Time for Relaxing

Home, home, home and time for some relaxing. A long, hot soak in the Jacuzzi tub, perhaps?

Don't mind if I do, thanks...but first I need to replenish the bath salts. Ever since I learned how to make bath salts from scratch, I can't imagine spending the money on store-bought.

Here's a quick tutorial for making homemade bath salts. And when I say quick, I mean, quick. It takes about 5 minutes to whip up a batch.

Homemade Bath Salts

• 1 c Epsom salts
• 3/4 c baking soda
• Fragrance oil (your choice) - you may have to go to a natural foods store to find this. For Dallas area residents, I buy mine at Natural Grocers but it's also sold at Central Market and Sprouts.

Mix together baking soda and Epsom salts. Add fragrance. My recipe calls for 3-4 drops, but I add more.

Why more? Well, we like the scent, we have a very large bathtub and check out the name of our fragrance:

Yes, I need a lot of patience. So I sprinkle plenty on my salt mix.

Stir everything together until it's completely blended. Pour into a container of your choice.

See how easy it is? One year I poured the salts into glass ornaments, tied on ribbons and gave them as gifts to our coworkers. Nothing easier or nicer than lovely-scented homemade bath salts.

What's your favorite way to relax?