It began as simply my daughter and I wanting to make gifts with a deeper meaning for friends and family this past Christmas. We started months in advance. I thought that since we made our own body scrubs and candles anyway, we’d start there. Then we decided to add a soy candle to the “deluxe gift box”.
I truly loved every minute of this process from doing the research for the best ingredients, sourcing out local jars and packaging and especially designing the labels and the brochure.
My eight year old Luchia’s favorite part of this process was “quality control” (testing out every batch) and adding in some wonderfully intoxicating, pure, essential oils that transported us to dreamy, exotic or happy places as we counted out the drops. Percentages of organic oils were calculated of olive, grape and jojoba to discover which amount worked best.
My favorite part was adding a one-of-a-kind raw, quartz crystal to the lid that was specifically chosen for each individual person. Besides being beautiful gifts from nature, crystals hold vibrational properties that enhance energy.
Adding a Deeper Layer of Meaning
My life’s work and passion involves making the profound connections between Mind (the psychology of how we dwell, how our subconscious issues physically manifest) Body (aesthetics of design, sustainability, wellness) and Spirit (atmosphere, energy and Feng Shui) and how this mighty trifecta comes together in our homes and ourselves in revealing and powerful ways. I believe in the power of good intentions and positive visualizations and I know how effective these force can be. (My father Gene S. Benko is my inspiration and a walking testament to the effects of being resolutely positive even when the road ahead might feel like an insurmountable mountain.) So, of course my home goods would have to reflect a positive way to connect the physical with the mental and the spiritual with every use. As a Feng Shui Expert who has yanked this ancient art into the 21st century, shook out what doesn’t work, embraced what does and added my own perspectives, its never been about the simplified, dumbed down version of moving your couch and getting rich. In order for energies to truly change, the physical (in this case, applying a sea salt scrub to your body) should ideally be connected to the mental (visualizing getting rid of the negative) to create a shift in spiritual (living the life you desire and creating the change you hope for). Integrating these three planes together gives you more of a concrete and effective way to tackle challenges while empowering you to take mindful action.
Setting A Goal, Seeing The Outcome
My candles urge you to “make a wish every time you light this” to help set your intentions. The Christmas gifts were a big hit. Which got me thinking. Who knows what will come next? Organic, sustainable sheets imbued with lavender dreams and an enclosed message of serenity that also give back to people in need with every purchase?Decorative objects charged with powerful symbolism made by a women’s cooperative in Uganda? Companies like Toms Shoes (“One for one”. Giving away a pair of shoes to someone in need with each purchase) and Warby Parker Eye Glasses (“Buy a pair, give a pair”) are understanding the need for doing good, feeling good and making a difference in the world . There is a steady trajectory occurring all around us. People are living more consciously and are wanting more meaning behind their purchases. Hopefully my line of Holistic Home Goods will unite the mind, body, spirit, home energies together for all who desire more from their stuff and who desire a greater change – to make an impact within their world, their communities, their homes, their bodies and their own mindset. I can certainly set my intentions for this as I light my candle and reflect on all the possibilities.
