Nuts about Coconut Oil!

It seems that coconut oil has been growing in popularity, especially on the "crunchy" prairie.  However, some of you may not yet be privy to the many health benefits of this oil. 

Adam and I recently had friends in town from Oklahoma.  My friend's hands were so dry and brittle they felt like sandpaper (Love you Jamie).  I love sharing natural tips with my friends, and I suggested we butter her up with coconut oil.  It took a little while to soak in, but after it did, she agreed her hands felt softer. 



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Coconut oil is used extensively in tropical climates.  It is anti-fungal, anti-viral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and an antioxidant.  It is in solid form until it reaches 76 degrees, then it melts to a liquid. This makes it easy to use for a variety of purposes.  Coconut oil really is one of those products that can be used for hundreds of different things. 

We (Carla and I) use coconut oil for the following:

Moisturizer- body and facial
Cooking/Baking in place of hydrogenated oils and butter
Deodorant
Diaper Rash Cream- one of the few that's cloth diaper friendly
Nipple Cream when breast feeding
Hair conditioner
Shaving Cream
Eczema
Pet Care
Cradle Cap
Acne
Dietary Supplement

I recently began using coconut oil as a facial moisturizer and have been pleased with the results.  I have also used it in the past as a deodorant and in baked goods (I used it in place of butter for my sweet potato casserole and it was AMAZING).  I have also used it in my dog's ear, to treat an infection, which healed within a couple of days. 

I will link to several sites where you can find other information.  I typically buy the Virgin, unrefined, and organic variety.

http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/28296-health-properties-coconut-oil/
You can purchase Coconut Oil at your local grocer (Kroger sells it in Owensboro), health food store, or online here Vitacost.

~Trina

I HATE WASHING DISHES

Ugh.  There's not a night that goes by that I don't find myself facing a sink full of bottles and pumping parts.  They seem to multiply in the sink.  Typically, I will spend 30 minutes washing bottles, pull out the sink stopper, only to find that I have two more dirty bottles sitting on the counter. 

For the past few nights, I have been making mental reminders that "we're almost out of dish soap."  Well, tonight we were officially out.  And since I don't have the time, energy or money (that's another blog post on our new commitment to budgeting), I decided to make my own. 

After a quick search online for "homemade dish soap," I found several recipes.  This one is from ecoKaren, and uses castile soap.  I can't comment on it's effectiveness, but it was easy and inexpensive to make.  I even had all the ingredients on hand! 

 

I love making my own cleaning supplies.  It seems all the recipes use most of the same ingredients in some way or another: vinegar, essential oils, water, baking or washing soda, castile soap.  Buying these products in bulk also saves money.  The next time you "run out" of something, consider making it.  I'm convinced (except the one time I tried to make my own toilet bowl cleaner- bust!). 

~Trina