How to make soap cupcakes.  These adorable oatmeal cream pie soap cupcakes are easy to make with a cupcake mold.  They smell amazing with a natural scent from essential oils.

Melt and pour soap is my favorite kind to make.  It's quick, easy, and fairly inexpensive to make.  I like that you can really get creative with different scents, additives, and molds.

I like making food inspired soap because it looks cute and is fun to use.  My kids really like the food inspired soaps, too.

One that had been on my to do list was to learn how to make soap cupcakes.  Most soap cupcake recipes or tutorials call for whipped soap on the top.  

I do have a how to make whipped soap from melt and pour soap recipe that works great.  However, I am not the best at piping and this soap doesn't fully harden.  It's not great for making soap cupcakes.

So I found an adorable soap cupcake mold, and it's perfect for these oatmeal cream pie soap cupcakes.

These cute soaps are perfect to use as a body soap, hand soap, or give as a gift.  They make great handmade gifts for teachers, coworkers, or anyone you want to thank with a gift but can't spend a lot of money on gifts.  

How to Make Oatmeal Cream Pie Soap Cupcakes

Melt and pour soap is a fairly easy craft to make, and these are very easy.  You just need soap, the mold, a scent, and some oatmeal and cinnamon if you want to add it.

Melt and Pour Soap

I used Crafty Bubbles white melt and pour soap.  You can use any white melt and pour soap base for these soap cupcakes.  You could use a goat's milk or a shea butter soap if you want it more moisturizing.

Oatmeal

I added ground oatmeal because it's an oatmeal cream pie soap.  I grind oatmeal in my Ninja and keep it in a container to use later.   You can also use colloidal oatmeal in soaps.

The oatmeal will sink to the bottom if you pour the soap too soon.  It's important to let it cool to 120 degrees and use a laser thermometer to check the temperature.

If you don't have a laser thermometer, let the soap sit until a skin forms on top.  Stir it to dissolve the skin, then pour quickly.  

Pouring the soap at a cooler temperature will help stop the oatmeal and cinnamon from falling to the bottom.

Cinnamon

Adding cinnamon is optional.  It can irritate those with sensitive skin, so omit it if small children are using this oatmeal cream pie soap cupcake.  

Vanilla Essential Oil

I used the Right Note/Crafty Bubbles Vanilla essential oil.  It has a pure vanilla scent that's lovely in these soap cupcakes.

You can also use a vanilla oleoserin essential oil.  It's a semi-solid concentrate made by removing the solvent from vanilla extract.  

Cupcake Soap Mold

I love this cupcake soap mold! I do a whipped soap from melt and pour soap recipe that I love, but it's not suitable for soap cupcakes.  It is soft, almost like a drier shaving cream.  It will get dented and smooshed if you use it for the icing on these soap cupcakes.

Instead, I bought this cupcake soap mold.  It makes 4 cupcakes at a time.

I'm pretty crafty, but cake decorating is not in my list of skills.  I wouldn't be able to pipe a soap icing and have it look pretty.  With the mold, the icing always looks perfect.  

Mica

I added a little bit of brown mica to get the bottoms darker.  This is optional.  The oatmeal and cinnamon will also make it darker, but I wanted a more uniform color.  

You can also use a liquid soap colorant or a solid soap color block.  I do recommend buying an actual brown color.  It can be hard to find, but I never have much luck mixing colors to make brown.

More fun melt and pour soap ideas:

• Apple Pie Oatmeal Soap
• Unicorn Melt and Pour Soap
• Succulent Soaps
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Soap
• Blueberry Oatmeal Doughnut Soap

Ingredients

• 19 ounces white melt and pour soap divided
• 1/2 tablespoon ground oatmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essential Oil divided
• Brown Mica

Tools

• 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup
• Laser thermometer
• Spoon
• Cupcake soap mold
• Spray bottle with rubbing alcohol
• Knife

Directions

Step #1

Cut 8 ounce of white melt and pour soap into 1 inch cubes.  Melt in the microwave 30 seconds at a time.  Stir at each interval.

Step #2

When it's fully melted, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essential oil and stir well.  Let cool to 120 degrees and pour into the cupcake top part of the mold.  Spray with rubbing alcohol to remove air bubbles.

Step #3

Cut 10 ounces of white melt and pour soap and melt in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval.

Step #4

Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essential oil, cinnamon, ground oatmeal, and mica.  Stir well.

Step #5

When it cools to 120 degrees, stir well again and pour into the bottom part of the cupcake mold.  Spray with rubbing alcohol and let sit until completely cool.

Step #6

When both the tops and the bottoms are cool and fully hardened, remove them from the mold.  Use a knife to score them so you can "glue" them together with melted soap.

Step #7

Melt one ounce of white melt and pour soap.  Carefully spoon it on top of the scored bottoms of the cupcakes.  Set the tops on and press down firmly.  Let sit until the soap is cooled.

Now you know how to make soap cupcakes!  

soap, cupcake, vanilla, cinnamon, melt and pour, diy

Yield: 4

Author: Cari @ Everything Pretty

Oatmeal Cream Pie Soap Cupcakes

prep time: 15 Mperform time: 2 hourtotal time: 2 H & 15 M

These cute oatmeal cream pie cupcakes are easy to make with melt and pour soap.

materials:

• 19 ounces white melt and pour soap divided
• 1/2 tablespoon ground oatmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essential Oil divided
• Brown Mica

tools:

• 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup
• Laser thermometer
• Spoon
• Cupcake soap mold
• Spray bottle with rubbing alcohol
• Knife

steps:

1. Cut 8 ounce of white melt and pour soap into 1 inch cubes. Melt in the microwave 30 seconds at a time. Stir at each interval.
2. When it's fully melted, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essential oil and stir well. Let cool to 120 degrees and pour into the cupcake top part of the mold. Spray with rubbing alcohol to remove air bubbles.
3. Cut 10 ounces of white melt and pour soap and melt in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval.
4. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essential oil, cinnamon, ground oatmeal, and mica. Stir well.
5. When it cools to 120 degrees, stir well again and pour into the bottom part of the cupcake mold. Spray with rubbing alcohol and let sit until completely cool.
6. When both the tops and the bottoms are cool and fully hardened, remove them from the mold. Use a knife to score them so you can "glue" them together with melted soap.
7. Melt one ounce of white melt and pour soap. Carefully spoon it on top of the scored bottoms of the cupcakes. Set the tops on and press down firmly. Let sit until the soap is cooled.

https://www.yourbeautyblog.com/2019/11/how-to-make-oatmeal-cream-pie-soap.html

Copyright © Everything Pretty 2019. All rights reserved.

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Tag @everythingprettyblog on instagram and hashtag it #everythingpretty

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Introducing CAULIPOWER Chicken Tenders

This post is sponsored by CAULIPOWER Chicken Tenders but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

We have an autism house, so we do things a little differently.  Toys and other things are lined up in a straight line.  My fridge is covered in laminated visual aids to help make our days go smoother.  And we really like chicken tenders.

All three of my kids would be perfectly happy to have chicken tenders every night.  I joke that my boys eat so many chicken tenders that we are just planning on having them catered for their weddings.

Sometimes it's hard to find a balance between the foods that they will eat and healthier foods, but now we can have both with CAULIPOWER Chicken Tenders.

DIY Air Freshener With Essential Oils, Beeswax, Soy Wax

Make your home smell good with this DIY air freshener with essential oils, beeswax, and soy wax.  These adorable hanging air fresheners give off a light scent and can be used in closets, drawers, or anywhere that needs a little freshening up.

This time of the year is always crazy busy.  Right now, I'm in that calm before the storm.  The kids' homeschool is going well, we are between therapists for my son (that's a long story) so we don't have therapy, and my weekends are actually open.

But it's coming.  I know it's coming.

I spent last weekend making pretty things for the blog.  That's my favorite part of the job: making pretty things.

I even made myself a shirt that says. "I just want to drink coffee and make pretty things."  It's the truth.

One thing I wanted to make were these DIY air fresheners with essential oils, beeswax, and soy wax.

Beeswax air fresheners have been done so many times, but I wanted to put my own spin on it.  I changed up the recipe a little bit and used soy wax with the beeswax, and I also decorated them with dried candy and spices.

DIY Air Freshener With Essential Oils, Beeswax, and Soy Wax

These air fresheners will give off scent for months!  I've used them for up to a year and they still gave off a slight smell.

More DIY air freshener ideas:

• DIY Soy Wax Dipped Roses
• DIY Wooden Hanging Air Fresheners
• DIY Gel Air Freshener Recipe
• DIY Baking Soda and Essential Oil Air Freshener

Wax

Most air fresheners have just beeswax.  Beeswax is hard at room temperature, so it makes a pretty sturdy air freshener to put in a drawer or hang.  It's also fairly inexpensive and easy to find.

But beeswax don't hold a scent very well.

Most recipes call for coconut oil, but I think it's too soft, smells too strong, and doesn't hold a scent that well, either.

So I used soy wax.  I used the same soy wax you'd use for candles, so it definitely holds a scent.  It's fairly inexpensive, too.

I used half of each one and that gives it the ability to hold a scent well and it's still firm enough to not get dented or break if something bumps into it.

I picked up both the beeswax and the soy wax from Crafty Bubbles last week when I was at their retail location.

Essential Oils

I can't use artificial fragrances due to asthma, so I use essential oils and natural fragrance oils.  For these DIY air fresheners with essential oils, I used the Right Note Holiday Favorites set.



It's a set of 6 bottles of natural fragrance oils.  It has:

• Pumpkin Pie
• Candy Cane
• Gingerbread
• Mocha Mint
• Apple Pie
• Holiday Biscotti

Some are essential oils blends, and others have natural fragrance oils.  I don't know what they are or how they are made, but I know that they smell amazing and they don't bother mine or my son's asthma at all.

I've used them in soaps, lotions, scrubs, and in my diffuser.  One thing to note is that they are strong.  You will use less of these than you do with other oils.  

Dried Spices

I could have just poured them and called it done, but that's boring.  Instead, I decorated them with dried spices.

Here are some ideas for the scents that are in the Holiday Favorites set:

• Pumpkin Pie - Ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove
• Candy Cane - Peppermint candy
• Gingerbread - Allspice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg
• Mocha Mint - Cocoa powder, peppermint candy
• Apple Pie - Nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice
• Holiday Biscotti - Anise, dried citrus peels

I didn't use all of these because I didn't have everything.  I do like the star anise and the cinnamon sticks.  I think those are my favorites.


Make sure that anything you use is dried.  If there is any water or moisture in the spices or fruit peels, they could get moldy.  

Molds

I was going to buy some hanging molds on Amazon.  I think these molds are super cute and could be perfect for these DIY air fresheners with essential oils.  

When I was walking through Bolek's Crafts, I saw some rectangle clamshells like these.  The ones on Etsy are taller than the ones I used, but they will work.

I liked the idea of the clamshell mold because it doubled as packaging for storage or gift giving.

If you use a mold like the one on Amazon I linked above, you'll have to package them or put them in bags.

Supplies

• 1/2 cup beeswax
• 1/2 cup soy wax
• 2 teaspoons essential oil (I used Holiday Favorites)
• Mica (optional)
• Dried spices
• String

Tools

• Measuring cup
• Double boiler
• Spoon
• Clamshell molds
• Chopstick or something similar to poke holes
• Scissors

Directions

Step #1

Use a double boiler to melt the beeswax and soy wax over medium heat.  This will take a while because beeswax takes a long time to melt.

I set a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup on top of a canning ring in a sauce pan to make a double boiler.

Step #2

When the wax is fully melted, carefully remove from heat and add the essential oils.  Stir for 30 seconds to a minute.

Step #3

Carefully pour into the mold.  Let it set up slightly on the bottom and then add the dried spices.

Step #4

Insert the end of a chopstick or something similar into the end.  Hold it about 10 seconds and then it should stand on its own.  

Let the DIY air freshener with essential oil cool completely.

Step #5

Carefully remove from the mold.  Loop string through the hole and tie to make a hanging air freshener.

These are ready to use or put them back in the clamshell for later or for gifting.

If you want to make a lot of different scents like I did, you can cut the recipe in half and make it multiple times.

DIY Air Freshener Tips

• Never use a microwave to heat the beeswax and soy wax.  Do not heat over direct heat either.
• Beeswax sets up quickly, so you'll have to work fairly fast if you use the dried spices.  I had mine set out for each scent before I poured.  
• You can use any mold for these air fresheners.  They would look cute in a snowflake mold or even a rectangle soap mold.  If using a large mold, you can fill half way because that will give off plenty of scent.
• If you're giving these as gifts or want to sell them, the clamshell molds are perfect.  Fill them about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  There should be plenty of room for the string and the dried spices to fit in the clamshell.
• If you don't want to add any dried spices, you can color them with mica and use biodegradable glitter.

Christmas Collaboration

I teamed up with some other bloggers for a DIY Christmas collaboration.  Check out these other great DIY projects to inspire you this Christmas season.

🎄 Kristy | Life-n-Reflection

Honey and Goat Milk Soap Recipe

This is one of the simplest melt and pour soap recipes I’ve made! Not only does it make easy handmade gifts for friends and family, but the rich lather and sweet scent make them irresistible not to keep one for yourself. The finished soaps have a classic bumblebee and honeycomb shape that makes each look expensive and elegant. Make these simple honey and goat milk soaps for handmade gifts today!

🎄 Lydia | Lydi Out Loud

Christmas Ornament Bath Bombs

Handmade bath bombs always make for a fun gift, but turning them into Bath Bomb Ornaments make them the perfect holiday gift. Scented with the smells of the season and made festive with red and green sprinkles, they not only make a perfect holiday gift, but a full sensory experience.


🎄 Laura | Our Oily House

8 Holiday Room Spray Recipes

Essential oil rooms sprays are so easy to make, smell amazing, and have
aromatherapy benefits for you. During the holidays I love to switch the
sprays out for a more festive scent. Check out these 8-holiday room spray
recipes to help you get into the Christmas spirit.

🎄 Rebecca | Soap Deli News

DIY Essential Oil Ornaments

Learn how to make these DIY essential oil ornaments in 30-minutes or less
to add a natural fragrance to your tree this holiday season. These quick &
easy ornaments can be scented with your favorite holiday essential oil
blend and make lovely DIY holiday gifts too!


🎄 Celiné | Tweak & Tinker

DIY Holiday Cupcake Bath Bombs

A festive holiday bath bomb cupcake DIY with
two designs to choose from - one candy cane peppermint and one Christmas
tree. This easy recipe contains nourishing oil, clay and essential oils and
makes for a pretty handmade gift.

🎄  Carol | Total Wellness Choices

DIY Mocha Mint Cupcake Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

This mint chocolate cupcake soap recipe is easy to make with melt and pour soap. These soap cupcakes are adorable and are scented with a natural mocha mint fragrance oil. The unique soap mold makes the process easy. They make a great holiday gift for friends, teachers, or anyone who loves fun soap.


🎄 Irena | Country Hill Cottage

Holiday Stovetop Potpourri Gift Ideas

See how to make a DIY stovetop potpourri gift! These simmering potpourri recipes make your house smell like Christmas and are wonderful homemade holiday gift ideas. The tutorial comes with free printable labels and gift tags for packaging and gifting.

DIY Beeswax Air Freshener With Essential Oils

Yield: 1 cup

Author: Cari @ Everything Pretty

Estimated cost: $15

prep time: 30 Mperform time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 H & 30 M

These DIY beeswax air fresheners are made with beeswax, soy wax, and essential oils.

materials:

• 1/2 cup beeswax
• 1/2 cup soy wax
• 2 teaspoons essential oil (I used Holiday Favorites)
• Mica(optional)
• Dried spices
• String

tools:

• Measuring cup
• Double boiler
• Spoon
• Clamshell molds
• Chopstick or something similar to poke holes
• Scissors

steps:

1. Use a double boiler to melt the beeswax and soy wax over medium heat. This will take a while because beeswax takes a long time to melt.  I set a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup on top of a canning ring in a sauce pan to make a double boiler.
2. When the wax is fully melted, carefully remove from heat and add the essential oils. Stir for 30 seconds to a minute.
3. Carefully pour into the mold. Let it set up slightly on the bottom and then add the dried spices.
4. Insert the end of a chopstick or something similar into the end. Hold it about 10 seconds and then it should stand on its own.
5. Let the DIY air freshener with essential oil cool completely.
6. Carefully remove from the mold. Loop string through the hole and tie to make a hanging air freshener.

NOTES:

Never use a microwave to heat the beeswax and soy wax.  Do not heat over direct heat either.

Beeswax sets up quickly, so you'll have to work fairly fast if you use the dried spices.  I had mine set out for each scent before I poured.  

You can use any mold for these air fresheners.  They would look cute in a snowflake mold or even a rectangle soap mold.  If using a large mold, you can fill half way because that will give off plenty of scent.

If you're giving these as gifts or want to sell them, the clamshell molds are perfect.  Fill them about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  There should be plenty of room for the string and the dried spices to fit in the clamshell.

If you don't want to add any dried spices, you can color them with mica and use biodegradable glitter.

https://www.yourbeautyblog.com/2019/11/diy-air-freshener-with-essential-oils.html

Copyright © Everything Pretty 2019. All rights reserved.

Did you make this project?

Tag @everythingprettyblog on instagram and hashtag it #everythingpretty

diy, air freshener, essential oils, beeswax, soy wax

Created using Craft Card Maker

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Things to Make Life Easier For Older Adults

Thank you to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield for sponsoring this post. As always, all enthusiasm is my own.

If your older loved one is living alone, here are some things to make life easier for him/her.  By improving nutrition and safety, both of you will feel more confident in your loved one's ability to be happy and healthy at home alone.

My mom's independence is important to her, but it's also a concern for me as her caregiver.  Over the last few years, it's become more and more evident that she needs some extra help.

She wants to stay at home as long as she can, so I help her as much as I can.  While I want to help her, being a caregiver is stressful.  It's worth it, but I need to take steps to make it easier, so I have time to be a mom to my own kids, work, and help her.

Over the last year, I've been taking steps to help support my mom and make caregiving easier and less time consuming.  Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield offers access to services that can make caregiving easier for people like me, so that older adults, like my mom, can get the help and support that they need.

Things to Make Life Easier For Older Adults

This is my third post in a series about caring for the elderly.  Based on the age of my readers, I'm guessing that several of you are in the same life situation  or will be in the coming years.

If you're caring for an aging parent, be sure to check out my tips for caregivers of elderly.  I also talked about whole person health care and why it's important for the elderly.

Meal Prep

For my mom, one of the biggest things to make life easier was to help with meal prep.  She lives alone, and cooking for one isn't easy.  She has some dietary needs and problems with meal prep, so I give her hand with her cooking.

She has a small freezer, so I cook her freezer meals that she can thaw as needed.  When I'm making food for my family, I freeze leftovers for her.

Things that freeze well are:

• chicken noodle soup
• chili
• meatloaf
• pasta dishes
• egg dishes

I also precook some types of meats for her to reduce her meal prep time.  I use my pressure cooker to cook several chicken breasts at once and then cut or shred it and freeze in smaller portions.  She can just grab a pack of chicken and use it to cook her meal.

She also needs help meal planning.  This keeps her on track with her dietary needs, and then she doesn't need to go to the store for any ingredients since it's not always easy for her to get to the grocery store.

I've made cards with recipes and shopping lists on them.  She can grab a card from the breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack stack to create her meal plan and shopping list.

With its 2020 Medicare Advantage plans, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will also help older adults who come home from the hospital or have chronic conditions by giving them the option of with healthy, home-delivered meals.  They will give health plan enrollees the option of nutrition support and counseling.

Home Helpers

My mom isn't able to do as much as she'd like around the house.  My kids and I help as much as we can, but we can't be there every day.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield also offers access to personal home helpers to help with daily activities.  This will really make life easier for many older adults!

Loneliness

My mom is trying to stay active so she doesn't get lonely.  She joined a Bible study and book club because she likes to read a lot.  She lives in a retirement community, so she sees her neighbors often, too.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield also gives enrollees the option of access to adult day center visits which can help combat loneliness.  This can be a big help for caregivers since many live far away from their loved one.  This type of service can put a caregiver’s mind at ease that their loved one has some place to go and things to do.

Transportation Services

My mom still drives, but she's not always able to get to doctor's appointments if they are far away.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield also gives members the option of health-related transportation services.  This can be big time-saver and stress reliever for caregivers as they often work and have other commitments.

If you're caring for an aging loved one and need ideas for things to make life easier for him/her, check out the new Medicare Advantage plans from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to see what services are available.

The annual enrollment period ends on December 7, 2019, so you and your loved one need to make a decision soon.  Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has plans that provide whole person care, which is very important to me as a caregiver.

This year, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield expanded their services to add the option of nutrition support and counseling, pest control, and service dog support.  They also offer healthy food delivery, transportation for health-related appointments, adult day centers, alternative medicine, and personal home helpers to make life easier for the elderly.

Providing whole personal health care and reducing barriers to health care can make it easier to manage chronic health conditions and help the elderly reduce preventable health related conditions.

Visit Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to learn more before the enrollment period ends in December.

Thank you to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield for sponsoring this discussion.

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