Herbs

Spray Perfume DIY

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When making your own natural perfumes, you have plenty of options to consider. What scent? What base? What container? Most perfumes will either have a base of oil or alcohol, unless you are making a solid perfume which also requires oil but also beeswax, or carnauba wax for a vegan option. If you want a spray perfume, that makes it pretty easy to decide on your base because only alcohol will work with a spray top. There are other ingredients you can mix in with the alcohol, but the fundamental base should be an alcohol that is 80-100 proof, with vodka being the most common choice because it has the least amount of scent. You can find perfumers alcohol if you look around, but I like to follow the rule of ‘if you wouldn’t put it in your body, don’t put it on your body’ when making my own products.

I always have a perfume body oil that I use first thing in the morning and right before bed at night. I put it all over my torso and arms, sometimes legs too, and then it has to soak in before I put clothes on so that makes it confined to the above mentioned applications. Spray bottle perfume is something I like to keep on hand for applying before I leave the house or when I just need a mood lift from the scent, because no matter what is in there, it always lifts my mood. I even spray the inside of my coats because they need a little refreshing after so much use in the winter, especially since I tend to wear my coats inside quite often. I’ve actually tried to break that habit by putting a warm sweater or hoodie or something always accessible in the kitchen near the coat closet to make myself change out of coat. My aversion to being cold is a mighty one. Here’s the current situation here by the way:

snowmorning

Even my 15 year old son asked if I had any sprays he could use to freshen up before leaving the house last week and since I’d just used the last of my perfume I handed him a bug repellent spray that we had leftover from the summertime, and he thought that just fine. After spraying it he said that it smelled really good so I hope I wrote that recipe down in my notebook!

For the spray perfume I’m making today, I’m using homemade rose-vanilla extract and vodka with some of my favorite essential oils for winter. It’s a two ounce bottle, which means 12 teaspoons, and the general rule is 5 to 20 drops of essential oils per teaspoon. That means I’ll want between 60 (12X5) and 240 (12X20) drops of essential oil in my two ounces of alcohol base. (I made the extract with vodka, rose petals, and vanilla beans, so it is indeed an alcohol base, just an enhanced one.) I’m using about an ounce each of the two bases.

I decided to make this focused a bit more on mental and emotional well-being while my normal perfumes are usually all about the scent. January through March is not my favorite time of year so I thought some uplifting essential oils were in order. Here’s what I made:

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2 oz dark glass spray bottle

A little less than 1 oz vanilla-rose extract

A little less than 1 oz vodka

50 drops sandalwood

40 drops ylang ylang

10 drops clary sage

20 drops bergamot

10 drops frankincense

5 drops rosemary

This turned out to be a really refreshing scent. I might add more rosemary once the blend settles, but for now I like how it smells. I won’t know for a few days if it needs any changing as it takes time for everything to mix and mingle and meld together.

Thank you for reading and let me know if you have a favorite essential oil blend for the wintertime!

 

New Year, New You

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I’ve actually never gotten very into New Years resolutions very much. I tend to think in terms of personal goals and growth more around my birthday which happens to be on the first of a month when my surroundings are waking up to spring a bit, and it feels like a better time to me for renewal. But this year is different. It’s a new decade and last year was horrifically miserable, and apparently a lot of people had a seriously rough 2019’s, so I’m more than happy to see it dissolve into history and embrace a New Year with all the opportunities of newness it brings.

I’ve seen many statements about 2019 being rough because it was a year of growth, so I’ve tried to write down the ways I’ve grown to make it a true leaning and not something that has to be repeated over and over again for it to sink in. If you had a tumultuous year too, I encourage you to do the same. Don’t just be glad it’s over and jump into the next year as if it’ll be different now, instead write down what you learned, or at least have a long hard think about it if writing isn’t your thing. Make it conscious and dig deeper, because there are probably more nuggets of wisdom to uncover if you stay curious and courageous b/c it takes bravery to revisit painful things and experience the buried emotions. But it’s worth it. You have to experience the emotions before they let you be.

We all get this crazy reset opportunity once a year, and it always strikes me every single time how hopeful people are that they’ll be better next year, they’ll stick with their resolutions this time, this is the year they’ll really do it. So often the gyms are packed in January, semi-packed in February, and by March the old patterns have bullied themselves back in, stealthily disguised as life, and the world turns for another season of repetition. Don’t let that be you. Not everyone hits the gym in January, but most people do have a notion of what they want for the coming year, and if it involves you changing in some way, only you can do it. Whether you are more aligned with Virgil’s, “Fortune favors the bold,” or more Louis Pasteur with his, “Fortune favors the prepared mind,” there is decidedly more action involved than mysterious lady luck.

Cleanses and detoxes are ways to jump start any change because our mental and emotional selves need detoxing too, as do our relationships. These are the ones I wrote about last year and they are the ones I always turn to when I feel the need for a deep cleanse, especially the kitchari which that post has the recipe for. Speaking of ‘jump starts’, I read that in Denmark it is customary to jump off a chair at the stroke of midnight to leap into the New Year for good luck. I love how literal that is! There are so many global traditions for New Year’s that all are an effort to bring good luck (I compiled a list for my ESL class with more highlights from that down below) and it makes me wonder if that’s why people give up on the changes they plan to make, as in maybe they feel ‘luck’ and life aren’t cooperating fully so they surrender to it…? I’m guessing the people who hit their goals are the ones who rely a little less on fortune and a bit more on fortitude.

But a little luck never hurts so eat the grapes and lentils, wear the red or yellow underwear, and jump off all the chairs tonight~ life may not catch you where you wanted but you’ll land on your feet somewhere, that’s a promise.

Happy New Year and best wishes for 2020. Here’s some global inspiration on how to spend this evening:

From Greece: An onion is traditionally hung on the front door of homes on New Year’s Even in Greece as a symbol of rebirth in the New Year. On New Year’s Day, parents wake their children by tapping them on the head with the onion.

In Ecuador they celebrate the New Year by burning paper filled scarecrows at midnight. They also burn photographs from the last year. All in the name of good fortune.

In some South American countries wearing colored underwear will determine your fate for the new year. Red underwear means you’ll find love. Gold means wealth, and white signifies peace.

In Japan they ring all of their bells 108 times in alignment with the Buddhist belief that this brings cleanness. It’s also considered good to be smiling going into the New Year as it supposedly brings good luck.

Every year at the end of December people in a small Peruvian village fist fight to settle their differences. They then start the year off on a clean slate.

In Switzerland they celebrate the New Year by dropping ice cream on the floor.

In Romania they throw their spare coins into the river to get good luck.

In some parts of Puerto Rico, they throw pails of water out of their windows to drive away evil spirits.

And in Spain it is customary to eat 12 grapes, one at each stroke of the clock at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Each grape represents good luck for one month of the coming year. Eating grapes at midnight actually occurs in quite a few cultures around the world which begs the question, where is everyone finding grapes at this time of year? Good luck!

Cheers!🥂

Frosty Fleur

 

The Language of Nature

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This is a reblog from this time last year:

Wreaths, trees, and greenery find their way inside our homes near the winter solstice, which is so fitting. It’s not always easy to be outside for long in the winter months, so it seems natural that we have traditions which bring nature inside. I love the smell of fresh evergreens inside, and I also just love the fact that we still hold onto these green traditions throughout the plastic-ness and consumerism of the season. Nature has a way of communicating authenticity, and actually a whole lot more. The language of flowers, herbs, and trees is a language that used to be readily understood and I hope does not go completely extinct. It was at one time a language that was prevalent, back when nature was a part of every day life and herbs were used in all parts of life from sun up to sun down~ from the herbs used in the houses and in bedding to keep away vermin, to the food they ate, and the medicines (the only option!) that kept them alive. They used herbs in rituals, for spiritual purposes, celebration, decoration, and communication.

If that sounds strange, think about what a red rose signifies. If someone gives another a red rose or 12, they are probably not giving a token of friendship, a get-well bouquet, nor a flower of condolence, right? A red rose equals love, a very specific type of love~ romantic love. This seems to be an enduring symbol that has lasted far longer than any other plant language symbols, but it is by no means the only way that plant with symbolic meaning. Here are a couple of examples:

Thyme used to symbolize warrior type bravery. It was given to Roman soldiers before and after campaigns to wish them luck and honor their courageousness. A few hundred years later, ladies used to embroider thyme into handkerchiefs for knights going to battle. Thyme means warrior, bravery, courage.

Bay leaves used to symbolize scholarly achievement, honor, and victory. The Greeks and Romans were active in embracing this symbolism by crowning the most learned of the statesmen with bay leaf crowns, and also those with the highest status. Bay laurel even gives it’s name to baccalaureate, and also the word laureate, as in ‘Nobel Laureate’ or ‘poet laureate’ for example. If you search online, there are plenty of examples of graduates donning bay crowns even today, so at least that tradition is still alive in some way.

Since it is nearing Christmas, I thought I’d share some holiday plants with their symbolism. I found a bouquet in the book, Tussie Mussies, by Geraldine Adamich Laufer that she calls “Christmas Joy” and would make a lovely wreath as well. Also, using these same meanings, one can put together an essential oil blend with a special holiday message. The bouquet has the following in it:

Pine: Warm friendship, vigorous life, spiritual energy

Cinnamon: Love, beauty, my fortune is yours!

Burnet: A merry heart

Rosemary: Remembrance

Bedstraw: The manger

Holly Berries: Christmas joy

Cone: Conviviality, life

Another bouquet in her book celebrates the New Year. It is called, “New Years Resolutions” and has the following:

Vervain: Good fortune, wishes granted

Sumac: Resoluteness

Rue: Beginning anew

Parsley Flower: At the very beginning

Hyssop: Cleansing

Elderberry: Zeal

These bouquets or wreaths might be fun gifts to bring to some hosts over the holidays, and a conversation starter if you include the meaning of the plants used. Essential oil blends can be used instead for a longer lasting gift, and of course there are plenty of other herbs, flowers, and trees to choose from. For example, Mint, another traditional winter holiday scent, symbolizes burning love, and also wisdom and virtue. There is also an old saying: “Grow mint in your garden to attract money to your purse,” so this plant has a lot to offer in the way of New Year’s wishes.

However you celebrate the winter holidays, I hope you are filled with peace, happiness, and good health. From all accounts, I’m not the only one eager to see 2018 come to a close and hoping for a lighter and brighter year ahead. In order to embrace this dark, quiet, inner-focused time of year, I’ll be taking a wee break from posting here until January. Hopefully I’ll be back with some news on a couple of other projects I’m working on so stay tuned! All the best to all of you and see you next year! Cheers!

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Easy Homemade Hostess Gift: Vanilla Extract

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I have another post on making Vanilla extract if you like to read more than watch, but even so this quick video will show you how to pick out the right vanilla beans. You can often find these in bulk bins at natural foods stores such as Whole Foods, or they might be sold in the spice aisle in ones or twos in a glass jar or plastic bag. To be certain you aren’t buying old beans, make sure they are the texture in the video.

The basic recipe is at least 4 Vanilla beans per cup of alcohol. For the alcohol, vodka, rum, brandy, or bourbon will work, but I always use vodka because I use my extracts in perfume making and vodka imparts the least amount of scent. Let it sit at least 6 weeks but really 10-14 weeks will be better, and the longer it extracts the more the vanilla scent/flavor will develop. Be sure to shake the container each day for the first week, then at least every other day after that, and you want the alcohol to completely cover the vanilla pods so if they want to stick up out of the liquid, use a wooden chopstick to push them back down.

As far as making holiday gifts goes, this is about as easy as it gets. Put the finished extract in a pretty glass jar and it doesn’t even need to be finished~ just keep the vanilla beans in there and let the recipient know they can take them out in a month or however much longer they need. For real vanilla lovers, you could give them vanilla oil too for body and/or baths. Vanilla is a luxurious product in any form as the pods are the second most expensive herb (after saffron) and have a long history known as an aphrodisiac, so these herbal crafts also make a superb Valentine’s gifts! Keep that in mind if you start your extract too late to gift for the holidays and don’t want to give unfinished extracts.

May your November be full of gratitude and your holidays be full of peace. Every year I make an effort to not get caught up in the frenetic pace and overwhelm of the holidays and this year is no different. So far I have not made it through an entire holiday season without the stress seeping in, but I’m holding out hope that this year I can stay centered. Be well!

Herbs for Halloween

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In doing some research for the ESL class I teach, I found out some interesting things about Halloween. Most people know the beginnings of Halloween started as Samhain by the Celts and was brought to the USA by Irish immigrants, but what was news to me was the story behind “Trick-or-Treat-ing”. Apparently, as my reputable web sources tell me, it was common to do pranks on Halloween night which during the 1930s depression turned into all out sanctioned hooliganism. It became downright dangerous so people started setting out food to bribe the youngsters (usually teens) to leave their property alone. As that bribery took hold, the greeting became ‘trick or treat’. It was at this same time that there was also a public effort to make Halloween a less scary (and dangerous) night, and more about parties, candy, and costumes. This is how we’ve ended up with superheroes, princesses, and cuddly critters roaming the streets instead of solely ghosts, werewolves, and other terrifying creatures. Of course that’s just for the kids. Any adult female knows that they are supposed to look like a hyper-sexual version of something, anything~ a cat, a housekeeper, a chicken nugget, whatever, but I digress.

Herbs have been used since the beginning of humanity to ward off sickness from colds to plagues, but they have also been used to keep away evil spirits, witches, vampires, elf pranksters, ghosts, and all manners of bad juju. Of course some herbs have been used to invite these entities near, but more often the action has been repulsion, not an e-vite. Oftentimes the herbs used for potent anti-microbial aspects are the same ones used to keep the supernatural entities away, such as garlic. Garlic has a long history of repelling vampires and witches alike, and is of course a strong germ fighter in every sense. According to the Herb Society for America,  in Sanskrit garlic represents “slayer of monsters,” and hanging it around your door brings good fortune.

Another herb that can be hung around your door for keeping evil spirits and witches away is fennel. Of course your door frame might be getting crowded so perhaps planting some near your front door that you can actually use in your kitchen might be a more modern and functional way to go. Fennel is excellent for gas and bloating.

While you are planting front yard herbs (or potted planters by your front door), you might want to consider rue which also has a reputation for protection against evil, trickery, and witchcraft. Salespeople will ‘rue’ the day they approached your home!

Mugwort is an herb known for helping one to remember their dreams and perhaps even facilitate lucid dreaming. It also has been traditionally used as a protective herb against evil spirits, and according to The Herb Exchange, St. John the Baptist wore a girdle of mugwort for protection in the wilderness.  This is an herb that is generally burned as incense before bed for the dreaming effect, or worn in a sachet for protective use.

And the last one I’ll mention is the magical Elder tree. This legendary tree is a protective keeper-away-of-all-evil and was revered by the druids who considered the tree to be inhabited by an old sage soul. This is the same tree that has the reputation of being a gateway to the land of the fairies and it is considered quite lucky to have one growing on your property, just don’t cut off a branch or even a twig because that is considered bad luck! Gathering the fallen twigs or branches is perfectly fine though and can bring protection into your home.

Enjoy your holiday and although I’m honestly not really feeling into Halloween this year, I do like the holiday and a good costume. Isak Dinesen wrote: “Truth is for the tailors and shoemakers…I, on the contrary, have always held that the Lord has a penchant for masquerades.” Happy Halloween. masked

 

 

How to Make a Body Butter (Reblog)

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I was in the mood to make a body butter and share it here, so I decided to look at the recipes I’ve made before and decided that I would just reblog the one I followed most closely, otherwise it’d just be a repeat anyway. I love making body butters because of the way they change from solid, to liquid, to a creamy consistency. It’s like true alchemy at work. They are decadent too, and so perfect for this time of year when heaters start cranking and skin starts cracking. These butters are perfect for the skin that gets driest, such as feet and elbows and hands, but I use these all over my body and my legs seem to especially love the highly moisturizing texture. They make lovely gifts too, just heed the warning below about using a tight-fitting lid such as a screw top if you or your lucky giftee have a prying pet. Below is my blog from February of 2018, and here is another one on making body butter complete with video.

Making a body butter or cream is an especially magical process because the mere act of whipping the concoction creates the luxurious feel of the product and also the opaqueness. It’s really easy to do and there are so many ways to do it that I very rarely repeat the same process twice in the exact same way. That being said, I don’t always get the proportions exactly right for a proper whip to the recipe so do follow the ingredient recommendations closely of whatever recipe you choose at least for the first time or two. Even if the whipping doesn’t make your butter quite creamy, you will still end up with a soft balm that is just as good for moisturizing, and considering all these ingredients are natural, healthy, and non-toxic, you can use them on any part of your body that needs a little lotion-y love. Use whatever essential oils you like, but just know if you are using the recipe below the cocoa butter gives the finished product a decidedly chocolate-y scent, so figure that into your scent profile. For example, orange and chocolate might be good, cedarwood and chocolate though….maybe not.) I used vanilla absolute to round out the chocolate scent and the lavender to make sure it didn’t smell completely like food, plus lavender has so many skin benefits.

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Body Butter

1/2 C Cocoa Butter

1/4 C Coconut Oil

1/8 C Shea Butter

1/8 C Rose Oil (Olive Oil based)

20 drops Lavender

10 drops Vanilla Absolute

Put all the ingredients, except for the essential oils, into a measuring cup that can go into a pot of water that will heat up to a simmer. 3756C7C8-FDB6-4FEB-B5E5-051F1F1C9E5A[1]Let the solids completely melt, then take the measuring cup out of the water and let the liquid cool. You can put the measuring cup on ice, or put it in the fridge or freezer with a clean towel on top of it. It takes a while to cool, anywhere between a half hour to an hour depending on how it is cooling (freezer or on ice or just sitting out or whatnot). If you lose track of time and find the measuring cup hours later rock solid, don’t worry, just melt it again. When the liquid feels room temperature to the touch, add the essential oils and start whipping it with an electric mixer or in a blender until it turns creamy and opaque. This could take 5-10 minutes, depending on how cool the liquid is upon starting. Pour the butter into a clean jar and keep it out of heat and light for storage. This is a very emollient body butter, good for hand or foot cream, elbows, or any part of the body that is very dry. It isn’t recommended for the face though because those hard oils and butter can be pore clogging. It smells decadent and it is really fun to make something that starts off mostly solid, melts into a liquid, then whips into a totally new texture.

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Store in a clean glass jar with a tight fitting top, in a cool, dark place. Preferably a cool, dark place up out of nosey doggie territory. I was going to give this body butter to a friend so I had it down on the bottom of my shelf of herbal things where I knew I wouldn’t forget about it, but see that cork there…? My dog took the cork out of the jar (it does smell heavenly, and very much like food despite the lavender, I have to admit) and the jar hardened to a decidedly non-butter state. Definitely not gift-worthy anymore although I’ll still use it. Now it’s back to the stove top to make another batch, this time with a screw-lid jar.

This does harden a bit over a couple of days even with a properly closed container, so don’t be surprised if that happens. It still melts right onto (and into) your skin. We have all heard how skin is our largest organ and whatever we put on it goes into the body, so make sure you are only using the best, purest, products. You are worth it and your body will thank you. Please subscribe for weekly posts about herbs, natural health, and green beauty, and please share this with anyone who might be interested.

 

Herbal Perfume Base DIY Part 2

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This is a follow up post to the one about making herbal perfume bases. After the tincture sits for about a month, it is ready to be strained and used as a perfume base. It can sit for longer than a month and potentially get a little stronger, but if you are like me and get antsy to get crafting, a month is long enough. I actually strained mine this time slightly before a full month was up, but I could tell from the scent and the color that it was ready. A note about the color~ when you make an herbal tincture it will inevitably take on the color of the herbs which shouldn’t be a surprise, but it may seem strange to put colored perfume on your body. The color does not show up on the body and I’ve never had it stain my clothes either so you don’t need to worry about that. If you do not like the idea of colored perfume, stick to essential oils in straight alcohol, or make an herbal oil instead because oils take on a lot less color. Here’s part two of making an herbal perfume base:

The final perfume I made with the 2 oz. spray bottle is the following:

50 drops ylang ylang

10 drops nutmeg

3 drops palo santo (because I’m out of sandalwood)

5 drops bergamot

This turned out to have a nice, fresh, gender-neutral, autumn day scent. If you watched the video you will know that I was thinking of adding jasmine but I’m just not really feeling jasmine-y this time of year. Nutmeg is a strong scent which is why there are only 10 drops while ylang ylang has 5 times as much, but the scent turned out to have a strong vanilla-nutmeg scent which just feels right for October. It could have really used some sandalwood but I improvised with the palo santo which is another essential oil that is extremely strong so only three drops of that one. The bergamot just gave it a light, happy finish as the only real top note in the mix.

Thank you for reading and please subscribe if you haven ‘t already for more herbal tutorials and wellness articles from the natural foods and products world.

 

Immune Support for School Days

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School started less than a month ago and all three of us in this house have already caught a cold. It isn’t just us either, people all over are discussing their kids being out sick or they themselves are coughing and reaching for tissues. Schools are just bacteria and virus playgrounds and no amount of hand washing nor desk cleaning is going to suffice (though it can help) so it’s worthwhile to work some immune support into you and your students’ bodies during the school year. In addition to my sons being at school, I started a job at a school last week and was reminded very quickly that the other years I’ve worked in schools were always full of colds and once, a very bad flu, and that was when I worked at a college so it’s not just elementary through high schools. I don’t want another year of viruses and other issues, so I’m planning on putting some real focus into not only supporting my and my sons’ immune systems, but also making my little classroom as healthy as possible. Bailey (above) is not happy with the transition of summer to school days either. She likes everyone home, right where she can see them.

astragalus

Astragalus is an immune supporting herb that can be used continuously, as opposed to the more well-known booster, echinacea, which is used during an illness, then must be stopped in order to stay effective in the future. I use astragalus in powdered form and add it to the adaptogen blends I make for the boys and my morning protein smoothies. It’s a mainstay. One of my herbal teachers said that in China they put a slice of the root in soups all winter, then take it out before serving the soup. I can’t verify that myself, but it sounds like a reasonable way to take advantage of the herb. The slices are known to look somewhat like tongue depressors (pictured above), and although it’s a root, both the smell and taste of the herb are somewhat nutty (at least to me). Next time I make soup, I’m going to try throwing a slice in there, and I’ve also been known to take the tincture version when I’ve felt rundown and there is a kids’ tincture too that is free of alcohol. There are pill versions too of course, so whatever is easiest for the person taking it. Astragalus can also help when you have an overactive immune system, such as with allergies or rheumatoid arthritis. It’s category is immunomodulator, meaning it helps amp up the immune system when it needs amping, but also can turn it down when it’s gotten too riled up for its own good. Although astragalus can help you get over a cold or flu, echinacea is my go to choice for really boosting the immune system to fight those. Echinacea is a fighter you bring in when you really need it, while astragalus is a daily supporter. Here’s a kid friendly echinacea for when the sniffles start.

Elderberry is another herb to have on hand all fall and winter and now is the perfect time to make some elderberry syrup which is something I plan on doing in the next couple of weekends (although you can just buy it if herbal crafting isn’t your happy place as it is mine, and here’s a kids’ version). Elderberry has a long history of use for a wide variety of ailments from urinary tract infections to allergies, but it is most known for its anti-catarrhal  and immune boosting actions which make it a natural for fighting colds and flus. It will no doubt be easier to get your kids to take elderberry as opposed to other herbs so it’s nice in that regard as well. Hippocrates himself referred to elderberry as his medicine chest for its many uses, and there is evidence of it being cultivated by prehistoric Europeans and the tincture has also been found buried in ancient Egyptian tombs. Due to its extremely long historical use and the many ailments it treats, it of course also has garnered quite a mythical reputation with stories linked to goddess cultures revering it and it being a portal to fairy lands. If you are lucky enough to have one growing in your yard, you might want to try taking a nap under it because it is said that you will have vivid dreams of fairies and you just might end up in their land, perhaps never to return! And also if you do have access to fresh elderberries, don’t eat them. They need to be dried before consuming.

For some serious immune support I wanted to incorporate more mushrooms into my supplement regime. I happened to find a tincture on the “last chance” end-cap at a local Whole Foods which was exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to find. It’s Host Defense’s Comprehensive Immune Support and it has an extensive ingredient list that I’ll post below so you can see it for yourselves. Host Defense is Paul Stamets’ company whose video I shared a few posts back and he is a true visionary and pioneer when it comes to the fungal kingdom.

Also, in an herbal documentary series I recently watched, mushrooms were discussed as having the ability to completely overhaul one’s immune system, but it does take some time. I’m looking forward to seeing how I progress with mushroom supplementation and will let you know in about three months if I see a difference, because that is a reasonable amount of time to be able to note any changes. My own herbal education and training really didn’t delve into mushrooms much and I feel like they have just recently been rising in popularity as the powerhouses that they are. I really am excited to experiment more with these strange beauties.

For the room itself that I’m in at the school, I plan on bringing in some plants to not only freshen up the air but also cleanse the air. Herbs will of course be my first botanical additions to the room, and I will probably go with thyme as my inaugural plant-baby there due to its anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-microbial actions. The room is actually the

classroom windows
Lake Washington is in the distance.

best room in the building with tall windows that have a great view, but those windows don’t open and the space is fairly small, so the air feels dense quickly once a few students start rolling in. Today I’ll be making an air freshening spray to use between the groups of kids to hopefully put a stop to some of the germ transfers, and also to just keep the room fresh and a pleasant place to be for everyone. Again I’ll be reaching for thyme, although in this case the essential oil, to add to some distilled water for the spray. I might add some ‘thieves’ style essential oil to the spray as well, or at least use it in an essential oil diffuser that I’m bringing in. This little room is about to become a germ’s worst nightmare and a lovely dream for the students and I to be in.

What do you do during cold and flu season? Or is there anything you add to your health regimen either before or after when you will be in a germ fest such as a classroom or airplane?

Thank you for reading and please share with any students, teachers, or parents of students that you know fight the good fight against colds and flues all year.

 

Herbal Perfume Base DIY

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It’s really nice to have an herbal oil or herbal extract as your natural perfume base because it adds another layer of scent and benefits to your perfume. It also lessens the amount of essential oils you need in your perfume, making the end product more affordable and sustainable. Essential oils are wonderful, therapeutic, beautiful gifts from the earth, but they should be used sparingly as their production can and does take an environmental toll in some cases. Sandalwood, for example, has become endangered due to over harvesting and some other environmental factors, which is also why its price has been steadily and substantially increasing. It often takes an enormous amount of botanical material to make an essential oil, and the more material it takes the more expensive the resulting essential oil. Rose and Jasmine (link is to an absolute) are classic examples of this, and one way around the steep environmental and personal financial price, is to make an oil or extract from the flowers yourself. It takes 60,000 rose blossoms to make 1 oz of rose essential oil, and it takes even more Jasmine than that, but to make an oil or extract, you can use a lot less and end up with a great product although not as potent. Vanilla is another great herb to use as an oil or extract because vanilla can’t be made into an essential oil, it can be made into an absolute which is generally found already mixed with jojoba oil, so using it in an alcohol based perfume is not rose and vanilla in oilrecommended other than as an extract itself. I like to make my perfumes that are alcohol base with vanilla extract, then add essential oils to it. You don’t need to just pick one herb though, you can add herbs together for a unique, multidimensional scent as your base, then layer in the essential oils to create something completely your own~ a true signature scent.

Today I made rose vanilla oil and rose vanilla extract for my perfume bases. The extract will take 4-8 weeks to cure, but the oil is ready in a few hours (thanks to the quick method) so I can start experimenting with some fall scents right away. Below is what I did, but remember that you can do this with any botanical ingredient that you like. If you have something growing near you that isn’t found as an essential oil, I especially encourage you to try working with that and seeing what kind of special, local scent you can create full of originality and terroir. Go for it!

Thank you for reading/watching and I hope you are inspired to create your own multilayered natural perfume or cologne with an herbal base. Let me know what your favorite combinations are~ I’d love to hear!

 

Clean and Green Natural Products

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The latest samples from New Hope Network included some especially clean and green products. Of course there were a couple of CBD items as well since CBD is still going strong despite rumors and confusion persisting. Just as a reminder, I’m not paid for posts in conjunction with the New Hope Network, we are a co-op of bloggers who have agreed to share with our audiences information and products that we believe in. It’s a passion of mine to connect people with more natural products because I truly think natural foods and products are not only healthier for the people who use them, but for the planet as a whole. Plus the natural world has so much to offer which has been largely forgotten by the mainstream since industrialization, and if we can embrace our natural options in combination with all our modern advancements, we are going to head into a better future with more balance, depth, and greater wisdom.

matcha

Like CBD, matcha is having a moment too, and with good reason. It is a powerhouse of antioxidants and basically gives all of green tea’s benefits except more, plus it’s so full-bodied it makes a great latte. I drink mine sans milk and love it, although I have gotten a matcha latte with coconut milk a few times while out and can see how that’d be addictive too. Aiya’s matcha to go is a convenient way to carry your matcha around with you. The box says that no sifting or whisking is required but I have been whisking these anyway because it doesn’t hurt and you can almost always find something to stir with no matter if it is a traditional matcha tool or not. These packets don’t have any added sugar (some other brands do!) and the taste is rich, green, and delicious. These are great for travel or to sick in lunch totes or work bags. 

This protein powder from Natreve is a great example of a clean product that packs a huge nutritional and taste punch. My son was wow’ed by the taste of his breakfast smoothie and I this it’s pretty exceptional too~ the smell alone is like a fresh baked cookie. It’s vegan, soy and gluten free with no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors. It is also low sodium and has 25g of protein per scoop (it’s a big scoop!) with only 1 g of sugar and 150 calories. I’m looking forward to trying more of their flavors although my son will probably want to just stick with this s’mores sundae one.

This Bean to Bliss Bar not only has 40mg of CBD in it, it’s main ingredient is cacao which has long been used for its calm and happiness-inducing attributes. This tastes quite good and the ingredients are certainly a smart and clean combination of  mood supporting and enhancing ingredients though I personally can’t attest to any overwhelming feelings of bliss. That most likely has way more to do with my current state of going through a hard time than the product though so I’d love to hear other people’s experiences with this bar.

The CBD oil from CV Sciences has 9mg of CBD per serving and is flavored with peppermint. The peppermint flavor is nice, but it doesn’t actually cover up the hemp taste which if you have tried you know is a very strong. It kind of tastes like the peppermint is sitting shotgun with the hemp oil in the driver’s seat because the tastes are just about equal on the tongue. If you want CBD without the taste of hemp, I suggest avoiding tinctures all together and opting for softgels instead, but if you do like the taste then tinctures are a great choice because they don’t have to travel through the digestive system which may or may not be behaving optimally. (Let’s face it, most are not.)

This cute little Mothers Healing Balm has a great texture and the scent is light and pleasant. We didn’t have any wounds, rashes, or insect bites to try it out on yet, but the ingredients are promising with herbs such as calendula, witch hazel, and lavender in there. My dog did in fact get into a scrap with a raccoon a couple of mornings ago, but her wounds seem to be more psychological than physical, which is saying a lot since she’s already quite a neurotic beast. We’ll have to save this balm for our next wound, bug bite, or rash, and with a house containing two teen boys, it won’t be long I’m sure. This balm was formulated by a mom and an herbalist to treat a wide variety of skin issues.

Remember when healthy fats were all the rage? They are still important for healthy brains, eyes, and hearts, keeping inflammation down, mood regulation, and healthy joints, even if they aren’t in the spotlight as often as they were a few yeas ago. This omega 3-6-9 supplement from truelixir is vegan, gluten and allergen free, reflux-free, and additive-free. The softgels are a nice, smallish size and awfully pretty. Some omega supplements are huge and many do cause reflux issues and most are not vegan, so these are a rare combination indeed.

Thank you for reading and let me know if you have tried any of these products and your thoughts on them!