Dirt and Essential Oils-My Side of the Story

To many farmers and their wives, there is nothing better than the smell of freshly turned dirt. In a few short weeks the air in our part of the world is going to be filled with it!

That fresh, loamy smell signifies a fresh start, new beginnings and good things to come. We anticipate the new farming season and even though we know it means hours and hours of work, our guys will be rearing to get at it. It’s what they love and the earthy smell puts a smile on all our faces….it’s an all-natural mood lifter!

Smells have a huge effect on us, don’t they? And we personally have our own unique fragrance. Gulp.

The “Smeller” Tells the Story….

If I close my eyes and imagine, I can smell my grandmothers’ houses right now. Grandma Marrs’s was seeped in the aroma of her yummy chocolate chip cookies and fried chicken, and Grandma Spencer’s had a mix of Stanley Home Products, her big kitchen stove, and “busy”. I feel warm and fuzzy and loved just thinking about them. (I sure hope our granddaughters feel the same way about our home.)

Consequently, I think our sense of smell is such a gift of God! And I’ve been using mine in new ways with the addition of Essential Oils into our lives.

Oily Sisterhood….

Are you part of the Oily Sisterhood, yet? I’ve gone from being a skeptic, to interested, to full-on believer over the course of the last couple of years. You, too,  may have friends talking about fractionated coconut oil, and lavender, and roller bottles and diffusers. If you have never tried them, you may be curious and wondering what all the hype is about.

Essential Oils are very popular right now and seem to be transitioning from the fringe of the crunchy momma crowd to mainstream. I have to admit when I first heard about them, I thought, “Sure, they work.”

Eye roll. Snicker.

“Not.”

Curiosity and the opinions of people I love and admire won out though and I gave some Essential Oils a try, and that is all it took. I LOVE THEM!

After doing some research, I decided to purchase from Young Living because they own their own farms and produce the oils from Seed to Seal. As a farm wife myself, I believe that the farmer makes all the difference, and Gary Young is at heart a farmer.

I also wanted to be able to learn from Edie Wadsworth, one of my favorite bloggers. When I first started following her blog Life in Grace, I thought she was just a good cook and home decorator and deep thinker. Then I discovered she was also a medical doctor who left her practice to home-school her girls and has done all the research and understands the chemistry behind why essential oils work.

She is a smart cookie and I trust her opinions.

Although I don’t always eat like it, I really do believe that food is fuel and that God created in our food exactly what we need to keep our bodies healthy and operating as they should. We do live in a fallen world that includes disease and illness, so wouldn’t it be just like our Good Father to also give us natural ways to deal with health issues?

If using an essential oil can keep me from having to take a prescription or over-the-counter medication, I say bring it on! And they have.

Here is a little Essential Oil Science lesson for you….

Essential Oils are volatile substances derived from plants, containing the natural smell and characteristics of the plant. They are extracted primarily through steam distillation. These potent, volatile (will evaporate), and versatile oils are often called the “life blood” of the plant. They have protective properties which are the plants natural defense mechanism.

Smart people are busy studying and researching them and have discovered they are…..

• analgesic
• anti-inflammatory
• anti-oxidant
• anti-bacterial
• anti-fungal
• anti other stuff I don’t know anything about

Bonus: They smell yummy and are completely God-made!

At first, I bought a few single oils and realized that was not the most economical way to do it. Buying these babies can get expensive, so I took the plunge and purchased the Premium Starter Kit, which I felt was a good deal. This kit comes with a great diffuser and a bunch of oils. The oils aren’t sample size either; they are 5 ml bottles and last a good long time. It is a great way to get acquainted with a variety of essential oils.

One thing I have noticed, if I don’t use them, they don’t work.

Wink.

Some of my Favorite Resources…..

Here are a couple of my favorite resources for education about aromatherapy and oils…

Pubmed is a great resource to read research abstracts and Aromatic Wisdom Institute podcasts are interesting and understandable, and Liz has been in the aromatherapy business for years.  On my Oily Sisterhood page is a link to an E course by Dr. Edie, which is fantastic.

Please tell me about your favorite essential oils and how you use them. And if you are interested in learning more about my Essential Oil story, reply in the comment section or send me a message. I’d love to share more with you!