Top Ten Ways to Relax
““May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day, that the earth breathes and the moon rises””
August. Mid summer and the sun is high in the sky, the flowers are at their tallest and the insects are busy, busy, busy! We want to ask how are you feeling?
The change of season from summer to autumn is one of the hardest adjustments as the days begin to shorten. This change can affect your immune system so it is very important to prepare a little in August. We have some tips to help you.
Make the most of the sunny days to allow your body to absorb vitamin D from the daylight. Please do it carefully as you dont want your skin to burn, it is important though not to apply sunscreen as this blocks the vitamin D. So pick your time when the sun is not at its full strength. I love to sit in the morning sunshine (between 7am and 9am), having my first drink and enjoy the fresh sunlight, they recommend 10 - 15minutes of sunshine per day to reach the RDA. Your body requires vitamin K, magnesium and zinc to enable it to process the vitamin D. I prefer to eat my daily vitamins. Good sources are green leafy veg, steamed or raw is always best, nuts & seeds, chickpeas, fortified cereals.
Take photos of your time in the summer to make your vision board to help you through winter. Looking at the happy faces will inspire you to enjoy each season. We are so lucky in this country to have seasons.
Grow your own vegetables. Spinach grows really fast and can be frozen. Swiss chard, parsley are all good sources of vitamins and again can be frozen. Have you thought of growing your own Kale? We did last winter and we are eating it now, I intend to sow some more and maybe expand my winter veg. The vitamins in the vegetables are far higher if you harvest it from your own garden and cook in moments. Its so easy, get your children involved maybe so they know this is the way to grow your own food.
Get moving so that your muscles are at their peak. Dancing, walking, singing and weight-bearing exercises all boost your lymphatic system. A healthy lymphatic and digestive system = a healthy immune system that will fight off seasonal coughs and colds. It doesnt have to be anything special, just move daily.
Body brush every morning before your shower. This will stimulate your circulation which in turn keeps your body feeling energetic. Follow this with a glass of water to flush away any toxins. Your skin will glow and you will feel amazing!
Have a massage (I am a holistic therapist so this had to be on the list!). There are lots of types of massage now, from Swedish, neuro muscular, indian head to sports massage. Keep trying until you find the one that helps you to relax
Have you tried reflexology? There is something wonderful about having your feet massaged, if you have ticklish feet please don’t worry, just tell the reflexologist so they can keep hold of your feet. Reflexology works by applying pressure on reflex points that are all over your body, this helps release blockages so that you feel balanced.
Reiki works on your energy. Many people ask me if it is a religious treatment and no it is not. A Reiki therapist works on your energy system using universal energy to begin the healing in your mind and body. If you have never had a reiki session, please try it. I have been a Reiki therapist for nearly 20 years. It is truly wonderful for anyone who struggles with anxiety, mental health or emotional worries.
Learn a new hobby or pastime. Exercising your brain to learn something new is fabulous. Most of the time, we are on autopilot which is such a shame to drift our days. Learning something new that you are interested in activates the motor cortex, it is so healthy for our brains. This is neuroplasticity, the more you practise the better you will feel.
Mindfulness. I thought I would end my top ten with this form of meditation. Spending time on your own is therapy itself, without being attached to a screen or being asked for your opinion. Mindfulness is so healthy for our emotional state of well-being, by concentrating on the simple act of breathing allows your brain to switch off from constant thinking. “the quieter you become, the more you can hear” - Ram Dass
Think of autumn and you imagine vibrant colours, spicy scents. Our reed diffusers embraces all of this.
“help me say hello to autumn”
Autumn is a time when the trees and shrubs treat us to a fabulous colour show. Rich reds, burnt orange, golds and greens light up the countryside. Fruit trees diffuse spicy scents and the whole feeling is of decadence. We wanted to embrace this feeling in our scent for autumn.
We have blended Pimento Leaf, a combination scent of cloves, juniper berries, cinnamon and pepper. When blended with sweet orange, it takes on a spicy orange scent perfect to celebrate the colours of autumn trees. We still want to stay in the summer, so we have added rose geranium to keep our summer vibe alive. The autumn blend is comforting, protective and uplifting. Pimento Leaf essential oil has antibacterial, anti viral properties, its perfect to help you ease into the cooler months.
We have three products for you to enjoy. Firstly our handpoured soy candle , ideal to enjoy outside or inside, as we welcome candle season, this is perfect. We also have our 250ml Reed Diffuser, made with a vegan non toxic, non flammable base. The scent strength is up to you. We suggest putting 5 of the ten natural reeds and placing your diffuser in different positions (warm or cooler) until you reach your preferred strength. Then as the used reeds become less active, exchange them for the remaining 5 reeds. Our last products are in our gift range. You will find a 30ml mini autumn reed diffuser in the two Mini Reed Diffuser Collections, this is a lovely way to discover our reed diffusers and the joy of placing the four diffusers in different rooms is wonderful, your sense of smell will love the change of scents and the feelings from the diffusers. We have also added the autumn mini soy candle to the Travel Candle Collection, this is a lovely gift for any candle lover. Our final gift box is the “A Little Box of Essence” which contains a 10ml essential oil autumn blend and an aromastone. The aromastone requires no water or electric and diffuses the oils perfectly.
Our Mini Reed Diffuser Collection is the perfect gift for anyone who loves scent
Scent of the Month
“help me be fragrance free”
We have taken all of the essential oils away to allow anyone with a sensitive skin or an allergy-prone skin to enjoy the hydrating benefits of our Massage Oil. The organic carrier oils we use have low to zero allergens and are not nut tree oils. We have used Apricot Kernel, Grapeseed, and Jojoba carrier oils which are very nourishing to your skin.
This massage oil can be used during pregnancy to keep your skin stretchy and moisturised, we cant say you will not get any stretch marks using our oil but you stand a good chance. Anyway stretch marks are the tattoo of becoming a mum and should be celebrated but we know, sometimes, its nice not to get too many!
If you have a very sensitive skin, please get in touch and we will happily send you a sample to perform a skin test. This is the same for our other massage oils.
This also acts as a base massage oil so that you can add your own fragrance. Cosmetically tested, 100% organic and 100% vegan, the oils will be absorbed by your skin quickly without leaving a sticky residue. We get told that the oils make skin feel like velvet, which makes very happy indeed! Available in 50ml and 100ml sizes
Throughtout August, remember to….
Acknowledge how stunning our coastline is during National Marine Week. If you do go to the seaside, please bring home your rubbish and have the mantra, “leave nothing else but footsteps in the sand”. But then we know everyone who reads this blog would not leave their rubbish behind anywhere xx
Go to Yorkshire (Yorkshire Day 1st August). They have a Dark Sky Reserve which is a wonderful way to enjoy the stunning night skies. We need to protect our night sky by turning our outdoor lights to point down and are fully shielded. Get in touch with your council and tell them to do the same with street lighting, we need to stay safe but there is no extra safety with lights pointing upwards. What a wonderful thing to do with your children, learn the different stars. If you want to read how to do more to protect our dark skies or read here too
Get your bike out and cycle to work, leaving your car behind will save you money, use less fuel and get you fit. Work from home? Cycle round the block in your lunch break
Go and meet your friends for an Afternoon Tea during August. Very British and really lovely, On August 13th, we celebrate National Prosecco Day so maybe combine the both and have a great time!
August is the month to be aware of our skins health. The sun has been gorgeous but can cause skin damage. Checking our skin for moles, odd patches is crucial, have a look at the NHS Mole page for useful information. If in doubt, get your mole checked out. Sunshine can also help to ease certain skin conditions (although never allow your skin to burn or become red, this causes damage and will do the reverse). Psoriasis is helped by UVB rays helps to slow the shedding of the skin. Applying our oil will help to moisturise your scalp, jojoba has sebum regulating benefits.
Get outside, enjoy a walk around your local park, cycle and generally make the most of this month. Fresh fruits and veg are abundant, maybe freeze some for the winter months if possible.
OUR NEWS
We have been very busy getting new gift boxes ready for you to browse. Our latest boxes are now available on our website
We are very happy to be taking part with the Summer of Handmade Fair on August 21st to August 22nd. There will be lots of very talented creatives online too. We are in the Health & Wellbeing section and will have an offer on the day. More details to follow very soon.
We welcome our “say hello to autumn” products onto our website on August 1st. Autumn is a season which can be overlooked by both summer and winter so lets celebrate this fabulous season.
We are very busy putting the final finishes to a BRAND NEW PRODUCTS…our lips are sealed but we will be launching this on September 1st so not long to wait.
Our products are designed and created by us, the passion which goes into every handmade product deserves celebrating
And finally….
“August is like the sunday of summer, a time to stretch out and plan for the times ahead”
