Calorie-Free Indulgences....For You or Someone Else

 

When choosing a candle for someone else, it is not always easy to know what fragrance they will enjoy.  Of course, it is easy to ask what type of scents they like, but you can use what you know about them to make an educated guess. 

For example, if  they are the office “baker” who is always bringing in baked goods from home, it is probably safe to assume they will like a candle that provides that fresh-baked smell long after the cookies are gone.  This is also true of the person/persons who is the first one to dig into those treats!  A few scrumptious calorie-free choices might be:

 ALMOND BISCOTTIBring home this Italian specialty and enjoy the scent of sweet almonds and vanilla as you imagine dunking them in your favorite after-dinner coffee!

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN

Freshly baked blueberry muffins hot out of the oven sure to get your taste buds going!

 

PASTRY SHOPPE

An incredible aroma that will have you thinking your home has been transformed into a pastry shoppe!

Of course, with over 90 unique, true-to-life scents, this is just a sample of the selection of sweet smells in our gourmet candle lines.  For the full listing of all our products, please visit my online store at http://Everyday-Candles.com.

Tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to some more of my favs!

Until Next Time, Dream Large

Ditch the Generic Gift Card

Will anyone remember what you gave them, or what they did with it?

Gift cards began as a simple way to buy a gift for the one or two people on your list that you did not know well, or for who were particularly difficult to shop.  We had to actually put enough thought into the person to know their interests, and then go to that store to purchase the card.  Not true anymore.  Today, gift cards can be purchased for virtually any store from the mall to the grocery store.  If you want a Barnes and Noble card, or a Victoria’s Secret card, you can purchase one right at the checkout line of Safeway.  Further depersonalizing the gift, you can also purchase a Visa, MasterCard or Amex right alongside them. 

While I understand that there are times when a gift card is appropriate, I find it sad that it has become the “norm” in gift giving.  Rather than put time, thought, and energy into picking, or creating, a gift that someone will enjoy, we just rush through the grocery line and come out the other end with a handy catch-all gift card.  While most of us like to pick out our own gifts some of the time, it is a nice surprise to open an actual item.  Perhaps it is something we love, but would never buy for ourselves, even with the gift card.  Perhaps it is something given to us that will trigger a memory of the giver every time we use it or look at it.  Many of us end up using those cards on impulse purchases or necessities, rather than something we truly want.  I am even guilty of being caught at the last minute without a gift for someone, grabbed the unused card, and re-gifted it.  I am certain that is not the reason it was given to me. 

My last “gripe” about gift cards is that we do not always want someone to know exactly how much we spent (or did not spend) on them.  With a gift card, there is no sale price, no special deal, no discount.  We all know exactly how much was spent.  Sometimes that is acceptable; sometimes it is not. 

Next time you need a simple gift, whether for business associates or clients, acquaintances, for the hostess, friends, or family, try something more personal. The personal thought will mean a lot to the recipient.

Gourmet candles are a fantastic and personal way to show your appreciation for everyone on your list.  Did you know that 86% of all people burn scented candles in their home, and that number is going up.  Mia Bella Gourmet Candles can be ordered online and shipped to you, or to the recipient.  They are available in over 90 true-to-life fragrances, including several different product lines, including our Signature Line, our brand new Orchard Line, and our ever-popular Spa Line.

 We even have Bakery Pies and Cinna-buns, which come in their own tins for burning, and smell just like the real thing--without the calories!!

Our candles are made with a proprietary vegetable wax, and they contain no lead, zinc, or other toxins.  They are natural, clean burning, eco-friendly, and are incredibly long lasting. The scent lasts from the first light to the last flicker and when the candle is done, all that is left is a clean, empty jar. 

We even take the guesswork out of choosing a fragrance.  We have our most popular scents by season, which keeps it simple when buying for someone else.  To simplify it even further, you can choose to purchase the “Fragrance of the Month” which is always one of our top sellers. 

So the next time you reach for that Gift Card as you are running through the grocery store, stop and ask yourself if that is what you really want to give, or is it simply the easier thing to do?  Ordering a candle online takes only a few minutes and is sure to be remembered long after the gift card is used on who-knows-what.  In fact, I keep several jars in various fragrances on hand just for those purposes.  Tie a nice ribbon around it, and you do not even need a gift bag! 

Tune in tomorrow as I highlight more of our most popular products and fragrances--for everyone on your list!!

Until Next Time, Dream Large....

Lavender helps alleviate pain?

Okay, so maybe I'm the "odd-man out" on this one, but upcoming trips to the dentist do not incite excitement or pleasure.  In fact, while I am sure that outside of the office, dentists are really nice guys....but....in the office??  Sadists.  Pure and Simple.

OKAY....don't send me hate mail for that--it's just my way of saying that I, in fact, have a dentist appointment coming up and I am not necessarily looking forward to it.  I really like my dentist too.  He's nice enough to play classic rock while he's working on me, and with two fingers in my mouth, likes to play "name that tune."  Of course, he's usually a little quicker guess the song, but it does keep my mind occupied!

Why am I writing about this?  Well, because I love (and am in the business of) scented candles...I like to create "moods" in my house depending on what my day holds, I have done some homework on different fragrances and their influences on people.

Today I thought I would share a little tip I learned about how a certain fragrance actually tricks your mind into forgetting about the discomfort (to put it mildly) many of us feel in the dental chair....


Whiffing lavender oil during your next dental visit may blur the memory of your pain. Researchers at the University of Florida College of Dentistry exposed 13 men and 13 women to uncomfortable heat and pressure on muscles in the jaw and back and then had them inhale lavender or an odorless control for 10 minutes during different sessions. The lavender oil significantly reduced the memory of pain's intensity and unpleasantness. How to use it: Shake 5 to 10 drops of lavender essential oil onto a tissue; inhale freely during dental work. - Prevention (January 2005) 

Now, I would prefer something that makes me forget the unpleasantness while getting the work done, but perhaps if I forget that I don't love trips to the dentist, I won't be so reluctant to go!

Anyway, I thought that was interesting, and hey, I'll give it a try!!  So stay tuned because I'll be sure and let you know how it goes afterward.   


**An extra thought**I wonder if burning a lavender-scented candle in my house would help me forget the pain of knowing I cleaned yesterday, and yet it's a disaster today?!