Lemon

Rub-a-Dub-Dub, I made a bathtime Salt Scrub!

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If there is one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I have a secret 2nd life.  The only way to meet the “other brook” is to peruse my Pinterest Boards.  Seriously. I have an addiction to pinning things that will never come to fruition due to lack of time, funds and, well, ambition.  But I will pin them like it’s my job.

Every now and then, I actually DO set forth to conquer a pin from my boards and although it’s never PINTEREST FAIL worthy, it usually ends up needing some tweaking.

peppermintfootsoak
Enter Peppermint & Lemon Foot Soak.  I loved everything about this pin.  From the look of the finished Pinterest project to the thought of keeping it holistic and in-house.

So I made this “by the book”.  Looked great, smelled decent, but I wasn’t totally sold.  The recipe called for using Peppermint and lemon EXTRACT.  Hmm.  Not too sure.  It had a strong alcohol scent like it would using extract.  So, I sealed it up and figured I’d let it meld for a bit, per the recipe.

The more I sat there looking at it, the more I was like. Nope.  So I decided to take out my #YoungLiving oils.  I am not an oil lady, I don’t sell them I don’t promote them, but I have a few that have been rockstars for me; Peppermint, Lemon, Lavender.

So I made this recipe exactly EXCEPT, I used a few drops of each of the three oils INSTEAD of the extracts…and BOOM! There it was.  That was the glorious smell I was looking for and it was less liquid which kept the tea leaves from bleeding into the salt making it a weird green color.

footsoak

Peppermint-Lemon-Lavender Sea Salt Foot Scrub
(Adapted from Peppermint & Lemon Foot Soak.)

1 cup EPSOM SALT
1 cup KOSHER SALT (or sea salt)
2 Tablespoons PURE PEPPERMINT TEA (not flavored, but pure)
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cornstarch
Peppermint, Lavender & Lemon Essential Oils (I used Young Living)

  1. Mix both salts together in a bowl until smooth
  2. Add Olive Oil and mix until smooth
  3. Add 3-5 Drops of each oil mix well until smooth (no lumps)  You may want to use more or less of the oils, they are potent. So Add to your liking.
  4. Mix in Baking soda and Cornstarch until smooth
  5. Lastly, add in the tea leaves.  If you can’t find loose tea, I bought bags and cut them open to get my Peppermint tea.
  6. Mix it all (should be like a grainy sand) and store in an airtight container.  I put mine in Mason Jars and am giving a few for gifts 🙂

update on the original recipe.  Once I made the jars with the Essential Oils, I threw out the others with the extracts.  They didn’t hold a candle to the EO ones. ❤

 

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Resolving to Not Resolve (plus Lemon Mint Cucumber Water)

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So, it’s be come obvious to me that I have to make things an obsession if it’s going to work.  What does this mean?  Well, it means that I have to keep up on the Social Media side of things to keep myself in check.  I’m not starting a New Year’s Resolution this year, but I am starting my new journey to babyville.

There. I said it. My husband and I are ready to have another, but I refuse to put my body through that again until it’s healthy..again.  I lost 75+ lbs to get ready for baby number one and then lived the life of a dairy queen who loved cheese, milk, ice cream and tacos.  What?. nevermind, but seriously.  I ate tacos probably 2x/week and ice cream almost daily.  Oh and my friend Mr. Exercise.  I broke up with him.

Let’s just say that Mama was nesting more than in a nursery.  My waistline turned into a large eagles nest and I’ve hung onto it like it’s on the endangered species items of necessity list.

So, I told my husband that we’ll try again once we’re through with our ACM Award / Las Vegas Trip this April with the Radio Station.  So I’m counting down the days til my health deadline, he’s counting down the days til…well, you do the math.

Needless to say, we’re both motivated. ha!

Last night we arrived home after a full week in North Dakota visiting family.  The fridge? Empty.  The Cupboards? Empty.  My Blood Sugar?  Drastically falling like a bad day on Wall Street since I’m officially 8 hours off the “High Fructose Family” diet.  I will admit that my eating was FAR SUPERIOR to most holidays where I graze like a Guernsey on Chocolate, Chex, Meat, Potatoes, Bread, more bread and well anything that resembles anything edible.  This time I watched that I mostly only ate at dinner times and portioned out things if I snacked. Not great, but better than before.

I did a quick Pinterest Search or two and made a list for restocking. This time, with Clean Eating in mind and items that wouldn’t break my bank.

I kinda became addicted to MIO.  In the end, it was just artificial sugar and flavor, not doing much for me.  I still love it, but opted for something new.  Here is one of the water recipes (if you can call it a recipe) that I will drink this week.  I will try to post/try a new one each week!

Detox WaterLemon Mint Cucumber Water (Detox)

  • 1/2 Lemon Sliced
  • Mint Leaves (torn)
  • 1 small/med cucumber sliced

Wash everything, slice em up and add them to a pitcher of water.  let them meld overnight. Then enjoy.  I will continue to refill the pitcher for a day or two til I need to change out the Lemon/Cucumber/Mint.  tada! it’s that easy!

**Note**  the acid in the lemon kinda ate away at my plastic container (i suppose it depends on the container), but I use a glass pitcher now just in case. 🙂
Thanks to FitSugar.com, here’s why you want to add these to your water:

  • Lemon: Lemon water makes for a powerful detox drink; lemon juice helps to cleanse and alkalize the body. Add one thinly sliced lemon to a large pitcher, or squeeze fresh lemon juice into your glass.

  • Mint: Mint adds a touch of sweetness without the sugar to your water, and it also helps settle your stomach and aids in digestion as well.

  • Cucumber: Cucumber water isn’t just for spas. Adding a few slices of cucumber to your water makes for excellent rehydration, and cucumber contains anti-inflammatory properties, as well.