At the coffee shop one recent Fall morning I struck up a conversation with the spunky sweet woman behind the counter. We got to talking about the coconut caramel for sale near the register. I asked her if she thought I could use them to make caramel apples for my kids who are desperate for a gooey creamy apple. Our conversation drifted to how amazing apples are which is when I noticed the apples earrings she had doing a dangly dance from her ear lobes. Before I knew it this wonderful woman handed me a brown paper bag full of delicious red-green apples from her neighbor's tree. A kindly gift indeed....

And then....

The very next day, I was blessed to receive another gift. And this was huge for me, in fact the drama queen in me would say it changed my life, or at least my October. My daughter wanted to be "Trixie the Halloween Fairy" from the Rainbow Magic Books. I knew a little girl who had worn that very costume a few years before. I asked her mother if she still had it and could I buy it from her? Not only did she still have it but just she gave it to me. A full costume, complete with resplendent fairy wings. Now, I don't sew unless it is a simple repair job like re-attaching a button. And before I was gifted with this costume, I was looking at hours of potentially trying sewing or trying to figure out how to make the costume without sewing. It was a huge relief to know that I had nothing to do, the costume was done and I was free to focus on having fun with my kids. Another kindly gift...

How could I thank these lovely ladies and let them know how much their gestures meant to me? I pondered a bit before I remembered a favorite "thank you" that I love to give, an aromatherapy spritzer!

Most people love spritzers and delight in receiving them. Spritzers are so easy to make user friendly and bring a bit of plant magic into life. When I make a spritzer for someone who's preferences I don't know, I almost always use lavender essential oil. Most people love lavender and it is one of the safest essential oils. In fact only lavender and tea tree essential oils are okay to put straight on the skin with out dilution (this is called a neat application ~ neat right?).

Here are basic instructions for making your own spritzer

Supplies ~

Bottle
Atomizer (Spray Top)
Water
Essential Oils

Instructions ~

Fill the bottle almost to the top with water but leave enough room for the sprayer tube to insert into the bottle. You may have to trim the tube a little bit to make it the right length. Then just add you essential oils. You will want to put a safe amount of oils into the bottle. Here is a good guideline for recommended dilutions:

1% dilution: 5 to 6 drops of essential oil per ounce of water (this is the safest dilution for the very young and elderly)
2% dilution: 10 to 12 drops of essential oil per ounce of water

So basically if you have a 4 ounce bottle for your spritzer you would use 20 to 24 drops of essential oil to make a 1% dilution or 40 to 48 drops for a 2% dilution. Information on proper dilutions taken from the oh so excellent Mindy Green & Kathy Keville's Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Art.

Then just give it a good shake. Add a ribbon and a label to make it pretty. That is it! So simple. What a great way to give thanks and tell someone you appreciate having them in your life.