It's cold out there!

There is a blustering, cold wind blowing outside, so I am off to have a hot bath ......

the essential oils of sandalwood, cedar wood and lemongrass, combined with the earthy colours of the soap, are sure to warm me up ......

And then off to bed, with a warm glass of Horlicks.

Hope I don't have nightmares about the price of sandalwood EO......

My kind of Monday!

Wow, wow, no I mean WOW!!! My very first blog award.

After a couple of days under the weather with influenza, I was going through a ton of mails when I came across an email from Claudia, who informed me that she nominated me for 'The Versatile Blogger Award'. I can tell you that I feel much better, and it has got nothing to do with the medication I am taking.

 Thank you so much Claudia, not only for making my day, but also for the nomination.

The rules of the Versatile Blogger Award are:
1 – Make a post and link it back to the person who gave you the award (and include their website address)
2 – Share 7 random things about yourself
3 – Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award and contact them to let them know they have won.

I am so chuffed and have been on cloud nine since I heard, so I hope I get these rules of the award done properly.

You will find Claudia's blog at http://alegriamediterraneo.blogspot.com 

Seven random things about myself:

• I believe behind every face their is a story worth being heard.
• Any day now Johnny Depp will realise that following my blog is what is missing in his life.
• Somedays I say things to my children and I sound just like my mother, even although I always said I wouldn't. Wisdom does come with age.
• One more pair of denim jeans will never be too many.
• Apart from my Stud Muffin (dear hubby), my children, my dog, tea, pineapples, grapes, strawberries, figuratively chatting a hind leg off a donkey, walking on the beach collecting pebbles and seashells, I also love roasted garlic and mushrooms.
• I have 1 husband (thankfully), 2 brothers, 3 sons, 4 sister-in-laws, 5 koi fish and 6 followers on my blog (okay, that one's not so random).
• I love hats, even buy them with the best of intention of wearing them but never do, as I can't stand having anything on my head.

The blogs that I nominate have been recently discovered by me, although some of them have been around for some time. In the spirit of paying it forward, may these blogs accept, if not the award, then my deep appreciation for sharing a piece of themselves.

My nominations:

• http://xrenka.blogspot.com
• http://sanganatural.blogspot.com
• http://tmateria.blogspot.com
• http://seifenbrise.blogspot.com
• http://purali.blogspot.com
• http://lavarie.blogspot.com
• http://jabonesnaturalesdemayte.blogspot.com

So I'm off to inform these bloggers that I have nominated them and I hope you follow the links to Claudia's as well as my 7 nominated blogs. Enjoy the blog hopping, I know I always do.

just natural soap

My journey into soap making began as a response to personal skin care issues. I discovered that using a soap made with natural ingredients that I could pronounce, compared to the commercially bought product which ingredient list was completely confusing with chemical components that were mind boggling, put paid to unwanted skin reactions and personal issues that I had endured for many years.

My first batch of soap that I made, more than ten years ago, I still recall with fond memories. At the time I resided in an apartment on the 2^nd floor. With a pot, bucket, spoon, thermometer and 3 oils, recipe and instructions, a pair of swimming goggles and gloves, with mixed feelings of excitement and fear (kids were informed only to come into the garage if I hadn’t returned by nightfall); I set off to the garage on the ground floor. With shaking hands, inaccurate scale, not to mention the difficulty in seeing clearly through misted up goggles which were also interfering with my breathing, I weighed and patiently stirred with sweaty palms, and stood gob-smacked when my alkaline solution and oils saponified. An ice-cream container was used as a mold. I hardly slept that night, my mind was all over the place; did I follow all the instructions properly, did I insulate it enough, did I pour into the mold at the right time, would I have soap. And yes I did. Beautiful, unscented, pure and natural soap. Waiting for it to cure over the ensuing weeks, I lovingly touched and smelt and admired those beauties, checking the calendar every day just to make sure I had calculated correctly when I could start using them. The day arrived, and I fell in love. Twice over.  Making soap is a very addictive and deeply satisfying process. I had created something that was not only a useful everyday item; I was also rewarded with something that was beautiful and good for me and my family.

Over the years I have made many batches of soap, used different combinations of oils and butters, added botanicals, spices and essential oils, only allowing integrity and practicality of ingredients to curb my creativity and imagination.

It’s pure, it’s simple ……

It’s unscented ……

Just natural soap.

The same one the Julian gang still prefer.

This winter thing!

I have this love/hate relationship with winter.

I don’t like the fact that at most times my body is bordering on hypothermia. Spending twenty minutes to clothe myself with layer upon layer of winter woolies therefore restricting me to geriatric mobility is one more thing to put a frown on my brow. And with all this clothing on, taking it off in record time to go to the bathroom, after prolonging the inevitable contact of a cold loo seat, is nothing short of a humongous effort.

Then I love all those favorite comfort foods especially the soups, the guiltless hot pure chocolate drinks, snuggling under thick warm blankets, the log fire, basking in the sun with a cup of tea, boots (I’m a sucker for a pair of boots), the misty days with the foghorns in the distance, and those long hot soaks in a bathtub.

With a mind that feels as if it is hibernating I’ll be marking off the days till Spring.