Green Mandarin-Did You Know?

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Green MandarinDid you know Green Mandarin essential oil comes from the unripened fruit of the mandarin tree, while Red Mandarin essential oil comes from a more ripe fruit? Internal use of Green Mandarin is known for its calming properties for the nervous system and can be complimentary of healthy digestive function.

Cultivated for over 3000 years, Mandarin Essential oil derives comes from the evergreen citrus tree in the oriental countries of China, Vietnam and Japan. During the Chinese new year, gifting a mandarin is a traditional symbol of fortune and prosperity. If you are really looking to impress, gifting mandarins in pairs demonstrates the ‘doubling’ of wealth.

Green Mandarin is used to add flavor to deserts and beverages. Include Green Mandarin in a spray bottle with water to clean the surfaces in your house. Take one to two drops to help support healthy immune function and response also diffuse to create a positive, uplifting experience. 

The Fundraiser

Better Living, Personal stories, , , , , , , ,

Screen shot 2014-10-14 at 3.25.18 PMI remember a kind couple who loved my parents, John and Nome Mackaleash. They enjoyed visiting with our family. I remember one time when they came to our home that my sister Rachel was involved in a fundraiser, and was selling boxes of M&M candies for one dollar. This was big money in the 1980’s. I remember John pulled out 20 dollars and bought the whole case of candy. He then gave each one of us our own box.

Fast forward 20 years and my children are doing a school fundraiser. I totally discouraged my children from doing any fundraisers. I would say, “I will give you a dollar if you don’t do that fundraiser.” I was very nasty with everyone trying to sell me anything. One day I was listening to one of my audio books. The guy in the book is telling everyone to be more generous with their money and it will come back ten fold. I started doing this and it works. Now when children come over to the house selling things I buy from everyone. I think back to the great example and generosity of my parents’ friends. We must give more in order to receive more.

Generous giving of ourselves produces a generous harvest. I think this is why I enjoy using and sharing essential oils so much. When I use an essential oil that has personally effected my life in a positive way, I cant wait to share it with others. I love using a product that has no harmful side effects, that gives people another option for hope on their journey for better health.

Citronella-Did you Know?

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CitronellaDid you know Citronella comes from the leaf of a tall grass native to Asia, Citronella essential oil has a crisp, fresh aroma. With impressive pest repellent benefits, Citronella oil keeps unwanted insects out of the house and off your skin and clothing. It is an ideal companion for all you activities in the great outdoors. The oil works by concealing the scent of humans that insects find tempting.

Oil components include citronellol and geraniol, which are good for cleaning all your household surfaces. When inhaled, Citronella promotes happy, positive feelings. Applied topically, it can be soothing to the skin and scalp.

Church Gossip

Humor with a moral, The moral of the story, , , , , , ,

Gossiping Women
Irene the church gossip, and self appointed monitor of the church’s morals, kept sticking her nose into other people’s business.  Several members did not approve of her extra curricular activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.

She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old blue pickup parked in front of the town’s only bar one afternoon.  She emphatically told George, and several others, that everyone seeing it there would know exactly what he was doing.

George, a man of few words, stared at her for a few moments and just turned and walked away.  He didn’t explain, defend or deny!  He said nothing!  Later that evening, George quietly parked his  blue pickup in front of Irene’s house …. walked home …. and left it there….all night!Blue Pick-up

The moral of this story is don’t judge others. Even the most obvious situations are not what they appear to be.

Celery Seed-Did You Know?

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Celery SeedDid you know celery was used as early as the 5th century by the Chinese, and is commonly used in Indian Ayurvedic practices today. Customarily grown grocery store celery looks nothing like the celery seen at local farmers’ markets. The celery plant grows up to three feet tall, is brilliant green, and gleaming with life. Celery has an elaborate, strong, sweet, and spicy aroma.

The celery plant takes two years to mature fully and produce its small fruit, which are tan or brown in color. The seeds are the primary depository for essential oil. Limonene, the dominant ingredient, puts Celery Seed oil in the same league as the refreshing citrus peel and fir needle oils.

Soothing digestive issues is one of the many benefits of Celery Seed essential oil. Preliminary research suggests that it may soothe muscles and help joint discomfort when taken internally. The oil creates a calming, relaxing, and positive climate while providing cooling and soothing effects.

Because it expedites detoxification in your body, it helps to offer some pain relief to these conditions that are partly due to a buildup of such unwanted substances in the bloodstream. It soothes inflamed muscles and it is helpful in dealing with the discomforts that comes with aged joints as well.

You can create a massage blend using celery seed essential oil and a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil and proceed to gently massage it onto the abdominal area to stimulate detoxification. Another option is you can also add about 5-6 drops of the oil into a tub of warm, bathing water and soak inside for a few minutes.

 

Black Spruce-Did You Know?

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Black SpruceDid you know Black Spruce essential oil is distilled from the needles and branches of the Picea Mariana trees that are harvested from Canada? Black Spruce is a powerful wood oil historically used by Native Americans to promote skin health and as part of their spiritual healing and cleansing traditions.

As part of your daily routine start off your day with the cooling and soothing benefits of Black Spruce, both topically and aromatically after rigorous exercise, or when your body is in need of topical support. Known to create a relaxing atmosphere, start your day off with the cooling and soothing benefits of Black Spruce

With a carrier oil Black Spruce is a wonderful oil to use in a comforting massage. Apply Black Spruce to the back of you neck throughout the day to create pleasing feelings of harmony and balance. When working through difficult situations diffuse Black Spruce to help reduce stress. 

 

Ylang Ylang-Did You Know?

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Ylang YlangDid you know Ylang Ylang is the oil of the Inner Child? Ylang Ylang has a strong effect on the heart. It also is a powerful means for releasing emotional, distressing, or disturbing experiences from the past. Ylang Ylang also helps people let go of bottled up emotions such as sadness and anger.

Ylang Ylang is a tall tropical tree that grows up to 65 feet high with large delicate flowers that come in shades of yellow, mauve, or pink. The yellow flowers are preferred for the extraction of the essential oil, which is steam distilled from the freshly picked flowers. It is indigenous to tropical Asia, but the most prized oil comes from Madagascar and the Comoro Islands.

Ylang Ylang means “flower of flowers” or “fragrance of all fragrances.” This fragrance is traditionally used in aromatherapy to sharpen the senses and for various other purposes. For these reasons, the flowers are spread on the beds of the newly married in Indonesia. Ylang Ylang is used to calm breathing, it may help high blood pressure, and also treats impotence (frigidity). Interestingly enough the original wild flowers had no fragrance. The fragrance we know today came from cloning.