It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It hasn't felt much like Christmas this year. It really all boils down to the fact that our move was one big drawn out process that started in October and seen the kids and I living with my Grandparents while B was on the other side of the country settling in to our new home.

The term settling in was used lightly then. When I arrived last week I was met with a tonne of boxes. I lost count of how many I unpacked this week.

Because of all the unpacking that I was doing Caden was left in charge of the Christmas tree.

And not much of our other decorations are put up this year either. Instead I have been trying to hang our pictures and photos but I am finding that hard as we aren't allowed to nail into the walls due to a risk of asbestos and they local shops have a very limited supply of 3M type hooks.

But I have figured out our Christmas menu, the tree is up, the presents are wrapped and we have two big nights ahead of us in order to get the big present put together in time.

Does it feel like Christmas at your place?

A last minute gift

It was B's birthday this week and on Monday morning I got a little worried. His present hadn't arrived and I wanted to make sure that I had a gift ready besides the small presents the kids and bought him (think toys cars and the like!)

I didn't want to spend any cash unnessecarily as he already has a gift coming in the mail. So I decided to make him something instead. Except he isn't the handmade gift type, so I was at a loss.

In the end I decided to make him an armrest caddy for the remote controls. He is always losing his cool when 'his' remotes can't be located so I figured if we had one location for them all problems would be solved.

 I tried to find some 'manly' as possible fabric in my stash. Funnily enough I don't have much 'manly' fabric!

But in the end I am happy with the fabric choices. Some of the stitching is a big horrendous though!

It was one of those anything that can go wrong, will go wrong days!

Why do those days always happen when you are on a short deadline?

Caden liked it though. I'll let you know B's thoughts after I give it to him.

I am linking up with Anne for Thriving on Thursdays, And Sew We Craft and My Creative Space

Mothers Day Printables

1. Ask not what... 2. Hands 3. Life wouldn't be the same 4. Mothers Day Card 5. Happy Mothers Day

6. Gran 7. Love and Be Loved 8. Rights 9. Unconditional Love 10. Unconditional Love

11. Everday 12. A Mothers Love 13. Hands...

A Handmade Christmas: Bath Salts and Body Scrubs

 A really simple and cost effective gift would have to be homemade Bath Salts and Body Scrubs.

You can find a tonne of different recipes for them online. I have found these recipes to be the best that I have tried so far.

Bath Salts:

1 cup Epsom Salts
1/2 cup Rock Salt
1/4 cup Bi card Soda
1/4 cup Herbal Botanicals- I used Lavender for these ones. Some others you could use are chamomile or rosemary. Really what ever takes your fancy.
20ish drops of Essential Oils- I used a mixture of Patchouli, Ginger, Ylang Ylang and Rosemary.

Combine all ingredients well and spoon into clean dry jars. I am just using old jam/coffee jars for these. I haven't been able to track down any decent jars locally and am a bit afraid of ordering jars online from past experiences with ordering glass products before... they ended up in pieces before I even got them.

Body Scrub:

1 cup Rock Salt
1/2 cup olive oil or any other good quality none smelling oil
12ish drops of essential oil- I used Patchouli and Rosemary for these.

Combine all ingredients well and spoon into clean dry jars. Again, I just used old jam jars.

Decorate jars any which way you please. There really is no end to how you can decorate your jars. I would have loved to have proper canning jars, but that wasn't meant to be this year.

I found these labels online and you can download them from here and here. The twine/string and fabric I just had lying around the house.

I am going to me also making a Sugar based body scrub for gifts also. It is divine, the recipe is much the same as the Salt body scrub above.

Are you making any gifts this year?

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more handmade Christmas ideas.