by C Sawyer
What is self-care?
Self-care simply means taking care of yourself. It’s about prioritizing your well-being, both physically and mentally. It can be anything that makes you feel good and helps you manage stress. Just like you care for your loved ones, it allows you to show yourself some love and attention, especially through the stress of the holidays.
Is it selfish?
Self-care is not about being selfish. In fact, taking care of yourself through the holidays and everyday allows you to be more present and supportive for the people in your life. When you’re well-rested, relaxed, and feeling good, you have more energy and patience for others.
How to practice:
Self-care is personal. What works for one person might not work for another. The key is to find activities you enjoy and that make you feel good. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Relaxing baths or showers: Indulge in a warm soak with bath salts or essential oils. You can also use a scrub to exfoliate your skin and a moisturizer to keep it hydrated.
- Spa treatments at home: Give yourself a manicure, pedicure, or create a spa-like atmosphere with candles and calming music.
- Other activities: Explore activities like reading, spending time in nature, listening to music, taking a walk, or spending some holiday time with loved ones.
Remember, this is about finding what works for you. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Start your self-care journey over the holidays and be the best version of yourself during whatever stress the holidays bring.
You can find our Blog HERE and all of our lovely products, perfect for self-care HERE. Check our LinkTree for all social accounts and easy one click access to everything Belvedere Lavender. Enjoy your holidays!
by C Sawyer
As we move towards winter and the cold season, our bathing habits are changing. Instead of focusing on speed, we’ve begun to soak in the bathtub. Long, luxurious soaks in our bathtub, complete with a good book, a glass of wine, and a rubber duck. (The glass of wine and rubber duck are optional, but recommended.)
With the cooler weather approaching, our self-care habits have shifted. Instead of showering quickly to rid ourselves of dirt, we’ve been sinking into a bathtub full of hot water, with a good book and a glass of wine. It’s an incredible feeling – to find yourself with 20 minutes of alone time, a tub full of hot water, and a good book.
Here’s what our ideal self-care bath time routine looks like:
- Fill the tub with hot water, adding Goat’s Milk Bath to the water. Goat’s Milk Bath is an excellent all-natural moisturizer – full of protein and triglycerides that help restore moisture to your skin. While the packaging recommends spending 15-20 minutes in the bathtub, we won’t tell if you soak for longer.
- After climbing out of the tub, towel dry, being careful around problem areas or sensitive skin like your face.
- We recommend applying a thin layer of Body Oil, Body Butter, or our Hand & Body Lotion to seal in the moisture. With a light application of either product, you’ll feel moisturized, refreshed, and ready to take on whatever comes your way.
- We recommend a quick application of our Face & Eye Cream to ensure your face has the same thorough, self-care experience as your body.
- Looking for a slightly different post-bath experience? Give our Body Powder a try – you’ll be treated to a lift scent of lavender with a soothing application. You’ll feel like a new person.
While we didn’t include our Coffee Body Scrub or our Salt Body Scrub, you can easily add either of these products into your bathing routine. They provide an excellent scrubbing experience without drying, irritating, or agitating your skin. Both products help exfoliate dry skin, replacing it with moisturized skin.
Each of our products is crafted exclusively by Belvedere Lavender and made with our locally grown English lavender. We’re an independent, family-run business that you can feel good about supporting.
We’d love to hear about your bath time routine and soaking in the bathtub. What’s your bath time routine like? How do you practice self-care in the bathtub? Follow the Blog here and find all of our non toxic, organic products in our Shop.
by C Sawyer
Spruce Up Your Holiday Feast with Herbes de Provence
The Holiday Feast is fast approaching, and it’s the perfect time to celebrate with delicious food and loved ones. While hosting can be a lot of work, we’ve got some easy ways to add a touch of elegance and flavor to your holiday meal without adding to the stress.
A Twist on Traditional Turkey Seasoning
Looking to switch things up from your usual turkey seasoning routine? Look no further than Herbes de Provence, an incredible blend from Belvedere Lavender that incorporates lavender, rosemary, thyme, and a few secret ingredients. This unique blend will add a whole new dimension of flavor to your Holiday turkey.
But Herbes de Provence is More Than Just for Turkey!
The beauty of Herbes de Provence is its versatility. It’s perfect for cooking, grilling, and stewing all year round, not just for the winter holidays. Use it on a variety of meats – turkey, chicken, pork – or add it to your vegetables for a delightful flavor boost.
Simple Ways to Infuse Flavor with Herbes de Provence
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Marinate: Add Herbes de Provence to your marinade for meats before cooking.
- Infuse Oil: Mix Herbes de Provence into cooking oil before grilling or stewing. This will subtly infuse flavor into your food.
- Season: Sprinkle Herbes de Provence directly onto your food before cooking.
Delicious Recipe Inspiration
Feeling adventurous in the kitchen? Check out these recipes that showcase the versatility of Herbes de Provence:
Turkey:
Chicken:
Vegetables:
No matter your preference, there’s a way to incorporate Herbes de Provence into your Holiday Feast. These recipes are just a starting point – get creative and discover your own favorite ways to use this flavorful blend! We’d love to hear your thoughts – leave a comment below and tell us which recipe you try!
Pair Lavender Cranberry Sauce with any of the above to add an extra amazing element to your Holiday Feast.
Check out more recipes on our Blog and find everything you need to add lavender to your Holiday Feast on our Shop.
by Brittney Park-Sawyer
Lavender Sugars
Most recipes for lavender sugar use white sugar; but there is absolutely nothing wrong in using brown sugar, as long as it is not moist! Compacted sugars will spoil quickly, so use brown sugar that is raw or any dry granulated sugars.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of (white OR brown) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender
DIRECTIONS:
- Prepare a clean/sterilized dry jar to store the sugar in, and then add your cup of sugar to the mixing bowl.
- Open your package of Belvedere Lavender Culinary Lavender (or other dried lavender). You can leave the buds whole if you are going to remove them later, or, you can throw the dried Lavender buds into a blender to pulse them until the buds are a coarse cut but not a powder. Then mix together with the sugar.
- Transfer the mixture into the storage jar, making sure to pack the sugar down while sealing it carefully.
- Store the sugar jar in a cool, dark place for 2+ weeks (allowing the sugar to absorb the Lavender flavor – the longer, the stronger the Lavender flavor), shaking the jar every-other day to distribute the Lavender.
- [Note: If using full Lavender buds, remove them after a two-week period]
- Lavender Sugar is now ready to be use in cooking, teas, lemonades, baking recipes, anything that needs a hint of sweetness with a floral twist!
Check our Blog for more uses of lavender in the kitchen. We have a full array of kitchen lavender products in our Shop.
by C Sawyer
Lavender and skincare have a long and intertwined history, dating back to the earliest written records and even further to prehistory based on archaeological evidence.
Ancient Uses:
- Egyptians: Hieroglyphs document lavender’s use in cosmetics and as an anti-aging agent. It was also an essential herb in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem.
- Greeks: Medical writings from the 1st century AD mention lavender’s medicinal properties.
- Romans: Lavender was used for indigestion, headaches, and as an antiseptic for sore throats, wounds, and burns.
Victorian Era:
- Ladies of status used lavender oil as a perfume. Even Queen Elizabeth I enjoyed lavender for both fragrance and medicinal tea.
Early America:
- People would freshen wet bedding and clothing by laying them over lavender bushes to absorb the lovely scent.
Modern Uses:
- Scientific research confirms lavender’s benefits for a variety of conditions, including:
- Skin conditions
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Exhaustion
- Irritability
- Headaches and migraines
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Digestive issues
- Colds
- Breath freshening
Lavender’s Enduring Appeal:
Lavender’s benefits are well-documented and continue to make it a popular choice for skincare and alternative medicine today. At Belvedere Lavender, we combine the power of lavender with other natural ingredients to create the best possible all-natural skincare products. Learn more about our natural ingredients and their benefits here.
You can find our Blogs Here and our amazing lavender skincare products Here.
Lavender Stories: Deep History
by C Sawyer
It’s that time of year again! Cozy nights by the fireplace, a good book, and a warm cup of hot chocolate. Unfortunately, winter also brings dry and flaky skin. Adjusting to Winter Skin Care is paramount.
The Canadian winter is harsh. With dropping temperatures, our skin naturally loses moisture (hello, chapped lips!). Cold air tightens pores and reduces circulation. Indoors, we crank up the heat, further drying and irritating our skin.
Luckily, Belvedere Lavender’s line of nourishing, all-natural products can help keep your skin happy and healthy throughout winter.
Belvedere Lavender Face & Eye Cream
This delicate cream, suitable for slightly dry to very dry skin, melts into your skin and under-eye area. It combines moisturizing and regenerative ingredients like rose hip oil, borage seed oil, jojoba oil, peach kernel oil, and aloe vera to soothe dry winter skin. Lavender essential oil reduces inflammation, while sweet orange essential oil boosts circulation, keeping your skin soft.
For supple skin, apply a small amount to your face after cleansing and toning. Use light upward strokes and pat under your eyes with your fingertips. At night, apply serum before the cream.
Belvedere Lavender Hand & Body Lotion
Winter can lead to painful cracking and bleeding of the skin. This lotion’s ingredients, like pumpkin seed oil and peach kernel oil, nourish and soothe sensitive and chapped skin. Kokum butter and bamboo extract prevent dryness and soften the skin, keeping your hands well-hydrated.
Skip the extra-long hot showers in winter; they strip away natural oils. Instead, massage the lotion gently into your body after a warm shower or bath to seal in moisture.
Belvedere Lavender Rosy Le Balm
Keep dry and chapped lips at bay with this ultra-moisturizing lip balm! Loaded with ingredients like rosehip seed oil, peach kernel oil, lavender essential oil, beeswax, and vitamin E, your lips will be ready to brave the winter.
Apply to lips as often as desired. How are you Adjusting to Winter Skin Care?
See our full line of all-natural lavender skincare products in our shop, read more social media or Blogs about lavender, or create a V.I.P. account to stay in the loop.
