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

Boost your Blog // Why Should I Open a Digital Etsy Shop?

If you're a blogger looking to make a little bit of income on the side, opening a digital shop might be for you.  You can sell digital prints, stock photos, worksheets, workbooks, planner printables, etc. especially if it is relevant to your content.  Opening a digital shop will add another revenue stream from your blog!  There are a ton of eCommerce sites where you can open this type of shop, but I want to tell you about why Etsy is the best place.

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

Etsy is the leading handmade marketplace.  It's been around for 13 years.  I remember when I first heard about Etsy and it was then that I decided to open up shop selling earrings and crocheted items.  I didn't have much success with physical items - plus I did not like to go to the post office!  When I moved up to Indiana in the Fall of 2012, I'd been selling digital items in my Etsy shop for about a year.  At that time I sold blog templates & custom Blogger designs.  It was when I started selling digital items that I found the most success.  It was a balance between being creative and not having to go to the post office!

I've shuttered my online doors a couple of times in the past but I've kept my current shop open for a few years now.  Currently I sell digital planner printables as well as stickers designed to cut with your Cricut Explore.  But I'm thinking about branching out to selling more digital supplies for creative businesses - graphics & templates, social media stuff, etc.  Check out the shop here.

But why Etsy?  Especially since they just announced a plan to increase the transaction fee from 3.5% on the sale price only to 5% on the sale price + shipping starting July 16, 2018.  I've written a post here on why I keep turning back to Etsy, by why should you consider Etsy in the first place?  In the age where eCommerce shops can be made quickly & easily, why start with Etsy?

Low Start Up Cost

Etsy has the eCommerce platform down for you.  You don't have to build or pay someone to build the website for you.  While there are a lot of drag & drop options and most eCommerce platforms are easy to use, with Etsy you don't have to invest much time or money into getting your shop up & running.  It is free create a shop, you can use free software to create a shop graphic & even edit/create your shop listings.  At a cost of .20 cents a listing you can list 100 items for about $20.  Each listing lasts for 4 months.  You're only charged the transaction fee (3.5% prior to July 16, 2018) once a sale is made and if you're not finding success, delete and item before it renews and you won't be charged another .20 cents to relist it after the 4 months expires.  You're not investing the time or the money you don't have!  Plus if you're selling digital items you're not going to be shipping anything.  So this increased transaction fee won't impact you as much.

Digital Fulfillment Service Built In to the Platform

Selling digital items means you'll need to actually get that file to the customer.  With Etsy there is a fulfillment service built right in at no extra cost.  You list the item and you're done.  You don't have to monitor sales and deliver the files to a customers email.  Etsy does this for you after the payment has cleared.  Other eCommerce platforms often require the use of either their app or a third party app to execute this fulfillment process.  While that's not too bad, Etsy makes it very easy to run a digital shop without any extra work.

Name Recognition & Search Optimization 

Etsy allows you to tag your listings with relevant search tags.  You're also given ample space in the product title to include relevant search terms.  The description area is a thrid place to create a through product description.  All of these allow you to show up in Etsy's search.  Because Etsy is the leading place for handmade & creative products, people come to Etsy to search for what they need.  If they are coming to Etsy to search they will find your shop as long as you tag your products properly.  This is the most work that you'll need to put into your listings (well, this and your photos).  The more work you put in to properly tagging your products the better you'll show up in the search.  It's as if the advertising is being done for you.  Of course you'll need to share that you actually have a shop on your various platforms but you're not going to need to pay for advertising space.  While Etsy does offer the option to advertise in search results, my unscientific studies have proven to me that this type of advertisement really has no bearing on sales.

Ease of Use

All points above add to the fact that Etsy is just easy to use.  You don't have to manage security certificates, cookie notices, or any changes to internet use laws because Etsy will do it for you.  I feel, you're getting a great convenience for a very low price and peace of mind.  If you want to take it upon yourself to manage your own website and eCommerce and fulfillment, good on you.  I just place big importance on ease of use.  You're getting the advertising & the digital fulfillment covered, your partnering with a big name in the game and you're not having to create & maintain your own stand alone site.  The overall design of the Etsy platform is aesthetically pleasing as well and you're not having to make all these design decisions that cost moolah on your own site!

So, while there are some restrictions Etsy is a great place to start selling.  I am of the set it & forget it mindset.  I am also not going to fix something that isn't broken!  What I am going to do though, is change with the times.  I plan to raise my prices in my shop in July.  Why do that?  Why not move to another platform?  Because I like this platform, I find value in this platform, and I think my community finds value in my product.  When we partner with businesses that are in the business of doing business, we must realize that things will change - these partners want to make money just like we want to make money.  This is also the first increase in 13 years of the platform so I find this site rather trustworthy and believe they aren't ripping us off!  Etsy does a lot of the managing for you - fees, fulfillment, security, advertising, etc - and I find value in their service.  

If you're thinking about expanding your blog income by starting a digital shop, forget the headache & start with Etsy!  Want to read more about running an Etsy shop? Check out these posts.

Do you have an Etsy shop?  Why do you use Etsy?

xoxo, Moe

Boost your Blog // Apps I use to Run my Blog

I've been blogging for over 10 years now and the landscape of blogging has changed so much since I first started.  I've also become more streamlined in my own blogging - only doing what I feel is worth my time, using the camera that I have, and working from my phone a lot of the time.  If it isn't simple for me to do...then I don't do it!

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

I'm not the type of blogger who likes to follow the rules.  I find the 'proper way to blog' to be overwhelming & time wasting for me.  Examples - I don't have a self hosted blog, I use my iPhone to take photos, I never research keywords for post titles, I'm bad at newsletters, and the list goes on.  However, I still consider myself a successful blogger.  Part of this is because I'm authentic.  Another part is that I share relevant info.  And the final part is that I use apps & tools to streamline my process.

As someone who works a lot from my phone, you'll find apps & programs that have both a desktop and a mobile version.  This is the number one reason why I'm considering getting my next iPhone in the Plus model for the bigger screen!  Anyway, here are the apps & tools I use to run my blog:

A Color Story

This is literally the best mobile photo editing app, ever.  I have a full blog post on this app here and will constantly recommend it to anyone editing photos on their phone.  What I love about this app is that the FREE pack included in the download is all you really need to create bright, crisp photos perfect for Instagram, Facebook, and your blog.

Not only can you edit photos but you can also edit short videos.  So if you want your Instagram stories or videos to fit your pages aesthetic you totally can!  The controls are just the same whether your' editing a photo or video so it's super easy.  Plus you can save a series of edits to use on other photos later to get that consistent feel.

Finally, you can plan your Instagram grid using this app!  This is a feature I've recently started using for both my Connected Chakras feed & the Feel the Inhale essential oil feed.  If you're wanting to create a cohesive grid with a certain theme, you can preview how your images will look next to each other.  I use this to see how my images will look next to each other & to plan which images I'll use each week.  Unfortunately there's no auto post option - you'll still have to manually import your photos to Instagram but you can at least plan the aesthetic and the caption.

Phonto

This is the app I use to create any blog image with text over them. Like the image at the top of this post, Phonto is the way I create my pinnable blog images.  I love this app because I can import my own branded fonts right into the app and use them.  The app does come with a TON of fonts already but it is great to be able to use your own fonts!  I love that I can save preset text - like my blog URL or a text watermark for Instagram - to add to each new photo.

A companion app that I've just recently found myself using is Vont.  Designed by the same creators as Phonto, this app allows you to put text over video.  You can even import your own branded fonts as well!

You can read another full blog post on Phonto here.

Mailchimp

I suck at sending emails but I love the automated system offered by Mailchimp.  If you've ever signed up for an email opt in - like the Tarot eBook or the Blogging eBook - then Mailchimp has automated the sending for me.

This is the main thing I use Mailchimp for.  The automation takes the pressure off of creating unique emails every week for my email list.  I automate sending new blog posts to subscribers as well.  So it appears like I'm actively doing a newsletter....but I'm totally not!  I plan on doing a post on how to use the automation feature of Mailchimp soon!

Canva

Like the graphic in this post, I use Canva for my other design needs.  I love that the templates are easy to use and that my brand colors & fonts are easily stored.  When I need to change the size of a graphic I can also auto resize it super simply!

Canva allows me to create ebooks, infographics, and other digital downloads to make my blog look amazing.  I also use this to create my Instagram stories highlights and other templates I share over there.  The template options in both the desktop version and the app are amazing!  While you can use your branded text on the desktop site the app doesn't allow you too.  Which is why I choose Phonto for mobile.

Canva also allows you to create templates to sell or share with others which is a cool way to monetize your content!

Google Drive

This is my choice for a cloud storage service.  While you get 15GB free with your gmail account, I pay for 100GB of storage.  This makes it easy to transfer files between my phone & my computer.  Since I take and edit my photos on my phone I need a convenient way to transfer the files to my computer so I can compose the blog post.  On my computer I have a Google Drive back up so I can choose anything that's been uploaded as if it were on a drive on my computer.  It makes the whole process super streamlined.

I also use Google Drive to host any freebies that I share on the blog.  Because I need a way to get the freebies to you I need a hosting service.  Google Drive allows me to share specific files and set specific permissions for each file.

PicFrame

This is an app I've been using for a thousand years it feels like.  This is your basic photo collage app and I love it because it is simple.  Change the size, add photos, save.  Easy. Peasy.  Recently this app add the ability to save templates to use later.  I find this helpful when I want to make a collage or create a nice graphic for my Instagram stories.  You can change the ration to 9:16 so that your creation fits perfectly.

I just found out recently that you can add video into the collage!  What I usually do is add one video to the collage then save it so that there's white space around the video to add text.  Then I'll use Vont to add the branded text I like!  Read a full review of the app here.

All of these apps make blogging super easy for me.  I don't have to stress about my content or my design because I've got these tools right at my finger tips.  If blogging isn't something I can easily do, I don't want to do it.  Since I've started to take my blog a little bit more seriously I've been trying to find ways to create a space that is successful but still fun for me!

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I'm constantly on the look out for new and fun apps to add to my arsenal.  If you've like to read more about the apps I love & use check out all the App Reviews right here on the blog.  And if you've got an app suggestion you'd love for me to review, shoot me an email here.