DIY Laundry Booster

You are not going to believe how easy this DIY project is! Even the kids can get in on this one, especially if they are at that age where they want to know how to do everything, like my two children! It is also free of all the pesticides and unknown chemicals lurking in so many products out there. And no one send me hate mail telling me that baking soda is a chemical; take it in the spirit I intended it...


So what do you need for this magic recipe?

Ta-Da!!!!!!!!!!!!

Baking Soda

Pure, Plain Ol' Baking Soda

As you can see we buy this stuff in bulk!!!!

Then you need your favorite essential oils from Young Living

If you want a slightly spicy scent and massive germ killing, then go with Thieves

If you like fresh scents and need super odor killing power, then go with Purification

 If you like the traditional relaxing scents and need stress relief, go with Lavender

At the moment, our homemade laundry detergent has both Purification and Lavender in it (see here for the laundry liquid detergent, here for the update on it, and here for the laundry soap recipe), so my next batch will be made to match. However, this batch I made up was with Thieves, one of the best smelling things on this planet!

To create this very simple recipe, all you need are the above ingredients: Baking Soda and the essential oil of your choice (I use Young Living and am a distributor for them. If you want to know more about that and to get your own, email me at spiceyourspace@yahoo.com)

Recipe:

1 cup of Baking Soda

15-20 drops of your choice essential oil

Mix thoroughly

in a bowl or container of some sort

Find a pretty thing to store your mixture in.

My choice was this canister belonging to my husband's grandmother

Inside is a dose cup like what you get with liquid cold medicine

For each load of really nasty laundry:

Add 1tsp-1T. depending on your preference, size of load, etc

 And that is it!

See! I told you it was simple!

Note of caution, though: Do not store in plastic containers if your essential oil contains any citrus oil. The citrus will eat through the toxins of the plastic leaving you with a frightful mess.

P.S.- stay tuned for my newest recipe on Laundry Sauce, a new take on laundry detergent

Coming Soon!

In The World Of Us

Wait! Wait! Wait a minute! You mean this blogging thing, I'm actually supposed to do it?! I can't just think in random moments throughout the day what I want to jot down, only to never get around to it? That sucks. I'm clearly not cut out for this. Maybe I should just go back to procrastinating. It is not nearly as much of a bother...but then I think of all the crazy good things going on in our lives that could just change yours for the better if you but knew about them, and I find myself back here like a hungover sot needing a drink. Maybe I should come up with a better analogy, that one didn't look as nice in print as it sounded in my head...

I come back around to blogging because I'm like that annoying little kid you used to have living down the street from you that would come around only to tell you what they were doing, what their dog was doing, what their hamster was doing (ok, I don't have a hamster, sorry), what they had for supper and all about all the stuff they know that you don't really give a hoot about, but your Mamma taught you right so you're being polite cause you know she'll bust your butt if you're not nice so you listen till you're bored to tears. In case you couldn't tell, I was that kid down the street that just turned into a taller kid with the same issues. That is okay, though. I can still annoy you with all of the things I know that you don't know.

Just so you know. Ginger, the puppy, is still alive. Our other dog hasn't eaten her yet. If you've ever seen our big hound, you will know that was a sincere possibility. She likes to pounce on things, which can be bothersome sometimes, for instance when small children and little babies are in the house and the parents get all antsy and peculiar about our lovely, giant dog/small horse trying her shenanigans near their child. Parents! Honestly! She hasn't ever, like, eaten someone's child!

Now, Ginger has been a spice to our lives for sure. She is adorable, she is cute, she is affectionate, she is cuddly, but she is also, well for starters: a puppy. Need I say more? She is inquisitive about every little thing, from the sound the air conditioner makes to the moth flitting about the lights. She learns commands well. Already, she recognizes her name, comes when I call her, responds to the word “no” (she might actually think her name is NoGinger, by the way the kids say it), will fetch a ball, play tug of war, sit (sometimes) on command, and chew everything in sight, even if that something happens to be your hand, your face, your toes, or in my case your breast prosthesis. I do have to admit that was laugh out loud funny to look down at her playing my lap, to see she had her whole mouth clamped down on the prosthesis I was wearing. Yeah, that might not be so much fun when I have surgery again in the next couple of months...

What is going on with us? So glad you asked! If you didn't ask, read anyway!

I have officially been a cancer survivor for 6 months now and believe it or not, it has been a whole year since I finished chemo. It is so freakin' wonderful to me, that I've been telling everyone! I'm not one of those people to keep quiet about personal matters, which my husband regrets at times. But this particular one isn't TMI, it is to bring glory to God's name, cause I sure didn't have anything to do with stayin' alive. (Que song!) I hope to have many more months and years to keep telling people about how God was and is my strength through it all. Let's face it people, if it had been up to me to handle it all, I'd be partly six feet under and partly dancing up in heaven. Thankfully, it wasn't up to me, since Christ bore it all for me on the cross. Not only is He my Redeemer, but He is my Healer, too. If you don't know Him, He wants to know you, too. I'm not special in that regard, but He loves me and you all the same.

My square foot garden has been planted, and hopefully I will feel up to taking care of it this year. Don't count on me blogging about it in my other blog, www.growingseedsplantinglife.blogspot.com. I planted tomato plants, banana pepper plants, carrots, onion sets, basil seeds, carrot seeds, spinach seeds, squash seeds, cucumber seeds, green bean seeds, eggplant seeds, okra seeds, and corn seeds. We will see what happens. Prayers please!!!!

It has been two months since essential oils (by Young Living) changed our lives. I'm constantly amazed by what all these oils can do! Sometimes I think, they couldn't possibly fix such and such, and of course they go and astound me by fixing such and such. Never say never!!!

Here are a few examples:

Sunburn- John got really sunburned the day before going to kids' camp from staying out in the pool too long. His face was burning and hot because of it, so I rubbed some Lavender essential oil, diluted in olive oil, onto his face (staying clear of his eyes) and he felt much better with the addition of something cool on his face. When he came back from camp three days later, he was sunburned again, so I rubbed more Lavender oil (diluted) on him. The next day, you couldn't even tell he was burnt, he was just dark. Tim got sunburned after working out in the yard; his upper arms and shoulders were very red. When he came to bed, I lovingly and thoughtfully (hahahahaha) rubbed some diluted Lavender oil on his arms and his the back of his neck. He slept fine and the next day was just slightly pink, the day after that, he looked tan and no longer burnt.

Wasp Sting- oh, this one was fun! Not! Tim and I had been out doing errands while the kids were at camp, and while we were in one store, I noticed my foot was hurting some. When I took my shoe off, I realized why it was hurting. My big toe on my left foot had swollen to more than twice its size and there was an open sore on it. Apparently, I had been stung by a wasp at some point, although I don't know when, because I don't have good circulation in my feet and they are numb a lot. Anyway, I only had Lavender essential oil with me, so I put that on it neat (undiluted). Lavender is good for allergic reactions, and this was certainly an allergic reaction! I don't know that I've ever been stung by a wasp before. Bees and yellowjackets, yes. Wasps? Not so sure. As soon as we got home, I put Purification on the place and applied ice to bring the swelling down. That night and each day after, I put more Purification on, covering it with a bandaid since my shoes all rubbed against the spot. Now, its fine. No swelling, or itching, or anything.

Bug repellent- Oh yeah! We live in the South, where mosquitoes outnumber people, probably 3 to 1. Every year I end up eaten up with mosquito bites, that swell and itch for days. My son has the same reaction, only a little worse. A friend posted about a bug repellent recipe to make at home and spray on before going outside. Go here to get the recipe for yourself: http://thelemondroplounge.com/blog/chemical-free-bug-repellent-recipe It smells so much better than the nasty OFF! Or other commercial things, like Bug N Sun. It also has no ingredients that have been reported to be possible carcinogenics and for me that is a big deal. I don't want my kids ever having to go through cancer! I mixed up the recipe and have used it several times now. I didn't get a single bite on me (except for my ankle where I forgot to spray, thinking the mosquitoes wouldn't find the thin area of exposed skin between my sock and my pants' leg)! Goodby OFF!

Heartburn- Lordy! I don't know about you, but heartburn is vicious! I had a day of it tormenting me like a preview of purgatory. I have come off my Rx heartburn meds, because I hadn't needed them with all of the Peppermint I've been using to aid in digestion. But this day, something caused me to be able to bring forth fire like a dragon having a tantrum. I took a Rx pill, but it was doing nothin'! Finally I remembered “There's An Oil For That!” and doused my chest with diluted Peppermint essential oil. I also took a capsule containing two drops of Peppermint. Within about an hour, every symptom of the heartburn was gone and I got to sleep.

I'm sure you've had all the essential oil talk you can handle, but know I could go on and on and on. There are just so many good things we're seeing happen when we use them. Oh, did I mention a cyst on my port scar fell off after using Frankincense on it for three weeks? So cool!

Ok, anyway, my point is, if you want to know more, I can certainly tell you more. Find me on facebook (Rachel Parrish White), or email me at spiceyourspace@yahoo.com. I will happily give anyone my distributor price, which is 24% off the retail price. Or you can become a member of the club for as little as $40. I just want to share all of this oily love with you!

Living with Essential Oils-Allergic Reactions and Mouthwash

I've decided to change up the way I've been doing the blog a bit, to avoid boredom. Oh, you may not be bored; if you aren't then I feel much better, something I'm doing must be entertaining. However, I am getting bored with it. I mean, all I'm doing is describing my day, hour by hour to you. How can you stand that?!!! LOL Don't get me wrong, I love my life. I love living it. I love having it to live. But I've already lived through whatever I'm posting about so its kinda redundant to me. Remember I told you I get bored easily and have issues with carrying things through to completion, but as far as I am concerned my family will be using essential oils the rest of our natural lives, so that is a bit much for me to blog about day in and day out without going certified crazy! Notice, I specified certified? That is probably one of the only reasons people read about my life (other than wanting to know more about using essential oils) is because there is something about reading the screw-ups of someone crazier than you that makes one feel at least a teensy bit normal. Haha

One of the reasons for the change up is that I've got a few other projects going on. I always do, I'm notorious for reading several books at a time, doing several projects at a time, and always having a few figurative irons in the fire. One particular project I will also be blogging about soon, so as to not spend hours per day doing nothing but blogging, I will post about our lives using essential oils probably once a week to highlight, well, the highlights. That will free me up to post about some upcycling I've been doing with things from my closet, my sewing stash and the thrift store. My body is shaped a lot differently now than it was, so clothes don't exactly fit correctly, so I've been changing up some things I already have and getting some new-to-me things to alter. I can't wait to post about them! Just to give a hint, I turned a dress with a too-tight bodice into a skirt for me and a tube top for Mercy. I'm also redoing a few things in our kitchen, which takes time, and may end up being a few more blog posts.

So since its been far too long since I've posted I'll try to give you a quick run down of some of the things we've done.

I made some mouthwash. I guess I should say I made two mouthwashes. The first one was just warm water with sea salt and a drop of Thieves essential oil in a glass bottle with a lid. The second was based on one I saw in a book called Aromatherapy, a lifetime guide to healing with essential oils by Valerie Gennari Cooksley. 

It had one cup of strong chamomile tea, brewed. Take a teaspoon of honey and add two drops of Peppermint essential oil (remember to only use oils you can ingest, like Young Living oils, message me at spiceyourspace@yahoo.com to order any at my price), one drop of Tea Tree oil and 2 drops of Lavender essential oil to the honey. Then add the honey mixture to the chamomile tea. Adding the essential oils to the honey first causes the honey to act as a carrier and allow the essential oils to mix with the liquid of the tea. Otherwise they will just float. Store this mixture in an airtight bottle out of sunlight and shake well before each use. 

You could also add Fennel essential oil and Geranium essential oil, but I didn't have either of those two, so I couldn't use them. You can't drink or eat for twenty minutes after using this mouthwash according to the book.I should have added a drop of Thieves into this mixture, but didn't think about it at the time. I will on the next round though, because the Thieves has really helped with the tooth pain I'd been having. I was even able to eat a honey bun (I know! It's processed food, but it was so good!) without doubling over in pain, tears streaming down my face. It didn't hurt at all, matter of fact.

Another thing I've done is get an organic tooth soap from a company I'm a fan of here in our local area. The owner is a fellow homeschooler and my son just adores her candles (especially the quirky robot shaped one he slept with for an entire year); alas she has moved to Georgia, but she has an internet site, Cheeky Maiden Soaps. This tooth soap is made with clove essential oil, which helps numb mouth pain, and also has coconut oil in it. I love it, because it foams up when you use it and its not overly abrasive. This with the mouthwash is really good, although not the bestest tastin' stuff around according to Tim and John. My mother-in-law bought the mint version and really likes the taste of it.

John has had several scrapes lately. He is a boy afterall! Although I wish he was as indestructive as the rubber he seems to think he is. We've been using the same Lavender essential oil diluted with olive oil that we use on the kids at night to help them sleep, to apply to John's scrapes and they've looked a lot better and takes the sting out of it, which prevents the cry fest that sometimes accompanies said scrapes.

Mercy has had a few more stomachaches, hiccups, and gas pains that the Peppermint essential oil diluted in olive oil has helped with. She has also had a struggle with concentrating on her schoolwork here lately. I'm sure its because we are so near the end of the school year, but we certainly don't want her to bring down her good average with a few bad grades. She has been using Peppermint and Frankincense essential oils behind her ears and across her toes to help her focus and concentrate. Even this afternoon, I saw a significant difference after she had applied it. I just wish I had thought of it earlier in the day!!!

I have also been using Frankincense on my surgical scar from where I had my mastectomy last August. Frankincense isn't cheap, but I got a 5ml bottle of it in the starter kit I bought. Normally I wouldn't use something so “expensive” on a scar (I've got plenty of others to prove this point) however, this particular scar I need to stretch as far as it will go when I have reconstruction, so to me it is a safe and sound application of it. Frankincense is supposed to fade scars significantly and many women have raved about how it decreases under eye circles and puffiness. I haven't tried that yet, but I may.

Between the bath scrub I posted about before and the Frankincense, my scar is flat, without ridges and smooth. I do hope this helps when I have my next surgery. Hopefully the doctor won't tell me my skin is too soft and smooth! Lol

Several days ago I took around the yard and pulled a few weeds. Then two days ago I went out to my square foot garden (I have two boxes) to weed them for the vegetable plants I unintentionally bought (I got eight plants for less than eight bucks!). Something that I came into contact with caused a stinging, burning rash on my inner forearms. Yes, I wore gloves. But that didn't protect me and my uncovered arms. I also got some in my eyes and nose because my eyes started itching horribly and I was sneezing, sneezing, sneezing. Then the inside of my nose started itching like ants were crawling all inside it and stinging and biting as they went in circles. I was miserable! I washed off, but the damage was done. I have no idea what the weed was, but I know it was not stinging nettle. This weed's habit was like baby's breath, but with thicker, bright green stalks that stuck to you like glue. It also had yellow flowers instead of white.

I applied Lavender to my arms and immediately the stinging and burning stopped. If I hadn't of been so uncomfortable it might have been kind of neat. The other two things I didn't really know what to do about because it can be dangerous to use essential oils too close to the eyes or mucus membranes according to all of the warnings I see over and over. I took Lavender internally with Peppermint and Lemon in a capsule and applied Lavender behind my ears and on the inside of my cheek. I also applied Purification to my neck and Thieves on my chest. I was determined to beat this stuff, but the next morning I was still rubbing my eyes violently and sneezing. My nose was even worse. The inside felt singed and quite like my tongue felt during chemo last year; burnt. I continued using the Lavender topically and internally. My energy was gone, too. Like all of the sneezes were ripping my energy right out of me. I slept and slept like before I started all of these oils, but my body was tired of it all. I finally ended up taking some tylenol sinus to help all the oils get a hold and eradicate whatever that weed was. From what I read, the first time your body comes into contact with something it sees as a virus it develops a reaction to fight it, producing histamine. The next time you come into contact with it, your body will most likely respond with more symptoms. Hence my second reaction, apparently. Most people just call it hay fever, hives, or rhinitis. I called it misery.

I discovered something in this Aromatherapy book, though. It was a nasal soother. One part warmed toasted sesame oil, one drop of Tea Tree oil, and two parts pure vitamin E oil. Mix together and swab inside the nostrils with a q-tip. Some of these things are like being a kid seeing the circus for the first time. You think it couldn't possibly work, but somehow it does, and it is amazing and incredible and leaves stars in your eyes. I might not have had stars in my eyes, but I was certainly amazed at how instantly, instantly people, my nose was fine. I do have to admit the smell of toasted sesame oil inside of my nose was weird, really weird and the smell came back each time I subsequently had to blow my nose (another weird) but I was okay with that if the pain and torment was gone. This is one treatment I plan to use again if ever necessary.

The eye thing I never really figured out what to do about, but use a cold compress and use my prescription eye drops. Maybe I'll come across something in the future, but I most certainly am going to try to keep away from the un-named weed!

I even got a book from the library about gluten free living. I don't think we're really ready for that step yet, but little by little we are kind of heading that direction with the diabetic diet. I really like a lot of the recipes for diabetics, even though I am not one. Grandma is, and so we all are pretty much on board for that train, except maybe more sweets than she is supposed to eat. I love just about all kinds of food, especially indian, chinese, japanese, and other asian foods, which is among some of the healthiest given the amount of vegetables and fresh foods. Tim is having to grit is teeth and smile through this, cause there isn't so much meat and starch as there once was and he doesn't like too many vegetables. But I do win some, like chickpeas. Everybody in the house likes chickpeas. Score!!!! May God grant me patience in searching for more healthy things my family will eat!

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.

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#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#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!!

Day 5 of Living with Essential Oils-The Art of Ingesting Lavender

Day 5 was a horrific day for me concerning my allergies. This pollen is so bad! Tim and I had a meeting to go to at 11am, but my sinuses were not wanting to give me a moment's peace. When I first woke up I put on Peppermint and Lavender to help, but I was snotting everywhere. So not attractive! Therefore I chose to try ingesting some of the Lavender to give some relief, I was so miserable. It is a wonder I didn't end up spilling half of the bottle on me in my attempts! I'm positively certain there is a really good way that Monique has posted about in www.granolaoils.com, but I didn't have time to refresh my memory on the post before fixing the pill and getting out the door.

I had already made myself some Lemon water, which I have forgotten to mention several times already. The scent is amazing, and the taste is almost non-existent but so refreshing. One day we were out this week and I drank water the whole time, but not lemon water, and just felt like I wasn't getting enough. I rarely guzzle, but my thirst was just not quenched. Then when we got home, I hurried over to a glass of lemon water, guzzled,  and finally felt refreshed! It is certainly addictive, but it is not something I have found goes with just any kind of food, either, so I'm still drinking unflavored water and tea. I'm also down to just one 16oz. Coke a week. I used to drink at least one a day, so this has been an amazing accomplishment for me. We've also managed to get the kids down to sodas every other day or more, from the once a day and only before 6pm rule we used to have. Tim and Grandma are still a work in progress, and have tried to substitute as much tea as possible, however we are still trying to figure out what sweetener is right for us and doesn't have the horrible side effects of aspartame, etc but that also doesn't cause a powdery, bitter aftertaste.

Now what was I talking about? Oh, yeah. Sorry, this post might should be sub-headed “Caution: Prone to Rabbit Trails”. Anyway, I took my first Lavender pill with a drink of my Lemon water, and....(pause for a moment of suspense)....nearly gagged and at least grimaced an awful face. I don't know what I was expecting, since I've never tasted Lavender before. I'm sure others don't taste the oil, but then they probably don't coat the outside of the capsule in their attempts to get the oil actually inside the pill! I have to take a lot of pills a day because of the multitude of my afflictions (that sounds much grander than saying I'm disabled), so I'm used to swallowing pills and have been rather proud of the fact that I can take all 9 of my nightly pills in one swallow (except sometimes for those annoying two that won't go down and dissolve on my tongue and taste nasty and only chocolate can make the taste go away). But this pill capsule was just different. Its hard to explain. However, I got over it and went on, it was no "the sky is falling" moment.

I told Tim what I had done, and he teased me about taking care of myself only and not offering to make him one. I could have reminded him how often in the past week I've rubbed his feet, but I choose to think I'm made of nicer stuff and fluff, therefore I made him up one. Since his chief complaint was congestion and not the sneezing and snotting I was doing, I put Peppermint in his capsule, along with Lemon to help with clarity and get rid of his “belly fat”(his words, not mine). Plus I put one other thing in it, but I don't remember what it was. At least I know whatever it was, was only for his benefit and was not something that could do him harm! Perhaps these oils should say on the bottle under “neat, diffuse”, etc “Rachel-proof”. I'm certain that would make everyone in my family feel safer to know I can't accidentally poison them, haha.

The look on Tim's face when he took his oil covered, oil filled capsule was priceless. He has such an expressive face and jokes about, that it is quite entertaining to see what expressions he can come up with. The Peppermint coating the outside burned him a little, but it probably opened those sinuses! On the way to our meeting, he remarked how he was going to be burping up Peppermint for the rest of the day, but he was okay with that, because at least his breath would smell good! I informed him that was much better than my predicament because burping up Lavender is just weird.

By the time of our meeting, I had gone through at least ten tissues since waking up in the morning, accompanied by multiple sneezes. However, at the end of the meeting I was fine. I was clear without the Claritin and no longer sneezing. Since chemo effected my life last year, I have had a symptom that plagued my mother during her own battle with cancer: a constant runny nose. When I eat, especially, it pours like a faucet. So, I always have to have tissue with me. I have them tucked in places for emergencies, because sometimes I have no warning or time to find anything before it starts dripping. Once again, so not attractive!!!!! If you've ever seen the commercial where the guy is paying for ice cream for his daughter and himself and he hands the guy a bill crumpled up with a used tissue and it mentions squirreling tissues, that perfectly sums me up. Which is weird, because I'm one of the OCD people who doesn't like things out on the countertops and wants everything in its own pocket inside her purse, and compulsively cleans off the table of the junk that gets piled on it. We joke about the spirit of Minimaw taking over since my mother's passing, so I'm going to attribute this one to her for my own peace of mind. Therefore, no telling me any different!

Shoot, I've seemed to have lost my place again. The Caution sign is blinking and I'm rambling off down another rabbit trail. Soon I'll start singing Little Bunny Foo-Foo. (I'm not totally mental, I promise) When Tim sees how clear I am and how I'm no longer red-eyed and red-nosed, he asks why I didn't put any Lavender in his, because he's not as over his allergies as me yet. Of course, we banter and I stick out my tongue at him at some point. Our marriage is always fun and full of laughs. Otherwise, it'd be very depressing and we'd hate each other; the reason of avoiding and depression and simply because there is a lot to laugh at.

The rest of the day went well, and I still had more sustaining energy than the short energy bursts I've generally had these past two years. I know the oils are effecting me this way, because a week and a half ago, I would not have been able to go five days without at least three of nothing but sleep.

Our night time oils were:

Grandma- Lavender on her neck for sleep and rest. Peppermint on her stomach and the corresponding spot on her foot for some stomach discomfort she was having. Purification on her chest for ease of breathing, because she is prone to bronchitis and has asthma. Valor on her feet for sleep apnea. Then Peace and Calming on the back of her neck. So far, her favorite is the Purification, with Peppermint coming in second.

Tim-Lavender on the neck and behind the ears for sleep and rest. Valor on his feet for sleep apnea and I did rub it on his feet myself! His feet are a whole lot softer and isn't like rubbing sandpaper as it was just a week ago.

The kids-Lavender on the neck and behind the ears for rest and sleeping.

Me-Valor on my feet and on my hip joints which were aching painfully from our day out walking about. I put Lavender on my pillow and behind my ears. However, I was reading a good book and couldn't go to sleep even after my set time of reading had elapsed and my face was burning which was also keeping me awake. So, I got up and put some cold cream on my face, some Peace and Calming on my shoulders and some Purification on my chest. I have to admit that I really do not like the smell of Peace and Calming. It reminds me of the smell in some elderly relative's house where they have a displayed arrangement of some waxy, fake flowers from back in the fifties. It smells almost musty to me, or moldy. But that is just my opinion. 

I then gave myself fifteen more minutes to try to go to sleep and if I was still awake I was going to go back to reading my book. Apparently, those oils, even the stinky one, worked because the next thing I knew it was 9am and I was being asked if I wanted to watch Perry Mason just in case he didn't win his case this time.