All posts tagged mother’s day

NEST + CREATE + NOURISH … on this mother’s day weekend | inspiration by luli sanchez

by Julie on May 11, 2013 in CREATE, NEST, NOURISH with 4 Comments

mothers

lovely watercolor images by Luli Sanchez

Blessings to all of you lovely mothers this weekend!

NEST … by embracing your family and all of the special mothers in your life.

CREATE  … by taking a few moments to think creatively, maybe just looking at inspiration for a project or possibly beginning one that has been lingering in your mind. The images above are certainly inspiring me lately.

NOURISH … with (hopefully) some peaceful moments to yourself to rejuvenate and reflect on the goodness of motherhood.

Julie

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CREATE + NOURISH … with DIY mother’s day essential oil scents | by five and one

by Julie on April 26, 2013 in CREATE, NOURISH with 2 Comments

essential-oil-scents

Mother’s Day Essential Oil Scents |with Printable Gift Tag

Nourish the mothers in your life with these simple essential oil scents made by blending almond oil and natural, fragrant essential oils. After you make these as a gift you will want to experiment to create fragrant blends for you and your family. What is lovely about these roll on bottles is that you can lightly dab a little on the wrist and rub in for a soothing aromatic scent or simply inhale slowly to enjoy the aromatherapy benefits. Lately my daughter has had a tough time settling down at bedtime so I have used a night time blend with lavender and almond oil to rub on her chest and feet to ease relaxation. I have used essential oils for years and especially loved them while being pregnant.  Careful consideration should be taken with essential oils while pregnant since they are very potent, but some can work beautifully for relaxation.  A great reference book is Aromatherapy and Massage for Mother and Baby. Another great essential oil blend that I use often is this Rosemary Lavender Chest Rub. It works great for breathing easier and clearing up congestion.  The kids love chest and foot massages with this while they are feeling under the weather and it takes a very small pea size amount of oil for each massage. If a blend is ever too strong for you just add more of the carrier oil. I hope you enjoy this simple way of creating a unique scent for someone special or for yourself. For another Mother’s Day gift take a look at this Citrus + Herb Sea Salt DIY with free printable labels.

SUPPLIES

Assorted essential oils (I used Aura Cacia oils and these can be found online or at a natural health food store)

Almond oil (or another carrier oil such as jojoba oil)

Glass perfume bottles from Making Cosmetics (they have an amazing selection of items for making your own cosmetics)

DIRECTIONS 

Step 1  - fill glass container 1/4″ from the top with carrier oil

Step 2 –  add in one of the following blends

These are some favorite scents but feel free to smell samples and create a blend that works for you.

Lavender, Grapefruit | 3 drops lavender, 6-7 drops grapefruit

Rosemary, Grapefruit | 2 drops rosemary, 6-7 drops grapefruit

Rosemary, Orange, Clove | 2 drops rosemary, 6 drops orange, 1 drop clove

Rosemary, Sweet orange | 2 drops rosemary, 5-6 drops sweet orange

Bedtime blend | 1-2 drops of lavender

Step 3 – print out the following labels and attach with decorative washi tape.

Essential oil scent labels (Save labels to your desktop and print on clear 8 1/2″ x 11″ label paper ) The clear labels do not stay on the glass bottles by themselves but I like the added touch of the washi paper for decoration.  You could also use a white or kraft brown colored label sheet.

Enjoy experimenting and know that you are using a scent that is nourishing you and the environment.

If you already use essential oils, I would love to know you favorite blends.

Julie

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NOURISH …. a mother’s day thank you

by Julie on May 16, 2012 in NOURISH with No comments

I woke up on Mother’s Day to a great note on our bedroom window from the boys and then more creative notes wrapped up (they worked so hard).  They truly nourished my day with yummy food and  lots of love. It started with a great breakfast of eggs and basil, lunch at a favorite local love, you say tomato, where I chose breakfast yet again and tried their breakfast flatbread with country gravy potatoes, eggs, and cheddar. YUM!  By the way, they also make a mean bierock. As much as I love to cook, it was a welcome treat not to lay a hand in the kitchen.  We finished with a beautiful feast, courtesy of my husband, on the terrace as the sun set.

Merrilee’s,  I lovely love my family print (above) pretty much sums up my feelings for my family.  View more at her blog, mer mag, which has some great family crafts. (you may remember some of her valentine craft’s I have mentioned)  A couple of her newest are DIY Animal Masks, and Animal Circus Trains.

Did I forget to mention the chocolates!! Yes, they all went to Christopher Elbow Chocolates, another local love, and hand picked flavors.  They are all listed below, but the lemon is a new one and it did not make it to the photo.  Just had to savor that one right away.

- julie

 

NOURISH … the mommies this weekend

by Julie on May 12, 2012 in NOURISH with No comments

ranunculus photograph by ellemoss |etsy | found via emma lamb on pinterest

To all of the busy mommies out there,

Here are a few recipes that will hopefully make mealtime a bit easier and a couple of nourishing ideas to treat yourself.  Many of these recipes are easy enough to include the help of a child.

p.s.  pass them on to your husband, giving him a simple way to nourish you on your special day.

BREAKFAST

super eggy scrambled eggs | 101 cookbooks - this one can also be made easier by simply chopping herbs and adding to eggs instead of making the pesto.

baked apricot and greek yogurt | josie maran - simple, simple!

hard boiled eggs | real simple  – hard boiling eggs is always one I forget but it’s such an easy one for busy mornings.  Sprinkle with a bit of  this citrus + herb sea salt | five and one.

LUNCH

italian potato salad | green kitchen stories

cilantro noodle bowl | 101 cookbooks - you can also substitute chicken for the tofu and use less of the cayenne pepper.  This is one of those recipes you can experiment with and use seasonal vegetables found at your farmers market and the ones your family likes.

DINNER

asparagus, goat cheese, lemon pasta | smitten kitchen - if you are not a goat cheese fan use mozzarella cubes and stir into pasta just before serving, without melting it.

roast chicken with carmelized shallots | david lebovitz

NOURISH | SKIN

rosemary + mint body scrub | julie blanner

exfoliate, nourish, protect | whole living - great article with tips on dry brushing and skin|hair therapy.

blessings to all who are mothers | enjoy your special day

- julie

 

NOURISH + CREATE …. citrus + herb sea salt for mother’s day by five and one

by Julie on May 2, 2012 in CREATE, NOURISH with No comments

The boys and I shared some special time creating this seasoned sea salt for my mother and mother – in- law for their special day.  They had so much fun picking the herbs and zesting the fruit!  I have included the labels for you to print and use. Some without dear mom to be used as a gift for any special someone. Simply use this template and print on heavy white or creme card stock.

Citrus + Herb Sea Salt Recipe

1 cup coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon each of sage, thyme, and, rosemary

1 teaspoon each of lemon and orange zest

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Finely chop herbs and zest and mix with the salt.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, just enough to dry the herbs and zest.  When the salt is cooled you or your child may crush together with your fingers or pulse in a food processor to incorporate the flavors of the salt, herbs, and fruit zest. This salt works great on most everything, especially eggs.

I used these weck jars for packaging, but any small jar would work well.  enjoy!

favorite part … zesting the fruit!  

enjoy creating this easy gifting recipe with your children.

- julie

 

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