Easy Birdbath from a Wreath!!

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/easy-wreath-birdbath-675423/

I saw this and had to share this fun idea! We are making several of these for our trees this summer.
Enjoy the birds!

Easy to Make Face Powder - All Natural!

In the beginning of cosmetics, most products began in someones kitchen. Here is a simple way to make face powder which you will enjoy and only spend a few cents making in your own kitchen with clean and healthy ingredients.

Cornstarch

Common Cinnamon

Recipe for DIY Face Powder

1 TBS corn starch

1 TBS body powder - any type which you enjoy will do

Cinnamon as needed -

 It is important not to use the high oil\gourmet type of cinnamon.  Instead, use the common inexpensive cinnamon from the grocery store.

Mix the corn starch and body powder thoroughly - then darken with the cinnamon until you reach the shade which works for you! Most skin tones can achieve the correct shade by using cinnamon, if you need a darker shade try experiementing with other low oil dark spices such as clove. Store in an air tight container and apply with a cosmetic brush.

If you are worried about using cinnamon on your skin, relax. Cinnamon has many health benefits and is an anti-inflammatory plus an anti-microbial. Therefore, those trouble spots on a teens face may benefit from cinnamon.

Corn starch is clean and all natural. It also helps oily skin by absorbing oil. Corn starch will not dry your skin or leave it feeling gritty. It has a very smooth and silky feeling to it.

Choose a body powder which you already know works for you such as a hypoallergenic fragrance free powder for sensitive skin or a powder which you enjoy the fragrance! Organic baby powder works well. 

Another great advantage to this face power - it washes off easily with warm water!!

Enjoy your new face powder!

Create your Creamy Lotion

Choose any lotion you like. Hypo-allergentic works well too.



 Dry skin is no fun and it feels worse.

Take these two simple ingredients and make a wonderful creamy lotion that will last all day to keep your skin feeling soft  and comfy.

Any brand of petroleum jelly!

  

This little recipe is simple to make in only a few minutes.

Take one part petroleum jelly

and three parts of your favorite lotion,

 melt slowly over double broiler.

Do not boil or simmer,

 just melt and stir.

Pour your mixture into an easy to use container. I chose a small vintage jar with a glass lid.

As your creamy lotion begins to cool you may need to stir it a few times to keep a good mixture.

This little recipe works and is not greasy or sticky.

We like to use it before

going out in the cold,

after bathtime,

or when ever our skin feels chapped and dry!

I hope your skin feels happier!!

Nancy Van Alstine, Guardian of the Mohawk Valley

In American history there are

literally thousands of virtuous godly women.

I have spent many years researching them, reading about their lives and telling their stories to my children and my students. 

They were ordinary women who lead extraordinary lives because of their faith in Christ.

Their lives inspire me daily to put Christ first in everything I do.

Many of these virtuous women have been all but forgotten. Their journals, diaries and a few letters are all we have left to learn about their lives.

One of these virtuous women was-

Nancy Van Alstine was a young mother who lived in the

Mohawk Valley in New York State.

She was a Christian young woman, an ordinary woman, but in the Mohawk Valley she would be remembered as the

Guardian of the Mohawk Valley. 

Nancy was the mother of 15 children, her husband fought for America in the revolutionary war. 

She and the children ran the farm while he was away fighting.

She lived under the constant threat of attack from the British soldiers and the Mohawk Indians who were fighting with the British at that time.   

One day she and her neighbors received word that an attack was coming.  All of their men were away fighting and the women and children were alone to defend themselves.

According to the history records, 

Nancy Van Alstine calmly told her neighbors to quickly gather their children and some food and supplies and go with her. 

Nancy new of a small island in the river which was full of brush, it was never visited because the brush was so thick.  

She told the women that this was where they would hide.  Nancy took a small boat and began loading women and children. It took several trips to move every one across to the island.

Nancy went in the last boat with her supplies. 

The women had just gotten settled in the brush when they heard the war hoops and gun ringing through the air.

They watched from their hiding place as one by one their homes were burned to the ground.

The next morning when the British and Mohawks were gone the women could see that the only house still standing was Nancy’s house.

Nancy said, I am so glad the house was spared now we have a place to hold our worship services.

Nancy took in all of the women and children into her home and until their homes could be rebuilt.  

Her home also became the church.

During another attack on the small settlement, the Mohawk Indians came in and took almost everything from the house including the horses in the barn, all the grain, and wagons.

It was the middle of winter and the same was done to every home in the settlement. After a few days of hunger and cold Nancy took her oldest son who was 16 and found her way to the Indian camp. Her plan was to retrieve her things.

When she arrived all the men were away fighting and only a few older women were in the camp.

Nancy told the women she wanted food. 

One of the women began to prepare some food for her and Nancy noticed many of the things the woman was using were her things from her house.

Nancy calmly explained to the women that these things were hers and that she was going to take them home. At first the Indian woman said no but Nancy convinced her that she was going to take them home. In the meantime Nancy had told her son to go and find their horses and wagon because they were going to take them home too.

Nancy went home that day with almost everything which had been taken from her and her neighbors.

Later the Indian men said if there had been 50 men with as much courage as Nancy living there they would have never attacked the Mohawk Valley.

Nancy soon learned the Mohawk language. 

She began going to the Indian camps and to invite the men to come to her home for their worship services.

She would translate the sermon to them in their own language.

She told them that Jesus died for the white man and the red man. She told them that the white man was a sinner and the red man was a sinner and they both needed a Savior. 

Often times tears would roll down their faces as they would hear that Jesus loved them so much he was willing to die for them.

Many Mohawk Indians came to know Christ because one ordinary woman refused to let fear rule her life.

 Instead she allowed Christ to rule her heart.