Tell Me A Story: Christmas Gifts

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Homemade Bath Salts

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Homemade Bath Salts

Pamper your family and friends with this homemade gift that is fun to make, relatively inexpensive, and yet with personalized labels it can look like it came from an exclusive spa.

Christmas 2011 - I didn't get all the homemade gifts made in time for our Christmas Eve celebration - so...I gathered all the ingredients for my children and grandchildren to create their own Homemade Bath Salts. They liked their other presents - but we really had fun together creating individual Homemade Bath Salts.

Don't forget to pamper yourself with the aromatherapy fragrance that suits you best.

Decorate recycled glass jars, or purchase glass bottles at your local hobby and specialty stores (Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Joann, World Market), or online at Specialty Bottle.

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://www.specialtybottle.com/clearfrenchsquaresmi.aspx

Gather Materials

Epsom Salts
Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
Essential Oils
Food Coloring
OPTIONAL:

Glycerin
Dried Fragrant Plants (Lavender or Eucalyptus or Roses)

Glass Jars or Bottles with Lids

Labels
Ribbon & Decorations

Text on the back of our personalized labels:

Enjoy the therapeutic benefits

of our all-natural bath salts

with the relaxing, soothing

effects of aromatherapy.

Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of scented salts

to a bath for a soothing,

luxurious experience.

Relieves pain from minor sprains and bruises.

Made with Essential Oils:

Eucalyptus, Lavender,

Mulberry, Patchouli,

Sweet Almond, Tea Tree, Vanilla

Note:

Please use our text to create your own personalized labels.

Directions

Mix Epson Salts (1 Cup)

and Sea Salt (1/4 Cup)
or a combination of the two.

Caution: Some people add Baking Soda to bath salts, as a water softener, but I've heard of baking soda causing explosions when added to bath salts.

Epsom Salts and Sea Salt are soothing for tired muscles, and both gently soften the water for a luxurious bath experience.

Add a few drops of food coloring, until you achieve the desire shade.

Christmas Eve Family Activity: Daughter Kristin creates her own personalized fragrant Bath Salts. Copyright Marcia Norwood

Mix in several drops of essential oil. Start with three drops, and see if you like the fragrance.

Remember: color and fragrance are diluted in the bath water.

OPTIONAL: Add Glycerin and/or Dried Fragrant Plants (Like Lavender or Eucalyptus or Roses)

Stir salts vigorously until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Pour/layer colored bath salts into glass containers for yourself or give as gifts.

Patchouli Bath Salts Recipe
Patchouli oil has a sensual woodsy aroma.
Add sparingly to...

Epsom Salt
Sea Salt

or a combination of both.

Green Food Coloring
Glycerin (Optional)
Rope or Twine Decoration

Mandarin Orange Bath Salts Recipe

Epson Salt (1 -2 Cups)
Six Drops Mandarin Essential Oil
Orange Food Color
Decorate with Orange Ribbon

Lavender Bath Salts Recipe

1 Cup Epson Salt
1/2 Cup Sea Salt
8 Drops Lavender
Red & Blue Food Coloring to make Lavender Color

Have fun pampering yourself and your friends and family!

This Christmas - I'm creating organic Bath Teas with herbs and epsom salts - packaged in tea bags. Watch for pictures in future blogs!

Thanks for stopping by!

Come back often, and bring a friend!

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Thursday, September 19, 2013

WRINKLES

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Worried about wrinkles?

"All of these lines across my face

tell you the story of who I am...

But these stories don't mean anything

when you have no one to tell them to..."

Brandi Carlile

Thank you for listening to my stories.

Today, I'm sharing something for wrinkled skin and wrinkled souls.

Let's set the mood with music,
and listen to one of my favorite songs:

The Story

Brandi Carlile

Click on the link or
COPY and PASTE the link
to your browser:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5c4ARb5ORw

Something For Wrinkled Skin:

R E C I P E

Homemade Body Lotion

It's simple to make.

It's inexpensive to make.

It's messier to make than you think....

but it makes the most wonderful gifts!

Ingredients:

2 Jars Store-Brand Vitamin E Cream
2 Store-Brand Baby Lotion Bottles
1 Jar Store-Brand Vaseline Petroleum Jelly
(Save money and purchase all items at dollar stores.)

Dump all ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

(Get a BIGGER mixing bowl than you think you will need.

(Cut apart the baby lotion bottles to get more out.)

Mix.
(I used an electric mixer on low speed. Don't overheat mixer.)

Spoon lotion into little jars. You might want to reuse Vitamin E cream or Vaseline jars, or antique or fancy jars. RECYCLE: I clean and use glass Shatto milk bottles, and other glass bottles and jars.

Yes! It's that easy!

Now - go make some.

Think of a name for your line of bath and body products.

Optional: Add essential oils for fragrance.

I found glass jars at Hobby Lobby, and Hy-Vee grocery store, and online at Specialty Bottle.

http://www.specialtybottle.com/clearfrenchsquaresmi.aspx

Click on each photograph to see an enlargement.

It's fun to decorate jars with shells, charms, glass and cording.

I created labels in Microsoft Publisher and printed them on photo paper on my Kodak 5300 Easyshare printer.

Something For Wrinkled Souls:

"People grow old only by deserting their ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin,

but to give up interest wrinkles the soul."

"You are as young as your faith,

as old as your doubt;

as young as your self-confidence,

as old as your fear;

as young as your hope,

as old as your despair."

"In the central place of every heart

there is a recording chamber.

So long as it receives messages

of beauty, hope, cheer and courage,

so long you are young."

"When your heart is covered with the

snows of pessimism and

the ice of cynicism, then,

and then only,

are you grown old.

And then, indeed as the ballad says,

you just fade away."

Douglas MacArthur

(1880-1964)

American General who commanded the Southwest Pacificin World War II

Click on each photograph to see an enlargement.

Thanks for stopping by!

Come back often, and bring a friend!

Marcia & Sarah

Marcia Norwood

America's STORYTELLER

Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Look for more of my recipes for homemade soap, bath salts, lip gloss, and perfume in upcoming blogs.

Tell Me A Story

TELL ME A STORY

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Homemade Bath Salts

Thursday, September 19, 2013

WRINKLES

AMERICA'S STORYTELLER, Marcia Norwood