Love (or need) Caffeine or Energy Drinks?
Coffee and other energy drinks pull all the energy from your cells onto the front lines for battle (keeping your eye lids opens and your feet moving). However, once the battle is over, the energy is gone and there's no reserve. Hence, the afternoon slump.

Be Steady Betty all day long by doing one or more of the following:

Peppy Patty - Place 1 drop of Peppermint in a 12 oz (or larger) glass of water or water bottle. My friend who used to drink 5+ cups of coffee per day tried this and....she went off coffee!

Hazel Basil - Place 3 drops of Basil oil on the bottom of each foot and massage. Inhale Basil regularly throughout the day. I love Basil for support adrenal exhaustion.

Slim & Sassy in a Glassy - Drink 5 drops of Slim and Sassy in water or a capsule 3-5 times a day. Now for me, 5 drops is too much. So start with 1-2 and then work your way up to 5.

Cut the Craving - Place 1 drop Grapefruit oil under tongue, hold for 30 seconds, swallow. Repeat as often as cravings arise.

Maximize Your Days - MitoMax is a supplement of adaptogens (plants which survive well under stress). It's a natural energy booster and also helps women balance hormones. I reintroduced this to my supplement routine recently and felt like I had eaten 3 brownies that morning. I had so much energy. And it happened the next day too. This is amazing if you often feel like you drag all day. *Send me an email for a sample.

My Favorites -  I use MitoMax almost every morning. I often will put 1 drop of Peppermint in my water in the afternoon. I also like to inhale Basil and do 2 drops under my tongue.

For Better Mood and Less Pain as Teeth Come In
If your child is getting teeth, they, along with you, aren't enjoying the experience. Runny noses, higher temperatures, less sleep, more drool, more tears. Time to reach for your oils. And guess what? I bet you have at least one of the following!

Lavender - great for all things irritating! Rub diluted oil on gums or cheeks for soothing. Diffuse at night for better sleep. I love using Lavender Touch. It's diluted and ready to go in a roller bottle.

Peppermint - cools and helps reduce body temperature. Dilute and rub on bottom of feet.

Clove - numbs the mouth and helps with pain. This is a HOT oil so be sure to dilute it for kids. Use 1 drop of Clove to 8-10 drops of FCO (fractionated coconut oil). **I would try Lavender first and then support with Clove if needed.

Oils may be used every 15 - 30 minutes as needed.

I know sleeping well is so important. When several people mentioned bad dreams lately, I I cracked open my Essential Life book.

Nightmares Be Gone
Topical:  Dilute 1 drop of Juniper Berry with 1 tsp FCO (carrier oil) for children. Apply to back of neck, forehead, behind ears and bottoms of feet 30 minutes before bed time.
Aromatic: Diffuse Juniper Berry in bedroom at night. To kick it up a notch, add a drop of Peace, the Reassuring blend.

Why Does It Work: It helps with tension and stress. Supports you in feeling courageous and protected. Helps with not feeling terrified and having irrational fears.

Other Thoughts: I have a friend whose had nightmares for years. She also recommended journaling (for adults). Those fears, bad memories and shameful moments can be part of our bad dream challenges. Writing about them can help see them in a real light.

After glancing at our town's 10 day forecast, I realize summer is upon us! It's time to get those water bottles out and filled with water! 

Consider these incredible facts about water: 

• At 4% water loss, muscle endurance diminishes and you start to get  dizzy 
• At 5% water loss, headaches begin, drowsiness, loss of concentration and unreasonable impatience occurs.
• At 6% water loss, body temperature is impaired and your heart begins to race.
• At 7% water loss, there is a good chance you will collapse​
  • ​statisticbrain.com

How Much Water Should I Drink?

• Half of your body weight (lbs) in ounces of water per day.
• Drink an extra 8 oz of water for each cup of coffee, tea or soda that you consume.

Tip: Adding 1-2 drops of lemon or wild orange essential oil to your water makes it more enticing to drink for those who don't like water. 
​
To celebrate the coming of summer: SAVE $2 on any Glasstic water bottle now through June 1st at the Country Cupboard. 

Food can bring comfort, at least in the short-term. Therefore, we often use food to "heal" emotional problems. Lately I've been having a problem with eating all the time, even when I'm not hungry. I gained a little weight, felt lousy and knew I was wasting money on food I didn't need.

I knew there was an underlying cause of why I was eating all the time. I did some research and here's what I learned:
 
Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger is gradual. Emotional eating and leaves behind feelings of guilt or shame; physical hungry recognizes when you are full and stops.

Wait 5 minutes before you give in to a craving. Drink a glass of water. Don’t tell yourself you can’t give in to the craving; remember, the forbidden is extremely tempting. Just tell yourself to wait. Check in with yourself. How are you feeling? What’s going on emotionally?

Here are some essential oils to support your emotions:
*Grapefruit:  helps heal relationship with body and cur emotional eating
Patchouli: supports restoring connection ton and acceptance of body
*Bergamot:  balances hormones and promotes sense of self-worth. If you deal with stress, this is the oil you need!
*Cinnamon: balances glucose levels and metabolism; promotes sens of safety
*Slim & Sassy:  balances metabolism and insulin, helps curb appetite
Balance:  balances emotions and promotes feelings of tranquility
Purify:  encourages releasing of toxic emotions
*These are internal oils. Put 2 drops of oil in your water.

What I did:
*Put 2 drops of Slim & Sassy in my water bottle at least 3 times a day. This really curbed my appetite.
*Recognized when I was stressed and used Bergamot in my water (instead of food).
*Only allowed myself to eat when I was hungry.
*When I had an emotional hunger moment, I allowed myself something fun - like 10 minutes of reading or a short walk.
*Used the Life Long Vitality Pack to help balance my overall nutrition. I've experienced and heard from others this product is great at helping to maintain weight.

What Happened:
It took about two weeks of some tough saying "no" and using my plan consistently. I dropped a few pounds, became more aware that eating doesn't help me feel better or handle life better and love that I can wait to eat until I'm hungry.

Let me know if you have a food craving victory story!