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A skin-loving, all-natural bath bomb recipe that's gentle enough for kids and powerful enough to replace lotion. Perfect for dry skin, eczema, sensitive skin, or those trying to go more natural! Though I don't sell them anymore, I am still obsessed with my packaging for them! Soothing, Spa-Like Skin - Straight From Your Tub I have been making and selling these bath bombs with this exact recipe for years now! As I have decided to reduce my product line to something more manageable (I am a single woman team here doing it all!), I am ready to share this recipe with you all for free! My favorite thing about these is that they are 100% natural. Many customers have told me that them or their children have experienced adverse reactions to the many unnatural ingredients found in conventional bath bombs from the store. I don't want you to marinate in a tub full of strange chemicals and dyes. I have had customers with insanely sensitive skin who have only experienced benefits from these like reduced eczema/psoriasis flare ups and healing severely dry skin in adults and children alike! And the best part? No lotion is needed after bath time for the kids or you! You don't know what truly moisturized, brand new, magical skin feels like until you've tried one of these epic bath bombs. Let’s dive into how to make them, why they’re so effective, and how you can tweak the recipe to suit your family’s needs. 🌿 Why These Natural Bath Bombs Are So Good for Your Skin Each ingredient in this recipe serves a purpose—not just for fizz and fun, but for deep nourishment: Coconut Oil (1/2 cup, melted) Rich in fatty acids, coconut oil helps seal in moisture, reduce inflammation, and protect delicate skin barriers—especially important for eczema-prone or sensitive skin. It also gives your skin that buttery-soft feel post-bath. Citric Acid (1 cup) This powerhouse is what makes the bombs fizz, but it also helps gently exfoliate dead skin cells, leaving skin smoother and more radiant. Baking Soda (1 cup) Naturally soothing and softening, baking soda helps balance skin pH, calm irritation, and even provide some detoxifying benefits. Cornstarch (1 cup) This silky powder adds creaminess to your bath water and helps slow down the fizz for a longer soak. It's also naturally soothing and gentle on skin. Essential Oils (1 tsp for adults, 1/2 tsp or less for kids). See my favorite DIY blends here ! Pure, skin-safe essential oils offer therapeutic aroma and topical benefits—lavender for calming, eucalyptus for clearing, or chamomile for soothing sensitive skin. Optional: Mica Powder & Dried Flowers For a beautiful, gift-worthy touch, use natural mica powder for color and skin-safe dried flowers like calendula or rose. Just be mindful of clean-up (tips below!). DIY Bath Bomb Instructions Melt coconut oil and let it cool slightly but stay warm. In a large bowl, mix baking soda, citric acid, and cornstarch until smooth. Slowly pour the warm coconut oil into the dry mixture while stirring constantly. Add your essential oil(s) and stir to combine. Optional: add mica powder and dried flowers. Mix until the texture feels like damp sand—it should hold together when squeezed. Pack tightly into a bath bomb mold (this takes practice!) or skip the mold and use the mixture as a loose powder in your tub. *This recipe makes 4 standard sized bath bombs or 13 kid sized mini bath bombs. *I like to wear rubber gloves while making these. The abrasive powders can exfoliate your hands too much while working the mix, and the essential oils can get strong on the skin during mixing. 🕒 Don’t Skip the Cure Time! After you pop your bath bombs out of the molds, let them sit out to cure for at least 24 hours. This step allows them to fully dry and harden so they don’t crumble when handled or wrapped. Humidity Tip: If it's raining or humid, delay your cure time or use a dehumidifier in the room. Moisture in the air can cause the bombs to activate prematurely or soften. 📦 How to Wrap & Store Your Bath Bombs Bath bombs made with real, natural oils—like this recipe—will often release a bit of oil over time. For that reason, I don’t recommend wax paper or cardboard, which can soak through and create a mess. The best option is shrink wrap or plastic wrapping, which seals in the moisture and oil without leaks. If they're just for you, simply store them in a glass or plastic container or plastic bag until you're ready to use them. Pro Tip : If you’re gifting them, the molded version is lovely. But for everyday use, tossing 3/4 cup of the powder for adults or 1/4 cup of the powder for kids into the bath is just as beneficial—no molding stress required. ⚠️ A Few Quick Safety & Clean-Up Notes ⚠️ No Polysorbate 80 Here While many bath bomb recipes call for this chemical to prevent oil from sticking to your tub, we leave it out. Why? Even though it’s been deemed safe, we prefer to err on the side of caution—just like we’ve all learned from the talcum powder controversy. Tub Slippery? Here’s the Easy Hack After your bath, the tub will be slipper from the coconut oil so be careful getting out! Simply do a quick wipe-down with a sponge and a squirt of standard dish soap (I prefer a natural dish soap). It only takes 30 seconds and prevents the next shower-goer from slipping. Using Flowers? Keep a fine mesh strainer with a handle near your tub to easily scoop them out before draining. Done and done. 🎁 Great for Gifting These bath bombs make a thoughtful gift for teachers, neighbors, new moms, or hostesses. I like to package mine in a beautiful patterned paper, you can seal with a bow or a wax seal like I've done in the picture at the top, or a muslin sack with a cute tag like I've done below! It is a gift that feels luxurious and personal. 💛 Love the Idea, But Don’t Want to DIY? While I no longer sell my bath bombs, I  do  offer a full range of natural products designed for sensitive, dry, and eczema-prone skin—Every item is made with the same level of care and clean ingredients. Check out each product in the link below to see what customers are saying!👉  Shop All Products Here Check out more of my DIY Natural Product posts here!

How to Teach Siblings to Share and Solve Conflicts Without Fighting How I Taught Our Kids to Share Without Fighting My sons had a gaming party at my sister's house recently. She was so impressed with how well behaved they were while sharing the VR headset and how they took turns so peacefully without any intervention by setting up their own timer system. This timer system was an idea I had when they were younger, and it has now become a regular part of their daily life. Every parent has been there—two kids, one special toy or game, and an argument brewing. Arguing leads to big emotions, tears, or hitting depending on the season you're in. With 2 boys who enjoyed a lot of the same things, this became a regular occurrence in our house that required constant interventions and peace talks. As they got a little older I came up with a solution that has been a complete game changer for us. I don't believe in buying more items to end fights, instead I opted to teach our kids how to share fairly by helping them create their own time-sharing system. I wanted my kids to develop skills that would serve them for life: patience, teamwork, and self-regulation - not to run to the store and buy stuff to fix problems. This timer system has completely changed the way our kids handle turn-taking, fairness, and problem-solving—so much so that they now do it completely on their own, without adult intervention needed. How to Implement This in Your Home Step 1: Include Your Kids in the Decision-Making Instead of enforcing a rule, start a discussion: "How long do you think is fair for each turn?" "How long are you willing to wait for your turn?" "What happens if the timer goes off and someone doesn’t switch?" They will feel more invested in the solution when they help create it. With my kids, I provided input where needed, but ultimately, they learned to weigh both perspectives and decide on their own rules—which made them much more likely to respect the system. Step 2: Use a Timer to Keep It Fair Let the kids set the timer themselves. Once time is up, they switch without complaints (after some practice with Mom's help)—because they helped choose the time limit. The timer eliminates the need for a referee (you!) since the system is neutral and agreed upon. Step 3: Stay Consistent Until It Becomes Automatic At first, you may need to remind them to use the timer—but if you stay consistent, they will eventually self-regulate without your involvement. Now, our kids rarely need me to settle disputes when it comes to sharing, from computer gaming time to a fun new toy—they default to the timer system and have their own meeting to set the terms they both feel comfortable with for the situation at hand. Why This System Works: The Core Lessons It Teaches 1. Teaches Kids Problem-Solving & Collaboration Instead of me dictating the rules, they work together to find a fair solution. This helps them develop: Negotiation skills The ability to see another perspective A sense of fairness that considers both parties 2. Promotes Self-Regulation & Patience By setting their own reasonable time limits, they learn to: Manage their own expectations Wait their turn calmly without frustration Feel more in control of the process 3. Reinforces Teamwork & Cooperation This system removes the “winner vs. loser” mentality that often causes fights. Instead of competing, they work as a team to make the system function fairly for everyone. 4. Builds Emotional Intelligence & Reduces Entitlement Many kids expect parents to solve their arguments for them—or they assume that getting another item is the solution. Instead, our system teaches them: How to manage emotions during conflict That fairness is about balance, not just “getting what you want” To appreciate and share what they have, instead of expecting more This method has completely transformed the way our kids handle conflict—both at home and in new environments. Whether they’re gaming, playing, or using shared resources, they instinctively work together instead of against each other. And the best part? A lot less fighting, complaining, and tears - and Mom no longer needing to step outside to breathe for a few minutes before her head explodes. You can check out more of my posts ranging from my natural health recovery to DIY natural products here!

Discover meaningful Holy Week activities for families to deepen your Easter celebration. Engage in daily reflections, crafts, and traditions that honor the true significance of the season. A few years ago I took the leap of making our Christmas less focused on materialism and "me me me" and more focused on Christ and connection, and we all absolutely loved it, including the kids! This year I am making the same switch for Easter. Easter egg hunts and baskets full of knick knacks just don't do it for me anymore and feels meaningless and flat. This is the most important event in Christian history and I want this season to feel and look like that. So I have compiled a calendar of special events and moments to make it a deep meaningful tradition full of connection and reflection and most of all CHRIST. I have kids ranging from 1-14 so this calendar of events is designed to include all of my children. We are a deep conversations type family. When my boys were just 4 and 8, we started having deep theological discussions late into the night. So this calendar also caters to that aspect of our family culture along with meaningful events. Make sure to include special things that cater to your family's unique home culture! As always for my content, it is all very budget friendly, much more so than traditional Easter in American Culture. For the breads, I will be making them homemade from sourdough in advance. Homemade baked goods are something that has become very special for our family and also allows me to make them gluten free (long ferment) for cheap. I will be printing some beautiful Easter countdown cards off of Etsy that allows us to have a daily visual prompt as well as some stories/scripture on the back that explains the significance of each day. I have also saved some paintings that emotionally impact me, that point to Jesus and the empty tomb that I will be printing and hanging on the wall for the week. This will also be a time of specific Easter devotional for me during my quiet times. This year I am trying to focus on my kids having a personal relationship with Jesus so each day I will be facilitating a time where THEY pray quietly on their own to God while we sit together instead of just relying on me and Dad to pray while they sit and their minds wander. Let's get to it!​ 📅 Holy Week Daily Activities & Reflections Each Day we read the scriptures together over candlelight and sometimes include a cartoon of the events off of Youtube like this series . You can also include a picture Bible to keep them engaged during scripture reading, and then we always end with prayer like I describe above. Throughout these days we also reflected on the Messianic prophecies from Isaiah from roughly 700 years prior to the events in the New Testament. I'll list some of those at the bottom of the post for your reference. 🌿 Palm Sunday: Jesus Enters Jerusalem Scripture :  Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–44; John 12:12–19​ Activity: Create palm branches using construction paper and popsicle sticks.​ Reenact Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, celebrating with shouts of "Hosanna!"​ 🍃 Holy Monday: Cleansing the Temple Scripture :  Matthew 21:12–22; Mark 11:15; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:13–17​ Activity: Make origami tables using a Youtube tutorial and read the passages of Jesus flipping the tables in His righteous anger. Flip your tables and say the words Jesus said. We liked to yell at the top of our lungs His words while we flipped our tables clear across the room. 📖 Holy Tuesday: Teachings of Jesus Scripture: Matthew 21:23–24:51; Mark 11:20–13:37; Luke 20:1–21:36; John 12:20–38​ Activity: Read, watch, and discuss Jesus' teachings on faith and obedience.​ 🕵️ Spy Wednesday: Judas' Betrayal Scripture: Matthew 26:12–14; Mark 14:10–12; Luke 22:3–6​ Activity: Place 30 silver coins on the table as a visual aid.​ Read the scriptures by candlelight, discussing the gravity of the betrayal.​ Reflect on 1 Timothy 6:10 and the dangers of loving money.​ 🍷 Maundy Thursday: The Last Supper Scripture: Matthew 26:17–75; Mark 14:12–72; Luke 22:7–62; John 13:1–38​ Activity: Prepare a Mediterranean-style meal with grapes, dates, pita bread, hummus, and cheese.​ I will also include things I know the kids will actually eat like pepperoni and summer sausage. Dine on the floor the room only lit with candlelight to emulate the Last Supper setting with a scarf or fancy table cloth on the table.​ Use grape juice, or in our case kombucha, as a representation of wine during the meal.​ Conclude with candlelit scripture reading and personal prayers.​ ⚫ Good Friday: Crucifixion and Burial Scripture: Matthew 27:1–62; Mark 15:1–47; Luke 22:63–23:56; John 18:28–19:37 ​Activity: Construct a "tomb" in the garden using natural materials or craft supplies like air dry clay or popsicle sticks.​ Create a figure of Jesus from twigs, wrap it in cloth, and place it in the tomb.​ Seal the tomb and assign "guards" to watch over it.​ Light a candle representing the "Light of the World," extinguishing it during the reading of Jesus' death to symbolize the world's darkness. Sit in silence, reflecting and praying together as a family.​ 🌑 Holy Saturday: A Day of Waiting Scripture: Matthew 27:62–66; Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56; John 19:40 ​Activity: Visit the tomb, ensuring it remains sealed.​ Recite Isaiah 53:5–6 in the darkness.​ Engage in silent, personal prayers, acknowledging the anticipation of resurrection.​ 🌅 Resurrection Sunday: He Is Risen! Scripture: Matthew 28:1–13; Mark 16:1–14; Luke 24:1–9; John 20:1–23​ Activity: Before the kids wake, open the tomb, remove the figure of Jesus, and fold the burial cloths inside.​ Have the children discover the empty tomb, celebrating with shouts of "He is risen!"​ Relight the candle as a symbol of the resurrected Christ - the light of the world has returned! Prepare a celebratory meal with traditional foods like sourdough challah and in our case sourdough pizzas cut out with little fish cookie cutters (my kids will not eat fish lol). Conclude the day with prayers of gratitude and personal reflections.​ Some Isaiah Messianic references: Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:2 , Isaiah 42: 1-4 , Isaiah 52, Isaiah 53 There are others as well! 🧩 Additional Resources 65 Meaningful Holy Week and Easter Activities for Families ​ Other Than A Mom Christ-Centered Family Activities For Holy Week ​ The Peaceful Haven E  xplore more of my blogs ranging from my natural healing journey, parenting tricks that have worked for me, and even DIY natural products here !

Leaving the Noise Behind to Embrace a Life of Faith, Family, and True Contentment In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalms 4:8 I am seeing my previous businesses and visions all slowly folding into this blog dream as time goes on, and now I see one of my most compelling business ventures making it's way into this one.  I once had a business I named Beautiful Living Today. I was driven to inspire others to build a beautiful, meaningful, and slow living life wherever they may be planted. I had learned how to create my own little piece of tranquil heaven in one of the most dangerous and loudest cities in the country, and I wanted to help others do the same. It was composed of blogs, podcasts, and some beautiful videos. I felt it was such a deep calling from God and was so excited, I had spent countless hours on designs and plans, had felt the calling to have a good friend fold into the business with me, and then nothing happened. She never jumped on board like we had planned to, I lost the inspiration, and felt confused as it had felt so deeply a calling from God. The friendship eventually fizzled, life and priorities took over, and here we are years later and it is just a distant memory. But the calling forever remains nestled in my heart. I have seen ways I have let it slip out through different social media posts and countless interactions with people, always encouraging others to find the slow meaningful life among the noise, but I never saw it for what it was, the vitally important Beautiful Living Today mission crying to have an outlet. One of the blog posts I had posted there years ago was called 'Finding Quiet', I lost the blog, but I find myself this last couple weeks deeply yearning for this title in my own life. It has been a complete whirlwind and insane uphill climb to get my natural products business West Texas Soap Co. where it is today. At 9 months pregnant I was working full days until midnight filling orders, literally until she popped out, and then within 24 hours was posting again and never stopped. No breaks, no breaths. It is something I would strongly advise against for most people. I had a mission to build the business to a level that could help support our family and 3 years in, I have never had the space and time to find any quiet other than stolen moments during devotional time. I'd find myself playing with the kids while thinking about getting back to work. Homeschooling them, wishing for it to go by faster so I could get back to work. That is not who I am, and is against all advice I've ever given to anyone, but the mission to provide more money for the family took precedence, as it should when money is too tight for comfort even when living the most frugal humble life. Now a new season has arrived, and I am so excited I could cry. Things are much better, things are in place, the foundation is laid and now I can focus on maintaining the business I've created, instead of striving for growth. I do not require a large business to be happy. We are content with modest circumstances as long as the needs are met. We actually enjoy them because it allows us to continue trusting in God, and allows Him to show us His constant miracles against all odds. I've asked myself, what really is financial freedom? Not in the culture's definition but in the Christian's definition? I have found myself striving for the culture's definition of financial freedom which is empty and meaningless. A desire for more than I have? Fleshly desires and wants that mean nothing. Lack of contentment with my current blessings, striving for more. Not truly settling in and appreciating all that I have, as if I'm telling God "It's not enough'. In a world with constant social media and seeing everyone around the world all day long, we swim in an ocean of seeing what others have and wanting it, instead of loving what we have right around us. What needs work is my soul, not my bank account. Financial worry and stress is a lack of faith and trust that God wants to and will provide each need we have, if we put Him first in our lives, and put in our best effort in our lives (no laziness here), because He loves us. We've chosen family values over money and jobs for about 7 years now. If we show up 100% within the boundaries of the values He wants us to live, He shows up 100% to provide. We've been judged harshly for it by many, choosing family over money filled demanding jobs, but our kids are the happiest kids I've ever known because of it. We have time together as a family every day, they're following their passions and know who they are, they won't have a midlife crisis realizing they just did what everyone expected of them and never did anything they actually wanted to. Our marriage is strong and healthy. Our bodies are strong and healthy. Our faith is strong and healthy. I take all of that over a fat bank account any day, and ever since we started making these decisions to chose family over money, our bank account has been smaller but our joy, meaning, connection, happiness, and faith -much greater. So back to my point of Finding Quiet. I haven't had this since we moved to Texas nearly 4 years ago. We've been in an INTENSE growing season the last 4 years, growing personally, spiritually, as a family, and as husband and wife. The list of torturous jobs found and lost, constant ups and downs, constant needing to cling to Jesus for dear life, is a long one. The death of a parent, 3 surgeries for 2 children, terrifying circumstances around unexpected job loss and no one hiring. Facing possible loss of a place to live while preparing for a baby to arrive. A church found, a church breaking our hearts deeply, misled into severe cult level legalism to the point of spiritual bondage, and the process of breaking free, relationships to heal with many difficult conversations, and God delivering us from every single situation and providing for us through every step of the way. Our faith is beyond anything it was ever capable of before we moved. We cannot believe how we have transformed, we cannot believe who we used to be just 4 years ago. We are so grateful for this 4 years of intense trial because of how it has transformed us into truly loving and having a relationship with God, and how we actually put Him first now to the best of our ability every day. The miracles are too many to even list. The ways He has provided for us and guided us are absolutely unbelievable. He ALWAYS had a plan. We were never forgotten and His hand was never distant. We needed every moment of that season to be who we are now, and we are so grateful for it all, even though it was painful and terrifying many times. We don't need anything but Jesus. So... As I sit and write my intentions for 2025, the biggest item is Cultivating A Quiet Mind and Life - Everything will be different. Much less social media posting and noise, much more deep quiet writings from me, truer to who I am, a deep thinking introvert who loves quiet, slow, meaningful living. I love to write, it doesn't drain from my cup like other types of communication. The nutrition course I have talked about for quite some time will no longer be a thing, more noise that I don't want. Instead, as I feel inspired, I will share on this blog. I have already written multiple chapters of a book that I am excited to share in this space. I have so much in my brain that loves to get out through this medium. I also love the idea of sharing it all freely for all to read as they choose. This year will be the relaunch of my initial Beautiful Living Today mission, but under this new amazing community God has built through West Texas Soap Co. and now this blog. I am so excited to now spend my days Finding Quiet for the first time in many years, and sharing with you along the way. Until next time... -Tej'a