Good Gifting - Homemade Spa Products

My gift to my beautiful baby shower hostesses,
see the final package below.

Having a natural obsession for spa products — particularly those made with natural ingredients — I decided to try my hand at making a few at home spa products. Creating these products make fun DIY projects that may even save me money in the long run.

My first inspiration came from a stay a year ago at an upscale hotel. They had a little welcome bag for my husband and I, including a bath tea bag. Loving any essential oils, Epsom salt and any bath fizzies I can get my hands on, this sounded like a great project for a spa themed gift. Here’s what you will need to make your own:

• Dried chamomile flowers (about ½ cup)
• Dried hibiscus flowers (about 1 ½ cups)
• Dried lavender (about ½ cup)
• Essential oil scented Epsom salt (or plain Epsom salt with the essential oils of your choice) (2 cups of Epsom salt)
• Large (self-sealing) tea bags (I got mine at Teavana – great price!)
• Iron
• Large bowl

Measure and mix out the flowers, placing in the large bowl. Add in Epsom salt and mix. Scoop out and fill teabags half to three-quarters full. Use iron to press and seal.

Wrap with a cute ribbon for a gift, or place in a tub of hot water and enjoy for your self.

The second idea came from a gift my wonderful friend, Heather Loyall, gave me for Christmas. This little jar smelled so good, in a crazy pregnant moment I actually tasted it… .Then panicked I sent her a text that said “What was in that scrub?, I just tasted it ‘cause it smelled so good!” Luckily it only has three safe ingredients:

• ¼ Cup Coconut oil
• ½ Cup Brown sugar
• ¼ Cup Honey
• Small Jars

That's it! To make a batch, I took the whole jar of coconut oil and scooped its contents into a large bowl.

Next added in the brown sugar, mixing well. Last, I added in the honey, mixing until smooth. My friend Heather said you can substitute the sugar for salt for a grainier feel and add in fun ingredients to mix it up, like:

• Coffee grounds
• Orange zest
• Fresh rosemary

Then simply jar, decorate and figure out who you want to spoil!

This is what I gave beautiful baby shower hostess, last summer. Tag reads:
"From my shower to yours. Thank you for helping to prepare us for our little arrival. Now go pamper yourself with these fresh spa products."

Please know these measurements are what I used, but if you want a grainier scrub, or a bath soak that smells more like lavender and chamomile and lavender, just adjust to make it yours!

Good Gifting - Great for Grads

Truth: It’s been a long time since I rocked a cap and gown. But with graduation season behind us and the class of 2013 preparing for college, I thought it would be good to share a nifty idea I found on Pinterest. The majority of grads will get money, gift cards and the occasional sentimental picture frame. However, if you want to think outside the box, why not make them a dorm kit? You don’t even need a gift bag; just use a tote they can use to and from the communal shower. Here is a list of ideas:

• Flip flops (rubber or plastic for the shower)
• Shampoo
• Face wash
• Body wash
• Luffa
• Hand soap
• Hand sanitizer
• Stain pen
• Deodorant
• Toothpaste
• Floss
• Mouthwash
• Q-Tips
• Pain killer
• 5 Hour Energy
• Their favorite snacks (For our cousin Logan, I included chocolate-covered Oreos, Pringles and Swiss Rolls)
• Shower tote (to put it all in)
• Fun bow and card

One other direction you can go is the laundry route. Buy a new laundry basket and add in following:

• Detergent
• Dryer sheets
• Stain remover
• Towels
• Wash cloths
• Sheets
• Laundry bag or small sorter
• Iron
• Laundry basket (to put it in)
• Big bow and card

This can be a fun alternative or a great add-on for a monetary gift.

Have a great summer, grads!

Good Gifting

A few gift ideas from a former nomad

For those of you who have known Travis and me for a while, you all know we are very good at moving. I did the math, and since we have known each other.. Together we have moved 13 times during the course of our relationship! Since it will be 10 years in May, I think it's safe to say we know a thing or two on the topic.

Living in different cities throughout the country has given us many blessings and a different perspective of life outside of the Midwest. Mostly, it has given us amazing friends and memories spanning the U.S. It has also confirmed that Cincinnati is the place we want to call home. (Although anyone who has been to Denver says we are nuts!) 

Here are two lessons I learned, that have led to great gifts for friend’s of mine who are moving.

Lesson 1: There are some things you can’t take with you, like the flavors of a city and your friends. I wish there was a way to bottle up the amazing pizza from Boston's North End along with my girlfriends Sara, Marybeth and Erin, but it wouldn't be the same. And let's be honest, there is nothing like Denver's green chili or the yummy pineapple upside down pancakes from Snooze. Even if I made it at home, it wouldn’t be the same without my Mile High crew. So if you have a friend leaving your fair city, give them two things that will leave a good taste in there mouth and memories to take on their journey. For our friend Amy we did a Taste of Cincinnati Basket, complete with all the flavors you can’t get outside the Queen City. Second, we included a picture frame so she could display her favorite Cincinnati memory in her new Nashville home.

Lesson 2:  After moving over a dozen times, you become an expert in how to properly label, pack and prep for an upcoming move. But moving can be a battle, and as Moltke the Elder said, “No battle plan, survives contact with the enemy.” Your enemy here is memory. No matter who many times I have moved, it’s always the first night in the new place I am strapped to find contact solution, a toothbrush, scissors and sometimes a bottle opener. For my friends the Mullins, who moved across town, I created an untraditional house warming gift complete with these helpful items for their first night in their new home.

1. Contact Solution
2. Soap
3. Paper plates, silverware and napkins
4. Corkscrew & scissors
5. Bottle of your choice
6. Toilet paper (I wrapped two rolls in pretty paper)
7. Toothbrushes
8. Cleaning wipes
9. Makeup wipes
10. Mini first aid kid (hello paper cuts!)
11. Kitchen soap
12. Put it all in a cute basket they can use in their new home!

For those of you who are saying goodbye to a friend who is moving away or helping a friend move across town, I hope these ideas are helpful. Last, if your friend is moving please know there is no better gift to give someone moving than a helping hand.

Safe travels!