Simple Ways To Strengthen Your Immune System

Start each day with some Vitamin C & Echinacea.

Clean & sanitize without harsh chemicals.

Clean & sanitize with harsh chemicals (hey, sometimes there is no other way!).  Like the handle of the shopping cart at the grocery store.

Wash your hands whenever you can.  Carry your own bottle of liquid soap in case the public washroom is all out.  Travel-sized bottles of shampoo are perfect for this.  Like these ones, collected from various hotels.  (Don’t you judge me!  You know the first thing you do when you get into a hotel is pocket the toiletries!)

 

It doesn’t matter that these were not meant to be hand soap.  When it comes to hand washing, it is friction and rinsing that gets rid of the germs.  The soap facilitates this, but it really doesn’t matter what kind of soap you use, as long as it lathers.  And technically, what most of us think of as ‘soap’, is actually ‘detergent’, but that’s another story.

Of course, sometimes there is no sink to be found.  Some people swear by these hand sanitizers. 

As these contain mostly alcohol, you must keep these away from kids.  No, they won’t die if they lick their hands after they apply it, but they may try to drink it from the bottle.  Hey, kids put weird stuff in their mouths.  You already know this if you are a parent.

Get lots of sleep.  No, really.  Even if it means DVR-ing  Grey’s Anatomy and watching it on Saturday afternoon instead of live on Thursday night.  Or whenever it’s on.  To be honest, I don’t watch Grey’s, I only mentioned it because it seems to be a popular show. 

If you do feel flu-like symptoms coming on (mine starts as a twinge of pain in my lower spine), start taking this.  Don’t ask me to pronounce it.  I just say “ossio-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm”.

The directions on the package say to take an entire vial at a time.  My friend is a homeopathic doctor and told me this is not necessary.  Just fill the little cap with pellets (about 7-10) and that’s enough. More is not better when it comes to homeopathy, but it can’t hurt you either.  That’s why they tell you to take more – use it up faster, then you’ll have to buy more and they get higher profits!  It’s not just the pharmaceutical drug companies that want to make lots of money, ya know.

 

Purify the air around you and leave it smelling wonderful.

(Shameless promo.  Sorry.)

Aromatherapy & The Plague

Graverobbers R Us

During the Black Plague in 15th-century Marseilles, a group of men made a small fortune robbing graves.  Miraculously, they themselves never got sick from this high contagious illness.

The men were former spice merchants.  Apparently people are not interested in buying saffron or thyme when they are dying of bubonic plague.  So the spice trade went downhill in a hurry, and these blokes found themselves unemployed. Being the enterprising business men that they were, they created a blend of herbs and essential oils that has come to be known as the “Thieves” blend. They rubbed this blend all over their faces, ears, their clothing and their hands, and went about robbing the victims as they lay dead or dying from this horrible illness.  The thieves never got sick, despite their repeated contact with the infected.

When they were finally caught, the magistrate offered them leniency if they disclosed the ingredients in their protective blend. They admitted it contained cloves, cinnamon, rosemary, lemon and eucalyptus.  

If you Google “Thieves blend”, you are going to find a lot of information from one particular company that markets their own blend.  I do not endorse said company and will not mention them by name.  However, according to them, they had their blend tested and it was found to be over 99% effective at killing airborne germs.  This is not surprising, considering the anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties of those five oils.

Dr. Death

This is what doctors looked like during the plague.  The large beak was stuffed with aromatic herbs as a form of protection against illness. Not that doctors were of much use during that time.  There wasn’t really too much they could do to stop the plague or prevent its spread. They just went around poking people with a long stick because they were afraid to touch anyone.  But really, how creepy is this?  If I saw this guy coming at me with his poking-stick, death would be a welcome relief.  I think this is what the Spy vs Spy comics in Mad magazine are based on.

 

Do it yourself

There are different chemotypes of the essential oils included in the “Thieves” blend, but I chose to use the following:

Eucalyptus globulus
Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon Bark)
Citrus limon
Rosmarinus officinalis
Syzgium aromaticum

I simply mixed equal proportions of the oil in a small amber glass bottle.  Forty drops of each will amount to approximately 10mL.

This synergy is best to diffuse into the air or make into a spray.  To prevent bacteria growth, use vodka as the base for your spray rather than water.

DO NOT APPLY THIS TO YOUR SKIN UNDILUTED!!  I know the graverobbers did it, but they were fighting bubonic plague, not H1N1.  If you feel you must have some skin protection, you can mix the synergy with unscented hand lotion at a ratio of 5 drops per HEAPING tablespoon. 

My new (old) friend

I received a very special gift from a good friend today.  I mentioned that I was interested in learning how to use a real camera (I’m studying under The Pioneer Woman!), and she mentioned that she had an SLR camera that she no longer uses.  So it’s on permanent loan.

Hello beauty. 

Holy moly, look at the size of that lens.  I’m blushing here!

 

There is a separate flash.  It’s really big and has all these weird numbers on the back.  I’m a bit intimidated by it.  Somebody hold me!

But wait, there’s more!  What could be in this tiny little box?

Lens adapter thingies!  See, I don’t even know what they are called.  My friend Wendi is getting ready to slap me right about now.  

 

This one has a criss-cross pattern on it.  I’m guessing it’s to give pictures a textured look.  Something that people now do with Photoshop.  In the olden days, you had to scratch up your lens.

This one looked like half of a pair of sunglasses at first, then I noticed the writing on the side.  Even I know what “polarized” means!  My giant, old-lady sunglasses are polarized.  It helps reduce glare, especially if you are looking through water.

What the…?  Another lens?!  I still don’t know what to do with the first one!

Um, where’s the screen?  Do they even sell film anymore?

Speaking of old cameras, the squareness of those two photos is totally reminding me of the camera my Mom had when I was a baby.  What were those called again?

So much to learn.  So very much to learn!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Columbus Day to all my American friends, although I’m not really sure what you do on Columbus Day.  Someone enlighten me.  It’s Thanksgiving Day here in Canada, though, and we do everything one would expect one to do on Thanksgiving.  Gorge ourselves and then take a nap.

Today is a day to spend with friends & family.

 

I hope you ate lots of turkey.

And shared with others.

Just in case you ate too much, though, try this little blend:

1 ounce carrier oil (grapeseed, sweet almond, etc…)
2 drops fennel
3 drops black pepper
1 drop dill

Massage over the belly in a circular motion (clockwise, when looking down on yourself), finishing with downward strokes on your left side (where your descending colon is located).

It never stops growing

My inventory of essential oils, that is.

First I kept them here:

As I progressed in my studies, my inventory grew and my pretty leather box was now too small.  So I found this shabby chic box:

Now my inventory has swelled to over 70 different oils. I found this box at Michael’s Craft Store and purchased it using a 50% off coupon. 

 

There’s plenty of room to grow here!  I like to keep some business cards in with my oils because it gives them a nice scent.  My chakra stones and pendulum are also kept in here.

 

I have my own little labelling technique, something I picked up from my teacher, Joy.  Most aromatherapists label the tops of their bottles so they can easily identify their oils.  I take it a step further by using colour-coded labels.  Each colour represents a fragrance note – green for top notes, yellow for middle notes, and red for bottom or base notes.  The oils themselves are in alphabetically order.

My First Treasury!

At least, it’s the first one I’m aware that I’ve been in.

Thanks to Enchanted Hue for including my Sinus inhaler in her Cold/Flu inspired treasury.

You can find the treasury here, but the link won’t be active for much longer!

Aromatherapy & Pregnancy – Safety First!

Sine there is so much information that needs to be covered in regards to pregnancy, I’m breaking these posts up into a series. In upcoming posts, we’ll discuss the benefits of using Aromatherapy during your pregnancy and delivery and some ways to employ it.

But first -- Safety!  Essential oils are a ‘natural’ substance, but we know that natural is not necessarily synonymous with “safe”.

Safety

Be Practical. There has never been a reported incident of a woman or her fetus being seriously harmed when using essential oils in acceptable amounts over the short-term.  However, most professional aromatherapist will choose to err on the side of safety, and so should you.

 Do not self-diagnose or self-prescribe.  Always consult a professional when using essential oils during a pregnancy. In Canada, you can use the Canadian Federation of Aromatherapist’s website to search for a CAHP in your area.  In the United States, you could try contacting someone at the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy’s website.  (I couldn’t find a user-friendly member directory on their webpage)

Keep it simple. When discussing essential oils in pregnancy, it’s easier to consult a list of oils you can use rather than oils you should avoid.  If you haven’t been told explicitly by your aromatherapist to use a certain oil, then just avoid that oil. 

In addition to the oils on the Do Not Use list, woman who are pregnant, nursing or trying to become pregnant should avoid use of the following oils.  These lists are the ones that Valerie Worwood, a trusted name in Aromatherapy, uses.

If your therapist prescribes any of the following oils, question them about it.  If they didn’t seem to be aware that oils was contraindicated in pregnancy, run!  And run fast! As fast as your pregnant legs can take you!

Basil	Cinnamon	Aniseed
Fennel	Juniper	Marjoram
Rosemary	Thyme	Clary Sage
Oregano	Clove	Nutmeg
Bay	Pimento Berry	Cistus
Hops	Sage	Valerian
Spikenard	Tarragon	Hyssop
Myrrh	Mace	Cumin
Parsley Seed	Sweet Birch

If you have any questions about the safety of an essential oil during pregnancy, please e-mail me.

Photo courtesy of Stefanie Burt Photography.

Be a part of my test panel.

I am working on a really innovative and therapeutic product that employs the principles of subtle aromatherapy.  Subtle aromatherapy involves inhaling small amounts of essential oils, and focuses on the healing vibrations of the oils, rather than their physical properties. 

I have a few slots left on my test panel.  Here is how it works:

• You will receive a full-sized (80g) sample of the product. 
• You agree to use the product for 4 weeks and jot down your notes on the provided form.
• You agree to complete a questionnaire about the product after the testing time is over.
• You agree to respect the copyright of the product and not redistribute the product in any way.

I prefer local testers, meaning people who live in the Windsor/Essex County area. If you are not local, you may still participate if you are willing to pay a shipping & handling charge. Once you are signed up, I’ll send you a PayPal invoice for the shipping amount. You will be billed in US dollars.

Shipping & Handling Fee for non-local testers:
USA: $6
International: $9.50
Canada: Ontario -- $8 Rest of Canada -- $12

Local testers can pick up or I'll deliver. There is no cost to locals.

If you are interested, please e-mail me the following information:

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Name:
Address:
Age:

Are you pregnant, nursing or trying to get pregnant?

Do you suffer from any chronic illnesses?

Are you a generally healthy person?

Are you on any medications? Please list.

Do you have a seizure disorder or high blood pressure?

Which of the following blends appeals to you the most, or do you feel you can benefit from the most? (NOTE -- if you choose a blend that has oils contraindicated for one of your health conditions, I will inform you of this and offer you another choice).

Calming ~ Rose, Petitgrain, Neroli, Grapefruit & Lavender
Grounding ~ Cedarwood, Patchouli & Cinnamon
Reassuring ~ Marjoram, Clary Sage, Frankincense
Confidence ~ Bay Laurel, Jasmine & Ylang Ylang
Intuition ~ Clary Sage, Rosemary & Basil

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All information will be held in the strictest of confidence.

Spots will be reserved with preference given to locals, and then on a first come, first served basis.