I don’t know about you, but I’ve come full circle when it comes to holiday giving.  Forget anything big or fancy- I’m enchanted by the idea of someone making something for me.  Any little thing.  A few cookies or a jar of jam.  Those wonderful little things are what make me feel great.  It’s so easy to just whip out or get online and buy something.  But something homemade is so much more.  It’s the experience of giving as much as receiving.  Some of the best holiday memories are made over baking, mixing, sewing gifts for our friends and family.

This year my children and I are making just about everything we’re giving.  We’re drying rosemary from our ranch, stripping it and bundling it with a tin of our favorite Honey-Rosemary Shortbread and the recipe. 

We’re also using wonderful local salt and essential oils and dried herbs to create bath salts and body scrubs.  We package them in one cup Ball jars and tie them with twine and stamped note cards.  In case you’re motivated to try, here’s a recipe I particularly like:

Just follow the directions to fill and decorate four glass jars.

General Instructions:
1. Collect your jars, then wash and dry thoroughly.

2. For most bath salts recipes you can use your choice of epsom salts or sea salt, with baking soda, if desired, or a combination of all three. One good mix is one cup of epsom salts, with 1/4 cup of sea salt, and two or three tablespoons of baking soda. A little more or less of each ingredient is fine for most bath salts. Epsom salts and sea salt are soothing for tired muscles, while both will gently soften the water for a luxurious bath experience. You could also add a tablespoon or two of finely ground regular oatmeal (not quick cooking) for silky, skin-softening water.

3. Fill each jar to the top with the combination of bath salts that you plan to use. Empty the salts into a mixing jar. Add your choice of essential oil – how many drops you use is a personal preference, but start with two or three drops and see if you like the fragrance. The same goes for the liquid food coloring; sometimes I use quite a few drops of food color to get the strong hue that I like, but so far it hasn’t stained the bath tub or anyone’s skin. Remember that the color and fragrance will be much diluted in the bath water. Stir the salts vigorously until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

You can find downloadable lables at marthastewart.com, or we just use seasonal stamps on little tags that I purchase at the craft store. 

If you’d like my honey-rosemary shortbread recipe, let me know.  It’s really fantastic!

Happy holidays!