Fall brings beautifully chilly weather, colorful leaves and fun autumn activities. It also brings a terrible croupy cough to our family. And once it hits one of the boys, guaranteed it’s going to get them all.
All of my boys have asthma induced by colds. Once they catch the tiniest cough I can expect that within 24 hours it will manifest into a deep chest congestion and respiratory weakness. It turns into a cough that rumbles in their chests accompanied by breathing that rattles their little lungs that can last 7-10 days and just make them miserable. …making each other miserable, making them short tempered and making them seriously angry little elves.
We’ve gotten through the younger years with Vick’s vapor rub and we still keep it on hand…somewhere in the house…probably lost after last winter’s long nights of croup, colds, coughs, headaches and snot. Probably best that we don’t actually know where it is anymore!
Enter my love of essential oils and fantastic support group of super-ladies whose kids are experiencing the same nasty ick. The recommended combo below helps my kiddos breathe better, chill out and minimizes their cough.
Breathe Chest Rub aka “Croup Goop”:
Grab some coconut oil and whip it good – just throw it into a small glass jar and whip it with a fork or a spoon until it’s creamy. Add Young Living Thieves, RC, Raven and Peace & Calming essential oils and mix until fully blended.
Rub this awesomeness all over the kiddos chests, backs, down the spine and on bottoms of feet. Put socks on them afterwards so they don’t slip all over the place. I rub every morning before school, as soon as they get home and before bed. If you have little-little ones at home with you, or on a sick day, try to do this every 2-3 hours.
For extra insurance, especially this round where {D} is really coughing hard, I scoop a dime sized amount into my palm and add an extra drop of Raven. This has helped tremendously this last week in loosening up the phlegm, allowing them to breathe easier which minimizes the hacking coughing and appears to be shortening the span of the colds as compared to last year.
Raven = supports healthy function of lungs and sinuses
RC = combats cough, cold, flu, mucus and stuffy noses
Peace & Calming = every bit as much as the name says – may support relaxation and a sense of peace for restful sleep or to calm the anxious feelings of being sick, which can be incredibly frustrating for a little kiddo (and adults, too!)
Additionally, I’ve been diffusing the Thieves, Raven and RC combo with Lavender in the diffuser in their room at night – door closed so their little lungs can take it all in and breathe better through the night and sleep easier.
Lavender = may alleviate seasonal allergy symptoms, reduces feelings of stress and tension and promotes restful sleep
I can’t tell you how much I love being able to manage this at home and keep the croupy cough at bay, which keeps the doctor away!
**these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, is not 100% proven to treat or cure any illness ~ this is just one mom’s testimonial about what works best for my family**
There isn’t much in this world that I am not skeptical of. Seriously. When I first heard about the amazing properties and benefits of 100% pure, therapeutic grade, seed to seal, essential oils, I blew it off, time and time again. And every time I saw a “class” or “girls night” to “share” and “talk” about oils on FB, I totally ignored them! Even when I started to get curious about the claims, I honestly did NOT have the time to add a new element of any thing to our already over-committed, jam-packed, ridiculously busy lives.
Then, I started to do some research (ok, a LOT of research), tune in and really listen to the testimonials. Then, I realized how much I desperately wanted to start taking hidden chemicals out of my kid’s lives and out of our house. Then, my very dear friend was one of those giving those testimonials and seeing the real impact to real people that I really know made all the difference in the world, and now I’m hooked! I’m an oily gal and loving it. This is not the stuff that has any additives or synthetic oils that are sold over the counter at any old grocery or craft store. These are the real deal, 100% pure, therapeutic grade, seed to seal, Young Living essential oils.
I am not into this oily journey to make money (although for most, that is an added bonus!), but honestly for the wholesale member benefit of getting 24% off retail to get my own oils and to help others get the oils they want. I’m a control freak and I like to be able to manage my oily orders at my own pace, in my pj’s on my virtual office dashboard after the kids go to bed. The community of oily followers taking this journey at their own pace, supporting each other, sharing oily recipes, and uplifting each other has been such an added perk.
I started out just wanting to try lavender, the Swiss Army Knife of all of the oils, and couldn’t pass up the value of the Premium Starter Kit ($160 for a kit valued at over $340 ~ you all know I’m a sucker for a good sale!) once I heard what was included:
An ultrasonic diffuser (functions as a humidifier, atomizer and aroma diffuser all-in-one!)
Eleven (!!) 5-ml bottles of premium essential oils + a roller fitment (Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, Copaiba, Frankincense, Thieves, Citrus Fresh, Raven, Digize, Pan Away, Stress Away)
Two 2-oz samples of Ningxia Red
One 1-oz sample of Thieves Cleaner (this will make 16 oz of chemical free all-purpose cleaner!)
The ability to receive 24% off future orders as a wholesale member!! {this is BIG folks!}
Connecting to a network of an amazing, inspirational oily people sharing oily ideas & wellness recipes
Here are just a few things I’ve been using my oils on daily, and as-needed ~ waaaay more than just the lavender I wanted to try!
My diffuser combos change daily based on mood and need. My favorite combos are the wellness blend, allergy blend, focus blend, bedtime blend or something citrus-y for get-up-and go motivation.
I’ve been adding the weight loss trio to my water or Ningxia Red every day: lemon, peppermint and grapefruit.
Deep Relief roller on my neck and shoulders because I slept super hard last night and woke up with a kink in my neck, but went for my morning jog anyway!
Endoflex + lemongrass to support my endocrine system
Digize + Peppermint for tummy troubles
Stress Away roller because, well, this one speaks for itself!
My homemade roller ball collection is multiplying! We use immunity, sinus, morning glory, Boss Babe, focus and allergy blends daily.
Thieves cleaner for EVERY household mess!
Adding a drop of oregano or rosemary vitality to my summer vegetables when roasting, grilling or sauteing and cinnamon bark, thieves and lemon to my tea.
I know, I know, you’re thinking I’ve turned into a total hippie! I’m ok with that! I know there will be times when calling the doctor is the answer, and trust me, we love the kids’ pediatrician and he takes amazing care of them when they are really down and out. And nothing replaces that! But now knowing I have the ability to care for some of their ailments, drug-free, is so empowering! And knowing that I can take toxic chemicals and candles OUT of my house and manage the kids’ (and my own) mood swings on my own with oils and a diffuser is so liberating!
I could seriously go on and on and on…I never thought I would be that girl! Go ahead, ask me for more info if you’re curious; I’m more than happy to share all that I’ve learned, and continue to learn daily, about the incredible world of Young Living essential oils!
And if you’re ready to take this journey with me and want a wholesale discount (think of it like a Costco membership for oils that you only pay once but continue to reap the benefits and discounts of!) and order your own Premium Starter Kit to start trying things out, here is the info to get started…
CLICK HERE –> this will take you directly to the sign-up screen and you should see my member number (3863971) in the boxes already. Make sure “member” box stays checked. This just means that you will get wholesale prices similar to a Costco membership. (There is no fee for being a member) Choose country and language.
Step 1:: Choose your starter kit (pick your diffuser). My fav is the Desert Mist. It’s so pretty and is a total workhorse and you’ll LOVE it. 🙂
Step 2:: Essential Rewards program. This is a monthly customizable box that you will want to do. I call it the “Stitch Fix” for oils. You get to pick products for your order each month, set a processing day, or switch the day each month, and you get points back for free oils/products each month.
I have switched over most products in my house to YL, so don’t just think it’s for oils. I get laundry detergent, vitamins/supplements, make-up, Ningxia Red, etc. It’s an amazing deal and I’m getting toxins and chemicals out of my house. The monthly minimum is only $50. If you later decide to sell, then you place 100 pv (around $100) a month to be eligible for team commissions.
BEST PART… you can click the box on this screen that says “Use the selected Premium Starter Kit as my first ER order…” and you’ll get 10 rewards points back PLUS this month you’ll get a free 5ml of Lemongrass oil (perfect for joint support and emotionally promotes feelings of courage and hope and can calm the mind! One of my favorites when I need a mental boost this season!)
If you want to add ADDITIONAL products to your ER order right now, you can do that in Step 2 where you see the “Customize your kit” link. Keep the Premium Starter Kit selected and you can add stuff to it.
Step 3:: Here is where you can add more products without option in to the monthly Essential Rewards orders. I highly recommend cedarwood ($12-best sleep ever), Lime (mood booster and great in water for $12), and thieves cleaner ($22-the only household cleaner we use for everything. It makes 40-50 spray bottles)
Add stuff if you want, then click continue or next. Here is where you will set up your new member sign-in info.
When you get to commission processing info, click individual without social security number unless you would like to do the business (no worries if you don’t know for sure, you can always add your tax info later). Check that you have read the terms and conditions. Click agree and continue. Enter payment and address and checkout.
And… boom! You’re a member and I’ll get an email and start adding you to the private FB groups for more product education and usage tips. Woohoo!
I am so excited that you want to join me on this oily journey! I love helping others unlock all the oily goodness!! And I am in love with all the awesome things I can use my oils on ~ I know you will love them, too! The hardest part now is waiting for your oils to come in the mail! Until then, you can follow me on Pinterest, my Firefly FB or visit the web page of the lovely ladies in my upline who introduced me to these wondrous oils.
On your mark…get ready…get set…#OIL ~ you won’t regret it!
I just have to share these DIY mason jar citronella candles that I threw together for a baby shower I hosted about a month back.
Using good old fashioned mason jars I had laying around (you know, for all those crafts I was planning to accomplish this summer), twine (also for said projects), sliced fresh lemons, limes, rosemary and Young Living Citronella and Lemongrass oils, water and a floating candle.
We hung these from the fence posts and set a few out on the patio tables to help keep the bugs away. Pretty and functional. Can’t beat that!
Cheers to late evening patio parties minus the pesky bugs ~