Eczema Wet Wrap Therapy Instructions

Try eczema wet wrap therapy for natural relief from eczema or atopic dermatitis.  

I've been battling eczema on my hand for a few years now.  I'd never had eczema in my life until a few years ago when all of a sudden I started getting in on my hand.  I narrowed it down to hand soaps.

I can use a few store bought soaps, but nearly every soap in the big dispensers irritates my eczema.  I started making soap petals so I would have soap to take with me, but I ran out a few months ago and used soap several times in one day. 

That night, I was itching like crazy and had a large red patch on my hand.  Within a few days, it was so bad that it basically one large scaly patch.  

Soon, I got really deep cracks and it was bleeding, and it was spreading.

I was using my eczema relief salve.  It would look better for about an hour, then it would go right back to being a large scale.  My hand looked like it had been burned it was so bad.  

At this point, I was very frustrated because nothing was helping.  I'd never been so bad that my salves or carrier oils didn't work.  

I was about to make an appointment with my doctor when I started looking for natural eczema relief.  I knew it would be a few weeks before I could get to the doctor, and I was pretty desperate at this point.  

That's when I discovered wet wrap therapy.  It wasn't invasive, and it just used water, so what could it hurt?  

It ended up almost clearing my eczema in two days.  Two days!  

Skinny Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer

This skinny peppermint mocha coffee creamer tastes so good, you'll never know it's a lighter version.

I've been making skinny flavored coffees and coffee creamers for a while now, but I didn't think about blogging them until recently.  I wasn't sure if you'd be interested in skinny coffee drinks next to my DIY beauty products, but you most definitely are based on the views and shares they are getting.

Today, I have a skinny peppermint mocha coffee creamer recipe.  Last year, I posted a skinny peppermint mocha coffee drink.  It's wonderful, but my mornings are super busy.  I just wanted an easy peppermint mocha coffee creamer recipe that I could just grab from the fridge to quickly add to my coffee.  

Since pumpkin spice season is over, it was time to switch to a winter coffee creamer.  I love peppermint mochas, so here we are.  

Like most of my recipes, there are options for this recipe.  You can use your choice of milks and sweeteners in this recipe.  Your nutrition value will change, but I'll show you how to calculate that, too.

Onion Soup Mix Recipe Without Bouillon

This easy onion soup mix recipe is made without bouillon.  It has turmeric in it for its health benefits.  It's also sugar free and can be made without extra salt.

It's freezing here, so we're eating heartier meals.  In the winter, I go through a lot of onion soup mix.  I use it for several recipes, so I use at least one packet a week.  To save money and so I know exactly what's in my food, I started making my own onion soup mix recipe without bouillon.  

I don't use bouillon in my onion soup mix because I usually use this homemade mix along with my brown gravy mix recipe, which already had beef bouillon in it. 

This dry mix recipe is so easy to make.  I almost always have the ingredients in my pantry, so I can make it any time I need it.  I usually double it so I end up with 2 cups of dry mix or about 8 servings.  

ONION SOUP MIX RECIPE WITHOUT BOUILLON

I live in Amish country, so there are Amish bulk food stores all over.  They have the best spices and herbs and a lot of cool ingredients that I can't find anywhere else.

As with any recipe, the better the ingredients, the better your end result will be.  I try to get all of my ingredients at the bulk store, but sometimes I run out and have to have it before I can get to the bulk store.  Hence the a few ingredients in this post aren't from the bulk store.

There is a difference in spice.  The spices I get from the bulk store are better quality than what I get at the store.  I've also had good luck with the spices and herbs at Aldi.  I don't think they are as fresh as the bulk spices and herbs, but they are decent quality.

TURMERIC 

I wanted to add turmeric to this recipe because it has so many health benefits, but I don't get enough of it in my diet.  

Turmeric has curcumin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.  It's been proven to be as powerful as a medication for inflammation.  

Turmeric is about 3 percent curcumin, so the amount of the herb in this recipe isn't very potent.  That said, I'd still rather boost my turmeric intake in recipes like this onion soup mix recipe.  

Turmeric is also a powerful antioxidant.  Free radicals can cause signs of aging, but free radicals can help protect you from free radicals.  

Curcumin can help neutralize free radicals in your body.  It also boosts your body's antioxidant enzymes.  By working two ways, curcumin is one powerful antioxidant.

READ Turmeric Benefits for Hair and Skin

COCONUT SUGAR

Onion soup mix has sugar in it, so I add some coconut sugar to mine.  Coconut sugar is my sugar substitute of choice because it tastes the most like sugar.  It has a lower glycemic index than white sugar, although I wouldn't exactly call it a healthy food.

I usually use half the amount of coconut sugar.  

You could also use white sugar or omit it completely.

RECIPES WITH ONION SOUP MIX 

I have never used onion soup mix to actually make soup.  I always use it as an ingredient in other things.

I always use some in my meatloaf.  Everyone loves my meatloaf, and this is my secret ingredient.

I also sprinkle some onion soup mix on top of a pork roast and slow cook it all day in my Hamilton Beach slow cooker.  We have that for dinner, and the next day it gets turned into BBQ pulled pork.  Yum!

Side note:  I love my Hamilton Beach slow cooker!  I've had it about 10 years and am on my third crock.  I've been lucky enough to find extra crocks at thrift stores for $2 each.  It locks the lid down, so it gets hotter than other slow cookers.  I use it at least once a week and sometimes up to four times a week, so it's been used a lot over the years.  I have four slow cookers, but this is by far my favorite of the four.  

If I'm cooking a beef roast, I'll add some onion soup mix and some brown gravy.  Then I let it slow cook for several hours.  It's the best way to make a roast in my humble opinion.

Tonight, I'm making beef tips with this onion soup mix recipe and cream of something soup (my homemade version of course) in my Instant Pot.  It's one of my favorite Instant Pot meals.

For a quick side dish, cut up potatoes and coat with olive oil.  Toss them in onion soup mix and bake.

Try one of these recipes using onion soup mix from some of my favorite bloggers:

• Robust Garlic Chicken Sheet Pan Meal
• Grilled Onion Pork Chops
• Onion Soup Mix Green Beans, Potatoes, and Bacon
• Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches 
• Hot Onion Spinach Dip

INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup dried onion
• 3 tablespoons parsley
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

STEP #1

Mix all ingredients together and store in a glass container.  I use a pint mason jar with a plastic lid.

This will make about 1 cup of dry mix.

STEP #2

Use 1/4 cup of this mix in place of one packet of onion soup mix.

See how easy it is to make this onion soup mix recipe?  Now you know exactly what's in the food that you're eating.

Brown Gravy Mix Recipe

How to Make Butter

Copycat Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix Recipe

DIY Homemade Disinfecting Spray and Deodorizer Recipe With Essential OIls

Disinfecting your home without chemicals with this DIY homemade disinfectant spray recipe.  It has essential oils to kill germs naturally.

Cold and flu season is upon us.  One major benefit to homeschooling is that my kids don't pick up as many germs.  We are still in public for shopping, karate, and scouts, so we are exposed to germs.  

I started cleaning my home naturally more than 10 years ago.  In the winter though, I want to make sure the germs are gone.  I'm not taking chances because Caleb gets very sick each year.  

When he was an infant and then again a year old, he had RSV and was hospitalized.  Each year after that, he would get pneumonia.  Now that he's older, he still gets sick, but thankfully it isn't as bad as it used to be.  

Disinfecting spray was the last cleaner that I started making.  I thought that I needed to buy a commercial project if I wanted to really kill the germs.  

Then I started doing some research.  You don't need chemicals and artificial scents to get your home clean.  You can use ingredients that you probably have at home to make this homemade disinfecting spray to get your home clean and save money.

DIY HOMEMADE DISINFECTING SPRAY RECIPE

So what is disinfecting?  

When you disinfect, you are killing a large percentage of germs or making them incapable of reproducing. 

You disinfect after you clean.  This recipe isn't made for cleaning.  Use my all purpose cleaner or my homemade dusting spray for cleaning and then follow with this homemade disinfectant spray.  

Don't use this homemade disinfecting spray on granite.  My fridge can't be cleaned with vinegar, so be sure to read the manual before using this spray on appliance.  

VODKA OR RUBBING ALCOHOL

Both vodka and rubbing alcohol are great sanitizers and disinfectants.  I use vodka because I don't think it smells as strong as rubbing alcohol.  

Vodka is also a natural deodorizer.  You can also use this on carpets or furniture.  Always spot on the back of your furniture before you use this on your furniture.  

You don't need expensive vodka to make this recipe.  I use a lower end brand to make my homemade cleaners and homemade vanilla because they work just as well at a lower price.

VINEGAR

Vinegar is also a natural disinfectant and has been proven to kill germs.  In a study, it wasn't as effective as Clorox or Lysol cleaners, but it did kill germs.  

We don't have super germs here.  If one of us worked in a hospital or doctor's office or maybe even in a school where we were exposed to a lot of germs, I might feel differently. 

But for home use, I trust vinegar to kill germs.

ESSENTIAL OILS

There are several essential oils that you can use.  I usually just use tea tree oil, but it does smell medicinal.  It's not my favorite scent, but it does smell clean.

There are several essential oils that have been proven to kill germs.  Cinnamon, clove, and lime were found to kill the most germs.  Eucalyptus essential oil is a weak germ killer, so I don't recommend using that.

Another study found the following essential oils to be the best at killing germs:

• Cinnamon bark essential oil
• Lemongrass essential oil
• Thyme essential oil
• Peppermint essential oil
• Tea tree essential oil
• Coriander essential oil
• Lavender essential oil

This recipe calls for 50 drops of essential oils, so you can choose different oils to mix together.  

Try one of these disinfecting essential oil blends:

• Tea tree oil and peppermint essential oil
• Lavender essential oil and lemongrass essential oil
• Rosemary essential oil and lavender essential oil
• Geranium essential oil and lime essential oil
• Grapefruit essential oil, lemon essential oil, and lavender essential oil
• Orange essential oil and tea tree essential oil

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup vodka or rubbing alcohol
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 3/4 cup distilled water
• 50 drops tea tree oil (or see above for other oils to use)

SPRAY BOTTLE

I actually bottle this in different bottles.  I like the tiny spray bottles for my purse.  I can use it to sanitize my hands or objects while I'm out or in the car.

I also use 4-ounce spray bottles or 16-ounce spray bottles to use at home.  

No matter which bottle you use, be sure you label it.  This homemade disinfectant spray is clear, so kids may think it's water.  

DIRECTIONS

STEP #1

Combine the vodka or rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, and distilled water in a container.  I used my 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup.  

STEP #2

Add essential oils.  Stir well.

To use, clean surfaces to remove dirt and grease.  Then spray surfaces and let sit for 10 minutes to kill germs.  Wipe dry with a microfiber cloth.  

There's no need to rinse when you use this recipe.  

Pour into a spray bottle.

DISINFECTING TIPS

If conditions are right, bacteria and germs can double in as little as 20 minutes.  Be sure to hit the most common places where germs linger.  

I always disinfect the following places:

• Door knobs
• Handrails
• Garbage cans
• The soap dispense
• Toilet handle
• Light switches (I spray on a cloth and wipe them)

Don't forget to disinfect your car, too!  Spray the door handles, shifter, and steering wheel.  

If you or your kids use a desk for work or homework, give the pens and pencils and other office supplies a good spritz to kill germs.  

All Purpose Cleaner

Best Essential Oils for Cleaning

Natural Air Freshener

Skinny White Chocolate Mocha Recipe

This skinny white chocolate mocha coffee drink tastes just like the coffeehouse drink but at a fraction of the cost and fewer calories.

Y'all know that I love coffee.  And I know that you do too because the other skinny coffee drinks that I've posted recently have been really popular the last few weeks.

I normally drink regular coffee with a flavored creamer in the mornings, but in the afternoons sometimes I enjoy a flavored drink.  We do have a great locally owned coffee house near my office that I like to visit a few times a month.

I wish I could support them every day, but at $4 per cup, the cost adds up.  Coffee house coffee drinks taste amazing, but I really do not need the extra calories.  

My absolute favorite coffee drink is a white chocolate mocha.  Most recipes call for espresso and a milk frother.  I don't have the time nor the equipment to make a cup like that, so I set out to make an easy yet delicious skinnier version of my favorite coffee drink.

SKINNY WHITE CHOCOLATE MOCHA RECIPE

Normally, I don't want refined sugar in my diet.  I tried to get around that with this white chocolate mocha recipe, but I couldn't make it easy and completely free of refined sugar.

I love flavored coffee drinks, but I only have two or three a month, even if I do make them at home.  This version is skinnier than what you'll get at a coffee house, so I'm still calling it a skinny version of the drink.  

If you get a 16-ounce white chocolate mocha at Starbuck's, you'll be drinking:

• 400 calories
• 15 grams fat
• 53 grams carbs
• 51 grams sugars

According to Verywellfit, about 16-ounces of my skinny white chocolate mocha recipe with unsweetened almond milk has:

• 268 calories
• 14.4 grams fat
• 31.3 grams sugar
• 30 grams sugar

It's not much lower in fat, but the carbs and sugar are reduced by almost 40 percent!  

If you make your own sugar free white chocolate chips (recipes below), you'll save even more calories and carbs!

Making my own skinny white chocolate mocha recipe means that I control the ingredients.  I buy my white chocolate chips from Aldi, so they are dye-free and preservative free.  

A drink from Starbuck's has "natural flavors".  Natural flavors can be anything from nature.  It doesn't necessarily mean that it's derived from a typical food item.  It very well could be, but it could be from bug wings, too.  We just don't know.

It also has potassium sorbate, which is a preservative.  Since I buy my chips at Aldi, they don't have preservatives.  Other brands may have preservatives, so watch that if that's important to you.

COFFEE

If you ordered a white chocolate mocha, they would use espresso.  I'm keeping it easy by using regular coffee.

For best results, you should brew it just before you're going to make this recipe.  I'm a rebel, so I brew an extra cup with my morning coffee and put it in the fridge until I am ready to make this.  It tastes just fine making it that way.

I'm super picky about my coffee.  I used to buy cheap coffee pots, but they didn't last.  Now I have a Cuisinart Grind and Brew.  Making coffee from beans makes all the difference!  My first one lasted about 10 years, so it was a good investment.  I bought another one to replace it because I love it so much.  

MILK CHOICE

You have your choice of milks.  I used unsweetened almond milk.  Vanilla almond milk would also be delicious, but it usually has more calories.

You can also use coconut milk or cow's milk.  I've also made this with whole milk, and it's delicious.

If you're watching calories and fat, use skim milk or 1 percent milk.  If you are low carbing, use whole milk.  

WHITE CHOCOLATE 

I used regular white chocolate chips that you would use for cookies.  If you need a no-sugar white chocolate chip, you can make your own.  

Here's a dairy free white chocolate chip recipe and a sugar-free white chocolate recipe.  I haven't tested this recipe with homemade white chocolate, so you may have to adjust how much you use.  

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup coffee 
• 2/3 cup milk (unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or cow's milk)
• 3 tablespoons white chocolate chips 
• Whipped cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS

STEP #1

Heat the milk and white chocolate chips in a small pan over medium heat. 

STEP #2

Stir frequently until the chocolate chips are melted.  Remove from heat.

STEP #3

Put half of the coffee in a mug.  Add the melted chocolate and milk.  Top with the rest of the coffee.

Top with whipped cream if desired.  

This skinny white chocolate mocha is amazing!  Even with the lighter almond milk, it tastes rich and creamy like a special coffee treat should taste. 

This is a base recipe, and you can customized it for your tastes.  You could add a teaspoon of vanilla to it or maybe some peppermint extract.  

If you're having a fancy coffee drink at home, that calls for a fancy cup from which to drink.  

Dry Shampoo, Coffee, Hustle

Pottery Coffee Mugs

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

Skinny Vanilla Chai Tea Latte Recipe

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe