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Need a cost effective way to get rid of mosquitoes? Try making your own citronella candles and eliminate mosquitoes while providing a romantic, outdoor setting. Making citronella candles is easy and can cost as little as $0.25 per candle. Follow this step-by-step guide and make your own candles at home in less than 10 minutes:

Materials Needed:

Wax - Any form of all-purpose wax will do. This can be found in the canning section of the grocery store or in a craft or hardware store.
Citronella- You will need citronella oil for the candle to be effective against mosquitoes.
Mold - This is the container which you will be pouring the hot wax into. The container is your choice, if you want to get fancy you can but a recycled can or glass will also do.
Container for Melting Wax - Nothing specific, a saucepan filled with water or a coffee tin will do.
Wick - Your candle will not work without a wick. You can purchase wicks at any craft store or you can choose to do it yourself by dipping a string or cord into hot wax.
Thermometer - Any form of thermometer will do.
Releaser - Any form of cooking oil or silicone spray will do, as long as it does not have a petroleum base as it may release toxic fumes while burning.
Wooden Spoon - This will be used for stirring the wax.
Wick Cutter - A knife or a pair of scissors will do.

Directions:

1. Make the Wick - Soak a piece of heavy string or cord into wax and set to dry on a sheet of wax paper. You can also buy candle wicks instead of making them.
2. Heat the Wax - Heat your container to approximately 140 degrees and place unmelted wax into it.
3. Add Citronella - As the wax is melting add 1-2 drops of citronella.
4. Releaser - As the wax is melting; spray your releaser into your mold.
5. Stir - Stir the melting wax softly with your wooden spoon.
6. Pour - Pour the wax into the mold and remember not to fill it to the top. Leave about one inch at the top of the mold.
7. Wicks - Place the wicks into the melting wax. Hold wick in place either using your hand or tie it to a pencil in order to ensure the wick stays upright and does not fall over.
8. Set to dry.

Making citronella candles is as easy as 1-2-3! Be truly unique and buy terra-cotta pots, paint them and use them as one-of-a-kind candle holders! Cassie Morgan is an avid candle fan who loves making candles in her spare time. Due to her expertise, she also does freelance writing for sites like Candles and Candle Making a site that offers information about candle making and soap making. The above candle is one of her favorites as it also helps fend off mosquitoes in the summer

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Are you a rose lover? If so, or even if your not, Blue Roses are a variety anyone can appreciate. The Blue Rose is very rare, hard to find, and difficult to cultivate. Why is this? Are they available at all? To find out more information about Blue roses, keep reading. Blue Roses are rare because they are difficult to cultivate. What does this mean? Well, in simple terms, the rose does not have blue pigment in its DNA therefore, does not allow itself to become blue even with scientists trying to make it happen, there is no true blue rose available today. But, there are alternatives. One such alternative is to find Blue Moon Roses. These blue roses are beautiful in their fragile state. They are delicate and, simply gorgeous. While they look blue, they are a more lavender color. They give off a lavender scent as well. It blooms all summer long in beautiful color. Another alternative to producing blue roses is to simply use dyes to change the color of the petals from white to blue. By placing a dye in the water the rose drinks, it creates a blue color in the leaves, petals, and stem. While the rose looks blue, it is not because it grew this way, but because of the dye. So, if you are dead set on finding blue roses you may want to consider the above options. We continue to wait for scientists to develop a true blue rose. This rare beauty will bring great job to rose lovers everywhere. About the Author Ken Austin Roses and Rose Gardening Online Discount Shopping Guide

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Do you love burning beautiful, scented candles? And do you know that you can easily make them yourself? It is exciting and not at all difficult. Here are 12 easy steps to creating unique candles that you can burn at home, give as gifts, or even sell.

Materials for gel candle making

You will need: - gel - zinc wicks (cotton wicks can’t be used for gel candles because they absorb too much gel) - essential oil for fragrance - liquid color dye - embeds (optional) All these materials can be obtained online from candle making suppliers. It is important to use essential oils and colors specially made for gel candles; fragrance oils you can buy in a cosmetic shop are not suitable. Also, you can buy a gel candle making kit. Getting a kit is the best solution for a beginner, because it will include everything you need to make your first few candles.

And of course you will need a container. The best container for a gel candle is glass, so people can see the embeds you put inside the candle, but any non-flammable container would do. You can use any glass, wine glass, or even a small wide vase, but your container should be at least 2 inches in diameter. Garage sales and second hand stores are gold mines, when it comes to candle containers.

For embeds you can use anything non-flammable - colored aquarium gravel, marbles, glitter, sand, sea shells, pebbles, crystals, polished stones, artificial jewels or pearls.

Steps to making a gel candle

1. Place a little bit of hot glue in the center of the container bottom. Stick the wick in it and let the glue set.

2. Cut the gel into small pieces so it melts faster and more evenly. Melt it in a stainless steel pot over a medium heat.

3. The trickiest part is the temperature - you should get it to exactly 200 F, because overheated gel looses its clarity. For that, you will need a suitable thermometer.

4. Maintain the temperature at 200 ; all the gel should melt and become smooth, like syrup.

5. Add color dye to the melted gel, a little bit at a time, until you get the desired color - remember, you can always add more dye to make the color stronger, but you can’t take dye away. For a candle with embedded objects, you should use only a little color, so the objects remain visible

6. Add the fragrance - 1/3 teaspoon for each glass of melted gel will give it a nice scent. For a stronger scent, add a bit more fragrance.

7. Heat the container in the oven or microwave to about 150-160 F. This will help to reduce the appearance of bubbles

8. If you want to use embeds, dip them in hot gel first and then arrange them in the container as you like. It is better to keep the objects closer to the sides of the container - they will be easier to see, this way.

9. Now it is time to pour your gel into the container. Place your container on a level surface and pour the gel slowly and carefully down the side. If it is your first time, you will probably get a few bubbles; to avoid that, the gel should be still very hot.

10. Pull the wick up. Roll it on a pencil to keep it straight.

11. Let the candle cool. Trim the wick and you are done! You have a beautiful, unique gel candle, made by yourself.
About the Author

Tanya Turner is a candle-making expert and a founder of www.BestScentedCandles.info, where you can find information about all types of candles, how to make them and where to get best scented candles

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Roses are a sign of love and friendship and by giving someone a rose you are telling them how truly special they are. There are a number of colors of roses available and each one represents a different meaning to the receiver. If you are looking to purchase roses for that special someone, but aren t quite sure which color would best suit your relationship, keep reading to find out what each color represents. Red Red roses are a sign of love, beauty, courage and respect. This color represents romantic, sincere and passionate love. If you want to show your loved one that they are the love of your life, red roses are the ones to choose. Giving a single red rose to someone is a simple way to say I love you . White White roses are a sign of purity, innocence, silence and youthfulness. They are given to individuals who are shy about love and are used to tell the person how special they are. White roses can also be used in weddings as an indication of new love which is just beginning. Pink Pink roses are a sign of appreciation and are often given as a thank you. Pink flowers also represent happiness and admiration and are given to someone you love whether it be a significant other or a best friend. Yellow Yellow roses are a sign of friendship, happiness, joy and promise. Yellow roses are often given to show happiness for loved ones who are returning from a long trip or leave of absence. Orange Orange roses signify desire and enthusiasm. They can be given at a graduation or a commencement to celebrate the ending and beginning of two different phases in life. Lavender/Purple Lavender or purple roses are a sign of love at first sight. If you just meet someone and have fallen head over heals for them, show them how you feel by giving them lavender roses. Regardless of the color of roses, they represent love and friendship among many other wonderful things. Roses can be planted in your garden or kept in vases throughout your home. If you are growing roses in your garden follow this gardening tip to ensure you receive the best results possible: Pruning Your Roses Using pruning shears, trim your roses around the edges and remove any dead leaves from the plant. Cut out any dead wood, twigs or stems which are cross-growing over one another. Pruning should be done twice a year (once in the spring and once in the fall) to ensure your roses are kept in top condition. Where you decide to plant your roses and the kind you choose will affect the overall appearance of your garden. Roses are quite possibly the most popular flower to show love and happiness and anyone who receives a rose for any reason should consider themselves a very lucky person. Colin Smith is a freelance write for gardenequipment101 a site that features information about garden ponds, Toro lawn mowers, barbecue pits and more.

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I love burning candles and have them all around the house. Long ones, short ones, fat ones, thin ones, in a plethora of colours. I burn them in the evening when I’m relaxing; I burn them at mealtimes; and I burn them in the bathroom when I’m pampering myself. Any excuse to light a candle really.

But candles don’t always fit the holder, and sometimes they burn down too far and the wax gets stuck! It’s at times like this that candles aren’t quite as much fun!

Here are some candle burning tips I’ve picked up through the years:

1.Cold candles will burn more slowly. Wrap them in foil or cling-film to prevent the wicks from absorbing moisture then pop them in the fridge for an hour.

2.When burning pillar candles, let them burn long enough each time to create a pool of wax that almost covers the diameter of the candle. This will ensure that the candle burns evenly each time you light it. If it doesn’t create a large enough pool you’ll end up with a tunnel through the candle and eventually it will either melt through one side or you’ll simply not be able to get down far enough to light it. And even if you did, it would give off very little light.

3.Never stand a lit candle in a wind draught as they’ll create a larger, more irregular flame and your candle will burn unevenly.

4.Never expose candles to sunlight or indoor spotlights. They will fade the colour and if left for too long, the candles will bend.

5.If your candle is too narrow to fit snugly into the holder, wrap cooking foil or tissue paper around the bottom of the candle to make the base thicker. Don’t worry, the tissue paper won’t burn even if you do allow the candle to burn right down into the holder as the melted wax will soak the paper. Having said that, it’s never a good idea to allow candles to burn right down; they should be extinguished when they’re about 2 inches over the holder.

6.If you’ve allowed the candle to burn right down and the wax is stuck in the holder, put the holder into the freezer for a couple of hours and the wax should be considerably easier to dig out.

7.If you like votive candles, try buying the type that have metal cases as these are easier to remove from holders after use. If you only have the uncovered type, pour some water into the holder before lighting the candle. Once extinguished and the wax hardened, it should be easier to pop it out of the container.

8.Spilled wax should always be allowed to solidify before being removed. Once hard, cover the area with brown paper and gently press with a warm iron. The wax will be absorbed into the paper.

9.Extinguish candles by pushing the wick into the liquid wax (don’t use your fingers a used matchstick is a good tool for this). Leave it for about a minute then re-center the wick. Using this technique both eliminates smoking from the extinguished wick and covers the wick with a layer of wax making re-lighting easier.

Sharon grew up in East London but moved to Norway at the age of 19, returning to England in 1998. She now lives in Cheshire with her partner and two of her three children. Besides writing, she is currently studying Social Science with The Open University, runs a web site where women in the UK can meet other women for platonic friendship (www.friendsyourway.co.uk), potters in her garden, knits and reads everything she comes over.

s.jacobsen@friendsyourway.co.uk

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The White Lily Candle Company is widely known for their great soy candles, including their famous Monkey Farts Candle. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they have a full Bath & Body line with the same great scents as their candles. Recently I had the opportunity to try out some of their great bath and body products. I picked out the scent Fresh Linen which is described as “a fresh and clean accord with soft subtle back notes of powder and musk.” When my order arrived in the mail, I could already smell the scent through the packaging. It reminded me of a grown up version of baby powder. Having been a fan of Love’s Baby Soft perfume growing up, this was an appealing scent for me to wear as an adult. In my order I had a Glycerin Bar Soap, Body Butter, and Body Mist spray. I was super excited to try them. The glycerin soap bar had a nice lather and left my skin feeling soft and squeaky clean. The body butter, which has Shea Butter as its first ingredient, went onto my skin smoothly. As the final touch to the layering of fragrances I stepped into a mist of the body spray. At the end of the day my skin was still soft and smooth and best of all the fragrance had made it through the day without reapplying. I would highly recommend the White Lily Candle Company next time you are looking for Bath & Body products as well as good, quality soy candles. I worked with Terry Johnston, a great consultant, in finding the perfect products for me. You can find her website at http://www.whitelilyscents.com
About the Author

Shannon Weidemann is a Consultant with Watkins, a company specializing in items for your Pantry, Medicine Chest, and Environmentally Friendly Cleaners. She is married to a wonderful husband and mom to one child and two furbabies. Learn more about Watkins and sign up for her monthly newsletter at http://www.greatvanilla.com

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Remember the old Calgon commercial “Take me away Calgon!” There’s only one thing that can take you away faster than a Calgon bath, and that’s a scented candle. Whether you want a breath of fresh spring air, or you want to transport yourself to a South Sea paradise minus the hassle of airport security, crowded, delayed flights and lost baggage, grab a scented candle, and travel wherever your imagination leads. Smell is a powerful sense, and you can use it to alter your mood within seconds with the flicker of a candle. In fact, why not keep a supply of scented candles in the bathroom when you don’t have time to luxuriate in the bathtub. Envelope yourself in fragrance while you shower, dry and blow-dry.

Close your eyes and think of each season: winter, spring, summer and fall each evoke special “scentual” memories. If it’s the dead of winter and you’ve already suffered through 73 days of snow cover, light a pi a colada candle or a seaside candle and pop in your favorite Beach Boys CD. Inhale the scents of summer and forget about the cold for a few divine moments. Select a delicate floral candle or maybe a rain forest scent to remind you that April showers are right around the corner. If it’s 102 F in the shade, there’s nothing like a pine-scented candle to send a quick shiver up your back. Longing for fall? Light a pumpkin candle to evoke the Harvest Moon and the bounty of autumn. Whatever the occasion you’d like to recreate, it’s only a candle away. That’s the power of the sense of smell.

Holidays are incomplete without candles. If you think back to your favorite holiday gatherings, your mind will probably wander to your favorite scents. Think about your favorite Christmas tree, and you’re bound to remember the crisp smell of pine or cedar. The traditional holiday season from Thanksgiving to the New Year provides a natural cornucopia of fragrance. From pumpkin pie to peppermint ice cream to vanilla, the scents of the holiday season are everywhere.

Perhaps you use an artificial tree instead of a fresh-cut tree each year. Simulate the scent of a Frazier fir with candles. Artificial trees are getting closer to their natural kissing cousins with each passing season, but they remain “flat” without the accompanying scent. They just can’t bring the smell of Christmas into a home like the real thing. Light a few pine or cedar candles, and voila you may never miss the genuine article.

Feel free to light several complementary scents at once. The seasons and the holidays are full of naturally occurring complementary fragrance. Each season contains a wealth of pleasing smell. The holiday season probably provides the most scent. Recreate the memories of Christmas past with gingerbread, vanilla, cinnamon, eggnog, clove, nutmeg, pine, peppermint candles. The scents don’t compete, because they occur naturally, and you’ve smelled them from infancy. If you can think of a memory, you can find a candle to recreate the mood.

Look around your home. You’ve probably created a room or two around a theme. Perhaps you’ve created an indoor sunroom. Bring the scents of the outdoors into your sunroom to add authenticity. Perhaps you’ve built a room around a color. Add lavender-scented candles to that lavender room, rose-scented candles to a pink room, new-mown grass-scented and rain forest candles to a green room, vanilla or gardenia to a white room, and seaside to a blue room.

Don’t forget the kitchen. Not only will you want to add scent, but you may want to eliminate odors as well. If you’ve created the perfect dinner for guests, the last thing you want is the smell of garlic, onion, or fish wafting through your home when they arrive. If the odor is overpowering, turn on the kitchen fan, spray a little odor neutralizer in the air, and light citrus-scented candles to replace cooking odors with the clean scent of fruit.

Cheaper than a trip to paradise, quicker than you can even say “banana bread,” you can light a candle. If your mind can imagine it, you can create it with scented candles for mere pennies!

M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for http://www.candles-4-u.com/candle_holders.htm, http://www.candles-4-u.com/aromatherapy.htm, and http://www.candles-4-u.com/scented_candles.htm. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.

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Roses are the traditional gift given on Valentines Day, but they’re well-received any time of year. The color and type of rose does carry a meaning, though. Be aware of what you re giving: the color of a rose can have a very different meaning from what you intend. If you re giving roses as a gift, follow this guide to make sure you send the message you want to send: Red Roses: Red roses say, “I love you.” Red roses are the ultimate symbol of romantic love and enduring passion. Florists can’t keep up with the Valentines Day demand for red roses, which makes them especially expensive in February. Pale Pink Roses: Pale pink roses imply grace, gentleness, and joy. Light Pink Roses: Light pink roses express a sense of fun, happiness, and whimsy. Deep Pink Roses: Deep pink roses say, “Thank you.” Lilac Roses: Lilac roses indicate the sender has fallen in love at first sight with the recipient and is enchanted. (To make sure the recipient doesn t miss the message, an appropriate card might also be a good idea. The meaning of lilac roses isn t as widely-known as the meaning of red roses, for instance.) White Roses: Pure white roses symbolize truth and innocence. They also send other messages like, “I miss you,” and “You’re heavenly (or both, if your loved one is away.) Coral Roses: Coral roses express one thing through their passionate color: Desire. Peach Roses: Peach roses signify appreciation, gratitude, modesty, and also can convey sympathy. Orange Roses: Orange roses communicate enthusiasm, desire, and fascination on the part of the sender. Yellow Roses: Yellow roses indicate friendship and freedom ? so don’t send them if your intentions are romantic and long-lasting. Yellow roses are also appropriate for sending congratulations to newlyweds, graduates, and new mothers. Dead Roses: Regardless of the original color, dead roses say “It’s over,” loud, clear, and in a tacky and less than classy way. Combining Colors Put two or more colors of roses together, and a new rose meaning arises: White Roses + Yellow Roses: A symbol of harmony. Red Roses + Yellow Roses: A message of happiness and celebration. Red Roses + White Roses: An indication of bonding and harmony. Other Rose Symbolism These are acceptable ways to convey a meaning giving roses: 12 Roses: Gratitude. Any bouquet in full bloom also implies the full flowering of the emotion being conveyed: a bouquet of red roses in full bloom implies the full flowering of love. 24 Roses: Congratulations 48 Roses: Unconditional love. Single Red Rose: “I love you,” (but I’m not going to go broke telling you.) A single red rose in a bud vase is a great way to surprise and charm a loved one. Single Rose of Any Color: “Thank you,” (and I’m still not going to go broke saying so.) Two Roses Entwined: An engagement or marriage is in the near future. By Bambi Coker All Rights Reserved. RosesSecretsRevealed aaaroses.blogspot About the Author Rose Enthusiast

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As well as having medicinal uses, the beautiful, aromatic Apothecary s Rose (Rosa Gallica) and other scented rose hybrids, have long been associated with beauty and romance. Rose scented cosmetics are very popular right now, but they are surprisingly simple to make, and their greatest value is that the aromatherapy qualities keep you feeling fresh and calm through the day. If you have an abundance of roses in your garden, or a supply of Rose Essential oil on your shelf, you can create a range of ravishing rose products to pamper yourself with. If you are using fresh or dried rose petals you will need to infuse them in oil and witch hazel or pure alcohol, and set them in a warm place (but not in direct sunlight) for a few days. Keep testing the product to see how the aroma is doing by dipping a fresh cotton wool bud into the liquid. If you need more aroma after about a week, strain off the petals through muslin and add more fresh petals. Or you can just use the essential or craft oil (that is essential oil mixed with a carrier oil like Almond, quite aromatic enough for our purposes). Rose Scented Skin Cleanser A good skin cleanser is a must. Cream skin cleanser is gentle and good for most skin types. Start with plain old Sorbolene cream, available from any Chemist or herbal supply store. It s a plain white unscented cream, which can be used as a base for almost any cream preparation. To make the basic skin cleanser, add a few drops of rose oil, and the contents of three or four Vitamin E oil capsules to a small jar of sorbolene cream. Blend well together. Honey and Roses Cleansing Cream To one-quarter cup of sorbolene cream, add 1 tsp Almond Oil (for the Vitamin E), a dessertspoon of warmed honey, and as much Rose oil as will give an aromatic scent. With a wooden spatula, whip the ingredients together. Put the combined cream and oils into a dark glass jar, seal and keep in a cool place. To use, smooth some of the cream over your face and gently remove with tissues. After cleansing your skin, you will need to use a soothing toner that will not irritate or inflame sensitive skin. This is mild and effective. Rose Toner Mix equal parts of witch hazel and distilled water (about 1 or two cups, depending on the capacity of the container). Add to this one-tablespoon of cider vinegar and as much Rose Oil as you desire. Store in a cool place and apply to the skin with cotton wool pads. A gentle soothing moisturizer should be applied after the toning, to calm the skin and keep its natural oils and moisture locked in. Rose and Oatmeal Moisturiser Soak a half a cup of oatmeal in half a cup of distilled or spring water. Strain the oatmeal through muslin, squeezing hard to extract the milky liquid and add a tablespoon of warmed honey, and mix well. Soak rose petals in the liquid in the fridge for a day or two or just add enough rose oil scent the mixture. Apply with a piece of cotton wool. Before you go out, don t forget to carry the scent of roses with you. Rose Spritzer Steep rose petals in a cup of witch hazel or pure alcohol (you can use Vodka) for about a week, or until the aroma has permeated the liquid. Alternatively, for a quicker result, you can add a few drops of rose oil to the liquid, and go on to the next step straight away. Add one cup distilled or spring water, and a tablespoon of aloe vera gel (you can extract it from a stem of the plant) put in a bottle, cap tightly and shake well. Keep in a very cool place, (the fridge is fine) in a bottle with a spray attachment. You can float a few rose petals in the bottle for a pretty look. Spray on as a cooling spritzer cologne any time. Rose scented body powder Soak several cotton make up remover pads in rose oil and allow to dry. Use the pads to line the bottom of small lidded container like a talc box. Mix half a cup of cornstarch with half a cup of bicarbonate of soda and tip over the cotton wool pads. The powder will take up the scent, but you may have to stir or shake it now and again. Use as regular talc. The bicarb acts as a deodorant. About the Author: From the book The Apothecary’s Kitrchen by Gail Kavanagh, available at lulu/kavanaghsattic Source: isnare

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