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“Relax, it’s Soy Wax!” Lavender and Geranium Aromatherapy Candle
Lavender & Geranium

I admit I cheated here and bought a kit. Lavender, as we know, kicks butt at making us chill out. Geranium is a floral scent which sooths tension, uplifts moods and reduces stress. I say mix them together for a sensory mood booster after the chaos of Christmas and New Year!

In my 10-candle kit from All Australian Candle Making I got:

♥ 10 little glass candle containers with lids
♥ 1kg soy wax
♥ Wick assemblies (wicks with a metal disc at the bottom)
♥ You’ll also need pegs from the washing line and essential oils

In a double boiler, or in a big metal or glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt the soy wax by stirring continuously. When it has all melted, add your essential oils. I kept adding my lavender and geranium until it was strong enough for me.

Tricky bit #1: Getting wax into containers, not all over kitchen bench. I ended up using a ladle to fill them to about 1.5cm from the top.

Now, let them sit for a little but keep your eye on them. You’ll notice the melted wax, which looks similar to egg whites, will start to solidify and turn white.

Tricky bit #2: Setting the wicks. When the bottoms of the containers have about 1cm of white wax, carefully place a wick in the middle and squash the metal disc into the “muddy” wax at the bottom. You can use a wooden skewer to help push the metal disc down, and if you do so it’s easy to see the wax encasing the disc. Once you’ve got the disc in the solid wax, peg the wick so that the peg rests on the edges of the container, keeping the wick straight.

If the wax solidifies at the bottom too much and the wick won’t set, pop the candle (without wick!) into the microwave for a quick blast, or dip it in some hot water.

When the candles are completely white, you can remove the pegs and cut the wicks.

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Make sure you pop a glass plate or coaster under the candle when you burn it. If the aromatherapy doesn’t relax you, surely a candle lit room will!

By Gemma Clark, an 8-hours-a-night sleeper with soft lips whose entire house smells like a lavender bush.

Be well,

xoxo

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Citrus Buzz Beeswax Lip Balm
Grapefruit, orange & mandarin

This one is for those who can’t leave the house without a stick of Burt’s Bees, the citrus is lip-smackingly yummy and refreshing.

You will need:

♥ Orange essential oil
♥ Grapefruit essential oil (I used pink rather than yellow)
♥ Mandarin essential oil
♥ Cosmetic beeswax pellets (1/2 tablespoon for every tube/tub you want to make)
♥ Carrier oil – I used sweet almond oil (1 tablespoon for every tube/tub you want to make)
♥ Lipstick shavings from your favourite colour (use a paring or peeling knife to keep the lippy in shape)
♥ 5mL plastic lip balm tubes or tubs (you can use an old lippy tub or buy new)
♥ Pipette or small funnel
♥ A glass jar with a metal clasp fastener, not a screw lid

Put the beeswax and carrier oil in a jar and snap the lid closed. Pop the jar in a pot of water on medium-low heat and the wax will start to melt. Once all melted, remove the jar from the water and pop it on a tea towel. Stir the mixture with a metal spoon and add your essential oils until the scent is strong enough for your liking. Stir in the lipstick shavings until you’ve got the colour intensity you’d like.

Use a pipette or funnel to transfer the mixture to your tubes or pots and let it set for an hour with the lids off.

Eat your heart out, Burt’s Bees!

By Gemma Clark, an 8-hours-a-night sleeper with soft lips whose entire house smells like a lavender bush.

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I’ve always been intrigued by the senses we have, and losing even one would be life changing. No tasting mum’s cooking, no watching your favourite trash TV, no cuddling with your dog and feeling how soft his ears are, no listening to your girlfriends re-cap a bad date, no smelling the roses/the coffee/clean laundry.

Which is why I think we should make the most of our senses and push them to the sensory limits.

My grandad went blind a few years ago. He was a computer nut, a woodworker and loved watching the cricket at the WACA. Fast forward to now, his life is completely different. Really, all he wants is a good nights’ sleep because the sun no longer controls his body clock.

This got me thinking about ways to relax and calm the mind to drift off to sleep when you’re limited by the senses you do, or don’t, have. I always breathe very deeply to fall asleep, so to enhance the benefits of focusing on breathing for relaxation I started to look into aromatherapy.

After all my research, I ended up realising I’d get more bang for my buck making a few different natural products if I was going to invest in essential oils and other aromatherapy supplies. The three below work out as nice cost-effective Christmas presents if you make them in bulk (around 10 or more of each) and use similar essential oils in each.

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“Dream On” Pillow Spray
Lavender, orange & lemongrass

According to Smell Boffins & Researchers, lavender produces calming, soothing and sedative effects when the scent is inhaled. Lemongrass revitalises the body and relieves the symptoms of jetlag, clears headaches and helps to combat exhaustion and stress-related conditions. Just what grandpa ordered!

You will need:
♥ Lavender essential oil
♥ Orange essential oil
♥ Lemongrass essential oil
♥ Water
♥ 30-50mL plastic spray bottle (re-use an old hair product container, or buy new)

This is dead easy. Fill the bottle up to about 1cm from the top (excl. where the cap screws on). Either straight from the bottles, or using a pipette, add:

6ish drops of Lavender
4ish drops of Orange
4ish drops of Lemongrass.

You might need more if you’re bottle is bigger than about 50mL, or if you want a bit more oomph!
Shake well, spritz on pillows and bed linen, sleep tight all night!

Stay tuned for 2 more posts and yummy recipes to try! x

By Gemma Clark, an 8-hours-a-night sleeper with soft lips whose entire house smells like a lavender bush.

I used to think that having a large meal for breakfast would give me the most energy for an enthusiastic and energetic day, but for the last 2 years or so my breakfast has pretty much always been a smoothie. I feel lighter, more focused and full of calm vitality rather than bogged down looking for that caffeine kick which I used to.

If my body isn’t working hard to digest a big, dense meal, then that energy can be put towards living an amazing life. The amount of vitamins and minerals, good quality omega 3 fats, easily absorbable sprouted proteins and just enough low glycemic index carbs in this smoothie keeps me full, yet light and energetic for hours.

I’m not saying I don’t like a delicious meal. I love to eat! But after playing with different ways to start the day, this definitely works best for me. Imagine trying to get all of this goodness in solid food form as you get ready for work in the morning! It would be like having a huge bowl of greens, a hand full of olives, a whole bunch of sprouted seeds and nuts, mushrooms, herbs etc. If you down this smoothie all that goodness is straight into your system.

♥ Stu’s Smoothie

The recipe!

♥ However big you want your smoothie, put that much water in the blender.
♥ A serving of Sunwarrior protein which I get at Prana Healthfoods

Or

♥ A serving of Garden of Life Raw Protein
♥ 1 teaspoon of Spirulina and 1 teaspoon of Chlorella, both which I get at Prana or Organic on Charles.
♥ About 1 teaspoon of Himalayan Crystal Salt, which I get at Prana.
♥ 1 teaspoon of maca root
♥ 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you like a little kick.
** ♥ ½ teaspoon of ashwagandha
** ♥ ½ teaspoon of triphala
** ♥ 1 teaspoon of reishi mushrooms, all of which I often get directly from India or from https://herbsupplies.com.au/ or http://www.indiaabundance.com

** With these herbs, do your research or see an ayurvedic practitioner and/or naturopath to find out if these herbs are suited to you. Every body is different. As for the rest of the herbs they’re suited to most people.

Blend all of this up and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of either agave nectar or honey for sweetness and if you want extra thickness and carbs add a banana.

Next step; enjoy!

Stu’s smoothie will give you enough energy for THIS!

Stuart is a yoga teacher and holistic life coach based in Perth, Western Australia. He is known for his unique, heart-felt self expression and inspirational style of teaching. Stuart’s classes incorporate Vinyasa Flow Asana and Akhanda Yoga with most of the emphasis being on transformation and healing.

He teaches with raw yet compassionate honesty which helps his students and clients bring the qualities practiced on the mat into daily life. 

The combination of the ancient wisdom of yoga coupled with Western approaches to wellness, such as life coaching and fitness training has allowed Stuart to form a highly effective and unique approach to wellness and to life itself.

Pics by http://nkphotographyblog.com/

What do you think of this super smoothie?

Be well,

xoxo

♥

When I heard about the latest decadent offering from Cove Spa, the Gem Inspiration Massage, I knew we were going to become well acquainted. Before I delve into the review though, I need to issue you an important warning:

Ideally you’re going to want someone to chauffeur you home afterwards, so you can continue enjoying the deep state of relaxation that will inevitably envelop you throughout this spa journey. If you have to drive yourself home, as I did- breaking my own above rule, you’ll be amazed at your new-found tolerance for bad traffic, terrible drivers and long waits at traffic lights!

Beautiful flowers in a garden next to Cove Spa 🙂

Locker with gown, shoes and choccie, to store your items in.

The Gem Inspiration Massage has its roots firmly grounded in all things healing and spiritual. As the name suggests, if you’re after some inspiration, this is the perfect place to start.

♥ Chakras – the purpose of this massage is to bring your chakras (7 energy wheels of the body) into balance, as an imbalance is said to cause mental and physical disease, as well as impaired wellbeing, eek!

♥ Choose your own adventure – I’m a giant big fan of customisable treatments, the ‘just for you’ vibe is pretty special, knowing you’re not getting the same treatment as every other person who comes in is a good feeling! I was asked to choose which round JOYA gemstone I most connected with (I chose amethyst for stress relief) and was also given the choice between scented or unscented oil (scented please!) and THEN given the chance to smell three different oil blends (I picked the meditation scent, mmm). Three customisable elements = three big ticks.

Choices, choices!

♥ The massage starts with deep inhalations of the meditation oil, which instantly calms me and sets the mood for whats to come. Throughout the massage, more gems are placed in my hands and between my toes, which is hopefully providing even more body balancing action!

♥ One thing to note about this massage is that it includes chest and stomach massage since the heart chakra is located there. Yup, you will be baring all for the therapist. If the idea of this makes you uncomfortable, just let your therapist know and she will focus on another area instead, but if you’re just a little nervous about it then why not throw your fears to the wayside and embrace doing something a little different?

♥ While I enjoyed the whole experience, the best part was the totally unique experience of the round silky gems being rolled and massaged across my body. If you can marry a massage, with the creamy smoothness of a Lindt lindor ball dissolving in your mouth, then that comes close to describing the amazing feeling.

Even more choices, a beautiful touch 🙂

♥ The last little treat was to be found in the form of some Louise L Hay “power cards”. I was asked to choose a card at random, which would then have an affirmation on it which would hopefully relate to my life! It did 😉

♥ The 90 minutes slipped by far too quickly and I was left wishing that the massage table was, in fact, a portal to another world (my own cozy bed). If a box of Lindt balls was to magically appear next to my bed too, well that would have been just perfect.

My massage was performed by Kate, one of the head massage therapists at Cove Spa, and I highly recommend her.

Cup o tea?

Waiting room @ Cove Spa.

Info

Gem Inspiration Massage is $175 for 90 minutes

Address: 47 Tate Street, South Perth, Western Australia 6151
Ph: 08 9367 1877
Web: Cove Spa

What do you think? Could you do with some chocolatey-esque crystals being massaged across your body?