Bug Off Oil Recipe

There are various types of chemical & Deet-free bug sprays on the market these days. You can even find some varieties of what looks like good bug repellents at conventional grocery stores. I bet they work great. But if you ever get an itch to make your own bug repellent, try this recipe:

First, choose a carrier oil - Sweet Almond, Jojoba or Olive oil are good options (Olive is cheapest, Jojoba is amazing! Almond is a fair middle choice)
Second, get your essential oils. I always start with the same first 4 or 5 essential oils in each batch. Then I get creative and add different ones depending on which ones are calling my name at that moment. Pennyroyal, Citronella, Tea Tree, Cedar Wood are the 'essentials'. Then I might add lemon, pine, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, rose geranium, orange, cinnemon, castor...there might be others but you get the idea. I don't just pick and choose from any essential oil, these ones deter bugs in one way or another. I'll let you do your own research if you so please. I will, however, add one piece of advice - DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE TOUCH, BREATH, USE, COME CLOSE TO OR EVEN SO MUCH AS LOOK AT PENNYROYAL IF YOU ARE PREGNANT...unless you have a death wish on your unborn child. You'll have a heck of a time buying Pennyroyal also. Stores don't carry it because of it's toxicity. You might get lucky and find it someplace, but I ordered mine online. If you can't get it, just use more of the other essential oils and it'll still work fine.Third - Find an empty spray bottle that holds about 2 or 3 ounces. It doesn't have to be a spray bottle, it can be a small baby food or canning jar, a container with a doppler in it or whatever works for you. I've found that this stuff doesn't really 'spray' very well, yet I still prefer a spray container.

Finally - fill your container almost full with your carrier oil of choice. Add 5-10 drops of the first 'essential' essential oils. Then add 3-5 drops of any other essential oil you want. Put the lid on, give it a gentle shake to mix it up and lather it on the skin and watch those mosquitos fly right past you.

I've been making my own bug spray for a number of years now. Over those years, I have acquired a huge following and demand for this stuff as well as the recipe. The ingredients are kinda spendy if you just want to make one batch. I usually will give away a bottle to someone as a gift when I hear they are interested. Though there was that friend of my moms who bought a bottle from me for $5 a couple years back. Since it's that time of year and I'm beginning to get requests again for the recipe, I figured it was time to share.

Oh and as far as my opinion goes for how well this stuff works, I really think it depends on your own individual body oils/chemistry in combination with whichever essential oils you pick and choose...as well as the breed of mosquitos/ticks/fleas/other pesky bugs that are around that year. There was a year that the batch I made for myself didn't help at all (maybe my blood was extra juicy or something), but then every other year it works. Some people I've made if for say it works, some say it didn't. Everyone still loves the smell and the way it makes their skin feel. My mom recently got a tip that Listerine repels mosquitos - and now she swears by it. Hey, it's alot cheaper.

Enjoy!

A Back Yard Day

I often get caught in a time warp, trapped inside the house trying to accomplish the simplest of things like brushing teeth, going potty, getting everyone dressed and fed - you know, the basics. It seriously takes all day! Before I know it, the day is almost gone and we haven't even stepped foot outside, let alone had any fun. I wouldn't feel so bad if it was winter, but it's not. So, occassionally I just give up. On this particular day last week, I gave up and we made it all the way to the back yard for some sunshine, fresh air and fun!

Esperanza playing in her sandboxHe wouldn't nap in it, but he did enjoy laying in the moses basket for short periods of time This is how Esperanza 'helps' Ezra nurse. She really feels like she's helping, it's cute. She kinda wants to be a baby again I think. And who needs a healthy lunch when you can fill up on snack crackers in a bag?
She LOVES to swing!!! And it does't take much effort for me to sit in a lawn chair, nurse Ezra & push Esperanza in the swing at the same time. It's taking some time & small steps, but I'm starting to figure this two kid thing out.
Playing on the deck of the playhouse
Brother & Sister chillin' in the backyard together. Before I know it, these two will be pushing each other on the swings, having a ton of fun playing together...and I'll wish they needed to me.

A Comparison

The first of many blog post comparisons to come...

Esperanza at 3 months old & Ezra at just over 1 month old.

Esperanza has a cloth diaper on, making the outfit a little tight on her. Ezra on the other hand is wearing a disposable but it's still pretty snug and wouldn't have fit at all in it with cloth

1 Month With Ezra

Ezra at 1 month old It's hard to believe that Ezra has been with us for an entire month now. It seems as though time speeds up with each kid...think I'll stop at 2 and enjoy the ride. We are all so in love with our new little guy and we are continuing to get to know him and get used to our new family member. Esperanza has her moments of jealousy as expected, but is adjusting well and mostly adores him. He's getting so big. His precious newborn look has been replaced by a chubby cheeked, wide-eyed baby. Though it'll probably take me awhile to complete the process, here are a few things we've learned about our baby boy over the past month, as well as some catch up photos ~

Ezra smiled at me for the first time yesterday! Twice.

He burps, snorts, farts, grunts, snores and makes other similar sounds all the time. I just have to say that these are most definately 'boy' noises. Esperanza would coo and let out soft pretty sighs when she was a newborn - not once did she snort or grunt. Seriously, boys are kinda gross!

He wore newborn size clothes up to almost 3 weeks old. He fits into 0-3 month clothes perfect right now, but I would bet he'll be out of them and in the next size real soon. He's a chunk!

According to my home weighing method, he weighs about 11.5 pounds...that means he's gained 4 pounds in 1 month!

Though he hasn't rolled completely over, he is close. I already have to make sure I don't lay him down too close to the edge of anything cause I really think he's going to roll over sometime soon. It seems kinda early for him to do this, but he's a strong little boy. He's been able to lift his head up for a few weeks already too.

For the first 2 weeks he slept REALLY good at night. So good that it was usually me that woke him up to nurse. Now, he still sleeps good at night, but wakes on his own to nurse and then goes right back to sleep.

His startle reflexes are out of control! His arms often flare up and wake him up for no apparent reason. Sometimes I'll swaddle him really tight at night time so his arms stay put and he stays asleep. During the day though, since his naps are still so sporatic and unpredictable, he is rarely swaddled. So, I've started lying him down on his tummy for day time naps to prevent his startle reflex from waking him every time I lie him down. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.

Though we called him Blue while he was in my belly, I rarely if ever refer to him as that anymore. Esperanza on the other hand gets upset if we call him anything 'but' Blue. On several occassions, I've heard Mando call him Sancho, Shanchi, Papi, Hector or some other off the wall name. I even caught myself referring to him as Pancho once! Sheesh. No, none of these are becoming nick names, it's just funny.

How did I get so darn lucky? Cousin Angelica holding EzraBlue haired Aunt Mary with 'Blue'Cousins Clarissa & Brandon with Ezra 1 week oldDimples AND a double chin! Doesn't get much better than that A bulky but kinda neat travel contraption we got to stroll 2 kids around in. On our way to the farmers market.He'd sleep forever if I just kept him in the moby Esperanza loves her brotherShe even shares her stuffed animals with him What baby doesn't cry?

Baby Bath

I forgot how insanely awkward it is to give newborns baths. Babies that flop around are hard to bath! Fortunately, Ezra is one strong guy and probably won't be floppin around too much longer. Here he is takin a bath in a little baby tub on our kitchen table.

For The Fourth

The day started off with some fun in the sprinkler...

Then we ventured over to Armando's brothers house for the Fourth of July to gather with the family, light off fireworks & watch the neighborhood firework show. Esperanza had so much fun with her cousins and Armando who is much too casual with fireworks and kids (they are all lucky no one got hurt - seriously). Ezra on the other hand spent the majority of the evening sleeping since there were all different sets of arms available to hold him while he dreamt away. Once the sun set, the big loud fireworks began so he and I stayed inside while everyone else enjoyed the show.

Here's Kiko playing in the dirtTeresa & Ezra
Dream on
Hannah helping her little nephew Emmanuel learn to walk

Fire dancer!

I had to snap a picture before I yelled at her to stand still with the sparklerAracele & Ezra Grandma & Ezra

Front row seat for the show. Who are you smiling at Esperanza?

Looking at this picture, I can hear Esperanza saying in her cute lil voice, "Rafa's my best friend"

Sleeping Beauty

I love you Esperanza

Strawberry Patch

We've been getting loads of delicious strawberries from our little patch in the backyard for about 3 weeks now. Esperanza loves to go out and pick them, I just have to constantly remind her to only pick the red ones. I expect to continue getting berries for a couple more months still. Last year they were still flowering in October with green berries that never ripened in November! Everbearing strawberries are fantastic.

Ezra At 3 Weeks

Ezra had a check up yesterday with Catherine and he's growin like a weed. He's already 9 lbs 2 oz and is 21 inches long! Not much time for stories these days, but I will catch you up with a few pictures I took today.