Best Almond Milk

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. raw almonds, soaked overnight
6 c. water
2-4 dates (depends on desired sweetness)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 T. coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of cinnamon

Directions:
1. Rinse & drain the soaked almonds (allow to soak for at least 8 hrs).
2. Combine all ingredients in a high power blender (I use a VitaMix) and blend on HIGH for 1 min.
3. Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Then place a few layers of cheesecloth, or a nut milk bag (yes, this is a real thing, and I LOVE mine!!!) in the sieve.
4. Pour 1/4-1/3 of the almond milk in the cheesecloth and gently squeeze out the milk.

**This makes almost 2 quarts of almond milk. If your blender is small, I recommend halving the recipe.**

Keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days. The milk will separate, so give it a good shake before drinking.

You can use the ground almonds to make your own almond meal. Just spread it out on a parchment lined cookie sheet & bake @ 300 degrees for 1-2 hrs. Then grind in a food processor & store in a mason jar.

DIY Essential Oil Sprays

My favorite of my homemade essential oil sprays has to be the hand sanitizer. I love the smell. I love the fact that it doesn't contain alcohol, so it doesn't burn your hands if you have any cuts. And it doesn't dry out your skin either.

***For all of the recipes below, I use a small (2.5 oz.) spray bottle. You can order a bag of 12 here.

Hand Sanitizer
10 drops doTerra On Guard essential oil
10 drops lemon essential oil
10 drops lime essential oil
1 T. sweet almond oil
2 oz. filtered water


This bug repellent is safe to use on even the tiniest babies since it's free of DEET. A must have during the summer months!

Bug Repellant
5 drops citronella essential oil
5 drops lemongrass essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
5 drops eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops orange essential oil
10 drops doTerra Terra Shield essential oil
2 oz. witch hazel


If for some chance you forgot to use your bug repellent, then this anti-itch spray is wonderful for bug bites!

Bug Bite/Anti-Itch
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops chamomile essential oil
10 drops lemongrass essential oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
2 oz. sweet almond oil


And last of all, the boo boo spray. It's great for when your kids fall and get scraped up. You can reapply every hour, and it will disinfect (so no need for antibiotic ointments) and help the wound heal faster.

Boo Boo Spray
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
2 oz. filtered water

Homemade Diaper Cream

I love this diaper cream! I think it works better than the store brands, and it has a much smoother/creamier application. And as a bonus, you aren't putting any harmful chemicals (like petroleum) on your little one's bottom. It's a lot like the homemade sunscreen, but with a couple added ingredients.

Ingredients
1/2 c. sweet almond oi
1/4 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. beeswax pastillies
1 T. shea butter
5 drops chamomile essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
2 T. arrowroot
2 T. zinc oxide

Directions
1. In a quart size Mason jar, combine the almond oil, coconut oil, beeswax & shea butter.
2. Make a double boiler by boiling a few inches of water in a medium pot. Place the mason jar in the water and melt the ingredients together over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Once everything is melted, remove the jar and add your essential oils, arrowroot, & zinc oxide. Stir until incorporated.
4. Pour immediately into the glass jar you will store the diaper cream in. 

**Wipe out the mason jar with a paper towel & wash in hot water immediately**

Homemade Sunscreen

Did you know that most sunscreens you buy from the store do more harm than good? While it's true that they may protect your skin from harmful UV rays that cause skin cancer, the chemicals in sunscreen can actually cause other forms of cancer (like breast cancer). Your skin absorbs these harmful chemicals, which causes cellular mutations and hormonal changes. Awesome, huh? Yeah...that's what I thought. How great that I've been spraying my kids down with liquid cancer!

So on my quest to become healthier, I've been ditching chemicals in my life. I've already gotten rid of 95% of household cleaners, insect repellent, hand sanitizer, anti-itch cream/sprays for bug bites, and diaper ointment. Don't worry, I'll include the recipes for those gems too!

When you make your own toiletries, it's important to buy organic ingredients. After all, we're trying to get rid of all harmful chemicals. You can find most of these ingredients at your local health food store. I recommend this zinc oxide from Amazon. Just be careful not to inhale it when you mix it in. A little of this sunscreen goes a long way, so don't use too much or you'll have white streaks.

Ingredients
1/2 c. sweet almond oil

1/4 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. beeswax pastillies
1 T. shea butter
30 drops essential oil (I did a lemon, orange, grapefruit combo)
2 T. zinc oxide

Directions
1. In a quart size Mason jar, combine the almond oil, coconut oil, beeswax & shea butter.
2. Make a double boiler by boiling a few inches of water in a medium pot. Place the mason jar in the water and melt the ingredients together over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Once everything is melted, remove the jar and add your essential oils & zinc oxide. Stir until incorporated.
4. Pour immediately into the glass jar you will store the sunscreen in. 

**Wipe out the mason jar with a paper towel & wash in hot water immediately**