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I wanted to share with you my easy recipe for making your own oatmeal soap. This would be another great homemade Father's Day gift. Oatmeal Soap has a beautiful rustic look and it is a great exfoliant.


You may remember this soap mentioned in the Family Fun with Microwaves post. That is because my secret way to speed up making this soap is by microwaving it instead of taking a long time to shred it. This also adds a fun science project into the craft. (A video is in the microwave post.)

Ivory Soap is different because it floats. What you may not know is that it floats because it has a lot of air whipped into it. Air has moisture so when you microwave Ivory soap it expands into a big soft puff. The heat starts to soften the soap at the same time the air and moisture that was whipped into the soap expands. The big puff of soap is easy to break apart once it cools enough to touch.

1. Start by placing about 1/4 cup of oatmeal in a blender and do short pulses to break the oatmeal into smaller pieces. Be careful to not turn it into flour.
   
2. Place the microwaved Ivory Soap and the oatmeal into a pan and heat to medium.
   
3. Start adding a tablespoon of water at a time until it starts to soften and come together.
4. Place your soap into whatever shape mold you are using. You can also hand shape your soap for a more rustic look. Just be sure to let it cool some before handling.
5. Let the soap cool overnight and then remove it from the mold.

The longer you let your soap sit and dry out the longer it will last when you use it. This recipe makes one bar of oatmeal soap. You can multiply the recipe to make as many as you like.

Dove sent me their new product in the mail to try out. I have to say that I loved it. They also sent me tons of coupons so my friends are all trying it too. I will let you know how to get your own coupons for $2 off at the end. There are also giveaways. First I want to tell you about the product.



Dove Visibly Smooth advertises that it minimizes the visual appearance of hair over time. I shaved before I tried it and noticed right away how silky it felt. I never felt the normal prickly stubble.

I kept using it everyday and did not need to shave as soon as normal. I am looking forward to using this longer for the more long term results. This is right on time for all of the summer clothes coming out.

Well, as I promised there is a way to get your own coupon so you can try the new Dove Visibly Smooth for yourself. Click on this $2 off Dove Visibly Smooth link and you can print your own coupon.

They are also doing giveaways on the Dove Visibly Smooth facebook page. They are giving away things every week so go check it out and enter.

Father's Day is coming up so I wanted to start doing some Father's Day gift ideas. Modern day men are more into pampering themselves so I wanted to share my bath salt recipe. James loves taking bathes with bath salts. Bath salts can get expensive and you can easily make your own.


Gifts are better homemade and any father would love receiving this gift. You can dress it up by using pretty containers. You could also make different colors and create a sand art look in the containers.


YOU WILL NEED

• 1 cup Epsom salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable glycerin (craft store or natural food store)
  
• 3 or 4 drops food coloring
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the Epsom salt and baking soda VERY well in a large bowl.
   
2. Add the glycerin and food coloring. Stir it well. (Start with just a few drops of food coloring to make a light color throughout your salts. If you add too much food coloring, it can stain your skin or your bathtub. You’ll know that you have mixed enough when the color is uniform throughout.)
3. Store the homemade bath salts in a glass jar with a good seal, to keep extra moisture out for as long as possible.

CUSTOMIZE

You can make your bath salt to your own liking and change the recipe each time for a little change. You can use essential oils to add a beautiful scent. Make sure that you do not use candle scents. It has to be safe for bath use. If you use different colored dyes to create a sand art effect make sure they all have the same scent though. You do not want to get a headache from all the smells.

If you would prefer an easier recipe you could try this one...


SUPER EASY BATH SALTS

• 2 cups Epsom Salt
• 1 cup Course Salt

Mix ingredients and add food coloring and/or essentials oils just like in the first recipe.

The other day I pulled out of my driveway to find that the village had put up all of the United States flags . It reminded me that I still have not bought my flag. The house we moved to has a bracket on the house so we bought a flag pole. Now we need to get the flag. I have also thought about getting some international flags to decorate the backyard using the countries of our families origins. I have loved flags for years. I was touched most by the flag display cases my great aunt had in her house.

My father was in the Navy. I have brothers that were in the Army. I have aunts and uncles that were in the Air Force. Since so many family members were military it was no surprise that James was a Marine. Of course they do say, "Once a Marine, always a Marine".

Growing up around so many military veterans has taught me to have respect for our armed services and the sacrifices they make. Memorial Day is just about here and we are already making plans. One of the most important of these plans is to buy a new flag.

Flags are such powerful objects. They mean so much to so many people. People have sacrificed everything for our flag and the country it represents. I find myself getting teary eyed when I think about it.

I love driving downtown and seeing all of the flags lining the street to get ready for Memorial Day. The trees just got their leaves so the trees create a beautiful arch and the flags decorate it. The sight of them as you start to head downtown is wonderful. It reminds me of why I love living in this tiny little village. It is just a good old American small town right out of the past.

We have discussed some homemade Father's Day gifts but now I have some shopping ideas. Here are a few gift ideas that men will love.

James loves his GPS in his vehicle. It has been so helpful. We have used it a lot lately. We can set in an address and just start driving. It tells us every turn and when we will get there. I love that if you find yourself off track because you missed a turn or a road is blocked it instantly adjusts. No more getting lost because you got off your planned route. I actually think I need to buy one for my vehicle very soon. I love his.



The next Father's Day gift idea has to do with iPods. Originally we bought the big ones and loved the screens. Now we are finding ourselves going for the tiny shuffle. It is nice to have the big ones but the shuffle is so small it can go anywhere. We also love the iTrip. Long drives are much better when we can plug an iPod into the car.

Another Father's day gift idea is a new digital camera. Digital cameras have changed a lot in recent years. They have gotten much smaller, much better, and much cheaper. Now is the time to get a new camera if you have not recently. We found ourselves fighting over who gotten the camera so we got another one. I always carry a camera so now James can too.

My last Father's Day gift idea for today is a watch. There are some great watches out there. Men also tend to view watches as a status symbol and conversation piece. For this reason I think the new Seiko Men's Arctura Kinetic Chronograph Watch has to be talked about. It is a bit pricey but if you can afford it any man would love it.

This line of watches will not ever need a battery replaced. It does not even have a battery. The Seiko Men's Arctura Kinetic Chronograph Watch runs off of the kenetic energy that is produced from the arms natural movement. How cool is that? What man would not find this gadget ultra cool?

Everyone loves sweepstakes so I just have to mention this one. Kissimmee is doing a sweepstakes to win a free vacation. I need a vacation and a free one would be great! You have to enter by May 22nd so hurry up.


I would love to go there on a vacation. I have been many places but never Florida. There are so many places to see. I would also like just sitting around at the beach too.

I have always wanted to go to Walt Disney World. I think could spend a few days there. I would have just as much fun as the kids.

Universal Studios sounds pretty neat too. I have two cousins that work lights and sound at some shows somewhere there. That sounds like a pretty awesome job.

I think we would like Sea World the best. Our family loves anything that has to do with animals. Just from what I have seen on television, I think the girls would never want to leave there.

I think we would also have to do some hiking if we went to Kissimmee too. We have been hiking in Wisconsin. We hiked in the desert and in the mountains in Arizona. We really like hiking and enjoying the outdoors.

Spring really is here. Everything is turning green and flowers are in bloom. It is so beautiful outside. The kids want to spend time outside so it is time for an outside craft. Why not have fun making your own chalk? They can have fun and be creative.


I do not think kids ever get too old for chalk. Even my 13 year old has fun drawing with chalk on the driveway. It also gives me some free time to enjoy the outdoors too. They stay busy having fun so I do not have the constant interruptions.


YOU WILL NEED

• 2 Cups Water
• 2 Cups Plaster of Paris
• 2 Tbsp. Tempera paint
• Toilet paper tubes with duct tape over one end

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine and stir together. Let stand a few minutes.
   
2. Place tubes on cookie sheet lined with foil or wax paper.
   
3. Pour mixture into holders and let stand until semi-firm.
   
4. Remove holders and let dry completely.
   

*Ready to use in 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
(Reminder, never pour plaster down sink).

This Mother's Day I would like to showcase some other mothers. Mothers that struggle everyday with poverty and an organization that helps them.


Bead for Life helps impoverished women in Uganda make their lives better. This is not a charity that just gives money. Bead for Life teaches these women skills so they can make a living and take care of themselves. They learn how to make beads out of magazines and other colorful papers. They then learn to create jewelry out of their beads.

Bead for Life buys the jewelry from the women and sells them so the program can continue. The program does not end there. The money that is made selling the jewelry also gets used in community development projects.

These women learn about health care that they could not afford before. While the women work with Bead for Life they learn how to get their own home and even how to start their own business. All of these things were never possible before Bead for Life.

If you would like to purchase the jewelry and help these women you can visit the Bead for Life store online. All of the jewelry ranges in price from $5 - $20. You could also host a Bead for Life party and invite other women to get involved.