How crazy is it that we are actually in December...the last few days of 2023???
Not sure what it looks like outside your window right now, but we have several inches of that white fluffy stuff on the ground and more is falling...definitely sets the stage for the magic winter brings.
Now, let's switch things up a bit. Instead of offering the usual information on this month's free gifts with purchase, I want to empower you with some self-help tools. Below, you'll find links each oil that you can get for free when you shop from your own online store. Whether you're stocking up on essentials or finding the perfect gifts for family and friends, these freebies will be an incredible bonus. Simply click on the oil name to learn more.
These links come from Life Steps, my favorite app packed with valuable education, resources, and fun DIY ideas. Take a moment to explore and discover the countless benefits it has to offer.
Wishing you a wonderful week filled with joy, warmth, and the enchantment of winter.
Supper is finally finished, homework or chores are done, sports practices are over, the kids are settled for the night. . . you sit down on the couch, let out a big sigh, and you . . .
Let your mind wander back to everything you didn’t get accomplished today…
Continue to stress over that argument or phone call that didn’t go your way…
Already find yourself being anxious about everything you have to do tomorrow…
Sound familiar??
What if your downtime went something like this . . . you sit down on the couch, let out a big sigh, and you . . .
Celebrate everything that you crossed off your to-do list…
Feel at peace with the way you handled every situation you faced because you were able to stay calm and relaxed…
Find yourself looking forward to tomorrow with anticipation of all the blessings coming your way…
Sound too good to be true?
It doesn’t have to be!
Your body needs sleep to physically function, make decisions, focus on tasks, manage those emotions, and to handle all that each day can throw at you! Think about that toddler who has missed their nap. They are grumpy, overwhelmed by small things, and anything that isn't just right. Your adult brains feel the same way when you don’t get enough sleep…how’s that for a visual? 😉
I don’t know about you, but too much stress usually means too little sleep, which then leaves me more tired, more cranky, and more stressed. So how do we stop the cycle?
So much of getting a good night's rest is in establishing a routine, even for adults! Walking through the same steps each evening helps you create a habit as well as cues your brain that it's time to rest.
* Keep the lights low and warm after dinner. Think more ambient lighting and candles and avoid those overhead lights if possible.
*Turn off your phone.
*Sip on some hot tea - add even more benefit with a drop of Lemon Vitality.
*Take a bath - add a cup of Epsom salt with 10 drops of Lavender or other sleep oil, then use Relaxation Massage Oil or Lavender Hand & Body Lotion all over. You can also add a drop or two of your favorite oil to the massage oil or lotion for an extra boost!
*Light stretches - nothing over the top, just some light stretches or Yoga poses to help release tension. Put some Frankincense and PanAway on your feet.
*Grab your oils and apply them to the bottom of your big toes (the nerve endings that connect to the brain end here!), your wrists, neck, and chest. You can use the same oils we talked about or try my favorites - Tranquil, RutaVala, Dream Catcher, or Roman Chamomile. I am sure you have heard of or maybe even tried Chamomile tea, right? What effect did it have on you? If it made you feel calm and relaxed, imagine that times 100?!! It has the power to calm the crankiest babies, relax the most restless adults, minimize the biggest feelings of fear and worry, stabilize the most out of whack emotions, and foster the ability to release your most negative emotions. This one is worth stocking up on!
You can even make your own roll-ons by simply adding a total of 40-60 drops of any of the oils listed above to a 10ml roller bottle, then top it off with your favorite carrier oil. Easy peasy!
* Run a fan, or sound machine to help drown out any noise.
* Keep your room cool (but not overly cold). Your body sleeps better when it has a cooler temperature.
* Make your bed a comfy, cozy space. Think soft textures that are inviting and feel good against your skin.
*Try Seedlings Linen Spray or a DIY pillow spray with your favorite sleep oils! Gently spray pillows, sheets, blankets.
Sleep Essence combines Lavender, Vetiver, Valerian and Tangerine oils with melatonin, our natural sleep hormone. It’s also a great tool when go below that wellness line.
ImmuPro is a blend of Ningxia wolfberry, reishi, maitake, and agaricus blazei mushroom powders along with melatonin to boost immunity and help you rest when you need it most.
Once you oil up, if you are still having a hard time relaxing and your thoughts are still racing, here are a couple of other things you can try:
Journaling - Getting your thoughts on paper helps to get them out of your head. Keep a journal on your nightstand and put the brakes on those racing thoughts by jotting them down.
Gratitude - Instead of laying there thinking of all the things that could go wrong, force yourself to focus on all the things that have gone right. Need some help? Apply your Gratitude to your wrists and breathe deep.
Get Up - I know, this sounds counterintuitive, right? Why would you ‘get up’ if you are trying to get to sleep? If you are tossing and turning and getting more and more restless, getting up and finding a simple task to do, applying an oil, or even grabbing an adult coloring book can be just the thing to calm your mind enough to be ready for sleep.
What's your favorite trick to help you settle down and fall asleep? I'm always collecting ideas and solutions! Simply hit reply and share it with me! I'd love to hear from you!
After a long, cold winter and the sometimes dreary penetrating cold of spring, you are absolutely ready to get outside when the sun starts shining warm and bright, right?? But, sadly, what else wakes up at about the same time?? Yup – the bugs…the black flies, the mosquitoes, the ticks...
And get this…according to the World Health Organization, the mosquito is the deadliest of all animals...
For centuries, plants or smoke from fires have been used to naturally repel insects. But, over the last 100 years or so, these were replaced with toxic chemicals. Is anyone surprised by that yet??
DDT was the first modern synthetic insecticide. Introduced in the 40’s, there was a jingle to go along with it – DDT is good for me-e-e!! Anything that has a jingle must be good for us, right? 😉
But the EPA issued a cancellation order for DDT in 1972 because of its adverse environmental effects to wildlife and people. Go figure.
Then came DEET and other toxic chemicals and even chemical coated clothing. Now think about your skin being porous… DEET has been associated with seizures, numbness and behavioral changes, nasal cancers, compromised immune systems, cardiovascular toxicity, respiratory distress, and severe allergic reactions. DEET brought on a change in the brain of after just a brief exposure to it…and mosquitoes and other insects can develop an insensitivity to it…
38 essential oils were studied in 2005 to look at their ability to repel mosquitos. Let’s take a look at a few.
Citronella with vanillin provided 3 hours of protection, is calming, and helps you think about those things that “bug you”…and you might just find that those “pesky annoyances” are just the things you need to be more accepting of in others...so you can accept them in yourself…
Lemongrass along with citrus or tree oils with vanillin was superior to DEET and also releases resentment, regret from those “should haves”, and pessimism, turning those negative energies into positive ones, so optimism, courage and hope can return.
Cedarwood oil protects against a variety of insects including ants, fire ants, ticks and moths. It helps you feel safe and secure with yourself as well as in your environment, kind of an energetic feeling of a safe warm blanket…so it’s a double blessing for supporting annoyance free sleep for those overnight adventures in the great outdoors…it also has skin cleansing properties and is a natural deodorizer…all great benefits for that active, outside lifestyle.
You can blend it with citronella, rosemary, tea tree, myrtle, clove or lemongrass. Sounds like a win in any situation, right??
Other great oil options are Cinnamon Bark, Geranium, Juniper, Lavender, Peppermint, Sage, Spearmint, Tea Tree and Thyme.
If you aren’t a fan of DIY’s, I’ve got you! Have you tried YL’s insect repellant?? It repels mosquitoes, ticks and fleas with no DEET, or any of the other toxic crap we talk about, is safe for children and for those with sensitive skin.
We tried this out on a walk one day…Delaney and I put it on. Dana did not. Normally the bugs don’t bother him, so he wasn’t worried. It was pretty hysterical when just a little bit into our walk, he is swatting at the bugs that had congregated around him, while Delaney and I are walking along, bug free…he tried to out run them, he swatted at them with his hat, he spun around…nothing worked. That was proof enough for me! LOL We put ours in a roller bottle or a spray bottle for easiest application and one bottle lasted us for a couple of years! Still effective!
There you go, my friends! A little help with that bug free late spring and summer.
What's on your summer bucket list??
