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....