Make healthy eating a priority in 2014!

Now that the holidays are over and it is time to look to the New Year, have you considered what your goals will be? I am super excited for this new year to begin! I love to cook, but probably not as much as my son who is aspiring to become a chef. We have been creating many different meals as a way to not only get healthier but to manage our weight as well. There are many simple things that you can do to create an awesome meal that is relatively inexpensive. We typically spend about $10 per meal and there is usually left overs. It can be difficult at times to stay within that range depending on the selection of meat we choose.

I absolutely love to buy our meat in bulk because the cost tends to be a little lower and try to stay away from the more expensive cuts. Sometimes the same tastes can be gotten with the seasonings you choose to cook with. I am no master chef but have learned a lot by watching cooking shows and spending time in cookbooks. When we choose the right balances in the food we eat and watch the portion sizes of our meats, somehow the weight just falls off. Are you choosing to change the way you eat this new year?

Tonight our simple meal consisted of breaded chicken patties which next time I think I will do myself instead of buying already prepared ones, I added some spices to those and baked them in the oven. I sauteed some onion and garlic, added some crushed tomato, basil, Italian seasoning, placed that over some tomato, beet, and spinach noodles. Also made maple baked beans.  We had an awesome dinner at a low cost! I also love to go to allrecipes.com for some amazing dinner ideas! Eating healthy doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg!

As we go through 2014, I will share various throw together dinners as I create them!

Christmas Eve

Well here it is Christmas Eve 2013 already! The time does not stand still and is moving full speed ahead, or so it seems! Today does not feel or look like it should be Christmas Eve, as it is brown and no snow! Not a grand feeling nor does it make my heart excited! For some reason this year Christmas is not about a tree or any presents at all.
On this night many years ago Mary and Joseph were traveling by donkey. As it was late that night Joseph stopped to see if there was room at the inn. The inn keeper that night had said there was no room for them. He did allow them to stay the night in a stable, where Mary would give birth to the Greatest man that ever lived. He came to save the world for all who would believe in him. This baby that was born would become the greatest healer, he heals both physical and emotional. So on Christmas morning as you wake, remember that this day is not about presents because the greatest gift was the son of God! Merry Christmas to all!

New Year's Resolution

As one of my New Year's resolutions, I am about to do some emotional clearing. There are many feelings that have been bottled up inside of me and it is time to make peace with my past. I have some deep seated emotional issues that need to be dealt with so that I can be free from them and create a happy and healthy life! I am going to finally let them go and deal with each one individually. Whether I choose to verbally tell the person or not has not been decided. As part of this process, I will be writing letters to those that have hurt me in some way in my past. Writing them out will allow me to verbalize the pain that I have and help to start the healing I so desperately need. It may cause some of the recipients some pain in their lives, so that is why I may choose not to share the letters with them! Some of these people may not even be an active part of my life anymore and I have no way of knowing how to tell them that they have hurt me or I may have been the one who hurt someone else.

I am in no way innocent from causing pain in others lives and need to forgive myself as well. One of the letters will be to myself. There are a lot of feelings that have been buried for many years and have recently started to surface in my own life. As I share some of my life stories with my children, I am reminded of God's never ending forgiveness! Now if only I can find it in my heart to forgive others as well as myself! Harboring bad feelings toward others has not allowed me to grow in areas of my life where I need to be growing. I will not be going through this process alone and will be sharing this with my counselor who has helped me over some major milestones! She has truly been amazing and I can't thank her enough for helping me to move past the issues in my life that have surfaced! I choose today to be free from the pain of my past and to deal with it one step at a time.

In dealing with this, I am buying myself the Feelings Kit to help me work through this!

Have you set your New Year's resolutions yet?

An Introduction to Young Living Essential Oils!

Learn how Young Living Essential Oils can be used as a tool in helping you become healthy. We will showcase the 10 oils in the Everyday Oils kit and you will learn more about essential oils and learn why Young Living Essential Oils are a leader in the essential oil industry. 

You can learn about:
The Seed to Seal process
What it means to be a YL Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil.
Why essential oils are better then medications.
The 10 different oils from the Everyday Kit: Peppermint, Lavender, Lemon, Thieves, Frankincense, Valor, Panaway, Purification, Joy and Peace & Calming.
Also how you can purchase Young Living Essential Oils and learn more about the Essential Rewards program-where you can be rewarded with free oils and other special offers!

When you sign up under Brenda’s distributor number- 752121 with the everyday oils enrollment kit, I will ship you a Quick Reference Guide to Using Essential Oils book.

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: *These statement have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Young Living has been in business for a little over 20 years. It was founded by Gary Young who used essential oils to overcome a disability from a logging accident. By using essential oils he went from paralyzed for life to running in a half marathon, finishing in 60th place out of 970 people. From there he has toured the globe learning more about essentials.
Young Living owns and/or operates the distillers in USA (2), Ecuador, France, Oman, Taiwan, Egypt, Israel, Kenya and is building the 10th at one of their farms in the USA,
farms much of their own production with their own farms in St. Maries, Idaho, Whispering Springs Farm in Mona, Utah, Highland Flats Tree Farm in Naples, Idaho, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in Simiane-la-Rotonde, France and their newish farm in Salalah, Oman-where they are the only ones allowed to distill the Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) from Oman. And they recently acquired farms in Taiwan, Peru and Israel and soon one in Egypt.
There are over 50 hospitals that exclusively use Young Living Essential oils in helping their patients with many health issues, including Beth Israel Medical Center. http://www.naturallybalancedliving.net/hospitals-using-young-living-products.html http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/company/partnerships/Beth_Israel_Medical_Center.html
Young Living has been opening distribution centers all over the globe. They just opened in Hong Kong which now join the USA, Singapore, China, Mexico, Australia, Japan, Germany, Canada and Sweden.

Essential Oils are volatile liquids created by aromatic plants that help the plants sustain it's life. They are considered the "life blood" of the plant since they help defend plants from insects, environmental conditions and disease. They also help humans on the same level.
"When a fragrance is inhaled, the odor molecules travel up the nose where they are trapped by the olfactory membranes that are well protected by the lining inside the nose. Each odor molecule fits like a little puzzle into specific
receptor cell sites that line a membrane known as the olfactory epithelium. Each one of these hundreds of millions of nerve cells is replaced every 28 days. When stimulated by odor molecules, this lining of nerve cells triggers electrical impulses to the olfactory bulb in the brain. The olfactory bulb then transmits the impulses to the gustatory center (where the sensation of taste is perceived), the amygdala (where emotional memories are stored), and other parts of the limbic system of the brain. Because the limbic system is directly connected to those parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance, essential oils have a profound physiological and psychological effect.
The sense of smell is the only one of the five senses directly linked to the limbic lobe of the brain, the emotional control center. All other senses (touch, taste, hearing and sight) are routed through the thalamus, which acts as the switchboard for the brain, passing stimuli onto the cerebral cortex (the conscious thought center) and other parts of the brain.
The limbic lobe (a group of brain structures that includes the hippocampus and the amygdala located below the cerebral cortex) can also directly activate the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is one of the most important parts of the brain, acting as our hormonal control center. It releases chemical messengers that can affect everything from sex drive to energy levels. Essential oils-through their fragrance and unique molecular structure-can directly stimulate the limbic lobe and the hypothalamus." Essential Oil Integrative Medical Guide written by D. Gary Young, ND

Essential oils can be used as a tool to treat the root cause of the medical issue while prescription drugs can only treat the symptoms. You may have a headache and you use Tylenol to treat it but WHY do you have a headache, is it because of dehydration, hormonal issues, tension, vitamin deficiency or other problem? You have to get to the root of the problem or it can only get worse.

Essential oils can be used as a tool to treat many different health conditions whereas prescription drugs are usually only used to treat one health condition. For example I have used Peppermint essential oil when my kids have a fever, to drive away bugs, enjoyed as a tea, used for headaches and nausea, flavor foods-yummy peppermint brownies, cooled down on a hot day, help with digestion. etc where as I can only use Tylenol for two of those times.

We are having a crisis in the medical world where because antibiotics are synthetic and always created the same that bacteria are learning to be resistant to the antibiotic so companies are having to create super antibiotics and now bacteria are starting to become resistant to those. What is going to happen when they can't make an antibiotic strong enough to kill the super bugs that are going to kill us? I am thanking God that the essential oils he spoke into existence are created a little bit differently each time that superbugs haven't become resistant to them. They have their therapeutic properties but depending on so many factors that each essential oil is a little different and the superbugs can't predict and adapt to the changes and they die.
100% pure essential oils are natural while some essential oils and prescription drugs are synthetic. Our bodies do not like synthetics and in some cases will reject the synthetic and we can have reactions, sometime pretty severe including death.

Essential Oils have been around for a long time. The bible mentions an anointing oil in Exodus:
"22The Lord said to Moses, 23"Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, 24and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil."
Almost every book in the Bible talks about oils. The Egyptians wrote essential oil recipes on their medicinal scrolls. Their tombs contained highly valuable essential oils. The Chinese, Greeks and Romans all used essential oils for anointing, medicinal, beautifying and aromatherapy. Unfortunately Essential oils were almost lost in the land of synthetic medicine until a French chemist, Dr. Gattefosse, while working in his lab, burned his hand. It resulted in a third degree burn. He then used some Lavender Essential Oil on his burn and was amazed that it was healing. It was then that he started researching essential oils for healing. More learning happened when they ran out of medicinal supplies on the battle fields and started using essential oils for battle wounds, infections and other health conditions. Since then there has been research in how 100% pure essential oils have helped many health conditions.

“The compounds comprising plant oils were spoken into existence when God created plants. These compounds are imbued with God’s Word and God’s intelligence, which is not measured in a laboratory, nor by any physical instrument…Synthetic compounds may be copies of the formulas of compounds found in essential oils, but they are lacking the subtle energies contained in natural substances. Those who apply essential oils for healing soon learn that only pure, natural, complete, and unadulterated oils bring about healing, while synthetic oils, or oils adulterated by synthetic compounds, do not.” – David Steward, PhD, DNM, IASP

What it means to be a YL Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil.
The term 'therapeutic grade' is not a regulated term, so anyone can claim it. It means nothing unless you define it. All we can do is tell you what we mean by 'therapeutic grade'.
The distinction is of utmost importance, since 90%+ of the essential oils marketed in the United States would not qualify. To start with, ‘therapeutic-grade’ is not simply an indication of purity. Young Living produces oils that have an unusually high concentration of therapeutic components. You can’t get that without having your own farms and doing your own distillations – or in the case of Frankincense, have access to the finest plants (trees) in the world.
To get these high concentrations of therapeutic components, Young Living uses a process that involves strict attention to detail right from the seeds sown to the plants harvested. This ensures that the oils they provide are the purest, most potent essential oils available. This precise, detailed method is known as the ‘Seed to Seal’ process.
Young Living essential oils are:
• 100% pure
• Sourced only from known botanical species
• Sustainably grown and harvested
• Grown on chemical-free lands in carefully nourished soil (organic)
• Unmatched throughout the essential oils industry
• So pure and natural, they’re used and recommended by integrative health professionals around the world
The fact that Young Living’s oils are organic is more important than food being organic. Since essential oils are the concentrated essence of the plant, any contaminants in the soil or on the plant will become present in the oil.
When we compare Young Living ’s ‘therapeutic-grade’ essential oils with the type of “pure essential oils” available at wholefood shops, we find significant differences in quality and purity. For example, the Essential Oils Desk Reference tells us that:
“Pure frankincense is often extended with colorless, odorless, solvents such as diethylphthalate or dipropylene glycol…unfortunately, a large percentage of essential oils marketed in the United States fall in this adulterated category. When you understand the world of synthetic oils, as well as low-grade oils cut with synthetic chemicals, you realize why unsuspecting people with their untrained noses don’t know the difference…
“Anyone venturing into the world of therapy using essential oils must use the purest quality oils available. Inferior quality or adulterated oils most likely will not produce therapeutic results and could possibly be toxic.”

The Four Grades of Oils
Basically, there are 4 grades of essential oils:
1. Grade A oils are pure, therapeutic, and superior quality. They are usually made from organically grown plants, and are distilled at the proper temperatures. “Virgin” soil may also be used.
2. Grade B oils are the most common essential oil and they are sometimes labeled as “pure.” However, they may still contain pesticides, fertilizers, synthetics, extenders, or carrier oils. While Grade B oils are considered “food grade,” I would never recommend ingesting these oils.
3. Grade C are perfume grade and usually contain the same type of adulterating chemicals as Grade B oils. They also often contain solvents which are used to gain a higher yield of oil per harvest. Solvents are not healthy. Still, these oils are sometimes used in aromatherapy or for making perfume products.
4. Floral Water is a byproduct of the distillation process. It can be very high quality if superior, organic material is used and it comes from a “Grade A” distillation process. However if it is from compromised raw materials and/or a poor distillation process, it will be a very low quality. Floral Water is often used for more expensive oils, such as Rose Oil, since it takes 5000 pounds of roses to make just one 1 pound of essential oil.

Questions to Ask
When trying to decide which quality of oils to buy, these are some of the questions that need to be asked (taken from The Essential Oil Desk Reference):
Are the fragrances delicate, rich, and organic? Do they “feel” natural? 

Do the aromas vary from batch to batch as an indication that they are painstakingly distilled in small batches rather than industrially processed on a large scale?

Does your supplier subject each batch of essential oils through multiple chemical analyses to test for purity and therapeutic quality? Are these tests performed by independent labs?

Does your supplier grow and distill its own organically grown herbs?

Are the distillation facilities part of the farm where the herbs are grown (so oils are freshly distilled), or do herbs wait days to be processed and lose potency?

Does your supplier use low pressure and low temperature to distill essential oil so as to preserve all of their fragile chemical constituents? Are the distillation cookers fabricated from costly food-grade stainless steel alloys to reduce the likelihood of the oils chemically reacting with metal?

Does your supplier personally inspect the fields and distilleries where the herbs are grown and distilled? Do they verify that no synthetic or harmful solvents or chemicals are being used?

Do your essential oils meet AFNOR or ISO standards?

How many years has your supplier been doing all of this?

Do your essential oils have a shelf life of just a few years? [If so, this means they are probably mixed with a carrier oil (like almond oil) that will go rancid.] This means the oil is certainly not pure.

Do your essential oils come from an edible plant, yet have a warning on them not to take them internally? [This is a huge red flag!]

A Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil is more than a “certified organic” oil. It is an oil that is complete in the makeup of its constituents, having the fragrance, frequency, and chemistry that are necessary to give it all of its unique, therapeutic qualities and effects.
As we have already mentioned above, a quality, Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil is chemically complex and all of its sometimes fragile components need to be present after distillation of the final product. This requires not only a lot of understanding of the makeup of the oil on the production side but also a great deal of time and expense to care for the proper species of plant.
To insure proper potency, plants should be grown on virgin land, uncontaminated by chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides and away from pollution sources. The plant materials must be kept free of petrochemical herbicides and pesticides, since these can react with the essential oil during distillation.
The soil should be conditioned with enzymes, trace minerals, and organic bio-solids, since plants lacking in certain minerals and nutrients yield oils low in therapeutic value. Irrigation should be done with reservoir, watershed or mountain stream water.
Plants need to be harvested at the proper time of the season to insure highest potency. Sometimes even a few hours can make the difference. For example, German Chamomile needs to be harvested in the morning since it then yields an oil with far more azulene than when it is harvested later in the day.
The steam distillation method of extracting the oils from the plants requires careful and proper low temperature and pressure monitoring. Too high of temperature or too much pressure can be deleterious to the fragile aromatic molecules of the plant. (“Here is an example of the importance of precise timing during distillation. Cypress has 280 known chemical constituents, and all 280 constituents must be present for Cypress to have medicinal and healing potency. If it is distilled for 20 hours, only 20 of the 280 properties are released. If distilled for 26 hours, none of the properties are released. Most Cypress available in the US market is distilled for about 3 1/2 hours. The correct length of time for distilling Cypress is 24 hours, releasing all 280 properties.” Debra Raybern) In addition, batch sizes need to be kept small and the distillation chamber must be made out of food-grade stainless steel instead of copper or aluminum to avoid reactions with the oils.
Producing pure, Therapeutic Grade Essential oils is a costly venture. The methods required are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it often requires several hundred, sometimes even thousands of pounds of raw plant material to produce a single pound of essential oil. For example, it takes 5,000 pounds of rose petals to produce one pound of rose oil, and it takes three tons of Melissa to produce one pound of oil.”
From <http://yoursacredcalling.com/commonscentsmom/2012/02/what-is-therapeutic-grade/>

FDA Says Only 5% of Ingredient = ‘pure’
In her book, Their Leaves for Healing: The Divine Gift of Plants That Heal, Elizabeth Flores writes that:
"90% of what is sold in the United States as ‘pure’ essential oil is fragrance-grade and diluted. (The FDA has determined that a product need contain only 5% of the ingredient on the label in order to use the word pure.) These oils are found on the shelves of many health food stores and at online discount houses. They may be less expensive, but they will not be useful for healing."

The difference between all essential oils is that not all are created equal. 90%+ of essential oils are either created solely for their scent or flavor. Companies find the chemical properties that they need and isolate the chemical(s) and create it in a lab. The remaining essential oils are created for their therapeutic effects and even those can be synthetically altered.
Some essential oil companies redistill the plant multiple times to extract as much essential oils from the plant to be able to sell more and thus increasing their profits. This is like olive oil. The first pressed oil is called the "extra virgin" pressing and produces the best olive oil. Further pressing reduces the quality of the olive oil. That is what happens with essential oils also.
To extract essential oils out of plants, many companies will use chemicals or solvents to help with the extraction process leaving the chemicals in the essential oil. Then when you use the oil you may end up with a burn or rash from a reaction to the chemicals plus they don't have the therapeutic effect. A few years back France produced 15 tons of lavender essential oil and exported 250 tons, how would that happen? By using synthetic chemicals. "Today most of the lavender oil sold in America is a hybrid called lavandin, grown in China, Russia, France and Tasmania. They bring it into France, cut it with synthetic linolyl acetate to improve the fragrance, add propylene glycol or SD 40, DEP, and DOP, which are solvents that have no smell and increase the volume, then sell it in the U.S. as lavender oil. From <http://www.young-living-oils.net/articles/quality/adulterated_oil_dangers.html> "
Take for example Wintergreen. In it's natural form wintergreen is safe, non toxic, and healing. But when you have synthetic wintergreen it is toxic, does not heal and still smells like wintergreen.
Quote from Dr. David Stewart’s book The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple, page 270. “Wintergreen and Birch are both 85-90% methyl salicylate which dominates their fragrances and flavors. However, while the other 10-15% of ingredients may not be important to the food and fragrance industry, they are the ingredients that keep methyl salicylate from being toxic. They are the quenchers that make the natural oil safe and effective while the synthetic version is neither safe nor effective.”” You can read more here about natural and synthetic compounds: http://www.raindroptraining.com/messenger/v6n1.html
Young Living's essential oils are never cut with chemicals or solvents. They are only stream distilled or in the case of citrus cold pressed.

When properly cultivated, harvested, and steam distilled (or in the case of citrus-steam pressed) the essential oils retain it's therapeutic properties.

They are 50-70 times more powerful than the herb and are much more complex then synthetic pharmaceuticals.
Essential oils cost between $0.05 and $2.25 per drop where as prescriptions can cost hundreds per month supply. Heard a story of a lady that needed meds and ONE of her meds cost $200 for the month supply.

Don't forget the side effects of most prescription medications. I believe it is 1 in 4 ads on TV is for prescription drugs. They always list the side effects and I have to say some of the side effects are just as bad as the disease the medication is trying to cure. My own MIL is on many prescription meds (severe mental health issues) and she has prescriptions that take care of the side effects of some of her main meds and even more prescriptions to take care of the side effects from the medications that are for the side effects of the main meds. She needed a grocery bag to carry all her meds. No wonder she had heart failure twice (from a medication that was said to be safe and is now on the recall list for causing severe health issues) and kidney failure (from acute withdrawals of prescribed pain medication).

There are over 200,000 deaths a year from properly prescribed medications. There are no deaths in the world with proper use of essential oils. There are a few deaths in the world from children drinking a bottle of essential oil or mothers using essential oils to abort their unborn baby and causing the death of the baby and themselves. When using essential oils PROPERLY there are virtually NO side effects.

Now on to the 10 different oils from the Everyday Kit:

Frankincense is:
great for supporting the body to heal from illnesses of cold, flu, pneumonia, bacterial and viral infection
skin-healing properties
support of respiratory function
promotes relaxation
Used for cancer treatment
Cuts and scrapes
Scars and stretch marks
Skin rejuvenation
Umbilical cord care
Warts and skin tags
Concentration
Immune System
Blisters
Insect Bites
Depression
Brittle Nails
Stretch Marks
Cysts
Skin Health
Warts
Breast Health
Healthy Maintenance
Skin Tags
Chest Congestion

I love using Frankincense especially after I had a tumor removed from my right breast 3 years ago. That was one of the scariest times in my life.

Here is an amazing testimonial on Frankincense and a few other oils:http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils/8071/what-uncle-james-tried-after-chemotherapy-failed

Purification is:
great for supporting the body to heal from insect bites, cuts and scrapes, coughs and bronchitis, viral infections
perfect blend for killing odors and cleansing the air
work as a natural insecticide
great for household cleaning

Several months ago, our cat started getting sick and was vomiting blood. Afraid that the vet would tell us to put him to sleep, I started applying purification. Worked like a charm. No more getting sick and he is back to his old self. Now when I notice anything with him, I just apply a drop or 2 to make sure!

I also love diffusing this for some refreshing air in the house, especially in the winter while it is closed up!

Here are more testimonials on Purification: http://www.oil-testimonials.com/basic/purification

Lavender
great for sleep
cuts and scrapes
soothes and heals burns
supports a sense of calm
anti-inflammatory properties
natural antiseptic
Allergies
Reduces stress
Fungal infections
Insect bites
dry or chapped skin
Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a cotton ball and place it in closets and drawers to scent linens and repel moths and insects.
minimize the appearance of scar tissue
deodorize and freshen your laundry
minimize seasonal discomforts.

Lavender helped years ago when my son burned his hand. We were outside burning papers and a plastic bottle had fallen, my son didn’t realize it was hot because he was so young. Before my husband or I could stop him he reached for the bottle and grabbed it. The plastic that was melted burned his hand. We immediately ran into the house, my husband held his hand under cold water while I ran for the lavender bottle. We applied lavender and ice for 24 hours, not one blister or scarring.

My children who are now 17 and almost 14 use lavender on their pillows at night for a good nights rest!

 We also used lavender for a sunburn while at the beach.
See how others have used lavender: http://www.oil-testimonials.com/basic/lavender                                      

Peppermint
Great for relieving headaches and stomachaches
Constipation
Other aches and pains
Relieves nausea
Helps with alertness and focus
Reduces fevers
Increases oxygen absorption
Keeping away insects and spiders.
Insect stings
Congestion or allergies
Mental clarity and alertness
Turning Posterior baby
Refreshing drink
Breath freshener

I love using peppermint in my tea because it tastes great and is much cheaper then the tea bags. It also tastes great in brownies and frosting dips.

I use it when my kids get a fever. I applied it to their feet and not long after their temp dropped and they felt much better.

Rubbing peppermint on my stomach helped when I had heartburn. Just applied it and 20 minutes later it was gone.

There was one time that I had a bad headache and I dabbed some on my temples, then laid down with hubby to watch a movie. After the movie was over and my headache was gone, hubby said that it had helped him with his nausea too.

I also use this when I am feeling constipated! Just apply along my intestines!

Many other have used Peppermint with wonderful results: http://www.oil-testimonials.com/basic/peppermint

Panaway
Ideal for muscle and bone pain
Helpful for backaches
Reduces headache pain
Relieves arthritis pain
Growing pains
Congestion
Since Panaway is great for muscle aches, anytime I have back pain we just rub panaway on and it goes away. This is another of my favorite oils that help me to be able to get out of bed everyday and function as a wife and mother. Without it, I would be down in bed most of the day.
I have also used it for headaches and other body pains.
Here are quite a few testimonials in which Panaway has helped others:http://www.oil-testimonials.com/basic/panaway

Valor®
great for backaches, anti-viral and anti-bacterial
“chiropractor in a bottle”
helps with back and hip related issues
Reduces those with hyperactivity
effective against insomnia
Stress relief
Child bearing (Labor)
Stage fright
Perfume
Not too long ago a friends mom got sciatica nerve pain. I found out that Valor would work. I had her start applying it daily and it worked. The pain went away.  So she was able to avoid having to use drugs and it helped her while she was going through physical therapy.

This is the first oil that I use before doing my daily back regimen of oils! It so helps me function everyday.
Here are quite a few testimonials on uses of Valor: http://www.oil-testimonials.com/basic/valor

Thieves®
Great for supporting the body to heal from illnesses-viral and bacterial, anti-mold and anti-fungal
Helpful for dental issues
Kills mold spores
Canker sores
Household cleaning

See how using Thieves products helped one person avoid a root canal.http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils/6844/i-avoided-a-root-canal-and-became-a-believer

Each time we have a sore throat, we use a homemade spray that contains Thieves to help relieve it and kill the virus/bacteria that is causing it. We were on vacation in June and my daughter and son was complaining of a sore throat. I sprayed the sore throat spray and a little while later my daughter stated amazed "Mom, my sore throat is gone."

We use it in our household cleaning to kill germs and help the house smell nice too.
We use it all the time when we are sick, it is my go to oil. Always apply it to their feet along with the Frankincense and never fails to help get rid of whatever was making them sick.
Thieves has helped many others: http://www.oil-testimonials.com/basic/thieves

Lemon is
great for supporting the body to detox, coughs, 
immune support
relieves heartburn
eases stress and anxiety
effective against parasites
healthy treatment of acne
Refreshing drink
Urinary tract infections

Lemon has helped reduce my anxiety and helped to relieve my heartburn. About a year ago, I was diagnosed with Gastritis so this has helped me in many ways! I love to drink it in my water! Great cleaning aid also!

See how one lady uses lemon in her life: http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils/7119/the-versatility-of-lemon

Peace & Calming®
great for relaxation and better sleep-great for wound up kids
helps with insomnia and anxiety
Fights depression
supports the nervous system
Bad dreams
Good in bath products

I loved using Peace and Calming for exactly what is named for. I can just apply the oil and feel so much better. We also use it for my daughter's by diffusing it at night when they sleep. It helps them go to sleep within 30 minutes of going to bed.

I apply it daily to help with my anxiety. I tend to get anxiety a lot and now am able to avoid my anxiety meds about 100% of the time just by putting a drop of P&C on my chest and smelling it. At first I hated the smell but eventually I started using it and now it helps for the reason it was created. (Usually a YL oils that smells really bad to you means your body needs it. Many other who have used YL oils have attested to that fact. )
See how others have used Peace and Calming: http://www.oil-testimonials.com/basic/peace+calming

***And the new one added last month***
Joy
Used for
Depression
Bi-polar
grief
Lowered blood pressure
Anxiety
Stress
Tension
Perfume
Air freshener
Bath scent
Added to massage oil
Here's a few fellow team member's testimonial:
Both my daughter and I have had a small bout with poison ivy. Last night, I woke up @ 3:30 itching. I went down and applied Joy right away and immediately felt relief. I haven't had to apply all day. Thinking I will before bed. Works great!~Tina
I've been battling recent heart palpitations that are brought on my panic attacks by putting Joy over my heart. It's still not my favorite smell, but I've been putting on my feet, diffusing it, and generally trying to use it every day. It's very helpful for me when placed over the heart!~Jennifer C.
See how others have used Joy: http://www.oil-testimonials.com/basic/joy

There are a few ways you can use YL essential oils.
You can use it:
Topically-by applying to almost any body part (not eyes or ears) using your hands, a roller ball cap, or straight from the bottle
Diffusing-Using a cold air diffuser, it will disperse the oils in to the air. It will either use water mixed with oils or just the oil. Heating the oils will destroy the therapeutic properties.
Internally (ONLY YL essential oils)- By adding drops to water and drinking it or adding to capsules which you can mix with a fatty acid oil like coconut or olive oil.
Here's what I do for applying some of the oils that I use:

Young Living also has many other essential oil products. ART skin care system, Ningxia Red (which is a MUST in my opinion), Slique weight loss products, many different supplements and the Thieves line of personal and household care products. By using essential oils you can replace so many medications, personal hygiene products, cleaning supplies, gift for families, and help your family to become healthier. There are so many more testimonial that I could share about how much YL product have helped me.

Young Living Essential Oils can be purchased through the Young Living Website or when you sign up as a Young Living Independent Distributor.
If you are interested in Young Living Essential oils, the best benefit is becoming an independent distributor by signing up under Brenda’s membership number and get wholesale pricing (24% off!) plus the potential to earn bonuses and commissions with the company. No selling, no inventory, no monthly minimums-unless you sign up for the Essential Rewards program, no need to build a business unless you want to. https://www.youngliving.com/signup/?sponsorid=752121&enrollerid=752121  

Young Living requires the purchase of an enrollment kit to sign up. There is no other fees. The one I recommend is the kit that has all the oils we have been talking about today:

THE EVERYDAY OILS PREMIUM KIT $150 (Same price as previous Everyday Oils Enrollment Kit)
Everyday Oils Premium Kit
So, for $150, you get the 10 Everyday Oils in 5ml (Peppermint, Lavender, Lemon, Frankincense, Thieves, Purification, Peace & Calming, PanAway, Valor and the new addition of Joy)
~~ the Home Diffuser valued at $97 retail,
~~Two 2-oz. NingXia Red samples
~~two sample packets each of our five most popular essential oils and blends—Lemon, Peppermint, Lavender, Peace & Calming, and Thieves
~~a 5-ml bottle of our Stress Away blend and the new addition of Joy essential oil
~~An AromaGlide™ Roller Fitment that can turn any essential oil bottle into a convenient roll-on!
~~We have also included three sample packet business cards so you can easily share the benefits of essential oils with others.
Literature:
~~Welcome to Young Living is a brief introduction to Young Living, with must-know information on how to use our essential oils, company history, the Young Living lifestyle, product categories, our exclusive Seed to Seal® process, and much more!
~~S.E.E.D.™ Sharing for Success informative booklet will guide both new and veteran distributors through the steps of building a successful business in four critical stages—Start, Educate, Empower, and Duplicate—and includes tips, examples, and checklists.
~~A convenient quick reference for some of our most popular essential oils and blends, Essential Oils at a Glance offers useful tips to help you improve everyday life with essential oils.
~~The Distributor Resource Guide outlines valuable resources to become educated about essential oils and find business support.
~~The Product Guide is an A-to-Z reference for all Young Living Products.
This kit has an ARV of over $300!
After that the only requirement is that you place a $50 order a YEAR-not per month-to remain an active distributor. 
There is no need to have inventory or even sell the oils. You can use them for your family or you can create a business and potentially earn thousands per month-still without having to have an inventory or sell the oils.
There is also distributor resources you will have access to.
For the first 6 people who sign up under Brenda’s distributor number with the everyday oils enrollment kit, I will ship them a "Quick Reference Guide to Using Essential Oils" book. https://www.youngliving.com/signup/?sponsorid=752121&enrollerid=752121

One thing I also love about Young Living is the Essential Rewards Program. If you’re like me, you like to budget for what you need each month. The Essential Rewards program helps you do that while earning points for FREE product at the same time! ER is an auto-ship program that offers discounts and reward points based on your monthly purchases. You choose the date (and can even change it if needed) and choose products (which you can also change) to arrive at your door every month. If you sign up as a member of Young Living and don't sign up for the Essential Rewards (ER) program, you are losing money! I lost almost $20 because I didn’t sign up for ER until two months after I purchased my enrollment kit. This is a great way to budget and “try out” the various oils available, while saving money as you build your own natural “Medicine Cabinet.” When you sign up as a distributor, it also qualifies you for certain commissions and bonuses (with an ER order of 100PV/month).
Here are a few main points to consider:
· FREE to sign up
· No obligation to continue
· Discounted Shipping ($6.98 for the first 5 lbs!)
· Earn points for up to 20% back in FREE products
· Qualify for special discounted essential oil collections and more free oils (YL has special promos where you can get free oils just for meeting the PV for the month)
If you’re serious about essential oils, this program is a MUST!
Months on Essential Rewards Points Earned
Months 1–6 earn 10%
Months 7–12 earn 15%
Months 13+ earn 20%
If you decide to join, you need only sign up to purchase 50 PV per month.

If you have any questions, go ahead and contact me by PM or here or email. My email is brendalaser@yahoo.com. I will be here to answer any questions you may have for the next 30 mins. Remember you can come back to read the posts later (especially see the informative Seed to Seal Promise videos) 

To see each step of the Seed to Seal process, here are some very informative videos.
Video 1 covers the Soil Prep: http://youtu.be/f6sW7SJqj3s
Video 2 covers Growing the Plants: http://youtu.be/N1NGtBA1yKg
Video 3 covers Distillation as an Art: http://youtu.be/HNfFPxWmYWM
Video 4 covers the Distillery: http://youtu.be/Lw6QiCRnGd4
Video 5 covers the Distillery Separator: http://youtu.be/Fj1dLxr1MUI
Video 6 covers the Lab: http://youtu.be/E5licSTPRuw
Video 7 covers Testing The Oils: http://youtu.be/ZZMHA0SbJKo
Video 8 covers the Lab Results: http://youtu.be/yUOvKh6rs2c
Video 9 covers the Passion of Gary: http://youtu.be/dqhlA-EW_Jw

You can also follow me on Facebook by clicking the link at the top of my blog!

Open Communication

There are so many things that have crossed my mind in these last several days! A young man who attends the same school as my son took his own life several days ago! Makes me stop and wonder what happened to this boy that his life was so full of despair. I wrap my arms around my kids even tighter when tragedy strikes near them. I encourage my kids to be open with me and talk to me no matter what it is about. We decided when our kids were young that our dinner table was the place where they could have an open forum and pretty much say whatever was on their minds as long as they were respectful. To this day, that rule still applies. My son will be turning 18 and my daughter will be 14. There have been many joyous conversations and many serious ones. The key being that the lines of communication are wide open! We have talked about sex, college decisions, etc. There is also a family meeting format that they can call if they feel it is necessary. My son has done this on several occasions so he could express feelings that were bothering him. I don't feel that I am here to be my kids friend but am here to help them grow up to become successful adults. Some of the things they share with me are the same things that they would share with a best friend and that makes me feel amazing. My life growing up was far from perfect and I share that with my kids. I did a lot of things that were wrong and learned from my mistakes. I tell them all these things because I Love them to the moon and back! Hug your kids and be a part of their lives!

What does self-esteem have to do with reaching your life's goals?

I have often wondered where I would be right now if I had a higher self-esteem! As we go through life, the things that people say about us even if they are not directly said can damage the way we view ourselves. Almost my whole life, I would overhear people make fun of the way I walked or say that my butt was big, that I could stand to lose a little weight. Did they do it in front of me? Sometimes but not always!

There were those kids in school who would mimic the way I walked. You all know the kids that I am talking about! The ones who always had someone they would make fun of! As a child you never wanted them to know you heard them or that it hurt your feelings so you would hide it. Well that continued my whole life!

My self image was always that I was fat and that I could use to lose a few pounds! Maybe if I tried harder, I could walk straighter and people would quit laughing at me! Every time I looked into the mirror, I saw the extra weight. Let me just say that I never weighed over 113 lbs while in school! I was so conscious of my weight that I would get on the scale once a week to make sure that I didn't gain anything. That continued until I got pregnant with my first child. The whole 9 months that I was pregnant, I gained 25 lbs. Wore sweatpants and never had to buy maternity close. All my regular shirts still fit over my belly. After I had him, I could go back to wearing all my regular clothes. I weighed about 140 pounds which is the most that I have weighed in my life the day I delivered him. He was a healthy 7 lbs 7 oz boy! I still struggled with my weight! 3 years later, I got pregnant with my daughter! I barely gained 20 lbs with her. She ended up being a 5 week early preemie who weighed 5 lbs 3 oz and they didn't think her lungs would be developed. She was in distress so they had to take her early. Well she came out screaming, stayed under the warmer for a couple hours and never left my side the rest of our stay in the hospital.

So you are probably saying what does this have to do with your self-esteem? Words hurt and can damage someone not just for a day but for the rest of their lives. I hear so much about bullying that goes on in the schools and life itself that I often wonder, "What would the world look like if we replaced the negative stuff that we say to each other with positive things?" Each one of us has amazing qualities that we can share with each other. We can choose to build someone up instead of tear them down! Imagine how our lives would be if we had constant encouragement instead of finding all the negative qualities in people! Please choose today to change the way we talk about and treat one another! Make someone's day by doing a small nice gesture! Hold the door open for someone, tell a friend you're thinking of them, compliment them on something they do well, help them improve their self-esteem by Believing in them! I still struggle with this everyday and positive encouragements have helped me and I am trying to heal the wounds of my past! We may never know what my full potential really was because I couldn't overcome the obstacles. When you have goals in place and believe in yourself that you can achieve them, success will follow! Low self-esteem does not allow you to reach your highest potential because you don't believe you can!

What are you thankful for?

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, I thought it would be appropriate to tell what things I am thankful for. I am thankful first and foremost for a God who forgives me. I am far from perfect and sometimes fail at living an obedient life. My husband who means the world to me for putting up with me on days when I may not be so lovable. My children whom I probably make mad some days when they don't do the things they need to so they can be successful in life. A roof over my head and food in the cupboards. Vehicles that get me from point A to point B. My health, even though at times it takes all the energy I have to get out of bed. I am also thankful for Young Living Essential oils for giving me my life back and the ability to work from home. I set my own hours, work when I want to, and never miss one of my kids events they have! What are you thankful for?

Why is Dementia so hard?

Dementia is hard all the way around! It hurts to watch someone you love forget how to do the things they loved! Especially at a younger age! The progression rate has been pretty rapid for him! Sometimes, I have taken the simple things in life for granted! To see someone forget how to get a drink of water out of the faucet, not know how to drive or mow the lawn, forget where the bathroom is in the house he was raised in! All we can do is continue to love them, even when they sometimes forget who we are! 

Living with Chronic Pain

There are many people who live with chronic pain everyday. They may not show it on the surface but down inside they are hurting like you would not believe. Getting out of bed is a chore and sometimes it is just easier to stay there. Simply walking through the house can be cumbersome. Some people may have arthritis, fibromyalgia, degenerative disc, nerve damage, etc. The doctors prescribe pain medicines that can possibly cause more health issues due to the side effects. Be cautious and ask your doctors lots of questions.

I have lived with chronic pain for 20 years and have had numerous treatments. I have taken various medications to try and bring the pain levels into tolerable range. Physical therapy, hot tubs, aqua therapy, a tens unit, steroid injections plus the medications all worked for a little while. I have consulted with numerous doctors about my degenerative disc condition in my neck and the answer is always the same. We can prescribe medication but there is no option to do surgery because of the risk involved and I am too young.

Well about 10 years ago, I had a friend ask me about alternative medicine, aromatherapy, essential oils, etc.
I was afraid to try them, but my husband and I agreed that I had nothing to lose. At first, I couldn't believe the difference it made in how I felt. I thought maybe it was a fluke and that it couldn't be repeated so I kept using them. Surprisingly enough, I was able to do more than I had been able to in a long time. Only thing is that when I have awesome days, I forget that the next day may not be so well for me. By using the essential oils, it gave me relief that I had not had in forever. Winter months are still the hardest for me to get through because of the cold settling in to my joints. I apply several different oils to help me get through my days! The good thing is that I don't have the side effects that I had with my medication. I still consult with my doctors on a very regular basis so they know what I am using and how it is working.

All essential oils are not created equally, so be cautious and read the labels on the bottle. I always recommend speaking with a health care professional. There are more and more doctors/hospitals embracing essential oils. I can provide you a list of some of the hospitals that are using them! The Cleveland Clinic here in Ohio is one of them. If you would like more information, please feel free to contact me.


*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. 

Is there something missing?

Sometimes we go through life totally unhappy, feeling like there is just something missing! So how do we fix that problem? There are days when we just want to stay in bed and shut the world out of our lives. However, life does not stop by us hiding! Maybe we need to take some personal time and go to a place that has deep meaning in our lives to do some soul searching. Trying to figure out what our purpose truly is in life! When we find that purpose, do we jump in head on or are we afraid? At times, I think that fear stops us from truly following the leading we have on our lives.
To overcome the fear we have, we could seek counseling and try to work through it that way. If we have a relationship with Jesus, we should rely on him to see us through our situation. I don't know about you but I am not always good about waiting for an answer when I pray about something. Having the faith to believe that everything will work out is hard. There are days when I try to do it on my own. Most times, it doesn't always work out the way I wanted it to but sometimes it does.
We can only live in today, because if we keep looking behind it hinders us from moving forward. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't here yet. So I strive to make today the Best day that it can be! I had to step back and look at my why! To discover this, I had to ask myself several questions. What do I want out of life? What is my purpose? What do I hope to accomplish by following the path I have chosen? Am I doing my absolute best at my work?
When I help other people, it helps me also. I don't like to see other people in misery and always lend an ear to listen to others problems. If I have gone through an experience in my life that may help someone else, I share it with them. The way I handled it may not be the way someone else chooses to do it, but it may help them to see things differently. If we help one person a day or brighten their life in some small way, it helps us to feel happier. Try doing something nice for someone with or without them knowing it! It could be a word of encouragement, a prayer, a small note to let them know you are thinking of them, or just visiting with them. The list is truly endless! It may change your perspective on life itself. It may change the persons life that you are doing it for. We don't always know what another person may be going through at a particular time!  

Major Gastritis Flare Up

Good evening everyone,
Was sure hoping to be feeling in much better shape than I am. I was diagnosed in December with Gastritis. I thought that I had it under control, but a recent flare up has me wondering. I have read that some of it can be caused by coffee and stress. Well I am opting for the second one which is stress. So where do I start to get this stress back under control? The first place I am looking is to my cabinet of essential oils! This evening, I will be making me a cup of hot tea and adding some peppermint essential oil. Peppermint is known to help with digestive issues. The next thing I will be doing is curling up on the couch to watch the Biggest Loser which I think starts tonight. Normally, I don't take enough me time which is probably part of my problem. I need to make that a priority in my life. Make me time a priority in your life also! Have a great evening!

Breakfast

Good morning! As a child growing up, my parents would always tell me how important breakfast was and that I shouldn't miss it. Thinking as an adult that I could just skip breakfast, grab some coffee and I would be alright until lunch or supper. Back in December, finding out that I had issues with gastritis I decided to change my eating habits. I now incorporate breakfast into my daily routine. I had tried oatmeal when I was a kid but never liked it. My kids eat it all the time with milk in it. I however, don't drink milk. So that posed another problem. But I was on a quest to lose weight and get healthy. My whole life, I have always struggled with my weight. Always feeling like I was going to get too big or I was never small enough. That subject will be another day!

So this time, I added breakfast to my daily routine. That was huge for me! In the beginning, I added 1 packet of oatmeal with water. I could barely get it down. I kept it up because I needed the fiber in my diet and it was easier to eat that than drink Metamucil! Now I am up to 2 packs in the morning for breakfast. Breakfast is by far the most important meal since it gives your body the energy it needs to start the day. It is also recommended by many doctors and weight loss specialists to eat smaller meals throughout the day. But if you work, who has time for that. Most employers are not going to accommodate your eating schedule unless it is written out by a doctor. 

Lunch is another one that is difficult if you work. Most lunches are only a half hour and you can't just run down the street and grab a sub. Plus if you want a hot meal, you may have to wait in line for others to use the microwave to cook yours. Most people don't take the time to pack healthy lunches anymore. I try to pack my husbands lunch for him daily and make sure that it is filled with healthy choices or leftovers from supper.

Have a great day everyone! Eat Breakfast!

Random Thoughts!

Greetings and welcome to my page! There are always so many thoughts that pop into my head and I thought it was about time to put them down on paper. I probably could have written a book or two over the years! I hope that you will come and join me as we go on an adventure together!