Week 10 Blog Contest

Torchsong Studio will be hosting the 10th and final week of our blog contest. (Maryanne, at Torchsong, is the creator of our Sea Glass Swirl Amphoras. She does lovely work!)

Maryanne is offering something a little different to close out the contest. A lead free pewter garden pin with a little glass ladybug charm in the middle and garden tools on either side.

Just comment on this, or any of the other blogs participating for a chance to win one of ten pins to be given away. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A CONTACT email.

Remember all of the blogs below are participating, so visit all of them and post to increase your chances of winning.

The Essential Herbal magazine subscription

Garden Chick - fairy cookie kit

SunRose Aromatics - facial exfoliant and liquid soap

Herbs from the Labyrinth - tea sampler

Patti's Potions - lip balms

PrairieLand Herbs - healing wand

Aquarian Bath - lip balm and soap

The Rosemary House - Bertha Reppert's "Twelve Month Herbal"

Nature's Gift - purse-sized inhalers & inhalation blend

Torchsong Studio This week's prize

Mother's Day Sale EXTENDED

Instead of ending Friday night, the Mother's Day sale will continue through Sunday Night, May 3rd.

This will allow us to get your Mother's Day gift selections packed and out the door on Monday or Tuesday, in time for the USPS to deliver them.

And let the "weekend shoppers" have time to take advantage of it. Read the post from earlier this week for sale details and the appropriate promotion code, please.

Swine Flu Outbreak

I've received five emails, so far, asking what I would recommend people use to protect themselves from this outbreak. Or asking if essential oils can help protect us from the flu.

I remembered, years ago, the SARS outbreak, and that one of my mentors had suggested some oils that might offer protection from the flu. Quoting from an April 2003 newsletter:

As SARS is a coronavirus and closely related to the virus that causes flu and colds, I would recommend a mixture of

• Ravensara aromatica,
• Cymbopogon martini (palma rosa),
• Lavandula augustifolia,
• Eucalyptus globulus.

Place a couple of drops on a handkerchief and inhale deeply every half an hour or so. This is particularly important when you are flying or in any crowded environment!

We've made some little inhalers for our personal use. If I were working in a crowded office or teaching in a classroom, I'd consider diffusing a blend of the four.

It just occurred to me that I have never had a flu shot. And to the best of my knowledge, I've not had the flu in the 20 or so years that the oils have been part of my life. Other ailments catch up with me; but not the flu.

Could it be because I spend the better part of my life surrounded by the aromatics we make available? naaaah...probably not! ;)

Early Mother's Day Sale

Mother's Day comes early, and we are afraid by the time our Early May newsletter gets written, it will be too late to shop for Mother's Day. Or, at the very least, too late to drop the appropriate hints if you are the Mom being shopped for.

So, from Now until May 1st we are offering a very special Mother's Day promotion.

Save 10% on our favorite "women's products"... items found on:

• Aromatic Baths (including Bliss Baths, Spa Products, the whole page!)
• Aromatherapy Skincare
• The full range of Cleopatra's Secret products
• Pregnancy and Childbirth, for the Mom to be
• Blends for "women's special needs"
• And - our Aromatherapy Jewelry

Save 10% on all of these favorites, by entering the promotional code Mother at checkout, and pressing "apply". You'll see the discount reflected on your screen, please don't submit the order if the discount hasn't been applied. We really can't apply it retroactively.

I'll be sending out a newsletter to everyone announcing the sale later this week, but I thought my blog readers deserved a head start!

Week Nine Blog Contest

At Nature's Gift we have been pleased and excited about hosting this week's contest. The hard part has been trying to decide what to offer as the prize!


We chose Deluxe Personal Inhalers from our new shipment, filled with the winner's choice of several healing synergies.


We'll ship one of these pretty purse-sized inhalers filled with your choice of our SineEase Synergy, for easing sinus pain and congestion, Happy Morning Synergy, recommended for easing the nausea of morning sickness, but also helpful for motion sickness, etc., or our research based depression fighter "Citrus Smile."

To be entered in the contest, respond to this post, here, and at all the blogs listed below.

To make the contest even more exciting, ONE lucky entrant, drawn from one of the listed blogs, will receive a signed copy of Marge's Book "Essential Oils and Aromatics".

You may check these links for some of the reviews, from the Journal of the Northeast Herbal Association, or from The Massage Therapy Journal.

Remember all of the blogs below are participating, so visit all of them and post to increase your chances of winning.


Aquarian Bath

The Essential Herbal

Herbs from the Labyrinth

Patti's Potions

PrairieLand Herbs

The Rosemary House

Nature's Gift (You're already here! ;)

Torchsong Studio

SunRose Aromatics

Garden Chick


Good luck, and thank you!

Free "going green" Download

Came across this site via a link in my morning mail, and found some ideas I hadn't known about.

The site is all about "going green"... and the free download gives the return on investment of a long list of changes we can make in our homes to reduce our energy usage. The exciting part is that they give the "Return on investment." How much we'll save per year if we make the change, contrasted to the initial investment.

Hope you find it helpful!

Guerrila Dancing

My daughter sent me the link, below...with the comment that it just makes her feel all warm inside. (My daughter is the queen of sending photos and links that make me go "Awwwwwwwwwwww.")

I'm told it's a new art form, called "Guerilla Dance"... reminds me of the "frozen railroad station" video that went around a few weeks ago. (Come to think of it, my daughter sent me that, too!)

At any rate... this is the You-Tube link. (You might want to turn your volume to Medium...it's a bit loud.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UE3CNu_rtY

(I suspect there is a way to embed the video into this blog, but I don't know how.)

The reason for posting? Not just because I found it delightful, but because it started me thinking, after watching. Would I be one of the people who joined in the dance? Or would I be one of those watching in fascination from the sidelines.

Which would you be?

Week 8 contest links

Sorry, folks, the list of participating blogs got posted without the links this week. (And I can't find a way to go back and edit it.)

PLEASE do not respond to this post...keep the comments all on the post describing the prize!.. but you may also enter the contest at all the links below:

Aquarian Bath
The Essential Herbal
Herbs from the Labyrinth
Patti's Potions
PrairieLand Herbs
The Rosemary House
Nature's Gift
Torchsong Studio
SunRose Aromatics
Garden Chick

There... now you can enter at lots of other places!

Week Eight Blog Contest CLOSED

Thank you all for entering... The list of winners will be posted at the Rosemary House Blog Friday Morning.

A truly spectacular prize!

Bertha Reppert (1919-1999) was the founder of The Rosemary House and our mum. She was a Renaissance woman ahead of her time when she opened a herb and spice shop in a conservative East coast town in 1968. Convinced that once everyone learned about herbs they would love these plants as much as she did, she became an avid educator about the secrets of herbs. Lecturing, writing and always promoting herbs, Bertha Reppert became a mentor to many. This weeks prize is a copy of her last herbal and one of our very favorites.

Bertha Reppert's TwelveMonth Herbal features 365 herbal essays one for each day of the year. Written like she is speaking to a friend this book is fun, informative and easy to read. Many folks have told us they reread the book every year and make their own daily notes in the margins. Be sure to leave a comment to this post and at the other participating herbal blogs (see the links below) for your chance to win this clever book (an $18.00 value) filled with herbal lore, recipes and crafts (priceless). Sisters Susanna, the herbalist, and Nancy, the culinary artist, continue to share their Mother's love of all things herbal at The Rosemary House, the herb and spice gift shop, and at Sweet Remembrances tea room.


The following blogs are also participating, so stop over, post a comment on these blogs for additional chances to win this weeks giveaway AND the chance to explore some cool blogs.


Nature's Gift
Torchsong Studio
The Essential Herbal
Garden Chick
SunRose Aromatics
Herbs from the Labyrinth
Patti’s Potions
PrairieLand Herbs
Aquarian Bath

The Rosemary House (where a list of winners will be posted on the 24th)


Check back we have a couple more weeks of give-aways!

Tax Day Sale REMINDER

TAX DAY ONLY Sale: Save 9+ to 15%

To ease the pain of the income tax filing deadline we are offering a discount all day long on Wednesday, April 15th.

We couldn't decide what the discount should be. Our local sales tax, which only our TN clients must pay, is 9.25%. (Yes, it is atrocious!) The assumed minimum federal withholding tax is 15%. SO all day long, on April 15th (based on midnight Pacific time) we will be offering a discount of EITHER 9.25 or 15%. The discount will vary, and there is no predicting which one will be active when you check out.

Simply enter the promotional code TAXES in the box labeled "promo code/gift cert" at checkout, press Apply, and you should see the discount reflected on your screen. If it is NOT reflected, please go back and re-apply, because we can not apply it retroactively.

Special books, kits, bulk oils, and any product marked "may not be discounted" will not receive this discount, but almost all 'standard retail' products are included.
EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY:
To celebrate Earth Day, on Wednesday, April 22nd we will be giving a free 5 ml bottle of our EARTH Synergy to every fifth client placing an order. "Mother, the Earth Synergy" is one of the Elemental Synergies, found on our "Rites and Rituals" page.
Happy Shopping!

Home Distillation

Sometimes folks ask "Do you make your own Essential Oils." The answer, of course, is "No."... as the website clearly states, we import them from all over the world.

But... if I had time and energy, and a limitless source of organically grown botanicals, I would most certainly distill our own hydrosols. (I have been known to lust over some of the copper stills a friend creates.)

This week my friend Tina Sams, editor of The Essential Herbal, did a blog post about a recent distillation she did. The photos are wonderful. You may view them here, to see what is involved in producing your own hydrosols.

Doesn't it look like fun?

Week Seven Contest

Welcome to week 7 of the herbal blog contest! This week we are featuring Aquarian Bath your source for all natural gentle soaps, herbal balms, salves, deodorants, and spa pillows. Aquarian Bath's soaps, balms and salves are either unscented or lightly scented with only pure essential oils. This week, enter to win you choice of a Lavender Spearmint Lip balm in a 0.15 oz tube OR a Lemon Lime Lip Balm in a 0.25 oz slide tin, and 20% off on your next order with Aquarian Bath.Â

The Lavender Spearmint Balm is made with Extra virgin olive oil, Shea butter, Beeswax, Castor oil, Spearmint and Lavender essential oil.Â



The Lemon Lime lip balm is made with Coconut oil, Shea Butter, Castor oil, Beeswax, Jojoba, Lime and Lemon Essential oils, and Zinc Oxide, a mineral used in sunscreens.



To win one of these lovely balms, enter by posting a comment in response to this blog entry and take a chance at winning! Entrants must include their email address to be eligible to win. US and Canadian residents are eligible. You can receive additional chances to win in the following ways:

* Tweet about this blog contest on twitter.com including @aquarianbath in the tweet. Come back and log your tweet with a comment to receive 1 additional entry.
* Visit and join Aquarian Bath's fan page on Facebook. Leave a comment so we know you joined to receive 1 additional entry.
* Make a comment about your favorite item from Aquarian Bath's etsy or 1000markets stores to receive 1 additional entry.
* Make a purchase with Aquarian bath to on etsy or 1000markets to receive 3 additional entries.

*The following blogs are also participating, so stop over to enter with them for additional chances to win AND the chance to explore some cool blogs.Â
Aquarian Bath
Make a purchase from one of these 9 host blog's online stores to receive 2 additional entries and leave a comment at the host's blog's contest:
The Essential Herbal
Herbs from the Labyrinth
Patti's Potions
PrairieLand Herbs
The Rosemary House
Nature's Gift
Torchsong Studio
SunRose Aromatics
Garden Chick

One lucky winner from one of the 10 host blogs will be contacted to receive 2 free soaps of their choice along with their lip balm and 20% off coupon, so be sure to visit and enter at all 10 blogs.



The winners will be announced at the Aquarian Bath blog when the results are in from all participating blogs. Enjoy.

Keep coming back and keep entering. We have some great prizes coming up, and we'll be having the contests until the middle of May!

A Day Brightener

On the first of this month I received a wonderful email from a client. One that I forwarded to everyone here with the title "A reminder of why we are here"

Wrote and asked the client if I could share, because I think her experience may be helpful to others suffering from the effects of Multiple Sclerosis. And she gave us permission!

Laura, from Los Angeles wrote:

"I want to thank you for two terrific products and a great website. I have multiple sclerosis and found your website about a year ago, when I was experiencing tingling and numbness in my hand. On the website I learned about calophyllum and St. John’s Wort oils for treating neurological problems. I decided to give it a try and was surprised to find that it actually works great!

When I massage 2 parts St. John’s Wort and 1 part Calophyllum oil into my hand, the tingling, numbness and pain are greatly relieved within 30-60 minutes. Thanks again for educating me and supplying me with these wonderful oils – you have truly made a positive difference in my life."

Making a positive difference in people's lives is why we are HERE... but sometimes we can forget it in the challenges and irritations of daily living.

Laura, thank you for the reminder!

(Have to admit that I did go on to suggest she try adding a little of our BackEase Synergy to her blend, since it is specifically designed to help with nerve and joint pain.)

Week Six Contest Starts Friday 4/3

Welcome to week 6 of the herbal blog contest!

This week, enter to win a .15 oz. Healing Wand from Prairieland Herbs!

These healing wands contain herbally infused certified organic olive oil, locally produced beeswax, vitamin E, essential oils of tea tree and lavender, and are the perfect size for your pocket, purse, or diaper bag. They work wonders on cuts, scrapes, rashes, burns, dry skin, hangnails, etc. To win one of these useful and natural healing balms, simply enter by posting a comment in response to this blog entry and take a chance at winning!!!

Don't forget to include your email addy so we can contact the winner! The following blogs are also participating, so stop over to enter with them for additional chances to win AND the chance to explore some cool blogs.

Prairieland Herbs

Aquarian Bath

The Rosemary House

Natures Gift (you're here already!)

Torchsong Studio

The Essential Herbal

Garden Chick

SunRose Aromatic

Herbs from the Labyrinth

Patti's Potions

Keep coming back and keep entering. We have some great prizes coming up, and we'll be having the contests until the middle of May!

Breakfast Spread

Orange Honey Cream Cheese

I managed to run out of butter, and wanted Toast. (Poor timing)

Necessity is the mother of invention.

I *did* have an 8 oz block of Cream Cheese.

Put it in a bowl, attacked it with my electric mixer.

added:

6 drops of Blood Orange oil. (Because I couldn't find the Sweet Orange.)

It was a bit "bitter" from the Blood Orange.

Added perhaps a scant 2 Tablespoonsful of honey. (I estimated, that's a guess, you might start with less.)

Continued to beat until it was really fluffy. YUMMMY.

And, refrigerated, covered, it stays fluffy and "spreadable".

This morning I baked some of those Scones that I blogged about last week. My son had some of the left over Orange Cream Cheese on them.

*wonderful stuff*