3 rules for happy Tulips

 
 
 

Spring is almost here and tulips are showing up everywhere… If you enjoy them, following these 3 rules will ensure they look their best and last as long as possible…

1- Do not fill the vase with water. Tulips fare better with only their tips in water, so keep the water level to between 1 and 2 inches (Of course remember to check every now and then and add water if the level gets too low.). If I remember correctly, this helps the tulips stay upright. A lot of water will cause “drunk” tulips that bend down out of the vase…

2- Add some copper coins (pennies) in the vase. This will ensure that your tulips stay somewhat closed (as on my pictures), instead of opening up like daisies with the heat.

3- Pierce a little hole through the stem with a needle, right under the head. This will allow any air bubble trapped in the stem to escape so the flower head can receive the nourishment it needs. (that also helps with roses).

“Namaste” Aromatherapy diffuser blend

I think this might be my current favorite blend 😍, and it’s been the case for at least 6 months or more, since I came up with it. It’s the one I reach for when I am feeling out of sort… 
It’s mellow and not overly floral, and the Yuzu keeps it fresh. It’s uplifting, calming and grounding. 

“Orange Blossoms” Aromatherapy diffuser blend

This blend was one of my first experiments,  and it’s still among my favorites, and often my go-to when I need to relax or for a gentle pick-me-up, as those oils are both calming and uplifting. It’s like comfort food for the soul!… ❤️
I live in Florida and I’m in love with the Orange Blossoms’ smell the evening winds carry in February, so I wanted to recreate that smell! The 1st time I diffused it, my then-husband stepped out on the patio and asked if the lemon tree was in bloom because of the smell. Turns out the poor Lemon tree was half dead, and what he could smell was the diffuser blend I had going on in my room with the window open! That comforted me on the idea that I had nailed it! Lol…
I love it so much that I am thinking about making it into a solid perfume (with mango butter, bee’s wax and jojoba oil…)  I’m really into Vanilla and it seems to appear in almost all of my blends, but if you’re not a fan or don’t like sweet things, use only one drop of it.
I hope you enjoy it! … 🌸🍊

L is for Labyrinth and Life


 
This morning after my yoga class, I took a walk through Heartwood‘s Labyrinth… I have a special fondness for that place for several reasons, one of them being that it is a replica (almost to scale!) of the famous Labyrinth of the Chartres’ Cathedral in France!… 🤗

It had been a while since I last walked though the labyrinth, and I had forgotten it took so long to get to the center of it.
I was reminded that you have to go through the motions in your journey…
There is no skipping ahead, or cutting corners. 
There is no point in getting impatient. 
You have to go with the flow, let the current carry you and negotiate each turn the best you can. 
And you have to make sure you pay attention to the scenery along the way and try your hardest to enjoy the ride.

If you ever find yourself near a labyrinth, I invite you to take a walk through it. You might be surprised at the thoughts and emotions it triggers in you…


“Grandma’s Closet” Aromatherapy diffuser blend

I realized I have a few blends I forgot to post… Here’s one of them…


When I received my Magnolia essential oil, it was different from what I had been expecting based on others’ reviews. 🤔
For starters I didn’t find it sweet at all. I diffused 1 drop and to me it’s quite floral (actually reminds me faintly of Geranium (I hear the gasps of horror from some of you! Lol… 😁), with a tiny bit of mothballs undertones (not in a bad way! I swear I am not trying to turn you off!! 😝) and I find it a little bit earthy too.
I will have to try it again on it’s own, but for the time being, since I was plagged with a nasty stomach bug and being very nauseous at the time, floral wasn’t gonna do, I needed Ginger! Since the 1st notes I smelled (flowers and mothballs) made me think of a Grandmother’s closet, that’s what I called the blend I came up with… 😁

As a side note: I made the blend with 2 drops of Ginger because of my nausea, but unless you’re a big Ginger fan, I would recommend trying it out with 1 and see how you like it…

“Old World” Aromatherapy diffuser blend

During Edens’ Garden Black Friday sale, I got a few oils I was not familiar with, out of curiosity… COGNAC was one of them. I like it, but scratched my head a little to come up with diffuser blends containing it! 🤔
I opened my EOs chest and went with my gut (and nose… 😉), and that’s what I created… At 1st it reminded me of an “Old Church” smell, then I thought about old books and maps, hence the name…
If you try it, please let me know what it makes you think of… 🙂

“In the Meadow” Aromatherapy diffuser blend

A variation of my Sweet Orchard blend, with Yuzu instead of Grapefruit, which makes it brighter (I really like Yuzu, it’s kind of like a blend of mandarin and lime, and definitely adds some zing and freshness to any blend!…).  It smells like a big bouquet of wildflowers to me. 😍
Adding Amyris grounds it, with notes of wet soil and smokiness.
(I left the Amyris between parentheses, because I think I might like the blend better without it personally, but it does bring a nice complexity to it. Something that makes you go “Hmm, what’s that note?…🤔)