try small things

Thursday Plantation Canada sent me some samples to try free of charge, but all opinions are still my own. 

I’ve been reading a lot about self-care in the blogosphere over the past week or so and feel like I’m getting better about identifying (and maybe even embracing) what fills my cup (as uber cheesy as that sounds). Making something tangible with my own hands is huge for me. I was elated by how well these turned out and how much I enjoyed the process. If you’re a maker or think you might be one, show yourself some love with a sweet DIY you can keep for yourself or gift to family and friends. Valentine’s Day may be a few weeks away yet, but love is in the air with this super cute and good-smelling soap.   

To make DIY valentine soap you’ll need:

• clear glycerin soap base (2 lbs should make about eight thick bars)
• white glycerin soap base
• Thursday Plantation 100% pure peppermint essential oil (or your favourite essential oil. I like feeling minty fresh myself. Isn’t peppermint so energizing?)
• red or pink colorant
• silicone soap mould
• silicone heart-shaped mould (mine is similar)
• rubbing alcohol in a small spray bottle (you may not use it, but keep it handy just in case)
• two microwave-safe dishes (ideally with a spout for pouring)
• a knife
• a spoon

This is the clear glycerin soap base you’re looking for. I’ve also seen clear honey and olive oil glycerin soap base. I thought they they looked a little cloudy, but you might like them. I think as long as they’re unscented it’s all good.

Step 1: Cut out a chunk of soap (1/4 of the container makes about two bars, depending on the size of your moulds) and melt in the microwave until completely dissolved. (This shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes. Try 30 second intervals to start.)

Step 2: Add a few drops of essential oil to the melted soap and give it a stir.

Step 3: Pour about an inch of the clear glycerin into your soap moulds (I like this mould because the bars come out nice and thick) and set aside to cool. Pop it in the fridge if you like.

Step 4: Melt a much smaller chunk of the white glycerin soap base (start with 30 seconds in the microwave but watch it closely; it’ll bubble up and bubble over fast!), then add a few drops of the red or pink colorant and stir until uniform.

Step 4: Pour the coloured soap base into the heart-shaped moulds and set aside to harden. Twenty minutes in the fridge did the trick.

Step 5: Once the hearts are pretty solid, pop them out of the moulds with your hands and place on top of the layer of clear glycerin.

Step 6: Melt some more clear glycerin and top up the moulds until they’re full to the brim. If you find you get air bubbles, give them a spritz or two of the rubbing alcohol and they’ll disappear. Put the soap in the fridge for another 30 minutes to fully harden.

Step 7: Pop the soap out of the moulds and (if you like the look) cut a thin slice off the front edge. (To me it just looks cleaner, but you could totally leave it as is. Tomato tomahtoe.)

And there you have it!

I also made another bar with the white base. Wouldn’t these make such a sweet gift paired with a fluffy new bath towel and a cute shower cap?

I’ve written about Thursday Plantation here on the blog and know a lot of you love your essential oils, so I’m so excited to share a fantastic Thursday Plantation “I care” package with two of you.

GIVEAWAY!

That’s right, two lucky try small things readers are going to win a set of four Thursday Plantation 100% pure essential oils (peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender and tea tree) and an ultrasonic aroma diffuser just like the one above! To enter, tell me how you practice self -care and/or how you use essential oils (you might say they’re one in the same) in the comment section at the bottom of this post. This step is mandatory.

For an additional entry, follow try small things on Facebook and share this post, then tell me you did so and your name on Facebook in the comments below.

For a third entry, follow try small things on Instagram and tell me your Instagram handle in the comments below.

And feel free to tweet the following once per day and leave the url for your tweet in the comments below (one entry per tweet). Make sure you’re following try small things on Twitter for your entry to count.

#Win an #essentialoils care package (including your own ultrasonic aroma diffuser!) from @thursplantation & @trysmallthings https://wp.me/p4xBed-6B6 • CAN 2/3 #ThursdayPlantation #100usesforTP

The contest is open to Canadian residents excluding Quebec and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, February 3, 2017. The potential winner (chosen at random) must respond to prize notification within 48 hours and provide the correct answer to a skill-testing question, otherwise another will be selected.

Good luck, everybody! I can’t wait to hear what you’ve got to say.