DIY: bath salts

alright guys! you ask for it, and here it is. the first of many "how to's" from turquoise violets.

remember the spontaneous 200+ giveaway that i did the other day? well this is the homemade gift that i made for the winner. bath salts are one of my favorite gifts to give. they say "i was thinking about you" in one of the best forms...relaxation. i decided on these for little ms humble bumble b, because there is no one i know that deserves a little relaxation more than this lady! she is one hard working momma!

so here it is.....

coffee & cinnamon bath salts

you will need:

epson salt

olive oil

ground coffee

cinnamon

double boiler (or crock pot)

coffee filter (optional)

jar for your finished salts

step 1:

measure how much salt you will need to fill your jar, i always use this same jar from michael's and i know it holds 2 cups of salt. next you will figure out the amount of oil that you will need. the way i do my measurements is always a 2:1 ratio (2 cups of salt:1 cup of oil). in a separate mason jar mix 1 cup oil, 1 tbsp of cround coffee and 1 tsp cinnamon.

step2:

time to set up your double boiler. i use a pot of boiling water and a mason jar. you could also use a small crock pot. bring enough water to cover your oil mixture to a low boil. place your mason jar into the boiling water. let the oil simmer for a few hours. stirring occasionally.

step 3:

once you are satisfied with the strength of the aroma remove jar from oil. be careful, it will be extremely hot. let the oil cool completely. i recommend letting it cool for at least a few hours, if it is still warm at all it will dissolve the salts. once the oil is completely cool pour over the salts.

note: this is the step where your optional coffee

filter will come in. i don't use the filtering method

because i like the added texture of the coffee

grinds. but if you would rather them gone you can

run the oil through a coffee filter, and then into

the salts.

step 4:

fold the oil and salt together gently and that's it, you are done. package however you please. i like to wrap mine with twine and attach a handmade tag. i usually use some recycled bit of the boys art. hope you enjoy these salts that can either be used for soaking in the tub, or in the shower as a scrub. (oh, i like that little poetic slogan....hahaha)

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. movie monday. monday's are always a big catch up on laundry from the weekend day for me. so the boy and i have started a loose tradition of movie mondays. he's happy and entertained for at least 2 hours so i can tackle the mountain of washing and folding. this week we even got a new movie....robots, it's cute.

2. tuesday nights tuna melts

3. having 200+ page views in one day. you guys are so awesome, and i couldn't have done it without you. we also did an impromptu giveaway, just because i was so excited!

4. the hubs took an afternoon off this week so that i could go surfing. i was really excited about some buzz that i heard about possible waves. mind you i had not been surfing in about 7 years. the waves were crap. choppy with a strong rip current. i didn't stand up. mostly tried to keep my head above water. but it was worth every second of it. there is something about the stoke.

5. homemade bath salts for little miss humble bumble b (she was the winner of the 200+ giveaway). bath salts are so easy to make and are such a great gift. be on the look out for a tutorial on making your own coffee & cinnamon bath salts.

6. two play dates in one day. the boy has two different groups of friends and i love it when days fall in line and we have two dates. we had an a.m. science museum date and then an afternoon swimming session. such a fun day.

7. one of the best foodie blogs i have seen in a while, my new roots. not only does the food look delicious (and i am not even a vegetarian), but the pictures look delicious too. i am dying to make these raw vegan brownies.

8. a quart of super grandmas homemade ranch dressing. i think i have put on 10lbs this week because i just can't get enough of this stuff.

9. super fun daddy and boy time. i was very busy this weekend, which meant the hubs and the boy got to spend a ton of quality time together. they had a blast with new additions to the train set, long bike rides, and lots of side walk art.

10. a family photo session with the burton family. check out all the fun we had!