In a large bowl, combine the Castile soap, distilled water, sea salt, and vegetable glycerin, and stir gently until well combined. Add cedarwood, frankincense, clary sage, and vanilla essential oil if using. Start with the lower amount of 15 drops each and adjust to your preference.
For an extra moisturizing boost, stir in the raw honey, if desired. Pour mixture into airtight container of choice for easy storage.
To enjoy, run a warm bath and add 1/4-1/2 cup of bubble bath under running water. Relax and soak in the woody aroma.
In a small bowl, add brown sugar, ground spices/cinnamon, and coconut oil, and mix until the ingredients are well blended. Pack the holiday lip scrub into storage tins. Decorate with gingerbread man sprinkles if desired.
Sounds yummy and sends you into Winter and the holiday season. Would make great gifts.
A creative project is a great way to focus your mind and spend some downtime. Art, gardening, craft, and DIY are all very therapeutic. You’ll feel more relaxed and gain some perspective. Creativity is the perfect way to channel stress and anxiety. Put your overactive mind to good use and make something you’ll cherish forever. There are plenty of different kinds of ideas depending on your interests. Here are five creative projects to help focus your mind.
Paint by Numbers is an example of a trendy craft gone viral during lockdown. It is incredibly therapeutic and relaxing, and not just for kids anymore. Even though you’re following instructions, it still requires a lot of patience and hard work. Paint by numbers is a good compromise if you like art but aren’t necessarily an experienced painter. You’ll be able to enjoy the results without being a natural artist. You can display your painting proudly for all your family and friends.
Winter Flowers
There are several reasons why gardening is so therapeutic. It’s a great way to get back in touch with nature and gain some perspective. Sun and fresh air also go a long way. Even when the seasons start to change, this doesn’t mean you have to be a fair-weather garden. There are plenty of winter flowers you can plant such as pansies and jasmine that grow all year round. If you want to keep it inside you could even build your own mini zen garden, or decorate the house with plants.
Customize your car
If you’re the type that likes to get your hands dirty then why not sink yourself into a project in the garage? Customize your car to your liking this fall. Automotive Stuff is an example of a site where you can find your own parts. You can even trade car parts online with other car owners. If you prefer, start small with the interior, or even work under the hood. If you’re passionate about cars you could invest in a used vehicle to revamp.
Make your own bath products
You’d be surprised how many simple products you can make at home. All you need is some essential oils and a couple of household ingredients, and you can make a variety of bath products. This is a more eco-friendly option as well, not to mention thrifty. If you want to use your creativity to make something you’re going to use, then bath products are ideal. You can even give them as gifts to your family and friends.
Upcycle your furniture
Whether you decide to flip the furniture or keep it, it’s easy to see why upcycling has become such a popular pastime. You could invest in some second-hand furniture at your local thrift store and turn it into a creative project. For example, you could find an old photo frame, print your Domonique Rodgers NC State print, and hang it on the wall. Creating Upcycling is a fun way to revamp furniture or repurpose other items. Perhaps you can find a new use for some old things around the house. It’s very therapeutic and satisfying.
This DIY is easy and super quick to do. It can also be done in the comfort of your own kitchen platform to relieve your eyes of all the exhaustion and get rid of the dullness around the eyes.
Carrot (Known for its discoloration properties, carrot juice would help you get rid of the darkness and dullness around eyes)
Cucumber (Known for its cooling properties, cucumber would help in distressing your eyes giving them a relaxed effect)
Raw Milk (Known for its anti-tan properties, milk has always come handy in getting rid of dark circles around eyes)
Rose water (For the relaxation it provides to tired eyes)
Round Cotton Pads
Grater
To make the Eye Pads:
Grate about a teaspoon full of carrot in a bowl
Now, add some grated cucumber to the carrot.
Add about a teaspoon of raw milk (unheated) to this mixture.
Now, add a teaspoon full of rose water to this.
Now let this mixture rest for about 20 minutes to let the carrot and cucumber soak properly in the milk and rose water mixture.
Now, squeeze out the carrot and cucumber pulp and put the juice in a separate bowl.
Now, take the cotton pads separate the two sheets of cotton, and spread a thin layer of the pulp onto one side of the cotton.
Now take about a teaspoon of the juice extract and spread it over the thin layer.
Make a sandwich by closing the thin layer sheet with its other cotton sheet.
You have homemade eye pads ready with all the goodness of natural ingredients which will not only relax your eyes but will also deal with the dark circles and the dullness of your eyes.
I hope you enjoy this easy-to-make self-care treat and remember you are worth it! Self-care is mental health care.
Just a few tips I’ve learned that work for me, I hope one of them helps you.
You can buy 4×4 inch sheer bags with ties and make shoe refreshers and refresh the clothes in the drawers. You can a 1 pound bag of loose fragrant lavender and make your own. I bought a pound in a glass container with a pop off top which was only $2 more and I can use the canister later. Well worth the $2.
If you wash your clothes on delicate unless it’s a large load, your clothes will last longer.
If you use a detergent for delicates, it’s often easier on sensitive skin.
I often wear sweater pants and the waist is often not dry with the rest of the load. I bought these wool dryer balls which cut down on drying time, clothes have fewer wrinkles and soften your clothes. NOT! The waist of my sweater pants were still moist, I could not tell the difference in wrinkles and my clothes came out with a ton of lent. I will have to use a lent brush to wear them.
If you add too much ice to your glass or have big lumps in your ice maker, save them for water to use later. I save the water for my plants. I collect the water in a large bowl if needed or add it to my watering bucket. This morning, I made tea and had leftover water, which I saved as well.
To have nice, even-growing plants, you need to turn them in another direction every week to get the extra sun.
Pardon the mess WordPress made out of the alignment. It looks fine in Editor but when reviewed it’s a complete mess. No surprise. Let’s put the frustration aside and enjoy reading about Ilze’s blog.
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight the blog A Day in the Life of a Latvian Mom. Ilze and I haven’t followed each other long but you would never know it. We became fast friends and now we talk almost every day. She is inspirational, logical with a touch of whimsy, and I can’t forget to say what a great photographer she is.
Hello! I’m Ilze, a mom of three wonderful kids who arrived in quick succession. This beautiful chaos led me to step away from my IT career to embrace motherhood fully.
Before becoming a mom, I built a career in IT, earning degrees in Programming and Computer Science. Almost two years ago, I accepted a position at a dream company after months of consideration, and I haven’t looked back since!
My blogging journey began with greeting card making, which eventually led to opening a photo studio to spend more time with my family. However, I soon realized I needed a change and discovered my love for making beeswax candles, experimenting with sweet aromas like green tea and lemon.
One thing I admire about Ilze is she can multitask until bone tired and still find humor in the day. What a blessing. The greatest lesson I took away from the posts is there is Physics to everything and life is how we look at it. This is a photo of her husband on a Zoom call with colleagues in Canada while he’s holding the water over the outdoor shower so Ilze can take her shower. Life can’t get much funnier!
Ilze is a devoted cook and has an archive full of delicious recipes to try your hand at. I saw this post and had to stop, drool, and think of how good it tasted. As my backing skills improve I will definitely try this cake. She has the ingredients and instructions laid out nicely so it is easy to follow.
I asked Ilze two questions:
What type of music she likes, why, and how has it changed her life? Her reply.
A song that’s close to me is “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. There’s something so powerful and soulful about the way she sings it. The song reminds me of the importance of authenticity and emotional connection, both in my personal life and in my work. It’s uplifting and grounding at the same time, and it always inspires me to embrace who I am and what I do. What a great song of liberty!
Aretha Franklin – (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
The second question:
Tell me about your favorite job and what she learned from it, here’s her reply.
My favorite job is the one I’m currently in, which I started almost two years ago in client support. I enjoy it because it challenges me to think creatively and come up with solutions that aren’t always straightforward. I work with managers and stakeholders, helping them use the report-managing app eazyBI, which is a rewarding experience. What I’ve learned most from this job is how to assist with different management questions and how to build reports that are valuable for decision-making. Even when the work becomes overwhelming, I’m fortunate to have a great mentor and a supportive team, which has taught me the importance of collaboration and asking for guidance when needed.
Ilze is a multitasker to the nth degree, and she does it effortlessly, always with a good sense of humor, grounded in nature, and good manners, and being kind to all is not act! In her career, she’s been a professional photographer, had her own studio, and loves working in IT.
You are short-changing yourself if you don’t stop by and say hello, you’ll make a fast friend and her archives are a walk through nature, life, cooking, foraging, and remodeling an 1880 derelict house by hand.
You may recognize Bramble Berry from the pages of Willow and Sage! We are so thrilled that they are sharing one of their latest and greatest skin-care recipes on our blog today. Learn how to make this nourishing and beautifully-scented Pink Peony Sugar Scrub below.
Pink Peony Sugar Scrub Recipe
This Pink Peony Sugar Scrub leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. Skin-loving cranberry butter and champagne extract are whipped together with Foaming Bath Butter to create a smooth base for the sugar. Foaming Bath Butter lathers with water, so the scrub washes off the skin without an oily residue. To use, apply the scrub to wet skin, gently rub in circular motions, and wash away.
In a large mixing bowl, add 10 ounces of Foaming Bath Butter and 2 ounces of cranberry butter. Using a hand or stand mixer, whip until they’re completely combined and smooth.
Add 2.5 ounces of champagne extract and 8 mL of Pink Peony Fragrance Oil. Whip the ingredients until smooth.
Add 15 ounces of granulated sugar and about 1/16 teaspoon of Hot Pink Mica. Use the mixer to thoroughly incorporate.
Spoon the mixture into jars.
To use, apply a small amount of the scrub to damp skin, gently rub in circular motions, and rinse off. Enjoy!
Bramble Berry offers high-quality handcraft supplies sourced from around the world for all your skin-care project needs! Visit their website at: brambleberry.com
A creative project is a great way to focus your mind and spend some downtime. Art, gardening, craft, and DIY are all very therapeutic. You’ll feel more relaxed and gain some perspective. Creativity is the perfect way to channel stress and anxiety. Put your overactive mind to good use and make something you’ll cherish forever. There are plenty of different kinds of ideas depending on your interests. Here are five creative projects to help focus your mind.
Paint by Numbers is an example of a trendy craft gone viral during lockdown. It is incredibly therapeutic and relaxing, and not just for kids anymore. Even though you’re following instructions, it still requires a lot of patience and hard work. Paint by numbers is a good compromise if you like art but aren’t necessarily an experienced painter. You’ll be able to enjoy the results without being a natural artist. You can display your painting proudly for all your family and friends.
Winter Flowers
There are several reasons why gardening is so therapeutic. It’s a great way to get back in touch with nature and gain some perspective. Sun and fresh air also go a long way. Even when the seasons start to change, this doesn’t mean you have to be a fair-weather garden. There are plenty of winter flowers you can plant such as pansies and jasmine that grow all year round. If you want to keep it inside you could even build your own mini zen garden, or decorate the house with plants.
Customize your car
If you’re the type that likes to get your hands dirty then why not sink yourself into a project in the garage? Customize your car to your liking this fall. Automotive Stuff is an example of a site where you can find your own parts. You can even trade car parts online with other car owners. If you prefer, start small with the interior, or even work under the hood. If you’re passionate about cars you could invest in a used vehicle to revamp.
Make your own bath products
You’d be surprised how many simple products you can make at home. All you need is some essential oils and a couple of household ingredients, and you can make a variety of bath products. This is a more eco-friendly option as well, not to mention thrifty. If you want to use your creativity to make something you’re going to use, then bath products are ideal. You can even give them as gifts to your family and friends.
Upcycle your furniture
Whether you decide to flip the furniture or keep it, it’s easy to see why upcycling has become such a popular pastime. You could invest in some second-hand furniture at your local thrift store and turn it into a creative project. For example, you could find an old photo frame, print your Domonique Rodgers NC State print, and hang it on the wall. Creating Upcycling is a fun way to revamp furniture or repurpose other items. Perhaps you can find a new use for some old things around the house. It’s very therapeutic and satisfying.
lemon, ginger, and turmeric paper-thin using a mandolin or sharp knife. Layer slices in a half-pint jar. Break cinnamon sticks lengthwise into several pieces and tuck them in jar. Add apple cider vinegar.
Pour
Pour honey into the jar, covering the other ingredients. Place jar in the refrigerator. The honey becomes thin syrup and read to use in 12 hours.
To Use
Stir up 1/4 cup into a hot tea or water: or take 1-2 tsp. syrup each hour as needed to soothe sore throat or cough. Shake the jar occasionally. Keep Refrigerated for up to three weeks.
BONUS Grannies Recipe
Mix equal parts honey, whiskey and lemon. Refrigerate in a pint jar, leave a spoon in and take a spoonful or two every time your throat needs it.
Super Bonus Gramps Recipe
Keep the bottle of Black Velvet on the nightstand, when you wake yourself up coughing, take a sig.
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