It's Giveaway Time!

It's almost time for my vacation and start things off  right, I'm giving away a doTERRA Essential Oils Intro Kit!  The contest starts tomorrow and goes through May 31st.  Follow the instructions at the end of this post to enter!

The doTERRA Essential Oils Intro Kit contains three of my most favorite essential oils, Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint.  These oils are amazing at so many things, individually...put them together and you have an all natural "Allergy Bomb".  Are you suffering from seasonal allergies?  This kit is for you.  

Here are some of the uses for each essential oil in the kit.

Lemon is known as a powerful aromatic, topical, and internal cleanser that can be used to complement many other oils. Diffusing lemon in a room can cleanse the air and uplift mood. It can also be used on surfaces throughout the home as a non-toxic cleaning booster. 

Lemon is naturally antibacterial, antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral, astringent, diuretic, and a disinfectant.  It can be used to help fight cold and flu season, disinfect living area, and as an insect repellent.  

Some common health concerns in which you could use lemon essential oil are:

• Allergies

• Asthma

• Cold and Flu

• Constipation

• Fever

• Hypertension

• Sore Throat

• Stomach Ache

• Stress

• Throat Infections

Lavender is one of the most popular oils.  It has been cherished for its unmistakable aroma and its therapeutic properties for thousands of years. Lavender is widely used and accepted for its calming and relaxing qualities.  

Lavender is naturally analgesic, antibiotic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, diuretic, disinfectant, and sedative.  It is little known for its powerful capability as a natural antihistamine.  It can be used to calm and help relieve stress, fight cold and flu, as an emergency salve/spray, and is very popular in skin care.  

Some common health concerns in which you could use lavender oil are:

• Acne

• Allergies

• Arthritic Pain

• Asthma

• Bronchitis

• Burns

• Colds and Flu

• Cuts and Wounds

• Depression

• Dermatitis

• Diarrhea

• Earache

• Headaches

• Herpes

• Hypertension

• Indigestion

• Insect Bites

• Insomnia

• Migraines

• Muscle Pain

• Nausea

• Psoriasis

• Skin Disorders

• Sore Throat

• Stomach Ache

• Stress

• Throat Infections

Just to name a few...  :)

Last but not least is one of my favorites, Peppermint.  Peppermint is popular in countless forms, from toothpaste to chewing gum. As an essential oil, it is useful to ease breathing and as a digestive aid.

It is naturally analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, expectorant, and a stimulant.  Peppermint helps with mental acuity, is an insect repellent, and is great for cold and flu season.

Some common health concerns in which you could use peppermint oil are:

• Allergies

• Asthma

• Bronchitis

• Colds and Flu

• Colic

• Congestion

• Dermatitis

• Diarrhea

• Fever

• Headaches

• Indigestion

• Insect Bites

• Menstrual Problems

• Migraines

• Motion Sickness

• Nausea

• Skin Disorders

• Stomach Ache

• Stress

• Toothache

Go to my Facebook page Growing Naturally , "LIKE" my page, and click the "Giveaways" tab to enter!

DIY Baby Wipes

(picture courtesy of Neil Atkins)

(I asked him to send me a picture of my DIY creation with a decent background, since he was at home and I was not...I think he did pretty good!)

I have been "pinning" DIY baby wipes for months now!  I have read blogs and blogs trying to find the right combination of ingredients that worked for me (and my baby's sweet little butt).  I finally put several recipes together and came up with this.

Ingredients

• Large glass jar (I got mine from Walmart)
• Paper Towels (good quality)
• Jojoba Oil (or any kind of carrier oil)
• Aloe Vera gel
• Essential Oils of you choice

Instructions

1. Cut your roll of paper towels in half
2. Put one half of the paper towels roll in the jar or container
3. Mix 2 cups of warm water, 3-5 drops of the essential oil (I used 5 drops of lavender and 5 drops of melaleuca.  You can probably stick with 3 each and be fine.), and the aloe vera gel.
4. pour the mixture over the paper towels in the jar and let it soak in.
5. Turn the jar upside down to let the mixture get to the other end of the paper towels.
6. Let sit for about 30 min to make sure they are good and saturated.
7. Pull the brown insert out of the middle of the paper towel roll and pull the wipes from the middle of the roll.

That's it!  It's so easy.  My daughter had a yeasty diaper rash when I first started using them.  I was able to use the wipes, coconut oil, and the most natural barrier cream I could find at Walmart last minute within a couple days.

Melaleuca is a natural antifungal and Lavender is calming and healing to cuts, scrapes, burns, and rashes.