Therapy for the Inner Child

I really can't launch into a soliloquy about Play Doh with out the background music of Captain Kangaroo. They go hand in hand.

It is has been said that i have the nose of a German Shepherd. I can smell a foul odor wafting over from the next city. If an odious scent appears in my home there is always a stockade of incense ready to light and mask it. Fortunately my husband is tolerant of my rules and gagging reflexes about stinky substances in our home. .. scrambled eggs and cooked fish are at the top of the offending list. I am eternally grateful he does not consume nor cook beef as well.

There are however, certain fragrances that i can't image living without, such as lilacs, the ocean air and puppy breath. (Let's not forget pumpkin pie, roses, lilies, carnations, fresh bread, lavender, and Yellowstone park) However if i have to pick, there is one that is beyond doubt the most therapeutic for my soul and it is Play Doh.

The one whiff that instantly reverts me back into a four year old child is the clean salty aroma of Play Doh. If you were a child of the early 60's then you will remember the smell. Pink has always been my favorite. Blue always smelled a bit too blue, salty and it dried out the quickest. Yellow was ... well who likes yellow? And white was just too bland though it was the easiest to mold. And yes i can tell the difference between colors even with my eyes shut.

When ever i am going through times of stress taking a whiff of Play Doh seems to calm me. I believe that it has the same relaxing properties as Rescue Remedy for some of us.

I love that you can now find small mini containers of Play Doh. So handy to keep in a purse for that emergency whiff. Much nicer than my asthma inhaler which takes way too much room in a purse, and is way less effective emotionally. Though i am certain the New England medical board would pounce on me for prescribing Play Doh aromatherapy to acupuncture patients. (Oh to clarify to the MA Veterinary Board, that would be human patients not dog patients. Because if you were going to prescribe aromatherapy to a dog patient i would probably recommend a good juicy organic free range bone that would make me gag.)
Yesterday i came across a small container of new pink Play Doh at my favorite thrift shop. Immediately i took a whiff and believed it as sign from the Universe to play more and chill out. A new years resolution that i hope to keep this coming year.
(Work less, Play Hard. .. sounds like a Nike commercial!)


From the Wiki

Type	Modelling clay
Inventor	Joseph McVicker Bill Rhodenbaugh
Company	Rainbow Crafts (former) Hasbro (since 1991)
Country	United States
Availability	1956–present

Play-Doh is a modeling compound used by children for art and craft projects at home and in school. Composed of flour, water, salt, boric acid, and silicone oil, the product was first manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s. When a classroom of children began using the wallpaper cleaner as a modeling compound, the product was reworked and marketed to Cincinnati schools in the mid-1950s. Play-Doh was demonstrated at an educational convention in 1956 and prominent department stores opened retail accounts. Advertisements promoting Play-Doh on influential children's television shows in 1957 furthered the product's sales. Read more of this article at play doh wiki