Posted in essential oils, Green Cleaning Tips, Health and beauty

DIY Makeup Brush Cleaner

My daughter always tells me I should clean my brushes and I must confess that I might do it once a year! I know, that sounds bad but in my defense my go to daily makeup routine is mascara and chapstick. I feel like a runway model when I use tinted moisturizer and as for contouring I don’t even have a clue.

So since I feel I have such limited use with my brushes I thought I could be lazy but I really shouldn’t, so when I read a cool green cleaning tip for makeup brushes (on Young Living)  I thought  for all of us that don’t clean them but should and those great people who do clean here is an easy to do DIY.

 

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Ingredients:
1 cup witch hazel
4 teaspoons liquid castile soap
5 drops Lavender essential oil
5 drops Tea Tree essential oil

 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Store in a glass bottle.
How to clean your makeup brushes:
Pour half of the makeup brush cleaner into a cup.
Wet the bristles of the makeup brush by holding the brush vertically, bristles down, under running water.
Once the bristles are wet, dip them in the cleaning solution.
Using a textured surface, scrub the brush in a circular motion.
Repeat steps 3-5  or until makeup is completely out of the brush.
Rinse the brush until there are no more bubbles or soap in the bristles.
Gently squeeze excess water out of the brush and lay it flat to dry.

Toss used cleaner.

Posted in Uplifting

The Wind and a Sail Boat

white sailboat on body of water under white sky during daytime
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

 

I enjoy being around any kind of water but it is the ocean where I am drawn to the most. It is the smell of the salty air and the sound of the waves crashing against the beach that even on my grumpiest day I suddenly feel calmer and exhale with a smile.

When I lived by the ocean I enjoyed walking around looking at the boat dock. They had some that were lived in while other boats people just kept tied to the dock for when they wanted to go out on the water. I found the sail boats the most interesting. Some of the sail boats seemed to have never moved and I thought that if I had it I would take the time to use it instead of keeping it docked,  but maybe that’s just because I have always wanted to learn how to sail. The idea of how to use the force of the wind to propel you forward letting it move you seems a little scary but also invigorating.

I think we all at some point can be like those beautiful sail boats that never seemed to have left the dock. Like those boats that were made to have their sails raised to glide through the water capturing the wind, doing what it was made to do.

We were meant to move to fully enjoy life but for what ever reason seem to stay docked at some place in our life for safety. Some place in our life where maybe pain, anger, fear or resentment has kept us docked. God made us beautiful  but if we don’t leave the safety of the harbor we will never experience our true selves. If we stay docked we get rusted from the salt and full of cob webs. Maybe its time to have help getting “our sail boat” sea worthy again so we can be all that we were made for. With prayer and the right people we can get ready to raise our sails and leave the harbor.

Think of it as God is the wind He will be there to be our strength to move us when all we have is just a sail waiting for the power of the wind.

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Posted in Recipes

Grilled Ratatouille

For one last grill recipe I found this one from Sylvie Shirazi in my Young Living news. I thought with temps still pretty nice, zucchini very plentiful and eggplant  in season until October this would be a good one to try.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup basil leaves packed

2 Tablespoons flat leaf parsley, stems removed

1 Small garlic clove peeled ( I used 2 because I really like garlic)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence

3 Tablespoon olive oil ( plus you might need a little for the grill)

1 drop of Marjoram EO

1 drop of Thyme EO

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

2 small zucchini, sliced in half the lengthwise into strips

1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch rounds

1 red bell pepper,stemmed, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Grill pan or grill basket

 

In a food processor pulse until finely chopped the basil, parsley ,garlic, salt and herbes de Provence then add olive oil, Marjoram and Thyme EO and process until smooth.

Place tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper into a large bowl. Add herb sauce and toss to coat.

Place vegetables evenly on oiled grill of medium heat, cook for 3-5 minutes per side until tender and charred and tomatoes are blistered.

Transfer to a serving platter and season with freshly ground pepper and additional salt to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Additional note – In the recipe she does not suggest this but I like to eat this over polenta. If eating over polenta, it is easy enough to make. You may make it per package directions or see below for a quick idea of how to cook it.

Ingredients:

4 cups of water

pinch of salt

1 cup of polenta

(the following is optional 1 teaspoon of diced garlic, 1 cup of cheese, 1 teaspoon of butter.)

I bring the water with the salt to boil turn down the heat as you slowly add the polenta a little at a time while stirring it carefully, if adding the addition options you will add them after the last of the polenta is added then if you use a lid this helps keep it creaming and you do not need to keep  stirring while the polenta cooks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Uplifting

Weakness

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I was thinking that today’s blog would be something different for me. It is short and to the point.  I decided to go out on a limb and publish a sketch I did of my hand in God’s with a verse that has helped me so much. I keep this in a frame by my bed to remind me that God’s grace is sufficient for me and it is His power that is seen in my weakness. That it is ok to be weak so that I can lean on God so He can be seen.

It has taken something in my health to realize that God hears me and will be with me no matter what is going on. He might not answerer the way I want but He will answer showing His glory. I find that sometimes the answer God gives is that He will calm me while the storm continues around me and in doing that I lean on Him more finding even more peace.

 

2 Corinthians 12:9 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.