Wake Me Up Body Wash

Looking to make a nice natural body wash that not only smells divine & leaves your skin soft but also gives you a little energy boost? Try out this blend I've created:

WAKE ME UP BODY WASH:

• 1/2 Cup Lavender Castile Soap 
• 1 tsp Vegetable Glycerin 
• 12 drops Wild Orange Essential Oil
• 12 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• Distilled / Purified Water
• Foaming pump (I've been reusing an old Method pump)

I added the first four ingredients to the foaming pump bottle and slowly added in the water, making sure to leave enough room for the pump to fit in. Give the blend a good swirl and take this body wash into the shower with you for a great pick me up!

As always get your Spark Naturals essential oils with an extra 10% your order, 

Just use code: Nature at checkout

Dental Rub Testimony

I have been no stranger to dental visits this year. In the time span of a little over a month I found out I had to get 3 old fillings replaced and on top of that I managed to break a filling, taking half of my tooth with it. After that emergency visit, I found out I needed to get my first crown. Now I like to think I have a pretty high pain tolerance but there is just something about mouth (and throat) pain that I just can not bear.
After my first appointment to get my crown fitting and a temporary cap put on I left the office in little pain, drooling from the anesthetic, but little pain. I remember the dental assistant saying it's going to feel like your out in the snow without a coat. I just smiled and nodded not really understanding what she meant. After the lidocaine wore off I wanted to cry I was in so much pain. The whole right side of my face was throbbing and I could feel my tooth pulsating. I was using ice packs and took a pain pill to try to manage my pain, unfortunately it barely helped. I looked over at my box of essential oils and thought something here has to help with this pain. Getting my laptop out I searched for dental pain blends when I came across a magical healing rub created by Patti over at Patti's Place.

The essential oil blend she came up with is as follows:

• One teaspoon of a carrier oil such as Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO), Grapeseed Oil or Olive Oil.
• 10 drops Melaleuca Essential Oil - to kill bacteria
• 6 drops Myrrh Essential Oil - to heal
• 3 drops Clove Oil - to numb
• 1 drop Peppermint Essential Oil - to soothe

I stored this blend in one of my empty 5ml peppermint bottles. (If you don't have an empty bottle you can purchase one here: http://www.sparknaturals.com/shop/5ml-bottle/?affiliates=45 
I applied this blend several times to my tooth and surrounding gums. This rub was the only thing that helped me sleep that night. The next morning I was still in pain but it was much more tolerable. I still applied the rub every couple hours to keep the pain at bay. I can't thank Patti enough for sharing her dental rub blend!! I hope this testimony can help anyone else out who may be dealing with with tooth/gum pain.

All the essential oils, the FCO or Grapeseed oil found in this blend are available through Spark Naturals and receive an extra 10% off your order with code: Nature

Original posting on the dental rub: FOUND HERE

Simple Disinfecting/All Purpose Cleaning Spray

Did you know you can use non toxic ingredients to clean & disinfect your surfaces?

The following blend has the ability to sanitize, kill bacteria, it is anti-septic, anti-fungal, and anti-viral.

All Purpose & Disinfecting Spray:
1/2 cup distilled Water
3 cups Vinegar
8 drops Melaleuca
8 drops Lemon

I got a cheap dollar store spray bottle, kept the sprayer and recycled the bottle, then used an old glass brandy bottle to put my mix in. The sprayer fit the brandy bottle perfectly. It is a little heavier but I love the way it looks. Just spray surface and wipe away.

(I prefer to use less water to vinegar than other blends. I find it is less streaky this way.)

**This blend is not recommended for natural stone surfaces.**

Get your high quality essential oils @ SPARK Naturals and save 10% off your total order with coupon code: Nature

2 Ingredient DIY Carpet Fresh

Artificial fragrances are no good for our bodies or the environment so here's one more thing you can eliminate from your chemical filled cleaning supplies by easily creating yourself: Carpet Fresh. 

All you need to deodorize & freshen your carpet are two natural ingredients:

* Baking Soda

* Essential Oil of your choice

STEP 1: Add 1 1/2 Cups of baking soda into a food processor or blender, then drop in your essential oils. For this batch I used Lavender. You can use whichever oils you'd like or even make a blend. I found 20 drops was a good amount, you can adjust to your liking.

STEP 2: Put the lid on and pulsate the baking soda & essential oils to thoroughly blend and break up the mix into a fine powder.

STEP 3: Pour your mix into your container of choice. I found a 1 pint mason jar worked perfectly for this. I easily made holes in the top with a small nail and a hammer.

STEP 4: Sprinkle on carpet and wait about an hour for the mixture to work its magic.

STEP 5: Vacuum!

I always prefer to use Spark Naturals Essential oils for their high quality and purity. If you would like to give them a try, get an extra 10% off your entire order with code: Nature

Natural Leather Cleaning & Conditioning

I own a leather couch and chair. I love the look, feel, and comfort of leather but leather needs to be treated to prevent splits and cracks. Commercial wipes and cleaner can get expensive, so why not use an all natural blend you can easily make at home!

Leather Cleaning & Conditioning Blend:
- 4 Cups warm water
- 1 TBS Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Castile Soap (Lavender Castile would be another great choice)
- 1/2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 6 drops Lemon Essential Oil

Mix all the ingredients in a small bucket or bowl and use an old rag(s) to buff your furniture. Wipe off excess water, allow to dry and enjoy the clean smell and look to your leather. 

Here is a picture of two of my couch cushions side by side. You can notice a huge difference after the cleaning:

I recommend using this blend atleast once a month. My furniture was handed down to us by my grandma & since we have owned it 8 years. Before I created this blend my furniture was in a rough state and having 4 cats who love to scratch and run across it didn't help at all. Since cleaning / conditioning regularly I have noticed an improvement and it has helped keep this furniture going. Here's to a few more good years!! =)

DIY Soft Scrub for cleaning

I have read and tried several versions of DIY soft scrubs, mainly found on Pinterest. Some worked ok, some cleaned well but I didn't like the texture, some just used too many ingredients, and some mixed ingredients that I later found out shouldn't have been mixed (ex: castile soap & vinegar). So I decided to come up with my own SIMPLE mixture that cleans very well and is also antibacterial!!

SOFT SCRUB BLEND:
* Glass Mason Jar (I love my little half pint wide mouth jars)
* 3/4 Cup Baking Soda
* 1/4 Cup Dr. Bronner's Citrus Orange Castile Soap
* 1.5 Tablespoons Water
* 10 drops Melaleuca essential oil
* 5 drops Peppermint essential oil (optional but I love the smell)

I have used this soft scrub for cleaning my bath tub, toilet, bathroom sink, stainless steel kitchen sink, it even surprisingly cleans spaghetti stains from plastic tupperware!!

Some before & after pics:

Get your PURE essential oils from Spark Naturals & get an extra 10% off your order with coupon code: Nature

Lemony Fresh Dish Soap

I think I am one of the few who do not own a dishwasher, so needless to say I use my good ole hands for cleaning my dishes. I prefer to use Castile soap because is it biodegradable and non-toxic, making it a great alternative for you and the environment! This type of soap doesn't suds up like typical soap since it doesn't contain any foaming agents AKA sulfates but don't let this fool you, my dishes are just as clean, if not cleaner than when I used dawn.

Now trying to clean without the suds can make you think you need to use more soap. A solution I've found is to use a foaming pump bottle. I actually took this a step further to make my bottle look a bit prettier. I used a 1/2 pint glass mason jar instead of the plastic bottle and cut a hole in the lid just big enough to fit my pump in, you may need to trim the straw portion of the pump to fit. Then use some hot glue on the underside of the lid to secure the pump. Of course wait for this to dry before making the dish soap recipe. ;)

DISH SOAP RECIPE:
- Dr. Bronner's Citrus Orange Castile Soap
- 7 drops Melaleuca Essential Oil (added for antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, & disinfecting properties)
- 9 drops Lemon Essential Oil (added for antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic & disinfecting properties)
- distilled or purified water

Fill the jar/bottle up 1/2 way with the Castile soap, add in the essential oils, then fill the rest of the way with the water, making sure to leave enough room for the pump. Give the bottle a good swirl to blend all the ingredients.  Now your ready to wash away!

Get your essential oils @ Spark Naturals and use coupon code: Nature to receive an extra 10% off!