Hallelujah – it’s Spring time and after the winter we’ve had we need to have some fresh air, warm breezes, sunny skies, and some fun. This article is going to offer suggestions for brightening your days until Daylight Savings time comes, fun and fragrant Easter ideas, and something extra special to honor our mothers on Mother’s Day.
Daylight Savings
We can all thank Benjamin Franklin who first conceived the idea of daylight savings time back in 1784. The benefits of the idea center on more sun for crops, reducing the consumption of energy for lighting, and increasing safety on highways and roads with increase visibility. For me, the benefit is being able to sit outside after dinner and enjoy a cup of tea on the deck, maybe with a good book, and just relaxing a bit at the end of a hectic day.
From now until daylight savings time, let’s see if we can brighten our homes and our spirits with some room sprays.
The Sweet Smell of Citrus – into one cup of water, place 5 drops EACH of Orange, Tangerine, Lemon, and Bergamot. Put into a spray bottle and spray your home.
Clean and Fresh – into one cup of water, place 6 drops EACH of Lavender and Eucalyptus, 8 drops of Lemon, and 2 drops of Tea Tree. Put into a spray bottle; this blend is not only wonderful for a clean and fresh smell, but is a great house cleaning blend as well.
Relax and Unwind – into one cup of water, place 6 drops EACH of Lavender and Clary Sage, 8 drops of Lemon, and 2 drops of Clove. Put into a spray bottle; and spray this blend in your den where you can put up your feet and slow down.
Easter
Every year as a child, we would look forward with anticipation to the huge Easter baskets full of goodies. My mother would write up clues and the four children would be scurrying inside and out trying to find the next clue. Each year, my mother would also wake up very early, pick up our Beagle dog and dip his two front paws in mud so that we could “see” where the Easter bunny came up our front walk. Of course, the dog hid from her for the rest of the day, but as children we believed.
You can have fun with essential oils at Easter time. Now, sweet-smelling bookmarks and gift cards won’t replace those big chocolate bunnies or those cream filled eggs, but for a couple of pennies you can make some additional Easter treats that will last.
Bookmarks – using construction paper and stickers, you can create a bookmark for your children. I put a drop of essential oils onto the back of stickers before placing them on the paper to hold the scent longer.
Bath fun – make up small bags of epsom salt and add 8 – 12 drops of essential oils for a special bath treat. Oils that are safe for children include Lavender, Chamomile, and Geranium.
Wind chimes – Dip pieces of string into essential oils. Attach small jingle bells to the strings and tie the other end onto a hangar or piece of wire.
Mother’s Day
Ah, Mother’s Day. In addition to making her breakfast in bed and attending to her every wish on that day, you can make some treats that will last. Here is a list of things you can make:
Room Spray – up to 30 drops into 8 ounces of water.
Bath – 15 drops of the blend into a warm bath.
Massage – up to 30 drops into 4 ounces of lotion or plain oil (such as canola, sweet almond, or even vegetable).
Body Spray – up to 15 drops into 8 ounces of water.
Which oils should you use? Splurge a little for mom and try Jasmine, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang, or Bergamot. Of course, the less expensive oils such as Lavender, Geranium, Orange, and Clary Sage are nice as well. Put a few drops of the oils you want to blend into a small glass to make sure that you’ve created a fragrance that mom will really love!