Bath Salts: Beyond the Food Gifts

Every year our family makes one signature gift to give to teachers, friends, neighbors, family. In the past I  have always given food gifts, from fudge and peppermint bark to gourmet trail mix and chocolate truffles.   I can’t tell you how many years I swore to myself that I wouldn’t eat any of the broken pieces and ended up eating about 1/3 of what I made – a little piece here and a little piece there.

This year, I am making a non-food gift.  Over the last year, I have truly loved soaking in the tub filled with hot water and homemade bath salts.  It is an amazing stress reducing, self-care ritual.  No matter how stress filled my day may have been, when I dip my toes in the tub, the stress begins to wash away.  The magnesium in the epsom salt helps calm my nerves, and the aromatherapy from the essential oils helps me relax.  After a 20 minute soak, I feel languid and ready for sleep.

You can develop your own mix of essential oils.  The Aura Cacia website has lots of ideas.  But this is my favorite.  I packaged the salts in pretty Italian mason jars and ordered custom labels from My Own Labels.com   Give the gift of relaxation this season!

Relaxing Bath Salts                                                              

2 cups epsom salt

1/2 cup baking soda

1/2 cup coarse sea salt

10 drops of lavender essential oil

5 drops geranium essential oil

3 drops clary sage

a few drops natural food coloring