loving lavender

since the start of fall, i've been having a lavender moment. while i don't favor it as a personal scent (much preferring my neroli and patchouli options), i love it as a home smell because it is refreshing and soothing at the same time (lavender is known for its calming qualities), and doesn't have a distinctly seasonal bent which so many smells do (like coconut, though you know how i love my coconut). the lavender is light enough for spring and summer and doesn't smell out of place in the cooler months. i also find that it blends with other seasonal scents unobtrusively.

as you might remember, the very first tiny treasure was the mrs meyers lavender room spray and i seriously do think its the best thing you can purchase for your home for $5. i spray it in my bedroom when i'm in there cleaning and organizing or watching tv or getting into bed and its transforming. seriously, i can't overstate my love for it (though i can try).

along similar lines, i really like the mrs meyers countertop spray and hand lotion, which i use as body lotion right out of the shower (label removed, obvi). i like the dish soap too, but its too lathery and ends up feeling like too much comes out every time. i much prefer the lavender and chamomile dish soap from trader joe's (can't find a picture) and they make a hand soap version too.

also from TJ's, avalon organic's hand and body lotion. the reason i love all the TJ's products is because they actually smell like lavender in its herbal form and not a perfumey version of it. and they're a steal.

i also really like the method french lavender products. generally i find them pretty interchangable with the mrs meyers products, except they're a brilliant purple hue which sometimes strikes me as pretty, and sometimes as fake seeming - depends on my mood. they're also more readily available at most drug stores and grocery stores, while mrs meyers is mainly sold at whole foods and similar places.

my favorite new lavender find has been sort of random - baby magic lavender and chamomile baby bath. it smells like comfort and bedtime. that's the best way i can describe it. i got it at shop rite but i know they carry the line at cvs as well. as soon as i see it, i will definitely get the calming lavender lotion they make.

to me, the little moments in my day where i can treat myself to a little bit of nurturing and calm are very important. so for moments at a time - a spray here, a lather there - i am transported to a relaxing and lovely smelling little place.

photos are from http://www.static-resources.goodguide.com/, http://www.well.ca/, http://www.violetsun.files.wordpress.com/, http://www.methodproducts.co.uk/, http://www.herbsgardenshealth.com/