Lavender YLEO - First Aid in a Bottle

I have five kids, I need easy and amazing first aid. I know how long an injury must be to qualify for stitches, I know that we prefer stitches over staples and I will NEVER allow my children staples again. I also know that the amazing natural first aid options I've found are much better than the ones I used to use. My first aid kit contains Young Living Essential Oils - lavender, tea tree, peppermint, single oils as well as peace and calming and valor blends.
Anyway, here's the story of how I handle injuries these days. I started using Young Living Essential Oils in March. They have become the "first aid kit" I take EVERYWHERE. My youngest had a bloody nose back in April. He wouldn't let me touch it so it dripped for the better part of eight hours. Finally at bedtime I convinced him to let me swab his nose with a lavendered q-tip. Instantly the bleeding was done and what a blessing that was! In July we decided to grab the tubes and go float down the river. Right at the end (as we are out of the water and ready to head home) I lost my balance and dive back into the river to save myself major injury. When I got home I had this huge red mark across my leg from landing on a chunk of cement that was hiding in the water. I lathered these marks (that hurt horribly) with lavender and knew that I would heal fast.

 

 This second picture is of the same leg mark as the first picture six days after the incident and lavender application. This last picture is of the mark that I didn't get lavender on also six days post injury. What a crazy difference that lavender essential oil makes, huh?!?!

  

Even today I put lavender to work. My husband plays slow pitch softball in a local church league. Today was the season final/tournament. One of our team members hit her head on the bat bracket in the dugout. Not hard mind you but we all know how bad head wounds bleed. By the time she realized what she did she had blood every where. I grabbed my lavender and applied a could drops and it instantly stopped bleeding. Even watching it with my own eyes I was amazed. Then when we got home I made a coconut/lavender oils mix to put on DH's heat rash.

I am completely serious when I say this YLEO, lavender is the thing to have. We use it for allergies, burns, sunburn, deodorant, sleeping - EVERYTHING. I don't think a day goes by that I don't use it for something or another.

Young Living and their essential oils are rocking this family's world!!

Deo Volente

Nicki

Taking A New Direction

Joining up with some "friends" over at http://www.conversiondiary.com/2013/07/7-posts-in-7-days-a-blogging-challenge.html and jumping in to join the seven posts in seven days challenge.
Yeah, this could be interesting.  Regular blogging?  Yeah, sadly, not around here.
Anyway, so today's post is about taking off in a new direction.  The direction of more natural living.  I've blogged about how I stumbled onto my current cleaning/personal care/vitamin company.  Having enjoyed that now for 2-1/2 years I am leaping into the world of homeopathy and essential oils.  I really know very little at this point but I am LOVING what I have learned.
Just yesterday morning I work up with a raging sinus infection.  In the past I would have  waited 3-4 days (as required by a doc) before calling about an appointment and attempting to get antibiotics.  Instead I took some Hyland's Cough and Cold liquid (which didn't make me puke) and lathered up with peppermint and Thieves blend essential oils.  I got in with my (AMAZING) chiropractor and happily say that the sinus infection is definitely clearing out.  Before this I would have spent three or four days miserable, got antibiotics and then been miserable with yeast infection after that.  (I know, I know - TMI!)
So happy to be taking this direction of more natural living.  It's a process, let me admit it.  Though I will NEVER go back, NEVER.  More testimonies as the week goes on.
DV-NMV

Time Flies...

When we're too busy to pay attention.
That truly is how I feel most days.  It's choice though, well for me.  I choose to sleep until 7:00 and then I have to hit the floor running.  I keep running all day.  Loads of laundry everywhere, meal planning, dishes piled, floors that need swept or vacuumed.  UGH, the to-do list is just too much.  The garden quickly turned back into a grass patch and we finally just mowed it off.  Keeping up with the things children have going on is just interesting and I really only have one that is old enough to be actively involved in multiple things.
I really need to better prioritize my days.  I need to find time to better focus on where God is directing me.  To listen to His voice and feel His calming love surround me.  I'm sad because I'm worried about a friend and have no idea how to talk to her about it.  I'm praying repeatedly to just take the worries upon my heart and let Him handle them but I still worry.  It's human.  I know He has great plans and that everything will work out exactly as it should but again, I'm a weak human that gets lost in my own thoughts.
Oh how good it feels to be here.  Threadbare and worn out, that's for sure.  Though I wouldn't want it any other way, of this I am sure.  Off to lather myself with some Joy essential oil and set into motion.
God is good, so very good, of this I am sure.

DV-NMV

Lost in Time

Or something like that.
April and May are the months of chaos for me.  April hits and baseball begins, school activities kick into high gear and then May comes in, smacking me up side the head with it's own brand of busy.
I fall off the blogging grid and long to capture a few moments to ground myself in spewing words and creative expression.  2013 has been no different and now that May 28 is here, school is out and I'm able to breathe again.  This May has been like no other I recall.  Something like 5 inches of snow on the 3rd, burying Tulip Time buds and festivities in quite the blanket of white and canceling two of three days worth of activities.  Absolutely crazy.  Now we're recovering from (and facing) an amazing amount of rain.  It's shaping up to rain every day for ten days straight, we're on day six.  Campgrounds flooded and rivers and creeks out of banks that haven't been crested in decades.  God is showing us some amazing things and teaching some of us to be thankful and blessed no matter the circumstance.  It is in these moments of crisis that we take comfort in His presence though and I need reminded regularly to lean on Him instead of my own power.
I have spent two months continuing my healthy living journey and learning about essential oils.  I feel blessed every day to know the things I know now.  We should all be so blessed to take the leap to live more naturally.  Melaleuca and Young Living, you are saving my family every day.  I am so blessed to be here.
Well, it's the first day to take five kids to the grocery store with me and while putting it off buys me time it's not going to necessarily make it any easier or less stressful.  Say a prayer for me??
I'm anxious to be back and capture the stories of weight loss, allergy relief, dry eye relief and much more.  So exciting my life is!!   Mela and YL, you rock my world, I only hope that those that need relief from what's getting them down finds their way to you!!

DV-NMV

Through Sickness

There is nothing like a bout of sickness to test your strength.  Sicknesses come in many forms these days and test like nothing has ever tested us before.  Of late we aren't facing anything all that tough or scary, the stomach bug is no fun but it is manageable.  Tuesday evening middle child couldn't keep supper down and we spent twelve hours making dealing with the upset tummy.  Finally come Friday evening he was returning to "normal" and this morning he was doing great. This morning numbers four and five aren't feeling so hot though.  One has made a couple trips to the bathroom and soaked in the tub a few times while the other has pretty much sat dazed and the couch.  I have a feeling it could be much worse but I am thankful that things are manageable.
So many around us are facing major health issues.  Things that not only brought their world to a screeching halt but turned it upside down as well.  While I am tired from doing laundry and disinfecting things I am thankful that it is only the stomach bug.  I am thankful that I can pray for my friends that are walking through their sicknesses and trying times.  I am thankful that God blesses us in small humbling ways that remind us we are weak.
We are weak.  This is not a horrible thing it is just something that reminds us to lean on Him.  Through the good and the bad, through the days we feel strong and powerful or the days that we feel weak and lost.
When we marry we vow, through sickness and health.  When we begin a family we silently vow, through sickness and health.  When our friends become family and that family needs us, we vow, through sickness and health.  When God created us in His image He vowed, through sickness and health.  He is there for us through it all.  Remember that.  He is there for you, through it all.  You are never alone, that is His truest promise.

DV-NMV

What Next?

There are days that I seriously wonder what's going to be deemed "bad for you" next.  Now, mind you I am as weary of anything I buy in the store these days as most anyone else these days, but I am also tired of the internet being full of stories of how this or that product is poisoning my family.
What brought on this post today?  Well, sit back and let me tell you.
Part 1 - I am a Melaleuca Mom.  I proudly have switched my home from store bought and home made cleaners and personal care products to those which I can get through my Melaleuca store.  Never (seriously NEVER) has our health been better than what we have been experiencing in the three years since this transition. My hormone imbalance is managed, our allergies are in check, the eczema is gone, the psoriasis is gone, the run-ins with sinus infections and viruses are rare, it is such a blessing for us.  Shopping with Melaleuca also introduced me to melaleuca alternifolia oil, also known as tea tree oil. This has been our go-to treatment for cuts, burns, canker sores and so much more.  I carry it in my purse because, as a mom, a first aid need can happen at any moment.
Part 2 - I am a Young Living Mom.  Just recently I have introduced my family to the complete world of essential oils.  Peace & Calming and Lavender to help with relaxation and sleeping, Peppermint to help with the occasional stuffy nose, upset stomach and snoring and Valor to help with inner balance.
Now the problem.  I came home from school today and received a text from a friend concerned about tea tree oil and lavender oil use being linked to premature puberty in children.  I was quickly horrified at the thought of that because my five children are regularly exposed to one if not both of these oils on any given day.  After "bing searching" this is what I came up with:
 The "Study"
     http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm
     http://www.bioidenticalprogesterone.info/lavender.html
One Point of View
     http://safemama.com/2009/09/09/do-lavender-tea-tree-oils-mimic-hormones/
And Another
     http://community.babycenter.com/post/a26399043/hormones_affected_by_lavender_and_tea_tree_oil
I also called both Melaleuca and Young Living's customer service lines to see what they could tell me about this information that I was turning up.  Neither company had any experience, concern or cause to believe that the true essential tea tree and lavender oils would cause these issues.  In fact both asked me for more information (yes,I will be emailing these links to them) about what these concerns were.
In reading as many message boards, articles and posts as I could find I would definitely agree with what the safemama.com post above says.  Here's my thoughts. Nowhere in the "study" or any other story where a child has been affected did it point to a specific product.  Here's what I mean by that.  In all cases they affected person has been using a shampoo, lotion, gel or other product that caused the problem.  Is it Aveeno, Johnson&Johnson's, Melaleuca's, Young Living's or yet another one?  Are there any other ingredients in common like parabens or other chemical compound that is a "filler" in so many shampoos, lotions, gels and such.  Yes it concerns me that the obvious link in these cases is tea tree or lavender oil but what I want confirmed is the pureness of the oil in these cases.  Is it true, high quality essential oil as an ingredient in the shampoo or it is a chemically modified version to add "some" of the benefits of lavender to the shampoo without adding the high cost of it.  For example J&J Bedtime Bath has lavender in it, but is it true essential oil?  Think about this one.  The label on the "Restless Nights" bubble bath I bought this winter describes "Essential oils of Lavender, Chamomile and Passion Flower to soothe and comfort your body." The ingredients list these "flower extracts" as well as several hard to pronounce words like polyquaternum-10 and methylisothiazolinone.  Now you see my issue with the "study"?  I feel for these children and the parents that are facing these side effects but what bothers me is I'm not quite sure that they are truly questioning what deserves to be questioned in these cases.  Is it the essential oil or one of these unknown but constantly consumed "extras" in the ingredient list causing these health problems.  Possibly a combination of both in all reality.  If lavender is so unsafe and such a threat to our health then it should absolutely not be in baby bath, no questions asked.  If tea tree oil is a threat to our health then having it accessible in shampoos that children could use should be clearly and obviously marked.
Seriously what will the doctors say is harmful to our health next?  If essential oils like lavender and tea tree are not safe for common use then what is?  Please, people, please be aware of what you are consuming.  Know that our world is full of things that have potential to make us sick.  Yes, even, good things like essential oils need to be used wisely and with a mind to keep an eye out for reactions.  Too much of a good thing shouldn't be a bad thing but I am sure there are times that it can be.  Know this, I LOVE dark chocolate but to sit down and eat a whole bag of mini dark chocolate candy bars would likely be a very bad thing.
Passionate much?  Well, yeah, because I just spent three hours poring over the internet and making phone calls and that's the least you deserve.  Your family and my family deserves to be healthy and the only way any of us can ensure that is to be fully aware of what we are consuming in every aspect of our life.

God bless!!
DV-NMV

The Privilege to Choose

We are blessed to live in a society that gives us the right to choose about every aspect of our lives. This is such a blessing and at times even a curse.  We are surrounded by marketing and promotions that bombard us with a hundred options of any given thing.
Here's the problem with that. We have no idea what to actually use. Say you face ADHD, eczema, autism, psoriasis, stress, adrenal fatigue, hormonal fatigue, depression, diabetes or any other health issue in the face. What do you do? Talk to your doctor. What do they do? Write a prescription or ignore you. (I was ignored.) Here's my problem with that, that's not getting to the root of the plight. It's not figuring out the cause of the situation.
You have real options, I had real options. I had to research them and keep going when no one believed I had hit perimenopause in my 20s but simple truth was I had. The birth control I was on only caused more problems and likely an abortion or two but I was never warned of that either. I was frustrated to my eyeballs because I knew something was wrong but no one would help me figure out what. When my child is covered in eczema, raging in misery and the other one is battling round upon round of staph infection what did the doc tell me about what was going on and how to clear these problems out of my home? Some people are just prone to this stuff. You can clean and disinfect with bleach but it's likely that you'll just be facing this for life.
WRONG!!!!!!!!
Once I finally took my health into my own hands and started my Vitality vitamins my body started to return to normal. Since I had switched stores to buy vitamins I started cleaning house of my cleaners and personal care products. Swapped out the kid's shampoo and laundry detergent and buh-bye eczema and psoriasis. Amazingly I clean with these cleaners instead of bleach and we no longer battle staph infections. Our allergies? Practically nil, very rare does anything get at us, our bodies are too strong now. The slight asthma tendencies I showed? Not anymore.
I took a kiddo to the ER on a Saturday about a month ago with what was the onset of an ear infection. Result? There's a little fluid in his ears. Here's a prescription to fill, if it gets worse and we were sent on our way. I used my 'tug on the ear' trick all weekend and Monday I took him to our AWESOME chiropractor to get him a quick adjustment. All better. I took littlest brother battling a sinus infection something or other for nearly a week to the chiro and within two days everything was cleared out and gone. Why chiro? He won't take any antibiotic I'd get him anyway, so let's actually FIX the issue instead of band-aiding over it.
Yes choose other options. We're so careful about diet and what we are eating lets be equally mindful about all the other stuff we're consuming. Instead of reaching for a pill do some research on essential oils. This is a field I'm only just stepping into but WOW can I tell you, what an amazing field of health resources we have available. My blood sugar is awful. Pre-diabetic? Probably. With simply 24 hours of using essential oils I feel some freedom from the sugar highs and lows that have been plaguing me as of late. Absolutely serious here.
You have the privilege to choose how to regulate your health. Please, please choose wisely. I will happily walk this road with you. I am very passionate about this because I have seen the affects this is having in my own life, my family's life. You deserve the same!
God has blessed me with this and I will happily bless you with it too! The least we can do with this life He has given us is to use it to care for His other children. I thank Him every day for sending me stumbling into this world that I am now happily striding through.

Dv-NMV