Make it Monday // DIY Essential Oil Recipes for Travel

If you haven't noticed from my Instagram feed, I travel a lot.  Like a lot, a lot.  We've been around the world a few times - Korea 3x (check this hashtag for the first trip & this hashtag for the second), Japan, Amsterdam (yay for Hema!) - and we've traveled home quite often.  Being that I moved 800 miles away from my family I like to go home as much as I am able.

this post may contain affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.
the 10 ml glass bottles & spray tops were sent to me by Got Oil Supplies, all opinions are my own.

Traveling with an array of essential oils while possible isn't always practical.  Of course I've got a list of the top 10 oils I love to travel with but sometimes I need to be more compact.  Traveling with a diffuser can be troublesome as well so I've teamed up with Got Oil Supplies for this super easy, travel inspired DIY to help you keep your oils with you!  (ps. There is a coupon code at the bottom of this post just for you!)

Maintaining routine when traveling is very important.  We can get thrown off our rhythm and distracted from any self care rituals we've set put. We can find it hard to sleep in new environments and have trouble adjusting to a hotel room, a new city, or even being back in our childhood bedroom so keeping things close to us that provide comfort is a must.  For me, that includes my essential oils.  These guys give me a sense of peace & a sense of normalcy.  Not to mention some of them outright replace a few things I used to carry with me.  So lets get to the recipes.

supplies // roller bottles & spray tops from Got Oil Supplies (I'm using the 10ml size), witch hazel, water, fractionated coconut oil, various essential oils (I use only doTERRA CPTG oils, learn more here)

For each of these recipes we'll be using some sort of carrier.  I use that term loosely here because usually you'd use something like Fractionated Coconut oil to carry the oils - dilute them properly for topical application.  But for some of these we'll just be spraying them on clothes or a pillow and not necessarily the skin so there's not really a need for FCO in each recipe.

Sleepy Time Spray

This is like instant lights out! So if you have trouble sleeping especially while away this may give you some peace of mind.

In the spray bottle combine 5 drops Lavender, 3 drops Cedarwood, and 3 drops Vetiver.  Lavender is great for calming while both Cedarwood and Vetiver are grounding.  I swear, for me, any thing with Vetever is so soothing to me!  Top the spray bottle off with water.  Shake before you spray your pillow then nod off to sleep!

Deodorizer Spray

Stuff can get stinky if we've been traveling - especially in the summer - so a little deodorizer & fabric refresher can be much needed.  Combine 5 drops Purify blend & 5 drops Melaleuca in a spray bottle.  Top with water if you're going to be using on your clothes or use witch hazel if you've like to try for a natural deodorant.

I have yet to find something that helps me not stink but these oils work great for me on fabrics.  Spray a bit on the fabrics and let them air out.  Both of these oils have purifying & cleansing chemical properties.

Happiness Spray

My two ultimate feel good, get your happy on oils are Douglas Fir & Citrus Bliss.  This is literally happiness in a bottle!  Combine 5 drops Douglas Fir & 5 drops Citrus Bliss in a spray bottle and top with water.  Spray on anything & everything, any time you need it.  Make sure to avoid skin if you'll be outside as citrus oils are UV reactive.  But seriously, go ham with this blend!

After Sun Cooling Spray

This is a blend I used recently on my summer vacation & I have something else to add to it - witch hazel.  Witch hazel is great for the skin and when you add in other skin loving oils like Melaleuca & Lavender you've got a wining combination.  Combine 5 drops Lavender, 5 drops Melaleuca, 1 drop Peppermint (you can do more, I just find Peppermint to be very strong) in a spray bottle.  Top with equal parts Fractionated Coconut Oil & witch hazel.

You can either spray right onto the skin or spray on a cotton round and apply.  Applying with a cotton round is easier for the face especially if you've gotten a bit too much sun other wise just do a few quick sprays to cool off.

Chill Vibes Spray

Balance is an oil that I wish was in a roller bottle, a spray bottle....heck I wish I could get a 50 oz bottle of this stuff!  For me this is my zen oil.  Whenever I need a break or I need to really relax I bust this baby out.

Combine 10 drops with water in a spray bottle and spray on your clothes, etc when you need to just relax.  This is a perfect way for me to travel with this oil when I need it quickly.  It really helps me sink into a meditative head space easily.

If you hadn't noticed all of these blends use some of the top 10 oils for travel.  The problem with traveling with a ton of oils means the blends you're gonna make - in your hand, on your pillow, or in your travel diffuser - take up space because you've got to bring them all!  The slim profile of these spray bottles from Got Oil Supplies means they won't take up too much space.  In fact, they will only take up as much space as your roller bottles.  Love it! 

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE LABELS HERE

These guys will slip easily into a small make up pouch or pencil case (hello Target Dollar Spot #amirite) so they won't take up space in your bag.  I've even got some labels for you to print at home and cut by hand or with your Cricut or Silhouette machine.  These guys fit perfect on the bottle - the are 1.5 inches wide by .75 inches tall and have a space to write your own blend names in permanent marker.  When you upload the PNG to Cricut Design Space be sure to erase the branding strop at the bottom & size it to 6.75 x 9.25 inches.  I also suggest this waterproof paper from Online Labels to print these guys on.

Now for the coupon code: 

use 516LOVE over on Got Oil Supplies for 10% off your order!  
valid until 9/30/18

There's a ton of quality supplies, containers, etc for your essential oil blending, storing, and sharing needs. I especially love these purple glass bottles that were sent to me for this project because purple is my favorite color!  It is always nice to be inspired by your collections - sometimes plain old amber bottles just don't do it for me.

What are your favorite blends?  What are you going to pick out from Got Oil Supplies? Let me know in the comments!

The Ultimate Top 10 Essential Oils for Travel

Travel has become much more common in my life lately.  I've caught a lot of planes over the last few years - some to other countries but most were planes home.  I've also taken a ton of road trips and short weekend getaways.  Most of those trips, though, were with out my trusty essential oils!  It wasn't until about a year & a half ago that I started to use essential oils and now I can't imagine a lot of daily things with out these guys!

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

Essential oils can offer a natural emotional & physical support system for us.  For the most part I like to focus on the way essential oils affect my emotional wellness but when I travel I also need some physical wellness support.  We're coming in contact with a lot of germs, we eat things that might not sit well with us, and we're under stress especially if we're on a tight travel schedule - and there are essential oils to counteract all the emotional stuff that goes a long with these physical things!  Here are my top 10 essential oils for travel

doTERRA Balance

The Balance blend is a proprietary blend of spruce, ho wood, frankincense, blue tansy, blue chamomile flower, & osmanthus.  Known as the Grounding Blend, Balance truly does bring me back to balance.  This is one of the first oils I started to work with before joining doTERRA and it brings me into a meditative head space.  I think Zach picked this up at a health food store near us and I started to use it in my daily meditation practice.  Since scent is such a powerful connector to emotion, now when I inhale the scent of this oil I am immediately reminded of calm.

I use this oil in a travel diffuser but I also will just add a drop or two to my hands, rub them together, and inhale.  A few drops on your pillow with some lavender is a great way to drift into a calm sleep.

doTERRA On Guard

This blend is great to help boost your immunity while traveling since we're running into a lot of new to us germs & we're under a lot of travel stress.  I'm pretty sure half the reason we get sick sometimes is that we're just plain exhausted - so we need both physical & emotional support during travel to stay on top!  So I need to grab some of the On Guard sanitizing mist but right now I travel with both the On Guard beadlets (included in the Family Essentials + Beadlets enrollment kit!) and the On Guard touch roller.  

I'll use the beadlets as a daily boost while I'm traveling but I'll also apply the touch roller to my chest if I'm feeling a little tickle coming on.  This oil is a proprietary blend of Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary essential oils so it's going to open your airways and it can help with a sore throat.  Now that it is summer time though, I'm thinking of just throwing a 5 ml bottle in my travel kit - since this blend contains a citrus oil I need to be careful not to apply it and then go in the sun.  Citrus oils are photoreactive and can cause serious burns if treated skin is exposed to UV rays.

Purify

Known as the Purification blend, this blend is great for year round travel.  Firstly, I use this guy to clear out yucky smells.  You can diffuse it to purify the air - like if where you're staying has a musky smell - or you can use this to get rid of odors on clothes.  I usually mix a spray bottle of water, Lavender, & Purify and spray on clothes as a fabric refresher.

Secondly, this guy is great - again with Lavender - to sooth irritations from bug bites!  It does have lemon & lime peel in it though so be sure be careful about sun exposure, might be best to apply this at night after a day of outdoor fun.

Lavender

This is an oil I use for both emotional & physical support.  So Lavender can calm anxious feelings which I totally get before a flight.  Its not that I feel like something horrible is going to happen I just feel stressed about finding my seat, making sure my stuff fits in the over head bin, what if I'm in the wrong seat, what if I have to get back up, what if someone is in my seat....... I just get myself psyched out and that's not good for the nerves.

I travel with the touch roller of Lavender nearly everywhere (I use it on the daily) because of the ease of application.  The prediluted touch rollers make using oils on the go super easy.

Melaleuca

The use of this one is many, many fold!  Firstly, I use this guy in my skin care.  I'll put a few drops in my toner, moisturizer, or even make up remover to sooth my skin.  It has cleansing properties so it's great to use to fight blemishes.  Skin care is the main reason I pack this guy each time I travel.

Secondly, it is also good to treat minor skin irritations - bug bites & small scratches.  This makes it a great replacement for the photoreactive elements of the Purify blend.  Add Melaleuca and Lavender together to sooth and calm any bug bite and treat those small scratches you may get from hiking or having fun in the sun.  

Thirdly, this essential oil is also great to purify the air and remove the stink from clothes.  I don't like how minty this oil smells sometimes, though, so I often choose Purify for this.

Citrus Bliss

This is my happy oil!  Citrus Bliss is the Invigorating blend - meaning its going to boost your mood and just give you the confidence to get going.  If ever I feel a bit down or I want to just get the heck up and actually go, I diffuse this plus a little bit of Peppermint.  Citrus bliss is a blend of all the happy citrus oils so it turns my mood around real quick.  

Past Tense

I use this oil on the daily as well.  Past Tense is in a roller bottle as well, however it isn't diluted with fractionated coconut oil like the Touch rollers are.  I don't separate mine into another roller bottle and dilute because I'm #lazy but you may want to do this especially since there are oils like Wintergreen, Peppermint, and Cilantro in this blend.  These 'hot' oils may cause skin sensitivity so they should be diluted especially on skin that is delicate - children or elderly.  So do as I say and not as I do...

But I use this oil to relieve tension in my head, neck, and shoulders. The cooling sensation also makes it great for hot days.  PastTense is a blend of Wintergreen, Lavender, Peppermint, Frankincense, Cilantro, Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Basil, and Rosemary so it's a good blend for all around wellness!

Peppermint

If ever I want to add pep to a diffuser blend I add a drop of Peppermint.  This oil just brightens any blend you add it to.  Need to get up & go? Citrus + Peppermint.  Need to relieve the stress of a long day? Floral + Peppermint.  Want to relieve tense muscles?  Tree/wood oil + Peppermint.  Digestive issues?  Herb oils + Peppermint.  Is it hot outside and you're hot too? Peppermint.

It's just an all around great oil to have in your arsenal.  Peppermint is one of the top THREE essential oils - along with lavender & lemon - that everyone needs to have!

DigestZen

Remember when I said that I get super nervous before a flight?  Well often that manifests as a tummy that is not very happy!  So I use a blend of Lavender and Digestzen to sooth my nervous stomach.  The Lavender helps me emotionally & the Digestzen helps me physically since a lot of the upset is all in my head!

When I eat something that may or may not sit well - like when we travel places with amazing food but I'm unsure my stomach will agree - I apply Digestzen topically to my stomach.  This blend contains Ginger which is a good way to combat nausea.  The other oils - Anise, Peppermint, Caraway Seed, Coriander Seed, Tarragon, and Fennel aid in digestion.

In a pinch, like if you don't have Lavender, the scent of Digestzen can be calming as well...it's not a great scent but the chemical properties of this blend can promote relaxation.

Frankincense

Last but not least I use Frankincense.  The oils is an amazing oil!  If I need an uplift - Frank.  If I need some emotional support - Frank.  If I'm gonna put on my face moisturizer - Frank.  I have been packing the 5 or 15ml bottles that I have but I'm thinking of adding in the Touch roller for ease of application.

This oil can help with skin irritations, muscle soreness, sleep, and so much more.  It is such a versatile oil!

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Travel is an important & necessary part of my life and I plan to keep on keeping on so it's great to have a support system to bring with me.  When I travel by car, I usually just pack all of these guys together but when I'm flying I sort out the oils I may need while I'm at the terminal or on the plane - Lavender, Digestzen, On Guard, Peppermint or PastTense - and put those in a small plastic bag to comply with the TSA requirements.  The rest I'll pack in a make up bag in my checked luggage.  (ps I always check a bag because I don't want to have to lug it all around in the terminal! That relieves some stress for me!)

Want to learn more about essential oils?  Check out my Top 10 Essential Oils video here & find more oily posts on the blog here.

Ready to get started on your journey with essential oils? Click here to learn how to place your order.

What are your top oils for travel?

xoxo, Moe

My Top 10 Natural & Non Toxic Cleaning Supplies

This year when deciding to go cruelty free I had to take a good hard look at what that exactly meant.  My first intention was to just go cruelty free with my make up collection...it would be easy and it would be a good thing.  But like a lot of different things in life, this decision turned into something deeper.  This cruelty free journey pushed me to re-examine a lot of things in my life and my cleaning routine was one of these areas.

In my search to be authentic this year, I came to realize that there were a lot of things in my cleaning routine that were unhealthy (products, cleaners, etc) and not cruelty free.  A big realization for me was that just because it's not make up doesn't mean it's cruelty free.  Arm & Hammer, for example, tests on animals.  So if I'm making safe, home cleaners to use...shouldn't that align more wholly with my values?  Using a non-cruelty free brand of baking soda doesn't align with my goals.

So, I decided to make more conscious choices - less waste, cruelty free where I could, and more mindfulness in my cleaning routine.  Here are my top 10 favorite natural & non-toxic cleaning supplies.

Microfiber Towels

One of the first, biggest choices I made was to reduce my paper towel and disinfectant wipe reliance.  (That was a big sentence right there!)  I purchased these microfiber towels on Amazon after a recommendation from A Beautiful Mess.  While we still buy paper towels, I've consciously made a decision not to go for these guys first.  When I wash my hands I reach for the dish towels.  When I clean the counters, the mirrors, the toilets, etc I reach for the spray cleaner and the microfiber towels.  My dependence on single use wipes is dwindling!  I've realized there't not much more a paper towel can offer me than a microfiber towel can.  Since this pack comes with different colors I've assigned a certain color to a certain room - kitchen is yellow, upstairs bathroom/laundry room is green, downstairs is blue, downstairs bathroom is orange.  That way it's easier to know which cloth goes where and I'm never short!

DoTERRA Laundry Detergent

I like this for multiple reasons - it's not made from petrochemicals, the overall scent isn't overpowering, and when I forget the laundry in the washer it doesn't get stinky.  Ever since discovering essential oils, I've been on a battle with fragrance.  This laundry detergent, while scented in the bottle doesn't lay too much scent onto the clothes.  While I'm fine with this, Zach really isn't.  If it's not scented, it's not clean I guess!  That's why I picked up the dryer balls (mentioned below in this list).  I have noticed that with Zach's work clothes, stink can linger a bit so I am on the hunt for a stronger, natural detergent to supplement.

The detergent is ultra concentrated and it can go up to 64 washes.  It also works great in high efficiency washers.  With a wholesale membership this bottle will make each load about .43 cents.

Wool Dryer Balls

I never used dryer sheets prior to getting my dryer balls so I didn't have much to change except remember to throw something in the dryer.  My big goal here was two fold - enhance the scent of the laundry when it comes out of the dryer and reduce static.  I have been lazy on the dryer sheets since forever because I don't think that they are necessary and I'd rather not spend the money on them.  Laundry detergent did just fine with the scent and I don't care about the static.  But, Zach doesn't like that his laundry smells like....... nothing. So I want to make it smell fresher when it comes out of the dryer. 

DoTERA Cleaner Concentrate

This is another doterra product that packs a punch.  I use this to clean nearly every surface.  You only need a few tablespoons in a spray bottle and you have an all purpose cleaner for every room in your house.  You can even use this to mop with this solution or do dishes with the cleaner.  I don't buy any spray cleaners any more, this covers everything.  I use it in every room of the house!  You may remember this post about creating a cleaning caddy for various rooms in my house .... I've replaced those harsh cleaners with a spray bottle of this concentrate and microfiber cloths!

Vinegar + Water (and Lemon Essential Oil)

The absolute best window & mirror cleaner is vinegar and water.  A lot of these recipes will tell you to use distilled water but I find plain old tap water works fine and we have hard, well water.  If you add in a bit of lemon essential oil - a de-greaser - it works great to cut any residue on the surface of the glass.  I have a spray bottle of this in each of my cleaning kits as well.  I can't tell you how impressed I was the first time used this concoction...I never thought of going back.  

Castile Soap

This is going to replace any and all soapy stuff I need in my house.  For cleaning I have in a scrub brush in my shower to clean the shower and I've got it on my sink for dishes.  We're still using up some regular dish soap and I think it's going to take some convincing for Zach to realize that the soap in the hand soap thing is also the soap to use to wash the dishes.  

I plan to use castile soap for body wash & my shampoo in the coming months.  I just need to discover something for conditioner.  But seriously if you need soapy lather this stuff is the bomb!

Baking Soda + Citric Acid

So baking soda makes a great scrubbing agent (so does salt!) and when you add citric acid to it and throw it in some water you get a great fizz.  I'm not sure if there is science behind the fizz actually lifting anything but I totally think it does.  I use baking soda & citric acid in my toilet cleaner so I think the citric acid actually does something!

Here's where I want to share another idea - just because you're making it yourself, doesn't mean it's cruelty free.  I've been using other brands of baking soda in previous DIY's but cruelty free is something I'm attempting to think about in many areas of my life including my cleaning supplies.  With that being said, Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda is the baking soda that I've found to be cruelty free.  I haven't come up on much research or information about citric acid brands, however.  But when I know better I will do better.

Essential Oils

I have a whole cleaning video on my YouTube channel as well as another post with the top essential oils for cleaning.  These guys are versatile because I use them in my glass cleaner, in my laundry, as a fabric refresher, and to plain ol' diffuse.  These guys are just the greatest for a lot of things around the home.

Pure Haven Dish Washer Detergent

My cousin is a Pure Haven rep and when I can't find something from doTERRA that I love I generally go over to Pure Haven to purchase.  Of the DIY dishwasher tab recipes I've found, none of them have really worked.  Since I'm not in the habit of reinventing the wheel I went with something I know will work.  I've repurchased this once already and plan to continue to do so.

Glass Spray Bottles

In my Cleaning with Essential Oils video I mention that you can use either PET plastic or dark amber/blue glass bottles to store your DIY cleaning supplies.  I love using these amber bottles from Amazon to store all my cleaning solutions.  The mist can be fine - for like cleaning glass - or more targeted for cleaning your counters or other surfaces.  They feel well made and the weight of the glass bottle isn't too heaving.  The sprayer doesn't seem to clog as long as you close it after your done with it.

Transitioning into a non-toxic, more green cleaning routine doesn't have to be intimidating.  In this post I shared tips about transitioning to cruelty free and you can use the same guidelines when making over your cleaning routine.  It is all a learning process.....I'm still figuring things out as I go.

But the biggest thing is to partner with someone & with a company that you know, love, and trust.  For me DoTERRA and my own Wellness Advocate helped me learn a lot of stuff about natural, non-toxic, and green cleaning...and that is what I'd love to do for you.  I want to be your personal Wellness Advocate.

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If you're looking to get started using essential oils everyday in your own home, there is a perfect starter kit available for you.  When you purchase a starter kit & become a wholesale member you'll have access to me + a whole community dedicated education!  Shoot me an email if you're ready to learn more, or click here to browse the kit options!  Once you've chosen a kit, add it to your cart and proceed to check out.  Click the Become a Wholesale Member in the upper right to join me on your essential oil journey!

How have you made over your cleaning routine?  What supplies do you recommend?

xoxo, Moe

A Beginners Guide to a Stress Free Morning

I've been posting a lot lately about the power of routines and how they help to alleviate stress & prepare us for the day.  Both morning and evening routines are important to building a balanced life, but today I want to share with you more about a morning routine.

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

Often times, we find posts on routines and think 'that is easier said than done!' and today I'm here to provide you 3 easy ways to make sure you're morning is stress free.  In this post I share a little bit about the importance of routine.  Part of the success of a morning routine involves creating a space where you feel calm, creative, and supported.  This doesn't have to be a dedicated room, in fact is should be all about your whole house inviting you to feel comfortable.  Here are the three pieces to creating a receptive environment for you to blossom.

Sight

When we wake up in the morning the first thing our eyes see is our room, right?  Make sure you're sleeping in a space you love.  Make the bed & sleep on bedding you find warm, comfortable, and relaxing.  Tidy your room, tidy the shelves, tidy the floor the night before so that when you wake up you aren't greeted with clutter.

The same applies to every other room in the house.  Here is where your night time routine can affect your morning routine.  Empty the sink of dishes, make sure the house is tidy, & take care of your AM pet peeves the night before so that when you wake up you're pumped for the day and not worried about unfinished tasks.

You can also lay out your clothes, work or school bag, & lunch so that you're visually prepped in the morning for they tasks in the day ahead.

Smell

We all love the scent of that first cup of coffee in the morning.  Is the scent better than that first sip? I think that may be up for debate.  Greet the morning by diffusing a scent that inspires you to get up and go. DoTERRA's Motivate is a great morning diffuser blend because it's got a little bit of citrus & a little bit of peppermint.

If you're getting ready to meditate in the morning, perhaps diffusing something a little more grounding like doTERRA's Balance will help to root you in and focus your intentions.  Sandalwood, Vetiver, and Lavender are also great oils to mellow you out and relieve stress.

We can use essential oils to tap into different mindsets through the day - peppermint can pep you up and get you going, Balance can ground you and keep you even tempered, Lemon can give a fresh zing to your morning with it's citrus scent.

My favorite resource for using essential oils to align my emotions is this Emotions & Essential Oils book.  There's an index to help identify the best oils plus an overview of each single oil & blend from doTERRA.

Sound

Now that it is warmer out (but not too hot) opening the windows and letting the fresh sounds of nature into your home can be a great way to relieve stress in the morning.  Throw open the windows, let in the light, and revel in the sounds of nature!

If that's not quite your thing, honor yourself by finding sounds that pumps you up.  Put on your favorite playlist, listen to an inspiring podcast, or pop on some calming meditation music.  Sound is a great way to connect in with the emotions we'd like to feel as well.

YouTube is a great resource for guided meditations or even energizing inspiration.  And you're not limited to just these traditional things.  Most mornings I watch planner videos because I like the creative inspiration!

Building a morning routine involves honoring ourselves, so you're morning routine is going to look much different than mine.  The important thing to remember is that you're creating a routine for self care.  If you're sick of rushing around and you're sick of falling apart, a morning (and evening) routine is probably going to help you out!

Don't get caught up in how insta-worthy your morning routine is either.  Do what works for you.  Do what makes you feel the most whole.  I used to want to journal in the morning....but couldn't write anything, then I'd stress that I'm wasting the 20 minutes I'd set aside for journaling, then that would make me stress about not doing what I should be doing.  Once I gave up forcing myself to do what I thought I should be doing and focusing on what really fills my cup, I was able to enjoy my mornings better and I felt more successful during the day!

If you'd like some more creative living inspiration, join the awesome Facebook group where we talk productivity, planning, personal development, and intuitive goal setting!

What makes your morning routine successful?

xoxo, Moe

Why You Need a Morning & Evening Routine

Do you feel boxed in and limited when it comes to setting a routine?  Do you feel like a child again being told what to do when you're a responsible adult whose been paying her own bills and running her own life and hasn't fallen off a cliff yet?  Do you think you don't need a morning or evening routine?

Yeah I didn't either.  But I've got more questions for you -

Are you thinking about your goals more than you are acting on them?  Are you feeling stressed at work or after work or on the weekends knowing that there are looming deadlines but you're too tired to act on them?  Are you hitting the snooze multiple times?  Have you given up on doing somethings that you used to love because either you don't have the time or you wish you could but you just don't want to? 

You may need a routine, honey.

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Now I'm not in the routine of calling people honey but I am here to tell you that you 100% need to set up some sort of morning & evening routine to make sure you're not answering yes to all of those questions in that third paragraph.  Morning and evening routines have changed my life - I feel less stressed, I feel more on top of things, I have a little bit more discipline.....over all I don't feel like a stressed out couch potato coasting through life on lunch time naps navigating laundry mountains & piles of dishes.  The things I want done are getting done and the things that can take a back burner are there, no longer stressing me out.

At the beginning of this year, I shared this post asking the question What does your best self look like?  My best self has showed up for me as long as I've showed up for her.  Creating a morning & evening routine help me to be my best self because it gives me discipline, makes me prepared for the day, and over all reduces the load I'm carrying daily.  

Reasons you need routine in your day:

Set Yourself Up For Success

If you create a routine that fits your life - I'm not here to tell you what to do, I'm just here to help - you'll find you don't have to make unnecessary decisions through the day.  In the morning, the first thing I see as I take Sweetie out to go potty is the kitchen sink.  If it is full of dirty dishes I immediately think 'dang I should put those guys in the dishwasher'.  So now I'm thinking about a chore I need to do and I've shifted my focus from the current day to what I should have done last night.  Then I'll have to make the decision as to whether I'll put the dishes in the dishwasher.  If I had set myself up for success the night before.....I wouldn't be at this crossroads!  We all have something like that which annoys us yet we don't really want to do in that moment and this distracts us from what we need to get done now.  

Part of setting yourself up for success means knowing yourself.  You know your annoyances - like dirty dishes in the sink in the morning - better than anyone so getting those out of the way will keep you on track for your goals.  By setting a specific time to do annoying tasks that we know need to get done lowers procrastination, lowers stress, and prepares us for the day or night ahead.  If you're extremely unmotivated (ahem, me) read this post on three things to do to kick your butt into gear.  Number one though - if it takes two dang minutes to complete....do it now.

Routine Leaves Room for Mindfulness

So we've given up unnecessary decisions and are now doing things with intention & discipline.  This leaves room for us to be mindful.  We're no longer worrying about what to do next because we've set up a routine, we know when the next task will happen, so now it is time to honor ourselves by being present during the tasks. 

First lets talk about mindfulness vs mindlessness.  If you've ever accidentally poured orange juice into your cereal instead of milk or put a box of crackers in the fridge instead of the cabinet, those are examples of mindlessness.  We aren't focusing completely on the task at hand.  Our minds are wandering or counting off the number of tasks we have to do that day.  Instead of being fully present we're hanging out on the edge of what is next - completing each task only to get to the next one, the next one, and so on.

Mindfulness leaves room for meditation, for honoring ourselves, for delineating what is a priority.  When we're fully present in the moment we can realize when something is no longer serving us in our routine.  Perhaps you're not finding joy in the time you've designated to drink your coffee and read.  What might serve you better?  Routine leaves space for mindfulness and mindfulness leaves space for creativity.  Maybe you need to switch up what you're reading or where you're reading.  Maybe you want to move your meditation from sitting on a pillow to sitting on your front porch.  Mindfulness can help us enjoy tasks rather than feel annoying obligation.

A Sense of Security & Preparedness

Because we've reduced stress and are now working towards the things we want to get done in a day, routine can give us the sense of security and preparedness that can rid us of those butterflies we often feel during the day.  If I'm up at the time I need to be up then I can get everything I find important done then I'm already in a 'get going' mindset and I'm more prepared for the actions I need to take at work.  Routine gives us discipline.

I used to think it was the yoga or the meditation that helped me feel more in control at work.  It wasn't just that - it was the mindfulness, the preparedness, the security I felt aligning myself with my goals for the day.  In the evening, my 30 minute clean, dinner making, and hour of blog work means I have delineated time and have a clearer mind when I settle in for family time and then sleep.  I'm not worried, I feel secure, and I feel prepared.  

Room for Self Care

Routines should be personal - we all have different goals, so waking up and immediately exercising may not fit your goal or lifestyle.  I'm not here to tell you what you should do morning and night, I'm just here to tell you that you should figure something out.  We all live different lives with different goals.  Different things serve each of us differently.  By creating a personalized routine, you're honoring yourself and leaving room for you own self care.

I will say maybe you need to make Wednesday nights candle-lit-glass-of-wine-diffuse-all-the-lavender bath nights or Saturday mornings walk-in-the-neighborhood-alone-with-my-coffee-and-leggings mornings because once you have a routine you'll find space for your favorite things.  You'll find the space, the time, and the need to take care of yourself - even if it is just a reward for putting those dishes away.  Through personalization you can find what makes you feel better, feel productive, feel aligned when done morning or night or weekly.

How to Set Up Your Routine

The app I use to manage my day is called Our Home.  This app is really designed for families to assign chores to family members and then each member can amass points towards a reward - but I just like it because it sends me push notifications.  I don't want an alarm I have to turn off I want a simple notification so I know 'hey it's time to make dinner'.  This app keeps me on track - since I'm horrible with habit trackers.  

To get started, I outlined what I thought my perfect day would look like down to the minute:

Morning
5:00 am - wake up, yoga clothes,
5:05 am - wash face/brush teeth
5:10 am - empty dishwasher/load dishwasher if needed
5:20 am - dog out
5:30 am - yoga, meditate, journal
5:50 am - make coffee, grab lunch stuff
6:00 am - quick blog/social media work or make up
6:20 am - get dressed
6:27 am - leave for work

Evening
5:00 pm - 30 minute clean
5:30 pm - make dinner
5:45 pm - throw in a load of laundry/fold if I can
6:00 pm - eat dinner
7:00 pm - work/family time
8:00 pm - dinner clean up
8:30 pm - shower/skincare/night time self care
9:00 pm - in bed (my mom said 9 pm was a good bed time and I've been following that ever since!)

Then I entered the routine in the app telling it to send a notification to me when that task needed to be done.  When I realized I could fit something else in or I needed to do one thing before another thing, I adjusted the routine.  When something stopped serving me, I adjusted the routine.  I don't stick to it all the time but it gives me a sense of security & preparedness and 100% reduced the stress load I carried.

You can try using hourly planner inserts (or like these in the shop) or creating your own customized dashboard like I did to remind me daily.  These physical reminders can also keep us inspired - we're gonna see them everyday so that then we can live them.  We keep a lot in our brains so it is great to have both a physical and digital reminder of the path we're looking to keep.

The bottom line is that they allow us to get more done in our day.  I would even say an evening routine is where you should start your focus so that you set your self up for success in the morning.  If you plan your evening, get everything done and on track for good sleep and for a prepared morning.....then your morning routine will go off with out a hitch!

Want more routine & productivity inspiration?  Join the Five Sixteenths | Live Creatively Facebook group here & check out more productivity posts on the blog here.

What does your routine look like?  How have you set yourself up for success?

xoxo, Moe

Top 5 Essential Oils for the Work Day

Each day I get up and work that 9 to 5.  Really its 7am to 4pm and that's way too early if you ask me. Since jumping into the world of essential oils and their emotional healing properties I've found a few oils that are my must haves for the work day.  I need motivation, energy, security, and balance each day since I work in a job that tends to be way too go go go for me.

There was a time, and often there still is, that my job becomes way too much for me.  In the past I've had mental breakdowns over stress.  This is not a healthy way to live.  While I'm great at my job, the environment is simply plagued with unneeded stresses due to the fast paced nature of our work.  I am also an extremely emotional person.  My emotions can get the best of me and I'm only just now really able to understand them, work with them, and work through them.  I started to work with meditation, Tarot cards, and essential oils as a way to help myself work through & understand my emotions.

Working with Essential Oils

Essential oils aren't magic.  You have to be open to what they can do for you in order to really benefit from them.  Each oil does have inherent properties - lavender is inherently soothing - but it is our association that helps us most of all.  I find that certain essential oils help me get into the headspace I'm looking for through out the work day but that is only because our sense of smell & association is very powerful. When a scent is constantly used to correspond to an emotion/feeling/etc, that association becomes very, very strong.  So if you want to sink into a certain headspace, your sense of smell in important.  When you start to work with essential oils, embrace each scent for what it's properties are.  Imagine being in that headspace.  Imagine what the properties of that oil feel like to you - Where does the scent hit you?  Can you feel it in a certain chakra?  Can you feel it in a certain area of your body?  What does the scent remind you of?  Once you start to build these associations it will become easier to move into that headspace when you work with the oil.

Top 5 Essential Oils for the Workday

Motivate

Encouraging Blend - The Oil of Motivation
This blend does exactly as it says!  Motivate is a blend of both citrus & mint oils that invigorate, plus other supportive oils (Basil, Rosemary, & Coriander) that help against burn out, fatigue, and expression of the true self.  Right off the bat, the smell is minty, thus supporting energy (I'll talk about Peppermint and energy below).  Then it hits on the citrus notes that instantly pull you into a space of I can do this.  Citrus oils are know to be uplifting.  Rounding out the rest of the scent is vanilla.  I'm not to fond of this part of the scent but doTERRA adds vanilla bean extract to some of their blends to add a sweeter kick.  I usually leave this oil uncapped on my desk allowing the aroma to permeate my immediate area.  Often I will inhale from the cap as well when I feel I need a little more boost of energy.

Peppermint

Personally I carry a pack of the Peppermint Beadlets with me daily.  The menthol content in this oil is known to freshen - much like peppermint would be used in a toothpaste or breath mint - so these little buggers are perfect to freshen breath after lunch.  Peppermint also has an energizing quality that I can speak to first hand.  When I'm feeling particularly bogged down I pop one of the beadlets in my mouth.  The sudden, refreshing & cooling mint flavor I think is what gives the quick kick of energy.  Pair this with the Motivate blend and you've got double the feeling of energy!

Hope

This roller bottle blend is bright, fresh, and sweet.  It works great as a Solar Plexus and Sacral Chakra oil as it stimulates feelings of hope.  This a blend of my favorite uplifting oil Bergamot (mentioned in detail below) + Ylang Ylang and Frankincense, and finished with a touch of Vanilla extract.  This is a truly supportive blend and I wear iwsut as a perfume.  It is currently the essential oil I am working with this lunar cycle as I work towards self care!  This blend is perfect to fit in self care in the office anyway.

Bergamot

The Oil of Self Acceptance
Bergamot is my favorite Solar Plexus Chakra oil.  This is the citrus-y-est oil yet...and I love it.  While you can take this guy internally, it does not taste that good (found that out on accident!) so my preferred way to work with this oil is aromatically.  9 times out of 10 I've got this oil in my diffuser necklace from Origami Owl.  This oil really gives me the boost of I can do this!  Being that it is the perfect Solar Plexus oil, it really promotes feelings of support, confidence, and optimism.  This is my Happy Oil, quite literally.  I've used it in this recipe over in the Five Sixteenths | Live Creative group and created this Howlite & Lava Bead diffuser bracelet here.

Balance

Grounding Blend - The Oil of Grounding
This is one of the first oil blends I started to work with on my spiritual path towards balancing my emotions.  How fitting for this oil.  For me, this oil is both a Root Chakra and Crown Chakra oil.  Because I am grounded I am more open to working with myself.  This oil blend has both Spruce and Ho Wood oils that promote a feeling of rootedness in the present moment.  The great analogy here is that trees are not in a hurry, they are stable, they are grounded, and they are persistent.  Another oil in this blend is Frankincense which is an oil that allows us to open our Crown Chakra to the divine.  Through this groundedness in the present moment we are able to hear where we are being guided.

Oily Workday Protocol

Before Work

2-3 drops of Bergamot in my diffuser necklace
Hope roller bottle on the wrists and neck

Morning

Motivate uncapped on the desk, inhaling from cap if need be
Peppermint beadlet after coffee

Mid Day

Refresh Hope roller bottle on wrists (I usually add a bit more each time I wash my hands as well, and blend it in with my lotion
Inhale Bergamot for a boost of happiness & motivation

Afternoon

Inhale motivate from the cap + peppermint beadlet for a kick of energy
Balance to begin to shed the hectic work day

Drive Home

Hope + Bergamot for Solar Plexus support & confdence

And if you're wondering if you'll look weird with a few bottles in your purse & on your desk, the answer is probably.  Will people walk past your desk and comment on it? Yes.  Mostly the reaction I've gotten is supportive & I love talking with others about the oils.  If you're worried someone will find you weird for doing this...push that out of your mind.  Your self care & sanity is more important than any side eye!  Let your essential oil flag fly.

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So those are my top 5 oils for the work place.  If you'd like to get started with both the practical and spiritual uses of essential oils, check out my FREE ebook Getting Started with Essential Oils - Practical & Spiritual Uses.  I go over 10 oils that will help you perfectly dive into this oily world of wellness.  And if you'd like to take the leap to become a doTERRA wellness advocate & work with me on your spiritual journey I'd love to offer you a free gift - a digital copy of my favorite guide Essential Oils & Emotions + a 10ml roller bottle of Hope.  Click here to send me an email if you're interested!

Do you use essential oils in your workday routine?  How have essential oils helped you with your emotions?