King-tastrophre #263 ~ Calendula and Shea Butter Lip Balm

King has pulled another "king-tastrophe." He is my least favorite dog and will remain on that list until I get over what he did.  Ugh.

I hurried out the door with Zuri on a leash, and Jesse.  No different than any other day.  I typically take King first, because he does his business rather quick.  Yesterday, I took Zuri first.

I went back to the door and guess what?  That #@*# dog, jumped on the knob and locked me out.  I had no phone, all of the vehicles gone for the day, no keys, entire house was locked up as tight as Fort Knox, and I had one screwdriver and a metal no-trespassing sign to work with.  I debated to get the ladder and climb to check the second story windows, but put the ladder back.  Too risky.  Something just told me don't do it.  I knew exactly which window I'd break if it came down to that though.


I fought the knobs on three doors, and finally after screaming expletives out my mouth for the wild animals to hear (and two very confused dogs), sweat forming all over me because it was 80° outside and storms were on the way, I got one door open.  King ran for his life and never came downstairs until the girls got home. I suffered a nasty cut on my finger and one big whopping headache.  Lesson learned.  Also have a key in my pocket when I am home alone.

Now...onto a lighter and happier note...

   

 
I took the time this year to purchase a small double boiler for all my lip balm/salve making.  I have used a pyrex cup in my regular double boiler, but the kids can get it confused with the pyrex I cook and bake with.  Even with it stored in another room.  So...

Why didn't I think of this years ago?  A simple can.  I don't usually have any, but this winter I used canned, organic black beans.

The cans are washed and dried.  I make my own lip balm, and when you heat the ingredients, then pour it into lip balm tubes (or containers), it leaves a film of it in the jar you make it in (making clean up a mess). 

Now, clean up is easy, or I simply save the same can to use the next time.  Wa-la!  No messy pyrex measuring cup now.  And I don't mix up my baking/cooking pyrex cup with my essential oil recipes pyrex cup now.

I washed up the tubes and lids and they were all ready to go.
My kids found these easier to use than the tiny jars (if you have long fingernails the tubes are easier).

Another easy tip?


Simply put a rubber band around the tubes before pouring your lip balm. The do-hicky that you can purchase to hold 50 tubes is a bit costly, and I don't make 50 at once.

I made 10 tubes of lip balm, restocking our supply.  Word got out at the school, and my girls kept giving them away.  Not this year.  We've made this with lavender essential oil (one person had a reaction), and then with peppermint oil.  We love the peppermint oil, so that's what I'm sticking with.  The recipe is on the Mountain Rose Herbs website.  I make my own calendula oil with the calendula that I now grow.

Calendula is also in the recipe for the lymph congestion tea recipe (book was posted in yesterday's blog post). I have also put freshly picked calendula petals in our salads.