Home Spa Lady Tips #55 Are Women Like Santa Claus/Easy to Make Home-Spa Gifts

Home Spa Lady's
Tips of the Week
Issue # 55 - December 13, 2006
Publisher: Marilee Tolen RN
E-mail Marilee
http://www.HomeSpaLady.com
http://www.HomeSpaLady.com/blog (Blog)
Home Spa Lady(TM)

Circulation: 1049

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Make Every Day A Spa Day!

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Please forward this e-newsletter to anyone you know who is interested in natural health, wellness, healing, and beauty based on principles of energy, consciousness, spirituality, personal empowerment, delicious whole foods, cleansing and detoxification of the body and mind, and having a heck of a good time!

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In This Issue
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1. Are Women Like Santa Claus?
2. Easy To Make Home-Spa Gifts
3. "The Wardrobe of Atmosphere"
4. Essential Oil Tip: Sinus Congestion
5. Success Tip: Leo Buscaglia
6. Recipe of the Week: Hot Spiced Pineapple Tea
7. HSL's Joke or Cute Quote of the Week

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1. Are Women Like Santa Claus?
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Women work too hard at the holidays.

In a Santa Claus world they would work around the clock with as many little helpers as they could find, to many the dreams of everyone they know and love come true.

Women want to make their holiday seasons so perfect by having the perfectly decorated house, giving the perfect gifts, having the perfect dinner, the perfect jingle. . .and all of those other "perfects".

This creates tremendous stress and can put one on the road to the "Big Belly Club". Stress creates high cortisol levels in the body that put extra weight in the mid-section of the body wherethe "ho-ho-ho" jiggles the belly.

I wonder if that is Santa's problem? or is his big belly just from too many cookies and milk on December 24th?

Here are some tips on how to beat holiday stress and keep those cortisol levels down:

--Let go of expectations for the outcome of anything connected to the holiday and just enjoy the process as you go along each and every day

--Decide every day to do one thing good for yourself to feel better such as going to the gym even if you don't have time, taking that lavender bath, talking to your best friend on the phone, getting take out at your favorite restaurant

--Reflect on holiday's past and think of the wonderful times that stand out in your memories - you will most likely find that those wonderful memories weren't always about how perfect things looked, but more how good you felt inside

--Give where it's not expected of you - a local charity or a women's shelter

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2. Easy To Make Home-Spa Gifts
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The real meaning to holidays, the "giving of the self", shows up in the home made gift.

Here are three easy-to-make but very lush Home-Spa items that you can place your own signature on as the gift giver and personalize for the gift recipient.

They are:

--Bath Jelly
--Soap Balls (lavender or rosemary)
--Cream Perfume

You can make these with your favorite essential oils and other easy-to-get ingredients.
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Bath Jelly

You will need:

--One packet unflavored gelatin
--3/4 Cup water
--1/2 Cup bath gel base
--Your favorite essential oil
--Glass jar with lid (empty peanut butter jar) or other clear container
--Optional small plastic bath toy if for child

Directions:

--Empty the packet of gelatin into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
--Boil water
--Pour hot water into mixing bowl
--Mix with gelatin powder - allow to completely dissolve
--Very slowly stir in the bath gel base
--Add 6 to 8 drops of essential oil
--Mix all very gently and do not beat
--Pour into clear container
--Place small toy inside jar
--Refrigerate until it is set - approx 4 hours
--Place label on jar that has your designer name and directions on how to use which are:

Put 2 Tablespoons in palm - make loose fist and place under running bath water.

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Soap Balls

You will need:

--2 bars unscented vegetable-based soap (or the equivalent inodds-and-ends)
--1/2 cup dried lavender blossoms or loose rosemary (fresh ordried)
--5 drops essential oil (lavender or rosemary)
--1/4 cup warm water

Directions:

--Grate soap (with cheese grater) into a large bowl
--Add the lavender blossoms or dried rosemary to the grated soap.
--Add essential oil to the soap mixture, combining thoroughly.
--Add the warm water and stir.
--Roll heaping tablespoons of the mix into balls.
--Place on a cookie sheet and allow to air-dry completely, which will take approximately 2 days.

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Cream Perfume - Sacred Holiday Scent "Blend of the Three Kings"

You will need:

--2 tablespoons grated beeswax
--2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
--1 teaspoon total of essential oils

Directions:

--Melt beeswax in glass pan over boiling water or double boiler
--Add sweet almond oil and blend together thoroughly
--Allow the mixture to cool slightly before adding essential oil
--Fill small clean, dry glass jars with the solid perfume.

Blend of the Three Kings
15 drops frankincense
6 drops myrrh
3 drops sandalwood

--If you want a firmer result add 1 tablespoon of distilled water.

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3. "The Wardrobe of Atmosphere"
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Granted, I like reading and writing about the use of essential oils in our everyday life. . . but when I came upon these words that described the importance of diffusing essential oils into our environment, I had to take pause. And I had to share them with you.

"Fragrance is the wardrobe of the atmosphere," says Gus Klein, of Garner Franklin Klein in Dallas. "It's sort of the final presentation for your home. You can have all kinds of nice things in your house, but the one thing constant is the air you're breathing."

What a beautiful way to describe the need to enhance our environment with essential oils - not to mention how it also eliminates pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

This month for the Holiday Season, the Young Living Essential Oil diffuser has three f.r.e.e. oils that come with it. They are the blends of Christmas Spirit, Evergreen Essence, and Citrus Fresh.

To order a diffuser from Young Living see your Young Living distributor or go to Young Living's Website

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4. Essential Oil Tip: Sinus Congestion
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Place a few drops of one of the following therapeutic essential oils in your palm, rub your hands together lightly, cup your hands together over your nose and take an inhalation:

--Peppermint
--RC (Young Living)
--Raven (Young Living)
--Eucalyptus Radiata

Order your oils from your Young Livingdistributor or by going to http://tinyurl.com/aenfp

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5. Success Tip: Leo Buscaglia
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Only when we give joyfully, without hesitation or thought of gain, can we truly know what love means.

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6.Recipe of the Week: Hot Spiced Pineapple Tea
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Garnish with cinnamon sticks

2 cups water
2 cups pineapple juice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
1 lemon, halved and sliced

Heat water and pineapple juice in a sauce pan until it boils. Add cloves, cinnamon, and lemon and lower heat. Simmer 10 minutes over medium heat. Remove cloves and cinnamon and serve hot.

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7. HSL's Joke or Cute Quote of the Week
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Why Women Would Love Being Santa Claus

--You would never be expected to make the coffee
--There would be no more early morning decisions about what to wear to the office
--You could grow a gut the size of Guam and consider it a job requirement
--Buy one big black belt and you'd be accessorized for life
--There would be no reason to have your colors done
--Everyone would be extremely nice to you, even if you weren't
--Should people suggest your belly jiggled...when you laughed...like a bowlful of jelly, you could hit them with your purse
--You would always work in sensible footwear
--There would be no need to play office politics; a hearty ho-ho-ho would remind everyone who's boss
--You wouldn't need to buy an expensive briefcase
--No one would dare ask for a ride to work
--You would never again have to wear pantyhose or worry about your slip showing
--No more trips to the vending machine...you'd just snack on milk and cookies all day
--You would never be asked to take an early retirement package
--Juggling work and family would be a breeze because your children would adore you; even your teen-agers would want to sit in your lap
--You would be guaranteed the best chair in the office
--Age discrimination wouldn't be an issue
--You would never grab the wrong coat on your way out the door
--No one would ask to see your job description
--Your co-workers would be on notice that they'd better not pout

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March 24-26, 2007 Galloway, New Jersey
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Contact Marilee for details 856-857-1799

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Marilee Tolen RN a.k.a. Home Spa Lady
E-mail Marilee!
Phone: 856-857-1799 (East Coast)
www.HomeSpaLady.com
www.PeacefulPassages.org