Saturday, September 13, 2014

A new ADHD blend

So my son has ADHD and although he is on medication I am trying to find a blend of oils that can do what his meds to with out the side effects. 
 These two:
Lime and Vetiver combined with some fractionated coconut oil in a roller bottle is working a little. 

An even amount of drops of each oil in a small roll on bottle are mixed together and applied to the back of the neck.  It is a bit of a strong smell and some find it unpleasant so I add a drop of lavender to the back of the neck as well. 
The question you are asking is....is it working?
Well yes and no.  It is helping a little but he still needs his meds.  But you never know everyone is different so this combo may work for you or your child so give it a shot.




A refreshing blend


Here is a blend that I found and have fallen in love with.  Lavender, Lemon, and Rosemary:
 This blend may not sound like much but man is it nice.  And so fresh smelling. 
 No one smell is over powering over the other and I just can't describe the smell that it is other than fresh.

So give this blend a try the next time you have company over or just want something fresh smelling. 

I have been using it to freshen up the new house that has a pet odor smell to it.  I love it.



Stuffy nose relief

So Fall is upon us and that means lots of stuffy noses.  Did you know that you can simply open this bottle of Breathe and inhale it and it can open up your stuffy nose? 

Well you can.  This stuff is a unique blend of the following Essential Oils:
Eucalyptus radiata
Laurel Leaf
Lemon
Melaleuca alternfolia
Peppermint
Ravensara

Blend these together and you have a mild vicks like smell that really opens you up.

Right now as I suffer from allergies or a cold I am diffusing it and it has opened up my airways quite well.  It's making my nose run a little but more it is opening up the passageways.  This Essential Oil Blend can also be applied topically under the nose and on the chest if need be but I like to breathe it in or diffuse it. 

It is also great for asthma as well so it's a good oil to have on hand in one of these:

A cute little bottle with just enough oil space for you to inhale or apply topically once or twice.  I keep will be keeping this in my purse from now on especially during cold and flu season.





Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Children and sleep.

 So your child has problems sleeping some nights right?  Well here is some Essential Oils that may help. 

Most nights for my son who has ADHD diffusing just lavender is more than enough but then there are nights that he is just so wound up that sleep seems impossible.  Or other nights where he just seems anxious....so what is a Mother to do?
 Well the Balance blend is a grounding blend and on it's own can help him relax and sleep but even that's not always enough.

So diffuse Balance and Lavender together.  Combined they have Spruce, Rosewood, Frankincense, Blue Tansy, and Lavender.  A great blend for sleep when he is hyperactive. 
But then there are the days that he is not only hyper but needs to just calm down and relax.  On the days that it truly seems impossible that he will sleep I diffuse Serenity and Lavender together.

Now Serenity has Lavender in it as well as Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, sandalwood, and Vanilla Bean, but adding extra Lavender seems to help even more. 

So here are 3 different solutions to rough nights sleeps....actually make that 5 as you can use Serenity and Balance alone or with the Lavender.    Does it work for adults you say?  Of course it does! 

Have you used other oils for sleep?  Please let us know.




Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Hives

Did you know that amoung the other things I have talked about Lavender is also good for itchy hives?

This oil is so versatile that it has tons of uses....I mean it's crazy how many uses I am finding.

But see what happened was my son had an allergic reaction to cats and although we needed to give him some benydryl his hives were still itching and bothering him so we applied some lavender oil to the spots and the itching stopped almost made the rash it's self disappear.

And as a bonus it was evening so it helped my son sleep as well. 





Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Finally some good sleep

 I saw a post for a Essential Oil blend for insomnia.  Now I do sleep just not that well, and not the whole night through.  And not very well.  On average I get less than 5 hours of sleep each night usually closer to almost 3 hours.  As a Mother of 2 very active children this is not an ideal situation.

So anyways I see this post for a insomnia blend and thought well although I do sleep maybe this could help me sleep better.  Maybe even longer.  And I am all for that. 
This blend is of 2 oils - Roman Chamomile and Lavender and then 1 oil blend - Serenity. 

Serenity actually has these oils:
Lavender
Roman Chamomile
Sandalwood
Sweet Marjoram
Vanilla
Ylang Ylang





I know your thinking if it has Lavender and Roman Chamomile in it why add them to the blend.  You know what?  I have no idea but it worked.  I tried using the Serenity alone and although it was a wonderful smell it didn't work as well...but this blend...2 drops from each bottle into my diffuser worked great.  I slept just over 5 hours and felt like I slept just over 5 hours.

As in instead of sleeping 3 and feeling like I was awake all night...

In reality all I care about is the quality of sleep not the quantity.  I am glad I have these oils and saw that post too.  I have tried each on there own but don't like the smell of the Roman Chamomile and although alone the others helped a little they didn't help as well as this blend did.    Give it a shot if you have the oils and let me know what you think.


Sunday, May 18, 2014

Itchy bites no more...

How much do you hate mosquito bites?

Me a whole lot.

So last night I got a few bug bites and I had read that lavender can help with that so I added some diluted lavender oil to my bug bites and guess what?

Yup you guessed it the itchy feeling almost instantly went away.  And stayed away.  It was fabulous and my hands smelled like lavender, not some medicine.

How did I dilute it you ask?

Well I add about 12 drops of lavender to this bottle and then some carrier oil...me it was coconut oil.  Using the eye dropper I simply drop a few drops to the bites. Rub it in and off I went.  These bottles are great when diluting in carrier oil cause you can control how much you use.....




Tuesday, May 13, 2014

ADHD takes a backseat.....


InTune - Oh yea this baby here has helped my son with his ADHD a lot.  He is still on medication but this seems to counteract some of the side effects of that medication.  He is more attentive, social, and happier with this blend on and seems to eat just a little bit more. 

It has a bit of a woodsy smell that takes a little getting used to but all in all I like it. It is a blend of Amyris, Frankincense, Lime, Patchouli, Roman Chamomile, Sandalwood (HI), Ylang Ylang.

We roll it on the back of his neck each morning and he is good for the day.  Some days we reapply in the evenings when he gets home from school but not all the time.  Because of the strong smell I am going to try adding some lavender to his neck to see if that helps as it is another oil that can be used for ADHD......

So if you have focusing problems add this to your wish list and give it a shot....you may just be surprised how well it does seem to work.





Saturday, May 3, 2014

Tranquility and Balance

Here is a great Essential Oil Blend that I use everyday.

It's called Balance and it is a Grounding Blend.  It has a great woody scent.   I wear it on my pendent and sometimes I even put it on my wrists.  It is a very relaxing blend.

I diffuse it at night to help me rest but wear it during the day to keep me calm.    I love it.

My son has ADHD and we use it on him as well to help keep him calm on rough days.
I have Depression and Anxiety and it seems to help me on my rough days...which is why I wear it every day just in case.  

Balance is a nice blend of Spruce, Rosewood, Frankincense, and Blue Tansy oils and in a base of Cocoanut oil and is known to relax the whole body

Diffuse it with Lavender at night for a really nice scent and relaxing blend.  Especially if you aren't crazy about the strong Lavender scent when it is blended with Balance all I usually smell is just the Balance with a slight hint of Lavender.

Since it is in a base of a Carrier oil there is no need to dilute it but if the scent is too strong go ahead.  I use it both ways....some days I use a diluted batch others like for the pendant I use it out of the bottle.



Basil gone Pesto


Ahh this has to be my favorite variety of basil ever.  It is extremely beautiful to look at and wow.......smells just like a pesto sauce. 

It's not like other basil's.  It does not come in seed form you have to propagate it....or better yet just go to a reputable plant store that sells a good variety of herbs and buy it there....it's better that way. 

It can get bushy like some of the other basil's do if you prune it often but it is a bit slower growing that some of the other basil's. 

When you prune prune just like you would any other basil and cut the tops off.  Dry them and save for a spaghetti day.  Oh yea I said spaghetti....add a little of this herb to the sauce and man oh man does it make that sauce taste great.

Use this like you would any other basil but do be aware that it is a pesto basil so it may not go with your salad.....but hey why not give it a shot....you may like it. 




Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Allergies be-gone

Can't stop sneezing?  I've got a oil blend for that.....
 Try blending these 3 oils together and diffusing it into the air. 



Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint. 



Sure it seems like a strange combo but my son was sneezing like crazy and we started this oil combo in the diffuser and with in minuets the sneezing stopped. 

I've been told that if you add a drop of each to a shot glass of water and take that daily that it too helps keep those allergies at bay.  With how well it works diffusing I believe it.  That's the next step in my experimentation is trying it but for now diffusing is working so that's what I will do.

Man I love these oil's...


Monday, April 28, 2014

A little uplifting scent for the day

Ever wanted to find a way to have that healing smell last all day?  Well I found a way.
A Terra Cotta necklace that I can wear all day.  I simply put a drop of my favorite oil on it let it soak in then wear it all day.  Need a boost of it's therapeutic smell it's right there around my neck.  And there are different styles you can get too.  But either way it is a smart way to carry around that uplifting, calming, or fresh scent with you all day.

Check out the different Terra Cotta necklaces you can get and start feeling better.





Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Lets talk about Chives

Pictured is Garlic Chives... I love these guys.  They taste great in any recipe that calls for chives or even salads.  And they help out in the garden.  How you ask? Oh that is simple.  Many animals don't like the scent of garlic or onions put the two together and you have a natural repellant. 

They grow back every year even up here in the north.  They produce pretty white balls of flowers which then go to seed.  Although you may want to cut the flower heads off before they go to seed or you may have more chives than you want for the following years.

To cook with them simply cut the chives to an inch above the ground  at any time during the growing season.  They will grow back stronger and thicker each time.  Chop them up to cook with.  Be careful though the smell can get quite strong.

It's hard to dry these guys to use as a dried herb but it can be done if you have a dehydrator.  They take longer than you would think being hollow in the middle.  But simply place them in a dehydrator and turn it on....depending on your dehydrator check back in a day or two to see how they are doing.  Be sure to place the dried leaves into a ziplock bag or other container as soon as they are dry to retain their freshness.

You can also freeze them.  Either on their own or my favorite is in ice cube trays.  Then you just take out an ice cube full of chopped up chives and pop it into your soup or what ever else you are using them in...adds a little bit of water and you get the fresh cut flavor of them.  To freeze them simply cut from the plant and chop right away then either place in a freezer ziplock bag and freeze right away or place the chopped parts into a ice cube tray and fill with water and freeze.  Its best to do this with in hours or even minuets of cutting from the plant so that they retain as much flavor as possible.

To use as a repellant in the garden simply plant along the edges of your garden but especially in the garden with carrots, lettuce, and tomatoes.......it's not a guarantee but it seems to help.

So get some chives for your garden today and enjoy the scent and cooking with them.





Monday, April 21, 2014

Welcome, Lavender

Welcome!

Come join me in my journey to a healthier life.  I am using Essential Oil's and home grown herbs in my everyday life and want to share with you what I experience and knowledge.  I don't claim to know everything about them but what I do know I want to share.  Good or bad it doesn't matter.

I love my herbs.  I love to grow them, smell them, cook with them, and share them.  I am quickly falling in love with Essential Oil's.  Their smell and benefits.  I want to share with you the different things that I know about herbs and oil's.....which as time goes on will be a lot as I love to research and try things.  

So to start lets learn about the first Essential Oil that I tried - 


 Lavender

Oh my goodness do I love this oil.  It smells so good.  And I have been using it every day for a week now....ever since I got it.  It is a strong smell right out of the bottle but so pretty too.  I diffuse it at night for my son to help him get to and stay asleep.  He is 7 and asks for it every night.  I use it as well with a few other oils to help me sleep a little better, but I will get into that in another post.

For my son the first few days before we had a diffuser we rubbed 1-2 drops of the oil on our hands then right onto his pillow and then put the case back on...we also put a drop or two on the bottoms of his feet some nights.  Both ways seem to work equally as well but he likes the diffuser better....but then again it has lights.  For the diffuser ours holds 6ml of water and takes 5-6 drops of the oil.  For him though I usually only put 4 drops in cause it is quite strong. 

You can rub this oil directly onto your skin but for children it is recommended that you dilute it in a carrier oil first.  Which is simple to do so we did. 

I even diffuse this oil during the day as it does tend to calm me down a little. So if your gonna start with just one oil start with this one.  But please understand that it is a strong smell and may take some time to get used to or to feel it's effects.  Everyone will react differently to each oil.  This is just how my son does with it....I will explain next how I deal with it.