As I keep informing my Mum, I may or may not be getting a cold. The diagnosis of my ailments is thus ambiguous because although I am ever so slightly sniffly  and achey boned, I could simply be suffering  through the now quite distinct joy of  Mittelschmerz, still not reacting well to thyroid medication, or rather feeling the weighty effects of muddling through a life beset by the kind of ugly that has recently had me holding my child’s feet down while a doctor tried to poke a metal tube into his salivary glands until he was foaming at the mouth . Whatever it is, I am constantly cold and simply cannot get warm. So I am costing myself a fortune in gas, wandering around in slipper socks that threaten to kill me and generally feeling dithery. Oh joy. Aren’t you glad you popped over today?
But I refuse to give in to malaise my Darlings. I simply refuse! Where once I would have turned down the heating and suffered the indignity of goose-pimples, I now realise that being warm contributes to our quality of life in a way that no amount of new shoes will ever do, and I would rather live on tinned beans for the duration of Winter than try to save a few pennies on the gas bill. So yes. The central heating is cranked up to the max while I try to stop shivering and as a result I am drying up like an old prune. My poor, long suffering skin is wrinkling up in alarm, and displaying in it’s fright the kind of gruesome little spots atop my arms I thought disappeared with my teenage yearning for the bloke with the beret out of Brother Beyond Curiosity Killed the Cat.
So I am going to take drastic measures. This morning I will mix up some of the Central Heating Scrub that used to be a regular feature of my Winter bath times, and later tonight, climb into bed on a fragrant cloud of orange scented soft skin. While both creating and using this scrub can be a messy business, the bliss of getting into bed with the softest, sweetest smelling skin is more than worth it…
Won’t you do the same?
Ingredients
4 Oranges 4 tbsps ground almonds 3 tbsps oatmeal Glug of rosewater 6 tbsps almond oil 6 drops of lavender oil 3 drops of neroli oil 5 drops of sandalwood oil
Method
1. Dry the peel of all of the oranges in a low oven for one hour. 2. Blitz in the blender until they are powdery. 3. Pour almonds, oatmeal and powdered orange rind into a bowl and stir well. 4. Slowly stir in the almond oil, stopping if the mixture goes beyond a crumbly paste. 5. Add the aromatherapy oils of your choice: any combination of flower and wood based oils will do as long as they delight your senses. 6. Decant into a wide-mouthed jar (so you can scoop it out with your hand) and store for up to three weeks.
Using this scrub is unlike using commercial products. Run yourself a hot bath and lie back and enjoy it, then get out and dry yourself thoroughly. Now for the weird part. Get back in the bath and scooping big handfuls of your scrub, rub it into your dry skin until it rolls away. Use a dry towel to dust off any remnants, then climb into your jim jams and congratulate yourself on smelling Wintery and feeling scrumptiously smooth… Â
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
No.1: Breakfast in Bed. The Idea… Indulge your inner princess with a morning spent in your boudoir. Get up early, run yourself a bubbly bath, then dress in your most decadent nightie (frou frou ladies?), take the phone off the hook and…
I do believe that it might be well documented that I love September. I love it with a passion I usually reserve for violet cremes. It is after all the loveliest of opportunities to shift gear, fall into a frenzy of blissful…
On my list this afternoon: experimenting all over again with chocolate granola recipes . Reading Things Your Mother Never Told You because I am on a chick-lit roll. Shopping for an infusion teapot , a yoga mat that won’t startle my bedroom floor…
View the images individually in my Illustrated Discovery Journal… Other Things To Do At BrocanteHome Browse the Bookstore Discover a curated list of books to enhance and support life the BrocanteHome way Browse the Bookstore Life Love & Vintage Housekeeping the by…
" The bachelor girl who has her own meals to prepare after returning from the office will find on this page a good selection of suitable aprons. All these deigns have the advantages of being easy to make, easy to launder, and…
“This home is dedicated to good will. It grew out of love. The two heads of household were called together by a power higher than they. To it’s decree they are obedient. Every tone of voice, every thought of being is subdued…
One Comment
Poor you. Your having a hell of a time this year Alison. I hope the new year brings you a change for the better. I don’t do scrubs, my middle-aged hide doesn’t like them. What I do use however is my beloved rosehip oil with some lavender essential oil added to it. Works a treat. Ali x
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":300,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"http:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tipjar-2.png","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"BrocanteHome","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"BrocanteHome","form_subtitle":"Help Me to Keep BrocanteHome Online","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you so much: helping me keep Brocantehome online really means the world to me.","payment_confirmation_title":"BrocanteHome","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
Poor you. Your having a hell of a time this year Alison. I hope the new year brings you a change for the better. I don’t do scrubs, my middle-aged hide doesn’t like them. What I do use however is my beloved rosehip oil with some lavender essential oil added to it. Works a treat.
Ali x