Lavender Info and Uses

Lavender buds are a safe and natural freshener. Lavender is also a natural insect and moth repellent.  This herb has been used throughout time to relax, comfort and sooth.  The aroma is stress relieving and calming without being overpowering.



Try making your own lavender sachets.  Lavender sachets have many uses and can be used in many areas throughout your home. Place the lavender sachets in your dresser drawers, closets, and clothes storage containers to keep your clothes and linens smelling fresh. Since, lavender is a natural insect and moth repellent they are perfect closet sachets. Use lavender sachets in children's clothes storage totes which store their seasonal or outgrown clothes. When you open the plastic totes you will smell lavender, instead of the plastic smell. Lavender sachets are perfect for placing under your pillow for a restful night's sleep. 



Lavender can be used in many ways in your wedding.  Use it as a wedding toss or sprinkle it in the middle of your table to accent your centerpieces.  Small bags filled with lavender buds make great wedding favors.  Lavender makes a great wedding toss as it is not harmful to birds.  Place the dried lavender buds in a bowl and using paper cones or handfuls they can be tossed over the newly married couple after the ceremony.  Lavender buds can also take the place of flower petals in the flower girl's basket.  Simply pour the lavender buds into a flower girl basket before she walks down the aisle.  Don't worry about the clean up, lavender is easily vacuumed up and also will give off a lovely scent as you vacuum it up. 



Store your unused lavender buds in an airtight container until use to retain their freshness. I recommend storing your lavender in glass mason jars.  Keep lavender out of sunlight and away from heat, as this also helps retain the scent. The lavender scent usually lasts a few years. To refresh the lavender sachets, give them a light squeeze or shake to redistribute their natural oil.

Sandra

Free Shipping!

Use code "FREESHIPPING2015" at checkout in both of my shops for FREE shipping (Canada, US & International)!  For a limited time only!

www.simpleisprettyshop.etsy.com

Lavender Back in Stock!

Finally, the wait is over!  Lavender is back in stock in my shop!


This new lavender is the highest quality lavender I have ever stocked.  This premium lavender has a lovely blue/purple color and has a beautiful, bright scent.  Perfect for use in sachets, crafts, homemade soap and bath soaks.

Currently, this dried lavender is available by the pound.  But if you only require a small amount for your craft or recipe, try my small cotton muslin bags filled with lavender.  Each bag contains 1/2 cup of premium lavender buds.  Perfect for wedding and party favors!


I’m also happy to say that my small essential oil diffusers are back in stock this week!


Use this diffuser with a tea light to burn essential or fragrance oil or wax tarts. Naturally freshen your home and pair this diffuser with one of my essential oils.  For an energizing scent try sweet orange, lemon or one of my favorite essential oils –> pink grapefruit.  For a calming and relaxing scent try lavender essential oil.  If you can’t decide which essential oil to purchase, try my essential oil starter kit feature 5 of my best selling essential oils.

Sandra

Lavender Essential Oil is Available in the Shop!

Today, I’m introducing my new line of essential oils!  Currently, I have 4 sizes of 100% pure lavender essential oil from France available.  I hope to have new scents available in the coming weeks, be sure to check back!

You can use essential oil to scent your wool dryer balls.  Lavender has a relaxing and calming aroma, perfect for laundry use!  I use lavender essential oil on my wool dryer balls and I usually rescent my dryer balls every couple of weeks.  A 10 ml bottle holds approximately 200 drops of essential oil.  Therefore, if you have 4 dryer balls and rescent using 2 drops per ball, you will have enough essential oil to rescent your dryer balls 25 times.  If you rescent them every 2 weeks, your bottle will last you almost a whole year!  So much cheaper than expensive dryer sheets and NO harsh chemicals!

You can also use my essential oils in homemade cleaning recipes, laundry detergents, and soaps.  CANADIAN ORDERS - No customs or duties charges to worry about because my shop is in Canada!


Here are a few essential oil safety tips:

Most essential oils should not be used undiluted or “neat” directly on the skin. Unless you know it is safe to use undiluted, you should dilute essential oils with a carrier oil, such as avocado, grapeseed, or sweet almond. To test if you are sensitive to a essential oil, add 1 or 2 drops to a teaspoon of carrier oil in a small container and mix to combine. Test by placing a dab of the mixture on your wrist or the inside of your elbow and wait for 24 hours.

If you are pregnant or suffering from any medical condition, consult a health practitioner before use.  Keep essential oils out of reach of children and pets.

To check out my essential oil collection, visit my Etsy shop –> www.simpleisprettyshop.etsy.com.  For $5 off your purchase, be sure to use the coupon code "SUMMER2014", expires September 23, 2014.

Sandra

Cleaning with Homemade Cleaners (Take 1)

I’ve cleaned my home for many years using both handmade and store bought cleaners.  When purchasing store bought cleaners I’ve tried to stay to more natural or eco-friendly cleaners (eg. Method).  Not until recently, have I felt ready to jump in and make a switch that will hopefully eliminate my need for store bought cleaners permanently.

One area in my house I have always used store bought chemical cleaner is… the dreaded cleaning of the toilets.  I somehow thought if I used a whole bunch of chemicals in the form of a blue liquid, that this was the only way to “safely clean” my toilets.  I had a mental block preventing me from seeing another solution.  After all, I knew there had to be another way.  Otherwise how would my grandmother have cleaned hers??  I'm pretty sure she was not investing in blue liquid.  But I needed to use a recipe from someone I trust.

I recently purchased the book “The Organically Clean Home” by Becky Rapinchuk (Clean Mama).  She has changed the way I think of “clean”.  Using her book, I’m making some changes and switching to homemade, natural, chemical free cleaners throughout my home.

Via Cleanmama.net

For years, I have cleaned my sinks and showers with pure 100% white vinegar.  Not a nice smell I know, but I knew it worked.  I knew that vinegar has a ton of germ killing properties.  I knew that it worked well in our old house to clean up the effects of hard well water.  Heck, “vinegar” has its own label here on my blog, I use it so much.  Sometimes vinegar was the only thing that would work to clean my sinks and showers at the old house, no store bought cleaner could compare.  But I could not get past cleaning toilets naturally and without a blue liquid.  With Becky’s book, I hope to conquer this fear.

Last night, I made 2 recipes from her book.  I wanted to start with recipes I knew I would use often and would make a big difference in our house.  One recipe is for my bathrooms – Lavender and Lemon Bathroom Disinfecting Spray.   And one is for my kitchen – Tea Tree and Orange Disinfecting Cleaner.  I’m not new to Tea Tree essential oil, and I know it has MANY benefits.  But, I’m most excited that I can now replace my 100% vinegar solutions.  My nose will thank me I’m sure.  And now I won’t be worried about using my cleaners before company arrives because I was afraid of the vinegar odour.  These cleaners smell wonderful!


I gave the new cleaners a test run, and I am very impressed with how easy they were to throw together.  I have all the ingredients on hand.  I can now replace my homemade kitchen cleaner and my 100% vinegar bathroom cleaner.  I’m so HAPPY!

I’m excited to try more recipes from her book.  I have sticky notes all over the pages of her book, marking recipes I want to try next.  The best part is most of the recipes use ingredients I already have on hand.


This week, I’m going to conquer my bathroom toilet cleaning fear.  I’m giving her very simple, chemical free recipe a try.  Not only can I pronounce all the ingredients and I know what they are.  Big step.  I will let you know how I make out!

As Always,
Sandra

By the way, I’m not paid for this post, all opinions are my own.  I just love her book and want to share how it is changing my cleaning routine :)

Guest Post for Pretty Organized, and a Giveaway!

I'm over at Pretty Organized today share my laundry tips.  I'm giving away some of products from my Etsy shop, plus everyone receives a 15% coupon code for my shop.  Be sure to check out the post and enter at Casey's lovely blog... Pretty Organized!

As Always,
Sandra

My Poor Lavender…

This summer, I took a few weeks to spend some time with family.  We visited family on my side, my husband’s side of the family and friends.  We were also able to do some camping in our camper trailer at the same time.  Summer went by so quickly!

Of course, in the meantime things get neglected around our house when we are gone.  The grass in the backyard turned into a jungle.  Weeds over took our grey rock area around the fire pit in the backyard.  My lavender planters are… DONE.

The poor things are done blooming.  Not sure if they are normally done blooming by now or if the lack of water sent them into early shock.  I gave them a watering and decided to give them a trim to clean them up a bit. 


I didn’t even get to enjoy their great smell very much, I think I missed their prime fragrance timeframe.  Hopefully, the plants make it through the winter and I can try again next year.

I love vacations, but I don’t look forward to all the cleaning up and loads and loads of laundry after the trip…

Our house looks like a bomb went off, YIPES.

As Always,
Sandra

Growing Lavender

As I have decided to forgo planting a garden, I planted a few container pots instead.  On the deck, I wanted to try planting lavender.  I’ve never planted lavender before.  Just an FYI, I found my lavender plants in the perennial section of the greenhouse.  I was going to buy smaller lavender because it would have been cheaper but I asked a worker and the larger plants took 3 years to get to that size.  I decided to opt for the larger plants even though they were more expensive ($35 each) because I was only planting 2 pots on the deck.

I planted the lavender at the beginning of June.





I planted Hidcote Blue Lavender.  As it is a perennial, I’m hoping the plants will survive the winter. 





The lady working at the greenhouse told me that lavender is hard to keep over winter because our winters can be harsh.  I might try bringing them into our covered deck area for the winter.  Since they were $35 each it would be great if they could last more than one season!

They are just starting to flower now.  They don’t have a fragrance yet that I’ve noticed.






As Always,
Sandra

Update:  Check out how my lavender turned out for the year...click here.