The 2023 Winter Handbook
Ahh winter. A season of rest and renewal, of slower and shorter days, of stillness balanced with planning and preparing for the warmer days ahead. The beauty of winter is often overlooked, and we want to focus on full presence in this season and all it can hold! Fill up your diffusers, grab an uplifting roller blend and dig into these tips, tricks, recipes and DIYs for the winter season.
WINTER WELLNESS + SELFCARE DIYS
Because we could all use a little slow down, TLC this season.
Winter Wellness Oral Spray
This little bottle will be your winter companion! Applying oils topically and diffusing are great health habits, but there is even more benefit to using oils as dietary supplements. Try out this Winter Wellness Oral Spray to give your immune system a little TLC!
- 10mL glass spray bottle
- 1 drop each Longevity Vitality, Thieves Vitality, & Frankincense Vitality
- 2 drops Orange Vitality & Lemon Vitality
- Splash Thieves Mouthwash, optional
- Filtered water
Add all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake well. Spritz into your mouth daily or as desired!
Raindrop Oral Spray
Sometimes our defenses need a little extra boost, and this combination of oils is our go-to when we need something a little ‘more.' The Raindrop Massage Technique is a powerful health tool, so we're using that same combination of oils on, around, and in our bodies when we need it!
- 10mL glass spray bottle
- 1 drop each Oregano Vitality, Thyme Vitality, & Peppermint Vitality,
- 2 drops each Lemon Vitality & Orange Vitality
- Splash Olive Oil
- Filtered Water
Add all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake well. Spritz into your mouth daily or as desired! Note: this one may tingle a bit!
Raindrop Roller
The Raindrop Massage Technique is a powerful health tool, so we're using that same combination of oils on, around, and in our bodies when we need it!
- 10mL roller bottle
- 10 drops each Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Marjoram, Cypress, Peppermint, Wintergreen, Aroma Siez, Lavender, & Valor
- Fill with carrier oil of choice
Apply over lymph nodes, along spine, bottom of the feet as desired
Raindrop Detox Bath
Again, with this powerhouse blend of oils! This is a great practice when defenses start to go down or whenever you need a boost.
- 1 cup magnesium flakes
- 3 drops each Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Marjoram, Cypress, & Lavender
- 2 drops Peppermint, Wintergreen, & Aroma Siez
Add oils and magnesium together in a glass jar and mix. Place the jar under hot, running water to diffuse out into bath water. Soak as long as possible!
New Year's Eve Perfume Spritz
Enter the new year with a cozy, refreshed personal scent!
- 10mL glass spray bottle
- 20 drops each Kidpower & Spearmint
- 5 drops Vanilla
- 2 drops Wintergreen
- Fill with Witch Hazel
Add all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake well. Spritz onto wrists and neck before heading out the door!
Winter Nights Shower Scrub
This simple DIY leaves your skin silky smooth and its dreamy winter scent is perfect for the winter days. Follow with the DIY Body Butter for smooth, happy winter skin!
- 1/4 cup organic fractionated coconut oil
- 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
- 15 drops Winter Nights essential oil blend
- 10 drops Vanilla oleoresin
Mix Winter Nights & Vanilla with fractionated coconut oil in a glass container, then add organic cane sugar to the bowl and stir until combined.
To use, massage into skin in a circular motion and rinse well. After exfoliating, moisturize with Young Living's Winter Nights Hand and Body Lotion or DIY Body Butter.
Present Time Body Butter
Take care of your winter skin with this simple, customizable DIY Body Butter. We love mixing floral oils like Neroli, Jasmine or Geranium with spruce and tangerine!
- 8-12 ounce glass container glass container
- 1/2 cup solid refined, organic coconut oil
- 1/2 cup organic mango butter (or a mix of shea butter and mango butter)
- 1/2 cup organic jojoba oil
- 5 drops Idaho Blue Spruce essential oil
- 10 drops Neroli or Geranium essential oil
- 15 drops Tangerine essential oil
Place coconut oil and shea butter in a bowl and whip with a handheld or stand mixer until fluffy and smooth. Slowly add in the jojoba oil, then the essential oils, mixing as you add. Whip for about five minutes or so. The longer you mix, the fluffier it will become!
BEATING THE WINTER BLUESAccording to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical tradition, our health is a holistic balance of mind, body, and spirit, with each person having a dominant energy type, or dosha. During the winter months we are more inclined to rest and hibernate, which can often lead to the winter blues.
Winter is the season of kapha, the dosha marked by a certain heaviness, a tendency toward mental fog, and sometimes weight gain. However, we can work with the body and energy type can help lift the lethargy of winter. Oils can help us sit in this seasonal shift without lowering our emotional energy!
Some great options for winter emotional support include:
- Jasmine, Neroli, Ylang ylang or Joy
- Winter Nights
- Rosemary, Basil or Eucalyptus
- Palo Santo, Frankincense, or Sacred Mountain
Create an application ritual with some of the oils above and any other oils you choose to add. This ritual is a reminder to not hold on to destructive feelings, which can happen when there's too much kapha.
- Gently rub the skin between your toes to create warmth in the area. Massage in four to five drops of your chosen oil, spending about three to five seconds between each toe.
- With the oil still on your fingers and palms, massage the bottoms of your feet, spending thirty seconds on each one.
- Move up to your wrists and gently massage the area with your thumb; spend ten to fifteen seconds on each wrist.
- Next, move to the ears; use your fingers to massage the area behind your ears in circles for fifteen seconds.
- Floating up to the forehead, massage your temples with your forefingers in circles for ten seconds.
- Finally, cup your palms over your nose and mouth and take five deep inhales.
WINTER EMOTIONS + YOGA Yoga can have a profound impact on improving energy levels, especially during the winter months. Begin your day with a sun salutation to capitalize on the energy of the sun. Focus on asanas to invigorate a healthy kapha.
- Choose a diffuser blend below, and set it near your mat.
- Apply oils to the crown of the head (it won't make your hair greasy if you don't rub it in, just drop it!), wrists and heart.
- Breathe deeply, repeat a positive mantra or focus on a word or intention you want to bring into your life.
COZY WINTER HOME DIY
Evergreen Essence Room Spray
- 15 drops Evergreen Essence Essential Oil Blend
- 10 drops Vanilla Oleoresin
- 10 drops Tangerine Essential Oil
Add essential oils to a 2 oz glass spray bottle, add a splash of witch hazel & top with water! Spritz on all the things!
DIY Frosted Forest Hand Soap
- Foaming hand soap bottle or recycle a YL one!
- 2 Tbsp Liquid Castile Soap
- 10 drops each Peppermint &Idaho Blue Spruce essential oil
- 5 drops Vetiver essential oil
- 1 tsp Vitamin E oil
Add essential oils, Vitamin E oil and Castile Soap to the bottle, then top with water leaving 1" at the top
Sugar & Spice Wool Dryer Balls
There's something about the smell of warm fresh laundry fresh from the dryer - especially when combining Thieves Laundry Soap and essential oil infused wool dryer balls!
- Organic wool dryer balls
- Ylang ylang, Vanilla & Cinnamon Bark pre-mixed in a dropper bottle, about 10-15 drops of each
Add 4-5 drops of essential oils to each dryer ball. Let the dryer balls air dry for about an hour or to speed up the process you can dry them alone. This will allow the oil to absorb into the wool and not transfer to your clothes.
When it's time to dry your clothes - toss the dryer balls into the dryer with your clothing. Refresh the oils every 4-5 loads or more often if you prefer a stronger scent.
Winter Spice Orange Garland
This is one of our favorite things to do every year. It is beautiful, smells amazing, adds a lovely touch to any room and is so easy to make. It may be a holiday tradition for some, but leaving it up or making it in the new year is a great way to add a touch of brightness to your home!
- About 5 oranges or a mix of oranges, clementines and grapefruit for varied sizes and colors
- Essential oils: Cinnamon Bark, Vanilla, Clove, Believe, & Thieves
- Fresh cranberries and cinnamon sticks (optional)
Step 1 - Slice your oranges in circles to ¼ to ½ inch in thickness and arrange them on a non-stick surface or parchment paper. Pour 2-3 drops of essential oils on each slice, then set them in a cool oven and turn the temperature onto the lowest setting your oven will allow. (If your oven does not go below 300, set it there and use a wooden spoon to prop the oven open slightly and allow some heat to dissipate.)
Step 2 - Leave the slices in the oven for about 5 hours, then shut the oven off and leave the oranges in there overnight or until completely cool. They will be fairly dry, but will continue to dry out over time. You don't want to over dry them in the oven because they can start to burn!
Step 3 - Once they are dry, string them with some twine, alternating with a few varying sized slices and a cranberry or two, a tied cinnamon stick, whatever you like!
WINTER DIFFUSER BLENDSWinter Candle Dupes
We ditched the toxic scented candles for oils years ago, so here are our top 5 candle-inspired favorites for winter!
To make any of these combinations into a roller blend, triple the number of drops, add oils to a 10 mL roller bottle and add carrier of choice.
- Iced Balsam Forest - 5 drops Idaho Grand Fir + 3 drops Pine + 3 drops Eucalyptus
- Melted Marshmallow - 5 drops Tangerine + 3 drops Jasmine or Joy + 3 drops Vanilla
- Cozy Winter Cabin - 4 drops Cedarwood + 3 drops Peppermint + 2 drops Tangerine + 1 drop Vetiver
- Cuddle Weather - 4 drops Lavender + 3 drops Northern Lights Black Spruce + 2 drops Clove + 2 drops Peppermint
- New Year - 5 drops Grapefruit + 4 drops Lavender + 3 drops Vanilla
Diffuser Blends for Winter Blues
To make any of these combinations into a roller blend, triple the number of drops, add oils to a 10 mL roller bottle and add carrier of choice!
- Present Time - 5 drops Idaho Blue Spruce + 3 drops Neroli or Tangerine + 3 drops Ylang Ylang
- Sacred Space - 5 drops Sacred Mountain + 4 drops Lavender + 2 drops Frankincense
- Morning Meditation - 4 drops Palo Santo + 3 drops Peppermint + 3 drops Lavender + 2 drops Rosemary
- Rose Colored Glasses - 4 drops Joy or Jasmine + 4 drops Orange + 3 Frankincense
- Winter Air - 4 drops Cedarwood + 4 drops Palo Santo + 3 drops Peppermint
FAVORITE WINTER RECIPESWinter is a season for warm, nourishing food and drinks, and adding oils is a great way to increase health benefits while elevating your dishes at the same time.
For all recipes… Heat all ingredients, except the oils, in a pot over the stove, until just hot. Don't boil. Remove from heat, add the essential oils and stir to combine. Serve in your favorite mugs and top as desired.
Spiced Cinnamon Cider
A steaming mug of cider is the perfect remedy to cold, wintry days. Serve it after a day of sledding or hiking to warm up from the inside out.
- 8 cups apple juice or cider
- 4 cups orange juice
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 9 drops Cinnamon Bark Vitality
- 6 drops Cardamom Vitality
- 4 drops Clove Vitality
- 4 drops Nutmeg Vitality
- 3 drops Citrus Fresh Vitality
- Sliced oranges
- Cinnamon sticks
Add all ingredients to a large pot and stir to combine. Heat until simmering. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve warm in a mug. Garnish with sliced oranges and cinnamon sticks.
Maple Cinnamon Latte
- 12 ounces brewed, strong organic coffee
- 1/4 cup milk of choice
- 1 tbsp organic maple syrup (add more to taste)
- Organic ground cinnamon for dusting
- 1 drop Cinnamon Bark Vitality essential oil
- 1 scoop Inner Beauty Collagen
- Optional: Electric milk frother
Step 1 - Grab your favorite coffee mug and line the bottom with maple syrup, about 1 tablespoon. Pour the brewed coffee on top and stir gently to mix.
Step 2 - Add the milk and essential oil (if using) to the frother, hit the button once, and wait while it warms.
Step 3 - When ready, pour the milk into your coffee, top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a small drizzle of maple syrup or a small sprinkle of raw sugar if desired!
Homemade Hot Cocoa
Wind down and warm up with your favorite mug brimming with homemade hot chocolate. You can add any Vitality oil to your recipe, but these three are our favorites - Lavender Hot Cocoa and Peppermint Hot Cocoa! Or whip up some Mexican Hot Cocoa for a festive twist!
Lavender Hot Cocoa
- 4 cups milk of choice
- 8 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tsp honey, or more to taste
- 4 drops Lavender Vitality essential oil
Peppermint Hot Cocoa
- 4 cups milk of your choice
- 8 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tsp honey, or more to taste
- 2 drops Peppermint Vitality essential oil
Champurrado Mexican Hot Cocoa
- 4 cups milk of your choice
- ½ cup honey or agave
- 2 Mexican chocolate tablets
- ¾ cups masa harina (corn flour)
- 2 drops Cinnamon Bark Vitality essential oil
- 2 drops Orange Vitality essential oil
FOR THE YOUNG &
YOUNG AT HEART
Colder temperatures keeping you inside? Try out some of these simple crafts to fill your days with joy!
Clay Leaf Dish
This simple craft gets everyone outdoors and can even be a school project with just a little imagination! It makes a lovely oil tray or a handmade gift.
- Air dry clay
- Craft paper
- Rolling pin
- Craft paint (we like the metallic colors!) + brushes
- Modge Podge gloss or other sealer
- Various leaves from your yard
Step 1 - Cut out a piece of air dry clay, then roll it out onto craft paper to about 1/2 inch thick, making sure your leaf will fit. Then, press your leaf (vein side down) onto the clay. Remove the leaf from the clay, and cut around the outline with a knife, then remove the excess clay from around your imprint.
Step 2 - Go around the perimeter of the leaf and gently press the sides up and in to create a small edge. Allow the clay to air dry and harden on a baking rack for 24 hours.
Step 3 - Paint! Once the paint is dry, cover with a coat of Modge Podge gloss, then dry for 24 hours. After the sealer is dry, have your children sign the back and write the year.
Essential Oil Infused Play Dough
This is a fun one to get your children to make with you OR to make and surprise them with after school!
- 2 cups flour (can use gluten-free if desired)
- 1 cup salt
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
- 2 cups cold water
- 5 drops essential oil: Lavender, Peace & Calming, Tangerine, and/or Believe
- Natural food coloring, optional
Step 1 - Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil, and water in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the dough has reached the right consistency.
Step 2 - Let cool, split into 3 balls, and knead in essential oils and optional food coloring until it is distributed evenly throughout each ball of playdough. Store in an airtight container.
We hope you enjoy this Holiday Handbook. Bring the family together and try some of these projects! May your New Year be filled with fun, joy and abundance!
As Always, I'm here to support you.
Your Oily Girlfriend
Jennifer
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