These strawberry milkshake bath bombs are courtesy of guest blogger Irena of Country Hill Cottage. Her DIY moisturizing bath bombs recipe is made with nourishing milk powder and a lovely addition to your bath time.
My pretty strawberry milkshake bath bombs make the bath time fun and colourful. These DIY moisturizing bath bombs are formulated with dried milk, strawberry powder, and essential oils. Dropped into warm water, the homemade bath fizzies begin to fizzle and to release hydrating ingredients that make dry skin feel soft and nourished. Homemade bath bombs are also a thoughtful handmade gift idea for many occasions that will provide the recipient with a spa treatment right at home. They are lovely beauty presents for Mother's Day, Valentine's, birthdays, anniversaries and holiday season. Enjoy! Irena xx
The drawback of oils is that they reduce the fizziness and can make the bath bombs fizzle out too fast or not at all. After all, bath bombs are so much fun because they fizzle, smell amazing and colour the bath water.
So my goal with this DIY was to create a homemade bath bomb recipe that gives a great fizzing while also softening your skin as you soak in the tub. The ingredient that achieves just that is milk powder. The bath bombs dry rock solid and are similar to commercial bath bombs but homemade and with natural ingredients.
These essential oil recipes for kids are all made with kid safe oils. You and your kids will have a lot of fun making these recipes together.
It's the end of the month, so it's Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box time! I got the July box early, so this box is available starting July 1, 2019 and will be available until it's sold out or the end of the month.
The July box is all about kids. Like all of their boxes, it has 4 essential oils and ingredients that you need to make six themed DIY recipes.
It's very important to use essential oils around kids carefully. They are smaller, so you don't need to use as much. They also takes more breaths per minute than adults do, so always diffuse for shorter periods of time.
Essential oils aren't recommended for kids under two. For kids 2 to 10, there are some kid safe essential oils that are generally safe. Even though they are safe, you'll want to use them in lower concentrations and for less time than you would for an adult.
If you use my link and use code EVERYTHINGPRETTYFREE, you'll get a free bonus box with more supplies and a $40 gift card for a future purchase. You can even use the gift card on a future recipe box.
See previous Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Boxes:
My daughter was especially excited to get this box, and she loved what was in it. I love it too, especially as an autism mom.
We use sensory toys often in our home. This box has both a natural slime and a stress ball. We use sensory play for our breaks and for fidget toys while homeschooling.
I diffuse oils to help with concentration during the school year. ADHD and autism are often comorbid and have some overlap. Let's be honest, sometimes you just need a little help concentrating regardless of where you fall on any spectrum.
This is a great box that's a lot of fun for kids to make. Dakota always wants to help me, but I have to say no a lot because of the oils or handing hot ingredients. This is one time she can finally help me!
The July 2019 Simply Earth box includes:
Fir Needle essential oil
Lavender essential oil
Tangerine essential oil
Sweet Dreams blend
Balloon
Psyllium husk powder
6 recipe cards
Labels
You'll also use some supplies from your bonus box to make these recipe. You'll need to provide some common household products though.
SWEET DREAMS BATH
Epsom salts have magnesium that can be absorbed through the skin. I think one of the first natural treatments autism moms try is Epsom salts.
Many kids on the spectrum have a hard time sleeping. Mine hasn't slept since day 1. We do a lot of Epsom salt baths.
1 tablespoon fractionated coconut oil (from the bonus box)
DIRECTIONS
Combine the fractionated coconut oil and Sweet Dreams blend in a small bowl. Add the Epsom salts and stir to combine. Add 1/4 cup to a bath to relax before bedtime.
SCENTED STRESS BALL
These are great fidget toys to use while doing school work or even at the dinner table if you have a wiggly one. Just be careful to use this at home and with kids who don't put things in their mouth. If the balloon breaks, you don't want to be cleaning it out of your car or at a restaurant!
Pour flour into empty water bottle with a funnel. Add the essential oils and shake to mix. Blow up the balloon and let it deflate to stretch it out. Attach the balloon to the top of the water bottle. Fill up the balloon with the flour mixture. Squeeze out excess air and tie the balloon.
NATURAL SLIME
Who doesn't love slime? We use slime and other sensory play all day every day. We have designated sensory breaks between subjects when we work on school. Even in the summer, we have sensory play. It helps him regulate himself. This also makes a great fidget to use when working at the table.
1 teaspoon fractionated coconut oil (in bonus box)
DIRECTIONS
Add water to a large bowl Add the fiber, cornstarch, and colorant. Stir well. Microwave for 10 minutes, stopping it each time it almost boils over. In a small bowl, combine the fractionated coconut oil and essential oils. Stir well. Pour the oil mixture over the powder mixture in the water. Cool completely.
LAVENDER SCENTED BUBBLES
Bubbles are the best kept secret for autism moms. Blowing bubbles is fun, but it's also a great way to calm down. It forces the child to take deep, calming breaths.
Blowing bubbles is one of the activities that we use when he's in the yellow zone to calm down to get back to green. The addition of lavender essential oil also helps naturally calm the child.
How to make a frozen sangria slushie recipe with Aldi white sangria kit. This is an easy way to make a yummy frozen treats for adults this summer.
It's here! The long awaited Aldi sangria kits have hit stores. I assume they are available all over if my small town got them already.
As much as I love a regular sangria, the first thing I thought of when I saw these is a frozen sangria slushie recipe.
We haven't gotten into the hot part of summer yet, but we will soon. The kids like to make slushies and frozen popsicles, and I like to have an adult slushie or popsicle sometimes, too.
If you want to make this nonalcoholic, you can totally do that. I'll give you instructions for that, too.
Our annual Fourth of July party is coming up, and I want to try to a new recipe for the adults. This year, I want to serve this frozen sangria slushie recipe made with a Aldi white sangria kit.
Before we move on to the recipe, I want to note that this isn't sponsored in any way. I just happen to love Aldi because my son can't have food dyes or high fructose corn syrup.
Aldi gives me worry free shopping because none of their products have artificial dyes and most things that normally do have HFCS don't have it at Aldi.
I also save a ton of money shopping at Aldi, so it's a total win for my family.
Is Great Wolf Lodge Autism Friendly? Read the opinion of a mom with two kids on the spectrum and one NT child.
I'm pretty sure I have the best job in the world. I can work on my couch in my PJs with a chihuahua sitting beside me. I also get invited to awesome place like Great Wolf Lodge.
We visited Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky for the first time last year, and my kids were so excited that we got invited to go back this year.
We went a week after school was over, and you have no idea how badly we needed the getaway. We all needed a day of play to just chill and have fun.
This summer, all locations are doing a Summer Camp-In theme. We've been camping. It's fun, but I don't like the bugs and sleeping on the ground. Not to mention the lack of indoor plumbing and electricity.
Great Wolf Lodge has you covered! Camp in with a comfy bed, air conditioning, and no bugs. They even have s'mores in the evening.
We almost didn't make it. Nacho, my chihuahua, had two seizures the day before. Luckily, I got him right into the vet right away and he got some meds. I wasn't comfortable leaving him, but my husband stayed at home with him so we could go.
All day, I was texting my husband checking on the dog and asking for photos. He drew the line at Facetime though. We stopped on the way home and got Nacho some treats and a new bed because we felt so guilty about leaving him.
Anyway, is Great Wolf Lodge autism friendly? We think so! That was our second time there, and we had a lot of fun both times.
I also want to note that the GWL that we were at does not have day passes, but we were given day passes for our trip this year.
I took videos of our visit, so you can see more of the lodge, the water park, and some of the fun things that were included with the Paw Passes in my Instagram stories. Look for the highlights in my Ohio section.
IS GREAT WOLF LODGE AUTISM FRIENDLY?
A little background for those who are new here. I have three kids, two of which have autism. My oldest is 17-years-old and has ASD and sensory issues. He's an avoider. He looks fairly typical and functions very well now that he's older.
My younger son is 13 and has ASD and sensory issues. He's both a sensory seeker and an avoider. He does not do well in loud settings and gets overwhelmed in crowds. At the same time, he loves being in the water and loves water slides and anything to get an adrenaline rush.
My youngest, my daughter, is 11-years-old. She's neurotypical, but she does have some sensory issues going on. Not enough for a diagnosis, but they are there nonetheless.
GREAT WOLF LODGE SANDUSKY
We went to Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio. From what I understand, it's one of the smaller GWL locations in the country, if not the smallest one.
Its size did have some definite benefits, however. We parked close, so we didn't have a long walk to get in. When my boys were younger, parking lots were a mother's nightmare. I can trust them in a parking lot now, but it is worth noting for those with younger kids.
When you walk in the resort, the check in area is fairly small. We got there at 10 am, and there were maybe two families in line. They have auto check out, so that really helps speed up the line.
NO OUTSIDE GUESTS
I'm not sure if all Great Wold Lodges only allow overnight guests to swim, but the one in Sandusky does. There were a lot of people there, but it wasn't overly packed.
The kids were able to do the slides and fun activities they wanted to without standing in line too long. If there was a line, they just went to something else until the line was smaller. There was always something that didn't have a line.
LAYOUT AND ACTIVITIES
Since the Sandusky resort is so small, it was very compact inside. This was great, especially with one parent and three kids. I mean realistically, my oldest is almost an adult, so that helped.
Since it was small, the kids could have a little independence and I could sit in a central location and keep an eye on them.
Great Wolf has plenty of activities from toddlers to teenagers. I'm an adult, and I had a lot of fun, too!
There's a play area with water just a few inches deep for the little ones. It's more of a splash area. There's also a pool for older kids, lily pads to climb across, and a big tree house in the middle.
The tree house has slides, ropes to climb on, and all kinds of water fun. It was fun just to walk around under it and get soaked.
There are slides for all sizes. If your child with autism isn't ready for the age appropriate slides, there are smaller ones that are big enough to accommodate older kids and even adults.
Shhhh don't tell anyone, but my oldest wanted to do the smaller slide because he doesn't like the big ones. I went down with him. We fit fine except we landed in water that was only about 6 inches deep. We laughed about our misjudgment though.
DRY AND WET ACTIVITES
Kids with autism can get overwhelmed in crowds. Sometimes you just need to get away for a little bit.
Great Wolf and fun dry land activities. There's a Build A Bear Workshop, restaurant, Dunkin Donuts, ice cream stand, arcade, and a fun Magiquest game to play.
They gave each of the kids Paw Passes with fun activities, so we got to do those. We swam and when I could see that it was too much sensory information, we dried off and got dressed and went into the resort to do dry activities.
They loved the arcade! It's so loud and so bright, I was prepared for the worst. Even my middle one handled it well. But be prepared that it is very loud, and it's probably a headphone area for kids with auditory sensory issues.
Since you're staying at the resort, you can also go back to the room for some quiet time. We got to see one room. It had a cute tent in it since their summer theme is camping. That would be the perfect hiding place for a kid on the spectrum.
So is Great Wolf Lodge autism friendly? I think so! Just know that it is loud and it is busy. But you can leave the resort to go back to your room or do dry activities to calm down before heading back to the water park.
This healthy strawberry chia seed popsicle recipe make a perfect dessert or even breakfast in the summer. You can can other fruits and berries for different flavors.
During the school year, I work full time and homeschool three kids. The oldest needs driven to his college classes (dual enrollment) and the middle one has autism therapy several times a week.
Since my kids are homeschooled, they are active in extra activities like scouts, theater, and martial arts. We have plans at least 5 nights a week.
But when summer rolls around, it all stops save martial arts and one scout meeting. That's when mom gives zero cares about schedules and most thing in general.
When I say "lazy days of summer", I truly mean it. In the summer, swimming counts as a shower, and I don't even care if the kids are up until midnight.
We make homemade ice cream, get popcorn at the drive in, and make memories, but that doesn't mean that proper nutrition is completely gone for the summer.
I am kind of the master of sneaking healthy foods into kids. I was doing it way before all those fancy books came out.
Autism moms are pretty sneaky when it comes to nutrition. When your kids only eats seven foods, you learn how to make each bite count.
Popsicles for breakfast this summer? Sure! Mom made these healthy strawberry chia seed popsicles, and they make great breakfast pops.
Dessert? Yep, they make a great dessert, too.
Since strawberries are just coming into season, I made a batch of strawberry chia seed popsicles. As fast as we are eating them, I'll be making a few more batches before the berries are out of season this year.
How to make a lilac infused toner recipe for most skin types and especially acne prone skin.
I have large pores and skin that ranges from a little oily to a lot oily, so toner is my BFF. I use it morning and night after washing to deep clean my pores.
Even though I have oily skin, it's not acne prone. I lucked out in that I never really dealt with much acne. I do have a teenager though, so I wanted to make a DIY toner recipe for acne prone skin.
I'm calling this a toner for acne prone oily skin, but I've been using it and loving it, too. I've made several toners and used a lot of brands, and this is up there with my favorite toner ever.
A few weeks ago, I infused lilacs in a carrier oil and also in witch hazel. As I was researching lilacs and their benefits, I knew they would be perfect for acne prone skin because they are antibacterial and antifungal.
Although most acne is caused by bacteria, fungi can also cause acne. The lilacs and the essential oils in this recipe will take care of both, so your skin is definitely covered there.
Soothe irritated skin with this DIY natural after sun lotion. This easy recipe uses aloe, lilac infused oil, and essential oils to heal your skin.
It's great to get outside in the summer and spend time in the sunshine. After that long, cold winter, I'm really enjoying getting outside. Even if I'm working, it's just so refreshing to be outside instead of cooped inside.
As good as the sun is for your vitamin D and for your mood, it's not so great for your skin. Even if you don't get a burn, it's important to take care of your skin after you spend time outside in the sun.
This DIY natural after sun lotion is easy to make. I carefully selected each ingredient for its benefits for irritated skin.
It uses allantoin, lilac infused oil, and essential oils to make this lotion for after sun skin care. I started with my favorite lotion base, but you can also make your favorite lotion and use these ingredients.
DIY NATURAL AFTER SUN LOTION
It's important to wear some type of SPF every time you'll be outside. I wear SPF on my face every day no matter what the weather.
I still get carded for alcohol, and the staff at my son's college orientation talked to me and not him. So wearing SPF daily must not be one of the worst choices I've made.
If you you do wear SPF, you can still get a sunburn. Maybe it wore off, or maybe you missed a spot. However it happens, it does still happen.
Even if you don't get a burn, it's important to take care of your skin after you spend time in the sun. The sun can dry out your skin, making it flake and look dull.
This DIY natural after sun lotion can be used on sunburn or to rehydrate your skin after spending time in the sun.
After you've been in the sun, take a shower to cleanse your skin. This also helps remove the sweat, sunscreen, and chlorine if you've been swimming.
Then use this after sun lotion all over. It's great for sunburned skin, but it's also a great way to add some moisture after being in the sun even if you didn't get a burn.
There's a reason I don't make lotions; they are a pain in the tush. You have to use a preservative and an emulsifier, and if you're not super careful, both could fail.
Most of my readers are home DIY-ers, but I know that some of you make my recipes to sell. Either way, you don't want the risk of having mold or bacteria grow in your lotion or have it separate.
While not as bad, your emulsion could also fail. This can make your lotion watery, and it can cause skin irritation if the essential oils aren't mixed in well.
If you do make lotion and have a favorite recipe, then by all means make it and substitute the oil and essential oils that I used.
I get my lotion base from Crafty Bubbles, which is a brand that you'll see here often. I've been using this lotion base for over 10 years.
When I sold it on Ebay (before Etsy was a thing), I would sell a bottle, and they would come back and order more. It's that good.
I had tried other lotion bases, but they only let you add 1 ounce of oil or butter to a gallon of lotion. You can add one ounce of additives to each 7 ounces of the Crafty Bubbles lotion base.
If you're wondering why you can just add more to other bases, it's because of the preservative. They use enough preservative to add so much additive. More than that can disrupt the balance.
Please don't buy lotion at the store and add essential oils or carrier oils. The preservative may not be able to handle the extra ingredients, and it could grow creepy crawlies.
You can find their essential oils and carrier oils in some Hobby Lobby or Michael's stores, but the lotion base is only available directly from them. You can find ordering information on their website.
If you want to make your own lotion, try this natural lotion recipe from Garden Therapy. It has aloe in it, so just sub the lilac infused oil for one or both of the oils and add the essential oils that I recommend.
LILAC INFUSED OIL
When the lilacs bloomed this year, I wanted to use them to make lilac infused oil. As soon as I started researching the benefits of lilac oil, I knew I had to use them in a DIY natural after sun lotion.
I use avocado oil and grapeseed oil to make my infusion. Avocado oil is high in essential fatty acids that moisturize your skin. It's also high in the oxidant vitamin E. The nutrients in the oil helps nourish the skin.
I also used grapeseed oil because it's a lighter dry oil, so it soaks into the skin quickly. It also has vitamin E and fatty acids to moisturize the skin.
You can use your favorite carrier oil for dry or irritated skin in this recipe. Learn more about 40 carrier oils and the benefits in my book Carrier Oils.
ALOE VERA
Aloe vera is perhaps the best remedy for sunburned skin. It's been shown to help the skin heal and add moisture to your skin.
I used the aloe vera from my Summer Beauty Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box. If you're shopping for aloe vera, make sure you get pure aloe vera. Some inexpensive ones in the store add alcohol and other ingredients.
ALLANTOIN
Allantoin isn't a popular additive for lotion, but it's amazing in lotions. Allantoin is a white powder that is excellent for moisturizing your skin.
Allantoin powder is usually lab-created, but it's the same thing that is found organically in nature. It's found in plantain and chamomile, among other plants.
It's said to aid in wound healing, promote skin cell regeneration, and make the skin smoother. I've been using it in all of my homemade lotions, and I just love how it makes my skin feel.
Allantoin is water soluble, so don't add it to oils. It's important to get it to dissolve fully in a recipe or it can be sharp and feel like glass in your lotion.
I highly recommend using a laser thermometer to heat the water and allantoin to 130 degrees to ensure that it dissolves completely.
ESSENTIAL OILS
I used my three favorite oils for DIY natural after sun care. Peppermint essential oil is almost always used in after sun care. The menthol in it is naturally cooling, so you'll get immediate relief.
I also used helichrysum essential oil. It's a pricy oil, but it's one of my favorites for dry or irritated skin. It's a natural anti-inflammatory to help soothe irritated skin. Helichrysum is also said to be a powerful pain reliever when used topically, so I used it in this DIY natural after sun lotion.
The third oil I used is German Chamomile. It's another pricey oil, but it's a great one for irritated or inflamed skin.
Weigh the water and allantoin. Place in a double boiler and heat to 130 degrees. Stir well to dissolve the allantoin. I use a laser thermometer to check the temperature.
I put a Pyrex bowl inside a pan to make a double boiler.
STEP #2
Weigh the lotion base, lilac infused oil, and aloe vera to the water. Adding these will lower the temperature, but keep an eye on it so that it doesn't go over 120 degrees. This could ruin the preservative.
STEP #3
Heat until it reaches 120 degrees or until it starts to thin.
STEP #4
Add the essential oils and use a stick blender to blend until creamy.
STEP #5
Spoon into an 8 ounce mason jar. Let sit until completely cool and then cover with a lid.
I was originally going to use this is a plastic stand up container. This lotion base is really thick, so I prefer to use jars.
You can use this lotion any time, and it's great for dry or irritated skin. It's a special treat for your skin after being in the sun, but you can use it any time your skin needs some extra love.
DIY Natural After Sun Lotion
Yield: 8 ounces
Author: Cari Dunn
Estimated cost: $6
prep time: 15 Mperform time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 H & 15 M
Soothe irritated skin with this DIY natural after sun lotion. This easy recipe uses aloe, lilac infused oil, and essential oils to heal your skin.
Weigh the water and allantoin. Place in a double boiler and heat to 130 degrees. Stir well to dissolve the allantoin. I use a laser thermometerto check the temperature.
Weigh the lotion base, lilac infused oil, and aloe vera to the water. Adding these will lower the temperature, but keep an eye on it so that it doesn't go over 120 degrees. This could ruin the preservative.
Heat until it reaches 120 degrees or until it starts to thin.
Add the essential oils and use a stick blender to blend until creamy.
Spoon into an 8 ounce mason jar. Let sit until completely cool and then cover with a lid.
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All recipes, tips, and advice found on this blog are not meant to cure or treat any disease or condition. Always do your own research and ask your doctor for medical advice. I am not a doctor or other medical professional. This blog does not claim any responsibility for any product, recipe, or company discussed on this site. This blog was created for entertainment purposes only.
All posts on this blog are original content and may not be copied or paraphrased. You may use one photo with a brief description and a link back to my blog for roundups and collections. A comment on the post or an email to cariwritesforyou at gmail dot com is appreciated when using my photos
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to make my infusion. Avocado oil is high in essential fatty acids that moisturize your skin. It's also high in the oxidant vitamin E. The nutrients in the oil helps nourish the skin.
is perhaps the best remedy for sunburned skin. It's been shown to help the skin heal and add moisture to your skin. 
isn't a popular additive for lotion, but it's amazing in lotions. Allantoin is a white powder that is excellent for moisturizing your skin. 
to check the temperature.
to blend until creamy.
