Rejuvenating Foot Soak

I'm on my feet a lot, both at work and at home. Sometimes I need a little foot soak to help relax those overworked feet (I can't always talk my way into a foot rub from the hus). That is where this easy foot soak comes in handy. The tea tree oil leaves my feet all tingly even after I'm done soaking!

To make some Rejuvenating foot soak at home you will need:

1.5 cups Epsom Salts
1 Tablespoon baking soda (natural moisturizer)
1/2 teaspoon Tea Tree Essential Oil.

Mix these ingredients together and add to about 1-1.5 gallons hot water. I generally use the hottest tap water I can stand, and I will sometimes start with a gallon and then add fresh hot water as my water cools to keep it hot for a longer time. I soak for 10-20 minutes then rinse my feet and dry them. This is great when you just feel like giving yourself a little treat and it is pretty inexpensive to make (you could even do a large batch to give as gifts).

What is your favorite way to treat yourself?

Hot Cocoa Sugar Scrub

This is a great last minute gift to whip up (and it literally takes only about a minute!). Great as a hostess gift or stocking stuffer, you probably have almost everything in your cupboards right now!

To make this sugar scrub you will need:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup oil of choice (a very light oil with little odor is important I recommend Sunflower of Safflower oils, Grapeseed oil also works well)
1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil (optional-helps preserve freshness of product, recommended to increase shelf life)

You can also get extra festive and add in some peppermint essential oil if you want to make Peppermint Hot Cocoa scrub(about 3 drops should do)!


Mix all of the ingredients together well and put into container of your choice. I recommend plastic containers with air tight lids (you can find lots of pretty containers online or in craft stores) as plastic will not break should it be dropped in a bathroom or kitchen and risk causing injury. This is an especially yummy Winter scrub and I love it for my super dry hands and elbows this time of year! Simply wet hands, rub on the scrub and rinse thoroughly.


This product will stay fresh about 2 weeks without the addition of vitamin E, with the vitamin E oil it has a shelf life of 4-6 weeks (you can also elongate the shelf life of your product by storing in the refrigerator).


The link above is a Google affiliate Ad, any purchases made from the above link will result in a commission to myself, this is not a paid post.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Body Scrub

Oh, I have been so excited to share this with you all! Several of my favorite blogs have been sharing their excitement with Fall and the fact that it means the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. I, however, don't think it can in any way compare to this Pumpkin Spice Latte body scrub. I don't actually like the taste of coffee. Have I mentioned that? Yeah, I'm weird. I do really love the smell of coffee though, so this body scrub has enabled me to share in everyone else's Pumpkin Spice Latte joy this season.

This would make a great gift by the way, and smells super delicious! To make it you only need a few ingredients:

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 heaping Tablespoons of your favorite ground coffee (I have been told that instant coffee can also be used, but my husband doesn't go for that stuff)
1-2 Tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice (this is a blend of nutmeg, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. If you have all of those but do not have pumpkin pie spice, just combine them in your favorite ratio instead)
3/4-1 cup oil, depending on how "wet" you like your body scrub (I used flax seed oil and grapeseed oil, you want light oils without much of their own flavor or scent in this one, so it doesn't overpower your other ingredients)

Start by pouring your sugar into a bowl and breaking it up to get rid of any large chunks. I generally use a whisk or fork for this, they work great!

Next, measure in your ground coffee and spices. You can add more or less of each depending on your personal taste. I used 2 heaping tablespoons of ground coffee, and 1 1/2 Tablespoons of spices. Mix this all together evenly before adding your oil.

Finally, measure and add in your oils. I used a full cup of oil total, about 3/4 cup of Flaxseed and 1/4 cup Grapeseed oils. You may also use Sunflower or Safflower oils in this, they work great. Mix everything together well and then scoop into an air tight container of your choosing.

I found this glass container at my local Dollar Store, but you may want to find something less breakable, especially if giving as gifts. Broken glass in the shower does not a Merry Christmas make. You can find lots of different shops online that specialize in homemade soap and body scrubs that have all kinds of containers for sale, just poke around and I'm sure something both beautiful and function is out there!

This leaves your skin feeling smooth and super soft, and I have seen in many places that coffee can have a myriad of benefits for your skin (some places even claim the caffeine in coffee can shrink fat cells and reduce the appearance of cellulite! Coffee body scrub for one and all!)

Calming Brown Sugar Scrub

Rather than all things hearty and pink, I thought I'd give you all an easy Valentine's gift that can be quickly and cheaply be whipped up for all of your friends! This brown sugar facial scrub requires only a couple ingredients, and can be customized with any scent you enjoy.


To make this batch of sugar scrub you will need:

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup oil or oils of choice (I used flax seed oil, extra virgin olive oil, jojoba, avocado and more can be used.)
4 drops lavender essential oil
8 drops tea tree essential oil


These scrubs are incredibly easy to make, just dump all of the above ingredients into a bowl, mix well and put into a lidded container of choice. I often use tiny mason jars, but if you don't want to have glass in your bathroom, plastic containers can be found that are also very cute.

If you have a hard time finding essential oils or a variety of the oils I have listed above, I have been known to order from Elements Bath and Body from tie to time. They have a flax seed oil I love that is much cheaper than what you will find in a grocery store as it is meant for soaps and cosmetic uses, not food grade.

If you have never used sugar scrub before, get ready for some super soft smooth feeling skin. I love every one I have ever made, and my sensitive skin usually gets dried out no matter what product I use. Just take a small scoop and add a few drops of water, then rub between your hands before applying to your face so it spreads evenly.

Candy Cane Sugar Scrub

This is an incredibly easy sugar scrub recipe that makes a great gift (if you are already Holiday minded it is an excellent stocking stuffer!). The best part is you probably have the main ingredients on hand already! I like to make a small batch for myself and keep it in my 4 oz. mason jars, as pictured. However, if you want to make a large batch and separate it into smaller jars it is very easy to just use the ratio of 2 parts sugar to one part oil and make as large or small a batch as you like.

To make my Peppermint Candy Cane Sugar Scrub you will need:

4 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon flax seed oil
3-4 drops peppermint essential oil

container for storage (I keep mine in a small glass mason jar, you may want to opt for a plastic container, especially if little ones are around, to prevent breakage)

Just add all of the ingredients together, stir well and you have a great exfoliating facial scrub! You can make it unscented as well, or choose a different essential oil as well. The peppermint is very refreshing, as is tea tree oil. For something calming I would recommend a lavender essential oil.

*The sugar does tend to settle at the bottom, so be sure to stir or shake before using.

If giving as a gift, I might recommend making several small containers of varying scents! Also, you may substitute in brown sugar for the white granulated sugar in equal amounts. I like to use a little flax seed oil, as I have mild psoriasis and it seems to help calm my skin better than just olive oil, but you may use entirely olive oil, or experiment with other natural oils to see what you like best. :)




This post was featured on Wildcrafting Wednesday.

Make your own Bath Salts

With Wedding season well upon us, I thought I'd share a quick and inexpensive idea that could be used as a wedding favor (or even centerpiece) at a wedding. These bath salts are easily customizable, can be put in any sort of packaging you like and the materials are easy to find and don't break the bank! (No weddings in your future? These would be great party favors at almost any occasion, and the packaging you choose really changes the whole effect!)

First, for the bath salts themselves you will need:

Epsom Salts
Baking Soda (a natural moisturizer)
Essential Oil (for these I used Lavender, but you may choose any scent you enjoy--I generally use Peppermint if I'm making a foot soak)

When making a small batch for myself I use 1 cup of Epsom Salts, 1 Tablespoon of Baking Soda and 2-3 drops of Essential Oil.

I generally prefer to leave mine white, but a drop or two of food coloring can be used to color the salts, or mica pigments can be found online or in soap making shops if you prefer a more natural way of coloring yours.

Next, a container will be needed to present and store your bath salts. What better way to celebrate you and your partners "great chemistry" than by using test tubes? I have places mine into a graduated cylinder so they don't go rolling all over the table. If you look online you will see that these can be purchased in large quantities very cheaply, and in many variations. I like the look of glass with corks, but you may find it more suitable to use plastic tubes with screw-on caps.

Rather than Test tubes, maybe you would want to place your bath salts in decorative mason jars. These could be different sizes as well, and make quite a nice table centerpiece, mixed with jars of flowers or candies.

I also know that M&M's makes personalized candies that would work with this as well. You can get them in your wedding colors, or with images on them! Test tubes would again be a great container, as they fill up rather quickly to keep the overall cost down, but still look great. Or fill larger containers so guests can nibble during the reception.