Homemade Lavender Detox Bath

 

Whether you're a stay at home mom of 1 or 8 little monkeys, a full-time working woman bringing in 40+ hours a week at the office, a world traveling nomad setting sail to explore the next new area, or any combination of above, we all need a little break once in a while to clear our head and jump start our next adventure of life.

 

The world is full of toxins. We inhale them. We eat them. We touch them. We live with them in our daily stressful lives. They are a part of us, and we are a part of them. These little miniscule particles - both the tangible and emotional kind - can wear us down during our day to day activities. Sickness. Exhaustion. Emotional Meltdowns. We've all been there. But there are a few things we can do to keep our health and sanity. And one of the most enjoyable ones are a nice, hot, detoxifying bubble bath with my own homemade bath salts.

 

This recipe is super easy to follow and will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated while the salts work their magic detoxifying your body and mind.  

 

 

What you'll need:

• 1 Quart Glass Jar
• 3 cups Epsom Salts (I opted for this one for the added moisturizing features)
• 3 cups Baking Soda
• 8-9 drops Lavender Essential Oils

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add essential oil drops and mix again. Use 1/2 cup in a warm bath and feel the concoction begin to work its magic!

 

Epsom salts have been used for years to heal and relax the body, muscles, and joints. The added baking soda is what is drawing the toxins out of your skin, and the lavender adds a subtle calming effect. It's recommended to sit in a detox bath for 20 minutes once a week, so after laying baby girl down to sleep last night I found it to be the perfect opportunity to light my candles from Charleston and soak the case of the Mondays away.

The recommended 20 minutes is the perfect amount of time to listen to Claud Debussy by Clair de Lune and Beethoven's  Moonlight Sonata. My mind went completely blank and free - which is a rarity. This sweet mixture was the best R&R, and I implore everyone to try it! Seriously. Add in the music. No overthinking your life. No stressing about tomorrow. No worrying over the sink full of dirty dishes. Just a simple quiet moment with your body and mind. Follow it up with a nighty and fuzzy slippers and sink into bed with a happy, relaxed heart and soul. Enjoy!

My Completed DIY Eagan Mirror

This post has been a long time coming...

Well okay, not that long since I didn't even complete this project until a short while ago. But with the amount of love and elbow grease that went into this DIY project, I'm surprised I didn't sit down that night and get to typing. You all remember that slight obsession I had when I saw this Eagan mirror?

I mean, how can you not?! Look at it in all of it's glory! I knew I had to set out to try and make my own... and I'm here to tell you... I succeeded!

For those of you that follow me on Instagram, you'll have already seen my beautiful Eagan mirror. Remember this post where I started mapping everything out? Well... she's complete. And she's a beauty.

Since I already walked you through most of the planning phase in my other post, today we're just going to get down the nitty-gritty where I show you the process from start to finish. Let me start by reiterating a saying/warning that I am going to head in the future... "measure twice, cut once!" If you've been following along you'll know that I preplanned all of my measurements in advance before even starting on this post. The problem is I planned everything, bought my 20 piece mirror set, and went to Home Depot and cut all my mirror trim. What I did not do is measure the mirrors once they arrived. I was pissed off to find that the mirrors were not 8" squares, but rather 7 5/8". THIS THREW OFF MY ENTIRE PROJECT MEASUREMENTS. GAHHH.

So after frustration, anger, remeasuring, replanning, re-homedepoting... we started again. My mirror still came out to a huge 48" x 48", we just needed to adjust the trim a bit.

The first thing after getting my second batch of lumber was to lay everything out and make sure the measurements were right this time. And indeed... they were!

After the trim was verified and fit correctly, I started on the outside and worked my way in. I used Gorilla wood glue for all trim pieces, and held down the trim with these plastic clamps.

Once the clamps were in place and the glue was drying, I mapped out the inner trim again, just to make sure. The last thing I wanted was to lay down and glue 3/4 of the project only to find off I was an inch off at the very end. And had to start all over.

After the 3rd time of mapping everything out, we doused the plywood backing in the Gorilla glue, and went to town laying the inner mirror portion one column at a time.

After all of the pieces were down, I needed to add a little weight to ensure a strong and secure hold. Finally! Something to do with my mounds of old novels I have yet to donate!

I let the entire project cure and set for 24 hours. I decided to go back and add a quick coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White, and rested her on top of my sideboard. I am THRILLED by my new homemade PB Eagan Mirror. In total, mine cost me just over $70, which went perfectly in line with my 10% of the PB $700 cost goal. Is anyone else in love?! I now think the rest of my home needs some kind of mirror on every wall. Mirrors! Mirrors everywhere!

A true labor of love that I almost walked away from, but I am so happy I didn't, and so happy she's done! It's the perfect large sideboard piece that can change and be redecorated with the changing seasons.