"When life gives you lemons...ENJOY"

Lemon was one of the first essential oils I started using on a regular basis.  This oil came in my starter kit with Young Living.  I had read that lemon has great detoxing properties for your body.  For about 2 months I have been taking capsules with a lemon and peppermint combo to loose a few pounds and help me keep it off.  I've been pretty successful keeping at least 5 pounds off so far. Through this process I believe lemon has helped leveled the ph levels of my body and boosted my immune system and helped me avoid getting any of the colds that have been going around this Winter.

Everyday Uses you might like to try...

* Put a drop or 2 in a glass of water or tea for flavor.

* Use a couple drops in water to clean fruits and vegetables before eating.

* Add a drop to a spoon of honey for a cough or sore throat.  Effective method for children.

* Diffuse for a pick-me-up.

* Rub lemon essential oil on callouses to support healing. 

* Rub a drop to remove sticky residue on surfaces.  

* Use in your skin care routine for oily skin and hair. 

* Use to add flavor to recipes....lemon frosting, lemon bars, lemon meringue, lemonade. 

* Add a drop to water and drink to neutralize heartburn.

* Add a few drops to your laundry or dishes for a fresh scent.

* Use a drop to disinfect toothbrush.

Lemon Coconut Frosting

Here is a fun recipe using lemon that I came up with.  Great sweet little treat to pair with strawberries.  You could certainly use milk or shortening/butter, but I wanted the true coconut flavor paired with the lemon.  

The recipe made about 3/4 of a cup of frosting.  Mine turned out a little think, but you could always add more milk to thin if you wanted more a glaze frosting.  Also may depend on the room temperature of your coconut oil. You could double/triple if you wanted to frost a cake or cupcakes, but this amount was sufficient for a sweet little side for fruit.

A couple of things to note when using citrus oils.  

When mixing with water you always want to use a glass container.  Since citrus oils draw out toxins, when using plastic containers, citrus oils can pull out toxins from plastic and break down your container.  

Avoid using on skin if you are going to be in direct contact with sunlight or UV rays.

Leave a comment and let us know how you would use lemon essential oil!

If you would like to learn more about specific essential oils and how they can be used or would like to join me and thousands of oil users in a private online Facebook community called The Lemon Drop Lounge, please leave me a comment or send me an email.

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Meet my new friend, Orange essential oil.  I recently ordered a bunch of citrus oils from Young Living to try.  I have been reading so many positive things about all the citrus oils.  The citrus oils are very affordable, yet pack a powerful punch of goodness! I am putting together a series of informational posts about each of the oils that I will review for you.

Everyday uses you might like to try...
* Add a drop or two to water or unsweet tea to add flavor.
* Add a drop or two to hot tea or hot chocolate.
* Apply topically to skin for a fresh uplifting scent.
* Diffuse!!!!
This week my daughter was having a melt down getting started with homework.  I put orange and another blend called peace and calming in the diffusor next to her while she worked.  She went from tears to singing happy tunes to finish her work.
* Use as a degreaser, or make your own household cleaner.
* Add a couple drops to your favorite unscented moisturizer.
* For those that have undergone chemotherapy, it would be a great to help aid in healthy cell regeneration.
* May help increase libido.

A couple of things to note when using citrus oils.  

When mixing with water you always want to use a glass container.  Since citrus oils draw out toxins, when using plastic containers, citrus oils can pull out toxins from plastic and break down your container.  

Avoid using on skin if you are going to be in direct contact with sunlight or UV rays.

Leave a comment and let us know how you would use orange essential oil!

I am doing a special promotion during the month of February, where you can get a FREE bottle of Young Living Orange essential oil.  Leave a comment or send me an email if you would like to know how you can get a FREE bottle of orange oil to try for yourself!

If you would like to learn more about specific essential oils and how they can be used or would like to join me and thousands of oil users in a private online Facebook community called The Lemon Drop Lounge, please leave me a comment or send me an email.

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Hello Hello! Elizabeth has been trying to get me to sit down and blog for some time now. Well I can make excuses(which are GOOD ones), but I have yet to sit down and do this. So here we go! First blog post and this is what I am feasting on while I post: Gluten Free Sweet Potato Squash Pie with a dollop of homemade Coconut Whipped Cream! Recipes to come!

So I wondered what to blog about first and decided to just tell you about a few of my favorite things in my 'natural medicine cabinet' right now. The first is this: Barleans Omega Oils-Fish Oil

This has been the best $30 I have spent each month since October! Last winter was rough for my youngest two children, ages 2 1/2 and 1 at the time. They began having respiratory trouble in October '12 and continued to have off and on trouble until October '13. They were prescribed Albuterol inhalers and steroids after the first round and we learned to watch the distress signs of 'asthma like' breathing. We had several ER visits over the course of the year and both children had a hospital stay. Lyla for 2 nights in October and James for 5 nights in January. I tried to start watching for triggers that might bring on these 'asthma like' spells and tried to avoid taking them places that might be a trigger. It just seemed that every time they caught a cold, it would go straight to their chest and cause some of these breathing issues. The last 'episode' we had was in September '13. In October I spoke with a friend about my concerns with Lyla and James and he suggested I try giving them Omega Oils, specifically fish oils. So I bought a bottle of this Barleans Omega Swirl. It comes is several different flavors. Tastes great! I have been giving the kids, and myself, a spoonful just about everyday since. They have had colds, but the crud has not settled in their chest as before. The Omega Oils are great for opening up the airways. Well there are many other benefits as well. That could be another post! ;) So maybe the kids are just having a better year? But I truly believe that these oils have made a difference!

Alright, next on the list is Kombucha!

I had never really heard of this until I was at the health food store one day and because of my large vitamin purchase got a free bottle of Garden of Life Raw Kombucha. It says that it is good for immunity and digestion. I hadn't really taken many of the pills though, just every now and then, if I thought about it.

One day I happened to purchase Green Tea with Kombucha. I have been drinking this tea quite often throughout the winter, as Green Tea has many health benefits and again, the benefits of the Kombucha in it. I could really tell a difference when coming down with a cold and drinking the Green Tea daily. An added benefit, I lost a couple lbs that week from the Green Tea. (Not that I was trying to) So, after reading some blogs about Kombucha in its natural state I have gotten a few bottles to try.  They have a little 'wang' to them, but palatable and tasty, in my opinion. So, the big reason I mention this. This week the girls came down with a stomach bug. I hear to drink grape juice 3x a day to avoid getting sick. Well I started drinking my Green Tea with Kombucha and got out my bottle of pure Kombucha and drank it. I also made sure I was taking my probiotics and digestive enzymes. You see, I have been on a battle to get my gut as healthy as possible, well for years, but even more so this past year. If your gut is healthy then you are much healthier and happy as a whole. (Again, another blog post!) Ok, so yes, I came down with the stomach bug and felt horrible horrible, but never got *sick* like the kids did. I am contributing that to the fact that I have been working on superior gut health and drinking all this Kombucha. 

Ok, well Like Elizabeth says, we are NOT Doctors, we are just stating what we have had experience with and what has helped us/our family to improve our health. I have some more favorites from my medicine cabinet that I will post later. For now, naptime is over and I must find snacks for these ravenous wolves, I mean children. ;)

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