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The Sweet Smells of the Holidays: Cinnamon (part 1)

November 16, 2011 by 1 Comment

Nothing evokes holiday memories than that of the aromas of holidays past. This series of blogs will focus on some of the most traditional and comforting essences surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas. We will discuss how you can specifically add these essential oil aromas to your home to produce the warmth and joy of the holidays.

Let’s start with one of the oldest and most well known aromas: Cinnamon. History has it that at one time it was considered a popular aphrodisiac, spice and antiseptic. It was originally used by the people of Ceylon in 1505. To this day it is still a popular aroma used in oriental inspired perfumes and colognes.

Aroma: Sweet, spicy, peppery, comforting, woody, herbaceous, oriental and warm.

Aromatherapy Properties: Restorative, uplifting, comforting, provokes past memories and emotions. Medicinally, cinnamon is used for digestive and intestinal discomfort, wasp stings, sore muscles and stress related conditions. It is a wonderful house-warming scent. Cinnamon is one of the most widely used and accepted aromas because of it’s prominence in culinary practices. The scent of cinnamon will conjure up past comforting memories of “cookies baking at grandma’s house and past holiday gatherings.”

How to use it:

  • Bake and cook with it and the smell will fill your home for hours.
  • Use pure essential oils of cinnamon on a sponge and place in the microwave for 1 minute. You will sanitize your sponge and also diffuse the cinnamon smell.
  • Use pure essential oils of cinnamon in a spritz bottle and spray frequently to keep the essence fresh.

 

 

Filed Under: Aromatherapy, Family Stress Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Adding Color can Lift your Mood.

September 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment

There has been extensive research done in the realm of color and mood. Similarly, different aromas affect the limbic system and mood, as does color. Blue and green hues are thought to be calming, whereas hot pink and red can affect the mood, ranging from exciting to agitating.

But I’m not here to necessarily talk about a specific color in respect to lifting the mood. I’m here to talk about any and all colors during the fall season. Simple decorating with color to add inspiration and energy as we embark upon the next holiday season.

The “kick-off” holiday, in my opinion is Halloween. Full of mystique and fun, Halloween can be any kind of holiday to any individual. This is a holiday of real choice….do I wear a costume or not? What sort of costume? Should I decorate the house full-tilt? Inside? Outside? What kind of treats will I offer the little witches, ghosts and princesses that arrive at my door-step? Or should I bother at all?

First of all, I have to say that Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. I used to go full-tilt on decorations, especially when my children were young. Then after a tragic death in my family, I lost my motivation to decorate at all. And although I missed my colorful handiwork, I just could not muster the strength. But I found myself longing for those days again, even on a smaller and simpler scale. I found I was even more depressed without the color of the holidays surrounding me.

This year I added just a bit of Halloween decor to our front yard. It took me just 45 minutes to complete the project and I was so giddy with pride and happiness that I found myself going to the front yard over and over to admire it. I look forward to driving out and in the driveway so I can see the pumpkins from all angles. And at night, I just can’t wait to turn on the orange lights that delicately balance on the limbs of the little Oak tree out front. So you see, a little can go a long way to lift the mood during this holiday season. Just add a little color!

Please feel free to share any decorating ideas you may have by subscribing and commenting here. Happy Holidays!

Filed Under: Family Stress, Relax Now Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,