Homemade Bath Balls, Soap Balls and Heating Pads

Thanks Lois! Tawra

FUN GIFTS TO MAKE ~ EASY ON THE BUDGET ~ GREAT TO RECEIVE!
By Lois Breneman, Heart to Heart Newsletter, jhbreneman@juno.com

FRAGRANT SOAP BALLS

Ivory Snow Flakes
Perfume or scented oil
Food coloring

Moisten soap flakes with water to the consistency of very stiff dough. Divide into several bowls if making a large quantity, so you can make a variety of scents and colors. Shape about 2 tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on wax paper to harden for several days, turning each day. Wrap in colorful cellophane and tie with a ribbon to give as gifts. Arrange in a small box or in a small basket lined with colorful tissue paper.

BATH BALLS
2 cups finely ground sea salt
1 tsp. Vitamin E oil
½ cup baking soda
2 eggs
½ cup cornstarch
25 drops fragrance oil
2 Tbsp. light oil

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Using a teaspoon of the dough, gently roll it into a 1 inch ball. Continue this method, placing balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. If desired, you can decorate balls with whole cloves or rose buds. Bake the bath balls for about 10 minutes until they are lightly browned – do not over bake. Allow the balls to cool completely. To use: Drop 1 or 2 bath balls into a warm bath and allow to dissolve. Note: If you give these bath balls as a gift, be sure to list all the ingredients in case of allergies, as well as instructions on how to use.

HEATING PAD OR FOOT WARMER

This is great to warm cold feet when going to bed or to sooth tight neck muscles. ½ yard cotton flannel 4 cups uncooked white rice 1 Tbsp. whole cloves Cut the flannel into a 14”x18” rectangle. Fold with right sides together, so the rectangle measures 7”x18”. Sew around edges, leaving an opening for turning. Fill with rice and cloves. Hand sew the opening shut. For gift-giving, include instructions: To use as a heating pad, microwave for 1-2 minutes in High.

BATH SALTS

half gallon container of Epsom salts
8 drops of food coloring
enough potpourri oil to give it a nice fragrance.

Pour a half gallon container of Epsom salts into a large bowl. Save time and money by making a whole basin full and giving the same gift to many on your Christmas list. These are nice to have on hand all year round as nice spur-of-the-moment gifts too. For each half gallon of salts, add about 8 drops of food coloring and enough potpourri oil to give it a nice fragrance. One year my daughter and I had fun making a basin full of "Pink Vanilla Bath Salts," as well as a beautiful turquoise or teal green, by using blue and green. Use more blue for turquoise or more green for teal.

Stir up the three ingredients until mixed very well - two large slotted spoons seemed to work best for us. Spoon the bath salts into pretty glass containers, using an unslotted spoon, and attach a label. I found glass jars shaped like Christmas trees at the dollar store and used light green bath salts in those. There were also locked canning jars, corked jars, pretty fat jars with locked lids and others. They all looked so pretty when filled with bath salts. There were also round glass jars with scalloped rims, without lids, which we covered with cellophane, secured with a rubberband, and tied a ribbon around to cover the rubberband, and added a label.

For layered rainbow colors in a single jar, mix the white Epsom salts and scent together. Then divide into several bowls and add various colors – pink in one bowl, blue, green, peach, purple, yellow in other bowls. Mix each color well and carefully pour into jars using a funnel, layering the different colors evenly for a beautiful effect!

Rubber stamped labels with instructions to "Use 1/4 cup per bathtub" complete this lovely gift. An animal lying back, looking relaxed, is a good rubber stamp for a label with a "Relaxation" message. I also used a "To Do List" label for several labels, writing "This is a time to lay aside your To Do List and relax!" This is a great gift for a woman who just had a baby, maybe with a young child on the label. I have a rubber stamp of a cute curly headed little girl bending over a tub which makes an appropriate label with a message that moms sometimes need a break. The scripture verse, Matthew 11:28 is another great idea for a label – "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." A perfect scripture to meditate on while soaking!

photo by: themeparkmo

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I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE making homemade lip balm. I’ve made it for years and every fall I make a fresh batch just in time for winter!

Making homemade lip balm is such an easy thing to do that it makes a wonderful homemade Christmas present.

Try these homemade lip balm recipes from Dining On A Dime:

-Tawra

Lip Balm Basics

There are many ways to make lip balm. Basic lip balm contains oil, beeswax and flavoring (optional). I prefer a softer lip balm. If you want one that is a little more waxy, add an additional teaspoon of beeswax. Experiment to see which you like the best.

Use any of the following oils when making your homemade lip balm:

• coconut oil
• castor oil
• almond oil
• sunflower oil
• lanolin
• jojoba oil
• olive oil
• shea butter
• cocoa butter

Vitamin E is a preservative and is also thought to be healing for your skin.

Comfrey root and rosemary extracts may be used for their healing properties. If you wish to make your own extracts, you may boil comfrey and rosemary in sunflower oil for an hour or two. Strain oil before using in lip balms or creams.

To fill the containers, I use a small baby food spoon but you could also use a dropper or tiny funnel.

Lip Balm

1 tsp. beeswax beads
1 tsp. sunflower oil*
1 tsp. coconut oil*
1 tsp. (total) comfrey and/or rosemary extract (optional)
2-5 drops flavoring (optional)- peppermint, cherry, grape, vanilla, orange or anything you like.
1 capsule Vitamin E**

Heat oils and beeswax just until melted. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Use a dropper to place in tubes or small jars.

This is my favorite lip balm and I’m very picky about what kind I use.

* Note: Most days, I don’t have both sunflower oil and coconut oil on hand so I just use one or the other.

** Be sure to use the vitamin E. It’s a preservative and the lip balm will go rancid after a few months if you don’t use this. (Ask me how I know! )

Chocolate Lip Balm

1 tsp. beeswax
1 tsp. cocoa butter
1 tsp. sweet almond oil (or coconut or sunflower)
1 capsule Vitamin E
3-6 chocolate chips (optional for chocolate lip balm)

Heat oils and beeswax just until melted. Add Vitamin E and chocolate chips. Mix well. Use a dropper to place in tubes or small jars.

Honey Lip Balm

2 tsp. beeswax
7 tsp. sweet almond oil
1 tsp. honey
5 drops flavoring (optional)
1 capsule Vitamin E

Heat beeswax and oil just until melted. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Use a dropper to place in tubes or small jars.

Lip Gloss

3 Tbsp. petroleum jelly
1/4 tsp. lipstick*

Melt petroleum jelly and lipstick in the microwave just until melted. Mix well and place in a jar.

*Add more or less lipstick for desired shade. This is a great way to use up the last bit of lipstick in the tube.

Sparkling Lip Gloss

4 Tbsp. petroleum jelly
1-2 Tbsp. glitter or edible glitter*
1/2-1 tsp. lipstick
10 drops flavored oil

Melt petroleum jelly and lipstick. Add glitter and flavored oil. Omit lipstick for clear lip gloss.

* Edible glitter may be found at cake decorating stores. You could also use shimmery eye shadow instead.

Use a lip brush to get the last bits of lipstick out of the tube. Save old lipstick and lip balm containers and put your homemade lip balms in them.

Small mustard and jelly containers (the kind received in Christmas gift packs) are also great for storing lip balm.

Put on lip liner, then lip gloss or petroleum jelly. This gives your lips a shine and makes it look like you are wearing lipstick.

For more quick and easy recipes like this, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook!

photo by: enersauce

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Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipes

If you have problems with dry hands you have to try this recipe. These are so simple to make and works wonderfully for dry hands in the winter. 

You can also use salt in place of sugar for these recipes. 

Basic Sugar Scrub Recipe

2 cups of Sugar

1 cup of oil

Mix.  I use canola oil because it cheap but you could use olive, grapeseed, almond, baby oil just about any type will work.

You can use this mix unscented or you can add any of the scents you would like below. 

Cinnamon Vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix and add to sugar/oil mixture.

Pumpkin Pie 

2 tsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves

Mix and add to sugar/oil mixture.

Peppermint Foot Scrub

1 tsp. peppermint extract or essential oil

Mix in with oil and add to sugar.

Mocha Spice

1 Tbsp. ground coffee

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

pinch each nutmeg and ginger

Mix in with sugar and then add oil.

Lemon

1 tsp. lemon extract OR lemon essential oil OR 1 Tbsp. lemon zest

Mix in oil and add to sugar.

Lavender

5-6 drops of lavender essential oil

Add to oil and mix in sugar.

Baby Soft Scrub

2 cups of sugar

1 cup scented baby oil

Mix.

I found a couple of really pretty ways to present these. The ideas are really endless! Tawra

From: www.maybematilda.com

From: www.greatoakcircle.com

From: inbetweenlaundry.blogspot.com

For lots more "delicious" bath and body recipes like these, check out the Dining On A Dime Cookbook!

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We have included several recipes for homemade lip glosses and balms in the Dining on a Dime cookbook. I thought I would post this one for those of you who have a bunch of lipsticks with only a little bit in the bottom of the tube that you hate to throw out.

It’s really easy to make this lip gloss with ingredients most of us already have.

Homemade Lip Gloss

3 Tbsp. petroleum jelly
1/4 tsp. lipstick*

Melt petroleum jelly and lipstick in the microwave, just until melted. Mix well and place in a small jar* or container.

*Add more or less lipstick for desired shade.

      -Tawra

*I found a package of small clear containers at the Dollar Tree the other day, which would work perfectly for this, so if you have nothing small to put the homemade lip gloss in, you might try there.

Be sure to save any little containers you get and wash them out. They come in handy for so many things. Check your copy of Dining on a Dime for many other flavors and types of lip balms and glosses. Dining on a Dime includes  a whole section on homemade beauty products and toiletries called Pretty for Pennies .

      -Jill

photo by: kwankwan

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A reader (Sunny) asked how to color your hair at home. It was costing her about $100 every four months to color her hair and she wanted to save money. I am not a professional but this is what I and others I have known have found to be true.

The reason a lot of us don’t do things like color our own hair is because we don’t really have a clue what is involved and we fear what horrible things we might do to our hair.

I know what it is like to have hair disasters. I have gone to some expensive places and had just as much, if not more, trouble with awful looking hair than when I did it myself so, either way, there is no real guarantee.

It really is very easy to color your own hair. If you can shampoo it, you can pretty much color it.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

I would start with a semi permanent hair color the first couple of times you try it. It says semi permanent on the package. These last for about six shampoos so if it isn’t the color you like or something is wrong, just shampoo your hair six times. This takes away some of the fear of being seen looking awful for six weeks.

This also helps you to find the color that will work best for you without being stuck with a particular color for weeks on end. Semi permanent color is also milder on your hair. My hair color is a light blonde with gray. When I first used hair color, I tried the ash blonde colors which looked awful because they were a brassy yellow, which doesn’t suit me at all. I have now found that I do best with Champagne blond colors.

Usually, there are pictures on the boxes that show what you hair looks like before you color and what it should look like when you are done so get as close to that as you can. Have someone go with you to help you pick your color if you can. Picking out the color you want will be the hardest part.

The most expensive color is not necessarily the best. I pick the brand that has the best color for me.

The actual coloring itself is easy. Don’t let the instructions scare you. They have to go into great detail and are extra cautious to protect themselves. Just read all the directions and follow them step by step.

Here’s what most of them instruct you to do:

1. Drape you shoulders with a towel (To me, the hardest part is keeping the towel on. I have found pinning or clipping it helps.)
2. Mix the two bottles of stuff. Squirt it on your head starting at the front.
3. Leave it in for the number of minutes the directions say.
4. Rinse and condition.

I don’t even use the gloves they give you anymore because I just wash my hands when I’m done and it never stains. Note from Tawra: I do use the gloves because my color is brown and it will stain me.

To be honest, I have had more hair disasters when I went to a salon then when I colored my own hair. Years ago, I decided to go have a perm done instead of doing it myself. By the time the woman was done, I was getting a bad headache so she said, "Let me massage your head with this electric thing." The next thing I knew I was looking at the bride of Frankenstein in the mirror. Even the word fuzz head didn’t describe me. Note from Tawra: Yes, it was BAD!

The lady couldn’t fix it and said to come back tomorrow when someone else might be able to do something to correct it but first she would wax my eyebrows for free. Lying with my eyes closed, I heard her say "Oh! NO! I can’t believe this!" I gingerly opened my eyes and there were 7 women hanging over me staring in horror. She had ripped the whole center of my eyebrow out. (Note from Mike: This could only happen to MY mother in law… Don’t let her story scare you…)

I ended up having to have my hair, which was down to the middle of my back, cut very short (to only two inches long) and I had to use an eyebrow pencil for quite a while. : )

      -Jill

Note from Tawra: Don’t go swimming the day you color your hair. I did that once and my hair turned orange.

Another note from Tawra: if you’re afraid to try it on yourself, try it on the dog first, hee hee hee.

photos by: miss_pupik and psyberartist

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Poo Free… Ahhh… I know that sounds strange doesn’t it? This really isn’t an article on what to do when constipated and I don’t feel the urge to write on that subject at all. No, this has to do with shampoo.

Years ago, I mentioned in a post about how I had a great aunt who was about 90 years old and had never shampooed her hair and everyone was horrified at such a thought. Even when I mentioned that I only wash my hair twice a week they thought that was awful.

Well guess what? The latest new buzz phrase is "poo less hair". The people that talk about it think they have invented a new thing. They have "discovered" what my aunt knew almost 100 years ago – You don’t need to use shampoo or soap to clean your hair.

Actually I have thought about trying it myself for quite a while and I’m not sure why I didn’t just jump in and do it a long time ago. But I finally did and I love it.

No more shampoo or conditioner for me. I have been "poo free" for a couple of weeks and still can’t get over how great my hair looks.

Now I can hear some of you saying, "No way. I have oily hair and have to wash it every day and need the shampoo to get rid of the oil." Please read on and consider what I am explaining.

I have very oily, fine, limp long hair. At times I have to deal with fuzzing and all kinds of weird things. To comb my hair out is a pain because of tangles. That is why I am so in awe.

How it Works

It works on the principle that the more oil is stripped from your hair the more oil your body will produce to replace it. It is a cycle. It works something like nursing a baby. The more you nurse the more milk you produce and when you stop all your milk goes away.

We have gotten into a shampooing frenzy, shampooing our hair every day to clean it, so we have started an awful "not good for our scalp" cycle with our bodies. Most shampoos are really bad about stripping the oils out of your hair, causing your body to produce more.

Guess what the number one selling hair product is on QVC (or home shopping network)? Wen. It is a "no shampoo" treatment for your hair. The price? Almost $35 for 16 oz. (about 2 cups) and for long hair you have to use 48 pumps of it. Do you know how expensive that is?

The treatment I’ll share below does the same thing at a cost of about 3 cents for the same amount and you use significantly less of it.

What’s The Worst that can Happen?

I asked myself, "Why did I put this off so long? What is the worst that can happen?" I might have oily hair for a week or so and have to wear my hair in a pony tail. It won’t cost me a thing.

What do I have to Gain?

I will have healthier hair and save, in some cases, lots of money on shampoo, conditioner and hair products for the whole family. I am finding that I don’t have to use any products like mousse or gel because my hair is holding its curl better. This means I will save by not having to use or buy other products and I’ll also save time. Usually, within an hour, my hair would have lost all it’s curl and if I was going someplace later I would have to curl it again, damaging my hair more.

I Did It.

I jumped in and did it. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t do it years ago. Some people say their hair needed a 2-6 week adjustment period but I didn’t need one, even with my oily hair. The first time I didn’t use shampoo my hair looked even better than before. It combed out more easily with almost no tangles at all and it looked unbelievable. As I said, an added side bonus I hadn’t expected is that it keeps the curl and style better than it did before, so I don’t have to mess with it as much.

I am also going a little longer in between washing it and this is only after two weeks of doing this. I can’t wait to see what it will be like after a couple of months. This has been one of those things that has changed my life. I know that it may sound silly but you know how having a bad hair day makes us ladies feel. I don’t think I can ever have a bad hair day again!

What Do You Do?

There are different ways of doing this but I like to keep things simple so this is what I do. I also brush my hair before I start.

1. Mix 1 Tbsp. baking soda with 8 oz. hot water and stir or shake until well dissolved. You can use a funnel and put this in a container like a squirt bottle.
2. Mix 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar in 8 oz. water. Again mix and store in a squirt bottle.

Essentially, you just replace the baking soda mix for shampoo and vinegar for conditioner. Wet hair well, rub in some of the baking soda and mix into your scalp well. Rinse. Then squirt it with the vinegar mix, rub it in and rinse.

I have long hair and the 8 oz. lasted me about 4-5 washings. If you use the same proportions, you can mix a larger amount and keep in a larger bottle if you want.

Questions Answered

If your hair seems a little oily, only add the vinegar rinse to the ends of your hair. You could also use lemon juice instead of vinegar.

If you see a white residue, you may be using too much baking soda. The proportions I listed seem to be just right. Some people place the baking soda in their hand and make a paste to rub into the scalp but it is hard to get the right consistency and I think it is harder to distribute evenly on your scalp.

Some people have found after using this method for a while that they only have to rinse their hair with water because the ph and oil becomes so perfectly balanced. I haven’t been using it long enough yet to know about that.

I know some of you have used regular or apple cider vinegar for a rinse and liked it, and I have too, but adding the soda for shampoo is wonderful.

In Closing

Try it and see. If you are still too afraid to do it, try it on your children or husband for a week or two and see what happens with their hair.

It isn’t like you are investing large amounts of money or time into something. It is very simple. All I can say is I can never go back myself. My hair is so much more manageable and looks so good now that I don’t want shampoo near my hair.

I hope you give it a try!

      -Jill

For more bath and beauty recipes, check out the Dining On A Dime Cookbook.

photo by: jessicamullen

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