Making Calendula Healing Salve

Calendula grows effortlessly in our front and backyards. They pop open their first buds in February and last through the beginning of November where we live in Northern California. Sunny yellow and cheery orange blooms are beautiful, fragrant, and most of all, healing.

Wilson has been reading the Herb Fairies program this year which ties in beautifully with our Grade 5 Waldorf homeschooling Botany blocks. He is currently reading about the healing properties of calendula, just as the first flowers of the year are arriving!  Calendula is wonderful for scrapes, burns, thrush, dry skin, and other skin issues. We decided to make a healing salve with the flowers.

Step 1: Pick calendula flowers that are in full bloom.

Step 2: Separate the petals, rinse, and let dry.

Step 3: Steep petals in organic olive oil or other base oil of your choice for at least a few days.

Step 4: Melt an equal amount of organic beeswax with your calendula petal/olive oil mixture in a crock pot for 2-3 hours.

Step 5: Carefully and quickly strain the warm mixture through cheesecloth, add a few drops of organic lavender essential oil, and gently stir.

Step 6: Quickly scoop salve into tins or other sealed containers. Cool in the refrigerator.

Kerelaion -- a new eBook and art technique

We are very excited to introduce an artistic medium that includes a combination of wax, oil and aromatherapy.  Create beautiful, ethereal artwork using the Kerelaion technique!

 

Our eBook includes a list of supplies, directions on the technique, when and how to use this with children and as a therapeutic technique, a verse, and beautiful color pictures. "Kerelaion" means wax-oil in Ancient Greek.

Wonderful to experience by yourself, for homeschooling, or with groups of children and adults.

The eBook will be emailed to you as a PDF file within a day upon receipt of order and payment.  Available through our blog, website and Etsy shop.

New Workshops!

New workshops are scheduled for 2011!  Come and join Syrendell to learn more about handwork, art and aromatherapy.  Workshops are held in Davis, California unless otherwise noted.  Davis is about 20 minutes from Sacramento and 1.5 hrs. from San Francisco.  We also travel and teach!  Email us to schedule a workshop near you.

To see the upcoming schedule and register: www.syrendellacademy.com

February 6
Felting 10-12
Spinning 1-3

March 6
Beginning Crochet 10-12
Tunisian Crochet 1-3

April 3
Beginning Knitting 10-12
Wet-On-Wet Watercoloring 1-3

Happy New Year

We are celebrating leaving 2010 and embracing 2011!

Out With the Old....

Cleaning up the yard and turning the compost pile 

 Finishing books that are partially read

Pulling out those "UFOs" (unfinished objects) to finish or recycle

Putting away holiday decorations (except these cute wood and felted snowmen from Daddy...we'll keep these out!)

In With the New....

Creating new crocheted and felted items for the Etsy shop

Blending aromatherapy sprays for the home and school

Designing the Summer garden and ordering organic seeds

Changing the nature table (pictures of the Three Kings to come!)


Have a Happy, Peaceful, Balanced, Joyous 2011!!

Learn Knitting, Crochet, Spinning and Aromatherapy

Upcoming Syrendell Workshops!  Go to our website to register.

Handwork in the Dell Workshop - Beginning Knitting December 5, 2010

10:00am - 12:00pm

Davis, California
Price includes yarn used during the workshop, a pdf handout (emailed), and organic snacks. Knitting needles available to use. Spindles, knitting needles, crochet hooks, wool roving, yarns, fiber arts supplies, books, silks and other items available for purchase at a discount during the workshop. $30

Handwork in the Dell Workshop - Beginning Crochet

December 5, 2010
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Davis, California
Price includes yarn used during the workshop, a handout, and organic snacks. Crochet hooks available to use. Spindles, knitting needles, crochet hooks, wool roving, yarns, fiber arts supplies, books, silks and other items available for purchase at a discount during the workshop. $30

Aromatherapy in the Dell

December 20, 2010

2:00pm - 4:00pm

Fair Oaks, California

Price includes all materials (including oils used during the workshop), a pdf eBook, snacks and two aromatherapy products. Supplies, books and other items available for purchase at a discount during the workshop. $40 (Note...this is in Fair Oaks)

 

Handwork in the Dell - Beginning Spindle Spinning January 9, 2011

10:00am- 12:00pm

Davis, California

Price includes all spinning fiber used during the workshop, a pdf handout (emailed), and organic snacks. Spindles, knitting needles, crochet hooks, extra roving, fiber arts supplies, books, silks and other items available for purchase at a discount during the workshop. $30

Our Holisitic Approach to Winter Wellness

Autumn and Winter tend to bring on all sorts of interesting colds and illnesses.  We are not ones to go to the doctor or take medication.  Prevention is key, and when necessary, we will treat ourselves as naturally as possible.

1.  Juicing

At least twice per week, we drink "vruit"!  Using our Juiceman juicer, we create a blend of roots (beets, carrots), greens (kale, spinach, lettuces, chard), herbs (parsley), and fruit (apples, oranges).  It's an easy way to ensure that everyone gets vitamins and minerals from veggies and greens, especially if you have some picky eaters in the family!  Green smoothies made in the Vita-mix are fantastic, too, and contain the fiber content.

2.  Aromatherapy

We wash our hands with soap that has lavender, rosemary and tea tree oil in it after being in contact with other people or places.  A bath with 8 drops of tea tree oil is nice after a day around others who are sick.  Floors are mopped with water mixed with essential oils of lemon, lavender, tea tree and cypress.  Countertops are cleaned with a similar mixture.  Sheets are washed with a teaspoon of eucalyptus oil.  Clogged ears get a drop of lavender oil on a Q-tip.  Itchy throats drink a drop of cypress oil with water.  Stuffy noses inhale eucalyptus and lemon myrtle steam.  More ideas in our Aromatherapy eBook.

3.  Massage

When the children were babies and toddlers, we massaged them after every bath.  Jennifer is a certified educator of infant massage.  You can take a class to learn how to do this by finding a certified educator through Infant Massage USA.  As the children have grown, we massage backs, feet, ear/necks to sooth and comfort when not feeling well. 

4.  Chiropractic

Parents see the chiro (along with a massage) once per month.  Kids go during growth spurts.  Keeping the back in alignment prevents ear infections and many other issues.


5.  Exercise
Stretching, yoga, bike riding, dance lessons, fencing, gardening, playing at the park and more!

6.  Homeopathy & Flower Essences

Remedies by Uriel and flower essences by Bach are used at the first signs of any sort of illness.

 

7.  Rest

Sometimes we just need extra sleep, or a day at home on a weekend without running around to rest and recharge. 

8.  Music

Playing instruments and singing make us feel great!  Regularly listening to and playing music feeds our minds, hearts and souls.

Overall, we see wellness holistically.  We know that leading a healthy lifestyle prevents illness.  We also recognize that fevers and certain illnesses are sometimes important for us to experience.  As a result of incorporating natural therapies, we can go for years without seeing a doctor's office.  We'd love to hear how others approach wellness as a family!

Syrendell Workshops and Lessons

Syrendell offers customized lessons or small group workshops for homeschoolers, Waldorf schoolers, co-ops and anyone who is interested in handwork, art or Wadorf curriculum. Lessons and workshops are offered at our home in Davis or at your location.  Email us if you are interested.  We now have a beautiful arts and crafts studio!


Some pictures from recent lessons in wet-on-wet watercoloring and chalkboard drawing.

Come and join us for upcoming workshops!  More information and registration at: http://www.syrendellacademy.com/.

Handwork in the Dell: Full Day Workshop
September 25, 2010
9:00am - 3:00pm
Davis, California


Open to adults who want to learn more about fiber arts and how to teach handwork to their own children in a homelearning and/or Waldorf-inspired environment. Limited space available. (Teens also welcome -- please email us in advance). Come join Jennifer & Joey Tan at Syrendell for a day of fiber arts fun!  Lunch included.  $80


Spinning in the Dell: 1/2-day Workshop

September 26, 2010
1:00pm- 3:00pm
Davis, California


Open to adults and teens who want to learn how to spin. Beginners will learn on a spindle. Seasoned spindlers will learn the spinning wheel. We will learn about fibers, how to card batts and make our own yarn! Limited space available. (Children ages 9-17 able to learn how to spin are welcome to attend with a parent -- email us in advance). Come join Jennifer & Joey Tan at Syrendell for a day of spinning!  $30

Aromatherapy in the Dell: 1/2-Day Workshop
October 3, 2010
10:00am - 12:00pm
Davis, California


Open to adults and teens who want to learn more about aromatherapy and how to use it for self, children and home. We will experience a variety of oils and custom blend an synergy oil to take home. Limited space available. (Teens also welcome -- please email us in advance). $30

Aromatherapy Tele-seminar

Jennifer will be presenting a tele-seminar on Aromatherapy Thursday night at 5pm PST/8pm EST!  It's free to listen. Sign up at http://themindfulconnection.com/dap/a/?a=17

Lots of wonderful tele-seminars coming up at The Mindful Connection:



*Life Organizing- How not to get lost in the cracks!


*Aromatherapy for Parent, Child, & Home


*Raising Eco-Friendly Children


*Children as Healers


*Finding Sacred Moments in your Everyday Life


*Beyond Natural Cures


*Nurturing Ourselves as Women & Mothers

Holistic Therapies at Syrendell

Daddy graduated from medical school (but became a stay-at-home-dad...yay!), and Mommy is a retired elementary school principal (and now a stay-at-home mom...hooray!). Besides these conventional educational backgrounds, they love to infuse their holistic therapies throughout Syrendell. Daddy is a Feng Shui consultant and plays harp for pregnant mommies and premature babies. Mommy is certified in Leclaire Hypnobirthing, Wholebirth Prenatal Yoga, Infant Massage, Aromatherapy and Bach Flower Essences.

Two of the children were born at home, unassisted, and the last one was a pleasurable waterbirth, utilizing flower essences, essential oils, yoga and hypnobirthing techniques. The children enjoyed receiving massages from Mommy and Daddy! Harp, aromatherapy and Feng Shui continues to be a natural part of our daily rhythms at Syrendell.

In case other parents are interested in holistic trainings, we highly recommend the following:
1. Leclaire Hypnobirthing: http://www.leclairemethod.com/ She does 3-day trainings in beautiful Pacific Palisades, CA, near Malibu.
2. Wholebirth Prenatal Yoga: http://www.wholebirth.com/ Robin's approach to teacher training is amazing, and you leave with a renewed sense of yourself as a person! 5-day trainings in the Santa Cruz, CA area, although she'll travel other places if you get a group together.
3. Infant Massage: http://www.infantmassageusa.org/ These wonderful trainings are held all over the US. Teaching couples (some before the baby is born, but most of them after the baby is born) how to massage their babies is one of the most rewarding experiences. Be sure to go to a training by this organization, as they are the founders of IM.
4. Aromatherapy: http://www.theida.com Jade is a gifted aromatherapist and a wonderful person. She teaches in Washington state, but also offers a distance learning option. Info. on pregnancy is included.
5. Flower Essences: http://www.bachremedies.com/Training_Bach-International-Education-Program_pg24.aspx Bach is the most well-known and purchasing their products is fairly easy, world-wide. Trainings are all over the world. I also recommend Flower Essence Society, located in N. California: http://www.flowersociety.org/, Masters Essences (home study option, too): http://www.mastersessences.com/, and Star Essences (trainings annually in Santa Barbara, CA) http://www.mastersessences.com/.
6. Feng Shui: http://www.westernschooloffengshui.com/ Trainings in San Diego, CA.

7. Harp Therapy: http://www.harprealm.com/ Trainings in San Diego, UK, Netherlands, Japan.

Mommy created a holistic childbirth preparation course, Meditative Mama, that incorporates the above therapies into a 2.5 hr. workshop for pregnant mommies and their partners/families. She also trains others on how to teach this class.