Happy Little Camper Review

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Have you ever looked at what is in your baby’s wipes? It is shocking what some companies want you to use on your child. Up until now I have made my own baby wipes from paper towels, pure castile soap, coconut oil, and water. Recently I started looking at better options than conventional baby wipes and found “Happy Little Camper”.

Happy Little Camper is a 100% non-gmo cotton baby wipe. They are hypoallergenic and biodegradable. These baby wipes contain organic Aloe Vera which leaves the skin nourished and refreshed. They have a great thickness to them and are very soft. It’s important that the wipes aren’t super wet and also not too dry. These are the perfect balance. They are durable and stand up to any mess (pee, poop, and after meal clean up). I am really happy with how these wipes perform!

These wipes are free of fragrance (known to be a huge toxin), silicone, parabens, polyethylene glycols (polymers of ethylene oxide), and polyethylene terephthalate (synthetic plastic polymers). It is also free of chlorine and ethyl alcohol! I liked that these wipes are free of some of the big nasty chemicals!

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Most families are on a budget, mine included. We aren’t made of money and the diapers and wipes cost adds up quick. These baby wipes are the same price as conventional wipes, but without some of the nasty chemicals. A 72 count pack is $3.99. They also have to-go wipe packs (3, 20 count packs) for $5.99.

If you are looking for a better baby wipe option, definitely check out Happy Little Camper!

Have you tried Happy Little Camper? Comment below 🙂 Thank you for reading!  Remember to click follow to get email upsdates on new content!

 

Sun’s out, Bugs out!

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Since Seattle has gotten a little bit of warm weather, the bugs are starting to come out. Insect repellents are full of crazy toxic chemicals. Last year I started hunting for better alternatives that still perform!

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Every year I get sooooo many bug bites! I do not know what it is about me, but mosquitos love me. Last spring/summer I made my own bug spray that I used. It is an essential oil mixture that performed AMAZING! I did not get any bites on the places I sprayed. I don’t use this on Echo, because I don’t know the exact dilution of my mixture and it hasn’t been tested. It is super easy to make and works great. Here’s the recipe:

-4 oz. blue glass spray bottle

-Fill 3/4 of the way with water

-Add 2 Tablespoons Witch Hazel

-Add 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil & 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil (I use Young Living)

-Shake before each use & spray on

Puracy Natural Bug Spray

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For Echo, I really like using the Puracy Bug Spray! One of the big things that I like about it is that it is 100% DEET free. It’s also free of other nasty substances like Formaldehyde, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and more. It is made up of essential oils and botanical extracts which smell great! The peppermint, citronella, geranium, lemongrass, and Vanilla all blend well together. It isn’t greasy when you spray it on your body and then rub it in. It is recommended that you consult with your child’s physician if you intend to use it on a baby younger than 6 months. I used this on Echo last summer when he was 17-21 months old. He had no reactions or anything to the spray itself. He didn’t get any bug bites, so it performed great! It is also pretty budget friendly at $12 for a 4 oz. spray bottle. We only used one bottle last spring/summer. Puracy was definitely a better option than conventional bug sprays for my family!

Hope you are all enjoying this Spring sunshine! Have you tried natural & non toxic bug sprays? Comment below 🙂 share with friends.

Thrive Market

~ lilthingsmama ~ 1 Comment

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Due to my health struggles and how difficult it has been to live a normal life, I was on a hunt to find a place to buy natural/organic foods for my family online. I kept seeing other green living bloggers post about this online market called “Thrive Market” and decided to check it out! I think I have been a member for about 6 months now and love shopping through them.

To shop you create a profile and start a 30 day trial, then at the end of the trial period you start a membership which costs about $60 a year. One of the really cool things about Thrive Market is that when you pay for your membership, you are also sponsoring a low-income family so they have access to healthy foods! I have looked at other healthy/organic stores for the products i like to buy through Thrive, and you really are getting a good deal.

A feature that I really like about Thrive is that you can shop according to diet restrictions. Each product has multiple “values” which could include gluten-free, vegan, made in the USA, supports charity, and many many more. It makes it easier to find what you are looking for.

Some of the things I buy from Thrive Market:

One Degree Organic Foods- Organic Sprouted Brown Rice Cocoa Crisps

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We eat this cereal as a dessert most of the time. It is very sweet and chocolatey, so it makes the perfect sweet treat here and there. These cocoa crisps are organic, non-gmo, gluten-free, and vegan. Our whole family can eat them. The only negative is that for my house full of guys, the 10 oz. box doesn’t last long haha. But that isn’t that big of a problem.

Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil

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We used to use a lot of olive oil, but I was reading about smoke points (I’ll write about this in a different blog post) and wanted something with a higher smoke point. We tried out this avocado oil and love it! It is 100% avocado oil, and comes in a dark glass bottle.

Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels 

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One thing that I struggle with is finding things that fit with the restricted diet that I stick to. These chocolate morsels were a great find for me because they are gluten, dairy, soy, and nut free (and free of a few more common allergens). We are a house full of cookie monsters, so this makes it possible for us all to eat chocolate chip cookies!

Primal Kitchens Chipotle Lime Mayo w/ Avocado Oil

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This is one of our absolute favorite products to order! It is seriously so yummy! It has a good kick and great flavor. We use it on sandwiches, sweet potato hash, and also use it as a dipping sauce for meats. This product is also another great find that fits with my restricted diet. It is gluten, dairy, soy, and sugar free. It is also organic and uses cage free eggs. This mayo is added to my cart with every order haha.

Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers

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This is the number one cracker in my book! Simple Mills has three flavors that are dairy free: Sundried Tomato & Basil, Sea Salt, and Rosemary & Sea Salt. They also have a Farmhouse Cheddar flavor which is rBST free. They are all gluten and soy free as well as organic and non-gmo. These crackers are also toddler approved! Echo’s favorite is the Farmhouse Cheddar flavor, but he likes them all.

I also want to add that their customer service has been very helpful. Recently one of my sauces broke during transit, and I contacted them on how to replace it. Because they are an environmentally conscious company, they won’t just send out replacement products (which I thought was really cool). As a customer, it would be easy to freak out and say no I want my product. But as someone who is environmentally conscious I admire that they stick to their guns and just give you store credit so that you can purchase it with your next box of products.

No matter what your diet, definitely check out Thrive Market! What was your Thrive Market experience? Comment below 🙂 like this post and follow the blog.

“Just Between Friends” Consignment Sale

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If you have seen my Instagram stories, you know that last night was the “Just Between Friends” (JBF) Sale. Every fall and spring there is a sale near me. It allows me to get good quality clothes for 50-90% off retail prices. There are sales all over the Puget Sound area and the entire nation. To find a location near you, check out Just Between Friends.

My mother-in-love and I go to every sale to stock up on the upcoming season’s clothes. The one last night was the sale that I shop for spring and summer clothes, which Echo had none of. We spent a total of $83 on clothes. All the clothes and shoes were gently used and in great condition! I even scored a few designer brand items for super cheap. Below I will go through a couple of items that i picked up and what I saved.

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I am obsessed with this rhino shirt! So cute and different! It is from EGG baby and retails for around $50. At the sale I snagged it for $3, seriously. That comes out to 94% savings. It takes time to look through everything but there are such great clothes at the sale.

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We are a Vans and Converse family, so I really liked the style of these sneakers. They look like good shoes for church, since they are a little more dressy than the usual sneaker. At the register, the cashier was like “Oh! Tucker & Tate, good find!” and I had no clue what was so special about them haha. Well then I looked it up and these are sold at Nordstrom for $45+. They are in great condition and I only paid $9. That’s 80% savings.

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Along with Converse and Vans, we are a skinny jean family. These Osh Kosh skinny jeans would retail for around $28. At the sale they were $3! That is 90% savings.

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As a whole, based on this receipt, I saved 78% by shopping through a consignment sale. All the items would come out to around $400 at full retail price, but I paid $86 total. Children can totally dress fashionable on a budget :). Honestly, if I paid the full price for a lot of these clothes I would be paranoid about them getting dirty. I feel like I can relax and let Echo be a kid in his clothes!

Do you shop consignment sales? Comment below with your experience. Remember to subscribe to my blog for email updates on new blog posts!

 

LILFOX Review

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Pretty early on in my changing to green/organic living I discovered a company called LILFOX. The ingredients they use for each product are natural, organic, and wildcrafted. I am going to share my 100% honest thoughts about a couple products that I have tried from them.

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First up is the “Youthful Vixen Eye Butter“. I am absolutely in love with this stuff! I use it every night, and sometimes I use it in the morning too. I have “smile lines” under my eyes. I don’t know if that’s an actual thing, but it’s little wrinkles under my eyes from when I smile. It is super important to me though to keep that area moisturized to prevent more wrinkles from forming. That’s why I use this product every single night.

This eye butter contains cold pressed organic and wildcrafted black cumin seed and cucumber oils, as well as other hydrating oils. The combination of these oils give the butter a spicey smell (it does not smell floral) which I really enjoy. To put it on I just rub my finger on the product, you don’t need a ton. It’s not a product to scoop out of the jar. It should feel like an oil on your finger. Then i dab it onto my under eyes. If there is excess I wipe it off, but usually just let it soak into my skin. Super easy and takes literally 2 seconds before bed!

If I’m putting on make up in the morning, I do not put this on underneath. It makes the under eye too moist, and your mascara and make up can run off on it. On days that I don’t do make up, which is most days, I put it on in the morning.

One of these pots of gold is $58.00. However, with each use you only use a small amount so the jar lasts a while.

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The next LILFOX product that I have tried is the “Maracuja+Rose Youthful Vixen Face Nectar“. This comes in a glass dropper bottle and is an oil type product. When applied to the face it does not leave you feeling oily. It absorbs into the skin quickly and leaves it feeling nourished. Only 1-3 drops are needed to massage into your skin. I use this once a day along with the Youthful Vixen Eye Butter.

The face nectar contains so many plant oils, and also contains rich moisturizing oils. The smell of this one is almost musky and floral at the same time. I like it because it isn’t overwhelmingly floral. When I use it with the eye butter, the smells don’t conflict with each other. This face nectar is in my top five favorite face oils.

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Lastly, I have tried the “Mystic Awakening Rosemary Toning Mist“. With the first spray of this toning mist on my face, I was like “woah this is potent”! For me though, the smell is so strong and overpowering. The smell alone woke me up immediately. If you love the smell of Rosemary, this is your toning mist! It is hydrating and nourishing on the skin. Just not my favorite mist.

If you are looking for a product line full of high quality ingredients and chic packaging, definitely go check out LILFOX!

Thanks for reading my review! What is your favorite LILFOX product? Comment below 🙂

 

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GIA Minerals- “Color Me Summer” Collection

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I won a giveaway on Instagram from GIA Minerals and Life with Libby, and it was the “Color Me Summer” collection. I am seriously in love! The collection has purples, a dark green, and a beige color. It also came with the clear lip plumper gloss. It’s still winter, but I’m dreaming of warmer Spring and Summer days using these products!

Loose Powder Eye Shadows 

I was excited to win this collection because I wanted to be adventurous and play with colors that I don’t normally wear. I stick to my natural brown tones whenever I do my makeup. I am not a makeup pro, so I play it safe with the basics. With this collection though I wanted to try something new. Now I love using the purple tones in the collection, and my hubby thinks it looks great too! The combo of the Dejavou in the crease, Mystique on the lid, and Lolita on the brow bone is a new favorite! “Dejavou” is a rich, shimmery, dark purple. “Mystique” is a pastel shimmery shade. “Lolita” is a great highlight of soft white powder and purple sparkles. Each one is made of a handful of natural and organic ingredients. GIA Minerals has become a favorite of mine!

Lip Plumper 

I am also loving the lip plumper gloss. I actually think that the scent makes it more of a fall product. It has a spicy warm scent and feel to it, and I’m enjoying using it this fall for church or family outings. Love the combo of this plumper with the bold purples. It is a nice, subtle, clear gloss.

If you haven’t checked out GIA Minerals yet, definitely head over to their website. They have so many highly pigmented loose powder eyeshadows that are gorgeous and a ton of other products! The company only uses natural and organic ingredients in their makeup. If you are in the market for a high end natural makeup line, check them out!

Do you have a favorite GIA Minerals product? Comment below 🙂 Like and share.

 

 

Dealing with Emotions

~ lilthingsmama ~ Leave a comment

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Health, relationships, finances, etc. can all stress us out and cause us to be emotional. It is hard not to get caught up in the circumstances that we find ourselves in. Life happens and we become overwhelmed.

I have been dealing with health issues for a while now. My health issues have made it hard for me to leave the house, and completely stopped my social life. After a while of struggling through each day, I started feeling down and lonely. The people that I saw all the time before I got sick, when I was out and about and that I did life with, I no longer saw or interacted with. Our church campus was an hour away along with most of our friends which was not doable for me and body. So we switched church campuses to one that was only 35 minutes away, but didn’t have many friends. I was embarrassed to share what was happening with me to the people that used to surround me. My physical limitations, extreme anxiety, and embarrassment led to me feeling completely alone.

One thing I didn’t really do was open up about what my struggles have been. Very few people knew what I was going through because I was embarrassed about my health issues. I also didn’t want to complain or “burden” people with my struggles. Looking at it now, I definitely would communicate what I have been going through. Friends are their to walk with you, pray for you, and love you through your journey. Let your friends in, so they can give you support. I am extremely thankful for those that have been there to encourage me and pray for me along the way.

I have read about the “baby blues” that happens for a couple weeks after childbirth. I have seen it in myself and other young moms that are adjusting to their new season of life. This was definitely something I struggled with. I had to adjust to not being able to go out to coffee with all my girlfriends on a whim, going shopping whenever, serving at church, and being on the go 24/7. Just to clarify, I am NOT saying that having a child is bad or an inconvenience. I am wanting to encourage other mamas out there to embrace this new season and pace of life. This is beautiful season of raising this little one you brought into the world.

After struggling with my health issues for some time, my physical limitations  and anxiety started to get to me emotionally. I was becoming depressed. I have dealt with depression before and did not want to go back to that place! This is when I mentioned my emotions to my doctor. I would encourage anyone dealing with depression or anxiety to talk with their doctor. Sometimes it might be a small change in attitude or habits that is needed, it might be a need for therapy, or it might need medical intervention.

Every single day I have to deliberately choose a positive attitude. When you are struggling to get out of bed and complete daily tasks, it is so easy to have a “why me?” attitude. If I’m letting that creep into my mind and stay in that dark space, I won’t get better. Health is mind, body, and soul. To get better, I have to choose joy everyday and trust that God is going to pull me through this. I shared this verse previously in my “health struggle” post, but this is what I have been reading over and over in this season:

“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is forever mine.” -Psalm 73:26 (NLT)

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Along with being positive in my attitude and surrounding myself with supportive people, I push myself to get out of the house. This is not pushing myself to where it hurts me more, but challenging and retraining myself gradually. For me, going to the grocery store, the park, the lake, the pumpkin patch, or the end of the block and back is all helpful and encouraging to me. These little victories help me physically and emotionally so much! Celebrate these little victories and soak up the moments!

I am by no means perfect, and am going through all of this as I type it. I am here to share with you my struggles/be transparent, encourage you, and believe that we will be whole and healthy. What is one of your little victories that you celebrate?

The Second Year

~ lilthingsmama ~ Leave a comment
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Photo by Brittany Copenhaver

My favorite advice I got from a mom (before I was even married or had a baby) was “the days are long and the years are short, so soak up every moment”. A year feels like it goes by so quick! It’s my baby boy’s birthday and I like sharing the good and the not so glamorous moments from each year. So here we go!

  • Pets are great!

This year I noticed how good it is for Echo to have a furry friend to play with and adventure with. As Echo became mobile, started walking and running, Beefy and him had so much fun throwing the ball around or playing “tag”. They love each other, and I can’t wait to see what adventures they go on in the future! I would definitely recommend having an animal in the home whether it’s a cat, dog, or whatever animal you prefer.

  • Cuddle Often

Babies grow soooooo quick! Enjoy the infant stage, and then in the toddler stage soak up those cuddles. Echo isn’t the cuddliest child, but every now and then when he wakes up from his nap he will sit on my lap and snuggle with me. Take those moments! The to-do list can wait, it may only be for a minute or two, but these are times you’ll cherish as they grow.

  • Say I love you often

Your child needs to hear that you love him. I feel like I say “i love you” all the time, and nothing beats the little smile i get because Echo loves hearing it.  I also feel that if you are married your child also needs to see you and your spouse being loving and affectionate. I think it was in September or maybe over the summer, but Sterling and I were laughing and kissing and Echo was watching us from his high chair. Sterling’s mom came up and said it is so good for Echo to see that. It just stuck with me. I want Echo to see love and respect between Sterling and I.

  • Have Patience

This is one I remind myself of daily! I am your normal mom that struggles with having patience and keeping my cool in frustrating situations. The toddler attitude/tantrum stage is no joke. Pushing buttons, whining, throwing objects, throwing tantrums, pinching, and doing things that he was just told not to do, are all a part of my day with Echo. In these moments, I discipline when needed but remind myself he is learning how to handle his emotions and I need to have patience with him. I literally remind myself, whether in my head or out loud, because I don’t want to yell or get caught up in the moment (which still happens).

  • Every child is different

I said this in my “The First Year” post, but it is so true that every child is different and develops at their own place. Echo is struggling to say words or meet the amount of words he should have by now. It’s so easy for me to get discouraged and compare him to kids that had a ton of words super early, but that is not beneficial for him or me. The best thing I can do is continue to encourage him to say things and focus on helping him develop the way he needs. Every child is unique.

What have you learned this year with the two year old in your life? Comment below 🙂

My Health Struggle

~ lilthingsmama ~ 1 Comment

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I have mentioned that my health is not good, but decided that I wanted to write an honest post about what has been going on. In the beginning of 2015 my health declined rapidly. There were some things that had been happening for years but immediately were so much worse after childbirth.

Backstory: Throughout my childhood and into college I was a competitive softball player. In 2005 I was hit by a softball directly in the mouth during a practice drill. Three teeth were knocked out and I had a concussion. I had multiple surgeries and procedures done, and I was on antibiotics and painkillers with every procedure.

About a year after the injury, I started dealing with what I was told by multiple doctors was “Overactive Bladder Syndrome”. Medications never helped with the symptoms, so I just had to live with OAB limiting everything I did in my life. About 2 years after the injury my immune system weakened a lot. I was getting migraines, was nauseous 24/7, was physically getting sick way more often, and was struggling to get sleep. This continued through high school, college, to now.

March 2015, after having my son, my bladder and every other symptom got even worse than it was (I never thought that was possible). I started talking with doctors and urologists about my health issues because it was effecting every area of my life. I couldn’t leave the house without having an “accident”, physically getting sick, or having anxiety attacks. The doctors that I talked with did a bunch of tests on my bladder and wanted to treat the symptoms of OAB, but I felt like no one was listening to me about EVERYTHING that was happening in my body. I went through a year of trying medications for the bladder which I was told was the only problem. Nothing worked, symptoms kept getting worse, and I was becoming extremely depressed. I wanted a healthy whole body, not just a cover up for all my symptoms.

In February 2016, I decided to see a naturopath that a couple friends had recommended. As soon as I described all the symptoms, the doctor asked if I had been injured in the past. Well yes I had! In one visit I felt heard, and like I was finally on the road to better health! My softball injury and the multiple rounds of antibiotics mixed with painkillers completely wiped out my body. My body never bounced back from them. My naturopath diagnosed me with “Interstitial Cystitis” which means that my bladder was irritated and inflamed and not functioning like it should. My gut/other organs were also inflamed and struggling to function properly. Combining that with a hormone imbalance, extremely low iron levels, and lack of sleep, it was causing all the health issues.

My treatment is taking many natural supplements (prescribed by my doctor), a strict diet treatment, and trying to improve my sleep. I have heard it said many times that “health starts in the gut”. This is definitely true in my case. My strict diet treatment is to reduce inflammation in both my gut and bladder, get rid of migraines, and also stop the constant nausea by cutting out irritating foods. This means that I have cut out gluten and dairy, along with a long list of other foods. Along the way, I found that chicken was making me sick as well; so weird! Within the first 4 weeks of my treatment I stopped having migraines, I had more energy, and was significantly less nauseous. My bladder has been slow to improve, but I know I am going to get better.

“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is forever mine.” -Psalm 73:26 (NLT)

This is a verse that I have been holding on to during this long health struggle. When my body is struggling to function properly, and I am feeling down and lonely; I remind myself that God loves me, wants me to be whole and healthy, and will give me strength. Nothing is too big for Him!

I wanted to share what I have been going through, and hope that it helps and encourages others to continue to seek answers in their own health. We aren’t meant to live like this, we are meant to live full adventurous lives. We can do it!

What helps you stay positive during struggles? Comment below 🙂 thanks for reading!

Homemade Air Freshener

~ lilthingsmama ~ Leave a comment

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Did you know that your aerosol, plug-in, and candle air fresheners can be loaded with toxic chemicals?  They are FILLED with chemicals that you should not breathe in, and definitely not your little ones. Just a couple are phthalates, formaldehyde, and benzene. After researching conventional and natural air fresheners, I decided to make my own. There are so many recipes out there for homemade options! I read some that had rubbing alcohol in them, which can still be bad for you to breathe in. Others had Vodka in them (didn’t try those). I chose to use recipes that used just water or small amounts of witch hazel. My family has 2 favorite recipes that I am going to share below. Enjoy!

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Lavender-Peppermint Spray

-4oz glass spray bottle

-fill 3/4 of the way with filtered water

-add 2 Tbsp. Witch Hazel (optional)

-add 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil

-add 5 drops Peppermint Essential Oil

-Shake bottle before each use!

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Citrus-Mint Spray

-4 oz glass spray bottle

-fill 3/4 of the way with filtered water

-add 2 Tbsp. Witch Hazel (optional)

-add 5 drops each of orange, lemon, lime, and peppermint essential oils

-Shake bottle before each use!

 

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