Warrior Mama Journey

#BeInspiredToChange

Essential Oils

10 Must Haves for Your Company Convention

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Its network marketing convention season! Such an exciting time and I cannot wait to see what each company releases.

Have you been feeling unmotivated with your current tribe and maybe a little lackluster with your efforts?  Are you on the other end of the spectrum and so ready to take your team to the next level with the new products and training’s offered?

Either way convention will leave you motivated to tackle any challenges you have and renew any waning motivation with speakers, new products and industry related training. You’ll leave with renewed vigor.

If you are on the fence about going to convention I can help you right now. Go. Go every year. Meet as many people as you can and soak it all up! With that being said if you aren’t quite sure what to expect or what to bring to ensure your time is well spent I have put together a list of “must-haves” to help you.

10 Must Haves for Your Company Convention:

  1. Business cards! Lots of people don’t think of this because you think you are going somewhere to be surrounded by other people in the same company but you’re still making connections. You still want to keep in touch with people and expand your network (even your support network) and the easiest way is to exchange business cards. Plus, you truly never know when an opportunity arises to talk to someone about what you do. Chances are you will be descending in masses to a city and people who don’t know about your company may ask you questions. Maybe someone at the airport or on the airplane at the hotel etc. don’t miss a chance to share your story.
  2. Snacks! Usually your general sessions are for long time periods and even if you are used to not eating for long time periods there is something about just sitting and listening to speakers that rev up your appetite. Maybe your excitement just burns more energy?! Not sure but quick and easy snacks for during convention like granola bars, any kind of nuts, cut veggies etc. Anything that doesn’t smush or go bad in a bag during the day. You’ll also want snacks for any time spent in the hotel room. Quick tip- if you are flying and don’t want to pack snacks look for a local grocery store with delivery service or google delivery service (usually available in big cities) and have snacks for the duration of convention delivered to your hotel. Or friend someone with a rental and go on a food run! There is of course always rideshare.
  3. Extra power chargers for your phones. You will be taking lots of pictures and/or videos. Like, a lot. This is one I wish someone had told me for my first convention. Those slides go fast, speakers speak fast. Sometimes taking a quick picture of the slide or a video is the best way to capture that information. This will drain your battery quickly. I honestly recommend multiple back up chargers, they range from around $5-$10 for the very basic ones. I bring a 4 back up so I can use two each day and charge two other ones. Its just easier.
  4. Refillable water bottle and Travel Coffee mug. I can pretty much guarantee wherever your convention is located there will be a way for you to refill a water bottle. One that is at least 32oz is probably best and if you like cold water you might want to invest in something like a hydro-flask. It’s also nice to have a mug for coffee to bring from your hotel or Starbucks to keep your coffee warm longer.
  5. Comfortable/Sensible shoes. Though for big portions you will be sitting and listening there is also inevitably lots of walking. Walking to a product showcase, walking to and from a close hotel, walking to food for your lunch breaks. My convention usually has 2 close by convention spaces across the street from each other but they are so big and there is so much walking between the two for the different trainings etc. that I value the comfort of my shoes.
  6. Sweater/Light jacket. Even if you are headed to Tampa! The thing is there are going to be thousands of people packed in one space, the A/C will be on full blast and the temperature inside will vary. It’s no fun to be cold.
  7. Extra bag for your “stuff”. No matter what you think about how much you will actually buy, make sure you have enough room for at least 25% more (or if you’re like me about 50%!). There will possibly be new products to purchase and bring home, a swag store (this is my Achilles heal) and you just never know what you’ll just “have to have”. I personally bring a soft duffel inside my one suitcase for extra space.
  8. Pen/Paper. Usually this will be provided for you but if you’re like me having your own notebook and pen makes me happier. Our company gave us a notebook that had a binding so you couldn’t lay it flat etc-this drove me bonkers. Plus, personally I love any excuse to buy more office type supplies and pretty pens.
  9. Though most things are credit card ready you’ll be surprised that some things won’t! We have food trucks come park by our location (very smart of them) and some take only cash. Some little food carts inside our building only take cash. Lastly- you’ll probably end up dining with people and its sometimes easier to split the bill with cash. It’s much easier to bring cash versus finding your own bank or getting hit with ATM fees.
  10. Personal miscellaneous items that you might not think of. Tissues, there will be tear-jerker stories. There just will. Bring a little travel size package of tissues. Lip balm especially if going to a new and/or drier climate. Head or neck tension- again this could be due to elevation changes or just the massive input of sensory type activities but I inevitably get some episodes of tension and don’t want to buy $8 package of 2 Advil. I use essential oils so for me this is Deep Blue. If you are sensitive to time changes maybe some jet-lag medicine as you’ll probably be arriving somewhere and need to hit the ground running. Travel first aid kit or if nothing else band aids. You’ll be a savior for anyone that gets a blister with their non sensible shoes!

Last on my list is not tangible and more than likely second nature but go with an open mind. They may be teaching things you don’t know if you agree with yet. Pushing you out of your comfort zone. This is good! Massive growth happens outside that fear zone.

#BeInspiredToChange

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What Are Essential Oils and Where to get them

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What Are Essential Oils?

I get asked this question a lot and I totally understand why! When I started my essential oil journey over 5 years ago I had never heard of essential oils. I won’t go so far as to say I thought they were hippie black magic…but… I just couldn’t understand how these oils could be so powerful. Nowadays you’ve probably heard someone somewhere mention essential oils. Seen them on store shelves. Seen the DIY projects on your Pinterest boards for sugar scrubs and the like.  But you still don’t have the answer to exactly what they are?!

I like to explain the oils initially by referencing the world around me. If you think about it, each and every living thing has their own innate ability to protect itself. Their “life blood” so to speak. Those properties which are innate in them are what we can distill and use on us. When the oils are grown in the right conditions, harvested at the right time and distilled properly they support our body’s intrinsic function to be healthy and happy. At a cellular level we share many characteristics with plants. Therefore it makes sense our bodies can readily absorb the oils and utilize them in much the same way plants do with similar outcomes.

Another example is if you’ve smelled a flower you have experienced the aromatic quality of an essential oil. These naturally occurring, volatile aromatic compounds are found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. There are over 3000 volatile compounds identified to date and the type of volatile compound in the essential oil determines its benefit to us.

Oils & Purity

In this post I won’t debate different company’s oils or their efficacy but I will say a few things on quality. There is one true statement that applies to all oil companies. What is inside the bottle is not overseen by any government agency like the FDA. I think I can also safely say that we don’t want it governed. Thus the onus lies on us to determine the best oils to use. What this means to you is that you can see 100% Frankincense and it can actually have less than 5% of the oil. The rest can be fillers like weeds, additives, chemicals etc.

So, how do you know the oil you are using is pure? Do your own research. I can’t stress this enough. I started using essential oils while I was pregnant with my first son. In short I used them while pregnant, during labor, postpartum and on a newborn. I repeated all that when I had my second son. If I wasn’t 100% confident in the oils I was using I was doing my family a disservice.

Who do you choose?

I chose doTERRA for a few reasons. The main reason was they send every batch of oil out for 3rd party quality testing after they test it in house. This to me ranked highest on my list of confidence in these oils. This level of testing and the quality of the oils is why doTERRA labels their oils as CPTG (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade). You can also search every batch of oil and the test information via the batch number on the bottle and going to their website and entering it. Like I mentioned earlier, the harvesting process from beginning to end is imperative for the efficacy of the oils.

And though I love their compensation plan and I’ve found personal success with many of the oils and products there is so much more to doTERRA that makes me love this company and every year I go to convention I get connected more and more to their WHY.

Why I love doTERRA

doTERRA coined the term co-impact sourcing. doTERRA is committed to making a difference in the lives of the farmers, harvesters and distillers of the countries that supply us our oils. doTERRA sources from more than 40 countries, half of which could be considered underdeveloped. They contract with the local growers and pay them a fair wage via a sustainable job creating a reliable income for them.

In addition, as a part of their Healing Hands foundation, doTERRA provides funding in some of these underdeveloped countries. This funding helps to provide them getting running water, medical clinics and schools. So knowing that my ylang ylang comes from it’s indigenous country of Madagascar not only makes me feel confident in the properties of these oils it makes my heart feel good about the impact we are having on their lives.

I would love to discuss in more details any questions you may have about essential oils. You can contact me HERE

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5 Most Common Essential Oil Blend Recipes

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I’m not claiming that these 5 most common essential oil blend recipes are the absolute but after 5 years these are definitely the top 5 asked about! If you don’t know anything about making blend recipes here is a basic rundown of how I mix oils (and here is about Layering Oils)

First, don’t worry about if “oils go together” or not. Believe me, they can. I will make a blend in a roller bottle or a diffuser blend with just about any 2-5 oils. The end result will either be pleasing aromatically to your senses or not. This will ultimately encourage you to change it up or keep it as is. Its truly as simple as that.

Dig Deeper

Let’s dial it in a little further to help you not have to try multiple different blends. A way that I’ve found that helps me is the strength and lasting aroma of an oil. If one oil is much stronger than another and I want notes of each I would compensate with more of the softer note oil. Lavender is a lower strength oil. Patchouli is a much stronger oil. To get an even blend I would personally add more lavender and less Patchouli.

How do you find out which oils are stronger? It’s not just as simple as smell it but if you can put a drop or two on a test surface like cardboard or a piece of paper. Get your initial smells in and then set them aside. Set these down for about 10-15 minutes. Clear your senses by inhaling something like coffee beans (think perfume counters!). Come back and see if one is much stronger than the other.

Most importantly is it pleasing to your senses still? Is one much stronger than another? Our sense of smell is attached to our limbic system which house our long term memories and emotions. So it’s best if you start off blending aromas that are pleasing to you not just an oil that serves a health purpose.

Read below for the top 5 most common essential oil blends:

“These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.” I do want to state this first as I strongly believe that the oils support us in the most amazing ways. You should always check with your doctor before starting any new protocol.

  1. SLEEP.

    This is by far the most common one I am asked about. I will start by saying that there are different aspects to sleep. Do you struggle to get to sleep? Stay asleep? What is the underlying issue of why you don’t sleep well? Stress? Racing mind? It’s helpful if you can somewhat identify what exactly is the issue to identify which oils can help in supporting restful sleep for you. Below are the top diffuser blend recipes for supporting restful sleep.

    1. (4 drops each): Lavender/Vetiver
    2. (2 drops each): Lavender/Marjoram/Cedarwood
    3. (4 drops each): Serenity (Restful Blend)/Balance (Ground Blend)

  2. STRESS.

    I don’t know of anyone that can say they exist with no stress. I personally find a blend of a calming/grounding and an uplifting citrus oil to support calm and restful feelings.

    1. Rollerball blend (5 drops each): Serenity, Balance, Citrus Bliss
    2. Spray Bottle Blend (10 drops each): Serenity and Balance
    3. Diffuser blend (2 drops each) Lavender, Wild Orange, Vetiver

  3. Weight Loss.

    Most people desire to lose at least a few pounds. There are many protocols within doTERRA to support a healthy metabolism and not all are oils. So this one isn’t exactly a blend of oils you need to do yourself – doTERRA already made the blend for you!

    1. Slim & Sassy Essential Oil is designed to boost your metabolism and help manage hunger cravings. Quick tip- put one drop on the roof of your mouth or bottom of your tongue for quick absorption!
    2. Grapefruit – 1 drop in your water daily or on the roof of your mouth can help with cravings

  4. Discomforts.

    This is universal. Whether you have back discomfort, leg discomfort, monthly woman discomfort, head tension etc. It’s a wonderful blend that doTERRA has that I can recommend

    1. Deep Blue- provides a comforting sensation of warmth and cooling to problem areas.
    2. Marjoram mix 4 drops with a carrier oil and massage on the site of discomfort.

  5. Energy. 

    We all need a little pick me up now and again. There are couple different oils to support an uplifting aroma.

    1. Peppermint and Wild Orange. For a quick resource put one drop in your hand of each and cup over your nose and inhale (be sure to not touch your eyes). You can also diffuse this combination.
    2. Lifelong Vitality Pack–doTERRA’s #1 selling product– is full of essential nutrients, metabolism benefits, and powerful antioxidants designed to help promote energy, health, and lifelong vitality. This product consists of 3 supplements to support you and I have personally found these to have an amazing impact on my life.

This has been a brief introduction to some popular blends. I urge you to learn about the oils you already own and what their intrinsic properties can help support. One of things I love most about oils is though you may not have targeted exactly what you were looking for, you are still benefiting your body. It can still take what you did apply and use it in a positive way.

If you’d like a personal consult on oil blends contact me HERE

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