DIY Homemade Cinnamon & Clove Toothpaste --- Guest Post

I'm so excited to welcome my friend Audra as a guest blogger today! Audra is the one who encouraged me to start blogging so long ago. Thank you, friend! Check out her blog at audrasilva.com.

I had ‘make toothpaste’ on my to-do list for quite a while, but never seemed to get around to it. When Sarah asked for guest bloggers, I knew it was time to tackle this mini DIY project, at last. There were two recipes that stood out to me with ingredients I wanted in my own recipe, so in typical Audra style, I decided to create my own, pulling from these.

The first one was written by a dentist, and I cannot remember where I originally found it. I know it had baking soda, Xylitol, and food-grade peroxide. I chose to pull the Xylitol from his recipe.

The second one is what I used for the base of my own recipe. You can find the original ingredients and instructions at the Bulk Herb Store.

Here’s a quick breakdown on why I chose these ingredients (ignore the heart in the photo as I accidentally grabbed a jar left from a previous recipe)…

Xylitol is not only sweet in taste, but it also helps reduce plaque and tooth decay. In some cases, it may even reverse decay. Warning: it is toxic to dogs, so be careful if you have fur babies.

Cinnamon (not what you find in the supermarket) is an antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties. It also fights bacterial and fungal infections. Plus, it has a nice flavor.

Cloves have the following properties: analgesic, anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial. Have a toothache? Check out this article on dental care and the benefits of cloves. Cloves freshen breath and leave your mouth feeling clean.

Baking Soda is a natural choice for whitening teeth, freshening breath, and scrubbing away tartar.

Sea salt has wonderful trace elements and minerals and is great for strengthening gums, fighting tartar and bad breath, and whitening teeth. It also causes your mouth to water more, and your saliva has anti-bacterial properties that protect your enamel. Cool huh?!

Bentonite Clay absorbs toxins, allowing them to be carried out of the body (in this case when you spit out the toothpaste). It also has re-mineralizing properties and gently scrubs your teeth.

Activated Charcoal whitens teeth, helps fight gum disease and prevent cavities, and absorbs toxins allowing them to be carried out of the body (when you spit out the toothpaste).

Caution: Bentonite Clay absorbs particles from metal and toxins from plastic, so use glass bowls and wooden spoons when working with it.

A couple of things to note: when I first made this, I added about ¾ tsp. of sea salt. It’s too salty for me. When I remake this recipe, I will only add a pinch of sea salt, which is what my recipe now reflects. You’re welcome.

Also, when you combine these ingredients, the end result is a green/gray paste that looks like something you’d smear on your face as a mask. I would advise against that as the Cinnamon might irritate, but I thought I’d warn you. It isn’t a ‘pretty’ toothpaste. You can make a pretty label for your jar instead. Smile.

Also, the paste is a thinner consistency than store bought toothpaste so I use a decent amount. I expect it might thicken over time, however, which is why I kept mine on the moist side. Nowhere does it say to refrigerate, but I’ll probably put my main jars in the fridge and store a small jar of toothpaste in my bathroom. Just personal preference for me.

Now, without further ado, here is the recipe:

Have you made your own toothpaste yet? Interested in giving it a go? For more tooth care goodness, check out Three Toothy Tips over on Simply Audra Marie.

Now, go forth and show those pearly whites (well, the white part might take some time).

Disclaimer: I am not a dentist nor do I play one on TV. I’m a mom who has researched, experimented and drawn conclusions. These I share with you in the form of a recipe designed to encourage healthy teeth and gums. Use at your own risk, and definitely do some research as you decide if this is something you want to try. 

Affiliate Links: This post contains affiliate links. These are products and/or companies I have personally used and recommend. It doesn’t cost you to use my links, but it does help me with the cost of blogging. Thank you.

In Which Mom and the Littles Take a Road Trip

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! A couple weeks ago, I mentioned I had a secret. Well, instead of coming to you from my home here in NW Arkansas, I was actually writing you all from a motel in eastern Colorado! Liam, Kynthia, Brenna, and I made an 8-day, 4,000 mile road trip to Oregon and Utah to see most of my family and some of Jamie's. I didn't want to tell anyone until I got home since Lynzie and Michael were home with the other kids during the days while Jamie was working. It was a great trip---but exhausting! The kids did great---but I don't think I'll be up for that again any time soon. Ha! This picture is our first day on the road in central Kansas.

Here we are the second day in Wyoming. Ha!! We found snow!

The second night, the kids were getting pretty homesick so we Skyped with the family back home.

Once we got to Oregon, things got easier as the kids were distracted by family and fun. Here they are with a whole bunch of cousins they met for the first time!

After a few days in Oregon, we went on to Utah to meet new baby Sammy, my first nephew. My brother and sister in law took us to Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. The kids loved feeding the Koi and seeing all the gorgeous landscaping. My favorite part was the Secret Garden---complete with wooden doors and a pretty fountain. 

On the way home, GPS took us through all the neat landscape of northern Utah and the Colorado Rockies. I'd never been through any of these places before so it was super neat to see it all!

We were beyond relieved to be home, though. We're a pretty tightly-knit family and it's hard separating and going our different ways. We celebrated Saturday with a trip to a baseball park here in town, as well as a picnic and a hike. More on that later!

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party! I'm excited to see what you've got to share!

Lying in Bed, Afraid

My eyes were swollen and groggy when I came to, but I made a good attempt to open them and look across the room. He sat, perfectly relaxed, in the chair my parents gave us for our wedding. He was gazing at me with a smirk-smile when I discovered the little cut marks on the back of my hand. 

"What is this?" I asked.

"Just a little something I gave you to keep you still," he answered, lazily.

I couldn't wake up enough to be fully afraid and as acceptance once again took over my will to fight, I drifted off thinking, "Oh God, my kids. Please protect my kids."

I was so tired. Deep sleep wanted to come and I wanted it too. But I heard the footsteps again and when my bedroom door slammed open against the wall, I sat up, gasping.

Yesterday I attended the 7th annual Butterflies & Blooms luncheon to support Saving Grace, a Northwest Arkansas ministry devoted to helping young women who have aged out of the foster care system and have nowhere to go. It was an encouraging time to learn more about the ministry and how it's helped to bring vital hope and practical help to these girls in a transitional time. One message that really hit me was when a speaker began listing some of the "firsts" these girls experience through the Saving Grace ministry---things like a birthday cake, curfew, and someone to tell them, "goodnight, sleep well." 

I grew up as a typical 80s-90s American kid. Our family had its share of junk: My parents were self-absorbed, my dad had a heavy hand, and our family was split in half by divorce before I was 12 years old. Still, I had a loving home, a safe home, and any need or want I had was met by parents who loved me and wanted to provide the best life possible for me---even if they didn't always know how to go about doing that. 

In high school, I dated a boy with a pretty scary past. His parents had already joined rehab groups by the time he and I got together, but he'd grown up in an environment filled with drugs, alcohol, and physical abuse. This was his normal and our 2 1/2 year relationship was full of red flags that I finally stopped ignoring.

Now, almost 20 years later, I'm married to a gentle, happy, easy-going Christian man who brought to our family a generational legacy of following Christ. We have nine well cared for children, a clean, safe, and beautiful home, the finances to support ourselves and allow me to stay home, and we all go to sleep each night feeling peaceful and optimistic about what the next day will bring.

Still, I have recurring nightmares, like the one above, that I'm living a life of abuse and fear. In my sleep, I go from one frantic plan to protect my children to another---all of them crumbling with the thought that he (whoever he is) will find us, no matter what. My dream usually always ends with this sick acceptance that this bad-dream life is my fate and I'm powerless to change it.

Saving Grace of Northwest Arkansas is providing young women with that power to change. These girls are being set on a path to break generational cycles of poverty, abuse, neglect, godlessness, and negativity. One way this is accomplished is by assigning each girl a group of mentors who stick with her for life. I'm hoping one day to serve as a Saving Grace mentor, as this blessed life I've been given is not meant to be contained within the walls of this home. 

Would you consider supporting Saving Grace? If you live in the area, you can contact them at (479) 636-1133 for information about volunteering your time. There's also a list of material needs if you'd like to give something tangible, and anyone anywhere can donate monetarily.

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard." ~Isaiah 58:6-8