Hello, mamas! We’re excited to have recently connected with Jillian from @abundantlywelljillian about natural winter wellness. If you’re worried about cold and flu season and/or looking for natural ways to help combat those germs, Jillian is a wonderful resource. She has a wealth of information on essential oils and all-natural products.
Guest Post: Our Family’s 7-Step Approach to Natural Winter Wellness
Our family is a big fan of Young Living essential oils and plant-based products, so when I reference essential oils use I’m speaking specifically about Young Living products. I can’t vouch for the effectiveness or safety of other brands, as I’ve been a YL purist since I first cracked a bottle of their lavender open — and I tossed the less-effective brands I had in the trash.
- WASH THOSE HANDS! Ask anyone ~ the number one way to prevent the spread of germs and illness is regular, thorough hand-washing! You’re aiming for a good 20-30 seconds of scrub time, so sing your favorite song refrain a couple of times while you soap up! We use Thieves Foaming Hand Soap at home, and I also have a bottle or two of Thieves Hand Purifier in the diaper bag.
- WEEKLY DETOX BATHS In our house, the whole family gets the same detox mix ~ the toddler just gets a lot less in her bath. My go-to blend is Epsom salts, baking soda, lavender oil, and bentonite clay. I keep a mason jar filled with 1 cup Epsom salt and a few drops of lavender oil on hand and scoop out a few tablespoons for my toddlers bath, although with a similar amount of baking soda and a few tablespoons of clay {premixed in hot water – if you dump it straight in the tub it will clump}. For myself, I pour in the whole cup of Epsom/lavender mix and around ½ cup each of baking soda and bentonite clay. This ingredients can act as a magnet to help pull toxins out of the body, as well as help increase magnesium levels in the body. Drink lots of water after a detox bath to rehydrate!
- HYDRATION IS KEY My 2-year-old has had two beverages in her life ~ water, and NingXia Red {an antioxidant-rich supplement juice from Young Living; she gets 1-2 ounces daily if she’s in the mood…because, toddler}. She’s young enough that she doesn’t know other drink options exist in the world, which makes my job of keeping sugar-laden, empty-calories drinks out of her system a lot easier. Keeping myself adequately hydrated is more challenging. I fill a few 32-ounce Nalgenes and make a point to finish them all before bedtime, but I’ve also been known to crack open a La Croix or two during the day, just to keep things interesting.
- WELLNESS ROLLERS ALL AROUND Everyone in my house has their own essential oil wellness roller and it’s swiped on the bottom of their feet at least twice a day or more, plus down the spine, if we can feel the funk coming on. It’s important to note that these oils are powerful, but heavily diluted, and primarily used on the feet. We use a blend of Thieves, lemon, frankincense, Purification, and oregano oils ~ oregano is optional, particularly in the kid’s version of this roller, but it is a powerful immune-system-support oil.
- GET ENOUGH SLEEP Your body can’t fight off the yucky stuff when it’s wiped out and depleted. A good night’s sleep is SO important for overall wellness. We have room-darkening shades in all our bedrooms for the darkest sleep environment possible. We also lower the heat at night to around 63-64 degrees and have a white noise machine going, based on sleep consultant advice. We follow the same bedtime routine {with a chart} for our toddler every night, and grownups and kiddos alike get some soothing nighttime oils applied to promote relaxation. My daughter’s current magic mix is lavender and Valor, with a teeny dab of cedarwood mixed in. I apply the heavenly Tranquil roller {lavender, cedarwood, and Roman chamomile} to my toes and wrists and have my diffuser pump out lavender and a eucalyptus blend ~ it helps support relaxation *and* healthy respiratory function, and it smells like a spa!
- SKIP THE SUGAR Full disclosure ~ we’re still coming off the holiday sugar bender, which never really dwindles down until my mid-January birthday has passed. My toddler, due to the fact that she doesn’t have free reign over her dietary choices, has very little added sugar and a fairly JERF-based diet…we should all aspire to eat like she does! Except, of course, when she thinks it’s funny to bite her socks…we don’t need to take it that far.
- THIEVES ALL THE THINGS Yup, we use “Thieves” as a verb in our house ~ and we Thieves allllll thing things. We use the household cleaner on hard surfaces like countertops, the bathtub, door handles, and light switches; we even mix it with baking soda and sprinkle on couches and carpets as a fabric refresher {let sit and vacuum up}. I tote a bottle of Thieves spray in my bag so I can spritz those shared restaurant high chairs or shopping cart handles, and when we return home from grocery shopping I dunk our probably-touched-by-many-hands apples, citrus fruits, and avocados in a water bath with Thieves Fruit and Veggie Soak. So, you can see…we really do Thieves All The Things.
