DIY 3 Ingredient Lotion Bars

Hi all! We've had a fierce little winter here in southern Ohio, and lots of cold, dry air with it. That means lots of chapped skin and eczema flare ups in my family. My mom and I have been making these lotion bars for about 2 years now to help out with the skin irritation. These things are amazing for eczema, chapped lips, dry or rough skin (elbows, hands, knees, feet), as well as a daily chapstick or moisturizer. They are amazingly soft and smooth on your skin, are all natural, non-toxic, and they smell wonderful.

Here's how we do it:
*   beeswax
*   grapeseed oil   
*   coconut oil
Equal parts of all three ingredients. It doesn't have to be exact, just close enough.

1. In a double boiler, melt beeswax on medium until it completely liquefies.

2. Add the coconut oil,  and melt until completely liquefied.

3. Add the grapeseed oil, and melt until all ingredients are completely liquefied. 

4. Spoon into silicone molds with a ladle and allow to cool completely at room temperature until set.

5. Pop out of the molds and relish the silky softness. Store in an air tight container in a cool, dry place.

6. To use, simply rub a bar on a troublesome rough spot.

Some tips and thoughts:

* Do not use these if you are allergic to bees or honey, and be careful with using them on babies unless you know they're not allergic.

* I don't have a double boiler. I just use a metal dog food bowl that is big enough to fit over a kettle. Not fancy. At all.

* These are awesome! They do not leave an oily residue on your skin, and  they're completely non-toxic and pet and baby safe if consumed.  

* I've only ever used silicone candy molds. I suppose these could be poured into anything as long as you covered it with plastic wrap or something. I love the silicone, because the lotion bars just pop right out and they are in cute little shapes.
* Save casted off chips and spilled pieces. These can be re-melted and reused.

* These make great gifts or party favors.

* These are awesome for eczema, bug bites, burns, etc.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Thanks for reading.

Expecting Kids

Hi all! We are very pregnant here on the farm and very excited! We are expecting some cute little kids. Cali, our doe, is...well...she's HUGE. We hope to have some goat kids within the month. Probably sooner rather than later.

As we are novice goat keepers we made a big rookie mistake in keeping our doe housed with our buck. We had all intentions of her getting preggo, but we don't know the conception date, so we're a little lost on the due date. *rips hair out* We know these things:

◆ goats gestate for 140-150 days
◆ we noticed a change in Cali's...*cough* width *cough*in October.
◆ Cali has begun to fill her udder with milk
◆ baby goat movement can be felt in the right side of Cali's stomach (left is less reliable because of rumen)

She is now separated from our male goat, Dexter. We give her lots of hay, warm water to drink, lots of comfy bedding, and a private stall. I check for signs of labor about three times daily. Morning, afternoon, night. Here are the things I look for:

◆ hollow areas around the flank and tail (this indicates a loosening of ligaments and such)
◆ loosening of ligaments around the tail head (usually most reliable predictor)
◆ behavioral change-more stand-offish or more affectionate than usual
◆ "talking"-mama goats do this to bond with the babies
◆ restlessness-pacing, pawing the ground, headbutting fences, nesting, getting up and down
◆ discharge or mucus leaking from the girly parts
◆ full, tight, "shiny" udder (least reliable predictor)

I have been prepping some supplies in anticipation for a goat birth! I hope to share this in another blog post! Thanks for reading!