Day #21 of Living with Essential Oils-The Cure for Stomach Issues

I tried to sleep away the day on Thursday; I think my body isn't sure how to handle all of the new energy its had for days on end! Alas, I had to shed my Rip Van Winkle persona at some point to let my family know I was indeed still alive. They wonder sometimes. At least they did...they may not so much now that it has become my “new normal”! I took a nap during the day, falling asleep to the sounds of my children laughing. That is one of the best lullabies a mother can have, unless the sound of laughter means the children are doing something they shouldn't be.

I woke up to the sound of Tim asking me if I wanted any Peppermint oil, or Lemon oil. When he asked if I wanted any Spearmint oil or Lime oil, I realized he was playing one of his pranks again, and my package from Young Living had arrived. It also meant our capsules had arrived! It didn't take long for me to fix myself a capsule of Thieves, Lemon, Peppermint and Purification. I felt like I'd started coming down with something, so the Thieves was to help that get nipped in the bud. I also had been queasy, but worse my stomach was bloated. I know, I know, too much information! But come one, people! I'm not the only one to have ever had a bloated stomach! At some point in your life, most likely after eating way too much of that bowl of pasta in the Italian restaurant, you've experienced a bloated stomach. It feels yucky! I don't know if mine was a result of all the nasal drainage I've had or what. I even have IBS, I've had that since I was a teenager, and chemo wasn't too kind to that condition. There have been times in my life I was crying in pain, doubled over in agony from stomach issues. But since we've begun using the essential oils, I've not dealt with much in the way of stomach issues. I've also been eating better, which I'm sure has something to do with it.

Peppermint is good for stomach issues, including nausea, so that's why I added it to my capsule. I also rubbed some diluted Peppermint on my stomach area, to relieve the issue from two directions. Peppermint gives energy as well, which I needed badly just to wake up. The Lemon helps detox the body, and I certainly needed the detox! The Purification was to help my throat which was sore. Within ten minutes of rubbing the Peppermint on my stomach the nausea I had was gone. About twenty minutes after I took the pill capsule with the Peppermint in it, the bloating in my stomach was gone. By bedtime, I was fine. So if you ever have problems with stomach bloating, you know what you need to have on hand now: Peppermint!

Tim also had a capsule with Lemon and Peppermint. The Peppermint also curbs appetite which is great to get rid of belly fat, something else the Lemon helps do.

I am now carrying small vials of the Lavender, Peppermint, and Lemon in my purse and a few pill capsules. Those three at least cover most of my bases. Although, I wish I could carry them all with me, I don't want to risk someone who may be at home when I'm not, needing one of the oils we only have one bottle of. If I were in their place, I'd be ticked and hopping mad, so I don't wanna do that to anyone else, even if they are a much nicer person than me!

John had Lavender and Peppermint diluted rubbed on his neck and shoulders to help with his allergies. He'd had a stuffy nose the night before, he told us, and he said he needed an oil to put on his nose to make him better. I love the way kids respond to things! We had to explain an oil on his nose might make his eyes hurt, so he settled for me rubbing it on his shoulders and neck instead. Precious boy!

We went to visit my first boyfriend. I don't know about your husband, but mine actually likes and respects my first boyfriend (not any of the ones that followed, mind you) and I am totally still in love with this man. In case you are wondering how this crazy woman writing this blog could get any crazier, and what in the world kind of perverted relationship do I have going, my first boyfriend was my grandfather. I told him one time as a child that he was my boyfriend because he was the best looking man I'd ever seen. From then on he'd ask me if I had a boyfriend, I'd answer he was my boyfriend. He loved it! I'm sure every grandfather would melt into puddles at that one, and every grandmother would just chuckle at her starry eyed husband. Regardless of how much you bestow the title on your grandfather, I have the very best grandfather that ever was! I love my Papaw so much, and am so glad God has allowed him to stay around long enough to see my children born, and the births (and future births) of my cousins' kids. There are seven great-grandchildren with one more on the way. He's blessed indeed!

While we were visiting with him, my knee started acting up so I rubbed a drop of Peppermint on it, to relieve the pain and stressed out muscles. I also drank a bunch of Lemon water, and learned I really like a drop of Lime in with the Lemon. Think a strong sprite, without the bubblies. (I miss bubblies!)

My Papaw has had pneumonia since January, and has been hospitalized twice. He just came home less than a week ago, and still tires easily. I feel so bad for him, and want to just slather him up in oils (especially after reading the testimonial in the Healing Oils of the Bible, written by the author about his pastor who had gone through pneumonia) so that he'll get better faster. My boyfriend is in his mid 80's, and still gorgeous to me. He's got these beautiful blue eyes. I always wanted my kids to have blue eyes, and my wonderful God blessed me with two children with amazing blue eyes. It is neat that even with me having dark green eyes and Tim having brown eyes, that my kids would have such nice blue eyes. God's just cool that way. You never know what you're going to get!

When we left Papaw's house on Lay Lake, we saw the moon coming up, over the little mountain across the inlet, reflecting on the water. It wasn't just a normal moon, it was an enormous full moon. So beautiful! I made Tim stop the car and I jumped out to get a picture with my tablet, but of course it looked nothing like the beautiful thing in the sky. It looked like somebody shining a spotlight. Haha

Our nightly oils were:

the kids-Valor on the feet, Peace and Calming on their shoulders, Lavender on their necks

Grandma- Valor on the feet, Peace and Calming on the shoulders, Lavender on the neck, Purification on the chest

Tim- well he forgot, so he had nothin' at all on him.

Me- Peace and Calming on the shoulders, Lavender on the neck, Thieves on the chest, Valor on the jaw(I forgot to put it on my feet) I also put Lavender across my thumb where I have a burn mark.

Living with Essential Oils-Compassion and Where NOT to Put Peppermint

You know, I'm not perfect. Don't shout "Amen" quite so loudly, ok? My ears are hurting from over here! I will admit that I am pretty close to perfect (only when you look at me through the eyes of God and the covering of His grace), but even I, wonderful me, have bad days. I know! You're shocked! I totally understand! Here I had you thinking I was just a merry old soul who only ever saw the glass full and overflowing. However, every once in a while the juice in my batteries runs out and I go kaput. Did you know kaput is a real word? I thought it was a hick word, for the longest! haha I am associated with quite a few rednecks after all.

So Wednesday dawned bright and early, but I was not there to see it. I'm sure the sun came up, somewhere behind all those rain clouds, but I wasn't able to drag myself from bed until late. Even then, I couldn't get my engine going. Peppermint and Lavender essential oils helped to perk me up a bit, and certainly helped with the case of the snotties and sneezies that accompanied my departure from bed, but there was the brain fog that just wasn't leaving. As my grandfather would say, I had a case of the "don't want to's". I have had so many good days since starting to use the essential oils, that I had almost forgotten the bad days. (I'm that way, I forget things) But the amazing thing is those bad days used to far outnumber the good days! Just weeks ago, in March, if I had one good day, I had three bad days.

There was a big misconception on my part, that I think we're all guilty of to a degree. You may learn of someone's illness or disease, but after the crisis is over and they're, say, home from the hospital, we all forget about them and what they are facing. I watched both my grandmother and mother go through cancer and chemo since I was a young adult. I saw the effects first hand it had on them. But it was almost out of sight out of mind. I didn't realize just what hell their bodies had been through, partly because they were both such resilient women and held on far longer than the doctors thought they could, but partly because I didn't understand what poison was being put in their bodies for all those years. I just didn't get it. I get it now. But that kind of understanding no one should have to endure.

Cancer is a killing disease. It has no discretion. Chemo is a beast. It devours every living cell it comes into contact with. Radiation is raging fire. It burns through any cell that might still hold cancer. All of that has been in my body. On November 28th, 2012 I took my last treatment to eradicate cancer from my body. I officially became a survivor on that day. Yet, the effects of all the treatment was still in my system. That was the part I wasn't prepared for. I wanted for that day to be the day I was instantaneously well, too. But that isn't what happened. My body has had to heal. Heck, even my soul has had to heal!

But no matter where I've come from, what I've gone through, I still have today. I'm not saying pity me, feel sorry for me, get a twinge deep down in your gut that has nothing to do with what you ate for supper. No, what I'm saying is have more understanding and compassion for those who are going through any kind of disease, illness, etc. You don't know what its like to be them. Some days are good. But some days are bad. And if you are that person going through that illness or disease, know that you don't have to feel guilty because your body won't cooperate with you and do what you tell it to. Bad days will come no matter who you are. The key is to face them, tell them you aren't bothered, then go back to bed until the day is over and a new one has come. Ok, so maybe not the last part. But still.

How in the world did I get off on that?! Oh well, maybe somebody needed that rant. If it was you, congratulations you are loved and prayed for. If it wasn't you, thank you for reading all of this anyway. I knew I liked you for a reason!:)

We've been out of pill capsules, and the order from Young Living didn't arrive on this fateful Wednesday, so I've been having to use only topical application of the essential oils. Except for the Lemon water I drink. I still haven't had a soda since my post about the horrible reaction my stomach had to a coke. I miss the fizzies and the slight cherry taste, but I know my body is better off without it. I don't know how many times I used Peppermint to try to feel better. I probably smelled like a walking peppermint candy! I even got desperate at one point and put some Lavender on the inside of my nose, because I couldn't stop having to blow my nose.

Word of caution here. When you are at church, say in a group of people reading Scripture, and you start to feel bad, do not, I repeat, do not place Peppermint essential oil straight out of the bottle undiluted right under your nose! It is a stupid, stupid thing to do! The burning sensation will make you wish to run from the room screaming, looking for anyone that might have some anointing oil or some other thing on them to dilute the burning, flaming torment across your skin, flaring up your nostrils and into your eyes. I don't know who would do such a crazy, stupid thing (why are you looking at me?) but learn from their mistakes and don't do that. Oh, and remain calm. Remaining calm is very important when reading Scripture.

Well, finally the end of the not feel good day came to an end. With the help of Peppermint, Lavender, Thieves, and Lemon I managed to remain coherent for a few hours and even get a bit of school work in with Mercy and John. I blame the oils for that part. That certainly wasn't under my own power.

I have also been brushing my teeth and gums with a mixture of baking soda, Thieves, and water, and still using the Thieves topically once a day on the side where my gums hurt so badly. The pain was so bad at one point, when the toothbrush touched my molars on the left side, that I teared up over the sink. Ugh! I will be so glad when this part is over!!!!!!

Our nightly oils were:
kids: Peace and Calming on their shoulders to promote peace. Valor on their feet to promote bravery, courage, and sleep. Lavender on their necks to promote rest and relieve allergies.
Grandma: Peace and Calming on the shoulders to promote peace. Valor on the feet to relieve sleep apnea and promote sleep. Lavender on the neck to promote rest and relieve allergies. Purification on the chest to relieve allergies.
Tim: Valor on the feet to relieve sleep apnea
Me: Valor on the feet to relieve arthritis and on the jaw to relieve TMJ and teeth grinding (however, I ground my teeth so hard at one point, the 1st night in several, that it woke Tim up). Peace and Calming on the shoulders to promote peace. Lavender on the neck to promote rest and relieve allergies. Thieves on the chest for anti-bacterial properties.

Living with Essential Oils-Body Scrub Recipe

Tuesday. I got on here to talk about Tuesday and now I'm sitting with the laptop trying to remember what in the world happened on Tuesday. It was just yesterday! How can I have already forgotten? And yeah, I do know there is an oil for that. I may not recall yesterday well, but I'm learning all about essential oils, baby!!!!

Oh yeah, I started the day with Peppermint essential oil behind my ears to help wake me up, along with a cup of coffee. This time I didn't end up with Lavender flavored coffee by putting a drop of Lavender on the inside of my cheek (for allergy relief) and then taking a sip of my coffee. Ick! Yeah, take it from me, don't do that.

Tim drank water flavored by Peppermint essential oil, which he now loves. It gets rid of belly fat, curbs cravings (so much so that I have to sometimes remind myself to eat), gives energy, is a mood-lifter, helps concentration, relieves heartburn and stomach problems just to name a few things. I think it pumped Tim full of energy because before I knew it he was out the door to go do a project and he took two bottles of Peppermint water with him. I love how these oils are effecting our family! We've even almost succeeded in getting the kids and Tim off sodas. Before, we've had a huge problem when we are out trying to find something to drink, and usually end up resorting to soda to get something cold and flavored when we run out of our water that we take with us. But we are trying to rely more on VitaminWater and Fuze in those cases.

Tuesday I finally attacked the kitchen with my mind full of ideas, although I didn't get as far as I had intended.  I took the blinds down, cleaned the floors, and kept getting distracted by regular kitchen duties. I have plans, though, for a ceiling hung pot rack and an island that has a fold out leaf for a table at the window seat. I also have to make new covers for the window seat cushions. They came with the house and are ugly, ugly, ugly. However, we do upcycle so one of the covers became a new dog bed for Belle when I filled it with polyester stuffing and some quilt batting.

The most important part of the day was getting a lot of school work done with the kids. Woohoo! That little pesky worm of worry was not allowed any room in my stomach. Mercy and I got five lessons of English done. Maybe by the end of the school year she will have gotten another unit or two in. One can hope!

One thing I've forgotten to mention is this wonderful body scrub I've been using in the shower. It is about 1/2 a cup of coconut oil, 1/8 cup of salt, and 1/8 cup of sugar with two drop of Peppermint essential oil and one drop of Lemon essential oil. I use it all over, except my face, and even use it as a shaving cream on my legs. Because of having the mastectomy last August, I have to keep the area my breast use to be supple for when I have reconstruction at my next mastectomy, so my skin will stretch well. This body scrub has benefited my skin so much, I haven't had to apply lotion as often, and my skin is still smooth and soft! Plus I know with the oils coming from such a reputable company, the essential oils are only going to benefit my skin and not harm it. I however, could not have done this while getting radiation or chemo because of how the coconut oil interacts with treatment. Now it is safe though.

I also got desperate and put a drop of Thieves on a q-tip and swirled it around my gums where they hurt. It is not as numbing as Orajel, but I can also feel my tongue with Thieves and not with Orajel. Isn't it annoying how no matter how hard you try with that stuff, you always get some on your tongue or the corner of your mouth and then your drink starts dribbling down your chin? No, never happened to you? Well aren't you just all kinds of special!! It certainly felt better after using the Thieves, but once again it is not a one time cure-all, just like tylenol isn't. You have to take otc pain killers every 4-6 hours and topical relievers just as often. Thieves I don't really have to worry about overdosing on, either. I'm sold! Literally. Bought the kit and everything. Our next order is supposed to be here tomorrow and it is going to be sooooooo wonderful!!!!!

Well, I can't remember anything else about yesterday right now, so I'm going to pack it in for the night and go read a good book. Have a great one, everybody!

Day 17 & 18 of Living with Essential Oils-How Oils Helped Me With Spring Cleaning

Did you miss me? Tell me no lies. My little bit of crazy makes you feel more normal. Come on, admit it! Because you missed me so much, even if you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, you get doubly blessed this post by me ranting and raving about not one, but two days of using essential oils and all the other amazing things that have happened to us in the past two days. Have I mentioned that this God I love and serve is pretty awesome?

I decided to take the day off of posting on Sunday. If God rested on the 7th day, then I guess I can make myself do so too. Notice I said "make". Yeah, even after the whole cancer thing laid me on my butt I still haven't gotten the whole "rest" thing as well as I should. It's this little thing called guilt. It's tiny, and starts out as this little wormy thing wriggling around in the pit of your stomach, and the next thing you know this tiny thing has taken over and is a big ol' whopping weight on your shoulders, holding you down and holding you back. Pesky! Almost as a bad as a bratty younger sister. Never had one of those myself, but I'm told I was really great at being one. I know I tried!

Ok, so Sunday. Church. Can I just say awesome! I might be a little biased, since it is my church after all, and I must like it at least somewhat to be going there, but yeah, it was great. Especially considering our senior pastor was out of town and someone else was preaching. You know that moment I'm talking about! When the pastor you love and listen to raptly announces someone is filling in for him, and you get that sinking oh feeling in the pit of your stomach (along with that wriggling worm of worry that's probably hanging out down there, too) and you quickly make plans to be anywhere else but at church listening to someone who bores your socks off. So didn't have that moment Sunday! Pastor Jerome' did a great job, not only with leading our great music team (as always!), but also in preaching. He spoke about how we are God's treasure and He loves us just for us (cue JJ Heller song!). He also gave us this great big world to enjoy and use and be a part of. Everyone is given this chance, this opportunity, this enjoyment. However, not all of us let our light shine in the midst of the darkness, even though light always, always, always overtakes the darkness. To prove his point, we each lit votives off of one flame, and soon the whole place seemed to be filled with light, beautiful, glowing light.

I've still been dealing with allergies. Sunday, it was due to dust more than anything. Isn't it awful how quickly that stuff can build up?! I mean, I don't have dust bunnies eating all my carrots or anything, but still! Before we went to church, I swiped the inside of my cheek with a dab of Lavender essential oil from Young Living essential oils (the only one I know about that is safe to ingest). This put the EO almost straight into my system to quiet down those little histamines trying to cause a ruckus in my face. Then I drank some of my coffee with mocha creamer. Not so smart. I ended up with Lavender flavored, mocha flavored coffee. Just plain weird. Got rid of my allergies, but still weird.

I feel like all I talk about sometimes is God, homeschooling, essential oils and hand crafts. So if you've never met me and you end up someday having a conversation with me, I apologize in advance. I don't tend to run out of words, either. Could you tell? My pages long blog posts didn't give you a clue? Let's just say I am articulate. Or someone in my family could tell you of the time in kindergarten where I played an American Indian (I am a card carrying Cherokee, btw) named Babbling Brook. Which they threatened to give me as my "Indian" name when I became part of the tribe.

I answered questions about the essential oils at church, because apparently someone out there actually reads what I write! (Lord bless them!) I feel like I did my first year homeschooling Mercy when it comes to the essential oils: I have no clue what I'm doing! What do you do when you don't know what you're doing? You ask someone who does know what they're doing! And that is where my new-found, some old-found, friends at the lemon drop lounge (www.thelemondroplounge.com) come in. There is all kind of information over there. I even have a pdf file on my tablet that tells me 101 uses for the oils in the starter kit(there is actually more, but still). My friend Josie (whose crazy fun husband did the service Sunday at church) is the one who got me hooked up with the lemon droppers and now I am one! I should find a badge to pin here to my blog, that is if I can remember how to do that. I'm not exactly tech savvy. I have two cousins and another friend for that.

When we got home from church I guzzled down a glass or two of water with Lemon essential oil added to it. It is like drinking fresh, summer sunshine. Ahhh!

I expected for the kids to still be somewhat upset about the whole Lilly episode on Saturday (see previous post), but both of them have been calm and mentioned her like she was a well-loved deceased family member to reminisce about. Kids are just astounding! I'm so proud of the way they have handled this. If it had been me going through that at their age, there would've been lots more crying and tantrums, I assure you. It is by God's grace that they are this way, because I know it's not through me. If it were, they would be two rather screwed up little kids. Considering everything, I think they're doing pretty well.

Our nightly oils on Sunday were the same as normal, but I'll mention them at the bottom of this post(its not the never-ending post, I promise) for Monday night.

On to Monday. I liked Monday. I'm glad it came by, for it was fairly rewarding for me. Except the part where no actual schoolwork was done by either child. There is that wormy guilt again, folks! Anyway, back to Monday. I woke up before 9am (its a miracle!) with the help of Peppermint essential oil, which wakes me up like a good kick of caffeine when rubbed behind my ears (it tingles, too!) and it helps my sinuses not clog up if those annoying chain effect sneezes happen or my allergies kick me harder than the caffeine effect of the Peppermint. I also used some Lavender on my neck and (diluted in evoo) on the bottom eye bones while I watched Perry Mason. This helps keep the allergy monster at bay. And in case you were wondering Perry Mason won his case and Paul Drake still said "Hello, Beautiful," to Della Street.

Tim and his mom had to go do errands, including an appointment for Grandma at the dentist (so glad it wasn't me!) and on her off day, no less. I ended up spending almost all of Sunday afternoon on Pinterest, reorganizing my boards and finding lots and lots of new pins. Can you say obsessed?! The interior designer in me came out roaring with enthusiasm a few times (so did the sewing extraordinaire) with new ideas spurring me on. The Valor and Peace and Calming must have worked especially well Sunday night, because I managed to fall asleep well before midnight, even with all those ideas going through my head. By Monday morning, I had the whole kitchen redone in my head, using only reclaimed and recycled materials. Yep. Scary Good.

Even though I planned to tackle the kitchen with some of my new ideas, I somehow ended up starting in my bedroom. I blame it on the Peppermint. That thing ingested me with a turbo engine or something, cause I went around like the Energizer bunny for most of the day! First I took another idae from a Pinterest pin and combined four drops of Lavender essential oil, three drops Thieves essential oil, and about two cups of baking soda (by this baby in bulk; it is such a handy thing to have around!) into a glass jar with a metal lid and shook up the mixture until it was blended. Putting the oil in the bottom makes the baking soda stick to the jar, so I layered the b.k. in, then a few drops of EO, then more b.k., etc. While my sheets were washing in the washer (with a drop of Thieves diluted in white vinegar in the fabric softener spot) I sprinkled my baking soda mixture over my mattress topper and mattress using a sieve. I set my timer for an hour, at which point I came back with my vacuum and hose attachment, sucking all that white powder up. John didn't pay attention when his mommy told him not to get on her bed or mattress topper because of the white stuff taking all the yucky out of it, and he ended up getting a mouthful of it when he plopped down face first on the mattress. I was too busy laughing to be able to stop him when he ran out of the room and preceded to wipe his mouth on the carpet. Yes, on the floor. Silly boy hasn't quite grasped the use of hand towels yet. But there is time yet.

After I vacuumed the mattresses I sprinkled more stuff on the carpet and on the dog's bed (which she wasn't too sure about, bless her heart). I dusted, I wiped down doors and blinds, vents and counters. I put a drop of Lavender essential oil on each blade of my ceiling fan to circulate the smell through the air. I fluffed pillows, put clean sheets on the bed, did three loads of clothes, put them all up plus two more loads I had somehow not gotten around to (gasp!). I moved furniture from our room, and furniture to our room. I vacuumed (don't tell my doctor). I hung a canopy our daughter isn't using at the moment (but promised she would want back soon) above our bed and gave our room an overall french/shabby chic look. It worked together well, considering not one piece in our room (except the mattress) did we buy. They were all inherited or given to us, including the tv! The Lord, from whom all blessings flow!

Our bedroom has now been cleaned thoroughly for until after my next surgery. I'll just have to do maintenance until then, something that helps me rest easier knowing I won't be trapped in a messy room.

Even after all of these things, I had enough energy to fix supper. We had baked ziti. It was delicious! If I mentioned here that it had tofu in it, my husband won't be too happy, but he didn't care for it anyway and he didn't (for once) ask what it had in it. I'm not denying it, but I'm not admitting it either. Love you all kind of special, honey!

I also have had some mouth pain that has gotten worse here of late. I also figured out why. I had a tooth extracted in November when I was getting radiation, and it wasn't removed well. Now that area sends shooting pain through that whole side of my mouth. So I tried this thing called "pulling" (don't ask me, I'm new here remember). I used a teaspoon of coconut oil with a drop of Thieves (it has cloves in it which deadens gum pain I know that from The Murder on the Orient Express when Poirot knows a suspect used it for "de mouth pain") and swished it around and around in my mouth for as long as I could stand it (about ten minutes) before spitting it out and rinsing. It helped some, but I need to do it more often from what I've read, until this pain is gone. I do not, do not, do not want to go back to a dentist anytime soon. The enamel on my crazy crooked teeth has been worn down horribly from the effects of chemo and maybe even radiation. My gums are super sore, too. Hopefully the Thieves will help all that and I can keep on ignoring the dentist for a while longer. One can hope!!!!

Also, an update on the Thieves we used in the white vinegar on the water spots on our ceiling. Yeah, we can't tell a difference. I'm sure it has helped with the whole killing bacteria thing, but the discoloration is there. Tim plans to spray bleach on it one day when I'm gone, since it makes me try to hack up my lungs for some reason, not that bleach is exactly user friendly anyway.

My Monday ran out of steam at precisely 8:30pm and I went to bed, complete with oils. I haven't gone to bed that early since I don't know when! I'm a natural night owl (which can be annoying when your husband is an early bird, but neither of us wish to change our ways) so going to bed early is weird for me. My kids were watching something in my room, so I just curled up next to them and was out. Later I was inadvertently awoken by my husband and thought it would probably take forever for me to go back to sleep, since it normally does (he goes to sleep in like 3 seconds, mean old man!). However, in less than thirty minutes I had gone back to sleep and slept all night, without waking several times which has been known to happen on a regular basis (that is pre-essential oils).

Maybe we should stop calling these the "snake oils" (my husband's term) and "voodoo oils" (once again, my husband's christening) and start calling them the wonder oils. I'm amazed at how much energy I've had lately without giving out. Don't get me wrong, I still have to rest and rest a lot, but nothing like in January or February or March. I can't wait for my order to get here that has more vegetable capsules in it, so we can get back to taking the essential oils internally besides just the Lemon and Peppermint in our water and tea. Grandma has even started putting a drop of Peppermint on her tongue to prevent heartburn and to promote energy during the day.

Our nightly oils were:
kids-Valor on the feet to promote sleep, courage, and bravery. Peace and Calming on the shoulders to induce relaxation and promote peace. Lavender on the neck to promote sleep and reduce allergies.
Grandma-Valor on the feet to relieve sleep apnea and arthritis. Peace and Calming on the shoulders to induce relaxation. Purification on the chest to help her breathe better. Lavender on the neck and temples to promote sleep and relieve allergies.
Tim-Valor on the feet to relieve sleep apnea and arthritis.
Silly Me-Valor on the feet for relief of bursitis and arthritis and on the jaw for TMJ and teeth grinding. Peace and Calming on the shoulders to induce calm. Thieves on the chest to prevent bacteria and cause I like its smell! Lavender on the neck and temples to relieve stress, promote sleep, and prevent allergies and migraines.

I wish there was a prize for whoever makes it to the bottom of this post! That I haven't bored you to tears is so endearing. My heart just went pitter-patter...

Day#16 of Living with Essential Oils-The One Day Long Puppy Ownership Adventure

The post for our Day number 16 of using essential oils in our everyday life is going to be short, but not so sweet. We had a misadventure, that proved to be very trying for the whole family. Our next door neighbors dog had puppies some weeks before, and their son brought one over to us as a gift. That little thing was so precious, with sky blue eyes! Mercy named her Lilly almost immediately, to which the rest of us agreed. We all got in the car and took "Lilly" to the vet, because she had some severe skin problems. Unfortunately, Lilly had more issues than was safe for us to handle. She had scabies which is highly contagious. We knew this from when Tim had it last year, after crawling under the house to fix the vent after I fell through it (yes, you read that right-fell through the vent). It is caused by mites, fyi, if you were wondering. It would've been dangerous to the kids and we would've had to keep Lilly away from them for 4-6 weeks until she was better. In addition, she also had worms, another round of treatments needed to correct that. And something that could be hazardous to our kids' health as well. When the vet found out I was a 4 month cancer survivor, she said it was her suggestion to take her to a shelter or sign her over to them to take care of and find her a new home when she was well, because having surgery in just two months would put me at even more risk to get something from Lilly.

Oh, it was heart wrenching! Our kids were so brave! They even said it was better to give her to someone who could take good care of her and not get them or me sick. It was a hard lesson to go through for all of us. There were tears shed by the little ones and the grown-ups weren't that far off from a few tears either because the kids took it so hard.

As soon as we got home, I put Valor on the kids and me. We had time to rest and no one stayed down in the dumps about it for long, but took it on the chin, so to speak. Especially since we've been considering what else the vet said about how we would come out much cheaper to adopt a puppy from a shelter or vet that is healthy and has been taken care of than to try our best to get Lilly well and it not work or get me sick. That is a decision for another day. I'm just glad for the little bit of time we got with her, because she was cute and adorable, black and white with a long black tail with a white tip and some black nails and some white nails on her paws. We are also glad that we were able to get her to a place that could take care of her, won't put her down, and somewhere that will find her the best home.

Today, I've had a lot of Lemon in water and seltzer water. Tim had some tea with a drop of Peppermint and a drop of Lemon, which helps to detox, curb cravings, calm stomachs, give energy, lift spirits, and get rid of belly fat. I also rubbed down Lilly with Lavender diluted in olive oil, after we had bathed her, to give her some relief from the horrible skin infection she has. We also sprayed our ceiling's water spots again with Thieves mixed in white vinegar. We will see how that looks tomorrow.

Our nightly oils:
the kids: Valor on the feet for courage and sleep, Lavender on the neck for rest and sleep, Peace and Calming on the shoulders to promote peace and help them calm down from their eventful day.
Grandma: Valor on the feet for sleep apnea, Lavender on the neck for rest and sleep, Peace and Calming on the shoulders to promote peace, and Purification on the chest to ease breathing,
Tim: Valor on his feet for sleep apnea. We are still fussing over who will be the one to apply it. He prefers me to do it and I've already made it very clear to him and you just how well I like touching other people's feet!!!!!!!!!!
Me: I haven't applied mine yet, but it will be Thieves on the chest for anti-bacterial purposes, Valor on the feet for arthritis and sleep promotion, Lavender on the neck for rest and Peace and Calming on the shoulders to promote peace.

Good night all. Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our day, especially when I'm certain your own lives have their challenges and un-fun events like the one we've experienced today. My hope is that we can use these moments to catapult us into that perfect place God has for us, because there is one around every corner and a rainbow after every storm.

Day#15 of Living with Essential Oils-Some Ways to Use Essential Oils

Day#15
I woke up much better today. All night long, whenever I would wake up even slightly God was there whispering words of life to me. "I will turn your mourning into dancing.", "I know the thoughts and plans I have for you...", "a morning of gladness", "The Lord is my strength, my ever present help". Made my heart sing, "Oh how He loves me, oh how He loves me", and "You are good, so good, to me" kept flitting through my mind. I love how the God I love, loves me so much more!

I could go on and on about Him. He's kinda cool, what can I say? If you don't know this awesome and amazing God, I urge you to find Him through Jesus Christ. You will never regret the moment you give all you have over to Him. It takes everything, all the bad, the ugly, and the horrible and turns it into something spectacular. When you think you have reached the end and there is no going any further forward, He will make the way for you. All you have to do is say, "Here, take it," and He will. But He doesn't leave you empty! He fills you up with more love than you thought you could ever hold, He gives you peace so deep into your soul nothing can ever take it, He plants hope in your heart to grow life when you thought nothing could grow in the dank, dark spot. I never go anywhere without Him!

Ah, we could be here all day with me going on and on about my awesome God. But I've got some other stuff to tell you about. Ways to use essential oils!

Isn't that a nifty little thing! Look at what all one oil can do! And I have all 9 of these and constantly finding new uses for them that isn't even mentioned here. Don't forget the post several days ago about stinky dog relief thanks to Thieves. I also mixed up a bit of white vinegar with a drop of Thieves to spray on some water spots on the ceiling, due to a bout of recent leaks in the roof. The Thieves kills the bacteria that grows mold. It also takes the discoloration away and no smell of bleach, which causes me to cough like I'm hacking up my lungs. I tell you, pregnancies can cause the weirdest long term effects sometimes!

Today, I used some Lemon oil, first in my water(yum!) and in the kitchen sink while I was scrubbing it. Some food had gotten left in a cereal bowl when put in the sink and it turned into something gross in just a day. Ick! It stank! But the Lemon essential oil cut right through that and soon the kitchen was smelling like a kitchen should, clean!

After I got the dishes and the sink done, I was hurting something awful! My shoulders were all stiff and achy, my back hurt down my spine and my left hip was letting me know Ms. Bursa wasn't happy with me. I diluted some of the oils in olive oil and gave them to Tim to rub onto my shoulders and spine. Have I mentioned how blessed I am to have this guy?! He first rubbed Valor on me (notice in the above, how it mentions Bengay?), then PanAway (notice how it says Aspercreme and Icy Hot?) and lastly he rubbed Peppermint (motrin or tylenol here) to get deep into the muscles. By the end of the five or so minutes I was warm, relaxed, and smelled nice.

Mercy got the hiccups as she is prone to do. I told her to rub Peppermint on her tummy, which she did. I don't remember if that was the correct one (I couldn't get to my tablet to look it up as my son was playing a mean game of Angry Birds) but I knew that it helped so many other stomach issues and it certainly wouldn't hurt her. Usually, M gets these hiccups that come back three or four times in the day and last for fifteen minutes or more. However, this time within five minutes she had stopped hiccuping and she never hiccuped the rest of the day!

John pinched his forefinger in the doorjamb to the pantry while he and his sister were looking for a snack. He came crying to me, with his finger this very alarming shade of pink that just doesn't really suit him. I grabbed the Lavender, diluted with some olive oil, and rubbed it on his finger. The kids are more sensitive to the smell and effects of Lavender so I dilute it for them, especially when it is going somewhere they might use to touch other places on their bodies (like an eye, their nostrils, their mouths, etc). He was all concerned that he wouldn't be able to play a particular game with M cause it took two hands, but within about ten minutes he had no discoloration or pain there. Woohoo!

I also put a drop of Thieves on my chest while I was cleaning the kitchen. Some of the odors I was dealing with were not the most pleasant, and Thieves smells much nicer than the compost can or the travel cup still half full of something in the very bottom of the sink. I kept getting a whiff of me the rest of the day, and let's just say even Elizabeth Taylor never smelled as good! Lol

Our nightly oils:

M & J: Peace and Calming on their shoulders, Lavender on their necks, and Valor on their feet.

Tim: Valor on his feet

Grandma: Purification on her chest, Valor on her feet, Lavender on her neck, Peace and Calming on her shoulders.

Me: Valor on my feet, Lavender on my neck, Peace and Calming on my shoulders and Thieves on my chest.

Day#14 of Living with Essential Oils-How an 8 yr old Can Use Oils

Day#14 did began very, very well; if you can call waking up to your big ol' dog barfing as a good start. We have a rule in this house. Whether or not my husband agrees to said rule, either. I can handle many, many things. Blood, guts, hunting deer, plucking chickens, cleaning toilets, nursing children through the night, even surgery! However, vomit is on a totally different level and one I can not aspire to reach. shudder I got the dog outside and even brought Tim the rags to clean it up, but that is as far as this woman goes! Even if it is our children. Mommy loves you dearly, but if you start hurling, dear child, Mommy will be running out of the room to keep from experiencing the monster gag reflex that takes over Mommy's throat and makes her tummy roll over like a dead possum. Yep, Mommy is brave! How nice of you to notice and not point how ridiculous Mommy can be sometimes!

I put a drop of Thieves essential oil on Belle's dog bed before I flopped back into the bed to leave my wonderful husband to clean up the vomit. He's mine, you can't have him. I know I've got a great thing going with him! Anyway, the Thieves will help get rid of airborne bacteria and helps it smell much better. I don't know about you, but the smell of cloves, lemon, etc is much, much better than vomit!

When I awoke, it was near 11 o'clock. Yes, in the a.m. Not everyone is perfect! Nor is everyone a morning person! Honestly though, I woke up to sneezing. Not my most favorite way to wake up to the world for the day, but I've experienced worst. My sweet daughter came into the room and said, “What helps with sneezing?”. I answered Lavender and Peppermint, which she brought me to apply. Once I had applied, she put the oils back for me. I don't know who taught her such helpfulness and willingness to serve! I love that little girl's heart! She was a chatterbox today, more so than normal. Throughout the day of talky talky talky, she told me the different oils she or someone else needed to use. When it was time for schoolwork, she put on a little Frankincense and some Peppermint to help with clarity and concentration, after she had informed me that is what she needed to, that is. She went running for the Peppermint instead of a Pepto tablet when she had some stomach cramps later on. Within moments of applying it, she was better, saying, “This stuff really works!” There is the testimonial of an eight-year-old, folks! You can't get better than that. Seeing the changes in my kids is enough to be willing to buy the kit of essential oils from Young Living all over again, even if for just the change for the better in their sleeping habits.

During this day, I've really struggled with feeling down in the dumps. I'm not one to cry. I actually hate to cry, and will avoid it whenever possible, but I felt like I could've just crawled into God's lap and had a big ol' cry. There were some expectations I had held, concerning how others perceived me or evaluated me that I felt inadequate in. And this feeling of inadequacy was wearing on me heavily. I've journeyed through a really rough time these past two years and had to overcome living my life based on someone else's views and expectations of me and spreading my own wings to how God wishes me to fly. I know my self worth is not tied up in what someone else thinks of me, only what God thinks. I know that if these things I'm concerned with don't happen, it is because they are not right for me and God has something better planned. It is not the end of the world. It is just emotions. Haha. It is not so easy to believe those things sometimes, though. I've felt desperate today. I think sometimes God needs us to get desperate so that we don't get stuck in the doldrums and become stagnant. Though sometimes it takes a hurricane to get us out of the stagnant place. I'm not at a hurricane moment, just one that is the vine being pruned, I think.

With this inner turmoil going on, and knowing it was also a spiritual thing, and emotional thing, I put on Frankincense to lift my spirits and Peppermint to give me a boost, mentally and physically. I also used Lemon to buoy my spirits, along with, most importantly, some prayer. Now I wasn't able to run races today, or even make a nice dinner like I was able to last night. I'm sure I was snippy, and snappy, and surly at times. I'm not perfect and these oils are not a fix-it-all, but prayer is. God knows what is going on. He will prevail where my strength would only fail. I love the comfort that the oils bring me, though.

It was also heartening to hear Mercy tell her Grandma what EO she should use before they went for a walk after supper. I let Mercy put the oils on her and John tonight (although a tickle/laughing fest resulted), because last night she was telling me which one was which and asking me to clarify what each one was for. I'm impressed by her interest and aptitude. It is certainly important what we teach our children, for when they are older they won't depart from those ways. I'd rather teach my children to investigate products, ways of living, and alternative means to the traditional medicines than to teach them to rely on what the doctors, media and commercials tell them they should buy and use for their whole lives. It just might be that my daughter and my son do not have cancer visit them (because it won't, by the prayers prayed already) because the prayers of their parents were supported by a lifestyle of essential oils instead of chemicals, toxic free living instead of living a toxic life. I'm willing to learn how to live this lifestyle with the hope of what it can do for my children long term. It is also another reason we must be guided by prayer in all that we do.

Nightly oils:

Mercy put Valor on her and John's feet, Peace and Calming on their shoulders, and Lavender on their necks.

Grandma used Valor on her feet, Peace and Calming on her shoulders, Lavender on her neck and Purification on her chest.

I used Valor on my feet and on my jaw, Peace and Calming on my shoulders, Lavender on my neck and temples, and Thieves on my chest.

Tim fell asleep before all of this so the only way he'll get some is if he starts snoring so horribly I can't stand it and I attack him and his feet! lol

Day#13 of Living with Essential Oils-What Valor Can Do

Day #13. Good thing I'm not superstitious, cause that number ain't so lucky. My day wasn't too terribly lucky, either, though I don't believe in "luck" per se. I had a misadventure in the laundry room, trying to fit the ironing board cover back on after I'd washed it. My thumb slipped under the metal surface and the metal kindly sliced right through, underneath the nail. First aid training to the rescue!!!! I applied pressure, but unfortunately, the ironing board had slid down, barring my exit from the den of doom. My White knight came to my rescue (poor White knight, he has had to rescue me so often!) and got the evil ironing board out of the way, and doctored me up, too. It was that blood dripping down kind of cut, which of course hit my head after about five minutes. Thank goodness I was already sitting down by then!

Now you know why I didn't post yesterday: I couldn't type! That might have made for a more fun and interesting post though...

I used a lot of Peppermint yesterday, to try to promote some energy. I'd not slept well the night before because I had accidentally dropped one of my nightly pills and didn't know it. It also just happened to be the one that helps me to go to sleep and be relaxed and not anxious. Surprisingly, cancer treatment kind of took away some of that ability! Lol My eyes have also been real itchy ( nasty pollen!) and there is not too much the oils can do about that since they are not to be put in the eyes. A dab of Lavender or Peppermint rubbed under the eye bone does help some. However, last night I had some teeny, tiny hairs in my eyes because I got my first haircut since my hair started coming back in August of 2012. Oh happy day! You may see getting a haircut as a chore and a must do, but to me to get my do did is worth the pleasure of doing because I have a do to get did! Did you follow that? If you did, please explain it to me, because I'm not sure I followed it. Maybe sometime soon I'll have a decent picture taken of me that I can post to update the ones to your right that are from way back in 2010 I believe. "When time was young, and so were we..."

I have also become a champion of putting a dab of Lavender on the inside of my cheek! I have become so tough that I am now unmoved by the taste and my eyes do not water, nor does my throat involuntarily gag in reflex. Sigh, my mother would be proud...The tingly sensation is kind of cool, too.

Tim tried Peppermint as a stomach soother yesterday too. The book I have, that I mentioned before and only cost $2, said to place one drop of Peppermint on a sugar cube and suck on it until it dissolves to alleviate bloating, stomach cramps, and flatulence. His comment was it also wakes up and clears out the sinuses! Essential Oils do have side effects, really they do. Yet, unlike man-made medicines, the side effects give relief to other ailments! It is amazing what God does with just the molecular structure of a plant to benefit us, the human race. I'm so glad I serve Him. I think He's kinda cool, really.

One neat thing that happened: I had been sitting down cross-legged, indian-style, in a tailor's seat, whatever you want to call it, and when I went to stand up my left knee buckled and didn't want to straighten. No, silly, that's not the neat part! I hobbled over to the place we keep the essential oils and put into practice what I had read in the Lemon Drop Lounge on facebook. I first rubbed in Valor (not to keep my knee from snoring! You're being silly again! Remember what I just said about the positive side effects? Valor also relieves arthritis pain), which I chased with Pan Away (this one smells kind of like IcyHot only better), and finally I rubbed in some Peppermint, which is to go deep into the muscle or tendon and relieve pain. I went about my business and within five minutes, five minutes!, my knee was fine. I'm sold! I have had chronic pain in my left knee especially, but in both knees, since a car accident two years ago when the throttle stuck in the suv I was driving and I plowed into a field, missed a school bus in said field, and ended up taking down a tree before being stopped by the immovable force of a stationary utility trailer, and rammed both my knees into the steering column. All this with the kids screaming in the backseat. Lovely...Now when they give me problems, my knees not the kids, I know what to do.

Our nightly oils were:
The kids-Valor on the feet for courage and to promote sleeping. Peace and Calming on the shoulders to promote rest and peace. Lavender on the neck to promote sleep and to relieve allergies.
Grandma-Purification on the chest to relieve asthma, chronic bronchitis, breathing issues. Peace and Calming on the shoulders to promote rest and peace. Lavender on the neck to relieve allergies and promote sleep. Valor on the feet to stifle snoring and sleep apnea
Tim-Valor on the feet to prohibit snoring and sleep apnea. I love having a non-snorer husband! Aren't you jealous? Well you can have this too! Just let me know to place an order of the Valor for you, or you can sign up to order the kit it comes in. For info go to http://thelemondroplounge.com/. Also if you order from Young Living http://www.youngliving.com/essential-and-massage-oils/essential-oil-collections then please use my YL# to sign up under please. It is #1434897.
Me-Valor on the feet to relieve arthritis and give me softer feet. Peace and Calming on the shoulders to promote peace and calmness. Lavender on the neck to combat allergies and on the temples to prevent headaches and promote sleep.

Experiencing tech difficulties, which means my thumb is injured & prohibts typing. Blog will resume tomorrow.

Day #11 and #12 of Living with Essential Oils-Rantings and Ravings

This blog post has been edited by the crazy poster to curtail any further embarrassment to the poster's husband or anyone else. Apologies are offered for those who were offended by my sense of humor or simply did not find the first and former paragraph to be funny.

So let's see, I'm supposed to be discussing Day#11 and 12. I would have posted about Day#11 already, but technology was not on my side and I couldn't get an internet connection to stay connected long enough to post. Ir-ri-ta-ting! Day#11 was our errand day, which meant being out in this lovely pollen weather. At least the weekend's rain made most of the pollen wash away, but those oak trees were all reaching their long, tendrilly fingers out to smother me with their evil, pollen making fronds. I swear they're after me! I'm not paranoid, I tell you!

Before we left, I swiped Lavender across my cheekbones and behind my ears. I also used Peppermint to perk me up and open my sinuses. We've also discovered that Peppermint has to be diluted with a carrier oil (we're using olive oil right now) for use on the other members of the family, or it burns their skin. I seem to be the only one who can handle any of the essential oils NEAT (un-diluted); I'm kinda weird that way. But, I could not use a capsule to ingest the Lavender, or any of the other EO, because the capsules my friend Josie gave me have all been consumed and I have not placed my order with Young Living yet to get some more. What did I do? What could I do? There may or may not have been a moment of running around in circles, screaming. I did what Monique, the creator-extraordinaire of the Lemon Drop Lounge, told of her husband doing when he needs some serious allergy help. I put some Lavender on the inside of my cheek. This time, the second, I didn't gag or cringe! Well, not too badly, anyway. It still tastes bad, but the immediate relief of tingly spreading all through my face is enough of an inducement for me to use the Lavender in this way. I also must add: this should only be done with a Lavender essential oil that is rated for ingestion. I am not a doctor. I am not going to tell you “Do this”. I am not qualified to do so, nor do I want to tell you what to do. I reserve that desire for my children and my husband.

The whole time we were out (hours, and hours, and hours, and hours!) I didn't have to use either the Peppermint or the Lavender until more than halfway through our trip. I'm still not used to walking much, but I can make it a little bit further than a year ago. I didn't need the Lavender or Peppermint for allergies, but to help me perk up and to help me rest while we were in the car. Oxymoron I know, to say perk up and rest all in the same sentence, irregardless it is true.

While at 2^nd and Charles we found a book on Aromatherapy and living a lifestyle with essential oils that contained recipes for making stomachache relievers (one drop of peppermint eo on a sugar cube), insect repellant, migraine relief, bath salts, sugar scrubs, detoxes for certain conditions, etc all using essential oils. Now, this was not put out by Young Living-that was the Essential Oils Desk (or Pocket) Reference by Gary Young-so this book is only using single oils, not any of the blends YL offers like Valor, RC, Aroma Seize, etc. However, I can't afford to buy the pocket reference at the moment, and certainly not the desk reference (which costs more than the desk any desk in our house it would sit upon! Did I mention what a deal finder of a husband I have?). Therefore this book will suit our needs for the time being and the rest we will have to find out through the Lemon Drop Lounge or YL. I can't complain though, because this particular book was lovingly inscribed to a loved one, but obviously never used and still only cost $2.

I can tell how absolutely obsessed I am becoming with theses oils and how they are taking over my life and my way of thinking because I overheard a woman talking to another one at the thrift store about some medical complaints, and I almost, almost leaned over to begin telling what her oils she should use to clear that right up. Aaaahhhh! I am turning into an EO monster!!!!! Haha. I did manage to stop myself in time! I mean, I didn't even know the woman! She would have probably yelled, “Security!” within a few seconds of me addressing her. That would have been interesting to blog about...

I also tried Lemon in some seltzer water for the first time. The part I have had the hardest time with overcoming the craving for is not the sugar or caffeine of sodas but the bubblies and the fizzies. I love the way they feel and taste on my tongue. However, my last episode of drinking a coke is still fresh on my mind and I will not be drinking one in the near future! The Lemon in the seltzer water was pure bliss! It was nothing like the flavored ones I've had in the past, where they are so sweet my teeth rebel when the liquid slides past. This was refreshing (I know I've already said that in conjunction with Lemon lots of times, but trust me, one glass and you will agree!) and bubbly. Yum! If you have not tried this yet, you should. In my opinion, Lemon should be third on your list of what essential oils to get. Right after Lavender and Peppermint.

Day#12 hasn't been remarkable at all. Mostly just me recovering from our day out doing errands. And I got up before 10am and only took 1 nap! Things are progressing. However, I am looking forward to purchasing Motivation and Deep Relief in the near future to help with some of the symptoms I still struggle with. My allergies were not nearly as bad, although I did have to use my prescription eye drops for the burning and itching going on around my tear ducts. I think I've only sneezed a total of four times today. Lavender is such a lovely lady to have about!

On a side, side note, I came up with a good, light salad recipe. Take whatever salad greens you like, I prefer spinach or spring mix, and add diced up mango, apple and strawberry to the greens. Next add some honey roasted peanuts or chow mien or sunflower seeds, something crunchy. Then add crumbled up goat cheese, however much you like. I know it sounds weird. Just trust me. Fruit and goat cheese go together surprisingly well. That is unless you abhor goat cheese with a passion (Josie), then substitute another kind of cheese you do like. Lastly, drizzle a good quality olive oil, avocado oil, or almond oil over the top. The flavors are light and make me think of summer. You are also getting in a fruit serving and a vegetable serving and a dairy serving and an oil serving all in one bowl.

Another thing to tell you about, which is so totally not my doing, but I want to brag about anyway, because of the awesome job Monique and her crew have done. The Lemon Droppers now have a new website. When I first joined the group was called Granola Oils, but things have changed, and everything has become more hip and rad and cool and all of those other words our kids roll their eyes at when we say them. I am very proud to be a Lemon Dropper, which my five year old thinks means I'm a Lemon Head, one of his favorite candies. The boy found a box of them in his sister's candy stash when he was like 13 months old and ate all five pieces before I even knew he had the box. Since then, we buy him a box for his stocking each Christmas and several other times a year. His referral to me as a Lemon Head is therefore a compliment, or at least, I choose to take it as such and no one here can make me think otherwise!!!! If you want to know more about what being a Lemon Dropper is, or more about all of these oils I keep talking about, then check out the website. http://thelemondroplounge.com/ Monique and the other blog posters have a much better and simpler way of explaining than I do. Although I'm afraid you will have to suffer horribly through another blogger's tendencies to go down various rabbit trails and you will also have to suffer through lots more side splitting laughter than reading my posts. She is one funny lady. If you don't believe me, read her post about trying new, healthier things and eating edamame for the first time. Hysterical!

http://granolaconvert.com/blog/learning-to-eat-healthy-is-dangerous There is also a post about Peppermint, and No, it doesn't discuss peeing Peppermint, but it does have a testimonial from yours truly included in the stream of other people's. If you want to check it out, it is http://thelemondroplounge.com/portfolio-oils/peppermint

Our nightly oils have been the same as I posted about last. The kids are still sleeping much better once we added Valor and Peace and Calming to the Lavender. Peace and Calming on their shoulders is becoming their favorite, they do not seem to be effected by the smell of funeral flowers clinging to their skin. They must get that weirdness from their dad. So much else of theirs is my fault, so I think he should take the blame for something!

No blog post tonight my adoring fans. Tune in tomorrow with the hopes of getting a double dose of little ol' me and a working internet signal for day 11 & 12.

Day#10 of Living with Essential Oils-Fever vs. Thieves

Goodness what have I gotten myself into, posting about each day of our using essential oils?! For those who don't know me very well, I am great at starting projects; really I am very creative, and able to come up with some very good ideas on a variety of subjects: sewing, cooking, gardening, writing, designing, etc. I have been so blessed in those areas, God has seen fit for whatever reason to bestow many a blessing on me, that I assure you has nothing to do with me, but has also seen fit to leave learning and applying persistence, consistency, and diligence up to me. Don't you hate it when God wants you, in all of His glorious wisdom, to do something that is so uncomfortable? I mean, geez Louise!, haven't I gone through enough, Lord? Do I really have to learn how to be a better person and use my talents more to your glory? I mean, can't I stay in my comfort zone and grow stagnant for just a little while?! Ugh, I hate it when I answer my own questions to God...I can just picture Him silently and indulgently nodding His head while I prattle on and on.

So, Day #10. Ooh, it was a doozy. I thought for a little while the bad mood John had carried around for most of Day #9 had foisted itself off on me. I got up with my allergies trying to eat my face. I literally felt like I was to be part of a Doctor Who episode, not playing the part of Rose or Amy, but one of the poor unfortunates who has some evil alien something explode their head or turn them into Daleks. If you have never watched Doctor Who, you have no clue what total goodness you've been missing! Sorry, side rant...Allergies, face being eaten, yes, got it. Ok, so I felt like crap. I sneezed and sneezed (although nowhere near 47 times, more like 10) and I snotted and snotted. No dainty feminine thing am I! I wish! Lavender came to my rescue, along with Peppermint, which I rubbed on my neck, behind my ears, along the bottom eye bones, and across the bridge of my nose. I also took a pill capsule with Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, and Thieves in it. And, amazing amazing, no gagging! I think I'm getting used to the grossness or using better aim to getting the oil into the capsule, either one.

I put Lavender and Peppermint on the kids before they left out with their Grandma and Daddy for the morning to go to yard sales and flea market owned by some family. John is still taking 3 prescription allergy meds each night; please don't think I'm pretending to be a doctor, because I'm not. When the kids go for their well check-ups next month I will talk to their doctor about weaning John off of his meds one at a time to where we are just using essential oils, but I am not playing voodoo doctor here. I also gave Tim a pill capsule with Lemon and Peppermint and Lavender in it to help combat allergies as well as help him to lose weight. We've both already experienced the effects of Peppermint being an appetite suppressor, and I've had to remind myself to eat on several occasions because I've just not been hungry. I'm not trying to lose weight, but I don't want to gain either. When Tim and I got married, I barely weighed 110 lbs. and wore a size 6 juniors clothing. Today, after ten years, two kids, turning 30, and surviving cancer, chemo and radiation I weigh 150 lbs. and wear a size 14 women's,at 5'8” I might add. I'm perfectly happy with that. And I'm thankful to be in that kind of place in my life.

However happy I might be, I felt yuck on Day #10. While the others were gone I was trying to finish reorganizing one of my armoires that holds my sewing supplies. I had started the project a week before and had not gotten around to finishing it. Refer to first paragraph of this post if you are the least bit surprised. That I was able to pretty much finish it within one week must be setting a record for me, I tell you! When the others came back, I was on my second touch up of Lavender, and had mercifully stopped sneezing and having to blow my nose every two or three seconds. Although my bad mood remained; unfortunate for the others, especially since they brought back a myriad of things from the places they'd been, including a rather large piece of furniture. Oh, it was a great deal and a pretty piece of furniture. Tim never ever comes away without a great deal when he goes out. It is his specialty and has supplied most of the things in our home that have not been given to us, and greatly compliments his love language of giving. We are very blessed, but (yes, there is always a but, blah, blah) I am the one with the interior design degree and the one who takes charge (whether it's been given or not) of the décor of our house. That meant this poor, wretched, bad-tempered woman whose sinuses were trying to invade the rest of her face was forced to stop, get over her miffiness (check the dictionary of rachel for that one), take a good look around and figure out where to put this new monstrosity with the least amount of fuss and the most amount of grace. The fuss part came more easily than the grace, although neither were a piece of cake. I wish I could hide the truth, but my husband reads this too but I couldn't bear to do such a thing to my lovely readers who must surely rely on my honesty and straightforwardness. I almost got that written with a straight face...

While I pondered and rearranged the furniture in my head (take that Sherlock Holmes, with your “mind palace”) seeing what might fit where, I realized I wasn't just being cranky and bad-tempered. I actually had an excuse. Wonders never cease, eh? I had curled up on my loveseat to ponder on the furniture arrangement, nestled under a blanket, freezing. Yet, when I touched my hand to my head, to aid in pondering not to imitate a lady in distress, I realized I had a fever. I got Mercy to bring me the Lavender, Eucalyptus, and Thieves, which I dabbed and rubbed and dabbed and rubbed. Have I mentioned how much I love the smell of Thieves???? I was also thankful to know I was not in jeopardy of becoming dehydrated with, like, the gallon of water I'm drinking a day thanks to the ever so lovely Lemon I add to my water.

The solution to the arrangement problem came to me and I directed my ever so lovely staff, er, family, to do my bidding while I lounged like Cleopatra on my divan. No wait, she was a crazier lady than I and voluntarily got bitten by snakes...I graced my lounge in the manner of Queen Victoria, letting my royal decree be known. Unfortunately it was more in the manner of the elderly Queen than the younger, more vivacious version, because somewhere in the midst of it all I fell asleep. And, I was awakened in the most loving manner by one who is as dear to me as Prince Albert was to Queen Victoria, though he has yet to give me as many children and better not die on me to be 30 something years his widow. No, it was not true love's kiss. Sigh...It was him moving the love seat while I was slumbering upon it, in a sudden, jarring fashion. Good thing I like him...

I went to a more proper place for one of my nature and temperament...bed. Where I slept for at least three hours. When I awoke, I felt much better and my fever was gone, not to return. Thankfully, the bad-tempered woman seemed to be gone as well. And all in the castle heaved a sigh of relief! I was amazed by the ability of the Thieves, when rubbed on my chest and the soles of my feet. I had read about it's potential to get rid of fevers and kill over 99% of bacteria and wanted to try it for myself, but I wasn't expecting such a fast result. Why not just take tylenol you ask? Well, in the past year I have taken nearly two bulk size bottles of tylenol due to my various ailments, and it is not exactly the best for one's liver, and speak for your own liver, but my liver is very happy where it is and I'm very happy with it doing it's job well for as long as possible. So, anything I can do to relieve the adverse effects of modern medicine I will do; of course, unless life happens and I forget about doing it for a while (like you've never!). I am not here to judge, I am only here to share what amazing things my family is experiencing by using the essential oils from Young Living. I'm even here to share our struggles, our dislikes (have you read my reaction to Peace And Calming?), and even the things that don't seem to work that well for us. If you want to know more about the essential oils, Young Living, or the Lemon Drop Lounge (the facebook group dedicated to asking questions and posting answers about essential oils) please email me at spiceyourspace@yahoo.com or message me on facebook. If I can't answer your question, then I'll try to find the person who can.

Well, to finish out this post, our nightly oils were:

Grandma:Valor on the soles of her feet for sleep apnea and arthritis relief and across her wrists for anxiety; Peace and Calming across the shoulders to promote peace; Purification on the chest to prevent asthmatic or bronchial symptoms; Lavender to promote sleep.

Tim: Valor on the soles of his feet to combat sleep apnea and give arthritis relief.

Mercy and John: Valor on the soles of their feet to promote courage and bravery and combat nightmares. Lavender to promote sleep and rest. Peace and Calming to promote, well, peace and calming.

Little 'ol Me: Valor on the soles of my feet to promote sleep and relieve arthritis; Peace and Calming to help me get to sleep; Lavender to promote peace and rest and prevent headaches; Thieves on my chest to prevent sickness and because I just like the smell.

All of these are also accompanied by prayer. The fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much.

For those of you who have actually read this whole thing (goodness me, aren't you the diligent one!) I will reward you with a little bit of info I haven't shared up until now, because I'm chicken, ok? You can become a member (oh Lord, I think I just lost everyone at that word) of Young Living for just $40. Now this does not mean you are a part of a scam or a pyramid scheme or have to sell so many bottles a month, etc or that you have just signed your life and the lives of your children away. What it does mean is that you get the Lavender and Peppermint (in 5ml bottles vs. the normal 15ml bottles) plus a $40 off coupon for a home diffuser to spread all those lovely molecules of goodness around in your home. You don't have to do anything else if you don't want to, but you will then get my price (which I will give to you anyway, if you order from me) on all of the merchandise Young Living has to offer. If you want to go one more step, (say, oh, tax returns timely arrival) you can get the essential starter kit, which comes with 7 of the oils, plus info and samples and the coupon and the Lavender and Peppermint, for $150. This too, will give you my price and you can load up on all the oils your heart so desires!

Day#9 of Living with Essential Oils-Bad Mood Relievers & "Franklin's cents"

Day #9 was a bit of a challenge for me. Our son, who is going to be 6 in just a couple of weeks, was cranky and in a bad attitude most of the day. It was so unlike him to act that way, and it was something I had to address several times. On the second occasion I applied Lemon, Peace and Calming, and Valor to him and prayed with him. He was more easy going for a while and better behaved, but after he got sent to his room while our neighbor was over here playing, I applied them again. At bedtime, I put Peace and Calming, Lavender, and Valor on him and prayed diligently. When he woke up in the morning, he said he slept very well and has been in a much better mood. He also said the oils helped him stop being mean. He is much better at admitting when he's wrong than I am, so perhaps he won't be as stubborn as his mom when he's grown. I hate to think what he would have been like today without the essential oils to help! But at the same time, it shows this is not a fix all cure, we have to be diligent in our use of them and in our use of prayer to accompany them. If you don't understand the power of prayer, I can see where you would call these “voodoo meds”!

When I told Mercy it was time to do schoolwork, I didn't even finish my sentence before she had gone over to the box with the oils in it and began applying Peppermint and Frankincense to help her concentrate. I complimented her for doing so, but she said something that just struck me as quite funny. She thought we have been calling Frankincense “Franklin's cents” all this time! She knew it was an expensive oil back in Bible times and thought that it was called Franklin's cents because it took a lot of cents with Ben Franklin's picture on it to buy the essential oil. Oh, I have the best job ever being a mom!

I didn't have as much energy on this day. My allergies were really acting up, and I didn't douse myself in Lavender and Peppermint as much as I should have because I got busy and didn't think about it. We moms tend to not think of ourselves when we see a mile long to do list in our heads. It is not intentional or on purpose ignoring, it just kind of happens and later we go “oh yeah, I was supposed to take some...”. I did remember to drink plenty of water with Lemon in it. Have I mentioned how yummy and addictive it is???? I was however very glad when night time rolled around, even though I had taken a nap, I was not feeling well over all.

I used Valor on my feet for sleeping and arthritis and most importantly on my jaw for TMJ and teeth grinding, Peace and Calming on my shoulders to promote calm and help me get to sleep, Lavender on my temples to prevent headaches and the sides of my neck to promote sleep and rest. I also put a drop of Thieves on my chest. I LOVE Thieves! Josie Jones you were so right, it is at most moments my favorite oil! I even added a drop of it to the white vinegar in the fabric softener slot when washing some nasty, sweaty, smelly work clothes. I couldn't believe the difference! I am very sensitive to smells, have been since the chemo beast attacked me last year. So sensitive that I could smell any paper or cardboard product from across the house! Our house is over 80 feet long, people! And I could tell when someone on the other end of the house tore off a paper towel from the roll or opened a new package of toilet paper. Therefore when I say Thieves got rid of the sweat odor, I really mean it. And when I say it Thieves smells wonderful, I really mean that too!

At bedtime, Mercy got the same oils as John: Valor, Peace and Calming, and Lavender. She also slept extremely well and said she only woke up once and it was to hear her Grandma snore just a little bit. M turned her head and showed me how she went to sleep with cartoon like drama. The girl is cute, what can I say?

Tim got me to rub Valor on his feet without a mutter of a reply from me. I'm learning how to be more giving! Woo-hoo! I also rubbed some Peace and Calming on his neck and shoulders to help relax some tenseness he was dealing with. When I came to bed, he was sleeping well and didn't snore any that I know of. Just seeing him sleep better and be able to relax enough to sleep after being tense is enough of a reason to use these essential oils! It eases my heart and brings me peace, too. Look for Day #10's post tomorrow in the midst of your church day. I'm going to talk about how I got relief from a fever that hit me midday.  

Day#8 of Living with Essential Oils-Lessons Learned

Day #8. How can it be that our lives have changed so much in just 8 days! Tim even packed up his cpap machine because he hasn't had a need for it; Valor has given him, and me!, profound relief from his snoring and sleep apnea. The gargantuan stomachache I had today was relieved by simply rubbing Peppermint oil on my stomach. No need for man-made meds, which is just extraordinary to me. The kids have slept better by far, except for last night, than they have slept for months. Grandma has felt better and had a great reduction in snoring, and even some nights without any snoring. I have had more energy, which is in itself remarkable given what all these essential oils are having to fix in this imperfect body living in an imperfect world!

I mentioned in yesterday's post about my very experience in drinking a coke. In case you missed it (it was riveting, astounding composition, I assure you!), I've been trying to cut out sodas, which for me means coke, but had a 20oz. Coke over the space of about 12 or 15 hours, an evening and a morning. The effect was a nasty stomachache which kept me miserable until I remembered the Peppermint and applied it Neat to my stomach. Within minutes, I felt much better. It was like a science experiment so cool you couldn't believe the result of it! Maybe God knew what He was doing with creating these plants for our benefits after all! Duh! (Does anyone say “duh” anymore? If they don't, please substitute a more appropriate word in place of my gaff) Later when my stomach tried to revolt and turn into a heavy, lead rock weighing me down, I simply applied Peppermint again. Again, within minutes, I was feeling much better and without the chalky consistency and aftertaste of Rolaids or that nasty-liquid-stuff-you-keep-in-the-fridge-but-never-want-to-drink-because-it-is-so-very-nasty. Well after that second application my stomach was fine. No, I didn't feel like eating a 10oz ribeye or a juicy hamburger, but I was able to function and not be miserable for the rest of the day and into the night and even eat something light.

I've been reading a book called Healing Oils of the Bible based on recommendations from people associated with Young Living. I was able to get it from the library, and I have found it to be very enjoyable. The history involved in it is what I love, because history is my favorite subject, but the honest faith descriptions and insights into what oils really meant not just signified to the people of the Bible times has impressed me. Not everyone will agree with the author, I'm sure, but I have found the subjects discussed to be enlightening and suggest anyone uncertain of the true power in these essential oils or skeptical about what oils can and are intended to do, read this book.

Another issue of the day, was Mercy getting very upset and discouraged through doing her math. We homeschool and math is most often her favorite subject, but some days she expects too much of herself and gets overwhelmed. Sometimes, she is her own worst enemy. And her heart is so tender and loving, she upsets herself by not reaching her own expectations or because of fear of not reaching our expectations or what she thinks will be our expectations. So after a bout of discouragement and not being able to work through it, I applied Peppermint on her neck and nose for concentration and to wake up her senses. We were at the end of the school day and I knew her brain was tired by the look of her eyes. She was working herself up, so I also applied Peace & Calming to her shoulders to promote, you guessed it!, peace and calming. I told her to go read until she felt calm and then we would try again. Mercy told me later she felt much better after I put that “stuff” on her. Out of the mouth of babes, people! And this particular babe is going to be 9 in just a few weeks. How can that be?!!!!!!!

Mercy also had a horrible night last night, coming to our bed for the first time in months, telling her daddy she had a nightmare. Like me, she has always been prone to bad dreams and a hard time going to sleep. I can still recall some nasty dreams I had as a five-year-old, so I didn't want her to experience another night like the last one. So this night, after reading a tip from a fellow Lemon Dropper in the Lemon Drop Lounge, I applied the Lavender like normal on M, but then I added Valor to her feet and Peace & Calming to her shoulders. Unlike me, she likes the smell of P&C, but it doesn't smell as bad as the funeral home flower smell as it did at first. Then, I fervently prayed over her.

Every night I sing a lullaby to both of my children that I made up for them when they were little babies. Then after I sing it, I say a prayer over them and then they pray themselves. But this instance was more spiritual warfare. I don't know what you believe or don't believe, but I know what I believe, and that is we live in a fallen world as a formerly fallen people that have been made friends of God if we believe in Him and let His Son make us new again by believing in Him also, but the devil tries every trick he can to torment us children, by harming us, stealing from us, destroying us and what is ours, and killing us. I also believe that Psalm 91 says we do not have to be afraid of the terrors of the night and Psalm 4 says that we can both lie down and sleep for the Lord alone keeps us safe. Therefore, I prayed fervently over my child that she would have strength and courage and be brave, that fear would not overtake her, that night terrors could not come near her, that only good dreams could be in her night sleep, and that the Lord would protect her, and guard her heart and her mind. It was a moment I know faith happened. It was like the moments after my cancer diagnosis. I knew death was not part of the equation, that I would be alright. I didn't have any medical proof that I would actually make it, but I knew, if I allowed the Lord to be my strength I would live. In this moment, praying over my beloved daughter, I knew she would not suffer from bad dreams and that she would sleep peacefully.

During all of this, I had also applied Lavender to John-behind his ears, down his neck and across his bottom eye bones. After his lullaby and prayers I sent him on to bed. However, unlike his normal routine, he came to me fifteen minutes later saying he couldn't sleep. He said he only needed a drink of water, so he got that and went back to bed. Ten minutes later he returns, saying he still can't sleep. By which point I happen to know Mercy is already asleep. What an amazing God we serve! Even our sleep matters to Him, our God of More Than Enough! Realizing my error for not including John in the same regiment as Mercy, I silently repent, and rub Valor on his feet (which he loved because it tickled) and Peace & Calming on his shoulders. Then I prayed over him further, asking that God help him to go to sleep quickly and stay asleep all through the night, that he have no bad dreams, only good dreams. That his mind and heart be guarded and his angels protect him and that he both lie down and sleep for the Lord keeps him safe. He must have gone on to sleep, because he didn't come back out of his room, and he is not one to suffer alone in his bed if he can't sleep and there is someone else's bed he can crawl into.

Tim did not have any oils tonight, because he went to bed before me and I, shock of all shockers, didn't pause in my blog posting to go rub his feet in Valor, even if they are softer feet than the feet of Day#1. I'm still learning the humble lesson, so no judging! I, however, used Lavender behind my ears and on my temples; a drop of Thieves on my chest; Peace & Calming on my shoulders; Valor on my the bottoms of my feet, but I forgot to put it on my jawbone to help with TMJ and teeth grinding. Ah, the lessons we learn the hard way! I believe Grandma used P&C, Lavender, Valor, & Purification on her chest to help her breathe. I plan to put some Thieves on our dog's bed and some Valor to help her stop snoring, It's kind of funny when the dog becomes the loudest snorer in the house!!

Days #6 & #7 of Living with Essential Oils-Peppermint Water & Stomachache Relief

Don't be upset that you didn't get your daily dose of me yesterday! I'm sure you were all overwhelmed with a sense of disappointment and had to whip out your Peppermint essential oil to chase away the dashed hopes of getting the chance to read all about this crazy woman trying to make sense (that wasn't an intentional pun) on using all of these essential oils. Really dear, it is okay. I understand.

Now that we both know you didn't miss me or my missing entry for day #6 and had no idea I hadn't posted yesterday, until just now, we will get on with the getting on about essential oils. I love you anyway!

Day #6: Tim and I both had Lemon water, something we are trying to drink every day now. It is so refreshing! Why not just put lemon juice in your water, you ask? I happen to love lemon juice in my water, but this is something even better. You get the benefits of the aroma of Lemon, a natural mood enhancer among other things; it just brightens your day. Then, the taste is not overwhelming but soothes the body with a sense of rejuvenation and invigorates your senses from your tongue all the way down your digestive system. Even lemon extract does not attain the sensation or the satisfaction of Lemon essential oil flavored water. I can't wait to find some carbonated water to add it to! I love carbonated drinks, the feeling of fizzy in my mouth. That is why cutting out sodas has been so hard for me. But more about that later.

I've learned in the past six days that if I put on Peppermint and Lavender as soon as I wake up, on my neck(back and front), temples, across the bridge of my nose, and lightly across the bottom eye bones I get a head start on my allergies and feel much better than if I wait. When I was a teenager and would wake up on spring mornings, I would sneeze, and sneeze, and sneeze, and...well you get the picture. It was so bad, and we were unaware of my allergy to benedryl which was only making it all worse, that it became a game to count how many times I sneezed in a row. Finally, my dad said he would no longer say, “bless you!” after number 47 and I hit that number quite often. Needless to say my neck hurt a lot.

The Peppermint is quickly becoming one of my most favorite oils. I immediately perk up after putting it on and my sinuses reduce in swelling and pressure. It also helps with clarity and I plan to diffuse it while my daughter does math as soon as I get my home diffuser from Young Living in my next order. However, the Lavender spread NEAT (aka undiluted) across the bottom eye bone (nowhere nearer, as oils do not belong in our eyes) has been the best thing for the pollen effect on my eyes. Used to I would have to put in a specific eye drop prescription in both eyes each spring morning to keep them from itching, watering, puffing, and being generally irritated in a shade of red that was so unflattering. I have to date(day#8), only used my eyedrops once since my kit came. Amazing!!!! Honestly, if you are even remotely interested in using essential oils, but the price, your budget, or your skepticism is holding you back, I recommend you at least try the Lavender and Peppermint (from Young Living, the only one rated for safe consumption). Even if you decide you don't care for the whole parade and want of the bandwagon, you will have something to keep all of your drawers and closets and clothes smelling superb and something to flavor teas, coffeecakes, cookies, Christmas dishes, etc. So really there is no loss to buying the oils, only gain, because that is really all to experience.

On Day #6 Tim and I also took a pill capsule each with a drop of Lavender, a drop of Peppermint, and a drop of Thieves. This time I managed to spill less and swallow the pill without as much gagging. Tim's face was laugh out loud funny, though. (I know you are reading this, dear, and don't wish me to proclaim stories of you so loudly, but I'm just appreciating and savoring the joy God has placed in my life through you. I'm laughing with you, not at you!:) ) I also smeared Peppermint and Lavender on the kids to help them combat the day's pollen showers, which I think reached at least a ½ in. here in the south.

Our nightly oils consisted of what I mentioned in yesterday's post. I'm tired, and it is almost time to get my little yako and dot to bed, so don't hate me for not typing it all down again.

Day #7: I slept well, once I finally got to sleep (still trying to fix that with oils) and it was late morning when I got up, but apparently my sinuses woke up long before me and were already aching by the time I put on my morning Peppermint. Lavender soon followed and I got some relief. I knew it was to be a day of grocery shopping, and I gathered my stamina together slowly, so it was noon before I got my pill with Lavender and Peppermint down. I don't remember if Tim had a pill or not. Some days just run together for me. I do remember putting Lavender and Peppermint on the kids before we left. The biggest thing I do remember is finally remembering to put a Lavender and Peppermint bottle in my cosmetic pouch in my purse. I'm certainly glad too, because I used them once on myself and once on the kids while we were gone. Praise God for bringing at least some things back to my remembrance!

I also tried Peppermint in my Lemon water for the first time. It was a little too strong at first and I was able to fill up the glass again without having to add any more EO to it. I got Tim to try it(the 2nd glass) while we were in the car and unlike normal, he actually took more than one sip of it! It made me chuckle, because most of the time when I ask him to taste something, he either hates it or tolerates it. Rarely is it something he wants more of. I'm very grateful for the little victories because they make joy a spontaneous part of our day.

On a side note, we bought almost exclusively healthy foods: Two different kinds of trail mix, dark chocolate pomegranate seeds, mangoes, kiwis, salad, organic orange juice, organic milk (I've not made the switch to non-dairy milks yet so no preaching!), dried snapeas (like chips), and veggie straws (like chips), hummus, etc. However, we did indulge on some cookies and costco's poundcake. Not everyone is perfect! And I don't regret it. Although I do regret one part of my day, the part about sodas I said I would mention later.

We had one last place to stop and we were all exhausted, though Peppermint had gotten us that far, and we all needed something to drink, our water all gone. Trying to let it be a treat (his love language is giving), my husband brought me a coke and the kids' dr. pepper. It was the coldest, strongest coke I've had in months. Just the way I love them. That make you choke, and bubbles burn all the way up your nose? Yeah, that's my idea of a good coke. I decided it would be my coke for the week, but even then, I've grown unaccustomed to them and didn't finish the 20oz, but put it in the fridge when we got home for me to have the next day. The rest I had with my breakfast of the lovely costco pound cake(sliced, buttered and toasted in the oven until all the butter melts and you are left with a crunchy outside and a soft, buttery inside. And like a bazillion calories I'm sure!). Well last night was tolerable, especially using my reflexology socks to massage Valor onto both of my feet for my aching shoulders and neck. However, this morning I felt like I had a rock sitting in my stomach. Even a salad for lunch didn't sit well on my stomach, it was in such turmoil. Even though I've gotten 3 other members of this family to put Peppermint on their stomachs for tummy troubles, I didn't even think about putting it on my own stomach until after lunch. It helped tremendously within minutes! It also helped cut the brain fog I experience a lot. Although I will admit, today (day#8) I've had the least amount of energy of any of the previous days using EO, but I still got two loads of clothes washed, did some schoolwork with M & J, fixed my own meals, and got some computer work done. Not bad, considering how much energy I've lacked on a regular basis before EO. The lead in my stomach returned around dinner time, along with some nausea, so I rubbed more Peppermint on my stomach area, as well as the reflex points for the digestive system on my feet. Once again, within minutes I had relief, and a warming sensation through my belly that finally got my cold body warm. I can tell you one thing for certainty, after this day! I will have second thoughts about drinking another coke anytime soon!