Homemade Puppy Shampoo

Happy National Dog Day! I recently got a Boston Terrier puppy. Her name is Lucy. She is so sweet and makes my life so much more joyful (potty training aside, haha). It's crazy how one tiny little puppy can literally transform the mood in my home for the better. After making the move out to the gorgeous Sonoran Desert, things got a little complicated. Everyone in my home was homesick in just about every way. Then little Ms. Lucy came along and turned things around. She has been a total Godsend. I had been wanting to test out my essential oils and homemade products on pets, so I thought making a DIY puppy shampoo would be the perfect way to jump start my new interest.

The shampoo worked so much better than I expected!

Her coat was so soft and shiny and she smelled great! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup oatmeal
• 1 tablespoon Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon of vitamin E (or approximately 5 capsules)

Essential Oils:

• 3 drops Peppermint
• 2 drops Lavender
• 2 drops Cleansing Blend
• 1 drop Cedarwood

(You could potentially omit the essential oils.
Although, in my opinion, it is what makes this recipe so amazing.

I only use therapeutic grade essential oils that are safe for consumption.

For more information on how to purchase these oils, please feel free to contact me.)

Instructions:

Add the oatmeal to a blender and mix until it becomes a powder consistency.

Heat the water up until it is very warm. Add the hot water to the oat powder inside the blender. Mix until well combined. Let it sit for a few minutes, until it thickens.

Add castile soap, apple cider vinegar, and vitamin E to the blender. Mix until combined.

Put the essential oils in the mix, again, blending until combined.

Pour finished shampoo into a glass jar to store.

Apply a quarter sized drop over dog and massage into coat, leaving on your pup for as long as they will tolerate it, or about five minutes. Be sure to rinse well.

Nerdy Extras:

Oatmeal is great for your dogs coat. It has many vitamins and minerals that helps their skin heal faster. It can help soothe skin irritations and itchiness, making it an excellent choice for dogs battling hot spots, eczema, and psoriasis. Living in the desert, the humidity is generally pretty low, so dogs around here can get pretty dry and flaky. Oatmeal helps battle that by moisturizing, cleansing, and softening your dogs coat.

Castile Soap has so many uses, but as a dog shampoo it helps to remove dirt, oil, and even pests. It is very gentle on sensitive skin and great for dogs who have itching issues.

Apple Cider Vinegar helps to clean your dogs coat/skin. Bonus - It is also a natural flea repellent!

Vitamin E can help support the skin of your dog by reducing flakiness. It also promotes a healthy, glossy looking coat.

Peppermint Essential Oil is excellent at repelling insects and supporting healthy circulation.

Lavender Essential Oil is a very safe and gentle oil to use on your dog. Our veterinarian even diffuses it in her office for the dogs in there.

Cleansing Blend Essential Oil Blend is great at neutralizing odors and soothing skin irritations.

Cedarwood Essential Oil is a natural antiseptic and flea repellent. It helps with circulation and is a powerful coat conditioner. 

FDA Disclaimer: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."

Mint Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

Life can get pretty hectic at times, especially during this time of year when the season of change is upon us. I don't know about you, but when too much change is going on in my life, I get a little stressed - and when I get a little stressed I crave sweets! Horrible habit, I know; but I'm working on it! Here's to my 80/20 rule! Anyway, I feel good about these cookies because even though they are full of butter and sugar, they contain a few healthy ingredients too, ha! Plus they are super filling and really you only need one to satisfy your sweet tooth and fill your belly.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter, softened (2 large sticks)
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar (or any granulated sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons of organic vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of finely shredded dehydrated unsweetened coconut
• 2 tablespoons of carob powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of chocolate chips (1/2 bag)

Essential Oils:

• 5-10 drops of Peppermint

(You could also substitute cocoa powder for the carob powder, 
and peppermint extract for the peppermint essential oil.

I only use therapeutic grade essential oils that are safe for consumption.

For more information on how to purchase these oils, please feel free to contact me.)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly grease a large baking sheet with olive oil.

Cream butter and sugars.

Mix in eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint essential oil until well combined.

Slowly mix in the flour, coconut, carob powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add in the chocolate chips. I used 1/2 a bag, but you could add a whole bag if you wanted. Stir until combined.

Drop large tablespoon sized balls onto baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring .

Nerdy Extras:

You could always throw in some extra healthy goodies like flax, wheat germ, or even some rolled oats like I did for this batch. Sometimes I even like to sprinkle a little bit of flax on top of the cookies before baking. 

Dehydrated, shredded coconut -- also called dessicated coconut -- also makes an excellent add-in. It's full of dietary fiber, which helps stave off hunger and helps prevent digestive disorders (ie. constipation, hemorrhoids). It also full of minerals, like iron, which helps with circulation. Iron drives new cell growth, and helps to maintain healthy tissue function. I know a lot of people tend to shy away from coconut due to its high fat content. Coconuts are full of healthy fats though, and it's important to incorporate them into our diet. These fats can even help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. 

Peppermint Essential Oil promotes oral and respiratory health, along with alleviating occasional stomach discomfort. 

FDA Disclaimer: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."