Don't leave out God and prayer - the 2 most important ingredients in any situation.
While you are praying or after praying don't forget to LISTEN for the answers! They will come.
click here - to view the studies showing the scientific proof that prayer works.

Autumn is a season for reflecting, refining, and selecting

What activities do you want to keep in your life, and which need to go? How is life working for you at the moment? What needs to change? What do you want to create next? Spend an hour reflecting on your life as it is now – and selecting a few simple changes to make before the hectic holiday season begins.

It’s autumn. It’s chilly and dry. I can feel winter right around the corner, even through these last lingering days of sunshine.

During these ‘transition’ seasons of spring and fall, I think more about self care. Especially this time of year, when I know the stress and busyness of the winter holidays is right around the corner, along with shorter, darker days, cold temperatures and lots of cold and flu germs. So I always have on hand to sanitize the home;
Essential oils - they have potent antimicrobial effects along with their clean, pleasant natural aromas. Especially good are: lemon (clean, sweet, uplifting scent; deodorizing), peppermint (minty, fresh; air purifier; mild pest repellent), eucalyptus and tea tree (air and surface sanitizers; fresh, therapeutic aromas).
Essential Oil Cleaning Blends: Clean Dishes, Wood Helper, Clean Air, Clean Glass, Multi Clean, Clean Bath, Clean Laundry, Sauna/Steam.

So rather than stumbling into winter unprepared, this year I decided to spend a little time easing myself into the colder weather. Here are some of my favorite tips.

Make some echinacea tincture or elderberry syrup

Both are brilliant immune system boosters and help fight cold & flu. Echinacea tincture is an immune system booster and should be used frequently at the first sign of a cold. Tinctures, or highly concentrated herbal extracts, are a simple and natural way of boosting your body’s strengths and abilities, and sometimes can help keep those winter blues in check.
Echinacea - 1 oz Glycerine Liquid by Nature's Way

Vegetable glycerin tinctures are made in precisely the same way but have some different applications. They are ideal for children—or for you, if alcohol makes you cringe—since glycerin tastes sweet and syrupy. They do have a significantly shorter shelf life of about one year, so they should be made in slightly smaller batches.

The perfect winter immunity booster for my family’s health, a Hot Echinacea Tincture:

Ingredients

-2 parts dried Echinacea Angustifolia Root
-1 part dried Echinacea Purpurea Herb
-1 part fresh Garlic, chopped
-1 part dried Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng) Root
-1/2 part Cayenne powder

-100 proof Vodka
-1 quart-sized glass mason jar

Using a quart-sized glass mason jar, begin filling it with the herbs and dried plant material until it is 1/4 full.
Add enough 100 proof Vodka to the herbs to cover them, filling the jar, leaving a 1/2 inch head-space.
Allow the mixture to steep at least 2 weeks better if you steep 4 weeks.
Strain the mixture. Pour the prepared tincture into a dark glass.

Elderberry syrup is more supportive of the immune system and can be taken throughout the winter as a preventative. Plus elderberry syrup is DELICIOUS.
For centuries the dark berries of European black elder (Sambucus nigra L.) have been traditionally used as a winter remedy.
Sambucus Immune syrup 4 oz.
Or Make your own:
Fill a jar with berries to just below the shoulders. Fresh or Dried Elderberries
Muddle: With a wooden spoon or kraut pounder break the berries open a bit. You don't need to pulverze them, but muddle them up a bit.
Cover to in inch or two above the berries with good brandy. Lid, label, and tuck away in a dark quiet corner for 4 to 6 weeks. Tip the jar over and gently shake every time you think of it.
Strain through a stainless steel colander lined with a thin cloth. Store in amber dropper bottles or glass jars in your medicine cabinet.

Add more warming foods to your diet

To counteract the dry, windy, cold climate of autumn, start adding more warming, comforting foods to your daily diet. Try vegetable soups for lunch or a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

Add some oil to your skincare routine

Switch up your skin care routine to counteract dryness. And I’m not just talking about your face. Using a soothing body oil after your bath or shower will help nourish your skin and relieve dryness. I like to make my own by just adding essential oils to some almond oil.
Calendula-Rosehip Facial Serum
1 oz. Rosehip Seed oil
1 oz. Calendula Infused Grapeseed Oil
2 oz. Jojoba Oil
5 drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil
3 drops Chamomile Essential Oil
7 drops Vitamin E Oil (7500 IU)

Place all ingredients into a small bottle and shake well. Use a few drops and massage into clean skin. Use twice daily.

Skin and Internal Organ Detox Blend
This blend is a fantastic aid in detoxifying the skin and internal organs. Best used as a massage or body scrub blend.
Ingredients:
4 drops Fennel Essential oil
7 drops Juniper berry Essential oil
7 drops Lemon Essential oil
7 drops Bergamot Essential oil
Add to 2 ounces of carriers such as Hazelnut oil and grape seed oils which are great to use as carriers because they are slightly astringent, fast absorbing and almost odorless. With regular use will help to eliminate toxins from the skin and create a healthy fresh start.

Chilli's, mustard and pepper are heating ingredients, almost to the point of being skin irritants. The theory behind this oil is that it irritates and heats the skin to increase circulation to wherever you apply it. For that same reason, you want to avoid putting this near your eyes or any other sensitive area! Like all products, test it on a small patch of skin first before using it regularly.

2 cups olive oil

4 fresh chilli's (cayenne), chopped

3 Tablespoons ginger root, chopped

3 Tablespoons whole black pepper seeds

3 Tablespoons mustard powder

Put all ingredients in a clean glass jar. Let it sit in a sunny windowsill for at least 1 month. Shake the bottle whenever you think of it, maybe every couple days. Strain through a cheesecloth and pour into a dark glass bottle. To use: rub a bit of oil into your feet at night before bed, cover with socks (to protect your feet). Wash your hands afterward and be careful not to get it in your eyes – ouch!

The harsh months of winter can wreak havoc on our skin, and especially cause major problems for our feet. Well…love your feet instead! With this easy to make recipe – created from rich and moisturizing ingredients – you’re sure to tackle even your worst dry, cracked, and callused feet. Feel free to also try it on achy, tired legs!

With the addition of tea tree oil, this Handmade Peppermint Foot Cream will also disinfect your feet and leave them feeling and smelling vibrant and fresh. The peppermint will help to stimulate circulation, while lavender reduces the aches and pains of the day.

Handmade Peppermint Foot Cream

Gather the Ingredients

-0.5 ounces cocoa butter
-2 ounces Shea butter
-1 ounce coconut oil
-0.25 ounces avocado oil
-1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
-1/4 teaspoon tea tree essential oil
-1/4 teaspoon essential oils of peppermint
-10 drops essential oils of lavender
Melt the butter and the oils together over low heat on the stove, or in a double boiler, until just melted.
Mix well, remove from heat (allow to cool a bit), and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Whip by using a stick blender or hand mixer. Then pour into storage container (i.e. recycled lotion jar or glass mason jar).

Peppermint

Several studies support the use of peppermint for indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome. In fact, three double-blind trials found that enteric-coated peppermint oil reduced the pain associated with intestinal spasms, commonly experienced in IBS, since peppermint has a relaxing effect on the muscles of the digestive and urinary system.

It is useful for treating spasm problems in the urinary tract. It also has strong antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, which help rid the kidneys of bacteria.

It may also relax the muscles of your intestines, allowing gas to pass and easing abdominal pain. Try peppermint oil or peppermint leaves added to tea for gas relief.
Supplementing with essential oil of peppermint, along with caraway oil, "much or very much improved" symptoms of functional dyspepsia in 67 percent of patients. If you have an upset stomach, try drinking a small glass of water with a few drops of peppermint essential oil added.

Peppermint possesses astringent, antiseptic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties. Peppermint is great for cleaning abrasions, cuts, burns and wounds. It’s even good for treating acne. - best when tea of dried leaves are steeped with hot water and left to cool, then applied as an external rinse.

The oil of the peppermint is also commonly used as a pain reliever.

This is due to the menthol, which comes from peppermint. Menthol is an organic compound with the chemical formula C10H20O that occurs naturally in mint. Menthol is known to increase blood circulation and cools painful afflicted areas. As such it's a common herbal oil and ointment remedy for headaches, chest congestion and other symptoms of the common cold.

Peppermint contains menthol, which may inhibit the growth of prostate cancer.
A topical treatment of peppermint oil resulted in near-immediate improvement in shingles-associated pain, with the results lasting for two months of follow-up treatment.

Relieve headaches

Because it has a calming and numbing effect, it has been used to treat headaches, skin irritations, anxiety associated with depression, nausea, diarrhea, menstrual cramps, and flatulence.
For headache pain, try dabbing a few drops of peppermint essential oil on your wrist or sprinkling a few drops on a cloth, then inhaling the aroma. Peppermint essential oil can be used externally on the head and back of neck (avoid eyes) for natural headache relief or diluted in coconut oil for sore muscles.

Decongestant

Peppermint is also a decongestant and has expectorant and antiviral properties. Peppermint tea isn’t just a great stress reliever, it’s good for clearing respiratory issues, treating colds and helping to open up nasal and chest passages aided by its mentholated aroma.
Homemade Chest Rub Recipe:

Ingredients

1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) Oil Use extra virgin olive oil for a liquid rub; coconut oil for a solid rub.
12 drops total Essential oils:
peppermint
eucalyptus
Consider using camphor. Vicks contains camphor.

Method

1. Place the oil in a small container.

2. Add essential oil to desired strength. Start with 5-7 drops and add until the mixture is the strength that you desire.

Inhaled Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint oil acts as an expectorant and decongestant, and may help clear your respiratory tract. Use peppermint essential oil as a cold rub on your chest in olive oil or coconut oil, like the recipe above, or inhale it through a vaporizer to help clear nasal congestion and relieve cough and cold symptoms.

Inhaled essential oil of peppermint helped to rapidly regress tuberculosis inflammation, with researchers suggesting it may help prevent recurrences and exacerbation of the disease.

Extracts from peppermint leaves may inhibit histamine release, which suggests it may help alleviate hay fever symptoms.

Peppermint Shower Fizzies
(This makes around 8, half-dome bath fizzies – you can cut the recipe in half to make less)

You will need:

2 cups Baking soda
1 cup Citric acid
20 Essential oils (for this recipe I used peppermint oil)
2 tablespoons water
4-6 drops food coloring (I used green food coloring for peppermint) * optional
Eye dropper and mixing bottle
Mixing bowl
Foil if you’d like to wrap them

Mix baking soda and citric acid.

Shake together (in a mixing bottle of some kind,) water, food coloring and essential oil or oils if you want to add two mixed together (total should be around 20 drops for this recipe). Add the mixture to dry ingredients very slowly. Add a few drops and stir. Then add a few more drops and stir. I cannot stress this enough. Do not pour, drip a little at a time. Some people use a spray bottle, this works as well. If you add too fast the reaction starts and it will start to fizz and your batch is ruined. If you see a bit of fizzing, immediately cover the fizzing with the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir like crazy as you go. You can also use a mixer like a Kitchen Aid to do the mixing if this is easier, it’s just quite messy. Patience and adding the wet mixture very slowly will get you there. This is where the eye dropper comes in if you feel it is going in too fast – you can add a few drops at a time, stir, add more, stir and so on.

Once your mixture is damp all the way through, not wet, damp, stop adding any of the water mixture. The consistency you are looking for is such that it holds together when you squeeze it together in your fist.

Use your mold to scoop out the mixture. I used a plastic Christmas ornament ball you can find from a craft store or the dollar store. Something like a plastic Easter egg would also work. Pack the mixture into one half of the ball as tightly as you can.

Wait a minute or so and gently release the formed half-ball. You can generally tap it out or squeeze the sides a tiny bit to release it. Release it onto a paper towel or plate to dry, somewhere it can’t get wet. To be safe, let them dry overnight in a dry place where they can’t get damp. Once they are damp the reaction with start.

You don’t need to do this, but I like to keep mine in a jar in the bathroom, wrapped in candy foil. You can find colored foil online at candy supply stores or at Michael’s in the wedding section. They make a great gift as well.

When anyone in our family is sick, I boil a large pot of water on the stove with rosemary, peppermint, thyme, and cinnamon herbs (about 1/2 cup of each) and keep it simmering on low all day. It smells great, is soothing to the ill person and helps cleanse the air.

Peppermint is also good for relaxing nerves and improving circulation.

Insomnia can be a frustrating condition. Just when you think you are finally falling asleep after hours of tossing and turning, your mind joggles you back into restlessness. Peppermint is calming and stress reducing.

Peppermint essential oil is included in most liniments, where it warms by increasing blood flow, relieving muscle spasms and arthritis. Peppermint relieves the itching of ringworm, herpes simplex, scabies, and poison oak.

Bring down a fever without medicine and
without interfering with the body’s ability to fight illness

A few drops of peppermint essential oil add to a teaspoon olive oil, rubbed down the spine and the bottom of the feet.
A mild Peppermint consumed internally or added to a bath can help bring down a fever gently without medicine and without interfering with the body’s ability to fight illness.

Peppermint contains astringent compounds which shrink inflamed tissues. Peppermint has been used to treat indigestion, flatulence, mouth sores, loss of appetite, muscle cramps, nausea, morning sickness and dysmenorrhea.

For Hygiene Care

Peppermint essential oil has been shown to be superior to the mouthwash chemical chlorhexidine in inhibiting the formation of biofilm formations linked to dental cavities. Powdered Peppermint have also been used historically to freshen breath and whiten teeth; you can even add a drop or of peppermint essential oil two directly to your toothpaste.

Try blending Peppermint essential oil into your massage oil, shampoo, bodywash or body lotion. It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that can help cool your skin and remove dandruff (and lice) from your scalp.

Peppermint essential oil is cooling and energizing. Add a few drops to your bath, or dap a few drops directly on your body then get into the tub, for near-instant stress relief. You can also put the oil into a burner for a stress-relieving aroma. Best of all is adding the Shower Fizzies recipe above to your bath! Believe me that was nice after a stressful day! The fizzing of the bath water, and release of the aroma . . . pure bliss.

How clean is your bathroom

There’s the showerhead, which can harbor Mycobacterium avium, a pathogen linked to pulmonary disease. Gerba says that turning on a neglected shower can send millions of germs straight into your lungs.
What to do: Take it from the top: Pour an ample amount of white vinegar into a plastic grocery bag (enough to fully submerge the showerhead nozzle) and tie it in place for an overnight soaking. Remove it in the morning and run the water to rinse. Give plastic shower curtains and liners a spin in the washing machine with your regular detergent, Clean Laundry and a few old towels, which act as scrubbers to help get rid of soap scum and mildew. Rehang to dry. For shower doors, make a paste by adding a few drops of distilled white vinegar to a cup of baking soda; apply it directly to the door (it’s nice and thick, so it will stick). Let sit for an hour, then rub with a microfiber cloth. Rinse and buff dry with a fresh, dry microfiber cloth.

Purifying Tub Scrub Powder

Natural baking soda and essential oils combine to create a simple yet powerful cleansing and disinfecting scrub for your tub.

Ingredients

1 cup baking soda
24 drops tea tree essential oil
24 drops grapefruit essential oil

Directions:Thoroughly mix baking soda and essential oils. Rinse tub, sprinkle on powder, and scrub with brush. Rinse.

Grout

What to do: Dip a grout brush in straight bleach and scrub any discolored areas; rinse well. Be sure to ventilate the room.

Why: Grout is porous and highly susceptible to bacteria growth.

Toilet

What to do: Start by pouring a cup of baking soda into the bowl. Let sit for a few minutes; brush and flush. Still seeing spots? A damp pumice stone is abrasive enough to remove stains caused by mineral deposits and lime scale but gentle enough not to damage surfaces. Then tackle the toilet brush itself, which you should be cleaning after every use. Here’s how: Secure the brush handle between the already-cleaned seat and the basin so that it hovers over the bowl; pour bleach over the bristles. Let stand for a few minutes, then douse with a pitcher of clean water. Next, fill the brush canister with warm, soapy water and let sit; dump the dirty water into the toilet.
Why: Gerba says that a flushing toilet, when viewed in slow motion, resembles a fireworks display. And since germs linger in the bowl even after flushing, bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella can fly into the air and land on the seat, the handle, and other surfaces at any time.

Best practices: Always close the lid when you flush, and use the vent fan (it sucks up bacteria before they can settle). If you’re not already storing toothbrushes and contact lenses inside the medicine cabinet, you may want to start now.

Sink

What to do: Pour white vinegar or baking soda down the drain and flush with hot water. For the faucet, Gerba recommends disposable disinfecting wipes, which significantly reduce bacteria. (In contrast, cloths may just move germs from one spot to another; Gerba has even found bacteria from the toilet bowl living in the kitchen sink.) If you must use cloths, be fastidious about where each one is employed and stored. When the handles are done, floss the faucet (yes, you read that right). The stringy stuff is perfect for tackling that narrow, grimy space where the base of the faucet and the taps meet the sink.

Why: Prepare to shudder: The sink drain wins for highest bathroom bacteria count—topping even the toilet seat. In his research, Gerba has detected as many bacteria down there as you would find on a cutting board used to slice raw meat. And faucet handles? You touch them after using the toilet and before washing your hands. Eww.

Hand Towels

What to do: Use the sanitizing setting if your washing machine has one, add Clean Laundry. Essential Oils are naturally antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial, they naturally energize, deodorize, clean and refresh. Replace with clean towels every three to four days.

Why: They’re shared by many, and they trap moisture—that’s a recipe for bacteria stew.

Best practices: Spread out wet towels on a bar, where air can circulate, rather than hanging them from a hook, where folds form. Don’t forget to clean the towel bar; it too collects bacteria. And avoid hanging wet towels near the toilet. (Remember that slo-mo spray we talked about?)

17 Ways to Benefit From Essential Oils

Supports immune system: The essential oils work on the cellular level to stimulate the body to respond to infectious agents. It impacts the body by increasing the lymphocytes and improves the immune system response. - X-Plague, Healthy Spice, Respiratory Rescue, Respiratory Sinus Relief, Immune, ImmuBoost, ImmuBoost Spice, ImmuBoost Extra.

Provides Antimicrobial elements: Essential oils have been found to be more effective than some conventional antibiotics in eliminating infectious agents. The range of effectiveness includes viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungal. X-Plague, 3 in 1, Clove, Lemon, Pine, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Rosemary.

Eliminates pain: Many essential oils relieve pain and can be used with a warm moist compress. The addition of moisture enhances the oils effectiveness. They are useful for bone ,muscle, tendon, and ligament pain. Use with other modes of pain relief it provides another option. The oils can be used more often than conventional medication and spans the gap. The oils stimulate endorphin release activating pain relieving neurotransmitters. My-Graine, Peppermint, No Mo Pain, Wintergreen, Black pepper, Balsam Fir.

Anti-inflammatory: Chronic disease is the result of inflammation in the body originating from injury, diet, infection, or toxins. Anti-inflammatory effects of the oils provide the body a chance to heal from these insults. Pain - Anti-inflammatory, Thyme, Helichrysum, Wintergreen, Peppermint, Balsam Fir.

Reduces Stress: Whether improving mood or overall health, a winning strategy begins with stress reduction. And for the physical body that interprets stress as pain, these essential oils know just where it hurts. Tranquility, Birth, Valerian, Petitgrain, Lavender, Frankincense, Rose, Roman Chamomile.

Loss of sleep habits: Essential oils can provide an alternative to sleep aids, so quality sleep can be maintained for a good nights sleep. Lavender, Vetiver, Nite Cap w/ Valerian, B-Power, Alert.

Improves Skin: As with other cells of the body, the antioxidant effects of the oils can restore health to the skin. The oils provide a healthy environment for regeneration of the skin. The overgrowth of yeast or bacteria, or various skin metabolism issues. All of these benefit with the essential oils. Lavender, Geranium, Tea Tree, Patchouli, Frankincense, Myrrh.

Upper and Lower Respiratory infection: The use of essential oils in this circumstance is effective since bacteria, viruses, and parasites are sensitive. The anti-inflammatory effect is helpful in Decreasing inflammation and infection in the respiratory tract as soon as possible decreases the severity. The oils are helpful in an early treatment resolution. Lemon, Eucalyptus, Respiratory Rescue, Respiratory Sinus Relief, Rosemary, Frankincense.

Digestive issues: the oils improves digestion overall. They relieve nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, and gas. Peppermint, Digestion, Ginger, Nutmeg, Tansy, Clary sage.

Cardiac health: Essential oils have the ability to improve circulation by increasing oxygen and nutrient delivery to the cells. The body is healthy and stronger. Cypress, Grapefruit, Basil, Ylang ylang, Spikenard.

Endocrine system: the body needs to be aligned in order to function. The oils keep the body centered to prevent hormonal imbalance and fine tune imbalance. Clary sage, Fennel, Myrrh, Lemongrass.

Supports a healthy urinary system: Essential oils are helpful in restoring bladder health, increasing renal function through improved circulation and antioxidant activity. Tea Tree, Orange, Lemon, Rosemary.

Support for muscles and bones: Osteoarthritis and to help give quality of life, the essential oils can be used. There are many blends and individual oils that improve movement, help repair injury, and provide pain relief. No Mo Pain, Black Pepper, Peppermint, Balsam Fir, Wintergreen, Chiro Blend, Achy Muscle and Inflamed Tissue Rub, Carpel Tunnel.

Oral and dental care: X-Plague, a blend of antimicrobial oils, is very effective for this purpose. As a preventative , it will decrease dental disease return, and after extraction, it is an excellent pain reliever. X-Plague, Myrrh, Clove, Peppermint

Increases alertness: The oils have profound effect on Brain Power. B-Power, Alert, Cedarwood, Lemon, Sandalwood, Lavender , Vetiver, Orange, Frankincense.

Protects against cancer: Essential oils have been studied and have shown promising results in being a part of the cancer treatment plan. Frankincense, Spikenard, Citrus Blend, Lemongrass, Lavender, Clary sage.

Stops bleeding: Essential oils can be used to stop bleeding. They are very effective and work quickly. Helichrysum, Cistus, Geranium.

Remedies
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