Blog Book Index

To the past, the present, and the future, I dedicate this book.  To the past because I came out of it, to the present because I live in it, to the future because my children shall inherit it. ~Ruth May Fox

Create
Sewing
Homemaker's Must-Have Apron
Learn Something New This Summer:  Cross-Stitch in 5 Minutes
Easy Hats to Sew Gift (beginners)
Fruit Basket Liners
Kitty Cross-Stitch Sampler (show and tell)
Retro Yo-Yo Quilts
T-Shirt Quilt Tutorials

Pioneer Crafts
Pioneer Day Posts
Clove-Studded Fruit
Old-Timey Button String and Bracelet
Star-Spangled Shelf Paper
Pioneer Rag Dolls
Corn Husk Dolls
Yarn Dolls
Pioneer Handkerchief Dolls
Pioneer Chick Lit
Children's Pioneer Recipes
Flip Over Old Fashioned Games
Children's Pioneer Day Event
A New Twist on Pioneer Hay Sticks
Achievement Days Book Review: Sarah, Plain and Tall
Achievement Days Country Fair
Pioneer Children
CopyCat Magazine Little House Unit
Pioneer Day Toy
Native American Culture Activities for Kids

Camping Crafts
Swaps:  Some Favorite Campy Things, camping part 2
Fabric Scrap Flip Flops (YW colors):  camping part 1
YW Theme Shelf Sitter:  camping part 1
YW Value (water-proof) Matches:  camping part 1
Young Women's Camp

Seasonal
Winter
Christmas
  Snowman Soup Gift:  Christmas traditions, part 4
  Pinecone Fire Starters Gift: Christmas traditions, part 3
  Wrapping Gifts and Making Bows
  Paper Snowflakes Decorations: Christmas traditions, part 3
  Wooly Sheep Ornament: Christmas traditions, part 3
  Santa's List Ornament: Christmas traditions, part 3
  Rudolph the Paper Reindeer Decoration: Christmas traditions, part 3
  Countdown to Christmas Craft
  Applesauce Cinnamon Cutout Ornaments
  Christmas Pageant
  Cookie Tea (Exchange)
  Red-Hots Crock Pot Cider
  SpaRific Bath Mixes to Give
  Candy Cane Reindeer Ornaments
  Retro Christmas Stockings
  Fragrant Vintage Ornaments
  Festive Fruit Basket Liners
  Natural Angel Ornaments
  Christmas Coffee Cake
  Snow-Couple Bell Ornament
  Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries
  Quick and Easy Piping Bag for Gingerbread Cookies (White Frosting)
St. Patrick's Day
  St. Patty's Day Family Night

Spring
Easter
  Bird's Nests and Jelly Bean Poem
  Boo Boo Easter Bunnies
  Easter Games
  Resurrection Eggs
Senior Tea
Mother's Day
  Bath Potpourri "Tea" Bags
  Mom Mix

Summer
Relaxation
  Active Meditation for Serious Relaxation
  Spirit Soothers
  Scents that Soothe
  Aromatherapy Bath Potpourri "Tea" Bags
  Meditation Made Easy
Big Fish Book Review (commemorate Dad by
reading the book or watching the movie on Father's Day)
Favorite Fourth of July Traditions
Origami Earrings
Chick Lit for July
Crystal Garden
Old Fashioned Travel Games
Jello Popsicles and Kool-Aid Playdough

Autumn
Trick or Treat Family Night Idea
October Traditions: Fun with Cookies
October Traditions: Chicklit, Songs, Activities
October Traditions: Autumn Days
Boys Like to Dress Up Too!
Better Than Potpourri Brew
November Traditions
Simple Oktoberfest Family Meal (foil cooking)
Fall Fun
When There's Nothing Else to Eat (leftover turkey salad)

Meditation Made Easy

My Little Headache, 1994

Do you ever find it hard to concentrate? Is your mind ever muddled? Are you too wound up to settle down to bed at night or to concentrate on a project requiring mental exertion during the day? Do you feel overwhelmed, anxious or even terribly angry at something your child has done? I have tried counting to ten or twenty, or going for a walk or reading the scriptures--but sometimes I need something fast and simple to put me in the "right frame of mind" to deal with an immediate concern. The following is an exercise that has helped me to "think straight," probably by bringing an extra dose of oxygen to my brain through this relaxing breathing exercise:

Sit in a comfortable position. Straighten your spine, relax your shoulders and take a few deep breaths. Gently close your eyes and allow your body to become still. Then begin counting your breaths from one to four. (Count on the out breath, or the exhalation.) Try not to manipulate the breath in any way; simply observe and count. You might find that outside concerns race into your head--an appointment you need to schedule, what you're planning to make for dinner. Don't allow distractions in. Gently bring the mind back to 'one' whenever it starts to wander. Remember, too, that you don't need to be perfect. All you have to be is in the present, something we already do at varying points throughout the day without realizing it. "Meditation is meant to show us what is already ours, " points out Clark Strand, author of The Wooden Bowl: Simple Meditation for Everyday Life (Hyperion, 1998). ("Mind Enhancers," by Angela Ebron, Jennifer Pirtle and Joanne Van Zuidam, Family Circle 5/11/99)

Active Meditation for Serious Relaxation
Spirit Soothers
Scents that Soothe
Aromatherapy Bath Potpourri "Tea" Bags

Aromatherapy Bath Potpourri Bag

This made a nice personal gift for a new mom.  I gave a beautiful little gift bag filled with these bath potpourri bags to a friend who had just given birth to her fifth child.  She really loved it :0) especially since she really didn't need any more baby things.

Bath Potpourri Bag (Gift)              

dried chamomile

dried mint

dried lavender

4 x 4 muslin squares

jute or kite rope

Combine equal parts of the dried herbs in a bowl.  Mound a couple of teaspoons of mixture in center of a square of muslin, and tie with jute or kite rope.  Throw 1-2 bags into warm bath.

Spa-Rific Bath Mixes to Give

Active Meditation for Serious Relaxation

Spirit Soothers

Scents that Soothe

Meditation Made Easy

Scents That Soothe

With herb gardens producing like crazy everywhere, I was interested to read about the uses of these and other plant-based oils to promote well-being.  Roman Chamomile's properties aids digestion, relaxes and calms, lessens the severity of headaches, and acts as an anti-inflammatory.  It may be used to soak away worries and tension by adding 8 to 10 drops to bath water just before stepping into the tub.  Make sure to mix well.


Clary Sage has a complex scent often used to treat premenstrual symptoms and to calm emotional crises quickly.  To use, dilute 4-5 drops in one tablespoon unscented vegetable oil (such as wheat germ or jojoba).  Massage into skin, breathing deeply.  It has a slight narcotic effect that my be exaggerated if you are drinking alcohol.  So use with caution.  (Might have to check the Word of Wisdom on this one!)


Lavender is often found in sachets, with a soft scent that has a relaxing effect that can coax you to sleep.  some hospitals diffuse lavender throughout rooms to help ease patients' insomnia.  Massage oil into the palms and soles of feet (it absorbs quickly into the bloodstream) to help with sleeplessness.  Or add a drop to your pillowcase (lavender essential oil won't stain fabric) for sweet dreams.

Active Meditation for Serious Relaxation

Spirit Soothers

Aromatherapy Bath Potpourri "Tea" Bags

Meditation Made Easy

Spirit Soothers

I was rereading this the other day.  It's with a yoga pamphlet I use from "The Ultimate Makeover," Family Circle 5/11/99.  I don't know about anyone else, but at least once-a-month, I get really depressed!  I was reading this and thought it might really help the next time I suffer from the blues.  I especially liked numbers 7-9.  I think reflecting at the end of the day on what I have done to make someone else happy would help my own mood.  I also think that most of us are not good at listening to our "gut instinct" when we should.  I know I'd be happier if I did.  And I always need reassurance that it is okay to say no and mean it.  Let me know which Spirit Soothers you like and if they work for you, or if you have others to add to the list.

1. Throw your cares away.  Literally.  Write any worries down on paper, shred them into tiny pieces, then toss in the trash.
2. Start a "soul soothers" file.  Put in stories, quotes, photos that inspire you or make you smile.
3. Stop being a grown-up.  Go outside and play for an afternoon.
4. Follow your color cues.  Do you feel energized wearing red?  Relaxed in blue?  Use that knowledge to alter your moods.  Try out a new look--even if just for a few minutes.
5. "Forget" to wear your watch for a day.  see if you really miss it.
6. Break out of character.  Order a dish you normally wouldn't have.  Maybe try a new hair cut.
7. Commit to kindness.  At the end of each day, reflect on one nice thing you did for someone else.
8. Begin to trust your intuition.  Do it for one day, then one week, then listen to it for life.
9. Learn to say no.  And stay true to your word.

"Boost your spirits by playing with Silly Putty--you'll feel like a kid again.  What could be more uplifting than that?

"Take a breathing break.  Even though it's a natural reflex,  most of us don't breathe correctly, especially if we're tired or tense.  We take shallow, rather than deep, invigorating breaths, and this can deprive the brain of oxygen, causing fatigue.  Next time you feel overwhelmed, 'Whisper ah,' says Glynn Macdonald, author of The Complete Illustrated Guide to Alexander Technique (Element, 1998).  Put the tip of your tongue against the back of lower teeth.  Open mouth and say, 'Ah,' in a whisper at the end of a breath.  Close mouth and breathe in through nose.  Do three in a row."

Active Meditation for Serious Relaxation

Scents that Soothe

Aromatherapy Bath Potpourri "Tea" Bags

Meditation Made Easy