Just in time for Halloween!

All natural face/body paint recipes that are safe and non toxic!

Since most store bought face paint contains harmful ingredients like lead, I thought I would post a few alternative recipes that will help you feel better about painting your little ones faces-even the tiniest of whiskers!






 Here are some that I've used in the past:

Paint #1
You will need:
Base of safe, unscented lotion OR pure cocoa butter
Natural food coloring
To prepare:
~Mix a few drops of natural food coloring into the base ingredient of your choice.
~Test on a small patch of skin before applying to face or body
I usually test on the inside of my kid's wrist

Paint #2
You will need:
1 1/2 Tablespoons of natural cold cream
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
Natural Food color
To prepare:
~Mix cold cream with corn starch
~Add your food color until you reach the desired shade

Also, I have a new favorite:

Paint #3
You will need:
1 1/2 Tablespoons of cocoa butter or thick organic lotion
Organic food coloring or bright flowers and/or berries-for darker color I love to use blackberries-you can get pretty close to black color with those!  Also, charcoal shavings work well for making outlines or mustaches!  Just break open a charcoal tablet and mix into your cocoa butter!
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
To prepare:
~Mix the lotion and cornstarch to a paste consistency

To avoid a rash use a hypo allergenic organic lotion
~Add food coloring a drop at a time to the paste and mix it in until you achieve the desired color
(with flower petals you may want to boil to release the color and with berries it's easiest to smash with a fork or use a blender to release the juice)
~Apply the paint!
Make sure you post if you've tried any of these and how they worked for you!  
I'm planning on painting my kids faces this weekend and will post pics of the results!
Smooches!
Kat

DIY!
Check out my awesome changing table transformation!

My neighbor put this vintage changing table out on the curb and I thought...hmmm this could be totally fabulous.  So I asked her if I could take it and  I immediately went to work!


This is the BEFORE:

 Check out the transformation below!



My supplies:
1 jar of silver metallic paint-I used the Martha Stewart brand available at Home Depot, the small jar was more then enough for this small of a project
1 mini roller frame
1 two pack of textured rollers
1 extra fine sanding block
1 mini paint tray
1 dropcloth
1 paintbrush
1 pair of gloves


First, I prepped my work area and sanded down the entire piece with an "extra fine" sanding block, to take off some of the old finish.

Second, using the roller, I painted most of the surface that could be rolled and touched up any tough spots with a brush.

I waited overnight and then gave it another good coating.  I applied about 4 coats to get a nice smooth, almost mirror like finish.

Voila!  Looking good right?

I know had something totally chic and fun to display!
Now...what do I do with it?

A-HA!  I had the perfect idea...

I think it works perfect in my Daughter's room to display all her Build A Bears and she absolutely loves it!


Now... I can have a beer!

Whatcha drinking???

My bottled water research unveiled!

About a year ago I was sitting at my Mom’s house getting ready to mix my Son's formula.

Coincidentally, we were discussing bottled water quality, which sparked an interest in me and made me want to test the distilled nursery water I was serving my baby.

My parents have recently invested in a water tester and have been testing their tap and bottled water to check for amounts of TDS.

So I did some research to figure out exactly what TDS was and what amount of it was safe in my bottled water and more important-my infant’s distilled water.

Here are some facts I came across:

 
-Bottled water is regulated under standards set by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
 
-The FDA uses Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) as a measure for how pure the water is.
 
-TDS is the sum of all dissolved solids in water( minerals, salts, metals, cations or anions measured in parts per million (ppm).
 
-All bottled water contains TDS.
 
-Spring water is derived from an underground formation from which water flows to the Earth's surface and is treated to remove bacteria and other organic material.
 
-FDA regulations mandate a maximum TDS of 500 ppm for spring water(according to the EPA-Environmental Protection Agency) and according to Aquafina's website, a maximum of 10ppm for purified water.  (I say according to Aquafina because I was not able to find that anywhere else but their website)
 

 
Okay, so I literally ran to my Mac and ordered a handy dandy TDS tester on Amazon for about $25.  

It’s really easy to use and it comes with a TDS chart that helps you rank where YOUR water falls in.

These were MY findings using my TDS tester and the water we consume in our household:

MY tap water-308 ppm

Nursery water(purified and distilled)-25 ppm

Aquafina (purified drinking water)-2 ppm

Sam’s Choice
(purified drinking water)-15 ppm 


I feel a little better owning this little device and being able to conduct my little experiment.  
I hope you enjoyed it.
Also, as I try out different brands of water, I will update the results and post them in this blog-so look out for your brand to be tested next-or simply comment on what bottled water you drink and I will try to test it and post the results asap.

Just FYI-I recently stocked up on Aquafina, haha!

For more information on water safety regulations you can visit:
http://www.epa.gov/
or for more info on TDS and what it means for you visit:
http://www.tdsmeter.com/what-is#what