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The Romance Of Highly Scented Candles
Author: Marguerite Bonneville
Before the discovery and widespread use of electricity, candles and firelight were the only instruments humans could rely on to navigate after dark. But in the 21st century, they are two of the most effective stimuli for creating a romantic mood. And if you use a highly scented candle, you'll create an even more effective sensual experience.

Candles affect us on a number of different levels:

1. Gazing at a flame is a mesmerizing experience and relaxes both the eyes and the mind.

2. Because a candle throws light on a relatively small area, it creates a sense of intimacy among the people basking in its glow.

3. On an emotional level, a candle induces a sense of warmth, even though it emits very little heat.

4. A candle can also capture the eye through the beauty of its color and design, which are enhanced by the flickering flame.

5. A highly scented candle adds more pleasure to the mix by stimulating the olfactory senses.

You can use highly scented candles to create a romantic atmosphere during intimate evenings at home, or you can give them to special people in your life as gifts.

There are so many varieties of candles now available in the marketplace that you're sure to find one to suit every taste.

Candle Uses:

1. Aromatherapy

The study of how scent affects the central nervous system is centuries old. Modern day aromatherapists can evaluate a client's situation and prescribe a remedy in one short consultation. Highly scented candles can be used in the same way as essential oils to change a person's frame of mind in a calm and non-threatening way.

Here are some uses for highly scented or aromatherapy candles:

a. To help a person feel calm, give them a candle scented with chamomile.
b. A lavender candle will induce a feeling of serenity.
c. To help someone with flagging energy, give him or her a sandalwood candle.
d. To help restore a person's spirit, give a candle scented with ocean breeze.

2. Relaxation

a. Candles are often used in meditation, and suitable types include chakra candles and Feng Shui candles.
b. Meditators often use an aromatherapy burner fueled by tealights or votive candles.
c. Give highly scented candles to someone who enjoys taking baths by candlelight.

3. Color Therapy

a. Choose soft colors or light and neutral shades for people who love to relax.
b. Give strong colored candles to people who love to celebrate.

4. Celebration

a. Candles are regularly used in ceremonies such as christenings, birthdays, weddings and funerals.

Most candles are made from beeswax, paraffin, soy, gel and other materials such as resins. You can purchase clean burning soy candles if you or the people around you suffer from allergies or hypersensitivity.

Candle Shapes

Candles come in all shapes and sizes:

1. Long thin candles known as pillars and tapers
2. Small candles including votive and tealights
3. Geometric shapes, including balls, pyramids, squares and rectangles
4. Character shapes
5. Candles in decorative containers such as glass, wire or steel vases

All of these, with the possible exception of character shapes, make great romantic gifts. And even a character shaped candle can be romantic if it has a special significance. For example, a candle shaped like a snowman can remind her of the night you fell in love while building a snowman in her parents' yard.

Most women love candles of any kind, and men who take pride in their surroundings will also appreciate a beautifully crafted candle.

Choosing a Candle

Here are some commonsense tips to help you choose a great romantic candle:

1. Keep in mind the colors the person favors in his or her home. Don't give her a sparkling blue candle if her living room is decorated in shades of peach. Don't give him a red candle if his apartment is painted in olive tones.

2. Go for clean, classical lines when you buy, like elegant tapered candles or classic round candles, either short or tall, in clear, beautiful colors.

You can buy a more extravagantly decorated candle if you know the person will absolutely love it. Or you might buy a fun candle for someone with a great sense of humor. If you're absolutely stuck, buy white.

3. If you know the person well, you might choose a candle that fits in with his or her interests. A zodiac candle will thrill an astrology buff, while a pyramid candle will please an ancient history enthusiast. You can find a whole range of candle containers that feature dolphins, butterflies and other motifs that make for an excellent personalized gift. Choose a highly scented candle that features one of their favorite scents.

4. Take into account the person's allergies or beliefs about using natural products. Look for candles made of environmentally friendly materials like soy.

It's worth taking the time to think through the other person's preferences before you buy a candle for a romantic gift. People recognize when thought has gone into a gift selection, just as they sense when the choice was haphazard. Your thoughtfulness will add immeasurably to their appreciation of your gift.

About the Author

Marguerite Bonneville is a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) whose passion is publishing information online. She is a contributing writer for http://www.romantic-gift-ideas-online.com , a resource site dedicated to helping visitors find the perfect romantic gift.

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Decorate for Christmas
Author: Caroline Shaw
It's your home/your apartment and you want to make it a special sanctuary this Christmas. How can you create a special place for your family and you? Well, we already have our centerpiece…see November's issue. Just replace candles and flowers. But how can you make your place shine with love and holiday spirit?

Your dining room table can have a nice Christmas cloth or runner. Replace the fall curtain scarf with Christmas co-ordinates to match your table cloth or runner. Look around your yard for any berries that you might use in your centerpieces. Be careful that little ones don't put these in their mouths. Make a wreath for your door using a grapevine base and ivy you might have growing around the yard….place berries strategically around the circle. Make a bow of fine vines and place in the center, a couple of pine cones. What a unique heart warmer for your guests to enter your sanctuary by.

At the doorway, hallway, foyer, greet your guests with cinnamon sticks and and cloves stuck in oranges and apples placed in a wooden bowl on a hallway table. Cover the table with a plaid green and red cloth. Your kitchen can have all the smells of holiday cooking. Place a nice lantern in the window to remind us of those guests who couldn't make it. Have a plate of finger foods for your guests. Simple things will do like a nice wooden bowl of cashews or give your guests something to do: serve pistachios.

Need something for the kids to do? Take tag paper and cut out a Christmas tree shape that is about 24 inches tall. Put it on a bulletin board, then make two different sized ornament patterns for the kids to use and have them trace ornaments on more tag paper. Let the kids cut the ornaments out. Take crayons and markers and decorate a couple to model how to decorate them for the kids. Provide some glue sticks and let the kids glue their ornaments on their very own tree.

In your living room or family room, create a warm feel with plaid coverlets thrown across your couches and chairs. If you have a mantel, string some berries into a garland….or use cranberries. Place wooden candlestick holders and white candles. Place ivy around the base….a very simple but elegant presentation.

After dinner have pie with coffee and tea. Pass out some carols and sing together. If you have a musical instrument, this would be a great time to accompany your guests. You can print some carols ahead of time. Make them into little booklets using old Christmas cards for covers. CHRISTMAS-CAROLS.NET - Rejoice in the Christmas Spirit!

Serve some spiced cider: 1 gallon of Apple Cider 10 cinnamon sticks Some whole cloves (about 10) Simmer on top of stove for about 15 minutes and strain into some nice Seasonal mugs…

Enjoy your family and don't forget to take photos. Merry Christmas!

About the Author

Caroline Shaw, Pittsburgh, PA
mom@amomslove.com
http://www.amomslove.com
Caroline Shaw holds a B.S. degree from Duquesne University. She is a mom to six children,editor and publisher of the Online Magazine,"A Mom's Love." with informative articles for WAHMs, single moms, working moms, and more.

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Candles
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Decorate for Christmas
Author: Caroline Shaw
It's your home/your apartment and you want to make it a special sanctuary this Christmas. How can you create a special place for your family and you? Well, we already have our centerpiece…see November's issue. Just replace candles and flowers. But how can you make your place shine with love and holiday spirit?

Your dining room table can have a nice Christmas cloth or runner. Replace the fall curtain scarf with Christmas co-ordinates to match your table cloth or runner. Look around your yard for any berries that you might use in your centerpieces. Be careful that little ones don't put these in their mouths. Make a wreath for your door using a grapevine base and ivy you might have growing around the yard….place berries strategically around the circle. Make a bow of fine vines and place in the center, a couple of pine cones. What a unique heart warmer for your guests to enter your sanctuary by.

At the doorway, hallway, foyer, greet your guests with cinnamon sticks and and cloves stuck in oranges and apples placed in a wooden bowl on a hallway table. Cover the table with a plaid green and red cloth. Your kitchen can have all the smells of holiday cooking. Place a nice lantern in the window to remind us of those guests who couldn't make it. Have a plate of finger foods for your guests. Simple things will do like a nice wooden bowl of cashews or give your guests something to do: serve pistachios.

Need something for the kids to do? Take tag paper and cut out a Christmas tree shape that is about 24 inches tall. Put it on a bulletin board, then make two different sized ornament patterns for the kids to use and have them trace ornaments on more tag paper. Let the kids cut the ornaments out. Take crayons and markers and decorate a couple to model how to decorate them for the kids. Provide some glue sticks and let the kids glue their ornaments on their very own tree.

In your living room or family room, create a warm feel with plaid coverlets thrown across your couches and chairs. If you have a mantel, string some berries into a garland….or use cranberries. Place wooden candlestick holders and white candles. Place ivy around the base….a very simple but elegant presentation.

After dinner have pie with coffee and tea. Pass out some carols and sing together. If you have a musical instrument, this would be a great time to accompany your guests. You can print some carols ahead of time. Make them into little booklets using old Christmas cards for covers. CHRISTMAS-CAROLS.NET - Rejoice in the Christmas Spirit!

Serve some spiced cider: 1 gallon of Apple Cider 10 cinnamon sticks Some whole cloves (about 10) Simmer on top of stove for about 15 minutes and strain into some nice Seasonal mugs…

Enjoy your family and don't forget to take photos. Merry Christmas!

About the Author

Caroline Shaw, Pittsburgh, PA
mom@amomslove.com
http://www.amomslove.com
Caroline Shaw holds a B.S. degree from Duquesne University. She is a mom to six children,editor and publisher of the Online Magazine,"A Mom's Love." with informative articles for WAHMs, single moms, working moms, and more.

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Decorate for Thanksgiving
Author: Caroline G. Shaw
Years of having to make do have turned me into a…"There must be someway I can do this cheaper type person."
My old new house needs total make over. We are thinking about moving into my MIL's house. So I am walking around looking and thinking, my goodness, this will be way too much to do and then the old, "There must be someway I can do this cheaper type person" kicks in and I think, yah, there must.

First curtains need to be put up on the windows. I will check all of Grandma's fabric…and she has tons, and see if some of it can be salvaged for window treatments. Gee, today all you really need is a nice wooden Venetian blind and a swag or scarf.

I am thinking about sticking with the umbers I see outside this time of year (November). I already bought my border for the kitchen at a B&B we went to a couple of weeks ago, and it kind of has a sultry tone to it. You can do the same thing with fabric. Just take a quick trip to Wal-mart's fabric Dept. They are always getting rid of material at bargain prices. If you are doing a dining room for Thanksgiving, do swags/scarf for the windows and a table cloth, placemats and napkins.

It really wouldn't take as long as you think. Put up some lace curtains and make a scarf from the fabric you use for your table cloth..or maybe you have a plain white table cloth already available. Just make a runner that matches your window scarves,napkins and placemats.

Now what about the centerpiece? I like this idea on http://interiordec.about.com/cs/fallindex/l/blfallpr011.htm About.com . Just has some greens and Fall leaves, candles…well, take a look: The Centerpiece, It's one where you can just remove the fall leaves and replace with berries for Christmas. Saving time is what it's all about. Put up some wreaths on the doors and over the mantle. A simple grape vine with dried flowers in fall tones is nice. Use some wire ribbon to make a bow.

Put up plain candlesticks with fall colored candles and don't forget the whole theme of Thanksgiving is giving thanks for our bounty. Use displays of fruit and gourds, pumpkins and mums. Get out an old watering can and fill it with leaves to place on the porch, any old galvanized buckets? Put wheat or tall dried grass display in your bucket. Don't forget the grapes. Take a nice glass pedestal compote and cascade different varieties.

If you have a garden, pile the day's garden harvest into a wheel barrow at the back door.

Just remember …you don't have to use all these ideas. You don't want to have to take all this down to prepare for Christmas that's just around the corner.
http://amomslove.com/hg-recipes-thanksgiving.html Complete Thanksgiving Menu and Recipes by Lorrie Ann Danner
Copyright 2004 Caroline Shaw

About the Author

Caroline Shaw holds a B.S. degree from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA in Secondary Education, English. She is a mom to six children and Editor and Publisher of Online Magazine,"A Mom's Love," with informative articles for WAHMs, their children, single moms, working moms, and more.

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Easter Decorating Ideas for Your Fireplace
Author: Susan Penney
Sure you decorate your fireplace and mantel for the winter holidays, but don't forget this important focal point in your room as Spring approaches. Here are some nearly-instant ideas for springtime and Easter fireplace decorating:

Daffodils in crystal or glass vases on each end of your mantel bespeak the coming of Spring. Tie a wired chiffon ribbon in a soft spring hue in a bow around each vase for a nice touch.

March a line of fluffy chicks across your mantel. Five or more chicks, whether stuffed toys, porcelain hens, or craft store chickens, make a cute display.

And speaking of stuffed toys, now is a great time to find those old stuffed bunnies and ducks and turn them into mantel ornaments. Add Easter grass, and scatter decorated eggs along the mantel to keep them company.

Tie wired gingham-checked ribbons into bows, and attach them to the edge of your mantel. Let the ends of each bow hang down various lengths from one to three feet. At the end of each ribbon, open a plastic egg, tape the ribbon's end inside the egg, and force the egg shut. This creates a set of eggs dangling at different heights.

Bring out your glass, crystal, white, and pastel candle holders of different heights for your mantel. Select a trio of springtime colors such as lavender, pink and eggshell or aqua, pale green, and soft yellow. Use pastel candles in some of the candle holders. In others, perch decorated Easter eggs (real, plastic, wooden, or glass).

The ideas above are great for your fireplace's mantel, but what's a terrific way to decorate your fireplace itself? Fireplace candelabra are the perfect accessories. And using candles in the shape of decorated Easter eggs in your fireplace candelabra is a super-simple, but visually dramatic way to decorate for the season. (Just don't be too surprised if the Easter Bunny replaces one of the candle-eggs with a chocolate one!)

About the Author

Susan Penney appreciates simple ways to make our homes renewing spaces for our families. She invites you to visit http://www.FireplaceMall.com for fireplace accessories to serve your fire-less or your fire-filled fireplace.

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