Gone Girl

Gone Girl was the HIGHLY anticipated release by Gillian Flynn last year. I was so excited to get my hands on this one and I purchased it shortly after it was released in June. At the time I was in the middle of another good book and didn't want to confuse plots. I lent the book to a friend and she in turn let her husband read it... I didn't end up with it back in my hands until about 3 weeks ago. Maybe the fact that it took two people over 6 months to finish reading and get around to giving me back the book should have been an indication of the novel itself. If it was 'scream from the mountain tops' good, I'm sure it would have been devoured and passed on quickly. It wasn't. However, I did have high hopes for Gone Girl. I loved Gillian Flynn's other two books and had held off reading almost ALL reviews of the book so I went in unbiased. Gone Girl is an intense mystery and I hoped it would hold my attention like her other novels did.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Marriage can be a real killer. 

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

Sounds thrilling, right? I thought so. Plus, with Flynn's track record, I figured Gone Girl was bound to top my list of best reads in 2013. Unfortunately, that isn't exactly what happened....

Let's start with the good.... Ultimately, I did like the book. I may not have been totally blown away, but it was intense and interesting. I enjoy Flynn's writing... it is gritty and real. She is a strong writer and I think she does a good job developing character. Particularly in Amy- she did quite the job creating character for her. Those of you that have read it, you know what I'm saying here. Nick didn't have nearly as much depth as Amy, but I think Flynn still did a good job with him. Flynn did a fabulous job portraying both of them and altering them throughout the story which in turn allowed the reader to have many mixed feelings and pass judgement. 

So here is what troubled me... Gone Girl was really hard to get into. I was not very interested and it did not hold my attention. Quite frankly, I was bored. The diary entries by Amy were dull and annoyed me (especially in the beginning). It was a good 100 pages before I was hooked, which in my opinion is MUCH too long. The other thing that bugged me was the flow- it was occasionally quite choppy, the way it swapped between narrators. Oh, and the ending. I HATED the ending... as in, chuck the book down and curse.

Overall, I ended up liking the book as a whole... it just took some time to get there. It was interesting and had a very Flynn twist to it. Even though I was super pissed off (no, really- I was angry about it) at the ending, I enjoyed the story as a whole.

Gone Girl is not a book I would recommend rushing out and buying... if you are interested, borrow from the library or a friend. You may like this book if you don't mind a slower paced beginning and plot framing. Those who enjoy a good mystery and a lot of twists would also likely enjoy this. Once you get into the meat of the novel, it does deliver. 

If you've read Gone Girl... let me know what you thought. It has gotten many mixed reviews... I'm interested to see other opinions!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

This book was on my TBR and is my 4th Mount TBR Reading Challenge title

Party Prep!

Madeline is turning 7! (ummm... when did she grow up?! stop it. seriously.) For her birthday party, she requested a LEGO theme. We will be having her birthday a few weekends after her birthday just because March is an intensely busy month for everyone in the family and later in the month was just the best to get all the cousins together.

Even though we have about a month to prep, I have been working on small projects for the party here and there. So far I have completed two projects...

First up:

Lego Cutlery Containers!

I thrifted two huge bags of Mega Blocks for $5 and used them to create our three silverware containers.

I used Mega Blocks for two reasons: 

1. MUCH easier to thrift 

2. They are BIG so you don't use up as much

Doing this took no time at all... I just made a base out of the blocks then built up the sides. I made each holder one brick larger for some visual appeal. Also, I am likely going to get some more cutlery in different colors- red was just what I had on hand.

Next up:

Goodie Bag Crayons!

We made both solid Lego Men crayons and Marbled Lego Brick crayons.

I ordered both Lego Men and Lego Brick silicone molds from Amazon. I doubled the order and got 4 molds- one set for food and one set for crayons. 

This was another easy project. Peel your crayons (easiest way: let soak in water for about 30 mins, then the labels slip right off!) and break them into little chucks. For the Lego Men we just layered one color and for the Marbled Bricks we used two crayon colors. Pop them in the oven at 250 and watch them melt! I didn't time them, but they take about 20-30 mins to fully melt. Let them cool for a good hour or so before you pop them out of the molds.

I think they turned out excellent! I'm going to do one more batch this weekend and then that project will be finished!

Some other things that I have started are the invites (gotta finish those this weekend) and the Pinata. Oh, and by "started the Pinata" I mean that I got the fillings and saved a box. Ha! I'm filling it with ONE mix bag of candy and the rest is going to be REAL Legos!

I also have purchased a bag of candy bricks to put in goodie bags and to put on the ice cream bar.

As far as other projects to work on... 

- a Lego '7' door hanger

- Lego 'Happy Birthday' bunting (maybe)

- Chocolate Lego Men & Bricks

- Lego cake (duh)

- Lego ice cream bar labels

- Make a Lego themed photo booth (maybe)

- Make up the goodie bags

- Make Lego print PJ pants for Maddie & Ava for the sleepover (hopefully)

- Make Lego baggies for Pinata prize collection

- Wrap juice boxes to look like Legos (maybe)

- Make a Lego build table (Barrett!)

- Finish Pinata

- Finish invites (this weekend!) 

If you want an idea of what some of these look like... many of them are on my Lego Party Pinterest board. By the way, how the hell did we get ideas before Pinterest?!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Book Blogger Hop!

The Book Blogger Hop is baaaccckkk! Well, it was back last week, but I didn't post. Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer has taken over this weekly meme. I am excited- I always love the questions and hopping around!

Week of 2.22 - 2.28

Which do you prefer: a printed book or an eReader?

I do love my Kindle, but I have to say I prefer a printed book. I love the weight of a book and the ability to gauge where I am based on where my bookmark sits.... it is too hard to get tactile feedback with an eReader. Plus, it still feels more natural to hold a printed book.

How about you? Link up and let's chat!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Perks

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is one of my absolute favorite books. It is up there in my top five reads of all-time. I first read Perks when I was a young teenager in high school... it was 2000 (a year after its release) and I was finishing my freshman year of high school. I was 15. I was young and naive. Perks opened my eyes to a whole other world. Reading it changed me. The book literally altered who I was. This novel is as intense today as it was when I first read it. Every single time I read Perks, a little bit of me falls more in love. 

I do have one huge regret relating to Perks though.... when I was a senior in college I loaned out my copy to a friend. This was my only copy- the one I read at 15 and reread as time went by. It was beat up and dog-eared. I even had penciled notes, underlined quotes, and highlighted best loved sections. I lent it out assuming it would find its way back to me. It never did. College is funny like that... time moves too fast and before you know it you've graduated and are off to great places. This is one of my biggest reading regrets - the other being a similar situation: the gifting of my original set of Harry Potter books. Between those two things, you'd think I wouldn't loan as many books as I do. Yet, I still do and I still worry I will never see them again. While most of the time they find their way back, I did lose Perks for a SECOND time. Being a favorite book, I obviously have raved about it for ages to friends. Once again, not so long ago (last year, actually) I loaned out my copy of Perks.... and once again it never made its way back to me. So now I don't have a physical copy of Perks. I only have it on my Kindle. Lovely for the fact that it cannot disappear on me again, but also depressing because notes and highlights on a Kindle just aren't the same... and it just doesn't age. I liked when books age- show their love and the hours you've spent with it. I would like to find a well-loved copy of Perks to call my own again. I don't know if I'll buy a fresh copy or find a copy at the second hand bookshop... but either way, I will likely never loan it out again.

Well... now that I've professed my awkward love of a book and my (perhaps misplaced) regret over losing two copies, let's move on to the fact that I have now finally seen the movie adaptation.

Obviously I love the book. Pretty sure that is clear by now. I knew I wanted to see the movie- I was hoping to see it in the theater but just never got around to it. Once that happened (because I felt like it was out of theaters quick) I got skiddish. I started to think maybe the movie wasn't good- even though people were raving about it. But then I figured that Emma Watson is amazing, and I totally believe she would never choose to do a movie that was a poor adaptation of a book. So then the trouble was actually finding the damn movie. It wasn't on Netflix or Amazon Prime and I couldn't ever find it at a RedBox because it was always out of stock. Finally luck would have it that RedBox had a copy returned and was finally available! I did a happy dance and took it home- where it sat for a few days. We got it when there were a few really busy days ahead so we just never got around to it. FINALLY we were able to sit down and watch it the other night.

Barrett has not read Perks of Being a Wallflower. He knows the story and he knows I love the book. He also knows it makes me cry whenever I read it. He also knows that it got good reviews and he was actually pretty excited to finally sit and watch it. Let me start with the fact that it was adapted and directed by Chbosky, which is awesome. Plus, it had an all-star cast. All this had us both geared up for a phenomenal movie- and we were not let down. 

The film adaptation of Perks is one of the best I have seen. 
SO much translated to the screen. The movie was as magical as the book. I wept like a baby (of course) and even Bear got soft. He actually said the words "this is pulling on my heart" and murmured under his breath at Charlie as he watched the movie. He came away from the movie touched... and so did I. Perks was an amazing movie. By that I mean that I will be going out and actually purchasing a dvd of it. I don't do that anymore. I own what I own- I don't go buy new movies because rarely do I want to watch them again. However, that is not the case with Perks of Being a Wallflower. Much like the book, I want to watch it again and again. I am so pleased with the movie. Now, don't get me wrong- the book will always trump the movie, especially in this case. The writing in Perks is just so fluid. I love every word of it. Nothing can trump that.

If you have not read the book- you need to. It is one of those books that everyone should read. After you read it, go watch the movie. You will not be disappointed. I promise.

Oh, and one more thing- Perks has produced some of the greatest quotes and a cult-like following. I have many of those quotes scribbled down in journals, pinned on my Pinterest boards, and floating around in my head. Read the book and appreciate the words.

I hope you don't mind my book-crush and my jumbled thoughts as they spilled out while I typed. There is something about this that just does that to me. I am so in love with it, I get all sorts of flustered. Does that ever happen to any of you??? 

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Little House in the Big Woods

Lisa over at Books Lists Life has decided to host a Little House on the Prairie Read-a-Long! If you haven't already, join us... it is stress free and easy going. Besides, the Little House books are amazing and Laura Ingalls Wilder is pretty fantastic.

The series of Little House books are based on Wilder's childhood, but are classified as fiction rather than autobiography... you can learn more about that and Laura Ingall's Wilder by doing a quick search. Basically, there is debate about the memories and the influence of her daughter (who helped to edit the series). It actually is quite interesting to look into her life while reading the series.

Okay, so naturally we are reading the books in order (with the exception being Farmer Boy- we aren't reading that one). First book up in the series is Little House in the Big Woods. Quite possibly my favorite... but then again my mind may change as I read them now as an adult. I remember loving this one, but looking back it probably sticks out because it is what started me into the series and kept me reading. I remember it was my Aunt who bought me the boxed set when I was a kiddo. That set is now long gone, donated to my classroom years ago, wandering off piece by piece by former students. Fortunately, my classroom (and a colleagues) had a few copies of each book, so I was able to piece together the majority of the series. The rest I ordered from Scholastic and will get in the mail sometime next week. Thankfully one of the books I did have was Little House in the Big Woods so I didn't have to wait to join the Read-a-long.

Reading LH in the Big Woods on the shore

I picked Little House in the Big Woods and finished it in one sitting (freezing my ass off by Cayuga Lake while Bear and Jay were fishing). It immediately transported me back to my childhood. The details are rich and the writing flows quickly... but then again, that *may* be because I am no longer 8. Ha! Anywho, I absolutely adored this book. Rereading this as an adult brought so many "oh yeah!" and "that's pretty cool" moments. Reading about Laura's Ma and Pa and all of their duties around the home was neat. It reminded me where we came from and how life used to be. It also reminded me how to connect with nature. The simplicity and complexity of life is appealing on a certain level. So many different concerns and worries as opposed to today. I really enjoyed the little details about things such as churning butter and making cheese... it also sort of reminded me that if shit hits the fan and an apocalypse shows up at the doorstep, we could manage- they sure did.

Something that I don't think I picked up on as a kid (or at least not near as much as I did while reading this as an adult) was the internal struggle that begins within Laura in this book. Her struggle to behave and act more ladylike, as well as her struggle with competition with her older sister. Jealously and a feeling of being inferior are present as the story moves along. I was sad when I read those parts, thinking now through the lens of an adult. I can't recall these moments from my memories while reading Little House, so I feel like I either didn't pick it up or I just kind of felt like it was no big deal- normal even. Honestly, it is normal. I just hate the fact that it is... no little girl (or boy!!!) should feel inferior in ANY way. Okay, so I veered off topic a bit and am going to stop there before I turn this into a PSA.

All in all, I certainly loved rereading Little House in the Big Woods. It draws the reader in and does a good job spanning a year in the life. I enjoyed how it was broken up seasonally and thought that the descriptions were throrough and well thought out. The version I read had illustrations from the second illustrator, Garth Williams. I ended up browsing the internet to find some of the original Little House artwork by illustrator Helen Sewell. The images I found by Helen Sewell were lovely. I would enjoy finding a copy of the Little House books with her original work. Garth William's does an amazing job as well, and I would guess that his work with Little House is more widely known- I can only recall his artwork when associating anything Little House. Either way- the illustrations bring out the text and are pleasant to see. They may not be the illustrations children are used to now, but I think that anyone who reads the book would certainly enjoy them. I'm thinking I may hunt down a thrift store book to cut up and frame some of his illustrations! They're charming, in my opinion.

In conclusion... this was a long and rambling post. Please don't hate me for my tangents. Hahaha... and really, if you aren't reading along with us, go do so- NOW! While you're at it, go peep the twitter discussion with the #LittleHouseRAL hashtag. Ahh... Little House and technology.. what a mix!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Water for Elephants

Oh, how can I even begin to describe Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants?

Stunning

Breathtaking

Astounding

Dramatic

Sensuous

Gripping

Mesmerizing

I don't think words are beautiful enough to describe this book. I was in love with this from the get go. Throughout this book, I caught myself smiling as I read... full on cheesy smile, as I was totally entranced by the world I was lost in. I also found tears in my eyes over and over- both in joy and sadness. This book tore through me.

I can't really review this beyond saying that Water for Elephants was magical. If you have yet to read this (which I highly doubt, considering I am one of the last people on earth to read it), stop everything and go start it now. 

This is one of those novels that I wish someone had thrust this one on me so I could have experienced the beauty that this story is earlier.

*****

This book crosses over TWO challenges for me- yay!

My mom read this forever ago with her book club, they raved about it and it got added to my long list of books to be read... therefore, crossing off my third Mount TBR book.

I also am using this one for the Monthly Keyword for February... I choose to stretch this month and use Water for Elephants under the animal February keyword.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Frozen Fire

I started out loving this book. Then I got bored. By time it ended, I kind of hated it.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It starts with a phone call. "I'm dying," a voice tells Dusty. Who is he and how has he gotten her cell number? Dusty wants no part of this strange boy . . . until he begins saying things that only someone who knows her intimately could say things that lead her to think he knows the whereabouts of her brother, who disappeared over a year ago. Suddenly drawn in, Dusty very much wants to save this boy. Trouble is, she cannot find him. Part human, part spirit, he won't let himself be found. He is too dangerous, he says. There are mobs of people who agree and who want to see this boy dead . . . and who will hurt anyone who stands in their way.

Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler was added to my TBR pile from my Penguin Putnam Warehouse Sale shopping spree. I scanned the back and snagged it based on the intriguing synopsis, the SPEAK imprint, and the fact that it was a brand new book for $1. It stayed on my bookshelf and collected dust until I had to hunt for a January Keyword challenge book. It crossed with my Mount TBR challenge nicely too.

When I first picked it up, I was super excited. The characters were mysterious and the plot was engaging. I thought that this was going to be a great novel. Quickly I noticed there are some different slang words and just some very "English" moments, but I was able to handle that without issue- matter of fact, I do tend to like a little "English" in my reading. The plot was confusing pretty much from the get-go, but I figured that would unfold as I continued to read. Unfortunately, it didn't. I was confused and feeling all muddled in my mind while reading this book. The characters never seemed to develop more, and though this mysterious boy was interesting, it wasn't enough to hold my attention. I found that I got bored and was annoyed with the changes in plot and the seemingly random introductions of minor (but apparently key) characters. There were also a bunch of artifacts (for lack of a better word) that I just had a hard time placing and tying in to the story. I can say that the visuals were great- Bowler did a wonderful job with some of his descriptions in this novel. I particularly enjoyed the beautiful snow scenes he described. However, the positives just didn't outweigh the negatives for me. 

Frozen Fire was a difficult read after the first 1/3 of the book and by the end it just lost me. I even struggled with writing this review because I was ultimately disappointed in this one. Overall, I am happy to say I only paid $1 for this one. Don't rush out to grab this one, folks.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire

Last week saw another milestone in the classroom... we finally finished reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We are determined to read the entire series together, and finished GoF last Wednesday. My students love Harry Potter and I truly enjoy teaching it for so many reasons. Harry Potter as a series is such a great tool to teach English... the complexity of the story and the progression of the writing both work as phenomenal teaching tools. Of course you can't leave out the amazing life lessons that are woven into the series.

Since we've finished another book, that means the class is getting a party. We always have a "movie screening" and special lunch to celebrate the completion of a book. This time, our lunch consisted of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli, and fruit... the kids came up with their menu requested soda floats as the dessert- we had vanilla ice cream with root beer. YUM!

After lunch we had our "movie screening" in the gym. I projected Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on the gym wall and we all settled in for some movie magic. We bring in bean bag chairs and fold the gym mats up into sweet seating arrangements. While we watched the movie, the kiddos noshed on some goodies I made for them. As always, after the movie we compare/contrast the film and book.

Of course, I always make a few special treats to bring in for the kids. This time around, I made a few different ones... the kids have been requesting chocolate, so I did two chocolate treats and one sour treat. I also got a bit more creative with packaging this time since my printer is finally unpacked and full of ink!

The goodies I made the kiddos

First up, I made Chocolate Frogs, complete with an Albus Dumbledore Chocolate Frog Trading Card tucked inside the package.

Front & back of the Dumbledore card --
I found this from a creative artist on Deviant Art named George Wiseman

Next I made some Dementor Chocolate. I've done this before, but last time I just used pre-packaged chocolate and tossed them in a baggie. This time I made a milk chocolate disc with a white chocolate top.

Of course I had to label them with the iconic Honeydukes label
I also used the chapter art of Marie GrandPre' on the reverse with the instruction:
"In case of Dementor attack, open IMMEDIATELY!"

Red Grapes + Watermelon Kool Aid = Acid Drops!

Finally, I wanted to do a sweet and sour treat. I decided to do a spin on Acid Pops (lollipops with pop rocks) and make "Acid Drops". All I did was take a bag of red grapes and dumped a packet of watermelon Kool Aid over it... mixed it up and let it get juicy- making sour covered grapes! YUM and a teensy bit healthy.

I LOVE the way the packaging turned out for these
I created the fold-over Honeydukes label and added "Acid Drops" and the tag-line:
"If you like our Acid Pops, try our *NEW* Acid Drops!"

 The party was a hit and the kids had a wonderful time. I also had a great time and I am SO SO SO excited to start Year 5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is one of my favorite books. I can't wait to start it with my kids.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

The Host

I just finished reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer and now I wonder why the hell I waited so long! This has been sitting in my TBR pile for a while. It sat there because I was stubborn and didn't want to read Stephenie Meyers because I am not at all a fan of anything Twilight.... fast forward to the end of last year when I saw the movie trailer for The Host. My interest in the book was renewed and I figured it would be a good way to kick off the Mount TBR Challenge!

For those of you who don't know about this book, here is a quick synopsis from Goodreads:

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed  Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, The Host is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.

I can remember shelving this away on my TBR when it first debuted in 2008... I can honestly remember trolling through the bookstore and seeing this cover on the shelf and immediately being drawn in. This cover is mesmerizing- it reveals so little yet has a strong pull. After reading the book of course, the cover takes on an entirely new meaning. I can also honestly say that if it wasn't for the timing of the Mount TBR challenge and the movie trailer, The Host would likely have continued to collect dust and get lost in the sea of books. The best part of the movie trailer was that it took my mind completely off of Stephenie Meyer as the author of Twilight. I went into The Host without bias. I am so glad that I did. This novel was compelling. I was immediately transferred to a world inhabited by aliens with a small resistance. I didn't need to think to transform my world into that of Mel's- Meyer did that perfectly for me.

The characters were well written and deeply connected on various levels. Melanie and Wanda are one in the same, yet completely separate.  Meyer is able to pull of the duel personality (that isn't DID!) with finesse. Both characters maintain autonomy and as the story unfolds, you can quickly ascertain how each will react in a given situation.

I also loved the way she made two strikingly different worlds in one story... the world of the resistance and the world of the aliens. It is fascinating. This novel is both science fiction and utterly human at the same time. I was so engaged in this story that I found myself speed reading just to get to the next page. This book was hard to put down. This book is definitely for fans of science fiction and those looking for some intellectual food.

Meyer has suggested that this book may be part of a trilogy. I am undecided on whether or not I hope this story continues, but I do think that if she were to continue with the story that I would certainly read it.

I am so excited to see if they are able to do the novel justice in theaters, because if so- The Host is bound to be a phenomenal movie. For those of you interested, here is the official trailer.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Refreshing Bath Soak

I have been having WAY too much fun getting back into craft mode. Now that my craft room in the basement is pretty much complete and the weather is cold & dreary, I am finding myself spending more time creating.

With this yucky post-holiday winter weather, I look forward to invigorating my senses. Looking for something to help me perk up, I decided to make a refreshing bath soak. This soak is just a few simple ingredients and a blend of yummy citrus scents. Citrus scents are believed to uplift the soul, wake you up, and surround you with joy.... this is exactly why I used them... and why I love aromatherapy.

Refreshing Bath Soak

1 1/2c Epsom Salt

1/2c Sea Salt

1/4c Baking Soda

20 drops Tangerine Essential Oil

15 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil

10 drops Lemon Essential Oil

10 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil

Combine all your dry ingredients in a bowl until well mixed

Add your essential oils and stir to coat all your salts

Allow time to absorb and dry

Pour into your jar (I used a mason jar) & prettify!

My Lemon EO has the faintest hint of yellow and added this beautiful natural color  to my salts

 Bath Salts are so simple to create... I've made them for ages and just recently started making them again. I can't believe I ever stopped! I don't even measure anymore.. I just dump in some Epsom Salts, dump in some Sea Salt, add some Baking Soda, then scent to my preference. 

Whenever I am feeling like I need a little pick me up, I just sprinkle a handful of this Refreshing Citrus Soak into my bathwater.... the smell is divine and the water becomes silky smooth!

If you make this recipe, share your thoughts! I'd love to hear how it worked out and what you think of this scent combination.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow