12.21.2017

Expertly Blend Essential Oils for the Winter Solstice

We are entering winter time now!! December 21st marks the first day of winter or the Winter Solstice.  This is the shortest day & longest night of the year.  While we're entering the coldest time of the year, the days will actually start getting lighter.  I know that the winter months can become a bit depressing with the lack of light, the cold, and the over all less-spending-time-outside...but the good thing is the darkest days are behind us!
this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.
In this post about blending essential oils for fall, I talked a bit about Mabon.  Today I want to talk to you about Yule.  Yule falls at the Winter Solstice.  We get two solstices a year - one in the summer (Litha) and one in winter.  At this time, rather than the light & dark being in balance, one falls longer than the other.  In the case of the Winter Solstice the length of day light hours is far fewer than the length of the night.  This sabbat of the Wheel of the year is a solar festival - celebrating the return of the sun.  It's kind of hard to think about the fact that we're getting more sunlight in the middle of winter and that at the Summer Solstice we're dropping into fewer sunlit hours.  Kinda messes me up personally with the cold of winter.  Now, December 22nd is not going to immediately see an enormous uptick in daylight hours....but we will begin to slowly creep up as the days go by.

Reason for the Season

Winter Solstice and the celebration of Yule are pagan traditions that have since evolved into more well known festivals of light during this season....Christmas being the most dominant.  We are celebrating the return of the light and the hope for warmer, longer days.  Bringing in an evergreen tree, decorating with lights, etc have roots in solar celebrations.  Saturnalia, celebrated by early Romans around the 17th-23 of December, is said to also be a solar festival.

I like to associate each solstice or equinox with a phase of the moon.  While my correspondences don't coincide with more common associations....I still like to mention it.  I associate the Winter Solstice with the last quarter moon.  A time to move into reflection, releasing, and preparation.  As we move into sort of a hibernation mode it is time to sit with what is the rest of the year and plan for the new, to release what is no longer needed, to reflect on how far we've come and decide where we need to go.  I sort of follow the astrological year with the new year starting at the end of March when the new moon is in Aries (the first sign of the zodiac) so I see the Spring Equinox as the New Moon season of the year....but we'll get to that in another blog post!


Essential oils for the Season

So even though the days are creeping lighter, we're still faced with a lot of darkness.  There are a few types of oils that we want to work with - I think of them in three categories:

Holly - grounding, Jolly - uplifting, and Christmas - doTERRA holiday blends

These three categories will help you create multiple blends inspired by the season.  Taking one oil from each category will mean an amazing blend, perfect for the season.  Here's a breakdown of each category:

Holly - grounding

Choose tree, root, and fir oils.  Since these oils are derived from trees or roots they are close to the earth, stable, & unmoving.  Arbovitae, Birch, Cassia, Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Douglas Fir, Myrrh, Sandalwood, & Cedarwood are great examples of these oils.  

Jolly - uplifting

This category is comprised of mints & citrus oils.  Minty oils do a great job of invigorating.  They can give us open airways and a burst of motivation.  I often use peppermint as a quick energy boost and pick me up.  Mint oils include Eucalyptus, Melaleuca (Tea Tree), Peppermint, Spearmint, & Wintergreen.  Citrus oils are also uplifting and since they come from sunny fruits, they give us the hope & joy that is needed for the season.  Citrus oils give brightness to the oil blends of this season.  Oils to use are Bergamot, Grapfruit, Citrus Bliss, and Wild Orange.  Another uplifting and citrus-y oil is Frankincense.  While not derived from a citrus fruit but rather from tree resin, Frankincense has an uplifting and inspiring effect.

Christmas - doTERRA Holiday Blends

There are two Holiday Blends thrown in from doTERRA this year - Holiday Peace and Holiday Joy.  Both are fine blends on their own and if you don't have either you can sub in something like On Guard for Holiday Joy and Balance for Holiday Peace.  Each scent is a great blend of oils for this season - spicy oils like cinnamon & cassia, with grounding oils like douglas fir and birch, as well as a bit of citrus like grapefruit and wild orange.  

Here are four blends perfect for the holiday season:

Comfort & Joy

Blending traditional scents of the season, this pairing gives you a supportive aroma.  Holiday Joy is composed of many of the protective oils in the On Guard blend, but also also adds Douglas & Siberian Fir.  The emotional properties of On Guard - strengthening boundaries & encouraging independence - blend well with the properties of Douglas and Siberian firs - generational wisdom & connection to the present.  Frankincense uplifts the spirits while Myrrh grounds the soul.  Diffuse equal parts of each oil or combine in a roller bottle with fractionated coconut oil to carry this protective yet connecting blend with you.

Peace on Earth

Bergamot is my personal favorite essential oil.  It is the oil of self-assurance and it is just sunshine in a bottle.  It is similar to Lemon, but it is deeper yet brighter.  If you don't have Bergamot you need to get two bottles!! Holiday Joy is a blend of tree & root oils with a bit of Frankincense.  This oil reminds us to seek our truth and stand strong & peaceful.  Adding in Bergamot, the oil of Self-Acceptance, allows us to rest self assured in our truth.  It is an oil of hope & brightness in this dark season!  Equal parts of each oil will create the perfect blend.  Too much citrus and it will be overpowering.  Equal parts create the perfect balance.




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O, Christmas Tree

Composed of all wood and tree oils, this blend is a true Christmas blend.  Just as if you're standing in a calm forest Vetiver brings us into the now, it centers us back to our bodies.  Douglas Fir enlightens us to generational wisdom & learning from the past - reminiscent of traditions during this holiday time.  Cedarwood is the oil that connects the here & now to the past...it is the oil of community and brings us together this holiday season.  Cedarwood supports us in knowing we are not alone.  Sometimes in these cold winter months we may find it hard to connect - especially if we are away from family - but this blend helps us remember that there are traditions to carry on and new traditions to create as we move through this season of light.  Equal parts of this blend work together as well.  Each oil balances nicely with the next.

Winter Wonderland

Douglas Fir & Peppermint blend together to create a fresh scent.  Peppermint is an extremely joyful oil.  It is uplifting and invigorating!  Pairing it with Douglas Fir creates an openness and willingness to learn from the past.  Equal parts of each oil works perfect for this blend.  Each is a strong scent but they balance each other nicely.

This season is a season of connecting with each other but also connecting to ourselves, connecting to our spiritual paths and connecting to the movement of the seasons.  I think the best part about celebrating the Wheel of the Year and the changing of the seasons is that we can learn how the seasons affect us emotionally and spiritually.  And then from that we can grow!

So, bright blessing for Yule everyone!  Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Solstice....however you're celebrating this season of light.  If you want to learn more about essential oils click hereI'd love to chat with you about essential oils and your spiritual journey, so hit me up if you have any questions!

xoxo, Moe

All info in this blog post is from my own personal experiences with essential oils.  Emotional associations are from my favorite resource book Emotions & Essential Oils.  The doTERRA website also has more information on essential oils.


Ready to get started? Click here to learn more about doTERRA Essential Oils!

12.18.2017

Make it Monday // Last Minute DIY Holiday Gift Guide

We've only got 7 days until Christmas, Hanukkah is in full gear, and Kwanza is starting soon.  Not to mention we've got Yule or the Winter Solstice on the 21st and I'm sure I'm missing other solar & seasonal festivals that are going on around this time of year.  Today I wanted to share with you some last minute gifts you can put together for some of the rad gals (and guys) in your life.
this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

Whether you need stocking stuffers or just a small gift for friends, check out the gift guides below for some easy. last minute ideas.

The Planner Girl

These little gifts make the perfect individual stocking stuffers or blend them all together to create a gift set!  Get the cut file for the Happy Planner tabs here, make washi bobbins or portable washi storage here & here, then digitize your hand writing to cut with your Cricut Explore here!  Looking for more planner DIYs?  Click here!

The Essential Oil Enthusiast

Whether the recipient is on a spiritual journey or just plain into scents that smell amazing, handmade gifts for the essential oil enthusiast are sure to excite!  Create a special mala necklace for your loved one to help them focus on their intentions and meditate.  Learn how to make and use a mala here.  Create a nice, soothing bath salt with your favorite blends of essential oils.  Throw in a crystal or two and you've got a great gift set.  Find the DIY here.  Crystals and essential oils go together like holly & jolly.  Make this howlite and lava bead bracelet so that your loved one can diffuse their favorite blend all day long.


The Handmade Aficionado 

If your best friend, sister, mom, or aunt loves any & everything handmade consider getting creative with these three gifts.  Create this mixed metal pennant necklace with some simple jewelry making tools.  Crochet a quick boho inspired bag with scrap yarn - only 3 granny squares are needed!  Got some more scrap yarn?  Whip up some easy coasters using a large crochet hook to make the project go faster.

The Memory Keeper

Journalers and scrapbookers love new paper products to play with!  Spruce up a store bought notebook with a fabric spine.  Create a custom travelers notebook from cover to accessories using your Cricut Explore.  Make a mini spiral bound journal using your Cinch and a few leftover journaling cards.

Quick, creative, and super easy gifts.....now you've just gotta wrap them.  Happy holidays everyone and don't forget to use Ebates when doing your holiday shopping!  You'll get cash back to spend!  Sign up here.

xoxo, Moe

ps. Check out more gift guides here.

12.15.2017

Free Sticker Friday // Birthday Week Planner Stickers

So this week (today actually) I turn the big 3 - 0.  That's right...I am 30.  Over the past few years I've had to change my bios on various websites like Twitter, Pinterest, and even this blog.  What started out as 'a post grad southern girl' changed to 'twenty-something Indiana transplant'.  But as I've moved through my late twenties, I changed most of my bios to say something like : 'I'm Moe, a 9-5er, Southern at Heart, Indiana transplant & sweet tea enthusiast'.  So no longer am I post grad or twenty something...I'm 30!! 
this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

One of the the biggest things I've learned in my 30 years is to make sure I'm doing what makes me happy.  Over Thanksgiving when I was at my parent's house, I was sitting on the couch putting stickers in my memory planner & my everyday planner.  I thought to myself 'You know, some may think this is pretty childish.....playing with stickers.  But it makes me feel creative and expressive, and it relaxes me.  So I'm going to keep doing it even though I'm 30.'  Life is too short not to do the things that make you happy.  Life is also too short to keep doing things that make you annoyed, sad, frustrated, etc.  So I need everyone to resolve with me to continue to do the things we love...no matter what it is.
So, in honor of my birthday - and for the fact that I figured out the sizing for the Mini Happy Planner - here is a free printable you can use during your birthday week.  This week I left the icon circles blank because I really loved using my planner stamps for the icons.  Leaving these blank means that you can customize them with planner stamps or digital icons of your own!  How many times have you purchased a weekly kit only to find that you  don't use all of the icons or don't even need some of them?  This way you can create the ones you need.  And hey, bust out those planner stamps if you haven't been using them.  Learn more about how I use planner stamps here.


Remember, all printables on the blog are for personal use only.  Do not sell the printed or digital design, do not claim any of these as your own, do not print an disseminate in mass quantities.  As always, thank you for playing nice.  The glitter textures are from EyeInspire and all photos are from Unsplash.
Included in the download are the files for both the Erin Condren sized & Mini Happy Planner sized stickers in the following formats - PDF for printing & cutting by hand, PNG for uploading to Cricut Design Space, and Silhouette Studio file to cut with your Silhouette.  Be sure to size the PNG to 6.75 x 9.25 inches when you upload it to Design Space.


If you're interested in the birthday cake die cut, you can join the Printable of the Month Club over on my Patreon page!  For $3 a month you'll get access to an every growing library of printables totally unique to that subscription.  That means the printables you find over there will not be replicated in the shop or on the blog....they are exclusive for my Patreon family.  Check it out & subscribe here.

What is something that makes you happy?  What is something you want to start doing?

xoxo, Moe

ps. my planner cover is from Sew What Else is New on Etsy.  I love it, I have 2, and I need more.  Check out the shop for amazing planner covers & traveler's notebooks!  Don't forget to use Ebates when shopping on Etsy for the holidays (and any time really) to get cash back on your purchases!  Sign up here.

12.01.2017

Freebie Friday // Printable Buffalo Plaid Mini Happy Planner Cover

Oh my goodness you guys...the holiday season is heeerrrreee! Who has their tree up?  Who has lights up?  Who is wearing holiday leggings?  I am only doing the last one because I am waiting for Zach to come home to start decking the halls!  However, as soon as set down my last piece of pumpkin pie I started to deck my planner!
this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

I have for you today a free printable Mini Happy Planner cover!  This guy is in a PNG format so you know what that means....it is ready to print then cut with your Cricut Explore!  Don't have a Cricut Explore yet? Better get to asking Santa! (Oh! There is a new Cricut Machine that does print & cut AND so much more.  It is the Cricut Maker!)  This cover is perfect for the current season.  I mean buffalo plaid is all the rage.
On the week of Thanksgiving, I posted in the Cricut Ready Stickers Group on Facebook how to make your own buffalo plaid prints using an oldie-but-a-goodie website/tool : a tartan maker.  I've been using this site for ages (I even mentioned it in this post!) and love to go back to it when I need simple tartan/plaid pattern.  So easy!  And you can import these patterns right into Cricut Design Space too.  Learn how to do that in this video over on the YouTube channel.

DOWNLOAD THE BUFFALO PLAID PLANNER COVER HERE

As with all the free downloads on the blog, these are free for personal use.  Do not sell the final product or the file.  Do not distribute in mass quantities, and do not claim any part of this as your own.  If you want to share or Pin this project, please pin the blog post and not the file itself.  I appreciate everyone playing nice!


When you download this guy, be sure to size it to be 7.5 inches tall.  Keep the proportions locked and the width should auto populate.  To fit this guy on my happy planner in my Recollections binder that I deconstructed I did have to trim a bit off of the right side.  Then I rounded the corners with my corner chomper.  So if you're using approved Happy Planner deluxe covers (the little binder style guys) you won't have to trim this.  Additionally, you can see this post for how I laminate & then cut the planner covers with the Cricut Explore.

Happy Holidays & Happy Planning!