Tag: reading

Essential Oil Books Part 2

March 7, 2015 kimberlee 1 Comment

Essential oil books are great to refer to once you start using essential oils. I mentioned this in part 1 of my post on essential oil books and today in part 2 of the series I am going to share a couple of other books I use regularly when working with essential oils.

In addition to the books I wrote about in part 1, I have also been reading and referring to The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood and Aromatherapy Through the Seasons by Judith Fitzsimmons and Paula M. Bousquet. I bought both of these books over 10 years ago when I began learning about essential oils.

The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy is one of the reference books that is very nice to own if you are focused on learning more about essential oils and how to use them. This book is full of great information on using essential oils for your body, your home, your pets and cooking with essential oils. To cook with essential oils you need to use therapeutic grade, high quality, oils safe for ingestion such as Young Living oils which are the kind that I use.

Recently I have used the Complete Book of Essential Oils to make up some blends for stress. There are two pages in this book devoted to various blends and what type of stress they are best used for and for the level of stress. One of the blends is for general stress that I have use in my diffuser as well as topically mixed with a carrier oil.

General Stress Blend:

Grapefruit – 15 drops
Rosemary – 11 drops
Palmarosa – 5 drops

To use the above blend mix in a small recycled 5ml glass bottle or buy a glass bottle with a dropper. Use 7 or 8 drops in a diffuser with water or add a few drops to a teaspoon of almond or jojoba oil for topical use.

Another stress blend from the book I have tried and like to use on my neck and feet at bedtime is one for Low Immunity. I figure it will help me sleep better, strengthen my immune system and lower my stress level while I sleep due to the properties of some of the oils in this blend.

Low Immunity Stress Blend:

Vetiver – 10 drops
Lavender – 10 drops
Geranium – 10 drops

Combine all the drops in a 15ml empty bottle and top it off with almond oil or your favorite carrier oil. I did not put the reducer back on the bottle – to use just shake it gently and pour a small amount in the palm of your hand and rub it on your neck, thyroid area and then the bottoms of your feet at bedtime.

The other book I have been using lately is the Aromatherapy Through the Seasons as I mentioned above. I love how this book is written. Each chapter is a month from January to December and there is an oil recommended for that month. For example, March is cedarwood and there are lots of great recipes using cedarwood oil – along with other basic oils like lemon, lavender, rosemary and melaleuca a. (tea tree). The beginning of each chapter-month explains the oil and its uses. For cedarwood there are recipes for hair care and skin care. I also like how many of the pages have inspiring quotes. There are lots of recipes in this book for body care and for your health – like a cold blend, a flu blend and allergy blend.

In my opinion if you are looking to expand your knowledge and have some guidance with your essential oils both of these books would be great to add to your library. Next month I will be reviewing some essential oil books on body and skin care for part 3 of this series.

Have a good weekend!

– Kimberlee

Categories: Books Essential Oils Young Living

Tags: aromatherapy books, essential oil books, essential oils, reading

Essential Oil Books Part 1

January 24, 2015 kimberlee 1 Comment

Essential oil books are great to refer to when you get into using essential oils. There are several essential oil books that I refer to and use on a regular basis. I find myself referring to these books and continuing to learn more about different oils all of the time.

One of the books I received from my friend Julie when I signed up for Young Living. It is the Essential Oils pocket reference. This little book has a wealth of information – I don’t think a day goes by without me looking at it. To give you a breakdown of what is in it:

Chapter 1 – Yesterdays Wisdom, Tomorrows Destiny – This gives you the history of essential oil extraction and includes biblical references to certain oils
Chapter 2 – How Essential Oils Work – info on the chemistry, standards and testing and the influence of aromas
Chapter 3 – How to Safely Use Essential OIls – This is about guidelines for use, a chart of cerified GRAS – generally regarded as safe – or as a food additive, by the FDA. Also in this chapter are things to know before you start; info on topical application, diffusing and other uses
Chapter 4 – Single Oils – This is alphabetized and lists all the single oils from Young Living. For each one you get: Botanical Family, Extraction Method, Key constituents, Historical Data, Medical Properties, Uses, Application, Cautions (if any), Found In (lists other Young Living blends or products can be found in)
Chapter 5 – Essential Oil Blends – This describes how Young Living blends are formulated then lists each blend alphabetically and the same info I just listed above for the singles such as use and applications, etc.
Chapter 6 – Techniques for Essential Oil Application – This explains the different techniques in detail and gives you vita flex foot and hand charts as well as a nervous system connection point chart of the spine. If you are into massage therapy it gives you the overview for the application of the raindrop technique
Chapter 7 – Personal Usage – This is a great reference chapter on giving you info on taking charge of your health, developing your program and a complete reference guide for many common health issues like: arthritis, colds, flu, headaches, insomnia, pain, skin care and problems, sore throats, and stress – just to name a few common ailments. I love this chapter and refer to it all the time just to learn more about certain health aspects.

Another book I refer to a lot lately is Aromatherapy 101 by Karen Downes. I have owned this book for over 10 years. I bought it back in early 2000 when I first got into using essential oils. I like this book because it explains what aromatherapy is, what essential oils are and gives you info on how to properly use them. The book also lists the oils alphabetically. She gives you a great description of each oil, the issues it addresses, what it helps promote and any safety information.

Lately I have been reading this book a lot again and referring to it along with the pocket reference. I also like how in the Aromatherapy 101 book she recommends oils that blend well together. Even though this book is older, published in 2000, I still see it around on the internet and I think it contains some really good and helpful information for anyone learning to get more from their essential oils.

If you are interested in learning more about Young Living essential oils you can email me kkg@kimberleeskorner.com Also, if you are interested in signing up for Young Living you can click on the highlighted Young Living to take you to the sign up page. You can sign up for a retail account but if you sign up for a wholesale account, or distributor, you will save 24% on all your orders. There are not a whole lot of rules and requirements to be a wholesaler – you have to order a starter kit is the main one. After that you can order as much as you want or never again.

If you decide you love Young Living like me then you can sign up for Essential Rewards that is a monthly auto ship where you decide what you want in your order each month and it has to be a minimum amount of $50.00. Also, if you decide to sign up I will send you a copy of the Essential OIls Pocket Reference – that is the first book I mentioned above in the post.

One of the books I will be reviewing in Part 2 of this series will be Aromatherapy Through the Seasons. This is another book I have had since the early 2000’s. So follow my blog or check back for part 2 on essential oil books coming in February. I will also be sharing some recipes for foods and skincare using essential oils in the future.

I hope everyone had a great week!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Books Essential Oils Young Living

Tags: books, essential oil books, reading, reference books on essential oils

Summer Reading, Smoothies and Sandals

August 27, 2014 kimberlee 8 Comments

This summer I have read some really good books. One of the books that I read at the beginning of the summer and really enjoyed was First Love by James Patterson. Another book that I thought was really good that I recently finished was The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.

I am a big James Patterson fan and have read most of his books, or listened to them on audio. This particular book, First Love, is one I checked out from the library. It is not your typical high speed thriller book, with lots of action or twists, as many of his other books are known for. This book is a story of two young teenagers that decide to leave their homes in the state of Washington at the spur of the moment and travel to various big cities in other states for an adventure. The book is about a boy and a girl, told in the girls voice. It is a sweet and enjoyable story of young love and crazy things teenagers do. Some of them are kind of hard to believe but it is a fiction book. There are also some real life situations that are thrown in that make you realize that life is fragile and needs to be enjoyed each and every day to the fullest.

The other book I read and really enjoyed was The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I think I have read one other book by him before in the past and of course I have seen the movie The Notebook, based on his book. The Last Song was a story about a teenage girl and her younger brother that go to visit their Dad in North Carolina who they have not seen in a few years. The parents got a divorce and the kids live with the mom in New York. The teenage girl does not want to be there and makes that known to everyone. At first she gets mixed up hanging around the wrong crowd but then she meets a boy who is a good kid and from a nice family. She begins a summer romance with him and also starts to mend the relationship with her father. I don’t want to give anything away in case you read this book but some things happen toward the end to draw the Dad and kids a lot closer and make you realize that life can change at the blink of an eye. I will say you will need some tissues at the end of the book. I borrowed this book from my mom and told her she should have warned me about that for the ending. I think this book was also a movie but I have not seen it.

I also like to read non fiction books and tend to do that in the morning after I have done my workout and I am having a cup of coffee. One of the books I read and really enjoyed this summer was the above book called Living Simply – enjoying the peace of God. I got this book at the beginning of June at Mardel for half off. The book is comprised of about 40 sections, or chapters, that are each four pages. The first one, for example, is called Unpack Your Bags. There is a scripture and then a few paragraphs to read. At the end there is always One Final Thought for you to read like with the first one it is “Taking time to unpack the emotional clutter of yesterday allows you to more fully enjoy God’s irreplaceable gift of today.” The next page is titled Thoughts for Living Simple with scriptures or quotes related to the title of that day. The final page, number four, is Remember and Simplify with words of encouragement and advice. This book is small and very easy to read. I enjoyed reading the advice and scriptures of each day and I plan to start reading it over again.

On now to smoothies… I got a new smoothie book about a month ago from Barnes and Noble. The book has some really good recipes that I have tried. The book also gave me ideas for creating my own with a few less ingredients than called for in the recipes in the book.

One of the ones I created and absolutely love is this Mango Peach Smoothie. I have made it with and without the added spices and both combinations are good. Mangoes and Peaches are high in vitamin C and the mangoes protect against premature aging.

Mango Peach Smoothie

3/4 c. frozen sliced peaches (could also use fresh)
1/2 c. frozen mango chunks
1/2 to 3/4 c. mango or peach greek yogurt
1/2 to 3/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. water
1 Tbls flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie or apple pie spice (optional)

-Blend all of the above ingredients in a high speed blender (I use a Ninja blender) for 1 to 2 minutes or until everything is smooth.

The other smoothie I created was a Raspberry Mango blend. This one is not quite as good as the Peach Mango but has a pleasant taste. The honey in this one is optional but if you prefer a sweeter smoothie then I would add it. I tried it with and without and liked it better with the honey. Raspberries are really good for you and have lots of antioxidants to help you look younger.

Raspberry Mango Smoothie

1/2 c. frozen raspberries
1/2 c. frozen mango chunks
3 or 4 slices of frozen or fresh peaches
1 container of raspberry greek yogurt
1 Tbls ground flaxseed
1/2 to 3/4 c. water
1 to 2 tsp honey

-Blend all of the above ingredients in a high speed blender for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth.

Moving on to Sandals:

I recently discovered a new shoe company. The shoes were advertised in a Yoga Journal magazine I had checked out from the library – they are Ahnu shoes. I looked them up on the internet and fell in love with their sandals. They had this particular style half off so I got them for $45.00. They are so comfortable and easy to walk in. The color of the sandal is called lead. They are a shade of blue that goes pretty well with denim or other blues. I thought they were going to be more of a gray color but I am happy with the color they actually are. I originally ordered the black but they were a 1/2 size too big – they seem to run long. They offer free shipping both ways so I sent them back but they didn’t have the size I needed in the black so I got this color. I am so happy with them! They also sell some cute flats and I plan to order some of those in the fall.

I hope everyone is having a good last week of August. My kids started back to school this week – one in 11th grade and 2 (twins) in 8th grade. We have been pretty busy this week with getting more school supplies needed for certain classes and filling out more forms for each class.

-Kimberlee

Categories: Books Food

Tags: books, reading, sandals, smoothie, smoothie recipes, yoga sandals

Working Out Week 13 of 2014

March 29, 2014 kimberlee 1 Comment

This week I finished week 12 of P90X3. I can not believe there is only one week left to go in the program. The variety this exercise program has makes it go really fast and with the workouts only taking 30 minutes a day, six days a week, it is easy to fit into a busy schedule.

This week the schedule was the same as week 10. You can look at my post on that to see the exact schedule. Some photos are below of the workouts.

I really love the Pilates program. It is fun and challenging and I always look forward to doing this workout when it is on the schedule. The pretzel exercise at the end (lower right photo) is one of my favorites in this routine.

The Decelerator workout was on the schedule twice this week. I like this workout but twice in one week I do not like so much. There are some really great exercises in this routine though – like the starfish push ups (lower left photo) and the superman-bow (lower right photo). There are also some that are super hard and I can not do completely like the crane cracker push ups (upper left photo) – I am doing the modified ones there with just the knee on the elbow. The full move is to go forward and raise your leg that is behind you up, extend your leg on the elbow out straight and do a push up. I think if I tried that I would land on my face for sure. My cat seemed to like doing this workout twice in one week.

I also did my Exhale Core Fusion a few times this week. I did the Abs & Arms dvd this week. The segments I did were Upper Body with Band, Abdominal’s with band, Abs with Leg Curl Variations and Band. The segments are 10 minutes that I did after P90X3 a few of the days this past week. A couple of days I was too busy with having to get my kids to school early to be able to do an extra 10 minutes.

The Pilates book I checked out from the library a couple of weeks ago was also used a couple of times this week. I am trying to do between 6 and 10 of the different exercises in there at least three times a week. The pilates is so good for strengthening your core and leaning out your body. The book is called Pilates Practice Companion by Alycea Ungaro. A great book with color photos of each exercise.

Also, on the subject of books I finished reading the Tony Horton book The Big Picture.

This book was an excellent read full of positive and motivating advice and information. One of the main things that sticks with me and one of his 11 laws is to “Do your best and forget the rest.” I am trying to remember this when I get stressed out about everything I have to or want to do or accomplish. I need to remember that doing my best is the main focus – not doing more just to say I did more. I am not talking just about fitness here – about things in everyday life as well. Another great chapter in the book is Law 4 “Variety is the Spice of…Everything” I totally agree with that. I am a person who is creative and I get bored easily doing the same thing (especially when exercising) over and over. Take the Decelerator workout for example. I have done that one 6 times in the last 4 weeks and to be honest with you I am tired of it. I like it okay but I have done it so much lately it is starting to annoy me. Tony mentions in his book that you should not do something just because everyone else is doing it – I tell my kids this all the time. He also talks about how adding variety to everything in your life, not just with exercise but in all areas, makes things more fun and interesting – another thing I totally agree with. You can click on the book link to read more information about the book if you are interested in learning more.

This week I also became an affiliate of Beachbody programs. The icon is in the sidebar for P90X3 if you are interested in learning more about the workout or in ordering it. I have really enjoyed doing this program and all my previous posts about it can give you more information. I do not endorse things I do not like or believe in.

Well, I hope everyone is having a nice weekend. It is finally getting warmer here in Texas. I am ready for spring and was actually able to wear sandals a couple of times this week.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Books Exercise Health

Tags: books, exercise, exercise books, Exhale Core Fusion, fitness, P90X3, reading, Workout program, workout routine

Working Out Week 9 of 2014

March 1, 2014 kimberlee 4 Comments

This last week of February has gone by so fast! I can not believe it is now March. This past week I completed week 8 of P90X3 and I also did a few extra workouts after my 30 minutes of P90X3 using one of my Exhale Core Fusion dvd’s. I like those workouts because they are pilates-yoga based and are divided into 10 minute segments. I did one segment each day this week after P90X3. I really like how the Exhale Core Fusion tone your whole body – especially your abs and they give you a great stretch, too.

This week was transition week again for P90X3 so the workouts were as follows:

Monday – Isometrix
Tuesday – Dynamix
Wednesday – Accelerator
Thursday – Pilates X
Friday – Agility X
Saturday – Yoga

Isometrix and the Pilates are probably still my favorites for this week. Below are the photos from those workouts:

The Exhale Core Fusion dvd I used this past week was the Lean and Toned. I did the following sessions: Pretzel & Core – did this twice, Upper Body, Flat-Round Back (very hard ab and thigh workout) and Gluteal toner. I have decided to try and start incorporating my Exhale Core Fusion workouts – since I have all of them – into my daily workout just for a 10 minute session. These workouts really help tone your whole body. Below are photos from the upper body session which is done with light weights. Try doing the push ups with your hands forming a triangle underneath you – it is hard.

This past week was also the start of another fitness challenge for me called Power of Vitality. This challenge is through my husbands work and spouses are allowed to participate. You receive points for your daily workouts and at the end of the challenge, which I forgot to check the specific date on, you get to go shopping with your points and possibly get something really nice depending on how many points you have. I think it is great that his company is encouraging their employees and their families to get fit and lead a healthy life style. The Power of Vitality website also has a lot of great health information and even healthy recipes. I tried one this past week. It was a rice dish made with brown rice, turmeric, coriander and sundried tomatoes. I had it for lunch two different days and it was really good.

Brown Rice with Sundried Tomatoes — Brown Rice with turmeric, coriander and sundried tomatoes

I am also reading the new Tony Horton book The Big Picture – 11 Laws That Will Change Your Life. I am now on Law 5 – I guess that would be chapter 5. So far I really like the book and it has a lot of great advice.

I hope everyone had a great February and are looking forward to an even better March. I am going to continue on with the P90X3 program and also try to do my Exhale Core Fusion dvd’s as a bonus workout.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Books Exercise Health

Tags: books, exercise program, exercising, Exhale Core Fusion, fitness, health, P90X3, reading, working out, workouts

Summer Reading

June 19, 2013 kimberlee

Well, it is officially not summer for a couple more days but I have chosen some of the books I would like to read this summer. The books can be seen in the above photo.

I have divided the books into 2 stacks. One stack, on the left, is my fiction stack and the other, on the right, is my non-fiction stack. I tend to read non fiction in the morning. I am currently reading Becoming the Woman I Want To Be by Donna Partow. I also like to read non fiction during the day sometimes if I have a free moment or I am supervising my kids and their friends swimming in our pool. The fiction books are my evening-bedtime reading choice.

My boys have been out of school for a week and a half now. Last week I began a reading schedule with them. We went to the library on Monday and each of us checked out 2 books. They are reading for 30 minutes every day before lunch. After lunch they have a choice to read for 30 more minutes, write in a journal, or practice their instrument.

So far our schedule is working out well. We have had a couple of days where there was and afternoon appointment or something we had to do so we didn’t get the 30 minutes after lunch in. One of my 12 year old boys (I have twins) has read 2 chapter books so far and my older son, who is 15, has finished one book. I also have finished one book. I had started reading Somewhere Along The Way by Jodi Thomas a couple of weeks before we began this schedule. I finished the book about 5 days ago. It was a very enjoyable read. Now I am on to reading Speak No Evil by Allison Brennan. I got this book from the library a week ago. I learned about it from Goodreads. So far I am about 95 pages into the book and like it.

I also like to listen to audio books while I cook, drive, knit or sew. I am currently listening to Love Kills by Edna Buchanan. It is a mystery and suspense type of novel. The library is a great place to find lots of wonderful audio books.

So, what are you reading this summer? Let me know by leaving a reply.

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Categories: Books

Tags: Book List, books, reading, summer reading

Book Review – Extraordinary Women

June 14, 2013 kimberlee 1 Comment

Extraordinary Women book by Julie Clinton

Today I finished my 10 week journey reading this wonderful book Extraordinary Women by Julie Clinton and Mary M. Byers. The subtitle of the book is Discovering the Dream God Created for You.

I purchased this book from Mardel a few months ago and began reading it 10 weeks ago. I usually try and do my TAG (time alone with God) time every morning after my workout and decided this was the perfect book for that. The book is divided into 10 segments with different titles for each week. The book is laid out so that you only read it 5 days out of the week so I would strive for Monday through Friday. Each daily page that you read is only about 2 or 3 pages long. The titles of the weeks are as follows:

Week 1: Secrets to Living God’s Dream for Your Life
Week 2: Secrets to Knowing God Really Loves You
Week 3: Secrets to Meaningful Relationships
Week 4: Secrets to Handling Testosterone
Week 5: Secrets to Mastering Your Emotions
Week 6: Secrets to Handling Imbalance
Week 7: Secrets to Getting Through Tough Times
Week 8: Secrets to Finding Freedom
Week 9: Secrets to Creating an Intimate Relationship with God
Week 10: Secrets to Making Every Day Count

There is a motivating quote at the end of each daily read along with journal prompts if you decide to keep a journal. I also like the fact that there are lots of meaningful scriptures throughout the entire book.

Overall I think this is a wonderful book for those wanting to keep a connection to God in their daily life. The book is very positive and uplifting – getting your day off to a wonderful start. This is the type of book that I will be able to apply to everyday life and will put it on my book shelf and read it again in years to come.

I will now begin to read Becoming the Woman I Want To Be by Donna Partow. It is another book that is set up to read on a daily basis. I read another book by her last summer called Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be and thought it was an excellent book. That is actually the book that taught me the acronym TAG – time alone with God.

I am in no way affiliated with the author or publisher of this book or any books mentioned in this post. I just enjoyed the book and wanted to write a review to share.

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Categories: Books

Tags: book review, books, reading