Homemade candy

I came across this microwave hard candy recipe in my cake making stuff that I didn't remember ever seeing before... So I dug out my old hard candy molds and Wes and I made some. It was so easy. It took about 10 minutes. And it turned out really well. We made alligator suckers and jewel shaped pieces. They are cinnamon flavored - next time I will try to remember to add color!

DIY

A while back we were blessed with a cool new sink. Ever since then I've been wanting new countertops...we finally decided to try to do it ourselves. It took about 7 hours non-stop, but the results are awesome! I feel like I have a brand new kitchen!
Here's before (well, during, because I forgot to take a before. Notice the chips and cracks in the countertop to the right of the sink)
After... New laminate counters. Nothing fancy, but I am thrilled! Did I mention I feel like I have a brand new kitchen :)

Vacation

Wow, time flies! I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post. Well, incase you haven't heard, Mike is no longer a police officer! He is now the Director of Worship and Ministry at RockFish Church! During the transition, we took a vacation :) It was also Isaiah's birthday, and we did a bunch of fun stuff that day (well, everyday, but ALOT of stuff on his day).
We went to Ripley's Aquarium- BTW, homeschoolers and their parents get in at educational rates! cool, huh?

Everybody got to touch a stingray- even the girls!
We walked around Broadway at the Beach and rode the dinosaur :)
We rode the caterpillar (pictured above) and the pirate ship and the swings! :) We had a blast!

Boo-Boo bags

I used to have my sewing machine in the living room so I could be with the family and sew, but I put it back in my sewing closet when we started back to school. I finally drug it out tonight and sewed up a few things. :) First is a boo-boo bag for kids. It's got rice in the inner pouch and has a washable cover. The cover is sorta like a pillow sham. It's meant to be kept in the freezer to use on a boo-boo instead of ice.


Then I made a boo-boo bag for grown ups. It's got rice in it and chamomile and mint for relaxation and sore muscle relief. I put straps so I can tie it around my waist (or shoulder or wherever) and still be mobile to take care of the kiddos. This has a pillow sham type removable cover as well. I put a little bit of padding in the straps for comfort. It can be heated up in the microwave for about a minute and stays warm for around 30 minutes. If you make this at home, make sure you don't heat it for more than a minute and a half and check it so you don't burn yourself. It can get very hot.

Conclusion to: I hope this makes you laugh

I would NOT recommend using the face peel in the previous post. It hurt so bad peeling that mess off. I peeled most of it then ended up getting in the shower to scrape the rest off. My face was really soft (and red) afterward. I don't think it removed any blackheads, but it did remove some hair. Maybe if I had put it on just a small area it would have worked. It could work as a wax maybe, but I've seen recipes w/o milk or gelatin that hopefully would smell better. I'm not sure why it ended up stinking so bad. I don't think I heated it too much, but maybe that's what happened. I do not believe I will be trying this recipe again! lol-I'd rather put an orbital sander on my face than use that. It would hurt about the same and stink less!

I hope this makes you laugh.

So, I decided to try this homemade face peel mask thing. It's 1T gelatin mixed with 1 1/2 T milk. I mixed it, microwaved it 10 seconds and applied it. Right away I noticed- it stinks! And the longer it is by my nose the more it smells like rotten milk. Then my husband informs me that gelatin is made from ground up pigs bones..yeah. and i got them smeared on my face.

New Soaps

This soap has peppermint from my very own garden! I love the way it turned out- my second attempt at a swirled look. The boys love the way it smells too, very minty.

This is a remilled soap that I added real milk and local honey to. :D Finally! I've been wanting a soap with real milk and honey in it... I used a soap mold I purchased and some old candy molds I had laying around (Blues Clues). They smell great too!