DIY Stress Away Bath Salts

Do you take enough time for yourself?
Most likely not. I mean, we are all in the same boat, busy women trying to do everything perfect as a mom and wife and that doesn't leave much time for us at the end of the day... or week... or year unfortunately. It is so important to rejuvenate ourselves, though, so we can actually be our best for our precious families and that includes alone time (can we say going to the bathroom alone?), quiet time and time to reflect and grow. This may include going to the spa or a mani/pedi for some but for someone on a budget like me, a detoxifying bath with a book I haven't picked up in months will refill my tank. Baths have always been relaxing for me so I know I should place more importance on them and if I've already carved out the time for a bath why not add some detoxifying and therapeutic properties? Do you like where I'm going here? I sure do. :) If we can make a SUPER simple detox bath salt recipe with so many benefits why not?

This recipe takes about 30 seconds to make! You just mix epsom salts, coconut oil and essential oils. When I was pregnant with my second child and having early contractions I learned that MOST of the population is significantly magnesium deficient and epsom salt contains magnesium so while soaking in the bath you can gently increase your magnesium levels. (GO EASY when increasing your levels! You may experience some GI stress if you increase too quickly - don't ask me how I know ;) ) So this recipe is PERFECT! I chose to add Stress Away because it has been amazingly calming for my family. Whenever I am feeling stressed or pressured this oil melts those feelings and leaves me calm. It is a relaxing blend of Copaiba, Lime, Vanilla, Cedarwood, Ocotea and Lavender - which also promotes healthy sleep so it's an ideal addition to an evening bath.

Here's what you'll need: (yields approximately 4 baths)

~ Mixing Bowl and Spoon
~ 2 cups of Epsom Salts
~ 1 Tbsp of Coconut Oil
~ 12 drops of Stress Away Essential Oil (an amazing, calming blend from Young Living)
~ Small jars (baby food jars work well in a pinch)

Here's all you do:

In a medium mixing bowl combine epsom salt and coconut oil then add the Stress Away essential oil and mix together until the coconut oil is well incorporated. Place in jars, keep some for yourself and give some to friends - they'll love you forever :)

DIY Peppermint Sugar Scrub

I have absolutely LOVED making these super simple DIY beauty products! They are absolutely divine, take only seconds to make and you can use things that you already have in your home!

Since the holidays are coming up I chose a peppermint sugar scrub made with coconut oil for it's sweet scent and the therapeutic properties of peppermint essential oil. Peppermint is awakening and invigorating so this is a perfect scrub for your morning shower (wait, what's that?!). If you want a more relaxing scrub you can substitute lavender or peace and calming instead. It is incredibly easy to adapt this recipe and come up with some amazing scrub creations. Feel free to play around with the type of sugar you use as some have thicker grains, the essential oils you add, and the different carrier oils. Get creative and share your recipes! All of these ingredients can be purchased at your local grocery store or online, and your finished product will cost a fraction of what you would pay in stores.  Even better, it will be free of any toxins or chemicals found in commercial products!

Here's what you'll need:
~ Mixing bowl
~ Glass Jars
~ Mixing Spoon
~ 2 cups of Sugar
~ 1/4 cup of Coconut Oil

Here's what we did:
In a large mixing bowl we added 2 cups of Imperial sugar (I bought organic sugar but found this bag in the pantry and thought "what the heck?!") and topped with the coconut oil and 12 drops of Young Living's Peppermint essential oil and mixed to incorporate. It took about 30 seconds to mix the ingredients evenly. Then place in jars to enjoy later or give as a fabulous and thoughtful gift!

The Skinny on Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils

So, You’ve Seen That I Use Essential Oils. 

I’m SURE you’ve heard about essential oils by now and see that I use many essential oils in DIY recipes and home remedies, but are you wondering why everyone is raving about THESE little bottles in particular? Well, frankly, they are radically improving our livelihood! As someone who was reluctant to switch to therapeutic grade essential oils, I can honestly tell you that I wish I would have started sooner. Young Living’s essential oils have helped our family tremendously with stress, seasonal allergies, anxiety, immune boosting, headaches, digestive issues, SLEEP and hormone balancing to name a few. I love having a holistic “medicine” cabinet to help my family with everyday ailments and with 100% non-toxic cleaning supplies I’m happy to let my littles help around the house and WOW do they smell amazing! It’s been incredibly empowering and I am grateful to have discovered these little gifts from God since they fit in perfectly with my all natural approach to life. I hope these oils will bless your family as much as (or more than) they have ours.

Why Choose Young Living?

You may be thinking (as I did for some time) you can buy essential oils anywhere, so why buy from Young Living? For me, it’s about knowing thy farmer. Unfortunately if you purchase your essential oils from your local health food store or online there is no guarantee of the quality, potency or authenticity of the oil. It’s highly possible that they have lost their therapeutic qualities at any number of steps throughout the farming or production process. Whether they were grown with pesticides, distilled or grown improperly, altered with synthetic or carrier oils you do NOT want to risk using adulterated oils on yourself or your family.

I chose to switch to Young Living because in their twenty years in business they have set the standard for purity and authenticity. They monitor every step of the process with absolute precision from beginning to end through a unique seed to seal process. They own their own farms and guarantee the quality of each essential oil and ensure the therapeutic constituents remain intact from beginning to end. Young Living takes a “beyond organic” approach and is absolutely transparent at every step of production. Much like shopping at a farmer’s market for produce, you can visit the farms, help with harvest, watch the intricate distillation process and even help ship orders - just call and ask! They actually want you to be a part of the process. Their unsurpassed commitment to quality and customer service means you can be confident that Young Living essential oils are safe, pure and effective.

It gets even better! When you sign up with Young Living you get so much more than just oils. You become a member of an incredibly supportive community and a team that is passionate about helping you on your journey. I love my oils and want them to help you too, so I am always here to answer questions and offer support in any way you need to reap the benefits that these oils have to offer. This community has been a huge blessing for us and if you are interested leading a healthier lifestyle, I would love to have you join us as we learn and grow together!

Ready to join me on this oily journey?   

The most cost effective and absolute best way to buy essential oils, and the way I got started, is by joining as a wholesale member which entitles you to a discount 24% off on every product that is offered. It is similar to a Costco membership for essential oils except there’s no membership or renewal fee! To get started you simply purchase the deeply discounted Premium Starter Kit to enroll. The kit I chose comes with 11 of the most commonly used essential oils, a diffuser, educational literature and lots of samples to try and share.

                           

                

The Premium Starter Kit comes with:

• 10 bottles of essential oil including (this collection of oils retails at $163):
• Lavender (for relaxation, allergies, and soothing skin)
• Peppermint (for muscle tension, headaches, allergies, and digestive issues)
• Lemon (for allergies, cleaning, and waking up your brain)
• Frankincense (for emotional well-being, skin and immune support)
• Thieves (for immune boosting and cleaning)
• PanAway (for sore muscles and pain or inflammation)
• Purification (for odor elimination, mold, and cleaning infections)
• Valor (for snoring, emotional strength, courage, and "chiropractor in a bottle")
• Peace & Calming (for promoting sense of calm, helping to rest and relax)
• Joy (uplifts mood, reduces depressing thoughts)
• 1 bottle of Stress Away (BONUS oil! Smells divine - I use it as perfume - and relieves 
  stress instantly)
• Home Diffuser ($98 retail) or Aroma Diffuser ($117 retail)
• Aroma Glide Roller Fitment
• 10 essential oil samples to share with friends
• 2 sample packages of Ningxia Red SUPER antioxidant drink

You get all of this for $150 (with Home Diffuser) or $160 (with Aroma Diffuser) - a truly incredible value.

When you join with me through my link below, you will also get these FREE bonus gifts:

• A 70-page Primary Usage Guide. My gift to you to help empower you to use your oils to their fullest potential. I use mine daily! 
  
  
• A beautiful diffuser necklace to wear your therapeutic oils and benefit from them all day! Perfect for stress relief or energy boost.
  
  
•  Access to my Facebook group Oily Allie - All Natural Alternatives for additional support throughout your oily journey.
  
  
• Access to a huge support system from The Oily Angels group. (while you are not required to sell a thing, if you decide you would like to share, we will provide all the 
  information and support you need to get your business started!)        

                             

 Sounds great! Sign me up!

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO SIGNING UP AS A WHOLESALE MEMBER:

1. Click over to the sign-up page.

2. Select “Sign up as: Young Living Wholesale Member” (this should already be checked for you)

3. The “Enroller ID” and “Sponsor ID” boxes should already be filled in for you, but if not, enter 1867107 in both boxes.

4. Fill out your name, billing address, shipping address, and contact info. (The reason you are asked to list your social security number is for tax purposes. If you make over $600/year selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail, as is required by law. Young Living will never share this info with anyone. You are also not required to sell.)

5. Create your password and pin which you will use to log in to your account and order your oils.

6. Select your enrollment starter kit. This is where you can specify which starter kit you would like (and you know I think the Premium Kit is the way to go!) – they range in price from $40 on up and you only need to spend $40 to become a wholesale member and get the 24% discount. Note – you must sign up with one of these kits to become a wholesale member. This is mandatory. To maintain your 24% discount going forward, you only need to spend $50 worth each subsequent year with Young Living on any product in their store. That’s it! You can also purchase other items at this time if you wish.

7. Set up your *optional* Essential Rewards Program (ER).

Now don’t be confused by this next step. Buying one of the ER kits is NOT a requirement to sign up as a wholesale member! This is a rewards program you can opt into to start earning money back to help pay for your oils. At this point, you can skip this step by selecting: ‘No, thank you. I plan on enrolling in the Essential Rewards Program later’. If one of the ER kits looks valuable to you then by all means get one in addition to your starter kit, but please understand that you cannot buy an ER kit in lieu of a starter kit. This program is the most economical way to purchase your oils and other products. I belong to Essential Rewards and am can cash in my points any time for FREE oils. :)

8. Agree to Terms & Conditions

9. CONFIRM YOUR ORDER. For some reason, many folks miss this step and end up not fully checking out. To confirm, the tool will log you in and it will show you your order again and it will make you enter in your payment information again. Make sure to confirm your order! We want you to get your oils!

That’s it! Congratulations! You will receive a confirmation email– you can log into your "virtual office" right away to manage orders!

Other Options:

You know I think the Premium Starter Kit is the way to go (I mean, you get $300 worth of products for $150!), but here are your other options for becoming a wholesale member in case that kit isn't for you...

                                 

            And more information on other, new starter kits from Young Living:

Military Starter Kit – $150

Same as the Premium Starter Kit but with AromaEase in place of Frankincense.

Thieves Starter Kit – $150

Everything in the Basic Kit, plus: Thieves 15ml essential oil blends, Thieves AromaBright Toothpaste, Thieves Mouthwash, 2 Thieves Cleaners, 2 Foaming Hand Soaps, 2 Thieves Sprays and 2 Thieves Purifiers.

NingXia Red Stater Kit – $160

Everything in the Basic Kit, plus: NingXia Red 2 pack, (30) NingXia Red Singles (2 fl. oz. ea.) and NingXia Nitro.

No thanks. I'd prefer to buy at full retail pricing.

That's okay, too! You can still sign up here;  just be sure to change the check box to "Retail Customer" instead of "Wholesale Member". I have no doubt you will love this oily journey as a part of your natural wellness lifestyle!

Get Educated

I teach essential oils classes locally to educate my members and their friends and can even use Skype or Google+ to lead a class from afar so let me know if you’re interested in either! If you are short on time, here is an Essential Oil 101 Class you can watch any time anywhere: 

 Click here to watch.

If you have any questions, please contact me at ashleigh531 at gmail dot com.

*SIMPLE* DIY Baby Wipes (Cloth OR Disposable!)

Some people think I am absolutely CRAZY for making my own baby wipes...I mean who has time for that?? Well, we all do actually. When I realized how incredibly easy it could be I started that day with ingredients I already had around the house.

 

I was reading up on cloth diaper wipe solutions and found one that resonated with me:
1 tsp of Baby Castile Soap or other non-toxic baby wash - to remove waste from baby's bum
1 Tbsp of olive oil - moisturizing, antibacterial and prevents future waste from sticking to baby
2 drops each of Young Living Lavender and Melaleuca essential oils
      Lavender is great for calming inflamed skin and relaxation;
      Melaleuca is a calming antimicrobial
      * I only trust my family with Young Living essential oils because of their exceptional
      quality standards  (learn more here)
Mix all ingredients into a squirt bottle (most everyone I know received one after having our babies) and shake to mix.

I was exclusively cloth diapering at the time so I poured the solution over my wipes in a wipe warmer and continued to do so for months until I traveled home for a couple of weeks and wanted to use disposables. I am NOT a fan of commercial wipes and the toxic ingredients in them, even the "natural" brands, so I decided to bring my solution in a squirt bottle and use paper towels - SO simple.  I've found that you definitely need to use a high-quality paper towel such as bounty because bargain brands typically do not hold up, believe me I've tried ;). I just tear a select-a-size towel off, give the bottle a shake and  wet the towel with the wipe solution. That's IT.  I hope you are inspired to give this simple swap a try. Let me know how it works for you!

The Oil Cleansing Method - Done RIGHT!

So, anyone who talks to me on a regular basis knows that I'm pretty obsessed with coconut oil. I use it for pretty. much. EVERYTHING! I use it in my hair as a mask, on my skin as a lotion, on my babies, husband, in my deodorant - everything... Until now.

For the last few years I have used the Oil Cleansing Method to wash my face with, you guessed it, coconut oil. (Don't know what OCM is? Check out this post) While I was happy with how well it took makeup off, how soft my skin was and the smell, oh I LOVE how coconut oil smells!,  I started to notice that my pores were growing larger - GROSS - who wants that?!? So I had awesome-smelling, clean skin but the pores of a 90-year-old man. I just thought it was genetic or something and kept on my merry (large pored) way. UNTIL my friend Carlea told me that some oils (coconut, Nooooo!) are comedogenic and may clog your pores over time. UH, ya think?! So that night, after doing some research, I popped out my non-comedogenic jojoba oil. I chose it over sweet almond oil because I don't have naturally oily skin and I had some success with using it in my face serum in the past several months.  (See why I'm called Oily Allie ;)) So I "washed" my face with the jojoba oil and used a mildly hot washcloth to wipe my face clean after rubbing the oil in and VOILA!
I kid you not, I saw my pores shrink to nearly half their size within a few nights! I've been happily using a few drops of jojoba oil (almost) every night since and the results are incredible. I SO wish I had before and after photos because I could totally be a sales rep for jojoba oil at this point ;)

I usually add a drop or two of Young Living Essential Oils for added benefits - Frankincense or Melaleuca for anti-wrinkle/scar repair/pore shrinking! and or Lavender for relaxation and healing.
(learn more about therapeutic grade essential oils)

Does anyone know if it's bad to have pores clogged or if it's just unsightly?? I still use coconut oil for many other things but I don't want clogged pores all over! I haven't noticed them anywhere else so maybe it's just because our faces are naturally oily so they get clogged.