Ningxia on the Go!

Quick post today folks!

I wanted to show you two of the "On the Go" options for Ningxia & how I like to use them!

First up, Ningxia Red packets! These packages have 2 ounces inside. In my previous post I said how I take these to ALL of my races. This is how I do that! Obviously, it is much easier than taking the full on glass bottle with me. I will stick these pouches in my arm band phone holder until I am ready to drink it. I usually drink it about 15 minutes prior to my race starting. It's CLEAN energy & fuel to help my endurance during running. Another way I enjoy these pouches is by making smoothies. Of course you can pour straight out of the bottle but sometimes I just find myself reaching for these pouches instead! This specific morning I did a combo of: 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 pouch Ningxia Red, some blueberries, some raspberries, a little unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk & ice! Sidenote: I am LOVING this Oster MyBlend too. Its perfect to whip up my smoothies & out the door! If you aren't completely sure what Ningxia is I did an entire post on it Monday! (scroll down & all the info on Ningxia's goodness is there!)

 

Next up, Ningxia Nitro! Now, the difference between Ningxia Red & Ningxia Nitro is that Nitro is geared towards fitness. I prefer Nitro before a work out/lifting heavy vs. a run. It combines 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils with naturally powerful ingredients to clear the mind and enhance mental fitness, while providing a boost of energy & daily pick me up when needed. You can take it directly out of the tube, my preference, or you can mix it with 1 oz of Ningxia Red. I don't taste much of a difference between the two, both are delicious, and both are staples in my fitness routine. Best part? No jittery feeling, no racing heart, no crash, no chemicals & funky ingredients you cant pronounce that were made in some lab. The perk of ALL natural ingredients is that your body recognizes it. Your body can break it down & USE it. Putting synthetic & lab made ingredients into your body causes chaos! It takes longer to break down. Its not aware of what you are giving it because our bodies aren't made to effectively use the bad junk. You get ONE body. Why not take care of it & use it to its full potential?! NO BRAINER PEOPLE!

 

 

As always, any questions feel free to comment below!

 

Peace & Oily Love.

ash.

 

 

Ningxia Red Gummies!

two words. Ningxia Red.

While Young Living is most known for their purity & quality of therapeutic grade essential oils, this company has SO much more to offer! Exhibit A. Ningxia Red in all its glory! If you have never heard about this wonderous slice of liquid heaven in a bottle, or pouch, then you are about to be mind blown! This week I am going to be doing multiple posts about Ningxia in all of its versions.. versions?! I've got you curious now ehhh??

First, we will start with the basics. Ningxia Red is formulated from the Wolfberry super fruit! Research on the Wolfberry is continuously taking place & revealing more & more beneficial properties. Accompanied by blueberry, aronia, cherry, pomegranate & plum juices AND Orange, Yuzu, Lemon & Tangerine essential oils making this the HIGHEST antioxidant product available on the market. It was created to help sustain energy, help prevent oxidative stress & balance nutrients for full body health & wellness support. When taken daily it will energize, fortify & revitalize the body. I personally also take 2 ounces of Ningxia Red about 15 minutes before I run my 5k races. I completed 20 - 5k races in 2015 & Ningxia was with me for EVERY single one of those 20 timed runs.

Check this out. Are you reading those numbers?! 100 oranges? 59 broccoli florets? in ONE OUNCE of Ningxia Red. In TWO ounces of Ningxia Red you are getting 100g of Wolfberries & in that 100g of Wolfberries you get 300% Vitamin C, 19 amino acids, 22 trace minerals, 180% Vitamin A, 90% Vitamin E, & 100% Vitamin B2 amongst several other vitamins. Oh and did I mention yet that it's completely all natural, chemical free & nothing artificial? Its a pattern with ALL of Young Livings products & I am NOT mad about it. So, those impressive numbers got me thinking about an all natural alternative to drug store gummy vitamins and...

I give you Ningxia Gummies!

These couldn't be any easier to make & they can be given to the kiddos as a HEALTHY no sugar added fruit snack replacement, daily vitamin or for us adults just because they are healthy & delish! I had my mom taste them & then my husband taste them & they both approved!

What You'll need:

2 ounces (1/4 cup) Ningxia Red

1.25 plain Gelatin Packets

2 ounces (1/4 cup) 100% no sugar added juice - I chose mixed berry

3-6 drops Orange Essential Oil - I did 6 drops

1.5 TBSP Pure Honey

Directions:

1. In a saucepan combine your juice & gelatin

2. Wisk on low heat until gelatin is dissolved

3. Remove saucepan from heat

4. Add in your Ningxia, Honey & drops of Orange essential oil

5. Wisk together

6. Pour into desired molds

7. Let stand in refrigerator until firm

8. Store in refrigerator

Yup, its that easy! As you can see in the picture posted above I chose to put mine in a little glass jar I had & I will be storing these in the refrigerator. They can get a little sticky if you leave them out for longer than 10 minutes. These gummies only took me about 5 minutes or less  to whip up & I just let them chill over night in the fridge.

Now, lets talk what I used for molds.

I got both of these molds at Hobby Lobby in the cake & candy making aisle. If I'm being 100% honest go for the silicone molds (such as the flower mold pictured here). I thought the white plastic mold would make cute little gummies & don't get me wrong it totally did BUT I think filling the flower molds a quarter of the way full will be the way I got next time. Just personal preference. Of course you can make yours in whatever way you wish!

I hope you & your littles enjoy these healthy & yummy gummies jam packed with all of those benefits from Ningxia Red! If you have any questions please feel free to comment below! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss a future post! Especially this week with more posts about the amazing Ningxia coming your way!

Peace & Oily Love.

ash.

Christmas Diffuser Combos!

Merry Christmas Eve!

It's the time of the year to curl up by the fire with hot chocolate, the Christmas tree lit, a Christmas movie playing in the background & a Christmas scented candle burning.. or is it? I say a big YES to all of the above EXCEPT the Christmas candle!

I know I'm not the only one that has lit up one of those ever so popular candles & gotten a good dose of nauseous with a side of headache to accompany it. The smells are so strong & over powering to me. I literally can NOT stand the smell of super sweet fake pine anything from my mother burning those candles in my child hood. It wasn't until after a few times of burning her Pine scented candle that we put 2 & 2 together that it was the culprit. While I LOVE the smell of vanilla, those sugar cookie candles make me never want to eat another cookie. EVER. Parents with small children, I can almost bet most of your candle burning days are over with the possibility of those little hands & an open flame. Rest easy, I have your solution.. Diffusing Young Living essential oils! Not only do you have ZERO flame & it automatically will shut off when it runs out of water BUT you also have zero chemicals or toxins being distributed into your home.

First up, Sweet Candy Christmas. I was skeptical of this combo at first. It didn't take long for it to sell me. Call it peppermint patty, call it candy cane.. whatever it is will knock your socks off. This has been on repeat in my diffuser the past week! I do 3 drops of Ylang Ylang & 3 drops of Peppermint.

Next up, Festive Fireside. This combo is warm, spicy & calming with that hint of citrus. Not to mention that Thieves will help keep those germs away! For this combo I suggest 2 drops Cedarwood, 3 drops Orange & 4 drops Thieves.

Lets be real, it wouldn't be a Christmas diffuser post without a Christmas Tree combo! For this recipe I like to do 3 drops Christmas Spirit, 2 drops Orange & 2 drops Idaho Balsam Fir. It smells like Christmas is living right inside your diffuser.

Lastly, I couldn't forget Frankincense. This oil was worth more than gold back in ancient times & is one of the oldest known oils. Yes, oils are nothing new people! They have been around FAR before we were around. For this combo I suggest 3 drops Frankincense & 2 drops Cinnamon Bark.

The suggested drops are just what I have found that I prefer. You can always change them according to your preference. Want more Citrus? Add more Orange. You want more spice? Add more Cinnamon Bark! Tree scents up your alley? Add more Balsam Fir! The strength of the scent is completely at your discretion & they actually have benefits other than smelling nice. That's definitely one of the many perks to diffusing. Customizing is at your finger tips! I want to see you try to do that with a candle.. oh wait..

I'm wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy your loved ones & all the Eggnog you can handle!

Peace & Oily Love.

ash.





Make Your Own Fizzy Bath Bombs with Young Living Essential Oils!

What's better during the stressful holiday season than a nice relaxing bath? nothing. I give you, Fizzy Bath Bombs made with Young Living essential oils! Yes, these really fizz!

What You'll Need:

1 cup Citric Acid (I got mine from the local health food store)

1 cup Baking Soda

1/2 cup Corn Starch

1/2 cup oil (almond oil, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. I used Olive oil this time.)

8-10 drops of your favorite Young Living oils - I chose Stress Away, Lemongrass & Lavender.

Silicone Mold or Plastic Wrap

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine your citric acid, baking soda, cornstarch & oil.

2. Add the 8-10 drops of Young Living oil of your choice.

*I chose Lemongrass for its anti-inflammatory benefits, Stress Away because well.. Stress Away & Lavender for its calming & soothing benefits. Your options are endless! You could do RC & Peppermint for congestion, Lavender & Cedarwood for a night time calm, Wintergreen or Peppermint & Panaway for aches & pains, Lemon & Grapefruit for a jumpstart in the morning. Seriously, endless options!

3. Mix all ingredients well with a spoon or your hand. Fun random fact: I'm weird about getting my hands "dirty" with dough or anything like that soooo I used a spoon. A soft dough should form. Honestly, it'll start to look & feel like a damp sand. If your mixture is too wet try adding a little more baking soda & corn starch.

4. Take your mixture & cram it into your silicone mold. & by cram, I mean push the mixture into it as hard as you can & keep filling until your mold is full. It will keep compacting & if you are using a mold like I did you will want to see the little details. I found a Christmas theme mold at Walmart. They have other basic silicone molds at Hobby Lobby. Let it sit for at least 24 hours or until dry. Mine took about 2 days to dry & I probably could have let them sit just a little longer to be even more firm & dry.

*If you don't have a silicone mold you can use plastic wrap to help form your bath bombs into balls.

5. Your bath bombs are ready to use once they are completely dry.

6. Drop them into your bath & there you have your fizzy bath bombs with all the benefits of your Young Living essential oils!

I used my batch of bath bombs as gifts. I took one & put it in a festive treat bag for Christmas gift baskets I made. I mean look how cute the little snow man is? & the moose? I can't even.

Another idea would be to make these for the kiddos! You can add food coloring to your mixture & once you drop them in the water it will change your bath water colors! What kid doesn't like fun colored bath water? I call that a parenting win!

I hope you enjoy making these! If you have any questions feel free to post your questions in the comments!

Peace & Oily Love.

ash.

DIY Lemon & Grapefruit Essential Oil Body Butter

I'm back with another fun & easy DIY that is perfect for this time of year!


As we get into the winter months our skin tends to get more dry. I opted to test out making my own chemical free- all natural body butter! Guys, this stuff smells good enough to eat! But of course please don't! Of course you can create any combo using whatever essential oils trip your trigger but I'm just going to say this combo is definitely a winner! Besides smelling awesome, I chose the Lemon & Grapefruit because they actually help with cellulite. Who doesn't want to lose some of that?! Sign me up!


What you'll need:


1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Pure Shea Butter
2 oz Jojoba Oil (you could also use sweet almond oil)
10 drops Young Living Grapefruit essential oil
10 drops Young Living Lemon essential oil
or whatever scent combo you chose - I have some more suggestions at the bottom!

Directions:


Using a sauce pan over low heat, melt all those oils together completely until they are liquefied. Pour into stainless steel bowl. You don't want to use plastic because since we are using citrus essential oils it can break down the chemical bonds of the plastic & pull toxins into your mixture. That of course is a no no! Then let it sit in the fridge. Once it starts to harden back up so that you can see your fingerprint in it, could be a couple hours or it could be over night, whip it for a few minutes with your hand mixer until it is light & fluffy like cake icing. This recipe made enough for me to fill the two jars below! I would say it made about a cup & I divided it into these jars. Get yourself some chalk board labels & a chalk marker & you have great gifts or just an awesome body butter for yourself!

You want to store your body butter in somewhere cool without direct sunlight. If you sit it by a window & the sun is able to warm the body butter it will loose its whipped consistency & return to a more liquid form. Now, if it does melt don't think all is lost. You will still be able to use it! It just wont be as light & fluffy! This should last quite awhile though if stored properly & in an air tight GLASS container!


A couple other suggestions would be to make a calming body butter for the night time with oils such as Stress Away & Lavender. A foot cream with Peppermint. Uplifting for your morning routine with Lemon & Peppermint. You could even make it into a chest rub for sickies with Thieves & RC. Basically, your options are ENDLESS!


I hope you ENJOY! If you have ANY questions please feel free to comment below!


Also, you can now subscribe by email to make sure you never miss another post! Yup, I'm pretty excited about that! I truly am having so much fun with this!


Peace & Oil Love.
ash.

Conquering My Pop Addiction! - YL style!

Hello. My name is Ashley & I'm a soda addict. <-- that is what I would have said a year ago.


Now, I get to say- Hello. My name is Ashley & I am an EX - soda addict! I just had my one year pop -free anniversary a week ago! Insert party balloons & streamers! Now, when I say I was a soda addict I wasn't binge drinking 2-liters in 30 seconds nor did I have soda IVs hooked up. BUT I did have at least one pop a day. It was honestly hands down my go to beverage. My body was so dependent on the caffeine that if I didn't have a pop.. WATCH OUT! Caffeine headaches. I hardly drank water. trust me, I know, that's a BIG NO NO! I was especially not into just plain water. it was BORING right?! But when I started becoming more & more into being healthy & fit & wanting to implement changes in my life & my lifestyle to change how I looked & how I felt, inside & out, is when I finally decided that I had to kick my Cherry Pepsi to the curb. I knew this wouldn't be easy. I knew that I could lean on packaged water "flavorings" that really weren't much better for me.. I wasn't sure how I was going to kick the habit of reaching for soda let alone the cravings. Convenient enough for me, I had just received my Young Living Premium Starter kit. At the time Lemon essential oil & Citrus Fresh essential oil were included. (lemon still is) BINGO. I started adding 2 drops of Lemon & 2 drops of Citrus Fresh to my GLASS (more on that below) water bottle & drinking it daily. It gave me the flavor I was needing to get past boring plain water & NONE of the sugar or calories. That's where my obsession started.

Not only do I still continue to drink Young Living essential oils in my water but I have come up with some terrific combos! I couldn't just stop at Lemon & Citrus Fresh when we have SO many other options! Stress Away & Lemon (hands down a favorite!).. Grapefruit & Lemon (my second favorite).. Lemon, Orange & Cinnamon Bark, Grapefruit, Lemon & Peppermint, Lemon & Lime, Grapefruit & Tangerine.. You get the jist! NOW here is my disclaimer. Whenever you are going to drink citrus oils in your water.. you MUST use a glass or metal container. Why? Citrus fruits are known for their detox properties. If you were to put citrus oils in Plastic or Styrofoam, they will literally pull the toxins out of those materials. You will see them floating on top & NO ONE wants to drink that. Now, you might ask.. if it is doing that to Plastic & Styrofoam what is it doing to my insides? Rest easy folks!

The left picture shows the before of applying 2 drops of Lemon oil to a Styrofoam cup. The right picture is an after. It is also a before & after picture of 2 drops of Lemon oil on a strawberry. Citrus oils such as Lemon, Citrus Fresh, Gapefruit, Orange  & Tangerine work as an organic solvent. They break down the chemical bonds of products like Styrofoam & non-BPA free plastics. You see no change in the strawberry because Young Living essential oils work in conjunction with organic natural substances like our bodies. They never work against us. Makes sense right? I am truly confident about putting these oils into my body & knowing they are SAFE to do so.

Lets talk benefits! Other than no calories, no sugars, no preservatives & no chemicals. Which, would have been enough to sell me right there lets be real! Amongst each having several benefits here are some basics!


Lemon- can help with stress, can be uplifting, alkalizes the body, detoxes liver, helps digestive system & immune system.


Tangerine- can help digest fat, fights food cravings, alleviate water retention, emotional balance, digestive system disorders, stress & helps calm nervous system.


Lime- this can help with anxiety, blood pressure, weight management, immune support, sense of well being, memory improvement & energy.


Grapefruit- this can help with digestion, water retention, depression, fatigue, liver disorders, headaches, kidney cleansing, reducing cellulite & detoxes lymph.


Orange- this can help with heartburn, insomnia, menopause, depression, boosting immunity, appetite, complexion, water retention, tissue repair & wrinkles.


Peppermint- this can boost energy, stop migraines, curbs appetite, heart burn, motion sickness, memory, muscle fatigue & alertness.


Stress Away- this can help with inflammation, emotional balance, nervous tension, sense of well being, immune system & elevating mood.


Cinnamon Bark- this can help regular blood sugar, depression & immune stimulant as well as being anti-infectious, antifungal & can enhance the action and activity of other oils.


Citrus Fresh- this can be relaxing, can help balance the systems, open the lymphatic system & stimulate the immune system.


Just from drinking oils in water? YUP!


Now, sometimes I feel like I miss the carbonation of pop more than I actually miss the flavor. PROBLEM SOLVED!

I will take sparkling water & add my oils to that as well. (notice my glass & glass straw-practicing what I preach!) Best of both worlds! I have found that I really like the lemon & lime oil combo! I am getting that fizzy carbonation I sometimes miss & I still get the flavoring & benefits from my oils without the sugar & other nastiness in soda. #winning. Basically, my body loves me now! I drink water all day every day.. I have managed to change my go to drink beverage from soda to water & I couldn't be happier. We get one body & its my duty to take care of it the best I can. If I can do this.. so can YOU.

Any questions feel free to comment below!

Peace & Oily Love.

ash.

Get in the Christmas Spirit!

Hello All!


So I don't know about you BUT this warmer weather here in Indiana in December is holding me back from getting in the real "Christmas Spirit" so I turned to these little guys for help! The hubby & I recently put up the Christmas tree & I did these super simple & quick DIYs for that extra nudge into the holly jolly mentality!


Young Living has an oil blend literally called Christmas Spirit. How fitting right?! It's a wonderful blend of cinnamon bark, orange & spruce. It's designed to create a feeling of security that comes along with the holiday season as well as being great for air purification & emotional balance.


Let's hop right into the DIYs!


First Up- Scented Pine Cones

Get yourself a bag of pine cones from the store OR if you are lucky enough to have access to the real thing go get your pine cone hunt on! I took 1 drop Cinnamon Bark on one end of the pine cone & 1 drop Christmas Spirit on the other end of the pine cone. Stacked them up in my decorative bowl & DONE! Yup, it was that easy & took me less than 2 minutes. This is sitting on my end table when you first walk into my living room, which happens to be somewhat by the garage door & the front door. You can smell this goodness as soon as you walk in! Its such a warm & cozy smell for this time of the year! Some of you may notice that I used Cinnamon Bark as well as Christmas Spirit & above I said Christmas Spirit already has Cinnamon Bark in it.. But I ask you this.. Can you ever have enough Cinnamon?? The correct answer would be no!

Moving along!

Next up- Christmas Spirit Room Spray

This took me even LESS time to make than the pine cones. I put 12 drops of Christmas Spirit essential oil in my spray bottle (green for Christmas - get it? Yea, I'm festive) & filled the rest of the bottle with water. Gave it a little shake & sprayed away! I sprayed our tree after we finished decorating it & I mayyyyy have went a tad spray crazy & just ended up spraying our entire upstairs.. No complaints here though because it smells UHMAZING! I continue to spray this on our tree & through out the house. Tis the season & why not enjoy the smells of the season!

I hope you enjoy these cheap & simple DIYs! Comment below your favorite smells of the season! What gets you in the Christmas Spirit???

Peace & Oil Love.

ash.