Typically I do not make holiday gifts because I am just too busy around the holidays. And quite frankly, other than making and baking food, I’m not much of a do-it-yourself-er. But 2020 is a different year. We all need more nuturing and pampering, not only during the stressful holiday season, but especially this year. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and am making 2 gifts. Today is Gift #1’s reveal and tomorrow you will see the other.

Also, my blogging buddies, Andrea from Design Morsels and Chas from Chas Crazy Creations are sharing their Holiday DIY ideas at the bottom of this post.

I am a big fan of giving a gift that is consumable, or a commodity that can be used up rather quickly. We all have received those white elephant gifts that we either donate, re-gift or take to a gag party. At this stage in our lives, we just have too much anyway.

With the theme of pampering and reducing stress, today’s DIY is an easy, simple, make-in-your-kitchen item. The ingredients can be ordered online and delivered so you don’t even need to go to the store. And I believe it to be timely (at least for me), because I have not exercised as much this year. Now that the gym is open, getting back into it is hard on my muscles.

And with the colder weather coming, there is nothing more relaxing and calming than a nice long bath.

Magnesium Flakes vs. Epsom salts

These Muscle Relaxing Magnesium Bath Salt recipe is from Pinterest and the original author is Laura, from Simply Laura Leigh. What I like about this particular recipe is that the ingredients are simple and clean. I have never used Magnesium Flakes vs. Epsom Salt so I did a little research.

Magnesium is world-renowned for its health benefits such as aiding sleep quality and relieving muscle tension. Epsom salts aren’t actually salt, but magnesium sulphate. They are sourced either from naturally occurring springs, or are created from synthetic materials.

Magnesium Flakes are a magnesium chloride solution which has been heated up then cooled down to create a hard sheet of highly-concentrated magnesium chloride that is then broken in to small pieces to create the ‘flakes’. Magnesium chloride is a naturally occurring compound which can be mined from ancient sea beds or in open-water sources like the Dead Sea.

While the appearance and application may be similar, the ‘unseen’ difference in absorption between Magnesium Flakes and Epsom Salts is what really sets these two compounds apart. The magnesium in magnesium flakes is a type of magnesium that is better absorbed and better processed by your body. The magnesium in Epsom salts is harder for your body to absorb and quickly processed out.

Benefits of Pink Himalayan and Baking Soda

Pink Himalayan sea salt is able to generate negative ions in the air, creating the type of calming effect many people experience on a saltwater beach.

Baking soda is a remarkable ingredient in the bath. Click here for the 10 benefits of baking soda on your skin from Medical News Today.

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Eucalyptus essential oil is my choice for this bath salt mixture, however, you can select any essential oil you want. Not only does eucalyptus oil open your nasal passages but it also eases joint pain.

I have never worked with shea butter before. Because of its moisturizing qualities and high vitamin content, shea butter is a great addition to these salts. So helpful with dry winter skin! I broke the butter up into smaller pieces and mixed it in with the other ingredients.

The Container

Naturally, since these are gifts, I want to present them in a pretty glass container. I found two sizes and styles at World Market, but if you can find them online here.

The Gift Tag or Label

You can either label or tag your gift with the ingredients. Using Avery Business Cards #5377, I am able to create my own design and add my logo. Avery has an easy design format to use online, especially if you use their templates. On the back is the ingredient list.

The Scoop or Spoon

These natural bamboo spoons work well to scoop the bath salts out of the container. Again, I bought these from World Market, but look at the variety of scoops here on Amazon! With this set above, I also have the forks and knives.

The Presentation

What a relaxing and pampering gift to include these muscle relaxing bath salts with other fun items to make a spa basket. Remember the lavender pillows I made (see post here)? Add a candle, a scrub brush and some soaps and you have a wonderful spa gift.

Ingredients and Links

Here are the ingredients you will need:

1 1/2 cup Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes (I bought the 4.4 lb. container but it does come in 1.7 lbs too)

1/2 cup Baking Soda

1/2 cup Pink Himalayan Salt

1 TBSP Unrefined Shea Butter– I bought the 1 lb. bag, but you could do with a lesser quantity

10 drops Eucalyptus Oil

Recipe Directions

Combine the magnesium flats, baking soda, and pink Himalayan salt. Add the Eucalyptus oil (or the essential oil of your choice). Mix. Place in a container and place the shea butter on the top of the ingredients (I chose to mix mine in after I crumbled it into small pieces).

When you are ready to use your Muscle Relaxing Magnesium bath salts, just add it to a hot bath and soak for 30 minutes. Also try dry brushing your body, starting at your ankles and working upward with circular motion.

Drying bushing is a great way to not only shed dead skin cells but it has also been shown to help improve circulation and lymphatic drainage. The Dry Body Brush above is from World Market ($4.99). Others can be found here.

This is a very easy and fun DIY, providing you gifts you can be proud to give. Stay tuned for the 2nd DIY holiday gift idea that I will be sharing tomorrow.

P.S. Just a reminder that any words that are italicized bring you to the source. If it is a product on Amazon, please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you purchase something through my website, I receive a small (very small!) stipend, which doesn’t affect the price you pay at all. My goal is to make sourcing the items easy for you. Thank you for your continued support.

Now for more Holiday DIY gift ideas

Andrea from Design Morsels is creating DIY Healthy Homemade Food Gifts.

Chas from Chas Crazy Creations is making DIY Hand Soap Dispensers

Thank you so much for joining me today! Happy DIY-ing!

Please share to Pinterest too if you enjoyed this post!

Since I shared my husband’s home office space earlier this week (see post here), today I will show you where I work. Since I am in our kitchen 99% of the time, having my computer desktop nearby is very handy. And now that our home is nearly child-free (of course until the next pandemic), we are not using the breakfast room table for meals any more. So the breakfast room is my work space/office. Logistically perfect, but it’s hard to keep it neat and tidy.

My work space is like my brain. Organized clutter. It may look messy to the average person, but I know where everything is. And you can tell what I am working on by the stacks of projects on the table.

Today I am joining some of my good blogging buddies for our November DIY blog hop where they are sharing Home Office ideas and tips too. Please check out their stories at the bottom of this post!

Table Challenges

Ah, the table. I purchased this many years ago, but I cannot tell you if it is a new table made to look old or a really old table. But since I’ve had it for 25 years, I guess we can call it vintage. When we began restoring this house, the table is where we would gather with our architect and contractor, lay out the plans and make big house decisions.

One day a worker, obviously bored, decided it was a good idea to pound a nail into it. I guess he thought it was old and worthless. That was the beginning of the abuse this poor table took. Notice all the chips where the “made to look old” paint has come off.

Then, only making matters worse, the contractor tried repairing it by using the wrong colors of paint. Really, bright green and blue? So I finally decided to try my hand at touching up the chips and dings. The nail hole will stay as I guess it makes a good story.

Storage

Recently I ordered a two drawer filing cabinet from Wayfair since this is a table and not a desk. Here is a similar one from Amazon for less.With no drawers for office things, all the paperwork is placed in file folders. I truly have a folder for everything.

The filing cabinet slides nicely under the table and being a dark color it disappears from sight.

Using baskets and trays, I try keeping current projects organized on the table top.

I am putting my recent melamine tray from My Stylish French Box to good use. A vintage pink glass bowl holds paperclips.

And this ornate inlaid box is a sweet place for my business cards.

Office Equipment

Since I am constantly using a printer, this new small Epson ET-2760 is perfect on the decorative chest. There is storage below where I put stationary, printing supplies and file folders.

Blending Decors

Since you pass by my office space to enter the kitchen, it is a well traveled path. With a blue and white chinoiserie lamp (from Overstock) and a blue/white vase with flowers, I try and tie my workspace in with the rest of the room.

The large painting by Hector Armendariz Martinez from Mexico is one of my favorites. I love the blue and white vases and platters on the shelves in the painting. This space was practically the only wall in our home where this large piece of art fits. To see more about our art collection, click here.

Two ladder back chairs sit at either end of the table, in case I have guests. Handmade needlepoint cushions with our initials were made many moons ago and prevent rush seat marks on your thighs.

Beneath the table is a large dog bed. When there isn’t a dog there, it’s a great place for me to rest my feet.

From my office chair, I have wonderful views of the fireplace, outside to a window of green, and to our family mealtime prayer (painted by Kris Kollasch.

Here’s an After picture after I filled my filing cabinet and tidied up the space. Now let’s hope I keep it this way. Do you have a designated work space at home? I’m always looking for better solutions in this space.

The month has been just a blur, hasn’t it? Hoping the fall weather will continue to be crisp and enjoyable. Have a spectacular day and be safe out there.

The DIY Blog Hop

Now onto the DIY Blog Hop!

Chas from Chas Crazy Creations is sharing a DIY Can Organizer for your Office.

Niky from The House on Silverado does a lovely office makeover.

Andrea from Design Morsels makes great suggestions on what rugs work in your office.

Amy from Health, Home and Hearth creates a Command Center to help reduce clutter in your office.

Tarah from Grammas House DIY has small office tip to keep clutter down.

Kippi from Kippi at Home is sharing her ideas for office storage.

Kristin from White Arrows Home has a fun post about setting up a workspace for kids.

Thank you so much for joining me today! Please visit all these bloggers and leave your comments!

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The older version of this post shared with Between Naps on the Porch 605th Metamorphosis Monday

Inspire Me Monday~My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Inspire Me Monday #290~Life on Oak Hill

Do you ever have one of those days where you are just pooped and resting is the only option? Well, that was me last Saturday with the exception of a long work out at the gym. The day was overcast and must be a drop in barometric pressure, as I didn’t feel like doing anything! So I apologize for not posting last Saturday and look forward to catching up today!

Recent travels

My recent trip to Washington, DC and Old Town Alexandria, Virgina was such fun. Traveling is a breeze (and very clean) and super affordable. The only downside is having to wear a mask. But as with most things in life, we adjust, don’t we?

Many weddings this year are postponed until 2021, but many couples are having a small civil ceremony instead. My son officiated this lovely one which was held outside at the Washington DC War Memorial. With an early morning start time, it was a breezy and chilly day with clear blue skies. So proud of the outstanding job done by Benjamin! And congratulations to Cole and Brooklyn!

We stayed at The Alexandrian hotel in Old Town Alexandria and the location is perfectly close to shops and restaurants. The history is abundant and of course, I loved looking at all the homes, shops and the amazing Halloween/autumn decorations.

Delightful Decorations

Our Nation’s Capitol

Washington, DC is such a beautiful city, for the most part. Unfortunately the rioting this summer has left areas looking like a 3rd world country. It is heartbreaking to see and this destructive behavior is something I just don’t understand.

We also visited the Martin Luther King and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial too. Not very many people present so we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.

Technology and its downside

When I returned I felt a bit like a pretzel after sitting on the long plane ride and sleeping in another bed. Happily I have a chiropractor I love and he does wonders for my alignment. While in his office, I spotted this sign:

Dr. David Welch states he is seeing more 30 year olds with headaches and neck pain. What was shocking to hear is that he is actually witnessing wedge-shaped vertebra as a result of texting. Think about that for a minute.

So just a reminder if you are texting or on your phone a lot, change your posture. I personally find this information horrifying. My neck was gravely injured in a car accident many years ago and trust me, you don’t want neck pain.

The Back Staircase Project

I swear, this is the longest project, but I am making good progress. Here are some sample runners I just received in the mail from Dash and Albert. We have decided on the blue/white stripe one. The goal is to get this project finished this week. However, the rug make take several weeks to arrive.

Charitable Event at Scottsdale Artist School

I am excited to see the painting I donated on the promotional piece for Beaux Arts 2020. Beaux Arts is a fundraising event held every year by the Scottsdale Artist School. This year the event will be virtual so everyone will have a chance to participate! There are so many wonderful pieces of art available for bidding (including my painting above!). If you would like to participate (it costs nothing to register), click here. My painting is under the category 2020 Fresh Paint Gallery among so many fabulous entries(see here). Online bidding will begin on November 7 – 14th.

As much as I love to travel, there is something comforting about being home. The weather is definitely cooler here and we are so excited to turn off the air conditioning and throw open all the windows.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and Happy Halloween! It’s hard to believe it is the end of October already! Any fun plans for the weekend?

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I recently purchased a new book, Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins. This hard cover book is a guide to creating a natural, low-waste home. The book is filled with great ideas and recipes on how to reduce what you consume and throw away. But it got me thinking about how we live. What are we currently doing that is living efficiently and reduce what we consume and what we throw away?

Composting

About 30% of our kitchen waste is recycled through composting. I have written about this before (see post here) and put every single peel, pit, skin, eggshell and other non-cooked fruits, vegetables and flowers into the composting garbage can. Grass clippings, tree branches and other brown material is also composted here on the property. This significantly reduces our waste that goes to the City’s landfill and dump.

All the luscious rich fertilized soil goes back into the yard~the garden, the orchard and all the bedding areas. Giving back to the land is very rewarding.

Recycling

The City of Phoenix has a recycling program so we separate our garbage into separate bins for pick up once a week. Cardboard boxes, paper, plastic, glass and cans are separated from the trash. In our kitchen we have 3 garbage cans~one for composting, one for trash and the other for recyclables.

Gardening and Chickens

Growing our own fruits and vegetables reduces the number of trips to the grocery store and farmers market. With the exception of summer, the garden is producing the rest of the year. And again, the leftovers go to the chickens or the compost bin. Though we do support local business, having a back up food supply is satisfying.

Our chickens provide us with the most delicious eggs. All the shells are recycled in the compost bin too.

Preserving Food

Growing up in a family of 7, my mother never wasted a thing. For example, leftover stale bread was turned into bread pudding. As a result, it’s hard for me to throw good food away. I just made a big batch of mole chicken and after having it a few days in a row, I will freeze the rest in individual servings for another time. Same with the big pot of chili I just made.

Abundant harvests from the garden or orchard are canned and preserved for use during another season. From fruit preserves to tomato sauce, these are either canned or frozen.

Laundry

Line drying here in Phoenix, especially in the summer, is a quick and easy energy efficient task. Not only does the sun acts as a powerful disinfectant but also has natural bleaching powers. Plus nothing smells better than slipping under freshly washed sheets that are line dried! Even my children notice when their sheets have been washed and dried outside.

Coffee

I recall a time when daily and sometimes more, we would drive through Dutch Brothers and get our coffee. The staff knew us by name and their fun, upbeat vibe was a plus to our cup of Joe. Unfortunately, that coffee location closed, but I shudder to think of ALL those paper cups and plastic tops we used. Dutch Brothers had become a line item on the monthly budget.

Now we make our coffee here at home using my favorite Nespresso machine. The coffee pods get recycled through Nespresso recycling program. Not only have we saved a boat load of money, but we are no longer excessively using paper cups and plastic tops.

Paperwork

As I mentioned in a blog post about my kitchen, there is an industrial shredder placed next to the compost garbage container. See that post here. Daily, the excessive amounts of junk mail is shredded and added to the composting bin. A good use of unwanted junk mail (and all those political flyers!)

Manage our Utilities

About two years ago, I was asked to give a lecture to a group of 7th and 8th grade students about the recent utility (electric) increase that was imposed and how that rate hike affected our neighborhood. Of course, I didn’t even realize we had a rate hike. So in order to provide an intelligent presentation, I got to work and did a thorough evaluation.

What I discovered is that we were not on the most efficient or advantageous utility plan. Once I understood that, then we started paying attention to our electric usage. The first month, we saved so much money. Over time, we saved even more.

The moral to this story is 1) understand your utility usage; 2) investigate the best plan for you and your family; 3) by making reasonable changes you can reduce your usage and save a lot of money.

Now, during the warmer months (trust me, air-conditioning bills can be ridiculously expensive here), we monitor our large appliance and air conditioning usage from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Water consumption

Water here in Arizona is a precious resource. Rates go way up in June, July and August. By using flood irrigation provided locally, we are able to deep water the orchard and yard at a low annual cost. The well that we re-instituted many years ago, handles additional yard watering (see that post here).

Shopping with Reusable Bags

My car is the keeper of many reusable shopping bags. However, since COVID, no store is using them. Seems unfortunate however, I understand the need to be extra careful now. Hopefully, this too will pass.

Room for Improvement

Like with most things in life, I can certainly improve and lessen my waste. We have too many things that need to be sorted, organized and donated. That is an ongoing project that I need to jump start again. My goal is to reduce the items in each room by 50%. Lofty goal, but maybe I will start this effort after the first of the year. To see where I put Marie Kondo’s organizational tips in place already, see that post here.

I’d love to live in a place that doesn’t require driving everywhere. Phoenix is more car-dependent than other cities, but during the cooler weather I do try to bike and walk more.

In addition, I need to assess my use of cleansers/detergents and investigate more eco-friendly cosmetics.

So what are you doing to lighten your footprint? Please share any ideas so we can all get better at this!

Happy Wednesday!

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This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #614

Earlier this month, I was lamenting a bit about not decorating for Halloween. After all, half the fun doing it for many years was due to the childrens’ excitement. But why not make Halloween something adults can enjoy too? So as a last minute, spontaneous gesture, we decide to have a small Halloween dinner party for our wonderful neighbors.

The Decorations

I honestly can say that decorating just the back porch was SO. MUCH. FUN. When you take decorations out once a year, you tend to forget what you have. And we seem to have a lot of spooky decor.

Naturally, now, when entertaining I always take into account everyone’s comfort level on social distancing so the back porch is the perfect location. Since one of our friends has an underlying condition, it is important to put him and his spouse at a good distance from everyone else.

There is a delicate balance between creating a cozy atmosphere and keeping people 6′ apart from others. How do I accomplish this at the table?

So I stuffed a pair of pants with newspaper and tucked a pillow inside a man’s shirt. Adding a scary mask, I wedged the knife in his back, and made some blood to drip down the white shirt. My “crime victim” is propped on one of the chairs and helps solve the social distancing requirement.

On the other side, Mr. Bones and a rat in a trap joins us for dinner. The table isn’t feeling so empty now!

As you may remember, my husband made a raised centerpiece shelf (see post here), and it comes in handy for the spooky decorations.

Tarnished and dusty candlesticks are perfect with black candles. The old laboratory bottles, skulls, skeletons, black cats and witches add to the Halloween theme. A black, lace spider web fabric with a pom pom edge is covering the centerpiece shelf.

The rest of the porch is decorated with mummies, owls, autumn leaves, lighting and sounds that let you know that you should B.E.W.A.R.E!

The Menu

The menu for the evening is rather simple, starting with a themed cocktail, Deathly Hallows, which was recently in my post, Fall Inspired Drinks. This is served with a variety of mixed nuts and fruit.

The main course is my favorite Turkey Chili (see recipe here) and a fig, pear and goat cheese flat bread. Unable to find fresh figs, I altered this Southern Living recipe using dried figs and added sliced Bosc pears. Drizzled with thick balsamic (the one I buy from Pinetop, see here) and topped with fresh arugula~it was delicious. Since one of our guests is a vegetarian, I also made chili full of vegetables and no meat from Ambitious Kitchen (see recipe here).

Dessert is a simple pumpkin cream cheese swirled brownie. I don’t want to share the recipe because they were okay but not spectacular.

All in all, it was a VERY fun evening, especially with the lights low and the various sound effects (thunder storm, dog and cat howling, lights crackling).

Whatever you are doing for Halloween, I hope you have as much fun as we did at this dinner party. We feel so blessed to have neighbors who are spontaneous and enjoy our festivities! Happy Tuesday!

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At a recent small gathering of friends on our back porch, one of our guests admiring the fresh cut flower display on the table asked, “Where did you get those gorgeous hydrangeas?” I paused. Do I tell her that they are artificial? I did confess that I failed to have enough flowers for the numerous vases so I filled in with fake flowers.

It’s actually a really good trick because today, some of the faux flowers look so realistic.

However, I prefer the real deal to those things that are artificial or substitutes~~ crystal and china to paper plates and napkins; real butter and sugar vs. butter substitutes or artificial sweeteners.  Even friends~~I cherish those who are rich in experience, intellect, humor and sincerity and steer clear of those who are deeply shallow.

Orchids

But every now and again, you find something that is artificial, but looks so realistic.

On my kitchen windowsill, I have several orchid plants.  Yes, the real ones.  They are mostly the Phalaenopsis Orchid, the ones you can pick up for a few dollars at Trader Joe’s or the local grocery store.  They occupy the corner of my kitchen that overlooks the yard and even though I see them daily, they suffer from my lack of attention.

I forget to water them and rarely fertilize them, yet they continue to produce the most beautiful blooms.  Yesterday, it dawned on me that I hadn’t watered them in how long? And as I went to give them the care they deserved, I noticed two plants were beginning to bloom.  I experienced a pang of guilt as they are so forgiving and generous in sharing their delicate flowers year after year, in spite of my neglect.

Though I love real orchids, the centerpiece on my dining room table is a grouping of artificial orchids~~white ones that strongly contrast the dark wood table. They certainly aren’t as detailed as the real orchids, but they look authentic from a distance.

And I don’t forget to tend to these orchids, as they look great every day!

Hydrangeas

As much as I prefer real flowers and plants to artificial ones, the really, really good quality artificial ones are worth the money you will spend.  On my hall entry table, I have faux white hydrangeas in a crystal vase.  I purchased these from The Enchanted Home. But in recently checking their website, these hydrangeas are no longer available.

They measure 16″ tall and have life-like stems.  They used to be available in a variety of colors ~~white, deep purple and lilac.  

If you are looking for faux hydrangeas, Amazon has an extensive collection here.

You see them in various places around my house~like my office that I recently cleaned and organized. See that post here.

During the year, depending on the holiday or season, I move the flowers around~~for example, red berries, greens and hydrangeas are added for the holiday garland.  Since I cannot seem to keep fresh hydrangeas alive for more than a few days, these beautiful artificial ones always look stunning.

Peonies

Another acquisition of artificial flowers is also from The Enchanted Home.   I LOVE peonies but we cannot grow them in Phoenix,  so I again relied on the great taste and quality from Tina at The Enchanted Home. The stems are short, however, so they will display well in smaller containers or a larger one that is opaque.

Unfortunately, these too are no longer available, however, Amazon has a GORGEOUS selection of faux peonies in various colors here.

In writing this post, I realized that most of the artificial flowers are located in rooms that aren’t heavily used~~the living room, dining room, bedroom closet.  The more lived-in parts of the house (kitchen, family room) are where the fresh flowers are displayed and enjoyed.

Do you remember the movie with Diane Keaton in that fabulous beach house, Something’s Gotta Give? Well, in each scene, there are fresh flowers in every room.

Right after that movie I determined that in a perfect world, I’d have flowers in every room.  So whether you like artificial or real flowers, or a combination of both, we are fortunate to have great options at our fingertips.

Happy Wednesday!

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