DIY : Bath Bombs to relax and refresh (Non-Food Post)

For a few months now, I have been experimenting with Essential Oils (EOs). 

At first I just sniffed tentatively and found the aroma very strong and actually wrinkled my nose at it.

Little did I know that soon I would learn to appreciate their aroma and uses!

These days I use EOs to diffuse, to apply topically, for relaxing in the bath, in food... 

Depending on what oil you use, the oils can help promote feelings of relaxation or have a calming effect or energize. 

Everyday when I drop and pick S from school, I see teachers on street corners in their crossing guard jackets, helping the itty bitties ( walking, or on scooters or bikes or even skateboards) cross the road safely to reach school. 

It does not matter whether it freezing or icy rain beats down on them, they are there! So, last week was Teacher Appreciation Week in Li'll S's school and I wanted to do something special for them as well  S's class teacher. Ms.M is gentle and kind and made my son feel welcome and at ease in the classroom. Beginning a new school in the middle of the year is very intimidating. I'm grateful that she helped him settle down and that he loves and trusts her.

Coming back to the Essential Oils, there are days when I *really* need something to calm me. Li'll S can drive me crazy within minutes of reaching home. 

The lunch box comes back as it was sent. Number one reason why I lose it! 

Homework, all of one measly page- for the week- is left at school or in the event that it comes home, the incessant whining over it.

Bed time and dragging feet..  

And, " Mumma, I neeeeeed waaater.."  sigh! *just* as I was dropping off...

I *need* something to calm me.

If one child can do so much, can you imagine what a classroom full of 8-9 year old children can do?! 

If anyone deserves to relax or need an energy boost at the end of a long day, it is a teacher. 

A mother or a teacher have one safe haven to unwind and relax, in the bathroom, taking a long and leisurely bath. 

Warm scented water and silence feels like a bit of heaven on earth.

I wanted to give Ms. M this, much deserved energy boost and so decided to make bath bombs. 

I started out by ordering this bath bomb molds

You can use silicone or normal ice cube molds as well.

There are many 'recipes' or 'formulas' for making bath bombs. 

Here is how I made my lot:

I used

1 cup Baking Soda

1/2 cup Epsom Salt

1/2 cup Citric Acid 

1/2 cup Cornstarch

4 Tsp  Organic Coconut Oil 

Few drops of food color

20 drops each, Essential Oil of your choice ( I used Wild Orange and Lavender) 

First: Mix the dry ingredients  together.

I divided the dry mix into two equal parts.

Now, when it comes to mixing the wet ingredients, be v-e-r-y careful. Add the coconut oil + EO + color very slowly.

The second the wet ingredients mix with the dry, the mixture gets activated and starts fizzing. So use one hand to drop the oil and your other hand to quickly mix it all together.

Hold some of the mix in your hand and squeeze it, if it clumps up, it is ready to be molded.

Working quickly, scoop the mixture into the molds and overfill the halves.

Now carefully bring together the two halves and squeeze together and let the excess mixture fall away.

To un-mold, gently tap the top of the mold and remove the top and then the bottom. Let the bath bombs air dry.

Repeat the steps for the next lot.

Handle these gently, they tend to fall apart easily. I messed up the Lavender one and finally had to send just the Wild Orange ones.

Notes:

When I thought of it, I could have added a few drops of water ( about 1/2 tsp) to help bind the mixture better.

You can add extra essential oil if you want to make it stronger. But be careful, EOs are highly concentrated and can be overwhelming.

I had a severe headache ( sinus related) and I used a Lavender bath bomb and used a 4-5 drops of Peppermint EO in the bath water and then dropped the bomb. I had a relaxing bath and eased some of the pain and opened up my nose. I also felt pleasantly drowsy and actually napped for an hour!

Disclaimer: I am not an agent / wellness advocate and do not sell anything, these oils are my personal stock and I am sharing what I like about them and what has worked for me.

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DIY Gifts, spread the cheer!

It's that time of the year! Tomorrow the schools will break for Christmas holidays and there is a general air of festivity in the air. 

We have a small tree and it's up. The child is expecting a ton of toys and has so far forgotten to write to Santa for it, despite my gentle reminders. Oh well! Santa has to give what he feels like. 

It's fun to see Li'll S as excited about Christmas as he is about Diwali, of course the main excitement is the gifts part, the getting , not the giving. We need to sit down and explain that part to him one day. 

I did some DIY for the Christmas Teachers Gifts. I really enjoyed the planning, shopping, making and assembling part. 

I have never been the craftsy person, I well remember how I have suffered ( as have my parents) when completing craft homework / projects in school. I used to get help from all quarters just to finish that task. 

We had embroidery ( basic stitches) and knitting in school. The pillowcase I was trying to embroider was a real pain, I mean 'real pain' I pricked my finger several times, I was 'punctured'. The thread avoided the eye of the needle like plague and in the end, I gave up and got someone else to do it for me. Knitting was another hurdle, the clicking foot long needles were fun initially but the knit /purl had me twisted, luckily my Mom was an expert and soon corrected all my mistakes ( it seemed almost as if I was doing the exact opposite of what was written) and I had a sweater, booties and cap set for an infant. I kept it safe all these years and my son wore it first!

Whoa! I'm rambling.. Pardon me. We were talking of DIY and the gifts I made.

This year, I made a small hamper for the teachers and I sincerely hope they like it.

The idea of a 'spa in a jar' struck a chord in me. I have one child and he can shred my nerves. Don't get me wrong, I love my little fella to bits, but there are times I wistfully dream of a remote control which I wish a Mom had, just to sometimes hit the mute button or sleep mode! 

Imagine how stressful it must be to handle 20 such energetic kids, all with different temperaments. With that idea in mind, I made this.

Spa in a Jar ( a loofah, nail polish remover pads (yellow round case), 2 shades of sparkly nail polish, a chap stick and some chocolates)

The Spa in a Jar is customizable, add what you like. Maybe a moisturizing lotion, or a lipstick, manicure set, face mask... I refrained from those as I had no idea what the brand preference is.

I found these chalkboard stickers which I used on the jars and wrote 'Relax' on them. 

The second Jar was Hot chocolate mix, a favorite during this season. 

There are many sources of hot chocolate recipes all over the net. 

I made mine like this:

3 cups Non-fat Milk Powder

2 Cups powdered Sugar

1 1/2 cup White chocolate chips

1 1/2 cup Cocoa powder ( natural, unsweetened)

Pinch Salt

Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pulse small amounts (I used a small food chopper) to make a fine powder.

Sieve the powder ( there will be small bits left even though it looks fine to the eye) and pulse the rough bits. Mix everything thoroughly and pour into a mason jar ( use a funnel, if you have one, this will not mess up sides and if you do not have a funnel, just snip off the bottom of a disposable foam cup and pour the hot chocolate mix in the jar. Top with peppermint chips and /or mini Marshmallows.

Instructions: To make, puor 1/3 cup of the powder in a mug, pout 1 cup hot milk, stir and enjoy! If desired, add whipped cream on top.

It's cold out there, Baby! Let's warm up with Hot chocolate!

These jars were packed in small bamboo baskets and wrapped in basket bags ( I really have to work on my gift wrapping skills, I suck at it, big time).

Have you also made any gifts this year? Do share your ideas in the comments or on the Facebook page.

Wish you all a Merry Christmas! Hope this holiday season is a happy one for you and your family! 

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