As we’ve been gradually using up the various cleaners around our house I have been replacing most of them with ones I make from essential oils or ones I buy that contain less chemicals than the typical cleaners. For instance I still use Murphy’s Oil Soap for my hardwood floors. It’s a cleaner I like and believe does a good job with the woods around our house. While it’s not entirely natural, it more so than some of the other cleaners I’ve found for hardwoods. It also isn’t terrible on price and a bottle will last a long time.  This is probably a cleaner I will continue to buy and use in our home as I still can’t find a compelling argument against the line in this commercial about Murphy’s Oil Soap. I have started using the doTERRA On Guard Concentrate Cleaner for general wiping down, disinfecting and cleaning. So far, I’ve used this cleaner to wipe bathroom counters, kitchen counters, doors and doorknobs, light switches, table tops, tiles, the refrigerator doors and more. It says it is also safe for hardwood but I’ve not tried it there at this time. On Guard Concentrate Cleaner, of course contains the On Guard essential oil blend. If you’ve not tried this before it’s a perfect blend for germ killing. I call it the natural Lysol. On Guard Ingredients Wild Orange Peel Clove Bud Cinnamon Leaf Cinnamon Bark Eucalyptus Leaf Rosemary Leaf/Flower This oil blend supports your immune and respiratory systems and is perfect to use at any sign you are coming down with something.  Often I will use a drop of the On Guard essential oil on the bottom of our feet before bed to ward off any sniffles and coughs.  I’ve also used the oil in our hand lotion bars (see previous post) in place of the harsh alcohol based hand sanitizers. The oil and cleaner smell very nice but are not overpowering. I smell the orange and cinnamon the most when I use the cleaner. It leaves the surfaces clean, without a haze or film. With all the ingredients the cleaner contains I know it also safely disinfected whatever I was cleaning.  It also makes a nice lather when mixed with water but does not leave bubbles on your counter tops. A little does go along way when using this cleaner as it is highly concentrated.  I will use only 2 tablespoons per kitchen sink full of warm water. For the tougher sticky, greasy situations I will put a drop directly on my wet cleaning cloth and attack that way. This product has been our primary cleaner and disinfectant against germs this winter, particularly the devastating flu that continues to spread across our nation. What are you using to fight the germs in your home? Interested in more? Please reach out with any questions you have about doTERRA On Guard Cleaner or any of their other products. We can be reached via this blog or email at dragonspitapothecary@aol.com If you are interested in transforming your home with natural based products and oils, let me know! I’m happy to help you begin that journey.  my.doterra.com/dragonspitapothecary.com #health #alternativehealth #wellness #wellbeing #EssentialOils #home #family #lifestyle

From all the travel I’ve done the past couple years for work, my makeup bag has taken a real beating. It was a tri-fold brush bag I purchased from Mary Kay that of course held my Mary Kay makeup brushes. It was ideal for travel because it had a couple pockets to store my makeup, disposable contacts and some odd things I need when I traveled. This makeup bag lasted longer than a couple suitcases in this time period but it was clearly now time for a replacement. The slots for the brushes had holes so the brushes would poke out the bottom. The zipper compartment had torn so my items would slide out everywhere. The bag had seen a lot of miles, hotel rooms and served me well. Go in peace good solider. Since I’m with a little more free time these days, I recently organized my fabric stash and have been on a quest to find ways to use up remnants and leftover pieces. Of course I have at least two Pinterest boards full of cute nifty ideas to help in this area! One of my favorite things to make with scraps, remnants and smaller pieces are bags. Tote bags, trick or treat bags, shopping bags, library book bags and in this case makeup bags! This is the pattern I followed, and modified: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/54746951691984232/ My Modifications First, I made my bag slightly longer. The pattern makes a 19 by 9 inches bag and as you can see it was made just for brushes. My bag measures 22 by 9 inches so I could include room for 8 brushes and 2 decent sized pockets. This way I could get all my makeup in one bag along with my brushes for traveling. Keeping things together and compact is key to packing in this day of expensive luggage fees and carry-on restrictions. Plus let’s face it, I’m much less likely to lose something this way. I checked with a couple friends and asked how many makeup brushes they have and what they use to travel.  Most were anywhere between 4 and 8. I settled on 8 slots because I have 8 brushes and if I make these as gifts it gives my friends opportunity to adequately fit for their needs. I followed the pattern including rounding the corners using the template. Next time I make these I’ll use a square corner instead. The rounded corners just seemed to make the binding a little more challenging to fit and I like the look of a sharp mitered corner better. I did not use the wax paper steps and instead used my chalk pencil to draw the lines for the slots. This was simpler and saved a couple steps. If you can measure, mark and sew straight lines I didn’t see any advantage to marking it on wax paper first. For the batting, I used scrap pieces. This is the perfect project to use up some scrap small pieces of batting. I tend to keep the batting scraps set aside in a Ziploc bag for little projects like this one. It does mean I work with several different pieces to complete the inside but it sure beats opening a brand new batting package for a small project. Little savings where I can find it. I adhered the batting to the interior fabric using Spray Bond.  This saved having pins everywhere and made it easier to align the outer piece – which I also applied with Spray Bond. For my bags I did not use a laminate for the interior fabric. The instructions used this because they said it could be wiped clean periodically. That makes sense but I personally like to run my bag through the wash usually at the same time I clean my makeup brushes so that I can be assured it is actually clean. For that reason I used 100% cotton fabric with a print so makeup wouldn’t show if it did get on the fabric in between cleanings. If you want to quilt the outer piece with some pretty design do it before you attach to the interior fabric. I would in this case attach the batting to the outer piece, quilt it in your preferred design and then attach to the interior after you’ve sewn the slots and pockets. I think I’m going to do this next time for some extra durability and special touch to the bag. With something this small you can really experiment with some cute quilting designs. I also want to redesign the tie straps. I followed the instructions but this is probably my least favorite thing about the bag. I think this bag would work well with a snap on the front, a loop and button or even just a basic buttonhole and button. Overall I’m happy with how it turned out. I did make two of them because one was a gift for a dear friend who had kept our son for the weekend. While I missed him a lot it was nice to have some quiet time and get to finish these super cute makeup bags. I have a few other leftover pieces that I want to try this again with the modifications noted above. If I find any other suggestions I’ll update this blog for others that want to try this pattern. If you try this pattern and find other suggestions to improve it please let me know! Other Uses In looking at this bag I think it could be easily modified to a smaller bag to hold small drams of essential oils! When I travel I always take oils with me and I like to pack a few extra so I can share with others as I meet people along the way.  This bag done on a smaller scale would be perfect for that use and the pockets could be sized perfect for a business card. In fact I believe I have just enough of this orange print fabric to give that a try. Interested in more? Check out our website at dragonspitapothecary.com Interested in essential oils? Reach out to me at my.doterra.com/dragonspitapothecary.com #health #organization #makeup #sewing #wellness #EssentialOils #home #crafts #lifestyle

The log cabin quilt block pattern is one of the oldest known quilt blocks. The pattern was best known for it’s practical use of scraps, worn out clothing and other available materials at a time when nothing could afford to go to waste.  It was also one of the more easy to hand sew and expeditiously make a quilt with rudimentary tools. Log cabin remains one of the most well used patterns in both traditional and modern quilts today.  Every skill level of quilter will eventually make this block or a form of it within their projects. Modern quilts using this pattern often bring a way to capitalize on color, fabric pattern and present a twist to the design while still strongly retaining simplicity and close roots to the original pattern. For my log cabin pattern I used the Downtown Cabins pattern from Natalia Bonner and Kathleen Whiting’s book Cabin Fever.  This is actually a very worthwhile quilting book. I’ve made a couple different ones from this particular book and they’ve turned out great. Even if you’re not drawn to modern quilt designs, this book provides several perspectives on the traditional log cabin pattern that are interesting and creative. Bonner’s design and style appeal to me. She is a self-taught quilter who has brought a no nonsense fresh approach to quilting. Her instructions are easy to follow giving you the confidence you can build a beautiful quilt. Even though she often uses a longarm machine for her quilting, many of her designs are adaptable to a standard machine.  I love that all of her books, whether co-authored or solo, give you options in sizes, suggestions to consider for color alternatives and obviously lots of quilting examples. She’s a proponent of end-to-end quilting. The beauty of an end-to-end quilting design is it works very well on most quilts giving them a nice finished look and it’s easy for for beginners to learn new techniques, build up their skills and eventually adapt them to create their own styles. I often use end-to-end quilting in my quilts because it can be forgiving in hiding mistakes, is repetitive, yet interesting and allows me the opportunity to experiment. The bonus of this book is there are numerous suggestions on using the leftover materials which is a fantastic find since there are always leftovers from a project.  I’m constantly seeking new ways to use the scraps from my projects and not waste expensive and cute fabrics. For my Downtown Cabins quilt, I enlarged the pattern to make it queen sized. The instructions in the book only went to a coverlet size requiring 60 blocks. (Coverlet is a fancy way of saying throw blanket size.) I made 88 blocks instead of 60 for my quilt.  While I knew this was a little over what I would need,  my fabric was different in the small square going around the pink center so I wanted to be sure I had enough to scatter the different prints throughout the quilt. The outer strips are a black, gray and white flower pattern. I thought it nicely coordinated with the design of the inner strips making it both feminine and modern. The blocks come together very easily and it’s a great pattern to use chain piecing on. It’s really important to have floor or wall space to lay this quilt out before piecing. With it being on an angle it can be really challenging to see your rows and how to bring this one together.  With my quilt being a queen size that was a big challenge and I found myself laying it out a few times to check what I was doing in my rows. You run the risk of having to odd angles to sew if you don’t take the time to have it laid out first. My quilt is still in the UFO stage (official quilt term for Unfinished Object) as it still needs backing and quilting but I think it turned out stunning! There were enough blocks left over to make this matching baby sized quilt as well. It measures 34 by 42 inches.  In the baby version my half square triangles all match with the small strip fabric and the alternating black and white border are what is different. I think it gives it a nice unofficial border. This would look incredible in a gray coordinated baby nursery.  Again, this small quilt is in the UFO status while it awaits backing and quilting. From both of these I ended up with exactly 2 squares and 2 half square triangles. The perfect amount of make one of the coordinating pillows that is described in the back of the book! I’d love to hear how you’ve used the log cabin quilt block. Share some pictures! Looking for more? If you have questions or want to talk quilts reach out via our blog or email me at dragonspitapothecary@aol.com Not a quilter but want one of your own? I do sell many of my quilts at  dragonspitapothecary.com #style #fmq #logcabin #comfort #modern #traditional #home #freemotionquilting #blankets #Quilts #family #lifestyle

I have suffered from adult acne ALL of my adult life. Since I was a teenager I have had these angry painful breakouts that were a constant presence on my face.  Mixed with a very heavy oily skin type I have battled the war on acne for years and well pass the time when I should have to.  It literally reminded me of the picture above each time I looked in the mirror at my skin. I always thought as I got a little older this would go away at last. At 45, I’m still dreaming of the day when my face will be completely clear, unblemished and smooth. I seriously do not understand how my face can produce these large, deep infections at this point in my life. As an adult professional working woman it is embarrassing and no amount of make-up will hide the ugly bumps and redness of pimples. I have tried them all to be sure! In fact, often makeup will often just incite more to appear on my face the next day! Now with hormonal changes this ongoing war has only persisted to attack my jawline with pimples and further add to my struggle to control oil and not walk into meetings looking like a blooming teenager with a broken out face. I literally tried every product on the market, regardless of cost, in desperation to get this under control.  I underwent painful micro-derm abrasion treatments, laser treatments, too prescription medications for it and still it would not stop.  One of the prescriptions I tried required me to have a blood test once a month to make sure it wasn’t harming my liver. Here I was risking my liver’s health just to clear up my face! When I first starting using essential oils it was yet another attempt to stop the breakouts and gain a foothold against this acne war. My essential oil sponsor told me she too had battled this war and went through many of the same treatments and steps I had with no success. She was using doTERRA Melaleuca and Frankincense every day. Her skin was perfect. I would have never guessed she had the same problem I had looking at her face.  She didn’t even have make up on. I will forever be in her debt for the two little samples she gave me to try. Two weeks later, my skin was calmer and less red. One month later, I had only had 2 pimples compared to the normal countless ones that would appear. It sold me. I enrolled immediately and haven’t looked back. I use these every single day. 1 drop each in my moisturizer. In addition to the oils, I stepped it up a notch and started also using the doTERRA skin care products. I use the doTERRA HD Clear foam wash, topical treatment and lotion. The results, AMAZING! My skin feels calm. As in I don’t feel new pimples and blemishes formulating under the skin all day long. The oil is under control! The breakouts are a lot less severe and coming on less and less each week I use these. The results have been so good that this month I added the new doTERRA brightening gel to the mix to start to heal some of the acne scars and even out the tone of my face. Imagine after years of fighting acne to actually be able to say I can start working on my skin tone! I’m still in shock with being able to finally talk about healing my skin from the years of acne damage. The best part?The beauty of doTERRA is if you don’t like their skin care products even if you use the whole tube or bottle, they will give you your money back within 30 days. No other product I tried offered that kind of guarantee, not even the products I was buying from my dermatologist, so you literally will not lose a dime if they don’t work for you. The other best part? These products cost significantly less than the majority of prescriptions and over-the-counter products I was buying. In fact, the whole set of foam wash, topical oil and lotion together are less than 1 microderm abrasion session at the dermatologist’s office. Another best part? These products are 100% natural. No chemicals, no synthetics, no harmful ingredients. Straight from plants and trees. I’m no longer putting chemicals on my face, making the situation worse and causing further damage. I can’t say enough good things about these skin care products and the essential oils I’m using when it comes to my face. Finally, I can say my skin is healing and actually looking like a grown woman’s face.  I can confidently walk into meetings not being conscious of my face covered under mounds of makeup to hide huge pimples and blemishes. FINALLY! Interested in more? Are you like me and have been struggling with acne well past when you feel you should? Have you tried everything out there with no results or results that only last a short time? Contact me.  There is nothing to lose other than your pimples and the painful breakouts. If you have questions, contact me via this blog or email at dragonspitapothecary@aol.com If you want to try these products, you do not have pay retail for them or sell essential oils (unless you want to). Let me show you how at my.doterra.com/dragonspitapothecary #health #alternativehealth #wellness #EssentialOils #home #skincare #natural #family #healing #lifestyle

I admit I’ve used a lot of different boxes, bins, baskets and oddball containers to hold my sewing things over the years. In my early days of sewing, I would often resort to tin coffee cans and red Solo plastic cups to hold pins, bobbins and various other sewing notions. I wouldn’t even bother making them cute or decorating them before loading them up with items. When I’d go through an occasional sorting and cleaning of my sewing area, I’d always end up taking stock of these mismatched containers and sorting them to organize my bobbins, threads, needles, pencils, pins and whatnot. I would inevitably find things I’d long forgotten or a project I meant to use something for that was long done. At times I would invest in a cute sewing box, pitching my up-cycled containers in favor of this newest container that promised to better suit and consolidate these things. You can’t be taken as a serious real sewer or quilter if you don’t have an official sewing box, right? These pretty containers would however become infrequently used and the return of my various containers would reappear over time. It’s not that I disliked those cute sewing boxes, it’s just they wouldn’t ever be the right sized space or setup that I like with my sewing things. I would get frustrated at not finding something I knew I had or the box would be too small to hold all of what I thought it should. Luckily, I was fortunate to get to go to Harbor Freight one day with my husband and son.   The thought of free flashlights and getting to hang out with these two handsome fellows was enough to have me grabbing my shoes and purse and running after them, away from sorting my mismatch containers and cleaning the sewing area. Our family has a serious flashlight dependency and we are constantly picking up the freebies at Harbor Freight. For one Christmas I even bought multi-packs of flashlights for the stockings so everyone would be sure to have a flashlight and plenty of batteries in the coming year.  Flashlights are serious thing at our house. Our then 4-year old son and I wandered around the store seeking the coveted free flashlights while we waited for my husband to find what he needed. As we passed through the different aisles we casually talked about the tools we saw and what you would use them on. We talked about hammers and screwdrivers and he’d tell me what what he and daddy were working on that required the use of these tools. They seemed to require the use a hammer … a lot. We wandered towards the back of the store and saw a very long row of toolboxes.  There were various toolboxes and containers that any workman would need to store and carry tools. They were all sizes, shapes and materials, mostly in durable workman colors of black, gray and the occasional tan. As we continued to stroll on, I noticed the prices and variety of these toolboxes as we neared the smaller, more portable versions on the shelf. Impressive prices for a toolbox that you know will be thrown into a truck and battered with dirt, grease and grime. We then stopped and our son pulled his hand free to check out one of the smaller boxes that caught his eye. It was there, on the bottom shelf towards the end of the row. It was plastic and decent sized. It had multiple components and space. It was reasonably priced. We ended up getting two of these boxes. One for my son to hold his plastic Black and Decker tools so he could look like dad and be quickly ready to help on projects around the house.  I had the happy-sad thought that day about time passing and when we’ll gradually replace those plastic tools with real ones.  Oh my sweet boy. The toolbox seemed as big as he was as he carried it to the register. We had given him money and a coupon to get his toolbox and a free flashlight. He proudly went to the cashier to pay for it himself. The cashier was sweet in helping him put his flashlight in the top of his new toolbox where he wanted it along with his small amount of coins from his change. The other toolbox was the perfect sewing box for me.  Eureka I had found it! It was the perfect size! It was spacious! It contained just the right amount of compartments! It matched my son’s toolbox which he thought was pretty cool. It’s been almost 2 years now and I still use this toolbox for my sewing notions. It even has the original sticker still on the front of it.  I have not reverted to any up-cycled containers, preferring instead to keep them in my toolbox. It was the best $9.99 I ever invested  for sewing and quilting. How do you keep your sewing notions organized and stored? Interested in more? We sell many of my quilts using the threads and notions that came from this very toolbox. Visit our website dragonspitapothecary.com I also am a Wellness Advocate with doTERRA essential oils. If you’re looking for comfort and some Peace as you watch your children grow up let me know. These oils are great for those happy-sad moments  you realize they won’t be little for very long. Contact me via this blog or visit my doTERRA website at my.doterra.com/dragonspitapothecary. #quilting #organization #sewing #lifesty #EssentialOils #home #nature #natural #family #living

Have you used essential oils in your recipes? My spaghetti sauce is just a simple spaghetti sauce spice packet, can of tomato paste, garlic, butter and water. From there I add in various spices I have in my cabinet, salt and pepper, Italian ground sausage, burger or meatballs and slow cook it in the crock-pot a couple hours. It’s not fancy but it makes the house smell of a home cooked meal that could be mistaken for one I’ve spent hours slaving over. The family likes it and there’s always some to freeze for next time. So fancy or not, it works for our house. This last time I made this sauce I had a clever idea to try using my doTERRA Oregano and Basil essential oils in place of the spices I had on hand.  Just 1 drop Oregano and 2 drops Basil. WOW! WOW! WOW! It was like the sauce actually had fresh Oregano and Basil in it! No joke. Seriously no kidding, it was like I had gone to my backyard, where I do plant basil and oregano in Spring, clipped it, washed it, chopped it and put it in this dish. Since it is winter and those things are not growing right now, it was a very pleasant surprise to use these oils and get the same flavor. The difference was very noticeable – at least to me.  The rest of my household was just happy I made their favorite and there were extra meatballs and bread. I kept thinking of all these years and money I’ve spent buying little jars of spices that are astronomical in price! I have a cabinet full of different spices that I have now been thinking of how I could replace the majority of them with a few bottles of essential oil. Talk about a new way to consolidate and organize your kitchen! What’s your special ingredient in spaghetti sauce? Interested in more? If you have questions about essential oils or want to learn to more, contact me via this blog or at dragonspitapothecary@aol.com You can purchase essential oils directly at my website my.doterra.com/dragonspitapothecary If you’d rather not pay retail prices for oils, then definitely let me know. doTERRA has a wonderful option available that you can get oils at wholesale prices….and you don’t have to sell them to enjoy that benefit. #health #wellness #italianfood #EssentialOils #home #cooking #nature #natural #family #lifestyle

Flannel is not one of my favorite materials to work with on the machine. There are so many options today with flannel I always feel a little guilty not going for it more often. However, the fuzz and lint from working with it drive me crazy. I always end up covered in lint and choking on the fuzz that inevitably floats around the room from the fabric. When I saw this fabric however, I thought I’d give flannel another try. I picked up this super cute fat quarter bundle of flannel fabrics some time ago saying to myself it was time to retry flannel. I really love the colors and mix of blue and greens against the gray in this bundle. Something this cute would be worth it I told myself. For this baby quilt I decided on the Single Irish Chain block. On baby quilts, I mostly stick with simpler pattern and apply a more modern quilting  design to give it a whimsical yet simple look. Babies are cute enough! When piecing quilts I will always look for ways to chain piece. Even though my machine has a fantastic automatic cutter and it’s not a big deal to sew them individually, I love the efficiency of chain piecing. I finished it with a green flannel border and the blue birds on each corner. I also added 7 rows versus the normal 5 so that the Irish chain would be on the first and last rows of the quilt.  The backing is also this green flannel that’s on the border. For the quilting I went with the Orange Peel across each of the blocks. It coordinated well with the wave print fabric and ensures there will be some nice fluff out of the batting once this quilt gets its first washing and drying. The finished quilt measures 37 inches by 48 inches. That’s slightly over-sized making it perfect for laying on the ground for playtime in addition to wrapping up to cuddle. With the top and backing both being flannel it has a little weight to it as well. It turned out super cute! However, now I must spend a day cleaning out my sewing machine! The fuzz and lint from flannel is undeniable.  This super sweet quilt however was worth the fuzz. Do you work with flannel?  How do you curtail the fuzz? Interested in more? This quilt is posted on our website for sale at dragonspitapothecary.com All of our quilts ship free via USPS within the US. #quilting #flannel #comfort #home #baby #family #lifestyle

My grandma was an Avon Lady for as many years as I can remember. I learned the “Ding, Dong. Avon Calling” line from her. She loved Avon because she loved the friends she had through Avon, she made some pocket money to buy her Avon and of course she loved the jewelry.  My childhood image of her is forever tied to to the smell of Avon Skin So Soft, her well worn blue flower Avon bag sitting in the kitchen and she always wore pretty costume jewelry. When she passed I received a small felt jewelry box with some of her Avon jewelry in it.  I lifted the lid and saw these old rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets.  Many had the finish rubbed off from years of wear and age. While none of these things are monetarily worth anything, you could tell all of them were clearly things she loved, wore often and took pride in owning as if it were a treasure chest of fine jewels and diamonds. Many of us have had an experience with a network marketing company as a customer or even as a distributor.  We sign up as a distributor for numerous personal reasons, invest in a kit and we’re off with vigor and excitement for something great we have found. Your outlook and personal reason for doing this when you first start off is important to keep in front of you but so is always being open to something more and unexpected. I believe regardless of the company you choose, the people who are successful with it or eventually will be successful with network marketing products are the ones who deeply believe, love and use those products in their lives. They went into distribution with a network marketing company because they love the product and they love being with other people.  Maybe you remember the Avon lady that would come to your house every other week with a small blue flower suitcase filled with creams, make up, jewelry and catalogs. She would sit down with your mom, share a cup of coffee and talk about the kids, their husbands, what they were cooking this week for dinner and other gossip. The actual “sale” was secondary. It wasn’t about the Avon, it was about the relationship. It was about knowing one another, deepening and strengthening our human bond to each other. Sadly, a lot of network marketing companies are all about how many you can enroll to grow your team.  The pressure to enroll turns the pleasure of using the product into a full time job that can become harder than our regular 8 to 5 gig. When this happens we miss out on the simple joy of developing friendships, enjoying   human camaraderie and the social well being it can provide to our spirits. We also soon forget what we loved about the product that drew us in originally because we’ve become over focused on making a sale, enrolling a person and wondering why no one wants to talk to us anymore. When I enrolled with doTERRA as a Wellness Advocate it was because I enjoyed the oils.  I wanted to learn and apply these to my life. It was exciting. They made a difference in my life and I wanted to expand that in my home. I didn’t join to sell them. The beauty of doTERRA is there is only 1 difference between a Wellness Advocate and a Wholesale Customer. As a Wellness Advocate, I can share with others, help them enjoy and realize the benefits of using oils and of course get a little compensation if they enroll or choose to buy something at retail.  That’s the only difference. I chose the Wellness Advocate side because I knew I’d be talking about these oils with others. They had made an impact on my life. Sharing oils has come very easy to me because I don’t see it as a pressure cooker to enroll people. I choose not to approach it like that.  Sure, I’d love to make the highest rank ever and enjoy the benefits of it. It all sounds and looks great! Maybe that will happen and then maybe it won’t.  Either is alright.  I’m not out knocking on doors and ticking off all my friends pushing them to buy oils. Instead, sharing oils is an extension of conversations I’m naturally having with people. They see me using oils in person or on social media, they smell them and want to know what I’m wearing or they want to try some themselves. I may even suggest something I found useful to a problem they’re describing to me.  I am particularly loving writing about them and what I’m using them for in our home. If someone expresses interest in more, I happily will provide it but again it’s done in the spirit of one human sharing what’s working for them with another human free of this underlying push to sell.  I’m not selling used cars here and I don’t want anyone I’m talking to about oils to have that impression of me. It’s a fun journey and if along the way someone I’ve shared oils with  becomes interested in learning more and perhaps enrolling – that’s awesome – I just made a new friend to talk to about oils! RELATIONSHIPS SHOULD ALWAYS TRUMP YOUR BUSINESS! I also love the doTERRA team I’m on. There’s help, support, training, access to information and encouragement. I’m making friends while enjoying something I love. We share a common interest and are building camaraderie. Who doesn’t need more of that in their life? If the team or sponsor is all about pushing sales numbers, bottom lines and making ranks then many of us have a regular job to get that kind of pressure from. The oils and other doTERRA products I’m using are things I truly enjoy and would purchase even if I wasn’t setup to sell doTERRA.  Based on what I have learned about oils, what is available on the market and what I use them for, doTERRA was the best choice for me.  I have friends who swear by other brands and that’s OK; we still talk to one another and share what’s working for each of us. There’s always a reason someone chooses to become a distributor for a network marketing company. It could be to have some extra cash, form a new social circle, make friends or the thought of flexible working hours, being your own boss or quite simply just doing something you enjoy. In the end however, all of these aspirations should stem from a genuine love and interest from the product. Perhaps when I pass on, someone I love will receive my wooden box of neatly organized and alphabetized, labeled oils. They will open the box and fondly remember all the times I smelled of jasmine and patchouli or was diffusing lemon in the kitchen and think to themselves, she sure did love doTERRA. Interested in more? Contact me via our blog or email dragonspitapothecary@aol.com.   I’m happy to talk oil, what I use them for and how they have enriched my life. #health #wellness #enrichment #EssentialOils #home #marketing #sales #avon #networkmarketing #lifestyle

There are worse places to spend winter than in the South. I personally do not like snow, ice, sleet, blistering cold and all that “winter stuff” so the South suits me just fine.  When the temperature gets below 50 degrees I tend to get a little grumpy and want to hibernate. Sure, we will get an occasional spot of snow and the temps will dip to the teens but it won’t last long and we like to make a big deal of it when it happens.  Even with the potential threat of snow we’ll call off school, stay home, make pots of soup and talk about the potential of a few flakes falling from the usual clear blue sky.  We make fun of ourselves running to the store for bread and milk like we won’t get out of the house for a week with that sprinkle of ice that may arrive. As a result of our timid winters, not a lot of us tend to keep around the heavy coats, boots and winter accessories you typically see where winter does lay down a good long time.  We own them but just try and find them when the temperature shifts from a good 60 degree range down to 30 something in matter of couple days. Since I can never find my gloves, it was wonderful when my husband saw these on Pinterest. I made up these up with the intent of using them as small hand warmers to keep in my coat pockets. To make, I used some quilt scraps I had available. It’s amazing how little bits of fabric from a project can add up so it’s fantastic when I find a cute little project like this to use some of it. Each measures about 4 inches by 4 inches and is just quick sewed around leaving a little opening at the top to pour the rice in and then hand sew closed. I filled them with brown rice (not the instant kind) that was tossed with some very pleasant essential oil. Not that it matters if it’s brown or white rice just that it’s not instant. Personally, I would also recommend doTERRA oils … which you can purchase through me. For these I used, doTERRA Sunny Citrus because it reminds me warmer weather will come again and until then I can hold that hope secure in my cold hand safe in my pocket. In the camouflage ones I used Siberian Fir essential oil for my husband and son to enjoy. To use, I put them in the microwave for no more than 30 seconds and the heat lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. I keep one in each pocket.  They are particularly handy at the school bus stop in the mornings. I have given serious thought to making a body sized version to step into when I must be outside in some of these temperatures that belong further North. It’s a good thing this week is back to the 60-70 degree range. When not in use for warming my hands I can store these in my dresser and closet as a very nice smelling sachet. I also read somewhere people were using these, or larger versions of them, for chemo treatment to help the patient stay warm. What a fabulous use! Imagine the comforting scents you could add in this situation! What’s your secret to staying warm? Interested in more? I’d love to connect with you on any questions you have about essential oils!  It’s one of my favorite topics. Use the Contact Us on our blog or email me at dragonspitapothecary@aol.com #quilting #health #sewing #winter #wellness #comfort #home #warmth #scraps #family #lifestyle

A quick search on Pinterest for what to put in your diffuser can literally make you go crazy! It’s bananas how many different concoctions people have come up with to use in their diffuser. Feeling blue and need a pick me up? Looking to unwind? Need to remove the toxic odor coming from your son’s room? Want to reminiscence of warmer weather? At last check, I had 231 different pins just on diffuser blends and recipes. Every time I open Pinterest there are more options I happily click to my board. By the time I select one to try I need to put a different one in the diffuser to manage the stress from finding a concoction in the first place! Over time I’ve come up with a few tried and true favorites from my Pinterest board and some I’ve come up with all on my own. My top 3 current favorites from Pinterest include: I think I need a Betty Crocker Cookbook of just diffuser blends put into nice little tabbed category sections with clever tips and shortcuts and pictures of fantastic results. What’s in your diffuser? How do you choose? Interested in more? You’re welcome to check out my diffuser blend board here:  https://www.pinterest.com/sassychicamy/essential-oil-health-and-well-being/diffuser-blends/ If you have questions or want to learn more about doTERRA please contact us via this blog or at dragonspitapothecary@aol.com Happy Diffusing! #health #diffuser #alternativehealth #wellness #homema #essentialoil #home #natural #family #lifestyle

It’s taken me a long time to be willing to try another natural toothpaste. My first try was with a well known brand I found on sale and had a coupon for at the pharmacy. Seemed an ideal time to try a natural toothpaste and see for myself if it was in fact better than regular toothpaste.  I proudly took home my purchase and that evening opened this new tube of toothpaste.  It came out of the tube white and thick, smelled minty and seemed like toothpaste so I was thinking this is cool so far. . . I don’t believe I’ve made a face quite like that one since I changed a baby diaper for the first time in my life. The whole tube went in trash 2.5 seconds after I brushed my teeth. Really, I’m too cheap for that so I tried it again in the morning thinking I was misjudging it but it was definitely in the trash by the morning. It was one of the worst things I’d ever put in my mouth…ever.  I swore if that was what natural toothpaste was like they could count me out. Years passed since that experience and when I saw doTERRA had a natural toothpaste I steered clear. There would not be any of that for me. Essential oil supporter, believer and user I was but I was not going down that road again. Not knowing any of this history with me and the natural toothpaste, my very sweet doTERRA sponsor gave me a couple samples of the toothpaste to try.  I smiled, kindly thanked her for them but in my mind I was like, “Oh H. E. Double Hockey Sticks No!   Bless her heart!“ Those samples lingered in my bathroom drawer untouched for months. On one of the many business trips I was packing for I saw those samples sitting in the drawer and tossed them in my bag figuring if nothing else I’d pass them on to someone else where they may be more appreciated. The trip went longer than planned and I ran out of my normal toothpaste so I was forced to either walk a long way to the hotel lobby to buy an overpriced travel size or use these little orange samples.  It was late.  I was exhausted. I had my pjs on. The hotel lobby required me to walk outside along a bridge over the pool, through a painted tunnel and up a bunch of stairs.   *sigh I put on my big girl face, grabbed my toothbrush and said a prayer. Well, let me tell you. My teeth felt really clean. Like just out of the dentist chair clean. I didn’t gag. The diaper face didn’t appear on my face. I was stunned. Like so stunned, I went through my entire bag looking for the other sample to try it again to see if I was like delusional or something. I have since purchased a regular sized tube of this toothpaste as part of one of my monthly loyalty reward program items. It seriously changed my opinion of natural toothpastes. Have you tried natural toothpastes? What was your experience like? Interested in learning more? Want to try a sample yourself?  Reach out and let me know.  I’m happy to send you one. I love talking about how I use doTERRA and would love to help you find essential oil products that fit your needs.  Use the Contact us on our blog or email us at dragonspitapothecary@aol.com #health #toothpaste #wellness #essentialoil #teeth #home #natural #family #living #lifestyle

I don’t want to jinx it, but I may have finally hit a resolution I can accomplish. It is day 20 of my New Year’s Resolution and so far I’ve had just 1 bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper. It was after I’d come in from a motorcycle ride on a warm January day last week. It had been a while since I had been on my bike.  Just me, middle of the day out playing when the rest of the world was at work and school.  It felt good. Like a long, refreshing stretch. I felt calm, at peace with some crazy things going on in my life right now, if just for a few minutes, and I wanted that cold, bubbly fizz of a Diet Dr. Pepper to cap it off.  You know that sensation of the bubbles going down your throat when you’re hot, dusty and thirsty.  Every sip of that single bottle I savored as much as my ride that day with the wind hitting my chest, the sun on my back and the rumble of the bike going down Highway 1. It was as perfect as a Wednesday afternoon could ever be. I never considered myself a person who drank a lot of soda but maybe I did.  I’d tell myself it was a treat in the afternoon for making it through yet another stress filled, working late again, my boss sucks workday. Sometimes I would have two depending on the day I was having and what was going on. It always had to be in a bottle, not can, and if I wanted to be fancy I’d pull out a large glass and some crushed ice, slowly pouring it over the nuggets of ice for the full effect. To be honest, it was one of those habits where you don’t even realize you’re doing it.  I would not even realize sometimes I was drinking coffee all morning and switching right to a soda without a drop of water all day. It’s not that I didn’t like water because I really do and would drink it but there was just something about that afternoon Diet Dr. Pepper and yeah… It’s just that it was, you know … water. Since New Year’s however, I have not touched but 1 of the 4 Diet Dr. Pepper bottles sitting in the garage fridge.  I didn’t swear them off completely because I know that would just make me rebellious so I said I’d only have 1 a month and it would truly be a treat. The kind of treat like I had that Wednesday afternoon, enjoying a motorcycle ride, getting some fresh air, making myself have faith things will be alright in life and sitting down with a smile on my face and a nice tall glass of Diet Dr. Pepper. In it’s place I am drinking water after my morning coffee and keeping up with it right through evening.  Admittedly, it’s not as awful as I thought. In the afternoon when I would once reach for the soothing fizz of Diet Dr. Pepper I’m adding a couple drops of essential oil to my water. My favorites so far are the Slim & Sassy, Lemon and Wild Orange.  I add about 3 drops into a big 20 oz Yeti cup with lots of ice and drink up. I can’t say I notice any  changes in my weight, skin, energy or anything like that but there is a blooming satisfaction that I’m actually making progress on a goal I made.  I realize it’s not grand or bold, but it’s my small step towards doing something healthy for myself. What are you doing to make 2018 a different year for you? Interested in oils for your health goals? If you have questions or want to learn how essential oils can support your health goals, let me know! I really enjoy talking about oils, sharing what I’ve learned and hearing from others. You can contact us via our blog or email us at dragonspitapothecary@aol.com. #health #alternativehealth #wellness #essentialoil #weightloss #home #soda #natural #family #lifestyle