How To Quickly Refresh Your Home

It's been hard for me to break up my love affair with Bath & Body Works room sprays and wall plug-ins. I love having a yummy smelling home! These days, my home always smells like last night's dinner, which includes onions and fresh garlic. That's not exactly the ambiance I'm going for. 

I don't remember where I saw it, but somewhere on the internet I found a brilliant idea for quickly refreshing your home: put a few drops of essential oils on the air filter in your vacuum! 

I had to give it a try! My kiddos have been fighting a virus for the past week, so I grabbed some SpiceC oil (click for more info). SpiceC is my favorite oil to diffuse during cold and flu season because of it's strong anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. It's very similar to Deliverance but has a warm, spicy smell that is perfect for fall and winter. Putting the oils on the air filter can achieve a similar effect as diffusing the oils by disbursing the small, volatile molecules of the essential oil into the air where it purifies the air and we can breathe it into our lungs.

My vacuum's air filter is easy to access at the top of the canister, so it was super simple to put a few drops on it. 

As I vacuumed all over my house, I could smell the SpiceC drifting up from the vacuum. It really lifted my spirits too! I'm going to do this every time I vacuum and try different oils. Because the oils evaporate and diffuse into the air, you will need to reapply with each vacuum. 

During the holidays I'm going to use Holiday Spirit. If my energy is feeling sluggish, peppermint would be helpful to perk things up. During the summer months lemon and lime and other citrus oils would be fun. There are so many possibilities! 

My Favorite Oils for Back to School

The start of a new school year is always bittersweet for me. I adore summer and the time home with my kids. But I also look forward to returning to the structure of school days and the tiny bit of alone time I get when everyone is away! The start of a new year brings excitement and apprehension. Essential oils can help you and your kids have a great school year!

One of the best oils for studying is peppermint. In the book "Butterfly Miracles with Essential Oils" LaRee Westover explains that peppermint oil stimulates the mind, increasing the ability to focus and concentrate. Dr. Dembar of the University of Cincinnati discovered in a research study that inhaling peppermint oil increased the mental accuracy of the students tested by up to 28%. You could try diffusing peppermint before a big study session. If that's too strong, put a few drops on a cotton ball and keep it in a Ziploc bag (a great way to use oils at school!). Whenever you need a pick-up, open the bag and have a sniff! 

Butterfly Express has 3 blended oils that help with mental alertness, memory, and concentration. They are Crystal Clear, Focus, and IQ.

Crystal Clear clears and energizes the mind and increases mental alertness. This blend is very effective when studying or needing to remember difficult or complicated data. It helps to organize the thought processes, allowing more accurate recall later. 

Application: Crystal Clear can be applied on the brow, along the back of the neck, on the wrists, and on the temples. It is also useful diffused or placed, 1 or 2 drops only, in a bath. A few drops on a cotton ball placed next to you will help keep you alert and awake for a project that needs finishing.

Focus increases mental alertness, clears that "foggy" feeling, and helps to alleviate mental confusion. It is a great aid to students and others when they face the need to commit something to memory quickly and be able to recall it with ease later. It also helps us to overcome self-defeating behaviors and negative thought patterns that prevent us from achieving our goals. 

Application: This blend can be applied to the areas on the feet that relate to the neck, head, and brain. These are found on the big toe, both top and bottom. Focus can also be applied to the wrists and temples. This blend can be diffused, but it is best to do so for short periods of time only; cinnamon, cinnamon berry, and ginger are very strong oils for diffusing. They may cause headache or a burning sensation in the nostrils.

IQ alleviates mental fatigue and increases mental alertness. It aids in concentration and memory. It is particularly useful when one is over-tired but must continue on until a project is completed. IQ contains frankincense, sandalwood, and helichrysum. These oils are high in sesquiterpenes and cross the blood/brain barrier to cleanse, nourish, and carry oxygen to the brain. 

Application: This blend can be diffused, applied to the neck and throat or under the nose, or worn as a perfume/cologne.

If you have a nervous student who has anxiety about going back to school, testing, etc. try Tranquility. Tranquility can help us develop inner strength, patience, understanding, and confidence. Tranquility promotes relaxation and relieves anxiety, stress, tension, and depression. 

Application: Tranquility can be diffused, worn as a perfume, 1-2 drops in a relaxing bath, applied anywhere on the body, or placed on a cotton ball in a Ziploc bag to be sniffed as needed. 

When the kids go back to school, they bring home lots of germs! Deliverance is the perfect oil for keeping your immune system healthy. It's anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. Another great alternative to Deliverance is SpiceC. It has the same properties as Deliverance, but with a more pleasant aroma. 

Application: Diffuse, apply 1-2 drops (diluted) to the feet and over the thymus, placed on a cotton ball in a Ziploc bag to be sniffed as needed, in homemade hand soaps. 

For kids who have a hard time at school, with or without an ADHD diagnosis, you could try any of the above oils to help them concentrate. Butterfly Expressions also recommends using together Millenia, Tranquility, and Victory specifically for ADHD. 

Application: dilute and apply Millenia along the spine and/or feet. Diffuse Tranquility, especially during the early hours of the night; carry an essential oil diffuser of either one, or both. Apply Victory to the feet. 

Have a happy and healthy school year! 

Mini Starter Kit

The new Mini Starter Kits arrived in the mail today! I'm so glad Butterfly Express is finally doing this!

The kit includes 10 ml bottles of peppermint, lavender, Breezey, Deeper, Deliverance, and Millenia (click on the links to read more about each oil) plus 1/2 oz coconut oil, 1/2 oz almond oil, and 1/2 oz Miracle Salve. It also includes a small pamphlet that lists their most common oils and what they are used for (for easy reference), plus tips on how to use the oils (similar to my list here.)

The coconut oil and almond oil are the best carrier oils with a very light texture and mild smell.

The Miracle Salve can be used as a carrier oil. It was originally formulated to treat burns and prevent infection, but it's been used in many other ways. I have really liked using it on the skin around my fingernails that tend to crack and bleed during the winter months. My husband burned his hand on an auto part and I put some lavender on it. He said it helped but there was still some discomfort. Then I added the Miracle Salve and it took the rest of the pain away.

This kit is only $45--a 30% savings!!! If you've ever wanted to try essential oils, this is the kit to get! These oils are my favorite and I consider them as must-haves.

If you would like to order this kit, you can contact me by e-mail or message me on my Facebook page. My contact info is listed in the upper right corner under "Contact Me".

My 3 Favorite Oils

When someone asks me what oils they should start out with, I suggest my top 3 favorite oils: Peppermint, Lavender, and Deliverance. (Deliverance is a blend from Butterfly Express. It is similar to Doterra's OnGuard and Young Living's Thieves.) In my opinion, these are the 3 oils that everyone should have. Peppermint and lavender are very versatile, very affordable oils. I made these graphics so you could save them (maybe print them?) for quick reference.

My favorite ways to use Peppermint:

- On my neck and shoulders for a headache and/or sore muscles. Peppermint can get hot--dilute with a carrier oil (coconut oil, almond oil) if you have sensitive skin.

- On the bottom of the feet for a stomach ache.

- 1 or 2 drops (ONLY 1 or 2 drops) in a bath for body aches and muscle pain. Water enhances the action of the oil, so adding it to a bath may be too strong for some people. Never add peppermint to a child/baby bath.

From the book "Butterfly Miracles with Essential Oils":

APPLICATION: Peppermint oil should be diluted well before applying to the skin. Placing one drop of peppermint under the tongue and breathing past it (the peppermint oil) has been known to stop an asthma attack or clear the nasal passages and sinus cavities. Vocal performers often use this trick to dispel mucous from their throats and stimulate their vocal cords.

Peppermint is a good massage oil for stimulating circulation. Peppermint is too strong to be added to a bath. (I disagree...I love it in the bath! But it can be too strong for some people. I would not add it to a child/baby bath.)

EMOTIONAL / SPIRITUAL / MENTAL ASPECTS: Peppermint is like a rush of fresh energy into the system. It allows us to relax instead of letting anxiety build up in our body or mind. Peppermint oil is specific for people who move between highs and lows, sadness and happiness, until the ever-widening mood swings settle into lethargy, intolerance, and frustration. Just as peppermint strengthens the digestion and aids the absorption of nutrients on a physical level, it enhances our ability to "digest" new ideas and impressions.

Physical / Mental Aspects: Dr. Dembar of the University of Cincinnati discovered in a research study that inhaling peppermint oil increased the mental accuracy of the students tested by up to 28%. Peppermint oil can also be used for headaches and nerve regeneration.

Peppermint oil stimulates the mind, increasing the ability to focus and concentrate. When inhaled, it restores the sense of taste by stimulating the trigeminal nerve. Oddly, inhaling peppermint oil can also curb the appetite.

Peppermint is renowned for action on the digestive system and for use in bowel disorders. It is one of the best essential oils for nausea, vomiting, morning sickness (small amounts only), mouth or gum infections, fainting, and motion sickness.

Peppermint oil is strongly anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Peppermint oil increases circulation. All varieties of peppermint essential oil are useful for muscle pain, inflamed joints, and arthritis. The anti-inflammatory properties make peppermint essential oil supportive of prostate function.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Peppermint, like lavender, is soothing in small amounts and strongly stimulating in larger amounts.

CAUTIONS: Peppermint oil is stimulating to the uterus. Extreme caution, mostly as to the amount used, should be taken with peppermint oils if pregnant.

My favorite ways to use lavender:

- On the feet along the inside arch of the foot.

- In a bath at bedtime to calm down the kids.

- A few drops on a wool dryer ball in place of dryer sheets.

- Mixed with a carrier oil (coconut oil, almond oil) spread over a sunburn.

- A drop directly on a mosquito bite.

From the book "Butterfly Miracles with Essential Oils":

GENERAL INFORMATION: Lavender is a universal oil that has been shown to balance the body and to work wherever there is a need. It is called 'the grandmother' of essential oils because it cares for and nurtures us through such a variety of physical and emotional stresses. If you don't know what essential oil to reach for, try lavender.

APPLICATION: There is probably no wrong way to apply or diffuse lavender.

EMOTIONAL / SPIRITUAL / MENTAL ASPECTS: One of the great emotional gifts of lavender is the feeling of total and unchanging support around us. It leaves us with no room for doubt that we are loved and will be supported in life's challenges and in the process of healing. Lavender promotes faith, even in the hard times. Lavender brings balance between masculine and feminine energy and traits.

Lavender is a gentle, but effective, sedative and nervine. It can bring relief from anxiety, panic, hysteria, emotional and mental fatigue, headaches and migraines, and insomnia.

PHYSICAL ASPECTS: Lavender can be used for nearly all skin conditions. It can be applied to cuts, sunburns, burns, rashes, dermatitis, eczema, and insect bites. Consistent use of lavender with burns and injuries minimizes scarring. Lavender, usually as part of a blend, is often used to prevent or remedy conditions of dandruff and hair loss. Lavender is antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, cytophylactic, and antispasmodic, making it effective for muscle strains and sprains, cramps, and wound healing.

Lavender clears excess waste products from the lymphatic system and is an aid to digestion. Lavender is sometimes all that is needed to prevent or alleviate nausea. Mildly diuretic, lavender can be useful in alleviating edema and premenstrual water retention. Whether the root of the problem is emotional or physical, lavender is often effective in stabilizing both high or low blood pressure and regulating the pulse. Lavender, or blends containing it, is used to lessen pain and promote restful sleep. Lavender is useful for babies with thrush.

CAUTIONS: Lavender is wonderfully calming in small amounts, but can be stimulating if used in too large a quantity or too often. This is especially true with babies and small children.

My favorite ways to use Deliverance: 

- On the feet along the inside arch of the foot.

- 1 or 2 drops in a bath.

- Diffuse during cold and flu season. Whenever I feel something coming on, I start diffusing Deliverance and it either goes away, or the cold is very mild.

- 1 or 2 drops in a foot bath for athlete's foot.

From the book "Butterfly Miracles with Essential Oils":

APPLICATION: ^LeDeliverance can be used in so many ways, I am sure that I will not manage to list them all here. Some common methods of use are soak the family toothbrushes in ^LeDeliverance mixed with water, place a drop on your toothbrush at least one time per day, and place on a cotton ball or in an inhaler and carry with you, inhaling frequently during the cold and flu season.

A particularly effective way to fight a very virulent illness is to apply ^LeDeliverance alternately with ^LeLifeForce. In the evening put one of these essential oils on the K1's (acupressure points on the feet) and the other on the thymus. First thing in the morning, put the oils on again, then put them in opposite positions. If ^LeDeliverance was on the thymus area the night before, it should go on the feet in the morning. This method is very effective against really nasty stuff.

AROMATIC CONSIDERATIONS: An excellent use for this blend is to diffuse it every day during the cold and flu season to eliminate airborne bacteria and viruses.

PHYSICAL ASPECTS: ^LeDeliverance is one of the most potent antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal combinations available. Its many uses include respiratory infections, sore throats, strep throats, dental diseases and infections, cold sores, canker sores, cuts, general infections, athlete's foot and toe nail fungus, and infection from slivers. Apply faithfully, undiluted, for warts (this takes a little time so be patient).

Frequent and consistent use of ^LeDeliverance also strengthens the immune system. ^LeDeliverance is an expectorant and helps the lymph system to drain. This is a very effective oil. Everyone should have it on hand.

GENERAL INFORMATION: ^LeDeliverance can be used, diluted, or diffused, in the home as a cleaner and air purifier to fight viruses and airborne bacteria.

Cautions: Care should also be taken to dilute well, especially if frequent use is anticipated. The clove, cinnamon, thyme, and oregano in this blend make it a possible skin irritant.