Now that our fall schedule is in full swing (i.e. home school, business events, fall sports, teaching classes and increased chapel activities), there’s little time left for some of the more leisurely activities like sleeping blogging. However, after a fun, full day of aforementioned chapel activities, My laptop and I are enjoying a cold Corona and the sunset on our patio, as the day finally cools off after fall gave way to summer temps one last time (hopefully!). Also, if you’re wondering how home school is going, there will be a post on that soon…no really, I promise! Of course, there are still meals to cook, laundry to wash, dry and fold, dirty floors and toilets to scrub, etc. and since we’re constantly working towards accomplishing some of our implied tasks from previous posts, what better time than the present to introduce the next series of posts…Self-sufficiency 101.

First up on our implied tasks list is reducing the number and changing the type of beauty products that we purchase. Eventually I plan to make our soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, lip balms, etc., but I’ve been making my own deodorant since we moved here 13 months ago. There are many recipes available online and in books, but I’ve stuck with this one from Frugally Sustainable. It’s versatile in that I can change the essential oils based on my mood or for whom I’m making it, and I can add more probiotics if the season (or person in question) calls for it. I especially love that my once doubting Thomas husband has admitted that it works just as well, if not better, than any commercially-made (both “natural” and not) product he’s tried. High praise from him! Plus, as long as I have the ingredients on hand, which I usually do, it takes less time to make it than it does to run down to the store and buy some chemically-laden brand. Not to mention, once we have our own bees I’ll be buying even fewer ingredients. Win-win!

So, rather than publish a long, drawn-out post, enjoy this abridged picture collage of the steps of making your own deodorant.

I bought my deodorant containers here, but they’re available from many different places (here and here). This time around I made myself a summery deodorant using lemon, orange and grapefruit oils, and the hubs’ deodorant was a more manly scent of bergamot, but I’ve also used lavender and tea tree oil. Next up will be a lovely combination of orange, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. After all, it’s almost one of my favorite times of year…pumpkin-spice season! If you give this recipe a shot, let me know what you think. Also, let me know what you’d like to read about next. Homemade sandwich bread? Laundry detergent? Household cleaners made from household ingredients? Leave me a comment below!