Sleep, My Girl. Sleep.

This is my daughter, Dakota.  She is 7 and full of curiosity and vitality.  An avid reader, guitar player, swimmer, soccer player, and unfortunately, a worrier.  I am afraid she inherited the worry gene from me.  Her worries aren't of anything major, just simple things that a child could worry about.

 Only, Dakota takes them to a new level.  A level that causes anxiety and sleepless nights.  She even shows symptoms of over active bladder when her anxiety hits.  This all happens during bedtime.  After our story reading, prayers, and tucking in.  She gets up to pee at least 5 times before finally settling in.  Her father and I have done several things to help her through these episodes.  We have explained how anxiety can show up when there is something on your mind that needs to be said.  So, we encourage her to talk with us about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that comes to mind.  We have explained how the bladder works and sometimes is "spazzes" out and makes her feel like she needs to pee.  Unfortunately, talking with her just doesn't seem to help much any more.

After doing some research into essential oils and consulting different references such as everythingessential.me and the Modern Essentials Book, I came up with a recipe of oils that really have been helping her settle in at night.

Here is what I call "Sleep, My Girl. Sleep" recipe:

40 drops Lavender

10 drops Vetiver

20 drops Lemon

15 drops Balance Blend

Fractionated Coconut Oil 

1 1/6oz (15 ml) glass roller bottle- purchase here

Add listed amount of drops into roller bottle.  I use droppers to do this as I feel they allow the accurate amount to be dispensed.  You can purchase droppers, bottles, vials and much more at Aromatools.com. 

Because Vetiver and Balance are heavier oils, they sink to the bottom and create a pretty "layering" effect.  Once the bottle is full, just shake it up before using.  

Once all the oils have been added, top the bottle off with fractionated coconut oil.  This is the best carrier oil to use as it won't clog up the roller and is absorbed into the skin quickly.  You can find FCO at doTERRA and there are great deals on Amazon.com, too.  Fill up the bottle with FCO, put the roller cap in (this can be removed later to add more oils once you get low).  

Voila!  There you have it.  When we use this blend, I simply apply it to the bottoms of Dakota's feet, wrists, back of neck and sometime her abdomen below her belly button right around where he bladder is.  Lavender is a great relaxant and I believe it is helping her over active bladder issues.  

Each of the oils used in this blend have properties that help with other issues than just anxiety and restlessness. But I will explain why I used each one for this particular blend.

Lavender- Helps with agitation, anxiety, depression, and has sedative properties.

Vetiver- Is an antispasmodic, calming, sedative, helps balance emotionally and is used in ADD/ADHD    blends.

Lemon- Helps with anxiety, concentration, blood pressure regulation, depression, relaxation, and is uplifting for the mood.

Balance Blend- This blend is made up of many oils such as Spruce, Rosewood, Blue Tansy, and Frankincense.  This oil helps with anxiety, balance, confusion, hyperactivity, and mood swings,

In closing, if you or anyone you know as issues with anxiety, sleeplessness, or just need some help calming down, this blend may be of some help.  It is working for Dakota and we are so thankful.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding this post.  

You can purchase these oils here. 

Have a blessed day!

Jess

Adventure with Essential Oils

Whew, I have about 20 minutes to spare so I thought I would update this old blog.  It has been a while. A lot has happened since my last blogging attempt, but nothing of significance really.  Well, there is one thing.  I stumbled onto a new product while I was selling my lotion bars at a local vendor fair in Lolo, MT.  This new product is called doTERRA.  doTERRA means (derivative of) "Gift from the Earth".  What is this gift of nature that I will write about?  Essential oils!

I have always LOVED LOVED LOVED using essential oils.  I mostly only used them aromatically and sometime topically for various reasons.  The main reason was just because they made my house smell good.  I never really understood their purpose other than diffusing them in a room to help deodorize or perhaps lift my mood.  Well, let me tell you...there are HUNDREDS of beneficial reasons to use EO's topically, aromatically, and even INTERNALLY!  What??  Really?  Internally?  But it says on all the bottles of EO's you get in the store "Not meant for internal use".  doTERRA's oils are CPTG oils.  CPTG means Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade.  The purest of the pure.  Most of the oils doTERRA offers can be taken internally (unless otherwise stated on the bottle).

The three ways to use EO's are as follows:

Aromatically- Diffuse using an oil diffuser or spray bottle.  Many oils have deodorizing properties, mood lifting and/or relaxing properties and even purifying properties.  This is a great way to deodorize a specific room.  You can use oils in sick rooms to help purify the air and kill germs.

Topically-  EO's can be used on our skin to help with various issues.  Tea Tree oil for cuts and scrapes, toe nail fungus, etc.  Lavender for wounds, burns, relaxation and to calm a restless child (or in my case..me!).  The list goes on and on about the oils that can be used topically.

Internally- EO's can be taken in capsule form, mixed in water or drink, or just take a drop under your tongue.  It is especially important to read the label on the doTERRA bottle to make sure the oil can, in fact, be taken internally.  Some oils are considered "hot oils" and can cause some major discomfort if taken undiluted straight under the tongue.  I know this from experience.  Oregano oil is considered a "hot oil" and is also a great immune booster.  I put one drop under my tongue and immediately wished I hadn't.  "Burnination" is the only way I can describe what happen to my mouth, tongue and lips.  So now I take Oregano by diluting in honey.  Much better. 

One oil I use a lot is lemon.  Lemon is wonderful in water and my kids love taking a drop under their tongues.  Ohh, and peppermint.  Talk about clearing the passages!!

In my opinion, the powerhouse of all the oils is a blend called On Guard.  This blend is made up of some very powerful oils.  I diffuse this oil in a sick room, take a drop with honey to soothe a sore throat, clean my counter tops and kitchen, put some on a sponge while washing dishes, there are so many uses for this oil.

"On Guard is dōTERRA’s unique, proprietary blend formulated to support healthy immune function.* Wild orange essential oil, combined with clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary offer a fragrant, natural and effective alternative to synthetic options for immune support. On Guard, with its unique aroma, is one of our most versatile blends. It is also safe to use on counter tops, as a non-toxic way to cleanse surfaces, or to clear the atmosphere by diffusing. On Guard is superb for eliminating and controlling pathogens due to the potency of its constituents."

Another aspect of the doTERRA company is the income earning opportunity. Now, before I get to deep into that, know that YOU DO NOT have to sell these oils to reap the benefits.  YOU DO HAVE TO SELL if you want to make money.  Let me explain.  There are 3 ways to get your hands on these oils.  Here they are:

IPC/Wholesale:  IPC stands for Independent Product Consultant.  Share your wealth of health knowledge, sell oils to other that could benefit from the amazing properties each oil offers, and receive 25% off purchases.  Here is the cool thing- you DON'T have to sell product to become a wholesale member.  You pay the $35 fee and that is it (well, you do have to register as a wholesale member, but it is easy).

Preferred Member:  Pay a $10 Lifetime fee and receive 20% of retail prices.  You can also participate in the Loyalty Reward Program that is offered and receive credits toward future purchases.  I will explain LRP later in this post.  You can always upgrade to a Wholesale member by paying an additional $25.

Retail customer :  You purchase oils online at retail prices.  No need to sign up for membership.  Easy enough.

Loyalty Rewards Program:  Have your favorite products shipped to you automatically every month! (You can change your products as often as you would like).  If your order is 50 PV (product value) points or higher, you earn credits towards future purchases. LRP is available with the Preferred Membership and IPC/WHOLESALE Membership.  Click this link to learn more: LRP  If you place an LRP order of 125 PV or more, you qualify for a free PRODUCT OF THE MONTH.  It is a great way to earn free oils.


If you are interested in just learning about essential oils and their powers, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I would love to share with you.  Also, if you are interested in signing up, I can help you with that, too.  First thing I suggest is clicking here - Jessica's doTERRA page and take a look around.  You can also join by clicking the "signup/join" link under "Quick Links".  My consultant info is Jessica Williams 283073

IF YOU DO DECIDE TO SIGN UP UNDER ME, I WILL GIVE YOU A FREE INTRO KIT W/CD. SEE BELOW:

I started with doTERRA simply because I believe their oils are the best.  I love what they have done for my family and myself.

I will post another blog soon because this one has taken WAY OVER the 20 free minutes I had.  I would like to explain more about doTERRA as a company and even share some personal testimony. My kids are looking at me like they haven't been fed in over a month.  Even though they just stuffed their faces 30 minutes ago!! :)

Thanks again for reading and have a blessed day!

Jess

Good Grief! I suck at blogging.

I just remembered that I had started a blog last year. 3 kids, preschool, kindergarten, trying to run a small and slow online business has kept me busy. Too busy, it seems.

I will start with a short update. Most of you that follow me on Facebook now most of this. I am afraid, that even though I have been busy, I don't really have much new to report. Sad, I know. Well, sad for me anyway.

So I said my business was slow, and it is. But it could be worse. I started selling my lotion bars at the Stevensville, MT farmers market this summer. Unfortunately, the Stevensville market never had any farmers and people came looking for produce, not lotion. Most weekends I set up, there were only 4-5 vendors. It was quite discouraging. I did make some sales though, to my surprise. Now that school has started I can't commit to every weekend. I am EXHAUSTED by the time Saturday comes around. I just revamped my website to display new pictures and to add my new products. www.dakotasagegifts.com Check it out!

My transition from Portland to Missoula has become much easier. I have met more people. Had a couple of girls night out. Joined a book club (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE).

Despite being busy with the kids and everything else, I have found time to read, crochet and continue making my bars. I am happy. Tired, stressed and very happy :)

Website is up and running!

It has been for a while. I have been so dang busy with life and family, that I think I forgot to mention it here on my blog :)

www.dakotasagegifts.com

If you are in the Missoula and/or Bitterroot Valley, just email me with your order and I can deliver!!

My Etsy Shop is OPEN!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dakotasagegifts

If you are interested in purchasing some of my lovely homemade Lotion Bars and do not want to open an Etsy account, just email me and I can make your order that way. dakotasagegifts@gmail.com

I make Christmas gifts because I am poor.

Homemade gifts are awesome. Right? Well, if they are cool gifts and not lame crocheted tissue box covers or really bad fruit cake. Who am I kidding? Fruit cake is always bad. I have started on a few projects in the last week. I am hoping the recipients of these gifts enjoy using them as much as I enjoyed making them. Here are a few examples:

Crocheted hats




Here are some lotion bars. Well, lotion "rounds". They are made of Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Beeswax and essential oils. These are Grapefruit scented.






I think that both are great gift ideas. I will say, even though I do enjoy making gifts, my hands hurt from crocheting :) And, I am usually up way after the kids are sleeping so I can keep up with it all. I am having fun though.

Any of you making your gifts this year? If so, please share! I would love to see your ideas.

My adventures in crochet

My mom loves star quilts. I can't sew worth a damn. So, I decided to crochet her a star quilt. I will NEVER do another one. I think it is beautiful though and I know she loves it, so it was worth the work. If you want one, you gotta pay me :)