February 15, 2015October 2, 2015 - Jana 2 Comments

Young Living Peace and Calming Essential Oil

An oil every home should be stocked full of, Peace and Calming. Well, at least every home with children in it. Let’s face it we could all use a little bit of peace and calming in our homes. The witching hours? Peace & Calming. Bedtime? Peace & Calming. Momma Needs a Chill Pill? Peace & Calming.

Peace & Calming is a gentle, fragrant blend. When diffused, it helps calm tensions and uplift the spirit, promoting relaxation and a deep sense of peace. When massaged on the bottoms of the feet, it can be a wonderful prelude to a peaceful night’s rest. Peace & Calming may be especially calming and comforting to young children after an overactive and stressful day.

Peace & Calming is a blend of Tangerine, Orange, Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, and Blue Tansy.

5 Uses for Peace & Calming Essential Oil

1. Soak in a relaxing bath!
– This is a personal favorite usage of Peace and Calming for me! Mix 3-4 drops with a 1/2 cup of espom salts for a relaxing bath for you or your children.

2. Enjoy better sleep.
– Add 2-3 drops to your diffuser or apply 1-2 drops on the back of the neck for a peaceful night’s rest.

3. Calm anxious thoughts.
-Add 3-4 drops to your diffuser, apply 1-2 drops on wrists and over heart or wear a couple of drops in a diffuser necklace. Inhale deeply when feeling anxious!

4. Uplift Spirit.
– Add 3-4 drops to your diffuser to help lift your mood when needed. We are often diffusing this one in our house to help us get in better moods!

5. Help calm overactive children.
– This is a great one to put in the diffuser when you are wanting to calm down in the evening before bedtime or when you’ve been cooped up in the house for too long.

February 10, 2015October 2, 2015 - Jana 1 Comment

Everyday Oils Make-n-Take

I had heard briefly about make-n-takes prior to going to convention, but after attending convention decided this was something I wanted to incorporate with my team. I love the idea of learning how to make products that are chemical and toxin free for my family to use, but honestly the idea of going at it solo terrified me. As a newbie to the natural world, it scared me to make my own products so I knew that this wasn’t just an issue for myself but likely my downline also. So, my first make-n-take was easy not just for me (scared remember?), but also for my team. I also used this as a way to introduce people specifically to the everday oils by choosing three products using oils from the kit.

The first thing we made was a Lavender Bath Soak. I had already been thinking about doing bath salts when this awesome DIY recipe was posted by Young Living on their facebook page.

I decided to go with Lavender as my essential oil choice because it was in the everyday oils collection and is very relaxing. Personally, I love taking a bath when I am trying to relax and unwind from a long day. Another great option for relaxation from the kit would be Peace & Calming.

I set up stations for each item we made and had a different leader at each station to help with the instructions as well as answer any questions.

What you will need:

– A jar to hold the bath soak (I got these 12 oz Clear PET Plastic jars from Abundant Health 4 U for $.88/each. )
– Baking Soda (purchase at Target on my usual weekly run)
– Sea Salt (purchased at Target on my usual weekly run)
– Epsom Salts (purchased bulk at Costco)
– Young Living’s Lavender essential oil

Here’s how you do it:

1. Add 1/4 cup each of sea salt, baking soda and epsom salts to the container.
2. Add 10-15 drops lavender essential oil to the top (I like to do this in the middle and again on top to help with mixing).
3. Shake up container with lid on to mix ingredients well.

The labels were picked up at Office Max and I picked one that would fit on all three containers. I used the Avery website to make my own labels and think they turned out pretty cute!

Next up, I decided to make Thieves foaming hand soap. I wanted to know how to make this for myself and figured it was a great way to introduce people to the amazing benefits of using Thieves essential oil.

What you will need:

– A foaming hand soap dispenser. You can reuse one that you already have or you can purchase a new one.
– Liquid Castile Soap (I used Dr. Bronners) – I got mine at Sprout’s when it was 25% off
– Vegetable Glycerine – got mine at Sprout’s also
– Young Living’s Thieves Essential Oil

Here’s how you do it:

1. Add 2-3 Tablespoons of Liquid Castile Soap to your soap dispenser.
2. Add 1/2 tsp vegetable glycerine. This step is not necessary, but I believe you will find the soap drying without this ingredient.
3. Add 10 drops of Thieves oil.
4. Slowly fill your container with water. Be sure to leave enough room for the large pump (otherwise you will have a spill over)
5. Gently shake to combine all ingredients.

The third item I decided to go with was a Peppermint Lip Scrub. I chose this after seeing a friend post it on facebook and it sounded good enough to eat!

What you will need:

– Small 1oz glass jars from Abundant Health
– White Sugar (bought Organic Sugar from Target)
– Coconut Oil Virgin & Unrefined (Bulk at Costco)
– Honey (Bulk at Costco)
– Young Living’s Peppermint Essential Oil

Here’s how you do it:

1. Fill the jar 3/4 the way with sugar.
2. Top off with a tablespoon of coconut oil and a tablespoon of honey.
3. Add 4 drops of peppermint.
4. Mix & enjoy!

No really, lick your lips delicious kind of enjoy!

Hope this helps you successfully plan your very first make-n-take!

December 4, 2014October 2, 2015 - Jana Leave a comment

Lip Balm Filled Ornament

Need a great Christmas gift for a teacher, friend or family member? Why not make a really fun gift for someone using Young Living lip balms? These lip balms have become my absolute favorite for myself and to gift to others. I wanted to give my daughters teachers a fun gift using Young Living products and decided to put together these cute little ornaments.

This is a great cost efficient gift to give that gets a great product in the hands of people who may not already be using the products. My favorite way to buy the lip balms is through the Moisturizing Lip Balm collection only available in the 2014 Holiday guide. This collection comes with Lavender, Grapefruit and Vanillamint for only $15.13 retail or $11.50 wholesale. (Update: Available limited time YL Lip Balm Trio including Lavender, Grapefruit & Cinnamint) Makes such a great gift!

You can pick up the large plastic ornaments for just at $.97 at Walmart then a bag of gift shred from Hobby Lobby for under $2.00 with a 50% off coupon. Fill the ornament half way with shred then toss in the lip balms. You can do one or all three. Then fill the remainder of the ornament with shred and close!

This is such an easy gift that’s super practical, shares Young Living with someone and is cost affordable. I needed to make three gifts so I ordered two trios and put two lip balms in each ornament.

November 25, 2014October 2, 2015 - Jana 2 Comments

Tasty Tuesdays: Ningxia Lime with a Boost

We are starting a new series here at A Drop at a Thyme called Tasty Tuesdays! We will feature various recipes using Young Living products. Today we are starting out with my very favorite, my afternoon pick me up drink of choice the Ningxia Lime with a boost!

Let’s talk about why I love this drink so much and not just because it tastes amazingly delicious!

So why should you drink Ningxia?!

This delicious drink is carefully selected for its health and flavor profiles, the blend of orange, yuzu, lemon, and tangerine essential oils found in NingXia Red is packed with 93% d-limonene- a potent antioxidant and a marker for bioactivity. Along with NingXia Red’s premium flavor, these essential oils also aid in maintaining the body’s normal cellular function
It tastes great and is even good for you! The new NingXia Red, now Halal and Kosher certified, contains no artificial sugars and has a unique, balanced flavor profile that captures the pure essence of the Ningxia wolfberry. The natural flavor is further enhanced by zero-calorie stevia (Rebaudioside A), essential oils, plus blueberry, cherry, and aronia juice. In fact, when compared to other similar superfruit beverages in a major university study, the new NingXia Red was preferred by 77% of participants over all other options in a blind taste panel!
Who doesn’t need long-lasting energy support? The long-term use of wolfberries (Lycium barbarum) may contribute to agility, longevity, and vitality. In fact, recent studies indicate that drinks containing wolfberry exhibit longer-lasting supportive effects on energy and caloric metabolism. NingXia Red is an easy way to get pure, premium Ningxia wolfberries and experience natural, sustained support for energy without the crashes and harmful side effects of coffee or energy drinks.
It fortifies the body and replenishes key nutrients. The combination of whole wolfberries—the juice, peel, seeds, and fruit—with pomegranate and plum juice delivers vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and phytonutrients. NingXia Red also contains zeaxanthin, a carotenoid suggested to enhance healthy visual function. Recent studies on the consumption of wolfberries and whole fruit juices recommend 2 to 4 ounces for optimal support.
It is great for revitalizing, full-body protection! The combination of blueberry, grape seed extract, aronia, and pomegranate—some of the world’s most antioxidant-rich fruits—helps increase the S-ORAC level more than 30% over previous formulations. These levels were independently tested and may help defend against damage caused by free radicals

As if that’s not reason enough to drink this awesome drink, let’s also talk about the added benefits of Ningxia Nitro and Lime essential oil.

So why would you want to add Nitro to the already tasty Ningxia Red?

Increases mental fitness, cognitive alertness, and physical acuity
Enhances athletic performance and endurance
Boosts energy and serves as a daily pick-me-up

And now you know why I add it for that afternoon pick-me up. You know the one most of us need when are feet start to drag and the day seems to slow down? That’s when I drink it! Lastly, let’s talk about lime!

More mental clarity in the afternoon? Yes please! Immune boosting? Even better! Plus when I drink this in the afternoon I tend t forego the candy I hide in the pantry. Honestly, I was surprised how much I liked the addition of lime to my Ningxia. Typically the only way I enjoy lime is in a margarita so I was pleasantly surprised to see how much I enjoyed this combo!

So, what’s your favorite way to add essential oils to your Ningxia Red or do you prefer it straight?

July 28, 2014October 2, 2015 - Jana 2 Comments

Business Builder Gift for the Oily Crew

One of my very favorite things to do is give gifts to other people. I’ve always got someone in the back of my mind when I’m out and about shopping. The other day I was at Marshall’s looking for decor for our new house when I spotted these awesome cups. I’ll admit at first I was solely thinking about myself and how I couldn’t wait to drink my citrus oils in water from these cute cups. It didn’t take long for me to quickly think about the business builders I’d be having over so I went and ahead and bought all they had in stock! These would make the perfect business builder gift and I couldn’t wait to give them my team.

Convention had just come to an end and I was super excited to share all the awesome new products with my leaders and let them see the ones that I had purchased (KidScents Collection, Aroma Ease, MindWise, Einkorn Pancakes, Einkorn Spaghetti, and the True Grit Syrup). I also wanted to share with them a few highlights from the sessions I had attended and my awesome experience at the farm. (PS Expect to see blog posts soon for your very own update on the farm experience)

So, let’s get back to the cups since that’s really what you are here for! If you didn’t know already then you should note that if you wish to add citrus oils to your water that you need to drink out of a glass or stainless steel item. The citrus oils eat petrochemicals and will eat paper or styrofoam right up! If you want to test this out for yourself then grab a styrofoam cup and put a drop of lemon on it. Within minutes it will eat through it! This is the very reason we want to consume citrus oils anyway so that we can clean out our systems of petrochemicals. So, go grab yourself a glass (or cute stainless steel cup) and some lemon oil and drink up. I typically add 2-4 drops of EO to my 8 oz glass. A personal citrus oil favorite is 2 drops grapefruit and 1 drop lemon!

So each of my builders got a cup with a little gift tag that I stamped with a thank you! I’m so very thankful for all the hard work my builders put in each month and hope they enjoy these cups! I got these super cute gift tags in the Target dollar spot and the stamp came from Hobby Lobby (though I totally have another one very similar also from the Target dollar spot).

You could add a sample dram of your favorite citrus oils to each of the cups for a class hostess or new member for another fun idea!

What’s your favorite citrus oil to add to your water?

April 30, 2014October 2, 2015 - Jana Leave a comment

Natural Carpet Deodorizer

Since starting to use Young Living I’ve realized just how many chemicals we have in our home so I’ve been slowly kicking all of them to the curb. I have a love for carpet deodorizer but realized it probably didn’t have the best ingredients in it so I chunked it a couple of months ago and have been really missing it. So why not make my own natural carpet deodorizer instead?

The best part is it’s so easy to make and you probably already have the ingredients available. All you need is a mason jar, a box of baking soda and a bottle of essential oils. I personally chose Young Living lavender essential oil. Another really great one to use would be Purification as it’s notorious for purifying the air and would be a great addition to a natural carpet deodorizer.

I filled the jar 1/3 way with baking soda then added 5 drops of Lavender. Then I filled the jar with another 1/3 baking soda and added 10 more drops of Lavender. Lastly, I finished filling the jar with baking soda and added about 5 more drops. Then I shook it up and headed for the carpets!

I got my particular lid in the Target dollar spot, but I know they sell similar tops on Amazon and at Hobby Lobby. You could also drill holes through the top of a regular lid or I’ve seen some people use a Parmesan cheese bottle instead. If you did decide to use a Parmesan bottle do yourself a favor and DO NOT use a citrus oil for your essential oil of choice or it will eat through the plastic! Personally, I’d rather just stick to the glass so I don’t have to worry about it!

Happy Cleaning!!

December 19, 2013October 2, 2015 - Jana 2 Comments

Handmade Bath Salts Using Essential Oils

Handmade gifts are some of my favorite gifts and I really wanted to do something special for my daughters teachers at church. They have been such a blessing over the past year and she’s moved on up to the next age group now. So last weekend I decided to whip up a couple of handmade bath salts using essential oils to gift to them.

The best part about handmade gifts is that you can really cater them to the person you are making them for if you would like or you can leave it a bit ambiguous. As I made these bath salts I thought about the people that worked in my daughters room and what their needs might be. One of the girls is a working mom so I thought lavender for a relaxing evening after a long day would be nice. Another one of the girls does cross fit so I thought she might enjoy a valor soak! Sadly, I don’t know the other girl as well but based on my knowledge I think she’s a teacher so I thought peace & calming would be a good option!

I could have made them all the same bath salts but I wanted them to be able to choose which one they wanted. Plus they were each able to smell the three of them and get a little more familiar with the Young Living essential oils in general. The only thing I might have done differently is printed out uses cards to share what each of the oils were used for so they’d know a little bit more about that specific oil.

I’ve also heard that adding 2 tsp of baking soda is a great idea and will leave the skin soft and just a little bit cleaner! I’ll be adding that to my next batch to try it out.

December 7, 2013October 2, 2015 - Jana Leave a comment

Holiday Gift Guide for Essential Oil Users

As an essential oil user, I’ve find myself wanting to add a few items to my collection to use with my oils. The more I thought about it the more I realized that other oil users might also like oily gifts for Christmas so I created this great holiday gift guide.

Great Books – these two books are just two of many titles that are out there. I already have and love Gentle Babies and would recommend it for anyone who is pregnant or has children. The second is Healing Oils of the Bible, one that happens to be on my wish list!
Aromo or Diffuser Necklace – this particular one is an Aroma Necklace with Essential Oil Vial, but there are many other options too. I personally really like the ones that Sacred Arrow offers, but haven’t been able to snatch one up yet. They sell fast!
Young Living Oils Keychain – this is a favorite of mine and every oil user should own one. This would make a great stocking stuffer!
Diffuser – This particular one is the Advanced Essential Oil Diffuser, but there are many other options. You can even order one directly from Young Living through my website or become a member.
Glass Water Bottle – I actually have this particular Lifefactory Bottle and love it. I use this to drink orange water through out the day.
Stainless Steel Straws– I use these to drink oils out of mason jars in particular. You can’t use plastic so this is a great gift item. Perhaps another awesome stocking stuffer!
Quick Reference Guide for Using Essential Oils – This is one of my favorite reference guides to use, you could buy the smaller one or the larger one and either way your oil using friend will love it!
Oils Case – I’ve got this 30-Bottle Essential Oil Carrying Case on my wishlist.

These gifts are great ideas for an essential oil user in your life. I either these items already or have them on my own wish list. Would you add something to this list? Leave a comment to let me know what it is, I’d love to check it out!