There's a way to earn free essential oils?! No Way!

I thought it was time to dust off this blog and let you all know that there is a way to earn free essential oils! But first, some FAQ's because I know when I was an oils beginner, this was all a bit confusing!

1. If I purchase a Premium Starter Kit, do I have to make monthly purchases?

No, you do not! Once you start using your essential oils and it's time to replace them, you'll want to consider ordering monthly because there are some great perks, like reduced shipping and free products, however it is not necessary! 

2. How do I get wholesale pricing?

Your purchase of a Premium Starter Kit makes you a wholesale member! Yay! So see that less expensive wholesale price next to the product that you like? Yep, that's what you pay instead of the higher retail one! It makes sense to become a wholesale member! The only thing you need to do to maintain your wholesale membership is place one or of 50PV during the year that you've purchased your kit. So easy!

3. What is Essential Rewards?

Essential Rewards is Young Living's monthly subscription box. Think Birch Box, Fab Fit Fun, or Bark Box. The difference is:

• You get to choose what comes in your box every month (almost out of lavender or Purification? Add that to your order!)
• You get to choose your processing date (want it to process after your mid-month paycheck? Cool, set it for the 17th of the month or so!)
• You get points back on each purchase that can be used to snag MORE items of your choice, and with qualifying orders, you will earn even more free stuff (I'll talk about this more below!)! 

The best thing about it as far as I'm concerned? Your box will be full of TOXIN-FREE products that will help you take care of yourself and your family in the best way possible! If you are looking to remove harmful chemicals from your home (I'm talking things that are linked to cancer, reproductive issues, and other chronic conditions), take advantage of Essential Rewards. You can literally overhaul every toxic item in your home and earn free stuff while you do it. No brainer. Not sure if the products in your home are toxic? Scan them in the Think Dirty app. It will tell you how a personal care or cleaning product rates in terms of carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), reproductive toxicity, and allergens. You may be surprised at what you find!

4. Is there a monthly minimum?

There is a monthly minimum of $50. For our family, that equals about 2 meals out at a restaurant. We still go out to eat during the month, we just replace 2 meals that we normally would eat out with with meals that we make at home. I have no problem eating peanut butter and jelly for lunch if it means a new bottle of oil! For us, it's worth it to receive these amazing oils, home cleaning and personal care products every month. When I first started, I wondered, "how in the world am I going to choose $50 worth of oils every month?" Let me tell you what this looks like: Thieves is a must have essential oil blend, one we will never be without. If I notice I'm getting low, I add that to my monthly order. Purification is another one that I always have on hand. You can get 15 ml bottles of each for 52.50. These bottles are larger than the ones you receive in the kit, and have about 250-300 drops in them, depending on the thickness of the oil. These will last you awhile and in the meantime, you can either replenish more oils that you are low on next month, or you can start replacing items in your home like toothpaste (Thieves Aromabright is my fave), all purpose cleaner (one bottle is super concentrated and lasts forever!), hand soap and hand sanitizer (Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier is non-toxic, unlike Purell!). All of these add up to 50.25. 

5. So what are these gifts I've heard about?

As if Essential Rewards isn't amazing enough, Young Living will send you a gift at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of consecutive enrollment, then every 12 months after that. I'm not talking small, little useless gifts, either. After 3 months of membership, you'll receive a Peppermint Vitality! Yum! I love a drop in my water to help with digestion and give me energy, and it's been crucial in keeping my sniffling at bay during this beautiful Spring weather! At 6 months you'll receive a 5 ml bottle of Thieves. Again - this is a favorite in my home, and if I had another child, I just might name him/her Thieves. ;) Ok, maybe middle name. At 9 months, you'll receive a BREATHE AGAIN ROLL ON! I'm so excited for this! And at 12 months, and exclusive Loyalty blend that you can only get your hands on by being a part of this program! Can't wait to smell it! 

6. What do I need to spend to get free stuff?

As long as you place a 50 PV order every month, which usually translates to $50, you will earn points. These points can then be used to buy products of you choice! During months 1-3 of continuous enrollment, you earn 10% back, months 4-24, you earn 20% back, and months 25+ you earn 25% back! These points add up quickly, and you can either spend them every month or let them accumulate (you have one rolling year to use them) and use them to purchase big ticket items, like NingXia Red! 

You can also earn free stuff by spending certain amounts: 100 PV, 190, 250, or 300.   

Here are this month's promos for each level:

300 PV:
15-ml Dragon Time
Thieves Household Cleaner and 8 oz. Glass Spray Bottle
15-ml Tea Tree
5-ml Oola Grow 

5-ml Tangerine Vitality

(The only way to get Oola Grow and Tangerine Vitality for free is by being a member of the ER program!)

250 PV:
Thieves Household Cleaner and 8 oz. Glass Spray Bottle
15-ml Tea Tree
5-ml Oola Grow 

5-ml Tangerine Vitality

190 PV:
15-ml Tea Tree
5-ml Oola Grow 

5-ml Tangerine Vitality

100 PV:

5-ml Tangerine Vitality

So at the 300 PV level, you'll receive everything that you ordered, plus a 15 ml bottle of Dragon Time, a bottle of Thieves Household Cleaner and a glass spray bottle, a 15 ml bottle of Tea Tree, a bottle of Oola Grow, and a bottle of Tangerine Vitality. All of this is worth over $144! 

Here is why I invest in our orders every month. I say invest because it truly is an investment in our health. The health of our entire household. I'm not receiving a box of makeup or personal care products, which are for the most part extremely toxic (totally counter productive to what I am trying to do right now -- remove toxins from our home and detox our bodies). I'm not receive a box of clothes for myself or toys for my kids. I'm spending my money on my priority right now, and that's the wellness of my family. If I'm going to be buying these products anyway, which after lots of research, I've found to be the very best out there, I may as well be earning free stuff. 

Do you have any other questions about Young Living's monthly subscription box? I'm happy to answer them! 

Kids + Oils Make and Take

Friday night I hosted a Kids + Oils Halloween Make & Take and it was so fun! What's a Make & Take, you ask? Well, you (usually) come to someone's home and make stuff with essential oils, then take it home with you! The items can range from DIY beauty/skin care stuff (think sugar scrubs, face toners, etc.), to cleaning items (dust spray, household cleaner), to immune boosting/overall wellness stuff. You name it, there is probably a recipe for it! That is the beauty of essential oils. You can replace most of the products in your home with things that you make with your oils, and most of the time you can make it at a fraction of the price of store bought stuff and 100% of the time it is better for you! 

Here is what we made:

"Along Came a Spider" Bug Spray
This bug spray is awesome because you can do away with DEET or other bug repellants that contain some really harmful ingredients that are actually toxic for us. 

Add the following oils to a 2 oz. spray bottle:

3-5 drops Purification
3-5 drops Thieves
3-5 drops Peppermint

Swirl the oils around. Top with 1 oz. of witch hazel and 1 oz. of distilled water. Swirl again to combine. Spray on body to enjoy the outdoors annoyance-free! Well, from bugs anyway. I can't make any promises about anything else! :)

"Monsters Away" Bedtime Spray
Add the following oils to a 2 oz. spray bottle:

10 drops Lavender
10 drops Cedarwood
5 drops Orange (optional)

Swirl the oils to combine. Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water. Spray on blankets and pillows to promote a restful night's sleep. Can also spray under the bed or in closet, or anywhere else monsters may be hiding!

"Little Monsters" Body Wash
I LOVE the smell of lavender and lemongrass together. I love the smell of them alone too! This body wash is so great and it gives me such peace of mind knowing that all of the ingredients in it are safe and pure! 

1/8 cup baby castille soap
Tiny pour of grape seed oil
5 drops Lavender
3 drops Lemongrass (optional)

Add all ingredients to a 50 ml foaming pump bottle and top with distilled water. You can use this on your little monster's hair and body! (I got my bottles from Life Science Publishing, but you can definitely make a larger batch of this and put in a larger container. The 50 ml bottles are small so they are great for traveling! Comment below if you'd like the recipe for a larger container.)

And we added Orange and Cinnamon Bark essential oils to homemade play dough! It smells so good! My daughter likes me to sit with her while she plays with her play dough, and I find myself smelling it just because it smells delicious! It's important that if you make this one and add Orange EO to it that you keep it in a glass jar. (I find these in the dollar/Bullseye section at my local Target all the time.) Citrus oils will leach toxins out of plastic and we don't want to expose these toxins to our kids!  

The little ones had a BLAST running around and playing! A couple of them sat down to make stuff with their parents but most just had fun playing! I loved seeing them play together. Made my heart full!

Have you ever hosted or been to a Make and Take? What kind of items did you make? 

You may be wondering if essential oils are safe for kids. I use and recommend Young Living Essential Oils. When using them on kids or diffusing around them, you just want to make sure to go low and slow since their bodies are so much tinier than ours. Always dilute when applying topically! I use them for various things to support my daughter's health, and I was pleasantly surprised at how effective they were when I first started using them. I appreciate the fact that I can relieve any discomfort that she experiences, while not having to pump synthetics in her tiny perfect body. Essential oils support our body systems so that everything functions the way it is supposed to, thereby relieving symptoms, and I love this approach. I'd MUCH rather do this rather than mask symptoms the way that medication does. Plus there are no side effects like you get with medication. This is not to say we never use it, we just rarely (and I mean RARELY) have to now that we use oils! If you are interested in getting started with essential oils and using them to support your health or your children's health, please comment below! 

Road trip to Utah!

A couple of weeks ago, my husband, daughter and I took a road trip to Utah. We met some friends up there and stayed in cute little cabins right on Provo river. It was absolutely gorgeous! The mist on the water in the mornings was so cool. There's just something about being near the water. I wish we could have spent more time there! 

The view from our cabin. Just beautiful!

While we were there, we took the kids to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point. There were jumpers, little wooden playhouses, slides galore, face painting, a little tractor-pulled train, and mining for treasures. We were there for hours and didn't even see the whole thing! It was 11.95 per person (Monday-Thursday, 14.95 Friday and Saturday), and so worth it! I definitely recommend it if you are in the area or are going to be passing through and have little ones. They had a blast!  

This girl lives for face painting!

We also visited the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum in SLC and I have to say, the children's museums around here don't even come close! In all fairness, we haven't been to Pretend City and some of the other museums in our area. But as far as our local children's museum goes, this one blew it out of the water! Nellie had a blast in just about every exhibit. Her favorite was the cute little retro home, the store, and she loved working on a truck as a mechanic! My grandpa would be proud!

My favorite was the YL Lavender Farm exhibit! I had no idea this was going to be there, but it was a nice surprise! Especially because we were going to visit the real Lavender Farm the next day!

I was really looking forward to visiting the YL Lavender Farm in Mona, and it did not disappoint. The farm was so beautiful and clean. Everywhere you looked, there was something fun to check out. My husband and daughter loved it too! The people there were so nice. We were given a tour of the distillery and got to see juniper being distilled. I think it is so cool that an essential oils company owns their own farms and distilleries and that they are open to the public. That kind of transparency really impresses me! We took our time there and really enjoyed the grounds. There was a cool little western town that my husband loved, and a play structure with swings and a slide so we let Nellie play for awhile. We all had a blast! Again, if you live in the area or are traveling through Utah, this place is a must-see. The farm is set against the beautiful Utah mountains, and the setting is so peaceful and pristine. My favorite part of the farm was the gift shop! Some things never change! 

About to get my NingXia Red slushie. I was a happy girl!

We'd all love to go back!       

Simple Weeknight Dinner!

So apparently Southern California missed the memo that ITS FALL and it was 103 degrees today! :(

I needed a quick and tasty dinner so I decided on ham and cheese crescent rolls that I baked in the toaster oven. I actually wanted to do some lightly sautéed asparagus wrapped in ham that I saw on Giada De Laurentiis' cooking show but my local grocery store didn't have asparagus. And since it was so brutally hot outside, I was not going to another store. We had already run a bunch of errands and this was our last stop! 

I should have taken a picture of the ingredients I used but of course I didn't! I wasn't planning on blogging about them but they were so easy that I wanted to give other parents a quick dinner idea for busy weeknights or an insane heatwave!

To make them you'll need an 8 oz. package of crescent rolls (I like the Immaculate Organic Crescent Rolls), some good quality ham slices (8 to be exact) and some sliced cheddar cheese. Just lay out the crescent roll and place your ham and cheese on top, roll it up and place on your baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crescent rolls are golden brown.

I served them with apple and celery slices, and added a bit of Wild Friends Organic Maple Sunflower Butter to my plate. Perfect light dinner for a super hot day! These would also be great for breakfast or lunch and you can swap out the meat and cheese for whatever you like! I should mention that I was only feeding the girls and myself. My husband would need something more substantial! And he doesn't eat pork, so there's that.  

For a healthy snack, slice up an apple or celery and dip in this sunflower butter!

Follow me on Instagram for more tips like this @peppermint_and_peonies!! 

Winner of Gentle Babies book!

Congrats to JulieRach! She won the copy of Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern! 

Check back often for more fun giveaways!

Essential Oils + Pregnancy

Hi everyone!

So, you all know I'm a bit obsessed with essential oils and the AMAZING ways they support our bodies. There really is nothing else like them! It is so important that we take care of our bodies with the best stuff on Earth, and pure, quality essential oils make it easy to do just that! 

WOMEN - we need to be aware of what we are putting on our bodies and in our bodies, especially when we are pregnant! Everything we eat or apply topically will enter into our bloodstream, and then into the bloodstream of our sweet baby. So tell me, are you ok with using products that are full of harmful chemicals, or would you be interested in going the more natural, healthy route? 

My sweet friend Heather, who actually introduced essential oils to me, is pregnant with her third baby right now and I am so excited for her! This is her first pregnancy since she has started using essential oils 2 year ago and I asked her a few questions about using oils during pregnancy. This can be a controversial topic, but it all comes down to personal preference and education - just like anything else. Essential oils can actually really help with pregnancy related discomfort in a natural way!


Here are some adorable pics of Heather and her family! Are they not the cutest??? 

Read on to see which essential oils Heather is using to support her body during this special time!

J: What are some oils that you are loving right now and how are you using them?

H: I am loving Frankincense rubbed on my tummy with a dab of coconut oil for skin support and elasticity!  Trying to avoid getting stretch marks you know! I love all the citrus scents right now to give me a little pep in my step. I smell them right from the bottle or diffuse them! They smell so fresh and clean. I love them all but my favorites are Orange, Bergamot, and Lemon. I also love rubbing Tender Tush Ointment on my tummy and my face for skin support too! So many amazing oils in this product to help with healthy, glowing skin. Peppermint Vitality is a must have when pregnant for when I'm feeling queasy! I love to smell it from the bottle or add a drop to my water. It is advised to avoid Peppermint in the third trimester because it can turn the baby in the womb.

J: What about other products?

H: Comfy PJ's are on the top of my list! And some cute maternity clothes! I also went and bought myself some "healthier" nail polish from Sprouts to avoid some of the toxins found in traditional nail polishes.

Ningxia Red has helped boost my immune system too. It keeps me healthy and well during pregnancy… along with the energy boost. I haven't been sick at all since drinking it daily!

J: What do you love about being pregnant?

H: There are a few things I love about being pregnant. I love knowing there is a little blessing from God growing inside me that I have been given to care for and nurture.  It makes me want to be the best, healthiest person I can be! It's a big responsibility! I also love the anticipation of finding out the gender (it's a BOY!), what the sweet baby will look like, waiting for those little kicks to happen, and getting the baby items and room ready. And I'm not going to lie, the special privileges are nice… like people wanting to help you carry things, opening doors for you, special "expectant mother" parking at certain stores.. ;)

J: You lead a very active lifestyle (hiking, Pilates), what are some of your favorite ways to stay active throughout pregnancy?

H: It's super important to stay active and strong during pregnancy. There are some days I don't feel like it, but I always try to walk at least a mile or two, stretch, and do some squats. I also LOVE to hike with my family. We just went hiking in Yosemite and it was a blast! Hiking doesn't feel like a workout to me because I enjoy it so much so it's a great way to get exercise in. 

J: Any cravings?

H: Cravings… Oh goodness I have been craving peaches and plums like crazy!! And Young Living's antioxidant drink Ningxia Red. I drink it twice a day! It's so good for you and gives you energy! 

J: What advice would you give someone who is pregnant and just starting out with essential oils?

H: For someone pregnant and new to the oils, I would definitely recommend getting the Gentle Babies book. It has so much great information about which oils to use for what and which oils to avoid. Oils are a much better alternative to so many of the toxic products out there and they can help support a healthy pregnancy.  

………………

A BIG thank you to Heather!! She has been my oil guru and pretty much my health guru (whether she knows it or not!) since I made it my mission to live a healthier life and detox my body and my home! She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to essential oils, supplements, healthy eating and fitness! Love her and her commitment to living the best, most healthy life for herself and her beautiful family! You can follow her on Instagram @my.essential.life to learn more oily goodness and how she incorporates essential oils into her daily life! 

***GIVEAWAY***

Thoughts of new babies just gets me all warm and fuzzy inside and makes me feel extra giving, so we are going to do a fun little giveaway! Enter to win a copy of Debra Raybern's Gentle Babies! All you have to do is comment on this blog post and tell me your favorite way to use essential oils! It can be anything, a diffuser blend, a great way to use your oils topically, or even internally if you choose to do so! This book is a must if you are expecting or have a baby or young child! The winner will be announced on Friday, Sept. 16! Good luck! XOXO

Anaheim Packing District

Hello friends!

Today Nellie, Gilbert and I made a fun little trip to the Anaheim Packing District. If you haven’t been there before, and you eat food, what are you waiting for? Jump in your car and go this instant! Just make sure they are open. And that you are wearing clothes. And that you are HUNGRY because there are so many food options it is kind of overwhelming!

This was only our second trip there. I had seen pictures on their Instagram feed of pho and banh mi sandwiches and Vietnamese food was what I was craving! We went straight to Sawleaf Café and browsed their menu. I was planning on getting pho, but their Vermicelli Noodle Salad looked so good so I opted for that instead. It did not disappoint! I got it with Lemongrass Chicken and it was so tasty! Even Nellie liked it! My hubby had to round out the meal with sweet potato fries! They were pretty darn good too!

Vermicelli Noodle Salad and Sweet Potato Fries

After our dinner we went upstairs to popbar where you can get a little glimpse of heaven. Check out all of those beautiful colors! They are made with real fruit and there are no artificial flavorings or preservatives, just pure deliciousness!

I got a pineapple sorbetto on a stick, half dipped in dark chocolate and then dipped in pistachios. Nellie wanted a plain chocolate gelato on a stick. When I asked if she wanted it dipped or wanted sprinkles, I got a firm, NO. Ok, then. Chocolate it is. :) Gilbert got a peppermint frozen hot chocolate. And you all know my affinity for peppermint! It was so delicious! I’ve always wanted to go to Serendipity in New York but never had the chance. I imagine this drink tastes just as good or better than their frozen hot chocolate! It was that good!  

The before pic, giving her gelato a big thumbs up!

And the after...

Here's mine, I'll spare you my before and after pictures!

Off to detox now!

Seriously though, the Packing District is such a fun place to hang out. It is family friendly, at least when I’ve been there it has been, but I imagine on weekend nights the bars can get pretty lively. And they have so many choices when it comes to food that there is literally something for everybody. If you are in the area, stop in! You won’t be disappointed!

Tips:

Parking can be tricky. There is street parking and lot parking. There’s even valet. We’ve gone at off-peak times and were able to find lot parking pretty quickly. But I imagine on days where they are having the Farmer’s Market, or weekends in general, parking would be kind of hard. Try to go in between breakfast and lunch or before the dinner crowd to make parking a cinch!  

If you go in a group, and it is busy, have one person save a table while the others grab food, then switch off if needed. It can get packed and tables/sitting areas are hard to come by.

If you can't decide what you want, and you are in a group, see if everyone is willing to get a different dish so that you can sample a bit of everything! We did this the first time we went and it worked out really well! We got to try quite a few things and see what we really liked!