Aromatherapy blends for diffusers

When it comes to setting a mood in my home, I often turn to scented candles and incense. But lately I’ve been relying quite a bit on my aromatherapy diffuser and realizing just how versatile —and healthy — it can be.   

The diffuser I have is much like the inexpensive one shown here. It uses ultrasonic technology to create a fine, cold mist. Just fill it with water and add some essential oils. The water and oils are quickly diffused throughout the room and linger for quite awhile.  No heat is used, which means the essential oils' therapeutic benefits aren’t compromised.

When I first started using the diffuser, I used already prepared essential oil blends such as those sold by Plant Therapy Essential Oils. My favorite one, which I’ve continued to use throughout the winter, is their Germ Fighter Blend. It contains essential oils of Lemon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon, Rosemary and Thyme. I’ve also just started experimenting and creating my own blends.

Here are a few of the mixes that I’ve enjoyed so far. If you have any essential blends that you’d like to share, please be sure to do so. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks!

For eliminating unpleasant odors:

- 1 drop eucalyptus oil

- 2 drops lemon oil

- 6 drops bergamot oil 

For lifting the spirits:

- 2 drops geranium oil

- 3 drops sweet orange oil

- 4 drops clary sage oil 

For reducing stress:

- 2 drops patchouli oil

- 3 drops rose oil

- 4 drops lavender oil

Storing herbs and spices

 
When was the last time you cleaned out your spice cabinet? If you’re like me, it’s been years. And while I use herbs and spices frequently for both cooking and magick, I’m sure I have a few random jars that have been hanging around too long. I’ll bet that jar of allspice I bought for a Jamaican beef patty recipe many years ago (and only used that one time) is still in there. It’s probably keeping company with the spice blends I purchased at a neighbor’s Taste of Home party because I felt like I needed to buy something.

So I consulted a few recipe books and cooking websites and found some info on the shelf life of herbs, as well as some storage tips. There were lots of varied opinions on shelf life — and I’m sure some herbs deteriorate faster than others — hence the broad date ranges I’ve given here. Most sources seem to agree, however, that the easiest way to check if herbs are still good is to do the ol’ sniff test. Simply rub a pinch of it between your fingers. If the aroma is weak and the color has faded, it’s time to chuck it out.

Shelf Life:

- Whole spices: 2 to 5 years
- Ground spices: 1 to 3 years
- Leafy dried herbs: 6 months to 2 years
- Extracts: 4 years 

Tips for storing dried spices and herbs:
- Keep them dry in tightly closed containers.  A screw-cap container is better than a flip-top container because it can be resealed more tightly. 
- Keep them away from heat. Do not store them near the dishwasher, toaster, or stove.
- Keep them in the dark, inside a cabinet and/or in opaque containers.
- Members of the red pepper family, like paprika and chili powder, stay longer in the fridge.
- When you purchase new spices, make note of the purchase date on the label so you can quickly see when it’s nearing the end of its shelf life.

Making new candles from leftover stubs

 

If you’re like me and you burn lots of candles, here’s an idea for you. Rather than throw your candle stubs out, save them and use them to make new candles! It’s so easy and half the fun of it is seeing what kind of color you end up with from your assortment of candle stubs. The batch I made this weekend turned out to be a rich brownish-red, which I just love. Here’s what to do:

Thoroughly wash and dry your containers. In a small double boiler set over simmering water, heat the candle stubs until they’re melted. The wax should read about 185° on a candy thermometer. Remove the old wicks and any debris with tongs.

Cut a piece of wicking (lead-free!) to 2” more than the container’s height. Clamp one end of the wick with a wick sustainer, then affix the sustainer to the bottom of your container (gee, that rhymes!) with tacky wax. Wrap the other end of the wick around a wooden skewer and rest the skewer on top of the container — the wick should be fairly taut.

Pour the melted wax into the container, stopping ½” below the rim. Let it stand undisturbed for about 1 hour, or until set. To even out any depression that may form around the wick, use another skewer to poke a circle of holes about 1/16” deep around the wick. Pour in more melted wax, stopping ¼” below the rim. Allow the wax to fully set before trimming wick.

When it comes to a container for your candle, use your imagination. Try vintage teacups or jelly jars — even seashells would work. For my next batch I’m going to use these two jadeite mugs that I picked up at a yard sale. You can also try adding some essential oil to the wax. I added a little patchouli oil to my spicy brownish-red candles. Be creative, have fun and — as always when it comes to candles — be safe!

Forcing flowering branches indoors

I am sooooo sick of winter, so recently I decided to induce a bit of spring fever by cutting some forsythia branches off the bush in my backyard and forcing them into bloom. I placed them in my foyer and, now that the flowers have opened up, they provide such a warm, sunny welcome every time I come through the front door. You can do this with lots of different flowering bushes and shrubs besides forsythia; quince, pussy willow, lilac, and crab apple are just some of the many choices.

To do this, make sure outside temperatures have begun to rise above freezing. Then, select and cut branches that have lots of plump buds. Use a sharp blade and make sure not to disfigure the shrub or tree. Once you get the branches inside, split the cut end one to four inches with a sharp knife and place the branches in a container of warm water. Then cut another one inch from the bottom. Strip the part of the stems that will be under water of buds and twigs and then place the container of branches in a warm room. In about one to three weeks, you’ll have beautiful blooms. The larger the buds and the closer to their natural bloom time, the sooner the buds will open up.

The 10-minute tidy

This weekend we had family over for dinner on Sunday to celebrate Valentine’s Day. It was a lot of fun and I’m really glad I made the effort. Although it was hard — as it often is with our busy schedules — to get everything organized in time, we managed to pull it off. The food shopping got done and the meal came out great. Even the house was fairly presentable, thanks to the 10-minute tidy.

The 10-minute tidy is a great way to give a messy house a quick facelift when you don’t have a lot of time. The basic idea: everyone in the family drops what they’re doing and tidies up their surroundings for ten minutes, working as quickly as they can. There’s no deep cleaning going on here; just simple stuff like putting away clothes or dishes, taking newspapers out to the recycle bin, wiping down bathroom sinks and countertops, dust mopping the kitchen floor, etc.

If you’re tidying up for company, you'll want to concentrate on common spaces like the family room, kitchen, main bathroom, and front hallway. Bedrooms can wait till later. You can also dole out room assignments to each family member if you want. Set a kitchen timer to mark the time and play upbeat music to make it fun. You’ll be amazed how quickly your house can be transformed when everyone works together.

Invite prosperity into your home

Water is the ancient Chinese symbol of prosperity and abundance. According to Feng Shui practices, indulging in the sights, sounds and beauty of water can provide a boost to your career and bring about a deeper understanding of your life's purpose. As a form of moving water, a fountain draws prosperity and good luck.

To attract all that good stuff into your home, place a fountain inside your front entryway. The entryway represents your journey or path, so having a fountain by your front door symbolically invites opportunity and abundance into your life. As an added bonus, the moving water activates stagnant energy, releases negative ions and increases humidity to help restore balance to your environment.

Whether you want a small tabletop model or a large wall-mounted fountain, be sure to choose one of high quality construction with soothing water sounds. Also, make sure the pump operates quietly so it doesn’t keep you up all night. You’ll find an array of interesting designs and materials to choose from — including ceramic, metal and glass. They also come in a wide range of prices, making it easy for just about everyone to go with the flow.

Clearing your home of negative vibes

Since the new year is fairly young and I’m still feeling in an “out with old in with the new” mood, I decided it’s a good time to give all the stale, negative energy that accumulated in my home during 2010 the boot. So, last weekend I started smudging. I started with my bedroom, and over the next few days I’ll make my way through the other rooms in the house.

For the uninitiated (and my mom, who will probably be reading this), smudging is a way to cleanse and purify a space through the ritual burning of herbs. The theory is the smoke attaches itself to negative energy, and when it clears it takes the negative energy with it. Some herbs that are commonly used for smudging are sage, mugwort, lavender and sweet grass.

Sometimes smudging is used to purify and transform the energy of a space before meditation or a ceremony. But, for my current purposes, I’m just using it to get rid of the yuck. 

Here’s the method that works for me. After I clear a space, it somehow feels sparkly and fresh and healthier to be in.  Give it a try!

1.  De-clutter the room you want to smudge as much as possible.

2.  Pick a time when the kids and spouse are out of the house.

3.  Wear comfortable clothing and, if possible, keep your feet bare so you can better “connect” with your home. This is hard for me because my feet are always like two ice cubes…

4.  Take time to think quietly about the effects you want the space clearing to bring about, i.e., improved sleep, less tension, more harmony, better health. Try to visualize the results in your mind’s eye.

5.  Light your smudge stick and walk around the room in a clockwise direction. Gently fan the smoke so it disseminates into the room, making sure to hold a fireproof container under the smudge stick to catch any ashes.

6.  Once you’ve walked the room, open your windows with the intention to allow fresh air to remove the negative energy.

7.  Place a bowl of salt in the middle of the room to absorb any residual bad vibes. After a few days, sprinkle the salt in your yard.

A painless way to stop unwanted mail

Since my last post was about getting rid of clutter, I thought I’d share a great resource for tidying up your home while helping the environment. It’s Catalog Choice, a free service that enables you to control the amount of catalogs, phone books, fliers, circulars, newsletters and other unwanted mail you receive. You indicate which mailers you don’t want and Catalog Choice contacts the respective companies to request they discontinue delivery.

You need to create an account (a login and password) and enter your mailing address. Then, when unwanted catalogs arrive in the mail, simply select them from Catalog Choice's alphabetical listing, confirm the name and address on the mailing label and enter the customer number (also from the label). Catalog Choice does the rest. It takes about 10 weeks for the change to become effective.

I signed up about two years ago and it has definitely made a difference in the amount of mail I receive. Every so often, a catalog that I’ve given the boot to ends up creeping its way back into my mailbox (yes, I’m talking about you, American Girl), but for the most part it’s pretty effective.  Catalog Choice is a free service, but donations are accepted. Annual donors of $20 or more are entitled to an unlisting service which, according to the group’s website, “proactively removes you from lists bought and sold by marketers.”

Check it out at http://www.catalogchoice.org/

It's time to cut the clutter!

At the beginning of a new year, many of us are inspired to make changes aimed at improving our lives, such as starting an exercise plan or searching for a new job. With both of those items already on my to-do list, I plan to take advantage of all this motivational energy that’s flowing around by cutting the amount of clutter in my home.

I’m big on starting projects, but not always so good at finishing them and I tend to leave my "works in progress" in small piles around the house. Feng shui experts tell us that household clutter is stale, stagnant energy that creates stress and confusion in the home. I completely agree (and so does my ever-patient husband). Plus, it’s awful to look at, makes things hard to find and is a constant reminder of a big chore that needs to be done.

Yet the thought of tackling an entire house — or even just one room — full of clutter can be overwhelming. Here are some tips I'm going to use to summon up my courage and set a plan, with the hopes of making my home a more visually-pleasing and relaxing environment.

1.   Instead of trying to tackle an entire room, focus on one small area at a time, such as a closet or bookcase.

2.   Don't expect to get it all done in one weekend. Plan to do a little bit each day over a period of time.

3.   Designate a bag or large box for the following items and sort as you go: garbage, recycling, donations, yard sale and items you want to keep but need to store somewhere else. Afterwards, simply dispose of or attend to the items in each receptacle.

4.   Use the following criteria to help you decide what to keep and what to toss:

a.     How long has it been since I used (or wore) this?

b.     Do I really like it or am I just keeping it for sentimental reasons?

c.     Does it work (or fit) properly and, if not, is it worth fixing?

d.     Do I have more of this type of item and, if so, do I need this one?

5.   Be prepared to make more of a mess before things look better.

6.   Get rid of all the excess before you think about organizing and storage.

7.   Upon completion, reward yourself with something nice!

Source: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/clutter/dealing.html

Home Sweet Home.

Home. To me, it’s one of the best words in the English language. It’s sturdy and pleasant. And with its rich, long “o” sound, it has a warm, soothing resonance. It even has the word “om” within it, which gives it a Zen kind of feel. Go ahead and say it out loud, “Home.” Feels pretty nice, doesn’t it?

My home is my sanctuary. It’s a cozy, inviting place where my family and I can relax, snuggle up by the fire, and feel safe and warm. It’s my sacred space where I’m able to re-connect with what really matters to me, and where I recharge my batteries after a long and stressful day.

Like most working moms, I deal with the stress of too many responsibilities and too little time. And I work in a company full of nasty people who seem to relish in nasty workplace politics. It’s enough sometimes to make me want to scream, but then I come home at the end of the day and the negativity melts away.

It’s not always easy keeping things tranquil on the home front, and I’m not always successful at it. But the benefits it provides my family and me make it worth the effort. I think there are lots of people who would feel less stress in their lives if they had a more calm, cozy, and inviting home, so I’d like to share what works for me. Sit back, relax by the fire, and make yourself at home.