Homemade Bath Salts Gift

Want to make a luxurious gift for yourself or someone you love?  This bath salt recipe is so easy and you can get creative personalizing it with special touches.

Homemade Bath Salt Recipe

2 cups sea salt

2 cups baking soda

2 cups Epsom salts

2 tsp. essential oil (you can use more than one for example Lavender and Rosemary)

This recipe can be divided into small jars personally decorated by you.  

Alternative Household Cleaners and Recipes

Time to turn on the music and have a cup of Joe...

Saturday is a good day for deep cleaning.  I don't like using harsh, toxic chemicals with my human toddler and puppy children following me around.  Here are a few alternative ingredients that allow you to clean safely with little fingers and paws present...

Ingredients:

Baking Soda

Essential Eucalyptus Oil 

Essential Lemon Oil (or whatever scent you love)

White Vinegar

Borax

Liquid soap (castile, peppermint)

Corn Starch

Olive Oil

Water

Empty Spray bottle

In an Aromatherapy Diffuser, mix water with a few drops of (your choice) Eucalyptus Oil for a fresh, clean and motivating environment to work in.

Do a little cleaning dance, and begin with the bathrooms.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner Recipe:

Sprinkle generous amounts of baking soda in your toilets and cover with white vinegar and a dash of essential oil of your choice.  Let sit and...

Whip up a great general household cleaner recipe... grab an empty spray bottle pour in 1/2 c. borax, either a few (5-10)  drops of essential lemon oil or lemon juice or squeeze lemon, or grapefruit, or orange (whatever is on hand), 2 tsp. liquid soap, 1/2 c. vinegar, 1/2 c. baking soda, 4c. warm water and gently shake.

Now go back to toilet and use brush to scrub a sparkly clean bowl and flush.    

With your homemade cleaning spray go to town saturating entire shower, ceiling, walls, counter tops, anything that needs a good wipe down.  Move to kitchen and use on cupboards, counters, sinks, etc.

Naturally Unclog Drain Recipe:

Cover drain with baking soda, pour white vinegar, let sit several minutes and flush with hot water.

Oven Grease Cleaner Recipe:

Make paste with baking soda and water with some fresh squeezed lemon.  Let soak in for a few minutes and scrub with sponge.  Rinse away grease!

Dusting Furniture Polish Recipe:

Mix 1 part lemon juice and 2 parts olive oil in spray bottle.  With soft cloth rub in wood let set for a while before wiping off.

Window Cleaner Recipe:

In an empt spray bottle mix equal parts white vinegar and water or 1/3 borax and 2/3 warm water. Wipe clean with recycled newspaper for streak-free shine.

Random ideas:

Baking soda makes a terrific paste, salt or sugar helps gently scrub too.   

Corn Starch works great to lift fresh stains from carpet.  Just sprinkle and let dry then vacuum up.

Baking soda is also a great teeth whitener just don't swallow.  For a minty fresh mouth mix some Essential Tea Tree Oil with water and swish around, be sure not to swallow!

Essential Eucalyptus Oil soaked cotton balls or washcloth will rub out stains, safe on white fabric too.  Leaves a great fresh scent.

For clean humidifiers, add white vinegar and leave on during day.  Rinse well and fill with fresh water and a drop or two of Eucalyptus Oil.  (I'm kind of obsessed with the stuff).  

For fresh and clean garbage disposals, throw in a bit of ice and lemon, orange or grapefruit peels and grind.

Ground coffee right out of the bag, grinder, or jar is a terrific odor eliminator and leaves a delicious scent.  Just put some ground coffee in a bowl and set out.  You can sprinkle on rugs too but careful to vacuum up soon so it won't stain carpet.  Put some ground coffee in a glass and leave in your car, I like French Vanilla flavor.

Leaving a small glass of white vinegar out is another way to absorb yucky odor, great for kitchen after cooking fish.

Sunday Spa Day

Ready for a relaxing evening after a holiday weekend featuring some perfect Essential Oils?

First, make a pot of strong Chamomile Tea and enjoy as many cups as your heart desires during our nurturing thy self night...

A delightful homemade Cuticle Oil recipe:

1-2 Tbsp Coconut oil

1/2 tsp Cocoa butter

5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

2 drops of Cypress Essential Oil

Combine the Coconut oil and Cocoa butter in a saucepan and warm over very low heat stirring constantly.  Remove from heat let it cool a bit before adding the Essential Oils, stir again.  Store in a clean container with a lid, brown glass jars always work well for me.

How about a nice Epsom Salt Soak for the feet.  Maybe a body bath with a few drops of Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Rosemary Oil and 5 drops of Eucalyptus Oil.   

Take a wash cloth and press to eyebrows, now pluck away the naughty little strays that don't belong.  Sometimes creating a new eyebrow shape can be fun too.  

Move on to a manicure/pedicure.  Moisturize body with your favorite lotion.  Add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil or Rosemary Oil to your boars bristle brush and comb away.

Light Lavender Perfume Recipe

This is light enough to sleep in but a special treat to help you relax.

1 cup of fresh herb lavender flowers 

1 cup vodka (to preserve)

1 cup distilled water

Pour enough vodka to cover lavender flowers.  Allow to steep for two weeks.  Strain and add distilled water.  Store in dark brown glass bottle away from heat or light.  (Amber, brown glass bottles can be found on amazon.com, even Target.com sells them as aromatherapy glass bottles).  

Now you are relaxed and refreshed to start your week.  Good night and sleep well.

Homemade Baby Wipe Recipe

Okay, I have to admit I used Pampers Baby Fresh Wipes when Butterfly was still in diapers.  I do like to have wipes on hand and use them to wipe the dogs paws, human and people faces, high chair table top, wiping pen or crayon off table, etc.  I love these recipes my friend shared with me recently since they are safe for people and pets!  They are great to keep on hand in a zip lock bag for car rides too.  A spay bottle is great too!  Here are some homemade baby wipes recipes:

Baby Wash Recipe #1

• 2 TBSP Baby Wash (choose a natural wash!)
• 2 TBSP Olive Oil
• 2 Cups water
  Mix well in a spray bottle or your wipes box. Spritz on wipe before using if in spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipes box.

Baby Wash Recipe #2

• 2 TBSP Baby Wash
• 2 TBSP Olive Oil or 1 TBSP Calendula Oil
• 2 Drops Tea Tree Oil
• 2 Cups Water
  Mix well in a spray bottle or your wipes box. Spritz on wipe before using if in spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipes box. Tea Tree Oil has lovely disinfectant properties along with its wonderful, clean smell.

Aloe Vera Recipe

• 1/4 Cup Aloe Vera Gel
• 2 Drops Tea Tree Oil
• 2 Cups Hot Water
  Stir or shake until this recipe is well mixed. Don't use until the mixture cools. Spritz on wipe before using if in spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipes box.

Vitamin E and Essential Oils Recipe

• 2 Drops Tea Tree Oil
• 2 Drops Lavender Oil (Please be sure to use only pure essential oils - don't use synthetic oils.)
• 2 Drops Chamomile Oil
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 Vitamin E Cap
  Cut open vitamin E caplet and squeeze into the water, and add essential oil drops. Mix well in a spray bottle or your wipes box. Spritz on wipe before using if in spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipes box

Everyday Essentials

Essential Oils make me happy!  I love that burning them for aromatherapy purposes actually cleans the air rather than pollute it like other scented oils.  There are many positive uses from medicinal, cleaning, mood enhancing aromatherapy and massage spa treatments.  

I'll regularly post everyday uses for you and your family to try under Everyday Essentials.  Enjoy!

Nourishing Banana Conditioner

1 cup hot strong chamomile tea

1 ripe banana

10 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 Tbsp. honey 

Combine all ingredients in a blender and apply to damp hair.   You can cover with a cap or warm towel and leave on while you relax in the bath or do your laundry, then rinse.  Note: coconut oil leaves hair beautiful, healthy and shiny.  If your hair is too oily, blot a bit of powder at roots.

Homemade Laundry Sheets

Take a small piece of flannel and put a few drops of Essential Oil of your choice such as Lavender.  Throw in dryer with clothes for natural, Divine scented clothes!