Geranium Diffuser Blends

Do you guys remember when I posted my ZAQ Mirage diffuser review? I was so excited to get it because not only is it amazing of course, but it gives me lots of reasons to try out new diffuser blends! YAY! I'm kind of a diffuser addict now and I'm not sorry at all about it. Diffusing makes the house smell great, uplifts or calms moods, fights germs, and simply makes me happy. I've been playing around with some blends and today I wanted to share with you blends that are focused on Geranium . Here are some common uses for Geranium :

1. It's a common perfuming agent, very well liked scent
2. It's a mood supporter, very calming
3. Historically used to help remove bad or negative memories
4. Diffusing it can help:
- relieve stress
- ease PMS symptoms
- calm anxiety
- fight depression
5. Helps clear acne and fade scars
6. Helps with firmer, more moisturized skin
7. Heal hemorrhoids
8. Fights off intestinal worms

I'm sure you can see why I love this beautifully scented oil. Here are a few of my favorite diffuser blends with Geranium, and a little further down I'll post some of my favorite recipes using the oil!

1. Va-va-voom blend or Cupid's Blend (couldn't make up my mind)
2 drops of Geranium
2 drops of Ylang Ylang
Diffuse this and let the magic happen. Very floral, feminine scent this would be GREAT to diffuse all day for Valentine's Day!

2. Romantic Cabin
1 drop of Geranium
2 drops of Shield Blend
Spicy, fall-ish scented with just a hint of floral. I'm thinking this is the perfect blend to use while you and your sweetheart snuggle up on the couch drinking hot cocoa together ( bonus...it also fights germs!)

3. I need a pick-me-up please! 
2 drops of Geranium
2 drops of Grapefruit
If you're feeling down, having a bad day or simply need some motivation to tackle those cleaning chores THIS is the blend for you!

4. Peace & Calm 
1 drop of Geranium
2-3 drops of Lavender
Peaceful, soothing lull of lavender with just a small undernote of anxiety relief from the geranium. This is a nice blend before bedtime or during bible study.

Ok, those are my absolute favorite blends so far, but there are lots of other ways you can use this oil too such as:

- Hydrating Face Oil by Savory Lotus
- Balancing Facial Wipes by Aura Cacia
- DIY Bug spray by Scratch Mommy

If you'd like to purchase your essential oils 

at Spark Naturals you can use coupon 

code "Bubble" to save 10% off your whole order!

List of freebies (11/19)

I had some time to do some searching and because it's been a while since our last

 freebie list I present to you.....Freebie Wednesday. Enjoy!

1. Sample of Simply Right baby wipes and diapers
2. Sample pack of Harvest Snaps (requires survey)
3. Sample of Huggies Little Snugglers diapers
4. Printable coupon for a 1/2 lb bag of Now Fresh dog food
5. Sample of Flush Doggy flushable doggy bags
6. Nivea lotion samples
7. Nine issue subscription to Brides magazine
8. Yogi tea samples
9. Sample of Breathe Right products
10. Sample of Truvía sweetener
11. Fragrance sample of Beauty by Calvin Klein
12. Sample of L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hair Care
13. Sample of Flix dental sticks
14. Printable coupon for a free package of flavored salmon from Chicken of the Sea
15. Fragrance sample of Joyful by Escada
16. Sample of Emergen-C
17. Subscription to LEGO club magazine
18. Sample of Questbar by Quest Nutrition
19. Sample of Always Discreet
20. Sample of Cloud Nine body lotion
21. Sample of Bio-35
22. Fragrance sample of Hugo Red

Let's talk about change.

Isn't it crazy to think about how you used to be? I mean really think back to the way you thought and acted five, ten, twenty years ago. It's a little bewildering right? I look back at how I thought and acted as a kid in high school and I'm kind of in disbelief and yea..slightly embarassed at times. I thought some crazy stuff, I acted in some crazy ways ( let's put it this way: my senior picture is me as a blonde..enough said). I used to think I had everything figured out, I thought I knew who I was and how I felt but my thoughts and opinions have changed repeatedly over the years. Don't get me wrong I still have my personal beliefs and morals that have remained solid...I'm mostly talking about thoughts and feelings you have while growing up, while finding yourself.

I remember being a lot more trusting of myself and others. I'm not sure if that's just simply the illusion of being bulletproof that all youth have or the fact that I really didn't know much about the world. I remember being more outgoing, confident and carefree. While some of those traits are still there, just slightly buried I think they've just been replaced by the more mature adult side of myself that I've grown into.

That's what it's about really...growing. I think the most you grow as a person is when you become a parent. You don't realize how much your thoughts and actions change until you start looking back at them. I think that's natural though, you suddenly find yourself in charge of this tiny, fragile, helpless human and it's not only your job to help them grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually but it's your responsibility. It's literally all on you to help this tiny little being adapt and grow in this ever-changing world. It can be so daunting and I think it's only natural that we find ourselves growing and changing right along with them.

I was holding my two-year old little munchkin on my lap last night, and I kissed the top of her little head as she played on my phone and I thought about how before I got pregnant I swore I'd never let her even touch a phone until she was six. That was before she hit terrible twos, teething, and tantrums. That was before balancing a grocery list, coupons, grocery cart, and a screaming toddler. Soothing her by letting her play on my phone so I could have just fifteen minutes of calm while we careened down the isles of Walmart trying to get everything done is one of the latest mommy sins I've adapted into my mommy arsenal. It works and hey...I don't knock it because sometimes that's what life is about.

Sometimes it's about going back on those things you used to think and feel to adapt to this fast-changing world. Sometimes it's giving in on a cell phone, sometimes it's having to ask someone for help, sometimes it's having to be the bad guy, sometimes it's admitting you were wrong. Life is all about change and I think if we go into it thinking with our hearts and minds open the easier it will be. Yes, we're going to make mistakes...LOTS of mistakes ( senior picture remember) but that's the beauty in life, you can learn from them. You can grow from them and while you might feel a little guilty about going back on a certain way you used to think try not to be so hard on yourself. You're doing your best, and look....you're only human. Life wouldn't be fun if we all stuck to a road map, life is all about getting stuck in ditches and finding out what works for someone else might not work for us and that's ok because we need to find our own paths and we need to accept that fact towards others too.

Whatever you're holding onto from your old self, whatever negative thoughts, feelings or mistakes you might have harbored from your old life and your old self just give them up. Recognize that you're a human and you're growing. Try to love yourself like you love that little human you're helping to grow and learn. Move on from mistakes and recognize that faults make us stronger. Changing our old thoughts and opinions means we're growing. Loving and accepting others' faults, mistakes and changes means you're a decent human being. We shouldn't be so embarassed about the way we once were or the thoughts we once held. We need to focus instead on our future and our now. Next time you think back to some of those old choices you made and feelings you had I hope you give yourself the grace to let them simply go, and let yourself instead be happy with the person you are now and not dissapointed in the person you once were. Life is about change and changing with it means we're alive and growing...it's a good thing.

ZAQ Mirage Diffuser Review

Well we finally did it. We survived the trip to another state, the moving process, and things are finally getting settled back into a routine. Thank you everyone for being so patient with the blog. Hubby loves his new job, and we love our new house. Things are finally getting back to normal, well...with the added bonus of a new baby on the way! Even when things are settling down it's still fairly crazy around here, I'm sure you can relate. Anywho....this move happened to fall literally two days after our anniversary ( 4 years married, 10 years together) and we had decided to wait until we got settled to celebrate. Hubby being the wonderful man he is though surprised me with a diffuser. 

I have been wanting a diffuser for AGES. Normally in the past if I wanted to distribute essential oils into the air I'd put some water on the stove on low and add a few drops but it just wasn't the same. For one the smell dissipates fairly quickly, and then you have the bulkiness of a pot on the stove constantly running, and that's not even mentioning the cleanup. Needless to say this wasn't my favorite method, but it did the job. At least I thought it was sufficient until I was introduced to this bad boy: The ZAQ Mirage. You guys...I have seen the light. Without going on much further let's hop into the review shall we? 

1. This machine is beautiful

There are LOTS of diffusers out there and to be honest most look, well...a little crazy. They look like something off an alien ship, they're not very appealing to the eye. If you have one of these odd shaped ones..sorry, don't mean to offend you or anything but they're just not my personal style. The mirage is gorgeous though. It has elegant lines and an overall smooth shape. It's really very pretty, especially when the lights are on and changing. 

2. Seamlessly fits into the decor

This is a little similar to my first point, but because the machine doesn't jut out or have an odd shape it really fits easily into the decor. It's closer to the ground more than most of the other models so it wont stick up and catch the eye and it's all white. You can opt to turn the color changing feature off while the machine is running if you prefer the Mirage to stay in that all-white state. White tends to blend in with most rooms and decor so this is a home run. 

3. Quiet while running

This thing is practically silent. No more covering your head to sleep at night over the sounds of a humidifier...this thing is quiet. I don't hear it at all, literally. I run it all the time when Munchkin is sleeping and you just simply wouldn't know it was running if not for the changing colors and mist. If your house is super quiet you might notice the small hum, but not if you have little munchkins running around and a washing machine going I promise you.  

4. Distributes the essential oils into the air quickly

I usually run mine in the open center of the house and within the hour you can smell it in both adjoining rooms. Granted it's not as strong as in the main room, but the scent does travel which means the oils are traveling which is exactly what you want. With the pot on the stove method the scent is only in the kitchen. 

5. The EO smells last the whole time

As I said before, with the pot on the stove the smell might last an hour..if you're lucky and you put a lot of oils in. It usually dissipates quicker than that though. That's not the case with the Mirage. I can smell whatever blend I put into the machine the whole time it runs. It of course gets fainter the more closer to the water running out it is, but throughout the process you continually smell the oils. 

6. The gentle changing of the colors

I didn't think I'd like this feature to be honest with you, but as soon as I turned it on I was in love. The colors aren't super bright and contrasting it's very gentle. It's very calming and therapeutic. Munchkin also loves the colors and I usually move the diffuser into her room at night so she can watch the "pretty" colors change while she drifts off to sleep. What's better than lulling colors while diffusing bliss blend for little ones? 

7. Long lasting 

My absolute favorite thing about this diffuser ( sorry I didn't list it on the pic..I blame the pregnancy brain) is how long the diffusing process lasts once you turn it on. I read some reviews of other diffusers and they mentioned shutting off after only 4 or 5 hours and I wasn't very interested. I chase after a Munchkin all day, I've got a house to maintain, and supper to be cooked I don't have time to keep refilling a diffuser. This baby is totally different though. I simply put the water in to the fill line, press the button and it runs for 10-12 hours. It's INCREDIBLE. Plus it has an automatic shut off so I don't even have to worry about catching it when the water runs out, it simply just shuts itself off. 

Those are my top favorite things about this baby. 

Now let's look at actually running it. 

Like I said before it's REALLY easy. 

You simply plug the Mirage in. Make sure you set it on a nice, solid, flat surface. You don't want the machine to be anywhere that it can get knocked over, fall, or be tipped. Then you simply take the top off. It sits on it, there's no twisting, pulling, etc. Then you add water to the fill line (as close to room temp as you can. Not too hot, not too cold), add your essential oils then replace the lid. 

When you're ready you simply press the power button. 

Pressing the power button once

 will begin the diffusing process and light changing 

Pressing the power button twice

 will stop the color changing and leave it on whatever color you'd like

Pressing the power button three times

 will turn the colors off while still diffusing 

Pressing the power button four times 

will turn the machine off. 

See? It's SO easy! 

Well that's about it. 

If you have any questions please feel free to message me and

 I'll do my best to answer. Like always, if you'd like to 

get one from Spark Naturals you can use 

coupon code "Bubble" to save 10% off your whole order 

Now the real fun begins: exploring new diffuser blends!