Creating a Cozy Home with Oils

Tis the season, Friends, to be with loved ones and celebrate being together. Oh wait… that’s been the last eight months, right? Still, and maybe more than ever, I am all for creating an atmosphere that helps us create and FEEL at peace. Did you know that one of the easiest ways to cozy up your home is with scent? But I’m not talking fake scent and fake fragrances, friends! I mean by filling our diffusers, making DIY room sprays and adding ALL the twinkly lights, cozy blankets and throw pillows.

It is SO easy to make homemade room and linen sprays. One of my recent favorites is called ‘Flannel Shirts’ and it is a mixture of Northern Lights Black Spruce + Stress Away. All you need is a 2oz glass spray bottle, a splash of witch hazel, 10-15 drops of each oil and voila; spritz on flannel sheets, linens, PJ’s, and/or keep in a bathroom.

There are SO many incredible diffuser favorites for Fall and Winter…but to name a few of ours, we LOVE spice oils, such as Nutmeg and Clove, Cinnamon Bark and Cassia. We also love the Conifer oils, I.e. Black Spruce, Pine, and the NEW Winter Nights blend. Vanilla is BRAND NEW to Young Living and you better believe I am diffusing this basically around the clock. Keep your oils HANDY and close by. Add your personal touch of trinkets and holiday knick knacks, and then diffuse, diffuse, diffuse.

With the colder weather and getting darker earlier outside, I basically want to cozy up inside every single day…if you’re wondering if our twinkle lights are on all the time, the answer is yes. If you’re wondering if I am running all the diffusers ALL the time, the answer is also yes. I don’t want to burn candles all day every day…I don’t desire all of that aftermath for our air filters OR for our lungs (and our pets!!) so I am all about filling our diffusers every single day and creating this atmosphere, always. There are SO MANY good options to replace candles, Y’all. I’m talking Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla, Apple Cinnamon Cider, Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte, Sweater Weather and SO much more. Another thing that makes our home cozy and inviting, are the products that we use. For instance, our Christmas Spirit foaming hand soap is basically Heaven on earth and no joke, after you wash your hands, you may be that person constantly sniffing them but hey, I got you—no judgement here!! It smells THAT good and we know!

Alright, last but definitely not least. The BEST way to cozy up your home this season….get ya a pair of Golden Retrievers!! Ha ha ha! These two make everything pretty wonderful so of course they needed a spot here in this blog post :) Get your cozy on, Friends. And if you try one of these tips, let me know! Don’t have essential oils either? Let’s fix that. Just shoot me a message and let’s chat!

Motherhood and Sick Days

Most days I don’t think about my role, being Mom just seems normal. But there are a couple instances when I have felt like my heart is walking outside of my body and one of the times was when I went on vacation for the first time without my kids, and Asa and I were simply ALONE. Just the two of us. Without our kids. The first day I remember being somewhat giddy and excited and READY for several days with JUST my husband. And then I woke the next morning and my heart had disappeared. GONE. I was anxious and confused and overwhelmed and wondering constantly IF my kids were okay. Would the sitters remember to do this or that or what to sing them or how to comfort them? My heart was outside of my chest as I walked around the city and the beach, and as people passed us by—”They don’t know that I’m a Mom,” I thought.

To some of you, that may sound crazy ;) But to many of you, you’re like, “I get it.”

Once you’re Mom, you’re MOM. And while often you may not think about it because you’re doing the day in and day out and the chores and routine…but do you KNOW how important this role IS?

Enter how I have recently began to feel on sick days. Not my sick days, where I’m feeling like crap and missing MY mom—but the days where fevers are burning my sweet kiddos bodies, their heads are throbbing with headaches, their legs are weak with fatigue, they’re cranky and emotional and exhausted. These days. My heart starts walking outside of my chest and it grasps at their six and seven year old selves. My role as MOM explodes with such uniqueness. I think it was when our kids turned four and five and the baby and toddler days just felt so far behind me; that was when it hit me like a ton of bricks that these days are FLEETING. When they’re sick, who do they want?

Mom.

Dads and husbands, please don’t take offense at this post. Lord knows my kids ADORE their Dad and he is quite literally the BEST Dad there is. Our kids will sit on his lap and rock with him and cuddle, but then it’s time for Mom. The phrase used to be, “Mommy put me down,” when they couldn’t construct great sentences. Now they can actually say, “I love you, Dad. I want Mommy…”

There’s something about being needed isn’t there? Maybe that’s mostly what it is... Having tiny souls want you and need you and love you with all of their being. I kind of laughed as I wrote this out, it sounds so SELFISH. But this blog is really for me to remember how I feel. When our kids are sick, the Mom gene inside of me goes full fledge into overdrive and I’m there for it all. When they wake crying because their fever spikes, my feet fly up the stairs. I hum and sing and stroke their foreheads. I bring fresh cups of ice water and fill their diffusers with all the right blends to make their rooms cozy and clean. There’s something about being MOM on their sick days, that is so fulfilling; that is so valuable. They won’t always need me the way that their little selves do. And I finally understand how my own mom must feel with her daughter living six hours away. Probably like a piece or two of HER heart is outside of her chest… (I wonder if she knows how I FEEL when I am sick?!) When a fever hits me, guess who is the first for me to text and complain to? Yup…my mom!

Also don’t get me wrong—I don’t LIKE when our kids are sick. Heavens, no. I know that there are sicknesses FAR WORSE and more severe than the colds and viruses ours come down with; all I really mean, is that sometimes it is mundane to be Mom, when really there is nothing mundane about it. When they were newborns and then toddlers and were needing me on sick days, it was so different than it is now. It consisted of a lot more HOLDING and rocking and nursing and cuddling. They keep getting older; their legs keep getting longer and more difficult to fit on my lap…they keep becoming more independent.

But they keep needing me. And I pray to God that I NEVER take that for granted.

These thoughts inspired me to create a FREEBIE for YOU. Sign up below to grab my new download, ‘Wellness Support for You & Your Littles.’ Save it, print it, share it, use it. And if you have any questions, always email me! I love hearing from my readers and I am so thankful for ALL of you.

Worry No More Thanks to this Magic Blue Roller

Aahh the “I don’t want to go to school blues.” Our kids are both amazing in school. They don’t have behavior problems, they listen and are respectful, they easily make friends, and they are so well loved. However, second grade for Pierson has admittedly brought some new challenges and it’s been kind of a weird spot for us parenting wise. The first few months of school he was really struggling with some anxiety. We couldn’t pin point it, but it even got to the point where he was complaining of chest pains and he needed to be seen by a doctor! Luckily and by the grace of God, we are MOSTLY out of that stage/ phase, but I wanted to share with you a fun tool that we have also been using with and for him.
The Magic Blue Roller:

This roller contains Frankincense (in your premium starter kit), Valor (also in the premium starter kit,) stress away (hello premium starter kit) and Bergamot. Bergamot was an oil I purchased for fall blends AND so that I could add it to roller balls like this one; it has a calming and centering scent, which is why it’s a well-known oil for stress relief.

I thought it would be fun to have Pierson help me with this and he loved it! My kids have loved being a part of our ‘oily journey,’ and have had a lot of fun adventuring with me, especially on DIY stuff like this! (And Reese LOVES to talk in my stories as y’all know about the starter kit and oils themselves.)

All you need to do for this roller is to add 10 drops of each oil into a roller ball, and then add your favorite carrier oil—in our case we used Jojoba! (Many people use fractionated coconut oil, but Jojoba is what I had on hand.)

I think it was pretty funny that Pierson wanted to wear his Harry Potter costume while doing this; I told him it was very fitting since this roller is called the Magic Blue Roller (or you may see it as the ‘Unicorn Roller.’

He was SO proud of himself and he immediately put it in his backpack for school. I told him to talk with his teacher and make sure she was on board, but that he should be able to apply it to his wrists a couple of times a day when he was feeling anxious or worried, and that he could breathe it in to try and help de-stress. He LOVES it, guys and I’m so glad his teacher was totally cool with it. It’s been a little over a month that he made and was using it pretty often, now he tells me that it’s in his backpack instead of locker, and that he doesn’t need it ‘as much’ as he had been. This blend is GREAT for all of the ‘scared of the dark,’ ‘I don’t want to go to school,’ ‘I don’t like crowds,’ and all the ‘can’t stop worrying about all the things’ type of feelings. Not only has it been good for Pierson, but I have made one for MYSELF because y’all know I can be QUITE the worrier!!

I want to add that consistency is key with these oils. Are they actually magical? Of course not. It takes repetition and time for oils to do their job; to BE the health support that we want them to be. If you have a sore throat, use your oils every 4-6 hours like you would over the counter medicine; when you’re feeling anxious—use your roller, and then use it again. It’s not going to hurt you, ever! For me personally, I am easily affected by scent and smell. When I breathe oils in like the above roller ball recipe, it does help me feel calm. But it’s not a one time one and done thing. If you make this recipe I would love to know! Comment below your FAVORITE essential oils for calming support and/or anxiety relief! I would love to hear from you :) And if you are interested in learning more, please comment or email me so we can be in touch!

Cleaning with Oils: Lemon

Y’all know we are brand new to the Oil World, but it’s been a little under a week and I am ALL IN! I am having so much fun Googling, researching, scouring Pinterest, and reading through my guide from Young Living. I’ve been on a Lemon kick recently, not only because it smells amazing, but because it has so many health benefits as well. It acts as a natural disinfectant for surfaces and it can also eliminate mold and help you get that streak-free shine on your appliances. Not only does it do those things, it can help you with fatigue, flu symptoms, and help re-charge your metabolism. The reason I dove in recently though was because I was most interested in cleaning surfaces and household things, while achieving that deliciously CLEAN smell after I did it. Here are three things that I did, but guys, there are SO MANY MORE hacks than what I did in one afternoon:

Household Multi-Purpose Cleaner: The recipe I found for it called for 1c.distilled water, 1c. vinegar, and 10 drops of Lemon EO. I want to always admit what worked for me and what did NOT, so because I have such a sensitive nose, I added 20 drops of EO, and I am not a fan that I STILL smell the vinegar the way that I do. I think next time I would only do 1/2 c. of vinegar and still 20 drops of the lemon oil. (You will find what works for you! It’s all about playing around with quantities and proportions and what you like scent wise.

Lemon & Lavender Room Spray: I’m a huge fan of this! I wanted to create a little room spray for our first floor bathroom. We did 10 drops of each oil (lavender and lemon) and did 1oz of the rubbing alcohol above. Asa was worried it would smell too much like alcohol but after we shook it real well and let it sit, it just smells like yummy lavender + lemon. The fragrance is super, super light and airy; perfect for a small room like a bathroom.

Microwave Cleaner: Some of you may have been doing something like this for years, however, I just tried it for the first time ever! One of my girlfriends said she cleaned her microwave by heating up water that had Lemon EO in it, and that she just wiped out the microwave afterwards and by golly she was right! I used this bowl above, did 10 drops of Lemon EO, microwaved the bowl for 5 minutes and then let it sit for 1 minute. I then used a paper towel and wiped out the whole microwave, inside of the door, tray and walls; and there wasn’t a single stain in it to be found! I’ve heard people who do this with straight vinegar, but I love the lemon EO route because it smells so dang yummy!

Other ways I’ve read you can use Lemon to clean:
-Soap Scum Remover
-Glass Stovetop Cleaner
-Wood-polish & Stainless Steel Cleaner
-and so much more!

What have you used lemon to clean? I’m going to need to add that oil to my October Essential Oil order because umm….I’ve used a LOT of it. Luckily it’s one of the cheaper oils, and you can order it HERE. Don’t forget to use my Enroller ID when or if you purchase oils from Young Living, my number ID is 20381963. And if you want to jump all in like I have and get the perks of being a member (wholesale vs. retail pricing = HUGE perk!!), click the link HERE.

PLEASE email me if you have any questions or if you aren’t sure, and especially if you are even slightly intrigued. I would love to partner with you, walk with you, and we can learn together how to live a more Green lifestyle!