Week 15 - YL Basil Essential Oil

Week 14 - YL Tea Tree Essential Oil

Week 13 - YL Grapefruit Oil!

Week 12 - Ningxia Red!

Week 11 - YL Stress Away

Week 10 - YL Panaway Essential Oil!

Week 9 - Digize Essential Oil

Week 8 - YL RC Essential Oil

Week 7 - Frankincense Essential Oil

Week 6 - Copaiba Essential Oil

Week 5 - Peppermint Essential Oil

Week 4- Thieves Essential Oil

Week 3 - Purification Essential Oil

Week 2 - Lavender

Week 1 - Lemon Essential Oil

Seize the Day Blend!

It's so difficult to concentrate on anything when you're tired. Whether it's work, homework, or even reading for fun, exhaustion can be a pain. This is how I felt this morning. Pregnancy insomnia doesn't help, and every morning I struggle to concentrate on anything! 

I needed help this morning so I diffused 3 drops Peppermint + 4 drops Orange. I love diffusing citrus oils in the morning, because they always energize me! I also did a 1 oz. shot of Ningxia Red. Between the shot and the blend, I was ready to seize the day! I couldn't believe it!

Veggies!!

I am a huge advocate of “food as medicine,” so when this article popped up in my email today, I knew I had to share it! I immediately feel the effects of eating healthy…I am physically and mentally invigorated after eating a plate full of veggies. But I often overlook the long-term benefits. Not today, thanks to this article! Read on….and appreciate the benefits of your veggie-eating ;)

To Block Cancer, Favor the Crucifer Family

 

EO Tea...yum!

I've decided to start using my essential oils in cooking....beyond the delicious peppermint brownies that I love to make!! I started with a simple tea today. Place about 2 teaspoons of honey into your mug & add a drop each of Copaiba and Peppermint essential oils then hot (NOT boiling) water. It's a great alternative to tea or coffee, especially if you want to cut back on them (like I do). You can use other essential oils as well; I chose these two for both health and taste!

A face scrub from your kitchen!

I went to Pennsylvania this weekend dreading the cold weather and waiting for my skin to be so dry it hurts. Much to my surprise, I remained unscathed by Mother Nature! I can only attribute it to my new skin care regime - brown sugar and honey. Yep, you heard me right! Two ingredients in most people’s kitchen cupboards….and presto, softer skin!

In my attempt to rid my life of toxins, I’ve been avoiding a big step that I knew I needed to take – my facial cleanser. I have been using ProActiv for decades – literally.  But I really wanted to get to an all-natural method….and one that was fast and simple. I’m not a girly girl, so a complex process would not work for me!

A friend told me about the brown sugar and honey scrub, so last week I started using it (& yes, I did “accidentally” get some in my mouth :) yum).  In just one day, all the dry patches on my face were gone, and it has NEVER felt softer! I won’t do it every day, but I’m very excited to add it to my all natural skin regime!

To use the scrub, simply combine about a teaspoon or 2 of each and gently scrub your face. I like to use it in the shower to make removing it easier….and then I can do my neck easily as well. Give it a try….softer skin awaits!

Meditating on Gratitude

This post is for a friend of mine who wants to start meditating (I hope you don't mind me calling your out here, Tee!). Like many of us, the question looms out there: "How do I start?" Meditating can be intimidating; actually, it is intimidating for most people trying to start the practice. However, keep in mind, there are many types of meditation, and you can pick which one you are most comfortable with. Meditation does not have to be about trying to clear your mind of all thoughts – especially not when you are just starting. Meditation can simply be about calming your mind for a bit. One great way to do this is to concentrate on just one thing. To make it easier – I’m going to tell you the thing!! Gratitude. I’m sure you’ve heard the hype about gratitude. But it really does work. I have gotten myself out of almost any funk or stress by focusing on what I’m grateful for. With gratitude, you can focus on the current moment or pick a specific aspect of your life – it’s that easy!

You can double the benefit of gratitude by incorporating it into meditation; meditation allows the feelings of gratitude to really soak into your being. A favorite way of mine to be grateful is to think about all the things that happened (or didn’t happen) throughout my day and try to pick which I’m most grateful for. This is a great practice right before you go to bed….it is usually the last thing I do before I fall asleep (and it can help you get a great night’s sleep, too!) You can also do it in the morning and think about the prior day...starting your mornings with gratitude will have you singing through the day!

So, simply pick your time (I like first thing in the morning or last thing at night – or both!), get comfortable (I often am lying in bed or sitting cross-legged on my couch – whatever you like, do it!), breathe deeply and slowly ( 3-count in, pause, and out is a good breathing rhythm), and start thinking one-by-one about what you are grateful for. If you want to set a timer, so you don’t need to pay attention to the clock, go ahead. You just want to slowly think through your day and consider each thing that you can be grateful for. When you are done thinking on one and ready to move to the next, take a moment to concentrate on taking a few breaths again. Then keep going! After meditating on gratitude, you will physically feel yourself being uplifted. It is an amazing experience. And an awesome way to start meditating and focus on the joy in your life every day. Try it for a week or two and then we will start another meditating practice. Happy Meditating!