2018 December Colony Magazine
Your Hometown Magazine - Atascadero, Santa Margarita, Creston
Your Hometown Magazine - Atascadero, Santa Margarita, Creston
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ROUND TOWN<br />
The PERFECT GIFT starts with<br />
Love & Thought<br />
the most wonderful time<br />
of the year!” There’s nothing<br />
like chilly night parades “It’s<br />
with hot cocoa in hand, picking<br />
out the perfect Christmas tree as<br />
a family and anticipating your first<br />
visit from that silly elf!<br />
The minute that Target Holiday<br />
Catalog hits the mailbox (before<br />
Halloween) the boys start clipping<br />
and pasting their Christmas wishes<br />
for Santa and are eager to get<br />
the Christmas lights hung. I just<br />
love these traditions we have created<br />
as a family and look forward<br />
to them each year.<br />
One tradition we have continued<br />
is making the majority of our<br />
gifts at home. Coming up with<br />
something unique and meaningful<br />
each year is so much fun. Teaching<br />
the kids that giving is just as<br />
fun as getting is important. And<br />
seeing the looks of excitement as<br />
their grandma opens something<br />
that they had worked so hard on<br />
is priceless.<br />
One year we poured paint colors<br />
into the inside of clear Christmas<br />
tree bulbs and personalized each<br />
and every one with sticker monograms.<br />
They came out amazing! Or<br />
the cool mosaic stepping stones<br />
we made with chipped dishes and<br />
outdoor pots that were a hit! My<br />
oldest son’s preschool teacher still<br />
proudly has hers displayed right<br />
outside her classroom door. But<br />
I’m pretty sure the snow globes<br />
we made out of salt and pepper<br />
shakers were number one!<br />
Gifts made with love and<br />
thought mean more than any<br />
pair of slippers or collared shirt…<br />
guaranteed! This year is all about<br />
pampering and self care, because<br />
everyone loves to feel their best. To<br />
By Sarah Pope<br />
add a holiday feel to our gifts we<br />
decided to go with a peppermint<br />
scent for our Lip Balm and Sugar<br />
Scrub. So far, my (11, 9 and 3 year<br />
old) helpers haven’t lost interest!<br />
WHIPPED PEPPERMINT<br />
SUGAR SCRUB<br />
• ½ cup coconut oil<br />
• ¼ cup sugar<br />
• ¼ cup pink sugar (sugar + 1 drop<br />
of red food coloring)<br />
• 6 drops peppermint essential oil<br />
• Air-tight jars (Amazon.com)<br />
DIRECTIONS<br />
1. Mix sugar and one drop of red<br />
food coloring to make pink sugar<br />
(set aside).<br />
2. Combine white sugar and coconut<br />
oil. Beat together until it<br />
becomes light and fluffy.<br />
3. Mix in pink sugar.<br />
4. Scoop into jars.<br />
PEPPERMINT LIP BALM<br />
1 ½ tbsp natural beeswax<br />
1 tbsp coconut oil<br />
1 tbsp shea butter<br />
2 tbsp sweet almond oil (or olive<br />
oil)<br />
20 drops peppermint essential oil<br />
Tins with lids (Amazon.com)<br />
DIRECTIONS<br />
1. Boil water<br />
2. In a separate glass measuring<br />
cup mix beeswax, shea butter, coconut<br />
oil and sweet almond oil.<br />
3. Place glass inside pot of boiling<br />
water and melt ingredients while<br />
stirring.<br />
4. Remove from heat and add 20<br />
drops of peppermint essential oil<br />
and stir.<br />
5. Pour into tins right away.<br />
Super easy, right? Now add your<br />
own personal touch with a label or<br />
some colored twine and a candy<br />
cane! Ta-Da! Christmas shopping<br />
DONE! Be sure to make a little<br />
extra to pamper yourself during<br />
the chilly holiday season. Have<br />
the happiest of holidays.<br />
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12 | colonymagazine.com COLONY <strong>Magazine</strong>, <strong>December</strong> <strong>2018</strong>