an oily post.

I've recently dove in head first to the world of essential oils.  And I've got to tell you all just how they've been working for our family.

I'll start with some background.  My boys have been battling cold after cold followed by asthma and coughing and days turn into weeks of breathing treatments and then a week of health before another round of it all!  Lincoln was prone to ear infections as an infant, got tubes put in when he was almost 2 and before that was on antibiotic after antibiotic until he started developing immunities to a couple of them.  Which scares the crap out of me.  And then recently has had two more ear infections and were treated with two more antibiotics and that's when I FINALLY was at the end of my rope.  My children's health is at stake here and I'm not going to keep pumping antibiotics into them until they are resistant to all of them.  So I started researching.  Researching ways to boost their (and mine!) immune systems.  After talking to a friend I started making elderberry syrup.  And now give my boys a tsp. of it every morning as an immune booster.  It's super easy to make and one batch of it last 3+ weeks.

After months of research, I started finding other people who use essential oils and I started asking questions, tons of questions.  Then my friend Katie told me about a class I could go to close by and after attending it and learning SO much about the oils I was ready to get some of my own.  I ordered about 11 oils and a diffuser from Young Living and got started!  That was the beginning of February and even though it's only been a little over 2 months, we have not made a single visit to the Doc's office.  Which is saying a LOT considering we were there at least once a week if not every other week all winter.

Since then Tyler and I have both started getting colds, started with my oils and we (or I at least) was over my cold in a DAY.  One day people.  No more suffering through weeks of a sore throat, cough, sinus pressure.  Tyler's took a little longer because he was skeptical and used Zicam for the first few days and when he saw I was feeling 100 times better and he was feeling worse, he gave in a used some theives oil and lavender :)

Since then we've treated the following with Essential Oils and NO trips to the Dr.'s office (besides well child check ups) and NO antibiotics and NO breathing treatments :

- Dietrich has been congested, teething - treated with lavender, cedarwood, tea tree and lemon

- Caedmon's asthma - treated with a combination of cedarwood, frankincense, lavender, lemon and RC if the others aren't getting the job done :)  RC has some oils that are not recommended for children under 5 so it was used very mildly and under lots of supervision.  And I just ordered Ravintsara with is supposed to be a good substitute for Eucalyptus, which is in RC.  So I'm excited to see how that works.  Since February I've only had to use his inhaler once and that was only because I ran out of lavender and had to use the inhaler until I could get some lavender from a friend.

- Lincoln's asthma - same as Caedmon

- I've had the flu - I literally bathed in Valor (added to epsom salts and either olive oil or milk and pour into the bath), thieves around the clock and breathing in peppermint to help with my chills (since I'm breastfeeding I didn't apply it because peppermint can reduce your supply)

- bad cold for everyone - treated with thieves oil on mine and Tyler's feet, lavender on our throats and diffusing lemon, diluted lemon on the boys' feet, tea tree behind ears to relieve pressure.

- sore muscles - Tyler put PanAway on his sore legs after working out and MAN that one is strong! (It is also on the not recommended for kids list)

- my allergies - lavender and lemon

- sinus infection for me - purification in a steam bowl every two hours.  Worked to help with the symptoms but it wasn't getting RID of it so my friend Shannon made up an inhaler for me with a mixture of frankincense, opopanx and ravintsara.  Worked SO well.  Everything moved out of my sinuses and I felt so much better.

- fluid in Lincoln's ears (which usually leads to an ear infection) - tea tree.  I'm amazed.

- goose egg bump/bruise - Caedmon tripped and fell face first into the corner of a chair.  Seconds later it was already swollen and bruising.  I applied a drop of lavender to it and because essential oils get into the blood stream so fast, it helped the swelling to decrease within minutes and the next morning there wasn't even a bruise!

- Sunburn - we stayed outside all day and all of us were pink at the end of the day.  Added some lavender to coconut oil and rubbed it on our sunburns.  Helped a ton.  I've been told that same combo is a good sunscreen as well but I haven't tried it yet :)

For the first time in my life I feel like I'm in control of my health.  Yes I still get sick, I'm building my immune system back up after HELLP syndrome destroyed it, but I can deal with the sicknesses better and I don't have to head to the doctor out of fear for every single thing.

I'm so, so thankful that I was introduced to this class I've been going to because I've learned so much not only about essential oils in general but different application methods and the safety aspect of essential oils.

Essential oils are very, very potent and concentrated oils and need to be respected in that aspect.  I've learned that 1 drop of lemon EO contains the oil distilled from 27 lemons.  That's a LOT.  Which is the reason almost all oils need to be diluted in a carrier oil (like olive oil or coconut oil) before applied topically.  There are a lot of things out there on oils, I encourage you, if you are wanting to start using oils that you would educate yourself.  I'm more than happy to recommend some books, facebook groups, etc that have good, SAFE information!

http://scentsablehealth.com/ is a great resource!

Here are some resource cards to use if you have kids
*Put together by Shannon Dennis of Scentsable Health*

Here is a check list to reference when trying to decide if an oil is safe

for your child or not.  These are single oils. 

 This one is the same thing just for Oil Blends like Thieves, Joy, Valor etc.

Like I said earlier most oils need to be diluted when used.  

Here is a reference card for how much to dilute for how old your child is.

And it lists suggestions for carrier oils (the oil you use to dilute the essential oil).

I personally mostly use coconut and olive oil because that's what I have on hand.  

And it's helpful to buy a couple extra amber bottle to store your diluted essential oil in.

So if I'm sick I go ahead and dilute thieves and store it in a new amber bottle so I don't waste it and can use it all before making more.  This also helps make your essential oils last longer!  

If you are just wanting to build up a stash of essential oils to have on hand

that are safe for the whole family here is a good list!

I just wanted to share with you all what has been working for us.  I'm not trying to push this at all just am amazed at how well these oils really do work.  :)  If you have any questions about essentials oils, I'm happy to try and help!