The Terrible, Horrible, Awful, No Good, Very Bad, Tummy Bug!!

Hey everybody! Have you heard about this tummy bug that's going around? Well, I'm here to tell you it's REALLY, REALLY NASTY and you don't want it!

So, use your essential oils!

Put Germs Aside on your feet at night and before 

school/work/play! 

Use Sonshine Hand Sanitizer or your own version with essential oils...not that toxic yuck from the store!! 

We got lax about using the oils every night at bedtime and before we leave. I gave away our bottle of Sonshine from the van and never made another one....oops! making one up now!! 

 Don't be lax like we were...use your essential oils...they'll help you keep from getting this yucky bug!! 

And make up some of your own Hand Soap with Shield and Wild Orange →DIY Foaming Hand Soap.

Be proactive and do what you can to stay well!  Believe me, you'll be glad you did!

Purchase Shield Essential oil blend from Spark Naturals 

Shield is a protective blend of essential oils of clove, cinnamon bark, lemon, rosemary, eucalyptus.  These oils combine to "protect" you from viruses and bacteria!

Use code "sonshine" for a 10% discount.

Thanks for stopping by!

 Dawn

DIY Foaming Hand Soap

We live on a farm

We have kids

We have chickens

We have dogs

We have a cat

We love to bake

I have a hubby who works in construction

I love to garden

My kids love dirt

We have a 2 yr. old and he loves to wash his hands...

So, in walks Lea of A Drop of This with a great recipe for DIY Foaming Hand Soap!

This I had to try!  Making my own was something I'd always wanted to to do and Lea made it seem so simple!

1 - 7.5 oz. Foaming Soap Bottle
Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap
Vegetable Glycerin
30 drops Shield Essential Oil Blend
20 drops Wild Orange Essential Oil
Water

I filled the empty (Dial) soap bottle 1/3 of the way full with the castile soap
Added 1 T of vegetable glycerin
Added 30 drops of Shield Essential Oil Blend
Added 20 drops of Wild Orange Essential Oil
Fill the soap bottle with water (be sure to leave room for the pump or it will be very messy! :) )

Wash your hands!

We love how this smells and how it cleans our hands!  It doesn't suds up as much as regular soap, but we're getting used to it, now.  I love the fact that it's toxin free and is great against germs!

You can use all kinds of essential oil combinations.  Just go with the smells you like in the oils that have antibacterial and antiviral properties.  You can't go wrong!

Thanks for stopping by!
Dawn

Essential oils can be purchased at Spark Naturals
Shield
Wild Orange
Don't forget to use code "sonshine" for a 10% discount!

Liquid Castile Soap and vegetable glycerin can be purchased at Amazon.

WARNING!...Don't Wash Off an Essential Oil...Dilute It!

One day I walked into my kitchen....had made a quick trip out of the room...and my 2 yr. old had my bottle of peppermint essential oil. The oil was all over his hands, feet and on his upper lip.  (I had just put peppermint and wild orange in the diffuser before I left the room).  My son and daughter were sitting at the table doing homeschool and had not noticed their little brother had quietly picked up the EO bottle and was dropping it into his hand and rubbing on his wrists, bottoms of feet and upper lip like we do with our Germs Aside blend at night.  He was quite pleased with himself, too! :(

My immediate response was to dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil.  He began to cry "It buns, Mama!" I grabbed the fractionated coconut oil from my desk area and began pumping it into my hands and just slathered it all over his hands, feet and mouth.  I wiped him down with a paper towel and then put more coconut oil on him.

He was totally fine and no burn!

Now, I'm sharing this with you because I knew what to do. 

Diluting an essential oil can ONLY be done with an oil like olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, or other carrier oil.  

Did you know that using soap and water to get it off could actually increase the "burn" of a hot oil?

A lot of people do not know this.  I think years ago, I would have tried to "wash" it off, too.  

Be sure to add this to your EO journal or wherever you keep your notes about essential oils.  Even if you don't have small children, you might need this advice for someone at some point.

And...have you ever gotten an essential oil in your eye?  Use milk or cream to dilute it...then rinse with fresh water. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Dawn

Oil of the Month Club

Have you signed up for the Oil of the Month Club 

at Spark Naturals, yet?  

 This is the BEST deal!  And, an awesome way to start your EO collection.  It's an inexpensive way to build up your arsenal of essential oils.  And, as you begin to use essential oils, you'll want to have a lot of different ones on hand.

When you sign up you will get a 15 ml bottle of essential oil at the same time every month for only $15.99 and that includes shipping.  

What an incredible deal!

Below are the oils that you get each month in the Oil of the Month Club.  

Click on the name of the essential oil and it will take you directly to Spark Naturals site for more information about that particular essential oil.  

Also, below each picture is the price for the oil. 

January – Cassia

Price $17.10

 
February – Peppermint

Price $18.45

 
March – Bergamot

Price $24.75

 
April – Oregano

Price $21.50

 
May – Lavender

Price $18.90

 
June – Geranium

Price $24.30

 
July – Basil

Price $18.00

 
August – Shield

Price $28.80

 
September – Melaleuca

Price $17.10
 
October – White Fir

Price $18.00

 
November – Coriander

Price $23.40

 
December – Respire

 Price $18.00

As you can see the Oil of the Month Club really is a STEAL!!

What are you waiting for?

In this post....wherever it says Oil of the Month Club...it's a link to sign up.  So click away and get started building up your supply of essential oils.  

You'll be so glad you did!

Thanks for stopping by!

Dawn

TummyEase--For All Digestive Discomforts

This blend works well for any type of 

stomach/colon issues, including tummy upset, indigestion, diarrhea, stomach pain, heartburn/acid reflux, gas/flatulence issues, nausea or vomiting.  It may also help with feelings of anxiety which tend to exacerbate indigestion troubles.

We roll this on the bottoms of our feet and clockwise around our belly button.  When it's a heartburn/acid reflux issue, I also roll on my neck on either side of my throat.  ooohhh, it eases that burn so nicely and soooo much better and faster than medications!

And, if you are out in public and it's a little difficult to be discreet and lift your shirt to roll clockwise around your belly button....then try it on your wrists.  Be sure to smell it, too.

TummyEase Concentrate

5 drops ginger essential oil

5 drops peppermint essential oil

10 drops wild orange essential oil

6 drops basil essential oil

5 drops ylang ylang essential oil

3 drops frankincense essential oil
Mix this up in a 5 ml empty.

Then place 8 drops in a 1/6 oz roller bottle

and fill with fractionated coconut oil
or
Place 15 drops in a 1/3 oz. roller bottle and fill with fractionated coconut oil

I just put the essential oil drops into the bottle in the order listed and then fill to the top with fractionated coconut oil. As with all blends, give the bottle a little shake each time you use it.

Ginger works well against diarrhea, gas/flatulence, indigestion, nausea, morning sickness, vomiting

Peppermint works well against diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, irritable bowel, motion sickness, nausea, vomiting

Wild Orange works well against sluggish digestion, nervousness, heartburn, diarrhea

Basil works well against abdominal cramps, digestive issues, anxiety, intestinal problems, vomiting

Ylang Ylang works well against indigestion, stomachaches, anxiety, intestinal problems

Frankincense works well against ulcers, diarrhea, nervous conditions, heartburn/acid reflux

Make up a roller bottle and try TummyEase today!  You'll be glad you did!

If you don't have all of these essential oils on hand, you can purchase this blend at Sonshine Botanicals.

Thanks for stopping by!
Dawn

 All of these essential oils, fractionated coconut oil and the roller bottle can be purchased at Spark Naturals.
Use code "sonshine" for a 10% discount.

106th Wildcrafting Wednesday

ENERGIZE Me! Scrub

This is an incredible body scrub!  

Not only does it smell fabulous, but it really wakes you up in the morning and energizes you!!  

It is almost as good as having that first cup of morning coffee!

I first saw this scrub: Mint Java Body Scrub over at Creating Naturally and knew I had to try it (I mean, who wouldn't with a name like that, right?)  And, Mindy graciously allowed me to use her recipe and blog about it, too.  Thank you, Mindy. 

So, I tried it---oooh how wonderful it smells!!  

However, it was a little too runny and I wasn't very fond of having my bathtub or shower full of coffee grounds at the end! But, I really could excuse that and did...and kept using it.  I was so ENERGIZED after my bath and my skin felt so good and I smelled good!!

 

But, I got to thinking how to get rid of the coffee grounds and still have the flavor and energy from the coffee and a nice scrubby feel when using it.

So, I decided to steep the grounds in the almond oil.  I had no idea how long to do this to get a full coffee aroma.  Finally decided that I would leave it for two weeks and then strain out the grounds.

I did it and then added more sugar to the recipe to keep the scrubby feel since you lose some of that without the grounds in there.

ENERGIZE Me! Scrub

First

Steep 1/2 cup of sweet almond oil with 1 cup of coffee grounds in a glass jar for two weeks.

2 Weeks Later: 

2 cups sugar

1 cup brown sugar

30 drops peppermint essential oil

1/2 cup coffee flavored sweet almond oil

In a bowl, mix all ingredients together (inhale the yummy aroma!)  Be ENERGIZED!!

This will make about 3 - 8 oz. containers of scrub.  You could put this scrub into 4 oz. jars and make it go further.  

This scrub would make awesome gifts.  In fact, I made it and gave them all away...so fast in fact...that I don't have a picture of the scrub itself to show you.  And....I'm still waiting on my next batch to finish steeping so I can whip it up!!

RUN for the shower with your jar.  Don't let anyone else smell it or use it...or you won't have anymore.  Be sure to hide it and don't tell anyone about it....

um...
I mean make a double or triple batch, share it with the world, make another batch and another...and let's all unite with  
ENERGIZE Me! Scrub!

 Wouldn't you like some today??!!

Bummer, it takes 2 weeks to steep those grounds in the almond oil.  You might could do it for less time...or, you could possibly just click over to the Sonshine Botanicals store and purchase it...then you'll have it in just a few days!  How's that?!!

Or if you don't care about coffee grounds in your shower or bathtub...use Mindy's recipe!

I think it's a total win/win situation!

:)

Now, why should you use this scrub...besides the fact that it smells so yummy??

The sweet almond oil is moisturizing to your skin.

The antioxidants in coffee help to rid your skin of toxins.

The caffeine increases circulation and reduces water retention.

The caffeine also stimulates your blood flow by dilating the vessels and that will tone and tighten your skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite.

 The sugar exfoliates your skin.

The peppermint essential oil cools and refreshes the skin and elevates the senses. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Dawn

Don't forget you can purchase the sweet almond oil and the peppermint essential oil at Spark Naturals.
Be sure to use code "sonshine" for a 10% discount.

106th Wildcrafting Wednesday

ReFresh--A DIY Sanitizing, Deodorizing, Cleaning Blend

Are you tired of several different cleaning blends for each and every area of your house?  

Me, too.  

Too many different things to make, etc.  
I love how this blend will work for so many different things--not everything, mind you....but there are a lot of different uses for ReFresh.


This is a great all-purpose, cleansing blend of essential oils.  It has sanitizing, purifying and deodorizing properties.

ReFresh Concentrate

6 drops Cilantro essential oil

8 drops Citronella essential oil

20 drops Lemon essential oil

31 drops White Fir essential oil

13 drops Lime essential oil

7 drops Melaleuca essential oil

This will give you 85 drops of oils and will fill an empty 5 ml essential oil bottle.

ReFresh Spray Cleaner
Add 35 or more drops to a 16 oz. bottle of vinegar for an all-purpose cleaner.

**Use this as an antiseptic/antibacterial/anti-viral cleaner and wipe down countertops, kitchen table, doorknobs, refrigerator (especially the handles), front of dishwasher, stove handles, microwave, outside of toilets, inc. 

**This spray blend works well on windows, too.

**We used it to get rid of the mold on our grill...inside and out.
  
 **It's a great cleaner for all things mold and dirt that covers your outdoor lawn furniture after a really wet summer.

**Spray it in trash cans to get rid of odor.

**Spray on carpet where puppy thinks it's the potty area. Make sure to sop up all the pee first.  It cleans and gets rid of the odor.  I typically spray in the area once a week to keep the fresh EO smell so puppy won't "go" there again.

 **A great deodorizing spray for bags (like duffel or gym bags).

**Use it as a Fe-breeze type spray on furniture!

Other Uses:
We mix ReFresh with witch hazel and spray in stinky shoes every night for a wonderful "Stinky Feet No More" Spray (click link to see blog post about this one).  

Diffuse ReFresh in rooms that have an odd odor and in vehicles. 

Place a few drops of ReFresh in the rinse cycle of your laundry.  I use vinegar in my rinse dispenser and just add a few drops of ReFresh in with it.

Add a spray top to the 5 ml ReFresh bottle and you have an instant anti-itch spray....we call it "Stop that Itch"!!  You can use witch Hazel for a carrier, if needed.

And...
when you think you've encountered poison ivy.  Just spray it on and rub it in...rub on your flip flops, too.  It stops poison ivy in it's tracks!! 

Each of the oils properties are:

Cilantro is antibacterial

Citronella is antifungal, antibacterial, antiseptic, tonic and stimulant

Lemon is antiseptic, antidepressant, antifungal, antiviral, astringent

White Fir is analgesic, antiseptic, and stimulant

Lime is antibacterial, antiseptic, antiviral, restorative and tonic

Melaleuca is analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-infectious.

Mix up some ReFresh today!  I think you'll be glad you did! 
   
Most of these oils can be purchased at Spark Naturals.
Use code "Sonshine" for a 10% discount.

Thanks for stopping by!
Dawn 

This post contains affiliate links
Be sure to click the links below for some great blog hops and awesome posts!!

Lovely Ladies Linky
Homemaking Linkup
Healthy2Day Wednesdays
Natural Living Monday 
104th Wildcrafting Wednesday
Natural Living Linkup

Cold & Cough Chest Salve

I've made this stuff for years and it really works!  

We use Cold/Cough Chest Salve on the bottoms of our feet, upper lip, neck and chest when we feel like we might be coming down with something and most times we can knock it out overnight before it becomes anything!  YAY!  

It will help to clear sinuses...you can rub right over the bridge of your nose.

Runny, yucky, icky nose...bottoms of feet and upper lip.

Sore throat...just rub down side of the neck

It really does knock out a cough...rub liberally on chest area and upper lip!!

Sometimes we don't catch it quick enough and we do get sick...but this sure relieves the symptoms and helps us sleep better.  

I decided to use Rebecca's salve recipe from Camp Wander this time.  I love the coconut oil and olive oil in this instead of the dreaded vegetable oil that I used to use...Oh my!!  (What was I thinking?)

This batch is a little bit softer than I normally like...so I will probably add more beeswax next time.

(I did already increase to 5 T).  It will still work, though! :)

Cold/Cough Chest Salve

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup virgin coconut oil

5 T. beeswax

40 drops peppermint essential oil

40 drops eucalyptus essential oil

40 drops lemon essential oil

40 drops melaleuca essential oil

10 drops Shield essential oil blend (clove, cinnamon, lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary)

I use a double boiler and add the oils and beeswax.  Set it on a medium-low heat to melt the beeswax.  Once melted I take it off the burner, move the double boiler to sit in an empty pan and add the essential oils.  Stir and then pour.

This makes approximately 4 - 4 oz. jars of salve.

Uses for Peppermint include:

asthma, bacterial infections, fever, flu, MRSA, sinusitis, throat infections, bronchitis.

Properties:

analgesic (for pain), antibacterial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral

Eucalyptus 

Uses include: asthma, bronchitis, congestion, coughs, expectorant, fever, flu, pneumonia, respiratory viruses, sinusitis, hay fever

Properties:

analgesic, antibacterial, anticatarrhal (inflammation of mucous membranes) anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, expectorant

Lemon 

Uses include: colds, dry throat, fever, flu, throat infection, tonsillitis, asthma, MRSA

Properties:

antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant

Melaleuca 

Uses include: allergies, bacterial infections, bronchitis, colds, coughs, ear infection, earache, flu, MRSA, sore throat, staph infection, tonsillitis, viral infections

Properties:

analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antiseptic, antiviral, decongestant, expectorant, immune stimulant

Shield Blend 

Uses include: bacterial infections, breathing, stimulates the immune system, infection, pneumonia, viral infections, fever, fungal infections, bronchitis, flu, sinusitis, cholera

Properties:

analgesic, antibacterial, anticatarrhal, antifungal, anti-infectious, antioxidant, expectorant, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antiseptic, anti-spasmodic, antiviral, immune stimulant

 source:  Modern Essentials, 4th Edition

All of these essential oils can be purchased at Spark Naturals!

Use code "sonshine" for a 10% discount.

Make some up...you'll be glad you did!!  I'd love for you to come back and comment once you've made it!  Let me know what you think and let others know, too!

And, if you don't have all the ingredients, you can purchase Cold/Cough Chest Salve via paypal through Sonshine Botanicals rather than making it yourself.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dawn 

Check out all the great posts at the 103rd Wildcrafting Wednesday!

Natural Living Linkup
Lovely Ladies Linky Healthy2day Wednesdays   

Sign Up for Spark Naturals Affiliate Program!

Did you know that Spark Naturals offers an affiliate program?  

YOU can be an affiliate for Spark Naturals!

Why would you want to?  

You can share about Spark Naturals affordable, pure essential oils with friends and family and earn a small commission  for your family when you do! 

How awesome is that?!!  

Each product purchased using your own code or link means $$ building up for your family.  See the commission sheets below for information on the amount you earn for each product.

Commissions--Essential Oils 

Commissions--Blends and Kits
Commissions--Accessories 
Commissions--ESpa

This is a very simple and effective way to get the word out about these wonderful, affordable oils! And, you get to offer an additional 10% discount.  You'll receive your own unique discount code. You can even use this same code when placing orders for your own 10% discount. 

Have you tried Spark Naturals essential oils, yet?  If not, better get to it quickly...you're missing out!  Spark Naturals will be looking to see that you at least know a little bit about their products before approving you as an affiliate for their company.  This is the only requirement to join as an affiliate.

And, if you haven't, try the Oil of The Month Club...it's the best option, yet.  You get a 15 ml bottle of oil once a month for $15.99 including shipping!  That's a GREAT deal!  August's Oil of the Month is Shield. See this post on how we use it...Germs Aside!

Click here to Sign Up

That's it!

You will also have the ability of recruiting affiliates and earning a commission off of them as well.  

I'd like to recruit you as an affiliate....will you join The GRAY Area's team?  

Please put Dawn Gray or The GRAY Area on your affiliate agreement and we can work together in educating others about essential oils and a new company on the scene that is growing by leaps and bounds!

Are you ready to start on a new journey?  Begin today!

Thanks for stopping by!
Dawn

It's Back To School Time~! Essential Oil Blends I Would Not Be Without...

BACK TO SCHOOL....

what does that bring to mind? 

**************

Lots of kids congregated together in small spaces

unwashed hands

noses being picked

sneezing

coughing

spitting

drinking/eating after each other

ugh! :0(

yep, that about sums it up.

Unless, you homeschool like we do!  But, there's still the...

WalMart trips
church
sports activities
music lessons
playdates with friends 

So the above mentioned yuckies still apply! :0(

and germs ABOUND!

So, what's a mom to do? Well, this mom, in case you haven't noticed....uses essential oils! 

My two favorite items to have around in situations like this....pretty much all year....but, especially fall/winter is my Germs Aside and Sonshine Hand Sanitizer.  

Everybody can benefit from these blends...public school-ers and homeschool-ers alike!

We use these every day...several times a day.

I make up roller bottles of fractionated coconut oil and Spark Naturals Shield Blend and Wild Orange to rub on the bottoms of our feet--this is our Germs Aside.  We do this at bedtime and when we get dressed in the mornings and, after we homeschool if we have to go on errands.  My 2 yr. old, Judah calls it "tickle" and we giggle and laugh since it does tickle as you rub it on your feet.  I also just rub on my hands and pat on everyone's hair and clothes before we leave.

Here's my "recipe":

Germs Aside
6 drops Shield
4 drops Wild Orange
Fill 1/3 oz. roller bottle with fractionated coconut oil

We use Sonshine Hand Sanitizer all the time while we are out.  We get back in the van after each stop and pass the bottle around.  My 2 yr. old begs for it, too!!

Sonshine Hand Sanitizer
6 drops Shield
4 drops Lemon
3 drops Grapefruit
2 drops Lavender
2 drops Cinnamon
Put drops in 1 oz. spray bottle and fill with witch hazel
 or you could double the recipe and put it in this 2 oz. bottle from Spark Naturals.

These blends are antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-septic!

All of these essential oils and the Shield Blend can be purchased at  Spark Naturals including the 10 ml roll on bottles and spray bottle.

Don't forget to use code "sonshine" for a 10% discount! 

Here's to happy, healthy schooling!

Thanks for stopping by,
Dawn
Clever Chicks Blog Hop #49 

101st Wildcrafting Wednesday 

103rd Wildcrafting Wednesday