Essential Oils Spotlight :: ClaryCalm

Hello everyone!

Yesterday, we had snowday #5!  in 3 weeks!  can you believe it?  and it's snowing this morning as well. ahhh! and we're supposed to be getting 2 more storms by the end of the week!  #snowpocalypsemarathon

Anyway, with all of this extra time I've been having, I decided that I want to start a new monthly series spotlighting my favorite Doterra essential oils here on the blog.  I've been using the essential oils for a year and a half or so, and have really fallen in love with them!  There are a few different posts I've done already on different oils and you can see them here, here, and here!

Today's star of the show is...

ClaryCalm!!

This is a blend for women, and is supposed to be there for you during that time of the month, if you catch my drift. So if you're a man reading this, you probably won't need this.. unless you have a significant other (or really any woman in your life) who struggles every. single. month. ooh the perks of being a woman. Now, what is to follow might be TMI for some of you, so if you aren't comfortable with the period talk, you may not want to continue.

So, not every woman struggles every month, but I have been known to basically die (from cramps) when that time of the month came around. It also makes me nauseated at times, faint some other times.. and generally just completely miserable.  The only way I could get through my cycle somewhat mobile used to be to pop Advil like candy. No other drugs ever worked for me, and I'm not sure why, but only Advil worked ever.  

Anyway, if any of the above mentioned symptoms sound familiar to you, then ClaryCalm blend might be something you may want to try.  Yvonne, the friend who introduced me to Doterra, gave this blend for me to try, and I have to say, I was extremely skeptical at first.  I mean, I had tried so many different drugs, and nothing had ever worked, so I was just planning on single handedly keeping Advil in business for the rest of my life.   BUT!  I was on a trip in Taiwan when my period completely surprised me out of the blue. I was dying, I didn't have Advil (oh the joys of irregular cycles), but I happened to have this one because it was in my little oils bag, so I decided to give this a try (I mean, I was pretty desperate).  Now, it didn't take the pain completely away, but it helped so much!  I was able to walk around Taiwan without doubling over from the pain, and that is a huge accomplishment for the little bottle!  

Since then, I've been using this religiously every time the cycle comes around, and during some months, I can get by without having to use Advil at all.  what?!  I still use Advil when the pain is unbearable, but on average, I take about 4-5 pills per cycle now compared to about 24 pills or more it used to be before ClaryCalm came into my life.  

Like any other oils/medicine/drug, it may work better for some people than others, so I can't say that this will work as well for you as it has for me.  However, I have given it to a couple of my friends during their time of the month, and they have all reported positive results!  The Doterra site says that this blend is made of 'clary sage, lavender, bergamot, Roman chamomile, cedarwood, ylang ylang, geranium, fennel, carrot seed, palmarosa, and vitex', and that this blend 'balances hormones, manages symptoms of PMS and the transitional phases of menopause'.  Now, can't say first hand that it does all of those things (obviously), but I have noticed that my cycle has become more regular.  It used to be completely unpredictable, but now, I can guess when they are coming, and that is so. nice! Ladies out there who have regular cycles, you are so. lucky!  

Anyway maybe my body and this blend just really like one another, and that's why I've seen such fantastic results, but I'm not complaining!  Also, the blend smells really nice, which is a plus, and my friends have said that the smell really soothes them during that time.  It's like chocolate, but not as fattening.  haha.  However, the downside is that David is starting to associate the scent as my 'period scent'...  calling it that suddenly makes it seem really,,, unsexy and just plain weird.. and I'm not really thrilled to have a 'period scent'.. but at least it smells nice and he likes the smell..?  yeah, no. it's still weird.  

So, if you are struggling every month, and decide to try ClaryCalm, I hope that it will alleviate some of your miserable symptoms!  Please let me know if you try it out, and if you have other tips and tricks that you employ to get through that time of the month!

Hopefully this wasn't too TMI for you  haha.  Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful rest of the week!

--Janny

Snow Day #4

Hello everyone!

By now you probably have guessed (since I am back on the blog) that we are having another massive snow storm here in Boston.  BU has cancelled classes for the 4th time in 3 weeks!  I have lived in many different parts of the world, including northern part of Michigan, and I have NEVER seen so much snow in such a short period of time.  I mean, it's like every week we get a 'historic' blizzard/winter storm like clockwork.  Incredible.

I tried to get a shot of the winter wonderland outside of my window for you guys, but this was all I could see!

The other side of our apartment doesn't have the best view, but I think it shows the effect of the snow a bit better than my frozen-over window, so...

and the swirling snow!

We have gotten enough snow quickly enough that within an hour, the foot tracks that Shawn left on the way to the gym had disappeared by the time she came back!

Before we got buried in snow, we tried to dig ourselves out from the previous 2 storms, and lead normal lives!  one of the highlights from last week was this concert I played with my teacher here at BU, Bayla Keyes, and 3 other BU faculty members, Robbie, Rhonda, and Michelle!  We played the Martin piano quintet, and I loved it!  He's not a very well-known composer, but he has very unique and interesting harmonic language, and some really beautiful melodies  =)

The few days before the storm was made even better because!!!   Abers (April) was in Boston!!!!  My soul sister, my sister from another mother!  we were attached at the hip throughout our undergrad years, and it was so good to be attached once more  =)

We had an incredible night during her visit when a whole bunch of our friends came over and we played board games. I did take some photos, but... I didn't have the SD card in the camera... epic fail.  le sigh...  ah well, it will just have to happen again some day!

We did, however, take a walk in our beautiful neighborhood in search of some lunch one of the days that she was here. I know, not as exciting as the board game night, but isn't our neighborhood so beautiful?  I love it here  =)

The walk was very cold and snowy, but the lunch we had at Buk Kyung was tottaallly worth it!

mmmmm  there's nothing more satisfying than a table full of awesome Korean food!

obviously, we were thrilled!

ahhh.  I 'm drooling just looking at the pictures and thinking about that meal right now...

April's flight was cancelled, and we were afraid that she would not be able to get out of Boston before this massive storm hit, but thankfully, she did get to fly out of the Beantown just in time!!

It was such a fun weekend, and I'm so glad she got to visit  =)  It was a nice warm fuzzy spot in this frigid snowpocalypsemarathon we've been having.

I hope you are all having a wonderful beginning of the week, and stay warm if you are around the New England area!

--Janny

Snowpocalypse 2015

Hello everyone!

We survived the Snowpocalypse of 2015! The blizzard Juno started Monday night, and raged through all of Tuesday here in Boston, and that's why school is cancelled AGAIN today!  2 days in a row! wowzers.  I have to say though, I miss going to school..  a bit of cabin fever talking I think?

To combat the cabin fever a bit, Shawn and I went for a little stroll in the blizzard.  

It was pretty dangerous going down since the whole staircase was covered with snow, but we made it down in one piece and started our exploring!

This was still during the early part of the day, so the snow was only(?!) up to our knees, but I've heard that Boston got more than 2 feet of snow yesterday!

We're so thankful for the workers who worked tirelessly all day to clear up the roads.

My first blizzard!!

my poor car starting to get buried...

There was a little mountain in our driveway, so I decided to go for a 'hike', but...

that didn't end so well... my poor leg.. if only I had thigh high snow boots  haha

photo cred : Shawn

We were only outside for 10 minutes or so, and we were quite frozen, so I hope everyone stayed warm and safe!

Thanks for stopping by!

--Janny