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Touted as one of the best natural sleep aids out there, lavender has soothing, healing properties and its smell can’t be beat. Look beyond the traditional scented candles with these creative ways to incorporate lavender into your daily routine.
Lavender Infused Vodka
Want to get the most out of cocktail hour? Why not try making your own lavender infused vodka? All you need is a bottle of your favourite (unflavored) vodka, 1/4 cup of lavender flowers, and the willingness to wait. In a clean, resealable bottle, pour all but 1/2 a cup of vodka and add the flowers. Seal, shake, and freeze for 5 days. When its ready, strain out the flowers, squeeze their liquid back into the bottle with cheesecloth, and get ready to enjoy your custom made concoction.
Natural Lavender Body Lotion
Lavender scented body products are incredibly popular but tend to be laden with synthetic fragrances and colours. Keep things natural by picking up a bottle of unscented, gentle body lotion and add as much (or as little) pure lavender essential oil as you want. Give it a quick mix and there you have a fresh, fragrant moisturizer that you can feel good putting on your skin.
DIY Lavender Sachets
Fall asleep to the smell of lavender and you’re all but guaranteed sweet dreams. Skip scented laundry detergent and try making your own lavender sachets instead. All you need are dried lavender flowers, some fabric, and basic sewing supplies. Cut the fabric (12 cm squares should do the trick), add some lavender to the centre, and sew the edges, either by hand or using a machine. Not only are DIY sachets easy and functional, they make wonderful gifts. Your friends are going to love you!
Homemade Lavender Room and Linen Spray
Love the fragrance of lavender so much that you want your entire house to smell like it?? Totally understandable and, thanks to this easy spray, completely doable. All you need is distilled water, 2 tablespoons of distilled alcohol, 1/2 teaspoon of lavender essential oil and a spray bottle. Combine the ingredients, shake well, and you’ve got an inexpensive yet wonderful smelling room and linen spray.
Lavender Simple Syrup
Next time you break out a bottle of sparkling water, consider adding a touch of lavender for a truly spa-like experience. This simple syrup is so easy that you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it sooner and so delicious you’ll want to add it to everything. Boil 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of dried lavender, reduce, and let simmer for 2 minutes. Strain, cool, and refrigerate until needed. Also tastes amazing in iced tea.
Lavender Ice Cream
A bowl of ice cream before bed needn’t be a guilty pleasure if it’s flavoured with dream inducing lavender. Skip the Rocky Road and opt for a few scoops of Nigella Lawson’s fragrant homemade treat. You can control the quality of the ingredients and feel good about going back for seconds, knowing that your bedtime snack will actually help you sleep. The fact that it tastes incredible is just icing on the proverbial cake.
