Posted on September 3, 2018January 15, 2019 by Krystal Smith — 1 Comment

Using Essential Oils Around the House

Essential oils are an incredible resource for health and well being. They can be used in more ways than your than your pretty little brain probably realizes. I get it, the word essential oil sounds kinda hooky. Every time someone asks me a health question or a suggestion, the word essential oil comes out of my mouth and I see them slightly roll their eyes. But seriously people, I wouldn’t be yapping about it if I did not freaking believe in them.

So……

I wanted to yap about some ways you can use essential oils around your house.

Y’all ready?!

Dog shampoo: If you haven’t read about our previous devil pup, by all means mosey on over here to read about her and this awesome dog shampoo I made.

Glass cleaner: In a glass bottle, fill half with distilled water and half white vinegar. Add 20-30 drops of lemon essential oil. Lemon will not only clean your glass it will help neutralize the smell of the vinegar. As well as, provide an invigorating and uplifting smell. And who doesn’t need that while cleaning!

Floor cleaner: I use this bad boy and let me tell ya, it is fan-freaking-tastic. Once I am done mopping the floors I just throw the mop part in the wash and BAM, no mop mess to deal with afterward. Since it has a water reservoir, I like to fill it with half water and half white vinegar. Then I add 10 drops of Onguard, 10 drops lemongrass and 10 drops tangerine and 10 drops of grapefruit. The combination smells heavenly and Onguard helps protect against seasonal threats.

Mouth wash: After brushing and flossing I like to fill my mouth up with water and I add 1 drop peppermint, 1 drop frankincense and 1 drop of myrrh. Peppermint freshens your breath while frankincense and myrrh provide support with oral health issues such as tooth decay, cavities and oral infections.

Diffuse: Sounds kind of obvious but hey I gotta say it. Diffusing oils can do so much for your mental state, as well as, your overall well being. My favorite mood lifter is tangerine, grapefruit, wild orange and lemongrass. Add 2-4 drops of each oil for an instant mood lift. My favorite for calming is siberian fir, balance, lavender and geranium. Holy moly, does this smell heavenly. Again just add a few drops of each oil.

Face oil: You’ll want to find an oil of preference for your face. For me argon and jojoba oil are two perfect oils that blend beautifully together to give me exactly what my face needs. In a 1 oz dropper bottle fill a 1/4 of the way with argon oil. Then add 4-6 drops frankincense, 2-4 drops lavender and 2-4 drops geranium. Fill the rest with jojoba oil, shake and gently rub in to face.

***I use the oil cleansing method for my face. I just massage oil onto my face after a shower, then I put a hot wash cloth over it for a minute, then I gently wipe off my face. Feel free to change up your oils.

Deodorant: There are so many deodorant recipes out there. I wanted one that I could rub on just like a normal deodorant. This one works fantastic. However, you do have to be mindful of black shirts. It will leave a white residue. In a bowl combine arrowroot powder, baking soda and just enough coconut oil to allow the powders to stick together. I have a full post here if you want to read it in detail. You can add any oil that tickles your fancy but I like to use lavender and tea tree.

Wood polish: Holy moly, I am in love with this wood polish. It smells absolutely heavenly and it works fantastic. In a glass bottle combine equal parts olive oil and white vinegar. Then add 5-10 drops of arborvitae, wild orange, tangerine and lemon. Shake that bad boy up and spray your toots off.

Linen spray or air freshener: This is a fantastic way to finish off your day of cleaning. I especially like to spray this when I change the beds. It just feels like it seals the deal. In a glass bottle you are going to mix 1 cup of water, 3 tbs of rubbing alcohol and 30-40 drops of lavender, geranium or any other essential oils that just puts your soul at ease.

***If y’all don’t want to make this but still want it apart of your life, mosey on over here and y’all can purchase it!

Alright y’all, I hope you found some sort of inspiration from this post. Essential oils can be utilized in every part of your life. This post was just how to use them around the house, I haven’t even tapped into how you can use them to reach optimal health. I know, I know, I’ll get a post out on it soon.

Happy essential oiling y’all!

This post contains affiliate links. That means that when you purchase a product through the link I provide, Oh Sure I Can gets a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Krystal Smith — 1 Comment

All Natural Cleaner? Yes Please!

Alright y’all, it’s time to dump just one of your “favorite” chemical cleaners and give this bad boy a try. This whole living a clean non-toxic life, can get super overwhelming. We have learned that you have to take it slow. Just add one thing here and there to contribute to the clean and all natural life you are after. This little gem here is going to replace that disinfectant spray you use to clean your kitchen counter tops, bathroom sink, toilets, even your mirrors and windows.

Here is what you do.

Get yourself a glass jar with a lid and fill it with lemon rinds. We put lemon in our water everyday so instead of dumping the lemon down the drain, I just throw it in the glass jar I have sitting by the sink. ~~Now add white vinegar to the top~~. Scratch that, add vinegar as you go. If you add it to the top when you have one little baby rind in the jar, you are not going to be able to put anymore lemons in without it spilling out. Now, allow this to sit on a sunny window for about 1-2 weeks. Allow the sun to warm up those lemons, so that they release their beautiful benefits into the vinegar.

Once it is done steeping. Strain out the lemons into a bowl. You may get some pulp left over in the liquid. That’s cool, just use a jelly bag strainer or cheese cloth to strain out the pulp.

Pour this liquid gold back into the jar and BAM you’ve got yourself a powerful disinfectant spray.

Now, add to a glass spray bottle and spray away my friend. You can use straight or you can cut it with water, 1:1 ratio. Vinegar is a very strong smell and can get a little overwhelming when you first start using it as a cleaner. But the lemon adds a beautiful clean fresh smell.

That is it yo! Take baby steps. Don’t get overwhelmed. You cannot change your whole life over night. Pick one thing at a time and find a way to replace it with a non-toxic solution. Get comfortable with that solution, make it apart of your daily life. Then move on to the next. This is journey is not a quick one, it takes time, patience and a ton of trial and error.

Share your thoughts.

Happy safe cleaning!

This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you click on a link provided and purchase through that link, we receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping support Oh, Sure I Can Homestead.

Posted on May 16, 2018May 16, 2018 by Krystal Smith — 1 Comment

From The Tree of Life

Mother nature is an incredible mother. She heals with love, she sends energy out to guide you, she even gives you all you need in order to thrive in this life. This one life we get to live.

But we get distracted.

We forget that she is here for us. We forget that we are her top priority and our health and well being is the main goal in this whole damn thing. So let’s stop for a freaking second here people and take a deep breath. Do it with me now….

Inhale…………..

Now exhale…….Ahhhhhhh

See, now don’t you feel just a tad bit more centered. Now that you are in the right mindset, let’s talk about the essential oil called Arborvitae. It comes from the tree of life. I mean hello!!! The tree of life, why wouldn’t you want this oil to be apart of your daily routine. And meditation.

Arborvitae is a powerful cleansing and purifying oil. When used for meditation it has been said that is rejuvenates your soul and spirit and cleanses the bad energy away. And let me tell you, you feel that the moment you apply it. It has this woody, warm earthy aroma that just brings peace to your soul and connects you to earth.

This specific Arborvitae oil is harvested from the Thuja plicata tree that is native to North America. While it comes from a tree, the sourcing method used for this oil is still respectful to mother nature. It is distilled from residual wood materials to ensure that no tree is unnecessarily harvested for production.

It has specific chemical compounds that make it a wonderful insect repellant. As well as, an incredible preserving agent for wood.

How the heck do you use this amazing oil?

Add a few drops to wrist, ankles and behind the neck for a fantastic insect repellant.
Use during meditation to bring peace to your soul.
Make a wood polish. (Surprise, recipe will be included below. Can I get a heck yes!)
Add to diffuser for overall calming relief, and to keep insects away.
Apply to bottoms of feet and/or spine with a carrier oil to help with bacterial support.
Apply to chest with carrier oil to provide possible respiratory issues relief
Diffuse or apply to temples and back of neck for grounding effect.
Add 10-20 drops in glass spray bottle with water to use as a protecting solution on surface areas or hands.

Are you super excited yet about this beautiful oil?

I know I am, in fact, I have some on as I share this with you!

If you are wondering where in the world do you buy this oil, well it just so happens I have a fancy little link. If you have more in-depth questions about buying the oil or about the oil itself please feel free to reach out to me. I would love to share more!

And now as promised here is your all natural wood polish:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of vinegar

10 drops Arborvitae (pairs wonderfully with lemon and/or wild orange)

Directions:

Add olive oil and vinegar to glass spray bottle.
Add your 10 drops of Arborvitae essential oil.
Shake your booty while holding the spray bottle!
Apply to microfiber cloth and wipe wood surfacing clean.

Repeat every 2-3 months or as often as needed.

Damn, now how easy was that, and you have a fantastic all natural wood polisher that is not only safe to breathe in but will calm your ass while you’re cleaning.

Score and score!

Happy Tree of Life People!

Buy your essential oils here

Don’t be scared to reach out y’all. I would love to share any and all information around oils and why I choose doTERRA to help heal me and my family.

Posted on May 5, 2018May 2, 2018 by Krystal Smith — 2 Comments

The Real Flu Shot

Mother nature gave us these amazing resources to stay healthy. But some how along the way we got side tracked by shiny things. There is a reason why food has so much power. It is made to heal our bodies. Food is what we are meant to metabolize. We are so quick to pop a pill to help head tension or the feeling of a flu or cold coming on. But really, we need to put food, whole food, in our body to give it what it needs to heal itself. Let’s back away from the pills, cold medicines, cough syrups, and nyquil and trust that mother nature gave us all we need to fight off any harmful bugs that enter our body. Ready to fight this flu naturally?

Let’s do this.

This is our version of the flu shot. It actually has multiple parts to it so keep on a reading. It has some power behind it that will knock out what ever is a brewing inside you within a couple days. If caught early, you can even knock it out before it settles in.

Let’s talk a little it about why these ingredients are so important to help your body fight a cold, flu or infection.

Lemon: Is known for its antibacterial properties. It can help protect against throat infections. It can provide relief from fever by increasing perspiration. It can relieve congestion. Lemon is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin B6, riboflavin, folate, zinc and iron, to name a few.

Ginger: Is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It can help lower chances of bacterial infection. The spice of ginger will help relieve congestion. It also helps provide a healthy digestion.

Garlic: Is mother natures antibiotic. It provides the body with the strength to fight against infections. It helps increase a healthy immune function. Garlic is a powerful microbial and anti-inflammatory.

Cayenne: Is a high antioxidant that helps provide support for the immune system. It will also help loosen mucus within the nasal cavity and chest.

Honey: Is a well known antibacterial and antimicrobial. It provides the body with soothing relief of sore throats, coughs and congestion.

*** It is best to use all organic ingredients. When choosing a honey, choose one that is raw and unfiltered. This means that it is in it’s purest form, with more health benefits.

Directions:

In a glass you are going to add half a juiced lemon, 1 TBS honey, 1-2 cloves minced garlic, 1-2 TBS grated ginger, a dash or two, depending on how brave you are, of cayenne. Add about 4 oz of water.

Now chug like a gansta.

***Do this about 2-3 times a day when you feel something coming on. If it has already hit, still do it yo! It will decrease the duration of the cold or flu.

Everyone has their variations, it is best to try all and find your groove. You can also add apple cider vinegar to this to kick it up one more notch. Apple cider vinegar has incredible properties to it, that will give your body the strength to fight off anything.

Second part to our flu shot….

We also like to take 2-4 doses of oil of oregano or oregano essential oil, when we feel something coming on. I will put a drop of oregano essential oil in a veggie capsule and take it 2-4 times a day. If I am doing oil of oregano, I will do about 8 drops under the tongue 2-4 times a day.

What is the difference?

Oil of oregano is dried or fresh herb steeped in a high quality oil such as olive oil that is cold pressed and organic.

Oregano essential oil is oil derived from the plant through distillation.

*** Remember if taking an essential oil internally, please do your homework and find a high quality oil from a company that can provide you with certainty that it is in fact pure essential oil. Please contact me if you would like to hear more about essential oils.

Third part to our flu shot…

Elderberry Syrup! This berry has incredible properties to it that helps keep your body happy and healthy. If you haven’t heard of elderberry check out this post. and if you want to make it check to this post. On the onset of a cold or flu we take this 4 times a day. If something is going around and we don’t want to get it, we start taking this 2 times a day for an added immune boost.

Lastly…

Black Seed Oil. This is the mother load here. If you haven’t heard of black seed oil check out this post and get yourself some black seed oil. We will take this 2-3 times a day when we feel a cold coming on. We take this daily but increase it by one or two when cold and flu season is around.

That’s it yo!

Our version of the flu shot. It may sound like a crap ton, but I swear by it. My house hold got hit with a nasty flu where the kids had fevers for about 4 days. Then five says later they came down with the stomach flu. I managed to escape both illnesses magically. And I owe it to this regimen above. Screw going to CVS and getting a flu shot filled with who knows what. Use what mother nature gave us, use food to help heal your body.

Happy Healing!

Posted on May 3, 2018September 18, 2018 by Krystal Smith — 2 Comments

Organic Homemade Pup Shampoo & Rinse

Organic Homemade Dog Shampoo Recipe

So this is our pup. She is our devil pup. It’s been about a year since she’s joined our family and since I am doing a post on dog shampoo I figure why not introduce her. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Kaya. No we didn’t name her Kaya for that reason, But after we figured out what it meant we didn’t change it either so….. She is the sweetest pup in the world, she is very well trained she loves us so very much, BUT she’s the devil. I know, you’re thinking wait, how can that be her face is so sweet looking?

Well…….

She has torn up almost every single drip line throughout the back yard. She has eaten probably about five feet worth of our watering hose. She has straight up stolen the kitchen rug within seconds of me opening up the kitchen door. She will take that hat off of the boy’s head and bolt the other way. She will knock down the girl, then nip at her shirt as she’s sitting there screaming. Every morning when I go out to feed the chickens, she runs full speed ahead and slams her body against the chickens coop, which then sends them into a flying flurry, usually resulting in a wing slapping me in the face. She will nip at the foot that is in mid air while walking, you know the one that is suppose to catch your ass as it comes down. When she steals something she doesn’t necessarily run, she walks back and forth and stays just out of reach. She has chased me with a dead rat, pinning me in the corner of the chicken coop. So there was me, yelling at 5:50am on a Tuesday, “DON’T YOU FUC***NG DARE, YOU A$$$HOLE!!!!”

She’s our devil pup.

She is a beautiful Red Fox Labrador. She is super smart and just wants to love. She has enough energy for 50 elephant. She protects the kids while they play, once she calms the F down. She doesn’t run out the gate when it opens. She listens at the snap of a finger. She doesn’t come running in the house any chance she gets. When you stand up she backs down. She’s an incredible pup.

BUT she’s still a devil pup!

Well let’s get on with the reason why you are here. Since the seasons have changed, so has homegirls fur. We thought something was wrong with her so we took her in and the Vet was like umm, this is her undercoat. $48 bucks later to tell me it was her mutha f-ing undercoat, I am making my own damn shampoo.

And you know what! It worked beautifully.

Dog Shampoo Ingredients:

Dr. Bronners Lavender Castile Soap

Melaleuca (Tea Tree) Essential Oil

Lavender Essential Oil

Filtered water

2) 16 oz Bottles or containers

Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions:

Fill your bottle half way with Castile soap.
Add 6-8 drops of Melaleuca
Add 6-8 drops of Lavender
Fill the rest up with filtered water.
In another container fill a quarter of the way with apple cider vinegar and the rest with filtered water.

Homemade dog shampoo to make your dogs hair soft and smooth — Look how smooth homegirl looks!

Boom son. You just made your pup some organic dog shampoo and rinse that didn’t cost you an arm and a leg. It lathers up very nicely. It smells heavenly and it actually has medicinal properties to it.

After lathering, rinse your pup really well with water. Then use the apple cider vinegar rinse like a conditioner. Let it sit for a minute or two and then rinse well with water.

The Castile soap has a ton of good oils in it like coconut oil, jojoba oil, hemp oil, which all will help moisturize your pups skins and coat.

Lavender soothes occasional skin irritations. And is known for its calming and relaxation properties. (Hmm, now that I think of it, I actually should’ve increase the amount of lavender I put in this!!)

Melaleuca is known for its purifying properties. It cleanses the skin and helps promote a healthy immune system. It is also great for occasional skin irritations.

Apple cider vinegar rinse will restore the ph balance in your pups coat and skin. And not to mention make his or her coat really soft.

So not only will your pup smell incredible, all the oils in this shampoo will help keep healthy beautiful skin and coat.

I also used the Furminator on her coat as well. The Furminator is an intense brush that is SOOOOOOOO worth the money. It will get the thickest undercoat out with no problem. And it will last forever.

Can you see her smiling!

Happy shampooing!

**If you are interested in where and how to buy doTERRA oils, contact me through email or leave me a comment.

This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you click on a product that we suggest and purchase through that link, we get a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

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Category: Essential Oils

Using Essential Oils Around the House