How I soothe The Hubs' aching muscles

Alright. So we already know I’m obsessed with my hair, children, and organization, but I’m also a little nutty about essential oils. I’m like our family’s holistic witch doctor. I’ve got in my arsenal a variety of essential oils that I believe to have the powers to heal a multitude of ailments: teething, sore muscles, eczema, you name it – and I always think I know the cure. A little later I’ll share with you my oil recipe for sore, teething gums, but now I’d like to share the massage oil I’ve drummed up for my husband, Scott.

Some background on Scott: In case you haven’t seen our photo on the About the Girl page, he’s kind of a big guy. Like, really big. You don’t spend seven years of your life blocking 300-plus-pound men in the NFL by watching your figure or holding the mayo on your burger. (For the better part of his football career, he subsisted on nearly 8,000 calories a day.) Here is one of my favorite photos of him taken in Pittsburgh by a newspaper photographer before a game against the Steelers:

As you probably already know, you don’t leave that profession without accumulating battle scars. Yes, some of these scars are easily seen, like how both of Scott’s pink fingers curve at the end from being broken several times by getting them caught in his opponents’ football helmets. But he has just as many ailments that you can’t see: arthritis, inflammation, etc. Add to the bodily stress that Scott now stands on his feet everyday as a professional chef. His muscles get downright sore. So here’s the massage oil* I make from scratch – I mix it all up in a little ceramic ramekin:

*Three tablespoons of unscented natural massage oil (mine is a mixture of safflower, grapeseed, sweet almond, and sunflower oils and vitamins E and A.)

*Add about five drops of marjoram oil. Marjoram has good muscle relaxant properties and the pain killing properties are useful for rheumatic pains as well as sprains, strains and spasms, as well as swollen joints and painful muscles.

*Add another five drops of lavender oil, which blends well with marjoram and is known to help “de-stress”

That’s it. Everything I mentioned above – in fact, all of my oils – are from a company called Fabulous Frannie based in California. (My “fabulous” collection is pictured at the top of this post.)

Fabulous Frannie sells products on its own Web site, fabulousfrannie.com, but I highly suggest buying from their eBay store because most of their items from their eBay store ship for free. I’ve bought from them for years, and I have bolstered my stash by taking advantage of their eBay listing in which they offer “choose any three oils for free shipping.” The company also sends a nice trifold that gives a brief description of the oils’ notes and properties.

Always consult a medical professional first in the event of an injury. Never use essential oils undiluted and be sure to test a very small amount on your skin before applying. It is also a good idea to read up on an essential oil prior to use, as some oils are not to be used while in direct sunlight, during pregnancy, etc.