small business Saturday and thank you gift
Happy Saturday, Everyone!
I would like to say thank you to all of you who follow me here on my page and support me and my family on our journey to healthier lifestyle.
Did you know that when you buy from a small business owner, you directly have an impact on that family and local community?
I would love to help more families and support them on their own journey as well.
As a thank you and welcoming you to our Young Living family, I am giving you back $25 on your Premium Starter kit, which is a wellness box and “natural medicine cabinet” in one. This starter kit contains 11 essential oils and home diffuser, which you will fall in love with right away.
I will also show you and teach you:
– how to use the oils everyday on everyday basis
– how to ditch the chemicals and switch to more natural supplies and show you plenty of easy DIYs projects
– things you no longer have to buy every month because you have this set.
You and your family will love this natural lifestyle and not just your body will benefit from the aroma properties of essential oils but your home will also smell amazingly without harmful toxins.
This kit makes wonderful Christmas gift. I know what I am talking about because I got one two years ago. <3
So let’s create a wonderful local community. This offer is valid till tomorrow, Sunday, Nov 26th 10pm PST only!
Get your kit here.
Once you register, please send me a note and I will send you your $25 back.
Don’t hesitate to reach out for more details.
getting rid of stains naturally. once again.
And here we go again… My little girl’s jacket got stained after a weekend of bike racing once again. This time she got chain grease on her sleeve while pulling her bike off of the bike rack.
Before I knew about Thieves Household Cleaner and Thieves laundry soap, I would just give up on stains like these. But now when my daughter showed me the stains with sad eyes and a question if I will be able to get it off, I knew that it can be done. And it can be done without any chemical cleaners.
Thieves Household Cleaner is my go-to all the time. Thieves Household Cleaner is an allpurpose, concentrated cleaner formulated with 100 percent plant- and mineral-based ingredients. Thieves Household Cleaner is biodegradable and complies with EPA standards. Safe to the planet, safe for our health. I truly believe that this cleaner should be a staple in every single household. All you need is one plant based cleaner, no need for many different bottles for cleaning the whole house.
I put just a few drops of the cleaner on the sleeve, let it sit for a few seconds and just rubbed it in my hands a little bit. The photo shows that the stains were gone just after this treatment. Then I put it into washer and used the laundry soap.
My little girl’s jacket is clean once again. One happy little athlete and one happy mama over here.
If you want to give these natural products a try, please don’t hesitate to contact me through email or the comments here.
a box of wellness – our Birthday bash
The other day Sue and I chatted about life and found out that our Birthdays are just a day apart. How crazy fun it is?! We are both Pisces and love people, so we have decided that we will celebrate our Birthdays, which are on March 1st and 2nd, by gifting others and sharing the joy, love and our knowledge about wellness.
As both of us have already mentioned so many times over the last couple of months over here, essential oils have become a huge part of our regular daily routines. I don’t go through a single day without using my oils. The same goes for my children and my husband lately as well. Oils for better sleep, energy, relaxation, headaches, tummy aches and muscle pains, skin issues, PMS discomfort, colds and coughs and many many more.
This is what Sue says about her experience with essential oils: For as long as I can remember I have used peppermint oil to soothe tummy aches and headaches. Buying the starter kit from Young Living introduced me to a number of other oils that I now rely on just as much as peppermint oil – Thieves for immunity and cleaning, lavender for skin and hair, lemon for cleaning, panaway for sore muscles, and the list goes on. I also discovered that using peppermint oil during a run or a workout improves the quality of my exercise significantly.
And because we know how amazing these oils are and how much they can help you with dealing with the ups and downs of everyday life, we would like to help you to get your hands on this little box of wellness as well. If you are new to essential oils or haven’t tried Young Living essential oils before, we want to help you on your journey to wellness by offering $20 off of your Premium starter kit!
When you receive your “box of wellness”, the best part is that you won’t get “just” these 11 amazing essential oils and a diffuser and all the little fun things as pictured below, you will also get a supporting group of people with awesome oily knowledge and endless resources and so much more.
There are no reoccuring fees, no monthly payments or anything. You can buy new oils as often as you like and if you feel like experimenting with oils more, you can explore benefits of a loyalty program as well. Or never purchase anything else. As I mentioned already, it is totally up to you.
Are you wondering how you can get our gift? Simply click this link which will get you to our sign up page, choose Get started with Premium kit here and pick myself or Sue and register on the Young Living website. Once we see that you’ve registered and purchased your kit (original price is $199.75 CAD but the value of everything exceeds over $360 and the benefits are just priceless!) , we will contact you and send you back our gift of $20.
We would be more than happy to help you with this process so if you don’t know exactly what to do or something during the registration isn’t clear and you feel overwhelmed, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly at: gabi@livingessentially.ca or sue@livingessentially.ca and we will get back to you as soon as possible. This offer is valid from March 1st 12.01am PST till March 2nd, 11.59pm PST.
Are you ready to take the first step to a healthier and happier life?! We can’t wait to hear from you.
~ Gabi & Sue
A Boost for Your Skin
I was recently asked how to make a natural exfoliating face scrub. This was not something I had done before and I was up for the challenge. Whenever I experiment with new recipes, I always test them out on myself first.
After experimenting quite a bit and trying different scrubs on my own face, I settled on a favourite that contains only three ingredients – coconut oil, sugar, and lemon essential oil. Coconut oil may sound a bit too greasy for your face, but I find that using the scrub right before a shower and then rinsing it off in the shower, leaves my skin feeling soft and supple but not greasy. The benefits of coconut oil are immeasurable. It keeps skin smooth to the touch and helps it to retain its moisture content. It also has strong disinfectant and antimicrobial properties. Additionally, it contains Vitamin E which is incredibly nourishing for the skin. The sugar, of course, is an exfoliant. I recommend using berry sugar rather than regular granulated sugar. You don’t need to scrub very hard, just lightly on your face. The heavy hitter in this little recipe is the lemon essential oil. It is calming, astringent, detoxifying, and antifungal, to name only a few of its powerful properties. The number one thing that I love about this scrub is that it reduces the redness and blotchiness in my face.
The recipe is below. Give it a try yourself!
~Sue
Lemon Coconut Oil Face Scrub
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup sugar
30 drops lemon essential oil
Place coconut oil in a microwavable measuring cup or bowl and microwave for about 30-45 seconds to soften. Then mix in sugar and lemon oil. The mixture should be more on the sugary side, so add a bit more sugar if it seems too oily to you. I store mine in small mason jars. This scrub does not need to be refrigerated.
Enjoy!
muscle pain relief on a snow day
We are back in the winter wonderland once again. I love snow but oh man, before I hit the end of our driveway (which isn’t long at all), I could start shoveling the snow all over again. I definitely felt my back and arms last night. And this morning the amount of snow fallen overnight was even bigger, but I came prepared. I went into my “medicine” cabinet and pulled out my old friend, Deep Relief.
This oils is very well loved in our family. It is a blend of several oils such as Peppermint, Wintergreen, Dorado Azul, and Helichrysum and it’s known for their soothing and long-lasting benefits.
Deep Relief is used in aromatherapy to help relieve joint and muscle pain associated with sprains, strains, or rheumatoid arthritis, making this blend a great companion for your active lifestyle. Oils such as Peppermint and Wintergreen play an integral role in this blend as they provide a refreshing, cooling sensation during or after a workout, with an invigorating scent that inspires an upbeat and energetic approach to whatever keeps you active.
I always go the natural way and try to avoid painkillers as much as I can. Since I’ve started using essential oils and made them a part of our daily life, it isn’t hard at all. Deep Relief is actually a Natural Health Product approved by Health Canada for treating everyday ailments. So here you go, it’s natural and it helps you relieve the pain at the same time. Definitely a win-win.
Now once the shoveling is done, we can go and make a snowman.
~ Gabi
oils on the go
As I mentioned so many times, essential oils play a huge part in our lifestyle every single day. I wear my aromatherapy necklaces every day and now even my kids enjoy wearing their oils on too.
Yesterday my son (a fresh teenager) came to me and asked if I can make him a bracelet using wooden beads we had at home. Of course I said yes, I love crafting and it makes me happy that my children love to wear handmade stuff, it makes it even more special. When I was in the middle of making his bracelet, he asked if it’s possible to add lava beads as well so he can smell his favourite oils during the day. I was almost done with the bracelet but I was so happy that he asked that I didn’t mind to take half of it apart and start over.
This just shows me that we are doing things right at home. It makes me proud and happy that our children know how to live a healthy life. Knowing that if they feel under the weather, they can use uplifting oils during the day and just smell them to boost up their energy and mood. Both of our children have their own diffuser and use their oils for bedtime every night, it has become a part of their evening routine.
~ Gabi
dragon time
I’m pretty sure that a lot of you, women, can totally relate to when it comes to our “favourite” time of the month how crazy we can get…
I love chocolate and once I get to a week or less before my PMS, you can bet that there won’t be any chocolate left in my sight. I have never had a regular cycle and usually the first two days are accompanied by cramps in my lower abdomen and lower back. I used to take Advil for the pain otherwise I wouldn’t be able to get through the first two days.
But since I’ve switched to essential oils, I knew that I want some natural support in this area as well. Last month I’ve finally got my hands on Dragon Time. The first time I smelled it, I have to confess that I wasn’t impressed at all. The thing is, I don’t like the smell of black licorice and the scent reminded me of it a lot. BUT, I was left with a choice – I will take the Advil for the pain (which I hated to do) or I will get over the smell and use the oil. Of course I went the natural way. And to my surprise, the smell of this oil hasn’t bothered me at all while I put it on myself.
Yesterday the first day came again and I went and applied the Dragon time right away. I was so surprised that the pain was gone within 10-15 minutes. I applied the oil before going to bed once again and for the first time in months, I wasn’t awaken by a pms pain at night. I slept through the whole night absolutely pain free. I made a little roll on to take to work with me and I applied the mix one more time during the day on my lower abdomen and lower back. I was really happy to get through the day without the cramps.
My roll on: 10 or so drops of Dragon Time in a 10ml amber roll-on glass bottle and topped with carrier oil (I use V6 from Young Living). The 15ml bottle of Dragon Time blend will last for many months to come since I used only 10 drops for my roll-on mix.
Here is a little info about Dragon Time from the Essential Oils Desk Reference Book:
- this blend relieves PMS symptoms and menstrual discomforts, including cramping and irregular periods. It helps balance emotions, alleviating mood swings and headaches caused by hormonal imbalance.
- Ingredients: fennel, clary sage, marjoram, lavender, yarrow, jasmine
From now on, I will carry this little gem in my purse to have it on hand when needed. And let’s be honest, the name of this oil is just so spot on!
So the next time, ladies, when you feel like you are about to change into three-headed dragon, just grab this bottle and roll it on.
~ Gabi
two in one
One of my favourite ways how to use essential oils every day is to wear them on on my jewelry. It is a great way of combining two things – the benefits of using essential oils and a fashion. Last year I wrote a post about Sara’s jewelry line from At Heart Essentials. To this date it is still my favourite shop for shopping locally. The feather necklace below was a Christmas gift from my son which was also made by Sara. I absolutely love the minimalist style and get compliments every time I wear it.
If you have been wondering why I love lava jewelry so much, it is because lava can be used for aromatherapy and has also healing properties. It’s believed to provide strength (physical and mental) when facing difficult situations. I’ve found a great post which explains lava’s qualities (I’ve copied it for you below as well) here.
- Emotional – Since lava is known for its grounding qualities, it’s wonderful for calming the emotions. In fact, the quality of fire springs from the ground, so in terms of healing gems, this lends itself to a calming- but intense- energy. Because it comes from raw energy, it’s considered to be a stone of rebirth and shedding unneeded layers of emotional attachment.
- Spiritual – Lava stones are fantastic for stabilizing and grounding the root chakra. This is because of the strong connection to the earth and its creation within the center of Earth. In folk remedies, it was also given to soldiers to help them remain calm during battle.
Another favourite shop of mine for lava jewelry is Lava Essentials from where I got this beautiful Triangle necklace my little girl is wearing on the photo above.
I also wear lava bracelet which was made by my yoga teacher. I own several bracelets and love to stack them and mix different textures like lava, Rudraksha seeds and wood. Being a yoga teacher myself, I do believe in the special properties these bracelets bring and enjoy the aroma during my practice.
So how I combine essential oils and the jewelry? I just simply rub the oil onto the lava, let it sit for a few minutes and then put the necklace on. During the day I smell the lava stone and get the benefits of aromatherapy right away. When I need to energize, I love to wear bergamot or something citrus-y. For a yoga practice I usually wear frankincense, peace & calming or cedarwood. Because the lava stone is touching my skin directly, I use only therapeutic oils from Young Living.
If you have any question about this topic or just in general about essential oils, please don’t hesitate to contact me through comments or contact button.
~ Gabi
treat your hair well with essential oils
If your home is anything like mine, you have a wide range of needs from your shampoo and conditioner. I have course, dry, curly hair. My oldest daughter has thick hair that tends to get greasy. My youngest has fine, straight, flyaway hair. In the work that I’ve been doing with essential oils over the last year, I’ve come to realize that most of our hair issues are caused by the many toxic chemicals and other unnatural ingredients found in hair products.
Why Avoid Commercial Shampoo and Conditioner?
There are many toxic substances used or created as byproducts in the production of commercial shampoo and conditioner. In my opinion the “top 5 ingredients to avoid” are:
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – This is a detergent and foaming agent that is widely used in shampoos. It is a known skin, eye and respiratory tract irritant. It also strips away the moisture and oils from your hair and skin.
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate – This is a close relative of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. It is frequently contaminated by 1,4 dioxane which is a known carcinogen and is suspected of causing kidney damage. This will not actually be listed on a product’s ingredients because it is a byproduct of the ethylation oxide used to make harsh petroleum ingredients more gentle.
- Parabens – These are chemical preservatives used in shampoo and other personal care products. Even at low doses, parabens are linked to reproductive damage. They have similar properties to estrogen and are strongly linked to breast cancer.
- Fragrance – Artificial fragrance is created by using any number of highly toxic chemicals that can result in serious health conditions including headaches, allergies, damage to the central nervous system, asthma, and cancer, just to name a few.
- Polyethylene Glycol – Used to create a creamy texture in personal care products. It is petroleum based and may be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane. The State of California has classified polyethylene glycol as a developmental toxicant that may interfere with human development. Keep it away from your children!
There are other ingredients in personal care products and cleaning products that you should avoid. For more information, check out the David Suzuki Foundation website.
What is the Alternative to Commercial Shampoo and Conditioner?
Loaded with (and somewhat overwhelmed by) all of this information, I set out to detoxify our shampoo and conditioner collection. I have tried a few recipes and currently have a couple of favourites that I will share with you below. My experimenting led me to find my “top 5 favourite essential oils for hair care”:
- Lavender – Very calming for the scalp and helps to naturally eliminate eczema and psoriasis.
- Cedarwood – Helps with dry scalp and combats hair loss.
- Peppermint – Helps with an oily scalp.
- Rosemary – Promotes hair growth, treats dandruff and calms an itchy scalp.
- Basil – Promotes hair growth, treats dry itchy scalp and reduces hair loss.
How do you use these oils in your hair? There are a few ways. I usually rub 2-3 drops of rosemary and lavender oils in my hands and then run my hands through my wet hair after a shower. It smells great all day and my scalp loves it. You could also put a few drops of the oils that you want to use into a spray bottle, fill with water, and then spray onto your hair. I prefer to put the oils in my hair while it’s wet, but you could do this when it’s dry as well. It doesn’t really matter.
Young Living has two formulations of shampoo and conditioner that I have tried and highly recommend:
- Copaiba Vanilla Shampoo
- Copaiba Vanilla Conditioner
- Lavender Mint Daily Shampoo
- Lavender Mint Daily Conditioner
If you are more adventurous, you could try my recipes below. Remember, you can always change the type of essential oils you add to the rest of the ingredients to suit your needs. More importantly, remember to only use pure therapeutic grade essential oils. Not only are they better for you, your bottles of oils will last you longer.
Wishing you clean, shiney, detoxified hair!
~Sue
Shampoo
- 2/3 c. Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castille Soap, unscented
- ½ c distilled water
- 4 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. fractionated coconut oil
- ½ c. glycerin
- 20 drops lavender
- 20 drops peppermint
Place all ingredients in a 500 ml glass or plastic bottle with a top. Shake gently. If you shake too vigorously the castille soap will become very sudsy. Note: this shampoo is more watery than the commercial shampoos that you are used to. I drop a bit of it from the bottle onto my wet hair and massage it in. I have been very happy with the results!
Conditioner
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 5 drops basil
- 5 drops rosemary
- 5 drops lavender
- Distilled water
Place the apple cider vinegar and essential oils in a 250 ml spray bottle (if you use a larger bottle, adjust the ingredients accordingly) and fill to the top with distilled water. Spray onto clean, wet hair and comb through. Again, this is not a traditional commercial conditioner, but it is nonetheless a great hair conditioner and detangler.
depression & essential Oils
Depression (noun) – persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest
Depression is a topic that most of us do not want to talk about, although statistics indicate that it affects one in every eight Canadians 15 years and older. There are many types of depression including clinical depression, major depression, bipolar disorder, post-partum/perinatal depression, anxiety, and seasonal affective disorder. Any type of depression can be mild to severe and can manifest in many different symptoms, including feelings of sadness, tearfulness, hopelessness, anger, irritability, loss of interest in normal activities, sleep disturbance, change in appetite, anxiety, and the list goes on. It can also manifest in physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, joint pain, chest pain, and digestive problems. If you feel as though you may be suffering from depression, you should visit your family doctor or another health professional immediately. This article is not intended to replace conventional treatment.
There are a number of essential oils that have a positive impact on your mood and help to relieve symptoms of depression:
- Lavender
- Roman Chamomile
- Melissa
- Jasmine
- Sacred Frankincense
- Frankincense
- Peppermint
- Ylang Ylang
- Rosemary
- Lemon
- Cedarwood
You may find some other oils that positively impact your mood – everyone is different. I personally like Bergamot.
Why do essential oils have an impact on your mood?
Inhaled essential oils (whether diffused or inhaled directly) stimulate the olfactory membranes in the lining of the nose which trigger electrical impulses to the olfactory center in the brain which are then transmitted to the limbic system.
Olfaction (smell) is the only sense that can have direct effects on the limbic region of the brain. Studies at the University of Vienna have shown that some essential oils…can stimulate blood flow and activity in the emotional regions of the brain.
Clinical studies at the Department of Psychiatry at the Mie University of Medicine showed that Lemon not only reduced depression, but it also reduced stress when inhaled.
~Essential Oil Desk Reference, 6th Edition
How do you use essential oils to improve your mood?
Any of these oils, alone or in a combination can be diffused. You can also put 2-3 drops in your hands and rub them together, then cup your hands over your nose and inhale. You could also put 8-10 drops of oil on a cottonball or tissue and put it in an air vent in your house or vehicle. If you are on the go and want to take the oils with you, you could also put 1-2 drops on your temples and at the back of your neck. I have made an essential oil roller that I use frequently for a mood lift, especially during the long, dark, rainy months. I am including the recipe below.
Happy rolling!
~Sue
“Uplift” Roller
- 10 drops Lavender
- 10 drops Bergamot
- 5 drops Ylang Ylang
Place essential oils in a 10 ml roller bottle and fill to the top with a carrier oil (I use fractionated coconut oil, but any other carrier oil will do).
