The never-ending knitted farmyard

Yep, that's right.  I am going to finish it.  Seriously.

This project has been in the works for over a year! I took a knitting class from my friend Carin where we all made 10 squares and then swapped them to create a unique knitted farmyard/garden.  I still have all the squares I swapped and I am trying to incorporate them into the end project.  It's making it a little wonky, but I love knowing who made what square and having it be a sort of group effort.  I believe there were 10-12 of us in that original group.  Who ended up finishing theirs?  Anyone?

Here's a picture of the one we made for an auction at the local Waldorf School.  It turned out lovely, huh?  Mine is going to be sort of a Fairy Playland I think.  There's a lot going on with my random squares!

My goal is to finish it in time for F's 5th Birthday.  She loves to tell stories and usually just uses her wooden blocks or other toys about the house.

I am trying to keep it a bit of a surprise which means late night stitching.  I may cheat and just do a big felted piece in the middle there...we'll see.  I promise pictures when it's complete.  If you've got a playscape or farmyard you've made, please share!

**Have you entered the lip balm give-away?**

A little light...

How did you celebrate Earth Hour on Saturday night?

It was a magical time for the girls.  I resisted the urge to explain it more than I needed too.  They knew it was a special night.

** Don't forget to enter the give-away here.**

Lip Balm Recipe and another give-away!

Have you ever made your own lip balm?
If not, you should!  It's pretty simple and way more cost effective.  I suggest getting a group of 4-5 friends together for a lip balm party.  Each person can purchase one ingredient and than you split the batch!  Fun.

For the last craft fair I participated in I made PURE (unscented) and GRAPE.  They turned out lovely and I got many requests for the recipe.  So I figured it would be a good blog post, right?  I'm hesitantly calling it a tutorial as I didn't get a bunch of good pictures while making it (step by step shots).

I tried a few recipes before I settled on the following combo.  It melts right into your skin and nourishes it instead of stripping it of it's own moisture (like so many store brands do).  There's whole wild theories on the idea that they manufacture the stuff specifically to make you more addicted to using it.  What?!?!  Not cool.  Plus I'm a little weird about putting petroleum on my skin.
I digress....

Here's my recipe for Crooked Moon Apothecary Lip Balm:
2 oz organic beeswax (or 1 oz candelilla wax - vegan lip balm)
2.5 oz shea butter
1.5 oz organic cocoa butter
4 oz organic jojoba oil (I have used sweet almond oil and that works fine, but I prefer jojoba)
10-15 mL flavor oil (if using)

I've linked to all the products I use, but there are many places to get the same ingredients.  Since I sell the stuff, I try to get the highest quality (ethically sound) ingredients.

This recipe makes about 50 tubes.  I suggest using tubes.  The little lip balm pots are super cute (and anti-plastic) but they are hard to get open and people seem to prefer the tubes.

First set up your tubes to be filled somewhere conveniently located to where you're cooking your lip balm.  You'll need to work fast with a plastic (not glass) pipette in order to fill them before your mixture starts to cool and harden.  It takes me 2 small plastic pipettes to fill 50 tubes, as one undoubtedly gets clogged or hardens 3/4 of the way through.

Ah...the scary crooked tube shot again....

Melt all the ingredients in a double boiler, except the flavor oil.  On med heat this will take about 5 min.  I gently stir the mixture to encourage the beeswax to melt.  Use beeswax pellets, or pastilles, as they melt a lot faster than chunks or shavings.  As soon as the beeswax has completely melted, turn the heat off.  Add your flavor oil, if using.  Then swiftly, but carefully, began filling your tubes.  I like to fill to the top of the screw and then go back and top them off so they are full.  You can cap them as soon as they're cool.
Simple, no?
Any questions? 

Go forth and make some homemade lip balm!  Then come back and tell me about it.
Already make your own?  What's your favorite recipe?
Not the DIY type?  That's ok...I'll sell you some of mine.

**GIVE-AWAY**

Leave a comment telling me what lip balm flavor you'd like me to make next and be entered to win a 5 pack of my lip balms.
2 PURE
2 GRAPE
1 CAKE
All tied up in a sweet hand knit little sack made by Lacey from the Bits of Goodness swap group.

I will close the comments Friday April 2nd and announce the winner Saturday morning.  F is so thrilled to do another give-away!!

Raw Lemon Coconut cookies. Yum.

So I've been playing around with an idea to make some raw Lemon Bars.  I ended up making these.

Oh they turned out so yummy!  I just kind of threw some stuff together and made my own recipe.
Wanna make them?

Here's how:

Raw Lemon Coconut Cookies
(organic ingredients when possible, of course)
2 cups cashews (unsoaked)
1 3/4 cup dried unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup lemon zest
1/4 cup coconut oil (warm it in the sun/dehydrator for a moment, makes it easier to incorporate)
1/4 cup agave
6 chopped dates
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

Place the cashews into the food processor first and grind for about 15 sec.  Then add all the other ingredients and grind until well combined (stop every once in a while and scrape down the sides).
This creates a very wet dough.
Plop into cookie shapes on teflex lined dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 115 for 6 hours.  Flip the cookies and dehydrate another 10-12 hours until desired cookie consistency.

The smell these cookies made in the house while they were "un-cooking" was amazing! 

Do not scrimp on the lemon juice or the zest.  What makes these cookies so yummy?  The intense fresh lemon taste with the creamy cashews and hints of coconut.  Get yourself one of these

and zesting is way easy.

Here's the sweet little plate we put them on.  A thrifting find last week.  The girls are in garden mode around here.

Let me know if you make these cookies!!  A friend asked me about using orange juice/zest.  I may try a variation using soaked almonds and oranges...what do you think?

Yum.

Craft Fair was a success!

As you all know, I took part in a Spring Craft Fair at my friend Andrea's house yesterday. 

Thanks to all of you who stopped by!  I had fun chatting with my fellow sellers:

Andrea from Baby Taylored
Rachel from No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane
Shannon from Sacred Waters Soap
Jenny from 40 candles (shop coming soon)
Carrie from Paketal (shop coming soon)
Janine from Stampin up!

I am sorry to say I did not get many pictures, but I'm hoping my friend Andrea will share some of hers?!?!

Here's how I laid out my table.

Not perfect, but that's ok!  This is the first craft fair where I actually tried to create a presentation on the table though.  Ha!

The girls certainly had fun running amok in Andrea's home.  At one point I think there were like 20 kids under age 5 running around!

F created her own craft to sell...

Ouchy Love Sticks.

Yep, that's what they are.  Ouchy Love Sticks.  She was selling them for $1 (!) each.  Thanks to my friends who bought one, hope they work!

She was thrilled.  She actually made these while I was getting ready for the fair.  She says if you rub them on your ouchies and you get blood that means you're loved.  Ok, I said...sounds good!

I plan on listing in my Etsy shop this weekend...still working on getting decent pictures of my items.


**Post teaser** 
I will be posting this weekend about the Raw Lemon Coconut Cookies I made (including the recipe!).

I will also be posting my one of my Lip Balm recipes and having a give away for a 5 pack of Lip Balms!  Woo-hoo!

It's my party and I'll juice if I want to....

Hi all.
I had a birthday this week.  Woo-hoo!
In my family, birthdays usually last about a week with random celebrations here and there as small gifts trickle in and remind you how much you're loved.

My actual birthday morning started off with a visit from my best friend.  She knocked on the door at 7:30 am with homemade muffins and fruit!  How well does she know me?!?!  We all dug in and managed to save some for papa who was still snoozing.

Then we got out my package that had been delivered a few days earlier from my mom and dad...

That's right!  I got one of these bad boys.  I am thrilled.  Don't get me wrong, I loved my little centrifugal juicer (see it in the background?), but it was time to move up in the juicing world and I am looking forward to making lots of healthy food/snacks and treats with this Champion Juicer.  It does so much more than juice carrots people!!

So what did we do with it?  We trimmed our easter baskets we started last weekend and made fresh wheatgrass juice for all. 

Oh it was yummy and the girls always love juicing what they've grown themselves.

F insisted on a picture of the wheatgrass "poop".

A few days earlier my Mother in law threw me a wonderful dinner party.  Complete with chocolate covered strawberries made by my Sister in law, Katie.  Yum.

This is an Asiatic Lily that my other Sister in law, Elizabeth gave me.  It's quite beautiful and a perfect decoration for Spring.

My Daddy always send me flowers, this was the bouquet this year.  The girls enjoy snipping some off and setting them around the house.

My Mom also sent me....

BOWLING GNOMES!!!

I love gnomes.

This has been a regular game in the house since we got it last week. 

Savage (our toy poodle) covets the balls though, so it makes for an interesting game.

Look, it's like they know the ball is coming for them!!

A friend of mine has a beautiful succulent garden and shared this little guy with me...

I'm not what it's called, but it hangs over the out she said.  I want to get an iron hanging pot thingy and out it in there out in my garden.

Last, but not least, my sweet husband (who was a bit busy with a deadline) on my birthday, will be taking me to 118 for dinner this weekend.  Oh yeah.  I'll have 1 of everything.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Thank you to all my family and friends for making this a special birthday.

xoxoxo

Craft Fair...behind the scenes.

I am participating in a Spring Craft Fair hosted at my friend Andrea's house.  If you're local, come on down and check it out.  I have seen a lot of the goodies that are going to be there and you will not be disappointed, in fact you will certainly be able to stock up for Easter and Mother's Day!
Here's the flyer (click on it to make it bigger so you can actually read it):

Here's what I'll be selling:


SOAPS


These are all natural soy based soaps made with essential oils and organic herbs.

They come wrapped in organic unbleached muslin and tied with wool yarn.

Very Eco-chic gifts for Easter/Mother’s Day.

I made 4 blends this time around:

CALM – Lavender essential oil and organic lavender buds…ahhhh, calm

SUMMER – Wild Strawberry (high quality fragrance oil) with organic chamomile…smells divine

BUZZ – Pure soap with honey, vanilla and organic oatmeal…very moisturizing

DETOX – Tea tree and peppermint oil with organic red clover…guys love this one too


LIP BALMS

The lip balm I make is all natural, organic and just plain wonderful. I use only organic cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax. For the flavored ones I add a bit of high quality flavor oils. I have them in the oval tubes again (way better than the tins).

Flavors:

PURE – unscented (requested by Dads/boys/ and sensitive mamas)

STRAWBERRY

CAKE – think chocolate ladies!

GRAPE – not fake sweet grape, more like a cabernet…delightful!


ROSE SALVE

I get asked all the time what I use on my face. Nothing. Seriously. I do however occasionally put on mascara (or I do a job and have to get all that yucky make-up off). I use a very simple rose cream. It’s made with organic jojoba oil infused with organic red roses (yes, it smells lovely) then mixed with beeswax to create a salve. Simply spread a thin layer on where you want to remove make up and wipe off with a clean cloth. You can also use this as a daily under eye moisturizer. Red Roses are well known for their cellular regeneration abilities, making the skin under your eyes tighter, firmer and fresher. This also makes it good for rubbing into any eczema outbreaks, small scrapes or rashes. Oh…just carry it in your purse already!


HERBAL REMEDIES

I will be offering a few herbal remedies. They will come with info sheets. All are made with only the best quality organic herbs!

2oz glass dropper bottles of Fresh Lemon Balm Glycerite (good for calming, anti-anxiety/anti-viral too)
2oz glass dropper bottles of Mama-To-Be Glycerite (nettles and raspberry leaf to help mama support and tone uterus as well as giving lots of plant based iron…good for post-natal too)

2oz glass dropper bottles of Rose Glycerite (tastes divine, good for over-all health and well being. Good for cold/flu, teething, menstrual pain, yeast infections, cellular regeneration, depression and anxiety)

2oz bottles of BOOST (yes, the famous elder berry immunity syrup!)

2oz spray bottles CALMING SPRAY(AKA: Monster Spray – Witchhazel combined with chamomile extract and essential oil of lavender help to soothe little ones’ fears at night. Or simply spray in the room before naptime to create a calm environment)


Fun, huh?  Needless to say we've been pretty busy around here trying to get it all put together.  The lemon balm glycerite is what we made here. 
Of course I'll post pictures of the Fair later, but I thought it might be fun to share some "behind-the-scenes" pictures of what we've been doing over at Crooked Moon Apothecary.  I plan to get this stuff set up in my Etsy shop after the Fair...FYI!

Look at this lovely rose glycerite!  Oh I love this stuff.  I'll do a post on it soon.  I sold out by the way (pre-orders) but I have another batch started already and it will be available after April 4th.

What's this one?  Can you guess?

It's the Mama-to-Be Glycerite.  There's organic nettles and rasberry leaf in there, just waiting to nourish you mamas.

Here's the same glycerite being strained.

Some organic red clover waiting to be ground up for use in DETOX.

Little F is the resident lable cutter here.

Here's some of the calming sprays set aside for pre-orders.  This is a life-saver when your little one is afraid of a monster under the bed/in the closet/up the chimney/round the corner...you name it!

Dried organic elder berries waiting to be made into BOOST.

BOOST about to be bottled.

Crooked tubes!  Oooooh!  You know that bugs you! It really bugs me too, but 2 certain "helpers" kept moving them when I turned my back.  They were filled with PURE lip balm shortly after this photo was taken.

So I hope you'll come out to the craft fair and see what else there is.  We'll be giving out raffle tickets for each purchase, kids are welcome, and there will be food and drinks.

See you there!