Why we can't stop using Essential Oils!

I started using essential oils in hopes that our family would get better sleep when Lola was a newborn. She wasn't sleeping much, Keller (20 months at the time) was going through a phase of night terrors and Daron and I were two very tired parents. I was willing to try anything to get some sleep! I saw a few post from a blogger I follow (and ADORE) and she talked about how essential oils, specifically Lavender, was helping her daughter sleep. I was SOLD! I purchased a starter kit that included a diffuser and 12 oils that were considered "staple oils" and started pumping Lavender in our home immediately.

The Lavender helped SO MUCH with sleep support in our home. Keller started sleeping through the night again, Lola seemed like a calmer baby in general and I felt more at peace and more rested thanks to getting more sleep at night. My love for essential oils didn't stop there.

I started researching the other oils that came in the starter kit and mixing diffuser blends. I fell in love with diffusing Lavender and Frankensince at the time as it is great for emotional support, especially when going through the postpartum phase. It is still one of my favorite blends to diffuse. It gives off a warm, grounding and relaxing smell.

We've been using essential oils for a little over a year now and I can't imagine life without them. They defiantly play into our simplified life as we have less products in our home which always makes me happy. I've been amazed at the many ways essential oils can be used. Some of our favorite ways to us them is for our bedtime routine, diffusing them rather than burning candles, my daily face moisturizer, and helping ease Daron's back pain due to a form of arthritis. There are so many other ways we are using essential oils but we would be here all day if I named them all!

Nighttime Routine:

Every evening after we clean up from dinner I "hush the house" as I call it. I put in a calming diffuser blend that changes through the seasons but it's usually Lavender, Peace and Calming, or Tranquil. I get the kids to pick up their toys while I work to tidy things up around the house. We pick out clothes out for the next day and make sure that we end the day organized and prepared for the next. I also close some of our window coverings and lower the lighting down to minimal lamp lighting. These steps help me and our house feel like a calm and serene environment which also helps the kids to feel the calm vibe and signal that bedtime is near. After baths I roll on a roller blend of Lavender and Cedarwood on the bottoms of their feet and massage it in. This helps them unwind and feel calm if they don't already! I also put Lavender and Cedarwood in the diffusers in their bedrooms. Creating a routine and calm environment in our home has helped with bedtime so much! It has also improved the length of time they sleep at night which I love! They are more rested and it gives Daron and I more quality time together at night and in the mornings.

Glow Moisturizer:

I'm going to be honest. When I started with oils and heard about this glow moisturizer made with oils, I was terrified to use it. I couldn't imagine putting oils on my face without major breakouts as I have battled acne prone skin most of my life. I went out on a limb and tried it and couldn't believe the results! My skin is clearer than ever, it is soft and smooth to the touch, my make-up goes on so much better (and I don't need as much now that my skin is smooth), my skin doesn't look so read and irritated all of the time, and my scaring has started to diminish. I have been more pleased with this glow moisturizer than any of the other expensive moisturizers, serums or dermatologist prescribed acne treatments I've tried over the years. Here's the recipe I use:

+ 15 lavender

+ 15 frankincense

+ 15 valor or blue tansy

+ 5 royal hawaiian sandalwood (optional)

+ 5 copiaba (optional)

Deep Relief:

When I started with oils Daron made fun of me for buying a starter kit and said it was a "waste of money"! I promised him it wasn't a waste and he immediately came around to liking them when we started getting more sleep and he was constantly asking what I as using to make our house smell so good. About 7 months into using oils he found out that he has a form of arthritis in his back and was referred to a pain management specialist. I didn't like the sound of that and asked if he would try a few oils and other Young Living products to see if it would help before visiting with the pain management specialist and he ended up loving it! He hasn't even made an appointment with the specialist since he started this regimen:

Rub over areas of discomfort in the following order:

+ Rosemary

+ CBD Muscle Rub

+ Cool Azul Cream or Deep Relief Roller (optional throughout the day)

Favorite Diffuser Blends:

When Lola was born I got one of those weird mom gut feelings that candles weren't good for her little lungs. I hadn't done any research it was just one of those things when I blew a candle out one day shortly after we brought her home. I LOVED candles and burned them all of the time. I started doing research and learned that most candles are really bad for us. Candles made of paraffin, which is a byproduct of petroleum put off a carcinogenic soot when burned which is not the best for our respritory system. Many of the fragerances used to give candles a scent are toxic too. These are all things I have strived to remove from our home as we work to leave a more clean and green lifestyle. I've switched over to difussing and actually love the smell of the diffuser as much as anything! Here are a few of my favorite blends, some are similar to my favorite candles!

Anthropologie Volcano Blend

4 grapefruit

4 orange

3 lime

3 idaho blue spruce

2 geranium

Calm Mama

5 lavender

5 frankincense

Aveda Blend

2 ylang ylang

2 lavender

2 rosemary

2 tangerine

2 bergamont

2 peppermint

Cozy Home

5 orange

4 patchouli

2 cinnamon bark

Favorite Cleaning Products:

One of my unexpected favorite products from Young Living is the Theives All Purpose cleaner. It really is all-purpose! I was able to ditch the shower cleaner that gave me horrible headaches, our kitchen stainless steal cleaner, wood cleaner, and all purpose cleaner to Thieves! It smells so fresh and you can even add oils to it to give it whatever clean smell you like. I often add Pine and Lemon to mine to make it smell like Pin-sol! Here are my top two most used cleaners that I DIY from Thieves cleaner.

All-Purpose Spray:

1 capful of Thieves All-Purpose Cleaner

16 ounces of distilled water in a glass spray bottle

Soft Scrub:

Equal parts Bon Ami and Thieves All-Purpose Cleaner

you can add drops of oils to this too!

If you are ready to get started with oils and want to join us in ditching toxic products to clean products in your life I would encourage you to grab a starter kit! There are a few different ones to choose from, but they are all great! I recommend the starter kit because once you have it, you can make most all of the DIYs mentioned above! Here is the link to purchase and feel free to reach out if you have questions!