Why I Love White Angelica Essential Oil Blend

January 4, 2018 By Kristi

White Angelica Essential Oil blend is one of my favorite blends from Young Living. It is made up of 10 essential oils: the Geranium, Ylang Ylang, and Rose essential oils provide some floral notes. The Bergamot and Melissa essential oils offer a boost of bright citrus. Finally, the Myrrh, Northern Lights Black Spruce, Coriander, Hyssop and Sacred Sandalwood essential oils balance the White Angelica blend with a warm, woodsy base. It is such a delightful and balanced scent!

The White Angelica blend is super popular with many people for a good reason: it is known for promoting feelings of protection, creating a positive atmosphere, and it can be used to inspire feelings of security and optimism—no matter what life throws at you.

My favorite way to use White Angelica is pretty simple. I place a few drops on my palms and then rub it onto my shoulders before going out in crowded situations like ball games or school events. It keeps me sane(ish) even though I'm an introvert and would so rather be in a room with less than five of my closest friends.

Here are a few of the reasons why I LOVE White Angelica Essential Oil Blend:

1. Create a peaceful, nurturing environment.

Diffuse White Angelica Essential Oil blend in any space to help prevent a negative environment and to help promote an aura of peace.

2. Use it during meditation or yoga for a comforting atmosphere.

If you apply White Angelica to your wrists and neck or diffuse it during meditation or yoga, you can promote a positive atmosphere. It can help you feel grounded and relaxed for your meditation.

3. Apply White Angelica as a lovely fragrance and natural perfume.

Consider applying White Angelica essential oil blend to your wrists and/or neck like a perfume to enjoy a beautiful and uplifting fragrance all day long. You can also make your own diffuser necklace or bracelets so that you can wear White Angelica as perfumed and aromatic jewelry.

4. Make a Mood-Boosting Room Spray.

White Angelica has such a lovely scent, so why not make your whole room (or house!) smell like it?!? Plus, it can help rid the room of negative energy. Just add a 50/50 blend of distilled water and alcohol to a 4-ounce glass spray bottle, plus 25 drops of White Angelica and a pinch of salt.

5. Use White Angelica essential oil blend in bath salts.

With such a delightful scent and the possibility to promote uplifting and positive feelings, I cannot think of a more perfect bath salts recipe than with using White Angelica! Relaxing in a bath with this essential oil blend sounds heavenly.

6. Add White Angelica to your favorite DIY lotion.

Since some of the essential oils in White Angelica have skin-beautifying benefits (especially the Geranium and Rose essential oils!), it makes perfect sense to add it to your homemade lotion or moisturizer. Here's my recipe for Homemade Lotion Bars.

7. Try Gary Young's Great Day Protocol.

If you combine White Angelica with a few more essential oil blends (Valor, Harmony, and Joy), you can rock the popular and awesome "Great Day Protocol" for some amazing self-care. Learn more here about Gary Young's Great Day Protocol. You can also read more about natural mood boosters in another of my posts.

WHY is White Angelica so awesome?

SCIENCE! Remember those 10 essential oils that make up the White Angelica blend? Each of those 10 oils has components that contribute to its amazing properties. *

Myrrh contains sesquiterpenes, compounds that stimulate the hypothalamus, pituitary and amygdala, the control center for emotions and hormone release in the brain.

Bergamot is simultaneously uplifting and calming. What?! I know, right? Amazing. And, even though it's a citrus, this one is furocoumarinfree, so it's not a photosensitive essential oil that you have to avoid on exposed skin in the sun. Win.

Sandalwood, like myrrh, is high in sesquiterpenes, and is used traditionally in yoga and meditation.

Geranium stimulates nerves and helps with release of negative memories.

Ylang Ylang aids in relaxation and restores confidence and equilibrium.

Spruce fosters a sense of balance and grounding by opening and releasing emotional blocks.

Rosewood is high in linalool, which is relaxing, empowering and uplifting. It also is grounding and strengthening.

Coriander helps stimulate creativity and meditation.

Melissa calms and balances emotions and impacts the emotional center of memories--the limbic part of the brain.

Rose, which has one of the highest frequencies among essential oils, creates balance, harmony and well-being.

Angelica helps calm emotions and bring memories back to a point prior to trauma or anger was experienced, helping with release.

*Source: Essential Oils Pocket Reference 7th Edition (2016)

Why I Love…

Learn more about why I love:

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***These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat diagnose or cure.

Homemade Natural Cleaning Products with Essential Oils

September 9, 2017 By Kristi

Homemade Natural Cleaning Products with Essential Oils

Getting chemicals out of family homes is one of my biggest driving forces these days. I'm personally driven specifically by getting them out of homes with kids and animals living in them, but, check out this fact: women put an average of more than 500 chemicals in or on their bodies every. single. day. WHAT? That's insane, right. Nope, check it out right here.

So, if you're putting all these chemicals in and on your body, and on your baby's body (whether she has fur or hair), what's that doing to you? Ugh. Bad things. So, what can you do about it? Well, first, don't freak out. Take baby steps. Get each chemical out of your home that you can identify and swap it for SOMETHING better. Then go in and do it again.

Each time you swap something, you do better and you make your home healthier. Go check your labels. Limit yourself to what you can handle, maybe three a day. Replace what you can. If you can't replace it yet, use it until it's out and do better next time you purchase that product.

If you're looking for a great kit to buy for natural non-toxic cleaning, the first big purchase I made was the Thieves Premium Starting Kit. More into DIY? Check out these awesome homemade products you can make with healthy ingredients...

Bathroom Natural Cleaning Products

1. Homemade Kid-Friendly Toothpaste Recipe from Veggie Converter

2. DIY Natural Toilet Bombs from Overthrow Martha

3. DIY Moisturizing Foaming Hand Soap from The Rising Spoon

4. DIY Non-Toxic Bathtub Scrub Cleaner from Good Girl Gone Green

All-Purpose Natural Cleaning Products

5. DIY Granite Cleaner Recipe from Living the Nourished Life

6. DIY All-Purpose Cleaner from Overthrow Martha

7. Natural Cleaning Recipe with Vinegar from Good Girl Gone Green

8. Multi-Purpose Kombucha Cleaner from Good Girl Gone Green

9. Natural Adhesive Remover from Overthrow Martha

Laundry Natural Cleaning Products

10. DIY Wool Dryer Balls from Veggie Converter

11. Homemade Powder Laundry Detergent from Real Food RN

12. Homemade Bleach Recipe from Thank Your Body

13. Natural Laundry Fabric Softener from Overthrow Martha

Deodorizers/Room Spray Natural Cleaning Products

14. DIY Smelly Odor Knockout Spray from The Rising Spoon

15. Energizing Citrus Room Spray Recipe from Our Heritage of Health

16. Homemade Carpet Deodorizer from Holistically Engineered

17. DIY Trash Can Deodorizer from Overthrow Martha

What are your favorite homemade natural cleaning products?

Looking for essential oils to make all this awesome stuff? I got myself a kit just like this one and never looked back!

My Favorite Pain Relief Cream

November 1, 2016 By Kristi

My Favorite Pain Relief Cream

By now, you might have noticed that I LOVE my Young Living Essential Oils. They don't just provide me with essential oils, though. Nope. They've got some amazing cleaning products, beauty products, and...this amazing pain relief cream.

While lots of other pain relief creams are made with harsh chemicals and artificial ingredients, Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream is made with only natural ingredients. Cool Azul contains: Menthol (naturally found in Peppermint, a key ingredient in the Cool Azul essential oil blend), Methyl salicylate (naturally found in Wintergreen), Green tea extract, and Organic aloe leaf juice.

Methyl salicylate provides relief from minor aches and pains and is a natural component of Young Living's Wintergreen essential oil. By combining methyl salicylate with natural menthol, Cool Azul pain relief cream offers a unique topical analgesic for effective temporary relief.

Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream is so great because it gives me a delightful cooling sensation and relief from minor muscle aches, joint aches, strains, sprains, and bruises. You can use this minty cream for the following:

Arthritis
Simple Backaches
Bruises
Sprains
Muscles and Joins

If you need some extra relief, consider applying Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream after a delightful bath with some homemade bath salts. I hope you enjoy this pain relief cream as much as I do!

Want to learn more about essential oils?

Learn about Young Living Essential Oils
Learn about NingXia Red
Learn about Thieves Essential Oil Products

Adults and children 12 years of age and older: Apply to affected area no more than 3–4 times daily. • Children under 12 years of age: Consult a physician.

Thieves Cough Drops

October 24, 2016 By Kristi

Why I Love Thieves Cough Drops

I've mentioned my adoration for Young Living's Thieves products before, but I thought I would take a minute to talk about one my new favorite Thieves products: their cough drops! Of course, you can make your OWN lozenges (here's my recipe for homemade lozenges), but if you're a bit busy for DIY projects, these Thieves cough drops are a wonderful option. Young Living’s Thieves Cough Drops are formulated to help soothe sore throats, relieve coughs, and cool nasal passages.

Here's why I love Thieves Cough Drops so much:

They contain only simple and known ingredients. Here's the list of ingredients: Natural menthol, stevia leaf extract, and essential oils including Cinnamon bark, Cloves, Eucalyptus Radiata, Lemon, Peppermint, and Rosemary. How refreshing to see a list of pronounceable ingredients!
These cough drops are made with NO sugar, NO dyes, NO artificial flavors, and NO preservatives. Score!
Thieves cough drops also taste great (bonus!). They combine a spicy and sweet flavor together and I enjoy the taste a lot.
They help soothe sore throats, relieve coughs, and cool nasal passages.

You can find out more about where to get Thieves Cough Drops here. You can also get the cough drops and more Thieves products with this awesome Thieves Premium Starter Kit. And don't forget, you can always make these lozenges too!

Why I Love Lemon Essential Oil

August 11, 2016 By Kristi

If you are looking for an invigorating and refreshing scent, then Lemon essential oil is what you need. Lemon's tangy citrus taste has always been a popular flavor in the kitchen (making the Lemon Vitality Essential Oil a great choice); it is also a popular choice for cleaning products and also for aroma. So if you love lemons, then you will love the intense and concentrated form of it in Lemon essential oil. You see, Lemon essential oil is derived from the rind of lemons. It takes 3,000 lemons to produce 1 kilo of this amazing and refreshing oil!

Of course, it is important to use a high-quality Lemon essential oil. My preference is Young Living Essential Oils (learn more about them here).

Here are the many reasons why I LOVE Lemon Essential Oil:

1. For Cleaning Your Home

Simply combine 2-3 drops of lemon essential oil with water in a spray bottle to clean surfaces.
Consider adding 10-15 drops of lemon essential to a gallon of carpet cleaning solution to help pull out stains, brighten carpets and rugs, and to leave a fresh smell in the room.
Make a natural furniture polish by adding several drops of lemon to a half cup of olive oil.
Eliminate odors in your home (like your garbage can!) by adding a few drops of lemon essential oil to a cotton ball and place it where you need it.

2. Removing Stains

Lemon essential oil can be used to remove stains from your laundry.
You can soak dishcloths in a bowl of water with 1-2 drops of lemon essential oil overnight to naturally clean.
Use 1-2 drops of lemon essential oil to remove gum, oil, grease spots and crayon from most surfaces.
You know when your kids get a sticker at the grocery store or doctor? And then they always leave them on their shirt and it gets washed? Well, lemon oil gets that icky, post-washer sticker residue off, too!

3. Cleaning Fruit and Vegetables

Add 2-3 drops of lemon essential oil to a bowl of cool water and add your produce. Not only will this help clean your produce, it might also help increase the shelf life of them.

4. It makes tasty beverages

Add a few drops of Lemon (Vitality) essential oil to a cup of water in the morning. It bursts with a lemony tang and is full of antioxidants.
You can also add a few drops of Lemon (Vitality) to your smoothies for a refreshing and uplifting drink.
Enhance your lemonade with a drop drops of Lemon (Vitality) essential oil.

5. Adds flavor to your meals

Add several drops of Lemon (Vitality) essential oil to a chicken marinade for a delicious dinner.
Toss your veggies with Lemon (Vitality) and olive oil prior to roasting for a delicious side dish.
Make sauces for your fish dishes brighter by including Lemon (Vitality).

6. Freshen your breath

Not only does Peppermint Essential Oil work for freshening your breath, you can also add a drop of Lemon essential oil to the tip of your tongue for a refreshing change.

7. Uplift your spirits

Lemon essential oil's uplifting effects awaken the senses, clear the mind of distractions and help a person tune in to the task at hand.
Place a drop in your hands to inhale, rub a drop into long or short hair, or diffuse through the room during times to uplift the spirits.

8. Promotes energy and focus

Lemon essential oil promotes focus and clarity. It helps a person to overcome confusion or doubt, feelings of being overwhelmed and lack of enthusiasm. It also helps to clear self-doubt, limiting beliefs, stagnant energy and rigidness in the mind, heart, or body.
Inhale lemon essential oil or place a few drops on a cotton ball to replenish your mind, body, and spirit.

Cautions When Using Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon is photosensitive. This means that lemon oil can cause the skin to burn if exposed to sunlight after applying the oil. Avoid applying to skin that will be exposed to sunlight or UV light within 24 hours.

Why I Love…

Learn more about why I love:

Got a Question?

Contact me at [email protected]

Get started with Young Living with the Premium Starter Kit. Get it for 50% off retail prices. Learn more here.

***These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat diagnose or cure.

Back to School Essential Oils: A Survival Guide

August 7, 2016 By Kristi

Back to School Essential Oils: A Survival Guide

It's that time of year again, folks. Back-to-school time is usually a mix of excitement and sadness over here. However, no matter what you and your kids are feeling when it comes to starting up school again, the more prepared you are, the easier this transition time can go. Here's my list of awesome survival tips to make Back to School as easy as possible.

1. Keep Your Kids Healthy

I LOVE using Thieves essential oil (learn about Thieves in my post) and NingXia Red (here's more info on NingXia) during the year to boost my family's health. You can learn more about Young Living essential oils here.

2. Start a Good Morning Routine

One of the best things for the whole family is to have a great morning routine in place. It can keep mornings calm instead of hectic. Consider using some essential oils in the diffuser to help start the morning out right.

You can also make mornings better with some healthy and tasty breakfasts. For our home, smoothies are quite popular. I often have smoothie packs ready for use in the freezer (read more here), which helps make mornings even easier. Here's a great recipe idea:

3. Help Your Kids Get Through the School Day

Sometimes, especially in those first days of school, kids get a bit shy about going to school. A diffuser necklace might be JUST the thing to help your kids get through the day. My girls love these super cute Smiley Face Silicone Diffuser Bracelets.

If your kids aren't into necklaces or bracelets, you could always try making a fun rollerball recipe for them (these roller bottles are cute)!

4. Have an After-School Routine

It's a great idea to have an after-school routine just like it's good to have a morning routine! I LOVE greeting my kids after school with a good snack to give them a boost of energy. Confession: sometimes a treat like homemade snickerdoodles are okay, too! Here's a great fruit dip recipe, which can easily be tweaked for dietary needs:

I like to help my kids with their homework, too...or rather, I like to take out the trusted essential oil diffuser and use a good "Homework Blend":

5. Be Stocked Up on Cleaning Supplies:

As you probably know by now, I'm a big fan of making my own household items. It's wonderful knowing all of the ingredients in common household necessities. From skin cream to kid's shampoo, I like to keep my home prepared. It's also easy to make your own hand soap:

It also never fails that the first month of school is often still pretty warm. That leads to hot, sweaty kids who have been in the same clothes all day...getting sweaty. This stink spray helps in a pinch:

As the afternoon becomes evening, there are other cleaning supplies that are good things to stock up on, too. If you're running out of time to go completely DIY, you could always get these healthy kid's cleaning products (learn more about them here), like toothpaste and shampoo:

Finally, right after bath time, consider making your own detangle spray to make hair brushing a more drama-free activity:

6. Have a Nighttime Routine

It's always good to have a nightly routine. Otherwise kids can get hyper and have a harder time falling asleep. That's why this DIY cream can help:

After rubbing your kids' feet to help them relax, it might be good to finish the night with a good bedtime story and this awesome pillow spray (and maybe spray some on their stuffed animals while you're at it):

Finally, here's a few more diffuser recipe ideas for back-to-school survival:

Now you're ready...

I hope this Back to School Essential Oil Survival Guide helps you and your families be ready for the school year. Let the new memories begin!

Want to learn more about essential oils?

Learn about Young Living Essential Oils
Learn about NingXia Red
Learn about Thieves Essential Oil Products

For more Back to School help, be sure to follow along with our healthy real food school lunches feature on Instagram @veggieconverter

Why I Love Lavender Essential Oil

August 4, 2016 By Kristi

There's a reason for why Lavender essential oil is called the "Swiss Army Knife" of essential oils... because it is so versatile and has so many uses! I've heard many people say "when in doubt, use lavender". It's also one of the safest essential oils and can be applied undiluted to the skin. Lavender essential oil is a popular oil that is beloved for its calming and soothing fragrance. When diffused, Lavender essential oil adds a clean and fresh scent to any room. It is also a relaxing addition to DIY beauty products, body care items and baths. Did you know: it takes 27 square feet of lavender plants to make one 15-ml bottle of lavender oil?

Of course, it is important to use a high-quality Lavender essential oil. My preference is Young Living Essential Oils (learn more about them here).

Here are the many reasons why I LOVE Lavender Essential Oil:

1. Relaxation

Diffuse Lavender essential oil for a comforting and calming scent. Unwind by adding a few drops to a nighttime bath with some Epsom salts. Here's an easy recipe to make your own DIY Lavender Bath Salts.

2. Linen Spray

Add a few drops of Lavender to a small spray bottle water and one teaspoon of witch hazel. Spray linens, bedding and even closets.

3. Restful Sleep

Add a drop of Lavender essential oil to your pillow or diffuse nightly at bedtime.

4. Calming

Want to get away? Create your own relaxing and calming retreat by diffusing Lavender. Not only is its aroma soothing, but it also fills any space with a fresh, clean smell that eliminates odors. It’s also great to diffuse Lavender essential oil while buried in a great book and drinking a cup of herbal tea.

5. Beautiful Skin

Two drops of Lavender along with almond oil as a carrier oil especially can do wonders for your skin.

6. DIY Beauty

A few drops of Lavender may complement some of your favorite shampoos, lotions, or skin care products. Or make your own DIY beauty products with Lavender essential oil. Here's a recipe for a homemade epsom salt scrub that is so luxurious and exfoliating. This is my favorite sugar scrub recipe. Here's my favorite DIY beauty gift that uses Lavender: Lotion bars!

7. Eliminate Odors

Diffuse Lavender essential oil for a fresh, clean scent and to get rid of odors.

Why I Love…

Learn more about why I love:

Got a Question?

Contact me at [email protected]

Get started with Young Living with the Premium Starter Kit. Get it for 50% off retail prices. Learn more here.

***These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat diagnose or cure.

Why I Love PanAway Essential Oil Blend

July 28, 2016 By Kristi

PanAway essential oil blend is a popular blend from Young Living Essential Oils. PanAway has a very stimulating aroma. It contains the following essential oils: helichrysum, wintergreen, clove and peppermint. PanAway blend is soothing to the skin and provides comforting warmth to muscles after exercise.

Here are the reasons why I LOVE PanAway Essential Oil:

1. Soothes your body after a long day

Keep PanAway essential oil blend handy in your purse as an oil to use on the go. I especially love it after a long car drive or a long day running after my kids.

2. Get relief after a hard workout

Apply PanAway topically to the skin after exercise. Use a carrier oil to dilute and massage into the skin.

3. Give yourself a comforting massage

Add PanAway to V-6 Vegetable Oil massage oil or your favorite carrier oil and apply to your neck and your back for a soothing aromatic experience.

Why I Love…

Learn more about why I love:

Got a Question?

Contact me at [email protected]

Get started with Young Living with the Premium Starter Kit. Get it for 50% off retail prices. Learn more here.

***These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat diagnose or cure.

Why I Love Purification Essential Oil Blend

July 21, 2016 By Kristi

Purification Essential Oil blend is a blend of Young Living Essential Oils, and it is a fresh smelling blend consisting of citronella, lemongrass, tea tree, lavandin, rosemary and myrtle essential oils. Purification Essential Oil Blend has many uses around the home, but it is probably most known for its part in eliminating odors and freshening the air.

Here are the many reasons why I LOVE Purification Essential Oil Blend:

1. Air Freshener and Purifier

Diffuse Purification essential oil blend to help eliminate odors and to purify the air. If you do not have a diffuser, put drops of the oil on a cotton ball and place in air vents, or mix the blend with water to make a spray. This is great to get rid of kitchen smells or to clean out a stinky car! We like to add a few drops of lime essential oil for an even yummier scent!

2. Outdoor Fun

Apply Purification essential oil blend topically with a carrier oil to enjoy the outdoors annoyance free.

3. Support Healthy Looking Skin

Add it to your favorite carrier oil to moisturize skin and improve appearance for healthy looking skin.

4. Stinky Shoes

Put a few drops of Purification oil on cotton balls and place in shoes. Say goodbye to stink!

5. Make a Relaxing Foot Bath

Add to Young Living Bath & Shower Gel Base or 4 drops to a cup of Epsom salt for a soothing foot soak.

6. Massage Tired Feet

Add to V-6 Vegetable Oil Complex or your favorite carrier oil to complement a soothing and relaxing foot massage.

7. Freshen Laundry and Dishes

Add a drop to your washing machine or dishwasher to freshen things up! You can also add a few drops of Purification to wool dryer balls to get stubborn odors out of clothes. Plus, it smells great!

8. Deodorize Carpets

If you have carpets, then chances are you need to deodorize them - especially if you have pets and kids. Add 10-15 drops of Purification to one cup of baking soda and sprinkle on carpets. Let set for 15-30 minutes, then vacuum as usual.

Why I Love…

Learn more about why I love:

Got a Question?

Contact me at [email protected]

Get started with Young Living with the Premium Starter Kit. Get it for 50% off retail prices. Learn more here.

***These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat diagnose or cure.

Why I Love Copaiba Essential Oil

July 14, 2016 By Kristi

Unlike any other essential oil, Copaiba (co-pah-ee-ba) is tapped directly from the tree rather than distilled, like Frankincense. Copaiba has a warm, woodsy aroma that is calming and soothing. It is also the main ingredient in Stress Away essential oil blend, one of my favorite essential oil blends from Young Living Essential Oils.

Here are the many reasons why I LOVE Copaiba Essential Oil:

1. Make a wellness tea

Mix one drop each of Copaiba, Lemon and Thieves (Vitality) with honey and warm water to make a delicious wellness tea.

2. Create a refreshing drink

Add a drop each of Copaiba and Lemon (Vitality) in a Ningxia Red shot for a refreshing drink.

3. Take as a daily supplement

Add 1–2 drops of Copaiba (Vitality) to a vegetarian gel capsule and take internally daily to promote overall wellness.

4. Give other oils a boost

One thing I love about Copaiba is that it pairs nicely with other essential oils and blends. It may also enhance the impact of those oils. I like to give my Stress Away blend (which contains Copaiba) or Lavender oil an extra boost with a drop or two of Copaiba.

5. Make a Homemade Cologne or Perfume

With it's naturally warm, woodsy aroma, Copaiba smells great especially when paired with other oils like Ylang Ylang, Lavender, Joy, and Orange. Customize your favorite scent to make your own cologne or perfume blend.

Why I Love…

Learn more about why I love:

Got a Question?

Contact me at [email protected]

Get started with Young Living with the Premium Starter Kit. Get it for 50% off retail prices. Learn more here.

***These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat diagnose or cure.