Back to school with aromatherapy: Every school year I add another essential oil to my arsenal of therapies I use to deal with the "sickies and ickies" that the kids pick up at school. My kids are totally healthy all summer long but once they hit the classroom it seems the germs accumulate overnight. With aromatherapy we encounter less and less sick days as the years go on. There are several lines of defense that a mother can take. It takes a combination of being proactive and reactive to get through a school year successfully.

Cleaning with essential oils: To Green Clean with essential oils, all you need is some distilled white vinegar, baking soda, essential oils, water, a measuring cup and some recycled spray bottles or jam jars. Essential oils to have on hand are Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), which are known to have strong antibacterial properties, especially when mixed together. More of the effective essences used for cleaning are Lemon (Citus limon), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Eucalyptus (E. globulus), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) and others can be added for their fragrance and other properties.

Feet Treat: They come in all different shapes, sizes and we usually don't think about them until they hurt us. Yes, I'm talking about our feet! They do so much for us on a daily basis but for the most part are neglected. It's time to give a little gratitude to our feet and take time out to give them a little attention. Warning: This tip may cause you to relax so do not operate any heavy machinery afterwards:) What you'll need: 1 golf ball, 1 - 1 oz. bottle with a screw top or flip cap, 1 oz. jojoba (or carrier oil of your choice), 7 drops Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil, 5 drops Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) essential oil, 2 drops Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) essential oil.

Green Bug Busters: In today's world, finding ways to green our earth, our communities and ourselves are vital. Having natural, green alternatives at our fingertips not only makes it simple, but it ensures that we may take action. Take pest control for example, if a greener solution for insect repellent, ant repellent or flea control was available, wouldn't you be likely to use it? Especially if it has additional health benefits, such as boosting immune function, enhancing your mood or helping release irritability? Well, bugs may be a part of the natural greening process for the environment, but when they start attacking us or our pets, compromising our immunity and health, we need to take control. Using a natural, aromatherapy-based bug repellent, may be necessary to deter pests from biting you or your pet.