Travel Hacks from the Captain - Packing Cubes

"Just in case is the curse of packing". Alexandra Potter

Packing a bag has become an art form to me.  I am constantly refining what and how I organize my suitcase for long trips.  As a airline captain flying long haul cargo, our schedules have us out 16 days straight.  Yes....we leave and return home over two weeks later.

    Yes....it takes getting used to.

    Yes....my family actually prefers it since when I am home, I am really home.

    Yes...my bags are HEAVY!

Back to packing....let's chat about my favorite packing tool, packing cubes.  I was introduced to these gems years ago but didn't fully appreciate them until the last couple of years.  

What are they?  Different sized, usually fabric bags that all you to control clutter.  You might be thinking, it's just a suitcase but think of how you can throw all your undergarments in a small bag, a couple outfits in the big one and then add your toiletry bag.  You arrive at your destination and need PJ's, instead of tearing through the whole bag, you grab the small cube and viola!  

Here is the real big thing for me...the compression you can do with your clothing.  I cannot travel with a vacuum sealer so compression is the way to go.  I can get an extra outfit or take a cardigan with me where it might not have fit.  This allows me to have another option on a layover that I might not have had before.  Let me tell you, after seeing the same outfits for 16 days, you are ready for some change.  

Below is is picture of a typical set up minus my toiletry bag that I drag all over the world.  My bag is by Strong Bags...a 23 inch crew bag.  It's great for flight crew but for the average traveler, opt for something lighter.  We just need indestructible bags for frequent use.  

You will see I always travel with a doTERRA diffuser....hotel rooms need a good refresh to feel like home.  

Do you love packing cubes or is this something new for you?

Influence. Success. Do the small steps really count?

Influence.  As I have traveled across the country, teaching classes to introduce essential oils or on how to launch your doTERRA business, that question of influence always creeps into my mind.  You see, I have been on lots of airplanes.  My influences have been through the books I have read, the coaching programs I can do on the road, the fabulous movies I watch on all my Delta flights. 

When you look at yourself and your impact, often the actions seem so small at the time.  At least for me it seems that way.  Maybe you can see your global impact with each action.  As I watch movies about Walt Disney to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, one thing always sticks with me  - they dove into something they were truly passionate about, rarely took no for an answer and only when a few other people would stop them to really look at their impact would they see it.

Each and every influential person went through their ups and downs.  It is part of the growth process.  Walt started out with almost nothing, grew a fortune, lost almost all of it and started the process over a whole lot smarter.  Justice Ginsberg, like so many women in a man’s world, fought an uphill sexism battle to rise to the ranks of the Supreme Court.  Luckily, both of these rock stars were surrounded with amazing people who supported them, balanced their strengths and allowed them to never do life alone.

As you grow your doTERRA business or just go through life, there are so many ways to use your strengths, meet people, teach your friends and their friends to grow but one thing remains absolutely true.  You have to love what you are doing to really convey your message.  That energy will convey your message far more than the words you speak.  Don’t get me wrong, you need a clear and concise message too.  Your heart is how you have the influence.  Now, that might sound like some mystical, magical thing but have you ever heard of a performer being “flat” on a performance and when they are interviewed later (and honest) they will say “I just didn’t feel it tonight.”  They were lacking heart and passion. 

Your passion is jet fuel to your influence.  If your energy is lacking….it is like having an empty tank.  So many of these things build on each other to give you influence. 

So you want more influence and energy….don’t we all. 

Here are some of the things that work for me (and keep in mind, I have spent 3 months with a tough travel schedule and lots of emotional ups & downs):

• Watch a movie that allows for an emotional release...either laughing or crying, whatever you need
• Exercise, even it is 10 minutes of walking, stationary bike or a good stretch in the morning
• Get a journal and write down all the junky thoughts you think are holding you back, THEN write why they have served you so far
• Sing really loud in your car with or without anyone else
• Practice Ho'oponopono  Click this link here to learn more

Getting Inline with Prime Meridian

doTERRA offers so many amazing opportunities to those who go out and grab it.  Natural solutions for health, financial health for those who grab the opportunity and run, and now they have partnered with Board Certified doctors to create Direct Patient Care Clinics all over the country to serve everyone.  You don't have to be part of doTERRA, although it gives you a discount.  I would be happy to help you there.  Click here for a great way to start with a great discount.  You don't need insurance.  Yes, you read that correctly.  

So what is this place called?  Prime Meridian.  Yes, I went and here is a bit of my own experience.  

First, let's talk about what they offer.  They offer you a real doctor, board certified who can prescribe the medicine you have been used to but they can also offer you natural solutions, and nutritional options.  Appointments are not how you are used to though.  Did you know the average time you spend with your doctor is 16 minutes?  At Prime Meridian you have either a solid 30 minutes or 1 hour.  Undivided attention.  It is almost so shocking that you as the patient aren't sure if you are talking too much.  Maybe that was just me.

If you need to follow up and chat but you are out of town, there are Video or Telemedicine appointments.  My next appointment will be done while I am on the road.  How amazing!  But that isn't the coolest part, I have already heard personally via email from my doctor over a dozen times since my first appointment a week ago.  To compare that to my current "insurance based" doctors, I recently went the ER and was instructed to contact them for a followup.  I did, and two weeks later I still have not heard back from them.  It is my job to pester them to receive healthcare.  When you are not feeling well, it is all on you which to me is a cycle of sickness.  Who really wants that?  I am sure I don't feel confident in being the annoying patient and I imagine it is annoying for the doctor to have patients badgering them all the time.  Again, maybe that is just me?

So the in person appointment is probably something you might be wanting to know more about.  I went in for a 9 am appointment and was actually seen at 9 am!  Novel concept.  All the normal vitals were checked then the doctor and I chatted for 45 minutes.  He wanted to know what my biggest issues were.  Why did I seek out help from him?  What had I tried up to this point - medicines, oils, supplements, diet, etc?  No eye rolling to alternative options.  In fact it was quite the opposite.  He was curious why I chose those options, how they had worked and if I was continuing them.  He even noted some of my oil protocols down.  I have to admit it felt nice to have a doctor appreciate my efforts and not dive right into "your problems are just simply that you are fat."

         

 

Then came the on table exam.  Suggestion for some of my common stuffy nose and fluid behind the ears was "You need Triease.  Everything is in bloom."  We

proceeded to look at my thyroid and a few other issues leading to some

standard tests I could have done when I got back home to Florida.  See, I went to the clinic in Nashville, TN.  This process has allowed me to see more of my results without so many hoops to jump through.  

I have been asked a few times "Is this set up even legal?"  "Do you really feel comfortable doing care this way?"  Both answers are absolutely yes.  I am a firm believer that doctors are great people looking to care for their patients.  Many things keep them from doing their jobs they way they desire. I am always looking for a doctor who wants to partner with me on my health journey.  I know I have to do my part and I want them to do theirs.  If they are trapped and unable to do that it makes it almost impossible to solve issues.  If you happen to be a doctor reading this and thinking, I would love to be in a DCP facility, message me.  I will help connect you to the right people who will let you love your profession again.  

If you are looking for a great way to care for your health, check out a clinic near you.  We have the ability to make change by our choices.  Choose your health, choose yourself.

Don't Ya Love a Great Surprise!

After 6 years of using, sharing and loving my oils, I am still surprised at the successes I have with their many uses.  For those who are just starting to look at essential oils for their homes, let me just state this one fact: they do far more than make things smell great.  Well, that is if you use a high quality, pure, therapeutic grade oil.  Ensure the oils you use are highly tested by a third party to ensure there is some distance between testing results and pressure to sell.  

What have been my most recent surprises…..so many.

Let’s start with what I will call the unsung hero of Thyme essential oil.  For years, this oil was my “other Oregano”.  Thyme is a fabulous oil to support your immune system.  I adore it diluted with Wild Orange when that cough is just lingering a bit longer than I want.  But the surprise……

Thyme…diluted because it is a hot oil…rubbed over your liver can chill you out in a matter of minutes.  Yeah, seriously.  All the oils have both physical and emotional properties and Thyme helps you let go of all the negative feelings and release the anger and rage you might feel when frustrations escalate.  A little Wild Orange isn’t so bad to add to this mix as well.   Wild Orange makes just about everyone happy after all.


My second surprise came as I have been searching for some answers to overall wellness.  See, for the last few years my body has been acting up on me.  Doctors are a bit confused but I am still firmly in the camp of “hey it’s my thyroid misbehaving again.”  As I looked up help for this option, I learned a few new oils that supported my body.  Balance & Geranium.  I have always heard Lemongrass, Myrrh and Clove but never Balance & Geranium.  I adore these two so this was a huge win for me.  Balance does have Frankincense and really does do more that just help our mood.  Geranium is excellent for hormone support, liver & kidney support as well as supporting your circulatory system.  Guidance also suggested that if there was discomfort to apply Deep Blue right over the thyroid gland. WOAH what?  

Yes, Deep Blue over the the thyroid.  I thought for sure this would be a bust but I was happily proven wrong.  When I tried this method, my body was full of little aches and pains.  Within minutes, they eased and I felt better.  Just 2 drops over the thyroid and a full body solution.  I am thrilled and shocked.  Yes...the Deep Blue Rub would work well too.  I just prefer the oil.  

As I am heading to see the Prime Meridian doctors in Nashville, TN, I plan to share all of these things with them.  For one, I think these might be clues to help them help me.  I love the fact they have a philosophy of incorporating Western medicine with our doTERRA essential oils. The other reason I will share is maybe it can help someone else.  Just like this blog.  
My hope is that my surprises help you and you will find a way to share these with others.

Enjoy 

Welcome….or for those of you who remember our old blog Essentially Savannah, welcome back!  Yes, it has been 4 years since I last blogged.  That sounds like a confession but it is more than that.  I didn’t quit my business.  In fact, to give you all a bit of an update, my last entry was January 3, 2015.  I had just been accepted into my first round of doTERRA Diamond Club  then we received news that our blog needed to stop.  It was the “dark times of doTERRA”.  The compliance days.  My blog was one of the first shutdown due to the fact I was not going to have an enormous amount of time to rewrite 53+ posts (I think I flat deleted some) while traveling and meeting people face to face to share my love of oils.

Two more rounds of Diamond Club, my kids have gotten older….so have I and well, I really want to blog again.  For those who don’t know me, I am a mother of 3 kids who have embraced acting, a former airline captain who loves all sort of crazy music from The Beatles to Green Day to Rixton to Carrie Underwood to King & Country.  We homeschool to accommodate crazy schedules and embrace the individual.  I love an independent thinker…even though it frustrates me when they don’t clean their room.

You will hopefully experience some of the great content you loved before such as The Spot but with some extras.  See, through all of this struggle, I have learned some serious lessons about myself, these fabulous oils, my team and the power of being grateful. 

I hope you will stick around to experience the love I have for essential oils but also learn ways to kick the toxins out of your home and out of your mind.  My hope is to also inspire a few of you to start seeing yourself as your best self.  In the words of the great Dusty Crophopper from Disney’s Plane, “I’m just trying to prove that maybe, just maybe, I can do more that what I was built for.”

Glad your here!

DDR Prime....Why I Will Never Run Out Again!

For months now, I have been dealing with migraines that have progressively gotten worse.  The symptoms would linger for weeks and I was told by doctors, "well sometimes that is normal."  So I did what I always do and asked everyone I knew who suffered migraines what their symptoms were like, how long they lasted, what the doctors prescribed for them, etc etc.  My symptoms were NOTHING like theirs so I dug a little deeper.

I felt the aura and sensation of another migraine attack and due to a good scolding from my doctor over my "self treatment with oils" I tried his way.  The previous headache lasted 3 days.  One of those days I was completely out of commission but the other two I felt lousy but I could get my stuff done.  In his professional opinion, that was too long to suffer.  

OK fine, I will try these drugs he gave me.  So it hits, I take the meds.  The side effects were awful but the headache did go away by morning.  The problem.....my right side weakness, tingling, numbness and pain from head to toe did not and in fact got much worse.  It stayed around for a month by the time he ran a second MRI.  It is still around 3 months later.

Throughout that month, major diseases were tossed around such as MS.  Very scary and put me in a horrible state of mind.  Not only did I not know why my body felt so terrible, the doctor's weren't really sure and kind of suspected what I consider a major illness.

Anxiety and stress levels were at an all time high.  Life around here was not fun.  I did not feel like blogging.  I did not feel like doing much that worry.  Fear ruled me.  It is a bad place to be for anyone but when your kids can't figure out why mom is in such a bad mood, it just spirals into a much worse place.

The MRI took place and the clouds opened up.  It was NOT MS.  I have a neck that is a trainwreck with a potentially torn disc between C5 and C6.  Can you say OUCH?!  But I will say, thank you Lord!  This is so much better than a degenerative disease.  Now, to deal with this naturally.

After, I took some very needed deep breaths I looked back at the course of events to see why the situation flared up so badly.  One product came to mind - DDR Prime.  We ran out of it for 2 weeks right before all hell broke lose.  Once I got back on, it took another few weeks to calm everything back down.  That had to be it but what makes DDR Prime so amazing?

• Frankincense: Promotes a healthy inflammatory response
  
• Wild Orange: Supports healthy cellular response
  
• Lemongrass: Protects against environmental threats
  
• Thyme: Broad-spectrum activity in promoting immunity and cellular health
  
• Summer Savory: Helps reduce oxidative stress
  
• Clove: Powerful antioxidant properties
  
• Niaouli: Supports cellular immunity 

For me, it was keeping the inflammation down therefore the pain in check.  By taking it out of my daily regiment I took away a powerful tool of health.  Never again will I be out of it!

I use the softgels but it comes in the straight oil form where you can apply or make your own veggie caps.  And yes, I now have a bottle of that which I apply to my neck prior to physical therapy.  

This video will highlight the many other uses and give such a better in depth explanation of DDR Prime.  I highly reccomend it!  And for January it is on sale!!!  

Hectic Holidays and HSA's

How the holidays get hectic!  Then add open enrollment for health insurance.  This year, my husband's company did a massive overhaul to the system.  Now, we are extremely lucky in that he works for a great company that truly provides excellent benefits so don't take any of this post as a complaint.  The overhaul was encouraging employees to switch to a Health Savings Account instead of the previously offered PPO's.  As I said, we are extremely lucky in that they didn't just take the PPO off the table completely.  I know change is scary so we took a good look at the two plans.

In the process of doing our homework, which they gave lots of great resources as well, it occured to me that the quote I often say in my classes is really showing up in corporate America - "You are in charge of your own health.  You need to make the choices for yourself."  Well, I say something like that but basically when I am teaching about using doTERRA oils, I want people to know they have options even when their doctors roll their eyes.  With this major change to insurance and premiums where you cover your out of pocket expenses for just about all your sick visits until the deductible is met, it solidfies it for me.  I must make choices and my choices have consequences either to my health or my bank account - probably BOTH.

So with choices let's look at how each day we can make positive choices to keep us out of the doctor's office and those charges in that HSA.  Personally, I would rather keep that money for retirement than for being sick, what about you?

There is a quote I see frequently on my friend's Facebook feeds, "You will never out train a bad diet."  What you eat is the foundation of your health.  If you are filling your body with neon colored drinks and food then expecting to feel great, you are fooling yourself.  I have never seen neon colored fruits and veggies in the produce section.  But I am not telling you to clear your fridge and pantry and throw it all out because that is irresponsible.  There is too much hunger on this planet to waste food.  Start with one....1....uno...thing you can change to be healthier.  Drop one can of Coke for a large glass or two of water.  Instead of chips, try crunchy veggies.  Just one habit per week.  Then add another then another.  After a year, you will look back and be amazed at the changes you have made with small manageable changes.

In the meantime, make sure you get some good nutrition with good vitamins.  At our house, we use the LLV as we call it.

Knock on wood, as those around us have really been catching some major germs we have only suffered with a cold.  I really do credit good vitamins with keeping us well.  Why do I love them more than other vitamins?  I absorb them.  how do I know?  Let's just say, nothing is neon!  Watch this video to learn more.  

Following the chart above, you have to get moving.  Exercise.  We all know it, yet so many avoid it.  I am as guilty as anyone.  I will get better and you can too!

Rest & Stress management....I have blogged on stress so many times but it is so important.  Getting your sleep too.    The links will take you to my experiences where I didn't follow this plan.  It can get ugly.  With the new health insurance models, it looks like it will get expensive too.

If this blog does nothing more than make you think about what you eat and drink first, then I have accomplished my goal.  I want us all having the happy, healthy lives we want. 

Natural First Aid

Let's talk a bit about First Aid and the oils.  

 Let me warn you, there are some graphic pictures of my finger in this blog as well.  

About a week before I went to convention, I was trying to get some yardwork done.  It wasn't oppressively hot out and the shrubs needed trimming, weeds needed pulling, we needed to mulch the flower beds.  You get the picture.  I was on my last set of shrubs of the day with a our handy electric hedge trimmer.  

I cannot say if I was rushing or tired or just plain careless but I can say I got my finger with that power tool.  It stunned me for a second.  I felt dumb then it hurt.  The pain and the blood kicked into high gear as I ran into the house while the rest of my family was finishing up lunch.

Keeping my head in the game, I told my husband to grab Helichrysum and fast!  It is known as "the liquid bandaid" of oils.  I hovered over the sink washing off the finger complete with dirt and mulch.  I was pretty grossed out.  Blood is really not my thing.

The damage to my finger was signifcant but could have been much worse.  All things were attached thank heavens.

My husband handled everything calmly even as the kids were crying "why is Mommy crying and hurt?"  It was a rough few minutes.

Luckily for us, a friend was already on her way to pick up some items.  As she walked in the house, she was stunned at the chaos but put me in her car and off to Urgent Care we went.

Mind you, the bleeding was almost stopped.  As I got back to the nurses, the bleeding began again as the pulled the bandaging off.  My husband was complimented on his excellent First Aid.  The biggest question they had was, "why aren't you bleeding more?"  I replied, Helichyrsum.  It just worked.

With the finger cleaned up, I took a few pictures......

The nurses were kind, glued me back together and wrapped me back up.  I was off to travel west in just a few days.  It was sore and hurt to bump anything.  It was also swollen for a few days.

To help the soreness and swelling, I used Deep Blue.  

For the healing process, I chose to use my oils.  Although, I could not access the actual wound for many days, I applied Frankincense and Helichyrsum at the base of my finger three times a day.  Then I arrived at doTERRA's Aspire Convention where they announced a little product with a huge punch called CorrectX.  It packs all the heavy hitter oils like Frank, Helichrysum, Cedarwood and Lavender in a nice little ointment.  Perfect!

I even won this from Mark Wolfert!  Yeah me!!

Once the bandages came off, I started coating the wound.  It kept my skin moist but really helped speed the healing in my opinion.  I still have ant bites on my foot from June that haven't gone away!  

After a week and a half it looked like this.....the black is a where the glue caused my hand to bleed until the Dermabond sealed it up.  What a weird feeling!

About 2 full weeks later

3 weeks

And now....just about completely healed.  There is still nerve sensitivity on the pad of my fingertip so typing is not always fun but my nail bed is in good shape and really the shape of my finger is not terrible like they warned.  I am extremely pleased with my healing.

If I stress one thing with this blog no matter if you are an oil user or not, have some sort of First Aid kit in your home.  Accidents can happen anytime.  In the middle of one is not the time to wish you had some way to treat your friends or family.  I was extremely lucky to not really do some major damage to my hand.  I do highly suggest using a natural approach!  

Be safe!  Take your time with yard work!  

Catching ZZZ's

As I was watching the news a few mornings ago, I was pleasantly surprised to hear an update to some sleep studies.  Conventional wisdom has ingrained in us "get your 8 hours or else."  I don't know about you but getting 8 hours of sleep a night sounds fabulous but not attainable all the time.  I have kids, a job, friends, stuff to do and while I know sleep is important, sometimes it is just really hard to get 8 hours.

Well, this story was a nice change letting us off the hook of 8 hours and that the sweet spot for sleep might actually be 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours of sleep per night.  Even though it is less, I know that for many that still seems like a huge task to accomplish.  

Some of the highlights of the study I thought were interesting said less than 6 hours and your cortisol levels rose causing you to crave foods, store fat and loads of other bad stuff.  Too much sleep on the other hand....more than 8 hours could contribute to diabetes and depression.  The study does emphasize that everyone is different and your perfect amount of sleep might be different than mine.  

There are some options to help you get better sleep.  I still think quality sleep trumps quantity any day.  One of the best combos I love is Cedarwood and Lavender.  

I apply 1-2 drops of each oil per feet at bedtime and sleep it greatly improved.  

This picture was shared with me online.  I found this to be amazing and really great proof that the oils make a huge difference in your sleep.  Her comments are below the picture.  

"This is my fit bit read out if sleep. Top picture is no oils (the little blue lines are times of restlessness, stirring, etc. Bottom picture is with oils (serenity in bath tin and Cedarwood on feet and in diffuser). I'd say oils worked!"

Other great sleeping oils are Vetiver. Frankincense, Clary Sage, and Serenity.  Diffusing these, especially Vetiver and Serenity combined will really help with sleeping.   It fills the whole room and really helps everyone in the room.  

And for anyone who says "I hope you sleep like a baby" I laugh, they must not have been around babies sleeping.  I will wish a happy deep sleep......and your perfect 7 ish hours!

Move from Stick & Rudder to Autoland

Technology is a wonderful thing.  I have always been a huge proponent of technology helping humans have easier lives.  I just want to establish that first because the rest of this post will sound very much like I am someone who uses the phrase, "life was better back in the day."   That is a rare phrase coming from me.  Doing dishes by hand does not build character contrary to my grandmother's popular saying!  :)  Loading a dishwasher properly is a far better talent in my world.

I had the pleasure of listening to Annette, who is a shining Diamond in my up line, teaching about business building.  The discussion was wonderful and got my gears turning.  Much of my thought process was about the mistakes I have made in my doTERRA business and lessons I am learning each time I test out one of the "tried and true techniques".  I wanted to help my team not make my same mistakes.

As I many of you know I started my doTERRA journey in an area I was a relatively new resident.  I heavily relied on technology and social media.  I had a huge fear of talking about the oils I was just learning about to people I barely knew.  Even though I had heard, DON'T do mass emails to contact people, that is what I did.  My rate of return for contact was minimal.  When I did speak, I was made fun of by some.  It was very frustrating.

Fear was my enemy.  Don't make fear your enemy.

Maybe the daily dose of Cassia or Cinnamon

in my coffee has changed me or the training I have been given over the past few months or just life lessons, I will tell you I still email but I don't just rely on technology, emails and social media.

By the way...Cassia is the oil of Self Assurance!  Beat your fear with Cassia.

These days, I will  call, Skype, FaceTime, private message and have lots of one on one contact with people to give them a more personal touch.

It has truly made a huge difference in the response I get from people.  By taking a little time to really listen to their needs, offer support and sometimes solutions with the oils, I give them options but more importantly relationship.

We will call this personal contact the "stick and rudder" technique.  Sorry, sometimes the pilot in me just doesn't leave.  Without that stick and rudder skill to be able to listen to other humans and converse, life really can be hard.  This is not to say, you have to be a true extrovert vs an introvert.  You just have to be someone who cares and respects another person enough to give them your time.  It might be 5 minutes, it might 5 hours or longer.

The pastor at our church always stresses to us to "invest and invite".  This is so true to most of life's journey.  Invest in others and invite them along.  For fun, for healing, for coffee.  Invest first though....make sure that person knows they are special to you because you never know who on this planet has made sure to make them feel the opposite.

If you need an oil to help with connecting with others try Marjoram.  This is the oil of connection.  It helps soften, free those from life's harsh experiences and break the fear of rejection.  

So once you have those "stick and rudder" interpersonal skills you can move on to adding the technology.  A few tips of adding social media to your doTERRA business.  First and foremost, do a business page if you really want to build and talk nonstop about oils.  Nothing is more annoying than those who post about their current business on their personal page as if they suddenly became the product itself.  A post once in a while on your personal page is fine.  Just make sure it shows a great tip or something of real value to your friends.   Remember, your friends still want to be your friend.  Always keep in mind the "stick and rudder". 

Modern airliners have a great functionality called "AUTOLAND".  This function allows the pilots to program the autoflight system to fly the airplane completely through until landing.  It is really a wonderful feature when necessary but not utilized often.  Why?  Because most pilots have a desire to be part of the approach and landing.  The computers that do AUTOLAND have no real finesse. They know their parameters and can get you on the runway technically correct but probably not the smoothest, stylish landing.  Pilots truly take pride in their landings.  

How does this relate?  You are running your own business.  Take pride.  You can rely on technology to mass email, mass invite and show off you have a business but until you talk to people one on one or in smaller groups you will never show your true style and shine!  

Bugs bug me!

Spring and Summer in Georgia always means you are going to see critters.  Critters creep me out!  I know there are many people love the great outdoors but my definition of camping means the hotel doesn't have room service!  Only kidding....well only slightly kidding.

Well, it is May and I have started to see the spiders, ants and the gnats.  Yuck!  If only they all could be beautiful butterflies.  Before I had oils, I would grab all the standard bug sprays.  Man do they smell bad.  Worse, they are filled with really nasty chemicals.  The warning labels scare me too!  I really didn't think much of this until I had kids.  Now, we have the oils and I have really adopted these as my first line of defense against the multi-legged creatures.

So let's talk Spiders.....I admit, I am scared of all spiders even though some are really not that dangerous.

What I do when I see spiders.....diffuse Peppermint!  They hate peppermint!  Lucky me, because I love it.  

Peppermint is also a great use in the garden against aphids on your Crepe Myrtles and roses.  I mix about 6 drops with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle and bathe my plants.  It cut the black residue down to almost none last year.  This year I will be better since I will be home more.

Want to keep the mosquitoes away?  TerraShield is your friend.  And you will smell great!

Also works great for fleas and ticks!  Never go camping for real without a bottle.  I sent a mixture of 5 drops with a half cup of water in spray bottle for my daughter who went to see Frozen in the park.  She didn't get a bite but smelled really good! 

Ants?  Ants hate Lemongrass!  Wipe down your counters and baseboards with a damp cloth with a few drops of Lemongrass to help drive away the army of ants trying to overthrow your kitchen.

For more ideas and oils to choose, check out the blog from doTERRA!

And if you get bit....turn to the swiss army knife of oils to soothe that itch....Lavender!

Try the natural alternatives to drive those bugs out.  Reduce your exposure to toxins and chemicals.