It's Almost May. Make Some Sachets.

In our last blog post we talked about how lavender is a great stress reducer.  In addition to scenting your home with our delicious lavender candles, you can also tuck homemade sachets into closets and drawers to freshen linens. 

Sachets are cute and incredibly easy to make.  In fact, we're convinced just sitting down to do this simple project is a stress relief in itself.

Here's are easy step by step instructions:

Choose a fabric you like.  We think organza makes a lovely sachet.  Cut into 6" squares.

In a bowl mix together (and crush lightly):

1/2 cup dried lavender flowers

1/4 cup dried lemon verbena

1/8 cup dried rosemary

1 T orris root powder (orris root helps prolong the life of the sachets)

Add:

4 drops of lavender essential oil

2 drops lemon essential oil

Mix very well, cover and let sit for a day so that the dried flowers and oils are thoroughly infused.

Place about an 1/8 cup of the mixture into the center of the cloth squares.  Pull ends together and tie tightly with a length of coordinating ribbon.  Place in the closet with your linens or under your pillow for an extra restful night's sleep.

The After Tax Relax

Even though April showers bring May flowers, April also brings the universally dreaded deadline date for filing your income tax return.  It’s no secret that tax time makes most people cranky and tired.  The New York Times blogged this year about the increase in car accidents on tax day.  Sleep deprivation and stress are thought to be the two main culprits in this sobering statistic.

But, Hallelujah...for better or for worse tax season is over. It’s time for a little celebration (especially if you’re getting a refund) and a little relaxation.

Here are some simple techniques for lowering stress levels.  Treat yourself now and then use them all year long to help you cope with whatever is “taxing” you.

Uncle Sam Wants YOU To Relax!

The Power Nap

Remember taking a nap when you were little?  Well it turns out that naps are a good thing for grownups too.  Numerous studies indicate that a short 30 minute nap in the mid afternoon has great benefit.  Join the ranks of famous power nappers like Leonardo DaVinci, Ben Franklin, Beethoven and JFK and take a short snooze every afternoon to boost energy and brain power.

Take A Hike

Walking (and other exercise) releases Mother Nature’s very own mood enhancer...endorphins.  A peaceful pastoral setting is also stress reducing and as a bonus (don’t you just love bonuses?) a brisk 15 minute cross country hike can burn over 100 calories.

Count Your Blessings

It’s amazing.  When you dwell on the good things in your life, the bad things don’t seem quite so important.  Keep a journal.  Write down all the things you are grateful for and be sure to say “thank you” and share a smile as often as possible.  Gratitude and good humor go a long way towards maintaining a positive attitude. (even when dealing with the IRS) 

Smell The Roses

Well actually you should smell the lavender.  Lavender not only smells delightful, but the essential oil has properties that reduces stress and anxiety.  

Of course a little lavender aroma therapy fits perfectly with our very favorite way to relax:  Dim the lights, light the scented candles, run a tub full of water, turn on some soft music and settle in for a long soak with a favorite book.

Our wonderfully fragrant essential oil candles come in 12 oz glass jars, 4 oz tins and 8 oz tins.  Here are some of our very favorite scents and scent combos for relaxing:  Lavender, Serenity essential oil, Raspberry Rain and Cedarwood & Amber.

Click the link above to our website to find these candles and other luscious, pampering scents.

We love sharing so if you have a great tip for unwinding and reducing stress, please share it with us in the comments.

Hopping Down The Bunny Trail With an Offer and Ideas

In less than a week, the landscape will be dominated by colored eggs, chocolate bunnies and extraordinarily frilly dresses and bonnets.  Easter is almost here!

To celebrate we are offering a trio of 8 oz candles in Sweet Pea, Lilac and Rain Shower at 15% off.  This offer is good through April 14th.  Be sure to use coupon code Spring0312 when placing your order at our website.

These candles are perfect for decorating and scenting your home for your spring festivities or to take as a host or hostess gift if you’re going to celebrate at someone else’s home.

You know we are all about doing things naturally.  It’s why we don’t use petroleum based products and we use 100% cotton wicks and high quality oils and essential oils.  

If you want to dye your Easter eggs the natural way, here is a simple way to color your eggs with dyes made from plant materials.


Place the eggs in a single layer in a pan and add cool water until the eggs are covered.  Then, add approximately 1 teaspoon of vinegar...perhaps a scoch more if you have lots of eggs and water.  Then, throw in your natural dye material.  Again, use more material for more eggs or for a more intense color.  

Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  You’re cooking and coloring eggs at the same time...it’s a step saver.  Turn off the burner and let the eggs cool.  If you are satisfied with the color, remove the eggs from the pan.

If you want more intensely colored eggs, temporarily remove the eggs from the pan and strain the dye through a coffee filter or cheese cloth. Cover the eggs with the filtered dye and leave them in the fridge overnight.

Here are some recommended ingredients to achieve certain colors:

• Lavender: Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice
• Blue: Canned Blueberries, Red Cabbage Leaves (boiled)
• Green: Spinach Leaves (boiled)
• Yellow: Carrot Tops (boiled)
• Brown: Strong Coffee, Black Tea
• Orange: Paprika
• Pink: Beets
• Red: Canned Cherries with Juice

Type “natural Easter egg dyes” into your search engine to find more ideas for coloring eggs the natural way.

Making Scents of Springtime

An adage states that the month of March “comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” This reference to the transformation of the weather from blustery and wild to gentle and mild could not be more inaccurate this year.

To the delight of everyone, March came in like a kitten and as expected is going out like a lamb. The bounty of warmth and sunshine lures us from the indoors to bask in the sunshine (and to soak up some very important Vitamin D) and to indulge in the fresh smells that come with the reawakening of the earth.

 Long before science proved it, humans were aware that the senses, especially the sense of smell were critical in evoking memory and facilitating healing actions in the body. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese all practiced aromatherapy to some extent as part of the healing arts.

Speaking of the ancients, every person familiar with the Christmas story knows that the Three Wise Men brought gifts of frankincense and myrrh. Both of these resins are highly valued for their healing properties and their perfume.

 For me, the smell of the magnolia blossom is potent. One whiff and I’m seated on a sunny window seat in my grandmother’s bathroom wrapped in a warm fuzzy towel after an afternoon bath.

We now know that smell and memory are linked because the olfactory bulb which is responsible for the sense of smell is part of the limbic system which is central to memory. With this distinct connection in mind, the use of premium grade and essential oils to scent our candles is of the utmost importance. 

When you inhale the aroma of one of our candles, we want you to relax and revel in the comfort of special memories that each scent might evoke for you. Spring smells are particularly potent with their promise of renewal and rebirth. This season we are pleased to bring you our best-selling scents for spring.

We’re offering Sweetgrass, Lilac, Butterfly Flowers, Nag Champa, Sweet Pea, Ylang Ylang and Caribbean Breeze.

Our soy wax candles in these delicious scents are offered in either 4 oz tin candles or the 6 oz Mini Metro glass candle.

What is your favorite spring smell? Fresh mown grass? The air after a cleansing rain? Laundry drying in the sun? Lilac blooms? Cherry blossoms?

 We’d love to know what spring smells delight you and trigger your memory recall. Tell us in the comments and perhaps we can incorporate some of your scent/memory ideas into future candle fragrances.

Spring Sharing

We want to reward you for helping us spread the news about Orchard Harvest earth friendly candles and products.  All you have to do is like, fan, comment and share to enter.  Here's how:

Leap For Joy...It's Free Shipping!

Did you know that leap year has been a part of the calendar for thousands of years?  Julius Caesar added leap year to the calendar in 45 BC. 

History tells us that Sosigenes, Caesar's astronomer, developed the Julian calendar based on the fact that it actually takes the earth 365.25 days to circle the sun.  Every 4 years that extra quarter day equals one whole day.  Based on festivals, the Romans tacked the extra day on to the end of any month that suited their schedule. 


In the 16th century, Pope Gregory standardized the calendar and now every 4 years, the extra day falls on February 29.


In celebration of this ancient tradition, we're inviting our customers to take a LEAP and order your favorite Orchard Harvest candles and products by offering FREE SHIPPING.  The offer is good for February 29th only.  Go to our website at Orchard Harvest Candles, fill your shopping cart to the brim and then enter the code: freeship0229.


Now you can spend your March surrounded by the warm glow of candles and your favorite scents.


Even better...order a candle as a special birthday gift for the Leap Year baby who only gets a birthday celebration every four years.    

Doing Something New

In 2003, I’m not sure what hit me but I sensed a change in my life and it made me uneasy.  Then I discovered my younger sister Chrissy was diagnosed with a serious illness and I pondered day and night how I might help her.

Until 2003, my life was full and busy raising three children, working in the medical field as a Physician Assistant and living life. I was good at what I did.  The medical profession was just perfect for me. 

I often told my family that I must have been talking while standing in line to receive the artistic gene from my Higher Power because it certainly skipped me and science was my strength.

With my sister’s situation, I had to get serious about how I was going to adjust my life to help ease hers. That’s when the concept of starting my own business began and I focused on creating a line of all-natural wax candles.

When you are in the health profession, business classes are not in the curriculum. With the help of my family and friends, I plugged my nose and jumped in. I attended business seminars. I read books.  I toured factories.  I tested fragrances and learned about their properties.  I delved into the intricacies of being a woman in business.

I ordered supplies, took my natural wax training in Iowa and Chrissy and I were on our way. These were baby steps but they were business baby steps and in October 2004, Orchard Harvest, LLC, all natural wax candles, opened its doors as an e-commerce retail business on the internet. 

I was still confused about where this burgeoning artist in me was coming from. An artistic friend said to me,  “Mary, you have just discovered the artistic side of yourself.  You have opened up a part of you that was hidden for a very long time.” 

Tapping into that hidden passion inside of me was what brought my business dream to fruition.

My nature inspired, earth friendly soy and palm wax blend candles are color free and do not contain petroleum. The candles are scented with either essential oils or premium grade fresh and earthy fragrances that stimulate but do not over power the senses. I also use cotton wicks that are soot free.  You could say I was “green” before “green” became all the rage.

 Like most contemporary women, my life is a delicate balancing act.  I care for my family, support my sister, work as a care giver and I’ve unleashed my inner artist as I pursue my passion with Orchard Harvest. But I also came to realize the necessity of caring for myself.  I’d like to tell you that if the well is dry then you don’t have water for all those that you nourish. 

Starting Orchard Harvest taught me that I’m allowed to take a restorative moment for myself.  I can sit down, prop up my feet, light one of my scented candles and metaphorically refill my well.  It’s what I want for my customers so I began to allow the same for myself.

Orchard Harvest has also given me a new outlet to reach out and help others.  The Orchard Harvest line can be used for fund raising and I'm personally dedicated to raising money to help our men and women in the armed services.

Now that you know a little about me, I'd love to know more about you.  What inspires you?  What is your journey?

Please share your comments with me and I look forward to sharing all kinds of things with you from decorating tips to why I select the ingredients and scents I use.

Candles have been used to light our world for more than 5000 years.  I look forward to adding a little light to yours.