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! 

Essential Oils 101 Handout

For those who have attended my Essential Oils 101 class, I finally put together a handout that you can refer to after the class. Chances are good that I'll modify it later and make it fancier, but for now this is what I have!

If you have a group of friends and family who would like to attend a class, I teach the class for free. I'm passionate about people learning about these amazing tools for health and wellness, and I want them to learn that there are other methods of using essential oils than what is taught by multi-level marketing businesses so they can make an educated choice for themselves.

Emotional Aromatherapy

Doterra recently announced their new line of oils for emotional aromatherapy. The kit includes 6 oils designed for emotional support. Did you know that Butterfly Express carries 32 oils for emotional support, with another 38 oils that provide both emotional and physical support?! Each oil does something different, offering maximum support for your individual needs. The following images are color-coded to show which oils are designed for emotional support, which are for emotional/physical support, and which are for physical support. Click on each one to enlarge it. 

You may also view this document online here:  http://www.butterflyexpressions.org/Handouts/physical_emotional.pdf

Our minds seem to be programmed to dwell on negative thoughts. This TedX talk is a fascinating look at how our thoughts and emotions affect our outlook on life, and gives 3 simple steps that, if used daily, can help to retrain your mind. Combine that with regular use of emotional aromatherapy and the changes will happen even faster! 

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! 

My Favorite Sunburn Remedy

Wow, did it get hot fast! We're in full summer mode, which means that it's time to get ready for sunburns.

During the last week of school, my daughter's school had a swim day. It was very cloudy and a little chilly, but I warned her that she needed to wear sunscreen and that she could get sunburned even though there wasn't any sun. Being a middle-schooler, of course she ignored me. She came home sunburned on her face and shoulders. At bedtime I applied Miracle Salve then lavender oil all over her sunburn. She was able to sleep without any discomfort and the next day her skin wasn't nearly as red and didn't hurt at all. Her friend ended up missing a couple days of school because of her sunburn.

Miracle Salve was specifically formulated to treat burns. It's also great for any skin condition and healing dry, cracked skin. Every winter the skin around my fingernails cracks and bleeds. This past winter I applied Miracle Salve to my cuticles from time to time and I didn't have any cracking all winter. I bring my jar of Miracle Salve every time we go camping just in case someone burns themselves.

My husband burned his hand on a hot vehicle part. I applied a few drops of lavender to the burn. He said it helped, but that it still hurt. Then I applied the Miracle Salve and he said the pain went away. It's a fantastic product to have on hand!

Miracle Salve should be kept in the fridge to prevent it from going rancid.

You can apply the Miracle Salve to the skin then apply lavender essential oil, or you can put the Salve in the palm of your hand and add a drop or two of lavender and mix it together before applying.

You can also make a sunburn spray with essential oils to spray over large surfaces of the skin.

DIY Sunburn Spray

glass spray bottle

distilled water

witch hazel -or- apple cider vinegar

10-20 drops lavender essential oil

5-10 drops peppermint essential oil

Fill the glass spray bottle 1/3 with distilled water, and another 1/3 with either witch hazel or apple cider vinegar. Add the lavender and peppermint oil (the peppermint oil is cooling to hot, burned skin but you can omit it if using on kids or sensitive skin). Fill the remainder of the bottle with water, but leave enough room that it can mix together when you shake it. Shake well before each use.

Have a happy and safe summer!

My Favorite Oils for Depression & Anxiety

The more I learn about health and wellness, the more I realize just how many factors contribute to our physical and emotional health. Everything from our diet, activity level, hormones, nutritional absorption, sleep patterns, genetics, and life experiences. Depression and anxiety are particularly interesting to me because of their wide range of contributing factors. For years I tried to treat my depression symptoms with anti-depressants, herbs, supplements, and energy work. They helped, but I never really felt GOOD. It wasn't until I addressed my hormones that I really started to feel a difference. Now I call my progesterone pills my happy pills!

In my opinion, it's necessary to look at all aspects of your being when addressing an issue like depression and/or anxiety. What needs to be addressed on the physical, mental, spiritual, and energetic levels? Are there nutritional deficiencies? Do you have old emotions stored in your body that are weighing you down and need to be released? Is your body producing a healthy level of hormones? And on and on.

Just as there are many factors that contribute to depression and anxiety, there are many oils to help address those factors. I encourage you to study the oils to see which ones resonate with you. Our bodies are so unique and what works for one person may not work for another.

From the book "Butterfly Miracles with Essential Oils" by LaRee Westover, the oils that are suggested for depression are (click on the name to read more about the oil): Acknowledge, Baby Me, Beloved, Believe, Cherish, Grateful Heart, HeartSong, Letting Go, Meditation, MyGraine, Sego Lily, Tranquility, Turmoil, Unity, allspice, basil, benzoin, bergamot, chamomile Roman, geranium, howood, lavender, lemon, jasmine, neroli, orange bitter, rose geranium, rose, ylang ylang.

In the same book, the oils that are suggested for anxiety are (click on the name to read more about the oil): Angel, Assurance, Cherish, Dreams, Faith, Inner Peace, Letting Go, QuietEssence, Synopsis, Tranquility, Whispering Hope, Vision, bergamot, chamomile Roman, frankincense, geranium, jasmine, lavender, lime, melissa, palo santo, patchouli, rose, sandalwood, spruce, tangerine, ylang ylang.

My favorite oils for depression and anxiety are Tranquility (especially for anxiety), Heart Song, and Letting Go. I've created these images that can be printed for easy reference.

INGREDIENTS: blue tansy, geranium, chamomile German, lavender, palmarosa, patchouli, orange sweet, tangerine, ylang ylang

APPLICATION: ^LeTranquility can be used as a perfume or cologne. It is an excellent essential oil for a relaxing bath. This blend can be placed anywhere on the body.

AROMATIC CONSIDERATIONS: Diffuse or wear ^LeTranquility as a perfume. Everyone around you will get to enjoy it and reap the benefits. The aroma of ^LeTranquility has been known to reduce or eliminate panic attacks and other anxiety based disorders.

EMOTIONAL / SPIRITUAL / MENTAL ASPECTS: One of the best loved of the Butterfly Express, llc, blends, ^LeTranquility can help us develop inner strength, patience, understanding, and confidence. ^LeTranquility promotes relaxation, relieves anxiety, stress, tension, and depression.

^LeTranquility is useful as a sleep aid, especially when the problem is "mind chatter" that just won't quit. Instead of sleeping, even though we need sleep badly, we lay there reviewing the past day in our minds or making plans for tomorrow. ^LeTranquility helps us take a step back from a situation so that we may come to a fuller understanding of all aspects of the situation. From this perspective we are usually able to see solutions to our dilemmas more easily.

PHYSICAL ASPECTS: Physically, ^LeTranquility can be useful for circulatory problems to the extremities. Stress takes a high toll on the vitamin and mineral levels of the body, especially the levels of calcium. The use of ^LeTranquility, which promotes calmness and quells anxiety, has been helpful in cases of osteoporosis.

^LeTranquility is one of the best blends to relieve migraines and tension headaches. Since so many of our minor, but annoying physical distresses have their roots in our emotions and our thought patterns, ^LeTranquility has proven useful in a very wide range of physical discomforts.

^LeTranquility has been used in programs to help children and adults get off Ritalin and Prozac. Of course, it is recommended that you work closely with your doctor.

GENERAL INFORMATION: This essential oil blend is the first thing you should reach for whenever someone is having a panic attack. More times than not, ^LeTranquility will stop the attack completely. This is a great blend for any type of anxiety disorder.

INGREDIENTS: bergamot, geranium, grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, orange sweet, rose, rose geranium, rosewood, ylang ylang

RESONANCE: ^LeHeartSong allows the heart to find its joy and learn to sing again. This is a very high frequency spiritual and emotional blend. ^LeHeartSong was created as an anti-depressant blend and is still the #1 blend for use in the treatment of grief and mild depression.

APPLICATION: ^LeHeartSong is very effective applied in a clockwise motion over each individual chakra, one by one. To do this, it is usually best to begin at the base chakra and work up the body to the crown chakra. This may be done on either the front or the back of the body. (I prefer the back, but that requires the help of a friend.) Can also be applied over the heart, on the ears, and to any area of poor circulation. This is a beautiful oil to diffuse, and may be worn as a perfume or as cologne.

AROMATIC CONSIDERATIONS: The aroma of ^LeHeartSong can be offensive if there are emotional blockages to loving and being loved. If this occurs, apply the blend^LeUnity to the palms of the hands and place the hands over the navel and thymus. Hold for 20 seconds and then reverse the hand positions and hold for another 20 seconds or more. The combination of these two oils will balance all the chakras and meridians, bringing a great feeling of peace.

EMOTIONAL / SPIRITUAL / MENTAL ASPECTS: This high frequency blend reminds us that we are loved and cherished by many people, and certainly by Heaven. It has a multitude of uses. ^LeHeartSong has been of great benefit in treating depression. It is also useful in overcoming grief and trauma. Because it is a remedy for deep sorrow and grief, it makes a wonderful gift for anyone who has recently lost a loved one.

^LeTranquility is the first line of defense against anxiety and panic attacks, but if it fails to work or needs a follow up, ^LeHeartSong is the blend to use. ^LeHeartSong is also helpful in stabilizing mood swings, relieving stress and tension, and helping one to relax.

You do not need to be suffering from depression or a recent loss to enjoy ^LeHeartSong. This blend is wonderful for getting through a tough time or just making it to the end of a difficult day. It is also quite effective as a protection against negative energy that you might be picking up from others at home or on the job.

Because of its effect on both the heart and the throat chakras, ^LeHeartSong is of benefit to those who have difficulty expressing deep emotions or tend to laugh inappropriately when trying to express themselves about these things. ^LeHeartSong is an excellent oil for energy work, especially in the areas of age regression or inner child therapies.

PHYSICAL ASPECTS: ^LeHeartSong is balancing to the electrical fields of the body and stabilizing to energy levels. Oddly enough, it brings relief from the pain and congestion of pleurisy and makes an excellent deodorant.

INGREDIENTS: blue tansy, geranium, hinoki, lavender, lemon, sandalwood, ylang ylang

APPLICATION: ^LeLetting Go should be applied directly over the liver, on the bottom of the feet, or behind the ears. This blend is very nice in a bath or diffused.

AROMATIC CONSIDERATIONS: ^LeLetting Go is a favorite blend of many people. By letting go of negative emotions, we can create feelings of tolerance and compassion towards the faults and foibles of the human race, including ourselves. Regular use of this essential oil blend can help us develop feelings of trust, safety, and security.

EMOTIONAL / SPIRITUAL / MENTAL ASPECTS: ^LeLetting Go is literally what the name implies, an oil to aid us in the "letting go" of negative emotions that we are holding onto in the physical tissues of our bodies. You can use ^LeLetting Go to aid in the release of anger, frustration, resentment, despair, grief, insecurity, or any other emotion that is not serving you well. This blend is appropriate when your forward progress in emotional or physical healing seems to be halted. This oil is beneficial when used for the rebellious spirit sometimes seen in teens and others of us from time to time.

PHYSICAL ASPECTS: Letting go of the emotional baggage that we don't need can have an energizing effect on the colon, kidneys, liver, and gall-bladder in particular. The holding on to negativity from the past can be the root cause of constipation. Fear can cause the kidneys and the bladder to function below optimum levels. Clogging in the liver and gallbladder creates a multitude of physical problems.

I also REALLY like a product called Rescue Remedy for anxiety. It's the only thing that gets me through the holidays! Just a few drops under the tongue and the anxiety and stress starts to melt away. Rescue Remedy is made from the essence of flowers, specifically the flowers Clematis, Star of Bethlehem, Rock Rose, Cherry Plum, and Impatiens. You can learn more about Rescue Remedy here: http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-information/  You can purchase Rescue Remedy at most health food stores. 

I recently learned that Butterfly Express also has a Rescue Remedy product that is MUCH cheaper than buying it at the health food store. At the health food stores, a 10 ml bottle of Rescue Remedy costs $12-14. The Butterfly product is a full 1 oz for only $5! And it has a much better taste. 

DIY Bug Spray

It's finally summer in our neck of the woods! We have had an unusually wet and cold Spring, but today I finally broke out the flip flops! And last night my kids got their first mosquito bites. It's time to make some bug spray!

Butterfly Express makes a blend called Away that is designed to keep the bugs at bay. It contains catnip, cedarwood, cinnamon berry, citronella, clove, and eucalyptus peppermint. 

DIY Bug Spray

Spray bottle (dark glass is preferred to protect the oils)

Distilled water

Witch hazel

20-30 drops of Away essential oil

Fill the bottle about 1/3 full of distilled water. Add the witch hazel until it's about 2/3 full. Add 20-30 drops of Away essential oil. Shake the bottle well before every use. Spray on your skin, clothes, and along the hems of your pants and shirts. Be careful to avoid contact with the eyes.

If you need additional moisturizing during the summer months, or if you are using this spray on babies or children, you can add fractionated coconut oil to this spray. You can also mix the Away oil into your favorite natural lotion. 

My friend took this spray with her on vacation to Puerto Rico and it worked wonderfully against the big tropical bugs!  

Have a happy and healthy summer!