Chatting with Andrea & Brian

Did you know that each month, Young Living gives special gifts to all those who share their love of the oils and HELP 5 people get started on their own oily journeys? This month, Young Living is REALLY going above and beyond! Read on to learn more! 

HELP 5 is usually thought of as being a business-building program that helps YL leaders looking to grow their teams and strengthen their members.  Even if you aren't actively growing a YL business, you can still earn these incredible gifts for free when you HELP 5 of your friends and family get started on their own oily journeys. Not only that, you'll get a $50 thank you check from YL for each person you enroll, totaling $250 when you enroll 5. (You do need to place a 50 PV order of your own to  get paid.) What would you do with an extra $250??? 

You'll want to be sure to support your friends and family and teach them how to make the most out of their new oils and YL products.  If you'd rather not take on that responsibility, we would love to support them and give you a $25 referral for each person.

You earn 1 point for each of the following:

*New Essential Rewards enrollment include members that have not been on the program for 6 months or more."

Once you reach 5 points this August, YL will send you a 5-ml bottle of Roman Chamomile essential oil and five versatile magnetic oil clips. Stick them on your fridge so your oft-used Vitality™ oils are just within reach, or attach them to a magnetic board to keep your favorite essential oils right where you need them! 

Roman Chamomile is calming and soothing for children and adults alike. It promotes restful sleep, relaxes the mind, supports youthful skin, and soothes muscles following exercise.

YL has also announced an added bonus to August’s Help 5. For the entire month, all members who earn 10 points will receive a 5-ml bottle of Rose ($191 whsl value!!!) There are 22 pounds of rose petals in every 5 ml bottle, resulting in it being one of the most valuable oils you can acquire! WOW! Rose has long been prized for it's skin supporting qualities, as well as its alluring, intoxicating scent. It's calming, balancing and it promotes a sense of well-being and confidence.

Happy August! 

Summer is winding down and both life and the seasons are about to shift. Even though it happens every year, it still sneaks up on us, and by the time back to school is here  (our son started today) and summer is ending, we feel completely unprepared. Thankfully, now that we have oils in our lives, we're more prepared for whatever life throws at us. It's important, before or even during the craziness, to take a little time and recharge the batteries. The oils in August's PV promos are all about that!

Both Spearmint and Ravintsara, the Essential Rewards exclusives this month, have refreshing qualities.  Spearmint supports a healthy metabolism, as well as the digestives system. and is so energizing when diffused! Ravintsara can be used to help focus your meditation or get the mind centered ,and is supportive of the upper respiratory system. 

Aroma Siez is a unique blend that helps soothe tired muscles and provides a similarly unique aromatic experience that can provide a calming feeling. Add Wintergreen with the Aroma Siez and a carrier oil to help  alleviate discomfort following exercise,  as well as invigorate and provide a cooling sensation when used in a massage after a long day. 

Plus, did you see that Bamboo Oil Bar? Keep it by your bed or on your desk to have a few of your favorite go-to oils near you all the time! 

Topping it off, we get a 5-ml bottle of Acceptance, offering extra feelings of confidence and self-worth to know that whatever is before us, we've got this. Because, we do. We've all got this.

100 PV:
Spearmint 5-ml*

190 PV:
Wintergreen 15-ml
Ravintsara 5-ml*
Spearmint 5-ml*

250 PV:
Aroma Siez 15-ml
Wintergreen 15-ml
Ravintsara 5-ml*
Spearmint 5-ml*

300 PV: 
Acceptance 5-ml
Bamboo Oil Bar
Aroma Siez 15-ml
Wintergreen 15-ml
Ravintsara 5-ml*
Spearmint 5-ml*

*Remember, in order to get the Essential Rewards Exclusive Spearmint 5-ml and the Essential Rewards Exclusive Ravintsara 5-ml, you have to be enrolled in Essential Rewards (ER) and have an order that meets the PV requirements for those items. The extra bonus of meeting these PV amounts with your ER order is that you get even more ER points to spend later!

With these promos, we'll have everything we need to take a moment to recharge and refresh and tackle the change of seasons and everything that comes with it. Some of these oils might be new to you, but I have a feeling you'll find some new favorites with them!

Happy August!

My friend, Becca Sutton, had this amazing idea - turn ball caps into personal diffusers! Great for kids and adults alike! 

Do your kids play sports? Check out this ball cap combo!

Have I ever talked to you about the limbic system?  You may remember hearing something about it when you first learned about essential oils.  (Of course, we covered a LOT of information then so, if you don’t remember, don’t feel bad.) 

The limbic system is a relatively small part of the brain but it is HUGE with regards to governing our emotions, memories and behaviors.  I won’t bother with all of the technical stuff; that’s what Google is for, right?  But here are a few specifics of what the limbic system is involved with:

 

Ever wonder why certain smells conjure up memories and even physical feelings so vividly? Our sense of smell is unique compared to our other senses  because it bypasses parts of the brain that other types of sensory information often can't.  This is the reason smells can often cause immediate and strong emotional reactions based on memories;  bringing us back to past events within milliseconds, making us feel a certain way based on past events, whether we realize why we’re suddenly feeling that way or not.

Essential oils can have dramatic effects on limbic function and how you feel. The fragrances they hold, make their way into your bloodstream then travel directly through the blood/brain barrier very quickly.  

Research shows that the olfactory bulb sends information to the hippocampus, and the hippocampus then passes it along to the main olfactory bulb. This is how memories and smells become tied together.  Once engaged, sensors emit strong emotional signals based on smells starting from your limbic system and spreading throughout the rest of your body to places like your heart and digestive tract.

Because essential oils can impact memory, balance hormone levels and  support healthy limbic system functions; scientific evidence shows that inhaling essential oils may be one of the fastest ways to create physiological or psychological benefits. These include decreasing anxiety, anger or even fatigue.

Because essential oils are absorbed into the bloodstream when they are inhaled, using a diffuser can help you experience the benefits of essential oils, or you can directly inhale them from the bottle or a cotton swab. For example, diffuse lavender to reduce stress, orange to improve your mood, frankincense for spiritual connection, and peppermint to improve focus and energy.

There is so much more to the limbic system and how it effects our physical and emotional well being but I’ll stop with the science there.  While I’m not a doctor or even a scientist, and therefore am limited in what I’m allowed to say, I encourage you to do your own research anytime you want to dig deeper into what essential oils may be able to do.

For today, I can tell you some of my favorite oils that support the limbic system function of balancing emotions.  Again, these are just a few of the amazing oil blends that D. Gary Young studied and formulated for emotional support.  There are others that may turn out to be your favorites.

Brain Power  

This is one I keep in my purse (along with Stress Away, Lavender and Peppermint).  Brain Power is a blend of essential oils high in sesquiterpenes—like Sacred Sandalwood, Blue Cypress, and Frankincense—to promote a sense of clarity and focus when used aromatically.  I don’t know about you, but I often find myself in a brain fog; usually when I feel overwhelmed or over-tired.  I apply Brain Power to the bottoms of my big toes and/or on my brain stem and crown of my head. It’s like getting a “second wind” to carry on. This one is a good choice for kids too, as is the next one.

Clarity  

When you need a boost of support for focus and sorting through information, I’d recommend Clarity.  I usually diffuse it, but you can apply it to the same areas as you would Brain Power. Clarity blends Basil, Rosemary, Peppermint, and other essential oils for an aroma that invites a sense of clarity and alertness.

Motivation  

The powerful scent of Motivation may promote feelings of action and accomplishment when diffused.  Don’t feel like getting after a project?  Is your “To Do” list longer than your arm?  Diffuse this for about 30 minutes and see what happens!  (That’s what I’ll be doing later today when I need to declutter my art supply closet.)

Maybe like me, you have some mindsets that need adjusting.  The oils in Transformation include Idaho Blue Spruce, Palo Santo, and Ocotea and this combination can empower you to replace negative beliefs with uplifting ones when diffused.  When my mind tells me “I can't,” I use this to move past limiting beliefs or destructive patterns toward a new and healthy mindset.

We all need a little mood lifting sometimes.  Some days, I don’t always know why, I just feel “off”.  Joy is great for uplifting my mood and balancing emotional ups and downs.  I usually apply it over my heart and on the back of my neck, but it’s also great in the diffuser so everyone can benefit from this sweet, citrusy, floral combination.

Every oil that comes in the Premium Starter Kit can have a benefit on your limbic system function. (Yes, even DiGize! ).  So, as you can guess, there could be an entire series just on essential oils for emotional support. 

For now, “Don’t Worry. Be Happy!”  (That song reference may be lost on some of you.  You know how to find it. ) ;)

Our family has done a lot of volunteer work with our local animal shelter and loved sharing that experience together. Did you know that July 5th is one of the busiest days of the year for animal shelters all over the country because the most number of pets get lost on the 4th? 

The reason is because pet owners sometimes underestimate how their pets will react to the loud fireworks going off around them and for those pets that are afraid, their instinct is to run and try to get away from the loud noises. If they are not restrained or on a leash, they could end up lost and may even get hurt while on the run. 

Regardless of whether or not your pet has shown any sign of fear toward fireworks before, you just never know how they will react. Not only that, there are other hazards that can harm pets during the festivities. 

Here are a few practical tips  from PetFinder to help you keep your furbabies safe on the 4th:

From an oily standpoint, there are a few different ways that we help keep our furkids happy and calm during 4th of July week. First, we make sure that we have our diffusers going in the evening to help keep our dogs relaxed and calm during the festivities that happen on multiple nights. We also put a drop or two of our chosen oil (usually Peace & Calming or Lavender) onto our palms, rub them together, then stroke their fur. We may instead rub a bit on their paws or the outsides of their ears. We also do this during thunderstorms to help calm our furbabies during a time that could otherwise be stressful to them.

Here are a few other essential oils that your furry friends may enjoy:

Stress Away
Acceptance
Valor

Try some different combos and see what works for you and your pets. If applying topically, do your research on dilution ratios, especially for smaller dogs. And if your furbabies don’t have to be outside on the 4th, please let them stay inside!

Happy 4th of July, one and ALL!!!