favoritethings

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!

'Tis the season for pumpkin EVERYTHING! Here are some favorite, pumpkin-themed, essential oil recipes perfect for the season!

CRUST
1 cup Einkorn Granola
1 cup Einkorn flour (or white flour)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 drops Thieves Vitality

FILLING
1 can pumpkin puree
1 can evaporated milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3 drops Clove Vitality
5 drops Nutmeg Vitality
5 drops Thieves Vitality

DIRECTIONS
Preheat over to 350. Crush Einkorn Granola in a blender to finely chop pieces. In a mixing bowl, stir together crushed granola, flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar. Mix in butter, vanilla, and drops of Thieves Vitality until mixture binds together. Press into the bottom of an 8x8 square baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, blend together pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, brown sugar, and eggs. Add vanilla, salt, and drops of Clove, Nutmeg, and Thieves Vitality. Pour mixture over the baked crust. Bake in oven for 40 minutes until golden on top and middle of pie just slightly jiggles. Remove from oven and all to cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least an hour to allow the pie to finish firming up. Cut into squares and serve with whip topping if desired. ENJOY!

Pumpkin Spice Coffee (Stephanie Ours)

Pumpkin Spice is back, baby!! But let’s be honest, those coffee store drinks aren’t exactly the best for you. 

Here’s how you can use your Vitality oils to create your own:

Mix together in an empty (and clean) 15ml bottle
-20 drops Nutmeg Vitality
-10 drops Ginger Vitality
-30 drops Clove Vitality
-20 drops Orange Vitality
-30 drops Cinnamon Bark Vitality

Swirl it all together. Now for the fun part. Infusing your coffee!!!

1. Open a new bag of your favorite Fair-trade organic coffee. 

Stick your nose in the bag and inhale deeply (Ok, you can skip that part, but seriously, not much smells better ).
2. Drop in 30-50 drops of the Pumpkin Spice Blend.
3. Reseal the bag and give it a good shake. Now let it sit for 24 hours.***
4. Brew coffee as normal.

Want more Pumpkin Spice Flavor? Add a drop right to your coffee!

Bonus: This perfect Pumpkin Spice Vitality blend can be used to infuse into all your favorite fall recipes!!

***Note from Andrea: I recommend storing the beans in a GLASS container, rather than the coffee bag. 

Citrus oils can break down plastic, transferring those compounds to your coffee.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Organic Peanut Butter
1 Cup Organic Canned Pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 Tbsp Honey
2 1/2 Cups Organic Oats

Mix all of the ingredients together. Roll spoonfuls of the mixture into balls. 

These treats should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Pro Tips:
* Add a Ningxia Wolfberry to every ball for an extra health boost.
* Add a few drops of your pup's favorite oil to the mix. Copaiba is a favorite for my senior pup and has a mild flavor.
* Einkorn Berries would be a great addition too!

Last week, I began a new series in my weekly newsletter - " A Few of My Favorite Things." I thought it would be great to also share it on my blog. In this series, I'll be sharing favorite tips, my go-to support for specific body systems, favorite food and DIY recipes, diffuser blends, and morning / daytime / evening favorites.  While everyone's favorites vary, my hope in sharing mine is to help you find some fun, new ways to use your oils, discover some solutions and hacks to everyday challenges, and learn of new ways to work toward your personal health and wellness goals for you and your family.

Favorite Tips: Peppermint
Ever get the hiccups? It's rare for me, but when I do get them, they're no joke! You're going to think this is crazy, but the next time you have hiccups, apply Peppermint to your wrists. I can't tell you why or how it works, but you'll find the support it offers to your circulatory system helps to alleviate the discomfort of hiccups. Such a cool, little life hack! ;) 

With the holidays nearly upon us, you'll find Peppermint Vitality to be your go-to in adding flavor to your culinary delights. Cocoa, coffee, tea...just a drop will add a wonderful minty twist to your cold weather favorites! Add 6-10 drops to your favorite brownie mix or fudge recipe and you have a gift-giving worthy treat to share with neighbors and friends!

There's nothing like kicking off the day with Peppermint & Lemon in the diffuser! It's my favorite "perk me up" blend!

What I love is that I can make sure to never run out of my daily must-haves because I include them in my monthly Essential Rewards order and they're delivered right to my door. Plus, I earn points on every order that I can redeem for free product, so it's like getting a rebate with each ER order that's placed.  With a free oil at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, I'm getting even more for my money. That's stretched even further with having enrolled for YL Go / YL Go+ (the free shipping subscription). That makes this budget-conscious girl HAPPY!!! If you haven't enrolled in ER yet, let's chat and see if it's right for you!

YL's Premium Starter Kit is the only thing Young Living offers at 50% off. You get over $300 worth of product, including 11 oils, a diffuser, a sample of Thieves Household Cleaner, 2 Ningxia Red packets, sample bottles and more, plus a wholesale membership that gives you 24% off of any future orders you place.