Oatmeal Cinnamon Soap Recipe

I'm really excited to share with you that I'm a guest poster over at The Nourished Life!  I've been sharing some great DIY bath and beauty recipes and a few healthy food recipes over there once a week.  I'd love it if you'd go over and check out my posts, and I think you'll love her blog.  She blogs about natural care and self-care, which is close to what I blog about here.  I'll try to post a recap of my posts here every Saturday so you don't miss a post.  I post new recipes there that aren't found on my blog, and I don't want you to miss out!

Oatmeal Cinnamon Soap Recipe

Last week, I published an oatmeal cinnamon soap recipe.  This easy melt and pour recipe takes just 10 minutes to make.  I used oatmeal for its skin-loving properties, especially for irritated skin.  The cinnamon is a great fall scent.  Be sure to go to The Nourished Life to check it out.  

If you like easy soap recipes, be sure to check out my pumpkin spice rebatched soap recipe and my pumpkin spice latte melt and pour recipe.  

Cloud Dough Recipe For Sensory Play

I have been compensated by Johnson's® Baby for this post; however, I am sharing my own thoughts. All opinions are my own.

My youngest baby turned 10 this summer, but that doesn't mean that I don't frequent the baby aisle at Walmart anymore. When my kids were little, I used Johnson & Johnson baby products on them. My favorite was the Johnson's Bedtime Bath. Every time I smell it, I am instantly taken back to the time I was holding my babies while they slept. The smell of Johnson's Baby Oil also takes me back, so I still buy it to use on my legs and feet.

My son has autism, and he is what's known as a sensory seeker. His occupational therapist makes this cloud dough recipe with him. Of course, I had to use Johnson's Baby Oil because I love the smell and so it would soften our hands.

Get Professional Tooth Whitening Results at Home With Rembrandt + Before and After Pics

This post is sponsored by Rembrandt, but all enthusiasm is my own.

Have I mentioned that I'm an avid coffee drinker?  I drink a few cups in the morning to get me going and usually a few cups in the afternoon to keep me going.  As an autism mom homeschooling three kids, I need my caffeine.  If I'm not drinking water the rest of the day, I'm drinking unsweetened tea.  This works well to keep me functioning, but it's not working so well with my teeth.  They are stained, and I would love to get a professional whitening treatment.  However, there are a few problems with that.  First, the cost.  Yikes.  Secondly, I don't have time.  I recently tried the Rembrandt 1 Week Whitening Kit, and I am glad I whitened at home to save time and money, and I still got great results. 

Rembrandt At-Home Whitening

Rembrandt has several options to whiten your teeth at home, depending on much whitening you need and how quickly you want to get your teeth whiter.  They have toothpastes to help whiten your teeth, but these can take a while to see results.  For faster results, they have a 1 Week Whitening Kit and a 3 Day Whitening Boost Kit.  

All of their products have enamel-safe ingredients that dentists use.  You can use them at home for professional-level whitening instead of going to the dentist.  You'll also see results in about half the time as other at-home whitening kits.  

Rembrandt 1 Week Whitening Kit

Since it has been several years since I've used any kind of whitening, I tried the 1 Week Whitening Kit.  My teeth were stained from coffee and general life, so I needed more than the boosting kit.  This kit whitens in seven days as much as other kits whiten in 14 days, so it does give quicker results.  

This kit uses strips that you place on your upper and lower teeth twice a day.  I really like the strips versus using a tray because strips are easier to place and more comfortable to use.  The strips still whiten the front and back of the teeth, so they work just as well as trays.

I can honestly say that I've never tried to photograph my teeth before, and I learned something.  I can not smile showing my teeth.  I physically can not do it.  You learn something new about yourself all the time, right?  So excuse how little of my teeth are actually showing.

As you can see, I got great results in just one week.  I was thrilled that I didn't have to go to a professional because I just don't have time for that right now.  

Rembrandt 3 Day Whitening Boost Kit

When my teeth start to yellow again, I won't wait as long to whiten them now that I know how easy it is to do at home.  I'll use the 3 Day Whitening Booster Kit when I need it.  It works the same as the 7 day kit with strips.

If you're ready for whiter teeth in just one week, check out Rembrandt's line of at-home teeth whitening products.  

31 Halloween Leggings Like Lularoe Including Plus Size TC and OS

Forget pumpkin spice lattes, the best part of fall is being able to wear leggings again.  I got mine out a few weeks ago, but it's gotten too warm again to wear them now.  I found some cute long shirts at Family Dollar of all place to wear with my leggings too.  I had to stalk like 5 different stores to get all of the colors, but I am set for fall.  Now I need Halloween leggings like Lularoe in plus size or TC for my fall wardrobe.  

If you read my post Clothes Similar to Lularoe, then you know I have a love/hate relationship with LLR.  I know there are good consultants and bad consultants for every type of product, but unfortunately the bad ones ruin it for the good ones.  Bad consultant aside, if LLR hadn't ignored my complaint, I might still be a loyal customer.  

I may buy LLR again if they have a print I want, but I usually buy from Amazon or Charlie's Project now.  I love Charlie's Project because they donate 20% of sales to charity.  Their leggings are a bit roomier than LLR, so if you're between OS and TC, you may need to size down.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

This easy apple cinnamon oatmeal soap recipe gently exfoliates, so it's great for hands or body.

Fall is closing in on us, so it seems like everywhere I look, it's pumpkin this and pumpkin that. I feel like pumpkins have completely taken over the season, ignoring any other fall flavors.

 Don’t get me wrong; I love a pumpkin spice latte as much as most Instagrammers do, but let’s not forget about the other fall fruit: apples. In my humble opinion, apples make for a far better fall dessert.

One of my favorite fall desserts apple crisp made with apples from our orchard.  I love the perfect blend of apples, cinnamon, and oatmeal.

Why not combine them into a soap?  And thus this apple cinnamon oatmeal melt and pour soap was born.

LaFlore Skincare Launch and Review

This post has been sponsored by the PRIMP Network. All opinions are my own

I'm excited to tell you about a brand new skincare line from LaFlore.  It just launched on September 16, but I got a cleanser, serum, and moisturizer to try last month so I could share it with my readers.  LaFlore is a little bit different than other skincare systems, so keep reading to see how it's different.

Caramel Apple Sugar Scrub Recipe

How to make a cute caramel apple sugar scrub.  This easy recipe is perfect to give as a gift!

I feel like pumpkins steal all of the attention in the fall.  If you give me the choice between pumpkin anything and a caramel apple, then I'm going to choose the caramel apple.

My daughter wanted caramel apples this week, and I decided that it would make a wonderful sugar scrub.  A nonprofit that I'm involved with had several women volunteer for a special project, so I wanted to give them a small token of appreciation with this caramel apple sugar scrub.

This caramel apple sugar scrub recipe is so easy to make, but layering it makes it look like a boutique sugar scrub.

It's also inexpensive to make, and you probably already have half of the ingredients in your cupboards!

Caregiving Made Easier With Sam's Club

Today, I want to take a break from talking about beauty and talk about something that's going on in my life that I haven't shared much about on social media.  A little over two years ago, my mom fell and suffered from a brain bleed that caused long-term problems with her memory and balance.  After the fall, she spent months in and out of the hospital with various complications.  Thankfully, she hasn't been hospitalized in over a year.  

Since she has problems with her memory, I've taken over as her caregiver.  She lives alone half an hour from me, so this hasn't been the easiest way to care for someone, but I've made it work.  Thankfully, Sam's Club has made it easier to save time and get my mom's essentials so I can spend more time with her or my kids.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

How many pumpkin spice lattes have you had this year?  I haven't had any, unless you count Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte K-Cups.  Those I have had a few of so far this year.  I found a way to satisfy my cravings for PSL without breaking the bank or drinking a lot of calories with this pumpkin spice latte melt and pour soap.  It smells amazing, and the coffee gives it a little boost of scrubbing power.  Caffeine is also said to help with cellulite, so it makes a good body bar as well as a hand soap.

15 Amazing Epsom Salt Uses & Benefits

Even though I don't use Epsom salts very often in my recipes on my blog, it's one thing that we constantly use at home.  My son has had surgery on his feet twice in the last year, which meant twice daily Epsom salt soaks for weeks before surgery and after.  I use them in the bath with my other son to increase his magnesium intake.  I use them in salt soaks and for scrubs because of their wonderful benefits.  I was going to do a few posts on Epsom salt recipes, but they are very basic recipes, so I decided to just do one bigger post with all of the amazing uses for Epsom salts and why you need them in your medicine cabinet.

Isn't it amazing how a scent can take you to a new place and instantly transform your mood?  I love trying different scents, so I'm always switching things around.  I'm the one who will buy my favorite product in four different scents, but I don't use them a full bottle a time.  I switch them every few weeks, rotating between the scents.  I am loving the Suave Essentials body wash line because they have some amazing scents.  Keep reading to learn more about the different scents and get an easy sugar scrub recipe that I made with one of the body washes.

Suave Essentials Body Wash

Last week, I saw a quiz for Suave Essentials body washes.  My results for the quiz weren't too surprising for me: Tropical Coconut.  Yes, that would have been the first one that I grabbed!

When I was at Walmart, I picked up the Suave Essentials Body Wash in Tropical Coconut.  But of course, I couldn't stop at just one.  As much as I love all things coconut, I know that fall is coming.  I also grabbed Cocoa Butter & Shea, which smells like vanilla sugar, and Milk & Honey Splash because they are warmer scents for fall.  I also Sweet Pea & Violet, which is more of a spring or summer scent to me, but I think I'll use it during the winter to remind me that warmer weather is ahead.  

Not sure which scent is right for you?  Take the Suave Body Wash Quiz to see what scent you get!  After you take the quiz, you'll get a cash back offer from Ibotta, too.  

Easy Sugar Scrub Recipe With Suave Essentials Body Wash

I love the smell of the body washes so much that I decided to use them in a sugar scrub recipe.  This is great for your entire body, but I love it for my feet.  Traditional sugar scrubs have oil in them, which isn't so great when you need to walk around after you scrub your feet.  But this recipe exfoliates and softens without leaving your feet slippery.

This recipe couldn't be simpler.  In fact, there really isn't even a recipe.  You can customize it for your preferences and eyeball the ingredients.

I filled a small container about 3/4 of the way full with sugar.  Then I almost filled it with Suave Essentials body wash and stirred it.  I wanted my scrub thick, so I added some more sugar for a thick scrub.  You can make yours thick or thin, depending on your needs.  

Now you have a wonderful scrub for your hands, feet, or body that's already scented and colored without buying anything extra.  You can use the scrub and your body wash in the same scent to layer your scent for the day.  

Michael Todd Soniclear Elite Giveaway

I'm a Michael Todd Beauty ambassador, which means that I've been able to introduce you to a lot of their products.  They have great skin care products, but my favorite products are their beauty tools.  I have the Sonic Eraser Pro, Soniclear Petite, Sonic Blend, and the Total Refresher.  I use all of the products often, but I use the Soniclear Petite twice a day.  My skin looks and feels so much better since I started using it last March.  

Michael Todd Beauty recently reached out to see if I wanted to host a giveaway for the Soniclear Elite for one of my lucky fans.  Of course, I said yes because I know you will all love it if you win one!

15 of the Best Hair Masks

My hair really takes some abuse with heat styling and color, so I try to take care of it by using a hair mask once a week.  I make quite a few masks myself, but sometimes I just like trying a premade one or they have ingredients that aren't cost effective for me to purchase for myself.  Here are 16 of the best hair masks for your consideration.