Stanky Breath!

If you don't want teeth like funky dude (even though I secretly want to be his friend) up there then check this out!!!!

I have found this AWESOME coconut oil toothpaste recipe! My hubby says that it makes my breath smell good which is really saying something!  I'm not a fan of baking soda toothpastes but I got used to the flavor and I like it now. 

I have pretty sensitive teeth and  I've been using this for about a month and I haven't felt anymore sensitivity than I do while consistently using toothpaste for sensitivity.  When I use normal store bought toothpaste that isn't for sensitivity, my teeth are really sensitive.  Something to think about and I'm going to talk to my dentist about it also!

Next, I want to try the first one from passionatehomemaking.com since I can pump it out of a soap dispenser. 

Great way to save money, not buy so much stuff and get natural!

Miracle Oil

Really, if you think about it, the stuff God makes is better than what we make. I'm not sure why I always thought all natural stuff was kind of a hoax but I'm beginning to believe that I've been spending money, to much money, on a lot of stuff that God makes much better and much cheaper than we do.

So, without further ado please, please, please read this about coconut oil: I'm truly amazed!

Here's a few ways to eat it from How to Peel an Onion:

1. Pour a tablespoon of melted coconut oil (per serving) into the blender as you finish off your smoothie.
2.  Substitute coconut oil for butter in baked goods.
3. Spread coconut oil on toast to substitute for butter – this is really nice topped with your favorite jam.
4.  Make popcorn using coconut oil – it’s delicious! Melted butter over the popcorn is a great way to add extra good fats and also disguises the coconut flavor for those who are less than excited about it. If you do like the taste of coconut, you can also use melted coconut oil in place of melted butter to coat the popcorn!
5.  Spread softened coconut oil on bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – this is a great way to sneak in the germ-fighting goodness of coconut oil into those school lunches!
6. Mix a spoonful into cooked oatmeal, along with with your usual toppings, like cream and honey.
7. Add a spoonful to warm drinks, like herbal teas or my personal favorite: a warm infusion of fresh grated ginger, lemon and honey. (To make the infusion, pour boiling water over the ginger, lemon juice and honey and let steep for 3-4 minutes before adding the oil.)
8. Add a bit of melted coconut oil to yogurt with honey, mixing well.
9. Saute and roast vegetables in coconut oil in place of olive oil.
10. Coconut Oil Fudge from Passionate Homemaking – this is a great chocolatey treat! I give these to my son as a reward for taking his cod liver oil and as a dessert – it’s super healthy and delicious (and using raw honey makes it even better for you!).
11. Added by Stacy:  Passionate Homemaking has another great idea, Healthy Peppermint Patties.  I keep them in the freezer and one or two hits the spot after dinner for a little sweet something.  It's one of those things that I don't really want a ton of so it helps me not gorge on other sweet things. 

If you don't like coconuts go to the How to peel onions link above and it has some ideas with some that don't taste like coconuts.
Go on out and get you some!!!

*Update:  Last night I found this blog....Crunchy Betty...check out her blog about Coconut Oil.....WHOA DUDE WHOA!

Smooth as a baby's bottom

As mentioned in my previous blog, I wanted to change some beauty products for a number of reasons.  I'm going to make this blog short, sweet and to the point because I'm totally absorbed in Lock Up Raw.  Don't judge me. 

So I wasn't even looking for a new moisturizer but the more I looked around at different things, the more I kept seeing coconut oil and how I can use it for everything.  It's obviously edible, you can use it for moisturizer, body lotion, hair conditioner, butter, drizzle it on popcorn, etc. etc. etc.  I HAD TO GET IT!!! I bought some in the organic section.  It was $10, I've used it for deodorant, facial moisturizer and body lotion (just a couple of times) and I still have a ton left.  Then, I found some that wasn't organic, I haven't used it yet, I am using it for food.  It is 31.5 oz. for $5.  CHEAP!!!  I made some Healthy Peppermint Patties with the non-organic and they were a HUGE hit at a friend's New Year's party. Both are pictured below.

Long story short....go get some coconut oil!  I love it on my face, legs (makes 'em really sexy smooth ALL day!), in my pits, and next I'm going to cook something with it!!

B.O. NO MORE!!!!

Alright, I have B.O., yep that's right, body odor.  I've always had to use deodorant soap and the strong deodorant, I think it's called the clinical kind, you know the EXPENSIVE KIND!!!! So as I got into all of this homemade stuff I came upon some homemade deodorant and just HAD to try it.  First I tried spraying on rubbing alcohol....that lasted one day and I had you guessed it BO by the end of the day.  So I poured that alcohol back into it's original bottle and went back to the expensive deodorant.  I will say that it said you had to give your body about 3 weeks to adjust but you see I love my husband and I love when he hugs me and I just didn't feel that being stinky for 3 weeks was the best thing for our marriage. 

A few weeks later I came upon this deodorant recipe.  As I read, the blogger talks about having made many different natural ways and none worked so I decided to try it and HALLELUJAH IT WORKS!!!!  It smells like heaven and so do I!!!  Then the tough test had to be passed....his name is Tito, my husband!  So one day after work I made him stick his nose in my pit and tell me if I still smelled good.  He approved and said I still smelled great!  Ok, now you may be thinking....come on Stacy, he's your husband and he's supposed to say things about how beautiful you are and you always smell like roses.  Well I don't know what your man is like but let me tell you about mine. 

First and most importantly, he's WONDERFUL!  I've never felt more beautiful, loved and as happy as I do with Tito but he's also honest!!  I need this kind of man who will get in my face and say....uh you're crazy woman!  Balance is really great in a marriage and I need that in your face kind of guy.  So anyways, he'll let me know if I'm STANKIN'.  He appreciates my homemaking insanity and the money it saves but he's the best person to tell me if it really works or not.  Maybe I should set up how many Titos my products win!  Sort of like how many stars you can rate something.  Deodorant gets 5 out of 5 Titos!! 

The blogger somewhere wrote why to use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch but I can't find it so I will write it here from memory.  Some cornstarches have talc and is believed to cause cancer...see the link.  They do have cornstarch that doesn't have talc.  I haven't really looked for it so I'm not sure how easy it is to find but I do know how to get your hands on arrowroot.  At HEB, the local grocery store they have spices in bulk and they had it there.  It's really cheap but buy more than the recipe falls for because the recipe may not be exact and you might have to add a little bit more to thicken it up. 

Make sure that you watch her video on how to make it, it helps! I added the peppermint and tea tree essential oils just like she suggested and I think you should!  Tea tree oil by itself smells awful but it's smell gets masked by the coconut and peppermint oils.  Also, if you don't like the smell of coconuts, you're crazy but that's beside the point.  You can by the refined kind and the smell is gone.  Good luck and enjoy your good smell!!!

*Update:  This was making me itch a little bit under my arms so I have made some adjustments as she suggests on passionatehomemaking.com.  Here's how she said it:
<< I am having issues with an itchy rash under my armpits. Any solutions?
Baking soda can be an irritant for some people. Try decreasing the baking soda by 1 Tbsp and replacing with more cornstarch/arrowroot powder. Itchiness can also often be related to applying this too soon after shaving. Wait an hour or two after shaving to apply. Add 1/4 cup shea butter or cocoa butter to the recipe for its healing benefits is another alternative. You also can try using arrowroot powder as it is more natural on the skin or make sure to choose a talc-free cornstarch. The final option is to apply a thin layer of aloe vera gel/juice to your skin for its healing benefits before applying the deodorant. It will help cool, refresh, and prevent irritations to the skin.>>

I did all of them, I added cocoa butter.  The verdict is still out so I'll let you know but here's me in my apron making it, the cocoa butter I used (it really does smell like chocolate, I, for some unknown reason never put together that it was actually from cocoa.....uuuhhhh duuuhhh Stacy) and a picture of it in the process.