CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER - SEASONAL SPICE
Xmas essentials
The countdown to Christmas has begun and this Mellow newsletter joins in the festive preparations with timely advice on how to spice up your seasonal celebrations.
People often refer to the traditional “sights and smells” of Christmas and, as we use a wide range of natural oils in our product range, I would like to pass on a few simple, inexpensive ways of creating a traditional atmosphere in your home at this special time of the year.
There are several essential oils associated with Christmas ranging from spicy, warming oils such as cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, bay or zesty lemon to uplifting citrus oils such as mandarin or tangerine.
You can also use the more traditional fragrant tree oils such as pine or cedarwood and the resins such as frankincense and myrrh.
Here are some practical ways of using these oils around your home to create an authentic festive atmosphere.
The smell of pine trees is always reminiscent of Christmas and you can bring your tree to life by spraying a mixture of 6 drops of pine essential oil and 300 ml of water or put a few drops of pine oil on a piece of absorbent material and tuck it around the base of the tree.
As your celebrations move from room to room around the house why not make a festive room spray by blending 4 drops of pine oil, 2 drops of mandarin and 1 drop of cinnamon in 300 ml of water. Use a plant bottle that gives a fine spray to spread around the house.
Anyone lucky enough to have an open fire can add fragrance as well as heat to the room by placing one drop of essential oil on selected logs. Leave enough time for the oil to soak into the log before placing on the fire because essential oils are inflammable. Use only one scented log at a time and place in the fire with other untreated logs.
Decorations are an integral part of our celebrations and essential oils can easily be incorporated into these adornments. Pine cones bought from a shop or gathered from a forest floor can be transformed by putting them into a large plastic bag with a cotton wool ball to which you have added 2 drops of pine oil. Seal the bag and leave overnight. In the morning the cones will be infused with the natural pine aroma and can be placed around the house.
Why not enhance any holly or ivy decorations by adding ribbons that have been soaked in bay or citrus essential oils? Add 6 drops of your chosen festive oil to half a pint of water, swish the ribbons in the mixture and then allow to dry.
Fruit always forms a healthy part of Christmas festivities but what about turning some into decorative features? Oranges studded with cloves are a classic Christmas decoration and they will not degrade because clove is a natural preservative. But you can boost the aromatic effect by rolling the oranges in orange and clove essential oils before inserting the cloves. And it’s not just oranges that can make up this festive fruit bowl. Mandarins, lemons, limes and grapefruit, all rolled in their respective oils to ensure maximum aromatic effect. Once again you can elongate the aromatic effect by storing the fruit overnight in polythene bags, separated into the individual varieties.
Finally, make your presents more memorable by adding a fragrant touch to appeal to the recipient. Place 2 drops of oil on a cotton wool ball and leave in a sealed bag overnight with your wrapping paper. Use different aromas for family and friends, for example cedarwood or frankincense for men, geranium or cinnamon for women, lemon or mandarin for the children.
I hope the following hints have been useful and that the fragrances in your home this year will heighten your enjoyment of Christmas. Thank you for your interest, support and custom in 2011 and I look forward to keeping in touch with you throughout next year.
A Merry Mellow Christmas and New Year to everyone.