If it Doesn’t Feel Like Fall, Then Make it Smell Like Fall

We all know how I miss the Fall, so I won’t linger on that point. But rather, share how to enjoy what I can of the season.

Blogging helps keep me stay seasonal, because it’s the date and not the weather that truly denotes time. So with that being said, one of my favorite ways to enjoy the Fall, is to smell it!

Essential Oil Blends are great for so many things and diffusing them throughout the day is the best! My favorite Fall blend is called “Fall Immunity” and these are all top picks in my house:

Fragrant Fall Blends

Cider

4 Tangerine
3 Cinnamon
3 Ginger

Pumpkin Pie

5 Cinnamon
1 Clove
1 Nutmeg

Fall Immunity

1 Tangerine
1 Lemon
1 Peppermint
1 Cinnamon

Off to Camp

3 Idaho Blue Spruce
2 Ylang Ylang
2 Tangerine

Tangerine Spice

5 Tangerine
1 Cinnamon
1 Nutmeg

What are some of your favorite blends? Do you diffuse often in your house? There are some great winter blends that I can’t wait to use either, so watch for those come this winter season!

If you’re interested in Young Living Oils, leave a comment and I would be happy to help you.

Have you read my wellness book? It has great, everyday tips and you’ll love it!

Disclaimer: I use Young Living Essential Oils and based on my research, I believe these are the best, safest, and most pure oils on the market. PLEASE do your own research and determine which oils are best for you and your family.

Recipes

Use No Sick to Help Your Family Stay Not Sick!

No Sick you say, what’s that? Well, it’s an essential oil blend, and one of my favorites.

Want to stay healthy? No Sick. Feeling off and don’t want to get more sick? No Sick. Feeling fine and want to stay that way? No Sick.

If you want one made, contact me and I’ll be happy to send one your way. Otherwise, use the mixture below to make your own. Either way, if you want wellness, this oil blend will help get you there.

No Sick Blend

25 drops Oregano oil
25 drops Thieves oil
one ounce of carrier oil

To use, remove the cap and swipe on your skin. A good place is the side of your foot or on your wrist where your skin is thinner.

That’s it. And it smells like Christmas, and I love that.

Having blends (or single oils) in roller bottles are great because you can carry them around easily and one swipe is all you need. For preventative wellness, use it daily. If you’re feeling sick, use it every three hours or so until you’re feeling better.

If you liked this wellness article, check out my wellness book!

Want a paperback copy? Comment and I will send one right to you!

Essential Oils Recipes The Life I Live

Taking a Bath with Essential Oils

How do you get skin care and relaxation, all in one? Take an essential oils bath, of course!

You skin is your largest organ. Acting as a sponge, it absorbs whatever it comes in contact with. Because your skin is susceptible to all the elements, you have to make sure to consider it. Also, let this remind you to use quality products.

One of my favorite ways to care for my skin is through essential oil baths. They are easy to prepare and relaxing. Plus, your skin sits and soaks in the goodness. (Get it, bath..soak? LOL) This is how.

How to Prepare an Essential Oils Bath

1. Draw a bath of warm, and NOT hot (this detail is most important,) water.

2. Using a mason jar or glass measuring container, add two cups of Epsom salt. To the salt, add your oils. I like to use a combination of the following oils:

Frankincense 5 drops
Copaiba 10 drops
Lavender 10 drops
Tea Tree 10 drops
Peppermint 2 drops

Figure out what you like best or what works best for your skin, and use those. You can essentially add any you want, just be careful of the citrus and photosensitive oils if you plan to be out in the sun.

3. And lastly, for love of skin, (and not the smell of it,) I add about a cup of Apple Cider Vinegar to the bath water. ACV is very acidic and helps your skins pH, among other things.

4. Soak 20-30 minutes to reap the benefits.

5. Finish with lotion

apply a high-quality lotion

Quality refers to the ingredients, so the more natural, the better. You want lotions to list no-parabens and no dyes. If you can, use completely natural sources to take the guess work out of making sure you’ve got the good stuff.

Coconut oil is an amazing moisturizer. A little goes a long way, so use it sparingly, until you’re used to it. Other oils like jojoba, sweet almond, avocado oil, and others work much the same way.

Self-care using quality ingredients are vital to feel your best. Check out the links below for my everyday, wellness book and some of my favorite, natural products.

This lotion I love!

Apple Cider Vinegar is awesome for your skin and also to cook with!

For oils, I use Young Living Essential Oils. If you want to order through me, let me know in the comments.

The Life I Live

Be Happier Today with These Five Things

Everyone wants to be happy. Want to get happy from the inside out? It isn’t about fancy dinners, expensive trips, and stuff.

But instead about true human connection, love, and exploring the splendors of the world. This life on earth is our only one.

Rough day, rough week? No fear. These ideas will get you on track to feeling better. And never forget to fake it ’til you make it!

1. Smile. Seriously. Smile and see what happens. No matter your emotion, literally turning up your lips in a smile creates the illusion of happiness and you can trick yourself into a better mood. Because, when you are in a good mood, you smile. So, do it on purpose and see what happens.
2. Think of something you’re thankful for. All of us have something to be thankful for. Most of us have so many things to be thankful for. Thinking about the good things in life is the best way to be happy. And really, we could all stand to be more thankful in this life.
3. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Life can be stressful. Work, errands, family, and even friends can make it so busy. But you know what you can do, no matter where you are, or what you’re doing? You can take a minute to yourself. You can literally walk away from the madness, or at least block it out. Take the time to close your eyes, and take a deep breath… Ok, carry on.
4. Oils. I’m sorry if you didn’t see it coming, but if you’ve read my stuff before, I’m sure you did. Look. Essential oils changed.my.life. I cannot say enough good about them. And whatever you need, I’m telling you, “There’s an oil for that!” So whether you swipe some on, diffuse it into the air you breathe or sniff it straight out of the bottle, oils will make you happier today. If you haven’t already, you must try them.
5. Laugh. Google a joke or better yet, ask the person next to you/person in the same room/Alexa, to tell you one. Laughing literally renews the spirit. It helps rid the body of depression. It brings you to a place of innocence, and it just feels so good.
I love these tips and I try to do them everyday, sometimes even several times a day. And the more “not happy” I feel, the more I try to do them. Because, self care.

Happy Thursday XOXO

Check out my wellness book for more on how to feel best everyday and if you want to know more about oils, leave a comment.

The Life I Live

Self Care For Your Feet: Essential Oils Massage

Whether you use lotion or essential oils, it’s important to remember your feet! They walk, run, jump, and move you around, everyday of your life and how much do you care for them?

Do you know any of the pressure points of the feet? Do you lotion and moisturize your feet? Here’s a snapchat video compilation to get you started:

Step One: Lotion or Oil Blend

Here’s an oil blend for you to try:

When I say “15” and “5,” I mean **drops**

Oil up time! First the left:

Feels so goooooooooood:

And up your leg a little, too:

And the other foot:

Sock time!

And that’s that! You will be so glad you took the time to do a quick, 5 minute foot massage and the oils you applied to your feet will benefit your whole body. In fact, applying oils to your feet are great because your foot skin is nice and thin and easily absorbs the oils. Happy Massaging!

If you liked this wellness article, check out my wellness book!

Want a paperback copy? Comment and I will send one right to you!

The Life I Live

Essential Oil Lovers, Be Careful Using Oils This Summer Season

Essential oils came into my life and I’ve loved them ever since. I use oils for my allergies, my face, to prevent sickness, and so much more!

Essential Oils for the Summer

Essential oils are great for summertime use. Tea tree oil wards off bugs and Copaiba is soothing and restorative after too much time in the sun.

Be Careful With These Essential Oils in the Summer

But please, whatever you do, don’t oil up with anything citrus during the summer! Oils like Lemon, Grapefruit, Lime, Orange, Coriander, and even Ginger are photo sensitive. Wearing these oils in the sunshine can and will burn you. Don’t do it.

Still want the great effects of these oils? Use them at night! If you end your day with light sensitive oils you reap the benefits without any negative side effects.

Use oils on skin areas not prone to constant sunlight. This is the safest way to protect yourself and your skin.

My Favorite Essential Oils For The Summer

In the diffuser, grapefruit and lime create a light summer scent. Lemon and Lavender is a fresh, calming scent too.
Tea tree keeps the bugs away as does Lavender.
Did you get a little too much sun? Use oils like Copaiba, Lavender, and Frankincense soothe and protect you skin.

Essential oils are great year around but it’s important to pay attention to what oils you’re using and when.

Want to order oils through me? My Young Living member number is 3682018. Leave any questions in the comments and happy oiling!

Disclaimer: I use Young Living Essential Oils and based on my research, I believe these are the best, safest and most pure oils on the market. PLEASE do your own research and determine which oils are best for you and your family.

The Life I Live

My 5 Favorite Essential Oil Blends

Essential oils get used in my everyday and I love them. Creating my own blends is fun and healthful. Below are my favorites- enjoy!

No Sick Blend

50% Oregano and 50% Thieves. This blend smells amazing. I always keep it in a roller bottle in my purse, especially during travel. I try to use it everyday when I remember and every two hours if I’m feeling off. Love it.

Allergy Blend

15 drops Peppermint, 15 drops Lavender and 15 drops Lemon. This blend smells great too and as a former daily allergy pill consumer, I love that I don’t have to use anything over the counter anymore! This blend is the other roller bottle I always keep in my purse and it works great.

Face Blend (for me)

If you know me, the thought that I would even consider trying oil on my face is crazy. Even more so now that I use it everyday and don’t ever want to turn back. I’ve tried many different things along the way but keep it simple with Organic Almond Oil and Frankincense. You can use a roller bottle or an old oil bottle. I use about 20 drops of Frankincense and fill the rest with almond oil.

Face Blend (for Husband)

I hate all the ingredients in conventional lotions so I just had to come up with a blend for my husband to use on his face. I filled his mix with things that mirror what a lotion does (like an “after shave”) and mixed with his pheromones, this blend smells amazing! 5 drops Copaiba, 3 drops Peppermint, 3 drops Valor (Valor II) and 2 drops Frankincense. His face isn’t sensitive like mine so I use any carrier oil I have on hand (usually Almond or Jojoba) and always keep his blend in a roller bottle.

Bath Blend

Using essential oils in the bath is one of my favorite indulgences! My blend depends on the day (and reason for taking a bath) but they are a great extra. I used about 2 cups Epsom salt and drip the oils into the salts before adding them to the bath. 5 drops Tea Tree Oil, 5 drops Stress Away, 10 drops Lavender and 5 drops Copaiba go into almost every bath. Using oils in the tub smells great and feels great too. (I also like to add apple cider vinegar to my bath.)

Carrier Oils

coconut oil
almond oil
jojoba oil

You can (and should) add a carried to help thicken your blends. Everyone is different so test out what you use and find what works best for you. These carrier oils are my favorite but there are others out there to try as well.

Try some of these or let me know your favorites!

The Life I Live

Travel Tips For Essential Oils

Love to travel? Love essential oils? Use these ideas so that you can always have access to the oils you love!

Roller Balls

Roller balls are hands down the best and easiest way to travel with essential oils. Using these for blends at home are great but on a plane or traveling, they are absolutely essential.

Find some easily on Amazon and make sure they are darker in color and glass.

Blends/Singles

There are several blends I cannot live without. One is my daily (sometimes more) allergy blend, another for my face “moisturizer” and a third I call “No Sick.” Blends are one or more oils typically mixed with a carrier oil.

I also make sure to have the single oils that are most important with me. Typically I travel with 4-5 blends and 3-4 additional single oils, depending on needs.

Quart sized bag

Whether traveling by plane or running an errand, I almost always have oils on hand. Instead of buying (an albeit cuter and “better” oil carrying bag) I prefer a quart sized plastic bag. You just place the oils into the bag and zip up the top. Sometimes I fold down the top if they’re in my purse for easy access.

No Sick

My ultimate favorite blend is one I call “No Sick.” 50/50 oregano and thieves, it smells of Christmas and is one of my favorite scents. I am sure to use it a couple times a week and especially when I am feeling under the weather or sick.

How to Get Through the Airport

Three ways:

Checked Bag

Checking your oils works just fine. The only downfall is that you cannot use them in flight or until you get your bag back.

X ray

X rays deal with frequencies so theoretically they shouldn’t affect the oils, though some people disagree.

Hand Check

If you have them hand check your oils, you’re likely to get further testing as well. A hand swipe and body pat down was included when I did it this way.

I personally have done all three methods when at the airport. Putting the oils through the X ray seems the most efficient way to keep your oils on you. The downside to hand checking is extra time and “checks.” Each of these worked fine and after putting them through X ray I haven’t noticed a notable difference in any of my oils. The choice is yours.

Frankincense

Frankincense is one of the most amazing oils out there and I love it for many things. Put this wonderful oil on the lower backside of your ears while your on the plane and enjoy little to no pressure and popping during take off and landing. Coming from someone with ear and pressure sensitivities, this works so great!

These are some tried and true travel tips that work fantastically and are convenient too. Good luck and happy adventures!

The Life I Live

9 Reasons I Love Essential Oils And Why They Have Replaced My “Medicine” Cabinet

Everyone knows that plants hold the essence of life, filled with all the vitamins, minerals and healthful properties, making them one of the most important facets of your daily diet. Now, imagine you can take all the goodness from the very leaves, flowers and innards of said plants and have only that wonderful concentration, at your fingertips, for use at will.

No need to imagine, because you can. And they’re called essential oils.

Essential oils have been used for thousands of years and were first recorded around 5000 years ago. This form of ancient healing and medicine is so old that it’s even mentioned in the bible. There are so many reasons to love and use oils, they’re great.

1. They’re natural

Reducing chemicals and toxins in this life is a top priority of mine. From phytoestrogens to GMO’s, everyday life introduces and contains more man made substances than ever before. Find and use more natural sources of nutrition and wellness wherever possible.

2. They’ve been used for thousands of years

This day in age, if something doesn’t work or react the the way you want it to- you replace it. To me, it’s saying something that these oils have been around forever and are still being used. Not only that, they’re more popular than ever.

3. They promote everyday wellness

As a former daily allergy pill user, I have not used OTC allergy medicine of any kind since starting with essential oils. Also, instead of lotions or moisturizers, I now use an oil (and carrier oil) blend for my face and body needs. Beyond this, I diffuse oils daily for the amazingly fresh (non-toxic) scent and the benefits associated with inhaling the blends.

4. They prevent sickness

Preventative health includes eating well, exercising and “feeding” your body far before you get sick. Taking healthful oils and staying well is the most important. This will ensure you become healthier sooner post sickness and help keep you from getting sick in the first place.

5. They can be used in cooking

When you add (food grade) oils to meals, they provide flavoring and therapeutic benefits all-in-one. Just make sure not to heat them too hot as essential oils lose their therapeutic properties when heated beyond their flash points.

6. Save time and money

Time and money are saved in regards to preventative health. If you don’t get sick, you don’t have to visit the doctor or pharmacy. A typical doctor visit will cost you $500 these days ($50 with insurance). Whereas an emergency visit can cost upwards of $1200.

Thieves and oregano oil mixed 50/50 is my favorite preventative oil blend, dubbed “No Sick” for its healthful effect. (And I ALWAYS have this blend with me when I’m traveling.)

7. They are the best of the anti’s

Essential oils have all the best properties including antibacterial, antifungal, anti-infectious, antimicrobial, and antiviral. To me, there is nothing better than experiencing all of these healthful benefits from something completely natural “medicine.”

8. Boosts the immune system

Lemon essential oil is a great essential oil for boosting immunity. (Frankincense, oregano, thieves, and peppermint oil too.) Often used in the diffuser, lemon smells great and can also be directly applied to the skin. Tip: If you plan to be in the sun, make sure to apply lemon at night. Lemon can cause photosensitivity and therefore shouldn’t be worn in the sun.

9. Roller Balls!

You can purchase roller balls making the mixing and application of your favorite (homemade blends) so easy. Make sure that you find dark glass bottles for the best applicators around.

Essential oils are so earthly amazing, it’s almost hard to remember a time before using them. Try these oils and experience the benefits for yourself.

The Life I Live

My 5 Favorite Natural Ways To Get Un-Sick and Quick!

‘Tis the season and whether you live in Northern WI or Southern FL, sickness always seems to accompany the holidays. Everyone has a passed down remedy for a sore throat or a cure all food to ward off a cold. These are usually things from your childhood that lapse into adulthood until they can be given to the next generation. Along with these come your own practices to get well.

When I woke up yesterday feeling under the weather, I found myself doing what I always do and I wanted to share those things with you:

Tea

Black tea or green tea with a pinch of cinnamon, cayenne pepper, some honey and fresh lemon. Speaking of lemon..

Lemon

Lemon. And more lemon. On everything. In everything. Lemons have antibacterial and antifungal properties making fresh lemon juice the stuff of health.

Essential Oil Bath

I love a bath anyhow but there is nothing like slipping your sore and achy sick body into the warmth and stillness of a bath. There are typically three things I add to a bath:

Apple Cider Vinegar- Good for your skin health including balancing the pH and killing the fungus and bacteria on your skin

Epsom salt- Also good for your skin and helps soothe sore muscles (great for the fitness lover in me=)

Essential Oils- I love Young Living Essential oils for everything in life, especially the bath.

Tea Tree Oil contains antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic and antiviral properties and is gentle on your skin. I added Lavender and Stress Away (my favorite blend!) as well.

Tip: Add the oil drops to your salt before adding to the bath water, this ensures the oils won’t bother your skin. (I’ve never had a problem adding the oils on top of the water but you can never be sure)

Water

We all know that drinking water is as important to life as breathing. 55-60% of an adults body is made up of water. When you’re sick, staying hydrated will make you feel better and keep things moving as well.

No Sick Soup

You didn’t think you’d get through this without a recipe, did you? Haha. This is my “No Sick Soup.” Made with fresh vegetables, fresh garlic and chicken broth, this soup is calming and filled with goodness.

No Sick Soup

1 baking potato, washed and sliced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk of celery, diced
5 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock

Add everything in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until you can easily insert a fork into each type of vegetable. Scoop into bowls and add fresh pepper and a pinch of salt. Enjoy and feel better!

Feeling sick is a pain and will slow you down for sure. Make sure to rest when you need it and fuel up on nutritious and healthy foods and drinks so that you can feel better fast!