I had a successful 7 day fitness challenge. It sounds like the rest of the takers did as well. It felt good to realize the possibilities and not let excuses reign my activities.
But now the 7 days are over and excuses have taken over again. I'm thinking that I'm going to need to start another 7 day challenge.
Tomorrow.
Part of the reason I'm making excuses is because I've been busy Christmas shopping and making gifts. Does it make anyone else nervous to spend money around the holidays? We save up all year for Christmas, but sometimes I feel a little out of control as I spend (every last dime) of that saved money. And I always say "We're going to have a lighter Christmas this year" or "Let's focus on getting a few things we really want instead of 700 little things that are just going to get in the way" but somehow we still end up with a mix of both.
Oh well. Maybe next year I'll figure out the secret. Or I'll have more self control.
I remind myself that God was extravagant when he gave his gift, so I guess as long as I'm not breaking the bank I can be a little extravagant as well. I hope that's just not blaming my lack of discipline on God. Because that won't work.
Anyway, the reason I have a picture of my lovely essential oils is so I can tell you about some of the recipes I've made that I really love. I've given you a couple already, and I didn't have too much response, so maybe I'm alone in my love for scents, but I'll give you a couple more ideas. Remember, if you don't have oils and want to try a few scents, I can bring you cotton balls in a ziploc with your scents. They are so much fun to mix with unscented lotion or soap, to drop on a diffuser and fill the room with good smells, or to mix with baking soda or vinegar to make cleaners.
I don't think I shared my carpet freshener recipe with you. I love it - it leaves a wonderful scent in the room or in the furniture for a couple days. If you would like a small sample let me know.
Another great trick I found was to put a mix of scents on cotton balls in open ziploc bags and set them in closets. It really helps to keep things smelling nice. Our front closet smelled like feet until I did this - and now we can hang our coats in there again and not have to wear them along with the "Ode to Foot" smell.
So a few ideas for you. Let me know what you want to try.
I broke up with my trainer, but I'm going to Curves with Trace tonight - baby steps!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the extravagance...my family doesn't mind ;) but I wonder about the imprudence of it all. I consider it a ministry expense :) Besides, since I pay all my bills online, it turns out to be kind of a computer game.
Disclaimer: Dave Ramsey does not approve this message.
Please come freshen my carpets any time.
i want to smell them. and then i want you to mix them up for me. especially the carpet freshener. :)
ReplyDeletehaha, i'm with kathy... maybe you should start a business by mixing and selling them! (i have seen some of this at the craft events i've been in!).
ReplyDeletei currently only own eucalyptus oil. which i have fallen madly in love with (and sometimes overuse and pay the price with a very hoarse throat).
maybe after christmas i can budget in a few more oils. :)
G - I want to go to Curves with you and Trace tonight. That would be fun. But a long trip.
ReplyDeleteAnd haha, well sometimes Dave is a bit of a killjoy.
Kat - you'll have to be a little more specific. And Christmas is coming.
Amy - maybe - if I ever get to the place where I think my creations are worthy of being sold I probably will! :) For now I just want other people to love them as much as me.
I went a little overboard and got quite a few of these little gems. So I don't mind sharing, if you want to use them. The ones I use the most are lavender, peppermint, tea tree, rosemary, orange, and lemon. These are all reasonably priced ones.
Careful with eucalyptus. I love it too, but I did read it can be fatal in large amounts in children's mouths, so I keep it away from my little not so child-proofable toddler.
Eucalyptus oil can also be toxic if absorbed transdermally (by means of skin contact and skin absorbtion), not just "in large amounts in children's mouths. [Hindle, R.C., Eucalyptus oil ingestion, New Zealand Medical Journal, 1994, pp185-186]. Also "in large amounts" is a very nebulous term. With children around, 4-5 milliliters of eucalyptus oil can cause toxic reactions. (One teaspoon equals about 5 milliliters.) And they can pick it up from surfaces and cloths, &c. Most of this information can be found at Wikipedia, which lists it's sources and is eternally peer-reviewed and is not selling anything. Hopefully all of your essential (and what are probably non-essential) oils are kept up high in a cupboard. You know, for kid-safety reasons. Good luck with the recipes.
ReplyDelete-D.
I happen to know one of Mandy's kids isn't thwarted by the high-ness of the cupboards...
ReplyDeleteNo, she is not! I keep them up in a closet that I would hear her open and she would have to drag a stool to reach them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on Eucalyptus oil. I hadn't read that. All I read when I was researching was that it could be fatal in large amounts.