Homemade Soy Candles

A few weeks ago I made some candles for a friend who has everything :)  We are moving and my camera is packed so the above photo is from the web....

I decided to go with soy candles.  I followed the directions here to make the wick.  I recommend the directions for wick number 2.  Leaving the unbleached cotton twine in the borax solution overnight caused crystals to form that I had to remove before dipping the wicks in wax.  Use unbleached cotton twine to keep this a "clean" candle without any harmful chemicals being released into the air as you burn them.  I chose not to add any dyes to my candles for the same reason.

I followed the directions here to make the candles.  I put together some instructions on how to burn a soy candle and attached it to my gift.  Here are some similar instructions.  As you read them note how important it is to do a memory burn, how to center your wick after prolonged burning, and how to extinguish your candle without causing smoke. After making your candles allow them cure for a few days before burning them... I know... it is so hard to wait!

I made a summer scented candle using:

1/2 pound soy wax
1 T. jasmine essential oil
1/4 t. grapefruit essential oil

I think the above fragrance combination makes a nice perfume.  Just use beeswax instead of the soy and add equal parts sweet almond oil to make a solid perfume.  Directions here.

I made an Autumn scented candle using:

1 pound soy wax
2 T clove bud essential oil
1/2 t. vanilla essential oil

I have been burning the Autumn scented candle all week and I love, love, love it.  Some commercial candles smell too sugary sweet for me.  However, I'm very happy with these!

Best (& EASIEST) Pulled Pork

I tried a new recipe and I loved it.  It is SUPER easy- not on my diet- but tasty nonetheless.  At first I freaked out when I realized you used root beer to cook your pork in- but there were so many awesome reviews that I went with it.  Then two days later I made another batch for a friend who had just had a baby.  I just sent over the pulled pork, a mess of coleslaw and a bag of rolls.  This would be wonderful for tailgating parties.

Here is the recipe- photo and recipe from Allrecipes.com.   I used 2 litres of A&W root beer, a half of a pork roast- the inexpensive kind in a tube shaped bag and Sweet Baby Ray's Original BBQ sauce.  You just put the pork in the crock pot- cover it with root beer- cook on low. Turn the roast a time or two during the day.  At dinner time drain off all of the root beer and remove any fat.  Shred meat with a fork (it falls apart) and drench with the BBQ sauce.  You can use the pulled pork on your favorite salad or I like to make sandwiches with it- just put a heaping pile of the pork in the middle of a soft roll and enjoy.

Where to Buy Large, Chunky Beads

I love the fun necklaces with big chunky beads.  I hit my local craft stores trying to find large beads to make a few necklaces of my own.  Our town only has two craft stores.  I didn't find much.  The beads either looked cheap- perfect for a four year old playing dress up- or they didn't have the colors I needed.  I had a "duh" moment and looked for beads at etsy under the supply category.

I found these pretty glass "pearl" beads and purchased them for two different necklaces.  I purchased two different shades of gray and some cream beads and crystals.  I tried to find beads that were at least 14mm.  My local craft store carries the smaller sizes.

For my match everything, all cream colored necklace I purchased a few large glass crystals to add texture and sparkle.  They were a nice addition.  I personally prefer cream pearls to white- but that is just me.

I found some yellow beads here... for some reason a large, pretty yellow bead is nearly impossible to find.  These are 20mm- very nice size!

I did find out that making a necklace with tons of beads can get expensive (my gray pearl necklace-yikes)! You can probably buy one already made for less money.  But if you are trying to match a specific outfit or need some craft therapy go for it.

September 1 we went back onto our modified Dave Ramsey budget so there is less shopping and more saving going on at our house now   ;0)

J.R. Watkins Cleaner

Let me preface this by saying that I grew up in a home surrounded by over twenty navel orange trees- can you imagine how great it smelled when the orange blossoms were bursting out all over the place- amazing!!

Then in December/January when oranges were perfect for eating they became the staple of my diet.... delicious... best oranges ever!  Understanding my history may lead you to believe that I am biased, and maybe I am, but I've got to tell you about how delighted I was to try J.R. Watkins Tub & Tile cleaner in orange citrus scent....  this is just me, a mom who grabbed it on sale on an impulse buy (no company endorsement stuff going on).... and I really like it.  It cleaned my yucky toilet exterior and my bathroom smelled heavenly while I worked..... sigh...

Products I Like

Long time no post- just busy doing other fun stuff.  I did want to share a product review or two- so that I can look back and remember what brand I liked.  Here are some popular items at our house:

Ghirardelli Hazelnut Heaven Intense Dark Chocolate.  The sweetness of the hazelnut tones down the dark chocolate and makes for a very tasty treat.  So, hard to keep it to a nibble and not just consume the entire bar-

Garden of Eatin taco shells.  I found these at the local health food store.  They actually taste like corn tortillas did when I was a kid growing up in Arizona.  By that I mean, you can taste the corn.  Rubbery if zapped in the microwave.  Delightful crunchiness when warmed in the oven. These are the ingredients: Organic stoneground yellow corn masa flour, expeller pressed high oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil. Yummy.

Unsweetened Almond Breeze with Coconut milk- I use this with frozen fruit (banana, mango, papaya, and pineapple) to make tropical tasting fruit smoothies.  I want to try a smoothie with chocolate and see if it tastes like a mounds bar...

Do you spend a small fortune on printer ink?  We do.  We tried switching brands of printers and that didn't save us any money.  We switched to a  laser Brother HL-2270 DW.  The ink cartridge costs $45 and is supposed to print 1600 pages. Very nice quality printing.  It only prints in black and white- but that is all we need 85% of the time.  We kept the old printer (for color) and added the new and are hoping for some big savings in the ink department.

Service Activity Day

This week for activity day (church group of girls ages 8-11) we focused on service.  First, I had the girls help me make no bake peanut butter bars.  While they were cooling in the refrigerator we discussed the blessings and happiness that come when we do service for others.  I focused on this talk by President Monson and Matthew 25.

We played the game Guesstures (charades).  We discussed how actions speak louder than words.  Many people say that they love God, their family, or their neighbor- but do they show them?

Then I used this fabulous idea that I found via pinterest and gave each girl their own top secret folder so that they could go home with a reminder to perform secret acts of loving service.

Oh, and we sent home the peanut butter bars with the girls (they were delish)!

Activity Day: Ceramic Tiles

This week for activity day (church group of girls ages 8-11) we discussed President Monson's talk from the April 2012 Young Women's conference about how living the gospel and obeying God's commandments makes our lives easier.  I highlighted this quote:

Obey your parents. Obey the laws of God. They are given to us by a loving Heavenly Father. When they are obeyed, our lives will be more fulfilling, less complicated. Our challenges and problems will be easier to bear. We will receive the Lord’s promised blessings...  You have but one life to live. Keep it as free from trouble as you can.

Next, we discussed some specifics. For instance, how would making the correct choice not to steal make their life easier?  They could see how stealing could lead to loss of trust, loss of friends, and even legal consequences, etc.  We also discussed choosing not to use drugs- how would that choice bless them? Etc.

Then we painted ceramic tiles as a reminder to always choose the right.  We used small ceramic tiles from Habitat for Humanity Restore and Folk Art Enamel Paints.  Ahead of time I cleaned the tiles with rubbing alcohol and then traced CTR (choose the right) onto the center of each tile.  The girls wrote their names on the back of each tile in pencil- important since the tiles won't be ready to take home immediately.  Then the girls painted the "CTR" letters and embellished the remaining area.  I baked the tiles to set the paint and then later delivered the finished tile with a little easel to each girl.  I found the easels in a bag of twelve in the fine art section at Michaels... on clearance :o)