#100!!!

Can you believe that this is my 100th post? I can't either! So, in honor of such an accomplishment, I think a giveaway is in order! How about a full bottle of PEPPERMINT!?!

So here are the rules. 

1- You must be a follower. So if you haven't clicked the button to do so, go ahead. Push it now! :) (1 entry)

2- Leave a comment with something you have wondered about the oils. It can be anything from an ailment you are curious about, or an oil you are wondering what it can be used for. It can even be about the logistics of doTERRA if you want. (1 entry)

3- Refer someone to the blog and they become a follower and tell me who it is. (1 entry)

4- Leave a comment telling me something you'd like to change about the blog. I can take the criticism, just use nice words please! :) (1 entry)

This giveaway will close on Monday, March 19th at 5pm. So you have the weekend to get your entries in! 

Good luck!

Guest Post

Today's post comes from a good friend, Jennifer. She has been using the oils for some time now and has had great experiences. I'm so happy she agreed to help me out with a guest post for today! 

"Let me introduce myself as a former Glade Plug in addict. I loved the way all scented things smelled whether it was a candle, plug-in, air freshener spray, or scented carpet powder. We used all these products in our house religiously in almost every room of the house for a year before I started to question their safety.
My husband suddenly started to get headaches that lasted for at least 24 hours and seemed to occur about every 2 weeks. In addition to his headaches I was beginning to get migraines again, which I hadn't suffered from for years. After several months of this I began examining our lifestyles to see if there was anything obvious causing the headaches. We eat very healthy and drink very little soda, so I knew it was not our diet causing the headaches.

After reading an article online about synthetic fragrances causing headaches I removed all frangranced items from our home. I tossed all the plug ins, put the candles in storage and stopped using the scented carpet powder. At the same time I purchased doTERRA peppermint oil and a diffuser after reading a post on Facebook (by Corinne!) about the health benefits of essential oils.

I was at first skeptical about the actual health benefits of the oils but being addicted to scents like I was, I needed something to make the house smell good so I figured at the very least, the oils would succeed in that aspect. About two months passed before either my husband or I realized that he hadn't had a headache in that whole time! The only change we had made was removing all the fake fragrances and diffusing the all natural oils instead! After seeing the difference I vowed that I would never go back and would only use essential oils going forward. After several more months of just diffusing the peppermint oil, I noticed that I too was not having any headaches. That was the last piece of proof that I needed to know that the oils really were helping with our headaches. Ever since then I have incorporated them into our lives as much as possible!"

Are any of you "Glade Plug-in Addicts"? I love that term Jennifer! Its okay, you can all admit it. I will admit going through a phase of them. But now I hate them. After hearing about Jennifer's experiences, I don't dare use them anymore. So I have a box of them to get rid of! I have just realized that my health and that of my family's is just too important to me. What do you guys think?

Ylang-Ylang huh?

I have this bottle of oil that for one reason or another, I wanted to make sure that I had in my stock. But, due to my busy-ness, I have never actually used it or even looked it up to see how I could use it. I figured this post was a good enough reason to do that. It is called Ylang Ylang. I think it is pronounced ee-Lang ee-Lang. The oil comes from a greenish-yellow flower that actually is native to Asia. I love that I am learning about this oil now, during these winter months because guess what this oil can help with? It is an anti-depressant! There are so many people who unfortunately suffer from depression during the long, dark, cold winter months because of the lack of sunlight. This is a great oil to diffuse in your home if that is your case. It smells great and can also help with anxiety and releasing anger. It is also said to be an aphrodisiac and a great antiseptic. doTERRA gets their Ylang Ylang essential oil from the plants grown in Madagascar and is steam distilled from the flower.

To get the best benefits from this oil, it is said to take it in aromatically. So it is great to inhale and diffuse. Though it is a gentle oil to use topically. I love this part especially though. Ylang Ylang is a great oil to use in baths and massages!! I just might have to try that out this week. I start my semester this week and I'm sure that the stress will start building up (look at me pretending that it hasn't been stressful already just getting ready for school to start! ha!). It is also great for the skin so if you have any sort of skin problems, give this oil a try! 

A random fact about Ylang Ylang is that is commonly used in flavoring of bubble gum!! Cool huh?

Ylang Ylang comes in a 15mL bottle and costs $47 retail 

and only $35.25 wholesale.

My information came from: http://www.everythingessential.me/Oils/YlangYlang.html

Do you guys make New Years resolutions? If you do, what are some that you have made for the year 2012? Some of mine are to read some of the classics like Pride & Prejudice and Wuthering Heights. I also want to use an oil in my water at least once a day. I have been slacking on that big time and I know that I would be so much healthier if I did do this. To do this, you can add a drop of Lemon, Grapefruit (my fav), Lime, Peppermint, Slim & Sassy, or Citrus Bliss. Leave a comment with some of your New Years Resolutions. Do any of them involve the oils??

I Finally Got It Done!

You are probably wondering what the heck my title of this post is talking about. Well, a while back, I talked about making little roller bottles full of oils for my kids to use every morning and night. That is it. I finally got them done today! 

So here is what I put in them. I am thinking maybe next time not using so many oils, but for this first time, I wanted to cover my bases! So each of my children have one that say their name and the word AM or PM on it. On their morning bottles, it has Frankincense and Peppermint to help them get up, feel refreshed and awake for the day. Then I put in OnGuard to help boost their immune system. Balance and Elevation to help keep a stable grounding and make them happier. Then in their night bottles, they each have both Lavender and Serenity (I like the way Serenity smells more than Lavender, and next time I won't use both, just pick one). Then in my older daughter Abby's bottle, she has some Purify in there. She has Molluscum warts all over her body caused by dry skin. It spreads easily as well. So we have lotion that we put on her every night and that seems to be helping a little bit. So the Purify is to try to get rid of this virus or whatever that is in her body. I'm hoping to see a difference and can't wait for them to be gone. She is very self-conscious about them. 

I got the little bottles HERE. They are pretty inexpensive and a great way to spread the oils around. They have this small size, which is what I used for my kids. Then they also have a bigger size which is 1/3 oz 10 mil size. I made one bottle for my husband and I to share for night time just with Serenity in it and used the larger bottle. I could have my kids all share their bottles, but then I could just see the fights begin. So I made each of them their own bottle so they feel a little more special. The oils are antibacterial and so germs will not spread if more than one person uses the bottle though.
Sorry for the horrible picture! I couldn't find my camera and had to use my phone. That picture was the best I could get! And yes, I do have a shelf just for nail polishes. There are 4 girls in my little house! :) 

Don't Forget To Listen...

One of the things I wanted to post about, especially before we get too far into the holiday season, is about knowing your body and listening to what it is telling you. Now, I know that by saying that, some might roll their eyes and think, "This woman is a nutcase!" But let me tell you, since I learned more about this concept, my life has changed. Sounds too simple and crazy, but it is true. I have learned to realize it is I'm feeling like when I am full, when I am hungry, when I am bored, when I need more sleep, and when I need to get my butt moving and exercise! So I urge you all to do the same through this holiday season. This is the time of year we all love, but we all dread because of all of the treats and stuff. We tend to be busier with chatting and snacking and forget to take a walk, or eat a handful of carrots. (silly example, yes, I know! ha ha.)
Back in October, when I went through that long space of no blogging, I was getting into the middle of my semester (I go to school full-time, for those of you who don't know that), life was busy with my kids and I was just struggling keeping up with it all. I stopped getting enough sleep because I was trying to get everything else done, I was eating too much candy and drinking too much pop (it was Halloween and that sugar was just too readily available), and I was stressing which was giving me a headache. Oh, and since I wasn't exercising, my arms were falling asleep while I was sleeping. Crazy! I know! Then one day is really hit me that I wasn't taking care of myself and listening to the signals that my body was giving me to tell me that it was being strained. The headaches were from a lack of sleep. The sleeping arms were because I was not exercising. The lack of energy was from not eating the right foods and not taking my daily Lifelong Vitality Pack and my Cranberry pill. From the signals I was receiving, it was evident I needed to take better care of myself. After all, especially with being a mom, if I don't take care of myself, how can I expect to be able to take care of everyone else? It is not selfish. In fact, taking care of yourself is the best thing that you can do for everyone else. It has taken me some time to get to know myself, in a sense. But it has come over time and it has had lasting impressions that I know will help me in the present and in the future. So here is my challenge to you this holiday season: Listen to your body. When you feel full, stop eating. If you are tired, go to sleep and get more sleep. If you have a headache, maybe you need to take a breather and eat a bite of chocolate. If you are starting to feel really stressed or sluggish, get out and take a walk or head to the gym to pump some iron. Whatever it is your body is telling you, listen. It is as simple as that. For your brain to operate correctly and effectively, it needs oxygen. Make sure you take a few deep breaths during a stressful moment. This will help you get through the season with a better attitude because you will feel your best.

Now how does the oils tie into this? Well, first of all, I cannot say enough about the Lifelong Vitality pack. I take these vitamins everyday and can definitely feel a difference if I don't. I love how they help me feel better and get through my day. I am giving them the credit as to why my milk is so good, since I am nursing my 7 months old daughter. Just wonderful. If you are interested in learning more, I will post about it soon, but feel free to email me at corinnehoyt@yahoo.com and we can talk more about how it would help you out. Another oil that is great to carry around with you this holiday season is Elevate! Elevate is great for any feelings of depression. Whether we like to admit it or not, depression can hit people really hard this time of year. Take a few deep breaths of Elevate or diffuse it in your home and I'm sure you will feel better. Some of those holiday treats leaving your stomach unsettled? Use a drop of digestzen. 20 minutes later, if you don't feel good yet, use another drop. Just put a drop directly on your stomach and rub it in. I like to take a couple deep breaths of it when I am really not feeling good. If you have a headache from the stresses or the commotion, put some Peppermint behind your ears and rub down your neck. Headache will be gone before you know it! Having some heartburn? Rub a drop of lemon on your chest and you will feel some relief. There are so many options for you. Feel free to email me or comment here with any questions.
Has anybody else had any experiences with this whole "listen to your body" type of thing? :) Please leave a comment and tell us all. We can all learn from each other. It is better than me ranting and raving all of the time! :)

Brrr....A Hot Drink Sounds Good!

Today, here in Rexburg, we had our first snowfall. No, it was not just a flurry. It stuck. I had to clean my car off after a little while. So we got home and after taking off all of the coats and boots, my kids let me know that it was time for their favorite thing in the winter: HOT CHOCOLATE! So what does this have to do with oils? Well, who likes mint hot chocolate? Why not try adding a drop or two of peppermint to your hot chocolate? Of course I thought of this AFTER my cup was all gone. But I am going to try it next time. If you like tea, you could try doing peppermint tea, lemon tea, or maybe use the grapefruit or Citrus Bliss. Unless you use extremely hot water, I would think that not all of the healing agents in the oil would come out. So I'm sure it might help you feel a little better or comforted. :) Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Tuesday's Top Ten

Top Ten Oils to Use Daily

1- Balance

2- OnGuard

3- Lemon

4- Peppermint

5- Frankincense

6- Citrus Bliss

7- Lavender

8- Serenity

9- Elevation

10- Purify

Dr. David Hill, the world-famous doctor that is one of the head people in doTERRA has mentioned many times that this is his daily routine with essential oils:

* Apply Peppermint and Frankincense to the soles of your feet when you awaken. This will get you fully awake, energized, and ready for your day.         * Diffuse Citrus Bliss or a blend of any of the other doTERRA citrus oils mixed with Purify or OnGuard  

* Apply Serenity to back of neck and temples midday. Use anytime you're feeling stressed 

* Add Peppermint and Lemon to water during the day. This is detoxifying. Be sure to use an oil every time you refill your bottle (make sure it isn't plastic). -My personal favorite is Grapefruit rather than Lemon-Corinne :)  
* Apply Lavender to bottom of feet at night. This helps to alleviate insomnia and encourages a restful sleep. 

Now I would add Balance if you have any sort of imbalance problem in your body. If you suffer from any sort of depression of any kind, I would be sure to add some Elevation in there as well. It will help lift your mood. I know a lot of people, especially during the winter months, will suffer from a seasonal depression. So be sure you are taking care of yourself to try to prevent that as much as possible. Elevation is my favorite oil to diffuse because I love the smell. 

What are some of the oils that you love to use on a daily basis?