Oatmeal Soap Balls

Well I tried another first this weekend. I made homemade soap balls. They turned out very cute! I have had the supplies for a little while now and just didn't take the time to do it. I guess with school starting in a week I thought I better get something accomplished.

I was given this soap from a friend so that item was free and I bought a can of oats for just over a dollar so this whole project was very reasonable. I think I spent more money packaging them then I did on the soap itself. That is something I will have to watch, but if I had to buy the soap I think it would even out just fine.

I first took two bars of soap and grated then with the largest side of the grater so that it would be in small pieces but not soap dust. The small pieces makes it easier to mix.

I then added two cups of oats. I did not break these down at all. I was going to but it chopped down so small it looked like corn meal so I decided to leave them whole. This made the soap look much better and it will help with the exfoliation if the soap is actually used.

I mixed them both up in a bowl and then added a small amount of water. I added a few tablespoons at a time so that i didn't make the mix to wet to mold. I rolled a small amount in my hands to form a ball, just smaller then a golf ball. I laid them out to dry and that was it. It did not take long since there was not much water. I also didn't scent the soap because the bars I used already had a scent.

And here is the finished product! I think they turned out very cute! And my hands were so soft after I finished making them...added bonus!

The ones I am keeping were put in this jar. Looks good to me! I got the soap keep from a friend of mine. She made it out of old barn wood from her barn just for me and I love it. I added the little tin cup and a grungy wash cloth and it is prim perfect! Have a good day everyone!

Autumn Beauty

Justin

I went on my first photo shoot over the weekend. It was scheduled for the sole purpose of taking pictures and nothing else. Nothing extravagant or anything just some random fall shots. I went to the home of my former pastor to find some fall inspiration. He lives in the hills and it is so peaceful. You can see neighbors but there is hustle and bustle of town life. Even in the country close to town there is a constant sound of a distant highway. Not here it is just us and the sound of nature. And even though it was an overcast day I did catch myself standing in the middle of a pasture with my eyes closed soaking up the sun as it peeked through the clouds and thanking God for allowing me to enjoy the beauty he created. I took my youngest son with me because he is all about the outdoors. We walked through woods, hiked up hills, and walked through pastures. He is so at home in this kind of setting. He took only one picture while we were out but he chased frogs all the way around the pond. Thankfully for the frogs he did not catch them. And after he shared his lunch with the dogs one of them even helped in that quest.  Justin got his first ride on a tractor while we were there and he got a close up view of some cows coming to feed. He is such a blessing to have with me on outings like this. And even though he was scared to ride with me on the 4-wheeler we did have a great day. I wasn't expecting for anyone to be home so it was a great surprise to get to see Bro. Ron when he came home early. It has been years since I had seen him and was glad to see him looking so happy and refreshed by life. I learned allot from him and consider him to be my church father. I grew so  much spiritually and as a person in general while having him as a pastor. He was also the principle at our christian school and it was a joy to have him as an influence on our children. And I for one have to say he may have influenced my oldest more than others since he is the one who spent the most time at the principles office. It was to bad that I was the secretary he got to see when he got there. So I secretly hoped that he just wanted to see his mommy. 

Bro Ron wasn't the kind of pastor who lectured you on Sunday and then was not heard from till the next service. He was an actual part of the congregation. He played with the kids, and visited with the members and he and his wonderful wife even hosted hay rides in the fall at his home. He and his wife was a blessing to have as our leaders. And I am so very thankful that he is blessed with such a wonderful family to support him. And I do want to add that if you like to read that his daughter wrote an awesome book called Beyond Tomorrow! It is a christian based book set in the Civil War. Try it you will love it!!!

 So here are a few pics of our outing. And remember to take time to enjoy the outdoors with all of the beautiful fall colors! And if you have an opportunity to take a friend or family member it will make it that much better.

Beautiful fall colors

Bro Ron taking the kids fishing



Old Home Church



Justin and Pepper looking for frogs

  





Tag Sale Finds

In my book everyday is an adventure, sometimes they are small ones and others are big. This weekend was a small one. I went to a tagged estate sale on Friday and came home with goodies that I loved. And I fell in love with the old house that it was in. It was full of old furniture and fixtures. The price tag on all these items were a little too much for me so I took pictures, with permission of course. The layout was fantastic too. I could really see myself living in a house like this. There was even a room that would have been perfect for my crafts a perfect potting shed in the back and even a guest house for the in laws. It had a huge yard that the kids would love to make 4-wheeler tracks in. It was like living in the country with the ease of town. Anyway back to my finds. I got enamel wear, old wooden ladders, ball jar with a glass lid, small wooden bowls and even a porcelain top table among other items. All for the low price of thirty-one dollars. Part of the items I got Friday and others are when I had to go back today in case I missed something, and I had! And the best part everything was 20-50% off!! Gotta love that. I got the ladders off of the old potting shed one was on the front and the other was hiding on the back under the ivy. So even though I consider this to be a small adventure it sure had some big finds. When you are digging through sheds and boxes and find a jewel peeking out from under all the grime the dirt you have under your nails is worth it. Enjoy your adventures big and small.

Mother's Day Weekend

Good Morning, and Happy Mother's Day! Today is a day to spend time with the family, like most Sundays. But when you can't always be with your family the next best thing is being with friends. And that is exactly what I did yesterday. And as a special treat for mothers day we went antique shopping!!! We only went to two places but that was all we needed. There is the cutest little place in Creal Springs that we just loved. There was so much stuff we had to look over everything again and again. She even let us look at her stored items in the barn. We had to climb over a farm gate and walk through chickens and genies to get there and I loved it. And when I spotted the tire of an old bicycle sticking out in the back I knew we were just like American Pickers! It was too much fun. By the time we left the van was loaded, from fly screens to little red wagons, we had it full. I even found an old galvanized wash tub. I can't wait to go back. Only next time we will have to take a truck! After shopping we also treated ourselves to dinner. But shh! Don't tell our husbands. It was a great day with a great friend, it doesn't get much better than that. I will leave you with a few pictures of our finds. And now it's time to go celebrate being a mom. I love my kids! Have a good day everyone.

Adventure Sunday

Good morning from southern Illinois. After two nights of storms rolling through there is a lot of mess and muck outside. After a rain it's too wet to be in the garden or in the flower beds, which would normally mean it's a good day for crafting, but not today. I love taking pictures, so today I am going to head out on an adventure with the family to take some great water photos. The kids love to get out their rubber boots and get messy! And today is a perfect day for it since you can't step anywhere without getting dirty. I will post some pictures if I get any good shots today, but for now I will leave you with one I got right out in the yard. I just love how the drops of rain are just standing on the edge of the leaf. Take time today to have fun with the family.