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Warm Drinks To Make With Essential Oils When It’s Cold Outside

November 23, 2015 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Warm Drinks To Make With Essential Oils When It’s Cold Outside

warm drinks to make With Essential Oils

The best thing about cold weather is finding ways to warm up in it!

I admit it, I’m a warm weather girl and I live in Texas, so I’m a bit wimpy about the cold. To me, the best thing about winter weather is wearing boots and sweaters, sitting in front of a fire, and drinking hot tea. It’s the contrast between the cold outside and seeing how warm you can get inside… that’s what makes me happy.

There’s nothing better than wrapping your hands around a hot mug of a steamy cuppa something and letting the vapors rise just in front of your lips and nose. And on top of the delight to your senses, there are all those healthy benefits when you’re using 100% pure, therapeutic essential oils, too! Close your eyes and breathe it in… now there’s the best part of winter for you!

My favorite recipe for a warm drink using essential oils is actually pretty simple:

Thieves tea for winter wellness
Thieves Tea for Winter Wellness

Thieves Tea:

A cup of hot water + two drops of Lemon Essential Oil + one drop of Thieves™ Essential Oil… that’s it! 

Besides keeping me and my family healthy during the winter months, it’s comforting and tasty, too. We’ve all grown to love this simple tea recipe from some of the most basic essential oils, but recently I went in search of some more festive flavors of hot drinks using the beneficial oils we love. I found a few fun holiday ideas and recipes on aromatools.com and wanted to share them with you today… Enjoy!

Spiced Apple Cider with Essential Oil

Ingredients:

  • 5 red apples
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 Tbsp. ground allspice
  • 2 drops cinnamon essential oil

Instructions:

  1. Wash apples thoroughly, remove the cores, and cut them into quarters.
  2. Place apples in a large stock pot, and add sugar and allspice.
  3. Add enough water to the pot to cover the apples by 3–4 inches.
  4. Boil the apples, uncovered, for one hour, stirring occasionally; then reduce heat, and simmer for two hours.
  5. Strain out the cider by pouring the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
  6. Stir in cinnamon essential oil.
  7. Serve cider warm, or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar or other sweetener
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup canned coconut milk (shake before opening)
  • 1 1/2 cups milk (almond or rice milk work too)
  • 1–2 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

  1. In a saucepan, mix together the cocoa powder, salt, and sugar.
  2. Add coconut milk, and heat until combined.
  3. Slowly add milk while continuing to stir. Keep stirring until little bubbles start to form on the surface.
  4. Remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly. Stir in a drop or two of peppermint essential oil.
  5. Pour into mugs, and serve. Warning: it will be hot, so allow the hot chocolate to cool to a reasonable temperature before drinking.
  6. Top with whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate chips, or ground peppermint candy.

By the way, Peppermint is one of those hot/cold oils! Check out how we stay cool in the hot summer months in Texas!

If you’d like more recipes using the oils you get in the basic starter kit of Everyday Oils, here are some recipes for green cleaning, too!

Want to know more about Young Living Essential Oils — the purest essential oils on the planet? Click the image below.

Try Young Living Essential Oils
Let me send you some samples!

 

Filed Under: essential oils Tagged With: cinnamon essential oil, coldweather drinks, essential oils in hot drinks, homemade hot chocolate, Hot Chocolate recipe, peppermint essential oil, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, resipes for hot drinks using essential oils, Spiced Cider recipe, Spiced Cider with Cinnamon essential oils, Thieves blend essential oil, Thieves Tea, warm drinks with essential oils, Winter in Texas, Young Living essential oils

Add-Ons For Essential Oils Gift Giving

November 20, 2015 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Add-Ons For Essential Oils Gift Giving

The very best gifts to give with bottle of eessntial oil (1)

It’s not even Thanksgiving and I’m already thinking about gift-giving, are you? Seems the holidays rolled around so quickly this year, or maybe time really is speeding up?

Either way, it will be no surprise to family and friends that I’m giving some essential oils as gifts this year. Since adopting them into my family’s lifestyle, I can testify to their life-changing properties, so of course I want to share them.

As for me, I’d be delighted to get a single, simple, tiny bottle as a gift (hint!), but I also know that for someone who doesn’t already use essential oils, or know much about them, they may be scratching their head as to what to do with it and why I gave it to them.

By the way, have you ever chosen the perfect gift for someone and then they open it and get that look on their face, like “Thanks, but I have no idea why, or what this is!” If you have to explain what it is, and why you thought they’d like it, you probably already feel like your gift isn’t appreciated and certainly won’t get used. And you’re probably right!

Gifts should make you both feel happy — not just the giver and not just the recipient.

Essential oils gift giving may be a little tricky if the recipient is new to essential oils. The right way to gift someone with a yummy bottle of essential oil and help your loved one enjoy her oils, is to give an add-on with the gift, something they’ll know how to use or a tool that will help them use the oil right away.

Now forgive my practicality. I’m not the only one who believes in giving practical presents (hat tip to this frugal blogger) but hey, at least it’s not underwear! The gifts I love to give are ones that I would love to receive myself; are useful; and make your life better or happier. You have to follow your own personal gift-giving rules, but that’s just how I do it. I love giving practical gifts that will get used!

This year, I’ll be giving some things to go along with my favorite essential oils… Blends like Thieves™ or Peace and Calming™, or basics like Lavender, Peppermint, and Lemon.

Rainstone diffuser
Young Living Rainstone Diffuser

1. A Diffuser

Diffusers are great gifts by themselves, but even better with a bottle of essential oil. Whether your intent is to purify the air, add a beautiful scent to a room, or help someone feel better when they’re under the weather; a diffuser is a great idea for anyone on your list. Get someone started on this super healthy habit with a good one like the Rainstone Diffuser by Young Living. It comes with a remote control, and has ambient light settings, and optional intermittent diffusing capabilities. Goes well with the most sophisticated decor, too.

Screen Shot 2015-11-05 at 12.15.55 PM
Lifefactory Glass Water Bottle
Young Living glass water bottle with grapefruit essential oil
Young Living Glass Water Bottle

2. A Glass Bottle

Ever since I started putting essential oils in my water, not only have I discovered that I drink more water, but I also feel more invigorated by the water I drink. Lemon is the perfect antioxidant, peppermint wakes me up, and Stress Away™ just tastes delicious. Even my soda-loving kiddos love peppermint water and drink it without my suggesting it. (I keep large glass pitchers of essential oil-infused water in the refrigerator to encourage this healthy habit.)

On the go, you need a glass water bottle — not a plastic one — to take in the car, to the gym, to the office, etc. I really like my plastic-sleeved Life Factory bottle, but I also like the simple glass bottles with open lids for easy swigging at my desk. Just remember, if you’re putting essential oils in water to drink, you must use glass. Plastic will break down and leach into the water — no good.

dryer balls with Lavender essential oils
CleanSpyria Etsy Shop

3. Dryer Balls

OK, I dare you to give someone dryer balls for a Christmas present. Maybe in red and green, they could do double duty as pet toys? Anyway, I don’t care what you say, dryer balls are my new favorite thing. I experimented with making my own here at home, and they work great! They cut the static cling, add a lovely scent to your warm, dried clothes (I use lavender), and they replace the nasty toxic chemicals in those dryer sheets. I didn’t even know how bad those were until I looked into it. Kittens have died…

For gifts, though I’d probably opt for buying them on Etsy, simply because ordering them online is more efficient when you need them quickly. ‘Tis the season to hurry up and do everything. Who has time to make dryer balls when you’re baking, shopping, wrapping, and doing all those other fun holiday things? Unless, for you, making dryer balls is a fun holiday activity, in which case, I’ll have whatever you’re having.

4. Food and Other Yummy Things

I have several friends who are using essential oils to make gifts for their families. Things like food, perfumes, bath salts, and even breath spray! Click here for some great essential oils gift giving ideas for family, friends, neighbors, and teachers.

If you have any other great ideas for gifts you can make or give to go with your essential oils gift? Let us know in the comments.

New to Essential Oils?

If you’re curious what all the fuss is about, you can try some samples at home. Just let me know, and I’ll send them out. Click below for details!

Try Young Living Essential Oils
Get the world’s purest essential oils delivered to your doorstep!

Filed Under: essential oils Tagged With: diffusers for essential oils, diffusing essential oil, dryer balls, essential oils, essential oils add-ons, essential oils gift giving, essential oils in water, gift giving essential oils, Gifts for essential oils users, glass bottles, Young Living essential oils

15 Ways To Feel Happier In 5 Minutes Or Less

October 19, 2015 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

15 Ways To Feel Happier In 5 Minutes Or Less

Happier in 5 minutes or lessNot to be a buzz kill or anything, but am I the only person in the world who thinks that Happy song is dumb?

OK, I’ll just say it. I’ve been in a funk lately, and it’s not the kind you can dance to.

It’s not that I don’t want to feel happier, in theory. I just need convincing, prodding, a whack in the head…

Oh, I know what I need to do. Volunteer at an orphanage, hold a puppy, visit a sick friend, lie down in a field of daisies and watch the clouds float by, dig a well in some remote African village, express the teensiest jot of gratitude…

If I could only get my selfish little mind off my own jaded existence and do any of the above, I’d perk right up.

My friend Shell wrote recently how, when she feels depleted, she kills time playing Candy Crush. This amazed me, and suddenly seemed like a jolly good idea. When I feel depleted, I prefer to eat a few bowls of ice cream sprinkled with handfuls of crushed corn chips, then languish publicly on a sofa like an Edward Gorey character.

Different strokes.

And therein lies the secret. The only way to lift yourself out of it is to try something new.

Something – even something tiny — just needs to change.

I’ve been clipping some ideas for a new Trello board I made: “Things To Try When You’re Ready To Pull Yourself Together and Be Happier”

I figure even if I’m just going through the motions, at least my body and psyche can get a head start on my heart.

Two important caveats:

First, I believe happiness is a choice as long as your emotional health is above a certain level. Happiness triggers like the ones I’m suggesting can be immediate and helpful because they require a small action that ignites a spark of gratitude, or brings a rush of adrenaline or helps you see a different perspective.

These happiness triggers only work, however, if you’re not too totally in the dumps. I know what real depression is, and it’s serious. No book or website is going to make you feel happier when you can’t even get out of bed. If you’re in survival mode, please seek professional help.

Second, I also believe that real happiness comes from serving others. When you are helping your community, or raising kids, or volunteering in your business, or washing someone’s car; thankless though the job is, you feel needed and (even in some miniscule way) that your life has meaning. These acts require getting away from your home, or at least pushing back your chair, and they are probably the simplest portals to genuine fulfillment.

I’m not really talking about fulfillment here, though. I’m talking 15 easy peasy “make-me-smile-right-now” happiness triggers from resources that are lighter and more personal! They’re all for you. You don’t have to share them, and no one even has to know you’re indulging…

Trying something new either nestles in and slowly takes effect; or it catapults you, slingshot style, over a wall, where you’ll land somewhere different. You could land shocked and sputtering like a cat trying to claw its way out of a porcelain bathtub; or gently, easily coasting as if on wheels. (I hope it’s the latter.)

You’ve probably already heard of some of these 15 ideas that will make you instantly happier, but the question is, have you acted on them?

Going through the motions is not just a temporary trick. Actually practicing happiness will make you a happier person. So pick what feels like the best idea this very moment.

I’m listing some proven happiness triggers here, so the next time you’re in a funk, consider this your happiness lifeline. Folks who believe enough in happiness to create content, processes, websites, art, and even “days” around the revolutionary idea of Happiness created these resources just for you. So without further ado, in no particular order…

1. Happify.com

This website seems a little dorky, especially if you’re feeling like Grumpy Cat to begin with. No one sets out to feel happier by playing some silly games, reading positive affirmations, and gazing at pretty pictures. Or do they?

Happify.com delivers all that and more in shameless, unapologetic splendor. I stumbled on this website one day and tried a game or two. Within a few minutes i was aware that my mood had lifted.

The first game I tried, I click-popped some floating balloons with happy words on them. Words like “bubbly, joyful, lucky, and delight.” Golly gee, I felt lighter, ready to take on some filing, or balance my bank account!

Now, don’t tell anyone, but I occasionally visit Happify.com for a quick pick-me-up; a perky positive self-assessment; a shooting game where you aim at negativity gremlins, a zippy little quote or video, or a 2-minute relaxation exercise on a peaceful, uninhabited beach. Like a spoonful of honey, a little is all you need.

Happy, the movie2. Happy [the movie]

Driven to discover what really makes people happy, and how to measure happiness, Roko Belic traveled the world interviewing happy people and communities. Among the happiest that I recall were a rickshaw driver in India and a Scandinavian family living in a commune, though they seemed more content than happy. Interestingly, the United States ranks 23rd of happiest countries.

You may find yourself pining for the little shack with the window, and the curtain, the sunlight streaming through it, and the gaggle of smiling neighbors. Maybe.

Or, like me, you might look around at all you’ve got and imagine the filmmaker politely asking if you happen to know anyone with a little less stuff. Think there’s a connection?

Gretchen Rubin's books3. The Happiness Project; Gretchen Rubin

I caught an interview of Gretchen Rubin on a podcast called Glambition with Ali Brown. (Great podcast, by the way.) Soon after, I was in an airport when I saw her book quirkily standing out among the others. Then a tweet led me to another of her projects called (I’m afraid to say it) “The Happiness Project” and I decided that not only are my antennae ridiculously tuned to all this happy jazz, but that the trio of Rubin-esque tidbits (haha) must mean something.

It means that not only is this gal’s marketing timing excellent, but also that repetition and awareness fits her theme. If you’re open to it, you can find unexpected little measures of happiness as you trip through life. In fact, the universe accidentally pelts bits of happiness in your general direction… All. The. Time.

It’s your job to notice that you’re getting hit with it. Once you’ve figured that out and come to expect it, you can go about designing it to your exact specifications like a patchwork cloak of found happiness. Which is sweet.

4. Three Happy Blogs

patchwork dogTeesha Moore 

Once upon a time, I used to make lots of stuff. You might call it art. Teesha Moore’s stunning creativity influenced me to dabble in art journaling and fiber art. I traveled a few times out to Portland to attend her art retreats and take some classes; I even taught a class on making stuffed patchwork animals one year (see my patchwork Rosie, right). Itching to do more creative things that make me happy, I’ve been lurking around Teesha’s website again lately. Colorful, slightly edgy, always fabulous, Teesha’s art is a trove of eye candy.

Aesthetics of Joy

When I discovered Aesthetics of Joy it was like finding treasure. Ingrid Fetell offers the cerebral girl’s guide to joy, centered on urban art installations, undiscovered studios, and design. At one point there was supposed to be a book. I imagined a coffee table book and I had my credit card out, but the months passed and still no book. I’m not sure what happened to this blog; the author slowed way down.

I’m worry when I discover a great blogger and follow them around like a homeless puppy, only to turn a corner and realize it’s over. I try to email them. “Are you OK?” I ask. I really have done this a couple of times, inquiring through the contact form. Or I leave comments on old posts. “Come back… Call me.” I want to say. I’ve never received a note back.

Visit this website anyway; it’s still intact, like a gorgeous forgotten museum.

[Exciting note! I just checked and Ingrid’s back! This really makes me happy.]

Balloon dog, Oh Joy!Oh Joy!

Joy Cho, on the other hand, went gangbusters. Starting with a small design firm and a blog, now she travels everywhere with her playful designs, many geared toward children. I like seeing the pretty things she comes up with, colorful Band-Aids for Target, party supplies, stationary, etc. Looking at her stuff always makes me smile. She’s prolific, too. There’s always something new.

adult coloring book5. Coloring

When creative people brag about how they “color outside the lines,” I always smile indulgently and with inward pity. Why would they WANT to? Coloring’s NOT that hard…

Finally, someone figured out that people like me grew up. Coloring, all these years later, is still mindless and oddly satisfying. It’s like meditating with crayons. You don’t even have to buy grown-up coloring books in secret on Amazon. I’ve been seeing them everywhere lately. In public, even.

6. Savor stuff now.

What’s a list without an infographic?

Will you just look at this one and still insist on having a bad day? Come on, you can try some of these things. I did. They work.

7. Muscle control, or lack thereof

Did you know you can use your muscles to change your emotions? I’m not talking about working out and getting an endorphin rush, although that’s pleasant. I’m talking about a) Botox, and b) Faking it till you make it.

The first time I swung for Botox was in response to my children asking me out of the blue, “Why are you mad, Mom?” when I wasn’t anywhere close to being angry.  (Annoying!) So out of curiosity and vanity, I decided to erase that concerned crease that seemed to be taking over my life. What do you know, when you’re not frowning, the kids are calmer! That was hands down the best effect of my few rounds of Botox, which I no longer use, by the way. Now, I just raise my eyebrows as high into my hairline as I can get them, and say as calmly and lightly as I can, “Honey, I’m not upset.”

On a related note, you know that TED talk by Amy Cuddy on body language?  The one where she explains that your body is flooded with happy and powerful hormones when you assume the right power pose. I now practice a winning postures and facial expressions when it occurs to me to do so. I stand up straighter; I smile even when I’m not feeling like it. It’s a great experiment to try if you want to reflect a new, better you.

Now along comes this study on Botox which doubles down on this idea, which says, basically that if you can’t frown as much — literally, if you paralyze the muscles that make you feel bitter and resentful — then you simply can’t feel quite it with any real emotion.  It’s the chicken and the egg thing. Go ahead and try to pull a long face or give someone the evil eye. Ha! Can’t do it. So there. You can tease the brain to release a foul mood with a few tiny, painless, and costly injections. Or…

8. Laughter

A good belly laugh is much less expensive and saves you a trip to your dermatologist, however you may need to seek out funnier friends. Did you know that even pessimistic people find plenty to laugh about? Don’t let your chronic nihilism get in the way of true happiness. Cheerfully seek out jokes about the end of the world, mean little girls, and fascism; they’re out there. Then laugh as much as possible. Your life will get better.

happy foods9. International Day of Happiness (March 20, 2016)

This is a real day. Of course, so is “Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day” and “Mulligan Day,” all in October (I’m looking at my calendar as we speak), so take it with a grain of salt. You don’t have to bake a cake or anything, but if you want to really stretch yourself, you might don a happy face tee-shirt and meet up with a bunch of other folks at a park in the city. They’re not going to let you be sad; not if they can help it. Let me know how it goes, OK?

10. World’s Happiest Playlist 

(You’ll see that Pharrell Williams’ Happy didn’t make this list, at least last year.) You will find an interesting and seemingly random determination of what constitutes happy music. More important than tempo or key signature, “happy music,” whatever your criteria, is meaningful music.

This summer I heard a crew of roofers all singing the same song as they laid a roof on a new home over on the next ridge. I live in the Hill Country west of Austin, and the sound traveled the valley to my back porch and struck me still with joy. It was such a happy sound, studded with the staccato of hammer strikes, each man’s singular voice carrying the tune his own way and blending with the others. I wish it had lasted longer.

Most people don’t listen to enough music. We don’t memorize enough songs we can sing all the way through. We should. Make a playlist of your own that buoys your work and play.

Screen Shot 2015-10-17 at 4.35.20 PM11. EFT/Tapping.

Maybe you already know about this. Maybe you’re about to think I’ve lost my mind. Did you know that many people tap with their fingers on energy points to release negative thoughts and gather positive emotions to their psyche? Hundreds of thousands of experienced practitioners swear that the repetition of gentle but firm taps on meridian points of the body, coupled with positive verbal affirmations, help break through the negativity we carry around in our physical bodies…

I admit I don’t do this. It’s easy enough to just go get a cookie. Still, many people I respect and admire believe in tapping. It might work for you, too.

12. Nature

“Up! Up! my friend and quit your books;” Nature’s wisdom is more accessible than you think. There are degrees of immersion, but you don’t have to go somewhere so remote it takes hours to get there. Slip off your shoes and stand barefoot in grass, or gulp air up on the rooftop if you only have a minute.

The next best thing is plopping yourself down for ten minutes in front of a tree, or a plant, or a caterpillar, or your cat. If you have an hour, you might try escaping to a park bench (birds, grass, the whole big picture); or if you can spare an afternoon, a long quiet hike in the woods. There are pockets of raw nature in the heart of even the densest urban areas. I’ve been within a crow’s 30-second flight from a metropolis of millions and felt like I was in the middle of freaking nowhere.

Nature puts her arms around you if you give her half the chance. (I’m the daughter of a woman who hugs trees and lies down on rocks, just so you know, but I believe it’s in everyone’s blood.) Life is hardly worth living without a brief, daily hug from Mother Nature.

13. Happy Foods 

Yes, there are happy foods, and no, they’re not Doritos. Want a list of food that nourishes you with positive juju? Here it is.

Happy foods give you energy, mental clarity, and a calm, healthy gut. Priceless. They may not be the “party in your mouth” you crave, but over time, a steady diet of happy foods makes you feel more grateful and whole.

Joy essential oil14. Essential Oils

I can vouch for the immediate and happy vibe you get when you inhale essential oils.  Now don’t roll your eyes at me until you’ve tried a drop or two of Joy™, Clarity™, or Valor™ blends by Young Living — some of my favorites. Good old Lavender, Peppermint and Lemon oils are hard to beat too. Humans have used pure essential oils since our awakening because they are elemental to our well being.

Why do essential oils make you happy? Because those tiny molecules from a volatile oil speed to your limbic system and set off all kinds of instantaneous feelings, sensations, emotions, and memories.

Your olfactory system triggers instant cellular reactions to an essential oil’s complex chemical compounds, like a magic wand casting spells in the nerve center of your brain. You can’t lie to your limbic system. The nose knows…

People have been anointing themselves with oils throughout history to banish negativity and forge a closer bond with the “Life Force” and divinity present in all things. Pure plant oils strengthen and maintain a body’s mental, physical and spiritual health; the equivalent of happiness.

Remember David falling to his knees crying for purity: “Cleanse me with hyssop…” He wasn’t talking about physical cleanliness, but mental and spiritual clarity and purity.

15. The Book of Psalms.

While the spotlight is on David, here’s my personal recommendation when you just need positive words spoken over you. Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to convert you (David wasn’t a Christian!), but I find that the edges of my crankiest days are buffed smooth if I just open to the Psalms of the Bible and read a few verses. If you can’t find one that holds promise, comfort or joy, just turn the page. There are 150 Psalms in there, many of them full of happy imagery and encouragement.

That’s all, folks. I hope you have your own ways of finding happiness, little practices or go-to pleasures that make your feel like you just found a ten-dollar bill in last winter’s sweater pocket, or a candy kiss hidden in the back of your desk drawer. It’s the little things…

You can’t be the light if you’re not lit from within.

Personal happiness triggers are crucial, especially if you’re a little edgy, anxious, or self-critical. Not you, of course. I mean me… I reserve the right to mute grating, sticky-sweet songs when they bubble up from the radio; and I hope you replace my suggestions with your own if these don’t suit you.

If you want to, please share what brings you joy in the comments below. Any little way you sweep the cobwebs out of your brain and heart.

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Aesthetics of Joy, Ali Brown, be happier, be happy, beat the funk, book of Psalms, botox, Coloring for adults, EFT, essential oils, feel happier, funky mood, get our ot the doldrums, Glambition, Glambition podcast, Gretchen Rubin, happify, Happiness, happiness project, Happy foods, happy in 5 minutes or less, Happy the movie, how to feel happier, laughter, nature, Oh Joy!, tapping, Teesha Moree, trello, World's happiest playlist, Young Living essential oils

Two Unusual Essential Oil Blends For Diffusing

September 10, 2015 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Two Unusual Essential Oil Blends For Diffusing

essential oil blends for diffusingDo you love to experiment with new essential oil combos? You just can’t go wrong, so there’s really no need to fear. In fact you may come up with a delightful blend that elicits a special mood, invites in more fun, or simply helps you sleep.

When I went upstairs this morning the most beautiful scent enveloped me at the top of the steps. When I opened the diffuser I took a whiff, but couldn’t place what had been in there making that wonderful scent. When I asked about it later, I found it was simply “7 drops of Purification and 4 drops of Copaiba.”

“Purification²”

Wow, Purification is something I diffuse all the time on its own, but I’ve never diffused Copaiba, let alone with another oil.

Why not?

I frequently use Copaiba with other oils topically because it augments the effect of any oil it mixes with. If you use Lavender for relaxation, for example, then a few drops of Copaiba intensifies Lavender’s effect.

I remembered that little essential oils fact, but I’m so in the habit of placing the drops on my skin that I forgot I could diffuse it the same way.

Isn’t it funny how we get in a rut with our essential Oil usage? That’s why I love it when a new team member comes on board and shakes things up! The fresh perspective is great for everyone involved.

Experimenting with essential oil blends is fun once you start. You’ll get over that misconception that you’re “wasting” the oil if you mix it with something “wrong.”It all depends on what you like and what benefits you’re aiming for.

Another way to come up with new ways to use oils is by replacing one of your commonly used oils with something similar (a citrus for another citrus, for example, or an evergreen with another “pine-y” oil); or by adding something unusual to replace an oil you don’t have.

For example, there is a blend recommended for uplifting your spirit and energy levels. Found on the app called “Reference Guide 4EO” it suggests equal parts (3 drops each) Wintergreen, Lavender, Orange, and Spruce. But what if you don’t have some of those oils; what do you do?

Today I tried the recipe with some slight modifications and let me tell you, it is divine. I’ve been diffusing it all day and the atmosphere is heavenly. I literally feel lighter on my feet — how’s that for uplifting?

“Updraft”

  • 3 drops Lavender
  • 3 drops Wintergreen
  • 3 drops Citrus Fresh
  • 3 drops Norther Lights Black Spruce (this very special oil provides the magic in this blend, making all the other oils a touch more divine — Love it!)

Do you have any blends you diffuse that you’d like to share? Please feel free in the comments. Always open your senses to new ways to use Young Living Essential Oils!

Filed Under: essential oils Tagged With: blending essential oils, citrus fresh, copaiba, diffusing, diffusing essential oils, diffusion, essential oil blends, essential oils, experimentation with essential oils, lavender, northern lights black spruce, purification, wintergreen, YLEO Young Living EO, Young Living essential oils

Relax! There’s No Wrong Way To Use An Essential Oil

September 4, 2015 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Relax! There’s No Wrong Way To Use An Essential Oil

Good News For Beginners!

There's no wrong way to use an essential oil

As an enthusiastic new Young Living Member, I keep getting my socks knocked off by some of the cool things essential oils can do. I know, I know, I’m late to the party, but my jaw drops when I see and feel them in action in my own life.

Keep in mind, I’m talking about 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils. You have to know where they’re coming from to know they’re okay, but when your mind is at ease that they are 100% pure and safe, then the sky’s the limit.*

Less Reliance On The Drugstore

I used to rotate all sorts of products from the drugstore to stay healthy. Whatever I needed to make my head feel better or my hands look pretty, I’d have it close at hand.

Ever since being introduced to Young Living, I’ve started using essential oils for almost everything. I haven’t had a need to reach into the medicine cabinet for any of that stuff. I’ve become comfortable with experimentation, because I know I’m using God’s medicine.

For example, my hands take a beating. Not sure why I’m so hard on them, because I spend a lot of time at my keyboard. For some reason, though, when I’m not writing, I’m using my hands for cooking, cleaning, planting, etc. and they get nicked up pretty good. So for a long time I was had a tube of that popular drugstore ointment in my kitchen AND van.

Now my hands look as pretty as ever. Not only do I use Lavender and Melaleuca (common essential oils for skin) for general skin use, but I rub whatever extra oil I’m using on the backs of my hands when I’m done. The random assortment of oils my hands get as an afterthought have really improved their appearance. Do you notice that yourself?

Another way I’ve substituted essential oils: I use Deep Relief™ for comfort from tension when I have too much on my mind (and shoulders). Sometimes I try Peppermint or Aroma Seize™  if I’m mildly uncomfortable, but Deep Relief really works to make me feel better when I don’t want to mess around at all. Relief — NOW, please!

stress awayIt’s OK to experiment with essential oils…

Recently, during this period of experimentation, I had the opportunity to share an essential oil I like with a friend I love. When she was home from New York a couple of months ago, we met at a restaurant to celebrate her 50th birthday.

Within the first 10 minutes of seeing each other (after months apart) she pointed to a strange textured, dry patch about the size of a dime on the back of her left hand. “Look at this,” she said. “I don’t know what it is…”

All I had on me was Stress Away™ so I gave it to her to use until her skin was back to normal.

Silly newbie, moi…

Note: this is where it’s obvious I did not know what I was doing! I told her to just rub it on that strange dry patch on her hand, and on her neck and anywhere she felt stressed. “But in any case,” I said, “just keep putting this stuff on that hand.” I wanted her to have something that would keep her skin cells healthy, and I figured any oil was better than no oil. In fact, many essential oils are even gentle enough for a baby’s skin, so may as well try it.

See the funny thing is now, I would probably be toting a few more oils for different uses, so I would NOT have chosen Stress Away – especially not the whole darn bottle! — and I might even have some tester bottles with me — hopefully! At the time, though, that was all I had to give, so I gave it. “Sharing is caring!”

We texted each other the other day and I asked if she was using her oil and how her hand was. “Yes, she used the oil and her skin was soft and good as ever.”  she texted. “All good.” And that’s pretty much the end of the story.

And this is what’s so important to remember. You can’t go wrong with oils — just about any oil will have some beneficial effect.

Use what you have.

What I’m learning about oils – the coolest thing, to me – is that they are truly intelligent. Plant oils just show up. They attend to whatever it is, and do the best they can with what they have. In many cases (so many, I’m dumbfounded) they help. They just help.

Some people look at building a business in Young Living as a great way to replace their income, or to make it possible to replace a lot of other products and toxins inside the home and on and around their bodies. That’s important, and those are great reasons! But just think; there’s also that opportunity to help. To do what you can with what you have, and to share what you can with people on your email list, in your neighborhood, at your gym — wherever you go!

I love the service aspect to this world of essential oils.

While I’m still a newbie, these experiments, and the opportunity to help others with oils are fun and exciting. Although I’m sure I’ll get smarter about using and sharing particular oils for particular issues – and not giving away entire bottles of my favorites at the mention of any small thing (I’ve don’t that, too) – I imagine I’ll look back someday and see this as part of my education in learning to use oils and in building a business around it.

So go ahead experiment, have fun trying new things. You really can’t go wrong.

The only disclaimer I would add to this is to be careful on sensitive skin or babies’ skin. You don’t want to use a hot oil like peppermint or cinnamon on sensitive skin. Any question in your mind? Dilute it or call the person who introduced you to Young Living Essential Oils. They’ll help you out.

Would you like to try some of these essential oils for yourself? I’d be happy to send you some samples! Just contact me, and we’ll connect. Or, if you’re just curious, check out this website and have a look around.

*The FDA has not analyzed this statement for accuracy. This statement is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or heal any known or suspected disease. Consult your doctor.

Filed Under: essential oils Tagged With: Deep Relief, dry skin, essential oils, experimentation with essential oils, learning how to use essential oil Stress Away, newbie to essential oil, no wrong way to use an essential oil, peppermint, skin, using essential oils, Young Living essential oils

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