Hinoki Essential Oil

Hinoki

I discovered this oil a few months ago. I was looking for something to diffuse in the mornings when I did my devotions. I also love saying the name. Haha. This oil intrigued me because it was said to have calming potential. Young Living's website says

Hinoki’s woody aroma has been known to energize and uplift the mind and may help calm and relax during brief periods of agitation.

All good things, right?? Well, I used it a few times, it went back up on my shelf, and I kinda forgot about it. I ended up caving in and finally reordering some Frankincense (another post on that later!) and that has been my go-to for the last few months when I am extra stressed, or looking for better focus during church and bible study. 

However...I have been feeling like my Frank hasn't been having the same effects lately as it did when I first started using it. I decided to welcome back my old friend, Hinoki, and get to know more about it. I found out some very fun facts!

Hinoki is a Japanese cypress wood. It is a highly prized wood in Japan, and has been used for thousands of years to build shrines and spiritual buildings. Awesome, right?? It is a key wood because of its ability to resist rot.

Another fun fact: The wood is also used for wooden bath tubs! The daily bath is a valued act in Japan and is seen for a way for the body and mind to relax and be purified. 

What is it like??
Hinoki oil has a woodsy, citrusy aroma. If you like Cypress and Cedarwood, I highly recommend giving this one a try next!

Other uses
Besides grounding and spiritual awareness, Hinoki oil can also be helpful in supporting hair loss due to aging, digestive support, and odors.


How Do I use it??
My favorite way to use Hinoki is to inhale it. If you follow Jen O'Sullivan, she shows to put a drop in your left hand, rub it clockwise to activate it, and cup both hand over your nose and inhale deeply. 

You can also diffuse it, or mix with a carrier oil and apply to your temples, back of your neck, or behind your ears. 

Have you used Hinoki before??
Are you excited to try it?

Let me know! ♥

XO,
Keli

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Cooking with Essential Oils - Lemon broccoli pasta with chicken

Hey y'all!!

I am so excited to share this recipe with you today! I posted a peek of it a few weeks ago on my Instagram feed, but it took me this long to get a chance to sit down and type it all up.

We have had such a busy summer. The kids made a bucket list of some things they wanted to do during their break, and we almost have it all crossed off! Just a few park visits this week and we are done! Between that, swim lessons, birthday parties, homecomings, school for me, business, and just doing life, it has been a little crazy. But we love it! What exciting things have you accomplished this summer so far?

I made this pasta dish based off THIS recipe I found on Pinterest. It's pretty standard - pasta, broccoli, & chicken (I added the chicken to ours) - but you can customize it to your liking in so many ways. I decided to use my Lemon Essential Oil instead of fresh lemons. I regularly forget to buy lemons when I need to cook with them, or I use them up before our planned meal, so I wanted to try another alternative for those meals.

Annndddd....Since I just started doing the Whole30, I can't have pasta right now, so I thought I would share with y'all so you could tell me how good it is! Haha!!

So...I started off by cooking the pasta. (We chose penne) While the water was heating, I cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and got it cooking in a pan.
Once the water was boiling, I added the pasta to the pot, and got some butter melting to saute garlic and red pepper flakes.

 I added a 1-2 drops of lemon to each of my pans so that I had a good lemon flavor throughout. This can be adjusted to your liking!

A few minutes before the pasta was done, I added the broccoli to the pasta water and cooked until the pasta was ready. It all got drained and put back into the pot with some more lemon. then I added spinach and some chopped kale since I had some on hand.

Once everything was dished, I added some fresh grated Parmesan cheese. My husband and kids devoured this dish! They kept asking why I had never made it before. I had mine with a glass of La Croix & Ningxia. Everyone had seconds, and there was even some left over for lunch the next day, which, by the way, was even tastier! We will definitely be having this again. After the Whole30, of course! :D

Have you cooked with lemon essential oil before? You should definitely try this one and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
* Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
* Pasta of your choice
* 2-3 fresh broccoli florets (removed from stems)
* 2 cups fresh spinach
* 1 1/2 cups fresh kale
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
* Young Living Lemon Essential Oil
* 4 Tablespoons butter
* 1 cup fresh Parmesan
* salt & pepper to taste
* Olive oil to garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2tsp oil to pan & brown chicken. Add 1-2 drops lemon oil to chicken.
3. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. When 3 minutes remain, add broccoli to pot with pasta.
4. Drain pasta and broccoli, and return to pot. Stir in spinach and kale. Add 2-3 drops lemon oil to pot & stir to distribute.
5. Melt butter in saucepan. Once melted, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Turn off heat and add 1-2 drops lemon oil. Add mixture to pasta and stir.
6. Dish up! Stir in Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

Leave me a comment and let me know if you try it!! :D

♥
Keli

New Year Home Organization Challenge!!

Heeeyyy!!!

If you have been here a while, you know that every year, I like to follow along with A Bowl Full of Lemons and their super awesome home organization challenge. It is a 14 week cleaning/purging/organizing challenge that always gets me excited for the new year. I secretly think I subconsciously refrain from throwing things out (old toys, clothes, etc) during the end of the year, just so I can feel more accomplished during the challenge!! Hahaha

The first week usually starts the second week in January, but you can catch up/join any time. She has everything posted on her blog.

Week one begins in the kitchen. This is where I spend 90% of my day, so I love this one so much. This past summer, we moved from Maryland to Virginia, so I have a new house to organize this year! I still sometimes find myself changing and rearranging things to find them the best home. 

Here is a before of what our counters looked like.  I had a bunch of fruit/vegetable bowls taking up space. (This really drove me crazy!) We still had some lingering holiday/snow items laying around that needed to be put away. 

I was able to give it a quick cleaning and put everything where it belongs, and find a new home for my oils. They fit perfect!! I also found a new basket to hold all the fruits and veggies and utilize some vertical space instead of all the bowls! (Except it's empty right now because I need to get to the grocery store! :D) 

I am so excited to finally have this area set up in a way that makes sense, and gives me a clean work space!! 

Part of this week's challenge also involves cleaning the appliances. When we moved into this house, the stove had SO.MUCH. baked on crud. I am still trying to get it all off, little by little, without damaging the surface. This week, I tried something new. I usually use baking soda and vinegar to gently scrub the surface, but this time I used baking soda and my Young Living Thieves cleaner. It worked SO great! You can see how it got to work picking up a lot of the grease and junk. I still have some work to do, but this mixture took off a lot more than I have been able to do so far!

I am ready for week 2!! It's the pantry! :D 

Are you participating in this challenge too? I would love to see your before and afters! Come share them on my Facebook Page! 

You can also see daily updates on my Instagram. If you follow me, leave me a comment and I'll follow you back! 

See you soon! 

XOXO

Intro to Essential Oils - Seed to Seal and Beyond - Part 3

Welcome back!!
I hope you're getting excited about learning about more oils today! We have six more to cover that are included in the Premium Starter Kit!

Copaiba - This one was one of the additions to the new kit, so I didn't receive it in mine. It is on my next Essential Rewards order, though!
This is what Young Living Says about this oil:
Copaiba essential oil may promote wellness, and can be an important part of a daily health regimen*. This oil includes the naturally occurring constituents beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene, and can be mixed with honey and warm water for a warming, essential oil-infused tea.

Di-Gize was another new addition. I have heard that this oil works wonders!
From the Young Living website:
DiGize™ is one of Young Living's exclusive and proprietary dietary supplements. This unique blend contains Ginger, Anise, Fennel, Peppermint, Tarragon, Lemongrass, Patchouli, and Juniper essential oils, and includes naturally occurring constituents like menthol, citrol, and zingiberen. Use DiGize with every meal, along with Essentialzymes-4™, to support a daily wellness regimen*. When traveling abroad, use DiGize as a dietary supplement in your water. DiGize is an ideal complement to the nutritional supplements ComforTone® and JuvaTone®.

Lemon has gotten a lot of love from me lately! First, I love the smell! It also helps with congestion. All this crazy weather has my sinuses confused. Rubbing a drop over the bridge of my nose gives me such relief, and helps me be able to breathe again!!

 Amazing. That is all I have to say about Pan-Away. For someone with a sensitive back, this oil is my friend! It was also a huge help to my mom to help relieve some of the pains of arthritis!

I love, love, love Purification!! It smells so fresh and clean. I diffuse it regularly to keep our air fresh. I add a couple drops to our laundry to keep towels from getting smelly. I put a few drops on a towel and keep them in the closet so it smells good. I also mix a couple drops in a spray bottle if water and spray it around for air freshener. Did I mention I love this oil?? :D

Finally...we have RC. This one was another newbie to the kit. I have a couple bottles floating around the house. I like to diffuse it and rub it on the kiddos feet at bedtime.
Here is what Young Living says:

 R.C.™ Essential Oil Blend is a unique combination of Cypress, Spruce, and three types of Eucalyptus (E. globulus, E. radiata, and E. citriodora) oils, and includes the naturally occurring constituent limonene. Rub R.C. on your feet or chest before exercise to uplift and inspire, or massage three drops on your feet before bedtime to encourage an atmosphere of comfort. R.C. can also be used in place of Aroma Siez™ in Young Living’s Raindrop Technique®.

That's all for the 11 (Yes, 11!!) amazing oils that are included in the Premium Starter Kit! Do you have a favorite yet?
I will be sharing one more post with all the bonus items that are included, so stay tuned for that. There may or may not even be another oil!! ;)

As always, feel free to message me with any questions! I would love to know which oil you are most excited about!

If you are ready to dive in and get your own, you can do that HERE

Catch up here:
Part 1
Part 2


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See you soon!!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Young Living products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Intro to Essential Oils - Seed to Seal and Beyond - Part 2

Today is all about the oils!! Some of them anyways. There are 10 Essential Oils included in the Premium Starter Kit. I'll be sharing half of them today, and half on another post so you don't get too overwhelmed! :D

I want to start with my number one favorite! It's called Stress Away. The name alone should tell you how amazing it is. This is one of my daily oils that I use in my morning routine. Just a dab on my wrists, and I am good to go!

Next up is Lavender. This is a always must-have in this house. We use it for just about everything! Especially for calming down crazy boys! :D I am so thankful that I can add this to me Essential Rewards order any time I need it so we don't run out! Such an amazing oil with so many uses!

 #3 -  Thieves. This oil is so amazing, it has its own line of products! This one is the first one in my diffuser blend when anyone in the house starts to feel sick. I have also used it in my  toothpaste to make my mouth feel oh so fresh!

 #4 - Frankincense! I had no idea how useful this one would be! I put a few drops in my facial moisturizer!

 The last oil I'm going to share about today is peppermint. I used this one so much during my fall semester. Every time I had to take an exam, I always made sure I had a bottle close by.  I love the smell, and it was great for helping to keep me alert during economics and algebra!

 I hope you are enjoying learning about these oils so far!  I will be back soon with another post sharing the rest of the oils in the starter kit and how I use them in my every day life!

You can view Part one of this post  HERE

For daily updates, visit me on Facebook or Instagram!
To order your very own Young Living Starter Kit, you can visit Young Living Online

GIVEAWAY!!

Hi friends!

In the spirit of Christmas, I want to do a giveaway!
I will be giving away two samples of Young Living's Peppermint oil. This oil is perfect for the winter season! You can add a few drops to your brownies for a festive treat! It also smells amazing when diffused!

But that's not all!! I am also giving a $10 credit to one lucky person who decides to purchase a starter kit! The starter kit was one of the best purchases I have ever made, and I would love to share the opportunity with you!

So, what do you have to do??
Easy! Just invite your friends to like my page, Life Coastie Style on facebook, and comment on the pinned post when you have done so! I will then randomly pick the three lucky winners next Monday! That gives you a whole week!! Good luck!


For more information on any Young Living Products, please visit: Young Living or feel free to message me from my page! :)


Fine print:
This giveaway is in no way connected with Facebook or Blogger.
The oils and $10 credit are coming from my personal inventory, and account, not Young Living.
The $10 credit will be issued via PayPal.
If you decide to become a wholesale member with Young Living, you must join under my member ID number (2322868) to receive the $10 credit.

How to rock your mornings!

Hey hey!!
Yesterday, I shared this photo on my Facebook page. These three oils have become such a big part of my mornings. So big, that I will make sure I never run out of them!

The first one all the way on the left is Joy. I honestly was not a big fan of this one when I first got my Premium Starter Kit from Young Living. Until a friend challenged my to put a drop over my heart one morning and see how I felt. All I could say was, "Wow!" I was amazed at how much calmer I felt that morning. Some of the oils in this blend include Bergamot, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Rosewood, and Lemon. This blend is said to help calm anxiety, relieve tension, and ease stress, among other things! This oil alone is a great start to any day!

The green bottle in the middle is Stress Away. This one is probably my favorite of all the oils in my collection. I mean, the name alone should tell you why! It smells amazing. Lime, vanilla, Cedarwood, and Lavender are some of the oils in this blend. If you follow my Facebook page, you may have seen that we use a blend of Cedarwood and Lavender for our bedtime spray for the kids. You will not believe how quick it calms them all down. Stress Away also helps with stress (obviously!), tension, anxiety, and helps you stay focused. I dab a drop of this one on each wrist after the Joy goes over my heart!

And last, but certainly not least is Valor. This is the new Valor blend from Young Living. It includes Frankincense, Bergamot, Rosewood, and Ylang Ylang in its blend. Along with its calming properties, this uplifting oil also gives feelings of empowerment. I apply a drop on the back of my neck.

There you have it! My three oils essential for a great morning. Since I have been using them, my mornings are so easy to get started! Paired with a good cup of coffee, I feel like I can take on the world! (For a few hours, at least!) :)

Do you have a favorite oil/blend that you use daily? I would love to hear about it!!

For more oil uses, you can visit Life Coastie Style on Facebook

Feel free to message me on Facebook, or leave a comment here if you have any questions!

To purchase your own Starter Kit, or any oils, you can visit Young Living online  Just enter Member/Sponsor # 2322868 :D