Showing posts with label home care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home care. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

DIY Shakers

I found these great glass shaker jars at a kitchen store while in Lancaster last weekend and knew immediately how I would use them!  These were easy to throw together and it'll be great to have them on hand.



CITRUS SCRUB

1/2 cup Baking Soda
8 drops Lemon YL Essential Oil
8 drops Orange YL Essential Oil

Add all ingredients to a small bowl.  Mix together well.  Using a funnel, transfer the mixture to a shaker jar and screw on the lid.  Pour into sinks, toilets and tubs to provide whitening power and a lovely aroma.

FABRIC REFRESHER

1/2 cup Baking Soda
8 drops Eucalyptus YL Essential Oil
8 drops Lavender YL Essential Oil
4 drops Tea Tree YL Essential Oil

Add all ingredients to a small bowl.  Mix together well.  Using a funnel, transfer the mixture to a shaker jar and screw on the lid.  Sprinkle onto mattresses, couches, carpets and rugs.  Let sit for ten to fifteen minutes and then vacuum it all up.

SHOE REFRESHER

1/2 cup Baking Soda
10 drops Purification YL Essential Oil
6 drops Peppermint YL Essential Oil

Add all ingredients to a small bowl.  Mix together well.  Using a funnel, transfer the mixture to a shaker jar and screw on the lid.  Sprinkle a tablespoon or so into closed toed shoes each evening for fresh smelling shoes in the morning.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Cleaning your Diffuser




Raise your hand it you love Thieves and Christmas Spirit and Orange and Patchouli and Peace & Calming all the other oils that turn your diffusers this lovely color! ME! smile emoticon

I cleaned all mine this week as they ran out and needed to be refilled. To do this, I just put two drops of Lemon oil on a paper towel and wiped them out. Can you believe the Lemon oil did this?! I was amazed. Then, I dipped a q-tip in some rubbing alcohol and carefully rubbed it over the ultrasonic plate to remove the build-up of oils there.

I wipe the ultrasonic plate off with the provided cleaning device every time I refill them but it had been WAY too long for a good cleaning with Lemon and alcohol. It really does make a difference - the aromas were much stronger after this and it stretches the life of your diffusers!

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Get Better Quick Regimen

Both kids woke up this morning not feeling well. One got sick a few times and the other has been coughing and dry heaving. Both are cold and cuddly with pale, sleepy faces. So I thought I would share what I do in these rare circumstances when something actually gets them down.



1 - Make special beds for them on the couch. To do this, I put a drop of Peace & Calming on their lovies and favorite blankets and pillows. I let them know what is going on and pray for them. It's amazing how much more relaxed and at ease they seem after this. (This is the point when they start asking for oils...) wink emoticon

2 - I put Thieves and Lemon in the diffuser to help keep the air in our home clean.

3 - I make iced Lemon water. Our Lemon oil is made from the rind so it isn't acidic and can aid in neutralizing pH in their bellies. We call it special lemonade and they take a sip every so often.


4 - I rub a drop of diluted Peppermint on their bellies. I'll do this as needed every few hours.

5 - I rub a drop each of diluted Oregano and Thieves on their spines and feet. I'll do this every few hours for a day or two (if needed).
6 - As they are able to keep things down, we'll double up on NingXia Red to give them high doses of antioxidants and immune system supporting essential oils.
7 - I also have Peppermint and Citrus Fresh going in the diffuser in the kitchen so I get an energizing boost every time I go in there. I also rolled Joy on my heart and some En-R-Gee on the back of my neck. Yup. Mama needs support for times like these, too!

For us, this is really effective and easier and far cheaper (and less time consuming!) than a trip to the doctor and pharmacy. Now, for extra snuggles and lots of PBS. I am confident they will be back to normal in no time!

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Thieves Household Cleaner - Clean your Coffee Pot

Quick Tip!



To clean your coffee maker, simply fill the decanter with water and add a cap-full of Thieves Household Cleaner. Run it through a normal brewing cycle. Rinse all the removable parts. Fill the decanter with water again and run it through another normal brewing cycle. Rinse all the removable parts a final time. DONE!

It cleans really well! It even removed some of the old stains on the white rim of my decanter and it smells WAY better than white vinegar.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Car Care



Our Tahoe recently hit 300,000 miles (Whoop! Whoop!) and we are hoping it keeps going. I pray for it often - that God would make it last like He did the sandals of the Israelites in the desert (over 40 years in abrasive sand!). So it is nothing short of a miracle that it is still a safe car that runs perfectly.


We also take really good care of it. Anthony is very diligent about oil, filter and other fluid changes. I also try to keep it cleaned inside. I find that taking good care of (old and well used!) things makes me even more grateful for them. I like contentment. smile emoticon

This is all we use to clean our vehicles. Two cap-fulls of the Thieves Household Cleaner go into this 16 oz. bottle and then it is filled with water. (That concentrate lasts FOREVER.) I use it to clean all the surfaces - yes - even windows! It does a wonderful job, sanitizes everything (steering wheels are super gross, guys) and smells AMAZING. When I am done with that, I finish it off by spraying all the upholstery with Purification Spray that I make by putting 20 drops of Purification into an 8 oz. bottle and then filling it with water.

Easy! Safe! DONE! It smells so great I can't wait to run errands again. wink emoticon

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Natural Laundry Options

Let's talk laundry!


I am still loving the new(ish) Thieves Laundry Detergent. A little goes a long way and it has helped our clothes survive home renovations AND potty training. I have a standard top load washer and still only use a half cap full. It cleans clothes really well, is gentle on colors and fabrics and has a light citrusy scent - just lovely.
For towels, I always let the washer fill up and then add two drops of Purification in addition to the detergent. I think it goes the extra mile to help get rid of that "wet towel" smell that my nose is really sensitive to.
Instead of using a fabric softener, I put a drop of Lavender on four of these wool dryer balls (I purchased these on Amazon.  Norwex also sells them.) and throw them in the dryer with each load. One drop per ball lasts about three or four loads so you don't need to use much. The dryer balls naturally soften your clothes (so don't use them with towels), cuts down your drying time and helps eliminate static which is really helpful this time of year.
Just three products. Nothing toxic. Smells fantastic. Works really well. WINNING!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Clean & Refresh Spray

When we started bringing our stuff from our storage unit yesterday we learned that five months of Delaware humidity had not been kind to some of it. The linens smelled musty and a few pieces of furniture had a bit of mold. (Gross.) 



Essential oils to the rescue once again. I made a big batch of cleaning and freshening spray. I added two tablespoons of Witch Hazel, 20 drops of Purification and 15 drops of Lavender to a 16 ounce glass bottle and filled it with water. I've been using it everywhere and it smells great in here now!

(Please excuse our lack of back splash. But I am swooning over our new counters!)

Thursday, April 2, 2015

DIY Shopping List

Since I use my Essential Oils from Young Living to make a lot of wonderful products that we use daily, I always try to keep several basic supplies in stock. So I thought I would compile all those items into one list for you.  If these products are not easily sourced in most grocery stores, I have provided links to where you can purchase them!

Coconut Oil - This is a great carrier oil to use to make salves, lotions and creams.  I whip it in my stand mixer with the whisk attachment for about ten minutes to give it a wonderful consistency.  Then, I use it in my face creams, toothpaste, deodorant, healing salves and as a general carrier oil to dilute single oils for topical application.  Most grocery stores do have this available for purchase as it has become a very popular cooking oil, too.

Fractionated Coconut Oil - This is a fantastic option for making your own roller bottle blends.  It is coconut oil that stays in liquid form. 

Raw Honey - Mixed with Thieves and Lemon, raw honey is a fantastic way to ingest oils to use for healing a sore throat or bad cough.  My kids also eat a spoonful of this daily as it is a natural medicine all on its own!

Castile Soap - I use this soap to make my cleaners, body washes and hand soaps.  My favorite is the unscented version because it doesn't compete with the amazing aromas of the oils I use in the products I make.

White Vinegar - You can pick up a bottle of white vinegar at any grocery store.

Baking Soda - This is a very common item that can just be picked up at any grocery store.  I use it to make toothpaste, deodorant and as an abrasive cleaning option.

Epsom Salts - This is one of my favorite pampering items!  I love taking a hot bath at least once a week with a cup of Epsom Salts and a couple pumps of Dragon Time Massage Oil.  

Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar - I drink this vinegar before meals where I am going to consume a lot of protein to improve my digestion.  It is delicious mixed with a little water and a drop or two of Lemon Essential Oil.  You can usually find this at most health food stores.  If you are a local to lower Delaware, Byler's carries it at a very good price.

Bentonite Clay - This is one of the miracle ingredients in the toothpaste I made that healed so many of my husband's cavities.  This container will last you for a few years so it is a great investment.

Real Salt - This is another beneficial ingredient that I use in my homemade toothpaste.  It is great to have on hand for healthy cooking as well.

You'll also need containers for all of these homemade goodies.  Although it isn't absolutely necessary for all things, I do stick to glass to hold everything in our home - from cleaners to toiletries to food.  I have found mason jars with plastic lids to be the most economical option.

4 oz. Mason Jars - I use these for my face creams, healing salves and anything else that I make as a smaller batch..

8 oz. Mason Jars - This larger size is great for toothpaste and deodorant.  Those products are used more quickly than others so making them in larger batches makes it less labor intensive.

Plastic Lids - The mason jars come with the metal lids and bands but these plastic lids are much easier to remove.

For my cleaners, I place bulk orders for the glass bottles and lids.  Please be sure to connect with me on my Facebook page so you know when I have some available.  I am able to extend much better prices to my team members through my bulk discounts as they are pretty expensive when purchased from local stores or Amazon.  Then, just buy some pretty labels and have fun using the products!

Although this isn't an exhausted list, it is a good place to start so that you are prepared to start replacing some of the store bought toiletries and cleaners you have been purchasing with homemade versions.  This is a great way to help offset the investment you have made in the Essential Oils.  We never buy any of these items from the store anymore so it has reduced our monthly household budget by quite a bit.  I'll update this list as needed so be sure to keep it bookmarked!