Tag Archives: essential oils

Just RELAX {and sleep deep}

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I have had several amazing moments since I started using essential oils, one being the time we discovered roman chamomile and vetiver! These oils have powerful properties that promote relaxation and calm the mind.

My first experience with these oils was using them to support calm and relaxation for someone experiencing intense emotions from a traumatic experience. Just 1 drop of Roman Chamomile onto the bottom of each foot (diluted in a bit of fractionated coconut oil), and they slept a solid 6 hours for the first time in a week. After discovering vetiver oil, they did the same application (1 drop on each foot over fractionated coconut oil) and you could literally see and feel their body relaxing. That night brought a full 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Nothing short of a miracle!

Vetiver is a key player to quiet anxious feelings, emotional distress, and mental chatter. It has also been used with great success on children struggling to improve focus and relax.

We put together this ‘Relax Blend’ and it has been amazing to help ‘settle’ both the kids and grown-ups alike and support deep and restful sleep.

Here’s my ‘Relax’ blend…
10 drops of vetiver
4 drops of ylang ylang
3 drops of roman chamomile
3 drops of frankincense
3 drops of lavender
2 drops of clary sage
1 drop of marjoram
Fill the rest of 10 ml roll-on with Fractionated coconut oil and rub on bottoms of feet!

The oils are a very safe, yet powerful way to help calm the body and mind!

Wild Orange Infused Cream Cheese

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I’m loving the fact that so many of the dōTERRA oils can be used not only for their therapeutic and aromatic properties, but also to flavor and completely change up recipes and dishes with just a few tiny drops of oil! In an attempt to use up some ingredients around the holidays, I came up with a cream cheese filling for some french toast and thought…”Wild Orange french toast would have to be delicious” so here it is…..

  • 1 package (8 oz) of cream cheese
  • 3 drops of dōTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil
  • 3 Tbsp honey (or more if you want it sweeter)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

I was adding this to some already cinnamon/brown sugar flavored french toast, but if you are using it alone I’m sure some cinnamon and brown sugar wouldn’t hurt either 🙂 I mixed this into my ‘french toast casserole’, but it would be amazing between 2 pieces for a nice stuffed french toast breakfast with a twist! You could even jazz it up and add a drop of dōTERRA lemon or cinnamon oil for even more intense flavor!!

 

Cinnamon Cream Pear Tart

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What is fall without the smell if cinnamon lifting through the air and sweet homemade treats warm out of the oven?

Here are 2 recipes to enjoy this season. Try this super easy cinnamon cream pear tart – or just whip up a batch of cinnamon cream cheese for amazing flavor on whatever you choose to add it to!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese
2 – 8 oz blocks cream cheese
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 drops cinnamon bark essential oil (measure carefully – this is a strong oil)

Throw all ingredients together and mix until smooth!

Cinnamon Cream Pear Tart
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 batch cinnamon cream cheese
3-4 pears, peeled and sliced
Lemon essential oil spray (optional)
Fresh blackberries (optional)

Spread out crescent roll dough in a greased tart pan. Flatten seams together to make one crust lining the pan. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.

Peel and slice pears and spray with lemon essential oil spray (8 oz water to 15 drops essential oil in a glass spray bottle). When crust has pre-baked, spread a thick layer of cinnamon cream on and top with sliced pears!

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Bake at 350 for another 10 min until pears are soft and starting to brown on edges. Garnish with fresh blackberries and serve warm or chilled (I like it even better cold)!

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Save the leftover cinnamon cream to serve on bagels, cracker trays, fruit dip, whatever – this spread alone will be a huge hit at your holiday party!

essential oils are in the air!

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I must say, I put off buying a diffuser for awhile. There are a lot of ways you can diffuse essential oils into the air and a LOT of benefits to doing so. When using 100% pure essential oils, you want to make sure you use a NON-HEAT method of diffusing as the heat can break down the properties of the essential oil and alter their therapeutic benefits. Sure they will still smell great, but then again so do candles 🙂 If you’re going to diffuse essential oils you may as well get all the amazing benefits they provide WHILE making your house smell great!

Diffusers are definitely worth the money, and now we have one in almost every room of the house! People spend a LOT of money on candles – could you imagine how much some of those jar candles would go for if they also had therapeutic benefits?

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Here are a few of the oils that I’ve diffused just in the past 2 days, and why I love them:

Elevation: this stuff smells AMAZING! It is a blend of elemi, lavandin, lemon myrtle, melissa, osmanthus, sandalwood, tangerine and ylang ylang, and as silly as it may sound, it will make you happy! 🙂

Lavender: What a great way to relax and go to sleep with soft lavender oil subtly being put into the room at just the right amount throughout the night!

Citrus Bliss: When having to wake up at 6 am and function with little to no caffeine, this blend is a great invigorating blend to help wake up and get you moving without caffeine, and literally purifies the air at the same time! Wake up to the sweet citrus scents of bergamot, clementine, grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, tangerine, vanilla, and orange!

On Guard: The environmental threats are high. While my kids aren’t in school yet, with a new baby on the way we need to make sure our immune systems stay strong this fall. This blend smells like fall, but while scenting the air with essential oils of cinnamon, clove bud, eucalyptus, rosemary and orange, it’s also protecting our immune systems! It doesn’t get much better than that!

Breathe: This stuff is the BEST if you need any respiratory support, which with two toddlers happens a LOT around here. A blend of laurel leaf, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, lemon and ravensara it maintains feelings of clear airways and easy breathing!

bentonite clay + essential oil ‘facial’

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bentonite clay + essential oil facialSo I’ve had a ton of questions about the bentonite clay – what it is and what it does. It’s a really fine all natural grayish colored clay that is super absorbent and full of minerals. A lot of it comes from areas in WY. It’s great at pulling toxins and heavy metals out of your body and in place depositing beneficial minerals. As to not completely re-invent the wheel, Wellness Mama has a great blog post that gives a ton of information on it. I ordered my bentonite clay (affiliate link) on amazon.com and it’s a good mix of calcium bentonite and sodium bentonite so as not to get all of one mineral and none of the other!

As I’ve stated before, I’ve simplified my face cleaning regimen down to 100% all natural honey and oils and I LOVE it. I’m on month 3 of this now and it’s the longest I’ve gone since starting middle school without having some crazy breakouts! I am NOT one of those who was blessed with naturally smooth beautiful skin. at. all. I only wished I’d known about these methods about 20 years ago. I would have saved A LOT OF MONEY and A LOT OF CHEMICALS from going into my body!

So here’s a short 3 step 100% all natural, detox, repairing mini facial!

1) wash your face with 100% raw honey (the more crystallized the better as it nicely exfoliates while you scrub). Just rub the honey on your face and wash with warm water! yum!

2) for the mask, mix the bentonite clay with apple cider vinegar (you can use water if you don’t have ACV, but it is not as smooth or potent). Make sure not to mix it in, or with, anything metal as it will alter the properties of the clay! Make a paste out of it and spread it on your face! Let it dry completely….it will tighten up quite a bit and then rinse off with warm water. Add a drop of 100% CPTG melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil to also help boost the skin cleansing properties.

3) moisturize, hydrate and rejuvinate with essential oils! I immediately followed the mask with good hydrating blend of fractionated coconut oil and doTERRA’s Immortelle anti-aging 100% essential oil blend. This stuff is AWESOME! I have been using my own blend of fractionated coconut oils, frankincense and lavender essential oils (which I still love and highly recommend), but if you can at all get your hands on an Immortelle oil blend, it is amazing!Immortelle

Immortelle is doTERRA’s anti-aging blend that contains a powerful mix of some rare oils like frankincense, Hawaiian sandalwood, myrrh, lavender, helichrysum and rose. Send me a message me if you want to get your hands on one of these!

The results = smooth awesome skin that is being pampered, detoxed and cleansed with 100% pure all natural basic ingredients!

 

 

{DIY} essential oil bath salts

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This is SUCH an easy {DIY} project that not only has great therapeutic properties while relaxing and de-stressing your body, but also makes great gifts for friends and family. Keep these salts in mind as the holidays are quickly approaching!

{DIY} bath salts with essential oilsTo make your own bath salts, simply use the following ratio:

  • 1 cup salt
  • 5-10 drops essential oils (depending on how strong you want it)

STEP 1: choose which salt you want to use. The coarser the salt, the slower it will dissolve. Some great options are epsom salts and dead sea salts. I frequently use the epsom salts as they are easy to find, inexpensive, provide a great detox and the magnesium sulfate is great for your health. You can use a combination of salts as well.

STEP 2: Pick the essential oil or blend that you want. There is an endless variety! Here are some of my favorites:
Lavender (relaxation), dōTERRA Balance Blend (grounding), Geranium (skin), Cypress (healthy circulation), dōTERRA Citrus Bliss Blend or any Citrus Oils (invigorating, but still great for night bath), Peppermint (great foot soak), dōTERRA Elevation Blend (smells AMAZING and lifts mood)

STEP 3: Mix the salt and oils together thoroughly until it’s well blended

STEP 4: Pour into glass jar or container for storage. Thrift stores are awesome for this sort of thing! You can get endless varieties of glass bottles with character (dark glass is best for long term storage of any essential oil products). Make a cute tag, tie some twine or ribbon on and you have a unique gift!

Step 5: Fill your bath and throw in several scoops of your scented bath salts! Relax and enjoy!

VARIATIONS:
1) You can drop in a few drops of food coloring (if you don’t care about keeping it ‘all natural’ for a nice color effect. mix it into the salt and stir until thoroughly blended.
2) Add some dried flower petals, herbs or spices for some extra color and texture, though keep in mind they will float in the tub when used!

Quick tips:: Freshen up your home with essential oils

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For a quick pick-me-up around your home, a little essential oil can go a long way! Here are some simple ideas to naturally freshen up the area….and get diffused therapeutic benefits of the oils while you’re at it!freshen your home with essential oils

  • Put a drop of essential oil on the front of your osculating fan and let the scent blow through the area
  • Put a drop into any humidifier to diffuse through the room
  • Drop essential oil into the middle of your toilet paper roll (in the tube). It will absorb into the paper and offer a natural fresh scent to the bathroom!
  • Put some essential oils on a tissue and place in your vacuum bag to freshen and deodorize as you vacuum…or put 5-10 drops in a cup of baking soda and sprinkle around carpets prior to vacuuming!
  • Use any of the {DIY} oil “sprays” you can make as an air freshener – just spritz around the room and enjoy!
  • Add a drop of essential oil to your steam cleaner tank to boost cleaning power and smell great too
  • Put essential oils into your fabric softener spot (see post on {DIY} fabric softener with vinegar and essential oils)
  • Add a drop of your favorite oil to your dishwasher soap to boost cleaning power and smell amazing (lemon and citrus oils are great for the dishes)!
  • Put a drop of essential oils onto a lightbulb to quickly scent a room (great right before guests arrive). The heat will break down the therapeutic properties, but the smell will definitely fill the air!
  • make your own all natural air freshener with essential oil and baking soda that actually fights odors, not masks them!
  • heat a cup of water, drop 2-3 drops of your favorite oil to diffuse into the air (also great trick prior to guests arriving)! dōTERRA’s OnGuard is an amazing spice scent for fall, and it supports healthy immune systems too!

 

{DIY} hand sanitizer

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Making your own hand sanitizer is so simple using 100% dōTERRA essential oils!

diy hand sanitizerMy vote for the best oil to use in hand sanitizer is definitely dōTERRA’s OnGuard Blend. This oil blend has an amazing cinnamon spice smell, and boosts your immune system while protecting against environmental threats.

Here’s the recipe::

  • 1 oz pure aloe vera gel
  • 1 oz purified water
  • 2 oz high-proof vodka, grain alcohol or gin (can use witch hazel extract for an alcohol free version)
  • 12-15 drops dōTERRA OnGuard essential oil blend

You can also add a few capsules of vitamin E oil to the mix to soften skin even further!
Mix all ingredients into a 4 oz glass pump bottle. Shake well to ensure it’s properly blended!

This is a great alternative to commercial hand sanitizers. Here is a typical list of ingredients from a store bought brand:
water, isopropyl alcohol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, caprylyl glygol, glycerin, isopropyl myristate, tocopheryl acetate, acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acreylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Frangrance (Parfum), Blue 1 (Cl42090), Yellow 5 (Cl 19140)

Fewer chemicals and additives and much better for your skin! What a bonus to boost immunity while sanitizing your hands!

Quick Tip:: {DIY} natural fabric softener

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This is so simple it shouldn’t be called {DIY}, but if you’re still buying commercial fabric softener you can stop now!

Jlavender fabric softenerust fill the liquid fabric softener spot on your washer with white vinegar, and add 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oil. I love lavender EO to freshen the laundry. Not only does this soften your clothes, but the scent of real lavender fills your house while washing, which also greatly helps to reduce the stress of laundry day 🙂

Even more importantly, it keeps this list of chemicals out of your fabric and off of your skin:
(ingredients in Liquid Ultra Downy Spring Lavender Scent, taken directly from Proctor & Gamble. view pdf here)

  • diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride,
  • Fragrance (synthetic)
  • Starch
  • Ammonium chloride
  • Calcium chloride
  • Formic acid
  • Polydimethylsiloxane
  • Liquitint colorant Purple
  • Benzisothiazolinone
  • diethylenetriamine pentaacetate

Another great way to save money, reduce chemicals and avoid unnecessary irritants and allergens in your home!

{DIY} natural bum paste!

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The {DIY} project today…home made diaper cream! This {DIY} has been a huge success and I can honestly say I will not be buying diaper cream from the store ever again! It works great, smells great and mostly importantly is SAFE to use on my little ones. You will be happy to know exactly what is in your cream, especially when your 2 year old decides to open it up and rub it all over himself (that may or may not have happened here yesterday) 🙂diaper rash cream

This stuff is so easy to make, and my 3 year old loved helping.
Recipe adapted from www.mymerrymessylife.com

What’s in it:

  • 1/2 c raw organic Shea butter
  • 1/4 c raw organic coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp organic beeswax pastilles
  • 2 Tbsp zinc oxide powder (can omit if using cloth diapers)
  • 1 Tbsp pure aloe vera gel
  • 10 drops lavender essential oil
  • 8 drops melaleuca essential oil
  • 4 drops peppermint essential oil

STEP 1:
heat the shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax in double boiler over med heat until liquified. Remove from heat and let cool slightly (just so the temp is lower).
STEP 2:
Pour into stand mixer and add zinc powder, aloe and whip on high until smooth and completely blended. Drop in essential oils (make sure the mix is no longer hot as heat can break down the therapeutic properties of the oils).
STEP 3:
Mix thoroughly and pour into containers. Glass containers are best as the essential oils can break down plastic over time. Makes appx 8 oz of cream so I divided into two 4 oz glass jars. It will be thin when you pour it, but will thicken up quickly as it cools, so don’t plan on moving it to different containers after cooling 🙂 I keep a small one in the diaper bag, and at each changing station throughout the house!

The oils are are moisturizing and calming and soothing to baby’s skin. The zinc provides an excellent wetness barrier. The combination of ingredients is perfect for the little bums, and you may want to rub it on your arms and hands while you’re at it 🙂 If you like the recipe, I’d suggest doubling it next time and stocking up!

days like today need BALANCE!

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dōTERRA’s Balance Grounding Blend was created for days like I have had today 🙂 I’m pretty sure the theme of the day is ….”If it can go wrong, it will go wrong” 15ml_balanceWe all have these days, but instead of keeping emotions high or overindulging in chocolate and wine, dōTERRA has an awesome blend of oils called Balance.

A blend of Blue Tansy, Frankincense, Rosewood, Spruce, these oils combine to lower stress levels, calm anxious feelings and promote relaxation and grounding!

Diffusing is one of our favorite ways to enjoy Balance grounding blend, but topical application with massage to the feet, neck and back can be effective. Balance is also great for relaxing the kiddos after a busy day at school. Just dilute a drop into some coconut oil and rub on their shoulders or feet.

**These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Lavender Spray: don’t leave home without it!

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My lavender spray has quickly become my go-to product for so many things! This stuff is SO useful. Just a mix of filtered water and lavender essential oil (8 oz water & about 12 drops EO), this refreshing spray has endless uses and is something that we don’t leave home without!

Here are just a few ways that we daily use this multi-purpose spray:lavenderspray

  • spritz linens and bed pillows at night for relaxing more restful night’s sleep
  • instantly freshen up a closet, mattress, room or car
  • spray on skin before heading outdoors to naturally repel bugs and mosquitos
  • sooth occasional skin irritations by spraying it on topically
  • after a hot day outside, spritz on neck and chest to relax and feel refreshed

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{DIY} Moisturizing Shaving Cream Recipe

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Ok, here’s the new favorite shaving cream recipe. This is too thick to dispense in the foaming soap dispenser, but light and fluffy, and great just scooping it out of the jar! My husband is a good critic, and gives this one two thumbs up!
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INGREDIENTS:

~melt shea butter and coconut oil in double boiler until liquefied. remove from heat and let cool. add olive oil and mix.

~pour into stand mixer and mix on high, adding the rest of the ingredients. mix until light and fluffy!

~pour shaving cream into glass jar and enjoy!

{DIY} Wild Orange All Purpose Cleaner

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My new favorite cleaner! Wild Orange Essential Oil + water in a spray bottle. Not only does it smell amazing, but it really cleans & cuts oil and grease. You can even spray it on your food if you want, so I feel much better using it on the table and in the kitchen instead of a bunch of chemicals! You can also spritz it around the room for a fresh, citrus scent.

To make this blend, add 15 drops Wild Orange Essential Oil to 8 oz filtered water. Shake and spray!wildorange_spray

Essential Oil Dilution Chart

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Follow this chart for a quick reference on how much carrier oil to essential oil you can use when diluting. The % will depend on how strong the mix needs to be. Please make sure and do the research as to which % strength is needed for your application. Most of mine I do at a 2% level.dilution_chart_web