Nutmeg!

Severe nausea? I was overcome with this yesterday. I normally use peppermint, but I was feeling so crummy I didn’t want to go get the bottle out of my room. So, I did a little research right where I was in the basement, and found that Nutmeg has a soothing property, a lot like peppermint, to the senses. As you know nutmeg would make it smell an awful lot like baking right from the bottle. But, I took a chance and whiffed it, and immediately my nerves calmed a bit. You can just smell that it supports your digestion.

So, I put 8 drops in my cold water diffuser, and sat next to it until I felt like I wasn’t swimming in nerves and discomfort.

Although I was unable to eat dinner last night, I did sleep well enough that I wasn’t up all night with chronic nausea. I was pleasantly surprised by the support nutmeg provided me. After all, that is what essential oil is for – supporting wellness.

The wonderful thing about Young Living is that it is a choice. You use what works for you, what best supports your wellness. You don’t have to rely on others to research for you, you can do it yourself. It’s not like other MLM brands where you have to go through someone to get a great product that you love.

Here are some other great Nutmeg facts:

It’s anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and bactericidal.

Great for supporting muscular and joint wellness. Nutmeg is a stimulant, therefore it’s a great support to your digestive system and cardiovascular system throughout your body as well as of your Urinary/Excretory  system . The relaxing aroma can appease the mind while it works.

Nutmeg is a common ingredient in cold and flu medications, even if your label doesn’t state it outright. It can be useful in the maintenance and wellness of your respiratory system. If you feel cold and flu season about you, try this supportive oil!

I will definitely be adding Nutmeg to my regular routine. I hope you might try it out too!

Lavender - To Sleep

So let me just start by saying I have medical conditions that do not promote healthy sleep cycles. So, a few nights ago I was having a terrible time falling asleep. I tried reading, playing on my tablet, watching videos, and I just couldn’t sleep. By 2am, I’d had enough. I remembered reading about the relaxing properties of lavender. So, I pulled out my oils and rubbed 2 drops of lavender onto the soles of my feet, and within thirty minutes, I was asleep.

Lavender’s popularity over the centuries has been largely due to the aromatic properties. But additionally, the relaxing nature it has.

Lavender originates from the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern area of the world. For thousands of years, it has been cultivated. It is a member of the mint family, and is actually particularly pretty to look at compared to other members of the mint family. Lavender is considered a holy herb by many religions, and is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible in particular.

Today, lavender is grown largely for commercial purposes. The fragrance is highly loved and sought after. It has properties that are disinfecting, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory.

Lavender can also be used in the diet. Being a member of the mint family, it gives a fresh flavor to your dish. My personal experience is with Herbs de Province, a mixture of herbs that is said to capture the flavor of the Provincial region of France. I particularly like to make roasted chicken, and rub the mixture between the skin and meat to invite the flavor into the dish.

My experiences with lavender have all been positive, I hope yours are too!

The "Love Day" Blend

My husband isn’t really into romance. By that I mean, he’s not good at secrets, he doesn’t really do random dates or gifts, and spontaneity is seriously lacking unless it’s adding a bag of beef jerky to the grocery cart or going out for tacos. So, I decided I was going to be extra sweet this Valentine’s Day by making up my own “Love Blend” in my diffuser.

Now, you have to be pretty sparing with Ylang Ylang around me. I find it smells an awful lot like urinal cakes, and it’s a very potent flower. I’m new to using Bergamot, but I loved the scent straight from the bottle. So, I put 4 drops Bergamot, and 2 drops Ylang Ylang into my diffuser and INSTANTLY there was a significant emotional change in my home. The air was lighter, the mood was fuzzy and warm feeling.

My husband really loves Ylang Ylang, so this blend suited both of us very happily. He said it wasn’t overpowering, and not too subtle. I loved every drop of that blend that I would use it again in a heartbeat. I felt that it perfectly suited the mood of Valentine’s Day.

Bergamot is absolutely perfect for Confidence and Calming and it very uplifting. Ylang Ylang is very balancing and romantic. I would even use this blend with friends and family in the house if we were going for a cozy cottage feel. The oils together made me feel like I was melting into the couch when relaxing with my husband that evening. The sweet and robust scent made it difficult to feel easily irritated – which was good because we ordered out and waited over an hour for dinner to arrive.

I highly recommend trying this blend out if you love flowers, or you are in a lovey-dovey mood. Also, if you feel you need emotional support, this would be a great blend to relax with and center yourself.

Try: Brain Power by Young Living

Experimenting with new oils is always fun. I own and run my own in-home business teaching children music and I have begun using essential oils in my diffuser during lesson hours in the evenings. Not only does it help with the normal smells of being a pet owner, but it supports the claims about oils made through research. My latest adventure has been with the Brain Power blend by Young Living.

The 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oil ingredients are:

• Royal Hawaiian sandalwood (YL) – Meditation, Relaxation, Emotional Support
• Cedarwood – Relaxation, Focus
• Frankincense – Grounding, Relaxation
• Melissa – Emotional Support
• Blue cypress – Respiratory Support
• Lavender – Balance, Relaxation
• Helichrysum – Nervous system support, Cell health & stimulation

This is not an overwhelmingly powerful blend, but I recommend only a few drops in your diffuser. I began using it two weeks ago and have noticed a significant change in the few students I was hoping to affect. It supported focus, and I really felt as if my direction was better received than normal. One student in particular has REALLY responded to my use of oils through diffuser.

Now I am not a doctor, and my observations are simply my own and not affiliated with Young Living, or the FDA. That said my experience has been positive. I have noticed that the true scientific research behind the blend of oils listed above is a great blend for an educational setting with overly active children. By promoting an environment that fosters knowledge, communication, and confidence, my students have shown that aromas can positively impact their adventure in learning piano.

Let me give you my scenario:

Student “A” has trouble focusing. He also tends to let information in one ear, and right out the other. He fidgets a lot, and overplays everything on the piano, using too much finger power, arm weight, and force through the upper body. “A” will often tell me he “isn’t ready” for a particular piece or “it’s too hard” or he “forgot” to practice that piece, etc.

After 2 lessons with Brain Power in the diffuser, he has relaxed quite a bit after a few minutes, and is absolutely more responsive to my assistance and teaching.

These statements are my own. I repeat I am simply a member of Young Living; I am not an expert, nor am I a doctor. I am merely trying to stay FDA and YL policy compliant. I encourage you to do your own research and experimentation to see what works best for you and your situation. I love their products, and want to share how wonderful and awesome they are, and how they benefit and support my lifestyle.

You can buy your bottle of Brain Power here -  https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/brain-power-essential-oil using my ID# 10456767

This is one product line I have yet to try with Young Living, and am very excited to order! This collection includes many essential oils that can be healthy for skin and beauty. I love all three of the oils in the product already.

Have you tried these products yet? I want to hear what you think about them and your experiences with them.

Funny Oil Moments

Let’s look at the funny side of essential oils. Maybe you’ve been called a weirdo before, or maybe you’ve thought the whole thing with oil is a crock. Whatever your stance on essential oils, you can’t deny that some humor can be found!

This is a meme that I find hilariously true when it comes to oil.

I can identify partially. Can you? There are so many bad things in the world that sometimes we have to give in because of money or conveniences. I get it. I was that way in college. I shopped at Walmart, ate leftover fast food my husband brought home, and used the cheapest products on the market. Now that I'm older, wiser, and more comfortable financially, I have found my way into a healthier lifestyle. How about you?

Yes. Yes yes yes yes yes! Oils aren't cheaply made or processed. You can't buy the "juice" squeezed from 2-4 oranges for 1 oz cup of juice as cheaply as you can buy those same 2-4 oranges. 2-4 oranges would cost you $2-3. It therefore makes sense that your oil is going to be much more than the $6.99 the store is charging you for their "essential orange oil." I can guarantee if you tested for purity, at least 95% of what is in that bottle you bought at your health food store is going to be a carrier oil and not orange. Especially since it takes hundreds to thousands or oranges to cold press that much oil out.

If this is your house, well ... it's mine too. I have oils all over the place. I even have some at my office for my day job. It's true. Go into any oily person's home and this is definitely how it may feel. And, if you can't sympathize, well ... it will come.

Um ... well .... this is pretty much everyone. 'Nuff said.

When you think you've spent all you can spend, there's always another oil you must have or try. Another product that's new. Especially if you are a member of the rewards program (more info here https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/opportunity/essential-rewards-faq). 

This happens routinely with my RC and Peppermint. (https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/rc-essential-oil and https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/peppermint-essential-oil)

I hope you've enjoyed this satiric look at oils. Do you have one to share? If so I'd love to hear about it!

Essential Oil in Your Eye?

I had my Make-And-Take party and it was a lot of fun! During said party, my sponsor told a story about getting essential oil in her eye, and what she did to clear it up. I thought, that's neat - but I'm super careful. It'll never happen to me.

Well ....

I can safely say I would not recommend touching under your eye with peppermint. I was cleaning up by making the remainder of my lip balms so I wasn't wasteful, and apparently a bit of the pepperming had dripped down the side of the bottle, because when I touched my face to move a hair away from my eye - all of a sudden I felt the peppermint working it's way. The aroma slowly rising and making my eye super uncomfortable.

So what do you do? DO NOT RUN TO THE FAUCET! Oil and water don't mix. They separate, so an attempt to flush out your eye will only drive the oil to recede deeper into your pores. Take a small dab or two of a diluting carrier oil like coconut or olive oil (as most of us will have this in our kitchens). Dab the area gently around the eye, and very carefully over your lid. Within a few minutes you should begin to feel some relief.

Truly, this worked. I am sitting here 30 minutes later writing this because of that. I am very thankful for the knowledgeable people in my life that are sharing the love and joy of essential oils - and the blunders that can be fixed when using them!

Comparing Floor Cleaner

I keep trying to think of things I can discuss this week, and have been coming up empty handed. And then I thought of all the money that is wasted on things that contain toxic chemicals, irritants, fumes, and manufactured/processed garbage. So, why don’t we talk about the benefits of making your own health products, cleaning supplies, and more. I’m going to use some averaging from my local stores to get the prices I list below. I’m going to use an affordable bottle of lemon essential oil at retail price as an example, which you can find here: https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/lemon-essential-oil

Lemon has many benefits. It’s energizing, fresh, cleansing, aromatic as well as antiseptic and anti-inflammatory to mention a few. A 15ml of cold pressed lemon essential oil costs approximately $15.00 for quality, all natural, organic oil. If you used this 15ml bottle to make floor and surface cleaner for tile, hardwood, linoleum, ceramic, laminates, etc., your cost would be the following:

10 drops lemon per batch = 0.5ml per batch = (30) batches of cleaner you can make

1 cup of vinegar per batch = 30 cups = 240 oz. = (3.75) 64 oz. jugs of distilled white vinegar for 30 batches

1 Tbsp. of castile soap per batch = 30 Tbsp. = 1.875 cups = (1) 16 oz. bottle of castile soap for 30 batches

1 gallon of water per batch = 30 gallons of water foe each batch = an average of $.01 countrywide

The total cost:

$15 – 15ml lemon oil

$8 – 64oz. jug of vinegar

$13 – 16oz bottle castile soap

$0.30 – 30 gallons Tap water

TOTAL COST TO MAKE 30 batches of all-purpose surface cleaner: Roughly $37.00 not including tax.

Now let’s compare that to the total cost of buying the average name brand cleaner you’d find on the shelf at any store. I checked my local Target and the average cleaners that you must dilute with water is approximately $5.00 for a 24oz. bottle before tax. Your area’s cost might be slightly higher so this is just an estimate. You must use on average ¼ of a cup of the product, per gallon of water. So …

¼ cup to each batch = 7.5 cups = 60 ounces. You would need to buy 3 bottles of the product. If you are lucky to find a 64 oz. bottle of the product, hooray! If not, it could cost you around $15.00 before tax. After tax, the item might be closer to $16.00. If you buy an advertised “organic” or “all-natural” cleaner, your cost might be closer to $25.00.

Now you might be thinking … well, that’s less. TRUE. You might be thinking … well, that costs me only one hour, or one half hour of work. Also true.

BUT … with your own product making you are getting rid of 100% additives, toxic fumes/chemicals., etc. You are taking control of what is in your home, what is on your floors, what you are smelling and breathing, and ultimately what you are cleaning with. NOTHING is hidden from you. You are also gaining exercise. You need to vigorously mix the ingredients, whereas when you use a manufactured product you are not using so much energy to mix. You are harkening back to the day when this is what humans did – make their OWN everything. Food, cleaners, clothing, health products, etc.

It ultimately comes down to wellness and money. Do you want to sacrifice quality over quantity? Do you want to take risks? Do you want to be responsible and environmentally conscious? Do you want to save yourself from wasting money on things that ultimately have no greater benefit?

There are a few things I love to save money on, and shopping is always one of them. However, when it comes to things like food … you don’t want to buy the discounted dented jar of olives. It could have botulism. I will not buy things to eat and clean with that I don’t love. And let me tell you I don’t love the over the counter products you get at every grocery and mass discount store. I felt for years that it was “good enough.” Or, “I don’t have time or money to spend on anything better.”

Get rid of these notions. At the end of the day, I feel much healthier and secure knowing that I cleaned my floors well and didn’t risk my dogs licking any of the products up. I feel good knowing that the fumes aren’t potentially unhealthy. I feel solid in understanding how health and wellness can be achieved through making my own cleaner.

Besides …. I’d rather spend $40 on cleaning my house right and staying well than eating out at fast food twice. It’s money better spent.

Store & Organize Your Oils

Organization is a project to tackle for everyone when it comes to essential oils. While YoungLiving does have some great products, it’s not their primary focus as a company that grows, distributes and sells essential oil. So what should you do?

Start out by making sure that you know your storage need in general. Are you keeping your oils in the same place? This is key. You should know what you have on hand and what you do not – sort of like your spice rack. Consolidate all your oils to start. If you’re into alphabetizing, go for it!

Next, if you keep oils in separate areas of your home, set those apart in difference groups. For example, I always keep peppermint in my room. If you always keep a few in your purse, or cosmetic bag, make sure you separate those out too.

It might be prudent to leave a main bottle of oils you use in multiple places, and distribute oil into sample bottles. This can help break down the panic of looking for oil that you know you use in at least 5 places. If you’re sure you can keep track and have the financial means to do so, absolutely order multiple standard sized bottles.

Now you should have a pretty good idea of how much space you need in every area. The next step is to come up with a storage system that works. Oils should be kept in dark glass jars, away from direct sunlight and heat/cold. There are some great companies that make lovely wooden storage boxes with individual slots for oils. Aroma Designs, Aroma Outfitters, Anji Naturals, Plant Therapy Essential Oils, SOLIGT, Urban Hearth Home Goods, Bekith and Country Lazer are just a few suggestions. These would work great on top of a counter or shelf, where it can easily be opened. Plus, most of these wooden storage boxes can be decorated as they are very plain. A great craft project that you can design with the scheme of your room, or to suit!

Soft shell cases are also a great way to go. YoungLiving has a few great options https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/diffusers-accessories/accessories . They have small 10 oil cases, a 30 oil case, a 130 oil case, and a 140 oil case. These are great for travel, or for putting into drawers, in cupboards or on shelves. They’re also great if you have little ones or clumsiness in your house. All the oils are well protected in these cases. The 10 oil cases are great for a purse, backpack or diaper bag, while the larger ones are great for travel, or general storage. The larger cases have some larger slots for roller and the larger ml bottles.

Shelves or wall racks are also a great way to go – particularly if they have a railing that keeps the oils from teetering or falling off.

Acrylic makeup bins meant for lipstick or nail polishes are also perfectly sized for your oils. There are also mirrored display racks, spinning racks (lazy Susan style), and more.

Here is a general plan you could employ:

• ·         Primary storage on a wall mounted shelf in your pantry/cupboard. OR Primary storage in a wooden case container on a counter or shelf where easily accessible (dresser, linen closet, console or side table).
• ·         Secondary storage for your office, bedroom in a soft 10 oil case. Place in drawers where easily accessible.
• ·         Tertiary – Purse/luggage in a small soft 10 oil case (if you need that many), clear plastic bag or zippered pouch.
• 
  

What are some of the ways YOU store your oils?

2017 Goals & Resolutions

It's the New Year, and it's that time that we all make resolutions to do things and change things. I'm sure you've all heard or done the "eat healthy" or "exercise more"resolutions. Now, I'm not one to fool around, so I set an achievable bar. I make all my resolutions knowing that I can meet them. It's not that I'm setting the bar low. I feel that resolutions shouldn't be insane nor out of reach. Hence my consistent achievable standard.

This year, I resolve to positively affect the lives of others around me with oils. I will try my utmost to get 3 new people into using natural, holistic and homeopathic ways of maintaining health and wellness. This could be signing up to become a member of YoungLiving, or this could be an educational/gifting process. Whatever the course may be, I feel it my honor and duty to give this knowledge and power to others.

We have all strayed from the natural ways via technology, media, pharmaceutical companies, etc. No one can deny that the best way to clean (as an example) is to to it yourself using as little machinery or technology as possible. It takes a bit of elbow, sweat, and perseverance. Just like that, oil can positively impact lives. I see this as a great challenge.

Every day, my husband seems to get more interested and excited about oils. This is because I am persistent. Any time his arm aches, I grab my YoungLiving stash and go to town on him. Any time our house smells like our two dogs and cats, I purify it with delicious oils. Almost every night we go to bed, I diffuse peppermint as I suffer from chronic nausea and R.A., both afflictions well treated with the pungent aroma of peppermint. His excitement has turned into curiosity.

This is my hope and aspiration for the New Year: that excitement I see in my husband, I wish to inspire in others and see in them.

What are your resolutions?