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Weekend getaways, shorter vacations and overnight business trips are great ways to save money and are becoming more prevalent, according to the Bureau of Transportation. Taking a few simple and natural steps to stay safe and healthy while on the road can not only protect your travel investment, but enhance your entire experience.

Refreshed and alert driving diffusion

A shorter, thriftier trip is likely to be by car. The inevitable rush to make the most of the limited time away after a tiring work week can create fatigue, so don’t make it a dangerous driving situation. Enliven your senses with essential oil scents.

Ditch the cardboard cutout car “freshener” that hangs from the rearview mirror. Not only distracting, these products are usually saturated with synthetic fragrance chemicals and probably aren’t the best thing to inhale while enclosed in your vehicle. Instead, rely on a sleek essential oil diffuser that plugs into your automobile’s phone charger power outlet. These devices feature small paper fiber pads to which you can apply your own custom blend of essential oils, allowing you to not only scent the air inside the car, but also to provide refreshing aromatherapy benefits to help keep you alert and focused on the road.

A simpler, alternative way to diffuse is to apply several drops of oil to a tissue and tuck it carefully into one of the vents in the dash.

Try these essential oils for the car:

•Peppermint essential oil - refreshing, awakening, uplifting.

•Eucalyptus essential oil - bracing, purifying, protecting.

•Lemon essential oil - pleasant, deodorizing, cheering.

How clean is your hotel room?

Overnight stays in less than posh hotel digs may be part of the money-saving travel trend. Even upscale hotels aren’t immune to dirt and germs, or worse, an apparent outbreak of bedbug infestations in the United States, recently publicized by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Bedbugs aside, there are always nagging doubts about just how clean a hotel room actually is. Has the shower or tub been scrubbed or merely wiped down? Is the toilet sanitized? Has the bedspread ever really been thoroughly cleaned? Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself after you check in, but before you settle into your temporary overnight home.

•Air and Surface Sanitizing Spray: Feel good about travel with a bottle of homemade purifying aromatherapy solution that relies on pleasantly scented and highly effective essential oils, rather than harsh chemical disinfectants. The following spray will help you create a hygienic environment in your temporary hotel home. Apply it to tub, vanity and toilet surfaces.

Ingredients:

Empty 12 to16 ounce spray bottle

10 ounces water

2 ounces isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol or vodka

1/2 teaspoon tea tree essential oil (antimicrobial)

1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil (cleansing)

1/2 teaspoon lavandin essential oil (protecting)

1/2 teaspoon sweet orange essential oil (freshening).

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the spray bottle. Shake and apply to a washcloth, and wipe down the TV’s remote, the clock radio, the door handles and the faucet handles in the bathroom.

•Purifying and Relaxing Linen Mist: Here are some great tips for making a strange bed feel more like home. Take along your own pillow and replace the ones provided. Create your own linen mist and use it on your own bed at home, then travel with the same blend, taking a little bit of home with you. When you arrive at your destination, turn down the covers, exchange the pillows and apply your signature scent to the bed.

Ingredients:

Empty 4 to 8 ounce spray bottle

4 to 8 ounces water

13 drops lavender essential oil (relaxing, calming)

5 drops lavandin or spike lavender essential oil (purifying, protecting)

Directions:

Combine the water and oil in the bottle. Shake the contents thoroughly just before application.

Remember to look for pure and natural essential oil brands like Aura Cacia that don’t include synthetic petrochemical fragrances. For more information on how to enhance your life through aromatherapy, visit www.auracacia.com.

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