Nature’s Gift October Newsletter

I can’t believe how long it has been since I’ve sat down and written a newsletter. I know the September Specials page became an “early Autumn” specials page because it didn’t go online until after the Equinox. I had aimed at October 1st for THIS newsletter, but I went to Minnesota to the Alliance for International Aromatheray conference instead. I will be sharing what I learned there on our blog, on Facebook and in this newsletter, as time allows.

This newsletter contains:

• NEW and Back in Stock items
• Clearance Sale
• Buy One Get One
• Special Columbus Day and Trick or Treat sales
• Buy One – Get one Free – Autumn Sunshine
• Client Feedback
• Changes in progress
• Blog Updates
• Aromatic Quote of the Month

Enjoy!

NEW PRODUCTS:

Some of these are so new they are available ONLY on our new and special page. We’ll be adding them to the “main” website as time allows. ESSENTIAL OILS: English Lavender, Allspice Berry (wonderfully autumnal spice), Coffee Essential Oil…cold pressed from freshly roasted Arabica beans, SARO – Cinnamosma fragrans Baillon, amazingly healing new oil from Madagascar. HYDROSOLS: Tulsi/Holy Basil, amazingly powerful antiviral herb, Monarda – wild bergamot, powerful antibacterial, anti fungal. Exotic bath salts – Pearl Salts from Africa.

Back in stock:

Shea Soufflé and Baby Bottom Balm to soothe the skin, AromaStones finally arrived from the United Kingdom, Traditional Calophyllum from Madagascar, thick and green, Cornflower Hydrosol to ease red, tired eyes, Owyee Hydrosol, soothing anti-inflammatory, and, most important of all – the 2011 distillation of our memorable Wild High Alpine Lavender. Ethically harvested at over 1400 meters in the mountains of Haut Provence this is the benchmark of what Lavender essential oil should be, but so seldom is. All of these items are listed on our new and special page, some have been added back to their correct categories on the website. (We’re still working on them!)

Clearance Sale:

On our new and special page, until I have time to add them to our Clearance page — Our “copper free” helichrysum, reduced to 50% of its former retail price, Rose Hip and Spearmint Hydrosols and Expeller Pressed Macadamia Nut. Our lowest prices ever, so get these while they last.

Autumn Sunshine Synergy:

We discovered that over the years our Autumn Sunshine had morphed into something dark and smoky rather than the delightful spirit of Autumn that I envisioned. So Jim and I redesigned it. The newer version has received raves from those who received samples. It is featured on our New and specials page…but for those who prefer smoky and dark — we are offering a “buy one get one” sale. If you order the newly revised Autumn Sunshine, and request it in the comments section of your order, we’ll be delighted to send you, at no extra cost, a 5 ml bottle of its earlier incarnation. Just make the comment “BOGO” and we’ll send one of the older version while our supplies last.

Columbus Day Sale:

On Monday, October 10th (the celebrated Columbus Day) and Tuesday October 11th (the traditional Columbus Day sale, save 10% on most of our regular retail products: Essential oils, carriers, hydrosols, blends, synergies, skincare products. At checlcout enter the promotional code 1492 in the box marked Promo Code, and press apply. You should see the discount reflected on your screen. No discounts may be applied retroactively. If we have to manually make changes to your order, (ie, changing the shipping address or billing address, adding products, correcting the credit card information, etc.) the discount will NOT apply and you will pay full retail for the products ordered. (We count on receiving correct information the first time so our automate ordering system can work as designed.

Trick or Treat Sale:

On Hallowe’en, Monday, October 31st, 2011 we are having a special Trick or Treat Sale. Enter the code word “treat” without the quotation marks in the box marked “promo code” and press “apply”. You will receive anywhere between a 5% and a 15% discount. Only 5%? well, that may be a trick. 10, 12, 15% ??? a definite Hallowe’en treat. Please remember that our shopping cart is in California and runs on Pacific Coast time. If the discount is not reflected on your screen, go back and reapply, because we can NOT apply it retroactively. As always, kits, special books, bulk sales and clearance items are not discountable. No “double discounts” ever apply. Happy Hallowe’en from all the little ghosts and goblins at Nature’s Gift!

OUR CLIENTS SAY:

From Penelope Cansler, old friend and client from South Carolina:

Marge,
I just had to write. Earlier this week I made an order which included the new English Lavender. When my order arrived late yesterday afternoon (Friday, Sept 30), I immediately opened the lavender and fell in love with it. It is the most delicious lavender I have ever smelled! Isn’t it wonderful that besides smelling so heavenly, the lavender also has so many practical, helpful uses!
Thanks for stocking this one! Penelope

From the Bahamas, Charisee Smith wrote:

Hello Marge,
I’ve been using the clarifying soap for years and meant to commend you on a superb product a long time ago. I had extremely oily skin and breakouts were frequent and painful. Your products made a HUGE difference because the oil sheen vanished and so did the acne. I used to blot my face with tissue almost every hour because I could feel it and it was uncomfortable.

When I wrote asking if I could quote her, she replied:

Yes certainly you can quote my comments on the clarifying cleanser. By the way, my co-workers are always commenting on how clear my skin is. I was dismayed as the acne did not let up in the 20’s, 30’s and then 40 came and still no relief. So I was overjoyed when I found your site online while searching for essential oils. My only baby is about to turn 3 years and I’ve used your products for her as well. So thanks once again for your products, quick response and I hope your products will be here for a long time!!

We just love feedback like that!!!!

And Lisa Kadison recently wrote about our newfound vintage El Salvador Vetiver, “Closing the loop on the Vetiver El Sal — words can’t describe how deeply luscious this oil is! Thank you, Marge!”

Luscious indeed.

An anonymous comment on our blog article “ More on Molluscum contagiosum: ”

My daughter has been suffering from Molluscum for several months and have been to dermatologist twice to have them “burned off” only to have more appear and continue to spread. I was at my wit’s end when I came across this blog. I was skeptical, but was out of ideas. I ordered the Ravensara in calophyllum blend and within a couple of weeks – all spots have completely disappeared and I haven’t seen any new breakouts. We had amazing results and I felt the need to share. Thank you so much for this blog!!

Eleanor Siegal first commented on some of our products, and when I followed up to ask permission to quote her, shared a blend she’s been using:

Marge, I love your Cranberry Oil. It costs almost twice as the other suppliers that I tried, but it is 100 times nicer.

After some discussion about differences in quality, in both essential oils and carriers, she wrote the following:

Sure you can post my comment. And the following (not sure what word to use for outer vaginal skin—where toilet paper sticks—an embarrassing subject) for those of us with menopausal dry outer vaginal areas: I have been using an elixir of Cranberry, pomegranate, Tamanu with a few drops of seabuckthorn CO2 & frankincense CO2, rose geranium EO not only on my face on my menopausal dry outer vaginal area. Apply to clean DRY skin. It really makes a difference. Also have been using alcohol witch hazel infused with calendula flowers. I purchased your non alcohol witch hazel for this purpose as well. Eleanor

Changes Coming:

A lot of you have used the new “client feedback form” that we make available at checkout. For the most part we are delighted and gratfied by the comments and the ratings you’ve left. The consistent problem stated by so many of you has been the difficulty in navigating our website, the difficulty in moving between the website itself, with all the information about our products, and the shopping cart. The two just don’t interface well, and the sheer number and range of products that we now offer has totally outgrown the navigational system that I designed about 15 years ago. The good news? We are working with a very gifted web site designer who is coming up with wonderful ideas to bring our site’s design into the current decade. We’re excited and can’t wait to show you the results of her work. But it’s a long slow process. I’m not sure that it will be finished before the New Year. (And I’m not sure that we would want to cut over to a new system in the middle of the Holiday rush at any rate.) We appreciate your patience while we try to make your experience at Nature’s Gift easier and more intuitive.

BLOG UPDATES:

What can I say—there has been little time for Blogging this month. Since our August Newsletter, I’ve posted our congratulations to Christi for successfully completing the Institute of Integrative Aromatherapy course. Christi went on to post one of her successful case studies written for the course, lessening painful periods via aromatherapy. (I’m hoping she will post several more of her case studies!) In September, I wrote of our memories of that dreadful September ten years ago. Earlier today I wrote my first memories of the AIA conference and shared one piece of valuable knowledge that I brought home…a study about postpartum depression and an aromatic blend that significantly eased it.

Charity of the Quarter:

Magdalene House/Thistle Farms, helping women rebuild their lives.

AROMATIC QUOTES OF THE MONTH

The dry scent of a dying garden in September,
The wind fanning the ash of a low fire.
What I love is near at hand,
Always, in earth and air.
— Theodore Roethke, The Far Field

“Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn.”
— Elizabeth Lawrence

Take time to watch the leaves turn…they’ll be gone before we know it!

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