My Other True Love = Salt Spa Bars ..

I'm getting myself all confuzzled as to where's the best place to share my soap porn - forums, blogger, facebook, or You Tube ??

I really don't want to bore people with the same images over and over, but I have different subscribers & friends on each site, so what's a girl to do?

Anyways for those who haven't already seen these, they're all Salt Spa Bars .. That is, they have a large portion of course Sea Salt in them - but they're not scratchy or drying as you might expect .. Oh no, these bars turn gloriously smooth during repeated use, think: 'tumbled river stone'.. They're heavy like one too!

Washing with a Salt Bar is a very unique bathing experience, and one that leaves you feeling clean and fresh, like you just swam in the ocean .. Only without that annoying residue & sand :P

Lovely and lathery, yet good for all skin types .. Some even use/recommend them as a facial bar for troubled or acne-prone skin ..



My 'like a Mermaid' bar it's my absolute most favourite soap in the world♥
Seriously, if I had to choose only one soap to use for the rest of my life,
without question this would be it ..


'Monkey Farts' has a fun fruity aroma that's loved by pretty much everyone ..
Especially my Son!


'Heavenly Honeysuckle' - a very true to life floral fragrance ..


'Bay Leaf & Black Pepper'
- this one has exfoliants in it (Crushed Black Pepper, Hemp, & Fennel Seeds) ..

Playing is Creating ..

I've had an awesome week playing with all my new goodies .. From M&P to new extracts, to hydrosols, & new oils .. I've made Whipped Tallow Body Butter, a Super Intensive & Fanciful Conditioner, Toner, Face lotion, & all of these bars below:


Hempy Hands made with M&P base with Shea Butter, Crushed Fennel, Jojoba Sphere's, Mica, Charcoal, & BB's Wasabi FO ..


Sole Sloggers made with Hemp Base and extra Hemp Oil .. Seas Salt, Pumice, & ground Hemp Seeds .. (unscented)


Spicy Rose Guest soap - made with hemp base, Rosehip Oil, Ground Nutmeg, TD, Mica, Cosmetic Glitter, and my own blend of FO's ..

I've had a total blast making these, but sadly that's the end of my samples .. I'm tempted to buy more, but a little birdy did happen to mention they may just be sending me some *I'm spoilt!*

And I really want to move on to Syndet (solid shampoo) Bars next .. Sooo who makes them - any hints & tips to share with me - here or email me clear.marie [at] gmail.com if you'd rather not share your secrets with the world - err I mean people who read my blog :P

I still don't have the ingredients as they're not available in NZ, but am thinking a mix of SCI, SLSa, Coco Betaine, & some Poly/Decyl Glucose etc ..

~ have a fun & safe week-end everybody!

Melt & Pour, Sugar Scrub Cubes, & Why I'm Glad I Take Photo's ...

I've been thinking about trying my hand at M&P for well over a year now, only I never seemed to get around to ordering any - that was until the week before last .. So when two samples of Melt & Pour finally arrive on my doorstep, it took less than two hours for me to tear them open and get to work on two different kinds of bars .. Followed by a couple more before mid-morning the following day :D

Experimenting with this new medium has been sooo much fun .. Playing with colours, layers, embeds, & curling techniques .. It's just so easy, and gives so much instant gratification that I think I have a new addiction! Though sadly, I only have enough for maybe 2 bars left :(


Above is Hemp Base to which I added Manuka Honey & some finely ground Oats, Mica in the bottom layer as well as DS's Buttermilk & Honey FO ..


And this is the Organic Clear base to which I added various colourants, Sea Salt & Chamomile for a bit of exfoliant and interest, and scented with BB's Sea Moss ..
After making and testing these and more out in the shower, I decided to move on to the oh so popular and cute Individual Sugar Scrub Cubes .. My very good soaping friend Patti who's blog you can read here: (Soap, Soup and Everything In Between) had sent me some a while back and I thought they were a really neat and fun idea .. Thanks Patti, you totally inspired me!

I decided to make three batches, each with different yet complimentary colour & fragrance, as well as a different carrier oil to test how that effects the finished texture both for storage & during use, and of course skin feel .. I also experimented with adding the colour in different ways; mixed into the fragrance, directly into the sugar, or with a little Glycerin ..


And this is why I'm so glad I took some quick pics during the process - I could have sworn and have it written down in my notes that I used Macadamia oil in the Pink batch I'm making here .. But that's clearly Safflower oil in the bottle & on my scale!

Pink - Safflower Oil & scented with TCS's Caramel Apple
Green - Sweet Almond Oil infused with Vanilla Beans & scented with Lime
Yellow - Virgin Coconut Oil & scented with BB's Pineapple Cilantro


To be honest I still prefer my emulsified scrub, but these are great for traveling and obviously make great gifts .. So I do want to tweak them to perfection, and already have some ideas of how to improve them (eg: use a different exfoliant) .. But first I'd like to know what others think as I know I like a LOT more scratch in my scrubs than the average person does .. So Tanya & Patti (I'm fairly confident you will both read this) would you be ever so kind as to agree to test these for me ??

Vanilla Files (final) - Yep it's the end of the Vanillas!

I have lots of new photo's of soap, experiments, & projects I want to share, so time to finish this thing off!

Quick Recap of my last VF entry:

All the Vanilla Bars are now aged around 1.25yrs old ..

Last week (or was it the one before?) - Recently! I took a layer off the top of each bar to show the fully cured colours .. And lined them up for comparison:


Scented at only 3% FO you would expect quite a dramatic fade-out after all this time, particularly if the bars weren't stored away in boxes right ?! Well today I sniff-tested each of the bars that HAVE been fully exposed to air - though kept out of sunlight etc, their entire life, and found the following:

SPEAKING ONLY OF THE EXPOSED BARS - NOT THE REST OF THE BATCH STORED IN BOXES!

Musk Vanilla, Vanilla Bean, Drizzled Honey Vanilla, Buttercream Frosting, & Sandalwood Vanilla are all super strong! As strong as when first made!!

Marshmallow Fluff, Pink Sugar, Very Vanilla, & Vanilla Bean Noel, & Black Raspberry Vanilla are all moderately strong (still very obviously scented) - when held to ones nose .. That said, BRV, a scent I know well as I've made many batches of it since this experiment began, has unfortunately taken on a slightly different note .. Dare I say it's a little plasticy at a mature age ?! It's not too bad, and I will still use it as it's super popular with my family & friends .. But it's definitely not sweet & rich like it once was :(

And then we have Warm Vanilla Sugar, Vanilla Abricot, Vanilla de Madagascar which you really need to touch your nose and take a few good huffs to smell .. *Vanilla Abricot nearly made it into the 'moderate' list but fell just a tad short as you really do need to almost eat it to smell it if you kwim lol ..

Now these are my opinions on the DRY bars .. To be perfectly honest I'm kinda over working with these so haven't gone through them all to see which, if any, still come alive in use .. I do know that Sandalwood Vanilla, Pink Sugar, & (this may surprise you) Vanilla Bean are the stand-out's that I absolutely ADORE and NEVER want to be without!!!

And that Pink Sugar, Sandalwood Vanilla, Musk Vanilla, & Drizzled Honey really linger on the skin .. My neighbour says the Black Raspberry Vanilla & Marshmallow Fluff do too, but personally I don't find this so, or at least not enough for me to praise them on it .. A fresh bar of BRV yes, at this age nope - I smell 'soap' but not a specific fragrance ..

So what happens to all that soap now the projects complete?

THIS is the vital ingredient that gives my Salt Spa Bars their distinctive 'crushed shell where the ocean meets the land' look .. Only I use colours in my Mermaid Bars that some of you have tried :)

You see I'm all about rural-coastal living, and spend many many hours at the beach; camping,walking, kayaking, taking photo's,collecting bits of driftwood, shells, sea-glass, and whatever other jetsum & flotsum I find for various art projects .. And I don't know what it is bout the combined (absolutely heavenly) smell of these Vanillas, but they along with my love of all things ocean inspired what I now make and call my 'Sand Dollars' ..

So finally I want to say Thanks to everyone who has been following me down this Vanilla Scented Path .. I really hope you gained from my experience, and I really appreciated your feedback, emails & comments etc .. I just hope you stay around to read what I get up to next!


~°¤ Vanilla Files - Complete ¤°~

What Can I Make With That ??

Ok so this is not the second part of the Vanilla Files Update, sorry .. You'll have to wait for that lol .. Today I want to share with you something I whipped up yesterday ..

Since I've had a big break from B&B over the summer it made sense to really sort through everything I have .. Not just on my soap shelf, but in all the raw ingredient storage spots throughout my house - and there are quite a few .. In the craft room I have all my FO's, colour additives, hand tools (spatulas, whisks etc) & packaging bits & pieces .. In the lounge cupboard I have my EO's .. Three large tubs of moulds, mixing bowls, lining materials, and bulk oils etc lives in the laundry .. With the rest of my oils finding a home in the kitchen/fridge .. Then finally all my clays and various other lotion making supplies are in a blanket box in my bedroom :D

So this last week I've been working out what's too old to salvage (eg: my Avocado Oil is rancid ?!!), what I need to buy more of (I'm totally out of Ginger & Rosemary EO), what I'm no longer going to order (Mango Butter & Macadamia Oil), and why the heck I bought Laureth 2, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Strawberry Fruit Powder, & Liquid Soy Lecithin ??

Anyhoo, after a few days of this I had a mounting range of supplies on the kitchen table - benefit of my lifestyle is I can leave them there all week and it wouldn't bother anyone! But I was itching to actually MAKE something ...

So went to the ever reliable blog of Susan Barclay-Nichols 'Point Of Interest' and started looking for things including the ingredients I wanted to use-up .. In her new (Favourite Recipes Handout) she talks about a Cuticle Balm she made for her mum, so I thought I'd give that a whirl ..

First I weighed out all the ingredients:

Lanolin - Bees Wax - Macadamia Oi
Soy Lecithin - Mango Butter - (lip safe) Honey Fragrance & Lemongrass EO


Put everything except the Fragrance/EO into a double boiler & mixed until melted & combined .. As usual the beeswax took forever so I should have done that first then added the rest but oh well - it's been a while & I forgot!


Once melted I took it off the heat, let it cool a little,
then whisked in the Fragrance & EO ..

Then poured into my container (+ a small sample one for my SnL swap partner), and popped it into the freezer to cool off ..



This is very tacky and personally I'd prefer some more Beeswax in it .. I also think I'd go with Olive Oil over the Macadamia if the situation were different (cos I'm obsessed with OO)

But it sure was a great way to use up my Macadamia, Mango, and Lecithin!

Oh and the reason I used lip-safe fragrance (aka Flavour Oil) was so it could serve double duty as both Cuticle & Lip Balm .. It's very shiny on the lips which again isn't isn't what I personally want in such a product - however I Love how shiny my fingernails are looking this morning after applying this only once before bed last night!

Well that's it from me for now .. I'm tripping over the hill (mountain range) to catch up with a soul-mate I haven't seen or spoken to in nearly six months!

Have a great week-end everyone .. I hope you enjoyed my little Show & Tell, and that there are lots of comments waiting when I return :P

*update* on the Vanilla Files (Part 9)

Once again I apologize for my complete lack of posting here .. I try, I really do! It's just that everyday chores and responsibilities keep getting in the way of any 'free-time' .. And when I do manage to make a little I often have other things I want to do .. For example, this last week-end I did a major sort-through of ALL my soaps curing and in storage - every single batch & box inspected!

Annnnnnd, you'll be happy to know I seized this opportunity to take some updated photo's and notes on my Vanilla Bars :



I gave them all a good wash and then took a layer off the top and side of each bar for colour comparison .. I found it interesting that only one batch still shows a slightly lighter interior, that being 'TCS's Pink Sugar' :




Also of note, especially since all these were made with the same formula, same batches of oils, in the same moulds, and stored in the same conditions ever since - the two lightest bars (Unscented & Black Raspberry Vanilla) have both started to show DOS (dreaded orange spot/rancid free oils) .. Something I've only ever had happen twice before in 2+ years of soaping!

The BRV only has a couple of spots on two of the bars, whereas the Unscented is so discoloured and foul smelling that I've actually thrown all but one out ..
































The Unscented bar (bottom row, far left) is now seriously Yellow & 'cheesish' :




Soooo does one assume that FO can help preserve/extend the life of soap by way of acting as an antioxidant ?? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this ..

I'm afraid I've run out of time but have more pics and fragrance notes (including a surprising new favourite!) to share, so hopefully I'll get that up in the next couple of days .. Don't laugh (or hold your breath) - I'll do my best!

And just before I go I've had a couple of questions about DS's Drizzled Honey-Vanilla, which as far as I know is still available .. I absolutely hate trying to navigate their site! But just had a quick look and was able to find it on the sample list, under 'For the Love of Vanilla Collection' :D

Best Soap Blog (I've been nominated?!)

I want to say a HUGE Thank-You to whomever nominated me for the Great Cakes Soapworks Best Handmade Soap Blog Competition ..

I've been put into the 'Best Information' category for my Vanilla Files project, and am truly honored to even be considered! As much as wanting to experiment with the fragrances myself, documenting the results was all about sharing and hopefully benefiting others so I'm thrilled that it worked out :D

Anyhoo, I'm going to post the link below for those who wish to check it out or vote etc, and again THANKS to whomever added my name to the list - it's fantastic encouragement to keep on experimenting and sharing {{hugs}}

Link: ** Best Handmade Soap Blog Comp **

On another note, I had hoped to return to making regular posts here sooner, but with the Christchurch Earthquake as well as a sick 9yr old, well lets just say I've been super busy .. What I have been working on and will be posting next, is more Fragrance Oil tests with photo's, and a list of scents I've found that stick around for a loooooong (think Castile) Cure .. So stay tuned!

Christchurch Earthquake

Just a quick note to let everyone know that while my daughter was in the worst hit part of Christchurch when the earthquake hit, she is now home with me in Golden Bay - uninjured, but severely traumatized ..

The majority of our friends and family that live there have also been accounted for, though sadly at least one person she knows has passed away as a result ..

Please keep the people of Christchurch in your hearts and minds, especially the families of the 102 confirmed dead and 300 still missing, presumed crushed beneath rubble .. New Zealand is a very small country and nearly everyone will know someone, or someone who knows someone, who has not survived this tragedy :(

- WATCH THIS SPACE -

Because a rejuvenated, renewed, & best of all improved *Artisan Soaps* will be making a comeback real soon!

I'm being very productive ..

Soaping daily in an effort to stock up with quality soap I'm proud of .. Specifically Goats Milk & Oat Castiles, and Salt Spa Bars .. Occasionally a 'special treat' batch with more luxurious and expensive oils .. Or another experimental one in my endless effort to create luscious lather without CO, PKO, &/or skin irritation *sigh*

And likewise I'm doing my tried and trusted (popular) fragrances, then some unique (experimental) blends of my own .. Has anyone soaped Daystar's 'Black Tea' with 'Jasmine' (I think mine is from Natures Garden) before ? The tea morphs in my GM soap so I'm doing it in a salty this time round .. I also tried adding some 'Salty Sailor' to the mix, but so far prefer the straight 1:1, it's smoky sexy heaven in an after shower body mist!

Another I'm liking is Clothes Line mixed with some heady Honeysuckle - it kind of takes you out of the laundry to where you're hanging the last on the line and mooching around the garden deciding if you should get to work or sit down and have a cuppa in the sun first .. At least that's where it takes my mind :D

Playing with scents is so much fun - all sorts of memories are flooding back, and I'm using them to create even more fragrances that somehow depict my life - is that even possible, to 'depict' with aroma alone? lol ..


Anyone regularly blend there own EO's or FO's ?? I'd love to hear about your favs if you're willing to share - you can email me if you don't want to post public ;)

Black Raspberry 'n Vanilla Créme

This is one of the fragrances that really impressed me when I did the Vanilla trials (more of which I'll be posting asap) .. And guess what? It also rocks in Milk Soaps!

The colours were an experiment and not exactly what I was aiming for - however I'm not complaining given that Hot Pink (which started out Neon Purple) is no longer the 80's Fluro Orange it was when I unmoulded this batch!!!


~ Goats Milk & Oat Meal Castile ..

I really can't wait for 6months to try this - but I will .. It smells soooooo good ♥

Daystar L*sh Dupes ..

I'm going to start by saying I have never seen nor smelt anything from a Lush store - but I do regularly use some of the dupes of their fragrances .. Susan was asking about this yesterday but I was having server issues and couldn't respond, so I started to type this up and figured might be helpful to others if I shared it here ..

Invigoration (aka Avobath, Avabathe, & Ava's Bath)
is a divine, uplifting, scent .. Only it doesn't play nice in the pot! I've had major acceleration troubles with this, but I've battled it with good results so it's possible - just be prepared and take precautions ..

Galaxy of Stars (aka Super Nova, & Champagne Snow Showers)
reminds me of candy musk sticks, and I often end up having to go buy a packet to munch on when I use it :P I really like this, it soaps well, sticks in there forever (talking 1+years), and doesn't discolour ..

Kazi-Kazi (aka Karma, & Kama Kazi)
is another well behaved personal favourite of mine, and I always have a bar of this in the bathroom .. No discolouration issues either ..

Fishnet Pantyhose (aka You Crack the Whip, & Snap The Whip)
OMG(osh) it's good in lotions, butters & creams!! This is going to sound crazy, but you know the icing in-between liquorice all-sorts? That's what this scent is to me *yummy* I haven't soaped it yet, but Daystar says it won't discolour - My supplier says it does ?? Will update you on this soon as I get more to play with!

Toffee-Sugar Crunch (aka Honey I Washed the Kids)
is another I've tried, and though it behaved well I don't like the scent at all .. Some say it discolours slightly but mine didn't ..

I also have a bunch of sample sized bottles waiting to be soaped:

Jasmine-Honey (aka Flying Fox, & Godiva)
*My supplier: "Some people have experienced acceleration while others haven't so be prepared just in case. No discolouration noted" *DS says no A no D
- will update ..

Liquid Crack (aka Rock Star)
*My suppliers says no A no D, DS says "Creamy Peach Discolouration"
- will update ..

Blue Bubblegum Crush (aka Candy Fluff, & Candy Crush)
*My supplier says no A, D? *DS says no A, D to medium beige
- will update ..

Coco Loco Mama (aka Floating Island, Floating Oasis)
*My suppliers says"No acceleration noted, discolours brown", *DS no A, Medium D
- will update

I think I have a couple of others too but I'm feeling particularly blah tonight so I'm not going out to look for them sorry .. I will post here as I use them though and let you know how they behave ..

Please share your own experiences using the L*sh dupes in the comments, soaping or B&B .. I'm sure it would be appreciated by myself and anyone else who happens to stop by for a look-see :)

And because a post wouldn't be the same without a photo
(special batch for my daughter):

Patti Rocks!

How lucky am I ?? Answer: Very!!

My wonderful friend Patti sent me this awesome care package that arrived today, and I didn't waist a minute opening everything to sample and sniff :P


The Lip Balm is Mmmmmm, goes on buttery and doesn't leave my lips all gloss (I don't like gloss so YAY!) and the Lemon Sugar Solid Scrubs - love this scent, love nice and scritchy, and it didn't leave my tub slippery at all .. Excellent Formulas!

Can't wait till the boy goes to school tomorrow to try the Bubble Bar!!

THANK-YOU Soooooooooo MUCH! {{{hugs}}}

Hunting & Fishing Bars ..

The sun make an appearance today, after almost a week of rain and I was determined to finally take photo's of my latest (? actually it's not but eh, lol) - my latest non-experimental batch of CP :)

So I decided to head down the beach to give it a little test run and the best part of all was it was high tide when I got there - so naturally I jumped in the kayak ..





Anise Essential Oil is used to mask the scent of human, as well as attract fish to bait - teamed with Coconut Oil, the only 'saponified fat' (Soap) able to lather in salt water .. Embeds of Green Castile, Charcoal & Black Tea ..


They're actually balanced on an old post sticking up out of the water :P

Friday Fun & Frustrations ..

I've been having a wonderful morning, trimming bars and making new batches .. My house smells soooo good - Anise, Peppermint, Lavender, & Eucalyptus all merged into one big olfactory delight!

To start with I set to work on some Anise Hunter & Fisher Bars:

Only it decided to do the partial gell thing so I had to throw it in the oven and play on & off with the thermostat and timer, and thankfully was able to get a full gell going ..


And then I started trimming my EucyPepperLav bars from the other week - they're full of Olive, Avocado, Castor & Shea, so take some time to set up right .. This is my absolute favourite Essential Oil blend and I use it for just about everything, in the tub, washing machine, room spray, soap etc .. Only trouble is it had a purple swirl along with the green when I first made it, yet the grape pop mica just won't work for me like it does for others ?! Not to worry - these are my private stash, yep soap just for MEEEE!!

The other trouble I've had this morning is it's dark and grey outside (awesome thunderstorms) which I actually LOVE, but it means no good light for photo's ..

Ahh well, in real life it's a lovely warm yellow thanks to the Avocado & Olive, but the scent is particularly cooling so this lack-lustre pic is accurate in that sense ..

~ Wishing You All a Wonderful Week-End ♥

Calculating SAP By Hand ..

I had a long power-cut the other day and it brought home just how important it is to know how to do this ..

OIL	FORMULA %	WEIGHT	SAP Value	NaOH NEEDED
Olive Oil	65	1300 x	.134	= 174.2
Coconut Oil	15	300 x	.183	= 54.9
Shea Butter	15	300 x	.128	= 38.4
Castor Oil	5	100 x	.128	= 12.8
TOTAL NaOH				280.3
REMOVE LYE DISCOUNT (aka) SUPERFAT	eg: 5% SF X.95	OR - 5%		= 266.28gm

So all you have to do is work out your oil weight, and multiply that with the specific oils SAP Value ..

Do this for all the oils in your formula and then add them all up ..

Then remove your desired Lye Discount % either by multiplying or dividing ..

Again it's just the oil weight multiplied by it's SAP Value:
1300gm Olive x .134 SAP Value = 174.2gm NaOH ..
Then remove your Superfat %

And just in case your supplier can't provide the SAP for your oils (they will alter slightly with each batch), here are some sites you can get a general range from - print these out and store somewhere safe!!

Oh, and make sure you get the NaOH SAP not the KOH SAP, unless you're making liquid soap!
*click links*
{ SoapCalc.net }
{ soaperschoice.com }
{ soapguild.org }

- o0o - o0o - o0o - o0o - o0o - o0o - o0o - o0o - o0o - o0o - o0o - o0o - o0o

Now your Water is the total Lye amount divided by the % you want your solution strength to be, and then multiplied by the remainder of the the 100(%) ..

28% LSS (28/72)
30% LSS (30/70)
33% LSS (33/67)
35% LSS (35/65)
38% LSS (38/62)
40% LSS (40/60)

So for a 33% LSS using the above recipe:
[b]266.28 ÷ 33% : 806.90 x 67% : 540.62ml[/b]

Or if you go to Soapcalc and type in your desired Lye Solution Strength eg: 33% - it will give you the Lye to Water ratio .. So if you have that you can just multiply it with your Lye weight ..


Hope This Helps Someone :D

So Damn Unpretty ..

Well I must have made some kind of sense in my last post because I got some lovely comments ((hugs)) to my beautiful friends!

You really put a smile on my face :D

No doubt this will read a little hodge-podge too because while everything flows as one in my head, I don't know that I express myself as well with words .. So forgive me if it's a little random or cryptic - that's just how I think ..

OK, lets start with some background music:


The title above is because I've been making some damn ugly skin-care products of late .. And honestly, I really don't care what it looks like so long as works how I want it to!

Basically what happened was I was researching Bubble Bars and somehow came upon all these L*sh Videos on YT .. They don't have a store here so I've never seen/smelt/used anything L*sh (though I do have some FO dupes), and I was absolutely blown away by their HUGE following .. That of course lead me to take a look at their website, and I was even more shocked at their prices - cleanser selling for 17.90 per 100gm - that's $179 kg!!! Totally insane because it's nothing more than Almonds/Clay/Glycerine & a few EO's/Botanicals lol ..

Oh Oh and I quote: "Preservatives are by nature poisonous, and have more to do with profit, supply chains and convenience than healthy hair and skin, or the environment." WTF? They're kidding right??

Yeah Right, well I decided to make this expensive cleanser myself with the addition of extra skin-loving goodies like White Willow Bark Extract & Hydrolysed Wheat Protein .. It cost me, oh maybe $3 for 100gm .. Plus it took only 15 minutes which including going to town to buy organic almonds and grinding them!

What do you think of my lovely L*sh knock-off ?

Yeah I know, I know, it's as ugly as ... well, poop! But theirs is grey, and most reviews say it stinks bad - mine smells great :D

These are also messy as a mud pie to use (tweaking can easily fix that so why didn't L*sh bother??), but my intention is not to rag on L*sh - honestly .. I just want to show how easy it is to make and how cheap! And surprisingly it works really well - Seriously!

I made this on Monday I think it was, and have been using it twice daily since, and my skin feels awesome ..

I used Pink Clay instead of white because it's better for my dry/mature skin, and an EO blend my face loves (Lavender,Rose Geranium,Patchouli 3:1:1), and I really wanted to add Panthenol but I don't have any ..

It's actually not too dissimilar to my favourite face mask, only I use Honey & Goats Milk lotion in that .. Hmm, ground almonds maybe be thrown in the next batch ;)

Anywho so that's how the song relates you see .. Well not really, maybe I just wanted to listen to it tonight, and I love to find real talent on YT! I guess I just take issue with big companies playing off people insecurities, especially those of young girls .. And to top it off by charging outrageous prices - well it makes me sad :(

Of course some ingredients ARE super expensive - and super worth it! So on that front I want to share with you my oh so ugly Re-Hydrating Face Mask:

~ Active Manuka Honey ~ Olive Squalane ~ Meadowfoam Oil ~ Avocado Oil ~ Green Tea Powder ~ & Ground Oats (that I should have ground up much finer)

Oh and carrot Seed EO .. It actually tastes better than it looks, lol ..

Bottom line is treating our skin, and ourselves well is important .. But Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, and True Beauty really does come from within .. And I want everyone who is reading this to know, no matter what you think, or what anyone else tells you - YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! and I HONESTLY mean that ♥

The Important Things In Life ..

I've never been good at keeping diaries or journals .. I'd start out with best intentions but pretty soon I'd miss a day, a week, a month - or three ..

Well my blog has obviously been neglected and yesterday someone *you know who you are* hinted that I need to work on a post, so this is for you - and thanks, I needed a nudge! :P

I actually have a million things I could write about, and I even have photo's of some new B&B goodies I've been making - facial cleansers/scrubs, soaps, room sprays, bath bubble bars etc .. But tonight I'm all about the weather ..

Yep The Weather!

Trust me, I'm the last person interested in small talk, but living in the country as I do it's an important subject .. And this last week has really seen the switch from Autumn into Winter - I don't care what any calendar says, it's WINTER! It's cold, wet, windy and there is frost on the ground come daylight!

This is actually my favourite time of year because a) 1st of June (the official start to the season) is my birthday, and b) I love nothing more than to sit in front of a wood fire, sipping hot tea/soup/wine that's brewing atop and reading a book, or playing games with the kids .. And while my home is small and really not much more than a tin shed with plumbing, I keep it lush with heavy velvet curtains, beanbags, pillows, quilts, and faerie lights strung up everywhere .. So it's quite the cosy grotto - and an awesome smelling one at that :D

Anyhoo, I've gone of tangent and probably aren't making sense, so photo time!

This first pic I took on Monday morning as I was taking the boy to school .. I saw the rainbow and ran back in to grab my camera, took one shot and then it suddenly vanished! The driftwood sticks are my front fence, looking into the paddock across the road from my house .. There's a few cows in there now and again but that's all - oh and I don't own it, a farmer up the road does ..



And the second I took yesterday morning .. I've been crazy busy these last few weeks and really haven't had much time to myself, or I've been too tired to do anything when I did get some, so I spontaneously decided to go for a walk after dropping the boy at school instead of heading home to housework ..

I went to a reserve up the road called Paynes Ford .. It's a popular place for international rock climbers due to the natural caves/cliffs/rock formations & river so some of you may know of it? It's a beautiful preserved forest and river that again borders on farmland but remember this was early morning, and with the trees blocking the sun, well I must admit it was freezing cold and I was NOT properly dressed! So it was a true delight to come out of the shadows and into this exposed piece of the track .. Again I took one photo and this time my camera suddenly shut down due to dead batteries!



And with that I'm going to leave you for tonight .. I'm sorry, I'm just so tired, and OMG(osh) I think I'm coming down with a cold or flu .. I've been sneezing since this morning and I thought perhaps it was my allergies playing up to something .. But now my son is and also complaining of a headache - crying even and willing to take the meds which he Hates, so I know he's for real .. And yeah, my head hurts too! Darn it, I never used to get sick and now I can't make it through two months!

Ahh well, hot fire, warm drink, good book, & faerie lights - it's hard to feel too sorry for oneself with that combination ..

{{hugs}} To All ♥
~ Clear

All about the Children ..

Isn't it odd how sometimes every which way you turn the same things jumps out at you? This week is all about Children ..

It started with me watching (now don't laugh) the first 5 episodes of Jamie Olivers Food Revolution .. I know he's a weird one but so am I, and I think we're equally as passionate about good food!

Well for anyone who hasn't watched it he delves into American school lunches, and there is an amazing amount of behind the scenes insight that quite literally had me in tears .. My kid takes a (not so flash) Bento lunch to school each day, and asks for a similar plater of chopped up fruit/veg/meat & cheese every night for dinner - which he gets more often than not because why not?! It's quick, simple, healthy & delicious ..

Our school has a very productive organic garden that all the kids work in, and they're taught to prepare the harvest by inviting friends and family to 'shared lunches' each term .. So to see a classroom of 6yr olds who don't know a tomato from a potato, or a beetroot from celery is, well it's shocking to me! I told myself this could obviously be a one off, But to Then see the school system providing pizza for breakfast followed by nuggets and instant mashed potato for lunch, and the choice of only chocolate & strawberry milk - AND the Head Honchos claiming it's meeting healthy eating guidelines, Seriously? I honestly don't mean to offend anyone by writing this but SERIOUSLY?? I just don't see how they can get away with it as surely the parents know what they're being fed at school .. I remember when it was suggested our kids go to Macdonalds for lunch on an excursion over the hill once - the outrage was spectacular lol ..

Anyhoo that's one thing ..

The second was finding out someone I know just lost her baby .. Again I feel wow, stunned .. My heart is breaking right now as C was so far into the pregnancy that a delivery was necessary, and I can't even contemplate how devastating and traumatic that must be to go through .. She was supposed to call me during the holidays but didn't so I figured she was tired (it's not been an easy pregnancy by any means), and was just told about the turn of events by a third party, and that she is hiding in her bedroom .. I really don't know if I should phone and offer to have the other kids (who love me) stay for a while to give her a break, or maybe she'd want them close .. All I know for sure is that this family has had a rough couple of years, and now this to top it off is just so so sad :(

*For the record there are a few pregnant soapers at the moment but this is no-one anyone reading this will know ..

It kind of puts everything in perspective though, what with my being extra busy dealing with family court lawyers, child youth & family social workers, school teachers, and riding for the disabled these last few weeks .. My life literally revolves around kids and their individual special needs - and I wouldn't want it any other way!

I actually spent the day making Monster/Witch B Gone Bedroom Sprays in Monkey Farts, Blackberry Jam Cookie, and 'Crack the Whip' (Lush dupe that smells like a Liquorice All-Sorts Coconutty/Vanilla blend to me) .. The Jam Cookie by the way is sooo good that I've sprayed it on the curtain dividing my bedroom and the lounge so it sends out wafts of scent whenever I walk through!!

But what I really wanted to sign off with is a little game I created for my son's school .. I'm taking this year off to focus on my B&B but I used to go in two afternoons a week to help with maths and this was a hit with the kids and teacher alike :)

I had access to a printer one day so I used a grid to divide my page and added some simple maths questions

Printed out the page on heavy paper, wrote a number between 1 and 6 on the back, cut into cards and covered with sticky tape (protects from dirty/wet fingers) ..

The knife was just used to eliminate air bubbles around the card, and I gave them a tidy up trim after taking these pics

Now the idea is for the younger ones you lay the green side down, roll the die and pick up one of the matching numbered cards and do the maths to earn 1 token .. For the older kids you lay the cards problem side up and they have to find a card that equals the number that they rolled to earn the token ..

Oh, and I found these nifty trains in the classroom, so I used them for the boards each kid put their tokens on .. First one filled wins the game ..

We used little plastic bears I also found in the classroom for our tokens, and it was so cute how each one came up with a story about where their bears were headed - to the zoo, the beach, circus, grandmas etc :)

As I say they had fun playing, and didn't even know I was teaching them math!!

Back to School ..

Well the holidays finished today so it was back to making lunches and attending to all the things I've been putting off the last couple of weeks (live vacuuming the lounge!).. My main priority though, after dropping the boy at school, was shipping off a bunch of lip balms to friends in the UK!

I was only going to send one kind but decided at the last moment to make another batch to cater to those who like more of a gloss .. I also decided it was time I formulated for the vegan crowd so experimented with Candelilla and Carnauba Wax and now have my fingers crossed they work out ok .. I must say though, so far my impression is Wow - if you haven't played with these two ingredients you should! They make a super hard balm but the glide is phenomenal, no drag what-so-ever and it sets up as smooth as glass ..

Oh and good news - I didn't spill any more than a drop when pouring the second batch into tubes :P

The tops however, well I'm still working on perfecting that *rolls eyes*

I also had to hand-crafted a label as I don't own a printer, so this is what I ended up doing on the week-end:

Wraps for the tubes themselves ..

Booklet tags to list ingredients ..

The finished Balms with wraps ..

Together with their booklets ..


And finally, THANK-YOU to everyone who's left comments, I really appreciate it and will write replies when I get a chance ;)