Happy Super Bowl Sunday Everyone! I hope you are enjoying the day whether you are watching the big game or not, hosting a big party or keeping it low key. I am choosing to spend the evening blogging and crafting!

Tonight we are going to focus on the uses for coconut oil for health and wellness. I make a large variety of self-care products using coconut oil as the base and it is one of my favorite products to use.

Extracted from the meat of mature coconuts, coconut oil is an edible oil popular for cooking and baking. And while it is tasty, its uses go far beyond the kitchen. The antibacterial properties make it a versatile substance that can benefit your health. Coconut oil is a good option to treat a variety of skin complaints. In many countries around the world, coconut oil has been used to maintain good oral hygiene and to keep hair and skin healthy.

TREAT DIAPER RASH. The moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties of coconut oil make it a natural and efficient means of curing diaper rash in babies. You can use coconut oil alone by thoroughly washing and drying your baby’s bottom and applying 1 teaspoon of coconut oil directly to the affected area. You can also make your own coconut oil diaper cream.

DIAPER CREAM. Take 1/2 cup of virgin coconut oil, 1/4 cup of shea butter, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, and 3-4 drops of tea tree oil. In a small pot, combine the coconut oil and shea butter and heat over a low flame until the mixture is liquified. Maintain the heat and slowly mix in the cornstarch while stirring. Once the cornstarch is mixed thoroughly, add the essential oil and stir. Store the finished product in a lidded glass jar or bottle.

COMBAT A COLD. If you have a cold, you can make your own chest rub to combat congestion, headaches, and stuffy noses. Combine 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 5 drops eucalyptus oil, and 3 drops of peppermint oil in a small bowl and stir. Apply the mixture to your chest with your fingers for quick symptom relief.

COCONUT WATER FACE MASK. Take 2 tablespoons coconut water, 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon honey. Combine the coconut water, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl and stir well. Using a cotton ball or cotton round, soak up the mixture and massage it into your skin using gentle, circular motions. Let the concoction sit for 30 minutes and then rinse with cold water. If you find that the level of lemon juice is too drying, try reducing to 1/4 teaspoon. Alternatively, if you find that the level of honey is too rich for your skin type, you can lessen it or leave it out all together.

SALT SCRUB. One of my most favorite uses for coconut oil is to make salt scrubs. The best recipe is to take 2 cups of softened coconut oil with 1 cup of Epsom salt and combine and add several drops of either tea tree essential oil or lemon essential oil. Store in a lidded jar. To use, rub 1 tablespoon of the salt scrub into damped feet. Let sit on your feet for 5 minutes then rinse thoroughly and dry.

LIP SCRUB. Combine 1 teaspoon coconut oil, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon honey in a small bowl. Apply to the lips with a finger and gently rub in a circular motion. Rinse with warm water. This can be made in a larger batch and stored in a small jar. During the winter months, I will add 2 drops of peppermint essential oil for a cooling sensation for irritated lips.

Have a great week ahead.

Please visit my Etsy store where I offer several handmade self-care products using coconut oil as a base. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtistrybyElaine My chocolate-mint lip balm is a best seller along with my handmade acne cream and green tea foot scrub. I am always happy to provide small samples free to anyone who is interested! Reach out to me on this blog for help with any item.

Happy Sunday Everyone! Today begins a new series exploring the uses of essential oils for mind and body. I firmly believe essential oils trigger powerful effects on the human body. One of the most popular uses is to relax, unwind, and calm the mind and spirit. For example, using lavender, chamomile and rose to alleviate stress and anxiety. Using aromatherapy and essential oils go beyond emotional uses, however, and offer a wide variety of therapeutic benefits.

Using Essential Oils Topically:

Put basil on the outside of the ears for an earache or swimmer’s ear.

Use peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus oils behind the ears to relieve headaches. dizziness, anxiety. (My daughter uses lavender essential oil both behind the ears and on her temple to relieve pressure-related headaches.)

Use clove or wintergreen on your shoulders for joint pain.

Use eucalyptus or peppermint on the chest for chest congestion or coughs. (I make a homemade chest rub with coconut oil and camphor essential oil and peppermint! If you would like the recipe, please comment on this post and I will be happy to share.)

Use peppermint, ginger or fennel oil on the abdomen to relieve nausea.

Use vetivier, basil, lemongrass or myrrh on your wrists to relieve carpal tunnel symptoms. (After I shower in the morning, I will rub basil mixed with a carrier oil on my right wrist and put a wrap on my wrist before I go to work. I keep basil in a roller bottle that I keep with me at work to refresh as necessary.)

Use peppermint, rosemary or lavender on the bottom of your feet to relieve headaches or restlessness or anxiety.

Today we will focus on our first oil in this series: Frankincense. Frankincense is a spiritual oil dating back to ancient religions and cultures. Not only has it been used as an incense and perfume, but it is also a medicinal remedy for infections and skin ailments, and a great oil for wound care. Frankincense blends well with chamomile, cypress, geranium, ginger, grapefruit,, lemon, lime, orange, rose, lavender and ylang ylang.

Add 1 drop to a veggie capsule and take daily to support healthy cell function.

Add 1 drop to a cup of your favorite hot tea to support overall digestive health.

Apply to the bottoms of your feet just before bedtime to promote relaxation.

Make a simple toner using 2 drops of frankincense with 1 1/2 ounces of water and apply to the skin with a cottom ball to refresh skin.

I hope you all have a great week ahead and will find this new series informative and helpful and beneficial to your mind and body health in 2023.

Question of the day – please comment on this post on which essential oil you would most like to learn about first or what oil is your personal favorite and why. Commenters can choose to receive one of three free items: 5 new, empty veggie capsules to fill with your own oil, a one ounce bottle of Thieves Household Cleaner, or a one ounce container of eucalyptus bath salts.

See you next week. We will dive deep into the classic essential oil: LAVENDER.

“A bright, shiny new year,
empty, neat, and pristine,
waiting, ready for us to get it right.
Another chance to love and forgive.
Another chance to make a real effort
to give more than we get.
Another chance to make a difference.
A good new year, A Happy New Year.”

2022 – We will open the book. Its pages are
blank. We are going to put words on them
ourselves. The book is called opportunity and
its first chapter is New Year’s Day.

I wish you all a safe, happy and most of all, healthy start
to the New Year. Thank you for visiting my blog this year
and I look forward to sharing with you in the next.

Make the most of the last week of 2021 and we will return
to our Fabulous Fruits Series next weekend!

Good evening Everyone! I hope you are enjoying the month of April. This can be a crazy busy time of spring break for school, spring sports, end of the year school activities, graduation preparation, etc. Tonight will be a special post on some tips for Self-Care and ways to take care of YOU and bring your best self to whatever events you have going on!

Make Healthy Choices. It’s okay to take time to make small allowances and treat yourself. Life isn’t always about constant constriction. Just remember to make healthy choices the majority of the time. Too much fat, sugar, and salt can affect your motivation, mood and energy!

Carve out Some Time for Self-Care. Take a few moments to get outside for a breath of fresh air, a quick meditation, fit in a quick workout, or chat with a loved one to help you reset.

Meditate. There are great apps out there that offer short, guided meditations on a range of subjects to help you center yourself and keep calm through the spring hustle and bustle.

Recite Affirmations. Affirmations are another great way to center yourself and align with your intention for how you want to feel and show up for yourself and others during this season. Try reciting and/or writing the following affirmation over and over when you need a reset: “I breathe in calmness and positivity.” Or pick some other positive statement that aligns with your desired state. (I work as a manager in retail and reciting positive affirmations have been a tremendous help getting through a hectic and stressful time dealing with employees and customers and maintaining a positive spirit during our annual store resets!)

Be Active. Fitting in some movement can help you relieve stress and anxiety, boost energy, work off calories and just feel better all around. So try to fit in physical activity where you can. It doesn’t have to be super intense or take a ton of time. Even five minute walks around the block and taking the stairs instead of the elevator add up and can help increase your overall stamina.

Get Enough Sleep. It may be tempting to clock some late nights attending events, spring cleaning, working outside; but adequate sleep is critical for us to feel our best in mind, body, and spirit and help keep our immune system strong.

Stay Hydrated. We tend to underestimate the importance of adequate water intake and forget to hydrate altogether when you’re busy, but dehydration can often take a toll on the body and make you feel downright lousy. Try to drink half your body weight in ounces a day and keep a reusable water bottle on you at all times so you are never left high and dry. Water helps boost energy and flushes toxins from your system, among other things.

Breathe…and Smile.

Take a Break from Social. Life can be stressful enough without falling prey to the comparison game, which social media tends to fuel. So do yourself a favor and give yourself a break from social media as often as you can. We suggest adjusting your phone settings to limit your screen time, instituting social media-free weekends, leaving your phone out of your bedroom at night and vowing to keep it out of sight during family activities that deserve your focused attention.

Make a gratitude list. (This is an everyday tradition in our family.) Spend some time acknowledging, celebrating, and expressing gratitude for all you have to be grateful for each day. Every night, take time to write down or reflect on everything you have to be grateful for from that day. Gratitude can improve physical and mental health, sleep, self-esteem, increase mental strength and lots more.

Ditch the perfection mentality. We all want to do the things that are memorable and meaningful, but if you are trying to be perfect, you are setting yourself up for alot of unnecessary stress and disappointment. Perfection doesn’t exist and chasing it will only make you crazy. Let go of perfect and be satisfied with “authentic.” You will end up enjoying life alot more.

I hope you have a wonderful week. Next post we will dive into some spring cleaning fun! Look for some great tips and all natural cleaning recipes and checklists!

“PEACE. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

#peace #calm #selfcare