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.

Ambrosia Jones http://perfumebynature.blogspot.com
Charna Ethier http://www.providenceperfume.com/blogs/news
Christi Meshell http://www.matriarch.biz/blog.html
Clemence Barbier http://www.dameclemence.blogspot.com
Elise Pearlstine http://bellyflowers.blogspot.com
Emily Pienaar http://www.roseenbos.com/category/blog
JoAnne Bassett http://www.joannebassett.com/natural_perfumes
Joyce Noerr http://sororiaorganics.blogspot.com/
Karen Williams http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/blog/
Liz Cook http://oneseedperfumes.wordpress.com
Noelle Smith http://ellenoire.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Vinson http://www.stephanieknaturals.com/blog/

Joy in January - A Natural Perfumers Guild project and Three-day Giveaway Day 2!

Today is day 2 of a 3 day project. I've been writing some tiny fun posts for the Natural Perfumers Guild event "Joy in January" Each post will be 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 .... 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.

Try New LePep!

After yesterdays late night post, I ran into a morning that was coincidentally upsetting. I'll tell you the story. As my lovely and talented NPG pal Anya and a few other members know... I forgot about this blog event totally and completely. So, I stayed up quite late last night to make the first deadline. As I was plotting the ideas for my 3 blogs the weather turned from a warm rainy day (which as you read in yesterdays post is ugly to me) to a nasty, heavy downpour. A rivulets running down the gutters, raindrops hitting the windows like pebbles nasty, heavy downpour kinda downpour. I sat here typing and listening to it. aqAA

I woke up this morning quite early to head off to a course I am taking. There was almost no light coming through the windows while I made coffee at 6:45am, I was already running late. As I raced around the house collecting my things, packing my sons lunch, I realized there was no internet service in the house, which meant I had forgotten to pay the bill.... Darn it!

I ran upstairs to grab something, to wake Luke up and was promptly met with a crabby teenager who woke up on the wrong side of the bed then I ran downstairs to find that one of my cats had knocked over my travel mug of coffee. Miraculously I made it out of the house with seconds to spare with a 1/3 cup of cool coffee. The dark morning was revealed as I stepped off the porch. The rain. hadn't. stopped.

I flew down the road to the highway and traffic was at a dead halt.

SAD? I dunno..... the lack of sleep, the lack of caffeine, the venomous offspring, the clock ticking away? It was about as opposite to the heavenly morning I described yesterday as one can get.... I was angry!

And then, I hit the fog!

I called the director of my program (on my handsfree phone of course) to let him know I was jammed info fog and traffic and I trucked along for my hours drive.... ANGRY!

Along the way I was trying to clear my head to stay safe on the road, to come up with ideas for this blog, to make mental lists of things to tell my staff for the day while I was away from my store. One of my thoughts for scents for this blog series was on the tip of my tongue, but my head was foggy like the air.

I read once that in Japanese office buildings they use the scent of Peppermint to wake people up... Wait! That was it! Japanese Peppermint! That was the scent for this SAD blog!

We use this oil all the time in the store. I use it in Foot Scrub, Sore Muscle Soaks and Face Spray! The Peppermint Facial Mist has become an accidental best seller lately. People pop in and say they just grabbed one to see what it might be like and that they love it for how it makes them feel. They sprayed it on their face to calm a hot flash, or to freshen up on a hot day and it made them feel good, positive.. even.... happier!

So, I double checked the properties of the essential oil of Peppermint (I am not a trained aromatherapist, so I always double check the properties of essential oils before I suggest them)

Check this out! "Peppermint oil is excellent for mental fatigue and depression, refreshing the spirit and stimulating mental agility and improving concentration. It helps for apathy, shock, headache, migraine, nervous stress. Now that's some of what we need to help SAD sufferers no?

And just 'cause I am talking about it, you may as well know the other stuff it is good for: vertigo and faintness and in general respiratory disorders, as well as dry coughs, sinus congestion, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis and cholera, for the digestive system, peppermint oil is effective for a range of ailments, as it stimulates the gall bladder and the secretion of bile. It is used for colic, cramps, dyspepsia, spastic colon, flatulence and nausea and can relieve pain in cases of toothache, aching feet, rheumatism, neuralgia, muscular pains and painful periods.

* caution *

Peppermint oil is non-toxic and non-irritant in low dilutions, but sensitization may be a problem due to the menthol content.
It can cause irritation to the skin and mucus membranes and should be kept well away from the eyes. It should be avoided during pregnancy and should not be used on children under seven.

In the store we use Japanese Peppermint. It has a very high menthol content so it's gives off a lovely warmth and breezy green coolness all at once. The history of Mint is truly cool too! Peppermint and its name has its roots in Greek mythology. Pluto - god of the dead - fell in love with Minthe, a beautiful nymph. Pluto's goddess wife Persephone became jealous and turned Minthe into a plant. Pluto could not bring her back to life but ensured that she would have a wonderful and fragrant aroma.

So, SAD sufferers? Try some mintiness. Brush your teeth an extra time on a bad day, drink a bottle of mint water (one of my fave ways to brighten up on a long afternoon), grab some pure peppermint oil and put a drop on your chest... or perhaps if you comment on this blog you could win the package I am giving away for todays draw: A gift package with a Peppermint Bath Bomb, Peppermint Facial Mist and a Peppermint Foot scrub.

It is my hope that the peppermint will help bring you back to life a little.... if not? then you shall have a wonderful and fragrant aroma! ;)

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.

Ambrosia Jones http://perfumebynature.blogspot.com
Charna Ethier http://www.providenceperfume.com/blogs/news
Christi Meshell http://www.matriarch.biz/blog.html
Clemence Barbier http://www.dameclemence.blogspot.com
Elise Pearlstine http://bellyflowers.blogspot.com
Emily Pienaar http://www.roseenbos.com/category/blog
JoAnne Bassett http://www.joannebassett.com/natural_perfumes
Joyce Noerr http://sororiaorganics.blogspot.com/
Karen Williams http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/blog/
Liz Cook http://oneseedperfumes.wordpress.com
Noelle Smith http://ellenoire.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Vinson http://www.stephanieknaturals.com/blog/
Susan Stype http://www.aromatherapycontessa.com

P.S. The title? LePep? It was the name of a fake product I created and wrote a song about for a marketing class in high school. It was? Toothpaste?

P.P.S. I did eventually get to school safely this morning.... in a far better mood than you would expect. The thoughts of the peppermint, and this song on the radio helped bring me back. If the peppermint didn't work, then perhaps this will...

It made me feel a lot better, although.... if this song came on I would have made me laugh





;) G'night Folks! Another blog and draw for you on the morrow!

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

For the next 3 days I'll be writing some tiny fun posts for the Natural Perfumers Guild event "Joy in January" Each post will be devoted to some information about SAD* (seasonal affective disorder) and some Natural Fragrance tips that may be helpful to people who suffer from it.
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. The links to their blogs are below.

Find Joy in the little things!

It's funny that today, a warm, rainy day here in Southern Ontario (which for me is the least Joyful type of weather in winter time) is the day I am starting this post series. I am one of the lucky ones I suppose for I am a winter lover  -as long as there is sun reflecting off the snow then I will take as much time as I can to be outside enjoying it. I don't care how cold it is. The grey, wet days we have had much of this winter so far here are horrific to me, I can tell by how sugar I am craving that it is affecting me in a bad way.
  Although I don't generally suffer from depression at any time, or SAD there was one winter I spent in grey, rainy Vancouver that made me question whether I could be affected very seriously by SAD. I left Vancouver to work in Whistler for an overnight waitressing job at a fancy hotel. After the job was over I had an amazing nights sleep in high thread count sheets, with a fluffy down duvet and then padded down to the hotel breakfast room to a buffet laden with, fresh baked goods, tropical fruits (did you know eating tropical fruits can positively affect serotonin levels?)  & fruity compotes and jams. The scent in the room was comforting and uplifting all at once. Sitting down to breakfast with fresh coffee and that gorgeous breakfast I saw the ski hills of Whistler through the window by the table. It was an overcast day, yet the daylight reflecting off the the snow felt like the brightest day I had seen in months.
I think I knew that day that I needed to live somewhere where sun and snow met..... and so I do.

My wish for the SAD sufferers reading this post can experience some of the joy I did on that morning watching the light come through the window while eating that breakfast in that room full of bright and comforting scents. In the draw for this post I have chosen to create a gift focusing on Natural Fragrances made from the oils of the uplifting citrus family.

If you are chosen the winner of this prize you will receive an ellenoire gift package including handmade bath and body care products scented with natural essential oils: A skin pampering bath bomb in Cafe Clementine, a Neroli water facial mist & a Glycerine soap made with Pink Grapefruit.


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.
Ambrosia Jones http://perfumebynature.blogspot.com
Charna Ethier http://www.providenceperfume.com/blogs/news
Christi Meshell http://www.matriarch.biz/blog.html
Clemence Barbier http://www.dameclemence.blogspot.com
Elise Pearlstine http://bellyflowers.blogspot.com
Emily Pienaar http://www.roseenbos.com/category/blog
JoAnne Bassett http://www.joannebassett.com/natural_perfumes
Joyce Noerr http://sororiaorganics.blogspot.com/
Karen Williams http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/blog/
Liz Cook http://oneseedperfumes.wordpress.com
Noelle Smith http://ellenoire.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Vinson http://www.stephanieknaturals.com/blog/
Susan Stype http://www.aromatherapycontessa.com