Minty Mint Bath

Mint in the tub enlivens the senses and restores the spirit so this is a wonderful bath for when you need a little happy boost!

flowering peppermint

Here is how to make your very own mint bath  ~

In a cloth or muslin bag wrap:

• 1 to 2 large handfuls of dried peppermint leaves
• a good sprinkle of lavender blossoms

Toss the bundle in the tub and fill with the hottest water from your facuet.  Let the herbs steep in the tub until the water is cool enough for bathing about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the heat of your water.  The water will turn a deep greenish yellow brown, like a giant cup of peppermint tea.

Next Add:

• a handful of epsom salt
• 6 drops of spearmint(not peppermint*) essential oil

Climb in and enjoy this happy, refreshing bath!

After my bath ~

I felt calm as I always do after bathing yet I also had a sense of wanting to inhale the moment.  The rest of the afternoon found me happily going about my business with peaceful energy.  Plus my skin smelled sweet and nice, a bit minty, yum!

* A Note On Peppermint Essential Oil:  Every time I try putting peppermint in my bath I get burned, even with just one drop!  I start to feel an itchy uncomfortable sensation on my skin and must get out to rub down with olive oil, which dilutes the peppermint.  People react differently to things and it is possible that I am sensitive to peppermint.  Try peppermint essential oil in your bath, if you wish, but please start with one drop and go from there.

Shared On: Wildcrafting Wednesday, Natural Living Link-up, Heatlhy Habits Tuesday, Eco Kid's Tuesday

Playing With Peppermint ~ Herbs For Kids ~

It is yummy.  It smells good and has tiny enchanting purple flowers.  Peppermint is a great herb for kids.   And this week at school we had a lovely time playing with peppermint.

We started with a peppermint tea tasting at snack time.  Everyone loved the tea, well, almost everyone.  There were a couple of skeptics at the table.  I was really impressed with how excited the kids were about the tea and how much they drank.  One little girl asked for about four refills!

Besides being super tasty, peppermint tea is great for digestion and enhancing immunity.

Here is how I made our kid friendly tea.  One handful of dried peppermint leaves went into a 1/2 gallon canning jar.  After covering the leaves with boiling hot water, I let the mint infuse for about 15 minutes.  Then I strained the leaves out and our tea was ready.  I did this in the morning before school started so the tea had plenty of time to cool down to a nice warm drinking temperature.

Our activity for the day was very hands on and simple.  First we sat on the rug and I gave each child a sprig of peppermint.  We looked at the stems and leaves.  We felt the square stems and talked about squares.  Then we ran our hands up and down the peppermint and gave it a good sniff.    Lots of big happy eyes looked back at me while they experienced the freshest peppermint fragrance.  One boy exclaimed that his peppermint smelled like zucchini!  So cute.  I explained to the kids that they were smelling the essential oil in the plant.  Like the essential oil we used in our aromatic playdoughthe week before.  We looked at the tiny purple flowers and talked about the plant making seeds.

Next I set up paper, glue, scissors, sunflowers and lavender, and lots of peppermint at our art table.

 The idea here was free time to just create with plants for a chance to get up close and personal.  Cut them up and see what is inside.  Get to know the plant through smell and feel.  Glue them down and create something.  One imaginative little boy made a map!

We also used our plants to make super simple wands but just binding plants together with ribbons.

What simple fun ways do you play with kids

and plants from the garden?

Shared on: The Kid's Co-op, It's Playtime!, Living Green, Natural Living Mama, Science Sparks

Herbal Infusions for Children

Herbal infusions are great for all people and are especially wonderful for

children because infusions are high in vitamins and minerals which growing bodies need.

The best herbs to use for infusions are like healthy foods and each have their own set of characteristics.  To appease children many herbs can be made into very yummy beverages.  You can serve infusions warm, at room temperature or iced.  Feel free to add lemon, agave nectar, honey or even juice to taste.  Below is a quick reference list of a few favorite herbs for children's infusions.  For further information about these herbs please visit the Materia Medica section of Mama Rosemary.

Chamomile ~ Tastes appley, bittersweet… kids say: great!

• calming, relaxing
• good for digestive stuff (tummy aches especially related to nervousness)
• promotes rest
• useful for complaining and whininess.

Contraindications ~ A very few people are allergic to chamomile and other plants in the Asteracea (daisy) familyImportant ~ Only steep chamomile for 3 to 8 minutes as it gets very bitter if left to steep any longer, my kids won't drink chamomile if I infuse it for longer than 4 minutes.

Lemon Balm ~ Tastes lemony, yummy …. kids say: delicious!

• refreshing and cooling so great during hot weather
• calming for hyperactive children
• helps relieve nervousness and crying
• good for digestive stuff
• antiviral and bacterial so great during cold and flu season

Lycium Berry ~  Tastes fruity, super yum… my kids love them soaked in apple juice!

• high in bioflavonoids and polysaccarides
• tonic for blood, eyes, kidneys and immune system.
• Can use as a substitute for raisins.

Mints (Spearmint/Peppermint) ~ Tastes yummy, classic mint taste… kids say: great!

• centering
• helpful for digestive stuff, eases gas and cramping
• antiviral

Nettle ~ Tastes green, milky, kinda like soup… kids say: not bad

• extremely high in vitamins and mineral
• whole body tonic especially for  mucus membranes and blood         

Oatstraw ~ Tastes bland… kids say: great

• soothing to nervous system
• high in vitamins and minerals

Rose Hips ~ Tastes yummy, kinda sour… kids say: great!

• high in vitamin C and bioflavonoids
• tones and nourishes mucus membranes
• Soak the hips in juice or water to make a super yummy "jam".

Note:  Taste ratings are mostly taken from Kids, Herbs & Health, this is a great reference book for parents!

 Yummy Combinations ~

 Equal parts spearmint, peppermint & lemon balm, add nettle or oatstraw for even more nutrients.

 Equal parts lemon balm, oatstraw and rose hips

  Equal parts lemon balm and chamomile

  Equal parts rose hips and lycium

  Equal parts nettle and oatstraw

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Click here for infusion making directions.

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Another Fun Drink for Kids: 

Almond Milk ~ high in calcium and protein, hypoallergenic (most kids do great with almonds)  To make fresh, simply soak 1 cup of  raw almonds overnight in water in the refridge.  Drain and rinse the almonds . Place in a blender with 1 quart of water and blend for 1 to 5 minutes.  Strain thru a jelly bag and enjoy!  Almond milk will keep for 2 days in the refridge.  Use the left over nut meat in baked goods, casseroles etc…

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 A Couple Great Books for further study:

• A Kid's Herb Book by Lesley Tierra 
• Kids, Herbs, and Health by Linda B. White and Sunny Mavor