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

It won’t be zombies that take over the world but rather it will be little brown bottles. Perhaps we can use these little brown bottles to ward off the zombies? Little brown bottles are everywhere you look lately. I saw them in the pharmacy section of the grocery store the other day and heard that Wal-Mart is coming out with their own essential oil brand.  My imagination started to run a little crazy when I heard this and I started envisioning the names of a Wal-Mart essential oil line up.  (future stand up comedian bit there!) When it comes to essential oils, does it matter what you use? Do you need to only use one brand of them? I would answer both with a question – as annoying as that is. WHY ARE YOU USING ESSENTIAL OILS? Depending on your answer, then it could really matter what you use and which brand you choose. Are you using them because it’s trendy? Are you just experimenting to see how to use them and if they really work? Are you interested in reducing chemical and synthetic products in your home? Are you interested in augmenting medical care you are receiving with a natural alternative? Do you really believe essential oils enhance and improve your health and well-being and that of your family? Trends and Experimentation My initial use of essential oils was when I started going to a new hair salon that gives a fantastic scalp massage just prior to shampooing. They have their own essential oils and I really liked the blend my hair dresser always used on me.  I believe it made me strut out of the salon all the way to my minivan feeling like the top runway model of the suburbs.  Why wouldn’t I want to spend $40 on a bottle of their oil so I could repeat that feeling all the time?  I know I rock a minivan model look like no other momma with that superpower strength wrapped on me like a red silk cape. Their products are plant based so I felt confident the oils I was purchasing were of a good quality. Unfortunately, the company changed their formula and did away with the blend I liked.  The oils they now use are not the same and left me disappointed.  When I researched hoping to find a replacement I found the oils I was using did have some plant based ingredients but they also contained fillers and synthetics. Personally, I’m not a fan of having chemicals rubbed on my scalp. I did experiment with other brands to try to recapture that blend and it was only recently I have found something very close. (Recipe below) Reducing Chemical Exposure and Use Week after week, we purchase cases of chemical cleaners for our homes.  I at one point counted 7 cans of Lysol in our house. 7! We were armed and ready for any germ that thought about stepping foot on our doorstep. After I started learning about how to use essential oils and doing some kitchen experiments of my own, I have been gradually replacing chemical cleaners with ones I make at home.  Granted, it’s taken a while to finish off 7 cans of Lysol but we’re getting there. It may seem time-consuming to make your own cleaners but it’s not.  Many I just mix on the spot as I need them. Another reason we did this is cost. There is a drastic difference in cost. For $4.18 we can purchase 1 bottle of Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner or for $2.26 we can purchase a box of baking soda (.46 cents), gallon of white vinegar ($1) and 10 drops of doTERRA Purity essential oil (.80 cents). Guess what! The toilet is clean, we used a whole less chemicals to do it and saved almost $2! Try it yourself and let me know what you think. If you’re going to invest in essential oils and use them to reduce the chemical products you use in your home, why would you invest in an essential oil that wasn’t at least an authentic essential oil? Check the ingredients and sourcing of the oil you are buying. With a little research you can easily find what’s contained in your little brown bottle.  Essential oil is expensive and a waste of money if you’re not getting what you expect in that little brown bottle. I use doTERRA because I know exactly where the plant came from that’s in the little bottle I’m using. It’s free of chemicals, pesticides and insecticides from the time it was planted until the time it was put in the bottle. Can you honestly say same about the oil you’re using? Or anything else you use in your home? Alternative Health Methods We hear antibiotics are no longer effective due to overuse, failures of the flu vaccine due to growing super strength strains of the illness, childhood immunization concerns for what is contained in those shots. So many of us know or have experienced ourselves the devastation of diseases for which there really is no cure. How do we change these situations? Can we really improve our health and the health of the Earth and environment we live in while reducing this vicious cycle? Modern medicine and science is a wonderful thing and we are blessed to have it but I don’t think all answers lay there to cure our illnesses.  It can’t.  At some point we have to take responsibility for our own health and living standards. There are days I’m really thankful there is a Tylenol in the cabinet I can take to feel better. However, if there is an alternative natural method that I can use on its own or compliment to an over-the-counter or prescription medicine then why not? If one or both make me feel better isn’t that the goal? Ancient medicine was based on the use of plants, trees and things found in nature. These same elements continue to exist and be just as effective.  Perhaps, in concert with modern medicine we could actually eradicate diseases with no cure, reduce illnesses and be healthier and happier while actually improving the condition of the Earth we live on. Isn’t it worth at least considering? Essential Oils – Is it all just hype? I believe there is something to natural living and medicine that is worth investing in for our health and homes.  I’ve seen how it helps me and my family. It’s changed how I look at things I purchase to care for our family and home.  I believe it has helped us be a little healthier and aware of what we’re using. The hype is the mass production of cheaper renditions of supposed essential oils that are just little bottles filled with overpriced synthetically or chemically based fillers and a sprinkle of manufactured scent. Essential oils, regardless of brand, are expensive so if you’re going to invest in them, to experiment or just appear trendy to your friends, then at least do so with something that is really an essential oil and not stale river water with a pretty label in a magic brown bottle. In a rollerball bottle mix: 10 drops doTERRA Patchouli 5 drops doTERRA Sandalwood 5 drops doTERRA Serenity Fill rest of bottle with coconut oil Apply to damp hair and massage to ends Dry and style to your liking Interested in Essential Oils If you are interested in learning more or have questions about essential oils please let me know. I’m always happy to talk about oils and how I use them. You can contact us via our blog or dragonspitapothecary@aol.com #health #wellness #essentialoil #home #natural #family

We recently made up some of these lotion bars because winter has done a serious number on drying out our skin. They are very simple to make and a lot more effective than a lot of the lotions we’ve bought in the past.  (Recipe at bottom)  I like that they last awhile and contain ingredients I recognize. Additionally, I find them really handy to have around the sinks in the kitchen and baths.  I don’t have to worry about our son putting on too much or having puddles of lotion every where. We made two batches. The first with doTERRA Wild Orange and the second with doTERRA On Guard. Wild Orange has several benefits including being a protector against germs and is a natural energizer. It is a sweet smell that isn’t overpowering but is very refreshing and a nice reminder of warmer weather to come. OnGuard is the best anti-germ, immunity boosting essential oil blend I have ever seen.  The minute we even think illness is coming we put a drop on our feet and next day it’s gone.  I’ve also started using doTERRA’s OnGuard Concentrate Cleaner and Laundry Detergent – very, very impressive. Plus I noticed the smell lasts longer so I can claim I just cleaned the house for much longer. With the essential oils, the other ingredients for the lotion bars include: Shea butter Beeswax (yellow or white) Coconut oil Honey Any silicon mold will work. We picked up a honeycomb mold from Amazon.  I think next time I want to try the Lego figurine molds we have as I think they’d be really cute lotion bars for our son. Step 1 is to melt the beeswax and shea butter. This takes the longest but do not rush it or your oil will get a burnt smell to it that will carry over to the bars. A lot of people will use a double boiler in this process. If you don’t have a double boiler, keep the heat very low and you can do it directly in a pot on the stove.  I’ve done that as well as putting a large glass bowl in a shallow pan of  water and melted it that way.  Either works, but go low heat. Stir frequently. Add in your coconut oil and honey after the beeswax and shea butter is just about melted.  Stir it in well. At the very end mix in your essential oils and remove from the heat. You will want to work quickly because the lotion will start to solidify as it cools. Pour the mixture into your molds and leave to dry.  Keep the small fingers from touching all of them and leaving cute little fingerprints and dents on the backs. To use, simply just rub it between your palms and then rub hands like you normally would when applying lotion. Lotion Bars 1/3 cup yellow or white beeswax pellets 1/3 cup shea butter 1/3 cup coconut oil 2 tablespoons honey 25-30 drops essential oil We have plenty to share! We sell these lotion bars in 3 packs so you can use them wherever you go. They are perfect for classrooms, ballparks, travel, and of course just around the house. They make great gifts as well. Visit our shop at dragonspitapothecary.com doTERRA Essential Oils If you’re interested in essential oils or ready to try them yourself,  let’s connect! I will be happy to answer any questions and help you find the perfect oils for your needs. Use the Contact Us on our blog or visit my.doterra.com/dragonspitapothecary #doterra #homemade #featured #essentialoil #home #family #lotion

Valentine’s Day is coming up and it’s been a little too cold for my taste outside so I decided to whip up this little gem yesterday. Yes, in one day.  It was pure bliss of cutting, piecing and sewing and a very optimal way way to spend a January day. Of course there were little boys running all over the place with school being out and I had to step away several times to catch snack scavengers in the kitchen, ensure pirates were not playing in the cold pool water outside, navigate the hallway war zone that required dodging Nerf shooters and plastic grenades on the way to the bathroom and check Lego Ninja training when I heard major thuds shake the house … but overall a very cool way to spend a Monday. This quilt started with me pulling some remnants from my secret closet and thinking about what I could use to make a baby quilt for Valentine’s Day.  What I found was exactly enough of the heart fabric from the backing I used on our heart quilt last year for the backing on this little quilt. Exact amount – you know that is like a miracle. I also settled on using a little pink sparkle fabric I had left over from another couple previous projects. Still have some of that left!  I think pink sparkles are going to forever live on my sewing machine. Love the sparkle but it’s a bugger to clean out of the machine when you’re done. This little bear remnant fabric I had picked up from a discount clearance sale at JoAnn Fabrics. I love when they do half-off clearance and remnants. I seriously will buy as much of that as I can haul and have made so many fun projects from it. Well, in all honesty, I still have a slew of options in my secret closet for future projects too. However, it is very ideal when I get these awesome days to spend creating fun new things. The pattern is simple, just 6 1/2 inch blocks in a row of 5 that made the quilt come out to a 30 inch by 41 inch blanket.  Personally, I think baby blankets are best when they are kept simple and fun.  As I had just enough for the backing I did  not opt to put on a border. My quilting again was just a simple loop-to-loop meandering pattern. I use this a lot on the baby quilts as it goes fast and gives it a nice simple finish that makes it a little more modern on a basic quilt. Here’s to getting to spend a Monday doing something fun! I’ve posted this quilt for sale on our website dragonspitapothecary.com Share with me your Valentine projects! #homemade #featured #love #Quilts #baby #valentines