Hello! Today is a bright sunshiney day, which is perfect since it is my niece Dino Girl’s birthday party today! It will be the first party we have gone too since the pandemic, and it is outside at a park so the kids can play. I have spent the past week getting ready for next school year – I decided we need a bigger space so I am in the process of rearranging and redoing Wyatt’s bedroom to accommodate this need. I mainly really need to shift things around and go through the six years of clothes and toys and books he has accumulated, and organize. We also took apart the little toddler bed, since he is a big kid now anyway which seemed to open the room up much more. I want to do our bedroom too, but.. I guess Wyatt’s room came first. And of course I decided he needs all new art work too, so I will slowly be adding that in as well, with his input. He said he wants animals and the moon. I guess I will see what I can do with that theme.
Read Last Week:
I finally finished Prodigal Summer, and it was an amazing read. I had read it before, but I feel like I had so much more understanding and more takeaways this time around. It was complex and rich, and made me think about our responsibility to nature and the world and our communities and how that all works together.
I also downloaded a new book, Harvesting Hope by Lisa Howeler, but I keep forgetting to charge my kindle! I should do that right after this so I can start it tonight.
I also am picking this book up from the library tomorrow, and hope to start it as well. I loved House of Salt and Sorrows so I am looking forward to reading this one.
We finished up Virgin River and Sweet Tooth. I loved them both although they were very different. Sweet Tooth I especially loved. We started watching McDonald and Dodds, a police procedural/mystery on BritBox, and we thought the first season was so-so, but loved the second season. We also started watching season two of Nancy Drew. I am getting ready for spooky season!!
And that is it from around here! Hope you are all doing well!
In the spirit of trying new things and having different adventures, our plan for day number 3 up north was to explore two completely new to us places. First up, the Botanical Gardens at Barnes Park.
I picked this place because it seemed to have a lot of different areas for us to check out – stuff for Wyatt, and stuff for us too. We arrived bright and early, and I was happy we went in the morning as the day was already heating up. We pulled in, grabbed a map of the grounds, and started off. This caught our eye first..
This must have been some cow! Good for you Traverse Colantha Walker.
Our next stop was the big community garden! It was gorgeous and gave me some inspiration for next year as well! Then, despite having a map, we wandered around trying to find our next trail, the Fairy Trail! We had a strangely hard time finding it; were we deliberately led astray by the fairies?
This was a neat little stop and if you have kids and visit the area, this is a must do!
Once we found our way out of Faerie, we wandered into the next garden over, the pollinator garden.
By this point, we were getting weary of the sun and heat, and headed back to the car and our water, took a quick little break, and left for our next stop, an old growth cedar forest.
Now, this trail was truly magical. Just the feeling when you entered into the trees was something bordering a reverence. My loud boy, Wyatt Riot, even could tell, and whispered “Wow” as we stood the three of us, within this shelter of trees. It was our first time in such a forest and it was beautiful. We took our time making our way through, at time just standing still on the trail and listening to the Blue Jays shriek, catch them flying from tree to tree. Absorbing the stillness at other times, breathing in the cedar fragrance that just wafted with each of our footsteps. This was a short hike, but one of the best ones I have ever been on.
All too soon we were back in the hot, dusty parking lot, and decided it was time to head back to the cabin. We still had some swimming left to do, but not until we took a nap.. which we did after lunch. Then the guys headed down and into the lake. I did not get a swimsuit in time so I watched from the shore, but I was able to take in the sheer joy and excitement that Wyatt was radiating. His laughter echoed over the water as he played in the lake. My whole goal of this trip was to get Wyatt in the water, to be in a lake, to sit on a beach. And it was a resounding success.
We were all exhausted by the time evening rolled around. We had a quick dinner of hot dogs and macaroni, then just vegged until bed. The next day we had to leave so we took this last opportunity to really just relax.
And that my friends, was the end of our trip. Until next year, northern Michigan. We had a blast!
Hi all! Recently,Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I started a new blog feature called Hometown Views, where we share different buildings, traditions, memories all from our hometowns. We started this because during our online friendship we have enjoyed comparing the areas we live – rural to suburban outside Detroit.
Where to start? Well, Wyandotte, my town, has 26 active churches, of all denominations. About ten years ago or so, there were more, but this the number we are at now. There used to be a joke that for every church there was a bar in our town, and honestly, I kind of think that was true! There is church or a bar on every corner it seems!
I am not going to talk about all 26 churches of course. That would be silly and I don’t know anything about most of them anyway. So I will start with the church I grew up going to, and was married at. The First United Presbyterian Church. My aunt and uncle were actually the first couple ever to be married there! My mom and dad were married there, my cousin. My grandparent’s funerals. So so many Christmas Eves, time in Sunday School and in the children’s little chapel and all my time in the children’s choir, which at times was only my cousin and me, with me half hidden behind her when we had to sing in front of the congregation. Unfortunately, this church did not survive. It lost members and never got any new ones to keep it going. However, the building is still there, and is a church according to the website, as it is now called Kinergy and I wasn’t sure what that was. I always thought this church was so pretty, and I loved being in there at night on Christmas Eve, with the candles and stained glass. I loved it so much that when we got married there, I had an evening wedding. There are stained glass windows both sides of sanctuary and I just thought they were beautiful.
There were churches however that almost everybody I knew went to – we had a multitude of Catholic churches at one time, and most of my friends were Catholic. Three or four of these churches had festivals every summer where we could eat pierogis that were handmade all year and frozen for the festival. They were so darn good. Now only one has a festival, Mount Carmel, and it is so packed that it is almost impossible to get a pierogi.
It stands at the end of a long boulevard, sort of majestic and tremendous in size for our city. There is a statue of the Pope, which I have heard was erected after the Pope’s visit to our area. I can’t find anything to substantiate that claim however. I can say that my best friend went to elementary school here, and also was married here. I stood up in her wedding and I remember her asking me to peek out over the balcony where we were waiting to make sure I could see her future husband down there. And of course I did, she was just a bundle of nerves!
The other “popular” Catholic church is St. Patrick, or St. Pats for short. I think this is another gorgeous building, inside and out.
If you stand on the middle of the boulevard where St. Pats is, you can see two other churches. One is the church where my brother and sister-in-law were married, The First Congregational Church of Wyandotte. It feels so old world, even on the inside and has a charming fellowship hall. For some reason it reminds me of a tiny castle. It is no longer open either, sadly.
The last church I am going to post about is also the third church you can see from the boulevard. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. It is my current church, or would be if I were still going. It’s been about two years but as soon as I can go back I plan on it. This is the church that my son and my niece were christened at, on the same day. I hadn’t been to church for many years and was looking for the right fit – I felt comfortable right from the start here. If The First Congregational reminds me of a castle, this one makes me think of a little hobbit house.
Look at those little babies! And my straight hair!
For Lisa’s post on the churches in her area, just click here! I am looking forward to seeing what her churches are like!
I am so excited to be linking up with Leslie’s 10 on the 10th again! This month our prompt is all about life-long learning, one of my favorite things!
And here are the prompts!
How old were you when you started school? Did you attend pre-kinder and/or kinder or go straight into first grade?
I was four when I started kindergarten. I did not attend preschool, I just went straight into kindergarten. I have a late birthday and turned five a few months later.
2. Were you a good student? What was your favorite subject?
I was a good student! My favorite subjects were English, literature, history, geography, and all foreign languages. (I have taken Latin, French, and Russian)
3. As a child, did you take music lessons? Or play a sport? Do you still play an instrument now?
I played the flute in fifth grade. It was short lived. I didn’t really enjoy it. I wasn’t much for sports but I was on the swim team in middle school and high school.
4.Did you attend any kind of training or classes beyond high school? If so, what did you study? Did you wind up working in a profession or job for which those classes or training prepared you?
I have a crazy college background. I have attended three Universities in my state. I do have a degree in History with a minor in literature. I was accepted to the Masters program for Historical Preservation, which I decided I didn’t like a few classes in. Then I was accepted to the Library Science Masters Program, and I ended up leaving that as well, due to some health reasons. A few years later I entered a program to get a second Bachelors in Journalism but ended up leaving that program because I was pregnant with Wyatt and I was a high risk pregnancy. I never worked a job in my degree field but I loved my job as a library paraprofessional in an elementary school. The librarian and I were kindred spirits – then the school district decided they didn’t need a librarian anymore and that they could just have me do all the library things (order books, process them, etc) for much less money. 😦 I was sad to see her leave!
5.Have you taken any personal growth or adult education classes for fun? During the year that was Covid, did you home school, learn a new app to work from home, teach yourself to do something you might have paid someone else to do for you?
After I had Wyatt, I took some classes online through our community college for fun, all anthropology related and I LOVED them so much. During the year that was COVID, I decided to homeschool Wyatt all on my own, without an online program or school. I had some help though, people I met online who were much more knowledgeable than me about the process and I also attended a few online conferences as well. I also learned how to make soap and shampoo bars, and we made butter once too.
6. What would you like to learn how to do that you don’t know how to do already?
Hmm. Lots of things!! Sew mainly. All fiber art is beyond me. My fingers can’t do it. I also wish I could draw.
7.Name something that you learned easily. Then name something that was a struggle for you to learn to do.
I learned to read very easily. I don’t remember a time I couldn’t read! Math was so hard though. I remember being the only student to show up for a tutoring session before the ACT just so I could get some last minute tips. It was very helpful honestly
8. What’s the last thing you remember learning? What kind of learner are you: visual, auditory, hands-on/kinesthetic, verbal, logical/mathematical?
I am a visual learner, no question about it. Wyatt is a kinesthetic learner so that has been a bit of a learning curve for me when teaching. Billy is both kinesthetic and auditory, so that helps. I am the worst at following verbal commands. I must be a terrible listener.
9. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks, school of hard knocks, pass with flying colors, learn by heart, burn the midnight oil, pull an all-nighter, play hooky – which of these expression best fits your life lately? Why?
For this month, play hooky! We are taking a break from homeschooling.
10.What is something you’ve learned from past mistakes?
I have learned… to trust myself and my instincts.
Bonus: Share your favorite learning/education quote.
” We all know that every child is unique and yet, we still assume this doesn’t apply to learning.” Ainsley Arment, The Call of the Wild and Free. I love that book so much!
Mornings come early when you have a six year old, even on vacation. At least, with our six year old they do. We woke up in Honor and an hour later we were on the road again. This time, our first stop was minutes away, at a place I have always always wanted to go. And finally, I made it!
Gwen Frostic was so many things in her life – an artist, an inspiration, a Rosie, a poet. I love her art, her vision, and the fact that I graduated from the same high school that she did. So when I learned that her studio was still around, open, and operating as a store and a letter press in the very area we usually vacation in, I wanted to go. But it never happened, for one reason or another. But this time around, I made space for it.
We arrived bright and early, just as the doors were opening. We were the only customers and it was nice to have the place to ourselves. It was so quiet, we could ask questions, and I could just soak it all in. While I wandered about, Billy and Wyatt talked to the employees about the press that operates there. Apparently you can watch it run, but we were there on the wrong day for that. Another time, because I will definitely be going back.
I poked about, bought a few things. Listened to Billy talk with the employees about how not as many people send cards or letters anymore, and I think I want to do that, send letters on beautiful stationery. Anyone want a pen pal?
I bought a few cards, a new journal, and Wyatt picked out a few stickers. I have my eye on a print though for our bedroom redo, and those wine glasses.. I need one.
We got back in the car, and headed to our cabin! I was excited to get there after all the chaos. We checked in, looked around, flopped a bit, then..set out again. This time to Mission Point.
First stop was the lighthouse. We walked around a bit, then I asked Wyatt what he wanted to do next. He requested a picnic, since this kid loves them. For real. We got back in the car and found a place that sold deli sandwiches to go, the Bad Dog Deli. I had also spotted a sign for a place called Old Mission Flowers, and when I looked it up, found that it was a U-Pick Flower stand. Right up my alley, and just about the perfect setting for a picnic! We ate our lunch swinging our feet from the back of the Subaru, looking out at the wonderful color of the flowers, the hummingbirds playing, butterflies floating from flower to flower. I thanked Wyatt for suggesting this idea, we would have probably missed all of this beauty without his picnic request.
It was pretty ingenious really. There was a clean, bright shed filled with clippers and vases of different sizes and sorts. The prices were based on which vase you chose, you pick the flowers, and then either deposit money into a tube, or PayPal Old Mission Flowers. A complete honor system. I loved this part of our day. So did Wyatt. I think this was our favorite stop. Although, we only had one more left, the Secret Garden at Brys Winery. I actually didn’t go to any wineries this time around, due to Covid, but I wanted to see the lavender at the Secret Garden. This was a fast stop, I took a few photos, and we left. We were ready to chill out at the cabin for the rest of the day by this point. So that is what we did!
Which brings us to the end of day two. Another perfect day.
We are back from vacation and we had the greatest time in northern Michigan! But, all vacations come to an end and we are back to business – almost at least.
I did manage to read some where we were there. Not as much as I had though but that is ok. I am almost done with Prodigal Summer, and wow is it a powerful book. I think I am taking in so much more of it on this reread that I missed in my previous reading – perhaps because I am now older? Whatever it is, this book is amazing. My sister-in-law is listening to it and she is having a little bit of a time with it; she has a huge heart and the most empathetic spirit, I once saw her move a slug off the edge of a step because she was worried about it. So when she texted me about the goats in this book, and how she was not sure she could go on not knowing how graphic the book was going to get, I understood. Unfortunately, I hadn’t made it that far either and I can’t remember! If someone who has read it and remembers wants to leave a trigger warning for sensitive souls in the comments that would be great!
I will finish this up this week as Wyatt and I are taking the rest of the month off of homeschooling, yay! When I finish, the next book I plan on starting is by my friend Lisa over at Boondock Ramblings. You may have visited her blog already or read about our Hometown Views post project on my blog. Anyway, she has a book coming out on the 12th! The second in the Spencer Valley Chronicles, and I am looking forward to it after reading the first one, The Farmer’s Daughter. And, Harvesting Hope is available for pre-order on Amazon for only 99 cents right now!
Speaking of Hometown Views, our next post goes up on Wednesday of this week, the 11th. We are sharing about churches in our town. Feel free to join in if you feel like it! I hope to have a linky on my post, if I can figure it out! (fingers crossed)
I only posted once last week, on Saturday when I shared about our first day of vacation. If you are interested you can read about it here. This week I hope to share more about our trip, homeschooling, maybe even a book review! I am so behind on them, it is is pitiful. And I need to update on our butterflies too!
The evenings were pretty quiet up north, and we would settle down in the evening after long days outside, Wyatt with his tablet until bedtime, then Billy and I would watch the newest season of Virgin River. We finished the whole thing and wow, what a roller coaster this time! I am anxiously awaiting the next season already!
And that is about it from our little corner of Michigan! I hope you are all doing well!
We are home! We had so much fun all. So relaxing and full of new outdoor adventures, but with just enough down time to fully chill out and just be.
At the last minute though, it looked like this trip may not happen. At 10 pm Saturday night, I got a text from the rental property manager saying that the cabin may not be ready to be checked in to on Sunday, the day we were supposed to arrive. We were only going for three nights, and it is a four hour drive so we of course did not want to miss any time! I went to bed anxious and when I woke up the news wasn’t any better. There was a plumbing issue, and the plumber said it might take some time. After some texting back and forth, and some quick googling on my end, I was able to secure a night at a motel nearby (at a motel our family has stayed at before and I know and like even!), had that night at the cabin refunded, plus extra for the inconvenience. I didn’t ask for that part, but they offered which I thought was really nice. However, all this kerfuffle put us way behind schedule. And on top of all that, another disappointment! We we planning on meeting up with Jeanie from Marmalade Gypsy at her summer house on our way up, for lunch and a chat. With all of the confusion and uncertainty we agreed to meet this fall instead, since Jeanie doesn’t live too far away from us during the year. So that was a bummer but another meeting is in the works! I am looking forward to it!
Once everything was settled, we finally hit the road, Billy declaring “Let’s go to Traverse City” as we pulled out of the driveway, just like my dad used to when I was a kid. (Except he said, “Let’s go to Florida!”, his favorite vacation spot)
The drive wasn’t too bad. We stopped about halfway there to stretch our legs and get some snacks, and I couldn’t resist a photo with this big guy!
I actually have my Smokey the Bear t-shirt on, although you can’t see it here. He was telling us that the potential for fire was low that day. Good news!
We got back in and Wyatt and I began to get restless. He fell asleep and I checked the miles left to go about every five minutes until we got there. Finally we pulled into the familiar little town of Honor, Michigan. My stepmom’s family rents a cabin in this area every year for the last thirty years, and our family was introduced into this tradition about fifteen years ago, staying a night or two with them occasionally. The town feels like home after so many visits there, and while this was an unexpected detour, it wasn’t a bad one. We checked in to the Honor Motel, which is bright and cheery and airy and clean, dumped our stuff, flopped on the beds for half an hour, and when Wyatt told us he was hungry, decided we had probably better think about dinner.
We ordered take out from The Cherry Hut, ate it in our room, then ventured out, again, but this time to see the beach. We had considered going to the Cherry Bowl Drive-In theater, a family favorite, but want to wait until we can come up here with my brother and his family for Wyatt’s first visit. The kids will have a blast there. So, we opted for the beach. Every other year Wyatt has hated sand and the lake with a virulent passion. That was actually the impetus for my even booking this trip! I found a cabin that had a shallow lake and a small beach so Wyatt could give it a whirl. So when we took him to Beulah Beach we thought we would just sit up on the sand and look at the water as the sun set. However, as soon as Wyatt spotted the lake he had different plans.
He scoots when not using his walker, and he does this thing Billy and I call his superscoot when he is excited and going fast, his version of a run. He superscooted as fast as he possibly could to the water, and got right in! He was having a blast, and we had to stop him a few times from scooting in over his head! Mr. Fearless all of a sudden I guess. (which on some level makes me both excited and nervous!) After a bit of playing, in his clothes I might add, the sun was fading fast, and the water feeling colder. Good parents that we are, we hadn’t anticipated this and while we had a towel, we didn’t have a change of clothes. So we dried him off, and buckled him into his seat in just his skivvies. It’s just a five minute drive thank goodness, but he thought it was hilarious to not have on shorts or a shirt.
And by this point, we were all ready to just veg out for the rest of the night. We got Wyatt showered and in his jams, let him play with his tablet before he zonked out half an hour later, and we binged a few episodes of Virgin River on Netflix.
And, day one was done. A mixed up and muddled beginning, but it turned out just fine.
Hi all! Last week Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I started a new blog feature called Hometown Views, where we share different building, traditions, memories all from our hometowns. We started this because during our online friendship we have enjoyed comparing the areas we live – rural to suburban outside Detroit. Last week we shared our libraries – this week, we are sharing our schools!
First up is my old elementary school, Washington Elementary, built in 1930. All the schools in our city are named for different presidents. Washington is one of four elementary schools in our town; when my parents went to school in this very same city as little elementary schoolers, there were six! And those are just the public schools. My best friend went to Catholic school, just two blocks down from Washington. At one time in addition to the six public elementary schools, there were seven Catholic schools as well. Currently Wyandotte Schools matriculates around 4600 students through its halls.
The elementary schools are Washington, Garfield, Monroe and Jefferson currently. When I was kid, we also had McKinley and Taft. Washington was where I attended – and met a little boy named Billy. We shared a double desk in third grade. I was super quiet; he was super chatty. I believe I was put next to him to get him to stop talking as much but he didn’t need me to reply to talk. He would also eat part of my lunch in exchange for drawings he would make me. Little did I know that one day I would marry him and we would have Wyatt! I also got to have my favorite teacher twice – Miss Caruso. She taught first grade, then later when I was in fifth grade, she was the fifth grade teacher. I still chat with her on Facebook every so often.
I obviously can’t show you the inside – but let me tell you, it is beautiful. It has Pewabic tile murals, gorgeous marble floors, and like all the other elementaries, a greenhouse. Although it was never used, which I thought was odd. It is pretty big! I remember being a little second grader who could read above my grade level, and so I was sent to one of the third grade classes upstairs for reading. I had to walk the big lonely halls and go up the stairs. I remember being so nervous!
Wilson was my middle school. At the time I went, there was only one middle school. When my parents went to school, there were three. That crazy baby boom right? My mom went to Wilson as well, while my dad went to one that is no longer open.
Wilson was built in 1956 – and it looks so totally mid-century modern, doesn’t it? A few fun facts: My mom and grandparents and aunt and uncle went here for their polio shots when that happened. And it is also a bomb shelter. I also voted here for years until they switched our polling location. It does have a nice size track that in the evenings and during the summer you can see people from the community using for running or walking.
I remember not enjoying middle school – it’s like the worst right? However, I did learn while at Wilson that I loved swimming, and joined the swim team, something that I continued to participate in all the way until I graduated. In middle school I swam back stroke and breast stroke, while in high school I swam butterfly and freestyle. My grandpa was actually on the swim team in school too – he swam back and freestyle. He was so good at it too – I have clippings of articles from the paper all about him and his swimming prowess. I love that we shared that. I also learned that I was terrible at home ec. My grandma actually sewed my final project for me, a dragon stuffed animal. But shhh, don’t tell anyone!
Finally dear old Wyandotte high, Theodore Roosevelt High School. It is huge. I had a tough time trying to get a photo of the entire building, so I found one taken by Dwight Burdette that was posted on Wikipedia. The photo of the front of the building I found online but couldn’t find the photographer’s name.
It extends to the annex building in back. There is a tiny little hall from the second floor over to the annex, which during my time housed the science classes and music rooms. Behind the annex is a giant greenhouse for the botany class, something I was not interested in during high school but wish now that I had been. It was originally built in 1923, but has been added onto three more times, the last time in 2004. The main staircase is magnificent. Seriously, I loved using it, it felt so grand. My mom also remembers my dad being escorted down the stairs by an angry teacher one time, for probably being a bit of a smart butt in class. The library is two stories, the gymnasium is two stories with an indoor track, there is a pool, an auditoritum, and coolest thing of all…. a planetarium. Bless Mrs. Bens for taking us there, it was really neat. She always started the presentations by playing The Beatles Here Comes the Sun, Wyatt’s current favorite. We would all snicker because we were super cool but now I appreciate what she was doing so much more. I am not sure if the planetarium is still functional or not. There is a football field, a weight room, an auto shop, and all the other shop classes in the vocational wing. I was the last student to take four years of Latin, by the way. I was the only student in my Latin 4 class. My teacher, Miss Berens was pretty amazing. I also reconnected with that kid Billy I shared a double desk with back in third grade when I was here. We would sit in the hall, at the top of the ramp leading to the band hall, and chat before school started. Billy was such a rebel in school – he had a mohawk and would ride his skateboard down through the halls. On Halloween he used to dress like a skeleton and do it. I was not. I was a bookish girl who never talked and would eat lunch in the library. But as they say, opposites attract!
Gwen Frostic, a Michigan artist and journalist attended high school at Roosevelt. She was a Rosie on the lines during the war, and set up an art studio in northern Michigan, near Beulah. I am actually planning on stopping in on our trip! I have always loved her work, and I think the personal hometown connection clinches it for me. I have also read that she may have had a mild form of cerebral palsy but I am not 100% on that.
I couldn’t take many pictures today. The school was in use by various people and I felt sort of weird trying to get photos but, I found these fantastic photos by a man named Brendan Gutenshwager, so many of the interior and with a 360 view as well, if you are interested. I did grab this one of the bear mascot. My freshman year the swim team had a different mascot, the Turtles, and I loved that. After that they made us go by Bears and I hated it. Turtles just made more sense. My swim coach Mr. Roddin was pretty awesome, even if he did make us practice at 7 am on Saturday mornings.
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And there you have it – a small tour of my public school days. So many memories! One of the schools is for sale, it is so gorgeous, similar to Washington. I would love to buy it and make it my house, wall off the playground and use it to homestead. Wouldn’t that be cool? Although it looks like someone did buy it to turn into senior apartments.
Be sure to check out Lisa’s post today as well! I know that I am looking forward to seeing what she has posted, she is a brilliant writer and photographer!
And we had some people ask if we were going to make this a link up eventually. We talked about it and have decided that we would love that! We are still figuring out the timeline so the date is TBD. Our topic for that week is hometown churches. We would love it if you would join us!
I love shampoo bars! I moved away from traditional shampoo and conditioner a few years ago in an effort to reduce our plastic consumption, and I have to be honest, I never expected to prefer them over regular shampoos! I have found though that my hair is healthier and more manageable since I have made the switch. I am also enjoying the unexpected side effect of less clutter in the shower!
Last summer my sister-in-law Chrissy showed me how to make shampoo bars, and since then I have been off and running. There are a few ways to make soap and shampoo bars and depending on my available time, I switch it up. Well, we are going on vacation next week and I needed a new batch – I am down to a small sliver! I don’t have time for the longer version of the process, so I opted to make a melt and pour batch, my go-to in a pinch. They are quick and easy, especially when you keep the ingredients on hand, which I do. So the other day I whipped up a quick batch of patchouli scented shampoo bars just for me! Billy is not a fan of the scent for himself, but I have always loved it, so I indulged myself a bit by making this batch. It took only half an hour or so to make them, with an hour or two of waiting for them to cool and set! Super easy, super fast, super sustainable. Plus with this recipe there is no fiddling about with lye!
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and your fragrance. The amount varies based on the fragrance used, Brambleberry has a calculator to help you use the appropriate amount. Since I used Brambleberry Patchouli in medium strength, this recipe called for 0.28 oz of fragrance.
Soap Mold – I like this one from Amazon or this one from Brambleberry
a double boiler or, if you don’t have one, a small pot with a baking safe bowl set on top works. I use an old pyrex bowl actually when I make soap.
Rubber spatula to stir, measuring spoons
When you have all of your ingredients, you can start!
Get your water going and measure out your ingredients. Cut your soap base into smaller pieces, as this will help the soap to melt easier.
Put your little squares into either the top of the double boiler or your heatproof bowl. Place on top of the pan with the water, which should be at bubbling away. (some people use a microwave. I don’t have one so I do it on the stovetop)
You don’t want the heat to be too high, I leave mine set between low and 2, and keep stirring to make sure it melts evenly. You want all the bits to melt and form a nice milky consistency. When you have achieved this, remove from heat.
Next, mix in the shea butter, the Jojoba oil, and fragrance. If you are getting fancy you can add color to your bars in this step too. For this recipe I kept things simple though.
Once everything is all mixed in together, simply pour into your mold. Then wait for it to completely cool and harden. And you are done! You have made a shampoo bar!
And really that is it! If you end up making a few, let me know!
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 