DIY Homemade Lavender and Rose Bath Bombs

My whole family love bath bombs!  They are a wonderful way to relax in the tub after a long day of work, school, cooking, or running around the house (that’s more of my activity, not my kids…in case you wonder!) If you haven’t tried them yet, I highly recommend that you give them a try. 




The first time we tried them was during our family vacation.   We simply purchased a bag from the drug store while we were supposed to pick up a few bottled water for our hotel stay.  Boy oh boy, we were addicted to them right the way!    It’s smells wonderful, fun to use with the fizzing and make bath time so much more relaxing and enjoyable!  The only down side of the store bought bath bombs?  They could be quite expensive!



That’s one of the main reason why I’m making my own now!  Besides saving money, I can also tailor these bath bombs to my own preferences of scents and ingredients!



There are a few must-have ingredients and I’ll explained to you why.  First item on the list is baking soda. 

Baking Soda:

In addition to complementing the citrus acid, baking soda is also the key to create the fizzing reaction.  Kids went crazy (crazily happy and excited, I should add) when the fizzing started!   Which introduced to the second ingredient, citric acid.
(Get yours here: https://goo.gl/U4cAyF)


Citrus Acid:

Another requirement to generate the fizzing reaction is the citrus acid.  I usually get it online and I’ll list the link below for your convenience.  It’s so much fun to watch and feel the fizz in the tub!  I feel like I’m bathing in a tub of champagne!  The Citrus Acid also acts as a natural preservative.
(Get yours here: https://goo.gl/8wbV1a)






Another ingredient for the recipe is corn starch. 

Corn Starch:

It yields a silky and smooth texture that you don’t get from other ingredients.  It also helps absorb the extra liquid in the bath bombs.  You can substitute with arrow root powder as well.  I usually have both in the kitchen as thicken agents in my cooking.
(Get your Corn Starch here: https://goo.gl/oXvfCo) 
(Get your Arrow Root Starch here: https://goo.gl/V7U379)


Epsom salt:

You can also use sea salt, or a mix of both as well.  It provides the minerals for your skin and help you relax and de-stressed! 
(Get your Epsom Salt here: https://goo.gl/b3XhjQ)
(Get your Sea Salt here: https://goo.gl/9cdcXX)






Essential Oil and Coconut Oil:

Essential oil and coconut oil are also needed in this bath bomb recipe.  They help hydrate your skin and keep your skin feeling silky smooth and soft!  You can also use avocado oil or almond oil if you like them better.
(Get your Lavender Essential Oil here: https://goo.gl/viW48P)
(Get your Rose Essential Oil here: https://goo.gl/TvcbYJ)







Witch Hazel Toner:

Last but not least, the witch hazel toner (you can use other alcohol-free toner as well).  If you don’t have it, water work just fine.  You do need the moisture in the mixture so that the bath bomb can come together for shaping.  The toner is also good for your skin and since I already have it available, it is what I used.  
(Get yours here: https://goo.gl/L3iV2b)




Dried Lavender and Dried Rose Petals:

Besides looking gorgeous and adding a bit of natural colors to the bath bombs, they also add wonderful natural floral aromas into the bath bombs.
(Get your dried lavender here: https://goo.gl/nF3Koc)(Get your dried Rose tea buds here: https://goo.gl/qMpZrf)


Soap Coloring:

The soap coloring is pretty much optional.  I think they make the bath bomb look more fancy and perfect if you’re giving them as homemade gifts.  But please only use soap coloring and not food coloring.  You don’t want the bath bombs to stain your skin nor the bath tubs!
(Get yours here: https://goo.gl/uCL6Vo)







That’s pretty much it!  I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and make some of these gorgeous bath bombs at home soon!  I’m sure you’ll love them! Please watch the video tutorial on the step by step instructions.  They are so much fun and so easy to make as well!



Tools and Ingredients Used:
Baking Soda (Click here for more information)
Citrus Acid (Click here for more information)
Corn Starch (Click here for more information)
Arrow Root powder (Click here for more information)
Lavender Epsom Salt (Click here for more information)
Sea Salt (Click here for more information)
Lavender Essential oil (Click here for more information)
Rose Essential Oil (Click here for more information)
Soap coloring (Click here for more information)
Witch Hazel (Click here for more information)
Bath Bomb Mold (Click here for more information)
Dried Lavender (Click here for more information)
Dried Rose Tea Buds (Click here for more information)
Small Spray Bottles (Click here for more information)
Small Funnel (Click here for more information)
Wilton Icing Flowers (Click here for more information)
Rose Shaped Silicone Mold (Click here for more information)




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Rainbow Dark Chocolate Bars–Healthy and All Natural Toppings

Next Thursday, March 17th, is St. Patrick’s Day.  I love special occasions because they give me reasons to indulge, without feeling too guilty.  That’s the only time of the year when I prepare Corned Beef and cabbage for my family.  Yes, only once a year.  How about you?  Do you serve Corned Beef more often than once a year?  Speaking of celebration and indulgence without guilt, this Rainbow Dark Chocolate Bar definitely fits these categories!  Click on the YouTube video tutorial above to check out how to make it.  It’s super easy and fun!
 


My Daughter and I were working on her school project “Trap the Leprechaun” for St. Patrick’s Day.  She decorated her project with a hugh 3D rainbow across a shoebox (a.k.a. the trap).  My Daughter’s plan was to put gold pots at the end of the rainbow and doubled sided tapes inside the shoebox to “trap” the Leprechaun.  Will this trap work?  I am not sure.  But one thing I know for sure is that the colorful rainbow makes me feel happy and its so pleasant to look at!  That inspired me to create these Rainbow Dark Chocolate Bars.



These Rainbow Dark Chocolate Bars are topped with colorful and all natural toppings that are healthy and good for you.  You can use any ingredients that you like to create the rainbow color pattern.  I simply used whatever I had on hand.  Also, I tempered the dark chocolate to make the chocolate bars, click here to read more about tempering chocolate if you’re interested.    Did you know that there are many health benefits of eating dark chocolate?  It’s packed with antioxidants and can help lower blood pressure.  Of course, moderation is the key to any treats.  You can read more here if you’re interested.  



Here are the ingredients that I used to create the rainbow pattern; freeze dried strawberries for the red; orange zest for the orange; lemon zest for the yellow; Matcha (Japanese green tea powder) for the green; dried Blue Mallow for the blue; and dried lavender buds for the purple!  Also, be sure to use organic oranges and lemons especially when you’re using the zest.  As for the dried blue mallow, I got them from a tea shop.  It creates the most beautiful and dreamical blue colored tea!  You can read more about its benefits here if you’re interested.  The flavor is subtle and slightly floral.  I’ll list all the ingredients and tools that I used at the end of the post for your reference.



I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and video tutorial.  Thank you for reading and stopping by!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Tools and ingredients used:
Chocolate bar mold (Click here for more information)
Dried Lavender Buds (Click here for more information)
Dried Blue Mallow Tea (Click here for more information)
Freeze Dried Strawberries (Click here for more information)
Matcha Powder  (Click here for more information)
Dark Chocolate (Click here for more information)




Disclaimer: Health and General
No information, ingredient or product mentioned on this site is meant to diagnose, treat or replace professional medical advice.  They are my experience, my journey, and my opinions.  Please consult with your doctor before using any of the ingredients or products mentioned here. 

How to Make Flower Garden Cookies with Video Tutorial

I adore spring.  It’s one of my favorite season of the year.  I love seeing my newly planted herbs starting to sprout; the longer day light extended till after dinner; the cute (or more often creepy) Easter Bunny at the photo booth in the Mall; and the excitement in my Kids’ eyes when they go for the Easter Egg hunt!  It’s a season to play, enjoy and celebrate.  So, to celebrate this lovely season, I created these Flower Garden Cookies to share with you.



The base cookies themselves are similar to the texture of sugar cookies, and I flavored them with dried and grounded lavender buds, lemon zests and rose extract.  They are packed with the elegant floral aromas with a hint of refreshing citrus.  I top the cookies with some white chocolate mixed with Matcha green tea, which acts as “glue" for the bunny as well as mimicking the “meadow in the garden”.  Then, I decorated each cookie with a dressed up chocolate bunny, a chocolate egg, lavender buds, a dried tea rose, and some rose tea petals (broken apart from the tea roses).  Please see the ingredients list at the bottom of the post for more details and where to buy these ingredients.



I packaged these Flower Garden Cookies individually and shared them with some of my my Baby Girl’s classmates as a way to say thank you for their kindness.  The kids loved them and I was so happy that they enjoyed these cookies so much!  You can use these gorgeous cookies as party favors, center piece for your spring party, a place card holder (between the bunny and the egg) for your next Easter gathering, or just because.  These cookies are great for desserts and afternoon tea.  Interested to see how I made them?  Here’s the video tutorial with the step by step instructions.  Check it out!





Pretty easy, isn't it?  I hope you enjoyed my video tutorial.  If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my Youtube channel here.  You’ll be the first to know when I have new and exciting video tutorials published.  I added a list of ingredients and tools that I used at the bottom of this post.  You can leave me a commend if you have any other questions.  I hope you enjoy today’s post and video tutorial.  Stay tuned for more fun recipes and giveaway.




Props, ingredients, and tools used in this post:
Lindt Mini Chocolate Bunny (Click here for more information)
Dry Lavender Buds (Click here for more information)
Dry Rose Tea Buds (Click here for more information)
Matcha Green Tea Powder (Click here for more information)
White Chocolate Chips (Click here for more information)
Easter Candy Coated Chocolate Eggs (Click here for more information)
Daisy Flower Sprinkle for Bunny (Click here for more information)
Rainbow Nonpareils (Click here for more information)
Flower Shaped Cookie Cutter (Click here for more information)
Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat (click here for more information)
Calphalon Baking Sheet Pans (Click here for more information)
Oval Shape Wood Board (Click here for more information)