free oils

Acceptance Essential Oil: My Favorite Oil During Times of Transition

September 24, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Are you going through a period of transition in your life? This could be due to the loss of a loved one, the addition of a new family member, moving, getting a new job, looking for a new job, or even just adjusting to new routines now that school is back in session.

I use a particular oil blend that really helps me deal with all that “newness.” It’s called Acceptance, and I made a video to tell you all about it!

I hope this was helpful information for folks out there trying to come to peace with the newness of whatever your situation might be. Please don’t hesitate to reach out (stuffparentsneed (at) gmail (dot) com) if I can help you get connected with Acceptance or with any other great Young Living products. It’s my joy to help!

Young Living Abundance: A Detailed Look at Abundance Essential Oil

September 17, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Over the past 1 1/2 years, I have really fallen in love with Young Living essential oils. I have purchased many oil singles and even ventured into several different essential oil blends. One oil blend in particular, though, made me a bit weary at first.

That oil blend was called Abundance. The name tells you exactly what the purpose of the oil is: to attract abundance to your life. And this, to me, was honestly a little weired and, I feared, a little selfish.

But eventually I did a little research on this oil blend and discovered that I had some misgivings about it based on the name. I was associating the term abundance exclusively with financial wealth, and the thought of asking the universe for piles of cash didn’t sit well with me.

But that idea was really all in my head, and I have come to realize that I wasn’t thinking broadly enough about what abundance really is. Abundance is really about having more than enough for yourself, which puts you in a position to give away or share with others. Abundance doesn’t need to be about money, either. You can have an abundance of love in your life, or an abundance of joy, or an abundance of energy, etc. All of these things, in abundance, can not only bless your life, but can equip you to bless others. And that’s a very awesome thing, indeed!

Check out my video review of Abundance essential oil to learn more about the specifica oils in Abundance, as wel as 3 specific ways I use this blend.

If you want to check out Abundance for yourself, and start to intentionally draw an abundance of something positive into your own life, consider adding it to your next Young Living order. If you aren’t a member of Young Living, I’d love for you to sign up under me at a retail customer, or as a wholeasale member. You can learn more about the perks of being a wholesale member here (for example, wholesale members get 24% off their orders for life!). I also offer folks who are new to Young Living and want to try 1-3 bottles of oils at the wholesale price the opportunity to go in on my monthly order. Email me at stuffparentsneed@gmail.com to find out when the next order happens. Abundance oil blend is currently priced for the 15 ml bottle (that’s roughly 250 drops) at $48.68 plus tax and shipping for retail customers, and $37.00 plus tax and shipping for wholesale members.

If you are already using Abundance, I’d love to hear from you about how you use it!

8 Thrifty Strategies to Get the Best Essential Oils for the Lowest Possible Price

March 3, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Disclaimer: I am sharing my own personal experience, but I am NOT offering medical advice of any sort. Please consult your physician should you have any questions or concerns about how essential oils will interface with any medication you are currently taking. Essential oils have not been tested by the FDA.

There was a season of my life when I was pretty darn good at rockin’ the coupons. I didn’t have a spare room in my house dedicated to my stash of freebies, or anything, but I did have a closet, and it was stuffed with mouthwash, shampoo, toothpaste, diapers and razors that I’d gotten for free or close to free. My pantry and my freezer were the same way…plenty of boxes of super cheap food at the ready!

The only problem was that most of the stuff I got for free was actually quite terrible for us. The food was, generally speaking, loaded with sodium an preservatives and the toiletries had all sorts of questionable chemicals in them. What I learned over time is that everything comes with a price, and if you aren’t paying that price in dollars you might well be paying it in other ways. I was compromising my family’s health to cut some costs in our monthly budget. I was the perfect example of being penny-wise and pound foolish.

I’m sharing this story with you because I get a lot of push back from people about the cost of Young Living essential oils. And on the surface, I can totally understand why it might seem ludicrous to pay $23.50 for a bottle of lavender when the health food store down the street sells lavender oil for $9. But I can promise you, this: when it comes to essential oils, you get what you pay for. Do you only want your house to smell good? Then go for that $9 bottle, friend. Do you NOT want to be inhaling chemicals and synthetic additives when you diffuse your lavender oil? And do you want therapeutic benefits from your oil? Then you might want to hold off on that $9 purchase, because it will only be a waste of your $9.

We’ve talked about the unparalleled quality of Young Living’s products. Their seed to seal guarantee will leave you absolutely confident that you have made an investment in quality that will pay dividends for you as a consumer. The difference will be like night and day, and I speak from experience on that one.

But still…the price is the price, and while the per drop price point for most of the oils is actually quite thrifty, it may still sting a bit at the point of purchase, especially if you are the type of person who loves a good bargain. I can totally empathize with this point of view because it speaks to me and to how I am inclined to shop. So with that in mind, I wanted to share with you all some thrifty strategies that I have put into place so that I can get the best essential oils for the lowest possible price. Now that I have experienced the quality difference, I can’t go back to lower grade oils. So I have to work the system for the best possible prices. Here are 8 strategies you can use to get the best possible prices, too!

1. Ask for a Coupon

Young Living distributors, on occasion, have $20 off coupons for their brand new members who purchase the premium starter kit. I have been with Young Living for a year now and have earned 3 of these coupons. I want to emphasize that they aren’t regular occurrences, and that the distributors EARN them. So they aren’t freely available, I promise. But it never hurts to ask, and you just might get lucky. If you are thinking about signing up for a wholesale membership, reach out to the person you’d like to sign up under and see if they have a coupon to use when signing up. They just might! (hint, hint…I might have one right now! stuffparentsneed (at) gmail (dot) com).

2. Get a Wholesale Membership

If you are budget-conscious, you may think it is NOT a good idea to sign up as a wholesale member and purchase the premium starter kit on account of the $150 cost. But let me break it down for you, friend: this is the best deal on the entire Young Living site! The kit comes with a difuser, which retails for $99 (and trust me, the $25 diffusers on the market are not at all like this one…another case of getting what you pay for) and it comes with a collection of 10 oils that retails for $163 AND a bonus Citrus Fresh oil which retails for $20 and some great samples and the product catalog and….are you starting to see what I’m saying, here??? I’ve purchased the kit three times because the value is just that great. You literally cannot buy the components of the kit without spending FAR more on your purchase. And guess what? Because you bought the kit, you have a wholesale membership which means that any purchase you make from here on out is 24% off. BOOM.

3. Share the Love and Get Your Kit Paid For

So what if that $150 price tag is just a bit too much for your budget, even if you totally get that it’s a great deal? I understand that situation, for sure, and I have more good news for you. As a wholesale member, in any given month when you spend at least 50PV (which for the sake of simplicity is like spending $50), you can earn referral bonuses for signing up your friends and family with Young Living. You will have a unique referral link that you can share with anyone who asks you about your oils and if they sign up under you and purchase a kit, you earn $50. So all you need to do is get 3 of your friends to try out the oils with you and your kit is basically paid for, simple as that.

4. Get Additional Discounts Through Essential Rewards

For us thrifty folks, this next idea is also not going to sound like a good idea, at first. But just hear me out and you will see how this strategy is GREAT for getting your oils at a better price. Young Living loves to reward its regular customers by offering additional discounts to them through the Essential Rewards (ER) program. You commit to purchasing 50PV/month on oils, and in return, you earn a percentage back on your ER purchase in the form of credit that you can later spend on products. Additionally, there are special bonuses offered for higher volume orders each month exclusively for ER members. This means that there are FREEBIES to be had (and I have more details in strategy #6 on how to snag those freebies without spending your own money). By placing these monthly orders, you will save money on your oils and other Young Living products, and you will also get discounted shipping on your order. In the last year and a half I have personally earned enough credits to “purchase” over $900 in Young Living products FOR FREE. 🙂

5. Continue to Share the Love Get Your Essential Rewards Order Paid For

So the ER program sounds like a good deal for folks, but $50/month is still $50/month, and might be a tough thing to build into your budget. No problem, though! Remember how you got your Premium Starter Kit paid for? All you need to do is make a goal of referring 1 friend each month to Young Living and that will cover your Essential Rewards expenses. You will be totally shocked by how easy it is to refer your friends, too. Pinky promise. You are going to be having an amazing experience with the oils, and just by sharing your thoughts with others, you are going to pique their interest. The oils really do sell themselves. The post I did on Facebook just a few weeks ago got 8 comments. People are totally curious and want to try the oils, you’ll see! 🙂

6. Earn those Monthly Freebies Without Spending Your Own Money

I mentioned in strategy #4 that Young Living offers monthly promotional items to Essential Rewards members who place higher volume ER orders. Here’s the example from March 2015 just to give you an idea.

This month with a 190PV or higher order, you get a 5 ml of Marjoram free. If you are on Essential Rewards, you also get a 5ml of Idaho Balsam Fir for free. If your order goes up to 250PV, you earn a $20 enrollment coupon (like the ones mentioned above) to gift to someone else. And if your over goes to 300PV+, you also get a free Ortho Ease. The retail value at the 300PV level is $117.37. So as you can see, you can place a large order and get totally free products from Young Living as a thank you gift. And friends, there’s no reason for all of that money to be YOUR money! All you need to do is let your friends and family who are curious about Young Living and who want to try a few oils go in on your monthly ER order. Every single month, for example, I am ordering the weight loss trio for at least 2 different people. That adds $100 to my order that I didn’t have to spend and helps me earn more ER credits (yay!) AND pushes me towards those bonuses. I personally typically spend $75-$100/month on my own oils and other products, and the rest of my order, which is almost always over 300PV, comes from other people going in on the order. They try the products for a good price. I earn the credits and keep those freebies. Win/win!

7. Start Replacing Products You Need to Purchase with Young Living Products

Another way to make the most of your Essential Rewards orders is to start replacing those chemical-filled products you likely have stuffed in your bathroom with products that are SO much better for you. I have donated my old toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shampoo, body wash, lotion, and household cleaners and have replaced them with Young Living products that are absolutely AMAZING. I’m not spending that time clipping coupons, running from store to store to try to get the deal, and I’m feeling absolutely great about the products that are in my home. They are worth every single penny, and I get them for free now because that’s what I like to spend my earned Essential Rewards credits on. 🙂

8. Consider the Business Opportunity

If you are finding that your referrals are more numerous than the amount you need to cover your kit and your monthly ER purchases, then you might want to take a minute to explore the business opportunity that is staring you in the face right now. You may have started out looking for a way to get your essential oils for free but instead discovered something even more lucrative. I order a generous amount of product every month and my commission checks FAR exceed what I’m spending on products. I have turned something I enjoy sharing about into a legitimate business, and all on my own terms and during the hours that I choose to work. It’s a beautiful thing, and it is leading my family in the direction of financial peace and security. All that time spent clipping coupons got me on the path to thinking strategically about my purchases, which eventually led to me thinking strategically about my family’s health, which led me down this path toward abundance. If that sounds like something you might want to explore, I always love sharing my story with others, so don’t hesitate to reach out and we can talk more about it. stuffparentsneed (at) gmail (dot) com.

My #1 Back-to-School Purchase Recommendation

August 2, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 20 Comments

Disclaimer: I am sharing my own personal experience, but I am NOT offering medical advice of any sort or attempting to diagnose or treat anyone for any condition. Please consult your physician should you have any questions or concerns.

So my oldest is headed to kindergarten this year and my youngest is starting her first 5-days-a-week program. It’s a big school year for us, and I’ve already started on the process of gathering all the necessities like glue, scissors, school lunch ideas and a Hipsterpotamus notebook for myself. Because, obviously.

(Image from david & goliath. I found the notebook at Target, FYI).

But last week brought the arrival of the one item I knew I wanted to get more than anything else on the entire list (yes, even more than a brand new pack of crayons, and everyone knows brand new packs of crayons are THE BEST THING EVER!).

It set me back $33.75 and while it’s only 15 ml in size, it is what I am personally choosing to use in my home, whereas in the past, I might have chosen to use several different types of products that all have various side effects. True story.

It’s called Thieves, and it is a blend of essential oils by Young Living that supports healthy immune function, especially when you are around lots of people (like in school!). A 15 ml bottle has roughly 250 drops in it, so one bottle will get my family through the entire school year, or at least most of it!

How I Use Thieves

The very moment that I realize that one of us is starting to feel some minor aches and pains, I put 4 drops of Thieves in the diffusers (I have two…one for upstairs, and one for downstairs) and get them running twice a day to provide some support to our immune systems. I also apply two drops of Thieves mixed with almond oil to the bottom of everybody’s feet. It needs 4 or 5 minutes to get soaked in, and then people can be on their way. I also will diffuse Thieves by the bedside when it’s time to sleep.

Why I Use Thieves

I’m very mindful of what I give to my children to help them out when their immune systems need some support, and I wouldn’t personally feel comfortable with many of the essential oils on the market, as essential oils aren’t regulated by the FDA, and 98% of them have fillers and additives and aren’t manufactured in a way to provide maximum therapeutic benefit. Young Living sticks out head and shoulders above other oil companies, based on my research, due to their Seed to Seal promise. These products are most definitely the right choice for my family. You can read more about how I reached this conclusion (as a skeptic, no less) here.

Other Back-to-School Oils to Consider

Thieves is the oil that I would suggest first and foremost for anyone with a child in school. But essential oils can help with so much more than simply aiding a healthy immune system! Here are a few key suggestions:

Of the 8 essential oils listed on this graphic, 4 of them are included in the premium starter kit, which is absolutely the way I recommend getting introduced to essential oils. You can read more about my love affair with this kit (I’ve purchased 2 and I’m aiming for a third in the next month or so!) and exactly how to get started with Young Living. You can also reach out to me (stuffparentsneed@gmail.com) if you’d prefer to just try one or two oils (such as Thieves) and go in on my monthly group order so you can buy them using my wholesale member discount. That’s just one way I give a little love back to my readers!

Why Amazon or Ebay is a Bad Idea

Whether you purchase from me, or not, I hope you will make your purchase through a Young Living distributor. If you purchase from a distributor, your products will ship directly from Young Living. If you purchase from someone on a third party site, you are taking the risk that the product has been tampered with in some way. Young Living does not sell on these sites, and Young Living does not allow distributors to sell there for less than the price that a distributor will quote you. If you see a “better deal” there, that should raise a red flag, because it likely means that a diluted or altered product is being sold to maximize profits. The wholesale, or discounted price, is the price every distributor has to pay, so selling it cheaper either means that they just want to lose money and not even break even, or that they are somehow stretching out the product so they can make a profit. You can even buy sealed caps online so that they don’t look like they have been tampered with. Just a word to the wise…get your oils from the source so you can feel confident about them!

How to Strengthen Brittle Nails: There’s an Oil for That!

July 5, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 28 Comments

I am sharing my personal experience with essential oils for brittle nails. This information is not offered as medical advice. Affiliate links may be included.

Does anyone else out there struggle with brittle nails? My fingernails actually seem ok, but my toenails seem especially fond of breaking or even cracking. Ouch!

And can I be honest with you? I just thought I had to live with that. I really didn’t know that anything could be done to strengthen your nails. But last week I was reading up on Young Living’s Frankincense and all of its uses, and I discovered that my friend Frank could provide quite a bit of support!

How to Strengthen Your Nails

To support healthy nails, you will want to create a special nail oil to apply up to 3 times a week on your nails.

Supplies needed

1oz glass bottle with glass eye dropper (essential oils will eat plastic, so glass is a must)
Stainless steel mini funnel
high quality olive oil (organic)
Young Living Frankincense oil
Step 1.

Using the glass dropper that came with your glass bottle, remove Frankincense oil from your Young Living bottle (you can pop off the little plastic lid that only allows one drop at a time to come out relatively easily). Add 45 drops of Frankincense oil to your 1 oz glass bottle.

Step 2.

Using your steel funnel, fill the remainder of the bottle with olive oil. Be sure to leave enough room for your glass dropper to go back in.

Step 3.

Put the glass dropper back in the bottle and screw it tight. Gently swirl the mixture until well-combined.

Step 4.

Remove the glass dropper with the mixture inside, and apply one drop per nail, around the base of the nail. Rub it all around the base of the nail, and up the nail. Give it a few minutes to dry (this is a great thing to do right before watching one of your favorite shows on television!). Repeat up to 3 times total per week. Once you see improvement in your nail condition, you can drop down to once a week application for maintenance.

How Much Will This Cost?

A 1 oz bottle contains roughly 500 drops in it. The cost of Frankincense, per drop (assuming you get the discounted price) is .28. So in your 1 oz bottle, you will have $12.60 of Frank plus the cost of your olive oil to fill it (for simplicity’s sake, we’ll give it a value of $1). So for $13.60, you’ve got 500 drops of nail strengthener, and if you apply 1 drop to each nail (both hands and feet) 3 times a week, you have enough product to last you 8 weeks. I have only been using this formula for one week and I’m already going to drop down to applying it 2 times a week. I predict that 2 weeks from now I’ll be dropping down to using it 1 time each week, which means the mixture I have made will last much longer than 8 weeks! I think I’m going to be using this mixture for about 6 months before it is time to make more (especially since I’m focused on my toes and will only occasionally be applying this to my fingernails). That makes it a rather thrifty product, if you ask me, since the cost for a year’s worth of this tonic is less than it would cost to get a manicure.

Why Does It Have to Be Young Living Essential Oil?

I have written in several places about why I believe Young Living products to be second to none on the market. Frankincense is one of the oils, especially, that you can tell an IMMEDIATE difference in quality from any other brand just by smelling the product. And once you actually use the product and see the phenomenal results, you’ll understand even more clearly. Frankincense is a very expensive oil to produce, and the price tag can make it very tempting to go for a cheaper alternative. But I’m telling you right now, spending $12 on a bottle of cheap Frankincense, in the end, will just be a waste of $12. Please remember that terms like “pure” “therapeutic grade” and “undiluted” aren’t regulated by the FDA. Such things can be applied to labels and the container might only contain 5% of the essential oil you think you are buying, and the rest is chemical additives. Young Living is the only company with the Seed to Seal guarantee. They go through rigorous testing all along the way to make sure that the very best product is the end result. If the results don’t meet expectations, the product isn’t sold, simple as that.

The Best Way to Try The Real Deal

As I mentioned before, Frankincense is an expensive oil, coming in at just shy of $95 for a 15 ml bottle (that’s the retail price). If you have weak nails that could really use some help, one option is to just spring for the bottle as a retail customer. OR…spend a bit more and get the entire premium starter kit, which contains 11 of Young Living’s most popular (and useful) essential oils in 5 ml bottles, including Frankincense, which isn’t even the most expensive oil offered in the kit! 🙂 The starter kit is $150 and includes so many incredible oils, as well as a diffuser (I use mine every single day), some fun samples, and most importantly, the ability to order any oils you want in the future at a 24% discount. That would bring your next bottle of frankincense down to $72, which is a $23 savings! I’ve got step-by-step instructions for how to get your order placed if you are ready!

One More Way to Order

If you’d like to just try the Frankincense before jumping into trying all these other amazing oils, I do place a group order once a month, and if you live in the U.S., I can include you on my order. You’ll get to try the oil at the 24% discounted price that way. Contact me at stuffparentsneed@gmail.com if you want more information on how to be part of this monthly order (the next one processes on July 15th).

Need More Info?

Not sure about all this essential oil business? I feel you…I was a skeptic myself. Check out some of my other posts about my journey with essential oils to hear more about my experiences!

Starting My Oil Journey as a Skeptic

Best Carrier Oils for Different Skin Types

How I Support My Lungs and Sinuses Throughout the Seasons

DIY Shower Disks for Congestion

Essential Oils for Weight Loss

Use Lemon Essential Oil to Safely Remove Crayon Marks

How to Get Free Essential Oils Without Starting a Business (It’s EASY!!!)

How to Get Rid of Hiccups with Peppermint Oil

Fighting Germs with Essential Oils

How to Neutralize Bathroom Odors in a Flash

My New (Lemondropper) Business Cards (And an Exclusive Discount!)

May 28, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links included (I only promote what I use and love!).

So my new business cards came in last week from Minted. They are SO ridiculously cute that I just had to show you.

They are square! And they came in this cute little box that will keep them safe and sound in my purse. I’ll be using these when I am promoting essential oils, which I am growing more and more passionate about by the day. The line of people in this business I’m a part of are called the lemon droppers, and what better way to show some pride in my team than with some lemon-y fresh business cards!

My phone number is actually on the card, but I made it invisible for the picture (gotta retain just a tiny shred of privacy!).

I loved these so much that I asked Minted to pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top offer my readers an exclusive discount on business cards for a few days, and I got what I asked for! If you like this design, or if this just gives you an idea of how BEAUTIFUL your business cards could be with Minted (and oh my…you won’t believe how many beautiful options they have!), then go check out the Minted Business Cards section, pick something out, and use code SP15NEED at checkout from now until midnight on 5/31 to score 15% off!

Let me know what you get so I can squeal with you over your pretty new cards! 🙂

How to Get Free Oils with Young Living (Because If You’ve Tried Them, You Are Probably Addicted!)

May 9, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 21 Comments

Affiliate links included. I only promote what I love!

Hello, my name it Tiffany, and I’m an oil addict. I’ve only been using essential oils with Young Living since February, and I got into it as a oil skeptic. But here I am just a few short months later, spending big bucks on oils every month.

Or at least it seems that way at first glance. Actually, though, I’m pretty much getting them to pay for themselves. And I didn’t have to sign my life away, commit to a who new business venture, or beg people to order something from me. All I’ve done is what anyone who has tried Young Living oils would do: I’ve shared my story! 🙂

edit: I’ve been asked repeatedly about where I got my shelf. I actually found it on Zulily, which is a daily deal site, so I can’t tell you how to buy one just like it! But for what it’s worth, cute wall shelf is really cute!

I put together a video this morning that details exactly how I’m getting my oils paid for through my Essential Rewards membership, and how Young Living offers sweet bonuses to folks in Essential Rewards (all without any expectation that you treat Young Living like a business! Hooray for bonuses without strings! 🙂