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Lavender: 50 Self-Care Recipes and Projects for Natural Wellness

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Breathe deep and feel calm with this fresh, modern take on one of nature's most beneficial herbs!

Here, you'll find simple herbal remedies, tips, and projects for inspiration, relaxation and well-being. Harness the natural power of lavender with recipes for:
• Lavender Matcha Latte
• Yoga Mat Freshening Mist
• Dried Lavender Fire-Starter
• Lavender Frosé
• Day's End Tea
• Blue Day Lavender Roll-Away
• Nourishing Lavender Makeup Remover
• Lavender and Rose Fizzy Bath Salts
• Sweet Dreams Diffuser Oil
• Soothing Eye Pillow

The book covers gardening (favorite varieties and pollinators); preserving (harvesting, drying, and extracting culinary oil); body care (essential oils, aromatherapy, oral remedies); the mind (stress relief and sleep); skin care (including allergens); cleaning (antiseptic and antifungal properties); food (pantry essentials); and projects (including gifts).

208 pages, Hardcover

Published April 27, 2021

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About the author

Bonnie Louise Gillis

23 books1 follower
Also publishes under: Bonnie Louise Kuchler

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5 stars
18 (32%)
4 stars
26 (46%)
3 stars
10 (17%)
2 stars
2 (3%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Ink_Drinker.
310 reviews573 followers
June 2, 2021
Lavender is one of my favorite essential oils so that is why I wanted to read this book!!

Bonnie Louise Gillis has created a beautifully illustrated book including compressive research on the uses of Lavender. Lavender includes instructions on growing the different varieties for use in recipes for food, salves, and essential oil blends.

I tried out two recipes, the first one was the Lavender and Rose Fizzy Bath Salts. These bath salts were a delightful addition to my evening bath. The second recipe I tried was the Lavender Scented Hand Sanitizer. I’ve been going through hand sanitizer like crazy during this pandemic as I am sure everyone has and I love that I can now make my own and the ingredients are simple.

This book is for anyone that wants to learn how to use the natural power of Lavender for relaxation and well-being.
Profile Image for Natalie  all_books_great_and_small .
3,247 reviews184 followers
March 14, 2021
I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Lavender is a beautiful and insightful book on using lavender for different things such as beauty products, perfumes, cooking and crafts.
I loved the details about growing different types of lavender at the beginning of the book and which lavender types to use for cooking with too. I've always loved Lavender - its one of my favourite flowers, so I jumped at the chance to review this book.
I'd love to try out some of the recipes within this book especially the lip balm ones and food and drink ones too.
I was a little confused how some of the recipes that used essential oils told you to buy lavender essential oil and didn't show you how to make this yourself as part of the recipe.
Overall I loved this book and would love a physical copy to refer back to in the future.
Profile Image for Alicia Bayer.
Author 10 books254 followers
March 1, 2021
This is a very thorough book on lavender, though I found it lacking in a few places. The beginning goes into great detail about growing all kinds of lavender, with growing zones and information about how each variety differs from the others. It then goes into lots of recipes, though most of these use lavender essential oil, which you have to purchase. It seemed a little incongruous to teach us so much about how to grow it and then have us buy essential oil instead of using lavender infused oils (which you can easily make at home and are much better for the environment than essential oil production). Later in the book there are some crafts and lots of culinary recipes that use lavender, though.

For the most part, it's a really informative book and will teach you more than you ever needed to know about lavender. I do wish there was less focus on essential oils but it's a lovely and helpful book.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
Profile Image for B.
631 reviews50 followers
March 17, 2021
This is a very wonderful book with different uses of lavender!

What I liked:
The countless recipes - edible, wearable, candles, etc.
How to grow and harvest lavender.
Safety, precautions, side effects and other helpful information.

What I disliked:
I didn't like how there is no instructions for how to make your own lavender essential oil for the recipes, instead you have to buy already made essential oil. I think that is my primary dislike about this book because it is used quite a bit.

All in all I liked this book well enough and will be using some recipes!

Thank you Netgalley, Sasquatch Books and Bonnie Louise Gillis for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating 3.5 rounded to 4 ⭐
Profile Image for Annie.
4,829 reviews89 followers
April 9, 2021
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Lavender is a guide dedicated to the wonderful perennial herb which includes recipes and tutorials by Bonnie Louise Gillis. Due out 27th April 2021 from Sasquatch Books, it's 208 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a well written treatise for lavender culture and use. The information is presented accessibly and thematically in a logically arranged manner so that it's easy to find the info again when needed. The introductory chapters include some background history, a little botany, a good overview of growing and harvesting, a tiny bit of chemistry and some info about oils (both essential and carrier oils for infusion).

The following chapters contain the recipes, arranged thematically: body (massage), mind (aromatherapy/relaxation), skin treatments, home environment, gifts, and cooking with lavender. Recipes include a description, ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar, and step-by-step directions. Measurements are given in American standard only. Recipe ingredients are easily sourced and most will be available at any well stocked grocery store or health-food boutique.

The author and publisher have linked to the bibliography on the publisher's website instead of including it in the book. I was given an eARC for review purposes so the bibliography may be in the final retail release copy. The included index is cross-referenced and recipes and terms are easy to find in the text. The photography is clear, abundant, illustrative, and in color throughout.

This would be a good choice for library acquisition, gifting to a gardening/cooking friend, or for the gardener's home library. There are many classic recipes here as well as many intriguing modern twists. I intend to try out the recipe for apricot-lavender scones this weekend.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Profile Image for Jamie Bee.
Author 1 book124 followers
March 21, 2021
If You Love Lavender…

As someone who loves a commercially available black tea with lavender, I was curious what a book just about lavender would have to offer. I was not disappointed. This book has so much information about growing and harvesting lavender as well as culinary and other recipes. The author's love for the plant and its uses comes across clearly. The book starts with cautions about lavender's use—and as an RN, I appreciate the level of detail she goes into here. General information about lavender follows this about including growing and harvesting it. Again, the amount of detail in this section really gives you an idea of what you need to do if you plan to grow lavender yourself for personal use. Recipes take up the bulk of the book, first of the non-culinary variety, like bath and massage oils, lip balm, essential oil blends for a variety of uses, and even craft items like drawer/dryer pouches, wreaths, and eye pillows. This non-culinary section is split into topics like body, mind, skin, and even gifts (though you might want to make some for yourself as well!). As a cook who enjoys working with herbs, I loved the recipe section, which had several teas (a personal favorite) as well as incorporating lavender to make fruity desserts and baked goods... and so much more. If you love lavender like I do or love to incorporate herbs into your baking and cooking, you may enjoy this book on the many ways to enjoy lavender as much as I did.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
Profile Image for Sharon Tyler.
2,815 reviews39 followers
May 18, 2021
Lavender: 50 Self-Care Recipes and Projects for Natural Wellness by Bonnie Louise Gillis is currently scheduled for release on April 27 2021. The book covers gardening (favorite varieties and pollinators); preserving (harvesting, drying, and extracting culinary oil); body care (essential oils, aromatherapy, oral remedies); the mind (stress relief and sleep); skin care (including allergens); cleaning (antiseptic and antifungal properties); food (pantry essentials); and projects (including gifts). In the simple herbal remedies, tips, and projects for inspiration, relaxation and well-being you will find recipes for: Lavender Matcha Latte, Yoga Mat Freshening Mist, Dried Lavender Fire-Starter, Lavender Frosé, Day's End Tea, Blue Day Lavender Roll-Away, Nourishing Lavender Makeup Remover, Lavender and Rose Fizzy Bath Salts, Sweet Dreams Diffuser Oil, and a Soothing Eye Pillow.

Lavender is a well organized and written book that offers readers exactly that the title promises. I found the tone and wording to be very easy to follow- making things simple for those new to the subject comfortable while not making more experienced lavender lovers feel talked down to or bored. I think the book offers a well rounded explanation of all things lavender, and that it will be a valuable tool for those that want to grow their own lavender and make simple (or more complex) things for themselves with this versatile plant. I certainly plan on planting some more and making a few new things after reading this book. It is a great resource for those just getting started, and those that want to refine their use of lavender or try a few new things.
109 reviews14 followers
March 14, 2021
My family works in agriculture, and my mom's dream is to harvest lavender in one of our lands. She is very creative and she always asks me about ideas about what should she do with the lavender. I found this book when I browsed NetGalley, and I thought that it can be very helpful for my mom.
The book is beautiful with a lot of pictures of lavender. It looks very nice. I also enjoyed the content. It starts with the types of lavender, then how to grow and harvest it. I think it is very helpful for a beginner. There is a scientific part of the essence, too. The biggest part of this book are recipes: how to make candles, lavender bags, tea, perfumes, etc. I really like this part. There are so many recipes. I didn't like all of them because there were a few with very rare ingredients which we can't make at home. Also, there were 60 pages about food which I don't care about at all.
I like this book. I think this will be my next present for my mom, it will be very helpful for her.
478 reviews4 followers
February 9, 2023
As an aromatherapist, I do not particularly like the scent of lavender. However, if I could only have one essential oil, lavender would be it. Lavender is the most versatile essential oil among them all. Fragrance is only the beginning of its applications. The author not only discusses the properties of this amazing oil, but also the various species of lavender, how to grow them, and where to plant in your garden. Yes, there are blend recipes explaining how to use lavender for various ailments including relaxation, sunburn, and many more. I was aware that dried lavender buds are part of herbes de provence and give it its distinctive flavor. I had not seen any recipes that use lavender buds until this book. Yum! Especially the scones! If you love lavender, this book is for you. If you merely tolerate lavender, this book is for you. You may just fall in love before you finish reading it.
Profile Image for Nikki.
1,211 reviews31 followers
March 30, 2021
Lavender: 50 Self-Care Recipes and Projects for Natural Wellness by Bonnie Louise Gillis
Publisher: Sasquatch Books
Genre: Health, Mind & Body
Release Date: April 27, 2021

Lavender by Bonnie Louise Gillis is a great resource for all things lavender. I was surprised at how many different types of lavender there are!

This book contains tips of how to grow and harvest your own lavender and provides 5 recipes and projects for self-care and natural wellness. There is a whole chapter dedicated to creating lavender oil.

The photos were beautiful and the information was fascinating!

I'm so grateful to Bonnie Louise Gillis, Sasquatch Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Sara Hill.
451 reviews9 followers
December 3, 2021
I wanted to read Lavender by Bonnie Louise Gillis because lavender is my favourite scent in the entire world. So, I was curious and excited to find a whole book dedicated to recipes all including lavender. What I was not expecting was all of the information and knowledge on lavender including, but not limited to, the different varieties, growing, cultivating, and even making essential oils. As a gardener (who has a rough time with lavender Zone 10B, Florida) this book gave me some more alternatives to try next year.

I received an eARC from Sasquatch Books through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.
Profile Image for Witch-at-Heart .
1,583 reviews23 followers
July 9, 2022
Lavender was so much more than I expected it is packed with fascinating information on lavender and is filled with recipes dedicated to lavender.

What I was so excited about and not expecting was all of the information and knowledge on lavender including the different varieties, growing, cultivating, and even discusses how essential oils are made from lavender. A truly well thought out book and I highly recommend it if you love, grow or simply want to know more about this beloved plant. Definitely the book to explore all your questions and probably some you wouldn’t think to ask but would be delighted to learn.
860 reviews2 followers
May 31, 2021
Beautifully illustrated, comprehensive reference on lavender! This book has everything from description and growing the different varieties, instructions for use, recipes, and projects. Lavender is one of my favorite essential oils and this book will be a favorite reference for years to come.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
467 reviews6 followers
August 9, 2022
Lavender was very informative on types of lavender, how to grow it, companions, other pollinators, etc. Many topics were covered with research and sources to back up the facts provided. It also had a great variety of recipes included. I enjoyed this book and took over 3 pages of notes from it!
Profile Image for Lisa.
2,156 reviews24 followers
July 25, 2021
A complete and thorough guide, gonna have to buy this as a reference!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews