Happy Holidays!

Starter Kit Gift Idea #7 Scented Stationary

In today's world of constant electronic communication, receiving a hand-written note in the mail is a heart-warming moment for most of us. And, it's a great way to stay in touch with folks who don't use computers or smart phones. 

Personalized stationary can run expensive, especially if you're going to The Paper Store or Hallmark. A small set of personalized, scented stationary is the perfect gift for someone you'd love to stay in touch with.

A nice pen or return address labels would be a great additions to this gift as well. 

Materials

10 sheets of stationery, note cards, paper, and/or envelopes of your choosing

1 large, resealable freezer bag

1 small cotton pad like an aroma diffuser replacement pad or a cotton round used for facial cleansing

10-15 drops Young Living essential oil of your choosing

Directions

Place your paper inside the resealable freezer bag

Drop the essential oils onto the cotton pad

Place the pad between the sheets of paper inside the bag.

Seal the bag and allow it to sit for 1-2 days to permeate the paper

**To scent many sheets of paper at one time, stack the paper in a pretty box and place an oiled facial tissue or cotton pad every 5-7 sheets. Tie or tape the box shut**

You can also do this yourself with birthdays, valentines day (orange wink wink), holiday cards etc

Grammy loves getting your letters!

Starter Kit Gift Idea #6 Healing Lip Balm

'tis the season where the heat goes on, and the air goes dry. The cold wind hits your face as you're cleaning the snow off the roof of your car or as you ski down the bunny hill. Your lips chap and you fall into the endless cycle of slathering on lip balm, only to have your lips feel dry again a short while later. Why? Because a good majority of lip products on the market include things that provide temporary relief, but in an hour or two you find your skin even drier. They create a barrier that sits on top of your lips and locks out any moisture they may be getting from the air.

So what's the solution? This homemade lip balm that help SEAL IN moisture, actually SINKS INTO your lips, and WON'T create a moisture barrier that ends up drying them out.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp grated beeswax, OR beeswax pellets (make sure you are working with small sizes for faster melting)

1 Tbsp virgin organic coconut oil

1/4 tsp organic raw honey

2 Vitamin E capsules

5-10 drops Young Living essential oils (recommend lavender, lemon, citrus fresh or frankincense)

Directions

In the double boiler, melt down the beeswax, adding in the coconut oil when about half of the beeswax is melted. After it's all melted and blended together, break open the vitamin e capsules and pour the contents in and mix together. 

Remove from heat and let the mixture cool down a little bit, but not all the way. Now add in the raw honey and essential oils & slowly mix in. Pour into your containers and let harden. Makes around 4 tubes.

Starter Kit Gift Idea #5 Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix

Close your eyes, take a deep breathe, and imagine yourself sitting by a fire with your hands wrapped around a hot cup of peppermint cocoa. Hear the crackle of the fire and the soft murmurs of family members nearby. Slowly take a sip and feel the warmth tingle down to your belly.

Now, wouldn't you love to share that moment of bliss with someone? Make some jars of mix for them and they can enjoy the same!

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup organic whole sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

6 drops Young Living Peppermint essential oil

2 pint-sized mason jars w/lids

Directions

In each mason jar, layer ingredients in this order:

1. cocoa powder
2. sugar
3. salt
4. chocolate chips
5. peppermint

Put the lips on the jars & decorate as you like. Make sure to add the following directions:

Mix contents in a bowl. For each serving, place 1/3 cup mix into a mug & stir in 1 cup of hot milk (can use any kind of milk). Store remaining mix in mason jar. Makes 12 servings.

Not recommended for use on children under the age of 6, or pregnant or nursing women.

Starter Kit Gift Idea #4 Bath Salts

What better gift is there to give someone than that of relaxation during the holidays? 

These bath salts are great for relaxing. You can use almost any of your kit oils to make them, too! Same recipe for all. 

Hanukkah Duck wants to relax with your oils

You can also get really creative on presentation! Put them in Christmas ornaments, mason jars, burlap satchels, beakers, etc. The possibilities are really endless!

Ingredients

Plain, unscented Epsom salts

Young Living essential oils

I didn't give measurements because they will vary depending on your container. 

Fill your container half way with Epsom salts. Add 2-3 drops of essential oil, cover, then shake. Fill the container up the rest of the way, add another few drops, then cover & shake again. Add some decorative ribbons, bows, labels etc.

Suggested Single Batch

• Frankincense 
• Peace & Calming 
• Peppermint 
• Valor 
• Lavender 
• Stress Away

Suggested Mixes 

• Peppermint & Lemon
• Lavender & Purification
• Thieves & Citrus Fresh
• Frankincense & Lavender
• Mel A & Stress Away

Not sure use with babies or young children. Peppermint should not be used by pregnant or nursing women.

Starter Kit Gift Idea #3 Lemon Hand Degreaser

Just got in from working on your car or fixing up your bike?  

Greasy hands are no fun, and can be very difficult to get clean. When regular soap & water aren't cutting it, it's time to bring out the big guns and go for the LEMON!

Hand Degreaser

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp epsom salt
4-6 drops Young Living Lemon essential oil

Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a 2oz GLASS bottle. Do not use plastic as the lemon oil will eat through it. 

Use
Shake bottle to mix ingredients. Dump a little into your hands and rub together. Rinse well with warm water.

About Lemon

Lemon (citrus limon) has a strong, uplifting, citrus scent and is a powerful antioxidant. 

Keep out of reach of children. Avoid using on infants or very small chldren. Avoid using on skin exposed to direct sunlight or UV rays immediately after use. Do not use nrea fire, flame, heat or sparks.

Starter Kit Gift Idea #2 After Shave w/Melaleuca Alternifolia & Stress Away

This is a great follow-up to the Day 1 gift of shaving soap! Combine it for one gift, or give this one separately for people who use different shaving methods. This works well for men & women!

Day 2 of my Starter Kit Gift Ideas is for After Shave using Mel A & Stress Away! I am going to be posting both a salve & a liquid.

These can also be applied after waxing

Aftershave Salve 

1/8 cup organic coconut oil

1/4 cup organic raw shea butter

2 drops YL Melaleuca Alternifolia (tea tree) essential oil

2 drop  YL Stress Away essential oil blend

Add everything into a small bowl and whip with a small blender, stand mixer, or by hand. Place into a nice container and you're good to go! 

This is a rich, creamy salve that goes on smoothly and really moisturized nicely. Can be used on the face and body! A little bit goes a long way.

Liquid Aftershave

3 Tbsp witch hazel

5 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar

2 drops YL Melaleuca Alternifolia (tea tree) essential oil

1 drop YL Stress Away essential oil blens

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a well-sealed lid. Close and shake the jar to mix thoroughly. Place the jar in a cool, dark place for a few days, making sure to shake it well once a day. It should be ready to go after 3-4 days. Shake well before use.

There are different options for use as well

• Place in a spritzer bottle and lightly spritz onto your skin after shaving. Make sure to avoid sensitive areas like lips & eyes.
• Poke small holes in the lid of your jar. Using a cotton ball, shake a small amount out and then use the cotton ball to pat your skin
• Pour a small amount in your hands. Lightly pat your hands together, then apply to face.

Starter Kit Gift Idea #1 Frankincense Shaving Soap

Many of us LOVE home made gifts! And yes, that includes our facial shaving population. :-)

Day 1 of my Starter Kit Gift Ideas is for Frankincense Shaving Soap.

Ingredients

2 bars castile soap (Dr. Bronner's is a popular brand)
1 Tbsp carrier oil (you can use coconut, olive, avocado, almond)
4 Tbsp french white clay
5-10 drops of Young Living Frankincense Essential Oil

You will also want to choose what type of container you are putting the shaving soap in. For a complete gift set, you can by a shave brush & container. Sometimes they even come with a razor and other accessories.

 

Otherwise, you can put the soap in a mason jar, mug, bowl etc.

Instructions

1. Grate the bars of soap using a cheese grater or mandolin
2. Place the grated soap in a medium sized pot on low heat. Add in the oil of your choosing and let them melt together. This could take a minimum of 15 minutes to start seeing results. Some bars may take even longer. 
3. Once the soap and carrier oil are melted smoothly and combined, add in the clay and mix well. 
4. Remove the mixture from heat and add in the frankincense oil. Stir gently but well.
5. Pour into the containers you chose. You can also pour the remaining liquid into silicone muffin or shape trays for refillers.
6. Let the uncovered containers sit out for 5-7 days to harden and cure. They will harden more over time, and the shaving cream lasts for several uses.

How to use a shaving soap & brush

• The methods are somewhat personal to each user. Foaming a shaving soap is a bit like mixing concrete; use too much water and it's soup, not enough water and, well, you get the picture. That being said, this is a good place to start. 
• Soak the bristles of your brush in hot water for about 15 seconds. Remove it from the water and squeeze off the excess water OR shake it a few times. 
• Swirl your brush briskly around the top of the shaving soap, rubbing the soap into the brush. When a lather starts to form, continue rubbing for another 30 seconds or so to make sure the brush has picked up enough soap.
• Rub the lathered-up brush on your face, brushing vigorously to coat with the soap. The lather will start to build up on your face. You should have more soap than hair showing. You may want to add a few drops of water onto the brush and continue to lather your face.
• Once you reach the desired lather, you can rinse and squeeze your brush then get to shaving!

About Frankincense 

This is directly from Young Living:

"Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) has a sweet, warm, balsamic aroma that is stimulating and elevating to the mind. Useful for visualizing, improving one's spiritual connection, and centering, it has comforting properties that help focus the mind and overcome stress and despair. Frankincense is considered the holy anointing oil in the Middle East, where it has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years. 
More recently, it has been used in European and American hospitals and is the subject of substantial research. 
Frankincense is also a valuable ingredient in skin care products for aging and dry skin. The ancient Egyptians used it in rejuvenation face masks. Frankincense has an approximate ORAC of 6,125 (TE/L). TE/L is expressed as micromole Trolox equivalent per liter."

Homemade crockpot applesauce with thieves & lemon

So simple, so healthy, so inexpensive, SO TASTY!! Apples are for sure a fall favorite. But applesauce is delicious and loved by most year round. My daughter LOVES applesauce and this is a no fuss, easy, and cost-effective way to make super yummy and healthy applesauce. I KNOW what's in it, and I know it's amazing!

Ingredients

8 Medium-Large apples of your choosing
1 1/4 cup hot water
3 Tablespoons raw honey (regular is OK if that's all you have)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 drops Young Living lemon essential oil
1 drop Young Living thieves essential oil

Step 1

Wash your apples! I fill my sink with water and a splash of the thieves household cleaner, then swoosh the apples around. Rinse with water.

Step 2

Core, peel, and slice the apples. I prefer a little bit of peel in my applesauce. You can leave the peels on, or totally peel them. Have it your way!

Step 3

Put your apples in the crock pot. You'll want it nice and full! 

Step 4

Whisk together the hot water, vanilla, and honey until well blended. Pour the mixture over the apples, making sure to pour evenly over the top.

Step 5:

Set the crock pot on high and cook for 3 hours. Stir once an hour, making sure to mix well

Turn it down to low and cook for an additional hour 

Set aside 

At this point, add in your essential oils and stir 

Let the applesauce sit until lukewarm

Step 6

This step is really up to preference. You can leave the applesauce as is if you prefer it to be chunky. Other options include mashing with a potato masher, blending with an immersion blender, or pouring the applesauce into a food processor. Personally, I just use a potato masher and mash it up a bit. We like it a little chunky. Transfer into a container and store in the fridge. Enjoy!

Homemade Laundry Detergent using soap berries & YL Thieves Household Cleaner

Yes, I do make my own laundry detergent! Many people have asked me for instructions on how to make my laundry detergent so I decided to share my secret with you, dear blog friend!

I know you're probably wondering what soap nuts are, anyway. When you buy a bag of soap nuts, you're really getting the shell of the berry from the sapindus mukorossi tree found in the Himalayas. When introduced to water, a natural soap called saponin is released.

Many people simply put the soap nuts into a small burlap sack and toss that into their laundry. I was doing this myself for a long time, but found the small bags a real pain to open, especially when wet. I also had a hard time keeping track of how many times I'd used each bag since you only get about 5 washes out of each bag.

This is why I decided to see what else I could do with my large sack of soap nuts when I got to the point where doing laundry was too much of a PITA to do. That's when I came across some other blog posts discussing making a liquid from the soap berries that could be used for laundry AND dishes, skin care, fertilizer etc. I experimented with different recipes, but found that the liquid didn't last long before going bad. I didn't feel like making laundry detergent once a week. I have a toddler. Come ON!

I had also read that you can use the Young Living Thieves Household Cleaner for laundry, too! Ding, ding, ding! Mix the two! Now I have a huge container full of economic, eco-friendly, skin & fabric friendly soap that is also anti-microbial and lasts a long time! Huzzah!

What you will need:

• 1 Large Pot
• 1 Measuring Cup (liquid)
• 8 Cups water
• Approx. 30 organic soap nuts(berries)
• 1 Capfull of YL Thieves Household cleaner
• 1 64oz container for your detergent
• 1 funnel with straining device

Step 1: 

• Pour 8 cups of water into the large pot and bring to a boil
• Add approximately 30 soap nut shells into the boiling water
  
  

Step 2: 

• Bring the heat down to medium and stir
• Set timer for 30 minutes
• Stir intermittently during the 30 minutes while mushing the berries against the side of the pot
• When the 30 minute timer goes off, add an additional 2 Cups of water to the pot and set the timer for 10 minutes 
• Continue boiling for 10 minutes and stirring/mashing as before
• When the 10 minute timer goes off, add an additional 1 Cup of water to the pot and set the timer for 10 minutes 
• Continue boiling for 10 minutes and stirring/mashing as before 
• 8 cups- 30 min
• 2 cups- 10 min
• 1 cup - 10 min
  

Step 3: 

• When the final times goes off, you know that the liquid is done. Turn off the heat, and set the pot aside until it cools down enough to touch
• Place the funnel into the top opening of your large bottle
• Using the measuring cup or ladle, transfer your soap from the pot into the bottle while ensuring the berries don't get in
• Once you have emptied the pot into your bottle, remove the funnel and dispose of the used nuts in the garbage disposal or compost
• Pour 1 capfull of the Young Living Thieves Household cleaner into the bottle
• Place your pump or lid on the bottle and shake gently to mix
  
  
  





Step 4: 



• Do your laundry, ya slackah!





A great thing about this entire process is that you don't have to CLEAN anything! All you have to do is rinse out the pot, measuring cup, spoon etc. and dry. This process is self-cleaning!

Autumn Scents

Endless variety of diffuser blends for the season!

Spice up your home for Halloween and Thanksgiving!