Cheerful~DIY Vapor Rub

The holiday season is so weird. You're expected to be full of cheer, but you're also trying to accommodate family, work, kids, parties, gifts, and cold weather. I am not married nor do I have kids, so I can only imagine how much worse it gets.

I'm actually writing this post because my car won't start due to the cold weather and I'm stuck at home waiting on the tow truck. I had to miss work, my lunch plans, and I'm sure I'm about to spend too much money fixing my car. Cheerful isn't the exact word I would describe myself currently. Yet, I'm super thankful that I have this day to rest. It's almost like God is forcing me to take a day off. 

This past month has been well... Christmas. I work at a church and Paul works in retail, so Christmas is obviously a big time of year for us. We've had lots of events, church services, extended hours, and so forth going on. Boy did we need a vacation.

We went to visit our families in Florida early in December. We celebrated Christmas with them early because we couldn't afford to fly closer to the actual holiday. It was nice to be home for a couple days, however, I still find myself needing an actual vacation. *cry-laughing* I was so concerned with making everyone happy the entire time we were down there. I wanted my family to have enough time with me, Paul's family with him, and for us to be able to see all our friends and do what we wanted to do.

We both left Florida feeling very tired and homesick, but we also know that we're supposed to be here. God keeps giving us little uplifting clues letting us know we're right where we belong. The struggle is learning to be happy where we're at. I'm not going to give any advice to this because I'm currently struggling with it, however, we're going to really work on finding something we love to do in the winter. As much as we want to, we can't just stop our lives because we live in a dark freezer. *continues cry-laughing*

- I wrote the above last week and never published it, so I will continue. 
The weather has been in the 50's this past week and it has honestly raised my spirits! Seasonal depression is a real thing and it's hitting us hard. That little bit of sunshine has been a blessing! We both had Christmas day off and spent time with some friends. It was a very peaceful and relaxing day. I'm still looking forward to that vacation, though. Anyone want to buy Paul and I a plane ticket to Hawaii?? :) 

In the spirit of feeling better, here is a recipe for your own natural vapor rub. When Paul was sick while we were heading down to Florida, I made a travel version in a roller ball. It worked really well! Paul carried it with him everywhere and would either rub it on his chest or simply smell it and his nose cleared right up! 

DIY Vapor Rub

Ingredients:

• 4 oz jar with lid
• non-fractionated coconut oil- so it thickens
• 10 drops Peppermint essential oil
• 5 drops Eucalyptus essential oil
• 5 drops Lavender essential oil
• 5 drops Tea Tree essential oil

Roll-On:

• 1 roller bottle
• fractionated coconut oil
• 4 drops Peppermint essential oil
• 2 drops Eucalyptus essential oil
• 2 drops Lavender essential oil
• 2 drops Tea Tree essential oil

Directions:

1. Melt coconut oil in microwave for 20 seconds or until completely melted. 
2. Wait for the oil to cool down. (heat can alter the therapeutic attributes of essential oils) 
3. Add essential oils
4. Stir to combine
5. Pour mixture into jar with lid 
6. Put in refrigerator to harden
7.  Keep in a cool dry area
8. Rub on chest, bottoms of feet, and back as needed. 

Roll-On:

1. Add essential oils to roller bottle.  
2. Fill up the roller bottle with fractionated coconut oil
3. Shake to disperse the oils
4. Roll on chest, bottoms of feet, and back
5. Carry with you to smell as needed

You can tailor this recipe to your preferences by adding or exchanging oils. Cinnamon, Lemon, and Rosemary are also good for chest congestion. You can melt shea butter and beeswax with the coconut oil to give it a lotion feel. I didn't do this because I was in a rush to make it and just plain coconut oil worked great for me. 

*This recipe is intended for ages 10 and up. Peppermint and Rosemary are very strong and are not recommended to use on children. Please consult a medical physician if you have concerns. 

Rocky Mountain has their own recipe for a DIY Vapor Rub here! It's actually easier because it uses the Breathe Ease blend, so you only need one oil instead of four. I just got this blend for Christmas and I LOVE it- maybe even more than my own creation!

•I work at The Pointe Church. Everything here, however, is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pointe Church. This post contains affiliate links.•