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February
in Indiana
I was going through some old pictures and came across this
picture of my boys taken in February several years ago.
They were so proud of this "snow hunter" which
they outfitted using some of their dad's gear and a pellet
gun. My youngest is in high school now, and my oldest is
away at college, but some things never change. They still
love to goof around in the snow, and it's still always snowy
and cold in Indiana in February. And, as usual, I'm looking
at seed catalogs, dreaming of spring, and wishing my toes
weren't so cold.
We're
still dealing with a lot of overcast days, and not enough
sunshine. In addition to the gloomy weather, I'm hip deep
in getting tax paperwork ready for our accountant, so it's
no surprise that I've been leaning a little to the grumpy
side of my nature. I can't wait to feel the sun on my face,
dirt under my finger nails, and grass between my bare toes.
With
that said, I'm thumbing my nose at February, and it's time
once again for our annual Winter
Blah Buster Event.
During
this event, take 10% off any order of $35 or more . The
sale will run from February 1st through the 7th, ending
at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Our cart will not figure the discount.
We will apply the discount manually. Discount applies
to total before shipping, and does not include monthly special
or clearance items. May not be combined with other discounts
or specials, and does not include previously placed orders,
or orders placed after the sale ending time.
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Valentine's
Day Chocolate Drawing!
Discounts are great -- but we decided to SWEETEN
the deal a bit more. In addition to receiving a 10%
discount, one lucky customer will receive a little
extra surprise this month! Any customer spending $50
or more (excluding shipping, and after the sale discount
has been applied) will be entered into a drawing for
a half pound (14 pieces)
box of DeBrand Fine Chocolates! This year,
DeBrand's limited edition Valentine box is a contemporary
red wave design fabric heart filled with their popular
Classic Collection. Entries will be accepted for the
duration of the sale, and the drawing will take place
on Monday morning, February 8th. The winner will be
contacted by phone, and announced on the website and
in the March newsletter. When I go to pick up this
year's chocolate, I just may have to treat myself
to some of DeBrand's highly acclaimed gourmet marshmallows.
YUM-MY!
Visit
our Specials
page during the month of February for extra savings
on
- Yogurt
Powder
- Hazelnut
Oil
- Silk
Protein
- Tangerine
Twist Fragrance
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Large
Wooden Soap Crate
We've
added a new size to our selection of wooden soap crates.
This larger size is a great option for gift sets.
Made of miscellaneous hardwood, our soap crates are
handmade in Indiana right here at The Original Soap
Dish®!
The
Essential Herbal Magazine
We've
seen a renewed interest among our customers in herbs
and herbal medicine over the last year, so we've decided
to offer copies of this magazine once again. As an
advertiser in the publication we've become familiar
with the editor and some of the writers, and feel
the magazine has much to offer anyone interested in
herbs. Tina Sams, the editor, generously provided
the following article for inclusion in this month's
newsletter.
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Got
Stress !
It
seems odd to think that the time just following the
holidays can be difficult, but there's that let-down,
along with the fact that it's a long way off until
the next time people get some time off work. We won't
even talk about how long we in the North East have
to wait to plant our gardens!
There
are many herbs that can help ease and calm a stormy
day, or even a long period of difficulty. In fact,
in thinking about writing about these herbs, I looked
back over an article that I wrote for a small publication
over 10 years ago. In addition to the herbs that were
at that time cutting-edge, there are several more
that hadn't come to the forefront yet. Just the other
day, Dr. Oz talked about Passionflower, and
how it can be helpful - particularly for women who
are constantly going from one task to the next, never
finishing, and then having trouble shutting down for
a restful night - know anyone like that?
We
will start with mild and go from there, listing a
few herbs that can help right now. One would additionally
be sure to get lots of rest, see that their vitamin
and mineral requirements were met, and look into some
deeply nourishing herbs for the nervous system, as
well. Many of these are said to take days or weeks
to make a difference, but I can always feel a shift
right away.
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My
first line of defense is always Chamomile.
I like to drink a cup of tea and that will usually
help. It immediately helps me to drop the shoulders
and let out a long breath. Another possibility is
20 or 25 drops of tincture, because often if you had
time to sit and drink a cup of tea, you wouldn't be
stressed, right? If at all possible, a nice warm bath
with a few drops (no more than 10) of Lavender
essential oil OR a spray of essential oil mist on
the pillow case before bed will help to put a bad
day behind and let a new day get a decent start
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) tincture is
a favorite for one of my friends. She uses it when
her kids "get on her last nerve", and suspects that's
how the herb got it's name. This herb is well known
for her helpfulness in menopause, but part of that
is the way it helps with anxiety and ... stress!
Next in line is St. John's Wort. It is made
it into a tincture here each year and taken only as
needed. Some people take it daily, although it should
not be taken in conjunction with any prescribed MAOI
inhibitors. We also keep Eleuthero (aka Siberian
Ginseng) on hand. Eleuthero was tested in large
block factories in Siberia. The workers in one building
took the herb daily, while the next building did not.
The workers using the herb were found to do better
in every measurable way - absenteeism, quality of
work, cheerfulness, etc. Scientists are unsure exactly
how it works, but it is stimulates cells of the immune
system and protects the nervous system. Some people
feel that the two (SJW and Eleuthero) work very well
together.
Of late, these remedies weren't cutting the mustard
for me. Coincidentally, a few years ago I was looking
for something for a friend who is a tax preparer.
Four months out of the year the workload increases
by (seriously) 1000% and the stress takes a visible
toll. A couple new herbs became part of my daily routine.
Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) - also known as
Tulsi - came up in my research. That year it so happened
that I had purchased a Tulsi plant at an herb festival,
and she was large and busy, perfect for a quart or
so of tincture. He and I shared it, and it was the
first time in many years that I heard him laugh in
March. Seriously. We sometimes use it in tea form,
too. Besides helping with stress, Holy Basil is considered
a tonic to the nerves, increases memory, is anti-inflammatory,
anti-viral, anti-oxidant, immune stimulating, and
acids contained in the herb change the way our bodies
release cortisol and the way we react physically to
stress. In India, Holy Basil is used for nearly all
ills. I have an entire flat on order for this spring!
In addition, we use Mimosa (Albizzia julibrissin),
also sometimes known as "the happiness herb". It is
also sometimes called "herbal Prozac", which I don't
like at all, but it seems to get the point across,
and some herbalists include it in formulas for grief.
Sometimes when we are stressed it is because we are
grieving the loss of something. If you've ever seen
Mimosa flowers, they are happy little flowers, pink
puffs that sit on top of the leaves in bunches. Oddly,
every time I gather Mimosa flowers, I smell cotton
candy. There is almost no scent to Mimosa, so it may
be something about the color that clicks something
in my brain... Mimosa helps to reduce anxiety and
stress. The flowers are thought to increase happiness
while the bark is more grounding.
We use a combination here at home. I use it daily,
and when my 18 year old starts getting weepy or angry
during certain parts of her cycle, I will offer her
a bit of the blend.
Those are the things we use here at The Essential
Herbal. Almost all of them are available on our website
if you don't have them growing at your house!
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Jewelry
Drawing Winner
Congratulations to Kathleen Maur of Ohio. She was the
lucky winner of our December drawing for a set of Sterling
Silver Soap Jewelry
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Please
use the following submission guidelines, or
your answer will not be eligible. Email
your answer to  ,
and place "Trivia Answer" in the subject
line. Please do not send your answer by replying to
this newsletter. Only one entry per subscriber. We
will contact the winner, and the answer to this month's
trivia question will be answered in next month's newsletter.
December
trivia question: We posted a couple of Mintel trending
reports to our Facebook
fan page, and asked you respond with one predicted
trend for 2010 and fan us if you hadn't already.
Carol
Barber of Alabama was the first to respond, and received
a Sterling Silver Soap Charm necklace.
New
question: Many of you know how much I love birds,
so you'll understand why I chose this particular bit
of trivia. Some people used to believe that if a woman
saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day it
meant she would marry a sailor, if she saw a goldfinch,
she would marry a rich man. What bird would she have
to see on Valentine's Day if she were to marry a poor
man and be very happy.
Be
the first to answer correctly, and you will receive
16 ounces of our White
Kaolin Clay.
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Until
next month,
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