lotions

A couple weeks ago I was making lotion and actually remembered to get my camera out!  I figured instead of making just one scent I would make 4 different ones.  Each batch of lotion I make is 16 oz, which obviously means I can get four 4oz containers full!  I decided on doing a Grape, Bitter Orange Orchid, Coconut Lime (a fan favorite... or just my mom's but she's still a fan!)  and Fresh Fruit Salsa with Lime (my dad actually likes this one!  If you only knew what kind of redneck he is you'd probably laugh at the fact he has opinions on the lotions I make!)

I figured I'd branch out and try a couple different things in this one.  I added some different oils to it.  I used my favorite staple, Sweet Almond Oil (because I love the feel of it),  I also added some Apricot Kernel Oil and some Jojoba Oil.

Sweet Almond Oil:  Is known to make your skin super soft as well as help improve your complexion.  It also helps with itchiness and inflammation, and can even be used for muscle pain!

Apricot Oil:  Its great for sensitive skin and your skin will easily absorb this oil.  It also can help slow down the aging process that most of us are worried about!

Jojoba Oil:  Helps unclog pores and is also great for sensitive skin.  It quickly penetrates the skin and does phenomenal things for dry skin!  It also is known for helping treat acne!  Sounds like a winner to me!

This is an example of my new labels I made!  I know they could probably use some work, but they're doing the trick for me right now!  I finally bought a label maker that helps me print them out and lasers it into the sticker so that when you get lotion on your lid (or whatever else that might spill on it your label) it isn't going to run and be ruined!  (I personally can't stand when that happens!!)

I'm still working on getting an Etsy shop up and running, but I just so happened to run out of containers to actually put things in.  And it just so happens to be rather difficult to sell things that aren't packaged (unless you want me dumping your lotion in a Tupperware container, and I can't see that happening)  but as soon as I get home I'm going to run down to the states and pick up a bunch so I can start making a bunch more.

I'm super excited because the distributor that I get everything from came out with their summer scent list and I seriously want like everything they had listed in their catalogue!  This could be the best summer at work ever!  I can't wait to tell you guys about all the new stuff I plan on ordering!

Well on another note!  I need to go and get some school done so that I don't have to be a forever student!  Hope you all have a wonderful day!  Thanks for stopping by and reading!

MAKEUP MY MIND GIVEAWAY!!!

Hey everyone!  Just wanted you to check out Laura Beths blog its Makeup My Mind!  She's super talented, and always has the best makeup!  She also has a great giveaway on right now!  And she's well worth the read, so you should all head over there and check her out!

CONGRATS TO LAURA BETH!

So I know I've been pretty terrible at doing a regular posting lately, but I'm still lacking some motivation right now!  I think its more hard to get motivated when you're not around you're own stuff, and you're working with a limited amount of supplies.  Yes, I realize this sounds like and excuse, and it probably is... but ya!  I'm going back to work tomorrow (FINALLY) now that the weather has decided to cooperate!  So hopefully I'll find more motivation to do stuff!

I just wanted to say Congrats to Laura Beth who won the Giveaway!  The prize that she ended up winning was:
4 oz Bitter Orange Orchid Body Butter
4 oz Coconut Lime Body Butter
4 oz Fresh Fruit Salsa with Lime Body butter

Make sure you check out her blog because she is a super talented makeup artist, and I'm always getting a bunch of inspiration from her! 

Anyways, I should have Internet up and running in the next couple days, so things should get a little more back to normal!

GIVEAWAY!!

I finally had a genius idea for a giveaway!  I'm thinking of starting up a business (in the lotion and bath product department) and I am in need of a killer name!  Now I know there are a ton of you out there that are SUPER creative!  So I figured I would make this a challenge!  Lets come up with the best name for my product!  The winner will receive a bunch of homemade products (lotion, body butters, lip gloss... and whatever I create in the next couple days!  As of right now I've been putting "Custom Blends by Corrine" on them, but I think I could come up with something even more amazing! (This is a way to get you closet readers out there to jump in and join in the challenge!)

Now I think in the next couple weeks I'm going to open up an Etsy shop, because that would be a great way to get my product out there.  My mom has been buying my lotion (without paying of course) to give away as gifts.  I've also gave some away in hopes that people will love it, and this morning, I got asked if I had business cards so they could order products!!   YAY!  I suppose today's feat is making business cards and whipping up a couple batches of lotion because I'm feeling uber inspired!

On another note, I would like to sent some big CONGRATS to my sister in law Natasha who's made her second sale on her Etsy shop!  You guys should for sure check out her stuff!  She makes some of the most creative jewelery out there, (I might be a tad biased) but I think its great!

I hope you all you mothers out there have a wonderful day, and if you've forgotten its Mothers day...CALL YOUR MOM!

SPRING COLORS AND SCENTS!!!

Hey again!  Twice in one week!  I feel like I'm hitting some kind or record lately!  Today's post is on some of the lotions I've been making!  I think I've finally found what I'm passionate about! (it only took me about a million years!)  Now I've just been doing it as a hobby, but my wonderful mother has been my only customer! (but that's what parents are for)  She's buying product and giving it away as gifts in hopes that its going to drum up some business! 

So basically my lotions are simple compared to what you'd find in the store, but I also think they're better because they don't have all the other crap in them!

The 4 lotions that will be shown below are made up of: Water, Sweet Almond Oil, Citric Acid, Emulsifying Wax, Steric Acid, Hydrovance, and some fragrance, and a couple drops of color!

I picked fragrances that would get everyone in the mood for spring and summer!  Obviously we couldn't decide which ones were our favorites because we all have different opinions, but I need to think of some sort of give away so that some of you get a chance to sample them!

I started out by measuring (weighing) all of my ingredients and pouring them into a container!  (I really need to go buy some glass beakers, because I don't think hot oil is real great in plastic, but then again that's just my opinion)  Once all of the ingredients (except fragrance and color) are added I microwaved them until they were all melted and the water turned a milky color.  After I removed my container from the microwave I used a stick blender to blend my mixture into a milk like state.  Next I separated 4 portions (4 oz each) added a different color and fragrance to every bowl and then individually blended them together and poured into 2 oz containers.  Now things seem to thicken rather quickly when they are cooling, so its important that I work fast (I don't do anything fast, so this can be a real challenge for me!  Next I placed the containers on a wire rack so that they could cool underneath easier.

Left to Right: Springtime Pear, Bitter Orange Orchid, Apricot Freesia, and Fresh Fruit Salsa with Lime

I'm super excited how they all turned out!  I've made some other scents but that will be for a later post!  I bought a label maker and designed my own labels but I don't have a picture of them, I supposed I'll have to get on that!  As for my family who reads this... I guess you all figured out what you're getting for Christmas this year! haha. 

I found out today that my regular drilling rig is going to be starting up in the next couple weeks, so that means I"ll be back to daily posts!! YAY!

WHAT A MESS

Awhile ago I thought it was time to start cleaning out my makeup bag in order to make some more room for my new finds.  I thought I'd show you some before and after pictures to show how organization is key to simplicity (something I'm figuring out!)

Now I thought I'd be able to do some more posting and much to my dismay I have no Internet at work... bah.. oh well, such is life!  Anyways, I've missed you all!  And Hopefully I can get back in the blogging groove!

The Giant Mess Improved!

Long Lost Blogger!

Hey Everyone!!

I know I've been absent for well over a month, but its been a busy one!  I had a month off work, and no wireless internet.  I didn't want to be uploading pictures onto my parents business computers so I figured I'd just have to post on a regular basis.  I actually have a bunch of stuff ready, and hopefully tomorrow I get that up!  Anyways, I'm excited to be back!  Stay tuned for some of the creations I made while I was on vacation!  (tomorrow, when I'm at work and actually get paid to blog... kinda)