Easy Overnight Oats: Apple and Cinnamon

Have you tried overnight oats? I resisted this healthy breakfast trend for MONTHS before I finally pulled out my mason jars and got my ingredients together. I've tried several recipes, and have a basic one that works perfectly fine, but last week I stumbled across a yummy fall flavor idea.

For my basic  overnight oats, I use a half cup of oats, a half cup of unsweetened almond milk and a tablespoon of chia seeds. I mix these together in "jelly" size mason jars and put them in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, I add a scoop of Young Living Spiced Vanilla Pure Protein Complete and a spoonful of frozen berries.

DIY No Sew Bunny With Essential Oils

Nothing says spring like a bunny. Whether Easter is your holiday or not, bunnies are a symbol of spring, and you can make an easy DIY no-sew bunny of your own. Not only is this bunny adorable,  but thanks to some essential oils, it smells great too.

I see so many great project and craft ideas on Pinterest. And almost every day, I wish that I had some sewing ability . . .but I don't. None. Even sewing on a button is a challenge for me. So I'm always drawn to no-sew projects that use great fabric to create something awesome.

DIY Flavored Sea Salts With Essential Oils

I was recently browsing in one of my favorite gourmet kitchen stores, and stumbled across some little bottles of flavor-infused sea salts. That's a fun idea I thought, but man were they pricey! According to the packaging, flavor-infused sea salts are perfect for kicking up your food's flavor after cooking, and for using as a finishing seasoning.

After a little internet research, I decided that I could make my own flavor-infused sea salts using my favorite Young Living Vitality essential oils! The Rosemary was my favorite all summer long. Diffused with a little lemon, it made my entire house smell so good! Also, my Rosemary in my backyard herb garden still looks great. So I clipped some and gave it a try.

Using Essential Oils Aromatically

By now, you've probably realized how devoted I am to my essential oils for supporting my family's health and wellness. Essential oils contain vital plant compounds. Many of these compounds have been studied for their positive effects.

Searching for Inner Peace? 5 Tips to Get Started With Meditation

Who couldn't use a little more peace in their lives? With hectic schedules, demanding kids, and stressed out spouses, I think we all could benefit from a few minutes of peace each day.

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to meditate. I love it when it's happening, but I find it difficult to make this important practice a real part of my everyday life. A wonderful networking and support group I recently joined, uses a guided meditation to begin each meeting. It got me thinking about trying to incorporate this into my routine again.

A Day in the Life of An Essential Oiler

As moms (or dads, or aunts, or anyone), I think we all try to keep our families as happy and healthy as possible. Every day there's new information about something that used to be "all the rage" and is now suddenly "bad for you." Making every day decisions can be a tough job. It was Scorates that said:

"The body cannot be cured without regard for the soul"

That's a great way to approach your journey towards better health and wellness. Everything that happens on the outside, starts with us on the inside. As you may know, I started using Young Living Essential Oils this year, on my own path to better health and wellness. An essential oil is nature's living energy from a plant, which offers it's protection, strength and vitality. Who can't use more protection, strength and vitality in their day??

The Top 5 Excuses Why You Aren't Using Essential Oils

You've probably heard some buzz about essential oils. In fact, you've probably heard some of that buzz from me, right here. I gave up my skeptical ways back in September, and I've never looked back. These little bottles and the DIY products you can make with them have been life changing for my family and I.

So I'm going to bust your top 5 excuses for not giving essential oils a try.

How To Give Yourself an Easy DIY Pedicure

Now that the warm weather is finally here, I start to fret about my feet and toes. Spring and summer weather means shedding your boots and baring your feet in flip flops and sandals. Are your feet ready for that? If not, I have some great ideas for a little DIY Pedicure you can do right from home, with salon-quality results!

I love a great spa pedicure, and the place near me uses hot stones to massage your feet and calves and it's just heavenly. But heavenly doesn't always mean practical, and sometimes you need spa-like results from home.

Spring Cleaning - Naturally

I may have mentioned this before, but I am not a fan of cleaning. That doesn't mean I don't like a clean house, because I most certainly do. I just don't particularly care to clean my own house when I could be reading a great book instead.

For years, I had a fabulous young woman that helped me keep my house clean. When I started working from home, and freelancing, we decided that having her come to clean, wasn't a necessary item in our household budget, and I took on the main house cleaning role again.

Being the organized person that I am, I decided on a daily cleaning schedule, much like my grandmother did when I was a little girl. On Monday, I clean the bathrooms, Tuesdays is dusting day, and so on. Every day includes tidying up and laundry. By sticking to this routine, my house is usually neat and relatively clean, should you drop by.

In the spring, I get a little more enthusiastic about clearing out the junk, cleaning the place up and brightening up everything. And I love the way a house smells when it's clean. Recently, through my essential oil journey, I found the most wonderful, non-toxic multi-purpose cleaner. I had read countless testimonies about how wonderful it was and how people used it to clean just about everything. . .from fabric to granite.

This amazing multi-purpose cleaner is the Thieves Cleaner available from Young Living. It's sold in a concentrated form, and you you can make your own spray bottles of cleaner in the strength best suited to your cleaning needs. It's very economical, as a cap full of concentrate, mixed with three cups of water, goes a long way. I feel so good about using this cleaner on my counter tops and where my kids and cat hang out. No harsh smells to irritate us, or lingering chemicals on our surfaces. And it cleans GREAT! I don't notice any difference between this and my old, chemical-filled harsh cleaners.

In fact, there are all sort of natural cleaning recipes from Young Living you can use this spring!

Photo Courtesy of Young Living

 Another way you can "clean up" your cleaning game, is by using reusable cloths (such as microfiber or old t shirts) to save on paper towel waste,  By making your own cleaning supplies, you can re-use your spray bottles and containers, cutting down on the amount of plastic bottles that are discarded too. Those are two more wins for the environment and our planet!

What's your favorite natural cleaning method or product?

catch you soon - 

Go Natural - How To Ditch the Dryer Sheets

This post contains affiliate links- thanks for clicking.

For years I used dryer sheets . Everybody uses them right? We all want soft, static-free laundry that smells great after all.  But you're not supposed to use them on towels - because they reduce the absorbancy. What's that all about?

Want to know a secret? Not everybody is using dryer sheets. Some people that are looking for a healthier way, have made an easy switch. Not only are they reducing the amount the chemicals in their homes, but they are saving money too! How are they doing this?

Using Essential Oils Around the House

I've been using Essential Oils in my day to day routine for several months now, and they have made a big impact on my health and well-being. I'm always researching new ways to incorporate them into our lives. I wanted to share some ways that I am using my essential oils around my home, each and every day.

Cleaning
Young Living even makes a natural, non-toxic essential oil blend just for cleaning! Thieves Cleaner contains ingredients from renewable plant and mineral sources, vegetable-based surfactants compliant with the Green Seal and EPA Design for Environment (DfE) standards, and even more Thieves and lemon essential oils for extra cleaning power. The bottle is even 100% recyclable.You can use it (diluted) to clean just about everything in your home - floors, pots and pans, upholstery spot cleaning, etc.

Cooking
Did you know that many Young Living Oils are completely safe to ingest? Be sure to check out their new line of Vitality Oils, specially labeled for consumption. I have become a big fan of citrus water (always use a glass vessel)  to help me keep my snacking to a minimum during the day! Recently, I added a few drops of Orange Essential Oil to a batch of dark chocolate brownies - they were DELICIOUS! Young Living has many savory oils as well, like Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano that can be used in your day-to-day recipes. They are very concentrated, so a little goes a LONG way!

Enjoying
Probably my favorite way to use my essential oils around my home is through my diffuser. Big to-do list today? A few drops of Clarity and I am all set to conquer my day. Feeling a little down? Add some Joy to my diffuser, and let the smiles shine. Kids acting all crazy before bedtime? Some Peace and Calming and reading does the trick. I love the way the diffuser and the essential oils make my house smell. I will never buy a scented candle, spray or room freshener again. It's funny how the kids will say, "Mom, what's in the diffuser today? It smells great in here!"

Some of my favorites that I'm using right now:

Purification Oil

The first thing I did with this one, is add a drop or two to each of my wool dryer balls. An easy and inexpensive way to switch out some chemicals from your home, is to stop using dryer sheets. I purchased a set of wool dryer balls at HomeGoods (I think they were $12 and good for 1,000 uses). I added a few drops of my Purification Oil to each one and use them every time I dry clothes - even towels (no chemicals to make them non-absorbent). They don't prevent static cling 100%, but they do soften my clothes nicely.

I also added a drop to the filter on my vacuum. Every time I sweep the floors now, I get a pleasant whiff of Purification.


Lemon Oil and Lemon Vitality Oil

Did you know a drop or two of lemon oil can help remove that sticky label gunk from jars and bottles? It's true! I've been able to re-purpose many more cool jars after I discovered this little EO trick!

I am also including a drop of lemon vitality oil in my water each day. Drinking more water helps to curb my snacking throughout the day.



Have you tried essential oils yet?

catch you soon -
  
Please note that essential oils are not regulated by the FDA. Because they are not evaluated by the FDA, essential oils are not regulated to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any illness.

DIY Bath Salts Using Essential Oils

A few months ago I made the decision to give Essential Oils a try in my journey to a healthy lifestyle. I had several friends that had began using them regularly in their daily life to help with many day to day discomforts, and I admit, I was intrigued.

With the aid of an incredibly helpful resource guide and several Facebook Groups for oil users, I've been learning different ways to incorporate my small batch of oils into my daily life. One simple way to incorporate oils into your life is to add them into your foods and products that you use every day.

Searching for a Good Night's Sleep

Is there anything better in life than a really good night's sleep? Waking up, on your own, after a night of restful sleep can make you feel like a while new person. But how often does that really happen? And why can't more of us get a better night's sleep?

Here's a funny little thing. . .I am actually a pretty good sleeper, if my FitBit monitor is to be believed. I had never done anything special before, I'm just tired at the end of the day - LOL. Lately though, I've added a drop of lavender essential oil to each of my toes before bedtime. I feel like I'm sleeping more deeply, and waking up (even to just roll over) less.