Chatting with Andrea & Brian

These recipes were shared by fellow oiler, Sara Sterling, and I had to pass them along to you! Let us know what flavor options you fall in love with! 

A great way to share YL during this festive season is through the Vitality oils! These recipes below are great for gift giving – for teachers, neighbors, secret santa, hostesses...and virtually anyone you can think of!

1. Vitality Oil Infused Salt

You can use an almost empty bottle of vitality oil and add the salt of your choice to it. Let it sit for at least 24 hours and it will infuse the salt. You can also put some salt in a bowl and add a couple drops of your vitality oil of choice, then place your infused salt in a fun container (think test tubes, jars, etc) and create a cute label for it with ideas on how to use it.

This is the same concept as the salt above. You can use any type sugar. Turbinado, sanding or coconut sugar have larger crystals, which looks beautiful on top of roll-out cookies.

Use Lemon, Lavender or Peppermint Vitality oil infused sugar to sprinkle on top of sugar cookies or Christmas cutouts. You can also flavor your coffee or hot cocoa (Peppermint or Cinnamon Bark Vitality oils are my faves!) Alternatively, you can use these infused sugars in place of regular sugar in your favorite recipes for an extra punch of flavor!

These are simply my favorite. Use your chocolate or almond bark of choice and follow the directions for melting.  Add in a few drops (according to taste) of your favorite Vitality oils. I did 3 large scoops of chocolate into a ramekin and added 3 drops total. Dip in pretzels, then lay on parchment paper or cooling racks to dry. Don’t dry them on your plates – trust me, I did this and it was a disaster trying to get them off!

White Chocolate or Vanilla Almond Bark

· Lemon Vitality

· Key Lime – Lime Vitality and vanilla extract

· Lavender Vitality

· Chai – Cinnamon Bark, Ginger, Cardamom Vitality oils

Chocolate or Chocolate Almond Bark

· Orange Vitality

· Spicy Mocha – Cinnamon Bark Vitality, sprinkle cayenne powder on top before chocolate hardens

You can decorate your pretzels with sprinkles, opposite chocolate, or anything you want. Place them into cupcake liners inside a tin or a treat bag. (Really, anything works.) Add a cute label. Avery.com has free templates and you can print them or have Avery print them.

Have fun and enjoy! Happy DIYing!

Let's face it - most of us either overeat on Thanksgiving or we eat foods that we normally keep out of our daily diet. Neither one of those scenarios make for the happiest of digestives systems. 

Don't worry - your Premium Starter Kit has just the support you need. If you haven't discovered it already, Lemon, Peppermint and DiGize Vitality oils are about to become your new, best friends!

Two other additions that are highly recommended would be either Essentialzyme or Essentialzymes-4 and Life 9. 

Enzymes are crucial to the digestion and assimilation of food and play a primary role in promoting gut health.  Probiotics are bacteria that line your digestive tract and support your body's ability to absorb nutrients and fight infection.   They also support immune function and healthy digestion.  You can read more about the importance of each and determine for yourself which of the 4 enzyme options that Young Living offers is right for you by clicking on the links above. In the meantime, here's a bit of information at a glance.

This holiday season, may you gobble 'til you wobble and not regret it! Enjoy!

Let's be real. While the holidays can be a time of joy, celebration and love, it can also be one of the most stressful times of the year. 

Pressure to find the "perfect" gifts, stay in budget, get all the shopping done, attend and host parties, have clothing that you feel good in for those parties, and being with family and friends who might not be the easiest to be around all take their toll on our emotional health. 

Not only that, the holidays can be extremely difficult for those who are missing a loved one or who are apart from those they love, including our military families.

Thankfully, there are a lot of oily options that provide incredible emotional support. Young Living even has a Feelings Collection of oils specific to the task. The oils in that collection (Harmony, Forgiveness, Inner Child, Present Time, Release, Valor) really are some of my top favorites for emotional support. When I explain what kind of support the oils provide when it comes to emotional health, I always say that those particular oils are their name.  

While I would definitely recommend investing in the Feelings Collection (Item #3125, $181 whsl, $238.16 retail), I'm going to highlight for you 6 of my favorite emotional support oils that I rely on throughout the year, but especially during the holiday season. (Two happen to also be included in the Feelings Collection.) These oils can be diffused, applied on the wrists or behind the ears, or even over the heart.

Stress Away - it does what it's named. I affectionately call it my "liquid gold" and I carry it in my purse wherever I go. This is a "don't ever be without it oil" in my opinion. Developed to help support the body's natural response to stress, you'll love it's ability to bring calm to your inner world. It also comes in a roll-on!

Tranquil - Stress not your nemesis, but occasional anxious feelings your thing? Tranquil will be your best friend! It comes in a roll-on, making it extra handy. Because of that, this is topical application only. 

Valor - Need a little liquid courage this holiday season? Valor will help you feel empowered, confident and grounded. Valor was our gateway into the oily world and I always call it my "desert island oil." If I were stranded and could only have ONE oil, VALOR would be it!

Release - Got powerful emotions that you just wish you could let go of? This is your oil for emotional release and balance! This oil can be diffused, but I especially like to apply it topically on my wrists and over my heart. I also take deep breaths of it from what I've applied to my wrists. 

Peace & Calming - This oil is truly its name. Lots of mommas love using this oil with their little ones, particularly during those more challenging hours of the day and at bedtime. Many oilers wear this throughout the day like perfume. It will have you singing, "All is calm..." this holiday season!

Joy - wonderfully floral, this oil is another that really is its name. Did you know that it was originally named "Love"? Try diffusing 1-2 drops with Citrus Fresh to bring the sunshine in through these shorter days. It's also wonderful worn like perfume.

White Angelica - Feeling a little negative and cranky? This oil is great for energy balance and spiritual awareness. It's known to be a "protecting" oil and is a sweet reminder of the angels watching over us.  Many apply it to their shoulders. It's also great applied to the pulse points or diffused. This oil can only be purchased via Essential Rewards.

All of these oils are great for kids, too! Do your research for any needed dilution ratios. Your kids will love these oils as much as you do!

Bonus: Here's the protocol for using the Feelings Collection!

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is what oils will help promote a better night's rest? There are a number of options available to choose from for your preferred protocol. Let's talk about a few of my favorites.

One of the great ways you can prepare your body (or your kids') for a restful night's sleep is by enjoying a warm, relaxing Epsom salt bath. This is my favorite DIY bath salt recipe.

2 cups Epsom Salts

½ cup baking soda

8 – 10 drops YLEOs of choice

Kit Oil Suggestions: Lavender, Stress Away, Citrus Fresh, Copaiba, Raven, PanAway

Mix the Epsom salt & baking soda in a non-plastic bowl.  Add the YLEOs and mix well. 

To use, pour into warm bath as you're filling the tub. Use 1/2 cup for large garden tub, 1/4 cup for standard tub. 

FOR BEDTIME: from the above suggestions use Lavender, Stress Away, Copaiba, or Peace & Calming.

There are lots of wonderful diffuser blends that help promote a good night's rest. Here are a few favorites:

What's my personal, bedtime protocol? Easy peasy!

I rub 2 drops of Lavender between my palms, then I rub my palms over my pillow and rub any extra over my face, neck and chest. Instant aromatic and topical benefits! I find that Lavender helps quiet my thoughts and as I relax, I drift off to sleep. 

I also apply a bit of Cedarwood to the bottoms of my big toes (one of the places that you can apply and oils will cross the blood-brain barrier the fastest). I find that Cedarwood promotes a restful night's sleep for me throughout the night. 

Lately, I've also enjoyed adding the blend Dream Catcher to my sleep routine. I apply Dream Catcher to the bottom of my big toes and the center of my forehead when I crawl into bed and it's a GOOD night, sleep tight kinda night! I've had some pretty amazing dreams, too... Our youngest son (age 15) used it and slept restfully for 14 hours!  

Roman Chamomile - when this oil comes back in stock, RUN and get as many bottles as you can! Wonderfully relaxing, this is definitely a favorite!!!

Valerian - this oil may not be your favorite smell, but if you're needing extra support, apply it to the bottoms of your feet, wear socks and sleep tight! 

A member favorite supplement that many people add to their ER orders monthly because of the way it promotes restful sleep for them is SleepEssence.

While kids certainly benefit from using oils such as Lavender, Peace & Calming and Gentle Baby, Young Living developed a nighttime oil just for younger oilers called SleepyIze. (But we won't tell if you decide to use it for yourself! Adults love it, too!)

Last, but not least, you can also make a special bedtime pillow spray for your kiddos using Lavender and Peace & Calming (Angela Price, The Mix).

In a spray bottle combine:
1 c. Distilled Water
5 drops Peace & Calming
5 drops Lavender
Shake before spritzing pillows 

My friend, I bid you and your family GOOD night!

Keeping our theme of "A Few of My Favorite Things" going, I wanted to share with you 6 of my favorite holiday recipes that I've gathered over the years and found to be a huge hit! Just in time for your holiday planning and perfect for parties, hostess gifts, neighbor gifts and holiday gatherings, you'll be loved by all when you make these delicious, VITALITY OIL infused recipes!

This cheese "crack" - umm...BALL - recipe is the #1 favorite recipe I've ever made -  hands down! Totally addicting, I can promise you won't have any leftovers and you'll have people begging you for the recipe! Sage, Marjoram, Thyme, and Black Pepper Vitality Oils give this recipe it's incredible flavor!

#2 on the list is Peppermint Fudge (or brownies). Peppermint Vitality Oil provides a burst of minty flavor that you'll LOVE! I like to add 6-10 drops of Peppermint Vitality, but start with 3 drops and see if you'd like to add more. This also makes a GREAT gift!

#3...if you need fun nibble to leave out at a party or to enjoy during a family movie, try this yummy Rosemary Popcorn recipe! Made with Rosemary Vitality Oil, the savory flavor will keep you coming back for more! Not a fan of Rosemary? Check out the other Vitality Oil options listed in the recipe!

#4 is another holiday favorite that reminds me of visiting grandparents and neighbors throughout the season. There always seemed to be a dish of nuts sitting out to tide you over until the meal was ready. This is a fresh twist on that family favorite using your Vitality Oil of choice - Rosemary, Basil, Sage, Marjoram, Thyme or Cinnamon.

#5 is a twist on a favorite, family recipe that we've enjoyed for years. I simply traded out the orange juice for Orange Vitality Oil. What a wonderful, citrusy burst of flavor it added! Try it as part of your Thanksgiving meal or for enjoy it during the morning parade! Drop off a batch at a neighbor's house and you'll make their day!

No holiday season would be complete without #6 - hot apple cider! Infused with immune supporting Vitality Oils in both recipes, you'll not only love the flavors, your body will thank you!

BONUS RECIPE: Healthy Butternut Squash Soup (Young Living Blog)

I've made and enjoyed this recipe before and I literally just got the ingredients to  make it tomorrow for the first time this season. Click on the picture below or the link above to access the recipe and watch the video of it being made. 

Mangia! Buen Apetito! Enjoy!