It's Sandal Season... Time to Polish and SCRUB Those Feet

One of the things I remember about my maternal grandmother was that she had a bunch of shoes!  My Mom's theory was that she overcompensated because she grew up during the Great Depression and growing up they couldn't afford new shoes.  So new shoes meant something to my Grandmother, she wasn't a Carrie Bradshaw with a closet full of expensive and fashion forward shoes, (at least not later in life,) they were all inexpensive and pretty practical.  Grandma just seemed to love to buy shoes!  Me, I buy shoes out of necessity. Very rarely have I fallen in love with a pair of shoes and just had to have them.  (Well, there was this pair of slip-on purple and pink tie-dye sneaker/loafers...but that was a very rare purchase for me!)

For shoes, I usually have a 'seasonal' pair, and a 'dress up' pair....  In winter I wear the same sneakers  or loafers every single day, and in summer I wear the same sandals, every single day, unless of course I'm going to a fancy party or wedding.  I just replace them when they get worn out or get damaged.  I really have no fashion sense!  

With that long explanation about my weird shoe habits out of the way...today's blog was going to be one out of necessity.  We had some rainy days and my sandals got SOAKED, and somewhere along the way I got crud on the inside.  They smelled BAD!  Since it's only just turned June, I knew I couldn't go another 3-4 months with my sandals in this condition, so I decided to make a deodorizing shoe powder and treat my sandals.  THEN just as I was getting mentally psyched for the project, the strap on one of my sandals broke, and I got rid of them. No more odor!  So, now I'm in the new pair (I went with the strapless design to prevent another broken strap) and my issue is....dry sandal feet.  Not as bad as dry cracking winter heels, but my feet could use some TLC.  If they are going to be out on display, I want my fat hobbit feet to look their best! On that note... here's my recipe for this week, it's another scrub, this time with some salts.  Once again, substitute what you like!  (It's about equal parts salt and oil and whatever you want to add!)

There are my Fat Hobbit Feet...in desperate need of Sun and TLC!

The Lazy Diva's Lavender and Peppermint Foot Scrub and Soak

1 cup Epsom Salt

1/4-1/2 cup Sea Salt

1/2 Jojoba Oil

1/2 Coconut Oil (melted)

3 tsp dried Lavender

3 tsp dried Peppermint

1 tsp Vitamin E

8 drops of Lavender Essential Oil

8 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil

Makes 1 Quart....  Once again, a great Mason Jar project or Gift Jar!

1)  Grab your 1 quart Container

I'm doing this Lazy Diva style and just pouring everything straight into the final container.  It's one of those scrubs where you're going to have to stir before each use anyway, so why add more to the clean up!  Since I grabbed a regular jar instead of the wide mouth, I created a makeshift funnel using a styrofoam

2)  Pour in your salts

I chose mostly Epsom because it is great for sore feet and muscles.  Then I added some 'Dead' Sea Salts because A) I had some kicking around and B) They are supposed to be good for your skin and help with arthritis and such.  I also threw in a scoop of Celtic Sea Salt, once again, because I had some kicking around, and I'm sure it has magical powers like the others too!  (They sell it at our local health food store...and I just like to throw it into recipes!)  I just added the salts to a measuring cup liberally.

It was a hot and humid day as I was making this, so it may have played into it, but I ended up adding more salt to fill the jar after adding the Oil.  Do this by sight, last scrub I made did not need as much, but it was a cool, dry day.

3)  Add your Oils

I went with Jojoba and Coconut Oil this hot, muggy, stormy afternoon.  Jojoba is supposed to be a fungicide (so, great for feet) and my stores of coconut oil runneth over (and melted all on their own today)...plus, I love the added moisturizing! I also added Vitamin E, it is said to be a natural preservative, adds antioxidant protection and has other benefits, so why not throw a splash in?  :-)  

Slowly the oil seeps down through the jar...I did add a bit more salt at this point to fill the jar.

As for the Essential Oils.... Peppermint is supposed to work for Athlete's Foot, it has a great energizing scent, and don't feet and Peppermint just go together?  As for the Lavender I've read it's...antiseptic, antifungal and smells great.  (Plus, still have about 3 bottles of it in my craft cabinet.)

4) Add your herbs 

I'm still enjoying the new found use of the coffee grinder, so I threw them in and ground them up. 
In the past, I would leave them whole, but using them in powder form seems to keep the tub, or foot bath, cleaner.

5) Stir it up and close the lid

I always have my trusty plastic spoons ready for the mixing!  Plus, since it's a Mason Jar, I have my fabric swatch ready too!

6)  ENJOY

I usually start out with a spoonful for each foot, and really work it in all over, even between the toes.  I let the formula sit for a bit on my skin, then I put my feet in warm water and let them soak!  SO NICE!!  

Here is a Pure Peppermint batch I did a few weeks ago.
As you can see this had less oil...and it does settle, so stir before use.

**SLIPPERY TUB WARNING**  LIKE MOST OIL BASED BATH PRODUCTS THESE CAN LEAVE A SLICK RESIDUE!

Well, that it for this week!  Coming up I'll probably get to that foot deodorizing powder...hubby has plenty of shoes that I'm sure could use it! Plus, I hit the health food store and picked up ingredients for some nice powder based projects. Dry Shampoo? Body Powder?  Air Fresheners?

We're also getting our garden ready too, so there will probably be an upcoming project on how to keep pesky rabbits, deer and other critters from messing with the garden!  (The kind, natural, humane way!)  I also bought more fabric.... (I may not hoard shoes, but I most certainly have a weakness for nice prints and soft fleeces!)  so, maybe I'll even try out the new sewing machine soon!

THANKS FOR READING!