AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Archive for the ‘Women’ Category

Aromatherapy has been around for a long time. It’s simply the use of scents to target benefits like relaxation, sleep, well-being, headache relief, etc. If you want to give an aromatherapy gift basket, it’s really easy to make one yourself.

The first thing you should do is choose a scent. If you’re not sure what scent your friend would like, do some thinking. Have you smelled candles burning in her home? What scent and color were they? Does she wear a certain perfume? What does it smell like? These are some clues into some of the scents she may like. If you still don’t have a clue, go with something like vanilla or buttercream which just about everyone likes.

Once you have chosen your scent, choose a vessel to put it all in. Often times inexpensive baskets work well, but you can also place everything in a decorative hat box or other display box that she can use again. If you want to make her a travel basket, put it all in a large cosmetics pouch that zips so she can take it with her on the road.

Aromatherapy baskets can include just about anything. Most include relaxing elements designed to help the recipient de-stress and unwind. Candles with strong but pleasant scents are nice as is incense. You do have to be careful to choose a scent that is meant to relax, like lavender, if you intend it for stress relief. If you give a basket full of peppermint or spearmint scents, the opposite effect will occur. Your friend will be much more alert instead of relaxed. Peppermint makes a great gift to give as an aromatherapy pick-me-up basket for someone at work who always hits that 3:00pm slump.

Arrange all your items on some sort of packing material. This can be shredded paper, recycled Easter basket grass, or even just tissue paper. The idea is to make each product stand alone in its own little spot so the basket doesn’t look thrown together. Include a simmering pot for spices or a candle warmer, which allows wax to be heated without a flame. Great for the office or around kids.

You might want to include soap and a soap dish, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, a neck pillow, or an herbal pillow filled with buckwheat that can be used hot or cold for neck pain relief. There are hundreds of scents and thousands of products to choose from. So your options are limitless when putting together an aromatherapy gift basket. Include natural bamboo towels and face cloths, slippers, or a robe.

Tie it all up with a big ribbon and present it. Your friend will absolutely love getting a basket filled with products she can use right away to change her mood and her day. Whether it’s relaxation or alertness you are going for, research the different scents and what each one is thought to enhance. There are so many out there that you will definitely find one for the lady in your life. Don’t settle for the first one you find. Do some sensory research. You’ll have fun doing it and just may relax yourself, too.

So what is it that moms really want for Mother's Day?  Is it Candy?  Perfume? Flowers?  The real answer is 2 simple words - A BREAK!

The answer is simple, but your mom's definition of this word might vary.

A break could mean:

• A spa day
• A round of golf and lunch
• Kids and Mommy time - movies, games, snacks
• Clean the house for Mom
• Make Mom breakfast in bed
• Run Mom a hot bath and top it off with a spa gift basket.
• Take the kids to the park and let Mom have the day to herself. If she loves to read a book gift basket may be the perfect gift.

You know your mom best, so choose something she will really enjoy. What mom's love most is just to know they are appreciated for all their hard work, and giving her a day off from all that work is the best gift of all.

There's nothing more relaxing than unwinding in a steaming hot tub!  Not only is it good for your mood, but you can add products to the water to nourish and moisturize your skin too - perfect for the unforgiving dry winter air!  Here are a few bath recipes you can make at home to soften your skin and lift your spirits!

HONEY MILK BATH
(Great moisturizing and softening bath soak!)

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbs Honey
1 Cup Hot Water
2 tbs of milk power

DIRECTIONS:
Dissolve honey into the hot water and then stir in the powdered milk. Pour the mix into a running bath.

This mix will last 1-2 days in the fridge, but it best used when made.

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FRAGRANT MILK BATH

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup dry milk powder
1 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp. Fragrance Oil of your choice

Blend together all ingredients in a blender. Add 1/2 cup mixture to hot bath water.

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PEPPERMINT MILK BATH
(Invigorate your body and mind!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups hot water
1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil

DIRECTIONS:
Mix ingredients together with a whisk until powdered milk is dissolved then pour into running bath.

Use these recipes to make your own spa gift baskets for friends too.  They are sure to appreciate it!

When choosing spa products, you probably have certain scents that you like best.  It may not be just because of how it smells, but how it makes you "feel".  That's where Aromatherapy comes in.

It is believed that different smells can influence our moods as well as our psychological and physical well-being. Aromatherapy starts with essential oils, which  is a liquid that is generally distilled (most frequently by steam or water) from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant.

Many different oils and scents can be used to create the atmosphere you are seeking.  Some scents and their effects are:

Calming
* Chamomile
* Rose

Soothing
* Lavender
* Vanilla

Relaxing
* Clary Sage
* Neroli

Clarifying
* Rosemary
* Peppermint

To make a room mist out of pure essential oils, add 7-8 drops of each essential oil to a 1 ounce glass misting bottle filled with spring or distilled water. Shake well before each mist.

Our aromatherapy spa gift baskets make great any-occasion gifts for mothers, sisters and friends!

Moms tend to think about everyone but themselves, which is great for everyone around them but it can take a toll on even the most devoted mom. In order to keep your sanity it is important that moms take time out to relax and regroup.

I know it is easier said then done, there is always one more diaper to change, one more meal to cook or one more load of laundry to do. So what can you do to take time out for yourself and when are you supposed to do it? Here are a few ideas to help get your mommy time out started.

Ask your husband, a friend or a family member to watch the kids for a while. In just a few hours you could go see that movie you have been dying to see, minus screaming babies and frequent trips to the bathroom to avoid bothering other people. In just two hours you can get your hair done, a manicure and a pedicure. Give yourself a spa gift. Imagine how relaxing just two hours of alone time would be.

Chances are you won’t be able to get someone to take the kids everyday for a few hours but it’s still important to take a mini time out everyday. By doing this you will spare the children from unwarranted outburst and yourself from slipping into depression.

• Leave the dishes, the laundry and the spill in the kitchen for just thirty minutes, maybe while the baby is napping or while the kids are watching a cartoon. Just taking thirty minutes to relax or work on a hobby will alleviate some of the days stress.
• Wake up and hour early or go to bed an hour late, the kids will be sleeping and you can spend sometime getting ready in the morning or watching TV.
• Exercise regularly can be a great way to get you going and keep you in shape for keeping up with your kids.
• Eat right, veggies and organic fruit will charge your immune system, the last thing you need is a sick mommy.
• Remind yourself that you can’t control everything. Don’t spend your mommy time out worrying about what is going on at the house, your husband is perfectly capable of handling the kids alone for two hours.
• Start a baby swap, a baby swap is when two or more moms agree to take each others children for a few hours to give the other some free time on a weekly or monthly basis.
• Share the load. Sit down with your family and divide the chores. By sharing the load you can make more time for everyone and by giving
• When hit overload just taking a few minutes to sit and think about the positive things in your life can make you feel better.

You don’t need to be busy every minute of the day. Stay home with your family. Don’t make a commitment unless it is important to you. Get in the habit of saying no to things you don’t want to, or don’t have time to do and don’t feel guilty about it.

While motherhood is a very rewarding experience and totally worth the sacrifice it can be stressful and with all that you do for your family it’s hard to think about yourself, but very important. By taking care of yourself, you also teach your children the importance of taking care of their own mental and physical health. Look at the time spent on yourself as an investment to make you a better, happier mom for your husband and your children.

Miles and miles of land separate my mother and me. The long-distance phone calls and emails cannot compare to being able to see her whenever I please. So when it comes time to ship off a gift, I want her to feel as if I am standing in front of her, delivering it myself.

As the month of June neared, I prepared for one of my most intense gift-giving times of the year. Besides Father’s Day, the month brought both of my parent’s birthdays, as well as their anniversary. By the middle of the month, I would have satisfied 3 out of 4 big dates on the calendar, leaving my mother's birthday to focus on. This year, I tried to think of gifts she would not only use, but also find comfort, delight and relaxation. She recently quit smoking and I wanted to keep her on track and make sure she was surrounded by welcomed distractions.

My mother always starts her day with a cup of coffee and by night, falls asleep beside another. I went to the gourmet food  gifts section of one of my favorite stores and began to browse the coffee aisle. There were many tempting flavors to choose from, including Raspberry to Chocolate Mint, as I relentlessly read all of the bags. In the back of the bunch, one particular item rewarded me for my uncompromising focus.

If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again- sometimes the perfect gift finds me even when I least expect it. The day after Mother’s Day, my mother and I were having a conversation about her visit with my grandmother. She brought over her usual gift, accompanied by coffee and biscuits. By the end of her visit, she said she left with a delicious taste upon her lips, as they had sipped several shots of Kahlua. I know the doctor mentioned that alcohol may provide comfort for my grandmother’s arthritis, but for me, it was hard to swallow that my Nana and mother were sitting in her living room, consuming alcoholic beverages on Mother’s Day. I’ve never seen either one of them drink in my life.

So when I pulled the Kahlua-flavored coffee from behind all of the other interesting flavors, I felt I had struck gold. It was the last and only bag of its kind. I wasn’t looking for that particular flavor; didn’t even know it existed, but the warmth and happiness that overcame me at that moment was overwhelming. I couldn’t wait until she opened her gift.

On her birthday, I called early because she always waits for me before opening gifts. I could hear the tear of the box and crinkling of the wrapping paper. She was quite pleased with what she found inside. The gift brought her back to the Mother’s Day Kahlua, which then turned into a flood of teenage and college memories I had no idea existed. Although, I was miles and miles away, the coffee talk made me feel much closer, providing me with much-needed satisfaction and comfort.