A Handmade Birthday Gift

Today is my Mama's birthday. I must confess, I've always been a Mama's girl. In fact, my mom and I have always had one of those Gilmore Girl esque best buddy relationships. She's my pal, my confidant, and my rock. Aside from Mark and Kate, she's the person I spend the most time with. I've never had to worry about turning into my mother; I can only hope that will be the case. :)I've always heard that it takes becoming a mother yourself to really begin to understand and appreciate the extent of your own mother's love, and I would agree wholeheartedly.

I love handmade gifts, both giving and receiving. However, in terms of giving, I've found that some folks on the gift list are very hard to please with handmade gifts. Of course, they probably never say anything, but you can just tell that they would have much preferred a chain store gift card. Fortunately, mamas rarely fall into this category. Mamas are genetically required to love and appreciate the handwork of their children. I've experienced this first hand when Kate proudly hands me her latest drawing, which I cherish more than anything the mall has to offer. For her birthday this year, my mama is getting a semi-handmade birthday gift: consisting of a gift basket, handmade by me (with the help of my grandmother, who has been teaching me basketweaving, something that really deserves a post of it's own), a homemade lavender mint sugar scrub, two hand knitted dishcloths (the extent of my present knitting skills), and a book I know she will enjoy.
My mama and I both have the habit of going around barefoot, especially during the summer. So, by late July/early August, our feet are dry, leathery, decidedly unladylike, and in desparate need of some TLC. Store bought sugar scrubs are rather pricey! And completely unnecessary, because they are the simplest things in the world to make. After a quick internet search, I sort of cobbled together my own recipe. Basically, you can use any kind of sugar (well, probably not powdered, what a mess that would be!), but I prefer turbinado sugar because it's coarser and makes a better scrub. You can also choose your favorite oil. I used almond oil, but olive oil would work fine too. Your recipe will depend on the size of your container. I picked these little glass jars up at Target (I think). Fill your container with water to determine how much it will hold, because your scrub will be about two parts sugar to one part oil. For these jars, I used 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of almond oil. Then you can customize the fragrance as you like with essential oils of your choice. My mom loves lavender, so I added ten drops of lavender oil and also 10 drops of peppermint oil for that refreshing, tingly feeling that feels so good on the feet. Tea tree would be a nice choice too.

We're having a girls' night out celebration tonight. My mom, my sister Laura, Kate, and I will head to our favorite local pizza place. Mark is actually hosting the open mic there tonight, which is always fun to watch. You just never know what you'll hear, but regardless of talent, it's always entertaining! :)