if you're here for a last minute Valentine's Day gift then there's no time for an introduction! Valentine's Day is only a few days away and sometimes chocolate and flowers can be overrated. What we really need is some pampering. And mix that with some handmade love, now that's a gift worth giving and receiving.

Lets get straight to it:

DōTERRA essential oils bath bombs:
​Ingredients:
1 cup citric acid
1 cup baking soda
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil
8-10 drops favorite essential oil or blend
Silicone mold (I used some hearts molds I found at a local thrift store)

I read somewhere that a tennis ball cut in half makes a great mold for the pretty, round bath bombs. In this case, were using hearts. Set these aside and gather your ingredients.

so, real quick, I have to say, "shame on you, reatilers!!"
Each of these ingredients (excluding the essential oils) can be found at a craft store, health store, or pharmacy section. However, the price is triple, if not more than the exact same product you'll find in the grocery section. Seriously. Be sure to do some quick research to find the right price for you.

My sweet girl and I whipped these up in no time- perfect for a last minute project.

be sure to press mixture firmly into molds and allow to dry 24 hours.

drop in your bath to enjoy! We blended wild orange, lavender, and peppermint for a rejuvenating blend. Lavender printed calm feelings, while orange and peppermint are a powerful to replace your stressors with uplifting feelings. Shoot me an email if you need to get your hands on some essential oils. (Shoestringamy@gmail.com)

peace, love, and rejuvenation

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Original recipe

Ahhh....Christmas time. What a beautiful, loving time of year. A time of the year where family and friends come together and happily adorn one another with gifts of gratitude. The time of year where laughter fills the air and joy contagiously replaces the angst that you carried with you throughout the year. 

The shopping malls are  overflowing just as much as the muffin top sitting on my overly-tight-post-Thanksgiving jeans. Anxiously building up to the day and then it's over. Just like that.

All over, right about now-this very moment, there are mother's and children alike pulling their hair from the roots of their scalp. 

Christmas hangover. 

It's a real thing. I don't care who you are: The happiest, jolliest- most spirited person or the person who secretly hates the holiday's; We all experience the Christmas hangover. 

Maybe not. Correct me if I'm wrong.  But, it's well alive in this house! My kid's- Thankful as they are- are in full melt down mode. Pre-Chrismtas we had many planned events, crafts, cooking for dinners, family gatherings, etc. and then....crash. It was all over and nothing to do. Yes, there are tons of brand new toys to play with. Kids will be kids. Right?

So, I came up with a plan. 

CHRISTMAS hangover CURE:

Week-o-fun KID'S planner created by kids

What you need: 

• Kids (Oh, yeah, we know that part...that's why we're in this pickle!)
• craft supplies from around the house (markers, crayons, scissors, magazine clippings, paper, glue)
• piece of cardboard/posterboard (We used a piece from a Christmas gift box)
• *Inspiration

Create: 
parents: Use the cardboard and list the day's of the week for the kid's to fill in. 

*hint: before you tell the kid's what you are up to, plan ahead. Create a list of activities you would like for them to do or crafts they can do with things you already have on hand. 

**double hint:  Think old school. There are tons of simple crafts that kids have been creating for years that will never go out of style. Simplicity is key. 

Christmas time comes with a fair share of hectic-ness; that's for sure! Holiday traditions should be smooth, simple, and ever-lasting. 

One of our family traditons is salt-dough ornaments. Naturally, there comes a little disclamer. If you store your ornaments in an out building, little critters don't know the difference between your priceless orament from a snack. So, looks like we will be making new ornaments this year AND new location to store our ornaments. 

​Good thing these are so cost effective and easy to make. 

After yesterday's post I felt it appropriate to jump straight into Thanksgiving. 

Upcycling is my favorite.  ​

MY GATHERINGS: 

• left over Halloween pumpkins
• paint
• glitter
• leaves and branches from the back yard
• piece of wood from pallet
• sharpie marker
• neutral colored items from around the home(weathered plate, books, jars- these items add dimension, height, textures, and interest)

I started by coming up with the colors I wanted to use: orange, natrual beige/browns/gold tones, and aqua/blues. 

We could have easily left the pumpkins orange, but we're adding glam! A touch of robin egg blue pairs perfectly with orange, so robin egg blue it is. 

Painting the pumpkins and sprinkling some glitter across the top allows the glitter to stay in place and adds a little extra special, unexpected touch. 

The simplest project is my "Be Thankful sign."  I found a font online that I really liked and sketched it on a simple pallet board (free!) and then went over the sketch using a Sharpie marker. Could it be more simple? And adorable! 

Stacking some books (displaying them backwards shows off one of my chosen colors beige-y/brown) and placing some branches in a jar add height to the display. 

tucking the plate behind the sign and leaves around the pumpkins add some dimension; coming together to create  a nice, simple, cohesive vignette. 

Fresh Thanksgiving decor: $0 
Which is awesome because we all know what's to follow..... 

Christmas! We could all use some savings this time of year. 

Need more inspiration? Check out some amazing talent and their painted pumpkins over at HOMETALK. Go ahead, add your links below! 

Peace, Love, and thankfulness....

Okay, you guys. Seriously. I hate spiders. Eew! I don't even know what possessed me to do such a DIY, but in the fun of Halloween, why not? I kinda love dress up. I pretend I do it just for the kids, but basically, I'm just a big kid myself. 
​