Showing posts with label Essential Oils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Essential Oils. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Bad Breath Busting Biscuit for your Dog (Grain Free)

I have a confession.

My dog likes to eat horrible things like vomit. It's so gross!!! He doesn't care if it's his own or the cat's upchunkings but he wants it. BAD. Needless to say his breath is less than desirable at time.

That's why I created the Puppy Peppermint Bad Breathe Biscuits. They are even grain-free for your paleo or gluten sensitive pup and it helps to clean his teeth and freshen his breath. Not to mention he goes crazy over them!

Bad Breath busting biscuits for dogs using peppermint essential oil

Click to read more

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

How to use the Thieves Premium Starter Kit

You may or may not know that I'm totally obsessed with Thieves essential oil. It's this amazing blend that smells like Gingerbread cookies and Christmas in a bottle. And there is a bonus!! It has some major germ fighting and immune boosting properties, too.

#Thieves Premium Starter Kit from #YoungLiving
I forgot to take a picture with the Thieves 15 ml bottle! Ooops!!

Click to read more

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Homemade Chocolate Peppermint Lip Gloss

This year is a DIY Christmas! I'm really excited because I have a lot of great things planned, but I thought I'd start making gifts early so I don't get too overwhelmed as we get closer to the holiday season.

Easy homemade chocolate peppermint lip gloss for #christmas #diy #gifts.

My first project is a super easy homemade lip gloss. Of course, the flavors have a holiday feel, but it is very easy to substitute other flavors for different seasons. Lavender and Coconut are one of my favorites for when it starts to warm up while Peppermint/Grapefruit is perfect for summer. For fall, you have to try Cinnamon Orange! Yuuuum!!!!

My friend Joanne made a Peppermint Chocolate Lip Balm for her family and friends which was a huge hit! She inspired me to create a very simple recipe to share with you, but by request I made a lip gloss instead of a lip balm. I hope you enjoy it!
Click to read more

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Easy Homemade DIY Face Wash for Any Skin Type

Over the last few years I've changed my skin care routine from prescription meds, expensive face creams, and spa treatments to simple DIYs and the results have been amazing! I wanted to scream from the rooftop when DIYs gave me better skin at a fraction of the price of what I was spending.

I absolutely love this DIY face wash and I'm going to share my recipe, but since we all have different skin types I wanted to talk to you briefly about different ingredients that can be used. It's so important to find what works for each of us as an individual so feel free to mix and match until you find your perfect combination.

Building A DIY Face Wash
When constructing a face wash, a base is important. There are lots to choose from such as raw honey, rose water, yogurt, aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, castile soap and more. The base will make up the majority of the face wash so it's important to find the one that works best for your skin type.
Click to read more

Monday, September 8, 2014

Homemade Eye Serum for Beautiful Skin

I have to give the credit to my friends Darlene and Lindsay for this idea! In our Facebook Group, they said that they use lavender essential oil around their eyes to help with puffy eyes. I thought that was just brilliant and further proved why I'm so obsessed with lavender essential oil. But you know me-- I'm always trying to take things to the next level! So, this great idea from these two ladies got me thinking: what if I could make a serum that not only helped their eyes, but also supported healthy skin around the eyes!

Yeah. Sometimes I have smart ideas. #truth

How to reduce dark circles and fine lines around the eyes using natural products #YLEO #diybeauty

To be honest, I'm pretty amazed at the results. One morning I looked at myself in the mirror and the darkness was so reduced that I could barely see it! I squeal. Seriously.
    Click to read more

    Sunday, August 24, 2014

    DIY Ayurvedic Herbal Hair Shampoo

    I have tried so many things on my hair: no poo, castile soap, ACV rinse, shampoo bars, mud poo... you name it! Most of them made me want to rip out my hair at some point, but the result really is 100% worth it! My hair has never been healthier or more manageable.

    A couple of years ago, I decided that shampoo bars followed by an apple cider vinegar rinse was the best for my hair. I loved it and I still do, but many of my readers have told me that it just didn't work for their hair and the wanted an alternative. For months, I've been trying new and different hair products to try to find one that I can recommend to you all and after all this time --- I found it!!!

    DIY hair care using Ayurvedic hair powders and essential oils

    Ayurvedic Herbal Hair Shampoo
    What exactly are Ayurvedic Hair Shampoo Powders? Well, they are hair powders that originated thousands of years ago in India. They are made from the leaves, bark, seeds, or other plant parts of herbs used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. They are known to increase silkiness, boost color and improve the overall manageability of hair without stripping the hair or using any chemicals.
    Click to read more

    Saturday, August 16, 2014

    How To Use the Essential Oils From Young Living's Premium Starter Kit

    I have a confession: I am an oily addict. I'm serious! I use essential oils for everything!! They are perhaps the most versatile substance in my arsenal of holistic products, but I seem to always get the questions about what they are used for. The answer is that you can use them for almost anything! I use them for beauty products, cleaning products, and to help support my mood. Overall, they save me about $1,000 year than when I was buying traditional store bought products.

    I would love to write about all of my favorite essential oils, but I doubt that you have about 5+ hours to read it. And if you did-- would you really want to read this blog post or would your rather watch the newest episode of The Outlander. Um, Outlander definitely wins! So I had to narrow it down to 11 different essential oils (Lavender, Frankincense, Purification, Lemon, Peppermint, Thieves, Copaiba, RC, DiGize, PanAway, and Stress Away). Why these essential oils you ask. Well, they all come in the Premium Starter Kit so that was kind of my lazy way of deciding!

    UPDATE: June 19th the Premium Starter Kit changed. This post has been altered to reflect that change. To see EXACTLY what changes were made and what comes in the kit check out this post- Introducing the NEW Premium Starter Kit! 

    To just learn about how to use the oils-- keep reading or watch the video below!
    Click to read more

    Saturday, August 9, 2014

    Simple Homemade Wood Furniture Polish

    My life goal has been to find chemical free DIYs which are cheap, easy, quick and effective. Because who wants to be exposed to hazardous chemicals, but also who wants to spend more money, effort and time doing anything. Not me. That all just sounds silly to me. Thankfully, making your own cleaning products happens to be ridiculously easy.

    A few years ago I started this blog to share all my chemical free DIY life hacks with you guys and I've been loving it! To be honest, I really don't know why I haven't shared this recipe before because it's so incredibly easy! Once I started using this simple DIY wood polish recipe I wondered why does anyone even buy the bottled stuff anymore! This is so quick and easy to make and it saves money, too! YAY!

    Easy DIY homemade furniture polish #DIYcleaning #YLEO #greencleaning

    Wood Furniture Polish

    • 1 TBSP Olive Oil or Jojoba Oil
    • 1/4 c of Vinegar (use white vinegar if you are afraid of staining, but Apple Cider is good for dark wood)
    • 1/4 tsp vegetable glycerin (optional)
    • 25-30 drops of essential oils (I like using 10 drops orange, 10 drops lemon, and 5-10 drops cedarwood or pine) I recommend this brand
    • 4oz Glass Spray Bottle
    Homemade wood furniture polish that's so easy and effective. #YLEO #DIY #DIYideasSimply mix everything into a spray bottle (glass is recommended) and lightly spray over the wooden furniture. A little goes a long way! 

    Using a soft cloth, wipe the polish around until it completely covers the surface of the wood furniture. It shouldn't feel sticky or wet. If it does, there is probably excess -- just do a second round of wiping! 

    Tada! Done! I really don't know how much easier wood polish can get! 

    You will have to shake this before each use because the vinegar and olive oil will separate naturally.

    This isn't a duster/cleaner-- I typically use these fancy chemical free cloths for that.

    Storage:
    This recipe should last quite a while if kept in a cool, dark place. Sometimes the carrier oils (ex: olive oil) can go rancid so always check the expiration date on your bottles. I like to label my spray bottle with that same expiration date so I can keep track. 

    If you'd like to learn more about getting safe, high quality essential oils please read about where I buy my essential oils and why I use them.  If you'd like to join my Natural Living Support Group on Facebook please fill out this form

    Friday, July 18, 2014

    DIY Workout Balm, Salve and Energy Drink

    WARNING: Prepare yourself for my sappiness. Considered yourself properly warned.

    My love for PanAway began due to my love for a man. It is true! Now, you should know that when I opened my Premium Starter Kit, that this was NOT my favorite essential oil. I was definitely all about the lavender, but that's probably because I am more of a delicate flower, overly cautious, and anti-exciting person anyways. I really think that exciting stuff is making DIYs. I'm happy with that.

    So now you know that I prefer calm and peaceful, you are probably wondering how exactly did I fall head over heels for an adrenaline junkie? It was those big ole' brown eyes staring down at me. And those arms didn't hurt either! {swoons}

    It's funny how the girl who thinks roller coasters are too big of an adrenaline spike is enjoying life with a man who jumps out of airplanes for fun and runs into a burning building for a profession. Go figure!! Life is funny like that, right?! It goes back to that theory of how we always look for balance in everything! Which are why essential oils are so great-- they help take care of him after his crazy adventures!

    #DIY Workout Solutions: Workout Balm, Workout #salve, and #EnergyShot for #workingout

    Click to read more

    Friday, July 11, 2014

    Amazingly Easy DIY Citrus Dish Soap

    Sometimes I question my intelligence.

    I have been trying to figure out a DIY dish soap recipe for months. MONTHS! I've been shaving down bars of soap, melting them, and then adding all these amazing ingredients, but then it ends up becoming a weird pile of goop. I've tried everything and NOTHING WORKED! Until now. This recipe is seriously so simple that I'm really ashamed that it's taken me this long.

    Are you ready for this one? It might blow your mind cuz it's soooooo easy!!!!

    Easy DIY dish soap that works for oil and grease! #DIY #dishsoap #greencleaners

    DIY Citrus Dish Soap Recipe
    • 1 cup of Liquid Castile Soap (like this one)
    • ⅓ cup of distilled or purified water
    • 1 tsp vegetable glycerin which helps to cut grease and thicken soap (I like this one)
    • 5 drops of Lemon essential oil (I recommend this brand)
    • 5-10 drops of a complimentary essential oil like 5 drops of citrus fresh and 5 drops of purification (I recommend this brand)
    • ½ tsp fine salt
    • Optional: 1/2 capful of Thieves Household Cleaner to have more suds
    I add the salt to your soap dispenser or bottle, then add the essential oils and shake the jar to mix them together. FIY: Adding the salt to your essential oils helps prevent that whole "water and oil don't mix" thing. They will still separate a little, but not nearly as much.

    Next, add the water-- shake, shake, shake to get the salt dissolved. Add the vegetable glycerin and castile soap-- give it one good shake and you are ready to get scrubbing!

    TIP: This works best when NOT added to dish water, but rather put in a small dish and you dip the sponge into it to clean the dishes individually.

    I gotta say that I'm pretty impressed with myself. If I have a particularly greasy item I'll just squirt a little directly into the grease and scrub-- it easily has come off for me every time! The vegetable glycerin also helps it to be gentle on skin, too!

    How to make a homemade citrus dish soap that helps to remove grease #diycleaners #dishsoap
    Essential Oils for Dish Soap
    My favorite essential oils to use for dish soap are Lemon, Citrus Fresh and Purification because they smells fabulously and they clean really well!

    I really like Lemon because of it's strong degreasing properties. I'll add other essential oils into the mix for better cleaning-- Citrus Fresh can help remove grease and grime from dishes, and Purification removes odors and disinfects as it cleans. Lately, I've been really liking Citrus Fresh, Purification and Lemon together. It smells so fresh and so clean clean!

    But if you aren't a fan of citrus, you can use peppermint, lavender, Thieves, tea tree, pine or any other essential oil which is typically used in cleaning products, too. It's a lot of fun to create your own signature scent even for dish soap!!

    If you'd like more information about essential oils please visit this post or if you'd like to join my Natural Living Support Group on Facebook please fill out this form!

    I can't wait to hear what you guys think of this DIY dish soap recipe! I hope you like it!!

    Are you looking for Hand Soap? Try this recipe! I looooove it!

    Thursday, July 3, 2014

    Homemade Air Freshener Recipe

    I have a thing about scents: I loath bad smells and I'm obsessed with good ones. This has absolutely been an issues since I decided to become chemical free because most air fresheners are toxic. The other side of this story is that I live with a firefighter, a dog, and three cats so.. yeah, things can get smelly!

    Easy homemade air freshener to remove odors and make your home, office or car smell AMAZING! #greencleaning

    Back in my before-I-knew-better-days, I used to have those scented plug-ins all over my house, but I ended up with some nasty headaches so I stopped using them and then I moved to those spray air fresheners before I realized what's actually inside of them!! Go look at your favorite air freshener on EWG and see. It's a little disturbing. Or a lot. Okay, probably a lot. Just go look!!

    After that, I replaced them with an aromatherapy diffuser which has been amazing and so many people have complimented me on how great my home smells which makes me soooooooo happy. But if you know me, then you know I WANT MORE!! I wanted something to remove odors!

    I already use my DIY carpet freshener which is great at removing odors and deterring bugs, but I wanted to make something to spray on my sofa, chairs, curtains and other items which were laying around the house, but were a lot harder (or impossible) to toss in the washer. Plus, it's difficult to move the diffuser to an office and it's impossible to use in the car. I can easily carry this spray bottle in my purse anywhere I go.

    Homemade air freshener recipe to remove odors and freshen fabrics, your home, office or your car! #easy #DIY #greencleaningWhat You Need:
    • Glass Spray Bottle (Like this one- 4 oz or this one- 1 oz)
    • 50% distilled or purified water
    • 50% alcohol (rubbing alcohol or cheap vodka)
    • 10 drops of essential oil per oz of water/vodka mix 
    • Pinch of salt (1 oz) or ¼ tsp salt (4 oz)
    Mix the essential oils in the salt and then add the liquid. This helps to keep the essential oils dispersed into the water/alcohol mixture cuz you know water and oil don't mix ya'll. As soon as you combine everything, feel free to use it! It's so simple, quick and cheap! I love it :)
    Here are some ideas for your scent combinations: 

    I recommend this brand of Essential Oil
    • Grapefruit and Peppermint (3:1)
    • Stress Away and Lime (3:1)
    • Joy and Jasmine (3:1)
    • Lavender, Orange and Bergamot (2:1:1)
    • Purification and Lavender (1:1)
    • Rose, Lavender and Lime (2:1:1)
    • Lavender, Chamomile and Ylang Ylang (2:1:1) 
    • Idaho Blue Spruce and Orange (2:1)
    • Pine and Lemon (1:1)
    • Lavender and Peppermint (1:1)
    • Orange, Pine, and Clove (2:1:1)
    I normally use Lavender, Peppermint, and Bergamot, but lately I've been wanting a smell that is more citrusy for summer so I added some orange and lime to keep it more in the season! Feel free to experiment and have fun! It's a blast making your own custom scents. You never know what you're going to absolutely fall in love with!

    You can watch this video for a trick on how to find out which scent pairs well with one another!


    If you want to make your own DIY perfume and making scent blends, check out this post.

    If you'd like to make a DIY reed diffuser check out this post from my friend Vanessa!

    If you'd like to learn more about essential oils please join my Facebook group by filling out this form! It's a lot of funnnnn!!

    Wednesday, June 25, 2014

    Easy DIY Mouthwash

    I may or may not have an obsession with jars. Months ago, I happened to run across some absolutely beautiful sea glass containers on clearance at TJ Maxx by "accident". I might have freaked out right there in the middle of the store and acted like a fool because the bottles were $0.99 each and absolutely gorgeous! The best joy can be found in the small things in life, right? For me, it's bottles!

    I wasn't quite sure what to do with them, until I stumbled across some information while I was researching Thieves essential oil for respiratory support. I saw that Thieves may also be good for oral health! That sounds pretty NOT bad, right?

    Easy homemade mouthwash #YLEO #Thieves #oralcare

    Why Use DIY Mouthwash
    I use homemade mouthwash because of the same reason that I make all of my own DIY products: less chemical exposures and more money in my wallet. Not only is this CHEAP (less than $0.50 to make an entire batch), but you know exactly what is in this product!

    Did you know that there are little regulations for  chemical ingredients like thymol, hexetidine, methyl salicylate, cetylpyridinium chloride, methylparaben and finally alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (how do you even SAY THAT!?) Apparently nobody knew how to say it so they shortened it to Benzalkonium chloride which I guess is better, right? Eehhh...

    Anyways, these chemicals can do a number of things just check out the EWG's safety rating ;)

    And then there is that whole alcohol debate-- is that bad for you? Let's go ahead and say, "Maybe, probably, yes". It can cause dry mouth, halitosis, and there are some studies which raise concern. So, until their are more studies that show that it's safe-- I think I'll pass!

    Have I convinced you? Well, let me try again! It can save you money and health, but also time, too! It literally takes less than 30 seconds to make. 30 seconds!!! That's as much time as it would take to walk down the dental care aisle and pick out a bottle of mouthwash (if you didn't read labels).

    Easy all natural mouthwash #chemicalfree #essentialoils #Thieves
    How To Make Homemade Mouthwash
    • 1 cup of Purified or Distilled Water 
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 5-10 drops of Thieves Essential Oil (depends on how strong you want it)
    • 4 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil
    • 2 drops of Frankincense Essential Oil 
    • Optional: 1 tsp baking soda
    • Glass bottle (essential oils can degrade plastic)

    Put the salt in the bottle, add the essential oils to the salt, add the water and shake. BAM! Done! Easy right! 30 seconds tops!

    I add the essential oils to the salt before I add the water because the salt helps to keep the oils and water from separating (it'll still happen a little bit). You can also use some baking soda if you want a little extra cleaning power, but I use baking soda in my toothpaste so I usually skip that step.

    You may want to adjust the ratios of essential oils. Thieves has some cinnamon flavor (which I love) but some people may enjoy peppermint more. You can definitely switch the Peppermint and Thieves in this recipe. In fact, that's exactly what I do for my man-- he is a peppermint fiend! You may also like it the flavor to be stronger or weaker so feel free to use a drop more or a drop less per your tastebuds.

    Remember it's very important to use quality essential oils especially when you want to use them for therapeutic value. The regulations are poor for labeling of essential oils so to be labeled as "pure" the companies actually only need 10% "pure" product and the rest can be synthetic additives. {rolls eyes} So "pure" on a bottle means diddly squat. If you want to know more about essential oils, then please read this fancy little summary that I wrote. Psst… it's not fancy. 

    I hope you enjoy this mouthwash recipe! I'd love to know what you think about it.

    If you'd like to join my Natural Living Support Group on Facebook please fill out this form!

    Important consideration: Tap water has chlorine, mercury, fluoride, nitrates, and may even contain some carcinogens. I want to avoid all of that so I use distilled or purified instead.

    Want more natural ideas for oral health?
    Mary Vance talks more about the benefit of Thieves for oral health
    Do you want to know more about Essential Oils that are good for oral care and learn about oil pulling at the same time? Check out this post.
    Now that you have DIY mouthwash, do you want some DIY toothpaste too?
    If you'd like to join my Natural Living Support Group on Facebook please fill out this form!

    Wednesday, June 11, 2014

    6 Natural Recipes to Support Your Dog's Health

    Since I've started using essential oils I've been researching ways to use them for my dog, Hercules. We've made DIY dog shampoo, flea collars, deodorizers, aging support, itchy spots relief and more.

    Today I wanted to share with you some of our recipes that have helped Hercules and his doggie friends, Roma and Rudy. I recommend this brand of essential oil because it is recommended by holistic veterinarians! 

    How to use essential oils for dogs to create recipes like shampoo, calming spray and more

    When using essential oils, the amount used should be based upon the dog's weight. All of these recipes are for dogs who weight 60+ pounds. If you have a smaller dog, please use a larger dilution ratio by doubling the amount of carrier oils or water in the recipes. These recipes are not intended for other pets, including cats. Some of these oils can cause liver toxicity in our feline friends if applied directly to their bodies-- so dogs only please! Never use tea tree on a cat-- very small amounts can be fatal.

    I recommend ONLY this brand of essential oil! 

    How to make easy homemade dog shampoo. Can be helpful for dry skin and more #dog #DIY #essentialoils
    DIY Dog Shampoo
    This shampoo can be helpful to support the skin and coat.
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 tablespoons of castile soap
    • ¼ tsp vitamin E
    • 3 drops of peppermint essential oil
    • 3 drops of lavender essential oil
    • 2 drops of Roman chamomile 
    • 2 drops of Purification
    • 1 drops of cedar wood 
    • optional: 2 drops of citronella 
    Mix all of this together in a glass jar (an oil dispenser works fabulously). It is watery, but use it like you would normal doggie shampoo. It doesn't suds very much, but it's gentle and very effective. A big bonus is that your dog will smell absolutely amazing for days! 

    Deodorizing Collar for Dogs
    • ⅓ cup of purified water
    • 2 drops of citronella 
    • 2 drops lavender
    • 2 drops purification 
    • 2 drops peppermint
    Mix together the recipe in a small bowl and soak your dog's collar in the liquid. Be careful not to submerge any plastic pieces (essential oils can degrade plastic). Cotton or natural fiber collars are best for this recipe. 

    Let the collar dry and then put it on your pooch! Instant awesomeness collar! Yay! And he will also smell wonderful!! I usually save my liquid by putting it into a mason jar and using it to soak his collar about every two weeks. No need to waste, right!?
    Click to read more

    Tuesday, June 3, 2014

    DIY Wrinkle Blasting Lavender and Rose Hips Moisturizer

    DIY beauty is my obsession! Ever since my I made my first DIY beauty product, I've been tinkering around finding more and more easy homemade beauty recipes to help support my skin. I am so happy to tell you that since switching to natural products my skin looks so much better and my redness has significantly decreased. After 30+ years on this planet my skin actually looks happy! And from talking to you guys-- I'm not the only one!

    I love getting emails and comments from you all and I am beyond thrilled to hear how so many natural beauty products are helping you guys!  I love how so many of you have turn my recipes into your own recipes or even making completely new recipes! I absolutely love it! You guys inspire me so much! It seems like once we actually see the difference natural beauty products can make, then we are always making more!

    This time I've come up with something so easy that you won't even believe me when I say it can take 30 seconds to make. But it's true. 30 seconds. Time yourself. {wink}

    What You Need:
    You simply just mix everything in a glass bottle and then you're ready to go. Seriously, it's that easy! 

    How I Like To Use It
    I like to clean my face, use Thayers Witch Hazel and then use a couple of drops of this moisturizer on my skin. It absorbs really well and makes my skin feel sooooo soft! But the lavender and frankincense work together to help reduce unwanted bumps too! WIN! 

    Here is a video I made to explain a little bit more about the ingredients and how to make this super simple beauty product. 


    Did you know that there are supermodels who swear by rose hips oil and it's awesome skin benefits. I figure they must know what they are taking about, right?! 

    Just be sure that when you use essential oils on your skin (especially you face) that you use high quality essential oils (read this to see who I recommend and why). I have had readers tell me that some store bought brands have caused them to break out, develop rashes and other skin symptoms. This is often due to synthetic chemicals which can even be in brands labeled as "pure". So just make sure you do your research when choosing an essential oil, carrier oils and other products to make your recipes.

    Make this last longer and go further with my DIY Toner

    Questions? Make sure you read this article about DIY Beauty Basics 101 before you email me with questions! Thanks! 

    Wednesday, May 28, 2014

    Essential Oil 101: The Basics

    Are you sick and tired of not knowing exactly what's going in (or on) your body? It's a shame when companies are more interested in making a profit than protecting consumer!!! That's why I love essential oils-- they allow anyone to make high quality products so they know EXACTLY what they are putting on their bodies.

    You can make non-toxic beauty, cleaning, and wellness products for every member of your family, including the furry ones! But it's important to know what you're doing when you use them because irresponsible use can cause serious problems.

    Here's some bullet points for you.

    1. Don't drink an entire bottle of essential oil in one sitting. That's just dumb.
    2. Don't go around pour all the essential oils all over every part of your body like it's nothing. There are areas they should NEVER go (and it may not be what you think).
    3. Children are not adults. Don't treat them like adults and give them the same dosage
    4. Animals are not humans. Don't treat them like people. Give them different dosages too.
    5. Don't think that you can just pour essential oils straight out of the bottle. Many require dilution!!  Hint: Read the Labels

    It is important that we use essential oils safely and responsibly and that begins understanding the difference between high quality essential oils and regular essential oils.

    How to use essential oils safely for yourself, pregnancy, children and pets

    Click to read more

    Tuesday, May 20, 2014

    Summer Time Body Butter and Spray

    If you know anything about living in the South Eastern United States, then you know two things: Summers are full of sun and bugs. Just look at the front of my car and you'll see all the love bugs plastered to the front of it!

    So today I'm going to show you two recipes for the summer to help keep your skin healthy and happy! These recipes are completely customizable and I'll show you how!

    Let's Talk About Ingredients!
    Sunscreen
    For me, the essential ingredients for SPF are zinc oxide and carrot seed oil. Zinc oxide is a great base for sunscreen and you can vary the amount of coverage by weight.

    For instance 1 oz of lotion + 0.1 oz of zinc oxide will equal an SPF of 10. If you use 1 oz lotion + 0.2 oz of zinc oxide you will have an SPF of 20. However, if you go much higher than 25-30 SPF you may notice that you may have streaking of the powder. That's why carrot seed oil is so fantastic-- it'll give you a natural boost in SPF!

    Carrot seed oil has one of the highest SPFs of all natural sunscreens, plus it's an antioxidant so it helps to inhibit free radicals and keeps you look amazing! Depending on the carrot seed oil, the natural SPF value is between 30-40.

    Natural oils like coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax are all natural sunscreens, but they are quite low-- usually under 10 SPF. But when you use multiple types of natural SPFs they layer on each other and work together to give you natural protection.

    Normally, it is recommended to re-apply every 2 hours and this is not waterproof.

    Scents:
    I love to use therapeutic essential oils for scents! My favorite is purification which smells like an awesome perfume and helps remove odors too! I even use it on my dog to deter bugs!

    Other awesome summer time choices are Peppermint, Lavender (watch out though-- it may attract bees!), Lemongrass, and Cedarwood.

    And just because I like you-- I'm giving you TWO options on how to make it! A body butter OR a spray! Options, options, options!!


    Click to read more

    Tuesday, May 13, 2014

    Homemade Stress Roll-on using Essential Oils

    So you're stressed out, eh? Yeah. Me too. Especially lately. {sigh} My firefighter boyfriend fell from a two story window in full gear and broke three bones last week. Thankfully, he will heal and be fine, but he does need surgery tomorrow. I won't lie. I'm freaking out a little bit (or a lot).

    I just made a fresh batch of my Daily Normal Stress Perfume to take with me to the hospital tomorrow and I thought this would be a great time to share my recipe! This works for me to help support my emotional health and Lord knows I need it!

    Years ago when I started looking for ways to manage my feelings of stress naturally, my friend suggested lavender and I knew I had to try it! It was AMAZING, but I noticed that I was loving other oils too and that blending the oils were really helping to support my mood and emotions.

    Daily Stress roll on for work or play #DIYrecipes #essentialoils

    I ended up making my own roll-on perfume which has a blend of essential oils that help support me and bring a sense of serenity to my day.
      "I Have Moments" Roll-on for daily, normal stress
      Essential oil #DIY for #stress from work or other every day activities
      This formula is adapted from Homemade Mommy's stress roll-on to be a little different for my needs, but be sure to check her's out, too! It's pretty wonderful.
      • 30 drops Lavender
      • 20 drops of Valor
      • 10 drops of Orange
      • 10 drops of Release
      • 8 drops of Idaho Blue Spruce
      • 5 drops of Copaiba 
      • 5 drops of Frankincense
      • 3 drops of Vitamin E 
      • 7 ml of a carrier oil such as jojoba or sweet almond oil (just over 1 tsp)
      I put all the drops into a roll on bottle, add the carrier oil and give it a gentle roll between my palms to mix it. Then it's ready to go!

      It really is a very simple recipe to make and it smells amazing too! What more can you want than to have a perfume that makes you feel better?

      Storing and Using the Calming Blend
      It's always best to store essential oils in a tinted bottle to protect it from light. Always try to keep essential oils out of direct sunlight and away from heat. I always recommend glass when using essential oils because they can degrade plastic over time (especially citrus).

      For this recipe, my favorite application is with a roll-on style perfume bottle because with this blend the carrier oil is not diluted and it could clog a traditional perfume bottle's spray nozzle.

      If you interested in spray perfumes, please see my DIY perfume recipe.

      I apply this to my wrists, behind my ears, and on my chest. It's perfect for carrying in your purse.

      I also have a diffuser necklace that I wear daily which helps support my mood. It's simples-- it's a locket which opens and there is a terra cotta center. You simple add 2-3 drops of whatever essential oil you want onto the terra cotta, close it and you're ready to go. You have your own personal diffuser hanging from your neck! It works great for using essential oils for mood.

      Get a diffuser necklace here: Etsy Store

      This diffuser necklace is amazing! I wear it every day #essentialoils #diffuser #necklace Find one here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GypsiesOil?ref=pr_faveshops

      Sometimes I know that I look like a crazy person because I'm just sniffing the container or huffing my diffuser necklace (in public), but that's okay! You should have seen me in the ER waiting room after I got the phone call about my boyfriend's accident!! OMG! It was bad!! The necklaces was practically inside of my nose! But it really did help soooo much. This blend is my go-to for all emotional moments! It's somehow calming, yet energizing at the same time.

      What Kind of Essential Oils Do I Use?
      You can get more information about which essential oils I use and why by reading this article.

      So that's my essential oil calming blend! I hope you like it and if you try it I would LOVE to know how it works for you. Do you have any natural tricks that you use? If so, please leave a comment! I'm always looking for new ideas!

      And remember… Are You Choosing To Be Happy?

      Tuesday, April 22, 2014

      Easy DIY Lavender Coconut Lip Balm

      Easy DIY Lavender and Coconut lip Balm. Tasty! And it makes my lips so smooth! #DIYBeauty
      I love a good lip balm. In fact, I would actually say that I'm kind of addicted to lip balm. I have a tin in my purse, my desk, my bedside table and my coffee table and maybe a few other places, too! Okay, okay! So it's probably more like an obsession.

      But buying a good lip balm can be expensive for a girl with a habit like mine, so I decided to make my own to try to save some money. And guess what?! It's not only cheap, but it's easy.  It literally takes 10 minutes to create an entire stash of lip balm for just a few dollars!

      Sweet.

      But what's really fantastic is that this Lavender Coconut Lip Balm is the perfect gift for holidays, birthdays or favors for a party. Why? Because it's inexpensive and super easy, but at the same time it's thoughtful and everybody loves them! I call that a win at life, my friend.

      In this recipe, the lavender and coconut are subtle flavors, but the combination between the floral and tropical is sooo nice. It really makes me want to lay around on a caribbean beach with a giant pina colada and maybe a hot shirtless man. With a fan. And he can feed me fruit. Who doesn't like that?! 

      Lavender Coconut Lip Balm
      Makes ~5 oz of lip balm (enough for ~10 containers)
      Click to read more

      Friday, April 11, 2014

      Easy DIY Foaming Handsoap

      I'm a nurse and by default that makes me a total germaphobe. I literally wash my hands dozens of times a day with those chemical filled soap, but I wondered if I could replace the soap with essential oils to be gentler on my skin and the environment. After seeing this article about how research is showing that some ingredient in hand soaps, toothpastes as other products can cause increased risk for chronic health issues like breast cancer!

      I started playing around trying to find the perfect foaming hand soap recipe! I admit I am a bit of a foaming hand soap snob.

      For years, Clint and I have been buying those Bath and Body Works Foaming hand soaps in pretty much every scent imaginable. They have been a bit of an obsession, but after finding out what makes those incredible smells-- well, we were less than pleased.

      So since then it's been my DIY mission to make a foaming hand soap that we both love and adore!
      Click to read more

      Monday, February 17, 2014

      DIY Toothpaste with Baking Soda and Bentonite Clay

      I am going to confess something that might sound a little strange. The truth is that I brush my teeth with dirt. Okaaaaay, technically, it's not dirt-- it's clay, but dirt sounds way more dramatic. {Scarlett O'Hara inspired swoon}

      DIY toothpaste with clay, baking soda and coconut oil #DIYbeauty
      If you are blog follower of mine then you might not be too shocked to see that I am playing with dirt like substances... in my mouth. After all, you know I'm a little naturalistic crazy. But seriously, trust me, brushing your teeth with dirt is kind of amazing so don't write it off just yet!

      I knew I had to over haul my home care products after I saw this article.

      But this is why you should think about using bentonite clay in particular: 
      • It's all natural and that is AWESOME. 
      • Clay absorbs the bad stuff and removes it from your body. It's actually nature's detox agent. People (and animals) ingest clay for an internal cleanse.
      • It actually enhanced gum repair 
      • Also, using clay will also decreased cavities by increasing the remineralizing of the teeth. 
      Clay can do all of those things because it is jam packed full of nutrients and negatively charged ions that truly clean your teeth.

      Click to read more