The 2023 Back to School Handbook
It's hard to believe that school time is already here, but there is something soothing about the routine of backpacks and books and pencils, don't you think?! As always, we want to do everything we can to make this a healthy, happy school year. Here are a few of our best tips for doing just that!
Keeping Everyone Healthy
Thieves is our go-to germ-busting blend, and we love having it around us in multiple forms throughout the day! Thieves essential oil and roll-on, Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer and Spray, Thieves Foaming Hand Soap – give us all the Thieves!
- Thieves Roll-on - This powerhouse immune blend is your BFF! Roll it on feet, spine, over lymph nodes morning and evening.
- Diffuse!! Fire up the diffuser with Thieves, Orange, Lavender, Vanilla, Oregano, Raven, and Lemon in any combination
- Add a drop of Thieves Vitality to honey when making hot tea for an easy immune boost
- Keep a Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer in backpacks and lunchboxes. And keep a large pump bottle in the car for everyone to use as soon as they get inside!
- Thieves Foaming Hand Soap at every sink for clean, soft hands.
Supplement Daily
- Super C Chewables and Immugummies for everyone in the family! Vitamin C and immune health are synonymous, and adding the elderberry and elderflower Immugummies to your routine is a great daily habit for the entire family.
- KidScents MightyVites is a perfect option for a wholesome daily vitamin for kids of all ages.
- Ningxia Red is our favorite supplement for ALL the things. It is an antioxidant and nutrient powerhouse that helps us sleep better, get and keep glowing skin, keep a healthy immune system, have healthy energy levels, and much much more.
Keeping Things Clean
Thieves Household Cleaner is our absolute favorite for green, plant-based cleaning. You know we use this in our homes, but did you know that a lot of teachers will use it in their classrooms as well?! So many people have gifted it along with a glass spray bottle to their kids' teachers to use daily in their classrooms. Spice it up with one of these recipes!School Days Thieves Cleaner
- 16 oz glass spray bottle
- 1-2 capfuls Thieves Household Cleaner
- 10 drops each Orange & Cinnamon Bark essential oils
- 5 drops each Ginger, Clove, & Nutmeg essential oils
- Fill with distilled water
Falling Leaves Thieves Cleaner
- 16 oz glass spray bottle
- 1-2 capfuls Thieves Household Cleaner
- 10 drops each Tangerine, Northern Lights Black Spruce, & Bergamot essential oils
- 5 drops Patchouli essential oil
- Fill with distilled water
Caramel Apple Thieves Cleaner
- 16 oz glass spray bottle
- 1-2 capfuls Thieves Household Cleaner
- 10 drops each Bergamot, Cinnamon Bark, & Stress Away essential oils
- 5 drops each Nutmeg & Tangerine essential oils
- Fill with distilled water
Staying Focused
Whether you're helping your little ones with homework, helping older kids stay focused in class, or needing some help yourself, these are some of our favorite oils for staying focused and alert!Why these? A study on essential oils and focus by Dr. Terry Friedmann found a 32% improvement in mental focus in children inhaling Vetiver, with similar results in the group inhaling Cedarwood.
They realized this is because of a specific constituent (a component of the oils). Vetiver and Cedarwood are extremely high in sesquiterpenes - molecules that deliver oxygen molecules to cells, just like hemoglobin does to the blood! More oxygen to the brain = better focus. These oils also help our brain waves calm from an overactive state to a focused one.
- Cedarwood 98% sesquiterpenes
- Vetiver 97% sesquiterpenes
- Spikenard 93% sesquiterpenes
- Sandalwood 90% sesquiterpenes
School Day Butterflies
One way to help calm those first day (or test day!) jitters is diffusing a calming, grounding & uplifting blend! Prep your diffuser the night before with this blend and have it going as you eat breakfast and make sure everything is ready to go before you head out the door.
This also makes a great roller! Multiply the drops by 5, add a carrier and go. Pop it in your child's backpack (or your own bag.. parents can feel those butterflies too!) or apply it to a diffuser bracelet to bring those calming vibes along with you!
Jittery Butterflies Blend
- 3 drops Peace & Calming
- 2 drops Tangerine
- 2 drops Valor
- 2 drops Stress Away
- 1 drop Vetiver
Sweet, Sweet Sleep
A good night of sleep always makes you feel amazing, but did you know that sleep has even more effects than just having energy? It is a huge part of our ability to focus, our immune systems, and our ability to retain information! Sleep is crucial for us and for our little ones, especially during the school year. Try some of these tips for helping everyone in the home get some sweet sweet sleep!Sleepytime oils - Peace & Calming, Cedarwood, Valor, Lavender, SleepyIze, Seedlings Calm, Tranquil. Choose a few and keep them on hand to diffuse every evening at bedtime.
Nighttime Linen Spray - Spray this onto sheets, blankets, pjs and stuffed animals before bed.
- Glass spray bottle
- 30 drops Peace & Calming
- 15 drops Lavender
- Splash of witch hazel
- Water
KidScents Unwind - This magnesium-based supplement is our go-to for unwinding before bed. It also includes tryptophan and essential oils that help promote a calm state. Because it can help with restlessness and sleeplessness, it can also improve focus and concentration in the classroom!
KidScents MightyPro - It may seem a little bizarre to put a gut health supplement in the sleep category, but more and more research shows us that a healthy gut is crucial for all things – including sleep!
School Day Blends
These are some of our favorites for immune support, focus, calming, and soothing! You can also make these into roller blends! Strong Defenses is a favorite everyday wellness roller in our house. To do this, multiply the drops by 5-7, add a carrier, and go!- After School Pep Talk - 5 drops Thieves, 5 drops Peppermint, 2 drops Tangerine
- Sniffle Ease - 4 drops each Lemon, Lavender, Raven or R.C.
- Homework Helpers - 4 drops Cedarwood, 5 drops Vetiver, 2 drops Peppermint
- Settle Down - 5 drops Peace & Calming, 4 drops Lavender, 2 drops Tangerine
- Strong Defenses - 4 drops each Thieves, Frankincense, & Lemon
- First Day Butterflies - 4 drops Valor, 3 drops each Bergamot, & Tangerine
After School Fun
Pumpkin Pie Play Dough
An activity for the kids with the option of being free of harmful dyes and ingredients and leaves the house and their little hands smelling AMAZING plus it has immune boosting properties! You can make this together, super easy, then let them play the crisp, fall day away!!
- 2 cups cornstarch
- 1 cup Kidscents Lotion
- 4 drops Cardamom
- 2 drops Orange
- 1 drop Cinnamon bark
- 1 drop Clove
- Mix all the ingredients together and let their imaginations run wild!
DIY Clay Leaf Tray
This DIY tray is a fun craft for the little ones to make and gift! Before the clay hardens, you can drop essential oils onto it. Choose stronger scents like Cinnamon Bark, Clove, Thieves or Peppermint to ensure more scent.
- Air dry clay
- Craft paper
- Rolling pin
- Craft paint (we like the metallic colors!)
- Paint brushes
- Modge Podge gloss or other sealer
- Various leaves from your yard
First, explore around your yard and gather your leaves! Cut out a piece of air dry clay, then roll it out about 1/2 inch thick, making sure your leaf will fit fully onto the clay. Then, press your leaf (vein side down) onto the clay. Make sure all parts of the leaf press in so that you get all the pretty nuances of the leaf!
Remove the leaf from the clay, and cut around the outline with a knife (have adults do this part), then remove the excess air dry clay from around your imprint. Go around the perimeter of the leaf and gently press the sides up and in to create a small edge. If adding oils, do so now.
Allow the clay to air dry and harden. We set ours on a baking rack so that both sides were exposed to air. After 24 hours they had hardened and were ready to paint!
Paint! Once the paint is dry, cover with a coat of Modge Podge gloss, then let that dry for 24 hours. After the coating is dry, have your children sign the back and write the year.
We hope you enjoy this Back to School Handbook.
As Always, I'm here to support you.
Your Oily Girlfriend
Jennifer
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