​BASIL:  A wonderful herb that is easy to grow that can be used in many food dishes, Basil plants can be found at your local nursery or garden center, or even in the produce section of some grocery stores. Just plant it where it will get bright light and keep its soil moist. Regular trimming, if you don't use every day like I do, will keep it from getting "leggy".

An easy recipe for a quick salad uses basil along with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Slice the mozzarella and tomatoes and arrange them on a plate alternating them; tomato, mozzarella, tomato, etc. Finely chop some fresh basil and sprinkle over the top. At serving time, drizzle balsamic vinegar over all. Enjoy on a warm summer's night!

MARIGOLD FLOWERS:​ Add some cheerful color to your garden and give the honeybees and other pollinators a favorite source of pollen by planting easy-to-grow marigolds. Also known as "Calendula", these flowers will help to repel mosquitoes while they are growing, but can be used in soap and balms when dried.

ROSEMARY: Great for cooking, Rosemary is beautiful when flowering and attracts butterflies! It can be grown in the garden or in pots. It's easy to use for cooking by snipping sprigs off the plant and finely chopping before adding to bread stuffing, chicken dishes, lamb, or steak. 

CITRONELLA: This plant is used widely in insect repellents because bugs hate the smell. It's a grassy plant that can be used in the garden or yard to add to your landscaping.

LAVENDER: This beautifully flowering plant is widely used in soaps, sachets, body sprays, and other personal care items. It looks awesome in the garden and smells lovely! It is one of our most often-used essential oils in our soaps, lotions, and baby products. Plus the bees love it!

PEPPERMINT: This herb is another great one to use in cooking or for making teas. It can be dried or used fresh. We use it dried in our Peppermint soap and Uncle Mark's Powder and also use it to infuse our oils that are used in several of our products like Sorely Needed Massage bars. RP's Natural Dog Soap has peppermint essential oil in it to repel bugs on your pooch!

GARLIC: This versatile plant is used mostly in cooking but makes a perfect bug repellent...and we've heard it repels vampires, too! :) When roasted, garlic will soften and sweeten slightly, making it a wonderful addition to soups, sauces, chili, gravy...you name it!

Thanks for reading! Until next time, HAPPY PLANTING!

 Well, when I develop a new recipe for my customers, I try to be very mindful of the ingredients that go into it. It needs to work better than the customer expects, but as importantly, it needs to be better than the so-called mass-produced products we are faced with in shopping centers and online. I want to produce products that make you feel good AND are good for you!

A dear friend who has a lot of issues with tight muscles has found that getting a massage biweekly or monthly has eliminated all the back problems and headaches she was getting. So naturally I asked her what massage oil her masseuse was using. She told me it was something she had found at a bath & body store at the mall. Looking at the label, it was filled with all sorts of chemical preservatives and emollients that weren't natural. Yikes! I was concerned that all these chemicals were being rubbed in to her skin each week. Ewww....

After significant research, I designed a massage oil that uses only natural oils that are far safer than what she was using. She tells me her masseuse asked where she had gotten it, saying it was the best oil she had ever used. No kidding! She said it had just the right amount of "slip" to it to give a wonderful massage, and the scent was relaxing and more pleasant than her usual oil. Now she is hooked and uses it on her other clients!

​So why all the fuss? Remember that your skin absorbs 60%? Yep, add that fact to a warm rub-down or a tub of warm water, if using as a bath oil, and your skin is pulling in all sorts of stuff. Yikes! With all the chemicals our bodies are hit by each day, why intentionally rub more in? Be choosy and read the labels of your products... your skin will love you!

Our massage oil has a blend of 5 different oils that provide a nice "slip" to make the massage most enjoyable... 

• Apricot Kernel oil is a lightweight oil that is high in vitamin A. It's great for dry, irritated, or mature skin;
• Macadamia Nut oil is an excellent emollient and very similar to our own skin's sebum (oily secretions that help to protect our skin);
• Pumpkin seed oil is high in Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids; perfect for dry and damaged skin;
• Sesame oil is rich in Vitamin E, which is an anti-oxidant that helps to repair and protect your skin;
• Vitamin E is added for a little extra boost!
• Essential oil blend that includes Lavender (relaxing), patchouli (sensual), orange, lemongrass (uplifting), pine, and a bit of gardenia. Together, these oils create a sensual, relaxing, yet still, light scent that is pleasing to both women and men.

So that's it! Five different oils and a touch of essential oils to add scent... compare that to the "other" massage oils which have all sorts of words I can't even pronounce on their ingredients label! 

* Any information contained herein is intended for informational purposes only. No advice or recommendations are implied nor should be interpreted as such.

We use Macadamia Nut oil as a main ingredient because it is just plain wonderful! But if you have an allergy to nut oils, we can absolutely tweak our recipe to include olive or avocado oils instead of Macadamia... custom products are our specialty!

Ahhh, I can hear my tub calling me now... Ta-ta!