Thursday, November 15, 2012

Oil of the Week: Thieves

My friend Racquel chose the oil for this week. I'm thrilled that she did. I LOVE Thieves. I call Thieves the Kindergarten oil because kindergartners are notorious for bringing home germs from school. They're such good sharers and the chief thing they share is their colds and flus.

Read the story of how Thieves got it's name here: http://www.secretofthieves.com/four-thieves-vinegar.cfm It's quite a long story. My version is: A bunch of grave robbers during the Black Plague were caught by the constabulary (that's long, long time ago European for cops) and were given the option of leniency in their execution (there are lenient executions, apparently) if they gave up the 'secret' of how they walked among the dead without getting sick. Their secret was a proprietary blend of essential oils and vinegar that they soaked their clothes in.

Several recipes exist for Thieves. Our blend is of the oils among the list that tested the highest in germ fighting abilities (there are more scientific ways of saying this *giggle*).

The holidays are upon us. There will be lots of sharing. Make sure that you're not sharing germs with your family this holiday season. Diffuse Thieves in your home. Use Thieves hand sanitizer. Clean your home with Thieves cleaner. Did I mention that Thieves smells DELICIOUS!!!

Most recently, I began using 4 drops of Thieves on my 6 year old son's feet at night before bed and in the morning before school because he had a runny nose and a cough. Yes, I ran out of Thieves for a month. Woooon't happen again. After a few days, he no longer has a cough, a sore throat or a runny nose. I'm still using Thieves twice a day on his feet, only I'm using 3 drops instead of 4. Soon, I'm going back to once per day before school in the morning to protect him from all that sharing that happens at school.

Protect your family. Grab your Thieves now!!!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Oil of the Week: Valor

I've decided to institute an oil of the week. Each week we are going to dive into a different oil. This week's oil of the week is Valor.

"Valor is an energy balancing blend of Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora), Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum), Frankincense (Boswellia carteri), and Spruce (Picea mariana) in a base of pure Almond Oil. Valor works with the bodies electrical and nervous system bringing alignment and balance throughout the whole body system."

I like to use Valor on the bottom of my feet in the morning to support me in staying grounded throughout the day. This is quite necessary for me, too because I am highly spiritual, flighty even and I require grounding. For more tips throughout the week on the various uses of Valor, please friend Lila Simmons on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/empresslila.

Valor is but one of the 9 oils found in Young Living's Everyday Oils Kit. This kit is a steal because it includes a very moderately priced oil, frankincense and the kit itself costs little more than a single bottle of frankincense. You can grab your Everyday Oils Kit at http://www.youngliving.org/l3simmons.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Feel Your Boobies!!!

According to www.feelyourboobies.com, tomorrow (October 12, 2012) begins 'National Feel Your Boobies Week'. In addition to orange oil, be certain to do a monthly breast self exam. Choose a time every month, preferably at the same time of the month every month, where you will examine your breasts both with your eyes and with your hands. Write this time on your calendar as if it were any other important appointment and honor it. Click the link for instructions on how to do a breast self exam. 

Celebrate National Breast Health Awareness month by feeling your boobies and keep you healthy. 

Monday, October 1, 2012

Happy Breast Health Awareness Month!!!

All over the U.S., there are pink banners EVERYwhere right now. With all due respect to breast cancer survivors and the family of those who lives were released in the experience of breast cancer, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I tip my hats to breast cancer researchers everywhere. ;)

So, about that prevention... When it comes to essential oils, orange oil is the number one essential oil for breast health.


"Essential oils from the orange tree’s flowers, leaves, and rind have powerfully healing effects… remarkably anti-carcinogenic and anti-tumoral based on it’s high 85%-96% limonene chemistry, ORANGE essential oil has combated tumor growth in over 50 clinical studies." ~ Essential Oils for Physical Health & Well-Being by Linda L. Smith
So grab your bottle and slather your breasts down, Ladies. ;)

Thursday, September 20, 2012

It's THIEVES Season

In the realm of essential oils, Thieves is the germ fighter. It is a blend of several highly effective, immune boosting essential oils. Ask me how it got it's name. I LOVE telling that story. Now, though, is time for a different story.

A few weeks ago, we were all sneezing and coughing and having scratchy throats. Lucas, my 6 year old, doesn't have allergies. This didn't trigger anything in my brain, however. I simply assumed that a new environment meant that he was most likely experiencing allergies, too. Then, his aunt caught a cold. Then his grandmother caught a cold. Finally, we figured that Lucas had a cold and was sharing his germs.

Figuring that it was over, I went on about my life. Then, my throat became scratchy. I had post nasal drip, so I thought this was the reason for the scratchy throat. Their grandmother told me that her cold began with a sore throat. *SCREAM* I had not time for a cold. I already felt like warmed up death from the allergies (I cured those too but that's another post. ;)). Upon hearing this, I quickly grabbed my Thieves and made and consumed what we call a cough drop. An essential oil cough drop consists of 1-2 drops of essential oil in a teaspoon of honey.


I drank a cough drop every time my throat hurt. That first day, I probably drank 8 of them. Each day, I drank fewer and fewer of them until now, 5 days later, I'm drinking one in the morning as a precautionary measure to ensure that the virus is indeed dead. 

Skip the flu shot. Get Thieves

Sunday, September 16, 2012

The Annoying Thing About Natural Healing...

I know, it's shocking that such a crunchy, oils advocating Mama's about to gripe about natural healing being annoying. It's true, however, that natural healing can feel annoying sometimes. When I use an oil for, let's say allergies, the truth is, until I get everything into balance and under control, I may have to apply said oil every hour or every two hours until the symptoms begin to subside. Then, I can move on to the daily maintenance dose of 3 drops on the bottom of your feet per day.

Yesterday, I was out with my minis and a friend enjoying the air show at the local Air Force base and my eye was red and itchy. My friend reminded me to put the lavender oil on the roof of my mouth and it would get into my sinus passages and up to my brain, thus giving me relief, a lot faster. Two hours later, my eye was itching again and getting on my nerve. 'Your eye's clearer,' my friend said to me. 'A few more drops of lavender and it should be cleared all the way up.'

That's when my inner guidance said, 'You're gonna have to put this oil on the roof of your  mouth like every hour.' HOW ANNOYING!!! It worked, though. It's not itching anymore. It's clear. The swelling is down. Even my nose has cleared up.

It's been almost an hour. I gotta go put more lavender on the roof of my mouth. Later Loves!!!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

If I Could Only Have One Oil...

If I had only one oil for the rest of my life, it would be lavender. Lavender is the universal oil. It's good for EVERYTHING. Here's a brief idea of it's uses:
  • burns - keep a bottle in your kitchen pantry or a cabinet far away from the stove
  • scrapes & cuts as a disinfectant
  • relaxation - everyone knows that
  • energy - yes it can energize you if you need it ;)
  • allergies
  • bug bites
  • high blood pressure
  • menstral problems (like cramps)/PMS
  • skin conditions such as perinial repair, acne, eczema, psoriasis, scarring, stretch marks)
  • hair loss
  • insomnia
  • nervous tension
The list could continue, honestly. The really cool thing about lavender is that it's a very mild oil and can be applied directly to the skin. Its an oil that can be used undiluted on EVERY skin type and people of all ages.

I LOVE my lavender!!!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Measels Remedy

Due to the recent measels exposure in TN, I've decided to share measels remedies with you mamas out there.
The custom blend listed for measels is: 15 drops lavender, 15 drops Roman chamomile nad 5 drops tea tree oil. Because therapeutic gradee essential oils will consume toxins, place this blend in a glass bottle in order to avoid it consuming the container you're storing it in. Should you or your mini, experience a measels breakout, dilute the above blend 50/50 with a carrier oils such as V-6 or grapeseed and apply on spots 3-5 times daily or as needed. This blend can be mixed into bath salts. Soak in a warm bath for 30 minutes or more daily.

Additional supplements are: Super C, AD&E and MightyVites.

Dr. Robert Mendelsohn said in his book, "How to Raise Healthy Children In Spite of  Your Doctor" that every childhood disease is curable except polio. There's also a natural remedy for them all. :) A few are listed above. Be prepared. Order your oils now.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

A Little Joy For Springtime

5 years ago, I was attending a holistic fair when I smelled this FABULOUS fragrance. I followed my nose to this tiny booth manned by two wonderful ladies. One was a colon hydrotherapist and the other was the Lady of the Oils (she's what smelled so good!!!). So, I told her how DELICIOUS she smelled and we chatted a bit about essential oils. When she gave me her card, I discovered that, though we were an hour away from home in some part of MO, we lived in the same small IL town maybe 7 minutes from each other. Talk about a small world and synchoronicities.

Well, I scheduled a meeting with her because I wanted to know more about these oils. At this point, all I cared about was that she smelled SO good and I was fascinated by anything related to natural healing. Lillian was 1, Lucas was about 10 months and little did I know, I was baking a Lei.

On the day I was schedule to meet with Cristina, I'd worked a LONG day at a job that I really didn't want because I wanted to be at home with my minis and only my fear of disappointing people made me keep the appointment. I arrived at home maybe 10 minutes before our meeting time. I was exhausted. I was frustrated. Most importantly, I was HUNGRY!!! This is important because when I got hungry, I became ... GRUMPY.

When Cristina arrived, I put on my good hostess face and smelled all of these oils she was passing to me. I do not remember a word she said. All I remember is one of the oils she passed me, I held on to. It smelled sooooo good. I sniffed and sniffed and sniffed until I finally had to give it back to her because she was leaving. Before she left, she gave me a tiny vial with a sample of the oil in it. I thanked her, walked her to the door and then sat on the floor and played with the minis while I waited patiently for dinner to get ready.

I was AMAZED by how I felt. Over the next few weeks, I used that tiny vial of Joy and noticed a depression that I'd rationalized away lift. In hindsight, I realized that the hypoglycemic symptoms of becoming a fire-breathing dragon lady were related to the depression because, from the first time I smelled it that evening in my livingroom with Cristina, I have NOT had an experience where I became grumpy when I'm hungry.

Happy Mental Health Month!!!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

What Have You Done to Him?!!!?

This is what I was asked by a teacher at my son's daycare. My four year old son, Lei, had been cranky, moody and generally unpleasant for the past year to people who were not related to him...and on more than a few occasions to those of us who are. *giggle*

Every day that I would drop Lei off at daycare, he'd scream and cry and cling to me and throw a general fit. I'd pry him off me, kiss him someplace and tell him that I'd be back in the afternoon for him. I'd relate it to a part of the day that he could understand. 'I'll be back right after snack time,' or 'I'll pick you up during naptime.' Nothing helped!!! He still behaved like a little monster when I dropped him off. To boot, outside of throwing fits, he really didn't talk very much. He spoke very well when he did speak. It was simply a rare occurance.

Well, after I began using the Thyme oil (4 drops on his feet at bedtime), he began sleeping better. Then one day, seemingly out of the blue, I dropped Lei off at school and he said, 'Bye Mom,' and kissed me on the cheek. I noticed, a little.

A few weeks later, the teacher that I pick him up from after his classroom closes very enthusiastically asked me, 'What did you give him?'

'What do you mean?' I asked her.

'We were sitting outside and he came and sat beside me and started talkin' to me. He laid his head on my leg and everything. What did you do to him?' she asked again.

I laughed, then replied, 'He's always like this with me.' Then I shrugged and said, 'Maybe it's the Thyme oil or maybe it's that he hasn't had an allergy flare up this spring and he's feeling a lot better. He's been sick for the last 2 springs, you know.'

I'm not sure how but somewhere betweeen the Thyme, Lavendar, Trauma Life and Peppermint oil, the McMonster is gone and Lei has returned. YAY!!! *giggle*

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Happy Mental Health Month!!!

As a mom, your mental health is imperative to your family's wellbeing. The wisdom that one's mental health affects the rest of one's experience is becoming more mainstream in the West now. In celebration of this wisdom and of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm going to be sharing oils with you that enhance and support mom's mental health. ;)

The first oil I'd like to share with you is one that I like to call my sanity oil. Peace & Calming is a soothing, earthy blend of oils that include tangerine, orange, ylang ylang, patchouli and blue tansy. Whenever my minis are being unruly, I put Peace & Calming on their feet and rub he residue into their hands and have them breathe in the scent from thier hands. They settle down immediately. I also diffuse it in the bedroom for 15 minutes, 45 minutes before bedtime as well as turning off the TV and dimming the lights. It makes getting them to fall asleep sooooooo much easier. They almost put themselves to bed. They never let me forget to put the oils on, either.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Quick Mastitis Relief

I just got an email from a fellow oiling (YL lingo for an essential oil user) Mama who had a brilliant experience with quick healing of mastitis. If you're not a mom or you've never breastfed, mastitis is painful inflammation of one or more milk duct and is usually caused by an infection from bacteria entering the breasts through a cracked nipple or an improperly latched on baby.

So, Betty said, "Just yesterday i came down with a horrible case of mastitis i took an oz of NingXia Red and 3 drops of oregano and rubed lavender on the lump. i woke up a few hours later and the mass had drained and the soreness had left ! i am quickly becoming obsessed with these oils!"



I concur! I was quickly obsessed with them from my first experience with them. ;)

Monday, February 27, 2012

Sleep Apnea in a 4 Year Old?

I'm going to begin by saying that Lei (my four year old) hasn't been officially diagnosed with sleep apnea. What was happening seemed very reasonably like sleep apnea to me and I'd rather treat and resolve the wrong thing than to be miserable with this child who won't sleep in his own bed and sleeps very poorly in mine. Neither one of us is getting any sleep!!!

So, four nights ago, after four nights of having Lei sleep in my bed, waking constantly and countless other nights of him waking throughout the night to come climb in bed with me, I had a random thought (Always follow those. They're GOLDEN!!!) that he might be experiencing sleep apnea as he would stop breathing, startle himself awake with a snore and then settle in to sleep again. So, I grabbed my Essential Oils Desk Reference and looked up sleep apnea. One of the oils that it recommended came in my everyday oils kit so I did  little dance and then decided to give this a try.

I rubbed 4 drops of Valor into his little feet at bedtime and because he likes to sniff the oils, I rubbed the residue from my hands onto his hands and he happily sniffed away. *giggle*

He LOVES sniffing oils from his palms

The first night, he wouldn't settle down and I allowed him to sleep with me. On the second night, I put him in his bed and he STAYED!!! *happy dance!!!* For the past two nights, he's been sleeping soundly in his bed and he's NOT a cranky monster of a child anymore. Woo hoo!!! I may survive this single parenting thing with some sanity after all.

Next up: snoring. He still snores like a grizzly bear. Drives us all batty. The EODR (Essential Oil Desk Reference) says to use thyme oil for this. Guess what's going in MY next order?

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Lavender + Peppermint = No More Steroids for Lei-Bear

So, for the past 3 years, I've gone through HELL with Lei (my four year old) with his allergies. I missed almost 6 weeks of work. We've given him every antihistamine that's available. We've cut out everything from his diet that he's even remotely allergic to. Last spring, he was on Zyrtec, Benadryl and Prednisilone (a steroid) and he STILL broke out in incurable hives around his eyes.

Doesn't he look MISERABLE?
Well, I was recently reading through my friend Cristina Campbell's newsletter and there was a testmonial from a woman who used lavendar and peppermint to relieve her niece and nephew of allergies when they visited her barn. A lightbulb went off! So, we went to our yearly 'get ready for allergy season' appointment with the allergist last Tuesday and she informed me that allergy season is beginning this past weekend. WHAT??? It's still winter!!!

Well, I decided to give the lavendar and peppermint a try before I started giving him the drugs. I'm not a real fan of the drugs but I'm an even smaller fan of an itchy, hived-out baby. On Monday, I tested my theory by taking us to the park. Lots of trees and grass and things to make his nose and eyes water. I put one drop of lavendar on his face (he's a tiny person) and one drop of peppermint in his hands, had him rub his hands together and then sniff a few times before I sent him off to play.



2 HOURS later we left the park and not once did he have a runny nose or itchy eyes or anything resembling either of the two. Ha!!! It's working. The real test will be at the end of March when oak season begins. I'll keep you posted.