So when I heard about this AMAZINGLY EASY recipe, I knew it would be a winner in my book!
Who doesn’t looooooooooove wonderful smelling laundry!??
And with ALL the combinations of essential oils you could try, you can smell fresh and clean ALL the time!
Have an oops moment and leave your clothes in the washer for too long?
Add a bit more of this mixture in the wash and voila!!!
Musty smell is gone for good!
-Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Use a spatula or wire whisk to make sure oils are fully mixed.
-Store mixture in a glass mason jar and add 1/8th to 1/4 of a cup directly into washing machine before wash cycle begins.
-Double or triple recipe and store in a large glass container in laundry room. Place a handled scoop inside for easy access.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
Comment below with your FAVE essential oil laundry combo!
I am HORRIBLE at completing CERTAIN tasks on time. Other things I loooooove doing? I can’t run fast enough towards them!
Tasks like TAXES. Or expense reports. Or laundry… Anyone else out there??
Today is the blessed (or dreaded) TAX DAY and though I FINALLY got ours done last night, I could have saved a BUNCH of time, stress and emotional haywire had I stayed on top of it as I went. uuuuugggghh.
I was thinking about this last night and realized there are a few EASY things anyone can do to stop procrastinating… so I thought I would yell at MYSELF and see if anyone else related! You too? GREAT!
Here we go!
TIP #1: GET ORGANIZED
Well duh.
But are you doing it? Like REALLY doing it? Lets take the simplicity of laundry for example.
It HAS to be done and for most people with kids, it needs to be done DAILY. Double uuuuggghh.
So instead of putting it off in hopes of the laundry fairy coming and sweeping it all away, get a system in place!
“Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.”
Wise words from Ben Franklin and they really make an impact! If you know you need to do a certain number of loads a week and you get super overwhelmed doing them ALL at once (OMG punch me now) try breaking it down into more reasonable and manageable goals.
Wake up and put a load in. After lunch put it in the dryer. Kids down for their nap? FOLD JUST 1 LOAD.
Then tomorrow do the same thing or every other day if it’s just you and the hubs.
Doesn’t that just FEEL better? Instead of having a pile of 4-5 loads of laundry, you stay organized, integrate it into your schedule and get it done more consistently. Talk about keeping your stress level (and lack of piles of laundry) low! WIN.
TIP #2: MAKE IT PRETTY/FUN/ENJOYABLE
OMG. If it’s not pretty or creative or somewhat enjoyable I run as fast as I can the other way. YUCK.
For my 2016 taxes I am going to try something new this year to help keep me a bit more on top of things. First I am going to get some really pretty files.
Insert the wonderland of TARGET…
Target has some gorgeous files that I have seen rotating in their dollar section (omg why is this section so magical!?!) and I looooooove the itty bitty prices! Recently they have had some adorable home office items that make some of the mundane tasks preeetttyyyyyyy.
Why pretty? Sound a little silly to you? Well to be honest, keeping record of all my expenses for the month isn’t exactly my idea of FUN. Buuuuuuut if when I have to pull it all out and I have something lovely to look at, it sparks that tiny sense of joy, I feel like I can pummel through! Try integrating things like labels, stickers, washi tape and color coding to make it enjoyable! Mmmmmm washi tape.
ALSO- Get an app on your phone that you LIKE and will USE that has an easy interface. Ok this isn’t exactly pretty, but make it enjoyable. Read reviews and find something that fits YOUR needs and is actually a bit fun to use! If you don’t despise doing the work, you will be less likely to procrastinate. These types of simple changes, though small, will make an impact of consistency over time and get your habits straight!
TIP #3: PUT IT IN YOUR SCHEDULE
I touched on this earlier, but if you don’t plan to do it, you will ALWAYS find an excuse to put it off till later.
My husband and I decided that Thursday afternoons will be when we BOTH work on our expense reports. Not only are we accountable TOGETHER but the weekly consistency helps us to stay on track and not have HOURS to do in one given time slot. Instead we spend 30-90 minutes a week. That seems SO doable when you look at it that way! Some weeks will be super easy and others a bit more time-consuming BUT it’s blocked out int he schedule, just like a meeting would be for work.
This also helps you to remember out of the ordinary situations that crept up. Keeping a schedule with thing you HATE doing will help you to not avoid it and embrace the simplicity of the task at hand. Less stress and a little more peace in the heart? YES PLEASE!!!
So there are my TOP 3 tips to kick procrastinating in the BUTT!
What are some ways that YOU have found helpful to stop procrastinating?
Post a comment below with your FAVORITE tips and tricks!
If you haven’t joined the conversation over at FACEBOOK, make sure to drop me a note hello!
Lets kick procrastination in the face ONE DAY AT A TIME!
Is your skin SUPER dry as we transition out of winter and into SPRING!?
Boy oh boy is MINE! I feel like I am shedding a winter coat over here!!!
LOTION BARS TO THE RESCUE!!!
These were SO fun to make, super luxurious PLUS many of these ingredients are GREAT for other recipes like my Margarita Lip Balm and Whipped Body Butter!!!
RECIPE:
1 cup Organic Coconut Oil
1 cup Shea, Cocoa or Mango butter (or a mix of all three)
1 cup beeswax (pellets work the BEST! Trust me on this one)
Optional: 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil I got most of these off Amazon for a great price!! Read the reviews and try to get Organic if you can!
DIRECTIONS:
–Combine ingredients (other than oils) in a med-large size mason jar. Place jar in 1 inch of boiling water.Any glass jar will do, just make sure its something you set aside for these projects. Once the residue dries on the glass, it’s a beast to get off!
–Stir ingredients consistently until smooth.We found that the pellets melt faster than the beeswax blocks. We even tried grating it but that stuff is TOUGH! Not impossible but the pellets will save you tons of time!
–Remove from heat then add essential oils.Note to self: If this mixture is too hot it will actually destroy the potency and therapeutic benefits of the oils. Try and wait a few minutes for it to cool before adding them. But be careful not to let the mixture start to harden! If that happens, place it back on the burner (with the water) and let it heat up again.
–Carefully pour into molds and allow to cool completely for an hour or so before removing. I prefer to use these silicone molds as it is easier to pop them out! SO many fun, cute shapes you can find at any local craft store! You can also use cupcake liners or individual metal tins that turn out ADORABLE! The sky’s the limit!
I hope you have as much fun as I did whipping up these ADORABLE bars!
They make perfect gifts for bridal showers, birthdays, Christmas gifts or JUST BECAUSE!
Have fun combining different oils for different application methods! The possibilities are endless and these little babies keep for a LONG time!
Wrap them in cellophane bags or tissue paper if you are giving them as a gift! Or you could store them in your bathroom in a cute glass jar!
Make sure to comment below with your favorite essential oil combination and add a picture if you have it!
If you haven’t joined the conversation over at Facebook, let’s be besties STAT!
Since last Mondays blog post, I have really been thinking about the difficulty to actually BE myself. Sounds silly, right?
Maybe…But have you ever thought about it?
To be honest, posting and sharing a LIVE video was VERY exposing for me.
Monday was without makeup, hair up in a pony tail, just worked out, not a great camera angle and imperfect lighting. Needless to say it was SCARY… I think I might care a little toooooo much what other people think. But I did it because I wanted to confront my own fears and be REAL with each other.
It was important for ME to breakthrough the insecurities I hide under and share from my heart. And you know what is CRAZY?? We reached OVER 3,600 views on that RAW, weak, honest video. 3,600!!!! WHAT THE WHAT!!!? (Video can be found HERE in case you missed it!)
The crazy thing is how many emails, responses and comments FLOODED in by me simply being me. Raw, makeup free, real ME.
It caused my heart to ponder the deeper work God was doing in my heart.
Why do I spend so much time hiding behind the masks?
Why do I fret over what others think of me?
What am I feeling when I give into those fears? Rejection… Sadness… Hopeless… Anxious…
But what is the deeper desire in my heart?
That desire that was put there BY God?
For me its to make an impact.
To see lives and hearts awakened to truth.
To be known, seen and heard for who I truly am, not who I am projecting.
So that’s the question I want to pose to you:
What are you feeling when you allow comparison to steal your joy?
What desires are so deep down inside of you, screaming to be free?
Breaking free of false expectations and truly being YOU. Wild, crazy, YOU.
Think about what you like to do. What your passions are. What YOUR dreams are. What God says about you and how He made you PERFECTLY.
Do you agree with Him?
I struggle with it… still.
BUT I am asking for grace to love me for ME and love what He worked so hard to make.
Think about some of those fears that seem to paralyze you and comment below with something that you LOVE uniquely about YOU!
We are in this fight for life and light TOGETHER!
Back when I used to drink diet soda like it was my full-time job (don’t judge!) I looooooved squeezing some lime juice to spice it up a bit!
Now that I am soda free (3 years strong baby!) I loooooooove putting lime essential oil in sparkling water!!! Was that an AH-HA moment for some of you!? YES. Citrus essential oils and sparkling water are a match made in heaven!! Trust me, you need this is in your life!!!
My fave is to use a SodaStream! It’s so easy!! Just get your water all fizzy, put 1-3 drops in a GLASS, fill the remainder with your uber bubbly water and VOILA! Refreshing spritzer that is good FOR you and tastes DELICIOUS!!!! (Reminder! We never want to use citrus EO’s with plastic/styrofoam! WHY? Click HERE)
But lets get back to basics:
Meet LIVELY LIME! Part 2 of our “Citrus in the Spring Series”
BASICS:
Lime Essential Oil (Citrus Aurantifolia) is cold pressed and extracted from the peel of the fruit. It is such a bright, fierce, invigorating oil. With aromatic notes that are tart and sweet, Lime is a hidden gem in the essential oil kingdom. Most people don’t realize the AMAZING benefits about this champ of an oil! From room refreshing to heavenly guacamole and luscious DIY bath products, this little guy gets passed by BIG time! But no fear! I’m here to help us change that!!
Lime has some amazing benefits and qualities that might shock you! Many enjoy using Lime for its digestive support, boosting the immune system, restorative properties, tonic, and respiratory function. What is incredible about lime though is how quickly it can boost the mood! Toss that baby in the diffuser and you can’t help but do the happy dance!!
TOP USES:
• Diffuse to naturally purify and cleanse the air WHILE also lifting your mood. (Hellooooo 3pm slump!)
• Place a 1-2 drops on a cotton pad and use to help remove grease spots and sticker residue. (Works AMAZING!)
• Add a few drops of Lime to your water for enhanced flavor. (Helloooooo tropical oasis!)
• Add 1 drop to your DIY all-purpose house cleaner or even to shampoo for added cleansing properties. (YUM!)
EMOTIONAL BENEFITS:
Lime helps us reach for our zest for life! (Sounds awesome already, right?!!)
Many of us go through various seasons of pain, grief or discouragement and LIME is an amazing oil that can help you break out of that deep, dark funk. This oil gives the individual courage and cheer, bringing us gratitude in the heart.
Have you ever felt like your emotions just needed a little spring cleaning?
I know I have!
Well, Limes your guy then! This oil assists in uplifting our heart, welcomes joy and cleans out negative, toxic emotions. Think of it like a traffic cop, clearing out the debris to make room for hope, courage and joy! Get ready to feel empowered from the inside out to face life’s challenges with a happy heart!
BLENDS WITH:
Lime makes everything brighter! Illuminate your day by blending with citronella, clary sage, lavender, rosemary and ANY other citrus oils.
For emotional support, Lime blends specifically well with Tangerine, Melissa, Wild Orange and Lavender.
PRIMARY APPLICATION:
Here’s a snapshot of some of my FAVORITE ways to use and apply Lime Essential oil
PRECAUTIONS:
Any natural solution taken out of its proper context can be harmful. Essential oils vary in their characteristics and since we are all different in how we respond to using essential oils, its good to remember to always consider safety and common sense. Though negative reactions are rare, make sure to be a wise steward of YOUR body and pay attention to how you and your loved ones respond. Remember a little goes a long way with these power packed oils! Use caution if you have sensitive skin or are using with small children. Excessive amounts of any oil can cause skin irritation. Keep out of direct contact with eyes, ears and nose. Not all oils are created equal, so research what products you are using carefully and follow directions on label properly.
Citrus oils are often photosensitive. This means that they contain natural substances called furanocoumarins which can possibly react with ultraviolet light to create hyperpigmentation or burning of the skin. All those big fancy words mean this: citrus oils can increase the skins sensitivity to UV rays… so be cautious! Even though Lime essential oil has amazing beneficial properties, always take care after TOPICAL application. It is suggested to wait at least 6-12 hours before exposing skin to UV rays. (Yes ladies, that also means the tanning bed) An adverse response can appear within minutes, hours or days after application and exposure, so pay attention! Don’t fret, just be aware and take care!!
WRAP UP:
Lime essential oil is your bright, happy, cleansing, mood busting, grease cutting, diffuse daily GO TO oil!
If you haven’t cracked this bad boy open, go grab your Lime oil RIGHT NOW and take a deep whiff! I promise you will feel like fields of green just entered your soul and you’re ready to take on the world!
Don’t have any Lime on hand or want to learn more?
Scroll down below and fill out the form to learn how you can get this oily awesomeness in your hands STAT!
I also wanted to pass on one of my faaaaaavorite DIY recipes!
You probably have ALL of these in your kitchen!
If you make it, make sure to let me know how it turns out!!
I hope you enjoyed this Lime-alicious chat and learned something NEW!
Drop me a line and let me know YOUR favorite way to use Lime essential oil!!! Till next time, Happy Oiling!
Are you new to this Essential Oil journey and curious to learn more about how to empower you and your family with these amazing natural solutions!? Make sure to fill out the link below and you will see some GREAT info flying your way!!! If you want great daily inspiration, tips, tricks and resources, pop over to my Facebook page and join the conversation!!! HAPPY OILING!
