Making Choices

Today we're going to see how making some simple, minor changes can impact not only your life, but our planet's life. It's as easy as swapping  a few things out for healthier, greener choices.
Somewhere on my blog, I mentioned using essential oils for over 30 years. One of the holistic health training courses I took included essential oils in its teachings, increasing an already existent love for nature's gifts.

I'm going to share some of these simple, effective and highly beneficial changes we can make. Oils are the life force of the plant they come from, and the many benefits are simply amazing. Today, with internet at the tips of our fingers, we can easily access the information we need to make informed choices.

I've used essential for most of my life, at first because they smelled amazing, and later because they made me feel better, and once I learned of their properties, there was no going back. Yet somehow, I've only recently switched over to Young Living. I started off with oils from specialty shops where you could get incense and diffusers, which were no more than hand-blown glass sitting atop of an aquarium air pump, (and we paid close to $100 way back then). Since going organic several years ago, I switched my oils as well, not wanting to have concentrated pesticides in my oils, but the ultimate move came when I was introduced to Young Living. Not only do they guarantee a "Seed to Seal" process, where they use only the best seeds, grown and harvested in ways that reflect my priorities, my values, and my vision for the planet. (We'll take a closer look at that another time, butif you'd like to know more now, just click on this LINK).

They are hands-down, the most amazing oils I have ever used. I still remember holding my organic 'before' oils and smelling the difference between the two. I happened to have lemon and peppermint from both companies on hand. The smell alone was enough to show me these were far from ordinary oils, but nothing had prepared me for what happened next...Where I would have used 20-25 drops of my organic oils, 1-3 drops of my Young Living oils did the trick. You cannot imagine my surprise. In making balms, deodorant, creams, lotions toothpaste, outdoor spray, room freshener, hair detangler, bath salts, and more, I just got way more out of every bottle of oil! (There's about 90-100 drops in each 5 ml bottle, and 250 in every 15 ml bottle).

Oils brought a boost of power to my cleaning, out went scented candles and room sprays, and the sense of well-being from diffusing them is something to be experienced.

Not only has Health Canada assigned NPN's* to many of the Young Living oils, but Health Canada recognizes these oils as having the following benefits:

1.  Used in aromatherapy for symptomatic relief of acne/boils.

2.  Used in aromatherapy to relieve minor skin irritation/cuts/bruises/burns.

3.  Used in aromatherapy for symptomatic relief of eczema/dermatitis.

4.  Used in aromatherapy as a nervine/calmative.

5.  Used in aromatherapy to help relieve joint/muscle pain associated with sprain/strain/rheumatoid arthritis.

6.  Used in aromatherapy to help relieve headache.

7.  Used in aromatherapy as a carminative/antispasmodic for symptomatic relief of digestive discomfort.

8.  Used in aromatherapy to help relieve colds/cough.

*(Natural Product Number's,  assigned to health products having passed the most rigorous standards and safety controls)

 (Copied from the Health Canada website)

Oh, and we now have a Canadian "+" line used in food preparation. I made a batch of black pepper and lime kale chips the other night...wow, were they tasty.

Yes, these oils are amazing!

Young Living took it one step further and came up with a "Starter Kit," making it easy to not only fall in love with these wondrous gifts of nature, but they assembled a collection of oils that do it all. All the issues mentioned above in the Health Canada list are covered by what you get in this kit, and more. Aside from a diffuser you get the following oils:

Lavender,
Peppermint,
Lemon,
Copaiba,
Thieves,
Panaway,
R.C.
Purification,
Di-Gize,
Frankincense,
Northern Lights Black Spruce,

A 1 oz bottle of Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier,
AromaGlide Roller Fitment (turn any bottle into a roll-on)
10 Love it? Share it! Sample Business Cards (5 English/5 French)
10 Love it? Share it! Sample Oil Bottles
2 NingXia Red 2 oz samples (a superfood/oil infused drink)
A Product Guide

All this is yours for only $199.97 Canadian. ($160 US) The oils in the US kit are a little different. PM me f you want more info on them.

Rather than go through what each oil does,  I want to share a few personal stories with these oils. Like Lemon, not only does it smell amazing, but at Costco the other day, my youngest was eating an organic lollipop...(yeah...it happens sometimes). But since they didn't have the kind I had purchased in the past, I got another, not realizing there was gum in the middle! The next thing I know, shes got gum on every finger, and of course, through her long, curly hair. I carry a mini oil kit with me everywhere, lemon is in it, so, out comes a drop or two of lemon, and I literally slide the gum right off her hair. (Next came the very sticky fingers lol).
This same child, managed to burn her shoulder on a cookie sheet that I had just taken out of the oven. She'd dragged her bench to look at the cookies, and came up under the edge of the pan, giving her an instant burn, and man can she scream.

A drop of lavender with a bit of coconut oil put out that fire within seconds. She doesn't even have a mark.
Anyone ever lose sleep because someone in the room is snoring? My nights are already short, so when the snoring begins, I whip out my peppermint oil and put a few drops on DH's ankle. (He's already tested it right on his skin and it does not irritate him at all), but what it does do, is make the noise stop within minutes -especially when he's eaten things he's sensitive to.
One of the women I work with told me she was in a lot of neck and shoulder pain due to an accident moving a patient. I pulled out my panaway, fitted with the roller top, and applied it to her sore muscles. She was able to lift her arm above her shoulder, something that had become near impossible since the accident. The pain eased, mobility increased...how cool is that?
My daughter loves to work out and runs a 10 Km as often as she can. Using R.C. before hand helps improve breathing while she's out running. (It can get pretty humid here in the summer).
Thieves....dearly, beloved Thieves. My 2 youngest do gymnastics in an awesome gym, covered with everyone's sweat and germs, lol. I rub a drop under their feet (mixed with a bit of coconut oil), and off they go. IF they catch anything, it never lasts for more than 24 hrs (and so far they average one 24 hr cold a year),  while the others can drag it on for weeks. We LOVE this oil. When people are nice enough to come over for a visit, while nursing a cold no less, I diffuse Thieves. (Thieves and orange smells amazing). So far, we haven't caught anything since.
For tummy issues, Di-Gize has got you covered. Trust me. I could go on... and just for fun, look up the benefits of Frankincense oil.

Imagine a soothing massage with these amazing oils...or adding one drop (I kid you not) of lavender oil to a cup of Epsom salts (shake well) and put that into a relaxing bath you'll fall in love with.

One last story...Stress Away. My youngest has always been very intense. She'd wake up at night screaming, and we couldn't even touch her to reassure her without making things worth. This had been going on for months...until I opened up the bottle of Stress Away and had her smell it by simply passing it under her nose, careful not to touche her. She fell right back onto her pillow and slept through the night! I  thought she was messing with me at first, but no...this oil not only ended her night terrors, but she finally began sleeping through the night. She was 3, so it was long overdue, for both my mental and physical health.

Oils are absorbed into the body within seconds, and they do a body good on every level. Simply breathing them in while using the diffuser is an experience all in its own. No more toxic candles,  plug-ins, or room deodorizers needed. And now with the 'plus' line, we can enjoy them in the kitchen. I added 2 drops of spearmint + and a few of tangerine + to a jug of homemade lemonade. Sooo good!

Why get a kit? Because you can't lose with this deal. When you buy it, you're saving about 1/2 price on getting these items on their own. You get an awesome diffuser, and as an added bonus, you can purchase any of the Young Living products at 24% off for a whole year. If you want to extend this privilege, all you need to do is buy for $50 during this year. That's it. You never 'have' to buy anything else.

I decided to give them a try even though I already had a cabinet full of oils -that I usually bought a bottle at a time. I learned that if I bought for 125 pv (point value based on $1 US = 1 pv), I got a free bonus oil. Also, between 10 and 25% of the pv value was banked, and I could use them in exchange for more products. (The 1st 3 months are at 10%, then you move up to 20% until it's been 24 months, from which point on you get 25%).

Young Living offers everything from oils to makeup, baby care products to supplements, infused superfood drinks and more. All made with safe, non-toxic ingredients that you can trace back to their origin. Their Thieves multipurpose household cleaner impresses me every time I use it, from crystal clear windows, to a sparkling clean kitchen, bathroom and floors. I washed down the siding on my house off the deck last week. This stuff is amazing! And all you need is a capful of soap in a spray bottle full of water! It's crazy. I've stopped buying glass cleaner, floor cleaner, bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner and all the rest. This one bottle does it all.


Young Living offers more than oils, they give you a helping hand in getting back online with a healthier lifestyle, making better choices and leaving toxic, chemical elements out of your daily routine. Add healthier food choices and see how far you've come? Feels good, too, doesn't it?

If the business side of Young Living interests you, give me a shout. I'm never far away -especially since my computer woes have subsided, lol.

My Young Living number is 11073874 if ever you need it.

You can have your kit delivered to your door within days.

Special bonus!!!
If you want one, I'll cover the shipping costs!

Reducing Your Plastic Use

By now you've likely come across a post on plastic waste in the ocean, or a campaign against drinking straws, or seen pictures of the tons of plastic rolling around and rapidly engulfing our planet. Terrible, isn't it? But have you really taken a close look at plastic in your everyday life? Have you given any thought to what you use, throw away, recycle?

 When you throw away something that could have been composted or recycled, when you chose single serve packs of apple sauce for the kids' lunches rather than buying a large a glass jar that you dish up into smaller, reusable containers, when you put a plastic spoon in the lunchbox to go along with the apple sauce...and you think something like, "What difference can I make, I'm just one person?" Every person, every gesture, every effort is valuable. I laughed when I read this, "The person who thinks they're too small to make a difference has never tried to sleep with a mosquito in the room." So never dismiss your efforts as being inconsequential.



We have done more damage to our planet in the past 150 years, than mankind had managed to do in the previous 1000. If we want to be able to leave something for future generations, taking action isn't really an option anymore. It doesn't have to be painful either. It's all about becoming aware of our actions and adopting healthy ones.

So come on, let's start the journey together, invite friends and family to join in, and make a party of it. I'll get the ball rolling and share some simple steps you can take to do the same. To make it more interesting, share what you've done with us here. Invite friends and family to join in.

Let's start with 10 items. Here goes!


1-Straws. We gave up plastic straws for glass and stainless steel. Now, I prefer the glass to the stainless, but glass is not practical with kids. Last week I found bamboo straws for them!
2-Utensils. We bring our utensils from home anytime we pack a lunch. Bamboo utensil packs are affordable and come in a cloth pouch. The adult kit has a pair of chopsticks in it as well. We went out for veggie burgers the other day and we got to sample one of their desserts,  using compostable utensils. Now how cool is that?
3-Plates. Be it for a beach picnic, a school lunch or a lawn party, there are alternatives here too. Paper, bamboo, stainless steel, and yes, banana leaves, (totally Awesome!) or even glass, depending on where you're going and what you're doing with these.
4-Bottles. Here too, we can buy glass, (sport bottles have a silicone casing to protect them), stainless steel, or even a mason jar can do the trick.
5-Coffee cups. Bring your own coffee cup to fill at your favorite morning stop. There are many models on the market to choose from.
6-Shopping bags. Most stores offer reusable bags, from IKEA to Costco to Walmart. In the end, it doesn't matter where you get them, it just matters that you use them. You could even make your own.
7-Produce bags. I am fortunate enough to do my groceries online (I love my awesome organic grocery store! Shout out to Bio Sattva up in Val David, Qc!) I pick up my order in 2 big bins, so no grocery bags, and no produce bags. Everything is placed directly inside the bin as is, without plastic. My daughter bought herself a set of mesh reusable produce bags, so that's another option, or again, make your own.
8-Food storage containers. I donated all of my Tupperware and plastic containers a while back and switched to glass containers. I also use mason jars a lot! There are also silicone stretch covers that fit over almost any size bowl.
9-Soap, shampoo and  domestic cleaners all come in plastic bottles. It's getting easier and easier to bring your jars and refill them at bulk stores. We have zero waste stores for both food and soaps/cleaners, so we just refill our jars or containers.
10-Plastic wrap/bags. It is now possible to buy reusable lunch bags to pack sandwiches and such. They come in different sizes with cool colors and patterns. To replace plastic wrap, beeswax covered organic cotton is another option.

Amazon and organic health food stores carry most of these products. If you find other places, let us know!

I came across this on Facebook one night...definitely food for thought. Even if we recycle, we're still contributing to the problem, not the solution. Plastic is everywhere and in almost everything, from your phone, television, computer, car, home and more. Every bit we can cut down on helps. Just look around you and count how many things are made of plastic. My laptop, screen, printer, wall plug/switch covers, thumbtacks, mp3 player, phone, pencil holder, pens, fake fireplace heater, and multi-frame wall art are all made of plastic to varying degrees. It's everywhere. I can't imagine a wooden printer either. So for now, we're still stuck with it. But that doesn't mean we can't start to eliminate the over-consumption and waste choking our planet.

Let me know how you are doing on your end. Together, we can and will make a difference.  I love sitting back and watching discussions between my 2 youngest, (4 & 10), on composting, recycling, organic foods and healthy choices. Every bit helps, every step makes a difference...not just for us, but for our beloved planet.

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.