Thursday, January 19, 2012

Joy in January - A Natural Perfumers Guild project and Three-day Giveaway Day 3!

Today is day 3 of a 3 day project. I've been writing some tiny fun posts for the Natural Perfumers Guild event "Joy in January" Each post has been devoted to some information about SAD* (seasonal affective disorder) and some Natural Fragrance tips that may be helpful to people who suffer from it. See Day 1 here , Day 2 here.... and don't forget to comment on any or all of my blog posts for a chance to win prizes from me.

There are many other bloggers involved in this project, and each one of them is offering posts with information about SAD, ideas to combat it, including ideas involving Natural Fragrances. I encourage you to read as many of these blogs as you can, and enter the draws for their wonderful products.

Oh joy, Oh Rapture Unforeseen!

So, since starting this series I've been thinking a lot about SAD, and all the things it must do to the sufferers as well as the sufferers of other kinds of depression. As I said on day 1 I am lucky enough to not suffer from depression. Maybe I did that winter in Vancouver, but that was a time where I allowed another person to convince me that the things that gave me joy were stupid, weird or wrong....
I'm a pain in the ass rebel at heart, so I still snuck away to eat my favourite chocolate, take an extra long shower with my favourite shower gel, or into a local soap shop to smell the products there.
I learned some very important lessons that year, but the thing that seemed relevant to this topic was .....no matter how bad things get never, ever forget the things that make you happy. 

On my FaceBook page today I had someone say "If chocolate could be made into an essential oil, instead of eating dark chocolate for SAD, I could inhale it instead" Well! Chocolate does come in an essential oil! So does Vanilla, and all kinds of other familiar things. But it doesn't have to be an essential oil, or a scented product.... it just needs to be something that gives you a little bit of light through the darkness, a little giggle, a little JOY!

So here is your challenge for this post, make a list of some of the things that make you happy. Certain songs, certain foods, certain smells, whatever!
 Maybe it's the scent of homemade bread that makes you smile. Make some, or pop by a local bakery.
 Or fresh flowers? Make your way to a florist or local greenhouse and take a great big inhale!

One of my friends loved working with horses in school. After 20 years of varying levels of depression and addiction she went back to the barns. The smells of the barns, the fresh air, the hard physical work it all changed her. I never see her because she spends all her free time there but when I do. She's happy, 20lbs lighter and ridiculously HAPPY!

Maybe today Joy and Rapture are Unforseen, but perhaps tomorrow you will seek them out and see more clearly.

I was thinking about posting all kinds of my favourite fun and silly songs about Joy, because music so often helps me as I said yesterday. I chose nutty songs like 'Oh Joy, Oh Rapture, Unforseen' 'Where are the simple joys of Maidenhood?' A Muppet version of 'Ode to Joy'...

oh what the heck... you have to see this one...  




;) But, I want you to decide the scents and activities that bring you Joy and find a way to EnJOY them!

Smell the Roses! The Chocolate Chip Cookies! The Barn? Find a tiny way everyday to put a smile on your face.


So, readers... for this giveaway I am giving you your choice of JOY!
You see, my store specializes in custom scenting bath products... so you get to choose how this little gift set is scented! If you win, I'll send you a list of Natural Fragrances we have and the choice is all yours.
A Custom Scented Bath Bomb, A Custom Scented Lotion, and  Custom Scented Room Spray! As you like it!

This is it. The end of this wee series. Thanks to the NPG for such a great idea. I hope somewhere through this I helped one or two of you. Goodnight Irene!

Comment on this post to be entered in the draw for this prize.
Prizes for my draw will be mailed to winners in the USA, Canada and the EU only. You will find bloggers in Australia, Canada, South Africa and Vietnam, so please check their mailing policies.

1. You, the poster can post as anonymous, but that will make you ineligible for the drawing.

2. I'd love it if you sign up for my newsletter, or "like" my page on Facebook, but that isn't a requirement of this blog. Please just leave a comment that shares your difficulty with SAD. We need to get the word out there so others reading this may recognize the disorder has aromatherapy and natural perfumery as an alternative healing modality.

3 I do want you to leave your first name or a nickname, ISP (eg., gmail) and location. That way, when I announce the win, and you reply, I'll be sure I have the right person.



*SAD is a recognized disorder characterized by depression, among other symptoms.* Light therapy is the most common treatment, and the Guild feels the need to share the knowledge that fragrance can also be uplifting and pull people out of depression. The NPG wants to include fragrance therapy and our members will host a three-day blog event to reach out to those who suffer from SAD. Please visit the blogs listed below of the other Guild members, add your comments to enter the draws for their prizes. be sure to check that they are ok to ship to your country. Winners of the three-days of drawings will be announced here on Thursday, the 19th.

11 comments:

  1. Thanks for the muppets. The muppets always bring me joy. Have you seen the muppets Bohemian Rhapsody? Priceless.
    Thanks for the give-a-way.

    ReplyDelete
  2. things that make me smile:

    Harold & Maude
    chalk on sidewalks
    children
    people who hold hands
    plants
    my cat
    the sky
    the smell of the produce section
    senior citizen thrift shops

    to name a few...

    thank you for your kind sharing in this project!

    einsof@gmail in the -4 degree weather of the black hills

    ReplyDelete
  3. What makes me happy?

    Hugs
    A nice cup of tea
    A good book
    My cats (all rescues)
    My sweetie
    All you guys for taking the time and effort to do these giveaways!

    ReplyDelete
  4. A trip to the botanical gardens is the biggest pick-me-up for me, especially during the winter. The indoor conservatory is a really nice reminder that there is still life out there, despite the brown and leafless landscape outside.

    I find cooking and especially baking of comfort foods very helpful as well during winter. Molasses cookies, apple bread, rice and raisins, and the like have some happier associations to them and are full of the good, warming spices perfect for winter.

    That is a really cool and generous prize for the draw! Thank you so much for being a part of the Joy in January project. It means a lot to me, and certainly was gully of some great suggestions.

    Michael S
    Colorado

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ah - I checked back and today's post was up. Yay!

    So many things work to give me a lift when I need it, I hardly know where to start. (And some are things that I crave, but don't have & can't get - like fresh fragrant violets.)

    Here are some in no particular order: the voice of Shawn Colvin, the smell of fresh lilacs, episodes of "Firefly" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the entire store of the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/heaven-scent.html), dark chocolate truffles, books by Charles Dickens, Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers, researching Victorian graphic design, and Hollywood Golden era films.

    Oh, and this awesome January SAD blog-a-thon. Whether or not I win anything in the draws, the experience itself of reading all the blogs & comments has been good for blowing out those January blahs - so thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I was inspired by what you said about someone making you think that the things that give you joy are stupid.
    what gives me joy: Yoga, practicing my Martial Arts (which I haven't done since I got pregnant, guess it's time to start that again now that I'm 10 Months past labor), a real good honest conversation with a friend, perfuming, gardening -I don't get enough sun in my garden, I will go buy some house plants this week.
    thank you for the inspiration
    All the best to you
    I don't live in the US, but I have family there who would send anything in to me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a lovely giveaway opportunity, thank you! It's important to think of what makes us happy everyday, isn't it. Some of mine include: spending time with people I love; doing something nice for someone else, esp without them knowing it was me; working with others toward a common goal; chocolate; cats; spending time with things that are humorous.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I adore anything citrus - not sure why but I love orange flavoured candy and citrus scented bath products. I think because its so fresh smelling, it just makes me feel good!

    ReplyDelete
  9. On the end table in the living room is a small plaque that says 'Discover the small joys tucked in the corners of each day.' Reading your column reminded of me of it. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I had to watch this again when I woke up to more snow...GREAT FUN...
    PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM!!!

    Vicki D. New York State

    ReplyDelete
  11. The winner for this post is Heather! I'll be in touch!

    ReplyDelete