Necklace with peridot, sterling silver and seed beads

So, no, this is not a how to post. 

I'm getting ready to open an etsy store and this will be the first necklace that I will have for sale. It's one of my favorites. I love the spring-time green of the peridot with the contrast of the gunmetal Japanese seed beads. 

{diy} homemade calcium carbonate

In my posts about making tooth powders and toothpaste, I list calcium carbonate as an ingredient. Don't wanna buy it? You can make it yourself!


Directions
I prefer farm-fresh, free-range eggs.

Use your eggs as you normally would. I rinse off the egg white left over first and then store the shell in the carton for later use.

Once you have filled up your carton, rinse really well, removing any egg whites that may have been missed in the first rinse, but try not to remove the membrane, these have additional nutrients.

Boil 6 cups of filtered water in a stock pot
Carefully place them into the water
Boil for 10 minutes
Drain
Spread the shells on a baking sheet or baking pan and let dry overnight.
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees
Bake for 10 minutes
Using a coffee mill, powder your baked eggshells
Store in a tightly sealed mason jar and keep them in cool dry environment (basement or pantry is fine)

{diy} homemade tooth powder recipes

I posted a toothpaste recipe back in June. It's my personal favorite, but it's not the only option. Some people use baking soda by itself, but I have concerns about how abrasive that is for my teeth. You can always opt to leave the baking soda out. There are tooth powders you can make which last a lot longer than a paste. Below are some recipes for tooth powders.

Using a spoon, mix your ingredients really well or blend quickly in a blender or vitamix. Anything grainy should get milled into a fine powder so it's not harsh or abrasive on your teeth.

For "fine sea salt", you can use Himalayan salt if that's your preference. Or, if you don't like salty toothpaste/powder, you can leave it out altogether. For the clay, some prefer bentonite and some prefer kaolin. They are both non-toxic, mineral rich, detoxifying and affordable, so it all comes down to preference. I've seen some claims that kaolin clay is whitening, but I've seen more articles about the benefits of bentonite. You can always choose to use both kinds of clay. Arrowroot is much more accessible for some people, so if you can't get the clay and don't want to order it on the internet, replace the clay with arrowroot powder.

For some recipes I've specified certain essential oils, but you can use your preference in it's place. Some essential oils to consider are peppermint, cinnamon, clove, orange, lemon, lavender, and bergamot. Remember to use essential oils sparingly. If you're pregnant, omit them altogether.
When using clove, it's numbing, so use it sparingly. Tea tree oil is good for the anti-bacterial benefit.

If you want to make any of these into a paste, it's easy enough. There are three options. Using either water, virgin coconut oil or vegetable glycerin, add tiny amounts until you reach the desired consistency. Coconut oil is solid at lower temps, so warm it either in a pan or the microwave for just a second, you don't want to cook the oil, just melt it.

recipe 1:
baking soda all by its lonesome

recipe 2:
4 Tbsp baking soda
2 tsp fine sea salt (you can use a coffee mill if necessary)

recipe 3:
4 Tbsp baking soda
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp of powdered orange or lemon zest
1/4 tsp of peppermint or vanilla extract

recipe 4:
2/3 cup baking soda
4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp peppermint extract (optional)
10 - 15 drops peppermint essential oil

recipe 5:
1/2 cup clay (bentonite or/and kaolin)
2 Tbsp baking soda
6-10 drops peppermint essential oil

recipe 6:
2 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp sea salt
3 Tbsp arrowroot
5 drops essential oil (whatever your preference)
1 tsp of powdered orange zest or lemon zest

recipe 6:
1 Tbsp baking soda
3 Tbsp arrowroot
1/4 tsp peppermint extract (optional)
10 - 15 drops peppermint essential oil

recipe 7:
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
5-10 drops peppermint essential oil

recipe 8:
4 Tbsp (bentonite or/and kaolin)
3 Tbsp calcium carbonate
1 Tbsp baking soda
2 Tbsp dried peppermint leaves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp xylitol powder
10 - 15 drops essential oils

recipe 9:
4 Tbsp clay (bentonite or/and kaolin)
2 Tbsp powdered stevia herb
2 Tbsp dried peppermint leaves
2 Tbsp of dried sage leaves
1 Tbsp of neem powder

recipe 11:
4 Tbsp clay (bentonite or/and kaolin)
1 Tbsp baking soda
1/4 tsp myrrh gum powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 part powdered stevia herb
4 drops clove essential oil
4 drops cinnamon essential oil

recipe 10:
4 Tbsp baking soda
4 Tbsp arrowroot powder
2 Tbsp fine sea salt
2 Tbsp fine powdered myrrh, if available (optional)
2 Tbsp xylitol
4 to 6 drops tea tree or lemon essential oil
2 to 4 drops peppermint or lavender essential oil

{diy} make your own wool dryer balls - take two

OK, so these are the same instructions as my previous post, but this time I've added images for all stages except for #6
I have to say, I was really surprised at how well these worked, I don't think I really expected it to. There was less static and my laundry was really fluffy. And these are so easy to make. It's better for you, your family and it can extend the life of your dryer. Apparently, the chemicals on dryer sheets clog up the filter which can cause the machine to burn out and even scarier, can cause fires.
	Start by wrapping the yarn loosely around two fingers aproximately 10-15 times Pull off your fingers and begin wrapping, shaping into a ball Wrap until it's about the size of a tennis ball
Once you've reached your desired size, using plastic yarn needles, weave one last strand (I usually cut the yarn so that there's about a foot left to work with) of yarn back and forth through the length of the ball. After doing this a few time or until you feel certain that it's secure, just snip off the end, being careful not cut the yarn that you've so carefully wound.
	Place in an old sock or stocking, you can tie it closed or tie a piece of string so it's nice and snug I just throw it in with my wash a few times until it felts. You'll be able to tell that this is happening because the strands will begin sticking together.
Some options: When it's about half the size you want (or half the size of a tennis ball), you can add a few drops of essential oils. My favorite is lavender, but you can use the essential oil of your choice. Some nice ones are sweet orange, vanilla, or ylang ylang. Keep in mind, the scent doesn't last, but it's nice while it does.
	Another option is to make a core. I uses Fisherman's Wool for the whole thing, but you could start with the cheaper wool to make a core and then finish with something fancier.

my "just in case" box

OK, so this is a little off my typical topic/post, but not really if you think about it. It's part of the self-sufficiency that I so strongly believe in. Now, I'd like to preface this with: I am not a prepper! But, I do think it's a good idea to have, what I like to call, an oh sh*t box. That's what this is. It just contains enough food and first aid for an emergency. We've had two hurricanes in two years and we are less then an hour from where Storm Sandy caused major damage.

here's a list of some of the things I have in here: