For the Love of Candles

I have always been a lover of candles. Bath and body works was my jam back in high school and warm vanilla sugar was my scent of choice. In college I loved the candles with the wood wick so it crackled like a fire place. Oooo I can hear it right now just thinking about it. Covering up a stinky smell? Candle! A romantic dinner at home calls for a candle. Remembering loved ones that have past away also is a time to light a candle. There are so many reasons. So I was shocked when I found out just how harmful and pollutant candles really are for me. Studies have shown that chemicals and carcinogens are emitted from paraffin-based candles and the candles do not burn hot enough to destroy these harmful molecules, causing a toxic environment within your home. It has even been likened to lighting a cigarette inside. One article I found stated “Additional research from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finds scented candles produce more soot than unscented, the particles of which can infiltrate deep into your lungs and be harmful to your respiratory system.” What the what!? Don’t take my candles too!

My son has Asthma so when I found this out I was quick to ditch my candle stash. But I have a  solution: Make my own candles the safest possible way for my home… and have fun doing it!

Follow these steps and get creative with your choices of oils and containers. The combos are endless!

Step 1: Purchase 100% Natural Soy or Beeswax. These are much safer choices and do not give off the soot and pollutants that the paraffin mainstream option does. Also find the natural beeswax wicks to go with it. *Check the blog store for links to purchase online.

Soy Wax: Purchase Here  ; Wicks: Purchase Here

Beeswax: Purchase Here  ; Wicks: Purchase Here

 

Step 2: Choose the scent you would like and pick out the oil combo to match. This particular time I was making a seasonal candle (Christmas Spirit & Pine), a citrus candle (Citrus Fresh), and a romantic candle (Sensation).

*Tip: You need to use quite a bit of oil to make sure the scent is noticeable. I suggest choosing from less expensive oil options.

Step 3: Choose your candle container (glass, ceramic, or metal) and prepare the wick by glueing the base to the center of the bottom of the container. Use a pencil or similar item to wrap the remaining wick and balance the wick in the center.

Hot Glue Gun: Purchase Here

Step 4: Melt the wax in a glass bowl over boiling water in a pot on the stove. Continually stir until completely liquid.

Step 5: Take your oil(s) of choice and drop desired amount into the melted wax. For a small candle (size of a mason jar) I suggest at least 20 drops, larger containers need at least 40 drops.

Step 6: Use a funnel and pour the melted wax into your containers. Be careful to keep the wick in the center. Leave a little room at the top.

Funnel: Purchase Here

Step 7: Let the candles sit for several hours (or overnight) so it can cool and settle. If you are in a hurry you can also place them in the fridge for a faster set.

The end result is a fun/beautiful/creative candle for your home that is much safer to burn, and has a little more meaning to it.

**Bonus! This is a great gift idea that doesn’t take a lot of time to make, is tailored to the recipient with your oil choices, and is a lot more personal than a store bought gift.

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My Oil Journey

I could throw statistics and graphics and studies at you all day that would convince you of the high quality, care, and perfection that goes into these oils… but I am not going to do that right now. (There will be some of that in later posts.) Right now I am going to speak from the heart of a mamma who just wants to do well by her kids, her husband and sometimes, most importantly, herself.

This world is scary! There is new information coming out every second about how that seemingly innocuous item sitting on your nightstand can now cause you cancer and kill you by the time you are 50 or how that one staple in your pantry is for SURE the cause of childhood development delays and OMG you have been feeding it to your toddler since practically birth…. there will always be something on the internet to place the fear in your soul that you are doing this all wrong. First of all you are not. Secondly, some information can be good and fruitful and fulfilling to our lives. This was oils for me.

I sat by watching my friends post about these little potions for what seemed like years but was probably just about 8 months or so and was envious of the mass of knowledge and expertise they must have to know what to do and how to incorporate them into their lives. My eyes were open to this world and I wanted it badly but was intimidated and quite frankly financially strapped to “jump into the oily life.” Christmas was coming around the corner and I decided to combine all my wish list items to just one, a Young Living Starter Kit. That was what I wanted from Santa in 2016. Why Young Living? I now know all sorts of answers to that question, but at the time I had a friend who I trust with my life who swore by them and that was enough for me. Geesh she is a smart one! It’s not often you hit the jackpot on the first try but that’s what this was for me. The quality, oh the quality you guys!

At first when I cracked open that Starter Kit I felt a bit lost because I didn’t think I knew enough to use them properly or concoct the various recipes that I needed to use to see a difference. What if I “did it wrong” or “used too much” or… or…(insert here). I am sure most of you have had that feeling or are currently feeling it right now. Don’t fret! There is a whole community of oily friends that are your instant BFFs when you start down this path. I am a part of a few great, heaven sent, groups on social media that lift each other up and share their infinite wisdom, experience, and Top Chef quality recipes. You too will have access to these amazing library of people if you join me in this journey. I have never been led astray and I learn something new every single day by searching in or asking the people of those groups. I also have armed myself, and those who purchase a kit through me, with additional resources of recipes/tricks/tips to use the first 11 oils of the kit and more. Don’t let this be the reason you don’t introduce these amazing potions into your life. I am here! This blog is here!

I started out right away making rollers, trying different diffuser recipes, applying on every body part and taking veggie capsules internally. Using oils in a way to support my family’s overall health, sleep, and mood. Ditching and switching products in my house. I had several “Eureka” moments early on that fueled my fire to take this seriously, research, and dig in. I truly believe that until you have a moment like that with an oil or a product you won’t really understand the hard truth that what we have been putting in our bodies is mostly crap and we actually can use pure God provided plants to help us with almost anything. I want you to have that moment too.

In this blog I will share my Eureka moments with you, pour out the knowledge that I have acquired from others and pass on all that I can to help inspire you on your own journey. Hopefully there will be a laugh or two along the way.

This is just the beginning my friends.