Essential Oils Recipes for Festivus 2017

Festivus is here again and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve created some recipes to stand alongside the key parts to this wonderful day. What is Festivus you may ask? It’s the holiday that crushes Hanukkah and Christmas, allows a coming together of like minds, and gives a day of fun for those who are not religious. Celebrated by George Costanza’s father, Frank, (from the comedy show Seinfeld), let’s embrace this fabulous celebration! 

 

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Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here: suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils:

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

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Festivus for the rest of us! pic via www.tshirtbordello.com

Festivus for the rest of us! pic via http://www.tshirtbordello.com

 

To be more precise it’s the family of the writer of this episode who created Festivus:

Festivus was conceived by editor and author Daniel O’Keefe and was celebrated by his family as early as 1966. In the original O’Keefe tradition, the holiday would take place in response to family tension, “any time from December to May”.] The phrase, “a Festivus for the rest of us”, also derived from an O’Keefe family event, the death of Daniel O’Keefe’s mother.
Wikipedia

 


The Festivus Pole

The Festivus Pole  pic via  festivusweb.com

 

The Festivus Pole replaces the Christmas tree and stands unadorned:

“Frank Costanza cites its “very high strength-to-weight ratio” as appealing. During Festivus, the pole is displayed unadorned. According to Frank, “I find tinsel distracting.”

Wikipedia

 

I love the simplicity of the Festivus pole and I’m hoping it can inspire you to simplify this Christmas Here are a couple of blends for yourself, to help to feel less stressed and more streamlined.

Method: Nourishing Body Oil Blend

For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. It’s always best to patch test first, before you apply all over.

***** Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

Silver

Lemongrass                  3 drops

Cedarwood Virginian     2 drops

Peru Balsam                  2 drops


La Verité

Bergamot                     5 drops

Geranium                     2 drops

Vetiver                          1 drop


 

The Airing of Greivances

The Airing of Grievances pic via  festivusweb.com

 

Ah yes the Airing of Grievances, straight after the Festivus dinner, seems a good way to finish off the year and start the new year afresh. Here are a couple of blends for your space to support this difficult yet necessary part of Festivus.

Method: Scent Your Space

In a traditional oil burner with a candle or a diffuser add 25 drops of oil

Release Frustration and Anger

Mandarin         12 drops

Ylang Ylang       6 drops

Marjoram           4 drops

Frankincense     3 drops


Forgive

Orange          10 drops

Palmarosa       8 drops

Lavender         4 drops

Patchouli         3 drops

 


 

Feats of Strength!

Feats of Strength! pic via festivusweb.com

 

The Feats of Strength championship finalises the Festivus celebrations. As depicted above, when the head of the household is pinned to the ground, the day concludes. here are a couple of blends to help you find inner strength this holiday time.

Method: Pure Pulse Point Perfume

In a little dish mix these oils and anoint your pulse points or chakras – 3 drops of essential oils and dilute with a few drops of carrier oil – always patch test first!

Courage and Endurance

Lavender                1 drop

Black Spruce         1 drop

Lime                      1 drop


Inner Calm

Melissa                   1 drop

Vanilla CO2             1 drop

Indian Rosewood    1 drop


clove oranges – tedious to make and then they went mouldly within a week due to the humidity in Sydney

 

Whatever you’re doing this Christmas season, whether you celebrate or not, I hope you are able to reflect on the good things life can bring – even if they are very small.

How will you be celebrating and which oils are calling to you?

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

ps this is a reblog from last year

 

My Fragrant Saigon – Vietnam Blog 1

Hello natural beauties for the next month I’ll be blogging from my phone while I travel Vietnam. Please forgive any typos or mistakes as it’s slightly more difficult doing this from a little device than it is from laptop. I’ll be searching for some fragrant moments for you and here is what I’ve found on my first few days …


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Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here: suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils:

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

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The most aromatic moment so far has to be the Vietnamese coffee.  The robusta bean is mostly used which is more bitter than the arabica. Coffee culture is a serious thing here and being a diabetic vegan I have to drink it black without sugar – on ice! Iced coffee and iced tea are what most of the locals drink and I’m down with that because it’s soooooo hot! I’m surprised how much I love it!


Ca phe den da (iced black coffee) 


So many beautiful teas – literally dried flowers at the Ben Thanh Market






A little star jasmine flower on the streets of Saigon


A Vietnamese orange – the rind smells like a mix of mandarin and orange and the  fruit has a mild mandarin flavour.



Incense at the Buddhist Jade Pagoda was absolutely divine



Fragrant Lilies at the jade pagoda 



And finally a trip to Villa Royale Antiques and Tea Room for a fragrant jug of Iced Sillver Moon (peach) tea


I’ve loved my first few days in Vietnam in the beautiful city of Saigon.

Stay tuned for the next episode where I’ll be posting pics from the Mekong Delta and the beachy Nha Trang.

 

copyright-2017

Sweet Orange Essential Oil: A Must-Have for the Scent Lover

orange -  it's a great food AND oil!

orange – it’s a great food AND oil!

How can you NOT be captured by the beautiful colour, taste and scent of an orange?

Well, actually, I have a client who really can’t bare the smell of orange essential oils because it gives her a headache. Fair enough. But let’s all love it together – because we can!

* I use a lot of orange essential oil because it is light, fresh, sweet and blends well with ALL essential oils.

* I use a lot of orange essential oil because it is a simple representation of the beauty of life.

* I use a lot of orange essential oil because it lends itself to become the body of an aromatherapy blend, easily and effortlessly.

* I use a lot of orange essential oil because it appeals to most people by connecting to the inner child, or the innocence and happiness of children.

* I use a lot of orange essential oil because it always allows my client to completely relax and enjoy the experience of the treatment

orange

orange

Traditionally orange oil as been used for:

* helping with digestion and gut issues including symptoms of IBS

* as a tonic for depression and anxiety

* as a soothing agent to the skin, and in inflammatory skin conditions like acne

* as a mild stimulant to the lymphatic system

I would say most therapists use orange oil because of it’s scent and it’s intrinsic nature of joy and happiness.

orange = happiness

orange = happiness

Handy Hints

+ If you squeeze oranges for fresh juice keep the rind and rub it over the kitchen benches to act as a disinfectant and make your place smell great.

+ Use the rind in a bath to have a de-stress unwind moment of peace – no need for a bottle of oil go straight to the source.

+ Make a cake with whole boiled oranges and almond meal to have an aromatherapy treatment and a dessert at the same time.

+ Kids LOVE this oil so it’s good have around in case they need a little help to re-focus and chill out

And try these recipes:

Scent Your Space

1. “Good Morning Darling (Get out of Bed on the Wrong Side Did Ya?)”

To infuse your space with some soft happiness add these oils to a classic oil burner:

Orange          15 drops

Rosewood     5 drops

Cinnamon      5 drops

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2. “I’ve Got a Headache”

To relieve tension and relax:

Orange                     10 drops

Lavender                  10 drops

Cedarwood Virginian  5 drops

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Skin Scrub

To a cup of fine sea salt add a good splash of oil (almond, olive, sunflower) and either 5 drops of orange oil OR grate the rind of 2 oranges into the mix.

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Pure Pulse Point Perfume

Anoint your chakras, or pulse points with the pure essential oil. Use the energy of the oil and the scent for transformation and energy protection. Always place a tiny residue under your nose for the scent to go to work on your mind.

In a little dish mix these oils and anoint your pulse points or chakras – 3 drops of essential oils and dilute with a few drops of carrier oil – always patch test first!

1. “Serendipity”

To invite openness into your life:

Orange         2 drops

Geranium     1 drop

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2. “I’m Lovin Myself Sick Tonight”

To help you connect with your inner sexy goddess:

Orange       2 drops

Nutmeg      1 drop

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Orange oil is an oil of happiness so…….

Remember to treat your self first and then everyone will benefit!

copyright suzannerbanks 2013