It's that time of year where our immune systems are vulnerable and we are exposed to so many things all over the place. I *LOVE* Inner Defense for keeping my immune system strong and supported. 

Inner Defense are premade capsules of Thieves (Cinnamon Bark, Lemon, Clove, Eucalyptus Radiata and Rosemary), Oregano, Lemongrass and Thyme. This results in a very potent and powerful concoction that will save your butt when you need it. 

When I start to feel iffy and my immune system needs a boost, this is one of my go to products. I do not take these everyday but I save them for when I need them. However, if I am around someone displaying signs of a weak immune system, if I am in a big crowd in winter or doing something like flying/travelling, I will take one to be proactive. I will tell you, these REALLY WORK. 

These little capsules when taken regularly will also create an unwelcoming environment for yeast and fungus in your system, and help promote healthy respiratory function.

Young Living supplements are created specifically for fast and maximum absorption. Did you know most supplements on the market are made with synthetic ingredients, and pass through our systems mostly (or completely) unused? I love knowing I am getting the most benefit possible with my Young Living supplements.

It is best to take these with food or on a full belly to avoid burping up the taste of Oregano or experiencing stomach upset. These do contain fish and coconut, so best avoided for those who are vegetarian/vegan or allergic to fish or tree nuts. 

Keep a few on hand in your purse/bag/car so if you need them fast, you will have them on hand. The sooner you can take when you start to feel you need one, the better. I cannot tell you how many times in the past 2 months these babies have come to my rescue!! They are like mini little superhero capsules! 

For best results, I pair these with Super C capsules and some NingXia Red with vitamin D and zinc. 

Inner Defense is #3295 and is $26.95 for 30 capsules. 

I am so excited to announce MORE Savvy MInerals have hit the market! I knew the mascara was coming but the others were a surprize to me. I can't wait to try the Journey lip gloss, and my mascara  and eyeliner brush are already ordered and on the way to me! 

All of these are permanent except for the holiday collection, which is limited to the holiday catalogue, while supplies last. 

You can check it out here! Visually stunning, as always, and includes both seasonal items and some new permanent products! 

Did you know you can cook with your Young Living Vitality oils? Heck yes you can! Using oils in your food can add a next level of flavor that your taste buds will thank you for! Here are some really great ideas for fall cooking. 

If you are gluten or dairy free like I am, you can alter the recipes to meet your needs. 

I think this soup would taste fantastic with coconut milk 

I think this recipe would be good using almond milk in place of the milk and GF AP flour, too. 

Love Pumpkin Spice? Here is a nice, healthier way to spice up your coffee this fall. Use Cashew, Coconut or Almond milk if you are dairy free. 

​Diffusing is such a fantastic way to experience Young Living oils. I personally love diffusing because it packs a punch with  FOUR benefits in one easy action. 

1- Diffusing provides your home with a wonderful smell without having to be exposed to heavy chemicals such as with candles, plug in fresheners, or air sprays, and without that headache that many of those products can provide too. 

2- Diffusing Young Living oils purifies the air and actually eliminates odors instead of just masking them. Looking for better air quality? Diffusing is the answer! This is especially key in winter months. 

3- Diffusing Young Living oils benefits our health by feeding our cells and strengthening systems- immune system, respiratory system, nervous system, help with mental clarity and focus,  influencing our hormone centers and more! WOW! Can a scented candle do that? 

When using some of the outstanding blends that Gary Young created- we are able to support and strengthen multiple systems at once and influencing more than we realise. It really is so cool! 

4- Diffusing Young Living oils boosts our mood! They can help relax or calm us, uplift us, help send us off into a deep sleep and more! 

Here are some nice ideas for fall diffusing, Enjoy! 

Let's be real- mornings can be TOUGH to face- especially if it is a workday or school day. My girls would rather sleep in and then snuggle on the couch for hours before getting going, but that is not a reality during the school year. 

I have a lot of oils in my collection but I find myself reaching for this combo morning after morning to give us a nice, cheerful start to the day. It really works!

First of all, the base blend of this is Christmas Spirit. This is a combo of Cinnamon, Cypress and Orange and it is WONDERFUL. I avoided this blend for probably 2 years until I finally decided to give it a try and it was nothing like I expected. When I diffuse this in my home, anyone who walks in goes right over to the diffuser and hovers over it, taking deep breaths. We use this year round now. It is quite affordable as well at $10.25 wholesale price for a 5ml bottle. 

This is lovely on it's own, but recently I started adding extra Orange, and then experimented with adding a little Grapefruit as well. The result is what I have been calling "Bright Sunshiney Day" and I figured it was time to share this with others. 

You can play around with the number of drops to suit your personal preference. It's not an exact science, so have fun with it! 

​Give it a try and let me know how it goes! 

This was the blend that made me fall in love with Young Living and helped me see what quality really was. Once I had this bottle in my hand, I never looked back and never used another brand.
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This blend works SO WELL for me, I feel comfort wash over me the very second I smell it.
A few months ago I was driving to a birthday party with my daughters. It was POURING buckets and we were on the highway. Years ago I was a passenger in a highway accident in the rain where we hydroplaned across 3 busy lanes. As I was driving, I was feeling the same exact way I felt that day, but I was also trying to operate my car at the same time and keep my girls safe. I started to really freak out. My oldest daughter got my bottle of Peace and Calming out of my bag and gave it to me. Instantly I felt better and I was able to get us to the party.

I love to diffuse this blend, and I love to wear it as a perfume. The car is also an ideal place to use this! 
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Have you tried this blend? Do you love it?

Oh my gosh you guys- Young Living announced a HUGE amount of fantastic new products at convention a few weeks ago in Salt Lake City! What a great time and a fantastic city, I cannot wait to go back next year! 

The new products this year are SO EXCITING- including many things that members have been asking for for years! The great thing is Young Living were able to conduct clinical studies around these products so we are able to talk openly about their benefits! 

​First up- the most exciting product for me- Insect Repellent! YES! I live in New Hampshire surrounded by woods and this product is just what we needed. I had been making my own for several years but this product is much more potent than anything I could ever make. This is more of a serum, which means it clings to the surface of the skin longer and I believe this helps it with effectiveness. Don't let this price scare you- I fully expect this bottle to last my family of 4 all summer, a little goes a LONG way! 

Insect Repellent 

Next up: MINERAL SUNSCREEN!! 
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People went nuts when they announced this! A good sunscreen without harmful ingredients is very hard to find, and most mineral sunscreens go on very white and are hard to apply. Any parent out there knows applying sunscreen is up there with fun parenting activities like putting on snowsuits and brushing teeth! I am amazed how easily and fast this goes into skin without a white film left behind and nothing harmful! 

This sunscreen contains SPF of 10 which may seem low, but did you know SPF has nothing to do with strength of the sunscreen, only the amount of time you can be out without reapplying or starting to burn? 

Here is an article from the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep website on high SPF here
and an article on sunscreen safety here
nanoparticles and why this is a very dangerous aspect of sunscreens here
and why too much sunscreen is causing a whole other problem here

What if the sun is not our enemy after all? 

Mineral Sunscreen Lotion

Our next exciting product is the Lavederm After Sun Care This is perfect for soothing and nourishing skin after sun exposure, and this also has clinical trials that show this product is fantastic for soothing itchy bug bites too! As everything with Young Living, a little goes a LONG way! 

Lavaderm After Sun Care 

Shutran 3 in 1 Men's Wash is based off the amazing smelling men's oil Shutran. This wash smells SO GOOD and is for hair, face and body. I brought this home from convention for my husband and I have been using it too! Shh don't tell him! 

This comes in 2 sizes.

Shutran 3 in 1 Men's Wash

We also got a dazzling new diffuser! 

Here are the new supplements! All of Young Living's supplements are TOP NOTCH- made for absorption (did you know most supplements are made with cheap, synthetic vitamins and most pass right through us, unused? Spend a little more for quality and actually feel the benefits you are hoping for! 

With all supplements, doctors recommend giving 90 days before you will feel the full benefits.

Aminowise is designed to support athletes after exercise with essential amino acids and minerals for faster and better recovery. 

Aminowise 

Alkalime is an existing product that helps bring the body into PH balance. This new version of this product comes in individual pouches for on the go. 

Alkalime

Super Cal Plus is designed to provide the body with premium calcium for bone health.
 
Super Cal Plus 

SEEDLINGS is here- a wonderful line of truly clean and safe products for baby! 

It is appalling to know some of the ingredients that are in baby products- especially names we *think* are trustworthy. 

Did you know the reason why a very popular baby shampoo doesn't make babies cry? Because the product contains a NUMBING AGENT to prevent it, that numbs the eyes and keeps the tears away- not because it is gentle or safe! 

All Seedlings products are scented with properly diluted, pure and gentle Lavender. 

This product line designed for our smallest little ones is going to be HUGE! 

And finally we have the biggest and most exciting product reveal of this year- MAKEUP!! 

OH MY GOSH you guys, this was a really exciting moment when this was announced. Members have been asking for makeup for a long time, but Young Living doesn't just do something half way, they have to do it right. 

2 years ago, a Young Living Crown Diamond named Melissa Poepping started her own small makeup line she was making herself out of her home. It was called Sweet Savvy Minerals and it was a truly clean mineral makeup line. I used mineral makeup and thought my brand was clean, but as I learned more I realized there were still ingredients that I preferred to avoid putting on my skin, my largest organ. Ingredients like Bismuth, Silica, Kaolin, animal sourced ingredients such as silks, and artificial colors! 

So I started using the Sweet Savvy MInerals line and I was loving it, but as a home based business, her line was limited. This past year Young Living acquired her company and it is now Savvy MInerals by Young Living! Working together with Melissa, they have expanded the line and will continue to do so. The result is a beautifully created line of foundations, blushes, bronzers, eyeshadows, eyeliner/multitasker, lip glosses and lip sticks. Coming soon will be mascara and more colors. This line also includes a misting spray which can be used on brushes or mixed with the powders to create brighter colors and different effects. 

This has EXPLODED and there are already huge Facebook groups dedicated just to the makeup line and how to use it. 

Prices are comparable to other lines and if you have never used mineral makeup before, it is important to know that mineral makeup lasts for a very long time, because you use such a small amount at a time. For me, one foundation lasts a year. I do not use it every day, but most days I do. 

Savvy Minerals Bronzer - I love the Summer Loved! 

Savvy MInerals Eyeliner 
​Savvy MInerals Multi tasker 
Savvy MInerals Veil - AKA Diamond Dust 

Lipsticks come in 4 beautiful colors - on a whim, daydream, wish and uptown girl. These colors are beautiful and natural, with no artificial colors and dyes! 

Savvy Minerals Lipsticks 

These lip glosses are a beautiful, natural color without dyes, and contain a touch of Peppermint essential oil to give you a little boost of energy! How fun!

This lip gloss goes on feeling great without any sticky feeling, unlike most lip glosses. You will love this!  

Savvy Minerals Lip Gloss

This misting spray allows you more control and deeper color for eyeshadows and eyeliners. 

Savvy MInerals Misting Spray

All of these makeup products are completely vegan and never tested on animals!! 


​Which new products are you most excited about? I can't wait to try them all! 

Spring is here and not a moment too soon. Living in New England, we deal with some serious winter here at times. By the time spring hits we are way ready. This year is no exception. 

Here are some lovely spring diffuser combos to help get you in the new season. I love the Peppermint, Lavender and Lemon combo with Grapefruit added. It is so fresh and uplifting! And if the change of seasons gets to you, this one will be especially nice for you. 

For many years I have toyed with the idea of doing a full on liquid only/juice cleanse. Around ten years ago I did attempt the Master Cleanse, which consists of drinking only a mixture of fresh lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days. I was excited about this idea but really did not know what I was doing and I don't really recall doing much prep leading up. I ended up lasting only around a half day. I discovered I have a deep loathing for cayenne pepper pretty fast, and I thought about food and how hungry I was the whole entire time. It felt like the whole 10 days passed just in those few hours! 

Fast forward to today and I know a whole lot more about my body and health in general. My digestion has been pretty unhappy for at least 2 1/2 years now,and it wasn't all that happier for years before that. A bout with Lyme and a month of a antibiotic (I did 1/2 antibiotic, 1/2 natural treatment) really left me with an unhappy belly. Suddenly I was bloated all the time and felt pretty gross. I also slowly added on almost 20 lbs of undesired weight. 

This January I entered a weight loss challenge with my neighbors. Over 2 months, I lost 12 lbs. Much of it I believe was bloat alone, caused by food sensitivities. I realised that I was sensitive to dairy and raw onions. I enjoy both so that was a bummer, but cutting them out I felt soooo much better. Worth it. At the end of the 2 months I knew I was ready for this juice cleanse I had been thinking about for years. I ran out and got this bounty of organic veggies and some fruits. I only use green apples for juicing due to low sugar content. The other apples you see here are for my kids for eating. I love a citrusy juice in the morning so I got a bunch of oranges and grapefruit, I LOVE grapefruit. Goes so well with so many things. Lots of greens, some beets, cucumbers, celery, lemons and limes, ginger and turmeric. 

This is the juicer I have, an Omega 8006. I LOVE it and it is well worth the money if you plan on juicing on a regular basis. 

The day before I started I ate very light. I had some coconut yogurt with seeds and nuts for breakfast, and only lettuce salads for lunch and dinner. It is much easier on your system to ease into a cleanse by eating light. If you can do this for more than one day it is probably even better, but I kind of decided this last minute. 

Day 1:  I was super low energy. I also got a strange light second cycle arrival even though I had just cycled 2 weeks before. I was taken by surprise as this is not usual for me. I was slightly crampy and kind of annoyed. It was pretty cold out and I was totally freezing. I did hardly anything. Took a warm bath. Napped. Snuggled with my kids. Had to layer up and at one point I was wearing not one winter hat but two.

I do not know if temperature drop is usual, but I live in New Hampshire and it is winter right now. I tend to run cold all the time anyway. 

Def hung out in the bathroom a bit. 

Some people take a gentle, natural laxative to aid in cleansing or drink a nice laxative tea. I did not do this but next time I will. The idea of a cleanse is to clean yourself out as much as possible. We hold on to stuff inside us we do not need. Not the most enjoyable topic to discuss but it is part of cleansing. Next time I will use an organic laxative tea like Traditional Medicinals or Yogi brand. If you take a laxative, I recommend getting something from a natural food store and avoiding harsh brands you can find in a pharmacy or regular grocery store. These contain ingredients that are not clean and would not pair well with a cleanse. Best to avoid products like this overall. 

I really did not follow recipes, I just combined what I felt like, but I know some people prefer specifics. I watered down my juices a little to reduce the sugar content even more. Just enough but not too much to take the taste away. I love fresh juice. SO good.

Small tip: if juicing ginger, which is amazing for you, keep it to small amounts. Ginger is strong and potent and can overpower a juice if too much is used. It might ruin the experience for you and there should be some enjoyment. I have a friend who juices garlic during her cleanses, which I did try once, but my belly did not like it. If you can tolerate it, that would provide excellent benefit. 

I also drank a lot of water and herbal teas, naturally decaffeinated. I was hungry. I found keeping liquid in my belly helped. My husband made bacon for dinner and I had to go upstairs from the smell. Then he cooked it exactly the way I like it, crispy. That was the ultimate test. 

Day 2: Basically the same, but I was not really hungry. Really cold, low energy. Less bathroom time. Lost 3 lbs by this point. My husband made bacon again!  I wonder if he was testing me. 

Day 3: This was the best day. I had a bunch of energy, I was not cold and I did not have any GI side effects. Perhaps I did not clean out as much as I could have, but I thought this was a great first experience. 

On this day, my husband left town and I had to cook for my daughters. I was hardly tempted to nibble even though what I made them was yummy. When I felt hungry I would simply drink a juice, water or tea. This felt really good to me and a nice reminder that I can and do have willpower. 

I debated going longer and did have a juice for breakfast on the 4th day, but decided to start easing back into food in the early afternoon. Ate light. Lost a total of 5 lbs! This brought me to a total of 17 lbs in 2 months. 

During these 3 days I stopped most of my supplements. I did take some enzymes and probiotics and my thyroid support. I also did my regular shot of NingXia Red drink with Copaiba and Frankincense . 

Overall this was a fantastic experience and I am super glad I did it. It was nice to feel my body in perfect digestion and to challenge my willpower. I will be doing this on a regular basis as a way to maintain healthy digestion and a weight I feel good with. 

My assessment is that juicing is a delicious, wonderful way to clean yourself out and reset your body in a healthy way and I highly recommend it. Please let me know about your experiences with juicing, I would love to hear them! Thanks for reading!