Yikes its Halloween!

OOOOHHHH!! Are you Scared yet? Tonight is Halloween! Not only do we have Tricks or Treats today which I happen to like but there are only 55 days left until Christmas!!! YIKES! That is the only part that scares me because I am not at all ready. Have not even thought about it at all. Nope not one little bit until yesterday. There has just been way to much on my plate this year to even think of it.



Anyway back to the Halloween FUN! Yesterday it was horrible weather here and Tony, All my children and I went to a Halloween parade they then had trick or treating after the parade. The weather really didn't seem to stop anyone from coming out to enjoy the festive fun. The roads where lined with all kinds of spooky little goblins and some cute little creatures as well. One lady had her infant out in a insulated puppy suit he was the most adorable thing ever but I still don't think if it were me I would of taken him/her out in the weather he was so little and it such crappy rainy conditions. I only went out because my children are all older and insisted we go because they had been looking forward to it all year. They were bundled still. As for the trick or treating part We drove around in the van to areas where there where groups of houses with lights on then they would get out run and get back into warm up to the next group. This was the first year we ever drove around instead of walking but because of the weather, better then everyone getting sick. After our tick or treating we adventure we stopped and had some hot coco to warm up and visited just a little bit with MacKenzie & Austins Grandma at area restraut she works at. Then we drove to my mothers house know as Grandma Cheryl to Austin and the Girls. She had made cupcakes and Lasanya because she knew we would be stopping after our long day. It was so nice of her she even took me into consideration when she made the cupcakes and didn't use milk or butter because health problems so I even got to have a cupcake. I am happy to report I ate on and It didn't have pain after I ate it.



Well today is truly Halloween an we have trick or treating here. I have made an agreement with the girls that they can only go tonight if they get their chores done. The weather is suppose to be much nicer here today so they can walk.  Definitely a much better day to go if they finish their end of the deal. 

Photography from friday

Here are just a few of my photos from yesterday when the girls got home from school.  I have not had time to go through them all yet. Today is even nicer then yesterday so may go out again today to take a few more if we have time. 

A picture perfect day

Today is a beautiful fall day! It is sunny, not to much wind and it isn't to cold. When the kids get home from school I will have to see if any of them are up for a little photo session. I can hardly let this day get by with out getting a few good photos. I know Kenzie still wants to get a few more done because she hasn't been home for many photo opt days this summer. She wants them for swapping with friends at school. I don't bother with getting photos taken at school anymore because 1. the price adds up with 5 children and 2. I can take the photos the way we want. Also In the past most times when I ordered pictures from school I never liked how they turned out. This kids also seem to prefer me taking the photos because then they can choose which ones they would like wallets of to swap with friends.

Here are a few of my photo's

Actually today really would be a great day for me to get photos for our Christmas card this year. I like to add a photo to personalize our Christmas cards. This way family and friends that don't get to see the kids very often can see how they have changed over the year. Plus my mom always looks forward to getting new pictures of the kids. I think she is where I got my love for photography from. Now that I think of it, I wonder why she ever stopped taking photos. I remember when I was a kid she use to tell me stories of how when she lived in Chicago she use to develop and take her own photos.  I will have to ask her about that.

One day I would like to turn my hobby of taking photos into a business.  I have had family and  friends ask me to take their photos since I love to take photos I do.  I do not charge them a sitting fee though, I only charge them for the prints they want.  I mainly do this because I don't feel like I am that good a photography yet.  I could get deeper here but we will just drop it at that. 

Herbal Healing

I don't know about you but it seems every time I turn around someone in this house has a small cut, scrape or boo boo. It is important once you have a open wound to your skin that you wash it immediately with soap and water, and to keep it clean and dry. Then we like to use a little helping healing ointment and as my children call it "feel better cream". Here again I am about the all natural an using nature to promote healthy healing. One of the herbs I like to use in my herbal salve is Comfrey its a herbal plant that contains minerals which decrease inflammation and promote new cell and tissue growth. I also like to use Calendula it sooths inflammation, controls bleeding, and works at healing damaged tissue.

 

 

Healing Salve for small scraps & minnor burns

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Approximately 1 cup total of these herbs combine Comfrey leaf, Plantain, st. johns wart & calendula

1/4 cup cosmetic grade beeswax

8 capsules Vitamin E

1/2 tsp. tea tree oil

 

Simmer herbs on stove top in olive oil until leaves are crisp. (DO NOT BOIL this will ruin your oil) Strain leaves from oil and discard leaves. Add beeswax to oil and melt. Once beeswax is melted remove from stove top (let cool a little but not so much it begins to harden) snip open vitamin E capsules and add oil to the mix along with 1/2 tsp of tea tree oil. Pour into a clean dry container ( use a cosmetic grade container, or small glass jelly jar that is suitable for storing your ointment), allow to set then cap with air tight lid.

 

 

 

 

 

Please use caution if you have any of these circumstances. If you do have any of the following you should seek immediate medical attention. Do not use your healing salve for these.

 

~ If you have a cut that is deeper then 1/4 inch.

~ If you have a wound that is a result from a animal bite.

~ If there is a chance your wound has become infected.

~ If you have badly burned skin.

~ If you have a injury that is bleeding heavily.

Why I like to make my soaps from scratch

     I like to make homemade soaps because they are 100% pure and natural. I make them from scratch and use all natural ingredients that are great for your skin. They are environmentally friendly and healthy for the entire family. I like knowing that everything in my soaps is natural and safe for my family. I also like the fact I can "Say" & I know what every ingredient in my soap unlike the store bought soaps that have some of the longest words and even if you can say it do you really know what it is?.  Everyone in my household has had some form of skin problem and since I stopped buying store bought chemical soaps. Everyone's skin is healed and there is no more itchy dry skin patches and even Anthony's Psoriasis is gone on his skin, I am not at all saying that natural soap is a cure of Psoriasis but it works for him he has not had a flare up in 6+ years since I started making homemade soaps & herbal healing slaves.

This is Goat Milk & Shea Butter Grubby Mint Soap

     I choose to use ingredients that come from natural sources such as vegetables, herbs many of these I grown in my own garden so they are also organic because I do not use chemicals. I also use some natural spices, fruits, oats, honey, olive oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil, and goat milk just to name a few.  It all depends on the type of bar I am making.

This is Goat Milk Sandlewood Ginger Soap

     For bars with added fragrance I use essential oil most often it is the best way to naturally add fragrance to a bar of soap. Essential oils are 100% plant based. These are purely botanical oils that contain great skin care benefits. I like to use essential oils the most even though they cost more because of the benefits they carry. It is worth it, they add wonderful skin healing properties to the soaps, and they are much less irritating to the skin. However, that is with the exception of cinnamon. Cinnamon can be skin irritating and should be use with caution. I strongly recommend studding essential oils before using them.
On occasion I use fragrance oil if I am going for a particular fragrance type that I can not get from essential oil. When I sell my soaps no matter which may be contained in a bar it is clearly marked on the bars label as a curtsey to my customers.

Moose Creek Primitives

Moose Creek Primitives is my soy candle business that I started in 2004. I have a new web site that is currently under construction. You can still view and purchase products they just are not all currently displayed. The web site is MooseCreekPrimitives.com

Currently our hottest selling item both on-line and in shows is our Break~Away Bar©.

Moose Creek Primitive, also known as MCP, Break~Away Bars© Soy wax tart melts are highly scented. Great for use in your electric or tea light warmers, simply break a cube or two off of your bar an place in your melting tray. The best part about using Soy wax is that is helps support our American farmers and is biodegradable. Soy wax cleans up easy with soap and water. Each Break~Away Bar© is in a 6 cavity mold each cube measures 1 x 1 x 1 an is approximately 1 oz each.

Why did we choose soy?

~ Soy is clean burning it is non-toxic and has no carbon soot that is the black soot that collects on your walls and other areas of your home.

~ Soy Wax cleans up easy with soap and water.

~ Soy wax is created from soybeans which is a renewable resource and is also biodegradable. By using soybean products we are helping support Americas farmers and helping stimulate economic growth with in the agricultural sector of the United States.

~ Soy candles burn slower and cooler than paraffin wax. 

Welcome to my page

    This Blog is originally being produced as part of my Collage Composition course at Globe University.

What I am going to use my blog for is to blog about some of my hobbies like: photography, soaping, and candle making, and maybe a few others.

    My Blogs name is named after my soap company. I plan to blog a lot about soaps.  In my opinion handmade soap is best.  I have very sensitive skin an so do few of my daughters. Everyone in the house has had some sort of skin issue in the past.  Using homemade soaps has eliminated a lot of our families skin problems.

    I will also blog a lot about being a Mom, because that is a huge part of my life. I am a mother of five wonderful children Austin is 15, Taylor is 11, MacKenzie is also 11, no they are not twins we are a blended family, Alexandrea is 10 and Star is 9.

    So lets get blogging!!

    This weekend was a very busy weekend. It was a very beautiful weekend where the weather was concerned as well.  Perfect for photography! Saturday Anthony (my wonderful man), the girls and I all went to Harvest Fest in Wausau WI.  We had a great time there.  They had a petting zoo and free pumpkins for the kids just to name a couple of the things they had going on.  Ministry Health Care sponsored the free pumpkins for the children they also handed out other fun halloween treats to the kids while they stood in line to get the pumpkins.

    Here are some photos I took at the event.

My four pumpkins Star, MacKenzie, Taylor, & Alexandrea

Star in the Pumpkin Patch with the pumpkin she chose.

Taylor, MacKenzie, Rasmussen College Moose, Star, Alexandrea

Taylor with a pony she loves horses

Star with a donkey

    Then we went to Owen Withee WI for the rest of the day to my brother Kenny's for my niece Katie's Birthday Party she turned 12 over the weekend. The girls really look forward to getting together when we have family gatherings. Since it was such a nice day I took advantage of it for some great photo opportunities. Since my mom was there it was a great opportunity to get a picture of her with almost all her grandchildren. My son was out hunting so he was the only one that wasn't there for the picture so it isn't a complete picture but at least it is a start. I will have to try again at the next holiday get together.  My brother Kenny has a blended family like me so we have large families and sometimes that makes for a challenge of getting all the children together at one time.  Kenny and his girlfriend just had a little boy Eathin Warren so I also used this time to catch up on some baby photos of him.

Star, Logen, Alexandrea, Destiny, Kyleigh, Katie, Mom, Eathin, MacKenzie, Gabe, Taylor & Bree

Eathin

    My son is a hunter he really enjoys both bow hunting and gun hunting,  if you are wondering he hunts for the meat not just the kill. Here is a picture of him this is his first deer with a bow.

Austin likes to give some of the credit to the new bow we got him this summer.