The Mint Needle

Hello friends! This past weekend our family got to enjoy a little getaway. We headed north to Niagara Falls, Canada to enjoy some waterfall views and take in some of the maple leaf country. What a fun excursion it was! And I can't believe how much has changed since we were there years ago! So... I'm going to tell you all about it, listing some pretty cool things to do if you're traveling with tweens! For starters, Canada is packed with botanical gardens. No matter where you stand, you will always be in perfect view of gorgeous trees, shrubs, and roses. We really enjoyed the scenic drive to the  Botanical Gardens & Butterfly Conservatory  . Home to over 2,000 butterflies, this magical haven was packed with more than colorful wings and flowers. Grab a quick bite to eat at the little cafe and enjoy some beautiful native plants. Although there's no pictures from  Clifton Hill , we were too busy having fun going into haunted hou...

Our beautiful tea rose bush is in full bloom once again and oh what a lovely sight it is! I usually spend time making rose syrup, which you can find  here , but since I've been trying to take it easy on the sweets, I opted for a luxury mist:) After all, who doesn't love to be pampered? And who wouldn't love a little spa-like pick me up in the middle of a stressful day? Right? Soo.... I gathered some supplies and got to work! You'll need:  -  tea roses (about 7-8 blooms) -  2-3 aloe vera stalks -  Vitamin E oil -  Essential oil of choice (I used Niaouli) -  one water bottle -   funnel -  glass dish -  enamel coated cookware (for boiling the rose petals) Do not use stainless steel as it will make your water a dark purplish blue. This happens from the oxidation. -  wooden tongue depressor (use it for mixing, pulling out the petals from the boiled water, and scraping the aloe vera stalks. -  spr...