Mad About Buffalo Plaid: 5 Out Of 4 Holiday Blog Tour

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5 out of 4 Aspen Fleece Vest and Coconut Oil Salt Scrub Tutorial

Hello and welcome to our stop on the 5 out of 4 Holiday Blog Tour. 5 out of 4 is one of my favorite pattern companies. Not only are the patterns great, but the founder, head designer and mother (of now SIX gorgeous kiddos) Jessica is one of my favorite people.  So when I heard about this blog tour, I jumped at the chance to show off one of her amazing patterns and also share a holiday recipe with you guys! 

***Would you like a chance to win your choice of pattern from 5 out of 4 patterns? Leave me a comment below and I will pick one person to win a pattern! Commenting closes December 7th, 2017!

Right after I signed up for this tour, I was browsing in my local Joann Fabric store and saw this amazing mug and decided that's what was going to inspire my post. I am ALL ABOUT the buffalo plaid in the winter and I love to incorporate fun little accessories into gifts.  So this was a perfect pairing for my post: Mad About Buffalo Plaid.  Today I am sharing my buffalo plaid version of the 5 out of 4 Aspen Vest pattern and a recipe and fun gift idea for Coconut Oil Salt Scrub. Yes, I know that isn't a "typical" Christmas recipe, but it IS a recipe for a gift that everyone will love and won't add any inches to that waistband over the holidays!

So first: the 5 out of 4 Aspen Vest

I bought this super soft and fluffy Sew Lush Fleece at Joann Fabrics and it is a gorgeous red buffalo plaid.  You know how fleece is like the easiest fabric ever to work with and doesn't fray? Well this fabric is the exception to the rule! Because it is super fluffy, it shed terribly and because it is so plush and soft, it was far from the easiest fabric I have ever worked with. But the result is a ridiculously soft and cozy vest that BOTH of my daughters insisted on trying it on and asked for one in their size. 

I used a stretch faux leather that I got as part of a mystery knit box (I don't even remember from where!) for the binding and I made the non-pocket version since my fabric was a challenge to work with. I paired it with some basic black pieces and these tall rain boots. I am super happy with how well the vest turned out and paired with the basics in my closet. I can't wait to make a few more in some basic colors to layer over long sleeves and under jackets as the weather gets colder here!

Now, onto my "recipe":

I LOVE making Coconut Oil Salt Scrub and I have made it several times as gifts and also just to have around the house.  With 2 little girls in my house, i have to keep an eye on it because they have been known to use a whole container of it in a few days! The recipe is super easy and only uses 3 ingredients! You can make a huge batch and set them back for when you need a gift for your kids teachers, your neighbors or anyone else on your gift list! The salt is a wonderful, natural exfoliator and the coconut oil leaves your skin feeling AMAZING! Ready to make some? Here is what you will need:

  1. Coconut Oil (refined if you don't want it to smell like coconut, unrefined if you do!)
  2. Salt (I use the cheapest coarse salt I can find)
  3. Essential Oils (for this batch I used peppermint, but my other favorite is lime and verbena) 

To make the salt scrub, mix 2 cups of coconut oil with one cup of salt.  I like to make a huge batch up each time I make it so I have plenty on head.  This time I did 4 cups of oil and 2 cups of salt because I didn't order my usual big tub of coconut oil in time and had to grab some from the grocery store (trust me, order it in bulk because it s much less expensive that way!) I usually put the coconut oil in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds so it is easy to mix and dump it all in the mixer to mix it up. 

Once it is mixed, simply mix in drops of oil until it is scented to the level you like.  I use about 10 drops per batch, but sometimes I use more.  I usually put the mixture into these plastic containers with lids so it can be left in the shower (safety first! no glass for the shower) but for this batch, I put some of it in the adorable buffalo plaid cup that inspired this post!

Wrapped up in a plastic gift bag and some ribbon, it's a festive and beautiful gift. Plus, once the coconut salt scrub is gone, they have a beautiful cup to keep and use for years to come! 

I have one sitting beside my sink so I can grab a bit for my hands anytime  I am in the kitchen! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and will follow along with the rest of the tour (listed below). You will find many great sewn items and recipes along the tour! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you liked todays post and would like to get more posts like this sent to your email, please sign up to follow us via email on the top right-hand corner of this post!

 

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