September Young Living Promos

If y'all are like me, it's Laundry day almost every day! With a little one and a dog, our stuff seems to get dirty almost as soon as we put it on. This is why September is such a great month to join! Thieves Laundry detergent is all-natural and plant-based. Even with our hard water, those stains come right out. Give it a try on us!  It's not just oils, it's better living - come join our family! 

Thick as Thieves Part 2 - Ditch and Switch

Ever heard of the term, "ditch and switch?" I hadn't either until I saw it on a friend's social media page. Part of me wanting to live a healthier lifestyle included paying attention not only to what we ate, but what we used around the house. Much like with food labels, I started reading the labels on my cleaning and room-freshening products - even the candles. OH. MY. WORD. There were so many things I couldn't even pronounce! Let's talk about some of them.

Phthalates (pronounced: Thay-lates) - These chemicals can alter hormone levels in the body, especially testosterone. 

Volatile organic compounds - These are chemical by-products that aren't listed on labels because they occur as a result of using the product. They can cause fun side effects like, eye irritation, throat irritation, headaches, nausea; they can even damage you liver, kidneys, and central nervous system with enough exposure. 

Terpenes- These chemicals react with the air to create by-products like formaldehyde.  "A 2015 study published in the journal Science of The Total Environment assessed the health risks of breathing in those chemicals in a realistic scenario: in a home while using other household products that contain the same ingredients. Researchers found that electric air fresheners release significant formaldehyde emissions on their own (17% of the Critical Exposure Limit or CEL), and that combined with seven other common household products (such as all-purpose cleaning agents and furniture/floor polish), your exposure to formaldehyde can reach 34% of the CEL in just 30 minutes."

Paraffin - sounds harmless? When burned, the soot gives off other fun chemicals like benzene, acetone, and toluene (found in diesel fuel!) which are known carcinogens. 

1,4 dichlorobenzene - This chemical has been linked to liver cancer and reduced lung function. WOW. I was speechless. In trying to keep a clean and warm home environment, I was accidentally exposing us all to these chemicals. That was all the motivation I needed to DITCH these products and SWITCH to Young Living's all-natural products. 

Thieves is the only cleaning product I use. There's a whole line of Thieves products pre-made (so you don't have to!). If all you have is the oil, there are plenty of recipes online to help you create natural cleaning and health products for your family. Go right now and look through your own cabinets, DITCH all the nasty ones and SWITCH to Young Living! 

Does that idea seem expensive? 

You tell me? 



Sources:https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/fairfresheners.pdfhttp://www.grandparents.com/health-and-wellbeing/health/are-air-fresheners-bad-for-youhttp://healthwyze.org/reports/184-how-air-fresheners-are-killing-you
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Thick as Thieves Part 1 - The Essential Oil

If you weren't able to join my latest class on Thieves, here's what we talked about!

Thieves is a blend of 5 oils based on the legend of 3 French thieves caught robbing plague victims in the 15th century. They were promised a light sentence if they revealed their secret to not getting sick:

Clove (Syzygium aromatic) bud oil

• anti-aging, antitumoral, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory    

Lemon (Citrus limon) peel oil

• immune stimulant, relaxing, helps with circulation    

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark oil

• anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anticoagulant,  antifungal, circulatory stimulant

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata) leaf oil

• antiviral,  antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, expectorant  

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) leaf oil

• anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, modulates hypertension, protects liver    

I'm including the Latin names because it helps to be specific. There are four different kinds of Eucalyptus oil and you don't want to get them mixed up! 

Look at all the neat properties of these oils. Imagine their combined power? Thieves is a great oil to include in you healthcare regimen. It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health.


Here are the great recipes we talked about in class!

Thieves Spray 
 - Great for stinky shoes, dirty counters, and toys

                            8oz Glass bottle
                            4-6 drops of Thieves essential oil
                            Fill to top with water

                            Shake before each use!

Thieves in your Dishwasher and Washing Machine
                            
                              4-6 drops where your detergent usually goes
                              Run the clean, rinse, or shortest cycle

Thieves on your floors

                              Steam Mop/ Swiffer® Wet Jet:
                                      4-6 drops in your mop reservoir
                                      Fill with water
                                      Shake, then mop!
                                      When you're done, 
                               pour out the remaining water

                             
Thieves in the air
                         
                             4-6 drops in your diffuser

                                       

      
                                                 

September Spotlight!

 It's (almost) a new month - time to learn about some new oils! With Fall right around the corner, I picked my favorite oil singles to aid in dealing with respiratory illness and make a cozy atmosphere. This month, rather than going to the store and coming back with candles or wax-warming scent bars, order some essential oils. Diffusing Young Living oils keeps the essence of Fall throughout your home without all those toxic chemicals.  I hardly go a day without using my diffuser, but I do like to mix-it up. Right now I'm switching out my frequently used oils to include these:

Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum verum or Cinnamomum zeylanicum)

          The smell of cinnamon just reminds me of Fall, no matter which season we're in. It's my go-to both for making a cozy home and to help keep my family healthy. Did you know that Cinnamon was popular in Biblical times? It's mentioned three times in the Bible and even made it into a medieval book of herbal remedies. This is one oil with a solid history! There's also recent research that shows Cinnamon Bark can lower your fasting glucose levels, reduce antibiotic resistance, and can even kill certain kinds of bacteria.

Idaho Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)

Did you know that Young Living has its own farms? The pine trees used to distill the Idaho Balsam Fir essential oil are planted, grown, harvested, and distilled all at our Highland Flats tree farm in Naples, Idaho. This way, Young Living can ensure the purity and quality of the essential oils they make.  Aside from the lovely pine smell,  Idaho Balsam Fir is great to aid in upper-respiratory and joint issues.

Here are some diffuser recipes to help you get started.

Want to join my team? Follow this link, and lets get started together!

The Skinny on Essential Oils

Before I got really involved with Young Living, I would have said that essential oils smelled nice.

Which is (mostly) true. What I couldn't tell you was the difference between an essential oil and a synthetic fragrance -- to me, rose was just rose. I didn't understand how the rose scented candle I bought to make my house smell nice wasn't the same thing. Wouldn't it do the same thing since it smelled the same? Wow was I wrong! 

Here's what an essential oil is: it is a compound distilled from plants that is highly concentrated for therapeutic effect. It is not JUST a smell. Two pounds of rose essential oil takes almost 5,000 pounds of rose petals. How many did it take to make that candle? That's a trick question! Most products use synthetic chemicals to mimic the smell, there is no therapeutic effect at all!

Using oils to help has been around a long time. There are so many references in the Bible about frankincense, hyssop, myrrh, and cinnamon. Even before that, the Egyptians used herbs and oils for medicinal purposes. While the technology of extraction has improved a LOT since then, using oils to help in daily life is really looking back in time. Current research is confirming that cinnamon can inhibit bacterial growth (link). How cool is that! Stuff used in the Bible still works today.

This is why I don't go anywhere without my oils! Remedies that have worked for the last 2,000 years seem like a good thing to me! And, y'all know I'm not fancy. That was the biggest hurdle for me to get over - these oils seemed like something only rich people used. But I sat down, and did some math.
Each bottle of pain medicine for my Little Guy was about $6 each...and I went through at least 5 bottles! Right there was $30. Just by trading stuff I'd been using for essential oils meant that I wasn't spending too much extra, and these oils last a long time. 15mL of oil is almost 250 drops....that's a lot of Boo Boo blend! Over time, it saved me money because I'm not buying multiple cleaning sprays, or pain medication, or nail hardening polish, or perfume.

I encourage you to take the plunge and join me on your own oily journey! Follow this link and lets get started together!

Monster/Linen Spray

Today's post was inspired by a dear friend of mine. Her little little is about 3 and has started having night terrors about the monsters in the ceiling. It's gotten so bad, she won't even go into her room during the day. After scouring the internet for ideas, she came up with making her daughter a Monster spray. Imagine a spray bottle filled with water and the words "Monster Spray" written on the side and that's about as complicated as the idea gets. Now her daughter can fight back against the monsters and feel like she has some control over these scary dreams. 

I loved that idea! But, in true me fashion, I had to make it my own. I added my YL essential oils to my spray bottle. What better way to help your child wind down at night than by spraying their room with a calming blend of oils? Mom bonus, I can also use it to spray my sheets and towels when they come out of the dryer. The Monster/Linen spray was born! Here's my recipe to try in your own house.

Monster/Linen Spray

6 or 8oz glass spray bottle (remember, no clear glass!)
4 drops Lavender
2 drops Vetiver

**Shake vigorously before each use**

Pain in the ______

Where are you hurting right now? I have scoliosis, so most of the time, that's where I hurt -- my back. Recently, though, I had a good friend convince me that I could learn to knit. It seemed so easy! I got to go to the craft store and feel all the soft yarn, and I imagined my Little Guy running around in a cute homemade sweater. I was sold! 

Oh. My. Stars. I feel like my hands are 80 years old! 

If you've read my post about what's in my bag, you know I usually rely on my Deep Relief roll-on for my back. This pain was different, my hands just ached. Ever try and move your fingers when it's freezing outside and you're cold? That's me. Except I'm at home in my pajamas up to my elbows in yarn! 

I needed something more. Thankfully, on the advice of another friend, I added a tube of Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream to my last Young Living order. I put just a pea-size amount on the backs of my hands and 5 minutes later, they felt normal again. How many places do you have that you wish didn't have pain? 

Maybe my Little Guy will get his sweater after all! I, however, will continue to buy mine in stores....

Boo Boo Blend

Now that my Little Guy is running full steam, sometimes his feet get ahead of him. It's hard as a parent to watch your kid fall, and even harder when you see a huge goose egg coming through. A few weeks ago, Little Guy made an epic fall. He hit his forehead on a stone edge after tripping on a tree root, and from the sound, I knew it was going to be a pretty bad hurt. Through the snuggles and the tears, and the hugs, I grabbed a peek at his forehead.

Ouch!

Thankfully, I had my Boo Boo blend ready to go in my bag. I put a little on my finger, lightly rubbed it on his injury, and I applied it again right before bed. This is what he looked like the next morning.

Still a small bruise, but nothing a bad as it could have been. Thank God for my oils!


I realize I'm putting myself out there with this post. It's easy to be a better parent from the other side of the computer screen. It's easy to say, "Oh that never would have happened if you had...." or "My kid would never do that." or "You should have done _____ instead!"  or even worse, "Your kid deserved this because you were a lousy parent and let this happen." This isn't a parenting blog; you do what works for you. I'm simply sharing what works for me in case it might also work for you. For the record, I did monitor for signs of a concussion and would have taken him to a hospital had shown ANY signs of a more serious injury. Thank God that wasn't the case.


Boo Boo Blend

** For blends I use on my son, I only make a 0.5%-1% dilution**

10 mL Carrier Oil
1 drop Helichrysum
1 drop Copiaba
1 drop Lavender


Make sure your roller balls are made from colored glass AND have a stainless steel ball! Over time, those essential oils can degrade the plastic.

What's in Your Bag Wednesday

I was at the store earlier today, and, of course, my wallet was at the waaayy very bottom.  As I'm sitting at the checkout counter taking practically everything out, I got the inspiration for this post.
I don't leave the house without my staples -- some for me, and some for my Little Guy. Here's what's in my every-day bag.

What parent doesn't need a mid-afternoon energy boost? Thank goodness for my Ningxia Nitro; it's my all-natural pick-me-up! No sugar, no caffeine, no crash after.

Next is my bottle of Stress Away. Sometimes, chasing after my little one gets tough. Sometimes, I don't want to read the same book AGAIN or play cars AGAIN. Sometimes my poor Little Guy is getting teeth and can't sleep and is just in a spicy mood. Just a dab on my wrists or a couple drops in my diffuser, and I no longer want to throw a tantrum myself.

The Deep Relief Roll-On is my best friend after some of the epic toddler wrangling that happens almost daily. This one bottle takes away the aches and pains so I don't need to pop a pill.

The last two are my own recipe: Mamma's Kisses and Boo Boo Blend. Toddler life comes with a lot of bumps, bruises, cuts, and scrapes. With these oil blends, nothing can stop us from having fun. Don't worry, I'll share the recipes in a later post.

Alright fellow oily Mammas (or Daddies), what's in your bag that you can't live without?

Desert Living

Ok y'all. This is about to get real. I've lived in a desert for 6 years of my life and I've hated it. There's nothing about feeling like you live in an oven that I find pleasant. I've had many people say, "Oh, but it's a dry heat!" Yea, and how comfortable is YOUR skin when you reach into your oven and get too close to those filaments at the top? My legs actually felt like they were baking today when I walked my son in a stroller down the block to a friend's house.

Needless to say, my skin has suffered. Until a few months ago, you'd have found at LEAST three different moisturizers in my bathroom cabinet. Then, I took a leap of faith. I'd already been using oils for cuts and scrapes, but my face? The first thing people see? I didn't want to risk it! What if I broke out? What if my skin looked dull? What if it didn't work? You see, I was willing to trust the small things to oils, but not my vanity, and we all know what vanity gets us. I chose to move forward with faith and trust my research and take the plunge.

You know what? That first week, oil cleansing felt weird. But then, I noticed that my skin didn't have that cracked feeling. I hadn't needed my moisturizers at all! For all it's weirdness, it was working. Now, I'm proud to say that I've ditched my facial cleansers, I've said "goodbye" to my moisturizers, and I'm an oily gal 100%

What's my secret? Here it is, just for you!

Oily Facial Clenser

For 8oz (a 1% essential oil dilution)

20 drops Lavender

13 drops Frankincense

13 drops Roman Chamomile

13 drops Myrrh

13 drops Helichrysum

Fill the rest of the glass bottle with Grapeseed oil

Directions:

Every morning/evening - put a small amount of oil in your palm and rub on face

-- Let it sit on your face for 1-2 minutes

-- Place steaming washcloth over your face for 1 minute

-- Dab face with washcloth

Voila!

NOTE: I've also heard of people using jojoba with great results, grapeseed happens to work well with my skin. My advice, skip fractionated coconut oil -- it'll clog your pores!

Road trip Adventures

What a week it's been! After spending a few weeks visiting family, it was time to come home. Man am I glad I traveled with my oils. Have you even checked into a hotel room that was a bit funky? That was us yesterday! We didn't notice the odor until we cranked up the AC, and by then we'd strewn our stuff everywhere and someone needed to be put to bed. No way were we going to be able to get another room. I hooked up my diffuser, put in a few drops of purification and lemon, and voila! The mildew-nastiness was abated. Then, for bedtime, I cleaned out the diffuser and put in our sleepy-time blend of Vetiver and Cedarwood. I think it helped all of us get a better night sleep, because who really sleeps well in hotels?

Using oils goes beyond just bumps and scrapes. It's come in handy far more often than I expected. I now look at the time I spent hesitating taking the plunge with disbelief. If only I could tell my earlier self how amazing these oils are and how often I use them in every-day situations.

If you're interested in joining in, I have a $20 off a Premium Starter Kit coupon that I'm happy to share! Don't wait like I did, see how oils can change your life too! Comment on this post or email me
at YLChelseaOils - at - Gmail.com

Making It Until Lunch

Food is one of my weaknesses. I just love it! BUT I also love being healthy and being able to run around with my kid, so I can't have ALL the donuts, even though I want to. Want to know what helps? Oils, of course!

This one is for your diffuser. If you don't have one already, the Young Living Premium Starter Kits  come with a great one (not to mention they come with 11 bottles of starter oils)!


                                                      Banish Hunger

3 drops Grapefruit
3 drops Lemon
1 drop Spearmint
1 drop Ylang Ylang


This is great to use those few hours before lunch or before dinner.

Stronger Nails

Have any of you tried the old Wives' Tale that eating gelatin will improve your nails? Well...I did.
Every day for 6 months before my wedding, I ate gelatin. EVERY. DAY. That's 183 servings. Know what? My nails were just a flaky and weak as before, except I developed an aversion to gelatin. It seriously took me years to even look at a packet of it in the store.

This recipe was the very first thing I tried, and now I have the nails I used to envy in others.

Bye Bye Brittle Nails

These are the only 3 oils you need!

2 Drops Frankincense

2 Drops Lemon

2 Drops Myrrh

1 Oz Carrier Oil

Apply 2-3 Times Daily

WAIT WAIT WAIT you say....What's a Carrier Oil?!

Since Essential oils are an oil, they need to be diluted with an oil or an alcohol. We call this a "carrier oil," some examples are grapeseed oil, fractionated coconut oil (FCO), or Young Living's V6 Oil

For my recipe, I chose to use grapeseed oil since I had it in my pantry already.

WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

There are plenty of glass bottles on Amazon that are perfect for these blends. Just add the essential oils and fill the rest with the carrier oil! Remember, only use glass or medical grade plastic when storing oils and blends -- essential oils can eat through plastic!

(seriously...I almost lost my steam mop reservoir to it!) 

Hippie Voodoo Magic

I've always been more of a natural person, so using oils rather than traditional medicine to help with life was a perfect fit. Notice I said, "help." I'm not here to promise or suggest cures or imply that traditional medicine has no place; rather that essential oils have the ability to help your body help itself. This blog is how I want to share my journey incorporating oils into my daily life.

I wasn't always a believer. I preferred tolerating minor aches and pains to popping a pill. Then my son was born and my world shifted. Now there was this perfect little person entrusted to my care -- basically he's my heart running around outside my body. As that tiny person began to grow, all the trials that came with it started to appear: gassiness, teething, bumps, bruises, scrapes, sleeplessness, and growing pains. What to do, what to do? It was at that crossroads I was introduced to Young Living Oils.

Again, I didn't want to believe that some oil from some plant would work. But I also didn't like going through a bottle of infant medicine per month, or having the remnants of a fall left on his face for weeks, or just holding him while he cried. Oils were, what I called, Hippie Voodoo Magic; if they really worked, why didn't more people use them? Alas, I got to the point I think all parents reach where they're willing to try anything that isn't harmful. Am I right? This is how our kids get us to cluck like chickens and dance silly dances and sing silly songs just to keep them happy. With that thought in mind, I took the plunge.

Know what happened? I got hooked. I went from one bottle of medicine a month for pain to zero. I found a kid-safe blend to help promote sleep at night. I even found a blend that made my flaky and weak nails strong and beautiful!

Now, I'm that person. The one with an oil for everything. Now, I want to share that with you. Bookmark the blog, follow the journey, pick up recipe blends to try. My hope is these oils bring the same help to your life as they did mine. I'm not an aromatherapist, just a regular, every-day Mom taking it one day at a time. Hope to see you back here soon!