Music to My Ears Blend

 Hello Everyone.....
Well, it's about time I posted again!  Phew, sorry that I've been AWOL. 

I had to come up with a new blend this weekend for my ears.  It was a strange phenomenon.  I woke up Sunday morning feeling like I had fluid in my ears.  I also had a ringing/echo type of thing going on.  ugh!

So, I got out my essential oil books and got online for some quick research.  And, I found some oils that will compliment each other and hopefully rid my ears of this fluid and stop the ringing/echo.

These are the oils I decided to put together in a blend, due to their properties and common uses for problems with the ear:

Basil  antibacterial, anti-inflamatory, decongestant
Eucalyptus  antibacterial, anti-inflamatory, antiviral, expectorant
Lavender   antihistamine, anti-inflamatory, regenerative
Peppermint  antibacterial, anti-inflamatory, antiviral

Here's the recipe:

Music To My Ears Blend

3 drops Basil Essential Oil

2 drops Peppermint Essential Oil

2 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil

2 drops Lavender Essential Oil

Fractionated Coconut Oil

1/6 oz. roller bottle

This blend was a true help and I was even able to sing and worship at church on Sunday...although I did still have some ringing-it was much better and by mid-afternoon it was completely gone.  I'm still waking up with the slight feel of fluid in my ears, so I'm continuing to use it each morning and whenever I need it.  

I roll this blend behind my ears and down my neck right below them.  

 

Quick note: I am no longer an affiliate for Spark Naturals, due to their manufacturing, marketing and selling my ReFresh Blend without my consent.  So, I will no longer link to their oils in my posts.  If you are currently purchasing from them using my old code "sonshine" you need to find and use someone else's code.  Thanks so much for your support through the years. (Hopefully, throughout this summer I can revise all my old posts and remove the links.  Thanks for your patience.) 

I so appreciate you stopping by The Gray Area for a little bit of Sonshine in the Wildwood!!

Thanks,

Dawn

Homeschool Voice Level Chart

Hello everyone!  I know I've been a little AWOL, here lately.  We just always seem to have too much going on.  

Can you relate?  I'm sure most of you can.

 

We've started our homeschool year and are loving it so far.  

I'm wanting to share more homeschool type posts with you as we go through our homeschool year.  So, hopefully some of you will benefit from these.  Please comment below and let me know if you are a homeschool family.

I'll still be posting about essential oils because we truly love the essential oil life.  There will be more of these posts coming soon, also.

This is something that we just started today and it should help bring great improvement to our homeschool days and every day in between.  

Are you having trouble keeping the voice levels down in your home? 

We ARE! 

I have a 4 year old who just screams pretty much everything he says. 

I think it's the "baby of 5" syndrome. 

He is desperate to be heard! 

Well, thanks to my sister, Lora Joy Adzima (A Speech Therapist for Knox County Schools) we now have a really handy voice level chart to help teach my son the right level of voice to use! 

I just printed and laminated it this morning. He responded well. 

 We talked about the colors, numbers and the pictures to help give him a feel for what each level is about and then we practiced the level in our voices to show him the level his voice should be at for each different scenario in our home.  

Also, this will help me when I'm working with Hannah or Caleb and I can remind him by saying "Judah, look at your voice level chart....where are you?"  "Where should you be?"

We also printed and laminated one to keep in the van.

Can you feel the excitement in this mama's heart to get these changes incorporated into our home?!!  My ears are singing instead of ringing...and, "It makes me wanna shout!"  

Um...well, I'll have to keep my voice level down because that's for outside use.  So, excuse me for a moment while I run outside and shout (oops...can't run in the house either, so I'll just walk quickly)

hehehe! 

This mama's sanity might soon return ;) !
 
Ok, ok....I hear all that giggling and laughing.  I know this will not fix my sanity problem, but every little bit helps, right? And one can always HOPE!!

 If you need this chart, please comment below and I'll be happy to email you the pdf file.

Thanks for stopping by,
Dawn

Burn Spritzer

Sunburned?

Rope Burn?

Stove Burn?

Rash?

Bruised?

If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, then you need some Burn Spritzer.

It's very easy to make and have on hand.

It's very soothing and healing on your skin and smells good, too! 

BURN SPRITZER

4 drops helichrysum essential oil

4 drops lavender essential oil

4 drops geranium essential oil

Aloe Vera Juice

1 oz. Spray Bottle

Try making some today.  Click on any of the essential oils above and the link will take you straight to Spark Naturals to purchase these.  Use code "sonshine" at checkout for a 10% discount.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dawn

Lavender Essential Oil

I've honestly never been much of a fan of lavender essential oil, mainly because of it's smell.

Ironically, It seems like that's the reason that most people love it! (yes, I'm just weird that way).

Even though I don't enjoy the smell of lavender, it's a powerhouse in the essential oil arena and we use it quite a lot.

We were on a weekend vacation (the first in 10 years--wow!) and I received two wasp stings.  OUCH!  Those little buggers make quite a wallop!  I was just walking along minding my own business and guess I stepped into their territory.

I went straight for my burn spritzer and sprayed it on the stings.  Within 20 minutes you couldn't even tell I'd been stung.  I love that about essential oils. 


Lavender is one of the essential oils in this blend.

Here's my recipe:

Burn Spritzer
4 drops helichrysum essential oil

4 drops lavender essential oil

4 drops geranium essential oil

Aloe Vera Juice

1 oz.  spray bottle

 

This is a very versatile spray that we use for many different things like 

 

sunburn

kitchen burn

rope burns

blisters

stings

 

Here's a family photo from our vacation

 

And how about this wonderful information on lavender:

"A study in the journal Holistic Nursing Practice found that smelling lavender and rosemary essential oils reduced test-taking stress in a group of graduate nursing students. This was “evidenced by lower scores on test-anxiety measures, personal statements and pulse rates,” according to the research.

Another study in the journal Psychiatry Research found that when sniffed for five minutes, both rosemary oil and lavender oil decreased levels of cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone,” in participants."

 

 

Bloating and poor digestion can result from an overgrowth of "bad" bacteria (which can happen when you take antibiotics). "The polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) in lavender can help reduce the 'bad' bacteria in your gut," says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, author of Doctor's Detox Diet and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

 

And more good news....lavender can help with dandruff!

 

Dandruff is a very common issue that can be embarrassing and very frustrating to eradicate.

All Natural ~ Essential Oil Protocol:

Warm 2-3 TBSPs oil (coconut, olive, almond and/or avocado are top choices) in a cup.

Add: 15 drops Lavender EO, 2 drops Melaleuca EO & 2 - 3 drops Rosemary.

Using a comb, part your hair down the middle and on both sides. Apply warm mixture with a dropper bottle and massage into scalp. Wrap a plastic bag around head and hair and let sit for 30 - 45 minutes before washing out.
Repeat as needed - it may take 2-3 treatments to see complete results.

 

If you are part of Spark Naturals Oil of the Month Club then you just received Rosemary as May's Oil of the Month.  Well, even greater news...Lavender is the June Oil of the Month.

What, you've not heard of the Oil of the Month Club?!  It's a simple, affordable way to purchase essential oils.  You will get a 15 ml bottle of a different essential oil each month for only $15.99 per month and it includes tax and shipping--this is a discounted price on each oil, too.  What a deal, right?!  Sign up today--Spark Naturals Oil of the Month Club. 

Well, now that I've shared some ways to use lavender, tell me, how do you use lavender essential oil?  Please be sure and comment below.

As always, purchase quality essential oils at Spark Naturals and use code "sonshine" for a 10% discount on your order.  Also, be sure to watch my facebook page--The GRAY Area for the deals of the month and other sales!

Thanks for stopping by!

Dawn

It's That Time Again

 IT IS THAT TIME AGAIN....

Yep, we all love (notice the sarcasm here!) this part of the Spring and Summer.  It's the time that bugs and insects become more of a pest than normal.  Those pesky mosquitos...

And, this is why I love essential oils!  And, Spark Naturals!

So, use your essential oils to keep the pests away.

We keep a large spray bottle by the front door--the quickest path to our treehouse play area.  The kids spray themselves down with this and it keeps the mosquitos and all the other pests from biting.  

One thing to note here....this spray does not work if it stays in the bottle!  hehehe!  When we don't use it, we get bit/stung. 

Be sure to shop Spark Naturals for all your essential oil needs.  Use code "sonshine" for a 10% discount on your order.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dawn

DIY Toothpaste--True Tooth Grit

True Tooth Grit

(Another favorite Re-post)

Yeah, it's a spin-off name of the famous John Wayne movie--True Grit. That John Wayne sure had grit and so did young Maddie! They were both brave, passionate and motivated to catch a criminal.  I don't know about you, but I like a toothpaste that does the same thing...

SORT OF...

a toothpaste that is brave, passionate and motivated to catch a germ. 

(without all the chemicals that most toothpastes are laden with)

I want it to be brave to get inside my germ-laden mouth, 

passionate about fighting germs in there, and motivated to ridding my teeth, tongue and gums of them! 

And, I like my toothpaste to have grit--the kind that cleans really well.  My husband says "you mean to tell me I'm cleaning my teeth with dirt?"  

Yep! {grin}

 Honestly, since I've been using this my teeth and mouth have never felt cleaner.

True Tooth Grit

1 cup Bentonite Clay

1 cup Baking Soda
1 tsp. Xylitol

2 teaspoons kosher salt

6 drops Wintergreen essential oil

6 drops Clove Bud essential oil

6 drops Cinnamon Bark essential oil

 water
(recipe updated 7/5/16)

Bentonite Clay--neutralizes acid, removes bacteria filled organic matter, eliminates toxins from metals in your mouth, and promotes healthy gums

Baking Soda--neutralizes stains and odors, polishes and whitens

Xylitol--optional for flavoring

Kosher Salt--can heal sores or irritations in the mouth

Wintergreen EO--analgesic, antiseptic,

Clove Bud EO--analgesic, antibacterial, anti-infectious, antiseptic

Cinnamon Bark EO--antibacterial, antiseptic and astringent


Mix all ingredients except for the water.  Once blended well, add water until it's the consistency you like.  Fills approximately six 4 oz. canning jars. I use a plastic canning lid on these because the regular lids will definitely rust because of the salt.

Some do not like the idea of dipping their toothbrush into a jar of toothpaste due to the germ factor.  Well, we just keep a small jar full of water with a few drops of Shield essential oil blend in it.  We clean our toothbrush with it after each use...that keeps it clean for dipping in the jar of True Tooth Grit.  Just dip only once and give each family member their own jar!

Thanks for stopping by,
Dawn

This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday.

ReFresh--A DIY Sanitizing, Deodorizing, Cleaning Blend

It's Spring Cleaning Time!!

So I am re-posting a favorite blend.
(See the original post from September, 2013 here:  http://sonshineinthewildwood.blogspot.com/2013/09/refresh-diy-sanitizing-deodorizing.html )

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! 

   

Essential oils can be purchased at Spark Naturals.
Use code "Sonshine" for a 10% discount.

Thanks for stopping by!
Dawn