How to Can Lemon Drop Jelly ~ Easy Winter Preserving

"Fired with a with housewifely wish to see her storeroom stocked with homemade preserves, she undertook to put up her own currant jelly. John was requested to order home a dozen or so of little pots and an extra quantity of sugar, for their own currants were ripe and were to be attended to at once. As John firmly believed that 'my wife' was equal to anything, and took a natural pride in her skill, he resolved that she should be gratified, and their only crop of fruit laid by in a most pleasing form for winter use. Home came four dozen delightful little pots, half a barrel of sugar, and a small boy to pick the currants for her. With her pretty hair tucked into a little cap, arms bared to the elbow, and a checked apron which had a coquettish look in spite of the bib, the young housewife fell to work, feeling no doubts about her success, for hadn't she seen Hannah do it hundreds of times?"

~ Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Jelly, where have you been all my life? I honestly don't know! With all the homegrown lemons I have preserved over the years, with all the time spent peeling and dicing those little lemon peels for marmalades, and here we have a product which requires much less work and has quite delightful taste and consistency and with so little effort!?! I have been making jam for so long, I never even thought of lemon jelly. I think it may also have happened because, as I perused my canning books, I noticed they really don't print recipes for citrus jellies. And since this is where my canning planning begins, I never thought to make them. That is too bad because it is such an easy and delicious way to preserve the prolific lemon in winter. Plus, you can do so much with those excess peels after!

To begin, wash all your lemons and slice them in half. You will need approximately 8-12 lemons (depending on their size) for this little project. 

Squeeze and strain lemon juice until you have 2 cups.

I placed my leftover lemon rinds in vinegar to infuse it for fabric softener, dishwasher rinse-aid and for a refreshing citrus cleaning solution. I also did some dehydrating of lemon slices that day but I do believe we were discussing jelly so I will continue on that... 

"The array of pots rather amazed her at first, but John was so fond of jelly, and the nice little jars would look so well on the top shelf, that Meg resolved to fill them all, and spent a long day picking, boiling, straining, and fussing over her jelly. She did her best, she asked advice of Mrs. Cornelius, she racked her brain to remember what Hannah did that she left undone, she reboiled, resugared, and restrained, but that dreadful stuff wouldn't 'jell'..."

~ Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Place the strained lemon juice with two cups of water in a large cooking pot. Stir in the pectin (6 tbsp. or 1 box of Sure-Jell) until dissolved and bring to a boil (stirring frequently). Once liquid reaches a rolling boil, let it boil for one more minute (while stirring).

The pectin is what helps this jelly "jell". Perhaps poor Meg didn't use enough on that challenging day? I have found that if I buy the pectin in bulk (affiliate link), it is much more economical plus I am always prepared for an impromptu day of canning. It can be frustrating if someone bequeathes you with a free bag of ripe fruit and you don't have the supplies to preserve it. By the time you drop everything and get to the store, and then get distracted there with other items on your shopping list, oftentimes the feeling has passed and you don't have the same energy to can as before. Well, that is what happens to me at least... But with the bulk pectin, I am always prepared!

Next, stir in the sugar (4 cups) and bring to another rolling boil (stirring frequently). Once liquid reaches the rolling boil, let it boil for one minute longer while stirring constantly so it doesn’t overflow. When the time is up, remove the cooking pot from the heat.

Next, skim off any foam and ladle the jelly into hot, sterilized half-pint jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. 

Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Remove jars and cool (out of the way of any drafts) on a kitchen towel when complete.

Yield: 6 half-pint jars

You will find the printable version of this recipe HERE 💛

Note: This recipe has been ADAPTED from the nice folks at the “Useful Knowledge” channel on YouTube. I have reduced the sugar a bit and included a water-bath processing time (I don't use the flip the jar method they share in their video). 

“But he did, oh, bless you, yes, hundreds of times, and so did Meg, both declaring that it was the sweetest jelly they ever made; for family peace was preserved in that little family jar.”

~ Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

I hope you have enjoyed this little tutorial and please do let me know if you give this jelly a go. It was such a simple canning project that adds a bit of sunshine into your winter pantry. And the aroma in the kitchen was absolutely refreshing and blissful!

Abigail's Pantry ~ A Lesson in Opportunity, Pantry & Preparedness

“Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys…”

~ 1 Samuel 25:18

Building up our pantry affordably is one of my favorite homemaking hobbies and a responsibility I feel as keeper of the home. To make sure we have provisions through the thick and thin is a part of my job. The Proverbs 31 woman was prepared in her household, she did not fear for the future. Her skills and hardworking hands kept her family warm, well fed and comfortable. The wise Abigail of the Bible even used her extensive pantry provisions to save her household (1 Samuel 25:18)! Which brings me to my story...

A few months ago, I had been processing apples to add to our pantry shelves when I received a call from my uncle offering me a bag of persimmons.

I politely declined as I was in "apple mode" at the time and was not much of a persimmon fan.

But the words that I have type many times before had haunted me, “waste not, want not.”

Here I had an opportunity to fill my pantry with free organic food and I turned it down because the timing wasn’t perfect and the fruit wasn’t a favorite! With the rising cost of food, filling the pantry inexpensively may become more challenging and everything should be viewed as an opportunity. Even the more unconventional foods should be creatively considered to meet the needs of your household.

I quickly responded back with a change of heart and was surprisingly delighted when the persimmons arrived! They reminded me of the kind of fruit you would see illustrated in a Kate Greenaway book. They had a beautiful, bright orange color and the sweetest of green stems!

But, I almost missed them.

Sometimes opportunity presents itself at inconvenient times but this is where the housewife can glean from Ma Ingalls and turn blackbirds into pie!

“During their lifetimes, every man and woman will stumble across a great opportunity. Sadly, most of them will simply pick themselves up, dust themselves down and carry on as if nothing ever happened.” 

~ Winston S. Churchill

Though this example is small indeed, I don’t want to be one of those people!

“Thrift is poetic because it is creative;

waste is unpoetic because it is waste.” 

~ G.K. Chesterton

Being creative with what is seasonally available and multiplying our resources into various blessings is something I enjoy doing as keeper of the home. These items could easily have been discarded but instead have been useful additions to the pantry. Let’s ponder on a few examples of how the homemaker can be intentional with building her provisions frugally:

- apple peels leftover from my pie filling were dehydrated and crumbled and mixed with loose black tea to make a seasonal artisan tea blend. These are expensive to buy but simple to make and would be a lovely gift when wrapped attractively. Also, these peels are enhancing the nutrients of a simple pot of tea! Apple peel is an excellent source of fiber, it boasts vitamin C and antioxidants as well. Scientific research shows that apple peels also provide joint comfort and mobility along with supporting cardiovascular health. The peel of the apple has up to six times the amount of antioxidants compared to the flesh of an apple. So a frugal project is also a health building one as well!

- the remainder of the apple peels will be ground into a homemade fiber powder (yes, they are also very high in fiber!) for smoothies, added to cinnamon oatmeal and eaten as “chips” (more ideas utilizing fruit peels are found in our ebook- 100+ DIY Projects to Make with Fruit Scraps).

- a bag of free persimmons were almost left to rot under a backyard tree (and I almost let them 😞). Instead of being wasted, they have been sliced and dehydrated as a little treat for us (nature’s version of “candy corn”). We have found them to be absolutely delicious this way! I’ve also read that when thoroughly dried, they can be ground into a natural sugar! Though persimmons aren’t something I would normally buy, the gifted fruit has now been transformed into something we all enjoy. And of course, there is always persimmon bread and persimmon cookies to entice even the leeriest of eaters!

“Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys…”

~ 1 Samuel 25:18

As an additional lesson from Abigail, if we were to look at this one verse in the Bible, we can see the many homemaking skills that were involved to make this transaction happen (the transaction which saved her household!). To have the skills to do these things is preparedness in itself.

- There was the making of "bread" and the surplus of it (two hundred loaves!) for her large household. We are fortunate enough to have the ability to make large batches of bread and freeze it for the future!

- The "two skins of wine" can be compared to other fermented drinks the homemaker can easily make such as "apple scrap vinegar" and "kombucha". These both have a beautiful shelf life when properly stored and fermenting is one more skill we can add to our learning lists (not to mention the numerous health benefits of fermented food!).

- The "five sheep already dressed" could symbolize a farm setting with food at our fingertips, or for the city dweller, it can mean having a good surplus of meat in the freezer carefully chosen at times of discount. 

- The "roasted grain" can symbolize our ability to store many grains in bulk. It is a reminder to keep building up our pantry.

- The "one hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs" are clearly dehydrated foods. This is yet another item we can all learn to do and is so useful! You can often find dehydrators (this is the one I have and love - affiliate link) in thrift stores if you don't own one. As I age, I am finding I am loving the ease of this type of food preservation as it is quite simple! I like to dice up excess garden zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and any other soupy vegetable and have them all ready for autumn and winter menus. The drying of citrus slices is also a fun seasonal project with many uses!

And that is the beauty of a Proverbs 31-inspired homemaker, she turns trash into treasure. With her care and homemaking wisdom, she turns waste into wealth. With her vast array of skills, she turns everything in her path into a beautiful blessing!

It is a poetic life indeed, Mr. Chesterton.

January 2022 Homemaking Newsletter

“A true home should be the container for reviving real hospitality, true culture and conviviality, real fun, solid comfort, and above all, real civilization. And the most creative thing that anybody can do in this world is to make a real home. Indeed, the homemaker is as important as the house, and being a “housewife” is the most creative, most important job on Earth.”

~ John Seymour, The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It 

"The wise woman builds her house,

But the foolish pulls it down with her hands."

~ Proverbs 14:1

I can't believe it is 2022 but here we are! And this time, I will try to keep up on my monthly newsletter a bit better! This is a place in which we chat about homemaking happenings and any other ponderings which do not fit into its own post. It is simply some old fashioned, womanly, Titus-2 chit-chat... would you like to join in?

My daughter made her favorite festive combination of black and white cookies for the New Year. The chocolate cookie has a marshmallow melted atop which is smothered in chocolate frosting. The sour cream “vanilla” cookies are enjoying a buttery frosting along with a sprinkling of toasted, sliced almonds. Although I am always a chocolate girl, I must say I prefer the sour cream cookies in this bake off. They are absolutely amazing! The recipe for the chocolate surprise cookies can be found here. The recipe for the sour cream vanilla cookies will be found here. Though the recipe is called "Buttermilk Cookies", we call them "Sour Cream Cookies" as we substitute sour cream for the buttermilk in the recipe. 

And yet again, more cookies (this time Oatmeal, peanut butter and chocolate chip)! Our little home often feels like a cookie factory… a beautiful place of mouthwatering production! In fact, sometimes I pretend just that. That my home is a place of “professional” industry. Today I’m a bakery (with cooling racks set nice and neatly on the table), tomorrow I may be a pharmacist concocting herbal medicinals (with glass jars all lined up and ready) and the next day I might be a nurse caring for a loved one (with the tea kettle going and the chicken soup stirring). You never know what your day brings as homemaker but it’s always exciting and important if you decide it is.

“The kind of vision that brings the special out of the ordinary has long been a part of the American tradition. Even in the tiniest frontier cabin, pioneer women found ways to express their creative urges and to add touches of loveliness to their environment.”

~ Emilie Barnes

I've also repurposed some thrifted flannel fabric into a set of “winter prairie” un-paper towels. 

I think these reusable paper towels are a modern day testimony to that way of life. Every time we add little touches with our two loving hands, we are following in that beautiful tradition of making do in little ways, saving money and being resourceful with a feminine spirit (because floral fabric makes everything lovely). 

I had made seasonal sets for autumn and summer and was asked if I would do winter. The answer was an immediate “yes” when I saw this remnant fabric at the thrift store a few months ago.

These un-paper towels are very absorbent as they are “double-ply” flannel and wash extremely well. You can keep a stack in a basket under or on the kitchen sink for easy access. 

It’s a pretty money saving project that our pioneering ancestors would definitely have approved of… I haven’t purchased paper towels in 10 years and I can’t tell you how much it affected our grocery bill in a positive way!

A step-by-step tutorial is shared here. And of course, you are always welcome to just cut up a stack of absorbable fabric into squares and use them in the same way without sewing anything.

I've also been making more medicine!

I’ve been treating my family with our in-house apothecary for over 20 years… I used to buy the natural products but eventually began making many of them as it was much more economical and satisfying.

Here is another instance where the homemaker functions as the country doctor, herbalist and/or apothecary (despite the modern day perception of homemakers, we know the Proverbs 31-inspired homemaker is a well rounded storehouse of knowledge and skill and this is one way she can “look well to the ways of her household”).

What I love about herbal medicinals is that they work to build up the immune system instead of masking the symptoms and breaking down the body with an overload of foreign chemicals. They nourish and heal instead of simply drugging you.

That is my “layman’s terms” explanation at least!

With just a handful of herbs, you can make a multitude of medicinal tinctures, syrups and salves.

For our household, the most versatile herbs we utilize are calendula, rose-hips, elderberry, lavender and chamomile.

I also keep fresh ginger in the freezer as a part of my apothecary and use fresh garlic for fevers (just rub it 3 times a day on the bottom of the feet of the fevering patient as it’s a natural antibiotic).

Citrus is in season right when we need that extra dose of vitamin c and we use it in many of our winter medicinals as well.

With this handful of herbs, you can treat colds and flus, stomach issues, skin ailments and insomnia.

I share my favorite recipes HERE (along with some “how to begin” information) that even your children may enjoy making. 

Teaching your children to heal with God’s pharmacy is a beautiful gift to pass down and one that may turn into a lifelong hobby and blessing. Plus, it’s one more way to keep a sustainable household in these uncertain times. The women of the great castles in Tudor times were responsible to keep medicinals for those in their village and I personally see the wisdom in local healing in our present circumstances.

"The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth;

and he that is wise will not abhor them." 

~ Ecclesiasticus 38:4

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

~ Hippocrates

I also received a basket of homegrown, organic kumquats! For those of you who have never seen one, a kumquat is like a mini oval orange (though not as sweet, quite tart and with seeds inside like a lemon). 

It’s an odd little fruit and was quite fun to preserve! I almost had nothing to put up in January for my seasonal shelf and this little bag of free local fruit saved the day! I used this recipe (from Taste of Home) and reduced the sugar to 5 cups and it was still plenty sweet. 

I've also done some refreshing in our pantry, some closet re-organization (which I'll share in it's own post) as well as a little project regarding the sewing/craft world (in which I will also share in it's own post shortly). It's been an enjoyable time getting the house in order for spring.

I'd like to share one more thought regarding our homemade pantry... Ever since we had to move from our 25 acre farm (for personal family reasons), I wondered if I would need to retire from the homestead life.

Though it certainly would have been easier, a part of me didn’t want to let go. After 20 years spent developing those skills, I didn’t want to get rusty. Plus, with current events as they are, I didn’t want to get lazy.

The old ways is what kept the Depression Era women able to provide for their families during hardship. Because many had grown up on farms in that time, they had much knowledge to glean and lean on in their dire circumstances. In addition, an extra food supply is always prudent and a homegrown one is also healthier and more economical. Plus, I just simply adore stocked pantries! 

I was surprised to see what we were able to preserve with what little resources we have available to us right now. By growing vegetables in every nook and cranny, we have kept up a decent supply of food storage! With every friend and neighbor sharing excess fruit, we were able to add little by little to our larder by canning, freezing, fermenting and dehydrating.

Don’t let your background hinder you! I was a suburban born girl with zero skills at marriage and was able to learn and do these things. 

Skills can be acquired at any age and is something you can pass down to your daughters to make a lovely Proverbs 31 legacy no matter where you live. It’s a beautiful generational gift to leave behind. We may not be millionaires but there are special things we can pass down that doesn’t require money. And in the future, “know-how” may prove a more valuable commodity to our children than paper dollars.

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”

~ Proverbs 13:22

As far as books go, I just finished reading Jane Eyre and am still recovering. Ms. Bronte is an excellent writer and you can feel the emotions and struggles of Jane so keenly through her words. My daughter and I read it simultaneously and had much enjoyment discussing everything chapter by chapter. We hope to watch some of the film versions soon. Regarding movies, I really can't recommend any. It seems to be harder and harder to find "clean" entertainment.

With that being said, what about you dear reader? What wholesome and lovely things have you been reading, watching and/or working on? As always, recommendations are much appreciated as hearing about your homemaking endeavors always inspires me!

Happily homemaking,

♡ JES

(Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which help support this blog. Thank you!)

“Ma was heavy, but not fat; thick with child-bearing and work. She wore a loose Mother Hubbard... The dress came down to her ankles... Her thin, steel-gray hair was gathered... Strong, freckled arms were bare to the elbow and her hands were chubby and delicate... She looked out into the sunshine. Her full face was not soft; it was controlled, kindly. Her hazel eyes seemed to have experienced all possible tragedy and to have mounted pain and suffering like steps into a high calm and a superhuman understanding. She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position... the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt and fear, she had practiced denying them in herself. And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her, it was her habit to build up laughter out of inadequate materials. But better than joy was calm. Imperturbability could be depended upon. And from her great and humble position in the family she had taken dignity and a clean calm beauty. From her position as healer, her hands had grown sure & quiet; from her position as arbiter she had become as remote and faultless in judgment as a goddess. She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook and if she ever really deeply wavered… the family would fall, the family will to function would be gone.” 

~ John Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath

A mother of faith is the glorious glue in the family. In these unprecedented times, it is vital to be strong for your loved ones. They feed off your feelings. If they perceive you are falling apart, they too will folllow suit. If you feel some days are more than you can bear, cry out to God for wisdom and strength. But don’t give up as that is exactly what the adversary desires.

It is time to follow in the footsteps of the brave Biblical women before us - to be courageous like Esther, faithful like Ruth and have the gentle strength of Mary when she said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.”

For now is not the time to lose heart but to gain victory, don your apron and keep the home!

“Be strong and of good courage,

do not fear nor be afraid of them;

for the Lord your God,

He is the One who goes with you.

He will not leave you nor forsake you."

~ Deuteronomy 31:6

Easy Vanilla Rose Bath & Body DIY Recipes ~ Romantic Homemaking Series

"Ointment and perfume delight the heart..."

~ Proverbs 27:9a

As February is often considered the month of "love", we continue again with our Romantic Homemaking Series. As evidenced by what has been shared thus far, it is fair to say that the rose is the star of the show. To me, they make everything special (but you can always substitute your favorite skin-safe flower in these products). When you integrate bits of beauty into your home rituals, life feels luxurious. A humble home can still prepare an aromatic bath for their loved ones, a refreshing scrub, a fresh perfume and so forth without hindering the budget. These sweet, little recipes can be adapted to whatever you have in your home (I've included mix and match ideas). Be creative with the resources you have and enjoy making up a romantic collection of bath and body recipes for all to enjoy! I also included some printable labels which would make for some lovely gifts too. Now, let's do some kitchen-crafting!

Relaxing Vanilla Rose Bath Salts

Basic Ingredients:

-- 1 c. pink salt, sea salt or Epsom salts

-- 1 c. pink salt, sea salt or Epsom salts (for more variety, use something different than what you chose above)

-- 1⁄4 c. dried rose petals (this is a great way to use up a bouquet you may have dried last year or you can use dried lavender, dried dandelion, dried calendula, dried violets, etc. If you don't have anything dried on hand, try adding in the contents of a few herbal tea bags!) 

-- 10 drops of vanilla essential oil  (or 2 tsp. vanilla extract)

Optional luxurious adds-in (mix and match in as much of these as you like):

-- 1/4 c. baking soda

-- 1/4 c. oats

-- 1/4 c. powdered milk

-- 10 drops of romantic fragrant essential oil (my choices are rose absolute, palmarosa essential oil or geranium essential oil -- please add in the drops cautiously and test the fragrance to your liking as you go. I generally use approximately 10 drops of essential oil per cup of product).

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together (except for 1 cup of the pink salt if you are using it) until somewhat smooth (I like to keep a bit of roughage in mine for the more "raw" look). You may also want to add in a few whole petals to the final product to give it a prettier appearance.

Mix and match different flavors and combinations to make different products! In the first bath salt photo, I focused more on pink salt and the different add-in's to get a rustic but romantic bath salt. In the second bath salt photo, I used more of a sea salt and powdered milk mixture (flecked with rose petals) to give the effect of a "rose milk" bath reminiscent of something sumptuous that Cleopatra might have bathed in. Be creative. It is so much fun! I can't tell you how amazing my kitchen smelled!

To use:

Add 1 cup of bath salts to the water while the tub is filling.

Moonlight Massage Oil (and/or Vanilla Rose Massage Oil) 

Ingredients:

-- 1 c. mild oil (such as grapeseed, almond oil, jojoba, sunflower oil, avocado oil, etc)*

-- 10 drops of vanilla essential oil  (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)

-- 10 drops of rose absolute (and/or a mixture of palmarosa essential oil, geranium essential oil, or you can use lavender essential oil or your favorite one)

* Alternatively, you can also use a infused oil in lieu of a plain one. Simply prepare a medicinal oil using rose petals instead of the lavender in the tutorial shared here. Or you can use the lavender and any other medicinal flower you like to make a pleasing blend. This is a great option if you don't have essential oils to work with.

Directions:

Mix ingredients together and place in a sterile glass bottle. You can add a few sprigs of dried rose buds (or other dried flowers) for embellishment.

To use:

Massage the oil into neck, shoulders and feet to sooth tension, relax muscles and stimulate healthy circulation.

Vanilla Rose Scrub

Ingredients:

-- 1/2 c. sea salt or sugar  (plus 1 to 2 tbsp. more to get desired consistency)

-- 1/4 pink salt (optional for romantic color, you can always use more sea salt or sugar)

-- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted) (or almond oil, grapeseed, jojoba, sunflower oil, avocado oil, etc)

-- 1/4 cup almond oil (or grapeseed oil, jojoba, sunflower oil, avocado oil, etc)

-- 10 drops vanilla essential oil  (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)

-- 1 tbsp. coarsely ground dried rose petals (once again, this is a great way to use up a bouquet you may have dried last year or you can use dried lavender, dried dandelion, dried calendula, dried violets, etc. If you don't have anything dried on hand, try adding in the contents of a few herbal tea bags!) 

Optional Mix-In's:

-- 5-10 drops of rose absolute (and/or a mixture of palmarosa essential oil, geranium essential oil, or you can use lavender essential oil or your favorite one)

Directions:

Stir ingredients together and pour into a small jar or container.

How to Use:

In the shower, massage a small handful of scrub all over wet skin (avoiding sensitive areas, concentrating on dry ones), rinse off and pat dry. Don't wipe away the oil feeling since this will keep you moisturized without applying lotion. Suggested use is once a week. Not recommended for your face. Be careful as the tub may become slippery when using.

Shelf life: Best if used within 6 months.

Comforting Rose Perfume 

(This recipe is courtesy of Mountain Rose Herbs and I am including it in case you happen to have many of these ingredients. I have made this in the past and replaced many essential oils with what I did have and created just as lovely of a perfume.)

Ingredients:

-- 3-4 organic whole rose buds
-- 4 mL sweet almond oil or other carrier oil of choice
-- 3 drops organic geranium essential oil or rose absolute
-- 2 drops Peru balsam essential oil
-- 1 drop organic frankincense essential oil
-- 1 drop organic sandalwood essential oil

Directions:

1. Insert whole flowers and/or other skin-safe dried botanicals into a 10 mL roll top bottle until it is at least half full.

2. Using a small funnel, fill the bottle with neutral-scented carrier oil of choice, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at top.

3. Add desired essential oil blend from choices above.

4. If space remains, top with carrier oil to fill bottle.

5. Snap roller ball lid onto bottle. Roll bottle between palms to evenly mix oils.

To Use:

Apply like you would any perfume ♥️ 

Also, these same oils were used in the tutorials for making these other items in case you want to maximize your use of them:

-- DIY Vanilla Rose Room/Linen Spray

-- All Purpose Floral Salve and Lovely Lip Gloss

I used recycled jars and thrifted jars for this little project. No need to buy anything new!

And I also wanted to share a little story with you all... sharing a bit about "real life" romantic thoughts...

To put it plainly, we were dirt broke at the time.

But that didn't stop us.

We picked flowers from the prairie and dried them.

We then gathered the basics from our one treasury of wealth, our bulk pantry.

Pink salt, sea salt, sugar, oats, powdered milk and even baking soda. The vanilla extract, coconut and olive oil would also be useful.

And then we concocted.

We blended, we stirred, we added a bit of this and a bit of that until the combinations pleased us.

Soon there was an abundance of bath salts, body scrubs and nourishing bath and body oils!

And then the hot water was placed in the old enamel basin.

In came the homemade salts and the tired, sore feet.

They soaked.

Next a sugary scrub with coconut oil, flowers & other luxorious things. And the heels were rubbed until they were smooth.

The fresh water appeared and the feet were washed and dried with a warm, clean white towel.

But this moment was not over, an oil infused with floral scent was massaged into the skin until all the aches disappeared.

And now it is her turn.

Yes, we were living lean at that time but I never felt richer.

It’s not the amount of wealth one has that makes for a lovely life, but what one does with what one has which enriches it.

"The art of being happy lies in the power of

extracting happiness from common things."

~ Henry Ward Beecher

“He who is faithful in what is least

is faithful also in much…”

~ Luke 16:10a

These are some of the ways my daughter and I show love to one another. Genuine joy is not found in “self-care” but in the caring, sacred service we offer to each other.

You also might consider pampering your husband for a romantic evening with these relaxing spa rituals (he is in fact human too and would love to be treated so special!). You can even have fun with the children and make a little spa day at home. Teaching them to create moments of joy together in the home is a beautiful lesson in old fashioned contentment and teaches them how to appreciate and utilize what they have (resourcefulness).

Here is a PRINTABLE of the labels and a few quotes to include in your Inspired Home "Junk" Journal if you are preparing one. 

(I made a paper pocket and tucked my labels inside it. I also printed extras to have on hand for impromptu gifts.)

To make the labels waterproof, you can cover them with clear contact paper or thick clear mailing tape. Visit HERE to view all of the Romantic Homemaking Series to add a bit of whimsey to your domestic day.

Happily homemaking,

♡ JES

P.S. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).