The Molly Murphy Mysteries

Blogging has fallen by the wayside lately, partly because we’ve had so much illness and partly because I’ve been doing a lot of reading. The series I wanted to tell you about today is the Molly Murphy Mysteries by Rhys Bowen. I actually stumbled upon one of these mysteries at the library in the new fiction section. 

I don’t typically like mysteries actually because they are too factual and gritty without enough story and appealing characters. This series however, is a historical mystery series about Molly Murphy, a woman from Ireland, who decides to become a private investigator in America. This series is almost squeaky clean and thoroughly enjoyable. The best part is there are 16 books in this series and Rhys Bowen is still writing them! This isn’t her only series either. I’m about to start the “Royal Spyness” series.

If you like a female heroine with a lot of spunk and curiosity who can’t like a mystery go undiscovered, you will enjoy the Molly Murphy books.

 

Why Essential Oils Aren’t a Cure

One of my Facebook friends brought some FDA regulations about essential oils to my attention. Let’s be honest, this totally stresses me out since I’m just trying to share my experience on a blog I run for fun. I’ve deliberately chosen not to monetize my blog. I signed up to be an Amazon affiliate, but decided not to pursue it because I didn’t want to worry about all the disclaimers.

I realized that this topic was a blog post all by itself. Why would I use essential oils and what purpose do they have in my life? The statements I’m about to make are completely personal and are intended to reflect no opinion except my own.

I am not using essential oils to cure a disease.

I would not use essential oils in a life threatening situation.

In the case of a serious illness, pneumonia, sinus infection, etc, I would not rely on essential oils or plan on them as a cure. I would go to the doctor, emergency room, or urgent care to get proper diagnosis, care, x rays, and/or antibiotics.

I do not believe essential oils are a “cure all.”

I would use essential oils to support and assist my immune system.

I would use essential oils to alleviate itching from a minor bug bite.

I would use essential oils to help relieve nausea.

I would use essential oils to relief cramping and pms symptoms.

They are a lot of aches and pains that are not doctor worthy. I’m not going to rush to the ER because I’m itchy from a bug bite. I’m not going to the doctor because I have some nausea from an ordinary stomach bug. This is where essential oils fit into my life. I want to use them to support healthy living and help with mild maladies.

So there you have it!

Disclaimer: I am not an aromatherapist, and I have no formal essential oil training. This post (and all other posts about essential oils) should never take the place or be considered a substitution for a doctor’s advice. The information contained in these posts are for educational and entertainment purposes only. They are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or ailment. Please do your own research and make your own informed decisions when you are considering lifestyle and health changes.

 

Essentials Oil and Why I’m Still a Skeptic

I have heard essential oils referred to as “snake oil.” This basically describes something that people think of as a magical potion. I’ve seen folks apply this idea to a lot of things. My chiropractor’s office for instance, thinks they can heal all problems with adjustments. I’ve read books on how magnesium can fix all your problems. I’m very cautious when people act like one thing is a fix all.

While I do feel my family has been helped by the essential oils I’ve tested and tried, I’m still keeping a close eye on the results as I try different oils. I’m keeping a little journal of sorts to track when and how I use an oil and whether it was effective. As time passes, I plan to share my findings here.

The first oil I ever used is Young Living’s “Thieves” oil. It’s a blend that supposed to be great for immune support. I have noticed a difference, particularly for myself. I apply some to my wrists every day and I’ve been sick the least of all of us lately. Immune support is one of the hardest things to measure or quantify in my opinion. Maybe I wasn’t going to sick anyway and the Thieves oil is getting the credit. Maybe I just think it’s the Thieves oil that is helping me and this is a placebo effect. This is an example of my skepticism when it comes to things like this.

I found it much easier to measure the effectiveness of the DiGize oil I used this last weekend (see my last blog post). I noticed my pain was better within 15 minutes from ingesting this oil. I feel certain the oil was the cause of my pain relief. 

If you are considering essential oils for your family, I encourage you to do your research and approach with a critical eye. I found one blog in particular to be helpful with my own research. Rebecca is the author of “A Beautiful Ruckus” and she posted her research and facts. She has quadruplets and has had enormous success using these with her kids, several of whom have special needs. Follow these links to read more.

http://www.abeautifulruckus.com/2014/01/essential-oils-do-they-really-work-or.html

http://www.abeautifulruckus.com/2014/06/essential-oils-how-i-saved-money-switching-to-young-living-essential-oils.html

Disclaimer: I am not an aromatherapist, and I have no formal essential oil training. This post (and all other posts about essential oils) should never take the place or be considered a substitution for a doctor’s advice. The information contained in these posts are for educational and entertainment purposes only. They are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or ailment. Please do your own research and make your own informed decisions when you are considering lifestyle and health changes.

Starting my journey with essential oils

When my essential oils kit arrived last Wednesday, it felt like Christmas all over again!! I started using essential oils about 3 years ago because I couldn’t seem to stop getting sick. I bought some Thieves oil to use. Since then, I’ve tried a couple other oils, done a lot of reading and research, and been waiting for the funds to splurge on the premium kit from Young Living. 

Essential oils seems to be one of those dividing topics. I know a lot of people who use and sell Doterra. I also know a lot of folks who use and sell Young Living. My research and reading led me to Young Living. These two companies are not the only ones, but just wanted to highlight these two.

The premium kit from Young Living is pricey, and once I decided I wanted it, I waited a year to buy it. And that’s because as of February 11th, my husband and I are debt free! That’s another post in itself, but I wanted to focus today on essential oils.

Also, I feel like I should add that although I will be using these oils, I am not planning on selling them! I’m writing this post just to share my experience. 

As it turns out, I got to use my oils right away. My husband had a nasty stomach bug last week that last 4+ days. I started to feel crampy and nauseous on Friday and decided to give the DiGize oil a shot. It’s supposed to be good for tummy troubles. I was really scared that my symptoms were going to erupt into all the nasty symptoms my husband had.

About every 2-3 hours I drank a little water with a drop or two of DiGize. I did that for two days and today I feel so much better! The oil seemed to alleviate my symptoms and pain right away and I didn’t get the non stop diarrhea my husband had (sorry, tmi!).

If you use essential oils, I would love to hear about your experience in the comments below!

Disclaimer: I am not an aromatherapist, and I have no formal essential oil training. This post (and all other posts about essential oils) should never take the place or be considered a substitution for a doctor’s advice. The information contained in these posts are for educational and entertainment purposes only. They are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or ailment. Please do your own research and make your own informed decisions when you are considering lifestyle and health changes.