Mint Madness!


Mint continues to be a running theme in our holiday crafting this year! This past week, my daughters and I whipped up Candy Cane Bath Salts, Peppermint Lip Butter and handmade Victorian candy canes.

We've never made candy canes before and it was nothing short of hysterical! The recipe was easy enough, but the actual production takes a lot of finesse as the candy cools quickly and you need to work fast pulling and shaping the canes! Our experience was a cross between three monkeys with pans and a bag of sugar and an I Love Lucy episode. I'm still picking bits off candy off the floor! Lets just say I have a new respect for candy makers!
The product of our candy making experiment. Not gonna quit my day job! LOL!
So, on to the Candy Cane Bath Salts - an oldie but a goodie! We made these little jars for our nieces and nephews. They make really fun, affordable handmade gifts and are super easy to make! 

Candy Cane Bath Salts
This recipe makes 6 jars of salts.

3 cups epsom salts (found at your local drug store)
6 teaspoons shelf-stable carrier oil (I used safflower because it is what I had on hand.)

 8 drops Red food-safe coloring (try India Tree Natural Decorating Colors for safe, plant-based 
dyes)
20 drops peppermint essential oil
Crushed candy canes
6 clean, dry 8oz. jelly jars

  1. Place 1 1/2 cups of the salts in two medium sized bowls.
  2. Mix the oil with the food coloring and add to one of the bowls of salts. Stir gently until the salts turn a pinkish red.
  3. Add 10 drops of peppermint essential oil to each bowl of salts (Note: Different essential oil brands and harvests can have different aromatic potency. Use a few more or a few less drops if needed, without ODing on the mint :))
  4. Layer the salts, alternating colors like candy cane stripes, into a clean jelly jar. Sprinkle a few bits of crushed candy cane on top before sealing the lid. Decorate with a tag, ribbon and a small candy cane.



Here is the gift label that I made to attach to the lids if you'd like to use it, too! (Please note: This is simply a gift label. It does not follow labeling guidelines for retail items.)


I will share the Peppermint Lip Butter recipe in another post. Until then, may your day be minty and bright!








Mask of the Month: Minted Honey

All this, and you can read your tea leaves, too!
The season has me in the mood for mint! We've been making all sorts of handmade mint holiday goodies here - from candy canes to bath salts. I figured this month's mask would follow suit!

Honey is a superb humectant, helping to draw water into the skin to keep it moist (which winter skin needs for sure!). Peppermint is so lovely and cooling on the skin and a great aromatherapy energy boost for this hectic time of year! This mask will have you feeling refreshed, alive and ready to bake that fruitcake! Plus, you probably have everything you need in your kitchen right now! Enjoy! XOXO

Minted Honey

Strong, dried peppermint infusion (you can use a peppermint tea bag or loose, dried)
1 teaspoon honey

1. Make a strong peppermint infusion using peppermint and just boiling water.
2. Mix the honey with a small amount of the infusion and stir well.
3. Apply the warm mixture (it will be runny) to freshly cleansed skin, gently massaging into the skin for a minute.
4. Leave mask on for 15 minutes, rinse with warm water, then apply your favorite toner and moisturizer.

Be sure to save some tea to drink!
Honey - amazing for you inside and out!