Summer Celebration GIVEAWAY!! (Closed, winners announced)

Summer is almost upon us and to celebrate here at Ozark Scents blog we are having a Celebrate Summer GIVEAWAY!! As some of you know both myself and my little sis Jenny have Etsy shops and we are both in a giving mood brought on by all the sunny days lately! Good news for all of you that LOVE free stuff and SUMMER as much as we do!

With Memorial Day Weekend right around the corner and summer close behind, we feel new beginnings on the horizon. So how many shop owners out there would like a new beginning with a COMPLETE shop makeover from Jenny's shop Jleabannerdesigns? To help you get on with your shops new beginning Jenny will give 2 winners ANY banner package from her shop or digital collage from her shop!! Yes that's right 2 lucky winners will receive their choice of ANYTHING from her shop! So if you are feeling your shop needs a new summer look, now is your chance to get one of Jleabannerdesigns' awesome banners or maybe a funky new digital collage...

I too am in a happy, giving mood myself and I would LOVE to share some super cool scents that will surely get you in the mood for summer! So, I will giveaway to 2 winners a 22oz apothecary jar candle in ANY Scent off of my scent list!! Also, 1 winner will receive their choice of any bar of soap in my shop! That's right 3 winners!

So join us in celebrating the coming of hot summer days with a cool new makeover for your shop or some refreshing summer scents for your home or body!!

Just to make this super fun for everyone we will give you lots of chances to win!!

First, visit our shops Jleabannerdesigns and Ozark Scents Candles and come back here and leave us a comment(s) telling us what you would like to win! (Don't worry you can change your mind if you win). You can enter to win from each shop if you would like, just leave separate comments telling us which shop and what you would like to win. So you can get up to 2 entries!!

For additional entries do any of the following (for each entry leave a separate comment):

1. Join our blog or already follow us! 1entry

2. Join us on twitter or already follow us (on the side of this blog there is a follow button) 1entry

3. Add our shops to your favorites on Etsy. 1 entry

4. Tweet about this giveaway and come back leaving us 2 separate comments with the link back to your tweet. 2 entries, make sure and leave 2 comments (can enter once daily, tweet each day)

5. Blog about this giveaway and come back and leave us 3 comments with the link back to the post. 3 entries, must leave 3 comments

6. Grab our button (on the side of the blog) 2 entries, leave 2 comments

Contest will end Wednesday June 3, 2009 @ 7pm CST and all our winners will be announced shortly after. Make sure your comments have an email address or your blogger account has one we can access or we can't contact you if you win. Contest open to US and Canadian residents.

Have Fun & Good Luck!

♥Amy

Great Giveaway at Milk & Cookeez!!

Milk & Cookeez is having a great giveaway for summer! Go over and check it out! You could win a fizzy cupcakz, lolipopz soapz, and 2 SURPRISES!!

Go on over and enter!



♥Amy

Natural Sunscreen recipe...

With spring here and Summer fast approaching, it is time to be outside enjoying the beautiful weather, having back yard barbecues, swimming, playing. I am sure you have heard the saying "laying around soaking up the sun" or something to that effect, but as we all know the sun is not real safe for our skin for many reasons. That is why it is time to start thinking about sunscreen. I do not remember, as a young child, ever being lathered down with sunscreen. As a matter of fact I remember the women in my family "laying out" to get their summer tans and using only baby oil! So, I thought I would do a little research to see if it is possible to make your own all natural sunscreen and it turns out it is.

You only need 3 ingredients to make an easy all natural sunscreen at home: Oil, beeswax, & zinc oxide or titanium dioxide(these are the ingredients that protect you from the sun). You can find these ingredients at many online stores, drug stores and Natural Health stores. You probably have the main ingredient, olive oil, in your pantry and any natural oil will work as well.

I did a little research on the cost of these items and found the average prices for you. Beeswax on average runs $5.00 to $7.00 a pound, If you have a beekeeper in your area you may be able to find it cheaper. Zinc oxide and Titanium Dioxide runs $9.00 to $10.00 a pound. And of course Olive oil or any other natural oil can be as low as a couple of dollars at the supermarket. So for $20.00 you can make tons of sunscreen for yourself and your family. I know one bottle of sunscreen at the supermarket usually costs between $6.00 and $10.00 and these never last my family very long at all. I usually buy 3 or more bottles a summer!

You can find many natural sunscreen recipes by searching the internet, some require more ingredients. I found this one on ehow.com and it seems pretty easy.

To make your own sunscreen you will need:

1 cup Olive Oil or natural oil

1 ounce of beeswax

2 tablespoons pure zinc oxide or titanium dioxide

Directions:

1. Heat oil in pan over low flame.

2. Add beeswax. Stir until beeswax is completely melted.

3. While still stirring, add the zinc oxide or titanium dioxide very slowly.

4. Pour mixture into glass or ceramic container that can be covered.

5. Once your sunscreen has cooled it is ready for application.

**Remember to use caution when making sunscreen, oil is very hot and you don't want to inhale the zinc oxide or titanium oxide either. Be safe and cautious while making!

You can make your own sunscreen in these few simple steps that will keep your family safe from the sun. I know this will save you money too. Sunscreen is pretty expensive and laden with some ingredients I can't even pronounce. This way you know exactly what is in your sunscreen.

I am going to try this recipe this summer! I love making my own products and I am glad to have found this one. Let me know if any of you have tried it and how it went.

Have a good day!

♥Amy

Spring is here...

It has been absolutely beautiful here in MO (with the exception of last week when it rained EVERYDAY! ) and I have been busy making my garden and looking around at all the beauty of nature with my little ones. That is why my posts are not coming regularly anymore! :) I just can't hardly stand to stay inside when it is so nice outside.

I am planning a post on getting ready for summer but I haven't finished it yet, so in the meantime I thought I would share some pictures I took from around my house. The two up top are taken from my front yard...the Dogwoods & Tulips are actually from some of my neighbors' yards... this is what I get to look at, they are beautiful!

This is our backyard veggie garden after we planted it. I can't wait for fresh veggies! I will take another picture when it grows some.------------------------------------------------------------------

-----On another very important note...I hope all you Mom's out there have a very Happy Mother's Day Sunday!! Don't forget to do something special for your Mom's! It can be the smallest thing too and they will love it! I have asked my family to forget the gifts and instead clean the house...that is truly the only thing I want! Maybe dinner too! ;) Some of my favorite gifts are the ones that my kiddos make for me, I love their little cards every year! It is something I always look forward to.

Have a Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

♥Amy

Congratulations!!

Congratulations to always_317537!!! You have been notified by email, please respond within the next 24 hours to claim your prize.


RANDOM.ORG - Integer Generator: "Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
12

Timestamp: 2009-05-07 00:17:30 UTC"


Thank You to everyone who took the time to enter this great giveaway!! We appreciate you all!

A special Thank you to Rachel of Huggermugger for taking time out of her busy life to share with us a little about herself and business and sponsoring this fabulous giveaway! We appreciate your time and generosity!


Until next time...have a good one!!

♥Amy

Spring Updates

Here are some Spring updates from Ozark Scents and other Etsy sellers:)

Get ready for Mother's Day with a special gift from Ozark Scents! We have a Gift Basket for Mom and our Apothecary Jars are on sale for the occasion too! In addition we are running a Special May Price reduction on all 8oz candle packs!!
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Congratulations to Wende of Mireio! She is celebrating her 7th year blogging Anniversary this weekend! In honor of this special occasion, Wende is holding a GIVEAWAY over at her blog!

Check it out for your chance to win one of her wonderful spa pillows made from a stunning, limited edition, vintage 1940's California handprint cotton fabric. But hurry, giveaway ends Monday May 4th.
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Don't forget to scroll down to check out the Huggermugger feature and giveaway!

GIVEAWAY ends May 6 at 7pm CST.

Have a great afternoon!