Skimbaco Lifestyle: Santa's Workshop Issue

2016

WE STOLE SANTA’S BLUEPRINTS FOR THE BEST GIFTS

SPECIAL HOLIDAY ISSUE: SANTA’S WORKSHOP

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Katja & Matt Presnal 2

TAKE MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS.

PHOTOS: KATJA PRESNAL

FROM THE EDITOR | KATJA PRESNAL Let me tell you a story about this special Holiday issue...

When I was a little girl, my mother told me Santa Claus lives in Lapland, and he has a secret workshop where he makes all the gifts. When I had kids of my own, I told them the same, until one day they said: “Mommy, prove it! We think you are the Santa!”

I set on a trip with my warmest winter gear, and jumped off the plane in the Arctic Circle, and sped through the wintery forest with a snowmobile until I finally found him!

I met with Santa, saw his workshop, up in the North, under the Aurora Borealis. Oh the gifts I saw! And then I did something naughty that I haven’t told anyone before just now... I saw a little booklet with instructions for the most darling gifts. I took it, and I ran away on a husky sleigh through the winter wonderland!

Oh kids, and friends... It is true, Santa is real, and so is his magic! But he isn’t the only one who can make the best gifts, because I now know what he knows, and I’m gonna share it with you.

This might be just a Christmas story, but judge it for yourself by reading this entire issue. All I’m saying, there is Christmas magic, and sometimes all you have to do is to believe it - and better yet: make it yourself!

Katja Presnal Owner | Editor-in-Chief Pictured: Left: So many DIY gift ideas in this issue!!

Right: OMG! Santa Instagrammed this picture of us! He was checking if we were still on the Nice List, and I look little worried...

Skimbaco Lifestyle

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HOST YOUR OWN SANTA’S WORKSHOP PARTY! FOOD, RECIPES, DIY GIFTS EVERYTHING FOR A SUCCESSFUL PARTY IS INCLUDED IN THIS MAGAZINE!

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Bucket List Travel: Long journey searching Santa Claus in Lapland Winter wonderland: YAS, I found Santa!

Party Template: Host your own Santa’s Workshop party!

Food GIft: Peppermint Mocha Balls Food Gift: Chai Tea Oat Balls Winter Food: Toblerone pastries

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Winter Drink: Hot Apple Cider Vegan Food: Vegan Orange Shortbread Essential oils blending guide: tips for adding essential oils in your Holiday gifts.

Food gift: Herbed salts DIY Beauty Gift: Peppermint Lip Balm DIY Beauty Gift: Sugar Scrubs

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DIY Beauty Gift: Bath Salts DIY Gift: Room or Linen Spray DIY Gift: Pocket Hand Warmers

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Holiday Joy: Long Live the Real Christmas Tree - and see Biltmore Estate’s trees

List Travels: The most scenic 65 Bucket voyage in the world in the coast of Norway.

DIY Gift: Wooden diffusing Keychain Gift tips: 7 easy gift wrapping ideas Party Music: Holiday Party Music Playlist Home Decor: Simple DIY tips for Holiday table top

73 Pets: Have dog, will travel 77 Pets: Plan your dog’s Holidays 81 DIY: Printable templates 85 Health: 8 Reasons to Join Young Living 6

SKIMBACO TEAM KATJA PRESNAL | Editor-in-Chief/Owner | Nova Scotia, Canada Born in Finland, but left almost twenty years ago to travel the world with the love of her life and their three children. Founded Skimbaco Lifestyle in 2007 to inspire living life to the fullest.

INSTAGRAM: skimbaco | katjapresnal isabella presnal | Vlogger | Canada Isabella has a YouTube channel: AVloggingGirl. She has lived in five different countries and despite her young age, has traveled more than some ever will. Currently a student, and holds the executive production manager position for her school’s student news broadcast while studying for the International Baccalaureate diploma.

INSTAGRAM: avlogginggirl LEIGH HINES | Luxury Travel Writer | North Carolina, USA Obsessed with luxury hotels, likes healthy living and loves afternoon tea. Former TV journalist. Southern girl who loves everything European. Thinks a good luxury hotel is a destination of its own. Mother of two. Founder of Hines Sight Blog.

4 INSTAGRAM: hinessightblog

tasha elkins | Travel Blogger | Oklahoma, USA "I have a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering. I work in Oil & Gas. I refuse to let either of those things define me or keep me from my passion - travel,� says Tasha , who has dedicated her free-time to finding ways of making traveling feasible while having a day job. All of her tips & trips can be found at her site Travel Part Time.

INSTAGRAM: weekendretreats

AND CONTRIBUTORS

KARI SVENNEBY | Storyteller and Actress | Toronto. Canada Kari Svenneby is a Norwegian import to Canada and loves exploring the world outdoors with her family. She is a freelance travel and outdoor adventure writer. Kari Svenneby also works part time as an actress in the film and television industry in Toronto. Kari owns Active Kids Club.

INSTAGRAM: activekidsclub lara dipaola | Travel Writer | Baltimore, Maryland Award-winning writer with an incurable wanderlust. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today and several online publications. She, her four children, husband and adventurous French Bulldog can be found traipsing the globe, advocating for social good and sharing the journey at Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom.

INSTAGRAM: dipaolamomma ROXY TE OWENS | Interior Design Expert, Entrepreneur | New York, NY Philippines-born home decorating and party hosting expert and owner of Society Social shop, maker of bar carts & colorful furniture as seen in HouseBeautiful, HGTV, TradHome, T&C, Southern Living & more!

INSTAGRAM: societysocial

LONG JOURNEY SEARCHING FOR SANTA CLAUS IN FINNISH LAPLAND TEXT & PHOTOS: KATJA PRESNAL

PHOTO: KATJA PRESNAL

SANTA CLAUS TRADITION OF FINLAND A few weeks before Christmas the grocery store bulletin boards start filling up with humble notes of offering Christmas Eve service from “jolly, sober, non-smoking and car-owning” men for around 50-80 euros for 15-20 minutes. Finnish moms discreetly save the phone number, and book the time. I was in my thirties when my mother finally confessed - she called the same man, a local soccer team’s coach, every year.

I am talking about Santa Claus-service, of course.

When I grew up in Finland, Santa visited our home every Christmas Eve, usually sometime in-between the Christmas sauna and Christmas Eve dinner. He came ringing a door bell, carrying a jute sack full of Christmas gifts. Before we got to the business of gifts, my sisters and I would have the typical chat with Santa, promising we had been good girls, and then we’d sing a Christmas song. My favorite was Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, and I am not even slightest musical, so I played the recorder, the only instrument I had learned to play. It was equally painful for Santa as it was for me.

It made perfect sense to me that as Finnish kids, we got special treatment. Santa had time to visit everyone’s home in the North before getting on his sleigh and starting to deliver gifts via chimney to the kids around the world. We grew up knowing that Santa Claus, or Joulupukki as we call him, lives in Finnish Lapland. It took me to in my thirties to travel to Lapland to find out... he really lives there.

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YUP, IT’S SUN GOING DOWN. AT LUNCH TIME. of the Arctic Circle, and sized larger than the entire United Kingdom or about the size of the state of Kentucky. The area is Arctic tundra, where reindeer roam free, the temI start my trip and fly to Rovaniemi. City of perature gets rigid cold during the winter Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland is only an months (all the way down to -50C/-58F), hour and 15 minute flight from Helsinki mak- and there is sunshine almost full 24-hours ing it relatively easy to access with Finnair’s during summers. four different flight options per day. You can also fly directly from London in less than Lapland is the wild North, where you can find the peace and serene Arctic nature. five hours.

Only 184,000 people live in Lapland, and if Rovaniemi is a vibrant modern city on the you compare it to the similarly sized United Arctic Circle, but before you can quite un- Kingdom with a population of over 63 milderstand the vibe of Rovaniemi, you need lion or the state of Kentucky with over 4 milto know about Lapland. Lapland is the lion, you are sort of starting to get an idea 11 northern-most area starting from the South how sparsely populated Lapland is. There

MAGIC OF LAPLAND

OH HI. are several smaller towns and ski towns in the tundra, but one third of the population of the entire Lapland lives in Rovaniemi.

Lapland is also where the Sami people have lived for at least 5,000 years, and still do today. The Sami are the only indigenous people of Scandinavia recognized and protected under the international conventions of indigenous peoples. The Sami people have their own culture, traditions and language, but the influence of the Sami people can be seen almost everywhere in Lapland, and their traditions are still kept alive today, although there are less than 10,000 Sami people in Finland today.

The Northern Lights light up the sky over Lapland on up to 200 nights of the year, and on approximately one out of three nights in Rovaniemi. There are several companies who offer northern lights tours by a reindeer sleigh or by snowshoeing.

During the short hours of daylight, ride through the frozen forests and on the ice of the lakes by snowmobile. Lapland Safaris organizes snowmobile safaris that take you out to the scenic forest and combine the snowmobiling fun with a visit to husky or reindeer farms or even ice fishing adventures.

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We visited a husky farm, and took the beautiful huskies out for ride before it got dark. We were given the team of dogs and the sleigh, and we got to be mushers.

It was truly a winter wonderland experience I will never forget as the beautiful dogs were pulling us through the frozen forest as the afternoon sun was already starting to set behind the trees. I was one of those experiences when you just couldn’t stop smiling, even though your face was halfway frozen.

The best was that I don’t know who smiled the most – us humans, or the dogs. The huskies absolutely love to run, and part of the heartwarming experience for me was to see these beautiful dogs in their element and living life to the fullest.

The food in Lapland is simple, but good.

Try local delicacies like loimulohi, salmon cooked on open fire, often for hours by

nailing it on a piece of wood and placing it right next to the fire and letting the smoke and warmth from the fire cook it. If you can find bear sausage, try it, and mushroom soup with chantarelle mushrooms is another must eat. The dishes are prepared simple letting the exotic ingredients shine. Reindeer stew with lingonberries is another dish to try, but leave some space for desserts like cloudberry crème brûlée.

When the temperature drops, and the darkness embraces Rovaniemi on the evenings, it’s not the city life that excites the most. The excitement is in the quietness of the forest, enjoying a meal by fireplace and dipping into hot tub watching the Northern Lights and experiencing the traditional Finnish sauna.

Lapland Luxury is a travel concept offering tailored luxury experiences and organ13

izing experiences for private groups. For a larger party, I highly recommend renting the private Metsäkyly sauna.

You can have traditional Lappish dinner catered/cooked at the cabin, and a sauna hostess will help you to enjoy spa treatments like tart for softening your feet, mint scrub to soften your skin and olive oil to treat your hair with. If a private sauna isn’t in your budget or you are not traveling with a big crew, don’t worry, they offer group experiences as well.

The Lapland Luxury is a concept owned by the same people who own the SantaPark, Metsäkyly sauna and Juolukka forest cabin, and you can experience many of the private tours also in small groups. I highly recommend the Guardians of Lapland experience, where you will experience the forest with a Guardian of the forest, which could also translate to some sort of a forest elf.

Elves remind me... weren’t we here to find Santa Claus?

I guess the spell of Lapland’s magic got us the first!

SECRET: I’LL SHOW HOW YOU CAN MAKE BATH SALTS + SUGAR SCRUBS LIKE THIS!

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YAS! I FOUND SANTA!

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YAAAS, we totally found him!

Santa Claus really lives in Rovaniemi. Don’t worry, even if you send a letter to Santa to “North Pole” it arrives at his main post office in Rovaniemi.

We found Santa from SantaPark in the underground caves. There is even an underground school where kids can learn how to become an elf.

SantaPark is an indoor amusement park with only one magical ride, but many hands-on experiences, where you can learn many elf-skills; everything from learning to write calligraphy to baking gingerbread cookies. You can also meet the Ice Princess and enjoy some frozen drinks at the ice bar. SantaPark is pretty family oriented, but there were plenty to see for adults alike.

You can undercross the Arctic Circle in the deep caves, 50 meters below ground with the Ice Princess as she welcomes you to an ice gallery and ice bar for frozen drinks.

The ice bar was my favorite spot in SantaPark, and the second was the champagne bar (Santa heard my wishes).

However, there is also a free way to see Santa Claus, in the Santa Claus Village.

Santa Claus Village is a Christmas experience village, where you can meet Santa on certain hours, shop in several stores, eat in the restaurants and you can even stay over night in the Arctice Igloo.

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We visited Santa Claus in mid-January and it really was the perfect time – it felt Christmassy, there was snow everywhere, but no people. November-December is the busy season to see Santa, and I can only imagine how crowded it is then.

We barely had to wait to see Santa on a Tuesday night, and it was a very pleasant experience, but the indoor walkway to see Santa was very long and I can only imagine the reason: the line to see the real Santa (for free) must be agonizing long on busy times.

SECRET TIP: WRITE “FINLAND” WITH CAPITAL LETTERS TO ENSURE YOUR LETTER MAKES IT!

ADDRESS: SANTA CLAUS SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE FI-96930 ARCTIC CIRCLE

FINLAND 17

SEND THAT LETTER One of the great things at the Santa Claus Village is the Santa’s Official Post Office. This is where Santa receives a half million letters from around the world each year. No, really, all of the letters that are mailed to Santa Claus through regular postal service from around the world end up in this specific post office.

It is part of the official Finnish postal service, and the Finnish Post employs four full time postal employees in this location, just to handle Santa’s mail.

What’s even more remarkable – every single letter is read by Santa and his postal helpers, and annually around 30,000 people are answered back.

I asked Santa who pays for all this, but Santa doesn’t want to talk about money at all. The post office ladies told me that the Finnish Post and the Finnish government pays for this service to keep the idea of Santa alive for the children, and adults, around the world. A real letter from Santa also works as bringing tourists to Rovaniemi – many people arrive to the Santa’s Official Post Office with a letter in hand that they received from Santa to see the place in their own eyes.It’s easy to believe in magic, when you see it with your own eyes. Rovaniemi in Lapland for sure offers magic for everyone, regardless of your age.

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ALL ESSENTIAL OILS ARE NOT EQUAL Love essential oils? We too! This magazine issue has several recipes that call for essential oils.

Please educate yourself about the quality of the essential oils before you purchase, and look for 100% therapeutic-grade oils. Don’t buy essential oils just for their scent, they can offer so much more for your wellness. All essential oils are also not suitable for ingestion. We only recommend using the Young Living Vitality-line essential oils for all edible recipes.

Please do not use just any essential oil that you can buy from a big box store for our edible recipes, all essential oils are not created equal, and might not be suitable for ingestion.

Get a Young Living Premium Starter Kit, and you will receive 11 essential oils, and 5 of them are Vitality line oils. The Premium Starter Kits comes with a diffuser, and start at $160. You are able to create multiple DIY bath salts, sugar scrubs, home sprays, and bake boxes and boxes of Holiday sweets with the essential oils in the kit.

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HOST A SANTA’S WORKSHOP PARTY AT HOME

DIY SPECIAL: GIFTS, FOOD AND MORE! EDITOR: KATJA PRESNAL

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PHOTO: KATJA PRESNAL

Get the Holiday season started and host your own Santa’s Workshop!

I created a perfect party template for you with recipes, DIY gift ideas and even

an

Amazon shop for supplies. I focused on making everything from the heart, and with easy ideas anyone can do. I invited my fellow bloggers from Halifax to spend a morning crafting with me, and we all agree: this party will be a big hit among your friends too!

This magazine issue will give you pages and pages of DIY gift ideas. Pick your favorites to make in your Santa’s Workshop Party.

Some of the DIY gift ideas and recipes will require Young Living essential oils, so this is a perfect team party, or “make and take” party template as well. If you are new to essential oils, get the Premium Starter Kit now and get started! There are around 300 drops in a 15ml bottle of essential oils, and most of the recipes require only a few drops of oils, so you will be pleasantly surprised how you can make one bottle of essential oil stretch out to numerous gifts for friends!

If essential oils are not for you - no worries, most of these DIY gifts are great without oils too!

FUN WITH FRIENDS!

EASY HOLIDAY PARTY FOOD

K.I.S.S. = KEEP IT SIMPLE SANTA!

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PHOTOS: KATJA PRESNAL

PICK FAVORITES FROM THIS MENU* • Easy Apple Cake (get the easy recipe from our website) • Fancy chocolates, like Ferrero Rocher * • Assorted crackers • Anna’s Gingerbread cookies • Apples & Pears & Grapes • Homemade jam • Assorted cheeses.

• Toblerone Pastries • Peppermint Mocha Oat Balls* • Chai Tea Oat Balls* • Orange Shortbread* • Coffee • Hot Apple Cider * Why so many items? This was supposed to be easy! Because many of these also make great gifts, and you can make some of these during the party! It’s a Santa’s Workshop party, so have wrapping supplies, gift bags etc. on hand and have your guests to wrap their ow edible gifts as they are leaving home!

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PHOTO: KATJA PRESNAL

PEPPERMINT MOCHA BALLS

SECRET: WE JUST ADDED PEPPERMINT TO A POPULAR SWEDISH RECIPE! 25

PEPPERMINT MOCHA BALLS RECIPE The Swedish chocolate balls, “chokladbollar,” are easy to make. The combination of coffee, chocolate and coconut gives these balls their unique taste, and oats give the nice chewy texture. We added Peppermint Vitality essential oil to turn a traditional Swedish recipe into something new, and created “Peppermint Mocha Balls” perfect for gift-giving or for your Holiday party.

INGREDIENTS 1 stick softened butter 2/3 cup sugar 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tbsp vanilla sugar 1/3 cup strong cold coffee 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (for example whole grain Quaker Oats) 2/3 - 1 cup coconut flakes 5 drops Young Living Peppermint Vitality essential oil INSTRUCTIONS ★Let the butter warm and get soft (or microwave it until softened) and mix it well with sugar. ★ Add cocoa powder, vanilla sugar and coffee, essential oil and mix well. ★ Add oats and mix well to make the dough. ★ Take small amounts of the dough and form balls by rolling the dough in your hands (little smaller than golf balls are ideal). If the dough is too sticky you can add oats, or you can put the dough to fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to make it easier to work with. ★ Add coconut flakes in a small bowl and roll the dough balls gently in the coconut flakes. ★ The recipe makes around 25. You can eat them right away, but it’s recommended to refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Serve in your Holiday party or box them in small tins for gifts!

CHAI TEA OAT BALLS

SECRET: 1 DROP OF ESSENTIAL OIL EQUALS ONE TEASPOON OF DRIED SPICES.

PHOTO: KATJA PRESNAL

CHAI TEA OAT BALLS RECIPE The Chai Tea Oat Balls are the healthier sweet bite, and packed with flavor. I love making these with Young Living Vitality-line essential oils, and like the taste better that way, but you can use dried spices instead. (Note: if you opt for the dried spices, the oat balls will be colored little bit darker than the oat balls pictured here.)

INGREDIENTS coconut oil brown sugar 1 tbsp vanilla sugar 1/3 cup strong cold black tea 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (for example whole grain Quaker Oats) 1/3 cup coconut flakes 1 drop each Young Living Vitality essential oils: Black Pepper Vitality, Cinnamon Bark Vitality, Ginger Vitality, Clove Vitality, Cardamon Vitality OR 1 teaspoon of each dried spice: black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, clove and cardamon INSTRUCTIONS ★ Let the coconut oil warm and get soft (or microwave it until softened) and mix it well with brown sugar. ★ Add vanilla sugar and tea, essential oil and mix well. ★ Add oats and mix well to make the dough. ★ Take small amounts of the dough and form balls by rolling the dough in your hands (little smaller than golf balls are ideal). If the dough is too sticky you can add oats, or you can put the dough to fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to make it easier to work with. ★ Add coconut flakes in a small bowl and roll the dough balls gently in the coconut flakes. ★ The recipe makes around 25. You can eat them right away, but it’s recommended to refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Serve in your Holiday party or box them in small tins for gifts!

SECRET: POWDERED SUGAR ON THE TOP MAKES THESE LOOK AMAZING.

EASY TOBLERONE PASTRIES PHOTO: KATJA PRESNAL

TOBLERONE PASTRY RECIPE This is my ski lodge après-ski pastry, but these Toblerone pastries are perfect for Holiday parties as well, and they are super easy to make. Your guests will love the warm melted chocolate inside the flaky buttery crust. Bonus of course that these even look a little bit like mountains with the triangle form, just like the Toblerones. I also made these on my Santa’s Workshop party, and showed my friends how easy they are - and gave Toblerone as a gift to take home too.

INGREDIENTS 1 package of ready made Puff Pastry dough 2 medium sized Toblerones 1 egg for garnish (optional): chopped almonds powdered sugar INSTRUCTIONS ★ Heat the oven to 400F/200C. ★ Take the dough out of the freezer and let it thaw to room temperature. ★ Cut it to squares. ★ Chop the Toblerone chocolate to individual chunks and place on the top of the pastry squares. ★ Close the pastry diagonally, and form a triangle. ★ Put the pastries on a cookie sheet with or without cupcake paper cups. Brush a little bit of egg onto the pastries, sprinkle with almonds, and put to the oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Shift a little powdered sugar on the top of the baked pastries to make the pastries look snow capped.

HOT APPLE CIDER

SECRET: IT’S STOREBOUGHT APPLE CIDER FANCIED UP!

HOT APPLE CIDER RECIPE

Store bought apple cider is easy to turn into something new, thanks to Young Living’s Vitality line essential oils. You are missing out if you won’t try this during the cold winter months!

INGREDIENTS 2 quarts fresh apple cider 1 orange, unpeeled and cut into slices 3 drops Lemon Vitality™ essential oil 1 drop Cinnamon Bark Vitality™ essential oil 1 drop Clove Vitality™ essential oil 1 drop Nutmeg Vitality™ essential oil Cinnamon sticks, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS ★Combine apple cider, orange slices, and essential oils in a large pot and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or more. ★Discard orange slices. ★Serve warm. Add 1–2 cinnamon sticks to individual cups when serving.

Recipe and photo by Young Living.

SECRET: PERFECT FOR VEGANS, AND ONLY USES MAPLE SYRUP AS A SWEETENER!

ORANGE SHORTBREAD

VEGAN ORANGE SHORTBREAD Vegan cookies? Yes please! These will make a great gift for a vegan friend.

INGREDIENTS ½ cup dairy free butter alternative, soft 1/3 cup pure maple syrup 2 ¼ wheat flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoons fine sea salt 2-3 drops Young Living Orange Vitality essential oil

INSTRUCTIONS ★ Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a mini muffin tray with coconut or avocado oil. ★ Using a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt together. ★ Pour in the vanilla, maple syrup, butter alternative and Young Living Orange Vitality oil. ★ Mix well until you have a dry, sand like consistency that will hold together if you pinch it. ★ Fill the muffin wells with the mixture and then press down firmly to create perfect little flat disks. ★ Bake for roughly 7-8 minutes keeping a close eye on them. We like ours crispy so we baked them longer. Exact baking time will depend on the final temperature of the oven along with the size and thickness of the cookies. ★ Carefully flip the cookies out onto a cooling rack and let rest for a few minutes.

Serve in your Holiday party or box them in small tins for gifts!

SECRETS TO ESSENTIAL OIL INFUSED GIFTS: USE WHAT YOU HAVE!

You don’t have to buy a lot of different essential oils to create several essential

oil infused gifts. In fact, if you are new to essential oils, I highly recommend getting the Young Living Premium Starter Kit, and just using the 11 oils that come in the kit!

I made it easy for you to be creative and improvise. The Bath Salts, Sugar Scrub and Room Spray recipes are simple, and you can choose which oils you want to add to each. I also made three different labels for you to print out.

The label templates have three names for the products: “Holiday Joy,” “Winter Wonderland,” and “Citrus Rosemary.”

Look on the next page for suggestions which oils you can use as each scent.

If you are hosting Santa’s Workshop at home, feel free only to use one blend 35 suggestion for your recipes to keep it simple.

PHOTO: KATJA PRESNAL

ESSENTIAL OIL MIXING GUIDE HOLIDAY JOY ★ Thieves + Peppermint ★ Peppermint + Cinnamon Bark ★ Christmas Spirit + Lemon ★ Ginger, Cinnamon Bark + Clove ★ Cinnamon Bark + Orange + Idaho Blue Spruce ★Frankincense + Orange + Balsam Fir

WINTER WONDERLAND

CITRUS ROSEMARY

★ Peppermint + Lavender

★ Lemon + Rosemary

★ Peppermint + Lemon + Frankincense

★ Orange + Rosemary

★ Northern Lights Black Spruce + Peppermint + Lemon ★ PanAway + Lavender (great for bath salts)

★ Citrus Fresh + Rosemary ★ Tangerine + Rosemary ★ Lemon + Rosemary+ Lavender ★ Purification + Rosemary 36

PHOTO: YOUNG LIVING

FANCY HERBED SALT

SECRET: There are around 85-100 drops of essential oil in each 5ml Young Living Vitality essential oil bottle, and you only need 12 drops per cup of salt to create fancy herbed cooking salts. You can use only one oil, or make a mix of many like the Fancy Herbed Salt recipe on the next page.

SHOPPING LIST: Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt Essential Oils Glass Jars (with little spoons!)

Dried herbs (optional)

YOU WILL NEED: Mixing bowl

BY TASHA ELKINS

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This herbed salt is the perfect gift for the cook in the family! I keep my salt by the stove & add a pinch to everything. It was especially fantastic on my fall pumpkin seeds with a dash of truffle oil. It honestly adds great taste to every dish, but be frugal - a pinch goes a long way. Remember, it’s still salt, so use it sparingly.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup of salt (I chose Pink Himalayan) 3 drops of Young Living Thyme Vitality Essential Oil 3 drops of Young Living Oregano Vitality Essential Oil 3 drops of Young Living Basil Vitality Essential Oil 2 drops of Young Living Rosemary Vitality Essential Oil 2 drops of Young Living Dill Vitality Essential Oil

INSTRUCTIONS ★Put your salt in a medium to large mixing bowl. ★Using a whisk, add each oil one at a time. ★When you’re done, there should be no lumps. ★Pour your salt into your container & get to cookin’!

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SECRET:

PEPPERMINT LIP BALM

Coconut oil is an amazing natural moisturizer that helps to heal chapped lips caused by cold or dry weather. Cocoa butter is equally good, and contains antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, which can help slow the signs of aging.

Want to color your lip balm? So far we haven’t found natural options for you, but we’ve heard people using lipstick shavings, Koolaid and Crystal Light powder to tint their lip balms. Stay away from using Crayons, even though you might have heard people using them too.

SHOPPING LIST: Lip balm containers Grated Beeswax Cocoa Butter Coconut oil Peppermint or Spearmint essential oil

YOU WILL NEED: FOLLOW TASHA ON INSTAGRAM: WEEKENDRETREATS

Small pot with a pour spout.

BY TASHA ELKINS

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Lip Balm can be an expensive part of your beauty regimen, especially if it’s natural & involves essential oils. Try making your own, it’s easier than you’d think! Chances are you can get all of your ingredients at your local health food store. I did, at least.

INGREDIENTS 1 teaspoon Grated Beeswax 1 teaspoon Cocoa Butter 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil (high quality) ¼ teaspoon Peppermint or Spearmint, Young Living Vitality Essential Oil Note: This will fill 5-10 generic chapstick containers, it’s easy to add more ingredients as it’s a 1:1 ratio.

INSTRUCTIONS ★ Heat all ingredients, except the essential oils in a small pot with a pour spout. Do this on the lowest heat possible & only heat until melted. Add your essential oils. ★ Pour into your containers. ★ Allow time to cool at room temperature & always store at room temperature. ★ If you overheat or use low quality coconut oil, your balm will become grainy. If it becomes grainy, don’t throw it away. It may not look pretty, but it will still melt on your lips perfectly fine!

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SECRET:

SUGAR SCRUB

Coconut oil is the secret for many DIY beauty products. You can make a sugar scrub with just coconut oil, but I like to add almond oil as well to make it less coarse, and for the goodness that almond oil gives for your skin: Vitamin E, monounsaturated fatty acids, proteins, potassium and zinc, and a number of other minerals and vitamins. It’s a light oil that penetrates deep into the skin helping to moisturize and removing impurities from your skin.

SHOPPING LIST: Sugar Coconut oil Almond OIl Essential Oils food coloring (optional) Glass Jars Paper Two-sided tape

YOU WILL NEED: Mixing bowl

WATCH VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS BY AVLOGGINGGIRL

Printer Scissors

BY KATJA PRESNAL

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I love adding Peppermint essential oil for my sugar scrub, it is so refreshing and energizing. Peppermint mixes well for example with Lavender, Lemon, Northern Lights Black Spruce and/or Cinnamon Bark. Make it your own, and refer to the mix ideas for the Holiday Joy, Winter Wonderland and Citrus Rosemary.

INGREDIENTS FOR ONE SMALL JAR: 1/3 cup sugar (white or brown) 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 teaspoon almond oil 6-8 drops of essential oils food coloring (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS ★ Mix softened coconut oil well with almond oil in a mixing bowl. ★ Add sugar and essential oils and mix well. ★ Pour into glass jar. ★ Print Sugar Scrub label, cut it to fit the jar. Use double-sided tape to attach it to the jar.

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SECRET:

BATH SALT

Relaxing salt bath detoxifies skin, soothes muscles, and pampers the skin. Salts contain minerals that are absorbed through the skin to help ease muscle soreness and relieve tension.

Inexpensive Epson salt alone is great, but I like to add a little bit Himalayan salt to boost the health benefits, and when you are giving the bath salt as a gift, well, it also makes the bath salt a little more luxurious.

SHOPPING LIST: Epson salt Pink Himalayan Salt Baking Soda Essential Oils Food coloring (optional) Glass Jars Double sided tape Printer paper

YOU WILL NEED: Mixing bowl Printer

WATCH VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS BY AVLOGGINGGIRL

Scissors

BY KATJA PRESNAL

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Pick your essential oil mix according the results you are looking for.

Refer to our mixing guide. Quick ideas for what you could be looking for: ★ Lavender is relaxing. ★ Peppermint is energizing. ★ Citrus + rosemary is invigorating. ★ Thieves is health boosting.

INGREDIENTS FOR LARGE JAR: 1 cup Epson salt 1 tbsp baking soda 1 tsp Himalayan Salt 5-8 drops essential oils 3-4 drops food coloring (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS ★ Mix Epson salt, Himalayan salt and baking soda. ★ Add essential oils and if you wish, food coloring and mix well. ★ Pour into glass jar. ★ Print Bath Salt label, cut it to fit the jar. Use double-sided tape to attach it to the jar.

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SECRET:

ROOM SPRAY

I have a blue glass spray bottle and I keep refilling it ALL the time! Water + essential oils = happiness. I use this as room spray, to refreshen clothes or linens and often also as a body spray instead of a perfume.

My “signature scent” changes with my moods and seasons.

SHOPPING LIST: Distilled water Witch Hazel Essential Oils Glass spray bottles

YOU WILL NEED: Funnel Mixing bowl with spout

WATCH VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS BY AVLOGGINGGIRL

BY KATJA PRESNAL

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Essential oils do not mix well with water, so remember to shake the bottle well each use. If you are making the room spray as a gift, add Witch Hazel or Rubbing alcohol for the recipe, it will help to mix the essential oil better with water. I use tap water for my personal sprays because I go through them so far, but for gifting I always use distilled water.

INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp Witch Hazel 1/4 cup distilled water 5-10 drops of essential oils Note: This will make one 2oz bottle.

INSTRUCTIONS ★ If you are only making one bottle, measure Witch Hazel and use a funnel to pour it in the bottle. Then measure the water and do the same thing, and lastly drop essential oils directly to the bottle. ★If you are making a larger batch, it might be easier to use a larger bottle or mixing bowl with a spout and mix the Witch Hazel and distilled water first and pour it in each bottle. But I still recommend adding the essential oils directly in each spray bottle instead of mixing it first. ★ Print the label template, cut it out and use double-sided tape to attach it to the spray bottle.

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POCKET
 HAND WARMERS

TEXT & PHOTO: TASHA ELKINS

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These hand warmers are absolutely darling, seriously. I looked into how others made these & I did my absolute best to simplify the process. My secret: instead of having to hand stitch them closed, I left my seam on the outside so you could finish them with a sewing machine. If you chose a good fabric, then an outside seam shouldn’t cause you any “unraveling” issues. I added cinnamon & oils to give you a little holiday cheer every time you heat these puppies up to shovel that driveway!

YOU WILL NEED: 2- 4x4 inch squares of fabric (flannel/ fleece works well) Rice (any kind) A pinch of cinnamon 4 drops of Young Living, Clove Essential Oil 2 drops of Young Living, Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil 2 drops of Young Living, Christmas Spirit Essential Oil You will also need a sewing machine, mixing bowl and sharp scissors.

Note: You can use any Young Living oil you’d like, I’d suggest 6-8 drops total.

Stack your 2 squares of fabric & sew a seam, ¼” off the edge. Leave 1 side of your fabric ½ way open. Decide how full you’d like your handwarmers to be - I stuffed a few full whereas I left a few about ¼ empty. In a separate container, with a small pour spout - mix your rice, cinnamon, & oils. Be sure there are no lumps & that the oil is distributed or you will stain your fabric (a whisk is helpful).

Carefully pour your rice into your hand warmer. Use your hands to push the rice out of your way enough to get your hand warmer back under the foot of your sewing machine, seal the last side & give your warmer a try! Make another so that you have one for each hand. All you need to do is heat these babies up by the fireplace (carefully) or throw them into the microwave for 30 seconds, each.

WOODEN DIFFUSER KEYCHAIN

TEXT & PHOTO: KATJA PRESNAL

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These minimal wooden keychains are great for anyone in the family. Leave the wood beads unfinished, and they will diffuse essential oils. If wanted, you can easily also paint the beads, or even use Sharpies to decorate them. But we tested them with essential oils and the paint did get ruined. So pick either paint and no oils, or leave the natural beautiful wood and add essential oils. I love how my keychain is now a diffuser in my car!

You can also tie the end-knot in many different ways, here is one example.

YOU WILL NEED: Keychain split ring clip leather cord 2-3 wood beads You will also need sharp scissors!

I used a thick leather cord to get the heavy-duty look here. The trick is to cut the leather cord diagonally to make two long, thinning ends of the cord.

First, loop the leather through the keychain ring, then place the ring in the middle of the leather string and carefully put the thinning ends of leather cord together.

Thread both ends of the cord through the

SHOP SANTA’S WORKSHOP AMAZON SHOP FOR ALL SUPPLIES first wooden bead. Yes -- it can be a little tricky, if you have thick leather cord, but the only way to get them both through is to do both of the ends at the same time.

Then add second and optional third wooden bead. Next, push the wooden beads all the way to next to the keychain ring so you will have longer leather cord to work with. Tie the leather cords on the end with a knot and then pull the wooden beads down towards the knot. Trim the leather cord ends.

7 EASY GIFT WRAP IDEAS

TEXT & PHOTOS: KATJA PRESNAL

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WRAP IT PRETTY 1. Use brown or white wrapping paper as a starting point.

2. Get black and white and red and white Baker’s Twine for classic Christmas-look.

3.Make your own gift labels just by printing out our free templates on thick paper and cutting them out from the template. You will need a hole puncher to make a hole for the gift tag.

4.You can add essential oils in the gift tags and in the thicker ribbons to give your gifts a nice scent!

5.Black chalk spray paint is great for painting old tins, or jelly jar tops.

These recycled containers work great for gifts.

6. Add essential oil diffusing felt Christmas trees or ornaments to your gifts. Make felt ornaments and trees out of old wool-sweaters: wash 100% wool sweater in hot water and then dry it on high heat to turn the fabric into felt. Then use sharp scissors to cut shapes.

FOR TREE ON A STICK: Cut two matching green triangles.

Add glue on both of them and add a wooden BBQ stick in the middle and attach the triangles together. Let dry a few hours, and the glue will harden. You can cut the BBQ skewer to shorten it, and you can also add a cork tree stand to make the trees stand up.

FOR RED ORNAMENT: Cut a circle out of the felt and punch a hole. Loop baker’s twine and you have a cute red felt ornament.

WATCH VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS BY AVLOGGINGGIRL 53

7. Use inexpensive small paper bags as gift bags. Fold the paper bag diagonally twice, and then punch a hole in the middle of the formed triangle.

Loop some pretty ribbon or twine through the hole to close the bag and add a gift tag and you are done!

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HOLIDAY PARTY MUSIC PLAYLIST Listen on Spotify

Rockin Around the Christmas Tree- Brenda Lee Baby It's cold outside - She & Him It's Beginning to look a lot like christmas - Michael Bublé Winter Wonderland - Bing Crosby It's the most wonderful time of the year - Pentatonix Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - U2 Santa Baby - Nashville cast Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer - Gene Autry

BY ISABELLA PRESNAL

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TEXT BY ROXY TE OWENS PHOTOS BY LAWRENCE TE

SIMPLE DIY TIPS FOR HOLIDAY TABLE TOP Holiday decorating doesn't have to take away from your gifting budget! Get creative and be resourceful and you can be the ultimate hostess without skimping on your Santa duties!

1. Make your own place cards with colorful card stock and metallic pens from the craft store.

2. Thoughtfully wrapped party favors can also serve dual purpose when placed atop each place setting.

3. Preserved boxwood garlands are not only reusable from year to year but they also make great centerpieces. When the party is through, repurpose as mantle decor!

4. Decorate your tablescape with household items. The brass menagerie collection from Society Social fits right in with our pink and glam scheme.

5.Instead of splurging on a big, fancy tablecloth - a colorful runner can pack a 57 punch on a glass top or simple white tablecloth.

PHOTOS: LAWRENCE TE

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LONG LIVE THE REAL CHRISTMAS TREE The iconic and beautiful decorated evergreen tree is a holiday staple in many households during the month of December. The Christmas tree tradition dates back to 1510 in Riga, Latvia. In the early years, it was decorated with paper, sweets and food. Tree decorations have certainly evolved through the centuries, but the tradition of a home displaying a tree has remained strong.

According the National Christmas Tree Association, the first Christmas tree was brought to Colonial America in 1777 by Hessian soldiers fighting for Britain during the American Revolution. But the Christmas tree custom really didn’t catch on and grow by leaps and bounds in the new world until German immigrant Charles Minnigerode, a professor at William and Mary, introduced the custom to high society in Colonial Williamsburg in 1842.

By 1851, the first Christmas tree lot opened in New York City. Five years later, the 14th President, Franklin Pierce, brought the first tree into the White House. Â By 1895, George Vanderbilt was searching for the perfect live tree for his banquet hall at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, for his first Christmas eve in his new magnificent home in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

BY LEIGH HINES 59

Year after year, the hunt for the perfect evergreen tree during the holiday season is a thrill for many families. Choosing live trees for your home supports farmers and sustainability.

“There is just something unique and special about the Christmas tree hunt. Consumers who purchase live trees are supporting farmers. Each tree is unique with its own fragrance. Nothing is cookie-cutter, and everyone’s experience is different based on the type of tree they choose.” stated Marsha Gray, Director of Communications for the National Christmas Tree Association.

North Carolina, where the tourism attraction Biltmore Estate is located, is one of the top five Christmas tree-producing states in the U.S. The holidays on the Biltmore Estate are grand, and the estate sees over 300,000 visitors during its holiday season, which starts at the beginning of November and runs until the first week of the new year.

The main attraction is a 35-foot-tall Fraser Fir that floral designers have had growing by a father-and-son tree farming team in Avery County for at least 35 years. George and Gregg Andrews have been growing and nurturing Biltmore’s banquet hall trees since 1975. They have a dedicated section of their mountain nursery exclusive to Biltmore. They grow the banquet hall trees, and then they help source the front lawn’s Norway spruce yearly.

“The Andrews have been working with our floral displays manager, Cathy Barnhardt, for over 30 years,” stated LeeAnn Donnelly, Senior Public Relations Director at Biltmore. “Cathy has a very particular look she is going for when she curates the banquet hall tree. In 1895, the Vanderbilts would have gone to a hillside and got a tree off the mountain. This is the tradition that she keeps with this spectacular tree.”

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And Biltmore needs not just one, but two of these large Christmas trees during its holiday tourism season. Because the holiday season is stretched out over two months, Biltmore elves replace the tree mid-season when the house is closed. The first tree enters the home with visitor awe.

“The raising of our banquet hall Christmas tree is a crowd favorite. We do this a few days before we open for the holiday season,” remarked Donnelly. “The tree comes in on a horse-drawn carriage with Santa and a trumpet fanfare.”

The huge tree is paraded around the lawn then is parked at the front entrance. Forty to fifty employees then put poles under the

tree and they begin to pole-raise, lift and move the 3,500-pound tree.

“It’s like a very well-choreographed dance by many of our staff as they navigate this tree inside the banquet hall.”

Each holiday season, Biltmore decorates with a new holiday theme. This year’s theme is “Hearth and Home.” The House sparkles with 30,000 twinkling lights, hundreds of candles reflecting in thousands of ornaments, while miles of garland accent every corner. Outside, 300 hand-lit luminaries adorn Biltmore House’s front lawn and draw attention to the lighted 55-foot Norway spruce draped with 45,000+ lights.

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Biltmore’s banquet hall tree is much larger than the tree typically presented to the First Lady at the White House for the Blue room each year. This year’s White House tree will be a 19-foot Balsam-Veitch fir from Oconto, Wisconsin. The tree’s farmers, Dave and Mary Vander Velden, won the 2015 National Christmas Tree Contest, taking the title of Grand Champion.

“It’s a very big honor. In order to present a tree (to the White House), you have to win the national championship. It’s like winning the Super Bowl or a gold medal at the Olympics. It doesn’t get better than that,” commented Dave Vander Velden of Whispering Pines Tree Farm.

“I started experimenting with these types of trees years ago, trying to find the goose that lays the golden egg,” Dave Vander Velden said. “They are a group of very nice trees. They grow well and have what it takes to be a good tree.”

A National Christmas Tree Association member has presented the official White House Christmas Tree since 1966.

62 PHOTOS: BILTMORE ESTATE

SECRETS FOR KEEPING YOUR TREE LOOKING FRESH! Fraser firs typically last the longest, so you might want to choose from fir family of trees.

Remember to ask your Christmas tree seller to give your tree a fresh cut even before you bring the tree home.

You can let your tree soak up some water even before bringing it indoors by placing it in a large bucket outdoors with at least a gallon of water.

Don’t remove the outer bark of the tree to try to fit it in a Christmas tree stand. Removing the bark will affect its ability to hydrate.

Place your tree away from heaters or direct sunlight.

Check the water daily and you might have to add water daily. Remember that adding water is not important just for keeping the tree fresh longer, but also to prevent it from drying too much, reducing the fire-risk. For the same reason - do not leave lights on for the entire night.

You can use a humidifier helping to the needles fresher longer.

Essential oils work as natural preservatives, and you can add a few drops of Balsam Fir, Pine or Spruce in the water. I don’t recommend this or any other additives in the tree if you have pets in the house, they tend to take a sip of the Christmas tree water every now and then.

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CAN’T HAVE A REAL TREE? THEN ENJOY THE SCENT OF IT! If you can’t have a real Christmas tree, diffuse Christmas tree scent at home, or add a diffusing tree ornament in your fake tree. Enhance your natural Christmas tree scent with the following essential oils: Christmas Spirit, Idaho Balsam Fir, Northern Lights Black Spruce.

CHECK YOUR TREE RECYCLING PROGRAM The great news is that real Christmas trees are biodegradable, which means they can be easily reused for mulch and other purposes.

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, tree recycling and mulching programs are a fast-growing trend in communities throughout the nation. Check what is available in your community so you can help the environment. Many cities also offer curbside recycling. Many other communities are getting creative on the types of recycling programs they offer for Christmas trees. Some trees have been used as soil erosion barriers, fish feeders in ponds, and hiking path materials. Some cities are even going out on a limb to recycle trees. Several zoos as well as Busch Gardens have developed Christmas tree recycling programs that benefit the parks and animals.

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WE TOOK THE MOST SCENIC VOYAGE IN THE WORLD

BY KARI SVENNEBY

ADD IT TO YOUR BUCKET LIST

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tion came from friends living in Northern Norway to visit, we grabbed the chance and made an arctic odyssey of our trip.

We started our trip by taking the Nordlandsbanen (train) from Oslo to Bodoe When I was a little girl growing up in Nor- and backpacked for six nights in the Boway, I remember hearing stories about doe area before we boarded MS Polarlys Hurtigruta. The ship has a special place for three days. in the hearts of many Norwegians. Just We boarded Polarlys at 12 o’clock on a how much Norwegians love Hurtigruten is Monday in Bodoe; checked in and best explained by half the population of bought our dinner plan for three evenings.

Norway watching the 134 hours of “Slow Our cabins had seen better days since it TV” broadcasted on national television of was built 20 years ago, but one of our a voyage from the deck of a Hurtigruten cabins had window and that made us forship. get the pink tiles. After exploring the ship I always said I would love to see the Nor- we started with some fine dining.

3 DAYS ON THE MOST SCENIC VOYAGE IN THE WORLD

wegian Arctic coastline. When the invita-

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with travelling on Hurtigruten. We enjoyed walking around in the fishing village.

Being on the boat and enjoying the Lofoten archipelago was quite a sight with snow topped mountains along the coast.

We enjoyed being on the boat and just taking it all in without having to do any trekking. So breathtaking is the Lofoten islands that even Hollywood discovered it. Matt Damon’s Downsizing was filming in Lofoten while we were there and we passed the boat housing the film crew and cast as we entered into Trollfjord.

This beauty is hard to describe. Trollfjord is a 2km detour in a narrow fjord off the The first big stopover was Svolvaer, the main sailing route. So narrow, it felt like capital of Lofoten. The Lofoten archipel- the ship was going to scrape the steep ago is world known for its beauty and is mountains. It was a thrilling and unique exespecially popular with outdoor lovers. perience topped with a traditional fish Svolvaer is often the starting point for ad- soup and mulled wine handed out by staff venture travelling on the islands and of- dressed in traditional fishing wear. ten, outdoor adventurers will combine it 68 PHOTOS: KARI SVENNEBY AND HURTIGRUTEN

Next day after a hardy breakfast we were ready to explore Tromso for 3.5 half-hours. We managed to walk a little in the city and explored the Arctic Cathedral and taking the gondola up a mountain called Storsteinen.

Back on the ship we asked the cruise director when was the scenic part of our voyage over? Affter Tromso, he said. He was not quite right we had scenic views the rest of the trips with majestic mountains by the seaside with tiny fishing villages. We had another amazing three course dinner with beautiful views of the Lyngen Alps. It was difficult under the midnight sun to sleep without missing out on all the views.

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On our day three of our voyage, we went ashore in Honningsvaag in the morning and we were lucky to have a local guide arranged though a mutual friend. He too us to the North Cape, the most Northern point in Europe latitude 71°N. We enjoyed the car ride trough the special tundra climate landscapes with cliffs and views of reindeers and tiny fishing boathouses.

We arrived back just in time for some hot chocolate and apple cake in our hangout spot the top deck café. A place where the kids could do puzzles, drawing and crafts.

We could just enjoy the scenery and people watch.

Our last meal was a true Babette’s feast with a seafood smorgasbord with reindeer and desserts. The scenic voyage is well known but what we were most surprised about was the standard of the food onboard. It was gourmet and the menu was a dream for foodies. Well, not if you are counting calories and maybe not very kid friendly but my kids did manage to eat some of the food.

Full of food we went down to our cabins, packed our backpacks and crashed in our beds while the waves crashed in to the boat.

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Hurtigruten it is by no means a budget option but after looking into other options it might be the best way to see and explore Arctic Norway. Also keep in mind Norway is an expensive country to travel in when it comes lodging, renting a car and eating out.

• High season is summer and the midnight sun. There are deals to be had in the winter season and maybe you can see the Northern lights.

• Breakfast is included in the price and it is a traditional hardy Norwegian smorgasbord.

• The most common way to do Hurtigruten • You are better off splurging on the gouris to do a week cruise from Bergen to Kirkemet menu plan instead of paying a lot 71 for nes and then take a flight back South.

burgers and hotdogs. The food menu was amazing and world class gourmet food that you would pay far more in a fancy restaurant.

• It is possible to take day trips with Hurtigruten or smaller trips too. Or you can combine like we did and take the train to Bodoe and continue north with Hurtigruten and fly back to Oslo.

•Hurtigruten is not a traditional cruise ship, it is also a working ferry that con- • Norwegian.no has good flight deals nects coastal Norway by carrying people from the US to Norway but also inside and cargo.

Norway.

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HAVE DOG, WILL TRAVEL TEXT & PHOTOS: LARA DI PAOLA

Last year our family grew by one big-eared, snuggly, snorting, occasionally flatulent, French Bulldog named, Gordon von Ottawa du Barckimedes. The kids had been asking (okay, begging) to get a dog for years. Because we travel so often, getting a dog just didn’t seem feasible. Leaving our cats for a few days was doable. A dog, not so much.

We spent months researching breeds. Which traveled best? Were those breeds also good with kids? Could we stick with the hotel brands and airlines we love if they weren’t pet friendly? The process was exhausting, and totally worth it! 73

By the time Gordon was eight months old he had logged thousands of miles, won the hearts of a staff at our favorite hotels, hiked high into the mountains, lounged on several beaches and figured out that horses are just really big dogs. Along the way we learned a very important lesson; ‘pet-friendly’ does not mean the same thing at all hotels.

In our travels we learned a hard truth.

Some hotel brands will simply allow you to pay an exorbitant fee, easily upwards of $150, to allow your pet to stay with you.

So, how are pet parents to find the best places to bring along the fur family?

First, and I’d say most importantly, call the property and ask about breed restrictions. Sadly quite a few hotels have rules that exclude specific breeds. This angers

me beyond words (who could ever turn Hugo away?!) but it’s a fact families need to be aware of.

Next, find out what your money buys you.

Some hotels won’t even let you leave your pet in your room or if they do they’ll charge more to allow this. Others don’t have designated areas for dogs let alone welcome them in common spaces.

The upside is that there are hotels that really do love pets. Loews Hotels even uses that as a tag line in their branding, and they stick to it.

At Loews nominal fee lets you bring your pet along. But they go far beyond just allowing pets. Loews welcomes pet guests with a species specific (yes, they welcome cats too) welcome gift. Gordon74 is

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amassing quite the collection of water bowls and collar tags from Loews hotels.

The gluten-free sailboat cookies at Loews in Annapolis, Maryland may be his all time favorites.

Another unique feature of the Loews Loves Pets philosophy is gourmet room service for pets. Gordon has great table manners and feels he should always have a seat at the table. As my husband puts it, “Gordon

thinks he’s people.” So we love that this is an option that allows the whole family to enjoy room service!

In Philadelphia the staff at Loews provided us with a dog-walking map that took us through some great parks and past wonderful art and historical sites. Loews Royal Pacific in Orlando, Florida is a family favorite. Taking a ferry to Hogwarts? I’m75in!

Sadly, Gordon isn’t allowed inside the

I SAW WHAT YOU DID THERE

parks at Universal Orlando. Luckily, the ho- residence adopted beagle ambassador tel has both a pet walking and sitting serv- and tasty house made treats. In the Marriott ice. No kennels for our canine kiddo! line Residence Inn has dedicated pet areas and welcomes fur family in most common Loews certainly isn’t the only hotel chain spaces as well. that really understands what it means to be pet-friendly Four Seasons has fantastic lux- If Gordon could put his two cents in her ury pet beds that come 100% Gordon ap- though, I think he’d opt for a Loews in every proved. The Jefferson in Washington, DC city across the globe. Happy, pet-friendly 76 (part of Preferred Hotels) has an in- travels friends!

PLAN YOUR DOG’S HOLIDAYS One of the best ways to get anyone used to anything is good old practice. Same goes with traveling with dogs. Like Lara’s Gordon, the best traveled dogs start training since puppies, and traveling becomes natural part of the dog’s life.

But what to do, if your older dog isn’t used to traveling, and you want to take her to visit family this Holiday season? Here are some tips to make that trip easier. Most importantly: plan well, and both you and your dog will be much happier!

BY KATJA PRESNAL

PHOTOS: KATJA PRESNAL

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BEFORE TRAVELS: Do a practice trip, or two. Start with practice trips like local day trips, trips to friend’s house for one night, shorter road trips or simply driving to a new dog park or visiting a farmer’s market or Christmas market. All of the new outings are great travel training.

Crate training is pretty important as well. It is important that your dog will love his crate, whether the crate it for home, for car rides or for flights. The crate should be his safe nest, where he feels comfortable and happy.

Destination matters so start planning early.

If you plan on traveling in your country, destination might not mean as much, but it might, for example some have breed restrictions.

Some countries can have very difficult animal importing rules, and also age restrictions (no dogs under one year old). If you plan of traveling out of the country, don’t just check the animal import laws to that country – but also back to your own. For traveling to USA, check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal & Plant Inspection Service, Veterinary Services.

Health check! It is always a good idea to consult with a veterinarian before traveling with your dog, and make sure vaccinations are up to date.

Take care of basic safety measures like name tag with your phone number, and a collar.

Most likely you have all these squared away anyways. Also, consider having your dog microchipped in case your dog gets lost.

#BLESSED 78

TIPS FOR TRAVEL BOOKING Check out Bring Fido or get the app.

Bring Fido is absolutely the greatest thing that has happened to traveling with dogs pretty much ever. The website and the app are an endless resource of dogfriendly hotels, restaurants and activities in most popular travel destinations. We have used this in the USA (in several states), and Canada, and so far have been very happy as a resource.

Book your flights early. Some airlines have breed, and size restrictions and also restrict the amount of pets per flight.

The list of dog-friendly hotels nowadays is longer than you’d expect as Lara mentioned in her article. We like the Hyatt Place hotels for reasonably priced stays with a dog, and often without a pet fee. Many other Hyatt hotels also offer dog-friendly stays. Several Marriott hotels with their brands like Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn and Fairfield Inn typically allow dogs, also their Renaissance Hotels. Several Hilton brand hotels also allow dogs. Like Loews, many luxury hotels treat dogs like royalty, like the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, where dogs have their own afternoon tea. Kimpton Hotels goes as far that they have Directors of Pet Relations in several of their locations, working dogs who “eagerly greet guests in our lobbies, quality test our pet amenities, and lord over the nightly wine hours.”

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ESSENTIAL OILS TO THE RESCUE

Keep calm, and travel on. Lara’s Gordon gets a nightly rub with a balm made from shea butter, almond oil and Young Living Lavender essential oil.

Frenchies are prone to allergies and can be very sensitive to changes in environment. This balm keeps him calm, hydrated and in balance. It would be great for any canine companion.

Dog training expert Cesar Millan does not recommend medicating the dog for travels to calm nerves, but recommends “for a little extra calm, try rubbing a little Lavender essential oil between your hands and give your pet a little aromatherapy or deep tissue massage at the beginning of your dog’s spine or base of her head.”

In addition to Lavender essential oil, always bring some basic cleaning supplies with me to deal with motion sickness in a car or other accidents. I usually bring a travel sized Thieves Spray with me. The travel sized cleaning detergent is good for cleaning, but I like to spray non-toxic scent to eliminate the stink as well!

The air refreshers like Febreeze are full of chemicals that can be harmful for you and especially for your dog, and many hotels use similar products in their rooms.

You can easily ask the room service not to spray them in your room while you are staying there. I always carry my own air refresher/Room Spray with me in a form of essential oils and an empty spray bottle. 5-8 drops of essential oil like Purification in the entire spray bottle of water, and it’s good for spraying the car, or dog bed, or even hotel room to eliminate the bad smells. If you stay in a small hotel room with a dog and a family the spray bottle + essential oils is a MUST! 80

DIY LABELS Get all of our label templates at:

bit.ly/DIYlabeltemplates Using the templates is easy: click the wanted template .pdf file open and click print.

Then cut the wanted label out and use double-sided tape to attach the label to your jar or bottle.

We have 3 themes: Holiday Joy, Winter Wonderland and Citrus Rosemary. Each theme has gift tags, sugar scrub, bath salt and room spray label templates, and instructional label cards for each DIY recipe.

We have on purpose left out what “Holiday Joy,” “Winter Wonderland” or “Citrus Rosemary” essential oil blends are so you can utilize the essential oils you already have.

You will find suggestions what each scent blend could be like, and you can make many of these with the oils in the Premium Starter Kit (Except Rosemary is not included).

SHOP SANTA’S WORKSHOP AMAZON SHOP FOR ALL SUPPLIES

ALL THE JOY

HAPPY

Each template collection has: gift tags, sugar scrub, bath salt and room spray label templates, and instructional label cards for each DIY recipe.

HOLI DAY JOY

HOLIDAYS!

TEMPLATES

You will also find shopping list and some recipe cards in the template folder.

not for commercial use. created for skimbacolifestyle.com

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for our love for Young Living essential oils

#ENJOYLIFEJEWELRY for Enjoy Life jewelry pictures SKIMBACO

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Thank you East Coast Mom Media Influencers for attending Skimbaco Lifestyle’s Santa’s Workshop party to test the DIY tutorials and to make Christmas gifts!

THANK YOU Colleen O’Dea of www.curtainsareopen.com Lori Byrne of www.farmfreshstyle.ca Laura Snow of www.mylifeinthesun.ca Heather Nolan of www.mmmisformommy.com Laureen MacDonald Farnam of www.temperedwithkindness.com Laura Churchill Duke of www.valleyfamilyfun.ca

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8 REASONS WHY YOUNG LIVING WELLNESS LIFESTYLE IS FOR YOU 1. Essential oils offer health-promoting benefits. One essential oil bottle can last for months, and be used for multiple different purposes.

5. Try the natural beauty products and discover how to fight against wrinkles, and aging, and keep your skin healthy naturally.

2. Young Living’s natural products can enhance fitness experience, give you more energy, and help to recover faster.

6. Young Living’s natural supplements help you to meet your nutritional needs.

They can also help you to lose weight or maintain healthy weight.

3. Their natural household cleaner, dish and laundry soaps help you to eliminate using cleaners with toxic chemicals.

4. Spa-like scent & aromatherapy at home! The artificial fragrances in scented candles can effect as negatively as second hand smoke from the cigarettes. Be good to yourself and start diffusing essential oils.

7. Getting enough sleep plays an essential part in your health, mood, sex life, weight control, and more. Aromatherapy can help you.

8. Save money in the long run. Essential oil lifestyle can typically save money on various ways. Staying healthier keeps your medical costs lower, and essential oils can replace other products you would normally buy.

JOIN AS A WHOLESALE MEMBER NOW! Wholesale members save 24%, and can join Essential Rewards program to gain up to 25% back in points towards free products. Wholesale membership is the only way to create an independent Young Living wholesale distributor business, and to receive commission, although business side is completely optional.

Join Young Living and use sponsor and enroller number: 2437916 85

SKIMBACO LIFESTYLE LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST SINCE 2007

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EMAIL: KATJA.PRESNAL@SKIMBACO.COM

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COVER PHOTO: KATJA PRESNAL I REALLY TOOK THIS PHOTO SITTING IN A HUSKY SLEIGH IN LAPLAND ON MY TRIP TO MEET WITH SANTA CLAUS. THANK YOU FOR THE EXPERIENCE LAPLAND SAFARIS. AN INCREDIBLE WINTER WONDERLAND ADVENTURE THAT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!