Category Archives: Essential Oils

Head-to-Head Science: OnGuard Cleaner Concentrate vs Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I love science experiments, and have always been fond of Petri dish experiments! There’s something satisfying in getting a definite visual result in the Petri dish.

Dan and I decided to try a Petri dish experiment of our own. The toilets in our house needed cleaning, and we wanted to see if there was a difference between the usual cleaner we’ve been using, Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner, and the On Guard Cleaner Concentrate. I can’t actually use the Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner – it messes with my asthma and gives me migraines. When we clean the toilets with the Lysol, the vent fans have to be on full and we have to open the powder room window. The On Guard Cleaner Concentrate doesn’t mess with my asthma and doesn’t give me migraines, so I was hopeful that it would clean well so that I could actually help with this household chore.

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DIY Aromatherapy, Fizzy Bath Bombs

“Self-care” has really been a buzz word lately, hasn’t it? But, that’s for good reason, taking care of yourself really isn’t a luxury so much as it is a necessity. If you are at your wits end and have gotten to the point where you have started to “lose yourself” (you know, that moment when you say “wait, who am I anymore?!”) then you just can’t effectively serve/help/interact with the people around you!

Self-care can be as simple as locking the door when you shower so you won’t be interrupted, taking 15 minutes in the morning to enjoy your favorite beverage, or spending 5 minutes playing your favorite game on your phone while you wait for something to happen (like waiting for the kitchen timer to go off). It can also be extremely elaborate, like an entire spa day or going on a vacation (or daycation) by yourself!

These DIY aromatherapy bath bombs are somewhere in between the simple self-care and elaborate self-care. They feel extremely indulgent to use, but they only need about 20 minutes to assemble several of them and about a 20 minute bath to utilize them (though, I’ve found my baths last a tad longer when they feel this luxurious 😉 so, whatever you have time for). Continue reading →

DIY Diffuser Ornaments (or buy one! – details inside)

Essential oils have so many uses – helping with aches and discomfort, soothing skin irritations, and soothing digestive discomfort to name a few – on top of adding a pleasant scent to the air and setting the mood. Because essential oils are volatile organic compounds, sensitivities/allergies to them are uncommon. This time of year, a lot of people rush to get trees of all kinds (real, fake but look real, very fake, and then the wire with lights to show off ornaments) to decorate for the holidays. A lot of people I know adore the scent of a real tree, but are allergic to them! However, since allergies to essential oils are rare, you can use a diffuser ornament (or several) on a fake tree to get the best of both worlds! I also use a diffuser ornament on my real tree to add extra holiday scent.

finished both 2 signed

The finished products!

Making diffuser ornaments is surprisingly easy to do, and requires very few tools. If you don’t want to make your own ornament, then I am offering 10 ornaments for sale (see below for details). Just make sure you order an ornament before December 11th if you want it before Christmas because I need time to make them and have them dry before the USPS shipping deadline of the 14th! (These are only for purchase in the United States, sorry for any inconvenience.) Continue reading →

Soothing Fibromyalgia Symptoms Naturally

Fibromyalgia. It’s different for everyone that has it, but one thing remains constant: no one likes having it. skeleton-1940281_1920Most people with fibromyalgia agree that it storms into your life like a hurricane, knocks you flat on your back, and takes up residence in your life like an uninvited house guest that just doesn’t take a hint!

Since everyone is so different, I will try my best to touch on the main symptoms that I see almost everyone suffering from, but my main focus is simply on my personal experience with fibromyalgia and what I have done to ease the symptoms I have. Continue reading →

Benefits of Wintergreen Essential Oil

It’s the age of computers! That also means, unfortunately, that it’s the age of chronic back pain and chronic neck/shoulder tension. Even those that are not stuck to a computer for eight or more hours a day have a lot more neck and shoulder tension than people used to. relaxed-148083_1280This chronic tension is due to how much time we spend looking forward and down. Are you reading this on your phone? Even if you’re not, I bet you’ve spent a decent amount of time on your phone in the past two hours. Are you working on homework at a desk (if you’re in school)? Do you get home from work and flop onto the couch to unwind with dinner and movie? Do you have to commute in traffic? All of these things contribute to the epidemic of chronic neck and shoulder tension, tension headaches, chronic back pain, and general muscle stiffness.

Thankfully, there are things that can help! You do not have to be stuck with the chronic tension and pain.

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