Monday, December 22, 2014

7 Quick Ideas to Scent your Home for the Holidays

It's a busy time of year! Too much to do to spend time reading a lengthy blog post. :-) Here's a shortie:

Want your house to smell like Christmas? (1) Heat some water on the stove, and throw in a few cinnamon sticks, a few cloves and heat gently. Do not leave unattended; and do not let the water evaporate until the pot is dry. (2) Use your diffuser. If you love that "real tree" smell, but have an artificial tree, try a few drops of Balsam Fir essential oil. (3) Bake cookies! (4) Diffuse some Bandit's Blend...it's a lovely mixture of cinnamon, clove, lemon, eucalyptus and rosemary. Bonus: it may kill airborne virus (5) Arrange some natural evergreen boughs in a wreath, on a mantel...anywhere they can scent the air (6) Stud an orange with cloves. Do a few, and put in a bowl where the fragrance can be appreciated. (7) Dry some pinecones. Dilute some cinnamon essential oil (25 drops in 1 cup of distilled water) in a spray bottle. Shake bottle vigorously; then spray pine cones. Mmmm! 



Friday, December 12, 2014

6 Tips To Keep Christmas Green

Environmental Defence has provided a few suggestions to keep the "green" in Christmas!

(1) Make sure your artificial tree is free of lead and PVC (polyvinyl chloride.) Older trees are often culprits. In California, trees carry warning labels for this. If you use a real tree, ask if the tree is grown without pesticides.  
(2) Lights can also contain lead and PVC's (polyvinylchlorides). Purchase lights that are RoHS compliant (Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances.) This designation originated in Europe, and bans 6 toxic chemicals often found in electronics: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, & polybrominated diphyl ether. 
(3) You can buy LED lights with the RoHS designation. They will use less energy and thus are better for the environment. 
(4) Scent your home naturally, using evergreen branches, cinnamon sticks and essential oils. Scented candles usually contain phthalates, a toxic ten ingredient linked to asthma and endocrine disruption. Holiday baking also fills the house with lovely fragrances!
(5) Printed, colored and foil paper can also contain nasty chemicals which are released into the air if burned. Do not burn used wrapping paper! Recyle or reuse. Better yet, make your own wrap by getting creative and doing some recycling of your own. Or, use cloth bags that can be re-used year after year. 
(6) The best gifts aren't things at all. Consider purchasing experiences, going for free activities, like a walk in the woods, snowshoeing, skating or building a snowman. Consider the joy in just spending time with loved ones. Or, make charitable donations.

Merry Christmas from eScential Wellness