Making Hot Process Soap in a Crock Pot Thank you for visiting Little House in the Suburbs. Please subscribe and you'll get great simple living tips and how-to articles delivered to your inbox, for free! I made famous soap today. Well, my soap isn’t famous, but the recipe is. Sort of. In a soapy kind of way. It is a Hot Process Crock Pot, Oatmeal & Honey Castile soap recipe, known interchangeably as Kaleb’s Oatmeal & Honey Castile or Bunny’s Castile. Soapers (people who make homemade soap) will understand what I just wrote, but for those normal folks out there who still haven’t nodded off, allow me to translate into English: In (extreme) brief, there are two basic ways to make soap at home–cold process and hot process: Cold Process: Combine oil(s) with a solution of water and sodium hydroxide (lye). Hot Process: Combine oil(s) with a solution of water and sodium hydroxide (lye) and cook. One method of hot process is the Crock Pot Method. Why one method over another? Finally, Castile soap is olive oil soap. Gloves and Goggles!
Worth the Effort: 10 DIY Skills to Finally Master This Year To truly master all the skills of maintaining a home is an exhaustive list and frankly, out of reach for many people. But even if knowing everything about home repair and DIY is not on your list of life goals, there are still a few skills worth knowing. This year, consider finally mastering a few from this list of ten — they're skills that will come in handy in just about any home and not that difficult to learn! Now of course, there are ton of other things that you could add to this list. We chose simple skills nearly anyone could master without a lot of work, and the types of things to know that could be useful in just about any home you might live in. 1. Whether you're a vintage junkie or just treat your newly-bought furniture a little rough sometimes, nearly all furniture needs a little repair and re-freshening every now and then. 2. Not only will it save you money in the long run, making your own cleaners is healthier for you and your home. 3. 4. 5. Actually it's not just bread.
Free Candle Making Instructions Directory - StumbleUpon Vital Instructions Candle Making Safety Instructions Do not make candles without reading and understanding these rules. Introduction To Candle Making This interactive on-line course teaches the basics of paraffin candle making. The course is 100% free, however you must register to use it. Candle Makers Troubleshooting Guide Just answer the questions for diagnosis and solutions to most candle making problems. Candle Measures A guide to measurements for candle making formulas. Wick Selection Guide Instructions on how to choose the correct wick for your Candles Candle Making Recipe Book Series This series is still under production, however most of the articles are now available. Container Candle Recipes A guide to container candle wax formulations and other information about container candles. Floating Candle Recipes A guide to floating candle wax formulations and other information about floating candles. Full Instruction List (in alphabetical order) Whipped Wax The basics of making whipped wax.
5 Smart Home Gadgets You're Not Using (But Should Be!) I love finding new things to solve annoying problems at home and these savvy gadgets do just that. Some are electronic, some are about as low-tech as you can get but all are useful. Thermostatic valve Do you wait for full minutes with your hand in the shower, just waiting for the water to warm up enough to step inside? Here's one to consider: the Showerstart TSV. Wi-fi enabled outlet This gadget makes any outlet into an outlet you can control with your phone. Here's the one I have: WeMo Insight Switch. DrainWig I have not tried this drain-saving gadget but I really, really want to. See what people have to say about it at Amazon. Dryer rack Want to dry something quickly that's too delicate to tumble? Here's one from Sears. Roku These gadgets have actually gotten pretty popular recently so there's a good chance you're already rocking a roku, but if not, time to jump in. Here's more info: Roku Time to tell us: What are your best under-the-radar gadgets that everyone should know about?
the LIFE LESSONS blog {things crafty, thrifty, family, yummy & rambly): Lesson# 144 The Best Gifts are Homemade {Natural Chapstick} After searching FAR AND WIDE for an awesome Christmas gift for my girlfriends this year... I finally landed on the best gift project I'm made thus far. I mean, this is way better than painted frames, decorated mugs and puff painted totes. Introducing the gift that's inexpensive, fun to make, and is actually useful in real life! WOAH! Homemade Natural Chapstick (because who needs another crocheted tissue box cover?) 1.5 oz beeswax (1 and a half tablets) 6 vitamin E capsules 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil (2=more rigid, 3=softer) 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil 2-3 teaspoons of cocoa butter 25-30 empty chap stick tubes OR 15 lip balm containers DIRECTIONS 1. Where I found my ingredients: Organic olive oil (local health food store) Organic coconut oil (local health food store) Vitamin E tablets (local health food store) Empty chap stick tubes (ebay and a few pill boxes) clear printer labels (walmart) Aren't they adorable? Be Brave and EXPERIMENT! Dress 'em Up!
Learn to Knit - Knitting for Beginners - Learn How to Knit Learning to knit is a lot of fun, and it's not actually as difficult as you might think. This guide to the basics and beyond has everything you need to get started whether you've never picked up needles before or just need a refresher. Knitting Skills: There are several basic skills involved in knitting, such as: making a slip knot and casting on forming the knit stitch forming the purl stitch binding off, sometimes also referred to as casting off You'll also need a few basic knitting tools to get started. Picking a Pattern: Once you've got the basics down, it's time to pick your first project. Many patterns, even those for beginners, seem to be written in code. Finishing Projects: Once you've reached the end of your knitting, all is not quite finished. Learning New Skills: Once you're comfortable with the basics and have successfully finished a project or two, there are many more skills to try. Troubleshooting: