What are the best gifts for men, especially given the limited choices? Another grilling set, running jacket, or extra electonic gadget? We say “No, thanks”, and so does he.

Ever noticed how much harder it is to find the very best gifts for men vs. perfect gifts for women?  For women, there are a gazillion categories to choose from! Depending on her personality, favorite categories can include jewelry, makeup, clothes, shoes, home, sports, hobbies or electronics, to name only a few.

But, often, the best gifts for men are limited to the categories of sports, electronics and maybe clothes, while electronics and clothes don’t always make the best gifts for men because they can be a little, ahem, “particular” at times. The great news is that at Joyaplenty, with our owner havings sons and a husband, we “get this”, so we’ve solved this man problem with our newest product line, The Joy Tray. It’s ideal for any man in your life because you can customize it for that special guy, whether it’s your dad, hubby, son or friend. Here are just a few of our favorite ways to turn The Joy Tray into that perfect gift for the men in your life.

First, let’s talk uses for The Joy Tray. This tray’s the perfect size to collect loose coins on the dresser as a valet tray, grooming items as a vanity tray, or a convenient entry organizer for keys. It can hold loose papers or pens on a desk, the disappearing remote on the coffee table, or that evening cocktail with a small bowl of nuts.

This sleek tray looks great as is, but you can make your guy feel really special with one of the following simple insert customizations below. It’s easy! Simply print a photo or document onto plain letter size paper, and slide it in. (Don’t worry; if you want to go all out, video training on how to create custom inserts using free online tools is included with your purchase!)

Which image would that guy you’re shopping for love to see on the bottom on his very own tray?

1. His name or initials
2. Favorite team mascot
3. Kids or grandkids
4. Best buds
5. Favorite sport, such as golfing, skiing or sailing
6. Gear used for his sport; fishing tackle, golf courses, or sails
7. A collage of favorite images that reflect your guy
8. Wedding
9. Honeymoon
10. College symbol
11. Think balls; bowling balls, footballs, soccer balls, golf balls, basket balls
12. Reminder image, such as KEYS GO HERE (or the remote, coins or money)
13. His dear ole dad
14. Siblings
15. Collage of antique cars, boats, or duck decoys
16. Travel mementoes
17. Favorite quote
18. Insert with Good Morning _________ for that first coffee
19. Best _______ (Dad, Grandad, Son) Ever!

Now you can know for absolutely certain that this will not be another gift that your guy already has! It’s high quality, heavy and hand crafted. Besides, 10% of net profits go to children’s homes in the USA. Do something special this year for those men in your life while helping others.

Click here to get your Joy Tray at our Amazon store now while we’re including the free insert training.

https://joyaplenty.com/best-gifts-for-men/

The therapeutic benefits of essential oils have been touted for ages—and rightfully so. We know from experience that these oils have the capacity to calm and to invigorate, to heal and to beautify. While you probably use your favorite few oils constantly, you may not be aware of the following, surprising ways you can use essential oils to remedy common home problems and create a happy and healthy living environment. (Check out our popular Essential Oil Cases to transport your favorite oils safely.)
1. Tired of Toxic Smelling Cleansers? Enhance the effectiveness of natural cleaning products with any Citrus oil. These oils are safe on nearly all surfaces and will help your wood and tile shine.
2. Stinky Vacuum Cleaner Odor? Freshen the scent emitted by your vacuum cleaner by placing a few drops of lemon oil on a cotton ball and tossing it into your vacuum cleaner bag.
3. Smells of Last Night’s Dinner Lingering in Your Kitchen? Rid your kitchen of leftover food smells by adding Cinnamon oil to a pot of boiling water.
4. Ugly Spots on Your “Clean” Dishes? Make your dishes sparkle by adding a few drops of lemon oil into your soap dispenser before every dishwashing cycle.
5. Shriveling Fruit? Keep fruit fresh by rinsing it in a mixture of cool water and 5-7 drops of any citrus oil.
6. Problems with Creepy, Crawly Critters? Keep rodents and spiders at bay with Peppermint oil infused cotton balls placed strategically in cracks and entry spots around your home.
7. Kids Got a Little Too Artsy with Markers? Remove permanent marker stains from counter tops and other marked-up surfaces by rubbing the affected area with Lemon oil.
8. Want to Make Fake Flowers Blossom? Turn silk flowers into freshly picked bouquets by spritzing a mixture of water and a floral oil such as Rose, Geranium or Lavender on the leaves.
9. Burned Food Residue Clinging to Your Pots and Pans? Loosen by boiling Lemon oil and water in the dirty pots.
10. Overpowering Food Smells Inside Your Refrigerator? Deodorize your fridge by adding Lemongrass oil to a box of baking soda.
11. Musty-smelling Dish Sponge? After a few uses, dish sponges are better at holding and spreading bacteria than they are at cleaning dirty surfaces. Add a few drops of lemon oil to a cup of water and soak your sponge in-between uses to disinfect your sponge and increase its lifespan.
12. Struggling with Mold Allergies? Place a few drops of Lemon oil your air filter the next time you change it. Not only will it fill your home with a fresh odor, the oil will help kill off microbes in your duct work.
13. Pesky Flies and Mosquitoes Buzzing around Your Home? Place a diffuser of Lemongrass or Peppermint oil by each entryway for an invisible, pleasant-smelling bug shield.
14. Aphids Eating Holes in Your Rosebushes? Add a few drops of Lemon oil to a spray bottle full of water and spritz your plants generously.
15. Smelling Something Rotten Your Trashcan? Sprinkle a mixture of baking soda and Grapefruit oil in the bottom of the can to reduce those unpleasant odors of decay.
16. Stinky Shoes? Freshen up that foot odor by placing cotton balls infused with Lavender oil in the toes of your shoes when you take them off for the day.
17. Goop or Gum Stuck to Surfaces or Utensils? Place a few drops of Lemon oil on the area to loosen and remove sticky substances.
18. Pet Allergies? Add 6-8 drops of Lavender oil to your pets shampoo and/or rub a few drops on your hands and faces to eliminate the allergenic effects of dander.
19. Pet Odor? Combine 10 drops of Geranium oil with water in a spray bottle and spray any pet-frequented areas of your home.
20. Unwanted Sleeping Companions? Don’t let the bed bugs bite. Add a few drops of Eucalyptus oil to each load of sheets to kill unwanted mites.
21. Stubborn Residue on Your Shower Curtain and Bath Tiles? Get rid of shower scum with Tea Tree oil and Eucalyptus oil. Add a few drops of each to a spray bottle of water and spray on your shower curtain and around your bathtub every time you clean.
22. Scummy Build-Up around Faucets, Drains and Sink Handles? Combine a few drops of Lime and Bergamot oils with water and scrub down your kitchen and bathroom sinks for an extra clean shine.
23. In Need of a Reliable Bathroom Air Freshener? Place a diffuser filled with Rosemary or Lavender oil in bathrooms for a constant, fresh odor.
24. Damp Towels Smelling Musty? Add 8-10 drops of Citrus or Peppermint oil to a dryer sheet or wash cloth and toss in the dryer with clean towels for a lasting fresh scent between washes.
25. Love Leather, But Hate the Fuss? Wipe down leather items (jackets, chairs, shoes, purses, etc.) with Lemon oil to preserve them and prevent stains and cracking.
26. Time to Repaint Your Bedroom or Kitchen? Neutralize the unpleasant paint odor by adding 8-12 ml of Spearmint oil to full can of paint.
27. Have the Winter Blues? Invite Spring into your home year-round by mixing your favorite floral oil with baking soda and sprinkling liberally on your carpets. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before vacuuming.
28. Dusty, Musty Attic? Eliminate the closed-up odor of attics and crawl spaces by placing a diffuser of Lavender oil in the entryway.
29. Want to Make Your Holiday/Special Occasion Card or Gift Stand Out from the Masses? Scent cards and gift bags/boxes with a drop or two of your favorite essential oil.
30. Tarnished Silverware? Rub down silver with lemon oil before your next party or special event to brighten and remove signs of tarnishing.
31. Hosting a Holiday Party? Help create the holiday mood for your guests by putting out diffusers full of appropriate holiday smells. For example, Orange and Peppermint oils for Christmas, Lavender and Geranium oils for Easter, Rose oil for Valentine’s Day, etc.
32. Love Cooking with Garlic, But Despise the Lingering Odor on Your Fingers? Rub a few drops of Lavender oil into your fingers after chopping garlic or onions. The smells will vanish instantly.
33. Want to Give Your Child an Inscentive to Read? Place a drop of any essential oil on each picture in a children’s book for a scratch-and-sniff effect.
34. Furry Friends Scratching? Sprinkle a few drops of Eucalyptus oil onto the inner side of your pup’s collar.
35. Fido Stinky? Peppermint or Lavender oil drops in your dog’s bath water will take care of that!
Now it’s time to treat yourself to a little essential oil refreshment with these at home body nourishments….
36. Sore Muscles? Create your own massage oil. Combine 4 drops each of the following oils with 4-5 ounces of grapeseed oil for a penetrating, relaxing muscle treatment: Lavender oil, Lemongrass oil, Orange oil and Peppermint oil.
37. Hands Dry and Cracked from Use of Cleaning Products? Mix 6-8 drops of Lavender oil with 2 Tbsps. of Almond oil and rub into hands before and after you use household cleaning products.
38. Want to Smell Irresistible? Create a unique perfume by combining 3 of your favorite essential oils with 1 Tbsps. of grapeseed oil. For example, combine 2 drops Vanilla oil, 2 drops Orange oil and 2 drops Sandalwood oil with 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil in a dark glass bottle and shake vigorously.
39. Aching Joints from Bending, Twisting and Scrubbing? Combine 1 tsp. Wintergreen oil with 4 tsps. Coconut oil and massage into sore joints for instant pain relief.
40. Tired of Dull, Unmanageable Hair? Combine 3 Tbsps. organic apple cider vinegar (for shine) with 6 drops each of Lavender and Rosemary oils (for softening and strengthening effects). Rub mixture into hair and rinse.
41. Need a Perky Morning Face Lift? Combine ½ cup of those left-over coffee grounds with 5 drops of Orange oil and 2 tsps. honey for a refreshing facial scrub that will instantly brighten your skin and rid you of tired bags under your eyes.
42. Afraid of Skin Peeling after a Sunburn? Combine 3 drops of Frankincense oil to 3 tsps. pure aloe gel and rub on affected areas. Repeat as needed. This concoction will sooth redness and prevent skin from peeling and aging.
43. Need Quick Relief from a Cooking Burn? Apply a mixture of 1 drop of Peppermint oil combined with 1 tsp. pure aloe initially.
44. Pamper Burns. Apply 1 drop Lavender oil mixed with 1 tsp. pure aloe until the wound heals.
45. Painful Blisters on Hands and/or Feet? Combine 3 drops of Melaleuca or Lavender oil with ½ tsp. avocado oil and apply to blisters for pain relief.
46. Feet Swollen? Combine 3 drops of Eucalyptus oil with ½ tsp. avocado oil and apply.
47. Love Your Spicy Dinner, But It’s Not Returning the Favor? If dining out has left you with a burning reminder of your meal, mix a few drops of food-grade Tangerine oil into 8 ounces of water for a heartburn-soothing elixir.
48. Unattractive Cellulite Keeping You from Wearing Your Favorite Shorts? Combine six drops of Grapefruit oil with 3 Tbsps. coconut oil and massage into unsightly spots twice daily for smoother-looking skin.
49. Hay Fever Sniffles? Place a drop of Lavender oil in each nostril to clear and relax airways.
50. Embarrassing Under Arm Odor? For a guaranteed fresh body scent, wipe down your armpits with hydrogen peroxide, and then dab on a mixture of 2 drops Tea Tree oil and 1 tsp. coconut oil.
51. Want to Put the Dazzle Back into Your Smile? Combine 2 drops Lemon oil with 1 tsp. coconut oil and swish through mouth, pulling in and out through teeth, for a healthier, whiter smile. Repeat daily.
52. Freshen Up! Keep a bottle of peppermint oil in your shower to sprinkle onto the bottom corner. You and your whole bathroom will smell refreshed!
53. What? Not in the mood for love? Keep Rose, Ylang Ylang and Sandalwood essential oils in your bedside drawer to use in your diffuser or sprinkle onto a cotton ball and slip under your pillowcase…

So, there you have it; 53 great essential oil ideas, some of which you may not have tired.

Keep your precious oils safely tucked into our essential oil cases. For now, we’re including our little EO Stasher for free while supplies last. Click here now to get yours.

https://joyaplenty.com/essential-oil-cases-2/

It’s good to see that the medical community is saying good things about exfoliating….

While almost everyone gives special attention to taking good care of their heart, brain or digestive track, whole body skin health is often overlooked beyond sunscreen and facial beauty care. The fact is that your skin is more than skin deep, but it doesn’t seem that way since we scratch it, scrape it, or burn it, then put a bandage and little ointment on it, and assume all is well, because, after all, it’s only skin.

In reality the skin is the largest organ of the human body. It is also the body’s final outlet for detoxification. And, let’s face it, the less polluted we are, the healthier we’ll feel and the longer we can expect to live. (That’s why we decided to provide a high quality silk blend mitt, created based on an ancient Turkish tradition, available for easy at home exfoliation. Click here to learn more.)

Skin exfoliating is an important part of the detoxification process for the following five reasons:

1) Exfoliating removes dead skin cells. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, dead skin cells compose an astounding top 18 to 23 layers of our skin! While our skin sheds these dead cells gradually over time, specialists agree that removing these cells through an exfoliation routine can speed up the skin renewal process. (Who doesn’t want faster skin renewal?)

2) Skin exfoliating unclogs pores. Our pores are like the screen door of our skin. A screen door lets fresh air in and stale air out. If the screen is clogged with dirt, however, it just won’t function properly. Similarly, our pores allow our skin to absorb nutrients. They also help banish toxins from our body through sweating. If your pores are clogged with dirt and toxins, they can’t do their job properly. Exfoliating skin helps unclog pores and, as an added bonus, helps lead to the appearance of smaller pores.

3) Exfoliation aids in absorption of topical skin treatments. In an article posted by the American Academy of Dermatology, Dr. Mary P. Lupo (MD, FAAD, and clinical professor of dermatology at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans) explains that exfoliation allows topical skin treatments (including natural lotions and essential oils) to penetrate deeper into the skin once the top, dead layer of skin is removed. She also says that exfoliation can increase collagen production, which leaves the skin looking brighter and suppler. (That sounded pretty good to the women at joyaplenty!)

4) Exfoliating increases circulation. Not only does exfoliating help remove toxins from the surface of the skin, it also improves lymph and blood circulation, according to Dr. Beverly Yates, ND, a California licensed doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. In an article titled “Detox Done Right,” by Courtney Helgoe, Yates recommends brushing your skin from the outward extremities toward the heart, which aids in moving lymph fluids (excess fluids and plasma proteins from our tissues) in the proper direction and supports heart valve function.

5) Exfoliation helps prevent certain skin cancers. While exfoliating alone cannot prevent the most dangerous form of skin cancer—malignant melanoma—it may reduce the presence of actinic keratosis—a type of skin lesion that can develop into squamous cell cancer. In an article from The Sun & Skin News, a publication of The Skin Care Foundation, dermatologist Debora Jaliman, MD explains that sun damage can produce abnormal cells on the skin that could develop into pre-cancers or cancers. “Exfoliating may eliminate these cells,” she says.

Are you already exfoliating? If not, it’s time to begin. Devote just a few minutes weekly to a whole body exfoliation routine, and you’ll begin feeling and seeing the results immediately. There is no reason to leave your health to chance when you can easily enhance your well-being with something as simple and pleasant as clean pores. Exfoliate away those dry, dead skin cells and say hello to a more vibrant, healthier and more youthful-looking you!

To get the Joyaplenty NourishMitt with our Cocoon Silk Facial Exfoliating Mitt as a free bonus, click here now …Hurry, supplies limited. 

https://joyaplenty.com/skin-exfoliating/

 

Choose what you want

Plan to receive it

Take steps to get it

Seek the good in all

Take care of your body

Make time for fun

Share your best talents

Live from a place of love