So I finally made the lavender lemonade that my daughter posted on my Facebook page. The recipe was on the Healthy Holistic Living website. When the essential oils I ordered came in, I couldn’t wait to make this, but I had too much work to do, so it had to wait until today. Finally.

I’m pretty sure I used to have a juicer thingie, but I have no idea what happened to it, so I ended up squeezing the heck out of 6 lemons to get 2 cups of fresh juice. It helps to nuke the lemons for about 15 seconds and then roll them on the counter. My hands were a bit sticky once I was done, but they sure smelled good.

Then, I added the 12 cups of water and the cup of honey. After a bit of stirring to get the honey mixed in, I added 1 drop of my lavender essential oil*. I mixed it well and couldn’t wait to taste it.

I lifted the glass to my lips and immediately put it back down. What do I smell? Soap? Arg! So I quickly poured it into another pitcher, thinking I hadn’t rinsed the first one well enough and had ruined my lemonade with soap. By the time I was on my third pitcher, I realized I was smelling the lavender oil. (Yes, I’m a little slow sometimes.) I am really surprised that one drop is that powerful!

Anyhow, the lemonade is really yum, and I hope it helps with my headaches. I may need to start buying bigger jars of honey (or raising bees and getting my own).

Lavender is great for headaches and helps you sleep better. It’s also an excellent multi-purpose essential oil for cuts, burns, bruises, rashes, and sunburn.

Now I have a bowl full of wonderfully fragrant lemon peels, and they won’t go to waste. You can make an all-purpose cleaner with lemon (or any other citrus) peels. Just put them in a jar and cover them with vinegar. Let it sit for a few weeks, and then strain it out.

To make your cleaner even more powerful, especially in a greasy kitchen, add a few drops of lemon essential oil*. Lemon essential oil is great for odors and breaking up grease, making it a perfect addition to your homemade cleaners. It’s also a good habit to have a drop in a glass of water each morning to wake up your digestive system and boost your immune system.

*NOTE: Not all essential oils are safe to ingest, so please make sure the ones you have are safe. If you aren’t sure, order Young Living essential oils through me.