Whipped Body Butter

Have you ever tried those massage bars that used to be so popular? Jeff bought me one for Valentine's Day many years ago and I really wanted to like it (especially considering how expensive it was). But getting it warm enough to melt was too much effort. I really prefer oil for massages, but it does tend to make a mess just getting it from the bottle to your skin. Lotion seems to evaporate and make you cold. I've tried using pure mango and shea butter, but their texture always seemed to be a bit gritty. What I really wanted was Whipped Shea Butter, but the price was just silly expensive for the amount that you get.

So, encouraged by my rousing success making homemade deodorant, I figured I'd make my own whipped body butter for massages. This stuff feels so nice and silky, melts at body temperature and you can scoop up a decent handful without it spilling all over the place.



Originally, I'd planned to share this recipe for all the men out there to make for their partners as the awesomest Valentine's Day present ever. Well, that and a full body massage, that is.

As I mixed up a batch, however, I quickly realized that very few men would actually bother making this. It's an incredibly simple recipe, but does take quite some time (like almost all day; though don't worry, most of that time is waiting around).

But, I'm sure someone will want to make it as a present, or even just for themselves, so here it is.

(I've linked to my favorite brands, but you should be able to find all of this at your local health food store and skip the shipping charges. Also, you really only need to buy one thing, Shea Butter, but mixing up this kind of stuff brings out the latent apothecary in me and I had a hard time stopping at one ingredient. And since I was making this batch for some especially needy skin, I added more skin helping goodies.)


Main Ingredient
Shea Butter 7 oz (Mango Butter works well too)

Other Ingredients (All of these are completely optional; this recipe makes a perfectly respectable batch if you use only shea butter.)
Coconut Oil (3 oz or so)
Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil OR Evening Primrose Oil (several tablespoons total)
Vitamin E (a few capsules)
Aloe Vera Gel (I was able to add a few tablespoons of this without changing the texture for the worse.)
Essential Oils of your choosing (my suggestion is to avoid synthetic fragrance oils)

How To
-In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the shea or mango butter in the microwave. If using shea, it doesn't need to be completely clear and liquefied, but should be free from any gritty bits. If I remember correctly, the mango butter did need to be completely melted before the gritty bits were gone (If you rub the oil between your fingers, it should feel completely smooth.) This took about 30 seconds or so.

-Pour this in a bowl of a standing mixer.
-Add the coconut oil if using. (Yes, coconut oil is a solid at room temperature.)

-Mix until it's completely smooth.
-At this point the mixture will be close to room temperature, but still liquid. It won't cool any further, but it will thicken over the course of many hours.
-Now you will walk away from it for a couple of hours. Come back every now and then to turn the machine on for about 10 seconds, just to keep it evenly mixed.
-Eventually it will thicken and will start to look like this, which is close, but not there yet.

-After a total of 6 hours or so, it should be solid enough to whip for 3 to 5 minutes into a nice whipped cream consistency. It should form soft peaks and lighten in color, almost to white.

-Now, you can add any of the oils if you choose. With the machine running, drizzle in the almond, jojoba or evening primrose oil by the tablespooon. Don't add more than an ounce of this or it'll make the mix too soft. Poke a hole in the Vitamin E capsules with a pin and squeeze into the mix. Add the aloe if you want. Finally, add the essential oils a couple drops at a time until you're happy with the results.

Some Extra Thoughts
-When this melts, it's basically oil, not lotion. So don't expect it to have the same absorbency as hand cream.
-I've only made this using a standing mixer, but I'm sure a regular mixer would work too. It'll just take longer to whip it up.
-If you want to save yourself a ton of bowl scraping when using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, I highly recommend buying yourself a Beater Blade like you see in the pictures above. It has rubber edges that actually do a pretty fantastic job of scraping down the bowl as it spins.
-I have not tried the Raw Unrefined Shea Butter but it looks like, even with shipping, it's a pretty good deal (about 7 bucks a pound).
-Don't let the container of this stuff melt (above 80 degrees) or it will go back to the original crumbly texture when it returns to room temperature.
-If you've got a lot of nerve, you can give a batch as a very self-serving Valentine's present.



The last time Jeff gave me a massage with this stuff I asked him how much better it was than oil (that's usually how I phrase questions to him... things like, how fantastic is this dinner? aren't I awesome? and you're the luckiest guy in the world, which isn't really a question, but a fact I like to remind him of every now and again). He said something along the lines of, "Yah, I guess it's less messy." So there you go. Another ringing endorsement from one of my family members about something I've made.

Seriously though, this stuff is fantastic.

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The Gay Girls Get Jiggy With It*

Have y'all noticed my new banner? Like many of the best pictures on my site, Jenny did it.

For the first two days that it was up, I came here several times a day just to stare at it. If you're only seeing this on a Reader, you should click over and check it out. I think it's fantastic. But I may be biased.

So, here's the thing about mine and Jenny's relationship. I'm the big sister. And (at least when we were kids) I got to try most things out first. I did an OK job at those things. Then Jenny would come along and try the same things too. When *she* tried it, she always surpassed what I had done. (examples of this include... soccer, grades, parenting) The important point I'm trying to emphasize about this is the fact that I've always been incredibly proud of her when she's done this. I was never jealous.

Now that we're older, it isn't so much a matter of following each other linearly. We do a lot of things together, as we have similar interests and values, but each of us definitely has our strengths and our weaknesses. The best part is that we work really well together. I am good at coming up with ideas and usually good at figuring out how to make those ideas into reality. She's great at planning and following through. I like to think of new ways of doing things and she knows (or is willing to learn) the *best* way to do it. She is a bit of a perfectionist (which helps keep the standards high). Me, not as much (which means that I'm relaxed enough to let go of my attachment to the picture in my head and allow things be what they are).

I am more right brained than her (60%, according to this site), which is the fluid, messy, creative side and she is more left brained than me, which is the linear, logical, attention to detail side. When I asked her to take this test, she was honest enough to inform me that she was going to attempt to get 50:50. Which tells you a lot about her.

I started thinking along these lines after I got an email from a high school friend. Hi Defne! (Well, she's not in high school anymore, but we were friends in high school. Was that already obvious to everyone else? Anyway.) She wrote to tell me how much she loved reading my blog, that it makes her smile and cry and she's been inspired as a new mom. (She has a 3 and a half month old). Then she wrote "Tell Jenny that she’s an amazing photographer. I tried to guess which images were hers before I looked at the credit that you gave, and I could usually tell which ones were hers. They are the extra good ones." Now here's the thing, my first reaction to this was to be thrilled for Jenny. It wasn't until later that I realized how some people would totally take that genuine and honest complement the wrong way and feel like their own photos weren't good enough. I happen to agree with Defne (I mean, really, these are fantastic), so I happily forwarded the email to Jenny. I also took that as a personal complement for being smart enough to put her pictures up here. (But, honestly, I try to take most things as personal complements.)

The thing is, when I have something important that needs to be artistically photographed, I call in Jenny. She'll take dozens of pictures and keep taking them until she has the one that she wants, while I'll only be willing to take 4 or 5 before I'm bored (or more likely impatient) and ready to move on to something else. Both approaches have their value. She takes beautiful pictures. And I would never get anything posted if I was as obsessive about photos as Jenny is. And sometimes I have to push her to post something to Flickr even though it isn't 100% exactly how she wants it, because honestly, it could take weeks for her to get it where she wants it.

This is fairly typical of us, but isn't always the case. I think that we both are capable of easily crossing to the other side of the brain when necessary. After all, according to that incredibly scientific internet quiz, I am 40% left brained.

Recently, Jenny quit her job. Mostly, she did it because the place she worked was crushing her soul (my words, not hers). She also did it so that she could devote some time to helping me with the retail side of Wisdom of the Moon, which is a fairly relaxed and groovy place to work, considering it has free child care (Joey) and margaritas (not that we drink them, but just knowing we could is a nice perk) and we can work just about anywhere (like the backyard or park) while the kids play.








*Taken from Linda's suggestion on the henna post. It makes me laugh, which just proves what a geek I am. Thanks, Linda!

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Added Note- If you haven't voted yet, get on over to the right sidebar and let me know what you wanna see around here next.

Another Drawing and a Christmas Sale

Seeing that my real-world, face-to-face (non internet) sales are much slower than they usually are this time of year (probably because I've spent way more time on said internet than at craft shows), I've decided to hold a Christmas Sale at my Etsy shop.



**From now thru the 15th, all items are $5.00 off.**

In case you haven't stopped in to visit, I make and sell aromatherapy pendant necklaces. The front of each pendant is porous, allowing you to directly apply essential oils (or even perfume) to it. I paint the back and sides of each pendant with three layers of glaze. When fired, this creates an impermeable layer that protects your skin and clothing from the oils.



And, for any of you interested in my Moon Goddesses, I've also added one of my finished girls to the shop.

As always, my aromatherapy necklaces come in a whole range of colors and several styles. Just be sure to note what color you'd like during checkout.





Oh, and one last thing... because I want to know what you think, I'm holding a drawing.

If you do order something from my shop, send me an email or leave a comment here letting me know how your purchasing experience was with Etsy. Sometime after Christmas, I'll do a drawing as thanks for your feedback and I'll send one winner a set of 3 fabric grocery bags, which I promise to do a full-on tutorial for after the beginning of the year.

I promise.

Surface Freshener

In our kitchen, we've got a freestanding cupboard with a butcher block on top. We rarely cut things directly on it (besides bread), but it still gathers a lot of kitchen smells.

Every so often, after I've cleaned it thoroughly and it still smells like onions, I spray it down with my essential oil Fresh & Clean spray. I mix this stuff up in a little bottle that I bought at Vitamin Cottage. The essential oils in this mix are relatively cheap and great to have around for other stuff too (like burns- the tea tree and lavender, not the citrus).



And since I was making up a new batch of it today, I thought I'd share the recipe.

Just make sure you get real essential oils, not the synthetic crap. Over time, the synthetic stuff will actually start to smell funky itself. And the fake oils don't have any of the great properties of the real essential oils (Tea Tree and Lavender are both antiseptic).

Fresh & Clean Spray
3-6 drops Tea Tree Essentail Oil
3-6 drops Lavender Essential Oil
6-9 drops Orange, Lemon or Grapefruit Essential Oil (or a combination of these)
Water (enough to fill bottle)

-Mix all of the ingredients in clean bottle with spray top. Shake well before using and keep out of the reach of children.

I also use this stuff on the counters, in the sink, in trash cans and on my yoga mats. Everything just smells nice and fresh after this. And as for applying it to food prep surfaces… tea tree oil is in mouthwash and toothpaste and people cook with lavender, so I'm really not that worried about it. I'd rather use this than that scary antibacterial stuff out there. I suggest wiping the surface with a damp cloth after spraying if it worries you.

PRECAUTIONARY NOTE- Although our kids' pediatrician recommends tea tree oil for just about every scrape and scratch the kids have, I've heard that tea tree oil and lavender should be used sparingly (or not at all) on prepubescent boys because it may cause them to grow boobs (although not permanently). This caution is only for applying the oils directly to the body, but still, I thought I should mention it.

Crazy.

ADDED NOTE- If you're interested in the fun label, I made it myself using PhotoShop brushes downloaded from Designfruit. Wow, I had no idea that you could do that. I was up way too late last night playing with them. So, so fun.

Scentual Jewelry Winner!

You guys gave me so many great suggestions for my Ruby Red aromatherapy necklaces! It really was hard to choose. In the end, I simply picked my 10 favorites and let the graphic artist decide. I think he chose well. For him, it had as much to do with the length of the word as the meaning.

So, here's one page of the wonderful pamphlet he's be slaving over (thank you so much, Doug!). He showed me the test copy this past weekend and I'm just dumbfounded. I'm not surprised that he did a professional job (because he is nothing if not professional); I'm surprised that he was able to make my business look so professional (because I am many things besides professional).



So, for those of you checking for your name, I'll save you the suspense and just say that Madmommy is the winner! Please let me know what color you would like as well as what length you prefer (the usual length is 18", but for some women that is too long). And I'll get it in the mail soon. Oh yah, I guess you should probably email me with your address. (What? The post office can't deliver based on email yet? Slackers.)

Thank you all so very much for your suggestions! I appreciate your help so much. The next time I'm stuck, I'll save myself weeks of pondering and just ask. Also, maybe I'll have to come up with some more giveaway ideas one of these days. But until then, if any of you just must own one of my necklaces, feel free to head over to my etsy shop.

Creativity Needed

I am currently working with my amazing, graphic-artist of an uncle to create a pamphlet for the aromatherapy necklaces that I sell on my Etsy shop. I want to start selling them wholesale and need something to show all of the various colors and designs, and, you know, the fact that everyone needs to own one, of course.

Here's where your help would be greatly appreciated... I cannot come up with a good name for the one that is currently labeled "Ruby Red".



There are two reasons that I would like to change the name of this one. 1) We're condensing the names, so 'Pumpkin Orange' will now be just 'Pumpkin', 'Denim Blue' just 'Denim', etc. (And, no, 'Very Black' will not be 'Very'; it'll be 'Onyx') 2) 'Ruby Red' makes me think of grapefruit juice.

So, I'm taking suggestions as to what to call it. You can leave it in the comment section or email me. If I use your suggestion, I will send you one of my aromatherapy necklaces (you pick the color) as a very sincere and hearty Thank You.

Seriously. I'm stumped.