Young Living Insect Repellent
Most commercial mosquito repellents use non-biodegradable, synthetic chemicals like N-diethyl-3-methylbenzmide (DEET), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and allethrin; fortunately, Young Living’s Insect Repellent repels mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas using only 100 percent naturally derived, plant-based ingredients. With only pure sesame oil, Citronella, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Geranium, Spearmint, Thyme, and Clove essential oils (carefully selected for their bug-repellent properties) and vitamin E (a natural preservative), this vegan, hypoallergenic formula will give you the best results, naturally. That means you can use it on your little ones and not worry about the synthetic chemicals used in many traditional repellents. Need more to love about it? The smell is divine! You won’t be bothered by an offensive, chemical smell laying on you or your loved ones!
Most commercial mosquito repellents use non-biodegradable, synthetic chemicals like N-diethyl-3-methylbenzmide (DEET), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and allethrin; fortunately, Young Living’s Insect Repellent repels mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas using only 100 percent naturally derived, plant-based ingredients. With only pure sesame oil, Citronella, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Geranium, Spearmint, Thyme, and Clove essential oils (carefully selected for their bug-repellent properties) and vitamin E (a natural preservative), this vegan, hypoallergenic formula will give you the best results, naturally. That means you can use it on your little ones and not worry about the synthetic chemicals used in many traditional repellents. Need more to love about it? The smell is divine! You won’t be bothered by an offensive, chemical smell laying on you or your loved ones!
I am so happy it is back in stock!
This is how I roll!! One bottle divided into three spray bottles (one for car, trailer, house,...etc) PLUS a tiny one for my purse! The insect repellent from Young living is 6 ounces. I separate that into three, 2-ounce bottles plus the small purse sized bottle (1 ml). oh, I do not dilute!
This is how I roll!! One bottle divided into three spray bottles (one for car, trailer, house,...etc) PLUS a tiny one for my purse! The insect repellent from Young living is 6 ounces. I separate that into three, 2-ounce bottles plus the small purse sized bottle (1 ml). oh, I do not dilute!
This year I came up with a great gift idea that I am going to pair with a couple of coupons from the boys {wha, ha ha!} for a car wash: a Fathers’ Day car care kit!
I am going to share my DIY all natural cleaner recipes and some before/after shots in just a minute, but let’s talk about what is inside the car care kit. I hit my local dollar store for some of the basics:
- A blue plastic basket that will hold the contents of the kit
- Reusable cleaning wipes
- Chamois cloths
- A glass shaker {In the kitchen goods section}
- Two 28 oz. plastic spray bottles
Since I have been using my Young Living essential oils, I keep looking for ways to replace commercial products with more natural versions. So, I made 3 DIY all natural cleaners to fill the car care kit: carpet freshener, glass cleaner and an all-purpose cleaner. Then, I gave them a whirl and cleaned my SUV one afternoon.
First up, my poor carpets that take a beating from boots and dirt almost every day!
DIY Carpet Freshener
In a bowl, stir together 15 drops of essential oil with 1 cup baking soda. I used a combination of Lemon and Peppermint; you can use Lavender or Thieves or your favorite essential oils. Transfer it into your shaker jar and replace the lid. You can use this in your home or vehicle. I sprinkled my carpet freshener all over the carpet in my SUV while I cleaned the rest of it (let it sit at least 15 minutes), then I just vacuumed it up.
After I sprinkled on the carpet freshener, I cleaned the windows with my DIY lemon-y glass cleaner.
DIY All Natural Glass Cleaner
Add 20 drops of lemon essential oil to a 28 oz. spray bottle. Adding the oils before any other ingredients allows them to blend better rather than just sit on top of the water. Add 8 oz. of white vinegar and fill the bottle the rest of the way with distilled water. Replace the sprayer and shake to combine. I also noticed some wicked fingerprints on our glass storm door. So, does it work? Sure does! Got rid of those fingerprints and smudges from my grubby boys in a flash!
And don’t worry, the vinegar scent dissipates quickly. So, carpet freshened, windows cleaned … now to tackle the rest of the car!
DIY All-Purpose Thieves Cleaner
I also whipped up an all-purpose Thieves cleaner that can be used all over your car and home. This can be used on floors, counters, around pet areas, in the bathroom, to wipe down door handles and appliances, etc. I really did mean all-purpose 🙂
To make this all-purpose cleaner, add 1 drop of Thieves per ounce of distilled water. So, I added 28 drops in my bottle and then filled the bottle with distilled water. I cleaned the interior of my car doors, elbow rest, the rims of my tires, my dash and pretty much everything else I could wipe down. Yes, I know I probably needed to clean my car WAY before this point. What? You don’t have a slightly fuzzy dashboard? Just keeping it real …
Can we talk about Thieves essential oil for a minute? It is one of my top 5 essential oils – it is SO versatile! When anyone is feeling a little under the weather, I diffuse it to kill airborne germs and freshen the air. It smells pretty amazing so I absolutely LOVE to use it to clean around our home – plus, I know it is safe for our cats and kids!
I can’t wait to give this to Hubby and put the boys to work spoil him for Fathers’ Day this year!!
www.shakentogetherlife.com
What says Summer more than margaritas? I took a quick break from the kitchen to make these Easy DIY Margarita Scented Candles and you won’t believe how simple they are to make!
Don’t be intimidated by making your own candles. With this easy tutorial, you don’t have to melt wax (say what?!), monitor temperatures or let these candles cure overnight! Really, these are as easy as mix, pour and light … you are only minutes from the delectable citrusy scent of margaritas!
- Heat safe containers – I used 4 Margarita glasses that I scored at the Dollar Store
- 8″ Candle Wicks (purchased at Hobby Lobby but similar here) – I used thicker wicks since the diameter of the glasses was about 5 inches
- Hot glue gun + glue sticks
- White Granulated Wax (purchased at Hobby Lobby but similar here) – I used about 30 oz. to fill all 4 glasses
- Essential oils – Young Living Grapefruit & Lime
- Scissors
First, I washed and dried the margarita glasses. Then, I used my hot glue gun to affix a wick to the center of the bottom of each glass.
Once the glue was dry, I mixed together one 12 oz. bag of granulated wax with 15 drops each of Grapefruit and Lime essential oils. (If you prefer, you can leave the candles unscented or use a liquid candle scent.) The beauty of granulated wax is that you don’t need to melt it to fill your container. The tiny granules will melt as the wick burns.
After I mixed the oils into the granulated wax, it is as simple as filling your container! Make sure to keep the wick centered and gently press down the granulated wax to ensure that any air pockets are filled with wax granules. That will make the wax burn more evenly.
Trim the wick and leave about 1 1/2 inches of wick above the top of your container.
And DONE!!! Easy Peezie. I think all 4 of these candles literally took less than 10 minutes from start to finish!!
www.shakentogetherlife.com
It is probably no surprise that I am talking about digestive enzymes. I mean, we love gut health here at Pure Drops of Joy! If you have hung around here for any period of time, you understand that we believe gut health is a cornerstone to overall wellness. But, do I need digestive enzymes?
I used to think NO! Our body makes them and we eat them when we consume raw foods! Why would we need to add MORE?
Y'all, I did some research on the topic and, well, I am now a HUGE fan of digestive enzymes. During my research I was learning all of the benefits to supplementing with enzymes. But, it wasn't until I actually NEEDED them, did I really become a believer! I did Whole 30 a while ago, all with the mission to learning which foods, if any, I may be sensitive to. I knew that Dairy was a big offender based on my food sensitivity. When I started reintroducing foods, I learned that taking enzymes before my meal prevented some issues (gas, bloating, etc) – especially with beans, dairy, and grain. For the most part, I avoid the foods that I am sensitive to. But, when I go out to eat, I am going to order what I want, because I like food. Enzymes help so much in this situation!
So, what interesting things did I learn, other than my own personal experience?
What are enzymes good for?
Holy moly, pretty much everything. You understand that enzymes break down the food we eat into nutrients that our bodies can then absorb and use! This is important because when food is properly broken down, it can prevent irritation and inflammation of the gut lining. Enzymes help to clean up that gut lining and they even can digest certain pathogens and move them on out!
Wait, but don't we make enzymes all on our own?
Yup, we sure do! Our healthy bodies are really good at making them all on our own! But, what if our systems are compromised? Leaky gut and the conditions that contribute to it (celiac, IBS, Crohn's, SIBO, etc) reduce your ability to produce enzymes. Also, I hate to break it to you, but the older we get, enzyme production goes down. By the time you are in your late 40s to early 50s, your enzyme production has gone down by 50%. WHAT? Well, darn.
So, do I need digestive enzymes?
Maybe! That leaky gut, man, is one tough cookie!! Digestive enzymes prove to be helpful because enzymes break up your food into small particles that are less likely to irritate the gut lining. Do you ever feel like you have a brick sitting in your stomach after eating? Yeah, that should go away after a few days on digestive enzymes.
4 signs you may need to supplement with digestive enzymes:
- Your poop is weird (you know if it is weird)
- You have a brick in your stomach after eating, or you are gassy and bloated.
- You feel full after only eating a few bites of your meal.
- You suffer from food intolerances
Is there a good time to take digestive enzymes?
Right before you meal is the best time to take a digestive enzyme. However, I like to take them in between meals, sometimes. On those days where I ate something that I may need extra help with OR I ate something close to bed, I like to take a digestive enzyme right before bed so that it can work over night! When a digestive enzyme is taken on an empty stomach, and doesn't have a job to do there, it moves on over to your blood stream. There, it will remove toxins and waste. Your liver and immune system give digestive enzymes serious high fives because they don't have to work as hard!
Which digestive enzyme is best?
Oh buddy! I do have some favorites. I actually keep them in my purse so that they are always with me when I eat out.
When shopping, look for a plant-based enzyme. They survive digestion well and are stable. If you have taken your enzyme before a meal, they get right to work! AND, there are busy working at least an hour before your own pancreas sends its enzymes.
Also be sure that your enzyme has multiple enzymes! You want it to cover all of the food groups! So, which enzymes digest which food groups? I am glad you asked. Protease will take care of the proteins, lipase eats up the fats, amylase gobbles up carbs, and cellulase takes care of fiber.
I love love LOVE the Essentialzymes-4 from Young Living before my meals and Detoxyme before bed. I have found that when I take Detoxyme before bed, I have zero bloating in the morning. So awesome.
You can grab these from Young Living, easy peasy! Grab yourself a membership if you don't already have one (it's like Amazon Prime but BETTER) and then you can get your enzymes 24% cheaper. Woot!!!
-Kelly Liston at olardy.com
DIY peppermint breath spray is an easy homemade item you should definitely add to your list. These are so easy to make and a great replacement for gum and breath mints. Do you know how many chemicals are in just those two tiny items? YUCK! You can feel good about your fresh breath and its good for you too.
This DIY Peppermint breath spray recipe is so simple and quick you will have fresh breath in no time. Grab your Thieves mouthwash, Young Living Peppermint Vitality essential oil, and a small glass spray bottle. That is ALL!!
I like to use a fine mist 5 mL spray glass spray bottle. Add 4-8 drops of peppermint vitality oil to your spray bottle and fill the rest with Thieves Mouthwash . I use these little funnels to make the transfer easy. Give it a little shake before use and spray away. You can play with the ingredients to get the potency you want. Easy Peasy. MINTY FRESH BREATH!!
