essential oils - Stuff Parents Need

How to Whiten Your Teeth: Natural Teeth Whitening that Works for Me

September 25, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I’m 35 years old and I have had a major love affair with coffee for about 10 years, now. It is not uncommon for people to ask me how in the world my teeth are so white and bright given that I daily consume a beverage that is known to stain and yellow teeth.

Some of my success has been good fortune. I’ve always had really bright, white teeth. And that held true for me even through the first 5 years of my coffee habit. But then my teeth started to give in, and I noticed they were getting a little dull and a little more yellow. And then a lot more yellow. So sad. I finally realized that I had to figure out some natural teeth whitening strategies ASAP.

Enter my beloved essential oils!

Here’s the strategy I’m using (with GREAT success) to revive my pearly whites so that once again, people are asking me how my teeth are so darn white. I’ve even had a person ask me which dentist I go to for my whitening treatments. 😉 My secret is Thieves. Thieves is a Young Living essential oil blend of clove, cinnamon, rosemary, lemon and eucalyptus radiata. It packs quite a punch in the cleaning department, let me tell ya! Here’s more information about each item I use regularly for good oral health and whiter teeth.

1. Thieves AromaBright toothpaste. I credit this toothpaste with much of my success. It contains Thieves essential oil blend which has many beneficial properties not only to your teeth, but also to your gums. This is my go-to product for overall good oral health. And it is definitely helping with the color of my teeth.

2. Thieves dental floss. Again, this is a product that is SO good for gum health, but it is also very helpful with whitening all those little crevices in between your teeth. Have you ever noticed that those areas tend to get even more yellow than the rest of your teeth? Thieves dental floss has been my solution!

3. Thieves mouthwash. This is just one extra step you can take to help expose your teeth to the power of Thieves and its teeth-whitening abilities. And while this isn’t directly related to whitening teeth, I will say that I have had a lot of trouble with bleeding gums over the years, and Thieves mouthwash has helped me overcome that more than any other product I have ever tried. 🙂

4. Thieves. Finally, a few times a week I do a rinse in my mouth with Thieves. You could do this a few different ways. One option is to add 1 extra drop of Thieves to your toothpaste (yes, even to your Thieves toothpaste if you already have it) and give those teeth an extra good scrub! A more involved (though in my opinion, better) option is to do some oil pulling. This involves taking about 2 tsp of coconut oil and swishing it around in your mouth, along with 1 drop of Thieves. This is time intensive, so you’ll want to do it when you have some time to just sit around (perhaps while you are watching your favorite show at night, or just before hopping in the shower). Thieves is very strong in its taste, so this step might take a bit of adjusting to, but I think you’ll be thrilled with your results.

If I can help you get connected with Young Living and Young Living products, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be happy to help you get connected with the brand by letting you go in on my monthly wholesale order, or by getting you started as a wholesale member. Young Living has a starter kit that is all about Thieves products!

Among other things, this kit contains the following awesome Thieves products:

15-ml Thieves
Thieves AromaBright™ Toothpaste
Thieves Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash
2 Thieves Cleaner
2 Thieves Foaming Hand Soap
2 Thieves Spray
2 Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier
5-ml Stress Away™
AromaGlide™ Roller Fitment
10 Sample Packets
2 NingXia Red® 2-oz. samples

I’m happy to throw in the dental floss for you so that you can have everything I’m currently using to whiten my teeth, too! Reach out to me at stuffparentsneed@gmail.com if you’d like to learn more about Young Living and the Thieves line of products.

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!

Natural Roach Repellent: What’s Working for Me

July 21, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 13 Comments

Not gonna lie: it’s a little bit embarrassing to be writing a blog post about the great natural roach repellent you’ve been using, on account of how it let’s everyone who reads this know that you had roaches in your house. So embarrassing…

In my defense, I live in the South (where roaches are common) and I have little ones at home, which means that crumbs on the floor and spots of water here and there are easy to find inside my home. Also, I am not the world’s best housekeeper (which I guess is not exactly helping my whole “defense” thing). These factors make my home pretty much a roaches dream abode.

I, however, do not feel similarly excited about these pests who decided to become our roomies. They needed to GO, and NOW.

But with those two little ones around, as well as two cats, I was SUPER leery about putting out poisonous bait on the floor. I wanted to have a more natural roach repellent option, and I’m happy to report that I found one!

Here’s what you need:

Cypress essential oil
Peppermint essential oil
a glass spray bottle
salt

To make your natural roach repellent, simply add 1 tsp salt to 2 cups of warm water, and then add 12 drops of cypress and 12 drops of peppermint. Give it a good swirl in the glass container, and you are good to go! I suggest spraying the areas where you most often find the roaches showing up (so for us that was the cracks in between our backsplash and our kitchen walls (EWWWW! I KNOW!!!). Spray liberally, twice a day, until your roaches stop showing up! And then I would spray the area about once a week just to keep that smell (which you will actually LOVE but that the roaches HATE) around to discourage any new roaches from attempting to move in.

I do not believe that this spray actually kills the roaches. I think it is simply a repellent, meant to discourage them from sticking around. It helps make the places where they go to find their food and water so unappealing that they’d rather go elsewhere. This may not be the right solution for everyone, especially if you seem to have a very bad infestation, but if you simply want the bugs to take a hike, I noticed a difference right away when using this blend.

If you are new to essential oils, you may be wondering how they work. In this case, these are simply two smells that roaches don’t tolerate. They are perfectly safe, however, for humans to smell and even to taste (not that you would lick the wall after applying roach spray, but don’t put it past your kids or your pets!).

The other reason I love using these oils is because, rather than a nasty, toxic conventional roach spray that you might pick up and use for just that one purpose, essential oils have MANY amazing uses. Peppermint is our go-to when we want to stop our hiccups, or when we want a really invigorating, energizing scent throughout the house, or even when doing some baking (1 drop in your brownie mix = OMGoodness!). Cypress promotes liver health and discourages fluid retention, and it also supports respiratory health. So from my perspective, why put a poison in your house when you could use something that can actually be great for your entire family while still giving bugs their marching orders.

I’ve linked to the particular glass bottle and the particular salt I use above, but if you’d like to get the essential oils, you’ll want to connect with a representative for Young Living, which is the company with the highest quality essential oils on the market (by leaps and bounds, friends). You may already know someone who uses and loves their oils, and if so, please reach out to them!

If you aren’t connected with anyone who loves Young Living, I am a huge fan and a wholesale member, and I’d be happy to add these oils to my once-a-month group order for you. Simply reach out to me at (stuffparentsneed) at (gmail) dot com and let me know how I can help. I share my wholesale member discount with newbies to essential oils so that you can get the best possible price.

Your roaches can be gone soon, and without poisoning your family in the process! #WINNING!

How to Stop Someone From Snoring

March 12, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 12 Comments

Disclaimer: I am sharing my own personal experience, but I am NOT offering medical advice of any sort. PLEASE take great care when deciding which brand of essential oils to use in your home, as 98% of the oils on the market contain synthetic chemicals and additives and could cause reactions when applied to the skin or ingested. Please consult your physician should you have any questions or concerns. Essential oils have not been tested by the FDA.

The day my premium starter kit from Young Living landed on my doorstep, I was excited, overwhelmed, and most of all, scared. I was scared that I had just spend $150+ on oils that wouldn’t do squat. I decided to put them to the test by starting with the reason I was so intrigued in the first place: I wanted to know how to stop someone from snoring, and I had heard that one of these oils blends could handle it.

Oh, by the way, the “someone” I wanted to get to stop snoring was me. 🙂

So here’s how it works, and I promise you it is every bit as easy as it sounds. What you need is an essential oil blend from Young Living called Valor (fyi it’s available to purchase via Amazon if you don’t want to go through an MLM, which I completely understand). Valor contains the following oils: spruce, rosewood, blue tansy and frankincense. So you take 1 drop of this oil, and put it on the top of the back of your big toe. Repeat for the other side. Then go to bed. Done!

Why the Big Toe?

Ok, so my first question about this was why in the heck putting an oil blend on your big toe would cause snoring to stop. If you check out information on Vita Flex Points on your body, you will learn that the top of your big toe is connected to your brain, an the brain is the place where some stuff needs to go down in order for snoring to cease. I wish I could explain the science of the oils better, but we’ll just have to leave it at that!

How I Know It Works

When I told my husband that I would going to rub some essential oils on my big toe and stop snoring, he looked at me like I had totally lost my mind. I actually remember pausing for a minute after I told him and thinking about just how crazy I sounded! But after trying it for a night I had proof positive that it worked. My husband did report that he couldn’t recall if I had been snoring the night before, but that’s not really sufficient evidence. What was most telling was the fact that my husband’s sleep app that he had been using faithfully for a few months and that registered the quality of his sleep indicated that he had the best night of sleep he had experienced in over 2 months that night. BOOM! No snoring! And of course, I continue to use it and continue to NOT snore. It’s a beautiful thing, people!

photo credit: Ärlan via photopin (license)

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.

Potty Training Tips: How Essential Oils Can Help with Night Time Potty Training

February 20, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Disclaimer: I am sharing my own personal experience, but I am not offering medical advice of any sort. Essential oils are very potent so PLEASE take great care when administering them to young children, be liberal with your dilution, and carefully research the brand you choose, as the vast majority of essential oils on the market contain synthetic fillers. Please consult your physician should you have any questions or concerns. Essential oils have not been tested by the FDA. Affiliate links included. I love promoting what rocks my world!

As I announced yesterday, we are officially all done with diapers in my home. People, this is such a beautiful moment in my life! And while my youngest isn’t even yet 3, her potty training journey was a year long, and so we have been working on this for a long time.

easy ideas for using essential oils while potty training

Why have we been working on this for so long? Well, her older sister was 100% trained by the time she was 20 months old, so we assumed that our second child would do the same. And she DID show signs of interest in the potty early on. But she never was really willing to fully commit to it, and we’d go back and forth between thinking we were almost done altogether, to being right back in diapers full-time. Long story short, we made a lot of mistakes and didn’t follow the child the way we probably should have.

Night Time Potty Training

BUT…now that is all behind us, and little Layah decided that she was ready to be in underwear full-time, so here we are! After we overcame the issue of pooping in the potty, tackling the overnight potty training was the toughest piece for us. Since I love essential oils and love to incorporate them into our lives, I started to do some research on potty training tips that integrate essential oils and I found some GREAT ideas that I want to share with you all!

Potty Training Tips

First and foremost, give diffusing the Young Living blend Peace & Calming a try. I use this blend with my kiddos, anyway, just to help them unwind and relax. This will be an especially helpful blend for any child who experiences anxiety about going to bed at night due to bed-wetting. I find that 2 drops is plenty in the diffuser for getting the little ones off to sleep!

The second thing I’d recommend is making a glass roller ball with a dilution of Cypress Oil and a carrier oil of your choice (we love grapeseed oil). While the bottle states the dilution is not required, I always dilute oils for use on children. For me, the roller ball has 1 drop of cypress for every 3 drops of carrier oil. That is what I am comfortable with, but you should do what you are comfortable with! If my child was older, I would probably drop down to 1:2 or even 1:1, just depending on age. Apply this mixture right over the lower abdomen just before getting into bed. Cypress does wonders for helping little ones make it through the night! If you don’t see results immediately, give it time (at least a week and up to 2 weeks) because everyone is different and some people just take a bit more time to adjust to it. You can also increase the ratio of essential oil to carrier oil if you aren’t seeing results after a few weeks.

Third, I would suggest incorporating the Young Living oil blend called Valor and the Young Living oil blend Melrose. I personally would make a second glass roller ball with this concoction, and for every drop of essential oil I would have 3 drops of carrier oil. I would take the roller ball and rub it on the bottom of your child’s feet, paying careful attention to cover the bottom of the big toe (this is a Vita Flex connector point to the brain).

As you experiment with essential oils to help your little one stay dry all night long, you might even want to consider starting with just one oil or oil blend and see how it helps. If you aren’t seeing the results you were hoping for within 2 weeks, you could add something else to the mix. I would suggest starting first with Cypress simply due to the high success rates I have read about from others.

Another Resource

And if you are working hard on potty training right now and need some help figuring out how to wrap it all up and be done, I highly recommend Potty Train in a Weekend by fellow blogger Becky Mansfield. It’s a great affordable resource that you can download as soon as you purchase it. It gets rave reviews from parents everywhere who aren’t sure how to keep potty training from going on and on forever! Good luck!

How I Oil: A Day in the Life of an Essential Oil User

February 1, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 5 Comments

Disclaimer: I am sharing my own personal experience, but I am NOT offering medical advice of any sort. PLEASE take great care when deciding whether or not to ingest essential oils, and if you decide to do so, carefully research the brand you choose. 98% of essential oils on the market are not safe to be ingested. Please consult your physician should you have any questions or concerns. Essential oils have not been tested by the FDA.

I can’t believe that it was almost exactly a year ago today that I ordered my premium starter kit (February 4th, 2014). I was SO excited after hearing great things from my friend Kayla about what the oils were doing for her family. But I had buyer’s remorse a mere 30 minutes after placing my order. You can read all about my journey into essential oils as a skeptic if you want the details!

But of course, once I started using the oils I was blown away by how supportive they can be in my quest for wellness. And now, a year later, Young Living products are a vital part of my day, throughout the day! While I have over 61 oils and several different oil-related products that I reach for from time to time, I thought I’d give you a glimpse into a typical day in my life and the role YL products play in it. Here we go!

4:00 AM

I’m up long before the sun so that I can get some writing done while the house is still quiet. I am an iced coffee addict, but for the benefit of my body, I have to drink a glass of water before I get my first cup. You best believe that I drink that glass of water quickly! I love to put 1 drop of lime essential oil into it because it tastes FANTASTIC. I took this photo later in the day because I actually will add lime or some sort of citrus oil to my water throughout the day. But lime is always the one I start with for some reason!

6:00 AM

After my shower, I lather on the moisturizer, as I have very dry skin. I add 2 drops of Essential Beauty Serum to my favorite moisturizer and I can really tell a difference in how well everything seems to soak in. I’ve always loved Olay products and found them to be effective, but my Young Living Essential Beauty Serum kicks it up another notch!

6:05 AM

I need to make sure that my morning shower wasn’t pointless, so it’s time to reach for deodorant! We have gone through countless different types of deodorant in our home trying to find one that doesn’t cause Tim’s skin to break out. My body is not as sensitive, but watching what so many deodorants do to his skin has made me question if I want that stuff on my skin, too! I’m pleased to say that we have NO problems with the Young Living deodorant line!

7:00 AM

Time to get some good stuff flowing throughout my body! Right after I eat breakfast, I take a Life 5 pill from Young Living. This is a powerfully effective probiotic, and probiotics are so good for you for so many different reasons. I especially love that this particular probiotic contains 2 super strains that enhance colonization of good bacteria up to 10 times. I wash it down with approximately 1 ounce of Ningxia Red. To call this drink an antioxidant superstar is one heck of an understatement. One ounce of Ningxia Red contains the same amount of antioxidants as 10.85 pounds of spinach. BOOM!

7:05 AM

Time for my weight loss trio! I take a pill made of lemon, peppermint and grapefruit essential oils, as well as coconut oil. I have found this, especially when combined with a healthy diet and exercise, to be really helpful to me to keep the cravings in check and to increase energetic feelings! You can read more about using essential oils for weight loss if you are interested!

8:30 AM

The girls are now at school, Tim is off to work and now it is time for me to sit back down at the computer and get some work done. I always diffuse something during my morning work sessions. Exactly what I pick just depends on my mood and the type of work I need to accomplish. Today I’ve got to do some serious thinking and some writing, so Clarity is what I’m diffusing to help reduce brain fog. For me, it really helps!

11:00 AM

Since the beginning of January, I’ve been going to the gym a whopping 6 times each week. Most days I’m there from 11-11:45 to get in a workout before I pick up my youngest from school. To help me power through my workout, I put a dab of En-R-Gee behind each ear and a dab on my chest. I’ve forgotten to use it a few times, and I can most definitely tell a difference in my stamina on those days when I forget it!

12:45 PM

After we have lunch and a bit of play time, it is time for Layah to take a nap. I’ve actually “rebranded” nap time as quiet time, since she doesn’t always sleep. But I do always diffuse a bit of lavender for her, because it helps to promote a relaxed feeling. She sleeps more often than not when I use lavender, and even when she doesn’t sleep, if I have this diffusing she tends to be cooperative and plays quietly.

3:30 PM

After both girls are home from school, it’s video and snack time for them, and cleaning time for me! I usually run a load of dishes and do a bit of vacuuming. Since we live in a small home and have 2 indoor only cats, I also run Purification frequently to help eliminate odors (including the ones that our own noses get used to, such as the cats). It makes such a huge difference because it doesn’t mask the odors, it eliminates them! I’ve also been known to make good use of Purification if I accidentally burn dinner while cooking it. This happens most frequently when I’m trying to cook and get caught up on the latest My Little Pony episode at the same time (What? It’s a really cool show!).

6:30 PM

My girls wake up early. They always have, and it really doesn’t matter what time they go to bed (trust me, I’ve tested and tested and tested again!). So we try to have them in bed no later than 7:00 PM so that they can get the amount of sleep their growing bodies need. After bath time and just before story time, they each get sleepy time cream on the bottoms of their feet (recipe forthcoming in a blog post!). The cream contains Lavender, Cedarwood, and Peace & Calming. It does an AMAZING job of winding everyone down for the evening.

8:00 PM

It’s almost time for me to go to bed since I’ll be up again at 4:00 AM. So now it’s time for me to put my all-time favorite oil in the diffuser by my bed. This is Dream Catcher and this oil blend helps me experience relaxation in a way that I haven’t experienced since before I had kids. Do you remember pre-kids sleep, friends? It was glorious, because it was uninterrupted. You got to get through your REM cycles and wake up feeling refreshed. I feel refreshed when I wake up after using Dream Catcher. I call my bottle of Dream Catcher “my precious.” If you are experiencing occasional restlessness I can’t say enough great things about this oil blend.

While tomorrow’s use of essential oils may look a little different, this gives you a general idea of how Young Living and its amazing product line is part of my day! Questions? Leave me a comment! And if you are ready to welcome Young Living essential oils into your life, I’d love to be part of that journey with you! Here’s more information on how to join Young Living. And of course, you can always message me with your questions!

Easy Homemade Gift Idea: Peppermint Bath Salts (with Candy Cane Stripes!)

December 13, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Thanks to my essential oils mentor and friend Kayla for teaching me this easy homemade gift idea! Affiliate links included, and I only promote what I love!

Friends if you are like me, you have been faithfully seeking out and purchasing holiday gifts for several weeks now, and yet you still have a few people not checked off your list. It’s crunch-time, and your wallet is also probably starting to be in pain, so let’s go for an easy homemade gift idea that will impress and delight your hard-to-buy-for friend or family member.

How about some refreshing peppermint bath salts with a twist…or should I say, with a stripe? 🙂

Ingredients:

epsom salt
baking soda
Young Living peppermint essential oil
pink himalayan salt
cute glass jar (my favorites are the glass milk bottles and the small hinged jars).

Directions:

In one glass bowl mix
1/2 cup epsom salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2-3 drops peppermint essential oil

In another glass bowl mix
1/3 cup pink himalayan salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 drops peppermint essential oil.

Alternate layers of white and pink salts in a cute glass jar to make candy cane striped bath salts!

Isn’t that cute? And as someone who is not highly skilled in the craft department, I really appreciate how easy it was, and how well-received I know it will be.

With your leftover epsom and himalayan salts, you can experiment with other essential oils to make other great bath salt varieties! If you’d like to read more about why I recommend Young Living essential oils, please check out my post on trying essential oils as a skeptic. I’ve been using these oils since February, when I honestly believed essential oils couldn’t do more than smell good, and I’ve been in love ever since!

If you are looking for other great DIY recipes with essential oils, check out the DIY shower disks for congestion and Kayla’s DIY sugar scrub and DIY bath bombs!