Hey, where'd I go?

So... I've been busy. Tim's been spending more time than usual out of town and I've been busy with the kids. I've actually been getting quite a bit done, just not finding time to blog about any of it. So this post will be a quick update. I'm not doing a step-by-step explanation for anything but the bath melts, so if there are any projects that you want instructions for I'll do a separate post for them.

I got a huge order for bath melts on Etsy (yay!). So Here's how they're made.

Weighing the cocoa butter.

Jealous of my double boiler?

Melting.

Scented, poured and cooling.

Ribbon! I like to tie off the bags with different ribbons.

One of Tim's friends from work has had to go on disability because of a serious back problem. He's going to have surgery on next Thursday (send good vibes his way!). I've been working on putting together a care package for him for when he gets back from the hospital.

Neck- and back-sized rice (and lavender flower) heat packs.

Oils and tinctures infusing in the sunshine.

 I'm going to make a salve for his back once the oils are ready (in about a week), and then mix up some relaxing tea. I imagine that he will be pretty distressed after the surgery.

Unfortunately tinctures take a long time to make and they won't be ready until a month after his surgery. I figure he'll still be healing at that point and anything that might help will be more than welcome. An added bonus is that the bone/joint healing tincture I'm making should be good for my joint issues (I pulled my knee again), Tim's back problems, my mom's shoulder, my dad's knee, etc. etc. etc., and I'm making more than enough to go around if people are interested.

I've done a little with food. I canned up the last two of my sweet meat squash from last year. I got 12 quarts. It would have been 13, but one of them blew out its bottom in the canner. boo. I also found a huge patch of wild chives yesterday and picked a bit.

Sweet meat squash.

Drying chopped chives.

 I also made two tea cozies, one for my mom and then one for myself. This is the one I made myself.

Is it a tulip or a teapot?

mmmmm, tea.

Projects I have in the works include hunting down more wild foods, sewing curtains for Finn's room, planting more of my garden (already planted peas, turnips, radishes, and spinach), and hopefully getting more lacework done, including a tatted lace-trimmed kindle case for my cousin Ruth.