Balms and Manna Blog - Balms and Manna

Here Comes the Sun!

6/9/2022

HERE COMES THE SUN!

Summer is almost here and so is the sun! Sunshine has so many benefits but what about when you get a little too much? I have the perfect relief for you:

AFTER SUN CARE
In a 4 ounce spray bottle combine:
10 drops Frankincense
10 drops Lavender
5 drops Peppermint
5 drops Geranium
1/2 ounce of FCO
Top with water

Shake and spray on affected area.

And if you would rather avoid the need for AFTER SUN CARE, stay tuned as doTERRA releases a brand new suncare line in July! Excited for these non-toxic, light weight, non nano zinc oxide, water resistant products!

If you are new to essential oils and are looking for the best way to get your oils, check out the doTERRA enrollment kits! All the basic oils in one kit with a free 1-yr wholesale membership ($35 savings with 25% off for the next year!)

One of My Staple Snacks- Energy Bites!

5/22/2022

ONE OF MY STAPLE SNACKS- ENERGY BITES

Energy bites are a staple at my house. My nieces and nephews love them and still believe (after years of eating them) that if they eat them it will give them energy and are an excuse to run around and make lots of noise! They are great for energy but have so many other benefits too.

I often recommend daily flax meal to my clients to help balance blood sugar, metabolize excess hormones, to curb cravings and promote regular elimination. These bites are a great way to get flax meal in daily plus have a balanced snack to eat through out the day to keep blood sugar levels steady.

No Bake Energy Bites

1 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. nut butter (without sugar)
1/3 c. honey
1 c. coconut flakes
1/2 c. flax meal
1/2 c. Lily's chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything together and chill for 30 minutes. Roll into balls and store in refrigerator. If mixture is dry, add water to hold together.

How to Make Your Christmas Gifts Scentsational

12/8/2021

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS SCENSATIONAL

Ever want to add just a little something to a gift to make it personal and special? A drop or two of essential oils are the perfect way to create a warm, inviting gift that makes the receiver feel loved and treasured!

Scented Envelopes- A fun way to add sparkle and depth to your cards! Add 2-3 drops of essential oils to a cotton ball and place in a plastic bag with your envelopes or card. Let sit overnight or for 8 hours and then remove and send.

Scented Pinecones- A subtle way to add aroma to a room at the same time being decorative. Purchase a bag of pinecones or gather them from outside. If they are dirty, have bugs on them or are closed up, give them a quick rinse in the sink and then place in the oven on a sheet at 200 degrees for one hour. Add one drop per pinecone and place in a bowl, string as garland or give as a gift in a decorative bag. Reapply oils as needed for desired scent. Cinnamon, Holiday Peace/Joy, Fir or Pine oils are great choices for oils!

Scented Neck Wraps- Purchase a neck wrap or create your own with a tube sock or piece of flannel. Add 2-3 drops of a calming oil such as Lavender, Siberian Fir or Balance to the wrap. Consider giving a small bottle of oil along with the gift for continued scenting.

Scented Car Diffusers- I love how personal and customizable this can be! Create your own simple car diffuser by gluing felted stickers to clothespins and clipping to the vent or by sewing felted balls together.

Scented Body Scrub- Such a fun spa gift! Add Peppermint to make a candy cane scrub, Lemon or Rosemary & Spearmint for a refreshing, uplifting experience.

Scented Room/Linen Spray- So simple to make with a few ingredients! Plus you can customize the scent for holidays, seasons and moods.

Bone Broth Basics

11/30/2021

Bone Broth Basics
It's that time of year when we all want to cozy up with a bowl of steaming soup! And what's better to use as a base than bone broth? Bone broth doesn't just taste good, it's full of nutrition and essential minerals. It also provides amino acids and is a great source of collagen and gelatin.

Bone broth supports:

Restoration of leaky gut
Food allergies/intolerances
Joint health
Immunity

How to Make Your Own Bone Broth:

For a quality bone broth recipe, it’s important to use all the body parts like organ meat, feet and neck.
You also want to buy animal products that you know are pasture-fed and free of antibiotics and hormones in order to truly unlock all the bone broth benefits.
Add vegetables (carrots, onions, celery) and garlic for added taste and nutrition

Cooking Suggestions

Place bones into a large stock pot and cover with water.
Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to water prior to cooking. This helps to pull out important nutrients from the bones.
Fill stock pot with filtered water. Leave plenty of room for water to boil.
Heat slowly. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for at least six hours. Remove scum as it arises.
Cook slow and at low heat. Chicken bones can cook for 24 hours. Beef bones can cook for 48 hours. A low and slow cook time is necessary in order to fully extract the nutrients in and around the bone.
Alternatively, you can use a crock pot to make the broth. Use the same directions by covering bones with water and adding apple cider vinegar. Cook on low for 8-24 hours.
Remove large pieces of bone, meat and veggies and discard. Strain through a sieve and then store in jars in the fridge or process in a pressure canner for later use.

After cooking, the broth will cool and a layer of fat will harden on top. This layer protects the broth beneath. You can eat this layer along with the broth if desired.

*You can also purchase bone broth instead of making it yourself. Organic, grass fed bone broth with no preservatives with provide you with the best nutrition and benefit.

I'd love to hear if you make your own bone broth!

Why Choose Natural Skin Care?

10/28/2021

Why Choose Natural Skin Care?

Did you know?

The average home contains 62 toxic chemicals that we are routinely exposed to.
The average women exposes her self to 167 chemicals on her body with her daily beauty routine.
Over 80,000 chemicals are approved by the FDA but only 7% of those have been tested for safety.

Why Does Natural Skin Care Matter?

Skin absorbs substance directly into blood stream
Industry is highly unregulated
Claims may be misleading (natural, maximum strength, instant results
Chemicals in skin products are
- Skin irritants
- Endocrine disruptors (create hormone imbalances)
- Carcinogenic (cancer causing)

It can be overwhelming to know where to start to replace your toxic skin care products! But it doesn't have to be!

Let me guide you with a few simple steps.
1- Go to EWG- see how toxic your current products are
2- doTERRA has a complete selection of: skin care, hair care and body products
3- DIYer's- make your own easy, simple hair conditioner, shave gel, face scrub

Rosemary Cedarwood Hair Conditioner
Fill an 8 oz glass pump bottle 3/4 of the way with apple cider vinegar. Add 5 drops of Rosemary and 5 drops of Cedarwood essential oils. Fill remaining bottle with water.

To use: Pump conditioner on hair after shampooing and leave in for 1-2 minutes and then rinse.

Blue Tansy Facial Scrub
In a small container mix 1/2 cup of almond meal and 1/2 cup of oat flour. Add 7 drops of Blue Tansy essential oil (or any oil of your choice for skin, although Blue Tansy smells the best and is my favorite). Massage well to incorporate oil into flours.

To use: Use approximately 2 tsp of scrub and add a small amount of water to form a paste the consistency of baby cereal. Rub on face to exfoliate for a minute and then rinse well.

Lavender Shave Gel
In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/4 of aloe vera gel and 6 drops of Lavender essential oil. Whisk until uniformly combined. Using a funnel, pour into 4 oz glass pump bottle.

I'D LOVE MORE OF YOUR RECIPES!

Do You Know What's In Your Laundry Detergent?

2/25/2021

The warmth of the sunshine, the birds singing and the daylight lasting longer means spring is almost here! Yay! That makes me think about washing my sheets and hanging my laundry outside! Who doesn't love the fresh scent of air dried laundry?

And speaking of fresh scents of laundry, do you know what gives your laundry it's scent? FRAGRANCE. Fragrance is the term for a companies "patented formula" that they aren't required to disclose. But loaded in "fragrance" are chemicals that our bodies absorb as we wear our clothes all day. These chemicals degrade immune systems, alter hormones, promote free radicals and can cause birth defects and cancer! Learn more about toxins in cleaners at ewg.org

So....these are a few of my favorite non toxic laundry detergents!

1- doTERRA's OnGuard Laundry Detergent
*Free of fragrances, dyes and toxins
*Perfect for top and front loaders
*Color safe and an effective stain remover
*A little goes a long ways- 64 washes per bottle
*Smells amazing
*Wash in all temperatures
*Every bottle has 10 ml of OnGuard Protective Blend essential oil in it!

2- Homemade Toxic Free Laundry Soap
*Economical
*4 simple ingredients
*Easy to make
*Can personalize scent
*Gentle, non toxic
*Wash in all temperatures

Homemade Laundry Soap:
1 bar shaved Castile bar soap (available at the Country Cupboard)
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
3-15 drops of Purify or OnGuard essential oil (or scent of your choice)

Add 1-2 Tbsp of powder with warm or hot water. If using cold water, first run hot water in washing machine to slightly dissolve so it distributes evening through the clothes. You won't see a lot of suds but your clothes will be spectacularly clean!

Simple and Easy Immune Booster!

9/18/2020

Right now, staying healthy is on most people's minds! Having a strong immune system is always a priority to me pandemic or no pandemic!

OnGuard Protective Essential Oil Blend is my go-to for year round immunity support! This blend of Clove, Cinnamon, Wild Orange, Rosemary and Eucalyptus not only smells so warm and inviting but it's easy to use!

* Add 6 drops to your diffuser
* Add 30 drops to a 10 ml roller and fill with Fractionated Coconut oil and roll 1 circle on the bottom of your feet twice daily. (Or just purchase a OnGuard Touch which is a 10 ml roller already diluted and ready to go!)
*Add 1 drop of OnGuard to a glass of water or under your tongue

For an even more powerful immune boost:
14 drops Lemon essential oil
10 drops Tea Tree essential oil
10 drops OnGuard essential oil
8 drops Oregano (or Thyme for kids) essential oil
Add to a 10 ml roller and fill with Fractionated Coconut Oil. Apply 1 circle to the bottom of feet twice daily.

Lastly, if I feel something coming on and I need something more, I pop an OnGuard softgel in my mouth twice a day until I feel better. Works every time!!

Our immune systems stay strong when we support them consistently so these recommendations give the best results when done daily.

Simple but Powerful! Easy, Homemade Liquid Soap

3/18/2020

I've been making my own dish and hand soap for years! It's honestly one of the easiest things to do and it only requires a few ingredients! Plus, I love that I can add essential oils for immune boosting benefits or for a scent to match the season!

Dish Soap

1 1/2 cups Liquid Castile soap (available at the Country Cupboard)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vegetable glycerin
1 tsp baking soda
20 drops of essential oil

Mix all ingredients together and put in a 16 oz glass pump bottle (available at the Country Cupboard).
*The vegetable glycerin and baking soda keep it from gumming up and sticking to the spout on your pump.
**You can also use this recipe for hand soap as well.

How Safe is Your Dishwasher Detergent?

1/25/2020

Have you ever considered that what you wash your dishes with eventually ends up in your body? Yikes! Do you really want to be ingesting what's in your detergent?

According to Environmental Working Group, the leading two dishwasher detergents- Cascade and Finish both have moderate to high risks to your health.

Cascade Platinum Action Pacs detergent has a high risk for cancer, developmental and reproductive health, skin irritation and asthma/respiratory health.

Finish Quantum Max Powerball detergent has a moderate risk for skin irritation, damage to vision and DNA, cancer, digestive effects, developmental/reproductive/endocrine and respiratory effects.

If thinking about your dishwasher detergent causes alarm to you, you have a few options.

1- Make your own dishwasher detergent (recipe below) that has little to no risks to your health. It only has 4 ingredients that can be found at your local grocery store and made in 5 minutes or less! Plus it makes your dishes sparkle!

2- Go to Environmental Working Group and search under your favorite detergent to see how safe it is for you.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
1 cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup citric acid
1/2 cup kosher salt

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and stir together until combined. Use 1/2-1 tablespoon per dishwasher load.

Refreshing Rosemary!

5/7/2019

Rosemary is an aromatic, evergreen shrub whose leaves are frequently used to flavor foods such as stuffing, pork, roast lamb, chicken, and turkey. Along with its culinary applications, Rosemary has many benefits. Rosemary supports healthy digestion* and internal organ function.*Taken internally, it helps to reduce nervous tension and occasional fatigue.*

My favorite way to use Rosemary is rub a drop on my wrist and then breath in for mental clarity and energy.

For a satisfying dinner at home, try dōTERRA’s Rosemary Zucchini Fettuccine through the link below.
https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/recipe-rosemary-zucchini-fettuccine

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