I have wanted to dye Easter Eggs with food for years and finally tried it. This was such a fun project with surprising and, sometimes, puzzling results. Most of the ideas were after surfing the internet, googling ‘easter egg dyeing with food.’ There are so many people out there doing this and so many different final products. I decided I was going to try it out and give you one more opinion on whether it’s worth the effort.

Before I started, I felt I needed some traditional guidelines on how to dye Easter Eggs and went to the do-all, end-all of any project: Martha Stewart. She has an excellent ‘Egg Dyeing 101′ article on her website that is truly informative, with pictures and detailed instructions. Here’s the web address with all the hints: http://www.marthastewart.com/275626/egg-dyeing-101/@center/276968/easter#/217385.

One hint I tried and loved was the Egg Drying Rack. You make this with a piece of foam core (mine was 12×12″) and draw a 1″ grid on it. Then in the corner of each square, you place a sewing pin. After an egg has been dyed, you place the egg on the pins and it holds it up so there are no marks left on the surface. I loved this idea. For years and years I tried all kinds of ways to keep the eggs from being marked up and the only thing I could do to prevent any of that happening was to hold it gently with the nails of my thumb and forefinger and walk around with it until it dried.  As you can imagine, dyeing a dozen or more eggs took quite a while!

the best egg drying method ever! It doesn’t take long to draw the lines, but it does take a little patience to put in the pins. Well worth it!

Now, let’s get going on the food dyeing part. I will do this by color, stating what I used, how it was processed and whether or not I thought the end result was worth doing it again.

If you are going to make this a Kid Project, be sure the little ones are wearing clothes you don’t mind getting a little more colorful. And protect the work area with newspaper or butcher paper to keep any of the dyes ruining the surface. I didn’t experience any trouble with that, but you never know.

Eggs-To Cook or Not to Cook

There are two theories about this. The Hot Method is cooking the eggs with the ingredients. This can cause the dye to scrape off easily (usually with the fruit dyes) or the hot method helps the dye adhere to the egg better. I did it both ways. What I found with the eggs that were cooked with the ingredients was the egg became ‘mottled’; which isn’t bad, in my opinion. I think it added character. I put already boiled eggs in a jar with the solids as well as the liquid and the eggs got an interesting pattern and I believe that was due to their being up against the solid parts during the dyeing process.

The Cold Method is where you strain the dye and put the boiled egg in and let it sit for 2 hours or even overnight. The shorter time created a more muted color whereas the overnight colors were much brighter or richer.

Vinegar and/or Baking Soda

We are all aware that vinegar is necessary to help the dye stick to the egg and there are some who say add baking soda to create a better result. Baking soda was also recommended when using leafy green vegetables to help release the color from the leaves.  I used vinegar in my processes and was satisfied enough to not worry about using the baking soda for the non-leafy vegetables.

Wide Mouth Jars

Over the years, I have tried using all kinds of containers to dye Easter Eggs with and found that Wide Mouth Pint Jars work the best. The top is wide enough to place the egg in gently and for using a large spoon to scoop the egg out. It’s recommended that you refrigerate the dye so I place the jars on a baking sheet or the box you buy them in and put them in the refrigerator.

Different Colors

These recipes are ones that I tried but there are many more on the internet. Try even experimenting with some of your spices in your spice cabinet.

Red Eggs

I read that beets red onion skins, cherries, and cranberries are good to use to get red or pink.  I tried canned beets and cherries and the only color I could get was grey and black. That says Easter, doesn’t it? I’m not sure what I did to get those colors but will keep it in mind next Halloween! I think it had something to do with them being canned products. I tried fresh beets and the red onion skins and had terrific results. The beets created a real, pretty pink or salmon and the onion skins created a beautiful ruby or garnet color. I added cranberry juice to the beets and it created a darker pink, almost fuchsia.

Peels of Red Onions

6 cups water
1T Vinegar

Boil for 30 minutes. Let cool and and strain through coffee filter or cheesecloth-lined colander.

red onion skin: left in solution overnight created a deep burgundy

Red Beets

3-4 red beets, coarsely chopped

enough water to cover beets

Bring to boil; simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool and strain.

Dark Cherries

1 pk frozen dark cherries
water to cover fruit
2 T Vinegar

Bring to boil; simmer 15 minutes. Strain and let cool. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer to get any foamy material out of liquid.

dark red cherries: left in solution created a garnet-colored egg

I really love the color of this dye on the eggs. Like the red onion skins, it creates a real rich, deep burgundy.

YELLOW

Turmeric and Green Tea work well to get this color. I prefer the turmeric overnight; it created a rich yellow. The green tea created a lighter, more pastel yellow.

Turmeric

5 C water
1/4 cup turmeric
2 T Vinegar

Boil for 5 minutes; simmer for 30 more. Filter the turmeric dye mixture through a coffee filter inside a strainer to get rid of the excess turmeric. Let cool.

turmeric: such a rich color-probably my favorite

Green Tea

7 tea bags
3 C water
1 T Vinegar

Boil for 5 minutes; simmer for 25 more. A fairly short soak makes a nice, pale yellow and overnight created a darker version. Both very nice.

GREEN

2 cans blueberries
3 T turmeric

2 T Vinegar

Boil for 5 minutes; simmer for 30. Filter the turmeric dye mixture through a coffee filter inside a strainer to get rid of the excess turmeric. You may have to strain it more than once.

This recipe was a fun one! When I mixed the two ingredients it created a murky, rusty color. How was this supposed to create green? Even when I strained it and the egg was soaking, the solution still looked rusty-red. When I scooped out the egg, I was shocked to see how evergreen it was! Such a cool color for an egg!

I tried dyeing eggs with spinach and dark greens like kale and I couldn’t tell if it had any color at all, even when I used baking soda and soaked it overnight. I compared the egg to an un-dyed one and saw there was a difference, although it was teeny-tiny. Not worth the effort. Especially since the blueberries and turmeric work so well.

blueberries and turmeric: the picture doesn’t show how the solution is actually a ‘rusty’ color but look at how green the egg becomes! fun

BLUE

Red Cabbage
10 C water
1/2 head red cabbage, coarsely chopped
3 T Vinegar

Boil for 30 minutes. Strain and let cool.

I loved this recipe. Like the blueberry and turmeric recipe, it didn’t look like it was going to make the color it claimed it would. The solution looked red, maybe even fuchsia, but when I scooped out the egg, it was the most beautiful blue! Two hours created a light, pastel blue and the overnight result was a richer, darker blue. Very nice.

red cabbage: the solution is actually a dark pink or purple and produces the richest blue.

Frozen Blueberries

2 C frozen blueberries
2 C water
1 T Vinegar

Bring to boil, let simmer 30 minutes. Strain and let cool.

This, too, created a light and dark blue, depending on the length of soaking time. There were some recipes that claimed this would create purple, but my experience was it created blue.

frozen blueberries: a couple hours created a real, nice pastel blue but I preferred the overnight color shown here.

PURPLE

Grape Juice

2 C grape juice
1 T Vinegar

Boil for 15 minutes, simmer for 5 more. Let cool.

This works well if kept overnight. The problem with using juice is the color scrapes off easily so be aware of this when you are drying them off. I patted mine very lightly then let it air dry. It created a ‘mottled’ look and had some texture, which I happen to like. Made it a little different. I also strained it through a cheesecloth-lined strainer to get any foamy material out of the liquid.

grape juice: there must be some chemical reaction to putting an egg with grape juice overnight; it created sort of a ‘film’ on the outside that looked like crystals or glitter. My Ava’s theory is it was the natural sugar in the grape juice that made it that way. Sounds good to ‘non-science brain’ me!

Blackberries

1 10oz bag frozen blackberries
Water to cover ingredients
1 T Vinegar

Bring to boil; simmer 15 minutes. Strain and let cool.

This created the nicest purple. Again, I liked the overnight result the best.

frozen blackberries: this created a real, nice dark purple.

TAN

I didn’t think I would want tan. It seemed like such a boring color. When I tried the Paprika and Red Chile Powder and was a little surprised the colors ended up being different variances of tan. When I put them with the other colors, I liked the contrast they had with the brighter colors.

Paprika

4 C water
5 T Paprika

Bring to boil; simmer for 15 minutes. Strain through coffee filter, let cool. This creates a nice, light tan.

Red Chile Powder

4 C water
5 T red chile powder

Bring water to boil; simmer for 15 minutes. Strain through coffee filter, let cool. This creates a little bit darker tan.

paprika and red chili powder: these both created a nice, light tan. Not real exciting but a few of these made a nice, neutral contrast when put in a basket with the other colors.

You can also do this with black tea or coffee, if you wish. Dipping any of the colored eggs in those two ingredients will create an ‘aged’ look to them. Nice way to use any leftovers.

After I was done, I decided that this was a great project, experimenting with all kinds of ingredients and getting some nice surprises. The end result created different Easter Eggs than I am traditionally used to, but I found I liked that. This is also a fun project for kids, especially with the red cabbage and blueberry/turmeric recipes. What a great science project this would make!

It’s Spring Break in Arizona and time to get out and have some fun! And why not start in Apache Junction? Ok, I hear some of you groaning and moaning but just listen for a minute. There are so many places around here to visit and can be done in a 1/2 or even a whole day trip.

A fun one for locals and visitors alike is the Dolly Steamboat tour of Canyon Lake. They have both afternoon and dinner/sunset tours to choose from. We have gone on both and probably preferred the dinner tour most because there were more animals out and about right before and after sunset. The entertainment was pretty good and the food okay, but the experience was more than worth the price and time. Their website is www.dollysteamboat.com.

Another fun place to explore is the Gold Field Ghost Town. This is a replica of an actual gold field town where more than 10,000 miners lived in tents outside the small community. There is a train that takes you around the town, shops, museums (the bordello is an interesting tour!) and there’s even a mine tour that takes you down to where the miners did their work.

This is an especially favorite tour my Danny likes to take people on. As you can see by the sign, gold panning is another fun activity for the kids.

Their website is: www.goldfieldghosttown.com

If you’re interested in the local history, our Superstition Mountain Museum is the place to go. They have art fairs on a regular basis and Thursdays is a day for lectures. There is also The Little White Chapel, famous for being in an Elvis Presley movie. Sometimes when I drive past the museum on my way home, I’ll see people around the chapel for a wedding. What a beautiful setting to start one’s new life with a spouse! The website is: superstitionmountainmuseum.org.

If you and your family love to hike then you need to check out the Lost Dutchman Hiking Trails. There are more than 150 hiking trails (ranging from easy to the most challenging) in the Superstition Mountains and many of them can be started here. It’s a state park and has employees who are very experienced and well-educated about hiking and the surrounding area. There are maps of the hikes to take with you as well as suggestions on which trail is best for you and your family’s experience. The cost is $5.00 per car so it’s very reasonable. Ask about their Full Moon Hike they have every month. It’s good for all ages and tons of fun. Their website is www.stateparks.com/lost_dutchman.html

Well, that should keep you busy for at least one day! I promise, if you take the time (and the gas!), you’ll be very happy you did. There are those days during Spring Break where the kids are tired of the house and each other and what better way to entertain them? Bring ‘em on over to Apache Junction!

I was 42-years-old before I was introduced to lovely, luscious afternoon tea by my wonderful Auntie Vel. And the first question to myself was, ‘Why in the heck did you take so long?’ I am happy to say that since then I have had tea many times and enjoy it immensely. When I was blessed by three beautiful granddaughters I made it a mission that they would not have to wait until they were 42 before they had their first experience. From when they were old enough to hold a teacup in their hand, we have had ‘tea’ at our house.

I was always skeptical of the idea of Afternoon Tea and felt slightly intimidated by the thought of being someplace where my manners were going to be scrutinized and judged. I quickly found out that Afternoon Tea is no more stressful than having a meal at a favorite restaurant. The first lesson I learned was, ‘Relax! Pretend this is any other meal you’re having and just enjoy it.’ After making myself relax, it became one of my favorite outings for several reasons. Afternoon Tea gives us an opportunity to eat good food, be with good friends and have a quiet, serene respite from the outside world. What can be nicer than eating, chatting, and relaxing? It is not necessary to go to any of the fancier places to get a good experience. Although, I have to admit that one of my favorite things to do is spoil my daughter-in-law by taking her to the Phoenician for her birthday! But I digress. There are several tea houses around Phoenix that, with 24-hour notice, will set a nice tea in a comfortable environment. Here are a few that you may find in your area (or you can google ‘tea houses, phoenix):

English Rose, Carefree, 480-488-4812

Kimberly Ann’s Victorian Tearoom, Glendale, 623-934-1106

Abbey Gardens, Mesa, 480-730-1819

There are, of course, the fancier-shmancier places like The Phoenician, The Biltmore and The Ritz. If the idea of having Afternoon Tea is intimidating, I would encourage you to try one of the places I have suggested to reassure yourself that this is not to be feared, it’s to be embraced and enjoyed! Then, when you’re ready, take someone to tea at the Phoenician for her special birthday. Or your own!

When my ladies and I have tea at my house, it can be a simple snack, lunch or we do a Special Tea. We get our inspirations from a terrific book called, ‘The Tea Party Book’ by Lucille Recht Penner. It’s available, new and used, on Amazon.com. In this book you will find themes for teas that include a Teddy Bear Tea, a Valentine Tea and even a Full-Moon Tea. What’s great about this book is there are recipes for simple foods that children can make themselves with a little help from an adult, suggestions for decorations and how to make your own table settings. The ingredients for the food and the supplies for the crafts are usually things we have around the house. This can turn into a half-day or an all day project to keep our little darlings occupied on some of these hot, summer days. It gives us an opportunity to teach something, have fun and eat!

More importantly, having tea can also give us a chance to go over more formalized manners with our little ladies. When my own granddaughters and I have tea, we sometimes practice being a Proper Young Lady. I tell them that these are manners we don’t always have to use when we are home with the family but come in handy when we find ourselves at a nice restaurant or having dinner at a friend’s house.

Here is a little background on where Afternoon Tea came from, what the different kinds of tea mean and even a few ideas for your own tea party. I hope this inspires you to explore the world of Afternoon Tea. You won’t be sorry, promise!

Drinking tea as an event can be traced back to 1662 in England during the reign of Charles II. His wife, Queen Catharine brought tea with her when she came to the country and was known as the Tea-Drinking Queen. She served tea in her bedchamber mainly for a female gathering. The taking of tea in the afternoon developed into a new social event some time in the late 1830′s and thought to have been established by Anne, Duchess of Bedford. She requested light sandwiches be brought to her in the late afternoon because she had a ‘sinking feeling’ during that time as a result of the long gap between meals. Since they slept late each morning, they would have breakfast and usually wouldn’t eat again until a late dinner, around 8 o’clock. The Duchess began to invite others to join her and it became a tradition that is practiced in England to this day.

There are various types of ‘tea’, most of which you have probably heard of but, like me, didn’t know the meaning or details of them.

Cream Tea: A simple tea consisting of scones, clotted cream, marmalade or lemon curd and tea.

Low Tea/Afternoon Tea: An afternoon meal including sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, curd, 2-3 sweets and tea. Known as ‘low tea’ because guests are seated in low armchairs with low side-tables to place their cups and saucers.

Elevensies: Morning coffee hour in England.

Royale Tea: A social tea served with champagne at the beginning or sherry at the end of the tea. Some of the nicer tea places here in Phoenix serve champagne and/or sherry before the first course of sandwiches.

High Tea: High tea is reminiscent of elegancy and regal-ness when in fact it’s an evening meal most often enjoyed around 6pm by laborers and miners returning home. In England, high tea consists of meat and potatoes as well as other foods and tea. Now it’s not exclusively a working class meal but has been adopted by all social groups. Families with servants often took high tea on Sundays in order to allow the maids and butlers time to go to church and not worry about cooking an evening meal for the family. In the United States, the term High Tea is sometimes used when referring to ‘low tea’ or ‘afternoon tea.’

Tea at home

You don’t have to have real tea at a tea party. We have had apple juice, orange juice, plain or flavored milk, and, well, you get the idea. Here are a few ideas of having a fun tea at home:

A Full-Moon Tea Party

You don’t have to have a full moon to enjoy this tea, but it makes it extra special. You can sit by a window where the full moon can be seen (on those really, really hot nights!) or you can set up on the porch. The menu includes moon cupcakes, cheese stars and apple crescents and place mats decorated with moons and stars. For a fun centerpiece, hang a big, yellow balloon from the ceiling. There are fun instructions on making your own party favors – homemade telescopes!

Moon Cupcakes

Make whatever flavor cupcake you wish and frost with white frosting. Place on gray or light blue candied ‘dots’ to represent the craters on the moon.

Cheese Stars and Apple Crescents

You will need:

A star-shaped cookie cutter
Cheese slices
Apples

Cut the stars out of the cheese slices with the cookie cutter. Cut apple into thin slices. Arrange your stars and apple crescents on a pretty plate.

Milky Way Tea

Stir together 1 teaspoon honey, ¼ teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup milk for each person. Warm the mixture in a saucepan and pour into a teapot.

Night Sky Place Mats

You will need:

aluminum foil
glue
black colored construction paper (a size that will make a nice placemat)
gold star stickers

Directions: Cut small round or crescent moons out of foil. Glue moons onto each piece of black construction paper. Stick on some gold star stickers.

Telescopes

You will need:

Black colored paper
tape
plastic wrap
silver star stickers

Directions: To make each telescope, cut a piece of black paper in half. Roll the paper into a tube and tape it together. Cut a circle out of plastic wrap. Tape it over one end of the paper tube.

Stick some silver stars on the plastic wrap. Everyone can look at the yellow ‘moon’ balloon (or the real one!) through their telescopes.

Teddy Bear Tea Party

This is a special favorite of my Lovely Ladies!

Teddy Bear Cookies

You will need:

1 stick butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
¼ cup cocoa
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
raisins

Preheat oven 350. Grease cookie sheet.

Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg.

In separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir mixture into the butter and sugar. Chill one hour or more.

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Divide each piece into 1 large ball (size of a ping-pong ball) for head and 2 little balls (marble size) for ears. Place balls on cookie sheet in shape of bear face, flatten slightly, and press in raisins for eyes and nose. Bake 15 minutes.

Makes 8 cookies

Bear Berries and Honey Bread

You will need:

whole-wheat bread
raspberries or blueberries
honey
toothpicks

Directions: Put small bowl of honey in center of a plate. Put circle of berries around it. Stick toothpicks into some of the berries.

Cut crusts off 4 pieces of whole-wheat bread. Cut each slice into 4 strips. Arrange strips in pretty pattern around bowl of honey and berries.

Teddy Bear Place Mats

You will need:

Construction paper (size for a place mat)
Felt-tip markers

Draw little teddy bear faces all over each place mat. Set on at every place at the table. My ladies have also made teddy bears out of construction paper and glued them on the place mat.

Japanese Tea Party

We did this one time in place of lunch. We spent the morning getting everything ready and we all agreed it was one of our best teas!

Menu:

Noodle Soup (like Top Ramen)
Sweet Rice Cakes
Green Tea
Honey
Milk

Make noodle soup according to package instructions.

Sweet Rice Cakes

1 package rice cakes
honey

Spread rice cakes with thin layer of honey. Place on cookie sheet. Set aside. When you’re ready to eat, put cakes under broiler for one minute. Serve warm.

Cherry Blossom Centerpiece

You will need:

a small branch from your garden
pink tissue paper
pipe cleaners

Find a small branch and strip off leaves. Make each blossom, cut 8-inch square of pink tissue paper. Gently crumble square of paper. Twist on end of pipe cleaner around middle of crumpled paper. Twist other end around tree branch. Make three or four cherry blossoms for the branch. This was surprisingly simple and ended up being very pretty. We put the branches on a white serving platter.

Japanese Fans

You will need:

Flet-tip markers
Colored paper
Tape

Draw pictures of cherry blossoms and butterflies on one side of the colored paper. Starting at the short edge, fold paper accordion style. When paper is all folded up, tape one end closed for handle. Fan out other end. Make enough fans for each person.

One of the traditions in Japan is removing shoes before entering the house. The ladies thought it was fun seeing their shoes lined up on the welcome mat by our front door.

Summertime can be fun with the days being more relaxed and there are ‘no worries’ getting up for school and having lunches packed or those times when homework WAS eaten by the dog! But what are you going to do on those days when the kids are sick of being inside, sick of what’s on tv and, honestly, sick of each other?

One thing you might try is challenge them to come up with a plan. I have my granddaughters (the Lovely Ladies) write a list of what they want to do when they come over. We pick one or two items each visit and cross them off as they’re done. It’s kind of amazing how many they come up with. This summer we are looking forward to painting rocks, going to a movie in the theater, shopping, and having tea parties.

To help coming up with a list, I found a site online called ’11 Ways to Keep the Kids Learning this Summer.’ The web address is:

http://learningryan.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/11-ways-to-keep-the-kids-learning-this-summer

This is a good site if you are concerned about your child losing some of their knowledge over the summer or they need an extra boost to get them on-task once school starts again. It had some good suggestions on how to inspire your child to read more or review their math. One was your child doing a page of work to earn an extra 15 minutes tv watching. I’ve always said I was never too proud to bribe. Whatever it takes was my mantra!

These everyday things I mentioned I do with my granddaughters and the article are a good start but there are some other ideas that might make the summer a little more fun.

Last year I discovered that the local library had a reading program where free Diamondback tickets are given if your child reads a certain amount by a deadline. It started May 31 and ends July 31; plenty of time to reach their goal! It’s good for real young kids as they count how many books they read and then the older ones are given credit for how many pages they read. There are little prizes along the way (bookmarks, toys, etc) for each mini-goal. My Lovely Ladies did this last year and were so excited about not only reaching their goals but they got to go to a Diamondbacks game with their dad. They took signs that said, ‘I read X-amount of books to come to this game!’ Just go online for more information or stop by your local library. It’s easy to sign up and it’s a great place to go on a hot afternoon when the kids are crazy and you’re close to becoming that way yourself!

We plan on doing the library reading program again but we decided to do something new this year. A friend of mine suggested this and we can’t wait to get started. It’s called A Trip Around the World. How this works is each child picks a country they would like to ‘visit.’ We do research on that country finding out where it’s located, what their culture is like, what kind of architecture they have, what they wear, and what they eat. We are going make a poster board with all the information on it including the country’s flag, their country bird, plant, etc. The ladies are interested in the food, fashion and the architecture. If you have boys, they may be more interested in the history (wars, etc) and types of transportation they used. We will then go to a restaurant that serves that country’s food. I found miniature passports at ‘Michaels’ in the scrapbooking section and when we visit the restaurant, we’ll stamp the passbook as if we were actually going to that country. The first place we are ‘visiting’ is China (Shelly’s choice) and we are already looking forward to the food!

There are so many museums in the Phoenix area and some of them offer free admission on certain days of the week or month. The Phoenix Museum has Wednesdays from 3-9 where they ask for a donation instead of an entry fee. There are all kinds of exhibits available and another way to get out of the heat. Their website is: www.phxart.org.

Another museum that is not only great for kids but has a local history is the Heard Museum. During July, they are having Summer Sundays where it’s free admission. This runs from July 3 to July 31. Their website is: http://www.heard.org.

Here is a list of other museums you might be interested in trying out:

The Musical Instrument Museum

This is the largest collection of musical instruments anywhere from all over the world. They had a segment on the CBS Sunday Morning Show where  my husband and I heard about it for the first time. Opening last November, it has had great success. We took our Lovely Ladies there and they had a terrific time. They dragged us all over the museum to see their favorite country’s instruments. The museum divided up the exhibit by the countries geographical areas. Each country not only has the instruments displayed, they have a flat screen showing a video of the instruments being played. You wear headphones that  turn on to that exhibit’s audio when you approach it. Very high tech and very fun. The museum also has a ‘Hands On’ room where kids can try out numerous string and percussion instruments. They even have a huge gong that they are able to hit. But only once, darn it! My husband and I are planning on going back and taking it a little slower. It’s a huge facility and there’s a lot to see. And they have a fabulous cafe with an on-site chef so there’s a nice place to have a snack or even a meal. Good for a Date Night. Website: http://www.themim.org

The Arizona Science Museum

This museum has always had interesting exhibits and has several ‘Hands On’ rooms for kids of all ages. We have taken the Lovely Ladies there several times and have not been disappointed. Website: http://www.azscience.org

The Arizona Youth Museum

This museum is located next to the Mesa Arts Center and is a terrific place for kids. Not only do you get to see different art exhibits geared towards children, there are places where they can work on projects like beading or sculpting. Website: www.arizonamuseumforyouth.com

The Pueblo Grande Museum

Located by the Phoenix Zoo, this is a great place to learn about the first citizens of Phoenix, The Hohokam. This is a museum most people miss seeing when on their way to the zoo or Desert Botanical Gardens but is a great place to visit. Website: www.pueblogrande.org

I was not one of those Nature Moms feeding my babies organic, homemade pureed vegetables and fruits or only had organic materials touching their precious, little bodies. Since two were born during Danny’s dental school years (were we NUTS?) and the third one-year later, I was not anywhere interested in anything that took time or effort. Little did I know how easy, effortless and cheap it is to make your own bath products for kids.

You have seen me make different lotions and potions on the show and these same products can be made for your children using essential oils that help with their moods or make them feel better. We have all purchased bath products that have lavender or chamomile to promote relaxation and even bath gel with eucalyptus in it to help with stuffy noses and congested chests. The thing that concerns me about these over-the-counter products is what chemicals are they made with and are they safe for our children? If you look at the labels, most of the products, especially bubble baths, will have warnings about not exposing your child with the product for too long because of infections that can be caused. There are some really nice products that are made by natural-prone companies, which are completely safe and I encourage you to look for these at your local natural food store like Whole Foods or Sprouts. Again, be sure to read the labels. Be forewarned they can be kind of pricey.

Or, you can make your own! This way you are assured of what your child is being exposed to and have fun with all the different scents to promote different moods. That’s the great part about aromatherapy; you can create a blend appropriate for whatever mood you’re striving for and it doesn’t have to cost a whole lot.

One of the first things you want to consider when you’re thinking about aromatherapy for your children is the strength of the oil you’re going to be using. Many oils, especially those with high citrus levels or extracts from ‘powerful’ plants or herbs (like rosemary and thyme), may render an allergic reaction in children. Put a drop on a cotton ball and hold it a few inches from your child’s nose to see how they like it. Keep in mind that children’s sense of smell is very delicate and what smells fine to us may be too much for them. Less is more in this case. When adding essential oil, start off with a little and then add more if needed. You can always make it stronger but once it’s too much, you end up throwing it out and starting over. You may want to put a drop of the essential oil in a little carrier oil, like jojoba, rub it on the inside of their forearm and in a little while, maybe even overnight, check and see if there was an allergic reaction, like redness or (God forbid!) a rash. If the child doesn’t mind the smell of the oil or doesn’t have a notable reaction to it, then you’re safe to make something!

Here are a few essential oils that seem to work well for children and seem to promote good moods:

Lavender: this helps relax people and is used in many over-the-counter products you’ll find in drug stores and fine stores alike. This is something you might want to use in bath products used at night to help encourage your child to fall asleep. I have used a few drops in a small spray bottle with water and sprayed the linens of the bed to give them a fresh smell and to help promote sleep.

Chamomile: this also helps promote relaxation and is excellent for babies, even newborns. There are also some healing properties in it. Both this oil and lavender are excellent for massage oils.  If your child is suffering from a little indigestion, add a couple of drops to a small amount of jojoba oil and rub it on their chest.

Eucalyptus: this is a great essential oil to use when there are stuffy noses. You can put a few drops in an ounce of jojoba oil and rub it on their chests or even put it in a humidifier filled with water and eucalyptus to make the night go by nicer.

Peppermint: this is a terrific oil to use in a shower gel for those mornings where it seems like they’re not waking up! It promotes good moods and is great during the summer in an air mist. When you smell it, you’ll swear you’re cooler!

Lemon and grapefruit: these are good oils for the baby’s bath water. Add two drops of each to a tub of warm water and mix well. Add cold water to the amount, making the water just warm enough for the baby. Bathe your child in this water since it is highly refreshing and will also serve as a good cleanser.

Carriers
Always put the essential oils in a carrier such as oil, water or salts for baths. There are a few oils that are okay to expose directly on the skin but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Exposure can cause an irritation that none of us need.

With adults, any oil is fine to use like almond (or any nut oil), avocado, jojoba, olive, etc. With children it is better to stick with jojoba since it doesn’t usually cause any allergic reaction. Jojoba makes a very nice massage oil or as an additive to your own store-bought lotions to make them luxurious.

I will supply recipes for all kinds of products and blends of oils. I even included a couple that come in handy during those cold and flu days. I hope that this helps you understand how aromatherapy can be helpful in making your child feel better and encouraging good, peaceful moods. And your mood, too, since you’re smelling these, too! They are so easy to put together and can be made with any essential oil or a blend of several oils that appeal to you. And don’t forget! You can make these as a gift for any occasion. Don’t underestimate the WOW factor of a homemade present!!!
Bath Salts
My three lovely ladies and I had so much fun making this. You put equal parts of the ingredients in a big bowl, then put a little of it in smaller bowls where you add the essential oil(s). Each of my ladies had different choices and made one for morning baths and one for evening baths. I had them put the bath salts in an 8-ounce jelly jar I purchased at my local grocery store and cost me around $8 for 12! Yay! This recipe will make enough for around two of those 8-ounce jars.

¼ cup     powdered buttermilk
¼ cup     coarse sea salt
¼ cup     kosher salt
¼ cup     Epsom salt
¼ cup     baking soda
½ tsp      essential oil (of your choice)

Place first five ingredients in bowl. Mix with whisk until well combined. Add fragrance a little at a time, whisking, until reach desired level. Store in air-tight container. Another way to introduce the oils to the bath salt: put the drops of oil on a cotton ball. Place cotton ball in jar with bath salts. Shake well. Leave cotton ball in jar for up to 24 hours; remove. Check the salts after a few hours and see if the essential oil is strong enough. Depending on the oil you use will determine how long you leave it in. For example, Lemongrass is a light scent so may take longer whereas Rosemary is stronger and doesn’t take as long.

Air Mist
1 4-ounce spray bottle

3 ounces water
1 ounce witch hazel or rubbing alcohol
25 drops essential oil (of your choice)

Put all ingredients in spray bottle and shake well. Label and instruct to shake before each use.

Here are a few blends that may work well in your air mist:

All Day Hug
Protecting, uplifting like wrapping a big, loving, safe bubble around your child all day.

25 drops total of
lavender
sweet orange
mandarin orange
chamomile

Relax!!!
Good for quiet time (instead of time out!) and right before a big event like an important game or recital.

25 drops total of
lavender
rose absolute

Calm Bath
Calms the heart and clears the energy field from the day’s stresses and stimulations. Calms the heart for sleep and can be used anytime we need to be more centered.

25 drops total of
frankinsense
lavender
rose absolute

These next two recipes are terrific for newborn babies. The essential oils are safe for newborns and a wonderful excuse to bond with the new baby by giving them a massage. I give these oils along with a Baby Massage Book as a gift to new mommies.

Baby Calming Massage Oil
4 ounces jojoba oil
chamomile essential oil
rose otto essential oil, can sub. palmrosa
grapefruit essential oil
calendula essential oil

Place essential oils in jojoba oil using 20-40 drops total

Baby Colic Massage Oil
Ingredients:
4 ounces jojoba oil
fennel essential oil
chamomile essential oil
lavender essential oil
peppermint essential oil

Place essential oils in jojoba oil using 20-40 drops total

Everyone needs a little attention during those cold and flu days and these help with the symptoms. When a friend is ill, I make these along with a big pot of chicken noodle soup. It may not make the cold or flu go away but I sure hope it helps ease the suffering.

Sore Throat Spray
1 1/2 ounces chamomile tea, brewed strongly
1 tsp honey
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
5 drops ginger essential oil
3 drops thyme essential oil
2 drops hyssop essential oil
3 drops peppermint essential oil

Directions:
To brew chamomile tea: You can make the tea from a tea bag or with fresh or fresh-dried chamomile flowers. The dried can be found in most natural food stores. Steep the tea or dried flowers in 1/2 cup of boiling water for at least 15 minutes. Strain into a 2+ ounce spray bottle. Add vinegar and then essential oils. Shake well before each use. Store in refrigerator. Use several times a day, as needed.

The vinegar is a natural bacteria fighter. You may substitute rosemary or sage for any of the ingredients recommended but make sure you use ginger or thyme in the spray since they are the ones that have the most effect.
Chest and Neck Rub
1 3/4 ounces almond oil (can substitute good, quality olive oil or jojoba oil)
10 drops lavender essential oil
10  drops thyme essential oil
15 drops hyssop essential oil
15 drops peppermint essential oil
15 drops pine essential oil
25 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Directions:
Pour almond oil into a 2 ounce bottle. Add essential oils. Close and shake well. Rub on neck and chest several times a day. Store in dark cool cabinet. You may also put a few drops on a tissue and inhale, pause and inhale again for relief.