Tea for a Cold and Preparing for Candlemas

Candlemas is on February 2nd and I would really like to make some 100% beeswax candles to be blessed for the year. Any suggestions on where to get the supplies and how to do it? I think beeswax can be expensive so we might only make a few, I just don’t want to be burning anything toxic in our home. You can read the very little that I know about Candlemas on last year’s Feast day post. But I still have some questions about it such as, do all Catholic churches bless candles that you bring to Mass on Candlemas? Or is it celebrated on the Sunday before? Or is it after the Mass? Anybody know?

Elizabeth Foss wrote a beautiful entry this morning about how her family uses blessed candles throughout the year at her blog, In the Heart of my Home.

Benjamin thoughtfully shared his cold with me this week so we’re both congested and coughing but not feeling too crummy. Unfortunately, our hot water heater has been broken since Friday so nice hot baths to relieve achy muscles and congestion haven’t been an option at our house. Hopefully it’ll be resolved this afternoon when “Mr. Plumber,” as Benjamin calls him, comes for a second time.

I’ve been soothing my sore throat with steaming hot tea. I recently found out that I’m allergic to black, green, and white tea so herbal tea is my only option. However, I’ve been also staying away from lemongrass and other non-pregnancy safe herbs, (I don’t think I’m pregnant yet, but since we’re open to getting pregnant again I want to be careful just in case), which cuts down significantly on my options. So I just made an old-timey cold remedy out of lemon juice and raw honey.

Just squeeze some lemon juice and honey into the bottom of a mug and fill it with hot water. Feels great to a sore throat! Hopefully we’ll all be better soon.