December HFPE Meeting

Thank you so much to all the Sisters who made this night a success - even if we had to leave early! Are your cookies all gone yet? What a delicious assortment there was to exchange! If you would like to share your recipe - please do so on here in the comment section!

Sister Benson helped us with managing our stress levels not only during the holidays but in life in general. A big thank you to her for traveling all the way from Sunbury and sharing her wisdom and knowledge with us!! I didn't get a copy of the Stress diet, so if you have it, please share it in the comments section - it is hilarious!!

The Klem's shared their favorite family traditions of Christmas past and present and how they've kept Christ in Christmas. And there was a lot of discussion from the peanut gallery which was great. Thank you all who contributed to the uplifting discussions. :)

We didn't get to go over not breaking the bank during the holidays because of the snow! Some brave Sisters stayed and made some bath salts or sugar scrub. Here are the recipes if you'd like to try them. They are made from pretty readily available stuff...and make great school teacher/visiting teacher/neighbor gifts...

Sugar & salt scrub (good for exfoliating hands and feet)

(we had some in the bathroom to try out and everyone was amazed how soft their hands were)

Ingredients:

• olive oil (almond oil works too) WE USED CANOLA OIL
• baking soda
• cane sugar
• brown sugar
• sea salt
• vanilla extract (or essential oils)

bowl, spoon, plastic bag (clean jar is better, plastic bag is cheaper)

WE USED BABY FOOD JARS w/spray painted lids, label

1. In your bowl add 3 spoonfuls of white cane sugar.
2. Then add 3 more spoonfuls of brown sugar
3. Next add a spoonful of salt: Salt has a great texture and is an ingredient in most bath scrubs.
4. Add a spoonful of baking soda: Baking soda makes your skin amazingly soft. It's great plain even but better in a scrub.
5. Stir your mixture until all lumps are gone and it is smooth and one color.
6. Add a spoonful of oil and stir it in.
7. Keep adding 1/2 spoonfuls of oil and stirring until your scrub has the consistency of a slushie (slushie=oil is spread out and plentiful, but there isn't a pool of oil)
8. Add about two drops of vanilla extract. You can replace the extract with cinnamon or any essential oils but I prefer a simple scent.

Relaxing Fizzy Bath Salts

(great for soaking in the tub or just soaking your feet)

• 1 cup Epsom salts
• 1 cup Baking Soda
• ½ cup Citric Acid (I had to order this from the Medicine Shoppe)
• essential oil (Lavendar=relaxing; eucalyptus mint=stress relieving)

In a large bowl mix salts first, then add baking soda, food coloring and oils.
ADD THE CITRIC ACID LAST!! (if you don't if will get all fizzy on you) MIX VERY WELL!

Basic bath salts

• Equal parts salt (epsom, sea salt or kosher) and baking soda
• essential oil/fragrance
• food coloring (optional)

Mix ingredients well