8 Uplifting Essential Oil Blends for Wintertime
Inside: Outside it’s dark and dreary, but inside it’s light and cheery–with these 8 uplifting essential oil blends for wintertime! Try them and see if they give your mood a lift!
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My Introduction to Essential Oils
I’ve always been partial to scented things, so learning about and using essential oils was a natural fit. I didn’t get serious about them until two years ago after receiving a diffuser and sample oils for Christmas. Since then I’ve researched various oils for various symptoms, learned about the unique relationship with oils and cats (not what you might have heard), and enjoyed the mood-elevating properties of specific oil blends.
Winter is the perfect time to diffuse essential oils. With the house shut tight against the cold and the furnace running so much of the time, I like to keep my diffuser going. This particular season, as I’ve been warding off a head cold, I’ve been diffusing a blend with lemon and eucalyptus oils and breathing so much better! When I’m feeling tired, I mix peppermint and rosemary oils to energize me. Scents like sweet orange boost my mood and brighten my day.
Have I piqued your curiosity? Or maybe you’re already an EO enthusiast and would like to try something new. Whatever the case, here are my current favorite essential oil blends for winter. Just a reminder, consult the directions for your diffuser as to how much water to add and use either filtered or distilled water.
Fresh air, breathe well
I have diffused this so many times in the past! It smells wonderful and really helps with minor congestion.
- 4 drops lemon oil
- 4 drops geranium oil
- 2 drops eucalyptus oil
- 2 drops rosemary oil
Simple fresh air
This is an abbreviated version of the previous blend. It works just as well, in that the lemon and eucalyptus are the workhorses of the above blend–lemon oil cleans the air and eucalyptus oil is good for breathing.
- 4 drops lemon oil
- 2 drops eucalyptus oil
Fresh air, breath well, sleep well
Another riff off of the original. This time I’m swapping out the rosemary for the lavender to promote good sleep.
- 4 drops lemon oil
- 4 drops geranium oil
- 2 drops eucalyptus oil
- 2 drops lavender oil
Sweet dreams
This is so nice to diffuse at bedtime with the sweet orange and lavender scents mingled together. Really nice!
- 3 drops sweet orange oil
- 3 drops lavender oil
Energy
I often do this earthy blend in the summer as well, particularly when insects are trying to get into the house. Energy for me, unpleasant odor for the bugs! Still a winter favorite, though.
- 3 drops peppermint oil
- 3 drops rosemary oil
Sweet Energy
One of my new faves! I love the cool, sweet combo of these oils together. In a word–refreshing!
- 3 drops sweet orange oil
- 3 drops peppermint oil
Lemon boost
For lemonade fans. Lemon always makes me think “clean,” and the peppermint adds a hint of coolness to the blend.
- 3 drops lemon oil
- 2 drops peppermint oil
Winter Joy
I diffused this a lot around Christmas, but I’m still using it. Frankincense has that ancient, healing quality. Add in the sweet factor and the peppermint cool, and it’s a wonderful, uplifting blend to diffuse even after Christmas!
- 3 drops frankincense oil
- 3 drops sweet orange oil
- 2 drops peppermint oil
These winter blends are just a sampling of my favorites. While I’ve highlighted the aromatic qualities more than the healing properties, do your research to find out more about what essential oils can do for you from a health perspective. Experiment and find your favorite scents. A good blend can go a long way in elevating your mood, something many of us need to be mindful of during the sometimes seemingly long months of winter!
Do you have a favorite essential oil blend for wintertime? Tell us about it in the comments.
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Lemon Wellness Tea for Sick Days
Inside: Even the healthiest among us succumbs to the occasional sick day. Tissues, a warm throw, and this lemon wellness tea for sick days are the perfect companions to help you on your way back to feeling better.
January has been a month of head colds and coughs around my house. Seems like we went from exciting goals for the new year to the goal of not using so many cough drops and tissues! But we’re regaining our health. As for this month, well, slow starts are better than no starts!
But back to the tea. . .
My friend Candace gave me this recipe years ago, and I’ve made it whenever I feel like I’m coming down with something. Or, when I didn’t get ahead of the sniffles, I’ve brewed the lemon tea. It’s packed with some of nature’s best cold-fighting, germ-killing ingredients. But instead of me rambling on about it, let’s get right to the recipe:
Lemon Wellness Tea for Sick Days
- Three whole lemons, sliced
- 5 cups of water
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- honey or real maple syrup to taste
Slice lemons and put into a pot filled with the water. Start to bring it to a boil, though you want to keep it at a simmer. Add smashed garlic cloves, grated ginger (can add powdered ginger in a pinch, but use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon instead), and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey or maple syrup to taste.
Note: Ginger root keeps well in the freezer, and you can keep it for other recipes, so if you can, buy fresh.
Honey is soothing for your throat and a natural cough suppressant, so you might want to use that for its added benefits rather than the syrup. Because the tea is quite sour from the lemons, I ended up using a combination of sweetener and honey–otherwise I probably would have wanted to use more honey than I really need, carb-wise.
The cayenne does make this a bit hot, so use with caution if you have trouble with spicy food. While the tea is better with the cayenne, this tea would still have some wonderful cold-fighting properties without it.
Do you have a favorite home remedy for sick days? Share it with us in the comments!
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The 5 W’s for Thriving in Winter
Inside: Winter can be long and hard–or it can be welcoming. Surviving and thriving in winter is possible. Read on for my five tips to make the most of the season.
The Woes of Winter
Winter. Not exactly the most popular of seasons. My dad didn’t like winter. Working on a dairy farm in the cold all those years can do that to a person. I know because I worked alongside him for a couple of decades to see for myself.
I’ve faced my own battles, too, in the past. Feeling down or even full-blown depression a couple of times in the month of January have resulted in some hard winters in my lifetime, and though life is better these days, I’m still learning how to manage winter and all the pitfalls this time of year can bring.
But I am learning. Here is what has been helping me survive–and dare I say thrive?–this season.
The Five W’s of Winter
Warmth. Bundling up. Dressing in layers, even if I’m taking out the trash. Wearing gloves. In the past I’ve been known to not properly prepare for the cold with my clothing choices, which left me shivering and crabby..This year I’m taking better care of me.
Writing. Not only a creative outlet but a way to express myself. Vital. Neglecting the habit of writing isn’t good for me. Sharing my thoughts with you, kind readers, has blessed me tremendously! Thank you for showing up and reading!
“Weeklies.” What I mean by that is keeping my weekly appointments. Church, critique group, running errands. Coffee at Roasted Bean. Hibernation is for bears, not humans. I know my tendencies, and burrowing in can be one of them, particularly when the weather is bleak. Sharing, talking, connecting–these are good for me. Still learning in this area, too. Aren’t we all?
Wellness. That means getting enough sleep (but not too much), eating right, exercising, taking vitamins, and diffusing essential oils. Getting outside at least once a day is a goal. A good way to make that happen is by having something you have to do outside. Walk the dog. Take out the trash. Feed the birds. Give yourself a reason to go outdoors and breathe in plenty of fresh air while you’re out there.
Wonder. A fresh fallen snow. The thick fur coat on a horse in winter. Icicles–nature’s ice sculptures. The bluish glow as night descends on a blanket of white. A tiny snowflake. Find the beauty in the ordinary. Not always easy, but it’s a skill well worth cultivating. And it does take cultivating.
Embrace the remaining days of January and welcome February with both arms. Live well!
What are your thoughts on winter? Tell us about it in the comments.
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When Your New Year Takes an Unexpected Turn
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Rain Rain Stay, Suburban Farm Supply, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
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When Your New Year Takes an Unexpected Turn
Inside: What do you do when your new year takes an unexpected turn, wrecking your plans?
Note: While this article was first posted two years ago after my dad passed away, I’ve run it every year since because it has resonated with so many readers. Originally titled “When Your New Year Didn’t Go as Planned,” I post it here again in the hopes of helping those who have started the year off in a hard place and struggle to find the way forward. If you know of anyone going through a difficult time, please pass the link along.
-Amy
I had high hopes for 2017. By December I had gotten my word for the next year—“accelerate,” and I was excited. I took a class in goal setting, watched videos, filled out worksheets, and listened to podcasts. I carefully penned my actionable steps in my brand spanking new calendar. And I dreamed.
Then my dad passed away.
Barely into the second week of January, I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. Priorities changed overnight. Suddenly all of those goals didn’t amount to a hill of beans. I was knee-deep in the Kubler-Ross school of hard knocks, working on my five stages of grief.
Maybe your new year didn’t go as planned, either. Maybe you lost your job or received a bad report from the doctor or recently signed divorce papers. Maybe someone you love passed away.
So now what?
Here are my five observations from the trenches:
Give yourself time to process. Whether the death of a loved one or a diagnosis of cancer, take the time to grieve the tragedy. Stuffing feelings only delays forward movement because sometime, somewhere, those feelings will surface—maybe at the wrong time. Better to take a long walk on a deserted park trail to cry rather than breaking down at the office.
Allow for changes to your schedule. This will look different for every person. Maybe you need to cut back on your busyness, drop the weekly book club meeting. On the other hand, adding in some time at the gym might be a good stress reliever. However it looks to you, respect the change in priorities. For the rest of January, I cut all of the nonessentials from my work and personal schedule. I also swapped my every three weeks grocery shopping marathon with elaborate meal plan system for a less intensive weekly shopping trip and winging the food thing. Mondays Mom and I have been spending leisurely afternoons at the Roasted Bean, sipping coffee and making sense of our lives without Dad. It’s been healing.
Take care of yourself. Dress warmly. Take your vitamins. Journal. Watch a funny movie. Read a mystery. Eat healthy, but give yourself grace for a chocolate bar, if that fits your lifestyle. January visits to The Bean included custard-filled donuts for Mom and me. Giving yourself that extra TLC is imperative.
Reach out to others. Again, this will differ depending on the individual. Maybe you are an extrovert and joining a support group makes sense. Or maybe a standing dinner date with a friend is more your speed. For me, a confirmed introvert, spending time with Mom, texting my brothers, and emailing my daughter are avenues of communication that work well.
Plan a New Year reset. So you’ve been through some pretty traumatic events, but slowly you’re starting to feel like it’s time to return to some semblance of normal. Life is calling you back. Maybe you want to tackle some of those goals you were once so excited about. It’s time for a New Year reset. This could be the first day of spring or maybe your birthday or some other milestone. Maybe you need six months to process what happened. After some prayerful consideration, I knew that February 1 would be my reset.
Regardless of your timetable, the way forward begins with you.
Related posts:
Finding my Pace: Slowing Down to Enjoy Life
Starting the Long and Sentimental Project
Posts from a Year Ago:
Rain Rain Stay, Suburban Farm Supply, and Other News Fresh From the Farm