Valentine Gifts of Beauty
Creating your own valentines is a real gift of love and it shows people how much you care. I would much rather get a handmade card full of true intent and feelings. You can craft your own gifts out of simple home ingredients. Fragrant sachets or dream pillows made from scraps of fabric and filled with dried herbs and flowers are simple to sew or craft. Bath salts made with baking soda, epsom salts, and sea salt can be poured inside recycled jars and bottles. Decorate a box or tin and include some seeds from your garden. The ideas are endless. Remember the three basic rules of gift giving:
Give what you would like to receive.
Personalize your gift.
Be creative.
I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day this year. Here are a few easy recipes for you to try at home and one just for fun.
Valentine Bath Salts
Bath salts are one of the easiest and most popular body care products to create at home. They are fun to create and give. If you are not a bath lover, or don’t own a bathtub, they can be used in foot soaks or body scrubs. Epsom salts are rich source of magnesium, sea salt will boost your circulation, and baking soda is well-known for detoxifying the body. Adding dried lavender to the mix creates a soothing, cleansing and relaxing bath soak. For gift giving fill pretty jars with these salts and tie with a big bow. (You can use a lavender sachets as a bow for added scent.)
1 cup Epsom salts
1 /2 cup sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
1 /2 cup baking soda
2 Tablespoons dried lavender buds or favorite herbs
4 to 5 drops essential oil of lavender (optional)
In a large bowl mix together all ingredients. Stir well and spoon into a clean container. To use: add 1 /2 cup to 1 cup to your bath as you fill the tub. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
Yield: 16 ounces
Kiss Me Sugar Scrub
The three most important things you can do for healthy skin is to keep it clean, full of moisture and protected from the sun. Using an all natural skin scrub every other week will keep your skin fresh and healthy and able to absorb more moisture. Lavender has cleansing and antibacterial properties that also soothe and cleanse your skin. You can adjust the scrubbing power of this product by the type of sugar you use. Raw or coarse sugar has larger crystals where granulated sugar is fine enough to use on your face.
1 /4 dried lavender buds, rose petals and mint leaves
1 cup granulated sugar or fine grain raw sugar
valentine sugar hearts for fun
In a clean, dry glass jar, alternate layers of the sugar and dried lavender. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or beeswax wrap, and place in a dry spot for a few weeks. For gift giving spoon into a decorated jar and place a few sugar hearts on top. To use: Pour a small amount of the scrub into the palm of your hand, and mix with water or your favorite cleanser. Massage into damp skin in a circular motion, then rinse well with warm water.
Yield: 8 ounces
You are Avo-dorable Valentine
Valentine puns are fun to think up and there are so many from "I love you berry much" to "I am bananas for you Valentine" Avocados may not seem like a traditional valentine gift but they are so good for you and easy to find this time of year. Besides being yummy and good for you they can also be used head to toe to keep your skin and hair looking beautiful. When I saw these cards at my local grocery store I knew I had to give out a few "Avo-dorable" Valentines to my friends.
Valentine you are beautiful!!!
xoxo Janice