Aloe Vera

    Aloe Vera is a desert plant, which would explain why it is so often used for sunburn relief. It is a beautiful plant and is extremely versatile. The part of the plant that you use is not an essential oil, but it does similar things for the plant that essential oils do for their plants.

   First Aloe Vera gel comes from the inside of the leaves of the plant. To access it and use the gel, all you have to do is pull a leaf off and squeeze the gel out like toothpaste. And if you don't use all the gel in that one leaf you can stick it in the fridge for a day and save it for later. The care and up keep of this great plant is super easy since it is a desert plant. You don't have to water it that often and you don't have to worry to much about it when you go on trips.

      Our natural first aid kit is certainly expanding. Aloe Vera not only adds relief to sunburns and bug bites, it is also a disinfectant. It also helps your body heal blisters. So its great for applying when you or your child gets a cut, blisters, sunburn or bug bites. For a great list of other natural items to add to your natural first aid kit go here.

       It can also be added to your natural cosmetics. If you make any of your own cosmetics, you can include Aloe Vera and give your finished product a great extra kick in that your cosmetics will be healing and taking care of you while your looking fabulous. Making your own cosmetics can be fun and exciting. It is definitely an adventure, there are so many resources out there right now. If you want to make your own make-up most of the resources are on the internet. There are a lot of books out there right now though on making your own body care products.

     I highly recommend getting your own plant and using the gel from your own plant, simply because you don't have to spend as much time checking the suppliers honesty like you do if you buy just the gel. I was given one just recently and I love it! It is such  a beautiful plant! Very simple looking, but that's what makes it so lovely. Here's another article that's very interesting.

     Well I hope that was helpful, and I look forward to talking to you on Facebook, Vimeo and here. On October 2nd I will be holding another class on Facebook, Essential Oils 101. We will go through all the oils in the starter kit as well as learn why oils do what they do! Hope you can join us!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Himilayan Pink Salt

 I discovered Himilayan Pink Salt by complete accident. I was at Winco getting Chia Seeds in the bulk section and just below it was the bin of Himilayan Pink Salt . It was so different looking I had to do a quick search on my phone. The top searches were so interesting that I bought a half a pound right then. Unlike regular table salt Himilayan Pink Salt is very good for you and can be used in many different ways.

This amazing salt is mined in the Himilayan mountains and is naturally pink. It can be used in baths, body scrubs and has a 1:1 ratio to table salt and can be used in place of regular table salt when cooking. 

Himilayan Pink Salt supports almost all of the body's systems. It is high in all the important vitamins and minerals, and has none of the terrible side affects of table salt. Unlike common belief, our bodies do need sodium, but we need the right kind which is contained in Himilayan Pink Salt. 

I have used it in a body scrub and loved it! I also used it when my brother had a cold as a throat gargle. I haven't been able to try it as a table salt replacement but I can't wait too. I am still looking for a good body scrub recipe, otherwise I would share one here. 

I found it at Winco in the bulk section for about $1.60 per pound. I am sure that it is available at other places I just haven't found it yet. I am still learning about all the great benefits of Himilayan Pink Salt, and can't wait to try it all the different ways to use it and what it's health benefits are.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Headaches

    Headaches of all kinds are annoying, uncomfortable and sometimes painful, and nobody enjoys having one. This week we are going to look at the oils that have great headache relief, and are better for you then Advil or Tylenol. First I want to remind you all that today is the Back to School class on Facebook it's not to late to join us! And invite your friends as well!

   Alot of the oils that are mentioned in this post are in the Everyday Kit, so if you have only ordered the Premium Starter Kit then you will be totally fine. There are a few oils that aren't in that kit that you can order later if you wish or you may already have them. We'll start with the ones from the Everyday Kit. They are Lavender, Thieves, Stress Away, PanAway, Valor, Peppermint, and Frankincense. You can use one or all of them to help get rid of your headache and for any headache according to how the smell bothers you while you have a headache. The other oils that don't come in the kit are Deep Relief,  Breathe Again, R.C. and M-Grain. Again it's all to smell during your headache, but they are all very safe and act quickly.
    To get any of these oils or any other Young Living products check out their website. Also check out my Vimeo Channel and my Facebook Page.


Soli Deo Gloria!

Chia Seeds

     I was realizing the other day that I had done 3 videos featuring chia seeds and 1 blog post about them on a different blog,  but I hadn't done one here. So here it is! Before we get started though I wanted to mention that I have moved my video channel from YouTube to Vimeo. All my past videos are there, so that they are easy to find in the future, and all new videos will be posted there instead. And I am hosting an online class next week on September 4th on Facebook, I hope you will join us.

     I first learned about chia seeds when I read a book for a Blogging for Books program. It sounded interesting because it was a fresh topic and it was related to health, which as you know is something that I am very interested in. They are high in fiber, omega-3, omega-6, Vitamins A, B, E, and D, zinc, sodium, magnesium, calcium and iron and much more. They also don't contain gluten. They are a quick and easy way to to help your body get what it needs. 

     Chia seeds are also extremely easy to add into your everyday life. You can eat them plain straight out of the bag, in salads, smoothies,  stir fries, drink them in water, the possibilities are endless! There are drinks that you can buy at the store that have chia seeds in them already. The recommended amount to eat is 2-3 tablespoons a day per person. With all the possible ways to eat them it is so easy to get that amount. 

     I hoped you enjoyed this blog post and that you will let me know in the comments below what you would like to read about in the future.

Soli Deo Gloria! 

Seasonal Allergies and Essential Oils

           I am going to be hosting an online class about using essential oils during the school year. It will start September 4th, and will take place on Facebook.  This week we are going to look at oils that will help relieve allergies. All of these oils come in the Everyday Kit.

   The oils are Lavender, Lemon and Peppermint. You can use them a couple different ways, and I might suggest using one or all of these methods as well as using all three oils. Option one is to apply them topically. This is probably the easiest and quickest way to get the oils into your system. You can apply them to the souls of your feet, your wrists, your temples and the back of your neck. The second way is to diffuse them, whether it is in a diffuser or on a cotton ball. The third and final way is to get gel capsules and put 3-5 drops of each oil in and take it three times a day.
    If you are interested in any of these oils or in any of Young Living's other products check out their website. If you like what you see and wish too order, click on the member sign-up at the top of the page. Then enter my member number into the enroller and sponsor number slots the proceed to fill out the rest of the form as you wish. (My member number is 1564241.) Check out my Facebook Page where I post all sorts of things about oils, host classes, post videos, and more! Also look at my YouTube channel.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Women Only Please: Hormone Balance with Essential Oils

    This week I am at my third and final Joni camp for this summer. So again this week will be a little shorter. Well this post was a little harder for me to write. Mostly because I hadn't thought to much about it. Hormonal balance is hard a difficult subject to write about because there is so much too it. Which I guess there is to most other subjects. So thank you for the challenge and I hope I don't totally  mess up.

       There were a few oils that I haven't tried for this hormones but that make a lot of sense to use for hormone balance. The best oils for hormones are Spearmint, Ylang Ylang, Fennel, Myrrh, Myrtle, Sage, Sage Lavender, Peppermint, Clove, Geranium and Nutmeg.  So the oil product that kept coming up was the product Progressence Plus. This is an oil based supplement that Young Living offers. It is vitamin E that is extracted from yams in an essential oil mix and helps with cramps during your period, hot flashes and other similar issues. I have not been able to try this product yet, but after looking into it I really want to.

       Oils that I have tried for cramps that I have tried is the blend Deep Relief.  I get really bad cramps during my period, so bad that I can't do much the first two days of my period. When I use this blend during this time I am able to do way more things then I was normally able to do. I still don't feel great but I feel way better then normal. I highly recommend this blend for a plethora of different things.

      If you are interested in any of these oils or any of Young Living's other great products check out their website. If you like what you see and want to order, click on the member sign-up button at the top of the page. Then enter my member number in the sponsor and enroller number slots at the top of the form. (My member number is 1564241.) Also check out my Thoughts From Oakdale Facebook Page. I post all sorts of oil fun there like charts, fun facts, events I am hosting and much more! I am also on You Tube please subscribe to me there for all kinds of oil related videos. I am going to be hosting an online class on Facebook in September about how to stay healthy with oils during the school year so keep an eye open for that. 

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Children and Essential Oils

         I didn't have my oils a week before I had the opportunity to use them on my little sisters. My sister Esther will come up to me when she's not feeling well or has a scrape and says "Sister, I need oils!" I highly recommend using oils with children and babies. Using essential oils with children and babies is easy and safe. Let's look at oil application, and a few oils that help your children ward off common sickness.

 Application: There are a couple really good ways to apply oils to babies and children that I want to mention here. The first is diffusing the oils. Since babies and children have young sensitive skin it might be gentler and more efficient to diffuse the oils they need rather then applying them topically. However, if they are really sick and you want to give a little extra push towards recovery, I recommend applying the oils to the soles of their feet as well as diffusing.The reason I suggest the soles of their feet is because the skin there is tougher, but that's also where the biggest pores in your body are and the oils can get into your system faster. So even as an adult applying oils to your feet is extremely beneficial.

       Colds and the flu are two of the most common  childhood sicknesses. Thankfully the oils overlap and do double duty on these to sicknesses. The oils to use are Lavender, Lemon, Frankincense, Eucalyptus, Thieves, Peppermint, Roman Chamomile and Clove. Some of these oils would be best diffused because they are slightly abrasive and a little to strong for young skin.

       "Littles" are always getting scrapes and bruises.  Thankfully again there is one list of oils for these two ailments as well. These oils can applied topically since they are gentle. Lavender, Frankincense and Peppermint are the best at soothing and healing cuts, scrapes and bruises.

          What better way to take care of children than with a safe, non-toxic natural alternative for all their little ailments, and even their bigger ailments. If you are interested in any of these oils or any of Young Living's other great products check out their website. If you like what you see and want to order, click on the member sign-up button at the top of the page. Then enter my member number in the sponsor and enroller number slots at the top of the form. (My member number is 1564241.) Also check out my Thoughts From Oakdale Facebook Page. I post all sorts of oil fun there like charts, fun facts, events I am hosting and much more! I am also on You Tube please subscribe to me there for all kinds of oil related videos. I am going to be hosting an online class on Facebook in September about how to stay healthy with oils during the school year so keep an eye open for that. 

Soli Deo Gloria!