DIY Perfume with Essential Oils

When I was pregnant with Fallon I ran out of my favorite perfume. I thought a quick google search would show me where to find the best deal on a new bottle. But that lead to me an article that scared me straight. I had no idea that I was dousing myself daily in a multitude of toxic chemicals. And, this part really gets me, subjecting my unborn baby to all of them as well. Essential oils weren't even on my radar at the time but I felt strongly enough about the research on store bought perfume to ditch mine completely. 

I was always the girl who liked to carry a cloud of scent around me, leave a trail in my wake and imprint on anyone I hugged. So when I started using essential oils I absolutely loved being able to wear scents again without worrying about nasty effects on my body. I've now made several of my own natural, safe perfumes that smell amazing! And the best part is knowing that when my babies snuggle into my neck they are not breathing in harmful chemicals. 

What you need:

4oz glass fine mist spray bottle (like these or this)

3oz vodka

1oz fractionated coconut oil (or other carrier oil)

50-70 drops essential oils

Add the essential oils and carrier oil to the bottle of the spray bottle then top with vodka. Shake to combine then let the oils meld together over the course of a few days and allow the alcohol scent to dissipate. You can leave out the alcohol all together and use witch hazel or just carrier oil in its place. The alcohol just seems to combine the scents much better. I also have a few rollers I've made up to throw in my diaper bag and would be great for traveling. I just use a third of the ingredients. 

Creating your own perfume blends can be a really fun process! Commercial scents are created using base (10-20 drops), middle (20-30 drops) and top notes (10-15 drops) and you can do the same with oils. Use one or several of your favorites from each category to customize a scent that's perfect for you. 

Tea for Two: Fallon's Second Birthday

My first born is 2!!! We celebrated our favorite girl with a little twist on the traditional tea party and had so much summer fun. I originally wasn't going to do anything more than have a few of our people over for backyard shenangians but I couldn't stay away from a good theme. The ever so talented and shop Glitter Party Co. created Fallon's beautiful cake topper and custom banner. I found a few more cute decorations on Amazon and then used serving items I already had to set up. And what's a party without a dozen balloons?! The party was at 10AM so we just did some sweet treats to go with the sweet tea lemonade of course. A local bakery made the prettiest sparkly pink donuts, my mom made the cake and we had mini fruit parfaits. I thought it would be fun to do "tea cookies" aka animal crackers dipped in white chocolate with sprinkles and "tea sandwiches" aka mini waffles with frosting. The birthday girl stuffed her face and played her little heart out in the inflatable pool outside before crashing into a much needed nap. I hope every birthday is just as fun!

Our Oily Summer

And every summer there she is, lotioning, oiling, oiling, lotioning. The perfect quote for this post from one of my very favorite movies for summertime. Oils are always in season but there are so many great ways to use them through the dog days. I thought I'd share how we are using them through the next few months of sunshine, pool days and summer nights outside. 

Bug Spray

I walk outside for 2 seconds and get a bug bite without repellent. Last summer I whipped up a homemade spray and wow did it keep those creepy crawlers away! Mix 1/4 cup witch hazel + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar + 1 tbsp vodka + 5 drops each Citronella + Clove + Lemongrass + Peppermint + Eucalyptus + Lavender + Tea Tree + Rosemary in an 8oz amber glass bottle.

Mermaid Hair

Healthy, shiny hair is great all year round but summer is the time to rock those beach waves. 1tsp of sea salt + 1tbsp of coconut oil + 10 drops each Lavendar + Rosemary + Cedarwood in a 4oz amber glass bottle. Mist onto damp hair and scrunch in your hands then let air dry. 

Deck Hangs

Summer evenings listening to the crickets sing and watching the sunset are so much more enjoyable when you aren't fending off bugs. You can bring a diffuser outside but a cool hack is to use a fan! Just drop your oils onto clothespins and clip them to the fan. A few drops each of Citronella + Lemongrass + Peppermint will smell amazing to you, not so much to the bugs!

Carpet Refresher

We actually call it carpet sprinkles! Living with 3 cats and 3 dogs means summertime is shedding season and we are constantly vacuuming. We keep a jar of 2 cups baking soda + 10 drops each Purification, Lavender and Lemon to sprinkle on the carpet before vacuuming. It leaves the room smelling so fresh and clean!

Perfume 

Smell amazing without all the chemicals! Add 5 drops each of Geranium + Jade Lemon + White Angelica to a roller bottle and top with fractionated coconut oil. 

After Sun Spray

Cool down and relax after a long day out in the sun with a soothing mist. Mix 5 drops each Eucalyptus + Lavender + Frank and top with equal parts fractionated coconut oil and rosehip oil in a 4oz amber glass bottle. 

Fresh Blooms

Keep your flowers fresh longer with a few drops of Purification added to the vase.

Itchy Spray 

Bug bites, peeling skin and fresh cut grass can make you scratch yourself raw. Keep from clawing with a spray that holds the itchies at bay. 5 drops each Lavender + Tea Tree + Purification topped with fractionated coconut oil in a 4oz amber glass spray bottle. 

Diffuser Blend

Even with the A/C running and the ceiling fans going it can get a little stuffy inside with the midwest humidity cranked up. We love diffusing 3 drops each of Stress Away + Lime + Copaiba. Smells like vacation!

Happy Hour

Margaritas and guac are brought to a whole new level with fresh limes and a few drops of Lime oil. Seriously, you'll never go back!

4th of July Style

The biggest patriotic American holiday is upon us, one week from today! And why not celebrate in style? Cookouts, parades and fireworks are best enjoyed in the colors of the flag. I love putting together red, white and blue outfits for myself and it's even more fun dressing my cute little babes. I've rounded up all my faves for mama and the minis and we will be rocking several of these exact pieces next week! 

Life with Two

We are 10 weeks into life with 2 kids under 2 and in some ways it feels like it's always been this way but in others I'm still thinking OMG I HAVE 2 KIDS. We have fallen into some daily routines at this point but mostly it's a lot of winging it and still trying to figure this whole parenting 2 babies thing out. There's a lot of coffee (and wine), baby wearing, hugs, crying, patience, stress and love. 

Our mornings start before 7AM and everyone has breakfast. A few days a week I try to get rolling so we can get out of the house before it's approximately 1 million degrees outside. We may hit the park for a walk, run errands or meet up with friends. Sometimes I try to get in a workout and get ready and other days it's just pjs all around, coffee on repeat until nap time. Fallon has been napping consistently from about 12:30-2:30 and OMG what a game changer. After she goes down I am usually able to get Ax down too and then have some time to eat lunch and check things off the ol' to-do list. We loosely follow eat, play, sleep with Axton so sometimes he's awake before Fallon. I'll feed and play with him or wear him, put him in the swing ect. if I'm trying to finish up something before Fallon wakes up. In the afternoons we hit the pool, play in the backyard or watch Trolls literally over and over again while playing with all the toys. I set out Fallon's "dinner" between 5-5:30 and she eats it over the next hour or so. Bath time, relax + feed the baby, then bedtime. I get Ax down then take Fallon upstairs to sing our little song and snuggle. Of course things look a little differently when daddy is home but for the most part, this is the way our days go.

I try to keep expectations low and spirits high. I allow myself to get frustrated, feel overwhelmed and get upset before shaking it off and counting my blessings. I accept help when it's offered and ask for it when I need it. I wash my hair once a week, get a venti when I need it and leave the laundry in dryer in favor of snuggling my sleeping baby. Most of the time when I'm solo it's a total shit show of toddler tantrums, dry shampoo, popsicle juice and mommy milk. It's a little chaotic but I love being home with my babies so freaking much. 

Axton's Nursery

I had no idea what I wanted to do in the new nursery until I was about 7 months pregnant. It was one of those things that just hit me as I was out shopping for something totally unrelated. The funny thing is, it took forever to finish Fallon's nursery but Axton's was done before he arrived. And usually I think it's the other way around! Honestly I didn't have to put much effort in this time because we had Fallon's crib and glider to use and my old bamboo furniture. White walls and curtains, black rug, a floor lamp, a little greenery and a few decorative accents pulled together the simple sort of jungle theme I was going for. Aside from painting and bolting furniture to the walls, the most work that went into the room was building the wooden bench. After we had everything in place in the room the space underneath the cute koala picture just needed something. And the DIY bench my friend Christina made for her home was exactly that missing final piece! So inexpensive and easy and it could go anywhere else in the house later on. I love the final result and can't wait to (hopefully) snap pictures of our little man sleeping here soon.

Summer Play List

The only unofficial thing about summer around here is the date. The pool is open, the honeysuckle are blooming and the temperatures are soaring. I'm looking forward to all the backyard hangs for our first summer as a family of 4. But what's grilling out + drinks without a little music?! Fallon loves music and has some pretty sweet dance moves and we are introducing Ax to all our favorite summer time songs. I made a play list of all the ones that just speak to the season for us. We will have it on repeat for the next few months!