Here's to Health & Wellness!

Renae, Tricia, Tricia, and Suzette manning the lavender farm's booth at the Health and Wellness Expo last weekend.

How often do we take time to really focus on our health and wellness? From nutrition and exercise, to balance and harmony, it's important that we take time to evaluate where we are and where we want to be in each of these areas. Caring for our mind and body is key to living well.


To show support for all whose new year's resolutions include making changes for a healthier lifestyle, the Young Living Lavender Farm recently participated as one of several exhibitors at a local Health & Wellness Expo this past Saturday, where we shared information regarding our purpose, our farms, our premium essential oils, and our popular special events.


The soothing scent of lavender made its way through the expo center, which brought the crowds to our booth to learn more about this wonderful plant and the many benefits of therapeutic-grade essential oils. Many people had heard about our lavender farm, or had already visited and are planning to return for Lavender Days 2008 (June 27-28). People's faces lit up when they recalled their visits to the lavender farm. It was as if every visitor felt the same way about this beautiful farm--that this spot on earth has its own life, harmony, and joy.

One such visitor was a lovely British woman who stopped by our booth because she followed the scent of lavender to our expo! She had been attending the expo next door, when she smelled lavender and decided to see where her nose led her. As a young girl in England, she had been surrounded by the beauty and aroma of lavender plants, which she missed so much since moving to the U.S. Imagine her delight to find out that the largest lavender farm in North America for the distillation of essential oils is right here in Utah!

What is it about lavender that delights and soothes the soul? Lavender's many properties and benefits appeal to so many people throughout the world, and when they experience pure, potent Young Living lavender essential oil, they totally understand and know the difference between premium, therapeutic-grade quality and adulterated, synthetic essential oils.

Are there ways you plan to use lavender essential oil to renew yourself this year? Do you need more relaxation to achieve more harmony in your life?

Use the comment section to tell us about your favorite use of Young Living's lavender essential oil, or share a recipe using our gourmet lavender honey (which was our top-selling product at the expo!) by Saturday, February 2nd, and you may be one of 3 random winners who will receive our lavender bath salts!

(And remember, we can't award prizes to anonymous posters, so use your name or nickname so that we can identify you as a winner!).

Life Lessons Drawn from the Lavender Farm

A Reason to Celebrate

Ever wonder what life would be like without celebrations? Without new beginnings? Since the beginning of time, humans have marked important events in their lives with celebrations. Celebrations, in the form of events, parties, and festivals, represent a means of positive recreation, provide us with traditions and fond memories, and enrich our lives as we draw closer to family and community members.

New Beginnings

Spending time on the lavender farm has helped me become even more aware of how important new beginnings are and the significance they play in our lives. Agricultural societies have often celebrated the arrival of spring, the season of new beginnings--new plants growing in the fields, and new animal life on the farm.

At the Young Living Lavender Farm, we're pleased to continue in the spirit of celebration and hope that you will join us on March 22, 2008, as we celebrate our annual Easter Festival.

Easter Festival

Our spring event is being planned and organized by a very talented group of students from Brigham Young University. These students are pursuing studies in facilities management, travel and tourism, and recreation management. Full of creativity, adventure, and a love of the outdoors, they are eager to help you and your family experience a fabulous time discovering spring at the Young Living Lavender Farm. We encourage you to visit our blog and website often as we post activities that will be available at the Easter Festival.

Easter Festival event organizers tour the Young Living Lavender Farm

What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate the arrival of spring?

How have festivals and other outdoor family events enriched your life and the lives of your family members?

Creating a Home Spa

Someone enjoying a foot scrub at last year's Lavender Days Festival at the Young Living Lavender Farm.

I was just introduced to some small books that I think are just beautiful. It is a home spa series and the gal who loaned them to me (thanks Ellise!) bought them at Pier 1. There are quite a few books in the series, but the three I have looked over are called Home Spa: Relaxing, Home Spa: Refreshing, and Home Spa: Rebalancing. They have quite a few tips on how to use essential oils in your home to create a spa-like feeling.

On page 50 of Home Spa: Relaxing, by Jo Glanville-Blackburn, it gives 10 ideas for relaxing rituals. These are some of my favorites:

*Spritz a little lavender water (six drops of lavender essential oil in two ounces water) over your skin and shoulders--anytime. Breathe in the mist.

*Soak aching feet in a hot foot bath with four drops of peppermint essential oil and a handful of Epsom salts. (As you can tell from the picture above, we love this idea at the lavender farm!)

*Place a lavender bag under your pillow for a restful night's sleep.

*Whenever you feel overwhelmed, detach yourself from stress and escape to the sanctuary of a warm bath.

Q&A: Evergreen Smells

K. Freeman wrote in asking this question:

I am new to Young Living and was particularly impressed with Suzette's ideas for filling your home with scents for the holidays. Is there an essential oil you can recommend that we can use to fill our home with the scent of a freshly cut Christmas tree?

I love the smell of a fresh cut tree in December, but it is so sad when you have to take it down and wait another year before you can smell those wonderful fragrances again. Good thing Young Living does have some essential oils that make your home smell like the evergreens all year long! The essential oil I suggest is spruce. It smells just like a Christmas tree. You can also try the fir essential oils: balsam fir, douglas fir, and white fir.

Please leave a comment if you have any ideas on oils you like to diffuse in your home.

Winter on the Lavender Farm

On Wednesday there was a snow storm in Mona and it left the lavender farm looking so clean and beautiful. It is crazy to think that these brown and white rows will be vibrant purple in just a few months! Enjoy the pictures.



Dave, a photographer and designer at Young Living, took these pictures. You may need Flash Player 9 to view them.

And the Winner Is…

Before you start thinking this is Suzette writing…stop! And let me introduce myself. I’m Tricia and am pleased to be a contributing writer on For the Love of Lavender. I’m working with Suzette planning a bunch of great things for the Young Living Lavender Farm in 2008 and beyond.

My first day on the job was last Wednesday and Suzette already has my head spinning with talk of convention’s farm day, the Lavender Festival, spring and fall events, lavender products, future blog posts, and much more! So even though it is still the first part of January I see the year just flying by and I’m so excited.

Working at the Lavender Farm

I plan on working at the lavender farm at least one day a week and have already been down there to see the visitor’s center and become acquainted with the farm staff. Some of you may have seen the farm in full bloom in the summer, and I assure you that the lavender farm is just as breathtaking after a snowstorm in winter; it looks just like a Christmas card. I knew I was working at a truly special place when I met Christa, the lavender farm’s horse trainer. She smelled so wonderful and said she was working on the horses, rubbing them down with some essential oils so they will stay healthy during these cold months. I am excited to be working at a place that really takes care of their people—and their animals! The YL Lavender Farm has such a great mission, and I’m excited to be a part of it.

Working with Suzette has been wonderful so far; in fact, the first thing she asked me to do on the blog was announce the winner of the prize for the “Fabulous Fitness for the New Year” promotion. What a great assignment!

Announcing the Winner

I want to explain a bit about the rules and how we chose a winner. All you had to do to be entered to win was comment on the “Fabulous Fitness for the New Year” post by Sunday, January 6 or e-mail webinfo@youngliving.com. Because we were moderating comments, meaning that the comments had to go though us before they were posted on the blog, it may look like some were posted after the deadline, but I assure you that 26 people commented or sent us an e-mail on Sunday or before and therefore they were all entered to win. (And can I just say that I loved the comments! What great ideas. Thanks to all!) Each comment was assigned a number (the first comment being one, the second being two, etc.). We then went to random.org and had them randomly pick a number between 1 and 26…and a winner was selected!

So congratulations to Katrina. We will be contacting you shortly!

Remember to keep reading as we will be conducting more contests and asking for more great tips in the future. You never know when, so check back often.

Raindrop Therapy Tops List of Spa Treatments for 2008

Just before catching my flight home from a recent trip, I stopped at a newsstand and purchased a copy of Spa Worldwide Guide 2008 and was thrilled to read that Gary Young's Raindrop Technique and Young Living's essential oils made the list of favorite spa treatments for 2008! This list was compiled by the magazine's contributing writers, who travelled the world visiting spas and selecting their top 25 favorite treatments.

The Raindrop Therapy is featured prominently in the section titled "On the Menu" and is offered at the Spa at Las Ventanas al Paraiso in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico.

Did You Know?
The Young Living Lavender Farm will be offering a training on the Raindrop Technique and other classes in 2008. If you're a spa owner, massage therapist, or essential-oil enthusiast, this is a great opportunity to receive training in essential oils and the Raindrop Technique. Gary Young's beautiful Young Living Lavender Farm, where plants are grown and distilled for the production of premium essential oils, is the ideal place to begin or further your essential oil education! Click here for class schedules.

Convention Farm Day 2008
Young Living Distributors attending Convention 2008 will get to spend the day touring the Young Living Lavender Farm and participating in various activities on Thursday, June 12th. Be sure to mark your calendars and make plans to visit us during Convention!

Fitness Tips:
A huge thank you to all our readers who have shared your great tips on using Young Living's essential oils and products as part of your fitness plan. I'm excited to try your suggestions! It's great to be part of such a supportive and sharing community. Your positive comments are helpful and inspiring. We will announce the winner of our "Fabulous Fitness for the New Year" promotion tomorrow.

Fabulous Fitness for the New Year

No More Lame Excuses
About a month ago, a couple of friends talked me into starting an exercise program with them. I'm embarrassed to admit that at first I used the lamest of all excuses to try to get out of it, including that four-letter word B-U-S-Y. "Sorry. Can't. I'm too BUSY." Lucky for me, they're good friends and insisted that I join them. I'm so glad they did because I needed it!

New Year's Resolutions
Continuing to participate in a fitness program is at the top of my New Year's resolutions. (Right now we're working out to the Slim in 6 DVD series. It's an awesome workout that leaves you feeling the burn!) It doesn't require a lot of money or time to get in shape, and there are great physical as well as emotional benefits from working out.

Tip:
Germs at the Gym? Take along a pack of Thieves wipes to wipe down exercise machines, or bring your Thieves Spray for your workout mat. I also like to diffuse essential oils (such as Purification) to eliminate that sweaty smell in the basement while we're working out!

What are some ways you use essential oils in your fitness routine? Share a comment on this post before January 6th (and send me an email at webinfo@youngliving.com with your contact information), and you may be the winner of a Young Living diffuser and bottle of your favorite essential oil!