An Essential Oils way of life

I got my starter kit in February 2014. My only regret is not getting it sooner!! When it arrived I was like a kid at Christmas......just beyond excited.  Now we've never been a "sickly" family......just your common minor ailments. Cold, headaches, tummy bug occasionally......you get the idea. But I couldn't wait to take care of my family using my essential oils kit. ;-)

I immediately diffused Thieves & applied it to our feet before bed. We did stay well through the rest of the cold weather.....only the mild, occasional drippy nose or cough. And we immediately learned what other oils we needed in our oily arsenal.  I'm very blessed &thankful to God that my family has been so healthy.

I do want to share with you some of the ways we use YLEOs in our home. 

 One of the first things I did was get me a glass jar & straw set so that I can use my citrus oils in my water......so yummy & refreshing!!!

   

I made several things to show at my first home Essential Oils 101 class...........fabric softener crystals, face/body cream, eczema cream, & sugar scrub.  These were all lovely.   

 

When the pollen was really HIGH & agitating my youngest daughter's seasonal allergies, I made her a roller bottle with the allergy trio (lavender, lemon, & peppermint) & I diffused the allergy trio.  Ahhhh.......

one of the favorite things I've done is make this wonderful honey & Thieves throat lozenges.  I've got to get more of these made.  It is 3/4 cup of local honey heated to 300* then cooled for about 10 minutes.  I added 10 drops of Thieves & 5 drops of lemon.  Then you drop them on wax paper or in candy molds to harden. 

 

 These next 2 oil blends totally Rock my world.............one Wednesday evening after Bible study the girls were getting dressed for bed & I heard Ava coughing & it sounded awful!! I thought she was about to throw up she was coughing so hard. When she came in the kitchen I had the R.C. ready to apply. I put it on her chest & her throat & then made her breath it. By the time she went to bed her coughing had stopped & she slept peacefully the whole night. Also, that night before I went to bed I had terrible heartburn & did not want to take any medication. So, I reached for the DiGize & rubbed it on my chest, tummy, & throat. By the time I got in bed, the heartburn was a lot better & by the time I fell asleep it was GONE!! Thursday morning Ava got up & said, "Mommy, that R.C. worked just like that (& snapped her fingers) last night! I love these oils!" Sure made this mommy HAPPY!!!

 

I love that I can add Oregano to my homemade marinara sauce! 

 

I'm still working on getting these recipes to our liking.  But I spent one day making homemade sunscreen, lip balm, & deodorant.   

One weekend in May I somehow pulled a muscle in my back. I think it was from walking, carrying a heavy purse, & sitting through hours of seminars on that Friday. By Saturday I could tell that something was wrong in my lower right back. By Sunday morning I was moving super slow & in a LOT of pain.  I started Sunday afternoon layering my oils valor, panaway, then peppermint. Next time I would use Deep Relief. Then I would lay on my hot water bottle or hot corn bag. The oils & heat were helping. But Monday I was still really sore. So, I did the same oil routine & this afternoon I put Frank, Copaiba, Valor, & Panaway in some epsom salts & used that in a hot bath. After I got out of the salt bath, it was almost immediate improvement.  I couldn't believe how quickly that helped!! Oils win again!!!!

 

Trying to make myself take care of ME.....that's sometimes hard as a mom.  But I'm trying to do better.  So I've started walking again.  A couple of years ago I was running & I'd love to get back to that.....but right now I'm happy with just walking.  I got me some new kicks & I'm applying EnRGee to the bottoms of my feet & peppermint to my knees to help loosen me up & help me feel energized for the workout.  

 And one more way that I use these oils is to make my own laundry detergent & dryers sheets.  For these I use Purification & Lavender.  For the detergent, I add the EOs to epsom salts to serve as my softener crystals.  For the dryer sheets, I mix water & vinegar & then add EOs.  I use an empty wipe container & old washcloths & pour the water, vinegar, EO mix over. I love how these work with my laundry!!

 I hope you've enjoyed these little oily tips!!! 

A day in the farmlife......

I really never thought of myself as a farmgirl.......not a citygirl either though. Most of our married life has been lived in more of a country setting. Jim has always loved gardening & animals. So eventually living a farmlife really shouldn't be unexpected. Here's a quick history....... We got our first pet 2 months after we married & we just seem to keep adding animals.   Before vet school we had horses, dogs & a cat.  After vet school we moved to Prospect, TN for Jim to work at a mixed animal practice in Pulaski. In Prospect we owned a nice little farm, so we added chickens to the mix. A year after Jim graduated vet school, we had Ava. After that we moved to Elkmont & had another small farm. While we were living there it seemed hard to live so far (we thought it was really Far......but it so was NOT) from Athens. So we sold the horses (the chickens had all died) & bought a house ib a subdivision in Athens. 3 months after we moved in Aubrey was born. We lived in town for 3 years & then Jim just really need to stretch his legs. So here we are now with our ever growing farm.

We've added Trixie & Saban to the family.....they are sweet sisters for our sweet sisters. 

We also have chickens.......we love our laying hens & their yummy eggs

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We added Buddy the great Pyrenees to protect our chickens & our.....

GOATS!!!!  Aubrey has wanted goats since she was able to say goats. So we bought 2 momma goats. Jojo had her 3 baby girls before we brought them home.  She had Cocoa, Furry, & Oreo. We also bought Addy & she had 2 little bucks about a month after we got them. She had Big Jack & Little Jack. 

Such an exciting day.....we actually got to watch them be born. Now we have those  7 healthy goats & were milking Jojo.  

We also added Black Jack......since we're going to beed to have more babies to keep having more milk. 

I will say that much to my surprise I am LOVING the farmlife.  Such a healthy choice for our girls. And so many life lessons to be learned.   I hope you've enjoyed this peek inside our life. 

So, How do I use essential oils?

 Once your package arrives from Young Living, how do you know what to do with them???  Let me just tell you...........they're so easy to use!!!!  

The first way we will discuss is topically..........You can take a drop or two of these oils & apply them to your skin.  You may also want to dilute EOs with a carrier oil (such as coconut oil, olive oil, or grapeseed oil) before massaging into your skin. 

Next we will talk about using the oils aromatically.  These molecules are so tiny that they travel directly to the center of your brain.....to the headquarters of the limbic system.  When diffused essential oils have a powerful ability to communicate to the brain & emotions.  Isn't that amazing????  How do we use them aromatically?  You can take your bottle of essential oil & open it & inhale directly over the bottle or put a drop in your hands, rub & cup them over your nose.  You can also use a diffuser or put a drop or two in a bowl of hot water & breathe the fumes. 

Finally, you can take Young Living Essential oils internally!! (**Disclaimer:  Only pure essential oils, proven safe and labeled as dietary supplements (therapeutic grade), should be used internally.  Dilution and dosage is dependent on the age, size, and the health constitution of the individual.  Follow the recommended dosage on individual product labels to ensure safety or seek the advice of a health professional before administering oils internally.)  These essential oils can be added to your water or put directly under your tongue.  You can also get empty veggie or gelatin capsules & put drops in them & then fill with olive oil. 

We LOVE Young Living Essential Oils at this house.  We use them all three ways listed above & we use them daily.

How to become a Young Living Member

Let me start by assuring you that by signing up to become a member, you are NOT signing your life away.  If you're wanting to start using YLEOs, you can always purchase from a distributor or you can become a wholesale member/distributor yourself.  With Young Living you do not have to worry about being taken advantage of when you sign up with them. You are NOT required to make monthly orders or to meet any minimum requirements or even to tell other people about Young Living.  You will not be hounded by others to work this as a business.  By becoming a member you are simply able to get YOUR oils at the member price.   Wholesale members are also referred to as "distributors"  but this does not mean that you have to try to build a business. However, if you WANT to build a business you can. IF you are interested in building a YL business, please email me or message me on facebook & we can talk about that at length. Now, back to the membership.......... I always recommend everyone start with the Premium Starter kit.  There are other kit options available, but the Premium Starter Kit is, hands-down the most bang for your buck!!!!  It comes with the Everyday Oil Kit....… 5ml bottles of Lavender, Peppermint, Thieves, Purification, Peace & Calming, Joy, Frankincense, Lemon, Panaway and Valor. It also comes with Stress-Away!!  You also get two sample packs of the top 5 oils (lemon, peppermint, lavender, peace & calming, and thieves). All of this AND… a Diffuser. These diffusers are AWESOME and retail for $98 alone. You cannot beat getting 11 oils, 10 sample packets, AND the diffuser for $150. 

 So how do you sign up for your own Wholesale membership??? 

Let me first tell you about another advantage you have by signing up with my team (Drops of Love).  Member of the Drops of Love team are part of a larger group called the LemonDroppers. When you join our team you will get special access to informational groups on Facebook by LemonDroppers. This is NOT put out by Young Living, this is simply a place where my readers who have become members learn from other members on this same oily journey. If you are ready to become a member here are signup Instructions for you:

1: go to http://yl.pe/bcg
2: make sure “Wholesale Member” is marked off instead of “Retail Customer.” This signs you as a “member” to Young Living and it’s the only way to get access to the kit and the 24% discount you get afterwards. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT!!!
3: Make sure my member number in both the sponsor & enroller blanks. My number is 1650372.  The link about should have my number in both spots.  If another member of my team has been talking to you about YL, please get their member number & enter it in both spots. 
4: Fill out all the information. It will ask you for your ss# but this is only for legal purposes so that you have the ability to bring in a paycheck (YL is a referral based business). If you never sign anyone up, your ss # will never be used. Lemon Droppers do not pressure people into the business end…EVER. We want you to use and love your oils and we love you as a member whether you work the business end or not.
5: Be sure to write down your username, password, & PIN as you will need them all later to log in to your account for future orders & such. 

6: Select the first “PREMIUM STARER KIT” This is the one we discussed above. There are other options but trust me, THIS is the one you want!

7: Scroll down through the “Essential Rewards Kits” and click “no thank you” (you are not obligated to sign up for Essential Rewards at this time. Essential Rewards does have some great benefits, but we can discuss that after you've got your kit & started using your oils.....We'll be able to see if ER is right for you and your family).

8: At the bottom of the screen hit Next.
9: Confirm your enrollment information (you should see my name as your enroller and sponsor, or the person who referred you).
10: Add any oils, capsules, or products that you would like in addition to your kit if there are any that you would like.  Ask me how you could earn the monthly freebies by adding a few oils to your order.
11: Check out and you are DONE! 

WOOHOO!!!!   See how easy that was!!!  Your membership will stay active as long as you spend at least $50 in a calendar year. You do not have to continue to renew your membership each year… that kit was a one-time thing and you will remain a member as long as you spend that $50 a year. And if you're like me.........that will be NO PROBLEM at all!! ;)

Next time we'll learn about the different ways to use our Young Living Essential Oils!!!

Why Young Living?

In my last post, I told you how I found essential oils.  I also told you you that in my research I decided that I wanted to ONLY use Young Living Essential oils.  I'm going to share with you WHY..........

Young Living's Seed to Seal process separates them from all the competition!!

I only want to use 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils. 

These are the everyday oils included in the Premium Starter Kit from Young Living!!

 My next post will be about how YOU can become a member & take your family's health into your own hands!!  Best Decision I ever made!!

Changes

Our most recent endeavor after starting the new vet clinic has been trying to clean up our diet.  So in January 2013 we decided to tackle this.  We decided to try to get rid of all high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, & other chemicals that are in our foods.  So, we started making our own bread.  Then we moved on to making everything else from scratch.  WHEW..........talk about overwhelming!!!  I quit buying bisquick & "cream of" soups & butter substitutes & the list can go on & on.  Honestly, there were days that ended with lots of tears shed because I was so overwhelmed & felt that I couldn't keep up with.  And I wanted to so badly..........I truly believed it was what was best for my family.  Well, time marched on & it all got easier.  :)  It took a few months, but I got to where I was doing lots of these chores without even thinking about it anymore.  YAY!!!  Then after I year doing this our diet was mostly "clean". Now we still go to other people's houses (people who don't eat clean) & we eat & enjoy the food they provide. We also still go to restaurants.  So, I started thinking about what else I could "clean up."  To me the next logical step was to tackle the medicine cabinet.  I had been researching essential oils for months & months & the idea was very intriguing to me.  I like the idea of having a natural way to take care of my family's minor ailments.  And just like my food, I wanted a oil that were completely natural. I finally took the plunge in February 2014 & bought an essential oil starter kit for myself. I. LOVE. IT!!!! Best decision I've ever made.  I can't wait to tell you more about how we're using these oils.  But first, we'll need to define what we're talking about.  :)   

What are essential oils?  They are certainly more than nice smelling scents.  They are very soothing & therapeutic & healing.  Did you know that essential oils have been used since the beginning of time?  Essential oils are usually extracted from the plant by steam distillation.  They are sometimes also cold-pressed.  These  purest essential oils are far more powerful & potent than dry herbs.  They deliver effective results quickly. Because of the nature of the oils & the requirements to get the PURE oils, I decided get my essential oils from Young Living Essential Oils.  They guarantee 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils.  These health promoting oils from Young Living can be diffused, inhaled, applied topically, incorporated into massage, or taken internally.  By using the oils this way, you can enhance your physical wellness, promote positive emotional state, and purify your home.  

I mentioned Young Living Essential Oils above.  Because of their guarantee of purity & the integrity of the company, I was sold on getting essential oils to use for my family from them.  In later posts, I'll be sharing ways we use YLEOs in our home.  Here is a quick video to give you a peek at they Seed to Seal guarantee & what that means:  Young Living Seed to Seal

I'm thankful to have found Young Living & am thankful to Gary Young for his dedication to getting us only the BEST, PURE essential oils. 

Welcome!

Good morning!!!  And welcome to my Drops of Love blog!!  This is something I've been wanting to do for a while now but it has taken me some time to actually tackle it & get it done!!  I'll let my first blog post introduce you to me a little.  My name is Erica & I'm 39 years old.  I've been married to my best friend for 17-1/2 years & we have 2 precious daughters.  Ava just turned 8 & Aubrey will be 5 in October. These girls are both such a joy to raise............thoughtful, respectful, independent, funny, sincere. They loves God & their family.  Ava loves to go places & do things...........she don't want to miss anything!! Aubrey loves to go places & do things, but she also loves to just be at home. I'm amazed how my girls can be so alike & so completely different all at the same time!!  We live on a 21 acres & we have 4 dogs, 1 cat, 1 guinea pig, 8 goats, & approximately 30 chickens 

My two sweet babies

I've never really thought of myself as a country girl..........I'm not a city girl either though.  Having said that, I never dreamed I would enjoy our farm life as much as I do.  My girls are thriving & learning so much & they LOVE living on a farm. 

To give you a little background..........when Jim & I married, he was a brick mason (he comes from a family of brick masons) & I was finishing up my degree to be a teacher.  We had a house in the country & thought we were set.  Then Jim decided that he wanted to finish his college degree.  He still wanted to lay bricks, but he wanted the satisfaction of finishing the college career he started.  Little did I know that him going back to college at night to finish his degree would lead to us moving to Auburn, Alabama for him to pursue veterinary medicine!  He worked so hard & finished his undergraduate courses & was accepted to Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2001.  So off we went.  We lived there for 4 years while he completed veterinary school.  Then we moved back home.  Over the course of the first 4 or 5 years, he worked at a couple of different clinics as an associate veterinarian.  The first was a mixed animal practice. The second was small animal only.  Then it was time to open his own clinic.  So, in 2010 that's exactly what he did............Eastside Animal Hospital opened in September & we've been so blessed by the way this business has taken off.  We had also moved to town right before he opened the new clinic, so that made it very easy for him to come & go to the clinic as often as he needed without much of a commute.  Thankfully it has been a very successful almost 4 years of business!!