You will be making enough foot scrub to last you several treatments, so you will need to store the extra scrub in an air tight container, such as a jar. Look for something that is wide enough for your to reach into. The jar should be able to hold at least 10 ounces (295.74 milliliters). Foot scrubs are meant to scrub away the dead skin cells, leaving your feet feeling refreshed and silky soft, so you will need 1 cup of Epsom salt, sea salt, or sugar. Here are the benefits of each exfoliant:  Epsom salt contains magnesium sulfide. It not only scrubs away dead skin cells, but it also soothes muscles, reduces inflammation, and makes skin feel soft. It is perfect for tired feet.  Sea salt has coarse grains, which makes it great at exfoliating away dead skin cells and buffing calluses. It is also rich in minerals and helps remove toxins from the skin.  Sugar smells sweet, so it won't leave your feet feeling as refreshed, but it also has the smoothest grains, which makes it more suitable for those with tender skin. Without oil, the scrub will be dry and harsh. You can make it moisturizing by adding ¼ cup (56.25 milliliters) of sweet almond oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. Slowly stir the oil into your salt or sugar until you get a wet, grainy consistency. If your scrub is too wet, add more salt or sugar. If you exfoliant is too dry, add more oil. Here are the benefits of each type of oil:  Sweet almond oil helps clear dead skin cells. You might want to pass on this oil if you are allergic to nuts, however. Coconut oil is extra moisturizing. It comes in solid form, so you will need to soften it by heating it in the microwave for a few seconds. Olive oil is the most readily-available oil. You might even have it in your kitchen. Full of beneficial vitamins, it is also moisturizing, which makes it perfect for those with dry skin. How much essential oil you add will depend on how fragrant you want your scrub to be. The best types of essential oils for foot scrubs are those with clean, refreshing smells, such as eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, mint, orange, and peppermint. You can even combine essential oils to create new and unique fragrances. Here are some ideas:  Cinnamon powder and peppermint essential oil will remind you of Christmas, and are best paired with sugar and olive oil. Avoid using peppermint oil if you're pregnant, however.  Lavender and vanilla would work especially well in a sugar-based scrub. Citrus and mint smell refreshing, and would work especially well when paired with coconut oil. This will give you more of a tropical feel. Lemon and rosemary smell refreshing, and would work best in salt-based scrubs. Your foot scrub will be either white or a pale-golden color (depending on the oil you use). You can make it more interesting by adding a few drops of food coloring. Keep in mind that the food coloring will only add color to the scrub, so if your scrub has a golden tint to it and you add purple food coloring, you will get brown instead. Try matching the color of the scrub to the scent. Here are some ideas:  If you have a lemon-scented scrub, either leave it white or use a few drops of yellow food coloring. If you have a eucalyptus, mint, or peppermint-scented scrub, leave it white or add a few drops of green food coloring. If you do not have green food coloring, then use yellow and blue food coloring instead. If you used lavender essential oil in your scrub, then tint it with some purple food coloring. If you do not have purple food coloring, then use red and blue food coloring instead. Stir everything with a spoon until everything is combined. The scrub will be wet and grainy. If you mixed everything in a bowl, transfer your scrub into a sealable container. Make sure that you can put the lid on tightly so that your scrub does not dry out. Consider decorating your container with a homemade label and some twine tied around the lid.

Summary: Find a suitable container for your foot scrub. Choose your exfoliant. Add some oil. Consider adding some fragrance with essential oil. Consider adding some color. Combine the ingredients. Store in an air-tight container.


Get out a medium mixing bowl and measure 1 cup (120 g) of white cornmeal and 3/4 teaspoon of salt into it. Use a whisk or a fork to stir the cornmeal and salt together. Bring 1 cup (236 ml) of water to boil. Slowly pour the water into the bowl of cornmeal while you stir it. Keep stirring the mushy cornmeal. You can heat the water in a pan on the stove or use a water kettle. Slowly pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) of milk into the cornmeal mixture and stir it well. Set the batter aside while you heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Grease the skillet with bacon drippings or shortening.  The batter should be pretty thick, since there isn't very much liquid in it. You don't need to heat the milk before you add it. Once the skillet is hot, scoop a spoonful of batter and drop it into the pan. Press down on each johnnycake, so they flatten to 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick. Flip them over with a spatula once they're golden brown on each side. You can probably fry half a dozen johnnycakes at a time. If they begin to stick to the skillet, spread more bacon drippings on the pan. Fry the rest of the New England johnnycakes in batches. Set them on a serving plate and serve them with:  Butter Maple syrup Applesauce

Summary: Combine the cornmeal and salt. Pour hot water into the bowl of cornmeal. Stir in the milk and heat the pan. Fry several spoonfuls of johnnycake batter. Finish frying the johnnycakes and serve them.


Rub a cotton ball into a bit of petroleum jelly. Use your fingers to work the petroleum jelly into the fibers of the cotton, thoroughly coating the entire piece. You could use a cotton makeup pad instead of a cotton ball, if desired. Either option should work well. Grab the cotton ball or cotton pad with a pair of tweezers and slowly lower it into a pot of melted candle wax.  Work carefully to avoid accidentally burning yourself on the wax. Coat the majority of the cotton, leaving only a small patch uncovered. Place the coated cotton on a sheet of wax paper and let the wax on the cotton cool and harden. Place the coated cotton in a plastic bag or plastic container. Keep them there until you are ready to use them. Make sure that no moisture can get inside the container as you store it.
Summary: Dip cotton balls into petroleum jelly. Alternatively, dip the cotton into melted wax. Store the firelighters in a sealed container or bag.