Sugar Body Scrubs! Last minute gifts you can make in a hurry!




Easy to make sugar body scrubs! *Phot by my friend Anyelis

As Christmas is fast approaching, I wanted to do just a few more posts on some last minute ideas. At the beginning of November one of my girlfriends, Anyelis, hosted a sugar scrub making party.

Now, I certainly love a party, and this was a good one. Anyelis gathered some friends, created a facebook page, where we divided who would bring what ingredients and what toppings for our ice cream desert. Introductions were made, and we set to work creating yummy smelling scrubs to give as Christmas gifts. You probably don’t have time to get a party together before you light the Yule log, but you can still whip these bad boy scrubs together before the 25^th! The whole process can take you way less than an hour, and you probably have allot of the ingredients already. Anyelis found a good recipe and great instructions for making and decorating at Maybe Matilda.



If you have mason jars, excellent, but if not you can recycle any nicer looking glass containers and lids which may at one time have contained, oh let’s say pickles or spaghetti sauce ;) I believe the jar I used once housed specialty goat cheese. Just wash thoroughly and remove any paper labels. Next you whip up your scrubs, for which several bloggers have their own recipes but Rachel from Maybe Matilda recommends:

- 3 cups white sugar

- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. good quality oil (I used olive oil, but you can use any nice, non-smelly oil)

- 10 drops of yummy-scented essential oil per jar (I went with mandarin, peppermint, and lavender)

                                                                                                                                          Rachael-

 

Body Scrub Party! Beautiful and yummy smelling presents you can make in a flash!

At the party we went to town and created various scrubs with lots of different scents and colors. You can avoid chemicals by purchase organic food coloring from local natural food stores or Amazon, but since this the pre-Christmas time crunch if you just use any old food coloring have laying around I’m not going to tell…. Mixing is simple; just use a little bit of the coloring at a time to get a hue you like.



Mirelis, Nilda, Carolina, Anyelis, Katie, and Lina decorating their jars.

 You can also add cocoa powder for a sweet chocolate smell and rich brown color. Anyelis also suggested we add vitamin E. Next, decorate, decorate, decorate those containers! Go all out!  Have fun, and have a Merry Christmas!

                                 *Marcie






 

Kick-Ass Christmas-Craft Party and Gifts!

Our gang of elves, created 10/12/11!

One of the things I love most about the Holidays is the parties! Christmas, New Years, and my birthday, which is Christmas Eve. Spur of the moment I decided to through myself an early party. You don’t need to plan for weeks and weeks, so it’s not to late to put together a holiday get together of your own! My friend Nate holds weekly screenings of VHS movies (and here’s the blog), and this month has been showing Christmas flicks. He gathers friends, gets some food, and pops in a tape, and presto -instant party! All you need is good friends, some food, and maybe something to do. We have time before Christmas, so what are you waiting for?!

Nathelie, Nikki, Mekissa, me, Miriam, Jess, and Brie

This past weekend I had a small birthday and Christmas party, affectionately named, “Marcie’s Kick-Ass Holiday Craft and Birthday Party.” Seeing as there are parties every weekend in December, I do concede it’s a tough time of year to get people to come to a  party, but you just have to invite lots of folks!  A little under half of who got invites were able to come, and I am so thankful they did! For this little gathering the wine flowed freely, the Christmas records spun constantly, and hands were busy making awesome crafts.

busy bees!

The inspiration for these awesome pinecone elves came from Martha Stewart’s 2009 December Magazine, but my mommy tells me they’ve been around since the 70’s. Kia, Maya, Mark, Steve, Jess, Nathalie, Miriam, Phil, Brie, Melissa, and Nikki make totally bitchin’ pinecone elves and pipe cleaner decorations!

Steve and his many stars!

All dressed up with no where to "snow"

The pipe cleaner stars are so simple! Just three take metallic pipe cleaners, cut in half, so you have six pieces, and twist in the middle! Add a ribbon, and poof (!) Christmas cheer! Also, they are super easy to bend and twist into the shape of other Christmas symbols! These elves are super easy, and kids just need a little help with the glue gun for the pinecones. Both of these crafts make sweet whimsical gifts for the holidays!



Marcie, Maya, Kia, and yes, this is my kitchen!



Kia and I recently joined the Ethical Fashion Bloggers, a group of fashion bloggers concerned with social, environmental, and all around sustainability in the world of looking stylish. Ceri, the organizer recently put out a call for Christmas/Holiday party outfits, so Kia and I submitted this pic.  Because the main activity of this party was making Christmas crafts, we went low key and casual for our attire.  I am proudly wearing a tunic dress I sewed last year using a Simplicity pattern, leggings from American Apparel, and knee high leg warmers I found in my grandma’s closet! My hat is from Krochet Kids International, a fair trade non-profit that employs women in Uganda and Peru so they can support their families. It was given to me as a birthday gift last year by my good friend, Malorie.

Kia and Maya making stars

Kia’s daughter, Maya, is attired in a tunic dress, much like mine as great minds do think alike, from the Salvation Army thrift shop. Her leggings and shoes are hand me-down favorites. Kia is sporting a fair trade scarf from Ten Thousand Villages, and her favorite denim jacket, which she has proudly owned for about a decade! Her long maxi skirt is from a fashionable Philadelphia second hand shop, Buffalo Exchange. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Haoppy Holidays with however many parties you like!

Phil, Jessica, Stephen, Mark, Nikki, Melissa, and Miriam just starting to get their craft on!

*Marcie