Ditch and Switch!

Hey Y'all!

Today I want to talk about one of the easiest ways to get started with Young Living essential oils. Cleaning products! Have you seen the Facebook article that has been going around talking about cleaning yourself into cancer? Scary right? Very! Thinking about how we clean and what we use to clean, we usually have one goal... get it clean! Kill those germs, get the smell out, keep my family safe. But yet we are learning that the very chemicals that we are using are actually not as good for us as we thought.

There are lots of articles out there that you can google and see exactly what I am talking about. So I'm gonna leave it to you to do that reading. What I want to focus on is how easy it can be to ditch and switch. Really it's 3 easy steps. You ready? Here we go!

1. You are going to need the app called "Think Dirty". You can get it from your smartphones app store. Get it downloaded.

2. Pick a cabinet that you keep cleaning supplies in. Open it and scan 3 bottles. Take a look at that score. 1 is awesomeness and 10 is well horrible.



3. Replace that with a thieves based cleaner. Don't have any? NOT A PROBLEM! I have samples that I am sending out for you to try for a week. Fill out this form and I'll get a sample in the mail to you.

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Thieves Household line

Let's talk about all things Thieves...

Thieves is a blend that has been around forever and thanks to Young Living's founder D.Gary Young it is making a comeback. Check this out from the Young Living blog:

So it's not surprising at all that Young Living would use what they know about the essential oil blend to create products that we can use to detoxify our homes. Use the Thieves oil on the bottoms of your feet, cup a drop in your hands, or diffuse this spicy warm scent. Or use the Thieves Line of cleaning products.


My favorite is the Thieves Household cleaner that comes in 2 sizes.  The largest size is 64 oz. and as a Wholesale Member, you would pay $85.25.  This sounds like a lot, but it is NOT and here is why – the 64 oz. bottle makes 128, spray bottles in 30 oz. sprayers.  This means each 30 oz. bottle is .67 cents!  What!?! Shut the front door!

  The smaller bottle, which is what I keep in my classroom,  is 14.4 fl oz. and as a Wholesale Member it is $22.00.  This size makes 29,  of those 30 oz. spray bottles.   Y'all for $1.32 each I have enough cleaner for 29 YEARS in my classroom. For real, I used it daily and only use 1 spray bottle a year. Talk about a steal!  

Check out some of the dilution ratios that Young Living recommends that we’ve used:

• Light degreasing 60:1
• Medium degreasing 30:1
• Heavy degreasing 15:1
• Floors 100:1
• Walls 30:1
• Upholstery, fabrics and carpet spotting 40:1
• Carpet 100:1
• Glass 320:1
• Pots and pans 100:1
• Hand cleaner 1:1

Now I usually don't mix up a lot of different bottles. I go with 1 capful for each 30 oz of water I use. I have mixed in a glass measuring cup or in the bottle. I will say that you need to put the cleaner concentrate in to the container first and add the water slowly so that it doesn't bubble up too much. 

Yep there is a laundry soap too!! This is new to me but I LOVE it. Every time I open the bottle I think of that commercial where the gal talks about "blue goo" in her cleaner playing tricks on her eyes. There is no blue goo here! Now I have an HE washer so the 64 loads actually doubles for me because I only have to use 1/4 of a cap. Buh bye orange box! 

These were the first two items in the thieves household line that I was introduced to but there are more. There is a veggie wash, hand soap, spray, waterless purifier, toothpaste... the list goes on and on! 

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How to connect with Living the Oily life (or be a cool kid)

Hey Y'all!

I know you don't want to miss one single minute as you start to live your oily life. Here is how you can stay connected...

Facebook- we have a Facebook Page called (wait for it....) Living the Oily Life 

Blog Lovin'- Use the link on the right to follow us on Blog Lovin 

News letter- if you didn't use the pop up the sign up is on the right. 

Oily Life Club- we meet monthly on Facebook and in person for food, fellowship and fun! Ask me about it...

Super easy to stay connected and know what is coming up. So come on and connect with me

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Photosensitive oils

This was posted on the Young Living blog and I thought it was WAY too good not to share here. 

Summer vibes are rolling in like a heat wave, and we know everyone has sun time on the mind. You can already see how the first day at the pool will go—first sunscreen application, then pool toy distribution, and finally supervision and relaxation in your favorite lounge chair. During the flurry and fun, don’t forget about the safe summer use of your favorite oils. Read up on photosensitive essential oils before you throw your gotta-have oils in with your summer book to ensure that your favorites aren’t essential oils that cause sun sensitivity.

While known for their bright, summery scents, citrus oils are among the most common essential oils that cause photosensitivity. That’s because compounds found in citrus oils—known as furanocoumarins—greatly increase UV sensitivity. And while most photosensitive oils are citrus, other oils can contain compounds or mixes of compounds that have the same effect as furanocoumarins, meaning they’re not sun-safe either. Always check the label before application to determine the oil’s photosensitivity.

All of Young Living’s essential oils that cause photosensitivity are labeled. Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Orange, Bergamot, Tangerine, Peace & Calming®, Stress Away™, Citrus Fresh™, Gentle Baby™, and Joy™ are some of Young Living’s popular oils that cause photosensitivity, but other oils can come with these risks as well. Always check the label to see what cautions are associated with the oil you’re using.

Gaging by the amount of photosensitive oil in the blend, Young Living can safely determine whether a blend is safe in the sun.

Use photosensitive oils at nighttime
Using photosensitive oils at nighttime helps reduce the risks associated with these oils. Feel free to add these oils to your nightly skin care routine, evening body wash or lotion, bedtime bath, or relaxing before-bed foot, neck, or back massage.

Cover application area
Blocking UV rays by covering up will also help reduce your risk of reaction. Apply oil to the back, lower chest, or temples and throw on a crewneck tee and hat. Just be sure that anywhere you apply oil is fully covered with a heavy or tightly knit material.

Follow label instructions
The best way to avoid a negative reaction is to follow the label instructions. Most undiluted photosensitive oils require 12 hours before sun exposure but some can take up to 48 hours. Be aware that the amount you use and whether you dilute both affect the concentration of photosensitive compounds—and always remember that sunscreen helps you stay safe in the sun, even after the recommended wait time.

If you or someone you know is having a reaction, get away from UV exposure immediately and rinse the area with plenty of cool water. A light wash with soapy water can also help reduce the amount of oil on the skin. Always obtain medical advice if the skin is painful or the reaction covers a substantial portion of the body.

We love essential oils and know that you do too. That’s why we want to provide you with general information to help you increase your understanding of proper essential oil use. To best care for yourself and your family, always read and heed label instructions. The best news is that there are plenty of oils that are free of photosensitive compounds, so they’re ready for your summer adventures. It’s the perfect opportunity to try something new and find a new favorite!

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Welcome!

Hey Y'all!
I'm so glad that you found this little corner of the internet. I am so excited to be launching this web page, and the corresponding Facebook pages and groups. Today I'm going to share about me, why I started with Oils, and how to get connected to the other groups.

So a little about me! I'm a mom, wife, Jesus loving, oil using, classroom teacher. My kiddos are teens now and my life is full of sports, carpool, giggles, attitude, and love. They are Anna Claire and Jackson. My husband and I started dating in college and were married not long after he finished school. He runs our family business and is great at it! And he helps me with my oil business. I have to pull from his business degree somehow ;) I have a masters in curriculum and instruction and teach Pre K at the local public school. It wasn't a far reach for me to start educating about the use of essential oils. Teaching is my passion. I love sharing information, and researching too! Yep, my family calls me a nerd and I am ok with it.

SO why oils? About 10 years ago now I had a health issue pop up that I just could not get relief from. My doctor is a self described hippy with an MD. (love him by the way!) And he suggested that I start looking to "alternative" medications because all he could give me would be counterproductive
to what I was dealing with. UGH... that sucked. I didn't feel well, I hurt most days, and I could feel my mood shifting to a negative place. Did oils help? Nope... they weren't even on the radar at that time. However, I did start seeing an acupuncturist. He started me on a path of researching herbs and what I will call Chinese medicinal herbs. He had studied for many years in China learning all he could, and I had that information to pull from. And it helped. The pain slowly reduced to a manageable level, with some side effects of things like heartburn. But there again, that was manageable compared to what I had been dealing with. This was my gateway. I had opened my mind to learn about non pharmaceuticals that I might be able to use.

My oil adventure started with peppermint oil that I could find locally, and cheaply too! Remember I was an oil baby and didn't know the rules. So I would get these HUGE jars of oil for dirt cheep but I couldn't get them to work like I was reading online. One day during a big researching phase a friend posted about an oil company that she was using, Young Living. Y'all I'm not kidding when I say I didn't get it. I didn't understand that not all oils were the same. I didn't get that what I was buying was basically junk... the floral water that is left over from distilling.  (Insert shaking head and a HUGE desire to have that money back) As I am known to do I asked a BUNCH of questions and my friend answered them all, but best yet is she sent me to www.seedtoseal.com for my own research. Go ahead... pop over there. Look around and come back when you are done ;)

That day I got it. I got that not all oils are created the same and that the FDA doesn't have ANY labeling requirements for some thing to be labeled as pure essential oil. My friend sent me a sample of Young Livings Peppermint for me to compare to what I was getting locally. There was no comparison. Hands down the peppermint oil from Young Living did what I though, what I had read, oils would do. And I decided to become a member of Young Living and got the premium starter kit. But I didn't start teaching about oils then. That was the summer of 2014 and now, 4 years later, I am ready to share what I know with the world! Essential oils can be amazing but you have GOT to know what you are doing. You have GOT to know what your company is doing to get that amazing stuff into a bottle. Again not all oils are created equally and I do not support using oils that are not ordered from Young Living (because of that Seed to Seal promise).

I hope that you come back here often and find information that helps you understand and add essential oils into your life. Oh and when you are ready to get that kit and get started, I want to have you as part of my oil family. And to be part of that family you need to order from www.joinkarend.com.

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