New beginnings - or Sugar Scrub Cubes revisited

How cute is that lamp base. Someone has carved a garland
of flowers on it. And it's actually quite well done. I keep
wondering who didn't want it because I absolutely loved it.

I'm not one for New Years resolutions, it's all I can do to remember to write the new numbers for the year much less initiate a complete change of lifestyle.  Who on earth got this idea that the deepest, darkest winter is a great time for major upheavals in peoples lives?   But even so there is always a magical kind of feeling about the start of a new year.  It's a fresh start even if it's the most miserable time of year.  One of the only redeeming qualities of January is that it's the time to get a new yearly planner.  I love all sorts of calendars, planners, diaries and datebooks especially when they are new and pristine and virginal.  Digital doesn't have the magic at all.  Although I have to admit that I rarely find exactly what I'm looking for in the printed versions.  I have always thought  that one of these days I'll design my own system that will work perfectly for me.  Who knows, maybe one of these days I will.

I made more Sugar scrubs for Christmas presents.  This time I used an ice cube mold that I got in a junk shop so they are not dollops like before, but proper cubes.  I have to say that it is much easier to use a mold.  Just fill it up and put it in the freezer for a few minutes and they pop out easily, for the most part.

I have grown to really like the Sugar cubes.  They are a gentle way to scrub the skin, perfectly safe for the environment and leave the skin very soft with all the nice oils and lovely soap.  I made them to go with the bath bombs so I used Alkanet infused oil and got a pretty pink.  The Alkanet may also give a slightly lavender colour which probably happens if the soap is very alkaline.  I also used scents and the pink Sugar cubes got Lavender EO,  just a few drops are enough.  I also used Annatto seed infused oil to get a yellow colour that accompanied the Lemongras EO.  No colour for the Peppermint but a mix of Rumex/Njóli oil and Alkanet for the Palmarosa EO.   That produced a rather dusky pink which went well with the Njóli soap that I put the tiny rose buds on.

I experimented with using Coconut oil instead of Cocoa Butter and that works fine as well.  They were a bit softer, but that's all right.  The recipe is here and also a link to Mayren Abashed's blog which is where I found it originally.  I wrapped the Sugar cubes like hard candy, although my cellophane was a tad to stiff for that to work really well.  But it looked kinda cute and the recipients of the gifts were quite pleased.  And that does count.  There really is a lot of truth in the old saying that it is sweeter to give than to receive.