This simple blend is perfect for your purse, the car, or as a favor at an outdoor party!  

It's that time of year again when the little buggers come out to attack! Here is a more natural alternative to many of the store bought repellents. If you're not sure what essential oils are, they are basically natural oils usually made by distillation of specific parts of a plant (bark, leaves, stems, etc.).  The resulting oil will have the fragrance and the useful properties of the plant it was extracted from.

Essential oils should not be taken internally. When applied to the skin they should generally be diluted. The recipe shown will make approximately 1 ounce at a 3% dilution.

Aside from the essential oils and witch hazel, you will also need a mini funnel and a one ounce amber colored glass spray bottle (affiliate link) to make this simple recipe.  

• Always be sure to shake the repellent well before using.  
• Test first on a small patch of skin to see if there is a reaction with any of the ingredients.   
• If any irritation occurs wash with soap and water immediately.
• Avoid use near eyes and as with all insect repellents, avoid use when pregnant. 
• Repellent can be sprayed on skin and clothing (But remember there are oils in it!). Reapply as needed, or about every 3 hours, and enjoy keeping the bugs away!​

​Here is one of my favorite "go to" books about aromatherapy (affiliate link):

Please note that essential oils for home health DO NOT replace a doctor or modern day medicine.   However, some can definitely be used to supplement, or, in the case of minor medical issues, be used instead of pharmaceuticals.  

Always use common sense and seek the advice of a medical professional before making any major medical decisions.
​
Thanks for visiting!  

Check our our other Essential Oil Remedies & Recipes and our Essential Oils Etc. Pinterest Board for other great uses!

​Sincerely,

After a four day migraine last week I ended up using all of my remaining headache blend so I needed to make more and I thought I would share the blend with anyone out there who suffers like I do. It is also great for anyone who suffers from stress headaches and/or allergy headaches too! All I do is rub this on my temples for some well needed relief before the headache reaches monumental proportions.  It doesn't cure a really bad migraine or headache that is well underway, but it certainly helps.

See below for purchasing ingredients and supplies through our affiliate links.

*NOTE: the Birch oil in this recipe contains the same ingredient as in Aspirin and therefore should not be used in conjunction with anything containing Aspirin or Ibuprofen!
Please note that essential oils for home health DO NOT replace a doctor or modern day medicine.   However, some can definitely be used to supplement, or, in the case of minor medical issues, be used instead of pharmaceuticals.  

Always use common sense and seek the advice of a medical professional before making any major medical decisions. 

Thanks for visiting!  

Check our our other Essential Oil Remedies & Recipes and our Essential Oils Etc. Pinterest Board for other great uses!

Sincerely,

Ugh. My husband and I have been feeling pretty sore these days.  With my daughter getting married in seven months we both are trying pretty hard to get in shape and that means we have been working a few muscles that most certainly are not used to the extra work! 

But they do feel a lot better when we use this simple muscle rub afterwards!  Just two ingredients and someone to help you rub it on.... and, well, you can see why it makes us feel better almost instantly!

See below for purchasing ingredients and supplies through our affiliate: Amazon.com!

*NOTE: the Birch oil in this recipe contains the same ingredient as in Aspirin and therefore should not be used in conjunction with anything containing Aspirin or Ibuprofen!

Please note that essential oils for home health DO NOT replace a doctor or modern day medicine.   However, some can definitely be used to supplement, or, in the case of minor medical issues, be used instead of pharmaceuticals.  

Always use common sense and seek the advice of a medical professional before making any major medical decisions. 
​
Thanks for visiting!  

Check our our other Essential Oil Remedies & Recipes and our Essential Oils Etc. Pinterest Board for other great uses!

​Sincerely,

It's that time of year again when I go back to teaching high school and lo and behold, I get sick.  I guess you could call it my annual cold.  Not only do the students inadvertently 'share' their illness', but the teachers do too!  It is really inevitable.  We can have up to 32 total students and teachers in a classroom with the door closed (by law) and a few windows open that rarely generate any breeze, especially if they open into a courtyard.  We can bring in our own fans and sometimes, if we are really fortunate, we might get to teach in a room that has an air conditioner once or twice a day (most teachers move from room to room throughout the day).  Just think about how many hands touch the knob on the door to the classroom with 9 periods a day in there and you can see why germs are so easily shared.  And no matter how careful you are, they are in the air after every sneeze and cough too.  

Ok, enough of that.  We all know germs spread.  But what can we do when we get a cold or the flu to help it go away faster and feel better sooner? It's already well known that these are viral and that antibiotics simply won't help. That leaves it up to you.  It is pretty common knowledge to drink tea with lemon and honey, take hot steamy showers to help clear the sinus' and loosen up chest congestion, to keep the house at a cooler temperature, and to sleep in a semi-seated position to prevent post nasal drip. But what else can be done?

After years of getting my 'annual' cold after returning to school in the fall I have come up with two tried and true remedies that I know help me, so hopefully they will help you too!

Disclaimer: Always check with your doctor or healthcare professional before trying any new treatments or holistic medicines. Especially if you or your loved ones have pre-existing medical conditions.

1. Neti Pot - Clear your sinus' and fight infection!

2. Diffusers: Breathe better and purify the air!

Thanks for visiting!
I hope you found this post helpful and that if you have a cold or the flu it helps you to feel better!
:-)
Sincerely,

I love our essential oil diffuser pendants. I really love them because they were actually designed specifically for myself! I wanted/needed a way to be able to wear the oils every day at work without putting them on my skin.  If you don't yet know what I do for work then you need to know I am a high school science teacher.  So not only is there a lot of stress from many different directions, there are also a lot of unsavory smells from the students returning from gym class, stinky chemistry experiments, to the odors of the cooking cafeteria food (Which are sometimes really good too!).  To make matters worse the hallway I am in is on the second floor which is literally 10 degrees hotter than the first floor. Classroom temperatures can reach into the 90's on some days and I don't have to tell you what heat does to the smells.... 

Anyway, I started looking around online for diffuser pendants and really didn't like anything I saw.  I am not a jewelry person at all.  I just don't like the way jewelry feels on my skin, especially around my neck so that pretty much ruled out anything made of metal.  I saw a few pendants made out of clay,  mostly kiln fired, which I thought was great at first. But then I realized that you were just applying the oil directly to the clay and the risk of getting that on my clothing or even on my skin was not worth it.  Then I came across air dry clay pendants and they were doing the same thing - applying the oil directly to the pendant.  But air dry clay, well now I had something I could work with!  Being a science teacher...well...the experiments began!

Trial 1:

• I made the pendants out of the air dry clay, however since I didn't like the idea of the oil possibly getting on my skin or clothing I decided it needed a small well for the oil to go into so we drilled small holes into the back where the oil would be 'dropped' into.
• After giving these a try I quickly realized this was not going to work. The oil was able to seep through the pendant to the front. The oils are also very strong and they weathered the finish as well!

Trial 2:

• ​Same pendants, same drilled holes as wells on the back, but now we addd a small piece of felt.  The felt worked great for absorbing the oils and keeping them from seeping into the clay.
• Problem: the oils dissolved the glue that was holding in the felt.  
• We ended up experimenting with numerous glues until we found one that the oils could not dissolve.
• However, after about a month of using the pendants I realized that the oils were still able to seep completely through to the front of the pendants and weather the finish on the front.  Not good.

Trial 3:

• I needed to find a way to prevent the oil from seeping into the clay. I needed it to be 100% blocked from going through.  Thats when the finish experiments began.  We tried every type of finish we could find from polyurethanes, to acrylics, etc.  The oils are so strong that they weathered every single one of them. Some finished took longer than others, but nothing worked the way I wanted.
• So I started to think about what they are stored in: metal or glass containers.  I already knew metal was out for me, so glass it was.  What could I use that is like glass?  I was watching a video one day for wood finishing and the man was using epoxy to give it a beautiful glossy finish.  I thought to myself, "could this work?" and the epoxy experiments began.  
• If you know anything about epoxy you know that most of them have a yellow tint to them. Finding one that remained clear and could withstand the effects of the oil was not easy but I did eventually find success (With thanks to my husband!).

Of course I really over-simplified what I wrote above. In all the entire process took about of year of trials and errors and experiments and in that time we threw out several hundred failed designs.  We also had a lot of input from friends, family, and customers and we are so satisfied with how they turned out that we offer a 100% money back guarantee if you are not happy! 

Some of the important design features:

• Super lightweight - the only reason you will know you are wearing it is by smelling the diffusing oils!
• Super soft cording - the faux suede cord is so soft on your neck you won't even know it is there.
• Deep well for the oil - we drill the wells deep enough that the felt is not able to touch your skin or your clothes.
• Absorbent felt - the felt absorbs the one or two drops of oil and allows them to diffuse over several days.
• Epoxy coating - the back of the pendant is coated with a special epoxy that prevents the oil from seeping into the clay.
• Many designs to choose from!
• Just add 1 or 2 drops of oil to the back and wear it all day! So simple :-)

Watch this video to see how they are made from start to finish!

You can make them yourself or buy them for $15 in our online shop (They ship FREE too!).  Every pendant comes with a trial size bottle (dram) of Lavender essential oil.  They make a great gift or even a stocking stuffer for the holidays!

Learn more about why you should use essential oil diffuser pendants!
​
Thanks for visiting!
Sincerely,

There are many different essential oils available.  Some oils are helpful when coming down with a cold and some are more helpful if you are tired or stressed. You can even buy or make blends of different oils to help focus on specific problems.  Regardless of the oil, all you need is from 1 to 3 drops depending upon the oil and size/type of diffuser.  Our pendants only require 1 drop to help you feel good!

*Here are a few Essential Oils that we use regularly:

• Eucalyptus - Clean, crisp menthol scent - good for asthma, cough, stuffed nose, sore throat, sinus problems
• Lavender - Sweet floral scent - good for anxiety, tension, stress, insomnia, headache
• Tea Tree - Fresh medicinal scent - good for colds, flu, to ward off illness, disinfectant
• Peppermint - Sweet minty menthol scent - good for fatigue, exhaustion, or apathy, asthma, bronchitis, cough, sinus, headaches, migraines, nausea, indigestion
• Lemon - Sweet lemon scent - good for immune system booster, digestive health, household odors, fatigue, PMS, or stress
• Cedarwood - Woody scent - good for neverous tension or stress
• Bergamot - Fruity & citrusy scent - good if you are feeling anxious, depressed, tired, nervous or stressed
• Frankinsense - Warm spicy & woody scent - good for asthma, cough, cold, flu, sore throat, or fatigue​​

​​*NOTE: If you are pregnant, nursing, or have any health issues you should always check with your doctor before use!

Sources:
University of Maryland Medical Center
​

Difficulty falling asleep lately?  Then check out this simple sleep spritzer essential oil blend!  It can help to relax you so that you can fall asleep.  This is spritzed on your pillow just before bedtime so that you are inhaling the essential oil scents.  Each essential oil was carefully chosen:

• Clary Sage - helpful for insomnia, stress, and anxiety.
• Lavender - helpful for insomnia, stress, and anxiety.
  
• Bergamot - helpful with fatigue and anxiety.
• Pachouli - helpful with anxiety.
• Roman Chamomile - helpful for insomnia.

NOTE: Always research the safety of using any essential oil before use!  Check with a doctor before using, especially if you are pregnant or nursing. This is not intended for use by children.

Here is one of my favorite "go to" books about aromatherapy (affiliate link):

Feeling anxious lately?  Then this essential oil blend just might be for you!  Simply combine the ingredients in a 1 mL roll on bottle, shake well, and apply to your wrists whenever you are feeling a little anxious or if you just want to feel more relaxed!  It can be applied directly to the skin because it is diluted with a carrier oil (grape seed).  Feel free to use a different carrier oil such as olive oil.

NOTE: Always research the safety of using any essential oil before use!  Check with a doctor before using, especially if you are pregnant or nursing. This is not intended for use by children.

The following pictures are links to the supplies needed to make this anti-anxiety blend - Note that they are all affiliate links through Amazon.com:

Tired of all those nasty chemicals? Interested in something more natural?  Well here is a recipe we use to battle the bugs that uses all natural essential oils.  If you're not sure what essential oils are, they are basically natural oils usually made by distillation of specific parts of a plant (bark, leaves, stems, etc.).  The resulting oil will have the fragrance and the useful properties of the plant it was extracted from.

• Always be sure to shake the repellent well before using.  
• Test first on a small patch of skin to see if there is a reaction with any of the ingredients.   
• If any irritation occurs wash with soap and water immediately.
• Avoid use near eyes and as with all insect repellents, avoid use when pregnant. 
• Repellent can be sprayed on skin and clothing (But remember there are oils in it!). Reapply as needed, or about every 3 hours, and enjoy keeping the bugs away!
  

Cost effectiveness:
It will cost approximately $45 initially (including the funnel & spray bottle), however, you will have enough supplies to make the 4 ounce repellent mixture 24 times - thats 96 ounces total!  Thats only .45 cents per ounce and if you do not get the funnel and spray bottles, it will cost even less :-)