So this doesn't exactly fall under the category of something crafty but it does fall under the category of things I always think about making but don't. Last summer, I purchased a dwarf lemon tree and it apparently loves it's new home and has shown it's appreciation by producing as many lemons as it's tiny branches can hold.  I found lots of uses for the lemon juice but found myself with lots of extra lemon zest.  Lemon zest is amazing.  Not only does it add a burst of flavor to recipes (I love to add a teaspoon or so to apple or berry recipes) but it also holds the fragrant oil from the peel.

I like to keep a container of coarse salt mixed with olive oil to smooth out and moisturize my hands because of the toll cooking/baking/washing dishes takes on them.  As I was staring at the lemon zest wondering what to do with it, I noticed this mixture and immediately thought about making a body scrub.  I used sugar instead of salt because, well.... I had a salt based body scrub once and without thinking used it just after shaving. It was not pretty. Besides, lemon sugar sounds much for fun than lemon salt :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

zest of 3 lemons

3/4 to 1 cup olive oil

Directions:

Mix zest and sugar together (grind in mortar and pestle or pulse a few times in food processor if you've got one)

Add enough oil to saturate sugar and until a thin layer of oil rests on top of the sugar.

Place in air tight container and Enjoy!

*Please note, because this is made with all natural ingredients from your pantry (without preserving chemicals) this will not have the same shelf life as products purchased from a store.  Keep stored in an airtight container and in a dark, cool place to help it last longer.  Mine has lasted 3 weeks so far.  I imagine I will get a few more weeks before it runs out or turns.  Make in small batches and use often/liberally - it only costs a buck or two instead of ten or more to purchase so you can afford the extra bit of luxury in your life.

~cultivating me

I read this book one chapter at a time with my 10 year old son.  His teacher suggested he spend some extra time reading out loud and I thought reading a book together was a fun way for him to do that.  I had not idea how fun it would be for me too.

This book was darker than I had anticipated but not scary or sad, just not as light hearted as I had anticipated.  However, it was also full of mystery and hope. We both savored every page of the story.  It was very hard at times to limit ourselves to just one chapter and so a few nights we read, 'just one more'.  The vocabulary was challenging for my son every now and then but he has a slew of new words tucked into his brain which is a marvelous thing.

I will always treasure this book for it's story but also for the memories I now have with my son and our new found time together each night.  It was sad to come to the end of this book but we already have our next one picked.  It's the first book in a series so it looks like we'll have many nights like this ahead of us :)

From the cover:

What if? Why not? Could it be?

When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square o the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask:  Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her?  The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it's true.  With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be narrated by Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo.  In this timeless fable, she evokes the largest of themes - hope and belonging, desire and compassion - with the lightness of a magician's touch

Pages:  201

Pages read to date:  2259