The weather has been nice so far this winter; quite a change from the tumultuous weather of the past year. Though the temps and lack of snow have allowed us to be out of doors more, outside chores are still at a minimum. Gathering eggs, cleaning up after the poultry and cleaning up downed branches are done by rote. Soon, the inside work will need to be done. There are some walls to patch and a new bedroom door needs to be installed. The bath needs some work as the installer who put in the new tub a few years ago didn't do a grand job sealing the drywall around it. Soon. I promise.

For the time being though, being outside and enjoying the temps and some of what the Keystone State has to offer is enough; such as the Farm Show.

Cheri and I ventured out to see the Show Saturday night. As always, we had a good time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first stop of course, was to get a delicious milk shake. Then we headed off to the poultry barn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I enjoy the three hens that provide us with eggs, I am looking forward to the day when we finally purchase a place with enough land to let an entire flock of chickens run free in the yard.

While out perusing the stands, we ran across a place that sold both honey - and beeswax. I rememberd a 'recipe' for making homemade lip balm, so I purchased a stick of wax for a buck. We wandered around for another couple of hours, taking in some of the Junior rodeo, and then headed home.

The next morning, I dug out the recipe for the lip balm and got to work.
First, I shaved a tablespoon of wax from the stick and placed it in a microwave safe container.

 

Then I added three tablespoons of olive oil. You could use any food grade oil  but olive oil is pretty much the 'standard' for such things, and most people have it on hand.

Then, I put the uncovered container into the microwave, and 'cooked' the mix for 45 seconds on high. It took two more sessions of 25 seconds to melt it all. Watch it closely and stop it as soon as the was has melted. The instructions warn that too long may result in a small fire!

Once melted, I removed it and added one teaspoon of honey, since the instructions listed it as an option. Then I used a small fork to whisk the ingredients together. I then poured it into two small containers that I had purchased for $2.00 in the 'travel' section of the local department store's cosmetic section. I noticed that the honey had already settled to the bottom, resulting in it being in only one of the containers. I'll know to move faster next time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The end results were satisfactory, and work quite well. It can be applied with a small soft cloth, fingertip or a cotton swab - and does not contain the additives that most lip balms have. Ever look at the ingredients of the store bought stuff?

For less than $3.00, we have two containers which should last well into Summer, with plenty of material left over to make much more. Give it a try!