Olga and Olive a Perfume Pair Over the Top
…Memories and Scents
During this time of change and stress, it is so important that we support ourselves with as many different therapies that will keep us grounded, soothed and calm. Scent or aroma therapy is a known strategy. The Power of Scent: Aromatherapy and Psychotherapy
In our current culture, prior to COVID-19, the scent industry has grown through commercially produced perfume, natural scents (Body Shop/Lush), artesian soaps, diffusers (Saje), candles, perfume jewellery and potpourri.
This story was inspired by my mom’s, (Olga), love of perfume and flowers. She loved walking through the perfume departments collecting samples of various scents. After trying them out she would purchase a favourite. For my mom is was like buying chocolates. She also had a fascination with perfume bottles. The style she loved were those that were tall and had long ‘dropping’ stems. It was interesting that after she passed away, I received great comfort in using and spraying her favourite perfume in a room or on my body, which brought forth fond memories. I also felt like she was present with me. Funny my mom’s childhood was quite severe by today’s standards in North American middle class. She had one doll and used to hang out in the back alley of the row of stores ( my grandparents owned a café) playing with the junk like rolling tires. For this story I imagined what my mom would have been like as a child today living in a home with a large garden. How she probably would have spent her days enthralled by the beauty and scents of the flowers.
During my kindergarten teaching years, in the interest of exposing the children to the ‘science’ of experiment with scents (and their senses), I would set up exploratory areas where kids could play smelling different things and also matching smells and tastes. The kids loved it!
For those of you who are foodies and ‘winies’ lol scent is exceptionally important, enhancing the food and wine consumption experience. I’m sure food and beverage therapy is what many of us are using to console ourselves of late. My youngest son, Andrew, is a sommelier with two, almost three professional designations. In his training he practices with an aroma kit of 100 scents. On a given night he will practice his olfactory skills with the scents, testing his ability to identify the correct scent.
Dazzle’s Challenge:
- Try a blindfold guess game of scents with your children.
- Follow one of the links below and allow your children to try and make perfume.
- Make soap bombs with your child that can be enjoyed with a relaxing bath.
- Man’s best friend has outstanding sense of smell. Do some research and observe your pet in action when talking your dog for a walk
Quick Take Away Links:
Aroma Therapy
- https://aromatechscent.com/blogs/scenting/what-s-in-an-aroma-scent-therapy-explained
- https://theartofsimple.net/aromatherapy-for-kids-5-ways-to-bring-comfort-and-cheer/
- https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/history/story-perfume
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/brain-babble/201501/smells-ring-bells-how-smell-triggers-memories-and-emotions
Making Perfume with Children
- https://mericherry.com/2017/03/28/making-perfume-with-kids/
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/248120260700884228/
- https://www.highlightskids.com/explore/science-questions/how-do-flowers-get-their-scent
- https://inventorsoftomorrow.com/2017/03/16/science-of-smell-for-kids/
- https://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/fun-ideas-for-exploring-the-sense-of-smell.html
Videos about the Sense of Smell
Our Dogs and their sense of Smell
- https://www.doggiesolutions.co.uk/article-5-easy-scent-games-to-play-with-your-dog.html
- https://youtu.be/p7fXa2Occ_U
Fun Smelly Activities
Perfume Bottles
Vocabulary from Story
- Coif – arrange hair
- haute couture – high fashion
- diva – successful lady
- duo – pair
- bouquet – bunch of flowers
- rascal – someone into mischief
- Cleopatra – ancient Egyptian queen
- fragrance – scent, perfume
- worshiper – follower of a belief
- incense – substance burned for scent
- documented – recorded, written down
- hieroglyphic – symbol written from ancient times
- chemistry – mix of substances
- impressing – amazing
- note – brief written thoughts or reminders
- ingredients – elements
- precision -accuracy
- laboratory – science work room
- churning – stirring
- confessed – admitted
- cackle – laugh
- snort – harsh sound through nose
- hysterical – very funny
- thwart – stop
- devotion – commitment, love
Olga and Olive a Perfume Pair Over the Top
…Memories and Scents
During this time of change and stress, it is so important that we support ourselves with as many different therapies that will keep us grounded, soothed and calm. Scent or aroma therapy is a known strategy. The Power of Scent: Aromatherapy and Psychotherapy
In our current culture, prior to COVID-19, the scent industry has grown through commercially produced perfume, natural scents (Body Shop/Lush), artesian soaps, diffusers (Saje), candles, perfume jewellery and potpourri.
This story was inspired by my mom’s, (Olga), love of perfume and flowers. She loved walking through the perfume departments collecting samples of various scents. After trying them out she would purchase a favourite. For my mom is was like buying chocolates. She also had a fascination with perfume bottles. The style she loved were those that were tall and had long ‘dropping’ stems. It was interesting that after she passed away, I received great comfort in using and spraying her favourite perfume in a room or on my body, which brought forth fond memories. I also felt like she was present with me. Funny my mom’s childhood was quite severe by today’s standards in North American middle class. She had one doll and used to hang out in the back alley of the row of stores ( my grandparents owned a café) playing with the junk like rolling tires. For this story I imagined what my mom would have been like as a child today living in a home with a large garden. How she probably would have spent her days enthralled by the beauty and scents of the flowers.
During my kindergarten teaching years, in the interest of exposing the children to the ‘science’ of experiment with scents (and their senses), I would set up exploratory areas where kids could play smelling different things and also matching smells and tastes. The kids loved it!
For those of you who are foodies and ‘winies’ lol scent is exceptionally important, enhancing the food and wine consumption experience. I’m sure food and beverage therapy is what many of us are using to console ourselves of late. My youngest son, Andrew, is a sommelier with two, almost three professional designations. In his training he practices with an aroma kit of 100 scents. On a given night he will practice his olfactory skills with the scents, testing his ability to identify the correct scent.
Dazzle’s Challenge:
- Try a blindfold guess game of scents with your children.
- Follow one of the links below and allow your children to try and make perfume.
- Make soap bombs with your child that can be enjoyed with a relaxing bath.
- Man’s best friend has outstanding sense of smell. Do some research and observe your pet in action when talking your dog for a walk
Quick Take Away Links:
Aroma Therapy
- https://aromatechscent.com/blogs/scenting/what-s-in-an-aroma-scent-therapy-explained
- https://theartofsimple.net/aromatherapy-for-kids-5-ways-to-bring-comfort-and-cheer/
- https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/history/story-perfume
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/brain-babble/201501/smells-ring-bells-how-smell-triggers-memories-and-emotions
Making Perfume with Children
- https://mericherry.com/2017/03/28/making-perfume-with-kids/
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/248120260700884228/
- https://www.highlightskids.com/explore/science-questions/how-do-flowers-get-their-scent
- https://inventorsoftomorrow.com/2017/03/16/science-of-smell-for-kids/
- https://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/fun-ideas-for-exploring-the-sense-of-smell.html
Videos about the Sense of Smell
Our Dogs and their sense of Smell
- https://www.doggiesolutions.co.uk/article-5-easy-scent-games-to-play-with-your-dog.html
- https://youtu.be/p7fXa2Occ_U
Fun Smelly Activities
Perfume Bottles
Vocabulary from Story
- Coif – arrange hair
- haute couture – high fashion
- diva – successful lady
- duo – pair
- bouquet – bunch of flowers
- rascal – someone into mischief
- Cleopatra – ancient Egyptian queen
- fragrance – scent, perfume
- worshiper – follower of a belief
- incense – substance burned for scent
- documented – recorded, written down
- hieroglyphic – symbol written from ancient times
- chemistry – mix of substances
- impressing – amazing
- note – brief written thoughts or reminders
- ingredients – elements
- precision -accuracy
- laboratory – science work room
- churning – stirring
- confessed – admitted
- cackle – laugh
- snort – harsh sound through nose
- hysterical – very funny
- thwart – stop
- devotion – commitment, love
