essential oils – Five Little Duckies

Quantum Leap

Does anyone remember this TV show from the early 90’s? I remember watching this and thinking it was sci-fi and thinking how crazy the concept was. Jump to 2017 (pun intended). I’ve been on a journey of faith, personal development, and love for the past 5 years and of late I’m burrowing into the concept of quantum physics. If you have no idea what that is or what I’m talking about, hang onto your hat! Because your mind is about to be totally blown.

Let’s start with basics. Do you know that every single thing has a vibrational frequency? Everything. For, every. single. thing. in this universe is purely made of energy. Quantum physics is the study of this energy–the study of vibrational frequencies and energy and matter. And quantum physics explores the possibility of particles being in two states at the same time. I love how this site presents it: In 1905, Albert Einstein proved through quantum physics that energy and matter are interchangeable and interconnected. In other words, the universe and all things within it are interchangeable. Your energy, vibrational frequency, and physical self are interchangeable. We are one universal energy body manifesting itself in various forms throughout the cosmos. Boom! Mind blown.

Hard to wrap your brain around that, right? It’s ok, I’ll give you a minute. I’ll be right here when you get back (and maybe somewhere else at the same time! 😉 )

I’ve become so fascinated by this topic of quantum physics that I really TRULY feel I could write an entire book on this (and many folks have!). Without even knowing it, I’ve been dabbling in quantum physics for years. My oils. My Oola obsession. Personal development. I’ve ditched bad habits and toxic relationships. I’ve done an ENTIRE overhaul of the food we eat and the chemicals in our home environment. I’m releasing negative emotional patterns with the use of mantras and essential oils. I believe there’s something innate in all of us that KNOWS this stuff already and WANTS to be at the highest frequency we can be. There’s a MOUNTAIN of fascinating information on this topic. For instance, the scientific/medical community is now studying the use of frequencies to literally blast out cancer cells and remedy other medical conditions. I mean…seriously, how much more sci-fi can it get?! I am just seriously nerding out all over with this stuff. I look forward to the day when we all are empowered to live life to our highest frequencies and anyone who is sick can get better with light therapy, sound therapy, water therapy, essential oil therapy (which I am obligated legally to tell you–duh–does not yet exist!), or nutritional therapy. BRING. IT. ON.

So these vibrational frequencies are measured in megahertz units. A megahertz is a unit of alternating current or electromagnetic wave frequency. Yes…get out your spectacles because we are in severe NERD territory. And you know you’re loving it as much as I am!

The human body typically vibrates between 62 and 78MHz. Disease begins at 57MHz, cancer at 42MHz, and death at 25MHz. These are proven numbers, recorded over and over and over again by the scientific community to the point where they are well known standards. We now can know the vibrational frequency of ANYTHING. It’s not difficult to Google this stuff and find tons of sites that list the frequencies of the food you eat, the thoughts you have, the things you watch on TV, your emotions, your activities, your sleep, your outlook on life…the list goes on and on, my friends. Every thing you say, eat, do or think truly–TRULY–has a direct and PROFOUND impact on your health and your quality of life. Let me repeat that. Every single thing you say, eat, do, and think TRULY has a DIRECT impact on your HEALTH and your QUALITY OF LIFE. That is profound and astonishing. Sure, it’s something we hear all the time. You are what you eat. What you think about comes about. Watch what you wish for! Mind over matter. How many sayings do we have that drive this point home? And yet most of us walk around like zombies, letting life throw us around like your laundry on spin cycle. We develop negative thought patterns, negative emotional patterns, poor eating and sleeping habits, destructive relationships, self sabotaging habits…you catch my drift.

Here’s the good news: As we’ve said, everything you think, do, eat, experience, say, and feel affects your vibrational frequency…this means you have influence over your number. YOU HAVE INFLUENCE OVER YOUR NUMBER!!!! This is perhaps the best news you’ve ever heard. Trust me.

In order to raise your frequency, you need to have a grasp on what some common numbers are. I really like this chart of the vibrational frequency of emotions. This is a well known and highly used chart:

Negative thoughts lower frequency by approximately 12 MHz, but positive thoughts raise frequency by approx 10MHz. Look at love…love vibrates at around 500MHz. But guilt? Guilt vibrates at 30Mhz. You know the old notion that someone is giving you a “guilt trip” to make you feel bad about something? TRUTH! And the old saying “you are what you eat”?? YEP! You are. I really like this fellow bloggers’ article about frequencies and food. The highlight for me is this list right here: Fresh Foods 20-27 Hz, Fresh Herbs 20-27 Hz, Dried Foods 15-22 Hz, Dried Herbs 15-22 Hz, Processed/Canned Food 0 HZ. Again, processed foods…ZERO. If you want to impact your frequency greatly, start by shopping the perimeter of your grocery store and skipping all the inside isles which are loaded with processed foods!

Something else you can do…get some essential oils. Essential oils can actually assist you in supporting most of your body systems. They can make your water tastier, enabling you to drink more. They help with cravings, support normal sleep patterns, encourage you to love and be grateful, and they are amazing tools for emotional support! The frequency of therapeutic grade essential oils range between 52 and 580MHz…wow! Did you remember that love vibrates at 500MHz? Blue Spruce oil vibrates at 580MHz–a higher frequency than the emotion of love, scientifically speaking!!! Imagine how crazy good you will feel if you diffuse or apply this oil every day as part of a morning routine. Essential oils actually have the highest recorded vibrational frequency of any measured natural substance. That’s pretty boss! Next time you are feeling down or the negative thoughts are starting to overtake you, grab an oil. Smell it and apply it topically. Diffuse it all around you. Keep oils in your purse, on your kitchen counter, in your bathroom, at your bedside.

There are lots of things you can do to raise your frequency. Drink more water. Ditch sugar, alcohol, and coffee (yes, painful to hear!). Get more sleep and higher quality sleep. Exercise. Turn your negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Love yourself. Be grateful! (Does all this sound very…Oola? If you don’t know what Oola is, do yourself a favor and check it out…you can click to above link or read my previous blog entitled Ola-la.) Take a look at the food you’re eating. What’s the last book you’ve read? What are you doing to elevate your mind? Are you meditating? Practicing prayer, worship and fellowship? Are your friendships loving and open and accepting? Do your other relationships challenge you in a healthy way?

In my mind, quantum physics isn’t just a topic of discussion or a scientific theory. To me, it’s an approach to life. Living the life that God designed for you and the life that YOU were meant to live will bring you wellness, purpose, and abundance. The key to a life of high vibrational frequency is in your hands. You can bring yourself down with poor choices, negative thoughts, and destructive habits and relationships. Or you can lift yourself up at every chance possible. For some, it will take a lot of work to dig out of certain holes. But oh, it will be so worth it. For others, it will come a lot easier. However you get there, it is YOUR journey and your journey alone…and that is the whole point! You are what you eat. What you think about comes about. Watch what you wish for! Mind over matter. So…get your habits, thoughts, actions, relationships, and words aligned with the kind of life you truly want to live…and LEAP into it (you see what I did there?). 😉

Back to School Immunity Support

Ahhh…it’s time for back to school. We all love the long, hot summers with the kids, but let’s face it, a little piece of you is doing the happy dance when those crisp fall mornings roll around and it’s time to get little ones up and out in the morning for the school bus. What is NOT causing the happy dance is the plethora of yucky stuff lurking behind those school doors. The first two weeks of school are always like immunity bootcamp as kids come back together after a blissful few months of being healthy. Well get out your notebook because I’m about to hit you with an arsenal of ways to boost your and your family’s immunity for the fall and winter months!

As you all know, I love, LOVE essential oils. My first line of defense for yucky stuff is my beloved Thieves oil by Young Living. My favorite thing to do with the Thieves oil is diffuse it in the house. Using the Thieves vitality oil is a wonderful, easy way to support your immune system daily, but the added bonus here is that your home will be filled with a delicious cinnamon/clove scent that just screams autumn. We also apply Thieves oil to the soles of the feet every morning before school to ward off anything unwelcomed and if Mama starts feeling under the weather, the first thing I do is reach for my Thieves Vitality and make a nice, cozy hot tea with it. Young Living’s vitality line of oils is formulated specifically to support body systems, as they are labeled as dietary supplements. How cool is that?! Other essential oils that I absolutely NEVER go into the fall season without are RC (which stands for respiratory comfort), Eucalyptus Globulus (great for sinuses), Lemon (great for your throat), and Cinnamon oil (which according to this source and many others–but not according to me and not according to any essential oil companies out there–is said to combat viruses when diffused or ingested). Essential oils can be overwhelming. And it’s true–there’s A LOT of education out there. But that’s why I’m here 🙂 I’m happy to help anyone who has questions about these amazing oils–the lifeblood of pure plant matter–and their therapeutic benefits.

Even though I’m crazy about the oils, they aren’t the only thing I keep on hand for when school starts (though I must admit–they are by far and away the most effective and my favorite, for the record!). I also love having colloidal silver on hand. Follow the directions on the bottle and this will also help support and strengthen the immune system. One of my other go-to’s when we start to come down with something is elderberry syrup. You can pick this up at Mrs. Green’s or any other health food store but honestly, homemade is the best. Search your area for someone who makes this out of her kitchen or–better yet–make it out of your own! Here is a recipe 🙂

Ever wake up to the dreaded and panicked cry of “mom–I can’t open my eye!??!” That would be conjunctivitis! After trying lots of stuff and even using the antibacterial eye drops, I have found an extremely effective and simple protocol for pink eye. What you need to have on hand is plain (nothing added), organic green tea bags. Make a cup of hot tea, steep the tea bag for a few minutes, take it out and let it cool a bit, and then apply the warm tea bag to the eye. Bonus–you get to have a cup of green tea (add some honey for extra health benefits)! This is a win-win 😉

Immunity support is important, but there are a few other things would be remiss of me to skip over. One of my favorite back-to-school tips is to have Stress Away essential oil on hand. There is an entire list of oils I recommend for students–from supporting focus (Brain Power or Rosemary), to supporting normal sleep (Lavender), to supporting normal levels of stress (Frankincense), and even oils to help calm emotions associated with social situations (Acceptance, Peace and Calming, Gathering, Release, and so many more). But Stress Away is a favorite. My boys love it, as do I. I also recommend having Lemon Oil on hand for sticky situations–literally. One of its main constituents–limonene, which is a terpene–annihilates petrochemicals so it’s wonderful for removing glue, adhesives, honey or syrup, it even gets marker and paint off of most surfaces (from my own experience!)…and lemon oil smells lovely and uplifting when diffused. Need some of these oils? Have questions? Email me directly at fivelittleduckiesblog@gmail.com.

Well, now you have a plan for at least one aspect of back to school. If only this blog could purchase school supplies for you, get your kids new clothes, pack your lunches, sign all your consent forms, attend your teacher conferences, and play taxi for activities, you’d be all set! 😉 Happy back-to-school!

Self (Cyber) Care

Today’s blog is short and sweet. Everyone is talking about self care. And with good reason. As a VERY busy mommy of three who owns two businesses, I get that self care is super important. It’s the reason I get quarterly massages at my happy place (Thann Sactuary), keep countless essential oils in my purse, on my counters, in the bathrooms and in every drawer, in the car, it’s why I diffuse them throughout my house…(you get the picture–my life is littered with essential oils!), it’s the reason I lock myself in my room for 30 minutes when my husband is home from work, it’s why I savor a good cup of coffee or tea, and the reason I take early morning walks as the sun is coming up before all the little creatures in my house are up and awake. It’s also the reason I took ten or fifteen minutes to do this next thing which turned out to be WAY more important than I ever thought it would be.

One day I was wasting seconds–maybe minutes–deleting annoying spam emails. Each and every time I do this I grumble to myself…”this is SO annoying….such a waste of time…I don’t even like half of these companies…why do I get so many of these?!” And so on and so forth. Talk about a negative attitude manifesting itself within SECONDS of me picking up my phone. I would hear my inner thoughts and think NOT GOOD. Your thoughts are extremely powerful and help to manifest everything from the way your day will go to the money that comes to you, the career you have, your relationships and beyond (and delving into this concept, which is called the “law of attraction”, is for another time!).

So back to today’s thought…this may seem too simple and too obvious but unless I’m the only one who has just never taken the time to do this, my short blog today could fill you with a sense of relief, add a few minutes to your day, or perhaps most importantly, just improve your daily attitude!

So here’s the big revelation…UNSUBSCRIBE TO EACH AND EVERY SPAM EMAIL! Yes, it takes a few extra minutes on the front end but I cannot even tell you how this tiny little act has improved my daily attitude! When I check my emails now, my inbox is full of just the things I want to see and emails from REAL people. When I pick up my phone, there aren’t 25 zero-content messages in my inbox.

Of course I missed many solicitations on the first round of purging because they don’t all come on the same day, so as they kept piling into my inbox in the days to follow, I just took a few extra seconds to click the unsubscribe button and follow through with getting those emails out of my inbox for good. So liberating! Just like cleaning out an over-stuffed closet or finally ditching those “I’ll wear these again someday” clothes at the back of your closet. It seems obvious and simple but purging can feel so liberating and like such a burden has been lifted! I have written about purging your STUFF before (check out the post on tag sales) but purging your CYBER “stuff” is equally important. Do. This. Now. Your heart will feel a little bit lighter, your mind a little less clogged, and you’ll be smiling like a kid with an ice cream cone. Trust me. Who doesn’t want to be sporting a smile like this? 😉

Road Trip!

Ahhh….road trips. An integral part of my life from the get go. I remember road-tripping it all the way from Pennsylvania to Florida on family vacations. Not to mention the frequent 3-hour trips to my grandma’s house and the other multitude of vacation trips we took by vehicle since flying wasn’t in our budget for a family of four in the 80’s. Of course, this was back when a kid could sleep on the floor of the car, stand between the front seats, climb all over the back, or even sit in the hatch! Those days are over, my friends…kids are strapped in with limited movement and I can’t blame them when they get cranky. They can’t even shift in their seats!? Imagine that…how would you feel?! That’s why I’ve composed this blog to share some of our road trip tips. (The picture below is not my family!)

Full Bellies, Quiet Ride!

Here’s the mantra you want to repeat over and over again when the going gets tough…this, too, shall pass 😉 Seriously, though, the first tip I have is the lifeline of ALL of our trips– car or airplane. It’s the breath in our daily outings, the serenity during church, it’s every calm moment during every. single. day. I’m talking about the almighty SNACK. And man do I LOAD UP for road trips. So, this is a no-brainer and I know you’re thinking “I did not log onto this blog to be told to bring snacks in the car–everyone knows this!?” True. Very true. My main tip here is really in organizing the snacks. So you can go about this a few different ways…if you have the ideology that you will portion control and distribute the snacks on intervals, then you need to have the ENTIRE snack bag in the front seat with you at your feet. I used to put the bag-o-snacks behind my seat. After twisting and turning and getting carsick for the last time while blindly digging through the snacks looking for that one specific item my toddler saw me pack and is ten seconds from blowing a gasket unless I can produce it NOW….I decided to move the snacks to the center in the back. But then my two-year-old turned three. And he could SEE and REACH the snack bag. No bueno! Now the snack bag lives with me in the front seat. Annoying for leg room? Absolutely. Buy totally worth it when I can just reach down, pull out what I need, and pass it back to the gremlins.

More tips on this very important subject…in the same bag as the actual snacks, bring bowls, napkins, spoons, plates, straws, a knife for cutting, ziplocs for leftovers, a plastic bag for garbage, and anything else you might need for your particular snacks. Learned that one the hard way! “Oh I have this lovely box of crackers…and nothing to serve them to my messy, uncoordinated toddlers in ” Let me tell you, turning around every 3 minutes to refill a sticky little hand with 4 more crackers was no less obnoxious than digging blindly behind the seat for the whole trip! And the first time I brought bananas for a snack and didn’t have anywhere to put the peels? Let’s just say the car did not smell nice when we finally remembered that I had shoved them in the side of my door

So what if you are not the snack nazi and you just can’t be bothered and it’s a total free-for-all because hey–the kids are happy and quiet (and I am SURE I will totally be this person when the kids get a little older..in fact, I’m actually planning on it!). Here’s a very cool tip: use an organizing bin to prepare snacks the night before and just give each child one and let them have at it! (Still bring back-up and refill snacks, of course!)

To Screen or Not to Screen

Ok, you’ve got the snacks covered. Another no-brainer these days is the screen. Whether you have TVs in the car or each child has an iPhone or iPad, this can also save you. We have an iPad that we put in the middle for all three kids to watch as we roll along. My tip here is that Netflix has an amazing variety and it’s a monthly subscription so you don’t have to pay for each show or movie. You do need to have streaming capabilities with your data plan, though, so be sure to check on that! One other tip here is to ask each child to list three things they’d like to watch on the way and then bring that list with you so that once you get rolling you’re not looking down scrolling through tons of items and causing fights in the back seat “I want Daniel Tiger…NOOOO, we ALWAYS watch that. I want Paw Patrol!!! It’s not faaaaiiirrrrr!!!!!” Ugh, spare me! Much easier to go by the list and you can remind them that they DID pick these shows…remember??? If you have a no-screen policy, then just skip this one.

Be Prepared

If you have toddlers I recommend having a change of clothes separate from your giant suitcase (I know you all have one!) so that if there is a spill or accident, you aren’t unloading the ENTIRE car digging through everything to find a pair of underwear (I know I packed it somewhere…!!!?!??). If you have a baby, I recommend having two changes of clothes separate from your giant suitcase…probably in the diaper bag with the diapers and wipes and what-not. Don’t bury the diaper bag when packing the car!

It Takes a Village

Here’s one new to me, as previously all my children were too young to be helpers…if you have a baby and an older sibling, make sure they are next to each other in the back–No space between them (in my car, it’s not a problem because the kids are three seats across in the back!). Here’s why: big sibling is now your helper. What I’ve found is that big sibling will relish the responsibility you are giving him and you will have a deep sigh of relief when baby actually stops crying and takes the puffers from his big brother or sister. I always bring puffers (you know, those strange baby “snacks” that disappear in the baby’s mouth before they get a chance to swallow them), a bottle of milk, a sippy cup of water, some baby toys, and plenty of wipes–and of course you know I’ve got it all in the front seat with me for easy access 😉 Here’s my big boy giving his baby brother a bottle on the way to Grammy’s house!

Look Out for Number One 😉

Next up is actually prep for mommy and daddy, for you might need snacks too! Pack a snack for yourselves, some bottled water, and tea or coffee if that’s your thing. We all know that if the baby falls asleep or the older kids aren’t complaining…you’re not stopping! So don’t neglect yourselves.

Planning ahead

Map out places to stop for meals and/or coffee BEFORE you’re on the road. Nothing is more annoying than trying to get the Maps app to work on your phone when you’re in the middle of nowhere and all you want is a meal that’s not made from leftover animal parts. We are very fussy eaters and admitted food snobs so we always map out the healthier options and the coffee spots so that when it’s time to stop, we know what’s around within a 20 minute radius. It may seem tedious but, trust me, this will save you so much frustration and may even prevent meltdowns (since kids decide they are STARVING and absolutely CANNOT WAIT FOR FOOD in a matter of 3 minutes). And if you go the same routes a lot (ie Grandma’s house, the annual trip to the beach, etc), you will only have to do it once but you’ll use the info many, many times.

Don’t Get Weighed Down

So do any of you feel like your car looks like this (lefthand picture) when you’re finally ready to head out when you intended for it to look like this (righthand pic)?

LOL. Pack your car in layers. I always put the stuff we absolutely will not need until we’ve arrived at our destination into the trunk first. Then I work backwards. If there’s anything I think we might need to access–even on an off-chance–I put it in last.

The Old Standby

Of course, do pack some good ‘ol toys and books. My kiddos do love to look at books and play with some of their favorite toys in the car. As they get older, we will be able to do more creative things like I spy, count the blue cars, license plate bingo and all that fun stuff. And if your kiddos are young, they probably still want their stuffed animal friends and their pillows. Although I’m sure older kids still want their pillows. Heck who am I kidding, even I like to have my pillow in the car on long trips! The only recommendation I have here is to make sure there are a few blankets handy. Because at least one child always drifts off to sleep and then wakes up freezing.

A New Trick

You all know me…my “new trick” for you is to have your essential oils on hand right in the front seat with you! 🙂 Some oils I love to bring on vacations include Stress Away, Bergamot, Lemon, Peace & Calming, Lavender, Peppermint, Thieves, and Purification (oh you know I bring WAAAAAYYYY more than that! But those are a good starting point if you’re more of a beginning oiler). Tips here: bring a few cotton balls. When the car gets stuffy (peppermint) or smelly (purification), or when the kids are cranky (peace & calming) or hubs is on your nerves (lavender), or you get stuck in traffic (stress away)…put a couple drops of that oil on a cotton ball and stick it in your A/C vents! You can also apply these to your wrists and temples, of course, and add some lemon to your water (in a glass bottle, not a plastic one), to make your drink a little more refreshing. Need more info on essential oils? Email me! amo4piano@yahoo.com or check out this link.

I hope these tips have been useful for you! When you’re about to pull your hair out and you can’t even hear your husband over the screaming and crying, you may not be able to communicate with him but at least you will have a plan! 😉 Happy road-tripping!

The Constant Gardener

That’s what I feel like lately…like I’m constantly out in the garden. It is one of my happy places 🙂 In fact, after a long day with the kids, I like to go pull weeds or spray my homemade pesticide/insecticide, water everything, or just walk through the yard and check out how all of my “little ones” are doing. There is nothing like planting a seed and weeks later seeing it grow into a seeding and then weeks after that, harvesting your fruit and veggies that will then be brought to your table for a meal. And one of the amazing perks of spring and summer for me is constantly having a new, fresh vase of flowers on my table–fresh from our yard. I can’t take credit for that, though. The previous owners had a green thumb of their own and particularly loved flowers and decorative plants. My love is for cultivating herbs, fruits, and veggies but the existing plants that were in this yard are creating within me a love of flowers and other plants as well.

Here’s the bunch I got last week next to the one I got this week 🙂 As you can see, my irises are out in full force this week. Last week it was mostly wild flowers.

Anyway, back to edibles 🙂 I’ve been trying to take pictures of the progress of my beds but, alas, I’m not great at that. When I’m out in the garden, I want to just “be”. Today I’m going to show you the progress so far and share with you my non-toxic, homemade pesticide/insecticide recipe. I’ll also talk a little bit about companion planting, which I rely on heavily for the success of my crops and also for pest and insect control.

Here’s my largest bed weeks ago when I was still clearing and tilling the second half of it. Last year was my first spring in this house. I was only able to clear out what you see on the left side the previous summer and I did get a few things in the ground that summer (you can see my chives and, in the box, my mint–perennials that come back each year). The photo (left) is a picture from several weeks ago when I was tilling up the existing half of the bed and the photo to the right is from two weeks ago when I finally had everything tilled and ready and I was able to get my seeds and seedlings in (you can see that in that two weeks time, my chives flowered!).

My gardens are about 70% seed and 30% seedlings. But you can do it however you’d like, of course!

First let’s talk about pests.

I like to border my beds with fragrant herbs and flowers to keep pests at bay. We have a problem around here with chipmunks and squirrels in particular. Deer can be an issue sometimes (which is why I’ve got my berry bushes fenced in), but the little rodents are more of a problem for me! I border with potted herbs and fragrant plants/flowers–lavender, rosemary, chives, marigolds, mint, dill, cilantro, parsley, and oregano are my choices. If you’ve got little kids, be careful with your oregano, as it can attract wasps. Wasps can be a beneficial inset in the garden but they can also be aggressive so just be careful!

Once I’ve got my first line of defense up, I cage in some of the more vulnerable plants. For us, it’s tomatoes, hands down. Last year when I caught a chipmunk red handed with a big, juicy, ripe tomato in his paws munching away, my then-three-year-old said “it must be Alvin because he is NOT a good listener.” Well…I could not agree more, sweet boy! ❤ This little guy and his friends are NOT good listeners! So I cage my tomatoes. And even that doesn’t always deter but it helps tremendously. Other plants that may need caged, depending on which pests you have, include carrots, leafy greens, melons and other fruits, and berry bushes should always get netting…otherwise, you’ll provide a nice meal for the birds but nothing for yourself!

Next I mix up my non-toxic, homemade pesticide/insecticide, which is made with 100% therapeutic grade essential oils. You all know by now there is only brand of oils I trust–contact me if you want to learn more about this! I use a blend of 6 oils: Peppermint, Lavender, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Black Pepper, and Thyme. Why these oils? I have researched each of these oils for their pesticide and insecticide abilities. I am not going to go into every single oil here and what it repels (each of them repel MANY things, which is why they’ve been chosen out of the hundreds of oils out there!). I can’t say that I would recommend this book for any of its other chapters, BUT chapter 18 in The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy is an outstanding reference for gardening with essential oils.

You’ll need a home sprayer…the number of gallons doesn’t really matter. If you have a smaller sprayer, just adjust the number of drops of oils that you’ll use. It isn’t an exact science and as you all know, I like to eyeball things. 😉 So, here’s now I make mine…

Add a little water to the spray jug. Add 10 drops of each essential oil (listed above). Then fill the remainder of the jug with water. It’s that easy! Shake it up and spray, spray, spray! The quality of oils you are spraying MATTERS. Do not just walk into CVS and buy oils and spray them all over your edibles. They must be pure oils or they will not be non-toxic. I cannot stress enough that if you need more education about what a “pure” oil is, please contact me. For legal reasons, I cannot include any brand names in this blog so please contact me with questions! All of these oils (if pure!) are safe to spray on your edibles so go to town! In fact, certain oils have been said to enhance the flavor of certain plants. You can read about this in the above referenced book. Many of these oils have anti-fungal properties so if you see any kind of mold starting on your plants, get out there and pray them! I saved my yellow squash last year in exactly that way! This spray is not just a pesticide, it’s an insecticide, too.

Need some information on those essential oils? Email me!

So let’s talk about insects!

My main defense against insects is truly the homemade spray. Each oil has so many properties and can repel so many different unwanted insects that it’s really the perfect combination for any fruit, veggie, and herb garden.

In addition to my homemade insecticide, I rely on the herbs and companion planting. I highly recommend you check out Rodale’s Companion Planting guide for plant pairing when it comes to insects. This book has been my “Bible” for the garden. I rely heavily on the info between the covers to plan out my entire garden each year. Especially because I’m adding new plants each year and I like to rotate my crops to help diversify the soil (another tip you can read all about in the Rodale book). This book will help you with insect control but it will also teach you where to place your plants for optimum growth. If you have a year where something just doesn’t come to fruition for no apparent reason, you’ve probably got it next to an “enemy” plant! Certain plants actually thrive next to other plants. And certain plants will repel insects on behalf of other plants. A good blanket statement to live by is that herbs will deter pesky insets and attract beneficial ones.

For instance, plant some rosemary and mint next to your broccoli and they will keep cabbage worms at bay 🙂 Also, certain spiders, birds and yellow jackets will eat cabbage worms. So you don’t want to use a store-bought spray that will just kill any and everything in sight. You do need certain insects and birds hanging around in order to have a healthy garden. I keep a bird feeder right next to the garden. And we are very bee-friendly in this house. We never squash bees–in fact, one of the reasons I border with marigolds and other deer-resistant perennials is to attract our pollinating friends to my fruits and veggies. After all…no pollination, no fruits and veggies!

I hope this post has been helpful for you. I will be back in a few more weeks with another garden post to show you how my pesticide is working and how the crops are growing! 🙂 Until then, happy gardening!

Please comment below if you have questions about anything in this post or if you’d like to share what you’re doing in your own garden! 🙂

Frankincense

Can we just talk about frankincense for a minute? This ancient, sacred tree has been healing for centuries and we are just now beginning to see its potential in our modern times. Frankincense is specifically mentioned in the Bible 17 times and incense (which likely refers to Frankincense) is mentioned 113 times. And most of us know that one of the gifts brought to the baby Jesus was frankincense. In biblical times, frankincense was more precious and valuable than gold, believe it or not. I’d just like to add that many other oils are mentioned in the Bible as well…so when you add up every reference to essential oils, the Bible mentions essential oils and healing plants over 600 times! Obviously the use of plants and their oils was a common, every day practice.

Today we turn to man-made synthetic pharmaceuticals when we are ill. Why do we do that? Well, opinions vary but mine has to do with the giant cash cow that the pharmaceutical industry has become. But, once again, that is for another post! 😉 Did you know that essential oils were the main medicine before man-made drugs? And many man-made drugs are intended to imitate things in nature. Aspirin and other painkillers? They imitate wintergreen, for instance. And morphine was first derived from poppies. Once it was synthetically produced, it was chemically concocted in many forms.

As a person who has been seeking out holistic remedies for years and who, over the last year and a half, has discovered the amazing power of essential oils, I’m relieved to see the scientific community finally turning to some of these oils for answers. Frankincense, or Boswellia as its known in the scientific community (that’s the botanical name), is being tested for its mind-blowing affects on cancer cells and other ailments. I highly encourage you to visit www.pubmed.gov and search for Boswellia so you can read about the clinical trials that are going on with this oil and its eradication of cancer cells (heavily being tested on breast cancer cells at the moment…for anyone interested).

This is the tip of the iceberg as far as I am concerned. My hope is that soon the scientific and medical communities will turn to ALL of the essential oils for answers to unsolved problems.

So, frankincense. Here are some awesome facts…there are four species of Boswellia that produce what we know as frankincense resin and/or oil. The resin from the trees is available in different grades and the quality depends highly on time of harvest, soil, climate, and age of the tree. There is only one company I trust for its purity when it comes to essential oils. For legal purposes, I cannot list that company here, but if you want more information about how to get the purest essential oils, please email me. Much like maple syrup, the Boswellia tree is tapped by cutting the bark and the resin bleeds out and hardens. Resin is collected and literally hand-sorted for quality.

The frankincense tree is famous for being able to grow in extremely unforgiving circumstances–like out of solid rock! Don’t believe me? Check this out:

Pretty amazing, right? Most frankincense is harvested in Somalia. There are many, many uses for this oil. I encourage you to check out wikipedia and some other online resources to really delve into the health benefits associated with frankincense essential oil. I like to wear and diffuse the oil for a calming effect and my favorite thing to do is burn the resin when I’m praying, meditating, or doing yoga or anytime I just need to heighten my spiritual senses and reconnect.

You can also find frankincense burners–these are abundantly available–and high quality resin is available from the company where I like to purchase oils.

Here is my burner. You simply put the resin in the top…

…add the lid and turn on the burner. Within minutes you are transported to the ancient lands of Arabia. Perfect for praying, meditating, reading, yoga…whatever works for you.

If you have any questions for me about essential oils in general, click the contact tab on the blog homepage and send me an email. I love to talk about oils!

Frankincense–and other plants–just may hold the answers to many unresolved medical issues. I intend to keep my finger on the pulse of these clinical trials and will be blogging about results and applications so stay tuned for much more on this as the posts unfold! As for now…however it is that you reconnect, it is my hope that this post brings you inspiration to go meditate, pray, read, exercise, or whatever it is that you do to find a spiritual connection. Peace be unto you, and have a blessed day! 🙂

How Does Your Garden Grow?

It’s raining like crazy here. Not good for a Mama cooped up inside with three littles ones, but great for the garden!

I am blessed to have a beautiful yard in which to grow some yummy fruits, veggies, and herbs for my family. But it wasn’t always that way. Before this home, we were in a small town home with ZERO yard. But I did a deck garden. I started with a couple of pots of tomatoes my first year. Then I added some chives and other herbs. The next year I tried adding peppers and beans…and now each year I delve deeper into foraging the wild stuff, companion planting, natural pest control, composting, and many other aspects of my green thumb habit 😉 So much to post about, so little time!!

Making the decision to start a veggie garden is a big one. It’s extremely overwhelming and most people don’t know where to begin, so they just don’t. Which makes my sad face come out. Have no fear–I am here to help! Please, please do not forego a veggie garden because of intimidation. You may think I’m being dramatic, but being out in your garden just might change your way of thinking and your way of life. Yes, it’s that amazing.

Here are my tips:

1.) Have a plan. This is the biggest and most complicated step. But you will be glad you did this, trust me. A lot of people just wing it and things don’t grow or they end up wishing they had planted different items or the plants get out of control or they are overtaken by pests….you need to have a plan.

Your plan should take into account which plants grow well (or poorly) next to one another. Look up companion planting to learn about this. You should also think about how much space you have vs. how much space your plants will take up once mature. A deck garden with pots…not the best space for squash, zucchini, melons and the like. A good garden plan also maps out a planting schedule. Some items need to be planted earlier in the season and some later. Some veggies (like broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and many others) actually can yield two crops each year–a mid-summer crop and an early fall crop. Others still (asparagus, for one) are perennials and will come back each year so those plants need a permanent space in the garden. So read your seed packets. Finally–and this may seem obvious, but it needs to be said–think about what you actually want to eat! Don’t grow 5 tomato plants because they work well in pots and you only have a terrace garden, if you don’t eat tomatoes!!!

There are lots of options out there. Figure out what you’ll eat and want to grow, how it can fit in your space, where things should be placed, and when to plant. You can Google most if not all of this information or you can pick up some books at your local library. I’ll leave a list of some of my favorite resources at the bottom of this post. Here is a photo of my garden plan for this year for inspiration–feel free to use all or part of it!

2.) Do some research and think about pest control. I personally don’t do chemicals. I use the plants themselves to control pests (again, check out companion planting), barriers, and my own homemade essential oil pesticide. Which works like a charm, might I add. I’ll be posting more about this as the season goes on and I can show you some pictures of my thriving, pest-free garden! 🙂 But for now, below are the oils I use in my non-toxic pesticide. Are you sitting there scratching your head going…Essential oils?? What is she talking about?? Then you need to click here. Want to get these oils so you can make this pesticide for yourself? Then you need to click here! 🙂 Do some research if you plan to use fences or barriers. Some little critters are very tricky! For instance, rabbits will dig right under your barriers (deter by angling 90 degrees at the bottom and burrying a few inches deep) and deer can be very swift! They will jump over a fence unless it is roughly 6 feet high. A quick Google can help you with all of this.

3.) Check your calendar and get a garden-sitter when needed. Seriously. The first year I didn’t do this or even think about it and I went on vacation for a week in July…guess what I came home to? Bingo! A shriveled up garden 😦

4.) Water, water, water! Don’t forget to water your garden DAILY. It really does need daily watering (unless it rains of course!). If you slip up and skip a day, don’t beat yourself up, but watering your garden daily is a must. The best time to water is early morning or late afternoon. Best not to water during mid-day heat if at all possible and be careful not to water too close to dusk, as certain plants are susceptible to mold and mildew if the leaves do not have time to dry off before the cool of night.

5.) JUST GO FOR IT. When you are out in the garden with your hands in the dirt, when you are caring for those plants like pets, when you are teaching your children about where their food comes from, when you are picking beans and putting them into your basket or eating a blueberry right off the bush at harvest time…You will be glad you did.

Resources I like for gardening:

Rodale’s Successful Organic Gardening: Companion Planting – September, 1994 by Susan McClure (Author), Sally Roth (Author)

The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, 1991 by Valerie Ann Worwood (This one contains amazing information regarding pest control with essential oils)

The Complete Compost Gardening Guide, February 13, 2008 by Deborah Martin (Author), Barbara Pleasant (Author)

www.gardeningknowhow.com

Our birth story…

This journey began about 7 years ago when I was trying to become a mommy (which took two years and nine months, but that’s for another post!). On my path to motherhood, I ended up taking a good hard look at many aspects of my life: nutrition, stress, environmental toxins, emotional health, wellness and the pharmaceutical industry, the importance of relationships, the power of thoughts, mindfulness, environmentalism, and faith…just to name a few ;).

Something life-altering happens when you hold your newborn baby in your arms for the first time. Something crazy happens when you hold your second born in your arms for the first time. And something profound happens when your third-born arrives 10 weeks early, weighs a mere three pounds, makes it through an emergency delivery, and you hold him in your arms for the first time.

After a 41-day stay in the NICU and many hurdles to follow, venturing out alone with my three boys for the first time was a big step! As we walked down the sidewalk–me with the baby in a carrier and the rest all holding hands–I thought to myself we look like a family of ducks walking along. And so, Five Little Duckies was born.

Join me in our continuing quest to grow and thrive by getting back to our roots…naturally.