Fast Relief from Heartburn and Acid Reflux

“I look out the window and I see the lights and the skyline and the people on the street rushing around looking for action, love, and the world's greatest chocolate chip cookie, and my heart does a little dance.” 

― Nora Ephron, Heartburn

Romance and Food, what else is there?

My Mom always said,  "Honey, all's fair in love and war...especially when a pan of the world's greatest chocolate chip cookie is fresh out of the oven and no one's looking!  

(I believe Mom meant for this to pertain to all men, dogs and neighborhood kids too!)

Top 3 DIY Lavender Laundry Essentials!

In the house of Camp Wander there's an on-going evolution of all things laundry.  Pinterest is partly to blame, my sister is mostly to blame :)  

Jillee, of One Good Thing by Jillee, the queen of all things clean, tidy and super economical is a laundry savant.  I've learned to accept and embrace it and, steal her stuff.

A few weeks ago, I walked into Jillee's laundry room.  OH MY Holy Dryer Sheeeet!!  Angels were perched on the appliances and a lilting scent was wafting from stacks of brilliant white stacks of folded laundry, not an armpit stain to be found!   Her latest laundry creation was born and I was there to smell it!  This is an actual photo of the actual jar of the actual laundry detergent that summons angels...really, it does! 

3 Strategies for Anxiety Relief!

Anxiety disorders are the most common of emotional disorders and affect more than 25 million people in this country.  Many members of my family struggle with anxiety so this is a very personal issue for me to write about.  Without going into all the various types of anxiety, today I'm simply going to offer some ideas and remedies that have helped others with their anxiety challenges and should be shared with family and friends.  

Remedy #1

Recently, I wrote about a very special blend of essential oils called, The Peaceful Child Blend.  I've mixed this blend for a couple of very important people in my life, my "80 something" Dad and my 5 yr old grand daughter.  

While this blend was originally designed with children in mind and is indeed very effective for our sweet kids with ADD and ADHD, it's also wonderfully grounding for adults.  Anxiety is the opposite of "grounded", wouldn't you agree?  Many adults have found that The Peaceful Child Blend is very helpful in calming their anxieties as they go about their day.

~ Application ~

Mornings: Apply to the bottoms of feet (a glass roll on bottle works great!) and over the heart.
Daytime:  Roll on wrists so you can breathe in the grounding scent of the oils when needed.
Night:  Apply to the bottoms of feet then layer with Lavender for a peaceful rest.

P.S.  If you want to try a smaller recipe first, you can find it {HERE}.

Remedy #2

This simple routine was suggested by a woman of a certain age :)  I love that term of endearment!  She uses three doTERRA essential oils to control her anxiety.  Elevation Blend:  A blend of Lavandin, Tangerine, Elemi, Lemon Mrytle, Melissa, Ylang Ylang, Osmanthus and Sandalwood.

Serenity Blend:  A blend of Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood and Vanilla Bean Extract.

Lavender:  Has calming and sedative properties.  May help lift feelings of depression and anxiety.

The uplifting combination of all 3 essential oils creates an energetic aroma that can help stimulate the body's chemistry when a person is feeling lethargic and sad.

~ Application ~

Morning:  A drop of Elevation with a carrier oil rubbed over the heart.

Daytime:  Serenity on wrists, breathe in scent when feeling anxious.

Night:  Lavender on the bottoms of feet for a peaceful rest.

Remedy #3

Therapeutic Bath Salts

Add 1 to 2 drops each of Balance Blend and Lavender along with a 1/4 Cup of Epsom Salt, dissolve in warm bathwater for an anxiety-relieving bath.

While life is beautiful, there are a multitude of very real moments during everyone's day that create stress, doubt and worry leaving us feeling vulnerable and alone.  You are NOT alone!  25 million people are challenged by anxiety.  You deserve to find a way to keep yourself centered and calm, I hope an idea or two I've offered will help you find your balance.

Big Fat List of Emergency Preparedness Essential Oils + Application Charts

I am neither an alarmist, prepper or a survivalist but I do feel strongly that all who call themselves such, have an important message for everyone!

 Be prepared.  

We've seen enough natural disasters over the last 10 years to realize that none of us are immune...Mother Nature isn't selective.  We could be expected to fend for ourselves and our families for some time should the power go out or our water supply is rendered unfit to drink or, cut off.  What about your family's health needs?  Ask yourself these questions?

Beauty Secrets of Grapefruit Essential Oil!

Truthfully, I've never paid much attention to grapefruit. I remember my Mom going on diets when I was younger, most of them including grapefruit with sweetener for breakfast but that's about it.  Oh, and I wouldn't touch the stuff!  

As it turns out, grapefruit really is a *star* in the battle of the bulge because it's a natural diuretic, works as an appetite suppressant and has a powerful antioxidant called d-limonene which is excellent for the skin.  Okay Mom, I guess you knew what you were doing afterall...but sweetener?  Oh no, no, nooooo!

DIY Lavender Dryer Balls For Lovely Laundry!

Your list of provisions for lovelier laundry includes:  a pair of clean cotton crew socks and a bottle of doTERRA Lavender essential oil.  This is almost too easy blog about!

Drop 15 to 20 drops of Lavender essential oil onto the foot section of {one} sock.  Ahhhhhh...just imagine how your fresh, clean laundry's going to smell!

Now tuck scented sock up inside the tube section of the same sock.  Push  this balled up sock down into the toe of the second sock.  Twist the second sock to add a little bulk to the Dry Ball...then pull the opening of the sock down onto itself until you have a tight ball.  The tighter the better because in addition to scenting your laundry, the Dryer Ball will fluff the load of laundry too!

 * Two Dryer Balls would be absolutely brilliant for fluffing and freshening pillows in the dryer *

Suddenly it's exciting to do laundry again (was it ever?).  I couldn't wait for my sheets to be dry so I could breathe in their linen and lavender scent!

~ Romance Your Laundry & Brighten the Task ~

P.S.  A Dryer Ball with 15 to 20 drops of essential is good for approximately 10 to 15 loads!

Colic, Croup & Constipation ~ Gentle Remedies with Essential Oils

An uncomfortable baby is an unhappy baby...

...and if baby's unhappy, the entire household is unhappy.  Colic, croup and constipation are on every parents "dislike" list.  Oh how I wish I'd known about essential oils when my kids were babies, I could have saved myself a lot of worry, grief and long, long nights sitting on the commode in a steamy bathroom with a very unhappy baby on my lap.  Makes me shudder even reminiscing about it!

Colic & Croup:  Would you believe you only need one essential oil to rescue your sweet baby from the grips of colic OR croup? 

Big Fat List of Great Ways to Use Essential Oils!

I love a list!

Lots of us have been using essential oils for some time now, why don't we come together as a community and share our "stuff" so the newbies out there can learn from our experience!  Please contribute your brilliant suggestions to this Big Fat List of great ways to use essential oils in the comments sections below!  

I'll start the list off with a few suggestions of my own...

How to Beat Chronic Ear Infections With Basil!

Not a happy camper!

It's so hard to watch a baby or child suffer with an ear infection, they're just plain painful and lead to sleepless nights and very long days for both parent and child!  But there's good news...very, very good news!

The solution to a peaceful, pain free little one is simple when using doTERRA essential oils and, you just might be amazed!  You can win the battle against chronic ear infections with a simple application of just one beautifully effective oil.

Because pure essential oils are without side effects, they're perfect to treat our children with.  It's important though to dilute most essential oils when administering to children.  Simply add a few drops of coconut oil or olive oil to one drop of essential oil for gentle dilution.

Combine a few drops of carrier oil such as coconut or oil with 2 drops of doTERRA Basil essential oil and dab a cotton ball for ease of application into the oil.

Gently wipe just inside the ear, around the outer edge and behind the ear.  

Never drop oil inside of the ear!

Apply several times a day until symptoms disappear and soon your end result will be this:  a peaceful, pain free child.

Shhhhh...baby sleeping :)

Coconut Oil Cleanse with Essential Oils

~ Grace For Your Face ~

A Coconut Oil Cleanse.

If you didn't get the memo, coconut oil is no longer the bad guy.  It's been cleared of all wrong doing and deemed healthy by the scientific community.  As many of us already know, there are SO many ways to use it, eat it...and even blog about it :) 

One of my absolute favorite uses of coconut oil is for my face.  Every night, I wash my face with organic extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil + a few other goodies that we'll get to shortly!   

Google {Oil Cleanse} and you will see that it's not a new idea.  Although it's not the norm, I prefer organic coconut oil because of it's antimicrobial and anti-toxin properties.  Virgin coconut oil does not clog your pores!  If you have toxins below the surface, coconut oil will purge them in a matter of a few days to a few weeks. 

How to Cool Down ~ Hot Flashes ~ in a Flash!

Hot flashes are a universal pain in the tush, aren't they?

It's my body, I am my body but, my body doesn't like night sweats...so, even waxing philosophical and being one with the hot flash makes me....well, crankier than hell  *cheesy smile* (pardon my french).  Lucky for me, hot flashes are minimal compared to some...but believe you me, I know enough about hot flashes and night sweats NOT, to want them in my life!

According to Dr. Andrew Weil (a man), imagery of cool, cold scenery can help control our inner thermostat and hot flashes.  But, if you've ever been in the throes of a gnarly one, a picture of a snowy slope can kiss my....what a nice picture!

EO Bombs! Kill Common Skin Viruses with Ugly Names Like Wart & Skin Tag!

Don't hate the frog, it's tough being green.

But, it's tougher dealing with common warts or skin tags, annoying pests that they are!  The good news is, they're easy to remedy with a few mighty EO Bombs!

Common warts and plantar warts are actually viruses, that's why they're so difficult to get rid of...permanently.  Essential oils however,  are VERY effective in killing viruses, more so than traditional OTC remedies, because EOs can penetrate cell walls where antibiotics cannot.

Essential Oil Giveaway! Lavender, Lemon & Peppermint

Essential Oils Giveaway!

Okay, listen up...it's time to spread the love again.  The response to the last giveaway of doTERRA Introductory Kits was AHmazing, soooo let's do it again!

In the few months since the birth of Camp Wander, I've mentioned essential oils about 42 times on my blog.  More specifically, doTERRA essential oils because I love em more than my morning coffee!  Using essential oils, I've made a DIY skin balm, Lip Balm, a Lavender Linen & Home Spritz, and a Bed Bug Repellent Travel Spray, Sassy Water, Dog Remedies, shared a few ideas for Back to School with Essential Oils and more!  Click on the links for tutorials!

For those of you who entered last the last giveaway...feel free to enter again!

FYI: doTERRA isn't paying me a thing, this giveaway comes from my little Camp Wanderin heart.

Here's the scoop...

Best EO Blends for Mood Management & How to Apply Them

Some time ago, I posted a handy reference chart, How to Apply Single EOs  {HERE}.  

Now there's a companion chart for your reference: How to Apply EO Blends. 

Best EO Blends for Mood Management

Balance * Serenity * Citrus Bliss * Elevation

File these charts away for future reference!

DIY Wood Oil With Lemon EO ~ Deep Moisture for Wood Floors & Furniture

What a little gem of a recipe this is! 

The brainchild of my daughter Tiff, she put her doTERRA lemon essential oil to work brilliantly with this simple recipe.

So, I went to work with mine this morning!  I took on my wood floors and two very tired and neglected nightstands.  I was enjoyed the task so much, I had to make myself stop to blog about it.  Every which way I turned, dry tired wood pleaded for attention, this could have gone on all day!  Amazing what this simple wood oil can take on and make new again!  Okay, check out how easy this is to make...

5 Essentials Oils For The Road + DIY Travel Tin

I ask you, how can you not love an Altoid tin?  

That said, let us get on with the subject at hand...

How, can you keep key essentials oils handy when you're out and about?  Why should you?  AND, which EOs are the most versatile for road trippin?

Pretty Toes With Fungal Woes! How To Get Toe Nails Pretty Again!

Don't worry!  I won't post any "revealing" photos of woeful toe nails...I'll try to keep this post as pretty as possible given our topic today :)

However, toe nail fungus is as common as the cold...so we need to put on our big girl panties OR briefs, and have this discussion!  

It took me YEARS to come across this simple treatment on my own, hopefully I can save a few of you some time with this quick tip...

Make Your Own Beauty Swipes ~ Cleanse Beautifully in One {Pure} Step!

This little "AH HA moment" was a game changer for me!  

While designing sanitizing wipes for the office and classroom, I was reminded of all the money I've spent on *Philosophy Facial Wipes while working as a delivery driver for "Brown".  

*Philosophy Description of their wipes on Nordstrom website:  The oversized, ultrasoft cloths are designed to swipe away dirt, makeup and oil in one super-simple step, leaving skin feeling perfectly clean with no need to rinse. Keep purity made simple one-step facial cleansing cloths in your purse, gym bag or travel bag for pure, clean skin wherever you go.

$15.00!

(...and I paid it, because sometimes I'm a sucker)

Hence, the creation of Beauty Swipes!
  
You must admit, there are times when you just can't get to a sink, headband, washcloth and mirror...but you desperately need to clean your face!

Survival Kit for Teachers & College Students

The first day of school is just around the corner!

(A happy day for many, a dreaded day for some)

 Attention all teachers and college students, make this year clean, healthy and fragrant by arming yourselves with 2 things designed to make your lives lovelier and healthier!

10 Ways to Use All Purpose Healing Salve & Recipe

If I had to choose only one skin care product out of the hundreds of products I've tried over the years, this All Purpose Healing Salve would be it!

I've shared this recipe on a prior blog post, DIY Skin Care for Gardeners.  But since then, more and more people have used it and shared HOW they used it!  I'm very grateful that this salve has improved so many lives of both people and animals (excellent for wound care).  Read on and discover just how versatile this salve can be!

How to Tighten Your Toosh ~ Skin Smoothie!

Here is an easy, healthy skin moisturizer that's literally packed full of skin smoothing, tightening and brightening benefits ~ all from just 2 ingredients: {Fractionated} Coconut Oil and doTERRA Grapefruit EO.  

Re-purpose a shampoo bottle with a squirt cap, pour an 4oz bottle of doTERRA **Fractionated Coconut Oil (other brands available from Amazon and Health Food Stores) into the empty bottle as well as an entire bottle of Grapefruit EO.