Spring into Your New Life -step 5

Hello everyone, I'm back! My laptop decided to take a vacation, and refused to cooperate, telling me I didn't have a hard drive installed...and of course someone else turns it on, and it opens like it should. So, after being a whole week, (with multiple attempts to correct the problem -including replacing said hard drive,) I'm going to hurry and do my best to get this post out to you.

Step 5

Now that we are reading ingredients and swapping out personal care products, household cleaners, and food...what's next?

Let's pause a moment to mention scented candles, air-fresheners, sprays and plug-ins, and just how toxic they can be. Studies have shown that the residual chemicals from our beloved air-fresheners contain toxic chemicals that accumulate in consistently-increasing amounts over time. You don't need me to tell you how bad that can be. Chemicals such as Phthalates, which have been known to interfere with the production of testosterone and have been associated with reproductive abnormalities. Formaldehyde, has been linked to things such as throat and nose cancer, is known to cause chronic irritation to the airways, increasing the risk of asthma, infections and other respiratory ailments. Naphthalene, found mostly in plug-ins compounds the risks formaldehyde brings, since it was shown from studies done on rats to cause tissue damage and lung cancer. And the list goes on.

Essential oils can be used in diffusers to spread not only a pleasant aroma throughout the house, but a

beneficial one as well. Oils on their own and in various combinations can have beneficial effects on the household, from uplifting or calming, odor removing and purifying, to respiratory aid and more.
If you love your candles, make your own using beeswax or another safe wax and essential oils. It's that easy. There are recipes for reed diffusers as well as simply placing a few drops of your chosen oils on some un glazed pottery beads. Fortunately for us today, you can google a DIY in a split second. There are so many safe, fun and beautiful recipes out there. Indulge yourself.

Of course, you can get yourself a diffuser and some essential oils and go to town. You won't regret it, because if the blink of an eye you can set the mood with a beautiful diffuser that'll be beneficial to those fortunate enough to be in the room. My absolute favorite one is called the Desert Mist diffuser because it will stay on all night (if that's what I want) and shut off afterwards. It offers different operating modes and white light, candle light or any of the beautiful rainbow colors. Oil diffuser packages are available and you can learn more about them HERE. If ever you decide to get one, leave me a message and II'll throw in a free gift.

One last thing...A great way to help rid your body of all these toxins we've been talking about is to take a bath with Epsom salts and a few drops of essential oils! This soothing, relaxing, detoxing or even invigorating baths will do you a world of good. 1 drop of Lavender in 1 cup Epsom salts will help you unwind, the Stress Away blend is pure magic. Raven or eucalyptus for soothing the respiratory tract  or Pan Away to ease a sore body after a workout is ahhh-mazing. (All these blends are from Young Living, the only company I trust, and I've been using oils for 30 years now...I have tried so many over the years, organic and all...but these are simply the best. You'd need to put 20 drops of any other lavender oil to get the same benefits of a single drop of our oil...I kid you not. So in the end, you're spending more on the cheap oils getting less out of them on so many levels.)


I wanted to add a pic of my favorite diffuser...It's on a shelf on my room, so it's not a pretty promo pic, but it'll do. The candle setting really looks like a flickering candle, it's sooo pretty. The girls like it when it's cycles through the different colors. To each his own.