young living essential oils - Stuff Parents Need

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 Strengthen Brittle Nails with Essential Oils

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

July 5, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 29 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. I prefer to use essential oils, but if that’s not your thing, I highly recommend Keratin 3 Day Growth. It’s #1 for nail strengthening and it’s under $5. Seriously.

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 Rid of Hiccups Instantly!

May 21, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 16 Comments

Does anyone else out there get really painful hiccups? The kind that make you hold your chest and pray for a hiccup miracle??? My hiccups hurt like crazy, so when they took me by surprise a few weeks ago (as they always do…those sneaky little things), I quickly started researching if relief might be available from my essential oils. And what do you know? I had the answer to how to get rid of hiccups instantly sitting right on my shelf!

All you need is some peppermint essential oil! Since you are placing this product on the roof of your mouth, I would only recommend using an essential oil that is food grade. Peppermint essential oil is actually one of my most used oils, as it is an ingredient in my weight loss capsules, and it is an ingredient in my lung and sinus support trio! LOVE it!

So, how to get rid of those pesky hiccups. It is so easy, and I have used it on myself as well as on my oldest daughter with a 100% success rate!

Simply take 1 drop of peppermint essential oil, and dilute it with 1 drop of a carrier oil like olive oil or grapeseed oil. You need to dilute it because peppermint is a “hot” oil, and while some folks have no problem applying it “neat” (meaning without it being combined with an oil) many people find it to be uncomfortable because it feels a bit hot. I have personally applied it neat and been ok, but I have diluted it 4:1 with olive oil for my daughter. The first time you try it, please dilute it just to be safe!

Ok, so with your drop(s) of oil, simply apply it to the roof of your mouth. Hold your finger there for maybe 10 seconds. And say goodbye to your hiccups, because they should be gone already!

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! 🙂

And here’s the video of Kayla’s that I referenced!

Want more information about Young Living Essential Oils? Here are all the posts I’ve written about them so far!

Starting My Oil Journey as a Skeptic

How I Support My Lungs and Sinuses Throughout the Seasons

Sugar and Essential Oils Scrub for bumpy skin

How to Strengthen Brittle Nails with Essential Oils

Use Lemon Essential Oil to Safely Remove Crayon Marks

Trying Essential Oils as a Skeptic

My Skin Condition and How I’m Changing It (DIY Sugar Scrub Tutorial)

April 17, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 31 Comments

I was diagnosed with Keratosis Pilaris at the age of 6. This is a very common skin condition that is also called “chicken skin” (and by the way, if anyone ever calls my epidermis “chicken skin” it will be ugly…what a horrible nickname for this condition!). I’m sure you know someone who has this, and perhaps you have it, too. It usually manifests on the arms and legs, and looks like really bumpy skin that is also quite blotchy.

I’m 33 years old now, so it has been a part of my life for 27 years. And I can tell you already that little Layah is going to have it. Not sure yet about Darah. It’s very normal for me, and it doesn’t cause me too much grief. I mean, it is what it is. I can’t remember what it is like to have smooth skin on my arms and legs. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t REALLY like to have smooth skin again! So when I heard folks on a oils facebook group talking about how using essential oils is helping with Keratosis Pilaris, I was ALL OVER IT. Treating the condition with oils typically involves two steps: using an exfoliating scrub, followed by a moisturizing cream. I made both of these concoctions about 10 days ago.

My Results After 6 Uses

So I’ve used these products about 6 times now, and I will say this: visually, my skin doesn’t look any different. Still splotchy. Still bumpy in appearance. Again, I’ve only used this combo 6 times, so it is too early to determine what the final result is going to be. But was I hoping for a miracle? Of course I was. And so, it was a bummer not to be able to look at my arms and tell a difference.

BUT…my skin feels VERY different! I have been touching my arms so often over the last week, because I just can’t get over how smooth they feel. Do they feel like the arms of someone who DOESN’T have KP? No, at least not yet. But do they feel like the arms of someone who DOES have KP? No, not anymore! They are in this in-between place. And I for one absolutely love it!! And even if you don’t have KP, this is a great scrub for dry skin, too!

DIY Sugar Scrub for Keratosis Pilaris

So the first step is to exfoliate. And you need to exfoliate with the right stuff, friends! I’ve bought TONS of exfoliating over the years, and none have come anywhere close to working as well as this homemade version.

Ingredients

1 cup coconut oil (buy the good stuff…not the cheap version…it matters!)
1 cup cane sugar (I chose cane sugar because it seems slightly less fine that regular white sugar so it has more grit)
8 drops lavender essential oil

I cut the recipe in half for my first attempt (just in case I didn’t like it…but I LOVED it, so go ahead and make the whole thing!). Use a medium sized glass bowl. DON’T use plastic, as essential oils will eat plastic! True story.

Add the sugar, and then the coconut oil. Coconut oil is solid at room temp. I microwaved it for 8 seconds to soften it a bit. That’ll all you need for it to work with you…it melts very quickly. Do not fully melt your coconut oil before making this, ‘k?

Now it’s time to add your lavender. Your skin goes through quite an ordeal when it is being exfoliated, and the lavender is there to soothe. It is important to get the good stuff so that the impact you are seeking is there, and not just the scent. I have used Young Living in the past, but I also feel comfortable recommending Plant Therapy.

Mix all of your ingredients together with a fork until well combined. Then transfer to a glass container with a lid. The glass is important; essential oils will “eat” through plastic!

And if this whole oils thing is all new to you, I’ve got some other great articles you can check out to learn more. I got into the whole thing as a skeptic, myself, so if you have your doubts about it, I TOTALLY relate!

My TV segment on natural allergy relief and Young Living

Natural Allergy Relief

Essential Oils for Weight Loss

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

Use Lemon Essential Oil to Safely Remove Crayon Marks

How to Strengthen Brittle Nails with Essential Oils

Back-to-School Germ Relief with Thieves

Trying Essential Oils as a Skeptic

How I Support My Lungs and Sinuses Throughout the Seasons

April 1, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 50 Comments

I am sharing my experiences in this post, and not attempting to diagnose or prescribe treatment. Always consult a medical professional if you have questions about ways to treat medical conditions! Affiliate links may be included; I only promote what I love!

I live in one of the worst places in the entire nation for pollen counts. Evidently Chattanooga is like Club Med for pollen. This is where pretty much all of it comes to PARTY HARD.

Ok, I know not ALL of it is here. There are a lot of you out there in other parts of the country sniffling right along with me, and just trying to make it through Spring without your nose or your eyes being permanently damaged from all the tissue applications they are receiving.

I turned to my growing collection of oils to see if I could find something that would support my lungs and sinuses and encourage proper nasal function. I learned about a trio that many people apply topically. It consists of 2 drops each of lemon, peppermint and lavender, along with carrier oil, like almond oil or coconut oil.

This idea seemed promising, but it doesn’t help any of my other family members, who might also benefit from the health benefits the oils may offer.

That’s when the lightbulb went off for me. What if I diffuse those oils every morning? When you diffuse oils, everyone in the room reaps the benefits. And I have found that, indeed, this method is working out just great for my family. I diffuse the trio every morning while we are having breakfast and getting ready for the day, and it seems to really make a difference with our wellness and our nasal functions throughout the day! I have noticed that the effects start to wear off by late afternoon, and that’s when I just swipe one drop of lavender across the bridge of the nose of anyone who seems stuffy. That seems to straighten things out until the next morning! 🙂

Looking for Support?

I have all the info for you about how to get started with essential oils whenever you are ready to look into it. If your budget allows for it, I would recommend going for the premium starter kit, as it comes with all of the oils for the trio (plus 8 more!) and the diffuser. By ordering a kit, you become a wholesale member, which simply means that you can order products at a discount from here on out (but you aren’t under any obligation to order anything else, if you don’t want to!). If you aren’t ready to become a wholesale member just yet, I can also place an order for you using my own wholesale membership so you can still get the oils you want to try at a discount. I love to share my perks with others! 🙂

What are you currently using to support wellness throughout the seasons? I’d love to hear what, if anything, is working for you!

More essential oils posts:

DIY Shower Disks for Lung Support

Essential Oils for Weight Loss

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

How to Strengthen Brittle Nails with Essential Oils

Support the Immune System During Back-to-School Time with Thieves

Use Lemon Essential Oil to Safely Remove Crayon Marks

Trying Essential Oils as a Skeptic

So You Want to Try Essential Oils? How to Get Started

March 26, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 20 Comments

Ever since I told my little secret (which is that I have been using essential oils, even though I was a pretty big skeptic about the whole thing), people have been approaching me with lots of questions about how they can get started. I thought I’d get it all written down in one place so everyone can see the answers, because for every one person who has asked me these questions, there are likely several more of you who are wondering the same thing but haven’t asked, yet!

Step 1: Learn With Us!

I’m part of a small Facebook group started by my friend Kayla called Oil Love. It’s a friendly, no pressure environment where we can feel free to ask questions about using essential oils and share with each other what we are learning, and what works for us. If you are trying to determine if essential oils are right for your family, the Facebook group is a great place to start.

Step 2: Get Signed Up!

Ok, so Young Living makes incredibly AWESOME products that I trust and that I am certain you will love. They ROCK OUT at producing the best of the best essential oils. They do NOT rock out at making the sign up process simple and completely intuitive. That’s ok, I can help with this piece!

When you go to sign up, you have two choices: you can sign up as a retail customer, or you can sign up as a wholesale member. Think of signing up as a wholesale member like signing up for Costco or Sam’s Club. You are going to be offered discounted prices if you go this route (24% off, which can add up quickly!). If you sign up as a retail customer, you are under no obligation to make any specific purchase and can buy a much or a little as you like.

If you sign up as a wholesale member, you are required to buy a starter kit. You have several options from which to choose, and I will tell you which one I STRONGLY recommend in just a minute. Please know that once you sign up as a wholesale member, you are NOT required to make additional purchases every month if you don’t want to. Young Living does have an Essential Rewards program that you are eligible to enroll in and that does ship out monthly, but I will cover what that entails in a different post, so don’t worry about it for now. All you need to remember is that aside from a starter kit, which is a one time purchase, wholesale members are not committing to additional purchases, so fear not!

Um, Why Does Young Living Need My Social?

I definitely gave this part of the enrollment form my sideways glance. Always ask questions any time someone is asking for your social security number! I do have the reason for you in this case, though. If you sign up as a wholesale member, then you are eligible to earn commissions and referral bonuses if your friends ever make purchases based on your recommendations. Young Living has to report those to the IRS, and hence, they must have your social security number on file if you ever earn any money by referring folks to them. You are NOT expected to start selling essential oils by becoming a wholesale member. Young Living just knows from experience how friends talk to friends, and how sales often get made, not really even on purpose, and they want to pay you, even for those accidental sales! 🙂 Think of it as similar to when you share Zulily or a Groupon deal and earn credit for spreading the word. Same kind of thing!

Which Starter Kit to Select

Ok, so while there are several different kit options in section 2 of the enrollment from which you can choose, if you want my opinion, there’s really only one great option, and that is the premium starter kit (the very first kit you can choose from the selection). The bad news: it is the most expensive, at $160. The good news: It is BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS the best deal on the site. You will get 11 different essential oils (including the VERY expensive frankincense), as well as a diffuser in this kit. The other kits only come with tiny sample packets…not really enough to get a good feel for if you even like the oils. The premium starter kit has a retail value of around $300, and it gives you SO many great oils that can do SO many things. It really is the perfect way to get properly introduced to Young Living and to essential oils, in general. It’s how I started out, and I have zero regrets about my purchase. In fact, I wish I could purchase it again, to tell the truth!

Wait, Do I Need TWO Starter Kits?

I was very thrown off guard when I got signed up and saw section 3 of the enrollment form, which was for yet another starter kit of some sort (these are called essential rewards kits). Please note that step 3 on the enrollment form is completely OPTIONAL and you can skip right past it without selecting something! I totally skipped it, myself. Be sure to click the button at the bottom of the list that says, “No, thank you.”

What If I Want Wholesale Pricing WITHOUT Becoming a Wholesale Member?

I can help you with that, too! I can place an order for you at any time using my wholesale membership benefits. As long as you have PayPal, we can work something out so that you can get your oils at the wholesale price. I signed up for the membership so that I can get the best possible price for oils, and so that I can share that discount with others, so just let me know if you want me to place an order for you!

Step 3 (Optional): Get a Reference Book

I got MUCH more comfortable with essential oils once I ordered and read through the Essential Oils Pocket Reference. Not everyone may agree with me, but I think if you are hoping to use essential oils for more than just 1 purpose, then this guide is going to be extremely useful. It helps you understand the science behind essential oils and gives very specific recommendations for which oils to use and how to use them for a wide variety of conditions.

Ok, so now that you know all of your options for learning about and purchasing oils, you are ready to go! If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to email me at stuffparentsneed (at) gmail (dot) com. I’m here to help!

More essential oils posts:

Lung and Sinus Support During Allergy Season

Sugar and Essential Oils Scrub for Keratosis Pilaris (bumpy skin)

Use Lemon Essential Oil to Safely Remove Crayon Marks

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

How to Strengthen Brittle Nails with Essential Oils

Back-to-School Germ Relief with Thieves