Summer is off to a great start and we needed some new DIY summer lip balm flavors to help us enjoy the season. I had a lot of fun asking for suggestions on my Facebook page, Crafty Side of Essential Oils, and came up with this Spearmint Vanilla Lime lip balm mixture.DIY Summer Lip Balm Ingredients: (contains affiliate links)1/4 cup refined coconut oil 2 tbsp & 2 tsps beeswax pastilles or grated beeswax 10 drops Lime Essential Oil (Get a discount on Young Living Premium Starter Kit) 8 drops Spearmint Essential Oil 5 drops organic Vanilla extract-optional 14 lip balm tubes 1 pipette (glass is safest but hard to clean, long plastic are easier to just throw away but get very hot) washi tape, duct tape or scotch packing tape for decoratingDIY Summer Lip Balm Directions:Line up all your empty lip balm tubes in a safe place next to where you will be making this. This is a good pattern to put them in (obviously these are already filled) Melt together beeswax and coconut oil in double boiler. Some people make one by putting a mason jar in small pot of water or setting a glass or metal bowl over a small pot of boiling water. When completely melted ...
5 Things You Must Pack For A Cruise
By now you have packed, repacked and checked the big guys lists over and over again....sunscreen? Check! Immodium? Check! Adorable flip flops you spent all winter hoping for? Check! So why does it feel like something is missing? Because you forgot this list of 5 things you must pack for a cruise! Read on to see why you NEED each of these before setting sail...All Natural Bug Repellent-no matter where you are going you are sure to encounter some creepy crawlies in the ports. My bug off recipe will keep you bite free without any nasty chemicals. UE BOOM Speaker. Put this out on your balcony when you are relaxing to have 360 degree music or use it in your room while getting dressed and pumped up for the nights dance party. It has a 15 hour battery so chances are you won't need to charge it while on board and take up one of those valuable plugs. Just remember to keep the music at an acceptable level....this things packs a powerful punch so watch the noise for your fellow cruisers. Beach towel clips (affiliate link)-these clips are AWESOME for holding down your bathing suit while it dries on the chair on the balcony. I know some lines really frown on you putting things out ...
Celebrity Solstice Alaskan Cruise Review | Inside Passage
6 of us took off this May on the Celebrity Solstice for an Inside Passage Alaskan Cruise and what an adventure we had. It was a bucket list trip for a few of us and with good reason. Alaska is beyond words awe-inspiring. Everywhere you turn there is something beautiful to marvel at. The massive mountains covered in trees thicker than anything I have seen in the Rockies, whales, bears, bald eagles, float planes taking off and landing, glaciers melting before your eyes, ice that sparkles like aquamarines but are the size of small boats, beautiful Totem poles.....Alaska is beyond my vocabulary so instead I will share simply our experience and photos in this Alaskan cruise review and maybe a few hints to help you get there as well! Here are some photos from our trip:What To Do In Alaskan Ports: There is SO much to do. If there is one thing that I regret not doing though it is Misty Fjords Floatplane in Ketchikan. Apparently the views are spectacular.Ketchikan-Hike Deer Trail. It is about a mile walk to the entrance of the trail and its a good workout. Or visit the Ketchikan museums....we liked Totem Heritage Center (people there were SO nice. Cash only) and Southeast ...
Celebrity Solstice Wheelchair Accessibility: Alaskan Cruise
This past month my family of 6 took off for the Alaskan wilderness....OK, maybe a cruise ship buffet doesn't necessarily qualify as wilderness but let's face it, there are some similarities. My family has some mobility challenges as one of my teens is a full time wheelchair user and on this cruise, my mother in law used a rented scooter. As always, before any cruise I did a lot of research prior finding out about wheelchair access on Alaskan cruise ships and how we could make this the most successful trip for everyone possible. Here is what I learned in hopes it helps someone else have as fabulous a trip as we did. If you would like a more general information make sure and read Celebrity Solstice Alaskan Cruise Review. CELEBRITY SOLSTICE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY ON ALASKAN CRUISE:Landing in SeaTac is very easy. You can reserve a wheelchair accessible taxi that will fit 4 people (including chair user seated in chair) and 4-5 pieces of luggage through Yellow Cab or simply go to the taxi stand upon arrival and they will get you one. The ride to our hotel was roughly $50. Highly recommend the Hampton Inn in Seattle for an accessible solution for pre and post cruise stay. They ...
Bug Off – Extra Tough
*Disclaimer: With the rise in Mosquito born illnesses I want to make it absolutely clear that this is MY experience with this recipe. This was written at a time when there was not as much threat. I have no studies that back up the effectiveness of oils in regards to repelling insects. You absolutely need to use your common sense when finding recipes online and talk to your health care practitioner before choosing how to proceed in protecting your family. Mosquito's love me. Really. Really love me. The feeling isn't mutual. Bites for me swell to almost quarter sized. So last summer I went looking for something that would help keep the creepy crawlers off of my skin. I found a great bug recipe that I have shared many times and you all have loved it as well so I hear.Fast forward to a trip we are taking this summer to Alaska--where the state bird is the mosquito. I can't risk letting them near me and while the old recipe works great for me at home I am Alaska sizing it this time just in case. Here is what I came up with:What You Will Need for Bug Off:8 oz glass bottle (affiliate link). I like the trigger spray kind for this. Hint: do not store the plastic trigger ...