Using Essential Oils Wisely

If you've had a chance to look around my blog, I'm sure you've noticed that I often use essential oils in many of my homemade health care, personal care & home care recipes. As much as I depend upon them & absolutely love using them, they are not completely harmless & it's a good thing to know HOW TO & HOW NOT TO use them.

Below is an article that I recently read at work, from leading essential oil company Aura Cacia, & I thought it was a great one to pass long.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Essential oils are very concentrated. Their safe use requires they be treated w/care & respect. The user should be knowledgeable about their properties before any use. Most personal applications require DROPS rather than ounces.

• Always read & follow all label warnings & cautions.



• Keep oils tightly closed & out of the reach of children.



• Never ingest essential oils.



• Don't use undiluted oils on your skin. (Dilute w/vegetable oils such as sweet almond oil or grageseed oil [or liquid Castile soap ~KW<><])



• Skin test oils before using. Dilute an amount & apply to the skin on your inner arm. Do not use if redness or irritation occurs.



• Keep oils away from eyes & mucous membranes. [NOTE: some essential oils CAN be inhaled, such as Lavender ~ for stress & sleeplessness ~ it's important to know which ones can & cannot. ~KW<><]



• If redness, burning, itching or irritation occurs, stop using oils immediately.



• Angelica & ALL citrus oils make the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light. Do not go out into the sun w/these oils on your skin.
  


• Sweet fennel, hyssop, sage & rosemary should not be used by anyone w/epilepsy.
  


• People w/high blood pressure should avoid hyssop, rosemary, sage & thyme.

OILS TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY:

~Bitter almond, basil, clary sage, clove bud, hyssop, sweet fennel, juniper berry, marjoram, myrrh, peppermint, rose rosemary, sage, thyme & wintergreen.

POSSIBLE SKIN IRRITANTS:

~Allspice, bitter almond, basil, cinnamon leaf, cinnamon bark, clove bud, sweet fennel, fir needle, lemon, lemongrass, melissa, peppermint, tea tree & wintergreen.

SOURCE: www.auracacia.com

PLEASE NOTE: As a born-again Christian I DO NOT agree w/the New Age elements that many in the health food industry follow. I am an adult Christian trying to be a light in the world where the Lord has put me. ~KW<><

Word Filled Wednesday ~#1~ 6/30/10

Welcome to our very 1st Word Filled Wednesday Blog Hop!! Mrs A. had this awesome idea & asked if I'd like to come along w/her for a ride through God's Word. As Christian women, we can rejoice in the journey the Lord is taking each & everyone of us on. Each journey has it's joys, it's sorrows, it's trials, it's successes...but...all of our journeys begin at the foot of the cross & end worshipping at the Throne!

If you are interested in joining our journey, then all you need to do is copy/paste the cute icon & put it at the beginning of your post, tell us the Passage that spoke to you most in your latest morning's or previous night's devotion (we know that some do their devotions in the a.m. & some in the p.m.), & then share w/us your Lesson Learned.

THEN...PLEASE link back to Mrs A's blog, A Country Mom, & sign up on her Mr. Linky. There you will be able to see others who are following our new Word Filled Wednesday & you can read about their journey through God's Word!

So...Here we go!.......

PASSAGE: Mark 5:1-16 ~ The story of the demon-possessed man; I will only share a few of the verses: [6] "When he [the demon-possessed man] saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of Him. [7] He shouted at the top of his voice, 'What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that You won't torture me!' [8] For Jesus had said to him, 'Come out of this man, you evil spirit'

[9] "Then Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?'

"'My name is Legion,' he replied, 'for we are many'...

[13] "He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about 2,000 in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

[14] "Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. [15] When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid." [all emphasis mine~KW<><]

LESSON LEARNED: I LOVE the section that I have put in bold print. Imagine! This guy who had had a legion of demons inside himself (and remember, a Roman legion was 6,000!!) was sitting at the feet of Jesus! If the man had, in & of himself, had ever doubted Who Jesus is, he now had 2 proofs of Jesus as God the Son: 1) all 6,000 of the demons inside him knew EXACTLY Who Jesus is! Ultimately, they even needed Jesus' permission to leave the man b/c Jesus trumps satan's orders every time! 2) He was miraculously healed & delivered & at peace! Can you imagine?! For the very 1st time, this man was at peace, at rest, AT THE FEET OF JESUS!! What would it have been like to have lived in the confusion & sin that this man had lived in & ... then ... to suddenly be in your right mind & your 1st clear thought, your 1st clear sight, to be looking into the loving eyes of the Savior of the world! After years of no loving, physical touch, to feel the loving hands of the Savior of the world as He strokes your cheek & wipes all the putrid filth of the world you were just delivered from off of your face. Oh the joy! Hallelujah!

Enjoy other Word Filled Wednesdays at http://acountrymom.blogspot.com/

Please feel free to grab the WFW button for your blog while you're there!!

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#83~ 6/29/10

For Today...

Outside my window...a little dreary...looks like it might rain. Although, I thought the rain was supposed to have ended yesterday. :-/ Oh well, it IS Ohio: Land of the Ever-Changing Weather.

I am thinking...of all I have to do today before I go to work.

I am thankful for...the Lord's provision; that I will get my replacement cell phone ~ hopefully today ~ for the one that literally fell apart on me! Only had it 1 year. :-/

From the kitchen...coffee's on!

I am wearing...jeans, black "Healthy Alternative" t-shirt.

I am remembering…my dear friend, Sono Harris, & her family.

I am going…to take DD#2 to work, run errands & do some household...stuff.

I am reading...Bible: daily Proverb & I'm now in the book of Mark.

I am hoping...that DH's job interview goes well tomorrow & that they offer him an incredible job!!!!!!!

On my mind…things falling apart here & there & being unable to replace/fix them in a timely manner ~ since DH's layoff last year - since he's only been working temp jobs since then ~ b/c $$ needs to go to other places.

I am creating...a Christ-centered home.

I am hearing...radio, DD#2 getting ready for work.

Noticing that…I haven't polished my nails for a while. lol My hands need a little pampering. :-)

Pondering these words…"Endure difficult times in a manner worthy of God's calling."

Around the house...all the regular Tuesday things...laundry, household pick-ups...I need to make soap, if I can't do it today, maybe I can get to it tomorrow.

One of my favorite things...spending time w/our old, cherrished growth group 'family.'

A Scripture thought...Mark 4:40 ~ "He said to His disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

A few plans for the rest of the week...family time, work, Sunday worship w/the saints & July 4th festivities (while we still can).

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

A gathering of our long-time growth group. We all go to different churches now, but we consider these precious people to be our 2nd family.

Enjoy other Daybooks at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Our 1st Blog Hop!!

Mrs A, at A Country Mom, & I are starting our very first Blog Hop! We are women of the Word and there is something absolutely precious about Women coming together to share His Word with eachother ;)

So let's dig into the Word! Every Wednesday, we will post what the Lord taught us that morning in our reading of His Word. Be as short or as detailed as you want...Share the passage, your heart thoughts, and then read and comment on other Women in the Word!

1. Sign up on the Mr Linky at A Country Mom!!

2. Grab the Button
3. Click to Follow Other Members of Blog Hop!

We will see ya on Wednesday!

In His Love,
Mrs A & Kim<><

Deviled Eggs & Getting w/the 'Beat'

Any summer picnic, carry-in, family get-together or holiday meal just doesn't seem to be complete w/o those yummy deviled eggs! And they're even more appetizing if they're served on Grandma's ~ or Great-Grandma's ~ antique deviled egg plate.

And a seasoned cook will also know the difference when a recipe calls for a 'slightly beaten' egg or 'stiff peaks'...but that will come after this awesome recipe for deviled eggs...

1 dozen hard boiled, peeled eggs; sliced in half, length-wise

8 TB. mayonnaise

2 TB. Dijon-style mustard

2-3 TB. sweet pickled relish

4-6 dashes of Kosher salt

4-6 dashes of fresh ground black pepper

8 TB. finely chopped fresh OR dried chives

Paprika

~After eggs have cooled, remove cooked yokes from the length-wize-cut whites. Place the white halves, cut side up, on a plate.

~ In a bowl, mash up the yokes. Add mayo & mustard, mash & mix w/fork until well blended.

~Add chives, relish, salt & pepper; mix well.

~W/a spoon, carefully stuff whites w/the yolk mix, rounding off the tops.

~Sprinkle tops w/paprika.

~Cover & chill at least 1 hr. before serving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Getting w/the 'Beat'...

While making nearly any egg recipe, we come across terms that may need defined. Here's a quick tutorial for you...

SLIGHTLY BEATEN: Use a fork to beat your egg. Egg is considered beaten when white & yoke are mixed enough that no streaks are seen.

BEATEN EGG YOKES: W/a high-speed OR rotary mixer, beat yolks for 5 mins OR until they are thick & lemon-colored.

SOFT PEAKS: In a glass OR metal bowl (NO plastic!), & using either a rotary beater OR a an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites until peaks form that curl over.

STIFF PEAKS: Same as 'soft peaks' BUT on high speed & beat until the peaks stand straight up.

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

You Are Blessed If...

You are blessed if...

If you own a Bible, you are abundantly blessed – about 1/3 of the world do not have access to one.

If you wake up each morning with more health than illness, you are blessed to rise and shine, to live and to serve in a new day.

If you have anyone on the planet, just one person that loves you and listens to you; count this a blessing.

If you can freely attend a church meeting without fear, then you are more blessed than over 1/3 of the world.

If you have a yearning in your heart to parent a child, you are blessed because you still desire what you cannot see.

If you pray today or any day, you are blessed because you believe in God’s willingness to hear your prayer.

If you pray for someone else, you are blessed because you want to help others also.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep; all at the same time; you are rich in this world.

If you have a brother or sister in Christ that will pray with you and for you, you benefit from a spiritual unity, bond, and agreement, which the gates of hell cannot stand against.

If you attend a church with a church family that offers you one word of encouragement, you are blessed with some form of fellowship.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, or some spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the world’s wealthy.

If you can go to bed each night, knowing that God loves you, you are blessed beyond measure.

If you try each day to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ for even a minute, you are blessed because you show a willingness to grow up in Him.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than about 1/3 of the world who cannot read at all.

IF YOU CAN GO TO BED EACH NIGHT, KNOWING THAT GOD LOVES YOU, YOU ARE BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE!!

{Author Unknown}

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

There She Stands ~ Michael W. Smith

"When evil call itself a martyr,

When all your dreams come crashing down;

Someone will pull her from the rubble,

There She Stands!"

Crock Pot Beef Pot Roast

Here's one of the easiest, YUMMIEST meals you'll ever fix! My family loves this. And now that I've had to go back to work part-time, which includes a lot of evenings, it's great to have something tasty cooking for my family that will be set to serve after I'm gone & they all start filing in from their work-places ready for their supper.

Here's all you need...

~2-3 potatoes, peeled & cut into cubes or chunks. (Red or white potatoes work equally well)

~2-3 carrots, peeled & sliced

~1/2-1 whole sweet Vidalia onion
~1-1/2 ts. sea salt

~1/4 ts. pepper

~3-4 lb. pot roast (or rump roast)

~1/2 c. water

1) Put vegetables & water in bottom of crock pot. Salt & pepper meat, place on top of veggies.

2) Cover & cook on LOW 10-12 hours OR on HIGH for 5-6 hours. (I usually cook on high)

3) Great w/noodles & homemade bread or rolls!

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

CONTEST!! Enter to Win!!

Dear Carrie @ Farming on Faith is having an awesome contest!! Especially for those of us who need a little help while reading or doing our cross-stitch or any close-up work...

Carrie is giving us the opportunity to win a $20 pair of readers from Reading Glasses Shopper!!

Simply click HERE & go to her blog & enter. And if you've never been to her blog before, you WILL be blessed.

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

1847 Oregon Trail Sour Dough Starter

Here's a GREAT way to literally touch the past! You can order 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough starter and keep it going! Now, how COOL is THAT?!

What a wonderful way to be a part of history. You and your family will be eating something from the same starter used in 1847!!

Send a self addressed stamped envelope (donation optional) to:

1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Preservation Society

P.O. Box 321

Jefferson, MD 21755

Photo from carlsfriends.net

In about 6 weeks (or less) you will receive a small envelope of dried starter. You may go to the website http://carlsfriends.net/ and read about the starter. Not only is this simply wonderful to have for your family, but it would make a great homeschool project, too.

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><