Essential Oils, Very 101...

Okay, I have been holding out. I heard about essential oils when we lived in Rhode Island and explored it, a little. Fast forward to the social media age. Between Facebook and Instagram, my interest was peaked yet again by reading posts, looking @ pics by friends, digesting the possibilities. I called Christina Adam, whose husband, Tim, I met through Esty @ the very beginning of this blog, in 2008. Christina initially put her toe in the water to see if she could find a natural way to help her 4 year old son sleep. She would tell you  how her life, and the lives of her young Family have changed since using the oils. I had not yet jumped on the bandwagon. It was around Christmas time, and I decided that it was time to invest in the starter kit from Young Living.

Very excited w/ my decision. The starter kit,  which included 11 oils, some samples and then some, came right before Christmas. Included w/ the purchase is a diffuser, which I immediately put to use by celebrating the season w/ Frankincense. Like many first-timers, I totally over estimated the strength of the oils by putting in waaaaayyyyy too many drops, say 6 instead of 2, and The Boys were choking. The learning curve, and it is a mighty steep one, was just beginning. Here it is, close to 4 months later, and I feel like I can share. The pics are oils, some, actually most, which I use daily!!! 

Here is a small breakdown:

Joy: 1 drop over my heart upon waking!

Di-Gize and Peppermint: 3 drops of Di-Gize, 3 drops of Peppermint in a gel tab, w/ some olive oil, I ingest

2X a day, morning and evening. Aids digestion and calms the stomach. You All know how well peppermint tea works. Seriously, 1 drop in hot water, and bingo!

Thieves: 2 drops on my toothbrush, 2X a day.

Valor: for courage AND TMJ, as needed!

Lemon: 3 drops 2X daily in my water intake. I also use 6 drops of lemon to my pasta dough to give a nice bright flavor!

Lavender: to help SLEEP, on my feet, temples and behind my ears...this is heavenly.

Peace & Calming: also @ night, on my feet and the back of my neck.

Stress Away: I use a couple of drops on my wrists and behind my ears after showering.

Thieves Household Cleaner: 3 caps to 1 large spray bottle, and as Christina said to me, your house will sparkle and smell like Christmas. It works really well on my counters and wood floors, and yes, the house has a subtle scent of pine!

One of my favorite stories is about Thieves. Thieves essential oil blend was inspired by the legend of four 15th-century French thieves who formulated a special aromatic combination composed of clove, rosemary, and other botanicals they used while robbing the dead and dying.This blend prevented them from getting sick. I have to tell you, just yesterday, I had a sore throat. I knew I was getting a cold. In a gel tab, I used 2 drops of Thieves, 2 drops of Lemon, 1 drop of Oregano (very strong), and olive oil. I took that combo 2X yesterday. It is as if my cold was on fast forward to 'the end' today. I took one more of that same blend this morning. Sore throat is gone, w/ use of the diffuser, Thieves on my feet and spine, I slept like a baby and today, I just have been blowing my nose. I did, of course pull out some chicken soup from the freezer!

Needless to say, I smell very good all of the time.  Essential oils and aromatic plants have been present and working since Adam and Eve lived in The Garden of Eden and are mentioned over 600 times in the Bible! I use the oils to support my health. Operative word being, support. As I mentioned, the learning curve, along w/ the depth and breadth of the oils is a mighty steep one. This really is Essential Oils, very 101.

'Moreover, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty, and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. “You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.'                                          Exodus 30:22-25

 'Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure spikenard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.'

                                    John 12:3