I'm going to try making homemade chapstick this Christmas season as gifts. Here is a link that I found for the following recipe: http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/homemadechapsti_szkq.htm
Basic Recipe
* 2 - 2 1/2 teaspoons oil/butter
* 1/2 teaspoon beeswax
* 1/2 teaspoon flavoring (optional)
* 1/2 teaspoon extra moisturizers (optional)
* 1/8 teaspoon preservative
* 1/4 teaspoon color (optional)
With any recipe, begin by melting your oils, butters, and beeswax in a heat-resistant container. Pyrex measuring cups work especially well for this, as they can be put in the microwave and have pour spouts to prevent spilling. Alternately, you can use a small pot to heat the ingredients. Once they have all melted, allow three to five minutes for the mixture to cool. The purpose of this is to preserve later ingredients, which may be damaged by high temperatures. Use the cooling period to clean and sterilize your lip balm containers. Stir in any flavorings, colorants, and other optional ingredients. While the mixture is still a liquid, pour it into your prepared containers. You can either purchase these in the cosmetics department of your local store or reuse old chapstick jars. Once the lip balm has cooled and solidified, it is ready for use. Remember to keep the finished product in a cool place or it will melt.
Ingredients Suggestions
As mentioned earlier, there are several ingredients that make excellent lip balms. Olive oil, castor oil, apricot kernel oil, sweet almond oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and even petroleum jelly are beneficial to the skin. If you wish to use a blend of several oils, simply use them in a 1-1 or 2-1 ratio. Each oil that you choose will add a unique scent to the finished product; coconut and almond oil are especially popular for this reason. Beeswax can be either white or yellow depending on your preferences. Browse the baking aisle of your local grocery store for a delicious selection of flavoring oils from strawberry to peppermint. Alternately, you may wish to try adding a few melted chocolate chips or several drops of vanilla extract for a decadent balm. The most popular and readily available preservative is vitamin E, which can be used in a quantity of one capsule per batch. However, several essential oils -- most popular among them being orange, grapefruit, and lemon -- can be used instead to extend the life of the product and add a delightful citrus scent. As these are strongly concentrated oils, only use two to three drops per batch. Consider amplifying the moisturizing qualities of your lip balm with a drizzle of honey or a few drops of calendula essential oil. The plant from which it is derived is reputed for its moisturizing and healing properties, making it an excellent chapstick additive. Finally, you may wish to add tint to your balm. Check out the internet or local health food stores for cosmetics-grade pigments or simply add a bit of an old lipstick for a splash of color.
Southeast
Eats:
cup & saucer cafe
3566 SE Hawthorne Blvd
503-236-6001
Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St
503-232-1387
Thai
Nostrana
1401 SE Morrison St
503-234-2427
sit outside and order the margherita pizza with prosciutto
Shops:
Spielwerk Toystore
7956 SE 13th Ave
503-736-3000
Best selection of wooden toys
Mother Nature's
2627 SE Clinton St
503-230-7077
eco-friendly newborn and kid items
Haggis McBaggis
6802 SE Milwaukee Ave
503-234-0849
croc pit kids can play in while looking parents look for shoes
Activities:
Zenana Spa
2024 SE Clinton St
503-238-6262
OMSI
Northeast
Eats:
Vita Cafe
3024 NE Alberta St
503-335-8233
Kids eat for a $1 from 5-7pm
Staccato Gelato
232 NE 28th Ave
503-231-7100
Laurelwood Public House and Brewery
5115 NE Sandy
503-282-0622
Great play area for kids
Shops:
Mimi & Lena
1914 NE Broadway
503-224-7736
Office
2204 NE Alberta St
888-355-7467
retro school supplies and fun
Grasshopper
1816 NE Alberta St
503-335-3131
Activities:
Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd Ave
503-249-3983
Tuesday mommy matinees
The Pearl District
Eats:
Sip & Kranz
901 NW 10th Ave
503-336-1335
Playroom!
Hotlips Pizza
NW 10th Ave & Irving St
503-595-2342
1890 landmark
Shops:
Cheeky B
906 NW 14th Ave
503-274-0229
Posh Boutique
1038 NW Johnson St.
503-478-7674
Activities:
Jamison Square
NW 10th & Johnson St
Great park with wading fountain
Powell's Books
1005 W Burnside St
503-228-4651
1) Monarch for the day - Have child make a custom crown out of card stock displaying their age and they can wear it all day, basking in the greetings they receive. Plan dinner menu, ignore chores. One idea was to give the kids a budget and let them plan their perfect day.
2) Celebrate birthday week - a sample may look like: week starts out with a homemade happy birthday poster and the telling their birth story. Each day after that the family gathers for one special treat, game night, a movie, dinner out, etc.
3) Wake to Cake - Everyone digs in on the bed after lighting candles and singing.
4) Hide a prize in the cake - Poke a peanut, piece of chocolate or soft candy into the cake before frosting it. Whoever finds the nut wins an ice-cream outing with dad.
5) Collect Well Wishes from family and friends - Have a party tablecloth that people sign/decorate every year with markers and stamps.
6) Decorate a doorway - You can write out a message on a plastic tablecloth cut it into strips and hang it in the bedroom doorway (can use a tension rod).
7) Tape and Watch Birthday Interviews - Create a video scrapbook by taking out a child's take and with the camera on records the childs goals, friends adn party plans as well as the highlights of the last 12 months. Then start the tape from the beginning and watch the back to back interviews.
8) Give a Shared Experience - one family doesn't give presents. The child can choose a special activity that he or she would like to do with the family.
9) Honor their accomplishments - one family creates a big poster for the birthday boy listing the special things he did that year.
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