It’s nearly Christmas! After a year of so many strange and unusual events, it’s time to stop and reflect and remember what is important, family and friends. It is a time to be realistic and not be the victim of others or our own unrealistic expectations.

Let’s keep things simple and not go overboard. Let’s enjoy the time we spend with family and friends. We don’t have to spend Christmas on Christmas day. For us, we will be celebrating Christmas on other days, with various family members, before they travel elsewhere for Christmas.

Whether or not we are spending time with others, or by ourselves, as long as we are doing what makes us happy and healthy and isn’t harmful, then we are nourishing our souls. It is better to say no to being put in a situation that would damage our mental or emotional health.

For some reason I feel I want to creative, over this holiday period. I am not exactly sure what, so I have started with some gift ideas for family and friends. This can be easier than we may think, trust me.

Here are some of my favourites. I hope you enjoy making these as much as I do.  If you would like to give these as gifts but don’t want to make them yourself I have some available for purchase J

Bath Salts

Ingredients

* Epsom salts

* doTERRA essential oils (Lemon, Ice Blue Blue, Lavender Peace, Balance, Citrus Bliss etc!)

* Glass jars

* Food colouring if desired

Method

1. Fill your glass jar with epsom salts approximately halfway full.

2. Add 6-8 drops of essential oil, food colouring if desired, put the lid on and give it a good shake to ensure the oils get mixed into the salts.

3. Fill the jar up almost all the way full with epsom salts.

4. Add another 6-8 drops of oil and anymore food colouring if desired to the top and shake as best as possible to ensure the oil is distributed evenly throughout the jar.

(If you’re not worried about possibly wasting some of the mixture, you could fill a glass mixing bowl with salts and add your oils and stir for a few minutes and fill the jars that way. It’s also a great way to mix food colouring into the salts and layer them into jars for a pretty effect!)

* Epsom salts can be found in most supermarkets.

Warming Neck Wrap

This Christmas gift idea can be either made from scratch, or you could use a store brought heat pack instead, one filled with wheat, rice etc.

A heat pack or neck wrap can soothe sore muscles and when used with doTERRA essential oils, can provide additional aromatherapy relief.

What you Need:

1/2 yard of flannel or cotton cut into two 8 x 20 inch pieces

6 cups of rice

Sewing machine

doTERRA essential oils of choice.

Method:

1. Place right sides (pretty sides) together and pin along the edges.

2. With right sides together, sew 1/4″ seam all the way around the fabric leaving a 3 inch opening on a short end and turn right sides out.

3. Divide the length of the fabric into four equal sections and mark with a fabric marker.

4. Loosely fill the first quarter with two cups of rice.

5. Sew on marked line. Repeat until all four sections are filled.

6. Sew the opening closed and you’re finished!

7. To use, microwave for 2-3 minutes and then add 2 drops of essential oil on the outer fabric.

This is great for anyone who suffers from aches and pains or simply needs something to help them relax!

Sugar Scrub Squares

This is a great gift idea, a different spin on traditional sugar scrubs

Ingredients:

* Melt and Pour soap base

* doTERRA essential oils of choice (Peppermint, Balance, Lavender Peace, Adaptiv, Holiday Joy)

* Jojoba oil

* White sugar

You will also need a knife, spoon, microwave safe bowl, measuring cups, mixing bowl, food colouring if desired and a glass baking dish.

Method:

1. Start by removing the melt and pour soap base from the container. Cut it into smaller pieces so that it melts easily. Melt some of it in the microwave using 10 second intervals while watching carefully. It melts very quickly.

2. Pour a thin layer of sugar on the bottom of your glass baking dish.

3. In a mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup of the melted soap base, 1/2 cup of sugar,1 teaspoon of jojoba oil, 7-8 drops of essential oils of your choice and any food colouring you may want to use.

4. If you find that it hardens too quickly, microwave it again for a couple of seconds.

5. Pour the mixture over the layer of sugar in the baking dish. Let it dry and harden for about 5 minutes.

6. Cut the hardened sugar scrub into small squares and gently lift out of the dish.

Voila! You have beautiful sugar scrub squares that you can package in cute Christmas boxes, bags or containers!

Linen Spray or Room Spray

What you Need:

• 250ml bottle
• 2 tbsp witch hazel (or vodka)
• 20 drops essential oil of choice – Citrus Bliss, Balance, Elevation, Lavender Peace or any of the Emotional Aromatherapy oils are a good choice
• Cooled boiled water

Method:

• Add the essential oils to the bottle
• Add the witch hazel (or vodka)
• Top with water
• Lightly spritz bed, lounge, linen and rooms as needed

Beard Oil

What you Need:

• 100ml glass dropper, spray bottle, or pump bottle
• 30 drops essential oils – any of these Patchouli, Cedarwood, Buddha Wood or other oil of choice
• Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO)

Method:

• Add oils and FCO into the bottle
• Use as needed, rubbing a small amount into your beard

Sleep Spray

What you Need:

• 250ml bottle
• 10 drops Lavender
• 10 drops Wild Orange, or Vetiver
• 10 drops Copiaba, or Cedarwood
• Cooled boiled water

Method:

• Add the essential oils to the bottle
• Top with the cooled water
• Lightly spritz bed, pillows, pyjamas and bedroom in general

Cooling Summer Mist

What you need:

• 50ml spray bottle
• 25ml cooled boiled water
• 25ml witch hazel
• 7 drops Peppermint essential oil
• 3 drops lavender essential oil

Method:

• Fill with half cooled boiled water and half witch hazel
• 7 drops peppermint essential oil
• 3 drops lavender essential oil
• Shake and spray on neck and feet to help cool down

Jaffa Bliss Balls

Ingredients:

• 10 medjool dates
• 1 cup cashew nuts
• 1tbsp coconut oil
• ¼ cup organic raw cacao powder
• 5 drops Wild Orange essential oil
• ½ cup shredded coconut

Method:

• Blitz all ingredients together
• Roll mixture into small round balls
• Store in sealed container in fridge

Peppermint Bliss Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup medjool dates
• 1 cup almond and cashew nuts
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup organic raw cacao powder
• 2 drops Peppermint essential oil
• 1 tblsp chia seeds
• ½ cup shredded coconut

Method:

• Soak the dates for 15 minutes in warm water.
• Blend nuts on high speed until a fine texture
• Blend the dates, cacao, coconut, essential oil coconut oil and seeds until smooth texture
• Add ground nuts and blend together
• Once combined use a spoon and make into balls
• Coat in shredded coconut
• Store in sealed container in fridge

Bliss Balls Twist

Blend 30 dried dates, ½ tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 cup macadamia nuts, 2 tbs cacao powder, ½ cup dried apple and ½ cup dried figs until smooth. Mix through ¼ cup dried cranberries. Roll into balls and refrigerate overnight. Makes approx. 15.

Easy Make Christmas Ornaments

Ingredients:

• 65grams salt
• 65grams flour
• 50 grams water
• 5 drops essential oil of choice – clove or cinnamon
• Dried flowers, herbs or herbal tea

Method:

• Blend flour, salt, water, essential oils and colouring if required
• Knead
• Roll out to 1cm thick
• Sprinkle the flowers, herbs tea, roll a little more to stick them in
• Use cookie cutters
• Punch a hanging hole with a metal straw
• On baking paper to dry in the sun or low oven

Shower Jellies

Ingredients:

• 1cup boiling water
• Agar Powder (follow directions on container) You can use gelatin instead if you prefer.
• 1/2 clear body wash
• soap colorant or food colouring
• spoon, fork, pot holders, microwave, fridge
• container(s) to serve as mould for jellies
• optional: body-safe essential oils if your body wash isn’t scented

Method:

• Add the agar (or gelatin) powder to the boiling water, as per the instructions
• Let cool for a few minutes and mix in the ½ cup shower gel or body wash or bubble bath.
• Drop in 1-4 drops food colouring and essential oils if desired.
• Pour contents into moulds or small containers of your choice.

Sugar Scrub

Ingredients:

• ½ cup solid coconut oil
• 2 cup sugar or dead sea salt
• 20 essential oils of choice

Method:

• In a bowl mix coconut oil until soft
• Add essential oils and mix
• Add sugar and mix until combined
• Add coffee and mix until combined
• Store in a jar

There is nothing better than a home-made sugar scrub. They are just so lush, and very cost effective to make. Once you make your own you will honestly never go back to conventional scrubs! These can last a long time, just make sure that you are using a clean spoon each time and that you do not get any water into them.

• Make sure if you are going to use citrus oils that you let the recipient know to avoid direct sunlight for up to 24 hours. Even though you wash these off, some of the coconut oil doesn’t completely wash off, and some essential oils may still be present on the skin.
• Avoid minty or hot oils as water will enhance the effect of these, and it may not be a pleasant experience.