Achillea

DRY-flowers: Achillea

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – Type species; Achillea millefolium. Achillea is a group of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753. The genus was named after the Greek mythological character Achilles. According to legend, Achilles’ soldiers used yarrow to treat their wounds, hence some of its common names such as allheal and bloodwort.

The genus is native primarily to Europe, temperate areas of Asia, and North America. The common name “yarrow” is usually applied to Achillea millefolium, but may also be used for other species within the genus. These plants typically have frilly, hairy, aromatic leaves. The plants show large, flat clusters of small flowers at the top of the stem. The flowers can be white, yellow, orange, pink or red and are generally visited by many insects, and are thus characterised by a generalised pollination system.

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DIY COCONUT SUGAR SCRUB

A decadent and beautiful sugar scrub made with coconut oil and white sugar.

It will leave your skin smelling great but looking and feeling even better!

1. Mix the beautifully simple ingredients
2. Store at room temperature or refrigerate to replenish sun kissed skin

BABY ROSE SUGAR SCRUB

Have you ever received roses that were stunningly gorgeous, only to be sad when they age? Well, I found the perfect solution to making our favorite rose bouquet last a little longer!

With just a few simple and inexpensive ingredients, a food processor, a pretty jar, and a few rose petals, you can make a beautiful DIY gift for yourself or for somebody you love!

For this DIY sugar scrub recipe, you will need:

• 1.5 cups of plain white sugar
• 1/4 cup of baby oil
• 12 rose petals
• a food processor
• a pretty jar

Here’s how this magical little rose scrub comes together:

A food processor is a fancy machine! But, if you don’t have a big old food processor, have no fear! Be creative- try a blender or try mixing it by hand! This is a no fail sugar scrub recipe. I prefer the mixture to be fluffy. If you prefer a smoother sugar scrub, simply add more baby oil. The sugar fluffs it up, the oil smooths it out.

Aside from being gorgeous, roses are *thought* to contribute to our well being. Roses are my very favorite flowers: red, white, pink- I love them all.

Don’t you think this Baby Rose Sugar Scrub would be a beautiful gift? Me too!

 

 

 

 

 

VAPORIZING SHOWER CUBES

Feeling stuffy? Feeling a little cold coming on? Or do you just feel like a little pampering? You’re going to LOVE these easy homemade vaporizing shower cubes. They are very gentle, yet the vapors help soothe a cold and cough. I happen to love using them just because it’s crisp and cold outside. You only need 4 easy to find ingredients and an ice cube tray. You might already have all of these ingredients in your kitchen! If not, a quick trip to the grocery store will have you covered.

This is a beautiful handmade gift idea….

To get started, you will need some measuring spoons and a mixing bowl. Don’t forget your ice cube tray! Pick one up at the dollar store if you don’t already have one.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of baking soda
• 1/4 cup of corn starch
• 4 tbs. of BabyRub (baby VapoRub)
• 1-3 tbs of water
• Ultra fine white glitter (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the baking soda and corn starch.
2. Add in 4 tbs of the Baby Rub
3. Mix until fully combined.
4. One tablespoon at a time, mix in the water. You don’t want it to be runny because it needs to harden. If you accidentally make it too runny, that’s ok! Just add more corn starch.
5. Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray.
6. Sprinkle a little bit of the fine glitter on top (optional but a great touch for gift giving!)
7. Let it dry overnight.
8. Gently remove the cubes from the tray. They are soft and break easily, so don’t twist and turn the tray too much trying to remove them. Just a little loosening will do the trick and they will come right out. Keep them in a pretty cup (as pictured) or carefully place them in jars and hand them out as gifts!

If you happen to add the glitter like I did (anything with glitter makes me instantly happy) then it will look like this as it is drying. You can find ultra fine glitter at a craft store.

The end result is beautiful!  Keep this near the shower in a pretty glass cup. The steam in the shower will release a wonderful vapor effect as the cubs melt down the drain. Your entire bathroom will smell like a little spa!

COUGH or COLD ?

If you feel a cough or cold coming on, you must try using these in the shower. While they won’t cure your cold, they will definitely help soothe any irritation you have while you shower. You’ll love these so much! They are gorgeous, easy to make, fun to use, and are perfect DIY handmade gifts!

 

 

 

Fizzy Epsom Salt Bath Cubes

Here’s a super easy way to make your own bath cubes out of epsom salts!  These little guys make great gifts, and are an inexpensive alternative to bath bombs.

Let’s get started!  You’ll need:

*  1/4 cup water
*  4 cups epsom salts
*  5-10 drops of essential oil, such as eucalyptus or spearmint
*  Silicone ice cube tray
*  Bowl + spoon

HOW TO

1. Stir ingredients in a bowl until combined.
2. Scoop up a spoonful of the mixture and drop into the silicone mold.
3. Pack tightly with your fingers, then add another scoop and pack it down.
4. Follow this system until you’ve filled each mold in the tray to the top.
5. Let it sit overnight to a few days.
6. Turn the mold upside down and gently push the silicone in to remove each cube from the tray.
7. Put in a jar or sachet to keep near the tub, or toss a few in some warm water and enjoy!!!

LAVENDER BATH CUBES

I first made these Lavender Bath Cubes with the intention of giving them all away,  but after sampling one or two, they’ve found their way to the top of my list of bath time favourite. Family and friends all agree and so each year I need to make a bigger and bigger batch. Not that thats a problem though, because they’re very quick and easy; this melt and stir recipe couldn’t be more simple and the fragrance is heavenly!

When you use these lavender bath cubes, you will find they melt quickly as the bath runs and when you sink into the silky, steamy water, any tensions and stresses of the day are immediately forgotten. Coconut oil is so wonderfully moisturising while the epsom salts soothe and relax –  and with all that lavender, it’s probably best to have this bath just before bed, so you’ll have a peaceful, deep, sleep too!

LAVENDER BATH CUBES

PREP TIME; 1 hour

TOTAL TIME; 1 hour

Recipe type: Luxury Lavender Bath Cubes

Cuisine:         Kewalin Resort

INGREDIENTS

• 500ml coconut Oil
• 500g baking soda
• 500g epsom salts
• 100g cornflour
• 30 drops lavender essential Oil
• A handful of dried lavender
• You will need 6-8 ice cube trays to use as a mold. (depending on how big the compartments are)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start by standing the coconut oil in it’s jar, in a pan of simmering water until it is melted.
2. Mix together the baking soda, epsom salts and cornflour in a large bowl.
3. When the coconut oil is completely melted, stir it into the powder ingredients.
4. Blend together well, if it seems too dry add a little more coconut oil ( you could also use almond oil if you just need to add a few drops).
5. Add the essential oil and scatter in the dried lavender flowers.
6. If at any time the mixture seems to stiffen, you can stand it over the pan of hot water just to loosen it up a little.
7. Spoon the mixture into the ice cube trays, levelling any excess off before it starts to set.
8. After 30 mins in the fridge, the cubes will be harden and you can tap them out into a large container to store, or bag them up straight away for presents.

HOW TO MULTIPLY TOMATO PLANTS

I’ve been growing my own tomatoes for years but can’t believe that I’ve only just found out how to multiply your tomato plants in this way!

This handy trick appeals on so many levels: the cuttings needed to make the new plants are just the unwanted side shoots from the original mother plant, that would normally just end up on the compost heap. So you are not sacrificing anything, just putting the whole plant to good use. This method is also a lot quicker than planting direct from seed, because the little plantlets will give you a head start.

When I read about this propagation method I knew it would work, as I had some great results last summer making lots more basil plants . But since I grow them outside, and we live in the UK, I thought it might take too long and it would be too late to actually produce any ripe tomatoes.

I needn’t have worried, because the cuttings in the picture above were put in water on a bright window sill for only one week, and tomato plants grow so quickly, they’ll be ready to plant out and flowering in no time at all.

 

Method

• It all starts from the mother plant, so you need a good quality organic tomato plant that is the cordon type, not the bush variety. This means they grow upwards from a central stem with side branches which bear long trusses of tomatoes.
• This type of plant needs support from a sturdy cane and to be tied in at regular intervals as it grows upwards.
• The side suckers appear at the junction between the main stem and the side branches, and if left to grow the plant puts too much energy into leaf growth and so the overall yield of tomatoes will suffer.
• Just pinch or snip them off when they are around 3-4 inches long and put them straight into a clear bottle of water.
• Keep them in a bright window and in a few days you will see lots of tiny roots sprouting from from the stem.
• Allow these to develop for a week or so before planting into potting soil in the usual way.
• It’s so satisfying to make more plants instead of just throwing the cuttings away.