If this music by the Jive Aces doesn’t uplift you, there is always chocolate and bacon.
Jive Aces – Music to Improve Your Mood
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Monthly Archives: March 2011
Happy St. Patrick’s Day – Enjoy Some Celtic Rock Music
Dropkick Murphys – I’m Shipping Up To Boston
Today, you might also want to enjoy some Guinness Bread with Molasses while listening to Celtic rock music!
Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipe
I discovered this concoction in a magazine in which C&H® Pure Cane Sugar was promoting their product with the homemade sugar scrub recipe. (I have combined this with hand-knitted socks and a rice heat therapy bag for the ultimate birthday gift.)
- 1 cup C&H® Pure Cane Sugar *
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- Oil from one vitamin E capsule
- 1-2 drops essential oil (e.g., lavender, orange, lemon)
- 1 16oz. glass container with a lid
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Using a spatula, transfer the mix into the container and secure the lid. Contents will settle, mix before using. Scoop a teaspoon or two of the scrub onto your hands/feet/elbows and gently massage in circular motions onto your skin. The scrub will tighten on your skin. Leave on for 3-4 minutes before thoroughly rinsing.
*You may want to add more sugar. I think the recipe could use 1/2 to 1 cup more. Add a little at a time until you reach the desired texture. The sugar scrub tags have only the original recipe.
DIY Rice Heat Therapy Bags
I was inspired by Little Birdie Secrets to sew rice heat therapy bags; however, I made some modifications to the instructions.
- I made the rice bag out of cotton muslin which does well in the microwave.
- My rice mixture (brown rice) includes a few drops of lavender essential oil. I found this oil in the soap making section of Michaels. It is likely available at other craft stores. It may also be available at health food stores like Whole Foods. I poured the amount of rice needed for the bag into a bowl and then I added a few drops of oil and stirred it well. Don’t overdo the oil.
- I made pillow cases for the rice bag. If the rice bag is going to be used for heat therapy or to toast one’s feet, I thought it would be a good idea to have a washable cover. I selected cotton fabric as a precaution. If someone puts the entire thing (bag and cover) in the microwave accidentally, you don’t want a fabric that is flammable (e.g., polyester fleece).
- I tested the bag in the microwave and discovered that ONE MINUTE makes the bag plenty hot! This may vary if you make large bags. Be sure to test. It’s better to start the bag at one minute and to increase time in 20-second increments if necessary.
I am pairing this gift with a pair of hand-knitted socks and a jar of homemade sugar scrub for a complete gift package.
I’ve made gift tags which you can download.
Easy Knitted Sock Pattern for Beginners
I found the most amazing pattern, including video instructions, for knitting socks at Very Pink. I purchased the pattern (well worth it) and watched the videos, and now I completely understand how to construct socks. I never thought I could be excited about sock-knitting, but I am. It’s all because Staci is such a good teacher!
Here is my first completed pair, which I plan to give to my mother for her birthday (part 1 of a 3-part gift that pays special attention to feet • Part 2: Rice Heat Therapy Bag • Part 3: Sugar Scrub).
I used worsted weight wool as Staci suggested, in this case I used Patons Classic Wool – Aquarium (color 77201).
After I finished knitting the socks, I had to create homemade sock blockers, as the blockers I had were too large. I traced the edge of the plastic blockers onto 1/8″ thick cardboard; then I cut 1/4″ away from the traced line to create the smaller size. When creating the blockers, I thought they could do double duty and make nice packaging. Notice the ankle area of the cardboard blockers. I extended one end so that I could use a hole punch in that top corner.
The hole provides a nice little place to run ribbon.
Look how cool! Nice packaging makes a gift even more special. I created the tags especially for this project. I’ve made them available for you to download.
International Women’s Day 2011 – Women Still Not Equal to Men
Thank you Daniel Craig!
Craig has teamed up with EQUALS, a group of charitable organizations brought together by musician Annie Lennox in support of International Women’s Day on March 8.
The Absolute Easiest Way to Peel a Potato
This is too good not to share. (Thanks Julie for letting me in on this secret!)