Placement of a Diffuser

If you own multiple diffusers like I do, sometimes it can be a pain to figure out how to work them into the scheme of the room in which they are placed. I own two that I purchased from Young Living. The Home Diffuser (https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/home-diffuser) which came with my member kit, and the Rainstone (https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/rainstone-diffuser). I use one in my basement, and one on my main living floor.

The instructions advise you to place diffusers higher up, so the mist that comes up out of them can be dispersed through the airflow of your space. However, this can be a pain when you have to fill it with your water and oil, and then lift it up to someplace. My personal experience has shown that these two diffusers in particular, can be used and work well when placed at about hip level.

So, where should you place them? Well, I definitely don’t recommend on the top of a tall surface like a bookshelf. However, I have some shorter shelving in my office that comes up past my waist that I like to place my diffuser on. In my bedroom, I will place my diffuser on the dresser, or on my vanity. Try to work your diffuser into the scheme of the room by placing it inconspicuously on a corner, perhaps with a picture frame in front, etc. In my office where I teach piano, I put my diffuser on the back corner of the shelf, and have it semi-hidden behind a cup full of pens and my pendulum metronome.

When picking out a diffuser or a room in which to place one, be mindful of the color scheme. Diffusers that stand out like sore thumbs could become distracting. Instead of pulling your eye to the room itself (let’s say your living room), people will only really notice the diffuser when you could have a gorgeous fireplace or piano. Plus, a white diffuser against a dark colored room will be fantastically off-putting.

Remember also – these are filled with water. You don’t want to place a diffuser in a location where it can get easily knocked over or bumped. Never place a diffuser inside a bookcase or a confined space – a diffuser can’t work properly when stifled. Never place out in the open. A diffuser can easily become unplugged or knocked over if not placed on a surface up against something solid like a wall.

Here are some suggestions for placement:

• Bedroom – dresser corner, nightstand (one without a lamp is best), or a corner of a desk (should you have one in your room). Tuck it away behind a photo frame or jewelry box.
• Living Room – end table/sofa table, sideboard, console (don’t place tissues next to!)
• Office – short shelving, end table, or a corner of the desk
• Entryway – Console or hallway table that is up against a wall.

Do not place your diffuser here:

• In a window, or close to a window
• In a child’s room where the child can reach or climb up to reach
• In the bathroom – for sanitation purposes as well as for the fact that tubs and baths already generate steam. You could be making an extremely humid environment where mold can easily grow.
• Next to other electronics
• On or near surfaces that you do not want to potentially water damage – diffusers let off steam that can mist surrounding areas. If you don’t want to dampen the area, consider a new position.
• On a tall surface you must reach to, or out of reach
• Near plants or edibles - some oils are not meant to be consumed, and not plants may not appreciate the oil or the mist. Be especially mindful if you have herbs as these are also edibles.
• I personally recommend not to place a diffuser anywhere in a kitchen for what I hope are obvious reasons.

These are my personal opinions and recommendations. You can find more in my previous blogs!

Make the Most of Your Snow Day

Snow days are bound to happen. Whether you fear to venture out, can’t leave the driveway, or just plain don’t want to go anywhere, your day might be drastically changed from what you had originally planned or envisioned.

Start your “new” day by diffusing an invigorating scent. My personal favorite lately has been nutmeg oil. Its spicy scent makes for an energizing feel.  https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/nutmeg-essential-oil

While your oil is diffusing, come up with a “new” plan. Whether you desire to be a couch potato, or to get some chores done, outline for yourself in general, what you would like to accomplish. Make the most of your time by coming up with a loose plan of saying “Lunch at noon, dinner at six” and fill in the holes from there. If you have a difficult time staying on task (like I often do), dedicate yourself to a specific amount of time and then reward yourself.

Take my chores plan as an example. If I’m watching television, I will get up during the commercials and put things away, vacuum, take the dogs out for a quick potty break, etc. I’m working AND rewarding myself and therefore I have a hard time feeling guilty – especially when I’m having a rough day.

You could also do, say, one load of dishes, then read a chapter in a book you’ve been reading. This works especially well for things you don’t want to do but have to get done. I always tell my students the same thing. It will help if you continue diffusing oil known for mental clarity or energy. If you have had enough of diffusing, you can also rub a drop or two of oil (that is a non-irritant to your skin) into your palms, and inhaling every so often. Try this with Young Living’s frankincense, eucalyptus radiata, or ginger. Avoid direct sunlight when using oils topically and always dilute with a small amount of carrier oil if necessary.

Throughout your snow day, whenever you get up and go somewhere else in your home, pick up an item or two and take it with you to its home. For example, if someone left dishes in the basement, and you are down there, bring up a dirty bowl to the sink the next time you come upstairs. If you’re in the bathroom washing your hands, take out the trash. If you went to grab the mail, take the opportunity to put away some shoes.

Snow days often call for comfort food. I highly recommend a cup of cocoa with peppermint. Peppermint is an aromatic plant that has an energizing property – hence its use in MANY medical and health products. It is also edible! Put a drop or two into a cup of your cocoa for that nostalgic candy-cane taste! (Always consult your doctor before ingesting any oil.)

If you’re feeling extra lazy on your snow day, take the opportunity to pamper yourself. Mix up a salt bath soak. It’s super easy! Read my prior post for the recipe: http://theessentialwife.blogspot.com/2016/12/migraine-help.html . During your bath, you could catch up on your social media, watch an episode of your favorite show, or read a book. The soothing aromas of your bath will help you relax and release your snow day stress.

If you’re the type of person who wants to get a few things done, here are some ideas for your snow day:

• ·         Completely empty a closet, clean the interior, then put things back. While putting things away, separate out what you don’t need, don’t use, or can’t use.
• ·         Move everything out of a bedroom (or office) that you can, and deep clean the floors and walls. Shampoo the carpet (if you have a carpet cleaner). When returning everything to the room later on, create more function and organization by putting things together in places that are easy to find.
• ·         Take everything out of your kitchen cabinets, clean out all the cabinets’ interiors, and exteriors, before putting things back.

If you’re more in the mood for family time or lazy time, gather everyone you live with around for a game that you don’t normally play due to time constraints. Try Monopoly, Risk, Axis & Allies, Carcassonne, Mexican Train, Phase 10, or another longer game that you have access to. If you’re not into tabletop/card games, get out a super difficult puzzle and have everyone work together to try and complete it before the day is over.

Whatever it is you do or you plan, come up with some great ways to incorporate oils. Whether it’s to diffuse, to bathe, to eat/drink, your oils can give you an extra boost throughout your day. 

Cabin Fever?

Christmastime may come once a year, but cabin fever can set it at any time of year. You are more susceptible during the holidays due to cramped schedules, family obligations, financial restrictions, snow, ice, cold weather, etc.

Cabin fever is often described as a restlessness or irritability that comes with long periods of remaining indoors – particularly during the winter. It can also become a hysteria – though, most people don’t encounter this extreme a feeling.

Some of the oily things you can do to improve your cabin fever is to invigorate oneself with fresh scents. Young Living has a fabulous supply of citrus oils that really evoke and affect attitude, mentality, and emotions. My favorite this winter has been Lime – which can be found at this link. https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/lime-essential-oil . It comes in a 15ml bottle, and is extremely aromatic. The scent promoted my focus and aided in clarity of mind.

What’s even more fabulous is you can use lime oil in many edibles such as salad dressing, beverages, and more. Lime has been thought to promote health and wellness for a long time. The antioxidants can improve skin, plus there are antiseptic, antiviral, and astringent properties that cannot be ignored. The benefits of the fruit have been known for a long time – hence it’s popular use, particularly in drinks.

Lime also blends especially well with other oils. You can buy blends directly from Young Living, create your own blends, or use recipes. Lime goes very well with delicate flower scents like Ylang-Ylang. But, experiment a bit and come up with what you find really special! For example, I like to diffuse my lime purely by itself, but when creating a bath salt soak or another homemade goodie, I find blending it with other oils to be very successful.

What oils and blends do you use to help get rid of cabin-fever?

**If you are interested in learning more about Young Living, or want to become a member, please contact me! I can help you through the process! My Member ID is located at the top of my blog page.

Take-N-Make!

So, I will be hosting a Take-N-Make party at my home for family and friends next month. The idea was given to me by my sponsor and now I’m SUPER excited to get all the supplies, and set everything up! I definitely want to make some breath freshener, but some sensation oil was also suggested to me … and now I want to MAKE EVERYTHING!

So, now I need to do my research on gathering supplies in bulk, getting carrier oils, etc. Thankfully, the woman who runs our online group has some excellent suggestions for these. I’m a frugal person – I absolutely refuse to buy anything listed at full price if I can absolutely avoid it when it’s not food, or gas, etc. My clothing almost always comes from clearance racks and discount stores, my furniture and household goods are always purchased with coupons and discounts … so on and so forth. So, I really like how her list includes some thrifty finds.

What is funny is this will be an über busy weekend – which I try to avoid, but end up loving planning for. On that Friday night I have invited my studio students over for a movie and pizza fest, and then the next day will be the Take-N-Make followed by the Symphony, and then Sunday I’ll go back to my regular teaching schedule of lessons in the mornings and evenings.

Since I’m still relatively new to oiling and all that, I am really excited to begin my journey of ridding my life of products that don’t work, make false claims, aren’t natural, include toxins and chemicals, etc. What I absolutely love about the Young Living lifestyle is that everything is up front. The company owns and works its own farms, the company is publicly responsible, the company is ethical in its practices, and the company is well versed and expansive. I love the opportunity I have to make and create. I love that I can share this opportunity! 

Migraine Help

On Sunday, I woke up with a massive migraine. This is nothing new to me, however as I suffer from Rhuematoid Arthritis, I cannot take other medications of just about any kind while on my R.A. meds.

ENTER OILS TO THE RESCUE!

After doing quite a bit of research in the morning on what I could do to lift my awful migraine naturally with oils, I started with using the pure, therapeutic grade Young Living Copaiba in my diffuser.

Step number two was to mix together a relaxing and aromatic salt bath. Epsom salts, baking soda, and a mixture of peppermint and lavender Young Living oils was made.



Ingredients:

• 2 cups Epsom Salt
• 1/2 cup of baking soda
• 30 drops of oil (I used a mixture of peppermint and lavender)

I mixed this together in a glass bowl with a metal spoon, then put 4 heaping spponfuls into my hot bath and soaked for 30 minutes with the bathroom door closed.

Afterward, not only was my head no longer throbbing in pain, but I didn't feel dizzy or sick. Drying off was a cinch as the baking soda and salt mixture made my skin super supple and moist, I barely had to towel off.

It's 24 hours later, and NO MIGRAINE! I'm super impressed with the ability to use natural oils to stimulate wellness and health. I'm very happy that not only did it give me an adventure in learning and creating, but it really did relieve my symptoms.

I highly reccommend this recipe. In addition, I will be giving out small sachets of this wonderful bath soak to a few of my coworkers so they can have a relaxing holiday. They are already super excited!

The Holiday Mood

When feeling in the Christmas mood, I have found that diffusing Young Living essential oils and listening to my favorite carols is a highly relaxing activity.

My personal recommendations:

·         Orange

·         Peppermint

·         Nutmeg

·         Frankincense

My playlist (in no particular order):

• ·         Anything Mannheim Steamroller
• ·         Anything Trans-Siberian Orchestra
• ·         Away In A Manger
• ·         Carol of the Bells
• ·         Christmas in the Northwest – Brenda Kutz
• ·         Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano
• ·         Hark The Herald Angels Sing – Bing Crosby
• ·         Have A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives
• ·         Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Frank Sinatra
• ·         It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
• ·         It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas- Perry Como (and others)
• ·         It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Johnny Mathis
• ·         Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
• ·          Joy To the World – Nat King Cole
• ·         Let It Snow – Dean Martin
• ·         O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
• ·         O Come, O Come Emmanuel
• ·         O Holy Night – Josh Groban
• ·         River – Robert Downey Jr.
• ·         Rocking Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
• ·         Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Gene Autry
• ·         Silver Bells – Bing Crosby
• ·         The Chipmunk Song
• ·         The Holly and the Ivy – Frank Sinatra
• ·         The Nutcracker (yeah, the whole thing!)
• ·         We Three Kings – Nat King
• ·         What Child Is This? (aka Greensleeves)
• ·         White Christmas – Bing Crosby, et. Al
• ·         Winter Wonderland – Amy Grant

She Asked Me What I Use

Someone asked me yesterday was essential oils I use for my R.A. I was happy that someone was interested in my lifestyle, and wanted guidance on what has worked for others. When you’re researching oils, this is a great tool to use. Don’t discount the experience of others! Reach out and ask what people use to improve anger, aid in breath freshening, rub on sore spots, etc.

As an independent member of Young Living, I have access to a vast amount of resources and contacts – for which I am grateful. Many people interested in returning to nature, becoming more holistic, and doing away with unhealthy habits don’t find much support. And I know how hard it can be for people to ask for advice or support when we live in a world where being self-sufficient is ideal, and unsolicited advice/help is readily available and unwelcome.

When using my oils, I’ll be honest: I just experiment. I’ll do some research, try things out, and see if I like them or they work the way they are described/intended, etc. It’s like trying to find the perfect jeans. Some people love one brand over another because it works for them and suits them. Oil is very much the same. Plus, people like me have allergies. I can’t use anything from a tree in a lotion or a lip balm for example – I’ll have an allergic reaction and could become apoplectic. But, the scent is fine. The scent doesn’t bother my allergies. So, experimenting and discovering what works best for you, for your goals, for your lifestyle is really important.

At the end of the day, I can feel good about using my oils because they do help me. They do bring about a sense of calming, or they do help my nasal passages clear up. Asking what others use in certain situations or researching the medicinal or scientific findings is important. There is great knowledge out there that has been around (in many cases) for a very long time.

If you’re interested in learning more about my lifestyle, the oils I use, and Young Living, please let me know! I’d love to hear from you.

What are a few things you can do to learn more about Essential Oils?

Educate yourself, of course! That’s easy too. With today’s information saturation, we have so many ways of finding out more. Plus, there have been many ways in which oil has been studied. In example, you most definitely have heard of the qualities of Tea Tree, Lavender, Chamomile, or Peppermint.

• ·         Tea Tree oil is in TONS of health and beauty products. It is very present on the shelves at your local market, pharmacy, discount or beauty store. Tea Tree is fabulous for the hair and for the skin.
• 
  
• ·         Lavender is a highly versatile oil that is so well known, and has been used for thousands of years in perfumes, cooking, and now all over the modern marketplace in candles, sachets, aromatic sprays, bath salts, etc. Personally, I love using Herbs de Provence with lavender in it when making roast chicken. Lavender is highly relaxing, soothing, and pleasant.
• 
  
• ·         Chamomile tea anyone? I know chamomile tea from my adventures in Germany. I contracted a nasty UTI on a student exchange that my host family sent me to see a doctor that prescribed chamomile tea twice a day. It’s a relaxing oil that is often infused into other food, health and beauty products.
• 
  
• ·         Peppermint EVERYONE should know. Peppermint is perfect for indigestion. Digestives, mints, teas and OTCs all use peppermint. That pink drink? Peppermint. Toothpaste? Peppermint. When feeling nauseous, sniff some peppermint, or suck a peppermint. I like to have gum or mints in around at all times for this reason as I have an easily upset stomach.

Some great tools that are out there are of course, the Young Living website. Additionally, my sponsor sent me an indispensable book called Essential Oils Pocket Reference by Life Science Publishing. There are tons of great websites too! Healthline.com, Aromaweb.com, American College of Healthcare Sciences at achs.edu, National Associate for Holistic Aromatherapy at aromatherapycouncil.org … and of course many more. Some are more reputable than others with more facts and science, while others have lots of practical experience and advice.

It is however important to realize that while there may be a ton of information out there, some of it may be susceptible to misinformation, or unhealthy/potentially dangerous habits.  For example, ingesting oils internally is not recommended and you should always check with your doctor prior to using oils, and dilute them when necessary before topical application.

Learning about oils can be fun. Ask yourself what you would like to know about improving your home, health, emotions, or mental state of mind. Use that as the guiding force for where to begin. For example, maybe you are pretty healthy but have difficulty focusing. Look for lavender, bergamot, sandalwood, frankincense to start. If you have a gang of pets like I do, look into using Citronella, Lemongrass, Lavender, or a flower oil in a diffuser such as the Young Living product line of essential oil diffusers which can be found at youngliving.com.

If you are interested in learning more about how oils may help you or can promote a healthy lifestyle, let me know. I’m happy to share my joy and knowledge with you. Also, if you would like to become a member of a Young Living, please use my member number, located on the top of this page. I can help you with the process if you’d like, and would love to help you get started today!

The New Oily Life

This year, after being diagnosed with early onset Rheumatoid Arthritis, I decided that finding more healthy and holistic approach would be more beneficial to my overall health. I had so many questions after discovering on my chemo medication, I was unable to take other medicines - so if I fell ill I needed to take control of the situation in a completely different way by using natural and organic products.

Enter Young Living ....

I've been hearing for years about people using essential oils, though I never took much stock in it. I'll be honest - I thought it was a bit hokey. But I had to second guess myself and realize: Everything in food, medicine, beauty and personal care uses ingredients. Duh! Essential Oils. Read the back of your lotion bottles or your lip balm. I'm sure there's some peppermint, rose, gardenia, ylang ylang, orange, apricot, etc. in them. Yes, the answer to my questions about what I could do to help myself feel positive and healthy was to use these very products in new ways. 

Young Living's Mission is very clear. Young Living Mission states exactly what I, and everyone in this world needs: to use what nature naturally gives us and to foster a community of wellness through it.

So, I asked my friends, and one of them introduced me to her friend that was a member of Young Living. The more we spoke, the more excited I became. I'm still excited today about it. I ordered my introductory kit, and have been using my oils and diffuser every day. 

Now, Young Living products are not to be used to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent diseases. The products of Young Living are designed to improve nutrition and health. There is however scientific research that connects nutrition and essential oils to health. And I can attest to this. 

If you want to learn more about what Young Living has to offer, I'm so happy to get to know you and meet you. If you are here because you are a fellow Young Living member, I'm happy to meet you and hear your personal story and share the joy of oil!

You can always visit the Young Living website, and become a member today by using my member ID number 10456767 when creating your account and ordering your products or member kit.