DIY Bath Salts with Shelley Munro

Today, we're visiting New Zealand with Shelley Munro.

When Shelley came up with this idea for bath salts I knew it was perfect. It's homemade. It's inexpensive. And it's from the heart. Your friends and family will love it.

I am definitely doing this one.



Hello everyone, and thanks to Maria for inviting me to take part in her 12 Days of Christmas celebration. I feel very honored!


Imagine relaxing in a warm bath with the waft of lavender soothing your cares away. Read on, because this could be you…


Lavender Bath Salts

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoon citric acid
Sprigs of fresh lavender or dried lavender if you have it
8 drops of lavender essential oil


Method:

1. Pick a handful of lavender flowers (or borrow or steal from the neighbor). Leave a bit of the stalk on the flower. Dry the lavender flowers. I put them in a sunny place in the kitchen for 2 days. You can also put them in the oven when it’s cooling down after cooking the evening meal. The flowers should be dry and almost crunchy in texture.


2. Mix the baking soda and citric acid together in a clean, dry bowl. If the baking soda is lumpy, put it through a sieve.


3. Add the dried lavender flowers to the bowl, roughly crumbling the flowers into small pieces.


4. Add 8 drops of lavender essential oil and mix well.


5. Keep in an airtight jar and sprinkle in your bath before you jump in and relax.


Lavender Bath Bomb
1. Use the same ingredients above plus 1 teaspoon of almond oil. If you don’t have almond oil use some oil out of the pantry. Olive etc is fine. Mix well.


2. Push the mix into a mold and compact with a spoon. Allow to dry for about an hour.


3. Run a bath and add the bath bomb. Relax and enjoy!


Notes:
1. This is a good recipe for kids to help with since it teaches them about botany and chemistry and they get clean too.


2. Great for gifts. Place in airtight jar and decorate with ribbon to make it look pretty. 


3. I used poached egg molds to make my bombs. A cookie cutter would work too.


4. Make sure your work area is totally dry since the introduction of any water will make your mix fizz when it shouldn’t!


5. The recipe will make one bath bomb.


6. Here’s a link for chocolate bath salts if lavender doesn’t do it for you.




Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand with her husband and a very naughty puppy. She writes romance for Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing and romantic mysteries for Carina Press. To learn more about Shelley and her books visit her website http://www.shelleymunro.com. Christmas is Coming is her latest release—a saucy little romance about sex toys and Christmas.


CONTEST: I’d like to give away an ebook download from my backlist to one reader. To enter – give me the name of one new-to-you author who you’ve read this year as well as the title of their book. I like to add to my reading pile. 

NOTE: For other DIY Christmas posts, go here. Be sure to leave a comment because there are goodies involved all throughout the blogfest. All contests for the DIY posts end 12-22-11, so you can comment on any previous post.

Comments

Unknown said…
Oh, I'm definitely trying this one. What a great idea! *waving to you both*
Sarah Ahiers said…
oh man, i allllmost did a post like this, though this one is way better than mine would've been. I can't wait to give this a try
Angela Brown said…
Now I feel so silly. I thought this would require a bunch of ingredients and some dance to bring about the "aromatherapy" that's part of bath salts. Even I can't pull this off and yet it's such a personal and wonderful idea.

Bookmarking this because I think I just got a great present idea that can be shared from the heart.

Thanks Shelley for the post and Maria for being the hostest with the mostes.
Anonymous said…
Who'd of thunk it...so easy. Definitely going to try this one. Thanks so much for the easy to follow directions!

Maria, this DIY Christmas is the stuff of awesomesauce :)
Misha Gerrick said…
Oooh that's awesome, but I'm already making bookmarks this year. :-)
LD Masterson said…
Okay, I'm sticking this one in my Favorites folder. No time to work it into my Christmas but I definitely want to try it later.
Shelley Munro said…
Thanks for having me to visit today, Maria!
Shirley, it really is easy to make, and makes the bath water feel and smell lovely!
Shelley Munro said…
Ooh, gotta go. Hubby and I are off to hit the supermarket before it gets too busy. I'll be back in a couple of hours :)
Shelley Munro said…
Sarah - it really is quick and simple. One extra note for the bath bomb - I found they needed several days to dry properly, although it could have been our humidity that was the problem.
Shelley Munro said…
Angela - I prefer to make things if I can. Not only is it cheaper, but I can control the ingredients and additives going into my gifts.
Shelley Munro said…
Raelyn,

I've been enjoying Maria's posts too, and have bookmarked several to make.
Shelley Munro said…
Misha, bookmarks sound awesome. I'm sure the recipients will love them.
Shelley Munro said…
LD - I hope you enjoy making them :)
Brinda said…
These things cost a fortune at the bath shops. Now, lets see if I can be as crafty as Shelley...Thanks for this post at a perfect time of year.
Shelley Munro said…
They sure are expensive. I almost had a heart attack when I walked into my local LUSH shop.
You can scent your salts/bath bombs with any of your favorite scents. Your imagination is the only limit.
Jenny Schwartz said…
Great Xmas gift!

Shelley, you're so right about LUSH prices. Wow...

and homemade is much nicer :)
Cathy in AK said…
Very cool! Love lavender, and the thought of smelling like chocolate :)

A new to me author/book? Ummmm....There have been more than a few, but my mind is blank : P
Unknown said…
What a nifty idea. I know just the girls to make these with.

Ok, the new to me author that I love telling people about is Melissa Conway. I read 3 of her YA books this year & they were all fantastic. Check out: The Gossamer Sphere, Anyone & Xenofreaks.

drainbamaged.gyzmo at gmail.com
Shelley Munro said…
Jenny, I like homemade too. I've been watching Kirstie's Handmade Christmas on TV this week, and she's made all sorts of cool things from Teddy bears to chutney and soap. I'm definitely going to try some of the things in Maria's DIY and some of the things Kirstie has made. I see lots of business in my future.
Shelley Munro said…
Thanks for stopping by, Clarissa.
Shelley Munro said…
Cathy - lavender and chocolate. Two of my favorite things. :)
Shelley Munro said…
Kathryn, it's a fun project for the family.

The titles of Melissa's books sound interesting :)
Kaye Manro said…
Hi Shelley! How cool is this! Got to try it soon.

Thanks Maria for all the great posts.
lisagkendall said…
Thanks for the instructions, and for the info on the other posts.
New to me author Savanna Kougar, book I read Branded by the Texans, naughty naughty. I love the world she has built. Thanks for the contest. lisagk(at)yahoo(dot)com
Marianne Arkins said…
Best idea yet!! Love it! Definitely making this one.

Um ... I've read SO many good new-to-me authors this year.

Natalie J. Damschroder
Emma Jay
Tessa Dare

And OH -- I just checked my list on Goodreads: best zombie book ever (I've not been a zombie fan until this book): "Plague Town" by Dana Fredsti -- she's re-releasing it with a new publisher, but it's a MUST read. I'll probably buy it again, just because it was that good.
Maria Zannini said…
Shelley: So glad you shared this one. I couldn't believe how easy this was when I read it.

Thank you!
Mike Keyton said…
Shelley, many thanks for a cheap stocking filler even I can make : )
Tracy Jo said…
So cool and pretty darn easy! I think I am going to try this for my sister and sister in law. Thank you!!
Shelley Munro said…
Kaye - you'll have to try making them. I keep saying it but they are very easy.
Shelley Munro said…
Thanks for the suggestion, Lisa. Is this a cowboy story?
Shelley Munro said…
Marianne - I've discovered quite a few new authors this year too. Taking notes...
Shelley Munro said…
Maria - it's cheap to make too. That's extra good :)
Shelley Munro said…
Mike - you're welcome!
Shelley Munro said…
Hi Tracy Jo - have fun making them. I'm making some more this week for my sister.
Hi Shelly,
Different seeing you on the other side of the world. :)
I will definitely give your bath salts a go. I love my bath.
As for a new novelist, it would have to be Cathryn Hein, Promises. Her writing style is different, and if you love horses well it's a great read.
Nadja Notariani said…
Absolutely love this simple idea, Shelley!

My author(s) for the year....
Khaled Hosseini - A Thousand Splendid Suns. Lit.

Maya Banks - Romance (Highlanders...yum)
What a terrific homemade gift that looks simple enough even for me to make. :)

As for new-to-me authors, I've read a lot this year, some good, some not so great. Two series that I really liked from authors I'd never read before: The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, and the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. Both are urban fantasy/ paranormal romance, and both are terrific.
Shelley Munro said…
Hi Suzanne :)
I hope you enjoy them. Does Cathryn write for Carina too or do I have my Cathryn's mixed up?
Shelley Munro said…
Hi Nadja - I've just finished reading Maya's last two Highlander books this week. I enjoyed them too.
Shelley Munro said…
Dee - the Kate Daniels series is one of my all-time favorites. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy urban fantasy.
Christy said…
I just finished Fate by Tallulah Grace. Shes a new to me author and I really enjoyed her book! I love soaking in the tub... going to have to try your bath salt recipe! Thanks for the chance to win. christina_92 at yahoo.com