Have Oils, Will Travel

We recently returned from Costa Rica, and of course I took a whole bunch of my oils with me!  I wanted to share what I took, and what I used.

I got a fair bit of flack for the oils.  It is what it is, and all I can do is shrug it off because I know they aren't for everyone.  (Well they are for everyone, but there are some people that I know aren't looking for the change.)

Another interesting story, is that while on our night hike, our guide was talking about a type of plant that he said is good for cancer.  He didn't say it cured cancer, and he didn't go into detail about what the benefits were, but all I could think about is how similar this is to the use of oils. Other cultures are using all types of natural remedies against common ailments.  And then our culture is up here rolling their eyes.  

So here is what I brought and why:

Terrashield spray - 20-30 drops Terrashield in a 4oz glass bottle, topped with distilled water.  This was what I used as bug spray.  We used it when we were in the jungle and I didn't find that I needed it when we were at the resort.  I don't think I got any bites, so it must of worked ok!  (You can buy this premade as well.)

Headache Roller - because it's always with me!

Deep Blue Roller - for the headaches that just won't quit!

Lavender Roller - bug bites & sun burns (took a burn on my hairline away within a day!)

ZenGest Roller - because you always need help with your tummy in a different country!

Immunity Roller - because your immune system takes a beating

Small vials in my doTerra key chain case:

Frankincense - behind the ears during take off and landing on the plane.  It's anti-inflammatory so I found it helped a lot.  

On Guard

Lemon

Copaiba - for anxiety and also anti-inflammatory

Terrashield - in case I ran out of our bottle

Balance - because I love it, a bit on the wrist, feet, or behind the ears

ZenGest - for if the roller wasn't doing the trick, my friend also used some for congestion

Deep Blue Rub - we were hiking, rapelling and ziplining for 3 days straight, loved putting some of this on at night

I used every single roller blend that I brought and a few of the small vials.  We also brought Pepto, Gravol and Advil.  Oils are great, but sometimes you need more.  And that's ok!  Modern medicine is amazing, but I always like to turn to my oils first now and see if they can fix the problem.  (By the way, I do find that ZenGest fixes most stomach problems.  However when you are down south, I find your whole system is off.  I took a Pepto pill every day for the last 4 days just to try to get myself back on track.)

As for taking the oils on the plane, it was easy peasy.  They are all under 100mL so they can go in your carry on if they fit in the liquid bag.  Once we were through security, I made sure the lids of my rollers were on tightly and put them in individual ziplock bags as I had heard sometimes they leak due to plane pressure.  None of mine ended up leaking, but it was nice to know that they wouldn't leak all over themselves if they did.

March Book Review

I've definitely slowed down my reading a bit as I've been busy with other things, but I still got through 3 books this month.  Here's what I read!

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

This is a young adult book.  I really enjoyed Lauren Oliver's Delirium series and I didn't read Before I Fall, but I thought the movie was good.  So I figured I would throw this one into the mix.

I thought that this book was decent.  I read it in about 4 days. It's about two sister's Dara and Nick.  They were in a car accident about a year before and haven't been speaking since.  Then a little girl from their town goes missing, and then Dara goes missing.  I enjoyed this book well enough, but unless you are a big young adult fan, it might not be fore you.  (Delirium on the other hand, if you like dystopian teen novels, was awesome!)

Every Breath You Take by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke

I really enjoyed this book.  To be honest, I've felt like Mary Higgins Clark books have been lacking a bit recently.  This might be because the woman is 90... Anyways, I got into this book quickly and read it in a couple of days.  

This book is part of the Under Suspicion series, which is about a woman, Laurie, who produces a reality TV show that looks into cold cases.  I like when authors have series like this because you really get to know the characters.  Definitely a worthwhile read for Mary Higgins Clark fans!

The Choices we Make by Karma Brown

This book is about Hannah and Kate, best friends since Grade 5.  Kate has been blessed with two beautiful children, but Hannah has been unable to get pregnant for 6 years.  This book deals with friendship, infertility and surrogacy.  It makes these issues feel real (and I mean they are real, to so many people).  It deals with the legal aspects and emotional aspects.

This book made me think hard about what I would do.  What if my best friend or my sister was unable to carry a child, would I donate my own eggs and do it for them?  Could I separate myself from that child, knowing that it was going to belong to someone else?  I don't have the answers, I don't think I would have them until I was in that situation.  I know that this is the greatest gift you could give someone and I applaud the people who do it.

This was an emotional read, but I really loved this book for bringing truth to what so many people are experiencing.  (Maybe not the actual surrogacy aspect as I think that's a bit more rare, but the infertility is so common.)