If you’re like me opening your starter kit was both exciting and a little overwhelming. There are so many ways to use oils aromatically, topically & internally.
Peppermint is still one of my most used oils, whether it’s adding it to my diffuser with some Orange for a bright & energetic way to start my morning or adding it to a roller to support my focus on the tasks ahead. 
(and of course, there is the lemon, lavender, and peppermint combo my family uses daily for seasonal sniffles).
I would love to hear which starter oil is your favorite & how you use it!
What are you accomplishing today?
Excited, anxious, anticipatory, bubbling … these are all words that can often describe the vibe of a typical classroom two days before Christmas break. The kids often can’t concentrate, the projects have left scraps of paper everywhere and glitter on everything, the teacher is bagging up a semester worth of “stuff” to send home and get ready to start fresh for the new year, and the whole crowd knows they will be amped up on sugar tomorrow.
This vibe is hard to recreate in distance learning, the teachers on the other side of the screen are doing their best to be silly, celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, winter solstice, boxing day, three kings day, and all while trying to teach sight words, basic concepts, reading, writing, arithmetic, kindness, turn-taking, and sneaking in a gift for the parents.
I am diffusing EXCITE today because it’s what I need, it’s what I’m not, it’s the opposite of surviving which is what I think teachers are doing this late in December. We are all realizing we are at the end of an ENTIRE semester online (at least in my county, which is still the purple zone). I got home yesterday, loaded down with beautiful gifts from teachers and assistants who are pouring their souls into this work and then turn around and thank me with a holiday gift, (insert Wayne’s World, “I’m not worthy).
I am so grateful, like tears to my eyes grateful, to all these amazing humans who show up day after day for our students in the toughest of circumstances and continue to make connections, build rapport, pour their heart into their work, and get up each day ready to do it again.
Teachers!
This last weekend I alternated between Amy Grant’s original Christmas album and Kenny Rogers greatest hits as my private karaoke party to finish addressing Christmas cards, wrapping gifts, making homemade potpourri for the stove, and in general checking off my holiday TO DO list. Not traveling for the holiday this year makes me feel like I am adding a week to my life. I will miss our bigger family traditions like crazy, I will mourn the time that our extended family does not have together, but the gift of time is a gift that doesn’t give itself freely, so I intend to not waste it. Our “core four” (what I call our little Richards family) will make the most of this upcoming break.
If you’re looking for a unique twist to a holiday favorite, add a drop of Lavender Vitality for a warm and enchanting flavor. 
Tell me your favorite oils to use during the holidays!
With all the fun the holidays bring, they can also bring a hectic schedule and stress and for some they also bring sadness, more this year than years past.
Make sure you are taking the time to prioritize your health & wellness. Self care is important.
Here are 3 things I will do for myself this week:
Take a long walk, or a least the long route to the restroom.
Start my day with Yoga
Relax & recharge with a cuddle on the couch with my boys each night 
Share below how you are going to prioritize your wellness this week.
If you have not made Diffuser Christmas Ornaments, this is the perfect simple recipe for you to try. 
These are so fun and easy to make and they will fill your home with all the best holiday scents.
Just follow these simple instructions:
Stir ¾ cup water, 1 cup baking soda & ½ cup cornstarch in a small pot over medium heat until mixture forms into a ball. Let cool and then roll out to about ½ inch thickness. Use holiday cookie cutters to make fun shapes. Don’t forget to poke a small hole near the top before baking at 175 degrees for about an hour. After cooking sprinkle with your favorite holiday essential oils! 
