10 DIY Natural Beauty Products

I love my homemade natural beauty products, I have been making them for years and they work better then any store brought product and the best part is it costs about an eighth of what a chemical filled product would cost.

Hair:
1. Apply coconut oil directly to your hair leave for 20 minutes then rinse of. This is best done once a week to help prevent split ends and also makes hair more manageable. You can also add avocado to the mix for extra moisture.

2. Lemon Juice sprayed directly onto the hair will work as a natural lightener.

3. Sea salt and water in a spray also work as a relaxed hold hair spray.

4. Corn Flour applied to the roots works as a dry shampoo and will also add extra body

5. Coffee grounds and coconut oil mixed together make a great purifying face mask.

6. Witch hazel and lemon juice skin brightening toner. I have used this since being a teenager and I have always had a healthy summer glow.

7. Aloe Vera can be applied directly to skin as a soothing moisturiser after sun exposure.

8. Olive Oil makes a great hand moisturiser.

9. Epsom Salts make a great detox bath for sore muscles.

10. Oatmeal for itchy skin. This can be made into a paste and applied directly to the skin or else a small amount can be added to the bath.

Recipe - Stuffed Capsicum

This is one of my favorite dinners to make with my son, its super fun and easy its also completely gluten free!!!

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You will need

1 red or green pepper per person
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 Tb spoons of tomato paste
250 grams of mince
1 cup of mixed vegies
Cheese to top

How to make

1. Brown Mince in the frying pan,

2. Add in Canned tomatoes, tomato paste and mixed vegie,

3. Turn to a low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Cut the top off all the Capsicum and remove all the seeds.

5. Place Capsicum in an oven dish

6. Pour in mince and sauce

7. Top with Cheese

8. Replace The top and bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees.

Ways to slow down everyday

Facing the rat race everyday can be stressful it seems that everyone wants everything done yesterday. I have been working hard lately and I have discovered easy ways that you can slow down and take a break. Here is my favorite ways to slow down and just breathe.

Savour Nature:
This is a big one that I have been working on, Just to stop and look at the beauty that is around me. I have been posting a lot of the things that I have come across on my IG account.

I snapped this cheeky little guy after a rain storm.

Take off your shoes:
Every lunch time I sit on the grass and look at the beautiful trees and things around me, I also like to take off my shoes and enjoy a bit of grounding. Good for the soul.

Solo Coffee Date:
As a teenager I wouldn't be caught dead out in public without a group of friends but as I approach 30, I began to stop caring what people think and started doing what would make me happy. Its soothing to sit in a cute little café and people watch or read a book. It doesn't matter so long as you are enjoying some alone time. No one else to consider but you.

Technology Ban:
For 1 hour a day I place a technology ban on everyone in my house. Nothing with a screen it starts at the same time everyday so everyone can just organise around it.

Cook:
Take time to cook something so delicious that it has the whole house waiting with baited breath. Get out your grandmothers old cook books and bake something from scratch.

How planning ahead could save your week

I have an absolute crazy life, I wear more hats then I care to admit to. Every Sunday night I sit down and plan my week ahead.

This may seem outdated to actually sit down and plan out the week ahead, when most of us keep our planners and reminders on our phones, I found that by sitting down and getting it all out once I could relax even more.

Here are my steps to planning out the week:

I usually start by gathering all my papers e.g. Bills and School notes.

I sit down with my papers and my planners/ Calendars

The first one I mark is the Wall month to month calendar, I go through each paper and mark down all the important dates that the whole family needs to be aware of such as excursions or special sport days.

I use my daily planner to mark when all my bills are due and when my next reading dates are (this keeps me aware of when I should receive a bill). I also mark down important school information and if I will need leave.

Next I like to plan 7 Dinners and 7 lunch meals. I don't put them in any particular order because I like the chance to change my mind and frankly I never know what I am hungry for one day to the next.

When I plan out my week ahead I feel life I can let it all go and that I will remember things when they need to be remembered.

Ways to slow down! and enjoy the moment

Slowing down and enjoying the moment has never come naturally to me, I always seemed to be on the go. When I first started living a slower life I really found it hard to stop after a while I had a list of things that were kid friendly and always helped me to slow down and enjoy the moment.

Sleep Outside - Pitch a tent, lay under the stars
Read a book outside
Cuddle your babies to sleep
Take photos
Sit under a tree
Yoga
Meditation
Listen to the radio
Write down what you are grateful for!
Walk on the grass
Cook/Bake
Garden
Build a fort with your kids
Have a tea party
Write
Cuddle your partner

Stop and take a breath

How to Make any house a home, even if you are renting

Making your space a place where you want to be is a matter of making it comfortable. This does need to be an expensive exercise. A few simple touches can make your house feel like a home.

Art
Art makes us feel something every time we really look at it. The best part about art is it can be anything that you find beautiful. I once read a article about a woman who framed the dress she was wearing on her first date with her husband, because he remembered how beautiful she looked in it. You can make some amazing art for less then $20, grab a canvas, some tubes of paint and start splattering it around.

Upcycling Old Clothes
This might seem like a strange thing to upcycle old clothes to make your house more of a home but I have made some great projects from old clothes I was planning to throw out. Turn old woollen jumpers into comfy cushion covers. Another favourite project of mine is I turned all of our old holey farm t-shirts into a floor rug.

Paint old furniture
With Facebook and gumtree its super easy to buy second hand furniture, or you may have some ugly hand me down furniture hanging around that you could paint or distress. This can instantly give you a feel of being home.

Display your favourite things
I have a misfit collection of things displayed around my house but I love each piece and each piece has a story, I love to tell them every time some one admires it. It might be my favourite set of wine glasses from Mexico or my old travel journal sitting on top of my coffee table.

Display photos
Nothing makes it feel like your space more then photos. I love photos if I start to feel lost or tired I look at my photos on the wall and I remember why I need to keep going and working. There is some great renters hooks out there that don't damage the paint.

Smells
This is something that really makes a house a home I personally love the smell of clean linen! It smells clean and fresh to me. I keep this smell around by using clean linen scented wax melts and using a fabric smell with a clean linen scented oil in it.

Pets
Nothing makes a house more of a home then a pet. Even if its a fish, there will always be something to put a smile on your face even on the worst days.

I hope I have helped you turn your house into a home.

Organic pest control in the vegetable patch

Organic gardening can be a tricky thing to get right. If you don't you can lose all your harvest to pesky pests or end up with a crop that doesn't ripen properly. Here is some basics that every organic gardener needs to have in there arsenal.

White Oil - Is a handy pest exterminator. Its simple to use and easy to make with ingredients from home. It works by sticking to the bugs and suffocates them.
To make White Oil:
- 1 cup of vegetable or white mineral oil
- 1.5 cups of water
- 2 teaspoons of dishwashing liquid

Neem Oil - This works in much the same way as white oil does, you can however buy Neem Oil already mixed. Its great for all sorts of minor aliments including nit treatment for your kids hair.
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COMMON PESTS

Aphids - nasty little green bugs that typically are found on roses, however they can be partial to the odd vegie or 2.

Snails - Make a beer trap. Put a small amount of beer in the bottom of a container and dig into the soil. The snail will go in, get drunk, drown and die a happy death. Another option is to make a salt ring as snails can't cross salt. This is also a great way for kids to help out in the garden, get them out in the morning picking them off.

Caterpillars -  The little buggers eating the life out of all your plants. There is a couple of simple ways to get rid of them with out Caterpillars first of all is just like with snails go along and pick them off. Neem oil also works a treat to sort these buggers out. Another easy way is to get rid of them is let the chickens in!! they will get a great feed.

Goal Setting for a calmer life.

I don't buy into this new year new me crap! I am the exacts same person that I was last year, that doesn't mean I haven't learnt a few things.
I have always been a crazy mess of chaos, this has always lead me into adventures. When I stopped and took stock of my life I realised where it was leading me and wasn't where I want to be. I sat down late last night and really thought about what I wanted in life.

Setting goals is only the first part
Decide what you want!!!
Its not often that we actually stop and think about what we actually want, its usually what the kids need or what our family needs.

Work out a plan to get there.
This seems simple in theory, In reality it is actually super simple.
For example if your goal is to buy a family home, you will first need to pay down debt and save a deposit.

Break it down into manageable chunks.
Make a plan, break it down.
This will make you feel more in control and less like everything is getting on top of you.
As you complete each chunk it will give you a boost.

Make a vision board.
This will keep you motivated, its also great to look at.
Surrounding yourself with positive images will help you to slow down and relies that you can achieve your dreams.

Setting goals will help you to stop trying to complete everything all at once. It will give you some kind of guidance.

3 things that take 30 minutes or less to clear the clutter.

Clearing the clutter can be a daunting job, where do you begin?  On many occasions I have tried to clear the clutter and I just end up in a big fat mess!!
Here is a few tasks that will take 30 minutes or less to complete and will instantly make you feel more in control.

1) Phone Station
Everyone has a phone station, even if like us its just a corner of the bench.

1. Clear the old paperwork away. Old bills and school notes seem to pile up very quickly. Everything that's important file for later reference. Everything that's out of date bin it.
2. Check all the pens. Throw out any that no longer work or any that you don't like to use. About 10 should be sufficient.
3. keep a lined pad or block of post it notes by the pen cup. easy reach to jot down a phone message.

2) Bathroom Draws

1. This is usually where most people keep make up, nail polish and hand creams. How many do we actually use? For me it was a few things but I seemed to hang on to a lot of things that people had given me as gifts. Many were not my style, colour or didn't agree with my skin. So everything I hadn't used and wasn't planning on really using I packed up and gave away.
2. I replaced only the things I use on a regular bases, everything else I placed in a separate container. If its still there in a few weeks I will give it away.

3) DVD's

1. Give away any that you don't enjoy watching.
2. Give away any kids DVD's that your kids have grown out of
3. Place all DVD's with the spines facing out and I like to group mine by Category.

Quotes for living a simple life

Everyone has those days that it all seems to much, that trying to remain calm and the simple life just seems all to much! Its at those times we need a little extra motivation to keep calm and carry on. I keep bright post it notes on surfaces I look at everyday.

Here is some of my absolute favorites:

Be who you are!
Not who the world wants you to be.
I have this written on my mirror where I like to get ready in the morning. It reminds me to keep being my crazy self that has some how always worked in my favour. Working in a corporate role it easy to get sucked into a world of grey.

Note to self:
Let shit go
Its way to easy to bring the stress and all the niggly little things that get piled on you every day. I need to be reminded to take a breath and let shit go!

Every child needs to things, a pet and a mother who will let them have the opportunity.
I love animals in every shape and size, I am a self confessed animal hoarder. My partner is not and doesn't quite understand that there is a love that is easy and unconditional. I love this quote because every time I bring home some new creature that has been abused or mistreated, and my partner tells me its not staying I just smile and say every child needs 2 things a pet and a mother who will let them have the opportunity.

Happiness comes from inside.
This is written on my wallpaper on my phone, its a great reminder that happiness is an inside job no body is going to make you happy unless you have a inner happiness.

Live, Love, Laugh.
This isn't written any where its ingrained in my mind. If nothing else remember to live, love and laugh everyday.

5 Things to consider before moving to the country

I am country girl in every sense of the word, I wanted to bring my children up in a rural setting where they were free to be kids, make noise, have pets and just enjoy there childhood. I pitched the idea to my partner and the boys father, he was a city boy born and raised. At the time he was all for moving out of the city to a block of land. It all sounded so simple at the time.

Here is my 5 of things I wish people would consider before moving to a rural block.

1) Organisation is the key to success.
There is no just quickly dashing in anywhere. You need to be organised and keep a stock pile of everyday items. Because its really annoying to have to run out for milk and nappies when its at least an hour round trip. Also if you look like crap or wearing your slippers you are guaranteed to run into everyone from town.

2) The neighbours are nosey
This is a can cause some people discomfort particularly if you are used to being anonyms in the big city. This isn't something that can be avoided in a new small town. My advice would be to head down the local pub for a beer and introduce yourself around, it will help things to calm down a bit.

3) Animals are not polite
They will make noises before 9am, smell, and have sex out in the open! It can be a bit shocking to look out across the paddocks and see a bull mounting. It can also be a little awkward to explain to the kids. But that is the way of the land.

4) Always allow extra time for the commute.
I remember one day my commute usually is a 40 minute drive down the highway, on this one day I was cruising to work at around 6 am when I had to come to a complete stop because there was around 400 sheep on the highway. They had pushed through a fence. It took me almost 20 minutes to get them back into the paddock before the farmer turned up. Things like this can happen without warning always allow 20 minutes extra to be anywhere.

5) Phones don't work
There is very little to no mobile coverage in the country. Its very simple phones don't work. However there isn't a shortage of things to do.

I still believe that moving to the country was the best decision we ever made. I get to see my son excel at school because of the smaller class size he gets more attention. I get to watch my vegetable garden grow, and the excitement on my kids faces when they get to pick and eat what we grow.

Preserving for Beginners

Preserving is a cost effective and space saving way to keep your harvest all though the off season. It doesn't take a lot of equipment or outlay to get started. Its also a good idea to set up a swap with your neighbours. I have included all the information that you need to get started. Stay turned for my favourite easy recipes.

Equipment

A measuring cup (at least 2 cups in size)
Wooden Spoon
Measuring Spoons
A supply of clean jars
A large pot
A strainer
A funnel
A jar grabber like the one below

This will come in handy to pull the hot jars out. Save you from burning your fingers.

cleanliness is next to godliness

This is never more important as when you are making preserves.

Always wash your jars and dry with a clean tea towel before you begin. Jars and lids need to be sterilised, there is a few options to sterilise your jars I have found the best method is to place the jars on a wire oven rack upside down along with the lids, bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes, after 20 minutes turn the oven off but do not remove the jars until the last minute.

Slow living Getting Started.

I once heard slow living described as Intentional living, by forgetting about the crap and the clutter and focusing on what is important. Such as family, friends, memories and experiences.

This at the time was the polar opposite to how my life was going, I seemed to always rushing, eating on the run, losing everything that wasn't nailed to the floor. It was a life that was draining any spark that I had in me.

I was watching an Australian Drama and there was a mention of slow living/ living intentionally. I typed it into Google, that moment everything began to change I sat back and really looked at my life how much of this crap that was in my house did I actually need? The answer is not much I still had moisturisers and old socks in the back of the draw that I brought before I moved out of home (9 years ago).

It took me almost 3 weeks to go through every inch of my house, and purge myself of all the crap that was cluttering the corners of my life, (Roughly 6 Garbage Bags)

Here is a few things that I learnt:

Clutter is bad,
Anything can be clutter it doesn't matter how small it seems. Don't keep anything that you don't think is beautiful or useful. I kept only things that made me smile, things that only conjured good memories.

Take care of what you have.
At times I have been guilty of neglecting what I do have, I guess with so much clutter hanging around it all seemed to hard and I never seemed to have the time. By removing the clutter it all suddenly became a lot easier to mange. I also began to look at great ways to clean my home without chemicals.

You Can Afford It,
A big part of slow living is slow food, buying local and cooking good wholesome foods that nourish the body. It always looked like a massive number of ingredients, and I thought how can I afford so many ingredients for every meal. I started comparing the costs between the food I usually by and the more healthier foods. A great example would be a block of chocolate costs usually around $3.50 a kilo of Apples costs between $3.50 to $4.00.

Some things can wait until tomorrow.
I had a hard time to just stop and enjoy time with my kids, it doesn't matter if the washing sits a little longer or the dishwasher isn't unpacked. Just enjoy your kids while you have them, because they grow before your eyes and unless you are looking you will miss it.