Depending on where you live, snowfall is well underway. Perhaps you are living your best life in the sunshine with beautiful holiday decorations that replicate a wintery vibe. No matter where you live or how much you decorate, you can take your holidays to the next level with some diffuser blends. Diffusing essential oils that are specific to the holiday season can enhance the spirit of holiday gatherings and activities. Have the room smell like a fresh Christmas tree lot while wrapping presents, for example!

Essential oils that remind you of the holidays typically have woody, citrusy, spicy, and refreshing aromas. Using oils that give off these scents can blend synergistically to your environment, enriching your holiday experience. Additionally, you may find that they brighten your space, elevate your mood, and comfort your soul. Continue reading to learn about some amazing essential oil blends for the holidays. 

Safety First

Using essential oils for parties and entertaining is great, but there are a few safety rules to take note of prior to using them. Keep the following in mind, particularly when it comes to diffusing essential oils in public gatherings:

• Inhaling essential oils can be harmful for certain groups and animals. Some of these groups include babies (especially six months or younger), children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, pets, and people with allergies or hypertension. 
• If your guest list includes anyone from the previously mentioned groups, it’s better not to diffuse essential oils at your event. 
• If you are diffusing essential oils, make sure that they are 100% pure varieties. You don’t want to skimp on essential oils because they may contain artificial fragrances, which can harm your health. 
• If you use an electric diffuser, only run the diffuser for little increments of time. Consider diffusing an hour before people arrive and then plug it in again after a couple hours. That will keep the aroma subtle and not overpowering. 
• Don’t diffuse in the kitchen or around food, snacks, and drinks. 

Choosing The Right Essential Oils For The Holidays

Pairing essential oils to put in a diffuser is not specific to the holiday season. This is a year-round practice that you can do, but certain essential oils evoke a festive, merry atmosphere. Pine, cedarwood, spruce, fir, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg essential oils have different aromas reminiscent of different parts of the holiday season. Spruce and fir essential oils give off woody aromas, while clove and nutmeg essential oils give off aromas that smell like snickerdoodle or gingerbread cookies.

Citrus essential oils are also very popular to use during the holidays because citrus fruits are in season. Sweet orange and lemon essential oils offer a festive, bright balance to diffuser blends. You can also incorporate the cool, frosty scents of peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils. Last, but most certainly not least, you have the two holiday classics: frankincense and myrrh essential oils. Learn how to use all of these in the following diffuser blends. 

Candy Cane Celebration

A scrumptious blend of winter wonderland is exactly what this blend is! Think of powdery snow and the smell of the classic holiday candy. 

Ingredients:

• 2 drops wintergreen essential oil
• 3 drops peppermint essential oil
• 2 drops cinnamon essential oil

Winter Spice Blend

Do the scents of these essential oils embody the holiday season? That’s up to you to decide! This blend enriches your space whether you put up decorations or not. It truly is the perfect blend for sipping cocoa with loved ones, decorating the tree with kids, or doing any holiday activity at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 drop ginger essential oil
• 1 drop silver fir essential oil
• 3 drops bergamot essential oil
• 1 drop cassia essential oil

Cleansing Holiday Blend

Highlighted by the sweetness of patchouli essential oil, this blend exhibits floral and woody notes. It has a light, pleasant, and cleansing aroma that refreshes your space during the holidays. 

Ingredients:

• 4 drops patchouli essential oil
• 3 drops lavender essential oil
• 1 drop cinnamon bark essential oil

Wiseman’s Blend

Get into the classic Christmas spirit with this warming blending of frankincense and myrrh essential oils. Consider adding two drops of sweet orange essential oil to this blend in order to add a bright citrusy note. 

Ingredients:

• 3 drops frankincense essential oil
• 3 drops myrrh essential oil

Spiced Cider Blend

A warm, apple-infused drink with the perfect amount of sugar and spice is perfect for the holiday season. If you love the aroma of spiced cider but don’t enjoy the flavor, this is the blend for you. It has the quintessential cider notes because it calls for ginger, sweet orange, and cinnamon essential oils.

Ingredients:

• 3 drops ginger essential oil
• 3 drops sweet orange essential oil
• 1 drop cinnamon essential oil

Gingerbread House Blend

Would the holidays be complete without a trademark gingerbread house? Instead of making a mess with gingerbread, icing, and candy, diffuse this blend of earthy aromas to indulge your senses.

Ingredients:

• 2 drops ginger essential oil
• 1 drop clove essential oil
• 1 drop cardamom essential oil
• 2 drops cinnamon essential oil

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Be careful this season and implement fire safety throughout the season. Keep tree lights off while you’re out, and be sure to check the batteries in your smoke detector!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:31 You’re twice as likely to die in a house fire over the Christmas holidays as you are the rest of the year?
1:33 How many people get hurt every year putting their Christmas lights up?
2:51 Which day of the year are you most likely to have a heart attack?
4:11 Outro

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The holidays are a time for eating, drinking, and … stress? Studies show that more people die between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day than any other time of the year.

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Being healthy during the holidays has a nice ring to it, but anyone who has lived through the holiday season knows that this is no easy feat. Some argue that it is impossible to be healthy during this time of year. Holiday parties, happy hours, gift-shopping, long to-do lists, and other festivities make it difficult to maintain physical and mental health. In fact, it’s safe to say that most people neglect themselves until New Year’s Day. 

A recent survey found that 63% of people feel too much pressure during the holiday season. This pressure can result from obligations to social events, travel, incoming family, buying gifts, and more. There’s no need to let the holiday season serve you sickness or stress on a silver platter, though. You have the ability to avoid the Christmas cold and holiday stress eating! You have the power to create a safe space for your mental health and avoid weight gain during the holiday festivities. All it takes is a little bit of balance, and the following tips aim to help you achieve that balance. 

Indulge With Intention

When you completely deny yourself everything, you often find yourself face first in a cake. While that may not be the case for everyone, it is very common to lash out against yourself when you are so worried about not cheating on your diet. The all-or-nothing mindset is what can get you into trouble. Life is the best when you can enjoy it, so the secret to seasonal success is indulging with intention. When you have a plan and color outside the lines of your diet on purpose, you won’t feel guilty. Survey the holiday spread at a party, for example, and identify what matters to you the most. If you allow yourself the fullest version of what you want, you’ll realize that you don’t need that much of it. 

Make Movement Merry

Between holiday travel, end of the year projects, and children home from school, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed. The holidays are not synonymous with normalcy! Carving out time to go to the gym or jog around the neighborhood can be very difficult. That’s why most people call December a wash and start anew in January. Since you are going to be with family, though, schedule activities that involve movement. Snow tubing or sledding is a great activity because you have to walk up the hill in order to slide back down. Elevate that experience by heading to the mountain to ski or snowboard. That is a great way to burn some calories and strengthen your legs. Consider taking the kids to a holiday ice rink and don’t forget about all the steps you get when you shop for gifts. 

Relieve Financial Strain

Out of all the holiday responsibilities, buying and giving gifts may be the biggest contributor to stress, not to mention commercialism and materialism. When it comes to managing holiday stress, you want to give yourself permission to not buy gifts for everyone. What is going to bring the people you love joy? Is it the gift of material possessions? Perhaps a homemade sugar scrub or handmade book of coupons would be more appreciated. If spending money stresses you out, set boundaries for yourself and put a limit on your spending. What are smaller things that you can give or do for your family or friends? Figure out what they are and focus your efforts on that to alleviate the burden on your wallet. 

Trust Your Gut

Let’s push weight gain to the side for a second and bring the focus back to your gut. What you eat has a big influence on your body, especially your gut. An unhealthy gut is a serious risk factor for weak immune function, since roughly 70% of the immune system exists in the gut. The last thing you want to do is provide your gut with unhealthy foods that cause an overproduction of bad bacteria. Ideally, you want to optimize your microbiome by eating both prebiotic and probiotic foods. According to several studies, these foods encourage a healthier gut, enhancing the body’s ability to fight off infection, viruses, and disease. In order to keep your gut healthy, it’s going to take more than abstaining from the occasional candy cane. Always include fruits or vegetables with your meals, eat more fermented foods, drink plenty of water, eat fiber-rich foods, and get enough sleep to optimize gut health.

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Be careful these holidays!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:40 Shoveling snow is more dangerous than most winter sports.
2:06 Half of all car crash fatalities between Christmas and new year’s are DUI crashes.
2:53 Every year, about 5,000 people end up in the ER because of injuries they got decorating for Christmas.
4:25 Carbon monoxide is the silent killer of the winter.
6:15 Overtime
6:54 Outro

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If you have ever had the Master Cleanse beverage, you know that it can be quite intense. The cayenne can sneak up on you, but in this slushie rendition, that peppery cayenne doesn’t have as much of a kick. The combination of the zesty zing of the lemon and the frosty nature of this beverage make it wildly refreshing and enjoyable to drink. In fact, it’s the perfect drink to have after a glutinous weekend of holiday eating.

It’s no secret that people eat like wild animals during the holidays. The sweets, the heavy carb-centric dishes, the assortment of meats and cheeses, and more weigh you down. A recent survey found that people eat about 7,000 to 8,000 calories on Christmas Day. That is almost four times the recommended daily caloric intake! But that’s America, folks!

Although this detox beverage won’t undo all the eating you did over the holidays, it can help kickstart the detoxification process. The body cannot properly process all of the foods people eat during the holidays, so a little help never hurt anyone. In addition to assisting with the body’s natural detox process, this slushie may give you a boost of energy. After drinking it, you may feel like you are ready to conquer the world!

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If you want to enter the world of DIY beauty products, lip balms are the perfect entry point. They are not extremely difficult to make, and you can customize their flavor using different essential oils. In the case of the recipe in this article, we chose an essential oil that evokes the holiday spirit. All you need is a double boiler and four ingredients to make this lip balm!

When people look at DIY recipes, they often see a double boiler on the list of required items or tools. You don’t need a double boiler, but you can get one if you plan on making a lot of homemade beauty products. You can make your own double boiler variation in two easy ways. Both ways involve a pot that contains an inch or so of water in it. Place that pot on the stove over medium heat. Once the water is warm, place the ingredients you need to melt inside a heat-safe glass jar or measuring cup. Don’t let the water boil and stir until fully melted. The other option is to place a heat-safe glass bowl over the top of the pot with water. The heat that builds up in the pot will help melt the ingredients in the bowl above. 

Shea Butter

Shea butter boasts a long list of moisturizing and nourishing compounds. One of the best benefits is that it is enriched with emollient properties and health fats, which the skin can easily absorb for optimal hydration. Even the driest of skin types are no match for shea butter’s moisturizing properties. Applying shea butter to your lips supplies them with extra nutrients without weighing them down. Shea butter doesn’t leave your lips feeling greasy or textured either. Plus, the humectant properties work to prevent moisture loss during the winter months. 

Beeswax

You are probably familiar with the many beeswax lip balms in existence, and for good reason. Beeswax is an excellent ingredient for lip balms because it helps to seal in moisture and protect against dryness. It works to create a barrier between your lips and the environment, making it ideal for cold, windy weather. Like shea butter, beeswax is a natural substance that is not likely to cause allergic reactions or irritation. Finally, the anti-inflammatory properties help to soothe chapped or irritated lips. 

Coconut Oil

Just like shea butter and beeswax, coconut oil offers impressive moisturizing properties, making it ideal for chapped lips. The reason that lips are susceptible to moisture loss is because the skin is so thin. They are more exposed to the elements than other parts of the skin, so they rely on you for protection. Coconut oil is considered to be an emollient, which is a non-cosmetic moisturizer that helps keep the skin moist. Emollients trap moisture into the skin, which is good news for your lips because they lose moisture easily.

A Quick Note

One thing to note is that if you cannot get the Christmas Spirit essential oil, you can make a similar blend. All you need is three drops of cinnamon bark essential oil, three drops of orange essential oil, and one drop of Idaho blue spruce essential oil. You only need seven drops because you don’t want the scent to be overpowering, although you can add more if you so desire. 

All-Natural Holiday Lip Balm

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon beeswax pellets
• 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon shea butter
• 7 drops Christmas Spirit essential oil
• Lip balm containers

Instructions:

• Create a double boiler by adding two inches of water to a pot and place it on the stove over medium heat. 
• Combine the beeswax, coconut oil, and shea butter in a heat-safe glass jar and sit it inside the pot. Slowly bring the water to a boil and reduce the hit so that the water simmers. 
• Once the ingredients are fully melted, stir well and then carefully remove the pot from heat. Add the essential oil and stir to combine. 
• Carefully pour or spoon the melted mixture into the lip balm containers. Allow the balm to harden at room temperature, and then it is ready for immediate use.

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Contrary to popular belief, you do not need an open fire to roast chestnuts. Simply, give them a quick soak, score them, and throw them in the air fryer for 10 minutes! Although it isn’t quite the holiday season, you can still enjoy a healthy snack that you commonly eat around Christmas. Chestnuts are excellent sources of fiber, vitamin C, and minerals like potassium and copper.

Almonds and peanuts pack the most protein, but chestnuts pack a lot of complex carbohydrates, which the body digests slowly for a stable energy source. Foods that are high in fiber and complex carbs also have a positive impact on blood sugar. These nutrients keep you full for longer and reduce potential spikes blood sugar. Speaking of blood but unrelated to blood sugar, the copper in chestnuts supports blood vessel health. It also works to support nerve, immune, and bone health, in addition to improving iron absorption.

Unlike baking or boiling, air frying chestnuts actually gives them a toasty, slightly sweet flavor. The sweet aroma of the chestnuts cooking in the air fryer entices you to eat them once they’re done. Did you know that chestnuts are best enjoyed just after roasting? In Hong Kong, for example, you enjoy chestnuts right after vendors toss them into the charcoal, where they develop a smoky, sweet flavor. Last but not least, try to buy your chestnuts from a local source because they tend to get moldy the longer they are stored. We hope you love this recipe during the holiday season!

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From Thanksgiving and Hanukkah to Christmas and the New Year, the festivities never seem to end. Family members come from out of town, offices and friends throw holiday parties, and it all seems to revolve around food. Many people often indulge a little more than usual, imbibing too many glasses of wine and getting extra helpings of dessert. If you have diabetes, the copious amounts of food can make it difficult to manage the condition. You do, however, have the ability to navigate the holidays in a healthier way as a diabetic.

Finding balance during the holidays can be tough for diabetics. Managing blood sugar may not always be the easiest task, and the holidays demand more of your attention. If you want to maintain energy for all the holiday festivities, it’s integral to not let yourself go. While healthy eating plays a role in managing the condition, there are other steps you can take to help balance blood glucose levels. Continue reading to learn more about tips that can help you prepare for a healthier holiday season.

Be Selective

Traditional holiday dishes tend to be quite rich and carb-centric. Mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, pumpkin & pecan pies, stuffing, candied yams, and are just some of the dishes offered at traditional holiday gatherings. One of the best things you can do as a diabetic is be selective, focusing on dishes that are more “special” than others. If you can’t survive a holiday season without your mother’s green bean casserole, skip some other dishes and enjoy that one thoroughly. You can generally estimate which meals have more carbs than others, so keep that in mind as you put food on your plate. 

Know Your Carb Counts

If you want to manage diabetes, it can be beneficial to familiarize yourself with the carb counts of certain foods and dishes. Once you know how certain foods affect your blood sugar, you can make more educated decisions about food. For example, if brown rice, smoothie bowls, and sweet potatoes are regular staples, you know how much insulin you need to cover those foods. Every person’s body reacts to food differently, though, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all answer for carb counting. In general, eating starchy, cooked carbs tends to require more insulin than a bowl of raw fruit. 

Don’t Neglect Vegetables

Vegetables don’t typically take center stage on holiday spreads. If vegetables are present, they tend to be cooked with other heavy ingredients like sugar, butter, and dairy. Going to a holiday party or gathering? Offer to bring a green salad, baked Brussels sprouts, or roasted vegetables seasoned with various spices. You get bonus points for choosing non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach. Not only do they help fill you up, but they also give the body a break from the high-fat, high-calorie, and high-carb holiday dishes. 

Time Your Meals

During the holidays, it’s common to go from a family feast to a friend’s party. Isn’t it strange that they all seem to be at odd times? That’s the holidays for you! In regards to timing, it’s important to plan how you will adapt when meals don’t align with your typical eating times/meal schedule. If you take insulin injections or a pill that lowers blood sugar, you may need to have a snack at your regular meal time to prevent low blood sugar. It’s also beneficial to eat breakfast and healthy snacks because “saving up” for a big meal can negatively affect blood glucose levels. In conjunction with this tip, don’t skip meals either, as that can lead to hypoglycemia.

Eat Smaller Portions

At some point in time, the holidays became a contest for who could eat the most food. Because many holiday dishes are carb-heavy, it’s beneficial to approach the holiday spread in a mindful way. Eating mindfully generally translates to being mindful of your portions. If you can’t decide between two high-carb dishes, employ the two-tablespoon rule. Only serve yourself a two-tablespoon portion of those foods. Essentially, you’ll be sampling some of your favorites! Keep in mind, though, that sampling every single dish can drastically increase the carbs and calories. Consider eating off a dessert plate to keep your portions in check. 

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People love the holidays, but they can cause a lot of stress. From event planning to coordinating with family arrivals, the holidays demand emotional and mental energy, which can easily deplete. Not to mention, the energy one must exert to entertain can physically drain the body. What does that mean for a relationship at the end of the day?

It’s very common to have a relationship take a backseat to the rest of the goings-on during the holidays. One or both partners may not even classify the relationship as a priority. Additionally, one person in the relationship may gain more joy out of the holiday festivities, while the other person just grinds through them. It’s fine to avoid Christmas music in the car or conversing with specific family members, for example, but it’s not acceptable to neglect the relationship. It’s important to carve out time to nurture the relationship, focusing intently on each party. Learn how to do that during the holiday hustle and bustle with the following tips. 

Be Curious

When you’re busy, it’s quite common to be swept up by your own schedule. A busy schedule isn’t an excuse to avoid inquiring about your partner’s day or feelings, though. There isn’t a requirement to ask your partner about every single aspect of their day, but maintaining curiosity can help care for the flame in a relationship. You can always learn something new about your partner, especially if their environment or personality changes. A simple, “Tell me about the best and worst parts of your day,” can go a long way. Not only will you start up a conversation and learn more, but you’ll also maintain an intimate connection.

Skip Some Of The Parties

Some people live for holiday parties. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, the invitations roll in and it can be overwhelming if you try to attend all of them. It’s quite common that one person in the relationship will get annoyed by all the socializing, so don’t overcommit and attend all of the parties. Talk to one another about the parties you really want to attend and the ones that you’d be happy to miss. Sometimes, avoiding the party and taking time for just the two of you is more beneficial. Consider dinner and a movie or simply spend the night at home and relax. 

Listening Dates

Speaking of spending the night at home, why not turn it into a listening date? Similar to being curious about your partner, sometimes it’s integral to just sit down and listen as intently as possible. Set a time and make sure you put away your phones, so as not to be distracted while the other person is talking. Don’t have the TV on, either! Look your partner in the eyes and listen quietly, allowing them to vent or simply tell you about their day. This exercise helps the person feel heard and it can actually strengthen your relationship. 

Create Boundaries With Family

Extended family coming and going throughout the holidays can take a toll on a relationship. Different family dynamics can press all sorts of buttons! No matter how healthy or dysfunctional the family is, it’s important to establish boundaries in order to avoid tension, stress, and hurt feelings. Have a conversation with your partner about being on the same team and make a plan together. You can decide what to do if certain issues come up. It’s impossible to predict what people are going to say, but you can have a plan to redirect the conversation away from polarizing topics. Lastly, each partner should communicate boundaries with their own families, so that that responsibility doesn’t fall on the other person. 

Have Fun

Carve out time for fun this holiday season because there are so many activities that can bring joy. One of the best ways to connect with a partner is through laughter, fun, and play. Head to an outdoor ice skating rink or consider a holiday lights tour. You can even go to a mini golf place! If you want to be more low key, you can stay at home and play some cards or walk through the neighborhood holding hands on a cold night. Remember, fun exists even in the most ordinary places. 

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