Awwww, fall. I love it. I look better draped in fabric. Summer clothing just doesn't agree with my body type. Know what I'm saying? Well, let's celebrate the beauty of crisp air, no humidity, cool temps and pumpkin flavored everything by sharing our favorite fall diffuser blends! Here are a bunch of Pin-able and Share-able images for you!
Well, it’s about that time, isn’t it? Time to go back to school
for so many of our children. The transition from summer “hours” to school hours
can be quite the shock to the system for adults and children alike. It’s
important to take care of ourselves and our children in order to have a great
start of the school year. Spark Naturals
wants you and your child to have an awesome school year too. They are offering
their annual Back to School Kit! It includes a 5mL bottle of Shield Blend, 5mL
bottle of Jeddy’s Blend, 2 roller bottles and a great storage container to hold
them all. Look at how fantastic this is! What a great gift for your child’s
teachers or a family member who is a teacher! This is a special promotion
through Spark Naturals and only lasts until the kits are gone. They sell out fast, too! Stock up fast!
First Day of School Jitters
The first day of school can be a very exciting time for kiddos. But, it can
also be extremely nerve racking. I can remember tossing and turning the eve of
the first day of school. Capturing a restful night sleep prior to school
beginning is hard to do when you’re nervous or excited. There are ways start
promoting restful sleep now in anticipation of a great first day of school. Diffusing!
Each night, fill your diffuser up with water and 8 drops of Lavender Essential Oil. Place the diffuser in your child’s room and turn it on. Allow your child
to fall asleep to the gentle, soothing scent of lavender. I have a Mirage Diffuser from Spark Naturals, which has a larger water tank. The larger tank
allows the diffuser to run for 8-10 hours; PERFECT for night time diffusing!
Begin this ritual NOW and keep it up each night throughout the school year to
promote restful, calm sleep.
When your child wakes up on the first day of school, what
better way to start the day than with a healthy, filling breakfast and a little
Jeddy’s Blend! For my son, he loves to have a pancake breakfast on his first
day of school, and then get his “medicine.” His “medicine” is actually a roller
bottle filled with Jeddy’s Blend from Spark Naturals. I rub it on the bottom of
his feet and toes, back of his wrists and on his brain stem (top of the back of
his neck, just under his scull). I’ve talked about Jeddy’s Blend so much on my
blog. It has truly helped my son focus, control his behavior and excel at
school. It’s my number one favorite essential oil! Here’s a link to a past blog
post where I share his success story: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT MY LOVE FOR JEDDY'S BLEND
Wellness
With the beginning of a new school year, comes new exposures to germs. Teachers
do the best they can at cleaning the classroom before the students arrive but
as soon as those kiddos plop their bottoms down in their desks, the germ fest
has begun. But, there is a way to start building up your child’s and your own
immune system before the brigade of germs comes home! Shield Blend! Shield Blend is just that! A “shield” between you and those nasty germs that some
house infest our children and home within weeks…scratch that…days of school
starting. For adults, I recommend taking 3 drops in a shot glass of water each
morning and evening. It tastes like cinnamon! YUM! For children, I recommend
applying Shield Blend to them topically. Simply fill a roller bottle half with
Shield Blend and half with Fractionated Coconut Oil (Shield Blend has some “hot”
essential oils that can be irritating to sensitive skin, so it’s important to
dilute to a 50:50 ratio with a carrier oil when applying to children). Apply
this blend to your childs forearms or wrists (if you are also using the Jeddy’s Blend regiment I described earlier, put Jeddy’s Blend on the wrists, and Shield Blend on
the forearms). Also , have your child take a few deep inhales of the Shield Blend. Ahhhh yes! Delightful!
Studying & Homework
Ew! These two works make me sick with anxiety. I still know the feeling of the
constant worry of making sure all the homework is done and that I am prepared
for class due to currently being in my senior year of earning my Elementary
Education Bachelors of Science degree. As an adult, I have a better ability to
sustain the fright of homework and studying. Children on the other hand need
help from adults like us to make sure they succeed and stay on task for
upcoming events. I don’t care how responsible or hard working a child is, they
still need support from an adult to make sure they are on track for success (I’m
climbing off my soap box right now). So, what can we do to help them? First and
foremost, sit down with your child after school and help them sort through
their homework. Ask them to explain what their agenda for the night looks like
so you can assess where they need help. When your child is ready to begin their
school work, plug in the diffuser! Select a blend that will be their unique “study
blend.” Only diffuse it when there are studying and doing homework. Studies
have shown that diffusing or smelling a particular scent while completing
school work or studying for an exam and then smelling the scent again right
before the exam begins triggers memories of the material and promote better
results on exams! How amazing is our brain!? My favorite study blend is
Lavender Essential Oil, Wild Orange Essential Oil and Patchouli Essential Oil.
It’s a unique smell that is soothing and warm. Add 2 drops of Lavender, 2 drops
Wild Orange and 2 drops Patchouli to the diffuser, plug it in and let it run
near your child as their do their homework. The next morning, send them to
school with a small rag, wash cloth or cotton circle pad (those disposable ones
near the cotton balls at stores) with the same blend dropped onto the pad. Pop
the pad into a Ziplock baggie and throw it in their back pack. Tell your child
to take a whiff of it throughout the day. There ya go! Simple as that!
~~And that’s it my friends! I hope you and your child have an
AMAZING first day of school! Let me know how these routines work for you by
posting a comment here or you can send me messages on Facebook. Simply search “Curly’s
Owl Parliament” on Facebook and LIKE my page J
And as always….Use coupon code CURLY to save 10% on all your
essential oils and accessories at www.sparknaturals.com!
Ever suffered through a hot flash? Yeah...not pretty. Have you accepted that they are just a natural part of "the change" for women and there's nothing to be done? That's bologna! There is and it's all natural! No pills, no creams...simple essential oils can stomp out a hot flash in minutes!
There are several essential oils that offer relief from hot flashes.
Clary Sage
Peppermint
Roman Chamomile
I like mixing all three of these together into a spray to spritz on throughout the day to knock out those terrible hot flashes
Here's what you'll need to make your own Cooling Hot Flash Spray:
Combine all of the ingredients into the glass spray bottle and shake. Spray the Cooling Hot Flash Spray on your neck, arms, face and chest for relief in minutes!
An Even Easier Solution:
If you want an even similar protocol to knock out a hot flash, simply mix 1 tsp. Fractionated Coconut Oil and 2 - 3 drops of Peppermint essential oil on the back of your neck and elbow pits. Rub it in! Nice an easy!
Use coupon code CURLY to save 10% on all of your essential oils and accessories at Spark Naturals!
Summer is officially in full swing! How is your skin holding up? Here in Minnesota, so many of us have been over exposing ourselves to the hot summer sun because we were deprived of its existence due to this past winters brutality (literally 6 months of winter!).
I've shared a few ways to care for your summer sun - kissed skin these past few months, but haven't talked about the benefits of daily care during the summer months. It's so simple to remember to care for our skin in the winter because it is SCREAMING at us with the red scales, cracking and pain. In the summer, our skin tends to feel and look healthier, but after baking in the sun for hours upon hours, it could use a little help. Why not maintain great, healthy skin every day?
That's why I'm sharing this awesome recipe for a moisturizing dry oil body spray. It's easy, inexpensive and WORKS...did I mention it smells divine?!
**This makes ONE, 2oz. glass spray bottle. But, you could make a bunch more by just multiplying the recipe! Imagine how much your friends would love a bottle of some homemade body oil spray! What a good friend you are!
Here's what you do:
Add Distilled Water, Sweet Almond Oil, Vitamin E and Essential Oils to the 2oz. Glass Spray Bottle.
Fill the remaining space of the 2oz. Glass Spray Bottle with Alcohol Free Witch Hazel.
Shake EVERY time you are about to use.
Spray on your skin (after sun, after shower, at bed time....as much as you can!)
Rub the spray into your skin.
Why these ingredients? Well, they each have a specific purpose and promote a specific type of healing.
Alcohol Free Witch Hazel: Acts as a natural skin toner
Sweet Almond Oil: Is fabulous for overall skin health and will not clog your pores.
Vitamin E: Protects skin from the elements.
Lavender Essential Oil: Fabulous for healing and protecting skin.
Frankincense Essential Oil: Helps with aging skin issues and heals scaring.
Geranium Essential Oil: Promotes healing of skin and toning.
ENJOY my little sun worshipers!
Be sure to use coupon code CURLY to save 10% on your order of essential oils and accessories at www.sparknaturals.com
Frankincense...what's the first thing you think of? I bet you said the Three Wise Men didn't you? Well, there's a good reason why one of those wise men brought Jesus the gift of frankincense! This essential oil is the grand-daddy of essential oils. The big EO, if you will. No one should be without this wonder of nature.
A person can use frankincense for their immune system, oral health, as an astringent, gas build up, scaring, anti-aging, digestive tract, symptoms of and problems with menstruation and menopause, as a tonic, for respiratory issues, use as a diuretic or even use for anxiety and stress. See what I mean? Sort of the "no brainer" "go to" essential oil. There have even been recent studies that show frankincense could prevent cancer in folks.**
Check out this AWESOME article by Organic Facts that details all of the amazing uses of Frankincense essential oil. Along with some interesting facts about how it is harvested and distilled and some historical nuggets, too.
Try these easy uses for Frankincense Essential Oil Today!:
Got itchy skin? Apply a drop to that itchy spot for quick relief.
Got a scar from acne, a boil or an injury? Apply a drop to the scar daily to help fade the appearance.
Got a cut? Apply a drop to the cut daily until healed.
Got a wart? Apply a drop to the wart several (3-4) times a day until that pesky wart goes away.
Got inflammation in your body? Add 2 drops to a shot glass of water and gulp it down daily. If this freaks you out, apply a drop or two to the area experiencing inflammation.
Got to be around sick people or kids? Strengthen your immune system by taking 2 drops in a shot glass of water daily (or apply to the bottom of your feet if drinking EOs freaks you out).
Got bug bites? Apply a drop to the bug bite to reduce swelling, stop itching and promote scar fee healing.
Got reading glasses? Eliminate the need for reading glasses by applying frankincense around the eye area (on cheek bones and brow bones). Keep it up for a few months to see improvement.
Got broken, thin nails? Apply to nails nightly to improve thickness and health of nails.
Got cysts? Apply a drop to the cyst 2-3 times a day until it's gone.
Got wrinkles? Apply a few drops to wrinkled areas (hands, face and neck).
Got cancer running in your family genes? Frankincense is anti-tumoral! Drink a drop or two a day in a shot glass of water to fight evil cancer**
**I'm not a doctor. Please remember this. This is my blog where I share information about topics I am interested in. The opinions in these articles are simply that...my opinion and my sharing of knowledge I have obtained.
I have been a long time suffer of plantar fasciitis...mostly in my left foot. It hurts when I wake up, it hurts when I stand up after sitting for a long time...it just hurts. Well, for the past 2 months, I've been having pain rising from the arch and heel of my left foot, all the way up my calf and ankle. I wasn't sure what was going on, but it wasn't the same pain from my plantar fasciitis; it was WORSE!
My friends and family know that I am not one to go to the doctor for just anything. I have a high pain tolerance...so when I say it hurts with tears in my eyes... IT HURTS! My family doctor took x-rays just to be sure I didn't have a fracture...turns out I have bone spurs on my heel (heel spurs) and at the top of my heel bone. Here's a picture of my x-ray. See that pointy bone piece on the bottom right side of my heel? That's Mega Bone Spur #1. See the ghostly white fibers on the top left side of my heel? Those are the developments of another heel spur extending from the top of my heel to my achilles and calf muscles. See how much whiter the bone is at stretching between these two spurs? That's not suppose to be like that. This shows inflammation. JOY!
Of course, the doctor told me to stop wearing flip flops and sandals and to start wearing high arch support tennis shoes 24/7. Um! What? Okay, Doc. We get 3 months (if that) of summer in Minnesota. I cannot give up sandals year round! Not to mention I refuse to wear tennis shoes to work or with cute outfits. COME ON! She also gave me gel inserts for my shoes to pad my heel so I could walk properly without putting all my weight on the side of my foot. Then she wanted me to do a cortisone injection. NO! I refused. I have had a cortisone shot before. It hurt to the point where I screamed "F**K!" In the doctors office. Plus, I didn't get any relief. NO THANK YOU!
As soon as I got home, I found my Camp Wander Naked Salve and Birch Essential Oil from Spark Naturals. I took a nickel size scoop of my naked salve, added 2-3 drops of the Birch Essential Oil and started massaging my foot vigorously. Deep massage all over my arch, heel and bottom of my foot. I did this for a good 5 minutes and then laid on the couch with my cold corn bag around my foot for an hour. That night, I did the same protocol. 5 minutes of deep massage with the naked salve and birch essential oil and then wrapped my foot in my cold corn bag for the whole night.
Guess what? IT WORKED! I woke up yesterday with NO pain. NONE! That was the first morning I have woken up with absolutely no foot pain in at least a year.
So, I bet you are wondering why I chose birch essential oil. Birch essential oil is well known for it's ability to break down bone spurs. Check out this very informative article by Organic Facts to learn more about the amazing properties of birch essential oil.
All I can say is AVOID SURGERY if at all possible. When cutting the plantars facia, other chronic pain can arise. It's best to try massage, essential oils, icing, stretching exercises, elevating, and high arch shoes and/or insoles. AND STICK TO IT!!! That's the key to natural remedies. Ready to give this a try?
Add 2-3 drops of Spark Naturals Birch Essential Oil to the salve or carrier oil.
Apply to your foot and massage deeply (especially paying close attention to the soles, heel and arch of your foot.
Do this for 2-5 minutes.
Next, take another tablespoon of salve or carrier oil, add 2-3 drops of birch essential oil to the salve or carrier oil and apply to your achileous tendon area and calf muscle. Deeply massage your calf and achilles tendon area for at least 2-5 minutes.
Once completing the steps above, apply ice to your foot and ankle area and lay down. Do this right before bed time EVERY NIGHT so you can fall asleep with the ice on your foot.
Here is an awesome video of a licensed massage therapist demonstrating how to correctly massage your feet for relief of heel spurs and plantar fasciitis pain. These are the techniques I have used to find relief!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwUh9xltqVM
And that's it my friends! I know it seems like a lot of work to massage your feet for as much as 10 minutes at night, but it works! And it's a lot less time consuming then lets say...healing from surgery!
OMG! I just found the most amazing lip balm recipe!! I have to share it!
How many of you love those chocolate oranges that you can find around Christmas time? The kind that you smash on the table and they break into orange slices...but chocolate? YES! That's what this recipe smells and tastes like!
I found this recipe on the Randazzo Family Blog. It's her recipe for Chocolate Orange Lip Balm using just a few simple ingredients. Of course, I didn't have one of the ingredients on hand (wild orange essential oil) so I substitued it with Tangerine Essential Oil (which I had two bottles of). It smells just like an orange! So, hey! Why not, right?
So, here is the recipe from the Randazzo Family Blot (link above) with links to the products you will need:
2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil (can find at co-ops, Trader Joe's, Cub Foods, Whole Foods, Sam's Club....etc.) Look in the baking aisle.
4 Tablespoons of Cocoa Butter (I bought mine from Whole Foods)
25 drops of Wild Orange (or Tangerine) Essential Oil from Spark Naturals (I used 30 drops but, it's all up to you. If you want a stronger orange smell, add more drops).
Double Boiler (I use a small sauce pot filled half with water. Put an empty, clean, glass mason jar in the half filled pot...cheap skate double boiler. There ya have it).
Disposable Pipette or an empty, clean squeeze bottle or teeny tiny funnel.
20 empty lip balm containers. I get mine from Aromatics Institute. They are cheap and shipping is FAST! Took 2 days to get mine!
Directions: Add beeswax, coconut oil, and cocoa butter to
double boiler (over a slow boil) and stir until all ingredients have
completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in orange (or tangerine) essential oil.
Using a pipette (or a teeny tiny funnel or squeeze bottle), transfer the hot liquid into the empty lip balm
containers. Let cool and harden. Cap and label. Apply generously to your
lips!
Here's how mine turned out! PRETTY FANCY! Even bought tangerine/coral colored lip balm tubes. JAZZY!
