10 Gift Ideas for Herb Lovers

We all know someone or are someone that people could call crunchy or hippie. (I really hate those terms, especially since I can sort of fall into those categories) I mean someone that loves whole foods, herbal and natural remedies. I love herbs, home remedies, aromatherapy, and homemade beauty products. I know my husband can find that my hobbies make it hard to shop for me so here are 10 great ideas.

1) Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health 

This book by Rosemary Gladstar is one of my favorite herb books. It has recipes for everything. The information in this book gives you a wealth of knowledge that can be carried into so many other applications. This book has recipes for more than you can imagine. It has recipes for adults and children both. You can buy this book here for under $15. 

2) Aromatherapy for Vibrant Health by Roberta Wilson

This book by Roberta Wilson is a great book for aromatherapy. It has recipes for a plethora of issues from A to Z. It is laid out in an easy to follow format. This is one of my go-to books for essential oils. There is a newer edition of this book, but this one is typically the one I grab first. If used books are okay with the person you are shopping for buying this book used is a very inexpensive and useful gift.
You can buy this book here for under $15 new and under $5 used.

3) Essential Oils and Blends 

Essential oils are essential for many home remedies. They can be diluted and used topically, used in baths, and used in an aromatherapy diffuser. They can also be added to soaps and other beauty products. Lots of people have favorites. Some of my favorites are Plant Therapy's KidSafe line. Their Germ Destroyer blend is used all the time in my home. It has helped us survive cold and flu season, mostly unscathed, the last couple of years.  I also love lavender and tea tree because these oils have many uses in the home. 

You can buy Plant Therapy Essential Oils here. Prices are from $6.95 and up depending on the essential oil and the size. 

4) Aromatherapy Diffusers

An aromatherapy diffuser is a great gift. They are easy to use. You add water, a few drops of essential oils and they are ready to go. A good diffuser can run for around eight hours. Most aromatherapy diffusers are ultrasonic cool mist diffusers. You may not always smell the essential oils in the air but that does not mean they are not working. The essential oils healing properties will be dispersed in the air whether or not you can smell them.  Many aromatherapy diffusers have colored LED lights and different mist settings.
You can buy a diffuser here for under $20. 

5) Stainless Steel Aromatherapy Diffuser Necklace 

Stainless Steel aromatherapy diffuser necklaces are both beautiful and beneficial to your health. The necklaces come with felt pads. You place 1-3 drops of your favorite essential oil on the necklace then put it on. You can put calming essential oils like lavender or germ fighting blends. The possibilities are endless. This gift of jewelry is a great idea to bring beauty and aromatherapy together. 

You can find a stunning diffuser necklace here for under $10. 

6) Elderberries

Elderberries are a great addition to any herbalist's pantry. They are great to make elderberry syrup and other cold and flu remedies with. Elderberry syrup is an easy thing to make. Elderberry syrup can then be added to other recipes to make elderberry gummies, cough syrup, and more. Elderberries can also be a great ingredient in herbal teas to help the immune system. 

You can buy elderberries here from $2.50 and up.  

7) Calendula Flowers

Calendula is an excellent herb for bruises, sunburns, eczema, and many other skin problems. The dried calendula flowers can be infused in oil. The oil can later be used in salves, lotions, and more. The dried flowers can be used as an addition to soaps and bath teas. 

You can buy dried calendula flowers here.  

8) Beeswax Pastilles 

Beeswax is an essential ingredient in many herbal preparations. It is used in soaps, lotions, salves, lip balms, and more. Beeswax can be found in large blocks and in pastilles. These little pastilles are much easier to use than the blocks of beeswax, which are difficult to cut or grate. 

You can buy beeswax pastilles here for $17 and up.  

9) Amber Roller Bottles

Good roller bottles are essential for making many topical essential oil preparations. These roller bottles need to be a dark color such as amber. This keeps your essential oils from going bad quickly. A clear bottle can ruin the integrity of your essential oils. 

You can buy amber roller bottles here for around $10. 

10) Dropper Bottles

Another important bottle aromatherapy tool is good dropper bottles. They also need to be dark colors. They work perfectly for blending your own essential oils. The droppers make it perfect for dropping into carrier oils or diffusers. 
You can buy a 6 pack of dropper bottles here for around $10. 

 

Echinacea - Beautiful and Useful

Echinacea, specifically echinacea purpurea, is a wonderful healing herb. It is also great for cold and flu season. One of the best things about echinacea is that it is easy to grow and can be grown across much of the country as a perennial. This plant is not only useful, but a beautiful plant to grow in your garden or flower beds.

Echinacea is a purple coneflower native to the United States. Plains Indians used this plant for all kinds of things, such as snake bites, fevers, and many kinds of wounds. Today it is used for fevers, wound care, respiratory infections, colds, flu, and arthritis, among other things.

Growing & Harvesting

Echinacea can be grown from seed or from a plant bought in a nursery. I have grown echinacea both ways. Seeds should be planted in early autumn. In 2014, I planted echinacea seeds. For weeks they did nothing, not a sprout in sight so I bought two plants from our local nursery.

2 year old plant from a nursery and a seedling 1 year old

A few days after I planted my new plants I saw several seedlings sprout. These seedlings grew extremely slowly the first year. The second year they took off. I also have lots of new plants sprouting up around the plants I bought from the flowers I did not cut back. I now have quite a crop of echinacea. Each winter echinacea will die back completely so do not be dismayed if your plant disappears during the winter.

Echinacea roots, leaves, and flowers can be harvested for use.  They can be used in teas and tinctures. It can also be used in poultices as well as infused in oil and added to salves. The roots of the plants can be used dry without any other preparations. Native Americans chewed the roots for coughs and sore throats.

Harvesting echinacea leaves and flowers can be done when the flowers are just beginning to open. These flowers and leaves can be clipped off the plant and dried on screens or in a dehydrator. If you are planning to let your plant continue growing for another year do not cut all of the leaves off.

Self-sprouted Echinacea about 6 months old

To harvest echinacea carefully dig up the plant after the first frost of the year. If you are replanting your plant only clip some of the roots. For home use, I only harvest a little of my plant's roots each year. After harvesting, place your roots on screens and dry in the sun. You can also dry on a low heat in a dehydrator. Make sure the roots are completely dry before storing. If they are not they can grow bacteria and fungus. Store your dried plant parts in a cool dry place until you are ready to use them.

Tinctures & Teas

To use your dried or fresh echinacea you can put it in high proof alcohol. You use one part plant and one part alcohol. Place this in a jar and shake it up. Then, set it in the sun for two weeks. Make sure to shake your tincture daily. After two weeks you can strain your tincture and store in a clean jar in a dark place. To use the tincture take about 20 drops in half a cup of warm water. This can be taken 2-4 times daily while symptoms persist.

To make teas with echinacea root use about half of a teaspoon of dried echinacea steeped in a cup of hot water. Let it steep 10-15 minutes. You can add ginger, lemongrass, and other healing herbs to taste in this tea. Honey makes a great sweetener and flavor enhancer as well.

Echinacea is a beautiful flowering herb that everyone should have in their garden. It will bring bees and butterflies to your garden. It can also help with colds, coughs, the flu, and many other ailments. The easiest ways to use your own echinacea are in teas and tinctures.

Echinacea in full bloom

Sources: 

ECHINACEA Echinacea purpurea. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://www.blessedmaineherbs.com/ececpu.html

H. (2015). How to Grow Echinacea (Coneflower) | Planet Natural. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from https://www.planetnatural.com/growing-echinacea/  

How to Harvest Echinacea for Tea. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/harvest-echinacea-tea-73456.html 

Loveplantlife, B. (2012). Echinacea: How to grow and use this powerful antibiotic and immune-stimulant. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://loveplantlife.com/2012/02/echinacea-how-to-grow-and-use-this-powerful-antibiotic-and-immune-stimulant/ 

  

Lemon Gingermint Tea

I have been a fan of herbal teas since I was a kid. Back then I only drank them because I like them. Now, as an adult, I have some stomach issues and I drink herbal teas with ginger and mint because they help with those symptoms. I typically drink a ginger peppermint tea but was looking for a change. I didn’t know what to expect with this tea since I had never had lemon balm, lemon grass, or black pepper in a tea. My first order of business when I opened the bag was to smell it. This loose leaf tea has a wonderfully fresh aroma. The citrus scents from the lemon grass, lemon balm, and lemon peel combined with the spicy of the mint, ginger, and pepper are a heavenly combination.

I have been drinking at least one cup of this tea a night. It helps with my stomach symptoms. It smells and tastes nice. It also has a huge benefit that my previous tea does not. This tea is wonderful cold as well as hot. The lemon flavors give it an amazing taste that works well at all temperatures. If you like a sweeter tea you can add a little bit of honey to this tea. The honey mixed with the herbs is wonderful when you have sinus issues or a cold. The combination really helps when I have a sore or scratchy throat.

When I make this tea, I put just over one teaspoon of the loose leaf tea into my tea ball and pour hot water from the tea kettle over it. I usually let it steep ten minutes more or less, usually more because I regularly forget about my tea while I do other stuff. The tea is a nice golden color and like I said earlier the flavor is pleasant hot or cold so even when I forget about it for an hour or more I can happily drink it when I remember.

You can buy this lemon gingermint tea here. 

I received a discount on this item. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  

KidSafe Germ Destroyer

Since my son started school we have had more illnesses like colds, strep throat, upper respiratory infections, and so on. This year I decided that would not be happening. Starting this winter I decided I would be using some type of anti-germ blend in the diffuser as often as I could. At first I wanted to make some type of thieves' like blend, but many of the ingredients in it are not safe for children.

I searched amazon and found Plant Therapy's KidSafe line of products. Finding KidSafe essential oil blends is awesome for me. I like to make my own blends, but sometimes buying them pre-made is not only easier, but more cost effective. In this case I bought the KidSafe Germ Destroyer Synergy. It has a couple of essential oils I don't have on hand and wouldn't use regularly enough to buy a whole bottle of them. I bought the bottle of undiluted essential oils.

This Germ Destroyer Blend has Spruce, Marjoram, Lavender, Rosalina and Lemon essential oils. This blend is not the best smelling blend, but I got used to it and enjoy it now. I used this blend in the diffuser every day through the winter. I only got one upper respiratory infection this year instead the 5-6 upper respiratory infections and cold I of last year. My son had one minor cold and that was all. We knew lots of people that got sick a lot this year, but we were not among those people.

This essential oil blend can also be diluted in a carrier oil and applied topically. When we use it topically I dilute it, usually in olive oil. Then, I rub it into my son's feet and make him put socks on. This keeps him from touching his essential oil covered feet and putting his hands in his mouth.

This blend is one of our favorites. It is in our diffuser during the day most days in the main rooms of the house.

You can find Plant Therapy's KidSafe Germ Destroyer Synergy here.

Spicy, Minty, and Delicious

One of my favorite drinks is a ginger peppermint tea. I had been buying it for years and then all of the sudden it was out of stock everywhere. Ginger peppermint tea settles my stomach and helps with my bloating. So, when it was out of stock and I ran out I had to do something. It probably wasn't a huge deal, but it felt like a major thing to me and my sensitive stomach.

I ended up buying dried ginger and dried peppermint from Penzey's. It was my first trip to Penzey's and I fell in love. They have so many awesome things, but that is not the point. Their herbs and spices are great prices. I ended up buying 2 - 1 oz bags of peppermint and 1 - 0.85 oz jar of minced ginger. The herbs smell wonderful when you get them open. They smell so much better than what I would typically buy at the grocery store.

When I make my tea I keep it in an airtight container. I keep mine in a plastic container with a lid. I mix equal parts ginger and peppermint in the container. Usually I do about 3/4 cup each for one batch then put the lid on and shake it up.

When I make my tea I boil my water in a teapot. I use stainless steel and silicone tea balls with about 1-1.5 teaspoons of the tea mixture in them to brew my tea. I love these because they seal tight enough that leaves do not leak out. The holes are small and the leaves do not leak out any of the seams. They also come with a little cup like thing to set your tea ball in when you are done steeping your tea. I usually let my tea steep about 20 minutes.

This tea is a beautiful golden color. This tea has a spicy, minty and delicious flavor. The ginger helps with nausea and the peppermint helps with gas and bloating. This tea is also great when I have a headache. I love this tea and it is much cheaper than buying boxes of pre-made tea bags.

Sugar Scrub

Growing up we used a lot of salt scrubs... and I loved them. As an adult I learned that sugar scrubs are also a great option and now I like them more than salt scrubs. Sugar scrubs are not as harsh on your skin. Things I have read say this is due to the smaller nature of sugar granules, as well as their shape, and their ability to dissolve more quickly. I occasionally use a larger granule of sugar that I run through the blender to break it up. Over the years, I have made quite a few different sugar scrubs and two hold the title of favorite.

The first of these favorite scrubs is a Lemon Sugar Scrub. I love the fresh clean smell of lemon. The second is a Lavender Sugar Scrub. The relaxing, soothing scent of lavender is a long time favorite.

Making sugar scrubs is extraordinarily easy. There is a simple ratio found in most sugar scrubs of sugar to oil. The typical ratio you see is 1 cup sugar to 1/2 cup oil. I like my sugar scrubs with less oil so I usually do 1 cup sugar to 1/3 cup oil. I use olive oil a lot of the time because it is something I always have in the house. You can also use coconut oil, jojoba oil, or almond oil. While I regularly use olive oil, I prefer the other oils because the scent of olive oil can be overpowering with some essential oils and olive oil is more greasy than many of the other choices. The amount of essential oil really depends on the type of essential oil and the carrier oil you choose.

My lemon sugar scrub is a great sugar scrub. I use white sugar, olive oil, or whatever carrier oil I have on hand, the zest of a lemon, and some lemon essential oil. Mix the zest and sugar together first then I slowly pour my olive oil in. Don't pour too fast because it is really easy to make this scrub more oily than you want to. Then, I add my essential oil. This scrub has such a fresh clean scent. I love to use it after I come in from gardening and my hands are dry and gross. I, also, love this in the winter months when the world is a cold, dreary place. This lemon sugar scrub is bright and cheerful!

The lavender sugar scrub is a little more time consuming. It uses two types of sugar. I use Demerara Sugar and white sugar. It also uses dried lavender flowers. I dump all of these dry ingredients into my blender and pulse until the sugar crystals and the lavender are well mixed and somewhat broken down. I like it somewhat chunky, but not quite as chunky as it is without running through the blender. Then, I slowly pour my carrier oil into the dry mixture, stirring. The amount of oil you need really depends on personal preference. I like this scrub to be a little drier than the lemon scrub. Then, I add my essential oil until I get just the right amount of lavender scent. The flowers and the essential oil give you a lot of room to play with the scent to make it as subtle or as strong as you would like. I use thus scrub before bed a lot. Lavender is very relaxing and soothing. This scrub is great for use as a body scrub in the shower.

I put my sugar scrubs in 8 ounce wide mouthed canning jars. I like these Ball jars the best. They hold quite a bit and they are low profile and sit close to the counter which keeps them from getting bumped and knocked off the counter by my son, like taller jars tend to do. When I started making sugar scrubs I was using a spoon from my kitchen to scoop it out. Some people use their hands, but I try not to contaminate them as much as possible. I now use some cool little wooden scoops, I found on amazon.com, that remind me of gelato spoons. They are the perfect size for sugar scrubs and are cute to attach and give with a scrub as a gift.

You can print these recipes here.