Tis the season for all things seasonal wellness related…right?!?! It’s so important that we support our immune systems but also have a plan for what we can do when and if we do get sick.

We did not have oils when our kiddos were little….and I so wish we did though. However, I do remember as a child, my mom would give me a spoon of Rock and Rye Whisky with a little lemon and honey….yall the home remedies were real!! She also used to rub camphorated oil heated up a little on my legs in my elementary years when I’d have horrendous growing pains in the middle of the night. She would get the Dr. to prescribe it and pick it up at the pharmacy and I’ll never forget those brown glass bottles and the way the oil smelled.

So I do have a long history with oils….but unfortunately I didn’t know what I know now when our kiddos were little to help with seasonal wellness. But hey when you know better, you do better.

Can we keep our kids from getting sick? No. We will all get sick. But our bodies are made to heal and fight. And we don’t have to REMAIN sick.

You are the gatekeeper of your home. You get to choose what comes in and what goes out. And I love knowing now what to do when our bodies fall below the wellness line.

Recently, one of our girls got the flu. When the Dr. came in to tell us she tested positive he was shocked, she was shocked, and I was shocked. She didn’t present as a normal flu patient, but the test for strain B was positive. She was achy and had cold like symptoms with a cough and runny nose and a low grade fever…but not the severe flu like symptoms that are typical. I think this was partly due to the fact that her immune system was in pretty good shape because of all the things we do to support seasonal wellness.

Here are a few tips that we used to help support her and to help hopefully stop the spread to the rest of us (which no one else got in in our household, praise the Lord!):

1: We immediately cleaned EVERYTHING with Thieves household cleaner!! Anything she touched was immediately sprayed down and we all kept our hands washed with Thieves soap regularly. I washed her bedding daily and sprayed the couch pillows daily with Thieves spray.

2: I made elderberry syrup for her to take 3-4 times a day and the rest of us began taking a tablespoon daily for preventive measures. I found this recipe here:

2/3 cup dried elderberries (I found mine on Amazon)
3 1/2 cups of water
2-in. nub of fresh gingerroot, roughly chopped (I didn’t have any so I left it out)
3 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp. whole cloves
Rind of one orange or I used my Young Living orange oil
1 cup raw honey (I used local honey)

Step 1: Cook the elderberry mixture

Add all ingredients except honey to a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil on high heat. Once it starts to boil, reduce the burner to medium-high. Let the elderberry mixture simmer for 45-60 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half.

Editor’s tips: Cooking honey reduces its medicinal benefits, so don’t do it for this elderberry syrup recipe! And don’t worry if there are a few stems among the dried elderberries. You’ll strain them all out at the end.

Step 2: Let it cool

Remove from heat and let cool for about 30 minutes. Pour the mixture over a mesh strainer, into a glass measuring cup. Let the mixture cool until it is lukewarm. (You can toss out the elderberries and spices—their work here is done.)

Step 3: Finish the elderberry syrup recipe

Add honey and stir until it’s well incorporated. Behold, your own homemade elderberry syrup! Then pour the contents into jars or bottles and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Editor’s tip: We pour our honey straight into the measuring cup. It sinks to the bottom, so we can see how much we’ve added.

3: The third thing we did to help combat the flu was that we did Thieves oil on the bottoms of all our feet to help support that immune system. We also diffused RC or Thieves oil around the clock right next to her whether she was on the couch or in the bed. We also did a detox bath with epsom salt and a few of her fave essential oils.

I do have to say that I am a fan of modern medicine!!! We take medicine when needed, we see the doctor as needed….but I also know that there are other things that we can do naturally to support our bodies. I noticed that she began to feel better quicker than expected and by using the tools listed above, the rest of us were able to remain well and healthy! Think of ways that you can incorporate natural remedies and maybe essential oils into your seasonal wellness routine!!