Essential Oils: An Overview

Without fail, at least once a month I get a version of the following text: talk to me about essential oils. Where do I start? I am overwhelmed. How do you know how to use these?!?

Well. I am a nerd. I read and research. I am also preppy with some pretty solid hippy leanings. I also don't trust modern medicine until I have to. (Of course I vaccinate my kid. Can we not get into this right now?). I don't think that essential oils are the reason that we haven't had to give Lyla antibiotics yet, but I do think that they have helped fend off some nasty stuff and get rid of the nasties that she has contracted. Kids are petri-dishes of germs. I figured that instead of responding with the same text information over and over and over, I would just make this post as a resource for you oil loving mommas/humans/babies. And for you oil curious folks. I see you!

1. Just order the starter kit from Young Living. 

There is a ton of research out that that supports my decision as to why I trust Young Living over anything else, but just go with this tidbit: I will not put any oils directly on my skin (or either of the LB's) that are NOT young living. Sometimes, especially at work, I will diffuse some non-YL oils because they are cheaper and I am mostly going for smell. I just trust YL, but do your own research. 

Here is what is in the starter kit... priced separately this stuff would be over $200 and it really just gets you rockin' and rollin'. 

• Dewdrop Diffuser
• Premium Essential Oils Collection (5-ml each) Lavender, Copaiba Vitality™, Peppermint Vitality™, Lemon Vitality™, Frankincense, Thieves® Vitality™, Purification®, RC™, DiGize™ Vitality™, PanAway®
• Stress Away™ 5-ml
• AromaGlide™ Roller Fitment
• 10 Sample Packets
• 10 Love it? Share it! Sample Business Cards
• 10 Love it? Share it! Sample Oil Bottles
• 2 NingXia Red® 2-oz. samples
• Product Guide and Product Price List
• Essential Oil Magazine
• Essential Edge
• Member Resources

When you click on that starter kit link, you can also look at the other options for starter kits. Honestly, the only other one I would recommend starting with would be the Thieves kit. But let's chat if you're confused by which one to start with. 

I don't do their NingXia Red thing, I am starting to get into the Thieves cleaning stuff because that is the miracle oil, and until right this second, I haven't had a membership or ordered a starter kit because I didn't want to sign up for ANOTHER thing. I wasted so much money doing this. Ordering oils from friends separately was ridic.  

So back to the point: don't be me. Order the starter kit. And likely another bottle of Thieves. It's amazing. 

*** Want to get overwhelmed by choices? Look at this thing. It lists all of the oils separately (as well as more research). 

2. Order this Book: The Bible of Essential Oil-ing

This book answers the how do I use all of this stuff questions. It lists out all the momma and baby illnesses that occur (hand, foot, mouth, anyone), and the essential oil recipe to help treat or prevent it from becoming worse. You just have to have it. 

3. Fractionated Coconut Oil

You use this to dillute the oils for babies and kids. It's a must do. (You don't need to order the fancy YL V8 whatever oil to dilute. This will work just fine). 

4. For Babies and Kids Specifically

Order Sniffleease oil when you order your starter kit. It's freaking amazing and around $18. I would put it on my chest when Lyla was congested as I breastfed her and she could breathe. I now diffuse it in her room and lather her in it with every cold. I have re-ordered this 6 times. Count them, 6. 

So, questions? Help? Thoughts? You can email me as well if you don't want to leave your comments in the comments. I hope that this is a better version of the rambling texts that I send to my friends and family who have questions. :) 

*This post contains affiliate links and if you order the starter kit from YL, you'll be in my "business line." I truly am not trying to build a business out of this... I would however, take all of the oily discounts and oils that I can get. You can email me questions about this as well. :) 

**I am not a doctor. Or a pro at oils. At all. I just like them and how they have helped my family. 

House To Do List

While 2017 has been the hardest year we have endured yet, we are starting to see the light. Starting to get fired up about doing projects again and ready to learn new things. Maybe some of that is because I started bullet journaling. (I'll do a whole post on that soon. It's freaking awesome).  But really, I think I need to see some changes in my physical space. It's time to take this builder grade house and make it into OURS. 

Basement Walkout

The priority number one that we are doing is making the basement a walkout on the side by the dart board. This window shall magically become a door. 

Basement Before

We are doing this primarily so that we can AirBNB out the basement. We LOVED that we were able to rent the basement in our last house and it allowed us to do all sorts of renovation projects. We will also add a small "kitchen" area: toaster oven, micro, coffee, mini fridge. No sink though. If we really get cranking on this stuff, perhaps we will add a full kitchen down here. 

Master Bath

While I'd love to do a full gut of this space- I HATE the tile with a passion- I think we will start with new hardware on the cabinets and painting them. I have gone over and over and over what color to paint these cabinets because eventually, I WILL GUT THIS SPACE. So trying to find a color that may work when I eventually demo out the whole right side of the bathroom is causing me designing angina. 

Offensive cabinetry. 

Offensive tile AND offensive cabintry. 

"Kids Bathroom"

It's cute how I have it decked out for Lyla, but boasts much of the same offensive paint and cabinetry as our bathroom. Just blah. And naked... with no hardware. 

PAINT EVERYWHERE

We've only painted the first floor common spaces, LB's office, our master bedroom, and Lyla's room. I LOATHE THE PAINT THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE HOUSE. Flesh is not a color. But somehow it is. And I hate it. 

Crown & A Rug in the Living Room

What is clearly the most done space is the living room. We love it so much we basically live in it... get it? Hilarious. But it needs crown molding... that's right, I said NEEDS. And it just calls for a rug to tie the room together. I wish that was meant to be a Big Lebowski pun, but it wasn't. It really does need a rug. 

The Main Floor Bath

Just add some board and batten and paint it. Immediately. It's so boring. And replace the blinds. Woof. 

Stack of toilet paper anyone? 

The Kitchen. The God Damn Kitchen

This kitchen needs: painted cabinets, new countertops, new hardware, a backsplash and window casements. So just a few VERY EXPENSIVE THINGS. And don't worry... I have already replaced those fugly lights. 

So yeah. We've got quite the to-do list. It's a tad ridic. But what also is ridic is the amount of updated house tours that I owe you kind folks. We've changed a lot. I am adding a blog page to my bullet journal... which means... this shit is gonna get done. :)