Summer festivities full of intention, essential oil goodness, and fun for all ages.

Throughout my adult life I celebrated the 4th of July like many Americans: over-eating and imbibing at a barbecue with friends where there was never a shortage of things to blow up. Fast-forward to now, like most of the country, we are experiencing an intensely dry heatwave here in Montana, so fireworks are out of the question. Add to that a precocious three-year-old and my holiday celebrations looked a little different this year. We made red, white, and blue popsicles, therapy play dough, a fireworks display out of sidewalk chalk, and spent the evening snuggling and comforting the dogs. It was pretty perfect.

For the Popsicles

• 1 quart (4 cups) Limeade
• 1 pint Blueberries
• 1 pint Raspberries or chopped strawberries
• 12 Popsicle molds

Directions:

Evenly divide blueberries and raspberries/strawberries into popsicle molds, no more than a third of the way full.  I chopped up garden strawberries since they are in season and the raspberries are still ripening. Slowly pour the limeade to fill the molds leaving a little room at the top. Insert popsicle sticks upright and put in the freezer at least 4 hours or until completely frozen. Makes 12 popsicles.

For the Therapeutic Dough

• 2 cups gluten-free flour
• 1/2 cup (plus a bit more) hot water
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 Tbsp liquid oil of choice
• 1 tsp Cream of Tarter
• Natural red dye (I used beetroot)
• Natural blue dye (I used red cabbage and baking soda)
• 3 essential oils. I used:

1. 1. Eucalyptus for decongestion
   2. Rosemary to stimulate brain function
   3. Jasmine for relaxation

Directions:

1. Combine gluten-free flour, salt, and cream of tarter in a large bowl. Add hot water and mix until well combined. Use your judgement to add a bit more hot water to achieve a consistency slightly on the dry side.

2. Add in liquid oil of choice and hand knead until dough is fully formed and pliable but still somewhat dry. Separate the dough into three parts.

3. To the first dough ball, add five drops of Eucalyptus essential oil and a small amount of hot water until the desired consistency is achieved. This is your white dough; set aside.

4. To the second dough ball, add 8-10 drops of Rosemary essential oil, and a small amount of natural red dye and knead into desired consistency. Set aside your red dough.

5. To the third dough ball, add 7-8 drops of Jasmine essential oil and a small amount of natural blue dye and knead thoroughly. Note that more essential oil is required to mask the smell of the natural dyes and salt-laden dough, and I found the texture improved the more essential oil I added.

6. Store all three in airtight containers for future use. I used glass mason jars knowing that my toddler would never have unsupervised use of the dough.

For the chalk drawings

• Various colored sidewalk chalk
• Spray bottle with water

Directions:

Let your little one go wild using different colors to create their representation of a fireworks display. Encourage different shapes, sizes, and formations along the way. When they decide their drawing is finished, give them a spray bottle full of water and tell them to spray their creation to give it a “splatter” effect likened to a glistening fireworks display. This was my little one’s favorite project of the day.