Aluminum

So I think I have blogged about this before, but I recently found some more info that just made my jaw drop. The more I go through life, the more I try to do things naturally. I feel healthier and I see a difference in my home because of it. I have talked before about how deodorant actually has aluminum in it. Any metal going into your body, especially on a daily basis, isn't going to be good for it. There isn't enough scientific knowledge to back it up, but some people believe that with enough build-up of parabens and aluminum in the body, breast cancer can be a result. 
Honestly, when I found out that aluminum was in deodorant, I was not happy. There are some brands that don't have it, but I haven't had a chance to go figure out what they are. I think Tom's of Maine might be one. Don't quote me on that though. There are oils you can use to help with body odor if that is an issue for you. In fact, I think just using coconut oil directly on your armpits can help reduce body odor. So I just encourage you to look at the labels and consider what you are using on your body. A fear of mine is getting cancer (well, that and getting stabbed). So I am trying to all that I can now to reduce my chances of being just another one in the epidemic that cancer has become. 

What are you doing now 

to make you healthier in the future?

Garlic

I bought a bottle of garlic oil a while back to help me when I was getting yeast infections a lot (which, I must say, since we've changed our diet and "way of life" I never get anymore!). But since then, the bottle has just sat. So I decided one day to research what good is garlic to me and if it is good enough, I'll start taking it every day. Lo and behold, it is WONDERFUL!!! Here is why...
Garlic is a great antibacterial remedy. It is also anti fungal and antiviral. Lovin' all of the anti's! :)
It is also said to be great at preventing high blood pressure, high cholesterol and helping with heart disease. It helps prevent colds, which is what we all want this time of year!
So when I asked myself if I should garlic to my daily regime, I jumped with enthusiasm yelling "YES!" Okay, there was no jumping or yelling of any sorts. But I am now taking a pill of garlic everyday. 
What is your daily regiment? Is there one thing you can add to make it just a little better??

Gathering My Food for Winter

My goodness. Life has been crazy. For the month of July, I think I spent more of it out of state than here at home. Then for the month of August, I have spent most of my time "gathering my nuts for winter". Here is a look into what my month of August consisted of...

9 Quart sized bags of grapes and 3 gallon sized bags of snack size bags of grapes!
2 Gallon bags full of strawberries!
All of this goes in my freezer! We like the strawberries for smoothies and
the grapes for snacks in the winter time when grapes cost too much to buy.

If I remember right, this is 27 quart sized bags of green beans for my freezer!

15 pints of plum jam
11 pints of sweetened applesauce (with sugar and cinnamon) and
17 pints of unsweetened applesauce (I use this for baking -
I replace vegetable oil with applesauce in pancakes, waffles, cookies, muffins, breads, etc.).
Then I have a bunch of plum fruit leather rolls!

 

So there ya go. Since then, I have also done plum juice (interesting flavor for sure, but will be good with a little sugar, water, and possibly some Sprite or 7-Up! :) I also have done white plum jam which came out an orange color and tastes SO YUMMY!! I also have about 7 quart sized bags of grated zucchini in my freezer.
Within the next week, I also have 2 boxes of nectarines, 2 boxes of peaches and 100 lbs of pears coming. I will be making pear sauce (for pancakes and such), dried pears, pear butter, fruit leather with all 3 fruits, peach jam, frozen peaches for smoothies, dried nectarines, peach pie filling and anything else I can come up with! :) I also am planning on apple pie filling soon as well.
Do you like to do anything like this? What have you done to prepare for the cold months coming? I also have been working hard on doing freezer meals and monthly menu plans (which have helped tremendously for my sanity).

Out of Control!

Have you ever had a moment where you literally felt like you have no control over something you said or did? Words just pop out of your mouth without a second thought, or even a first one, for that matter. Emotion just makes its way out through tears or rage without so much as a warning? Ha ha, sounds like that time of the month for some! Well, what if I told you I have seen with my own eyes how just changing the food that you eat, can change all of that? Cuz I can! And I will! :)

We have been on the Feingold Diet for 4 months now. We made it out of Stage 1 and into Stage 2 where we can now add in other foods, though we still stay away from all artificial flavorings, dyes, and preservatives. Holy cow! What a difference it has been in our house! It has been amazing to me to see what happens now when my daughter does eat something she isn't supposed to. She gets super angry really easily, she has temper tantrums like no 6 year old should and she gets really emotional and impatient. She even has had an issues with wetting her pants after consuming "bad" foods. No, she doesn't always like that she can't have any snack that she wants, and I hate that we can't always just go get an ice cream cone when we want anymore (although that is helping my checkbook!). But it is completely worth it so see how much more control she has over herself. I feel like I am able to finally have a relationship with her like I never have before and it is a great feeling! :) We don't use medication at all. We want her to learn how to control herself and not rely on the medicine to do it for her. I'm not saying that it isn't a great option for someone else. My hubby and I have just chosen this path for our family! We are all healthier because of it anyways and am glad we have this opportunity in our family!!

Recycling...

A great website that teaches you how to be greener and treat this earth better is called Recyclebank. You actually get points for recycling (if your area participates) and for learning to become greener. Then you can redeem those points for gift cards and coupons. It is great. Check it out and sign up! :) Click Here!

Is She Old Enough?

So here is a question to get everyone's opinion...

Is my 6 yr old daughter old enough to decide whether she wants to take medication or not? 

Ready...GO!

Chemicals and Cancer

Late at night, right before I turned off my laptop, I ran across this video clip about this lady giving a lecture. It was nearly midnight, my husband and I had just finished watching a few episodes of Master Chef on my laptop, but this clip was calling my name. So I watched it. It is only 18 minutes long and I wanted to be sure to post it here for you all to view as well! My thoughts will be below.

I think the part that really got me was that 1 in 8 women get breast cancer and then 1 in 10 get it because of genetics. Isn't that crazy? It just really solidifies what I have been thinking about all of these harmful things we are doing to our bodies. We were given these bodies and if we treat them right, they will last us a long time. If not, they won't. It is as simple as that.

Any thoughts?

ODD and ADHD

Hey everyone! Okay, so do I get to redeem myself in anyway for not ever posting on here? Hmm....I guess I can try. Here is a better explanation about my last post.
**It was brought to my attention that I need to change my wording a bit when posting about essential oils, most specifically, doTERRA's essential oils. So, if you notice I talk in more general terms, that is why. I still love doTERRA and use them and love them!!! I just want to stay legal and an in compliance with the company and the FDA! :)
**Okay, this one might be a long one. As I stated before, we had our oldest daughter diagnosed with ODD and ADHD. I had mixed emotions about it but was happy to have an answer that made sense at why she would act the way she does. From getting the diagnosis, we had a few options of what we can do. ODD is Oppositional Defiance Disorder - a.k.a. - just because I (who is in charge) ask her to do something, she will tell me no. Sometimes she doesn't even hear what it is I am requesting before she tells me no. Talk about frustrating! All you probably know what ADHD is. It is really frustrating for me because she is the oldest and so then my other kids think that is how to act, when really, it isn't. So I went to the doctor and talked about our options. Basically, medicine or no medicine. For her behavior and boundary and self-esteem issues, she is currently seeing a psychologist once a week to help her learn how to act appropriately with people and how to love herself and whatnot. He also helps to teach her how to focus on something. He is great!! Anyways, back to the issue of meds. The doctor told me that basically, if you have ADHD, the medicine will calm you down. But if you don't have ADHD in your brain, the medicine will actually hype you up. I kind of wanted to see what she would be like on the meds, just to make sure, from a medical standpoint, we are treating the right thing. So we got some and gave it a go! Well, she definitely was different and she definitely has ADHD. But we hated the way it completely changed her. Yeah, it calmed her down and boy was she able to focus! (She did one thing ALL DAY LONG! One day, she'd play with her littlest pet shop - although all she would do is move the pet's food around from the toy basket to the bowl etc. The next day, she colored, ALL DAY LONG!) But we couldn't get her to go outside and play. She just wanted to sit there, by herself (if nobody was going to play with her, she would do this one thing by herself), inside the house, even though typically she'd be the one begging everyone to go outside. She seemed to have a glazed look in her eyes and we just didn't like that her personality was altered. We didn't want that. Then after the meds wore off, she was running around everywhere, eating everything (the meds suppress the appetite), and talking very randomly about so many things (the meds wore off about 8pm and so she would be up until about midnight.) So through a friend, we found out about this diet that was made for kids with ADHD and even autism. We looked into and found it to be our best bet. No meds for us! Abby hated taking them anyways.  Basically, this diet eliminates everything artificial. No artificial colors, dyes, sweeteners, preservatives, nothing! We are currently trying to do our best eating according to what our book says we can and cannot eat. But I must say, we totally notice a difference. Sometimes after eating something she shouldn't, she'll get really mean, or emotional or hyper. As she gets older, we'll teach her that she'll make her own choices about what she wants to eat and that it will be up to her to control her behavior. Between us and the psychologist, she will have the tools and knowledge, it will just be up to her to do it herself at a certain point. 

I definitely think we are making the right choice here and even though it is a lot of work for me, the thought that my friend said still resonates in my mind when someone asked her if it was so out of the way to do this diet. She responded by saying, "Well isn't it out of the way when your child throws the random fit in a public place because they can't control themselves?" That made me think. Sure, it is more work for me to make our own granola bars and popcicles and sad that we can't eat most candy and treats like others do. But, what I do love is knowing that we are all healthier because of this choice and I can watch Abby gain control over her body like she has never been able to before. I've even noticed a difference in my own moods and in my other children's behaviors. 

I urge you all to take a look at what you are putting into your bodies. If you take care of your body, your body will give you a long, healthy, energetic life where you can run and play with kids, grandkids, and hopefully even great-grandkids! So, this blog will continue to share information about essential oils, but I also want to share the things I am learning about being healthy on this journey we are making to making our home, a better place! I would love to have you join me!

Ch-ch-ch-changes....

Hey everyone! Sorry it has been a while. Life got busy there for a bit! So I wanted to stop by and update you with some changes in my life! :)

1- It has been called to my attention that I have to change my wording on how I post about the essential oils. So I still want to do that, but it has become a bit trickier and just takes me more time to write a post. So still expect them, maybe not as often.

2- I am going to be adding more "health" posts because of how my life is going, I want to share my finding with all of you, hoping you all will be healthier because of it!

3-Within the last couple months, we have to come find out and have my oldest daughter diagnosed with ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder) and ADHD (I think we all know what that is). We tried the medicine (wasn't something we really went into wanting to use in the first place - you know my stance on medicine! ha ha!) and we didn't like it at all. So through a friend, I found out about this diet called The Feingold Diet. We are starting it and have already noticed a difference in my daughter. I'll do a more detailed post about that some other time soon, but for now, that is what we are up to. It is a little more stressful right now to always be checking the book to see what we can and cannot eat. But totally worth it when I am able to really see how it is helping her - and the rest of us! 

4- I just registered for my Fall Semester that starts in September. 14 credits! dah! Wish me luck!

So that is what I am up to. I still use and sell doTERRA and Norwex so please feel free to comment about those things anytime. Both on here and on facebook! I want to hear from you all and love when I see your messages!

Mother's Day Norwex Special

Get 1 pair of Spa Socks, 1 Foot Stone, and 1 Body Glove for $35! 

Check out these products at corinnehoyt.norwex.biz and 

email me (corinnehoyt@yahoo.com) your order by Friday, May 4th at 12pm MST. Please put "Norwex Order" in your subject line. :) 

Spoil those important women in your life!!!

I Can't Seem To Go!

"These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."

Ha ha. Sorry for the title. Wasn't sure what else to call it. This post is about something that takes place in the bathroom....or, what doesn't happen, I should say. That's right. Constipation. It is something we all go through, unfortunately. We all know what it is, but I thought I'd do a little research anyways and tell you what oil can be used to help this out! :) 

Constipation is the inability to pass a bowel movement. It is caused sometimes by medicines you take, not having enough fiber in the diet, or by not taking in enough liquids. It can also be caused by holding it in (like if you refuse to go in public bathrooms - children might experience this cause more often than adults) or by certain ailments such as diabetes, hyperglycemia, cystic fibrosis, or celiac disease. 

So what can we all do about this problem? Well, by way of dietary means, simple drink more water and increase your fiber intake. If that doesn't seem to do the trick, remember the phrase, "I have an oil for that!" :)

An oil you would want for this sort of problem would be some sort of
digestive blend.
The pictures above are of fennel, ginger and peppermint. 3 plants you might see in a digestive blend.

Can I just tell you that an oil like this is a MUST HAVE in our house. Whether it is indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea, a drop of a digest blended oil works wonders.

I usually just put a drop on my stomach and rub it around a bit. If in 20 minutes I am not completely feeling better, I do it again. I, personally, have never had to do it more than two times. Other people may need to do it more. Everyone is different, please remember this. You can also put a drop on each of your feet. Remember that when you put oils on your feet, it only takes 20 minutes for the oil to reach the entire body. 

So, next time you can't seem to go, eat an apple, drink a glass of water, and grab your bottle of the digestive blend of your choice! 

I confirm that the information given is a testimonial endorsement
and is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Norwex: The REAL Clean!

Here is the information some of you have been waiting for....all about Norwex and their Microfiber cloths! Can I just say how amazing this brand is?? I absolutely love it and am converting my whole house to them. So here is the low-down on these amazing towels...

Norwex's Mission Statement is "to improve the quality of life rather than the standard of living". (This came from my training manual) They do this by providing people with products of quality and reliability. By using their products, you are making your home healthier, saving you time and investing your money in a better future. Norwex runs its company with core values of integrity, trust and respect. They stand behind their products 100%. Their goal is to reduce the chemicals being used in cleaning and personal care in everybody's homes.

Now onto these great cloths....

Norwex's main products are their microfiber cloths. Unlike other microfiber cloths which are 1/6 of a human hair, Norwex's are 1/100th of a human hair. So if you take a human hair and split it up 100 times, that will give you how small Norwex's microfibers are. This allows them to grab and hold in more dirt and germs. They also have silver embedded into the cloth. "The agent is solely designed to inhibit bacterial odor, mold and or mildew growth withing the product. Once these particles are inside the wet cloth, the micro silver in the cloth goes to work wit self purification properties against the mole, fungi and bacterial odor with in 24 hours so that it is ready to use again." Therefore, all of the dirt, germs, grease and dust you wipe up with it, will be gone and your surfaces sanitized! Isn't that amazing?? 

I don't want to bore you too much so I am now just going to direct you to this YouTube video. It is a lady who actually works in the chemistry department at BYU-Idaho who didn't believe these cloths were as great as they really are. So she performed her own experiment.

Another clip that is a MUST SEE is one with the microfiber cloths from Norwex combined with chicken juice. Chicken, we all know leaves many germs on our counters and cutting boards. So you will love this clip and want only Norwex cloths in your house after this! 

The great thing about these cloths are that when wiping up the dirt, grime, bacteria, etc. the cloth will actually trap the bacteria inside and you won't even get any on your hands either.

Check out these clips and then check out my website at http://corinnehoyt.norwex.biz 

for a look at all of the products Norwex has to offer. 

Feel free to make purchases from that website, or you can email me at corinnehoyt@yahoo.com with your orders and information. 

If you have any questions, please leave a comment 

or feel free to email me and I will respond ASAP! :)

Let me also mention real quick that these cloths are made to last for 500 washes. If you were to wash these once a week (which is about all you need to do - I do about every week and a half), these cloths will last for 10 years!!! 10! Crazy huh? They also have a 2 year warranty on them - not many companies will do that for their products of this nature.

Frequencies

A phrase I have often heard in this industry is how certain oils will have higher frequencies than others. I had no idea what this meant. So, I decided to find out! I was so intrigued by the information that I found, that I knew I had to share! I am getting my information from this website called Bio-Spiritual Energy Healing. So if you are interested in reading more, I urge you to do your own research and share what you find! I find it all very fascinating, hopefully you don't think I'm nuts! (My hubby might think I am a bit now, but he loves me anyways!) :) So here is a summary of what I have learned and hopefully it is all right and makes sense!

Everything has vibrations going through them. Plants, animals,as well as us, as human beings. We have frequencies that go up and down depending on many of factors. Essential oils have frequencies as well, depending on how pure they are. The higher the frequency, the purer the oil. The purest oils are the ones that will get you the best results too. 

When your body gets sick or something, the sicknesses and viruses will lower the body's frequency level, making it unable to perform at its best. I liked this paragraph from the website when it said,

"Pathogens have a low frequency. Pollutants - both particulate and radiation (EMF) - lower a healthy frequency. Processed and canned food having a frequency of zero can greatly diminish a person's own frequency." 

Another reason to get away from all of the processed stuff! :)

So how can you raise your own frequency levels? Using essential oils is one way. The purer the oil, the higher it will raise your own frequency level. So if you aren't using the purest oil, it will raise it some, but not as high as it could be with the purest oil. This website also talks about how having a positive attitude will actually raise your own frequency level as well.

 "Even thoughts and feelings have a vibratory quality that forms a measurable frequency. A negative mental state can lower a person's frequency by 10-12 MHz.

Likewise, a substance or influencing factor - such as thoughts, emotions, and frequency devices - in our internal and external environments can also serve to raise our frequencies. For example, a positive mental attitude, prayer or meditation can raise it by 10-15 MHz."

So is all of this making sense? I thought it was pretty cool and now I understand when someone tells me that a certain brand of essential oils doesn't have as high of frequency as others. 

Share your questions and comments below! I'd love to hear what you think about this! 

On this website, there was a research study done about what happens at certain frequency levels in the human body, so I thought I'd share: 

• Human cells can start to change (mutate) when their frequency drops below 62MHz.
• 58 MHz is the frequency of your body when you have a cold or the flu.
• When candida is present within your body, you vibrate at a frequency of 55MHz.
• 52 MHz is the frequency of a body with Epstein-Barr virus present.
• 42 MHz is the frequency of a body wherein cancer can appear.
• When the death process begins - the frequency has been measured at 20 MHz.

Changes

Happy Oiling! is coming to Facebook!

I'm still figuring out how to do it all and tonight hopefully I am making buttons and banners. So bare with me on the plainness of it all! Show your support by going HERE and liking the page though!

Coconut Oil

I just went to my local natural store and got myself some coconut oil to start using in place of oils and butters when cooking. Mine is organic and so there is more of a coconut flavor to it, but you can buy others that don't have a strong coconut flavor. Coconut oil is a good fat, somewhat like avocados. I used it last night on air popped popcorn instead of using butter. I thought it was good and it cured my sweet craving I was. Plus, it was a VERY healthy snack! :) So I had a friend on Facebook, who is wonderful with the oils, post this news clip and so I wanted to share it with you as well. Share your thoughts with me by leaving a comment!

A-ha!

I am really excited about the upcoming month for me. 

Have you ever had an A-HA moment? 

Well, mine has been like an A-HA process! I have always loved the color green (no, not just like, LOVE it. If you ask anyone who knows me well at all, they will tell you my favorite color is green. My kids even try to get me to buy candy by choosing green ones thinking I'll be more inclined to do so!) Well, in the last couple weeks, I think there is a reason my favorite color is green!

Green to me means the earth, more natural and clean way to do things. 

About 4 years ago, I really got into recycling and doing what I could around my house to keep it naturally clean - at least with the limited knowledge I had, I THOUGHT I was doing things well. If you have never been into recycling, did you know that it can save you a little bit of money. Not a lot that you might always notice at first. But, if you recycle all that you can, you use less garbage sacks! I rarely have to buy them and really the only things going into my garbage can now are food being thrown away and stuff. My kids even know all about recycling and it is a part of our lives every day now! :)

     Moving on...

When I started with using essential oils, I was really excited to expand my knowledge about how we can help keep the earth clean and nice so that our kids and future generations have the same, and even better, opportunities that we all had. These oils have really helped my family in so many ways. I know some people think we're crazy and sometimes you may think we stink. But I think my family is pretty healthy. Yeah, my kids will get sick periodically, but we are able to take care of it at home without putting all of the garbage into our bodies that make it not work properly. 

About a month ago, I was invited to a Norwex party. Cleaning without chemicals. A topic I was going to tackle this summer while I was out of school for a while. So I was really excited about this class. Well, it was more than I could have imagined and it was like I felt like this was an answer and system created just for me!

I hate cleaning!
I hate buying cleaners!
I hate the toxins and yucky stuff they put into our bodies and in the air!
Then I hate when after all of that is said and done, they don't even work!!!
I was drawn to this brand from the get-go! :) 

I all of a sudden felt this passion for something that I had never felt before! Of just doing things in a natural, healthier way! 

The more I thought about essential oils and then these cleaners, combining it with my degree at school (Marriage & Family Studies - I can do counseling, social work, etc. with it after getting my Master's Degree), the more I realized what I really want for everyone is to be happy. Happy and free to live their lives healthy and in a way without worry. Sure, we get sick from time to time. But I don't worry because I have the knowledge and resources to get us through it. Yeah, I worry about the germs my kids bring home from school. But I don't want a runny nose to stop us all from living our lives! So from medicine, to food, to cleaning, to emotions and life...

I want everyone to live a happy life.
In every way possible.

In April, I will be adding the Norwex products (which I will be teaching you all more about) to my collection. I am fully getting rid of all cleaners and towels and cloths in my house and replacing it all with Norwex. It is that awesome! 

Please stay tuned for more about Norwex to come. These products are worth the time and every penny. 

Essential oils got me excited to tackle the illnesses and ailments we all suffer through. Norwex has gotten me excited about cleaning. Yes, cleaning! I used to loathe cleaning! NO, NOT ANYMORE!!! :)

"House"

Ha ha ha ha. My kids are playing "house" with a couple of their stuffed animals. My son said that the dog's stomach hurt. So my daughter asked the dog if it wanted some oils. Unfortunately, the dog declined the offer.

Ha ha ha. That was great! Just had to share!

WINNER!

Sorry it has taken me a couple days to post this giveaways winner! My semester is wrapping up and let's just say my house is a disaster! :)

So the winner of the 15mL bottle of Peppermint is....

JEN!

Jen, I will get this in the mail to you asap along with some info about it. Let me know if you have any questions. 

Thanks for entering!

A Bad Hair Day?

I have this GREAT friend who has this GREAT blog!!

In it, she posts her pictures that she takes daily (she is a great photographer) and she will post a little tender mercy of her day. I personally love reading her tender mercies because it reminds me that I too should be counting my tiny little blessings every single day (not to mention she takes really good pictures)! 

Anyways

So her latest post includes how she takes care of her hair naturally and includes essential oils with it! So, that being said, I encourage you all to check out her latest post by clicking here. Then feel free to comment on her blog as well as on mine with any ideas, thoughts, or comments. I would love to hear what you all think. Think of how much money you would save by doing this with your own hair! How much money do you think you could save?

#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!

Classes

Okay people. I have about 3 1/2 weeks of school left. 

WAHOO!! 

Wait, I need another one. 

WAHOO!!! 

I am also taking next semester off, which means we need another one of these:  
WAHOO! :)

Because of this small break I have, I am now scheduling classes. I live in Idaho, so if you want to host a class, let me know and we'll get it scheduled. If you live further away from me (I can travel to Utah, but that is about as far as I can go for now), then I'd love to chat with you on Skype or something. We can arrange something. I have a webcam and microphone so the possibilities are endless. Hurry before the spots fill up! You can leave a comment here or email me at corinnehoyt@yahoo.com with what you are thinking for a class. 

Just for kicks and giggles, here is another one for you all! 

WAHOO!!!!

A Natural Goo-Be-Gone!

At church on Sunday, I had a good friend that needed some wipes to get some gum off of one of the benches. I gave one to my husband to take over, but told him to grab the Lemon oil as well.  

Lemon is an all-natural goo-be-gone! 

Did you know that? I've been trying it lately. I've heard it is great for gum and sticky labels. I have used it on bottles recently to get the label off and it worked pretty well. So I told him to put a drop or two right on the gum and scrub away. He came back a few minutes later to tell me that my friend said I was amazing! :) Wahoo! Next time you got something sticky, get out your Lemon essential oil. Put a drop or two on it and scrub. If it doesn't come off the first time of scrubbing a bit, add another drop or two. 

If you have ever tried that or if you do try this, leave a comment and let us know how it works for you and what you used it on! :)

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?

Some Cleaning Ideas...

I was relaxing in the tub and reading my All You magazine the other day (All You is a couponing magazine and has lots of fun tricks and tips for doing things well for cheaper - LOVE it!) and I came across a couple of pages with some recipes for cleaners. I started reading them because is one of my new subjects that intrigue me. Guess what? They include ESSENTIAL OILS in them! Wahoo! I was so excited to find that! This year, my goal is to become natural in my cleaning products. This includes making my own laundry detergent and cleaners and whatnot. So these few pages really caught my eye. So just as an idea for some of the recipes, here are a couple of them. These recipes are word-for-word from the magazine, then beneath you will find my comments about them.

Antibacterial Spray

*Use this germ killer on sinks, vanities and toilet seats. White thyme oil (or in this case, doTERRA's Thyme oil) although expensive, inhabits bacterial growth. *

Prep: 2 minutes Cost: $11.57

Yield: Approximately 18 oz (a 2-3 month supply)

Ingredients- 2 cups water, 2 Tbsp liquid castile soap, 1 Tbsp white thyme essential oil, 10 drops lavender essential oil.

Instructions- Using a funnel, pour water, soap and oils into bottle. Shake. Spray and let sit for 20 minutes. Wipe down surfaces with damp cloth. 

Toilet Bowl Blaster!!

*This recipe harnesses baking soda's gentle abrasiveness, vinegar's acidity and the stain-lifting power of the fizz created by mixing the two, plus tea-tree oil's antibacterial capabilities.*

Prep: 2 minutes Cost: 48 cents Yield: 1 cup, enough for 1 use

Ingredients- 1/2 cup baking soda, 10 drops tea-tree essential oil, 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar.

Instructions- Pour baking soda directly into the toilet bowl, add oil, then vinegar- in that order. Let water effervesce for several minutes, then scrub bowl with brush. Flush. 

 *doTERRA's oil is Melaleuca, not tea-tree oil. They are same thing. Melaleuca is great for killing off bad germs and infections and stuff. I really like this REALLY EASY recipe! *

Furniture Polish

*Apply this formula to clean and restore luster to wood furniture. It also may be used to help remove superficial water rings on wood tables.* 

Prep: 1 1/2 minutes Cost: 34 cents Yield: Approximately 2 1/2 oz.

Ingredients- 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, 1/4 tsp lemon oil (or fresh lemon juice).

Instructions- Using a funnel, pour olive oil, vinegar and lemon oil into a 8 oz plastic squirt bottle. Shake well to emulsify. Squirt polish onto a microfiber cloth and rub onto finished-wood furniture. Always go with the grain and even distribute polish. Remove any excess polish with a clean cloth. 

*I do not use furniture polish because I don't have nice enough furniture to use it on. Ha ha! But it sounds like a GREAT recipe. If you use it, let me know how it works for ya!*

If you want more, I encourage you to check out this magazine. I know that our local library has this magazine to look at and I think even check out. Of you can try looking it up online at allyou.com If you are using natural cleaners, I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT! I am going to start myself a notebook soon and write all of these recipes down so I have them in one spot to quickly reference to them. So I'd love to hear your recipes. If you are using a natural cleaner, try adding some essential oils to them and I want to know what you think. I'd love to feature you on a post with your great information and experiences! 

 

Itchy, Red, Cracking, Bleeding and Dry

What do all of the words in the title have to do with each other?
They are all signs and symptoms of Eczema! Unfortunately, so many people are coming down with this dry-skin demon. So what can be done about it with the oils?
Well, after much research, here is my conclusion. Usually, when there is a problem on the outside, such as a skin issue, it is caused by a problem on the inside. In the case of eczema, it could be a candida problem on the inside. Candida is yeast. Yeast build-up or overgrowth is the cause of SO MANY health problems. Because of this, doTERRA has come up with a cleanse to help get rid of it. It is called the GX Assist and PB Assist. The GX Assist are pills you take daily for cleansing of the skin. You take those for only about 10 days and then you stop those and then take the PB Assist, which are probiotics. This helps your body rest and restore itself after the GX Assist. Now, cleansing candida can be quite the process and eating as raw as you can is always beneficial. You might have to do a couple rounds of the two pills, depending on your body and how bad the candida is. This is safe to do while you are pregnant, though if you are nursing, this is not recommended. The yucky yeast can come out in your milk and trust me, the yeast issue is not fun when you are nursing. Another great thing is to add the Lifelong Vitality pack that I talked about in the last post. That will help a lot too.
Now, if you don't want to do a cleanse, there are a couple of different things you can try for the eczema. With a carrier oil such as doTERRA's fractionated coconut oil, you can use some Geranium, Lavender, Melaleuca, Clear Skin, Oregano or Helichrysm.
For more information or to see some testimonials of what others have done with the oils and eczema, check out this site!
To look at the prices of all of these oils, go to www.mydoterra.com/corinnehoyt and look around! 

"Look, Feel, Live Younger, Longer"

How is everybody's new year treating them? Are you sticking to those New Years Resolutions still? ha ha. I am trying my best, though I tend to stray periodically.

Today I want to tell you about a product of doTERRA's that is absolutely wonderful and, I think, should be a part of everybody's daily routine. That is the LLV. Lifelong Vitality pack. These are basically vitamins that you take on a daily basis to do what the title of this post says. The purpose of them is to help you "Look, Feel, Live Younger, Longer". I have been taking them for a while now and can't imagine going back now to a time when I wasn't taking them. I can feel my body slow down when I am not taking them regularly and can definitely tell a difference in how I feel when I am taking them daily. Let me give you the details about what they are exactly.

The LLV pack consists of 3 different bottles of pills. The Micro Plex VMz, AlphaCRS+ and the xEO Mega. 

 

For the sake of you being able to understand what this trio is all about, I am getting all of my information from HERE.

The Alpha CRS+ Cellular Vitality Complex is a complex to help cells and cellular activity. The primary benefits are

"• Supports healthy cell proliferation and lifespan by reducing oxidative stress to DNA and other critical cell structures

• Supports healthy inflammatory response to oxidative stress in cells

• Supports cellular energy by supporting healthy mitochondria and by supplying metabolic factors of energy production

• Supports healthy cellular immune function

• Supports mental clarity and healthy brain function"

The xEO MEGA Essential Oil Omega Complex is combined from essential oils and the important omega fatty-acids. The primary benefits include:

"• Promotes cardiovascular health by reducing oxidative stress and 

mediating healthy cellular response to inflammatory markers

• Supports health joint function and comfort

• Provides important modulating nutrients for healthy immune function

• Protects against lipid oxidation and supports healthy function of the brain

• Promotes healthy skin"

The MicroPlex VMz Food Nutrient Complex provides your body with all essential vitamins and minerals that most people don't typically get from their diet on a daily basis. The primary benefits are 

"• Provides 22 essential vitamins and minerals to support normal growth, functioning and maintenance of cells

• Fights free radicals with the antioxidants vitamins A, C, and E

• Supports healthy metabolism and cellular energy

• Supports bone health with calcium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D

• Supports healthy immune function

• Supports healthy digestion

• Provides systemic benefits of vitality and wellness associated with optimal intake of essential nutrients"

For pregnant and nursing moms, this is a great way to keep both mom and baby healthy! I took them for a little while during pregnancy and then all during the time when I nursed my 4th child. My milk was by far the best I have ever had and I give most of that credit to this wonderful product! 

As with any natural, essential oil product, when you begin using this product, you might experience a little detox. It can be a headache or some nausea. Whatever you feel, it is normal. You can start with a smaller dosage though if you'd like to ease your body into them. I have heard of people losing weight at the beginning of using these pills because of the detox that takes place. Detoxing is not bad. It is just getting rid of the bad, yucky stuff in your body. It is recommended to take the pills for at least 3 months to really notice the complete changes your body is making. I remember seeing differences in the first month though. 

I think you will be surprised at how much healthier you start becoming by taking the steps of changing your diet a bit, drinking more water, using essential oils and adding in this Lifelong Vitality trio. I feel more energized when I am taking these pills and let me tell you, as a mom of four kids and a full-time student and wife, I need all of the energy I can get!!

Feel free to ask any questions and together we can figure out what will work for you. On my autoship, I pay about $60 a month for these great pills. It may seem like a lot, but you will start to see how much healthier you are becoming and you might start spending less on medicine and other vitamins you might be taking. So I urge EVERYONE to consider these. Soon I will post some other personal experiences that people have had concerning the LLV. 

Until next time....HAPPY OILING EVERYONE!