Saturday, April 27, 2013

Do You Neti?

It was almost 70 here in beautiful Chicago yesterday, oh it was glorious!  After a long, cold and rainy winter there is nothing better than a warm spring day.  With all that great sunshine comes, of course, allergies!  So besides hitting the lemon, lavender and peppermint a few extra times my other go to is the neti pot.  I have been using a neti pot for probably seven years or so now and Maddox uses it as well.  I started him on it when he was around two I believe, and it has been great, especially when he has a snotty nose from a cold.  It really cleans him out.  It is totally disgusting...the things that come out of a snot nose boy...but well worth it.  I would rather the snot come out in the shower than all day and it be crusted up on his face.  Eww, I just can't handle crusty faced kids.

Neti pots have been around for centuries and they are used for nasal irrigation which is a fancier term for rinsing out your sinuses. Why use a neti pot?  By rinsing the sinus cavity you can help with environmental allergies, sinus issues, alleviate congestion, facial pain and pressure.  It is a very simple, yet effective process.  

Here is what you need:

Neti pot - you can get at most pharmacies now a days.  Of course mine came from Amazon.
1/4 t salt
8 oz warm distilled, sterile or previously boiled water (I keep a tea pot on the stove that always has water in it)
Optional : essential oils - my favorites are frankincense and eucalyptus

Make sure the water is body temperature and the salt is dissolved.  I also like to add 1-2 drops of frankincense and eucalyptus when I need a little extra umph.  It really helps open you up and breathe
much clearer.  Even Maddox does it with the oils, at first he said he didn't like it but after he realized that it helped he would ask for it that way.  When you are ready just tip your head to the side and pour it in one nostril and let it drain out the other side.  Switch sides halfway through and use up all the water.  If you are congested then blow your nose first otherwise the water will not come out.  Also, after you are done make sure you blow out any excess water in your nose.  This is most effective by holding one nostril closed and blowing, then switch.  I personally think this whole process works better in the shower, especially if you are helping a kid.  Over the sink, at our house anyway, just turns into a mess.  In the shower it is no biggie!  Remember, as with most things, consistency is key.  This is safe to do everyday and there have been times I have done it 2 times a day when I was really battling the sinus demons.

Here are some more technical instructions on how to use the neti pot.

Here are a few neti pot pictures.
I used to have this red one but it had an untimely death.  It was my favorite but I could not find it again.  Sniff, sniff.
This one I got free for liking their FB page.  I  works fine.  I like that you can  close the lid and not spill.
This is the one I use most although you have to be careful not to spill.  Somehow I feel a little fancier with this one.

So there you go, a simple yet very effective way to naturally combat sinus and allergy problems this spring.

Be healthy, 
Jen






Monday, April 22, 2013

The Move

So this (Blogger site) is my new home now and I promise not to move again!  I am glad you found me here and I apologize for the old posts being out of order.  This is all new to me and I can't figure out how to change the order.  Oh well.

Have a great week and happy Earth Day!

Jen


Oregano - Nature's Antibiotic


Oregano - Nature's Antibiotic


ImageOregano is a doTERRA essential oil I will never be without.  I was reading this article on the Huffington Post about antibiotics and it got me thinking about how overused they are.  I know for many people they are sometimes not even effective.  I find that very scary.  Just thinking about taking my sick baby to a doctor, getting medicine to help and then getting medicine that does not work makes me very uneasy, out of control and even helpless.  Fortunately this has never happened to me but I know it has for others. I am also much more at ease now that I have found essential oils and I am empowered to care for my family when we get sick. So why do antibiotics sometimes not work?  There are a couple of reasons.  1 - Antibiotic resistance.  The bacteria evolved in a way that it is now resistant to that type of antibiotic.  This is what is causing super bugs, which are drug resistant and can cause illness to last longer and even cause death. 2- The wrong type of antibiotic for the type of bacteria.
What I love about plant based medicine is that it is far more complex than what can be manufactured and therefore much more effective at killing bacteria AND viruses.  What?  Viruses too?  Yup.   Essential oils can penetrate the cell wall and kill viruses and bacteria unlike what you pick up at the pharmacy.  So when you get the flu and the doctor says, "wait it out" and tells you how to manage your symptoms you could be rolling oregano on your feet 2-3 times a day or taking it an Imageveggie cap and significantly reduce the intensity and duration of the illness.  Oregano is antiviral, antibiotic, antiparasitic, antibacterial and an antiseptic.  That is some powerful stuff!
A few weeks ago Julie was out of town for nearly 2 weeks and I had both kids on my own for the first time.  On one of the first nights Maddox woke up about 3 am crying and saying he needed to go potty but it hurt.  He kept trying and nothing would come out.  He was crying really hard and kept running back and forth to the bathroom. He kept saying he was scared.  My poor sweet boy.  It killed me to see him so scared and in pain.  At first I thought he was a little dehydrated and had him drink some water and eat some blueberries.  He was not getting any better and kept trying to potty so I decided to get out the trusty ole Google.  I put in his symptoms and it said possible UTI.  Well, they run in the family so this was not surprising.  I headed over to everythingessential.me and the protocol listed oregano as an oil to use.  I rolled some on his feet and I swear to you he was asleep in 5 minutes.  He slept all night (even though I woke up and put more oregano on his feet) and the next morning he woke up and pottied like normal.  I kept the oregano on him 2-3 time a day for the next few days and he only complained of it bothering him maybe one other time.  So it was stinky oregano to the rescue! Maddox named it "stinky oregano" and before he had this issue he would not let me put it on him because the smell was so strong.  What does it smell like?  Dang strong oregano!  Not nearly as yummy smelling as some of the other oils so I would definitely stick to the feet or internally with this one.  But this time when he was in pain in the middle of the night and I told him it was stinky but it would help him, he let me put it on him.  Now he is fine with it, I guess he knows that the smell is worth it, we just joke about his stinky feet!
There is lots more info on uses for oregano oil, if you search, you will find it.  The only brand that I trust to put on my family is doTERRA and this is one oil that even though we don't use every day, I would never be without because when someone is sick, you need it now.
Oh, and in case you didn't know, oregano is considered a "hot" oil and should not be used unless diluted with a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil, almond, jojoba or olive oil.  Also you should not take it internally for more than 2 weeks without a break.
If you have questions, feel free to ask them!  I love to help.
Be healthy!
Jen
More info on oregano
Need some?  Get it here!

Saturday, April 20, 2013

The Beginning


If you are reading this you probably already know who I am so I will not bore you with those details.  If you don't know who I am then head on over to the "about" section to get some deets.
After having a friend call me for some advice and tips on how I use my doTERRA essential oils I realized I know quite a bit and I have lots of knowledge to share.  I really like sharing my knowledge and teaching people how to make improvements in their everyday lives.  Also I am not the best blogger, I try, I really do, but I was never a good writer.  I have always found it frustrating because I have so many thoughts going on in my head and I can't get them out fast enough.  Then I forget all my genius thoughts and wind up with nothing.  Alas, I have decided that Facebook may be a better avenue for me to share.  Plus it allows a little more "audience" participation, and that is way more fun than just writing.  So I have this blog now so that both my blog and Facebook page have the same name but I will mostly use Facebook to communicate and use the blog when I have longer (and probably super important) things to say.
The things I will be talking about on my snazzy new FB page will be - becoming more healthy and doTERRA essential oils, ways to be more green, attachment parenting, budgeting and finance stuff, organization.  These are the things that I'm passionate about and that are very pertinent in my life right now.  I will also say that I am an expert in nothing but I have practical experience and passion for each of these topics.
My hope is that by talking about things on Facebook we can create more dialogue than just a blog so that we can hopefully learn from each other.  So please participate, it will be more fun!
Here are some important links for my stuff
Crunchy Urban Mom Facebook
Crunchy Urban Mom Blog
doTERRA Retail Sales Page
Jennie made presentation on essential oils
Much love and talk to you soon,
Jennie
Crunchy Urban Mom

I Heart Amazon


I'm going to make an admission here today.  I'm pretty sure the most uncrunchy thing I do is shop on Amazon.  I know...bad carbon footprint...but I love it, and I promise I make up for this naughtness to Mother Earth in other ways.  I have Prime and have for about 2 years now and I'm pretty sure I can't live without it.  It is $79 a year which is only $6.58 a month to get free (or a better word may be included) 2 day shipping  on TONS of stuff on Amazon.com plus lots of free movies and shows online.
$6.58 a month to not have to drive around to look for whatever it is I am looking for?
$6.58 to not schlep my kids in the Chicago weather into whatever store across town in traffic.
$6.58 a month to have my coveted purchase at my door in 2 days (sometimes less).
Yes please!!!  
What do I buy on Amazon.com?  Books, movies, baby stuff, toys, industrial floor fan, vacuum, phone accessories, essential oil case, our favorite chapstick that I can't find anywhere else.  You get the idea... you name it, you can probably find it on Amazon.  My favorite is food though.  Since I am gluten free it is hard for me to find dry goods and snacks that are A-tasty and B-not a ridiculous price.  Amazon has all kind of gluten free stuff and it is usually a good deal if you buy it by the case.  I don't mind storing it (yes, I have been called a food hoarder before) so it is not a big deal.  And honestly most of the stuff we buy we go through pretty quickly.  The reason I tell you about this is that there is this great feature called Subscribe & Save.  It allows you to get automatic shipments of items you use a lot.  You can set the frequency of your delivery and change it or cancel it whenever you want.  So for me, I have Charlie's Soap (laundry detergent) set to ship every month but the water filter for our fridge is set to ship every 6 months.  If I need more sooner or need to skip a shipment I can do that too. Also you save 5-20% off the item when you set it to auto ship.  Now here is the cool part.  If you have 5 items set to ship in one month on your Subscribe & Save then you get 20% off the entire order!  I love it!  For many things it winds up being a great deal.  I even get rechargeable batteries this way.  Check it out, there is all kinds of great stuff, even diapers and wipes.   Ok, so this post was not supposed to be all about Amazon and my deep love for them, I just got excited.  Sorry.
What I wanted to show you was this  -------------------------->otoscope                   it is my new otoscope.  What's an otoscope?  It is that thing with the light on it that the doctor looks in your ears with.  Mallory has been pulling at her ears the last few days and although I am 99% sure it is because she is teething I thought that this would be a good idea to have in the house so I could check out the situation inside her cute little ears.  The next time we go in for her well baby visit I'm going to take it with me IMG_20130419_234051and have the doctor show me what I need to know (in case I miss something scouring the internet).  We sure did have fun with it tonight though!  We all looked in each others ears and said, "eeewww, you have wax".  Well duh, we are supposed to have wax.  Read here to find out why.
Now, I can't take credit for this idea, I read it on some eles's blog but I don't remember where so I can't give credit.  Sorry, smart lady.
So where did I get this awesome little tool?  Why Amazon.com of course!  For a mere $26 with Prime.
Be healthy.
Jen
Click here for otoscope on Amazon

Thursday, April 18, 2013

101 Uses for Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint


Yesterday I talked about how we use lemon, lavender and peppermint to combat our allergies.  Here are 101 other ways to use them in your every day lives.
We call this the beginners trio and these three oils are a great way to get your feet wet and try these 100% Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils.  In addition to using them for allergies all three of these get used in our house every day.
Check it out.
Jennie

On Guard


on guard
One of my favorite oil blends is On Guard.  DoTERRA calls it the protective blend, I call it awesomeness!  On Guard is another oil that we use everyday.  It is a blend so it has several oils in it.  They are cinnamon, clove bud, eucalyptus, rosemary, wild orange.  I think On Guard smells pretty amazing and so does Maddox so we diffuse it pretty often.  It is a great blend to diffuse because it will kill bacteria and viruses in the air, so if you have sickies in your house you better get you some On Guard!  It also is great for boosting your immune system to keep you from getting sick.  This is another oil that we roll on our feet day and night.  We rarely get sick around here but when we do it is generally mild and short lived.  Another way we use On Guard every day is in a spray bottle with distilled water as a hand sanitizer.  I keep it in the diaper bag and use it while we are out to kill germs on hands, surfaces and sometimes in the air if it is stinky.  It is a great natural alternative to regular hand sanitizer and it smells good to boot!
20121204_135314
While writing this post I realized that I drank the proverbial On Guard "Kool-Aid" because not only do I love the blend and use it every day but I also use the cleaner, the toothpaste and the cough drops. I just recently got the cough drops and had them waiting in the medicine cabinet for illness to strike.  Sure enough it did.  Julie came home from a long work trip feeling sick and nasty and had a sore throat.  The next morning I could feel the beginnings of a sore throat so I took one.  Did I get sick?  No way.  I managed to talk Maddox into sucking on one for about 2 minutes and he decided it was not for him. Kids.... He and Julie are quite finicky when it comes to strong tasting things.  I don't mind the taste at all, but they are kind of strong.  I look at it as medicine and so it is pretty tasty compared to what other medicine may taste like, that is my opinion.  Plus I am willing to suck it up for the length of a cough drop versus getting sick.  But hey, that's just me.doterra-on-guard-drops-smlcleaner
Another way I like to use the blend is as tea.  1 drop (unless you have a giant glass like I do, then do 2 drops) with honey and lemon.  Great immune booster.  I love that I can use doTERRA oils so many ways, like drink in tea, and it is because they are so pure.  They are the only oils that are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade and I would not suggest ingesting any other brand of essential oils.
Here is a list that someone smarter and more creative than me made that has 52 other ways to use On Guard.
ON GUARD® by Robert James
52 Top uses for On Guard antimicrobial blend of essential oils.doterra-on-guard-toothpaste-sml-500x500
1. Mix with a tblsp of water, gargle for 1 minute then swallow at the on-set of a sore throat.
2. Put 5 drops Oregano and 5 drops on guard in a 00 capsule and take 3 times daily at the on set of cold or flu symptoms.
3. Put on the soles children's feet at night during cold & flu season to support immune system.
4. Put several drops on a bowl of hot – hot water and Breathe in the vapors as it begins to volatilize when you have lung congestion.
5. Put 50 drops in a spray bottle with 30 oz of distilled water. Shake often and use to sanitize kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
og6. Add to your dishwasher for micro clean dishes.
7. Add to your laundry cycle for micro clean clothes.
8. Add to your mop water for cleaner floors.
9. Apply to bee and insect stings to neutralize the toxin and relieve the pain.
10. Gargle and brush daily for healthy teeth and gum's and to prevent and treat gum disease.
11. Apply to gum's and teeth, or swish with 5 drops of on guard & 1tbsp of water for pain relief from toothaches and after dental work.
12. Diffuse in homes or business to kill air borne pathogens, inhibit mold and build immune systems.
13. Put a few drops on air filters when changing them to kill pathogens in the duct work.
14. Add to Emergen-C or Orange juice to help congestion and fight flu and cold.
15. Put a drop in your mouth and push or squeeze it around to relive smoking urges. (enhance with an extra drop or two of Clove.)
16. For warts, apply topically, rotating between Oregano & Frankincense.
17. Apply a drop on a pets sore or wound to enhance healing.
18. Have the diffuser going in your home when the kids come home to ward off germs.
19. Make an anti-biotic blend using On Guard (12 drops) Oregano (6 drops) Frankincense (2 drops) in a 00 gel cap.
20. Add 15 drops to every cup of corn starch, mix and sprinkle on carpet. Rake, leave for 1 hour then Vacuum for micro clean carpet.
21. Mix a 2-3 drops of on guard and 2 drops of Lemon EO with honey or agave in a teaspoon for a cold or cough relief medicine for kids.
22. Gargle with 1 tbps of water and 1 drop each of Lemon and on guard hourly for laryngitis.
23. Put several drops on the HVAC vents of a hotel room or office to kill airborne pathogens and germs.
24. Mix with baking soda to clean bathtubs.
25. Apply neat to the toes and nails to combat fungus.
26. Combine 2 tbps of water with 5 drops of on guard in a small glass and store your toothbrush overnight to sanitize.
27. Use a 50/50 mix of on guard and purified water and spray onto oven interior. Leave for 15 minutes, then wipe away greasy spots.
28. Apply to hands to remove stubborn, sticky substances like tree sap.
29. Add to the water in your vacuum cleaner/steamer to disinfect the carpet.
30. Put a few drops in your vacuum bag to kill pathogens.
31. Put 15 drops in a 6oz spray bottle, shake and spray rooms, desks, or bed sheets to protect against pathogens.
32. Clean the upholstery and dashboard of your car.
33. Gargle with on guard and 1 tbsp of water prior speaking engagements or singing performances.
34. Rub on stains as a pre-wash stain remover.
35. Add 3 drops to your tooth brush and brush every day for a healthy mouth and to prevent cavities, gum disease.
36. Apply to teeth that have been damaged or broken to help them heal.
Make an On Guard® spray with 15 drops for every 6 oz of water, use the spray for:
37. Wipe doorknobs and other things touched by the public.
38. Wipe dirty piano keys to clean and disinfect.
39. Use to clean childrens hands when traveling.
40. Use on the steering wheel and gearshift of your vehicle.
41. Use on public telephones to remove germs.
42. Use on public computer keyboards and mice.
43. Use as an underarm deodorant.
44. Spray on hands before and after shaking hands with a lot of people.
45. Spray in public restrooms on airplanes to reduce airborne bacteria.
46. Carry for protection in countries with cholera, malaria or dysentery.
47. Use as an air freshener for cooking odors or other unwanted smells.
48. Take to the gym and spray all the equipment you use.
49. Take to the supermarket and use to disinfect shopping cart handles.
50. Use in the classroom for desks, tables and other items handled by children.
51. Spray in your mouth and throat at first onset of cold or bronchitis.
52. Spray on shower stalls and bathroom walls to disinfect and remove mold.
Stay healthy!
Jen

What You Put on Your Body...


OK, nice to have you back.
I normally would not post something negative about a particular product but I thought this was a good example of how marketing affects how we feel about product and the importance of label reading.  Did you know that public health laws allow:
  • Almost any chemical as an ingredient in personal care products
  • Misleading and incomplete labeling of ingredients
  • Unsubstantiated claims about product benefits
  • No required safety testing of products or ingredients
So really companies can say and put on their products whatever they want. What??? Combine that with the interesting little tidbit that chemicals from personal care products enter your blood stream within 30 seconds and that is pretty scary.  Scary for me and definitely scary for my kids.
If you go to EWG Skin Deep website and put in Cetaphil you will find that it is a 3.  (Their scale is from 1-10, 10 being bad)  So a 3 is not bad, it is certainly not the worst but you can get better.  If you scroll down you will see ratings on the different ingredients and what the side effects may be.  Two ingredients are as high as a 7.  Eek.  And this is a product that we have been led to believe is so wonderful for problem skin. Overall being a 3 it is probably not making your skin any worse but it is certainly not helping you as you may have thought.  With no natural ingredients (except water) how can your skin ever get better?   What about the other products you have that say "natural" or even the ones that don't.  What is really in them?  Do you know how they can affect you?
I learned about the Skin Deep website a few years ago when I was looking for safe sun screen for Maddox.  Somehow I heard about the how the spray kinds are so dangerous and I started looking into it and found EWG.  I found ingredients like this in the sunscreen I was spraying on my 2 year old.
OXYBENZONE - Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Endocrine disruption, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Enhanced skin absorption, Biochemical or cellular level changes, Use restrictions
FRAGRANCE - Neurotoxicity, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Miscellaneous
RETINYL PALMITATE (VITAMIN A PALMITATE) - Cancer, Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Biochemical or cellular level changes, Use restrictions
Of course I threw away the spray stuff and went on a search for something safer.  I found Badger sunscreen and it scores a 1 which is a score I can happily live with.  I buy mine on Amazon but I have seen it in health food stores as well.  It works great and we have had no sunburns.  You do have to rub it in well or you will see a little white, but I'm willing to take the extra time to put it on knowing it is not harmful to him.  At first he didn't like it because he had to stay still but I explained that it was to protect him from the sun burning him (which hurts) and it was sunscreen or no pool, beach, play ground, etc.  Now he know it is what we do, no arguments, no biggie.
The purpose of this post was to give you a new resource to help you find safe products for you and your families.  What you put ON your body you are also putting IN your body since products on your skin are absorbed in less than 30 seconds.  Knowing that makes me even more aware and conscious of what I put on me and my kids.  Spend some time on the EWG website.  It is a great place to find information about food, personal care products, make up, cleaning products and sunscreen.
Go here   ------>     ewg.org 
Be healthy!
Jen

It's Easy.


Are you starting to wonder how to use essential oils?  Let me tell you, it is easy!  There are 3 basic ways to use them.
TTopically, as in rub it on your body.  Most doTERRA essential oils you can put straight on the ole bod right where it hurts.  Tummy hurts? Put a drop or two of peppermint or Digest Zen on your belly.  Head hurts?  Rub some peppermint, or Past Tense on your forehead or temples. Breathing issues? Rub Breathe or eucalyptus on your chest.  It is that easy.  Other good places are the bottoms of the feet (think big pores for good absorption and reflexology points), back of the neck, forehead, temples and around nose, on and around the ears and down the spine.  Some oils like cinnamon, clove, and oregano are considered "hot" and need to be diluted with a carrier oil first to avoid skin sensitivities.  Also citrus oils are photosensitive so if used topically on the skin, the area should not be exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light for 12 hours to avoid severe burning. Remember with these high quality oils less is more and usually 1-2 drops is all you need at a time.
IInternally, as in you drink or swallow it.  Most doTERRA oils are safe to ingest . If there is a nutrition label on the bottle it is safe to take internally.  You can do this a few ways. You can put it under your tongue although, I will be honest, this is not my preferred method.  These oils are strong and the taste is a bit much for me.  I have done it though when traveling. You can 
veggie capsput the drops in empty veggie capsules and swallow them.  I like this method because you don't taste them and you can put several kinds if necessary. (ie: flu bomb).  What I have been doing lately though is shooting them.  Honestly I shotsfeel totally lazy doing it this way but it is effective and works well when holding a baby and I can't manage a veggie cap.  A couple drops in a little water, shoot and chase with water - boom, done! Oh, I would not recommend ingesting any other brand of essential oils. Most of them even say not to right on the label.  That right there is enough to keep me only using doTERRA brand.

AA is for aromatically!  This is the most fun of the 3 I think.  When you  breathe in an odor molecule it enters the olfactory center of your brain which is closely connected to the limbic system. This houses your long term memory, emotional centers, autonomic nervous system, hormones, regulates blood pressure, heart rate and attention.  This is why essential oils aromaticallyhave such a profound physiological and psychological effects. There are several different ways to benefit aromatically from essential oils.  The easiest is direct inhalation - just smell it!  You can put a few drops in your hands and cup them around your nose and mouth and inhale.  You can also put a few drops on a cloth or tissue and hold it close and inhale. That is an easy way to keep oils with you all day.  Hot water vapor is another method although heating oils may reduce some of the benefit.  You can put some in a bowl of hot water and put a towel over you and the bowl to make a tent and inhale. There is jewelry that is made for diffusing like necklaces that absorb the oils and you can wear your own diffuser and enjoy it all day.
Then there is diffusing - my favorite!  There are lots of options for diffusers (which we can discuss in more detail later) but they allow you to get creative and make new blends, and for some people, it brings out their inner chemist.  The diffuser is whispergreat when someone is sick and you want to kill germs in the air and keep everyone else healthy.  On Guard is an obvious go to for this purpose.  For respiratory issues Breathe is awesome in the diffuser.  I run it all night in the room we are sleeping to help clear congestion and sleep easier. Or if I have an especially sick little one I will put it up high near them and let them sleep under it, by wake up time they are doing better.  Mix it with a little lavender for a good night sleep or with some lime to liven it up in the day.  I put Citrus Bliss in when the mood in our house needs to be elevated, it just makes you smile.  There are numerous combinations you can use in your spa vapordiffuser!  We have 2 diffusers right now.  One is the Whisper and the other is the Spa Vapor.  The Whisper I like because you can set the timer from 50 mins to 9 hours, which is great for at night and there are lights you can turn on or off.  The Spa Vapor I like because the lights change color (the kids dig) or you can turn it on and it puts out fast and will fill the room quickly.  If you follow the link for the Spa Vapor and read the description closely you will see a coupon code that makes it only $25 which is a great deal.  The Whisper is a little pricey but it is built for the long haul and is a good investment.  Aromatools has bulk discounts available so if you are interested in a Whisper let me know and if we get enough people then we can do a bulk buy and everyone can save some money.
So now that you know how to use them you probably want to know how to figure out which oil to use.  I can help you there too.  My first stop when I have questions is always http://www.everythingessential.me/index.html.  This site may look a little overwhelming but once you figure it out it is invaluable.  That blue bar about a 1/4 of the way down is where you are headed. If you click on Health Concerns you will come up with a glorious list of all kinds of health concerns.  Pick one, let's say earache...the first tab tells you about earaches and gives you a quick anatomy lesson. The tab that says "Suggested Protocols" is where the good stuff is.  It will suggest to you different essential oils and blends and an effective way to use them.  Sometimes there is even extra good stuff like videos or conference calls for extra info.  The third tab will give you testimonials from other users.
The next heading on the blue bar is Oils and Blends.  This lists every oil and blend that doTERRA sells.  Click on one..let's do Lavender (the Swiss Army Knife of oils).  On the left it gives you the properties of the oil/blend and common uses (these are not all of the uses though, just the most common).  In the middle there is helpful info and typical applications.
The rest of the blue bar I will let you go through on your own, but do, there is lots of good stuff in there! There is a mobile version of everything essential available for iPhone and Android in the App and Play store.  Search doTERRA essential oils and it is the first one.
Another invaluable tool is my Modern Essentials book.  It is an awesome resourse for all doTERRA products.  To me it reads like a text book that is very easy to use and navigate.  It has all kinds of great info about reflexology, the science of oils, in depth info on each oil and ailments and how to treat them.  Anyone who is an essential oil user should have this book.  It
aromatoolswas well worth the $25  I paid for it!
That should give you lots to look at for the evening.   Have fun learning!
Know more, do better.
Jen
Ready to start your essential oil journey?  Here is how.

Breathe Chest Rub


I made some Breathe chest rub (think healthier version of Vapor Rub) today for 2 reasons. One, we are almost out because we use ours a lot and the other was so I could send some off to a certain friend in OK with 3 sweet boys who I know will also get a lot of use from it.  Here is how I did it, pay close attention, it is very technical.
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond oil (I have also used olive and/or grapeseed oil before)
1/4 cup beeswax
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 T shea butter20130414_131006
1 tsp vitamin E
30 drops per 4 oz container doTERRA Breathe
10-15 drops per 4 oz container doTERRA eucalyptus
5-10 drops per 4 oz container doTERRA rosemary
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This recipe will make 2- 4oz containers.
I had all of these ingredients on hand because I use them to make lotion as well  - I just use different oils.  I have made lavender for the baby and used Citrus Bliss and grapefruit for me and for gifts.  They are all yummy and everyone at Christmas seemed to really enjoy it.
The process is very easy and literally took me about 10 mins to do.  Now getting a shower or the kitchen clean, that took forever today!
Pour everything into a double boiler type contraption.  I use an old olive jar that I keep only for this purpose and it sits in a pot of boiling water.  Like so. 20130414_130651 I use a wooden skewer to mix it up and when you are done you can toss it.  Wait for it all to melt then pour it into your containers where your drops of essential oils are waiting.  Now go grab a cup of joe and wait for it to cool.  It will look like this.  .20130414_134940 I know, this is almost rocket science.
Then you can jazz up your container a little if you feel it is necessary.  I felt it was necessary and because I have a new love of funky duct tape, 20130414_144245here they are with a quick wrapping.  Literally 10 minutes to make, and this will last us a while.  Plus it is perfectly safe for the whole family to use, even our tiniest member who is only 3 months old.
The recipe for lotion not my own, it was found here.  Thank you Nikki for sharing it with me. The containers I used are from Aroma Tools but you can use any glass container.
The easiest ways to use this rub is to rub on chests if your "patient" has any breathing issues due to asthma, sinuses, allergies, cold, flu, or bronchitis.  Sometimes I will dab a little under my nose or put a little behind my ears. Although this is not a good idea for kids that rub their faces because you don't want them to get it in their eyes.
The feet are always a great place to apply essential oils since the pores are so large. They get absorbed in the blood stream very quickly.  As you can see from the picture if you are having breathing issues then a good place to put some Breathe rub (or oil)IMG958093 would be the top of the feet near the toes or the bottoms of the feet on the points for bronchials, lungs or sinus.  When you put oils on the feet it is best to put on some cotton socks on after to keep all that healing power on your skin since some can evaporate in the air.
Now go get cooking!
Be healthy,
Jen