5 Essential Oils for the Family

Good morning all, I’m over at Mariah’s blog Playful Learning this morning with a post about using essential oils in your family.  If you get a chance pop over, I’ll see you there!

Spit and Polish

I’ve been thinking a lot in these last weeks about our daily routine, there have been elements that work and some that don’t.  One of the things I’ve struggled with is getting in a bit of a ‘project’ once or twice a week.  Finally, this week, I seemed to have settled on a rhythm that worked well.  Around 2pm seems to be a good time for us to get ourselves into the kitchen and over a bit of an awkward hump in the middle of our day.  Having something to work on as a team brings us together, moving us steadily through an hour that seems to catch us all at a low point and giving a sense of achievement that makes for a more positive remainder of the day.

This week we’ve made two (yes that’s two) different kinds of furniture polish from natural ingredients.  So as well as doing some science I’ve also managed to trick encourage the boys to clean.  The first we made was a natural liquid from lemons and olive oil from this great recipe.  Huwyl measured out the ingredients and we looked at how the liquids sat in layers at first and then emulsified to make something new.  See, science.

Next we got a little more ambitious and made up a lovely beeswax polish recipe.  This was a team effort with Neirin chipping in as we measured the sweet almond oil (I wanted something a bit lighter than olive oil).  Huwyl and I worked together on grating the delicious smelling local beeswax into pale curls of honey scented shavings.

Watching Huwyl take on the varied tasks so readily and with such confidence and capability gave me a little jolt.  He is becoming so able and not such a helpless little guy.  I love being able to take advantage of that, getting him active and engaged in our activities.

As he stirred the wax and oil together we watched them merge and change; no longer two elements but now one new thing.  We added lavender and enjoyed the sweet wafts coming up out of the hot pan.  I kept expecting Huwyl to get bored and wander off but he stayed with our ‘experiment’ to the end.  He stirred the cooling mixture, noticing the coagulation and eventually transferred it all into a pot to store.  He rubbed the mixture all over his hands and arms (you can’t do that with Pledge) and insisted I do the same, we kept sniffing our hands and talked about how soft our skin felt.

Later, with the sunshine strong enough to allow for  the patio door to be open as the boys played on the deck, I rubbed the mixture into my 100 year old kitchen table, bought at a flea market by my parents 10 years ago.  The polish soaked into the bare wood, stained by countless painting experiments and decades of use, the soft mixture disappearing into the grain giving it a warm luster.  Though the boys played outside in the deep snow, our kitchen smelled like the warm days of summer.  Even into the evening, the boys asleep and snoring, my skin still held the smell.  Honey, with a hint of lavender.

Faery Sleep Spray

Over Christmas I had a little bout of making some hand made pressies for friends, one of the things I included for some of the children I know was a Faery Sleep Spray.  Unfortunately I forgot about a couple of special children that I have quite a close relationship with.  Yes, that would be my children.  So I have made up another little batch and thought I would share the process.

What you will need:

A 30ml spray bottle.  I bought mine from a Canadian company here but this company has a good reputation if you are in the US.

Water

Essential oils – I used Lavender and Chamomile, 3-4 drops of Lavender and 2-3 drops of Chamomile.

Method:

Fill the bottle with water and then add the essential oils.    I used about 5-6 drops of oil as this was intended for children and I just want to gently scent the room not create a very strong smell.  Given that the concentration of oil to water is not strong it is important to allow the oil to sit in the water for a little while before spraying, this allows the scent to diffuse throughout the water creating a pleasing smell but avoiding irritation or danger to eyes and faces.

The spray can be used in a bedroom just before bed or even sprayed directly onto a pillow.  The advantage of the low concentration is that the spray will not cause irritation to skin if it is sprayed directly onto a person by accident (though care should still be taken to avoid the spray getting into anyone’s eyes) and is should not stain or damage hardwood or painted surfaces.

Luckily these are scents that are especially pleasing to faeries and so they are much more likely to visit if the spray is used in the room.  It is a signal to the faeries that the child in the room is ready for sleep and so ready to have a faery visitor in their dreams.  Of course a faery will not visit unless they are sure that the child is fast asleep so they should snuggle down and nod off as soon as possible.

Parents may be pleased to know that Lavender and Chamomile are soothing oils that promote relaxation and sleep and are especially soothing for children.  Chamomile can also help support a baby or young child who is teething and it will certainly not hurt anyone to be in a room with a pleasant atmosphere, especially when all are suffering.   I use both of these oils (I often alternate them so that the effects are not diminished) in baths or on a heat pack, allowing the scent of warmed wheat berries and oil to mingle and soothe as we snuggle for a story before sleep time.  This can also help to soothe and calm a Mummy or Daddy at the end of a long day.

So if you are looking to invite happy dreams and pleasant smells into your bedrooms then a Faery Spray might be just the ticket.  And to go with the lovely smells,  here is a little poem to whisper before bed.

The night is here, until morning dew,

Sweet dreams, sweet dreams, sweet dreams to you…