Soy Candles

I named  this the year of the solar,because, so much is being done with it right now. I read in a recent blog, that solar is becoming less expensive,even close to beating out nuclear energy in cost. I believe we are close to a new age. Solar will be the way of life, hopefully in the lifetime of those of us not so young. People all over the world are already using solar where and when they can afford it.

One way we can all afford solar, is to start using solar for our charging needs. Even batteries take more energy, especially if you  have to charge them via electricity. Cell phones, Mp3’s, razors, and various other everyday gadgets need re-charging.There are solar and wind chargers out there, and becoming more prevalent. The hours of electricity you save up is astronomical, if you can figure it out. Take 7 hours a day that you have your cell phone charging (at night). multiply that by 7 days—49 hours a week.- - x 52 weeks = 2548 hours a year you would save. Then add your other gadgets and you see, what it amounts to.

For pure enjoyment, as well as stress relief, look around you for solar gadgets. Solar chimes and mobiles are excellent  for your Zen or Feng Shui at home. Gps’s are a real life saver on the road, and your solar lights in the yard are so relaxing, and uplifting.

My math is mine, but the idea to show this concept came from another blog featuring a solar charger.I searched for  solar gadgets,and  found this under “Solar and Wind Chargers.”

A friend of mine received  a candle for her birthday. I jokingly asked, if it was soy. She said no, but it is so pretty. Well it was, with sequins and painted design , along with lace on top, with ribbons streaming. Wow, and it smelled o.k., if you like strong perfume. Beside the fact that it was a paraffin blend candle, and shockingly expensive, I would much prefer the fresh and clean soy candles I have. I thought the purpose , for the most part, of burning candles, were for the calming, pleasant aroma.  I like these clean burning candles so much, I have begun to learn how to make them. My first batch was o.k., since I had my 10 year old granddaughter helping me, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Now, I’m looking forward to making some more. This time, I want to try some decorative tricks.

I have watched a few videos as to some of the things you can do. The  videos are available on this page,.

I plan to become more expertise. in order to share with friends and family, and have candle making  times  with the grandchildren.  The trickiest part is placing the wick, so that it will stay on the bottom, and not float.  I have ordered my candle making kit, which has everything you need except a ruler,  and your candle thermometer. I just use a candy thermometer which works just as well. Another factor, is that you can use old candle containers, and even purchase some candle containers from the craft stores. Be sure to use only containers made for candles♠♠

I hope you’ll join me in making some candles with our soy candle making kits.. The decorative items are available in craft stores.

If anyone has some ideas, for decorating candle containers, I would love to hear from you. Send pictures if you like. There is some great information out there, as well as tips on making candles, such as how to place the wick, which in my opinion is the trickiest part. Another consideration  is choosing the container.

For now, have a great week.. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Let’s have some fun making soy candles, while it’s cold outside, and maybe even snowing. Get your family involved. Kids love to learn new stuff . There is nothing like seeing a child learn a new skill that they can show off.

Check out this very short video about decorating candle jars below.

How to♠ decorate soy candle jars

How to decorate soy candle jars

This next video shows the best way to place the wick.

How to Pick Soy Candle Jars — powered by eHow.com

ore expertise. in order to share with friends and family, and have candle making  times  with the grandchildren.  The trickiest part is placing the wick, so that it will stay on the bottom, and not float.  I have ordered my candle making kit, which has everything you need except a ruler,  and your candle thermometer. I just use a candy thermometer which works just as well. Another factor, is that you can use old candle containers, and even purchase some candle containers from the craft stores. Be sure to use only containers made for candles♠♠

I hope you’ll join me in making some candles with our soy candle making kits.. The decorative items are available in craft stores.

If anyone has some ideas, for decorating candle containers, I would love to hear from you. Send pictures if you like. There is some great information out there, as well as tips on making candles, such as how to place the wick, which in my opinion is the trickiest part. Another consideration  is choosing the container.

For now, have a great week.. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Let’s have some fun making soy candles, while it’s cold outside, and maybe even snowing. Get your family involved. Kids love to learn new stuff . There is nothing like seeing a child learn a new skill that they can show off.

Check out this very short video about decorating candle jars below.

How to♠ decorate soy candle jars

How to decorate soy candle jars

This next video shows the best way to place the wick.

How to Pick Soy Candle Jars — powered by eHow.com

As a single mom doing my best to raise two teenage boys, I’ve had my share of joys and frustrations. I have a sneaking suspicion that my home would be a bit quieter and tidier if I had two girls instead, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. When the boys come home from football practice in the fall, their gear is soaked in sweat and all of the equipment stinks to high heaven. It’s all I can do to keep from gagging.

When offensive odors begin to filter through the household, I immediately turn on a pair of electric candle warmers. Plug-in air fresheners and deodorizers mount an attack on the senses, overpowering all other smells but becoming overwhelming in their own right. Tart warmers are much more subtle, and they come in a wide variety of appealing scents. Until the boys grow up and move away to college, I’ll be sticking with these trusty tart warmers.

When you look at them in the grand scheme of things, soy candles are still a relatively new invention. They were originally brought to market as an alternative to beeswax, which has always been on the expensive side. Soy wax is also all-natural; it’s not derived from petroleum, which would raise carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere. And soy candles last much longer than their traditional paraffin wax counterparts.

For those who prefer a flameless alternative, the soy tart is a sensible solution. It can be used in any standard electric tart warmer, and the pleasant odor permeates through the room in record time as the wax melts. Soy wax boasts a lower boiling point, which means that the tart’s essential oils are dispersed throughout the area quickly and efficiently.

My research on solar power has certainly been educational.  The sun is a natural marvel that we are just beginning to appreciate. Although, many cultures have embraced the sun as their God, over centuries. In the 1890’s, solar water heaters were being used in the more sunny areas of the U.S.

 Then , in the 1920’s, large supplies of coal and oil were discovered, becoming the choice of many, with their low cost. Of course, we know today, these resources are not renewable. It is because of that we are now faced with how to best utilize our natural renewable resources for energy. There is still much more to be researched before we can rely on these sources of power. As we wait for this, we can still do our best to preserve what we have left.

As I listen to my sweet solar chimes sitting on the bookcase in my office, I will be reminded of all the research and hard work that is going on to bring the power of our sun to heat our homes and water, and provide us with enough solar power for all our needs.

Live Well! Enjoy More!

If you’re planning your wedding and wondering how to decorate tables at the reception, consider adding romantic ambiance with candles. A dim room that’s glowing with candles seems extra special and will carry over the romance from the wedding ceremony to the wedding reception. You can also supplement the scent of your decorative flowers with scented candles that smell like flowers or spices, like Lily of the Valley or sage. For a green wedding, be sure to use soy candles rather than paraffin wax candles.

Soy candles are made from all-natural soy wax, which is hydrogenated soybean oil. Paraffin candles are made with petroleum and increase the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. Soy candles are clean-burning, produce less soot and can last up to 50% longer than paraffin. Aside from using them to decorate your wedding, consider giving them out as “thank you” gifts to your guests. A scented soy candle makes a great little keepsake for your guests to remember your wedding and create a relaxing environment in their homes.

Well, we finally got around to making our soy candles. I never knew this could be so much fun, and so much mess!! .

As it turns out, my granddaughter that is 10 came to stay with me for about 4 days. So, we got into the thick of it. We read and re-read the instructions after watching the video.

We had our candle making kit and other supplies,  covered the Island with newspaper for catching the mess. Then we put the water on to boil, as we chose which fragrance and color to start with. And we began very methodically, reviewing all the steps as we went along.

Well, we forgot that we would be on the other side of the kitchen with the double boiler,(no newspaper) so had a grand mess to clean up.  Then we couldn’t get the wicks to stay put. We dipped the ends with the little metal things in the wax, and let them stand for about 30 seconds. They still wouldn’t sit still, and when we poured the wax into the jar, they swam all around. We stood there for a while, holding the wicks, until we couldn’t anymore. We laid two pencils across the jar and went out to lunch.

When the first one dried, it was perfect, although the wicks were too close together the fragrance was yummy too.  It was Fresh Cut Grass. The next two had little craters in them,. I called my supplier, and asked about the problems I was having. We decided that my thermometer didn’t work right, because he said the wax was too hot, so bought another one today. Remember you have to cool it down to 120 degrees to pour. That is what is so critical for a perfect candle.

I really enjoyed myself, though, and so glad to have worked out some of the mistakes. Can’t wait to do this again with one of the grandchildren.

Oh! also, to cure the crater attack, I melted the top of the candles with a hair dryer on low heat,  For those who will be trying this for the first time, don’t try using the dryer on high, unless you want wax all over the place. I should know, cause I did that too. The candles turned out beautiful. One candle fragrance was Mom’s Lilac Bush in our version of purple, and the other was Annie’s Spring Rain, in sort of blue-green, some of my favorites.

As soon as I get the wax off the counter, I’ll be even happier. I’m just kidding. Thank Heaven this was soy, and not paraffin. It was so easy to clean up. Just use really hot water. Oh, and put hot pads between you and the hot water. You said it, I did that without hot pads. It’s o.k. My burns are much better, now.

Have Fun out there!!

A deck is often the most visited place at home, in the summer, spring and fall. Is your deck what you would like it to be? Do you enjoy it as much as you want? The problem with some decks is that they are too hot during the day, or maybe the seating isn’t comfortable.

Some ways to really enjoy this area, is to have some things out there to bring you out. If the patio is too hot, add an umbrella, or build a small covered area, like a pagoda. Hang some bird’s nests and feeders. This will give you some day time enjoyment. Some green plants setting around are always enjoyable.

Be sure the seating is comfortable. No one wants to go somewhere to relax, if they are not comfortable.

What has become extremely popular to hang in the yard, and on the deck are some  outdoor windchimes. We’re not talking about the clanging type, you’ll want musical wind chimes, with a melody.Some melodies are so irresistable, like Isand Melody, Summer daydream, or Sunrise Serenade, and really take your cares away.Now that makes it so much better. All you need now is some cold beverage, iced tea, lemonade or your favorite cocktail.

Add some scented soy candles, scents like fresh cut grass or annie’s spring rain are especially nice for outdoors, They are more robust, and are real outdoor fragrances. I would put them out as the sun goes down.

We have a challenge going on. So far, I’m finding more information out there that amazes me. There is so much I never thought about. It’s getting interesting. Lets have a cook-out. How about invitations on re-cycled paper, and better yet, have a place for everyone to reply online, and save all that paper, and speaking of paper, we will be using plates, and dinnerware from the cupboard. Decorations, are easy with so much to work with, nowadays .Use Soy Candles, instead of those deadly paraffin ones. Decorate with re-usable materials, which, depending on the event and the theme, could be “Fresh Flowers”, from your yard, bamboo pieces, and more. If your going to be outside after dark, the solar lights will come on, and along with lighting from the candles, it will be a lovely affair. Don’t forget to recycle.

To be continued…