Making Mother’s Day Marvellous!

"I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine – she helps me grow, prosper and reach great heights.” – Terri Guillemet

Mothers are our best friends, our closest companions and our biggest fans, right from day one. It's great to be able to give them their very own special day, on which we celebrate and spoil them more than usual.

Let’s face it, every woman loves to have extra ‘smellies’ in her cupboard – so what better way to treat our moms, and keep the kids busy at the same time, than with a simple, fun and creative herbal soap.

Let’s see how we do this:

What you will need:

Glycerin soap (sold at craft stores or pharmacies)
Assorted herbs and citrus – basil, mint, rosemary, orange and lemon
Food processor
Glass bowl or measuring cup
Plastic spoon or scraper
Spray n’ Cook
Old yogurt cups or disposable cups that you have lying around at home.

Where to purchase your goods:

Step 1

Start collecting old yoghurt cups, depending on what size soap you want – choose between the 75ml, 120ml or 250ml containers. For this activity we used a 75ml yogurt cup that came as part of a pack of six.

Step 2

Visit www.lifeisagarden.co.za to find a nursery in your area

Step 3

Purchase a herb or a mix of herbs of your choice – we purchased one mint plant and one rosemary plant. We suggest purchasing a herb plant, as it is an ingredient that keeps on giving.

Step 4

Visit a local pharmacy or craft store to purchase a bar of glycerin soap – buy according to how many soap bars you would like to make.

Step 5

If you would like to add a citrus element, use the rind of a lemon or orange.

Step 6

If you don’t have any at home already, it is advisable to purchase some ‘Spray n’ Cook’ from your local grocery store, as it will ensure that the soap doesn’t stick to the re-used yogurt container.

How to make the soap:

1. Melt Soap

Put the soap blocks in a glass bowl and melt it in the microwave for 30 second intervals until melted. Stir every so often to break up big chunks.

2. Prepare additives

While melting, cut your herbs into small enough pieces to add to the soap. If adding citrus, zest the peel and squeeze some of the juice into a cup for extra citrus scent.

3. Get containers ready

Spray your old yoghurt cups with cooking spray and wipe out the excess.

4. Add purees

Once glycerin is melted, add your herbs and citrus. Keep stirring to ensure they don’t all float to the bottom. When you have the desired colour, let it stand to cool for a minute, then pour your contents into your yoghurt container/s. To make this a fun activity for any time of year, children could add in plastic butterflies or dinosaurs instead of the herbs.

5. Setting the soap

Let the soap sit on the counter for about an hour to completely set, then put it in the freezer for another hour or so. It should then pop right out