HEY GUYS,
Its TEE, one of your YP Influencing Committee Representatives and a Young Consultant here at CREATE Foundation.
For those of you who don’t know me, here are some fun facts. I love baking. I am currently studying Psychology at uni. I’m fluent in 3 languages. I like to speak a lot, lucky last and my favourite feat is I can read 773-904 words per minute with 83% information retention (on average an adult can read 300-500 wpm with 75% information retained), to put it into perspective; it took me one day to finish The Hunger Games trilogy (all three books!), it took around 4.5 hours to finish each book. Now you know a bit more about me and hopefully I will get the chance to meet and get to know some of you over the next year!
As you all know, Christmas is fast approaching, and for many kids in care it can be a very stressful and emotional time. Especially with so many services and supports you may lean on for help closing during the holiday period.
If you are feeling a bit scared, uneasy, sad, lonely etc. don’t feel like you’re alone, don’t feel like you have to deal with it alone and don’t feel like its your job to fix it alone. I know the feelings too well, and I bet pretty much every kid in care has the same feelings during this period. This year I want you to remember something that I wish someone told me whilst I was in care – even though it may feel like it, you are not alone. There are people to talk to if you need it, people around you who care, and people who will support you through it, just don’t be scared to ask for help. Help is all around you if you look and asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness.
Christmas is not meant to be about presents and material things, it’s supposed to be a time about surrounding yourself with people you love and care about, and spending time together. Making memories with family and friends, or perfecting a recipe to show your loved ones and enjoying it together.
Around the festive season, the pressure of Christmas gifts and how you’re going to be able to afford all of it can become overwhelming. As a young person on a limited income, many put too much stress on not having enough money to get everyone a gift, or feel like simply giving them is too expensive when they don’t have money.
But fear not! Being on a budget doesn’t have to stop you from giving gifts. Making a gift is always a great way to go, and adds that personal touch and thought that a store-bought present can’t compare with. So here are my go-to DIY Christmas gifts to help you get creative and help you not break the bank this holiday season. More DIY gift ideas to come next week.
Tee
DIY Relaxation Box
This has a few elements that you can mix and match and I put them all together inside a cardboard box, I usually decorate with wrapping paper. It’s all made by hand with love and a great gift for last minute, or those on a budget and it’s so versatile, and can be gifted to everyone! Mix and match handmade and store bought or make it all. That’s why this is so great. Any good bath and spa kit needs a few key items. A soak element, an exfoliating element and a moisturising element. So, I have the ultimate luxurious, ultra-festive staples, that I have perfected over the years:
- Peppermint Bath Bomb
- Gingerbread Spice Sugar Scrub
- Cinnamon Spice Oatmeal Bath Milk
Peppermint Bath Bombs
Ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup Citric Acid – if you’ve never heard of it, don’t panic, it’s sold in most Woollies and Coles (in the baking section or preserving section)
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil – (like the ones used in diffusers) if you don’t like peppermint you can you can use any other essential oils just keep the ratio the same
- 1/2 tbsp carrier oil (nourishing skin oil) eg. Almond, Grapeseed, olive oil, my favourite is coconut oil (melt it or buy in liquid form to make it easier)
- Spray bottle with water
- Silicone moulds or muffin tins (beach moulds work too just clean well before using)
Tips
Don’t add dye or food colouring to the bath bombs or you might dye someone’s bathtub! If you want to add colours, I suggest a cheap eyeshadow pallet, I normally find the op shop or the clearance of Big W/Kmart/Target has what I need for under $5.
Onto the instructions:
- In a medium bowl, mix together the baking soda and citric acid.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together your carrier oil and essential oil. Once mixed well pour into to the medium bowl of powders and stir until well combined. Add coloured eye shadow if desired, stir until evenly distributed.
- Using a spray bottle of water, mist the surface until slightly damp. Mix until it’s the consistency of slightly wet sand— it should clump together when pressed. DO NOT OVER SPRAY! If it’s too wet it WILL fall apart when you are taking it out of the moulds. I suggest two or three sprays at a time then mix and repeat until you reach a sort of damp sand.
- Pack into moulds. If you don’t have moulds a muffin tin works fine or you can compress with your hands. After smooshing and compressing them gently turn over onto a paper towel, baking paper or a baking tray and leave to dry overnight.
- Once dried, put them in something airtight to help them stay sizzling fresh, store in a cool dry place and avoid direct sun. Can be stored for up to 6 months or until ready to use or wrap.
Gingerbread Spice Sugar Scrub
Super simple, super quick sugar scrub
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar (white or raw sugar work best)
- 2/3 cup coconut oil
- 15 drops gingerbread essential oil (below) or any other essential oil you like
- Mason jars or any glass jars that are clean and sterilised (boil it in water for 30 minutes)
Instructions
- Combine your ingredients in a bowl and mix everything together.
- Put into your jars. Decorate however you like
Tip
You can swap white sugar to caster sugar and use peppermint essence and create a yummy lip scrub instead.
Gingerbread essential oil
- 10 drops Ginger essential oil
- 8 drops Clove/Clove Bud essential Oil
- 8 drops Nutmeg essential oil
- 4 Drops Vanilla/French Vanilla/Vanilla Bean essential Oil
- 4 drops cinnamon/cinnamon sugar essential oil
- 4 drops Cassia essential oil
- 4 drops Sweet Orange/Orange Blossom essential Oil
Cinnamon Spice Oatmeal Bath Milk
Soak your worries away with this luxurious moisturising bath soak that smells almost as good as the real thing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup corn flour
- 2 cups powdered full cream milk (look for one with high fat content)
- 1⁄2 cup oats- rolled or uncut (not instant)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar
- ¼ cup of loose-leaf chai tea
- 1 cup bicarb soda
- Air tight jar
- Optional: add in Epsom salts for a total muscle relaxation soak
Tip
Use powdered coconut milk instead to make a vegan friendly alternative
Instructions
- Measure out your ingredients and put all together in a bowl and mix thoroughly combined.
- Pour into the jar and seal. Add decorations and tags as you desire and leave in dry place. Can be kept in airtight container for up to 12 months.
- Use 3-5 tbsp per bath for maximum effects.
