Homemade Lip Balm

Posted on September 14th, 2009 by Jean

As the holidays approach, I thought it would be fun to create homemade gifts. The kids and I decided on lip balm.

Google led us to The Ponte Vedra Soap Shoppe, Inc. for the whole shebang: recipes, ingredients and containers. We chose Vegan Lip Balm flavored with Lemongrass essential oil.

Round labels were purchased at OnlineLabels.com.

Total cost was $4.74 per gift (16 gifts total). You may be able to cut costs by shopping locally.

This craft project was total teamwork! I melted the wax while the kids mostly sniffed the products. I helped them measure, and they carefully added ingredients to the pot. I poured the balm into the tins, and they sealed and labeled them.

These tins come with shrink-wrap bands that seal around the product when blow-dryer heat is applied. What a nice touch!

Warning: If you’re like me, you might ruin your measuring cup, wooden spoon, and cooking pot. I set mine aside for future waxy projects.

• Will you create homemade holiday gifts?
• Where do you find the best price for craft supplies?
• How do you clean up after creating a waxy gift?

Tags: beauty, crafting, Crafts, create, essential oils, family, Gifts, kids

Off On A Dum Dum Tangent

Posted on October 29th, 2008 by Jean

It’s the simple things that bring joy to my children. Simple as in dum dum lollipops.

 
Natalie pulled a dum dum from our candy bowl the other day, and said, Mom, this one is pepper flavored. She mistook the sour apple for a green pepper.
 

Ewwww!
 
The idea of a pepper flavored sucker sent me off in two directions. The first direction was to find odd-flavored lollis.
 
Margarita Lollipop


Complete with salty exterior. Available at Firegirl.com.
 
Absinthe Lollipop


Available at Kegworks.com.
 
Javapops


60mg of caffeine per lolli. Available at ThinkGeek.com.
 
And the obligatory Insect Pops.


No thanks. Available at Hotlix.com.
 
The second direction was to check out dum dums. If you’d like to elect two dum dums (no comment), head over to DumDumPops.com
 


Go, Cool Lime!
 
I was surprised to learn that you can send in 20 wrappers plus $1.00 to receive a toy prize.
 


 
Really? What can you get for a dollar anymore?
 
• Have you tried an unusual lollipop?
• Would you try an unusual lollipop?
• Who are you voting for in the dum dum flavor election?

Tags: absinthe, candy, coffee, dollar, dum, firegirl, frisbee, Gifts, hotlix, insect, javapops, kegworks, margarita, suckers, thinkgeek, unique

Bathing Beauties and Bacon

Posted on May 26th, 2008 by Jean

WATER BABIES
 
I have water babies. My two girls LOVE water!
 

 
Yes, they’re cute & cuddly. Fondness for water is all good when it’s outside in the jacuzzi. But there is a menacing side.
 
It’s early morning. Everyone’s been fed. Spongebob is on the t.v. All seems normal. My mission: to take a shower…. alone!
 
It just isn’t humanly possible! The 2 little water nymphs have a 6th sense! They MUST join me in the shower. It is their goal in life.
 
They sneak in and soak up all the lovely shower spray, while I stand in the corner, surrounded in steam.
 

 
This phenomenon has been going on for at least two years. Here is a picture Natalie drew in 2006.
 

 
Don’t let her fool you. We do not have dual showerheads. Look how sad I am. Don’t look at my black nipples.
 
So I was searching google for some interesting shower images, and look what I found.
 

 
A Psycho Shower Curtain. How weird is that? Imagine taking a shower and seeing that silhouette.
 
Want to see another strange shower curtain I found?
 

 
That’s right. A raw steak shower curtain. Who is this for? Butchers?
 
While purusing the meaty website, I found these other clever items!
 

 
Bacon Band-Aids!
 

 
A Bacon Wallet!
 
Come on! Do these not scream out HAPPY FATHER’S DAY?If you must shop for meat-inspired products, here is the BaconAndMeat.com website! Have fun! And let us know what you bought!

Tags: bacon, bath, Gifts, meat, shower, unique