Tackling School with Essential Oils

I know for the majority of people, the first day of school was last week. For us, it was yesterday. I sent my big girl off for her first day of preschool...

And as an oily mom, I thought I'd share with you my secret weapon oils that I plan to use this school year.

Essential Oils for Sleep

Getting the kids back into the swing of early bedtimes and school nights isn't always an easy task. Our go to oils for a goodnight sleep are Lavender, Cedarwood, & Peace and Calming (if you don't have this oil, you can always use Peace and Calming II). 

I apply these oils to the feet and back of the neck, and I put them in the diffuser at bedtime. I also sprinkle some on their favorite stuffed animals from time to time. ;)

Essential Oils for Focus

There are lots of oils for focus. My go-to focus recipe is Lavender, Cedarwood and Vetiver. It's an incredible combo! Other oils to use are Peppermint, Brainpower, Rosemary, Clarity or Motivation.

Make a focus roll on with any of these oil combos, add them to the diffuser during homework time or apply before school.

Essential Oils for Nerves

A new school year can be stressful and nerve-wracking. Stress Away and DiGize are two great oils for keeping stress at bay and tummy jumbles under control. ;)

Apply DiGize to the belly button to maintain a happy tummy. You can apply Stress Away to wrists or the back of the neck. Another great way to wear Stress Away, is to wear it on diffuser jewelry. Diffuser necklaces are all the rage, or you can keep it simple and add a drop to your head band, wrist band or leather jewelry for diffusing on the go.

Essential Oils for the Immune System

We all know what comes right around the corner after school starts...cold and flu season. Thankfully, Young Living has products that can boost the immune system, so we don't have to be a participant this year. Thieves is my absolute go to oil for immunity. If you have followed my blog at all, you are well aware of how much I LOVE Thieves! Thieves has a whole line of products from hand purifier, to wipes, and even household cleaners and sprays. It's the number one reason my family stays so healthy. Thieves has a couple of amazing sidekicks. Frankincense, Purification, Lemon, Oregano and Tea Tree oil are all fantastic oils to help boost the immune system as well. I usually make a roller ball with all of these oils. We apply to the bottoms of the feet daily during winter months, to help boost the immune system.

Essential Oils for the Athlete

If your child is in sports, there are some great oils for that as well! Copaiba, Panaway, Cool Azul, Peppermint and Wintergreen are some great oils for the sports star in your family. You can mix them with coconut oil for a post practice rub, or apply to sore areas to support the body's natural response to injury. ;)

How are you using your oils this school year? I'd love to hear about it!

An Inside Glimpse at my "perfect" marriage

I can't tell you how many people tell me "I want a marriage like yours." when they see my posts on Facebook, or when they witness a gushy moment between my husband and I. I cringe a bit when I hear this, because I'm on the inside of this marriage...and I promise you...our marriage has NOT been for the faint of heart.

I met Randy when I was 16. It was nearly love at first sight...which is romantic and gushy and lovely...but I was 16. And it was very unhealthy from the start. At the time, I relied completely on boyfriends to define my value and my worth. I was the annoying girl who ALWAYS had a boyfriend or a crush...or should I say dozens of crushes. Basically, if he had 2 legs and a nice looking face, I was interested. Wherever I went, no matter who I was with, my focus was always on finding a cute guy. Before I met Randy, I had been through a few emotionally abusive relationships. I had been sexually abused by a family friend. I was NOT in the right place to start a serious relationship...but I did. And it was amazing. Randy came in like a knight in shining armor. He swept me off my feet. He loved me like no one else ever had. He didn't judge me, he didn't pressure me, he didn't expect me to be anything else. He loved me wholeheartedly just for me. He was everything that I had been looking for. So, I put everything into our relationship. He became my whole world. When you're a teenager, that's super romantic, so all of my friends continually gushed over our relationship. (When you're an adult, you can clearly see how unhealthy that is) We dated very seriously for 3 years, and then we got married 5 months after I graduated high school.When you're a kid trying to function as an adult...it's not romantic...it's HARD. I didn't know the first thing about being a wife. I didn't know what it meant to be submissive. I didn't know what it meant to be responsible. And I certainly didn't know what it meant to put someone else above myself. I was fresh out of high school, and my life goal was to live happily ever after...and that was basically it.

I'm incredibly blessed that God brought me a man who has more patience that I could EVER deserve. Randy has stood beside me for nearly 7 years, holding on for dear life while I know he was praying that God would break me of myself. The two of us have not had an easy marriage. We both have had to overcome a lot of things. Generational curses, addiction, anger, past abuse, bad choices...there was so much working against us. Through the majority of our marriage, I feel like we have been fighting an all out war against the enemy. And I'll be honest...there were many times that I thought he was going to win. But the devil is liar. His goal is to steal, kill and destroy. He has come so many times in so many forms to rob me of my marriage. To destroy this beautiful union that God brought together. The truth is, yes, it started out as an unhealthy relationship...because I, at 16, never knew my true worth. I never figured it out that my value is NOT found in boyfriends or earthly affection. My value and my worth comes from Christ. It's taken me years to learn how to put my worth in Christ. I still struggle with it, to be honest. It's so easy to find our value in our marriage. I know I've put massive amounts of pressure on Randy over the years to meet that need in me, and he can't fill it. That's a need that only God can meet. When we try to place our value in a person, it will never be enough. I wish I had learned that years ago. It certainly would've saved me a lot of pain.

So, yes, I dote on my husband a lot. I talk about him on Facebook and my blog. I gush over him. I am CRAZY for that man. It's not fake. I don't post our date nights and fun memories to make it look like my life is better than it is. I genuinely just LOVE to dote over that man. He deserves the world for sticking it out with me. But don't mistake our happy moments for a perfect marriage, because we have walked through fire together.

I have to laugh, because in October we will celebrate our 7 year anniversary. 7 years in marriage, is known as "the 7 year itch" where couples supposedly get restless and have a marital crisis. I actually think that 7 years for us is going to be the best anniversary yet. It has taken us 7 years to shake off all of the baggage that came with us when we started this journey. I feel things shifting for us. A yoke has been broken and God's plan for our marriage will not be shaken. That's my declaration for our marriage this year. I hope that if your story is similar to mine, that you continue on in your journey. There have been many times in the past where I truly believed that nothing would ever change...and the truth is that God can change anyone if they are willing to surrender to Him.

Common Misconceptions of Non-Vaccinating Parents

It's no secret that the 'to vaccinate or not vaccinate' debate is a hot topic today. As a non-vaccinating parent, you better believe I have been accused of some crazy things. So, I wanted to clear the air and let you look into the soul of a parent who doesn't vaccinate. This post isn't made to start a debate or even to state my reasons for not vaccinating my kids. I'm simply writing this to give new perspective. Regardless of your stance, take a moment and read these common misconceptions of a non vaccinating parent, written by one. :)

1. Non-vaccinating parents are uneducated
This one literally makes me laugh. It couldn't be further from the truth. Non vaccinating parents, most of us, have done TONS and TONS of research. We've read books, we've read articles, we've attended conferences, we've talked to our doctors, we've prayed continually. We are the opposite of uneducated.

2. Non-vaccinating parents are just trend followers
Right. This makes so much sense, because we are really going to base the health and well being of our child on the word of a celebrity. Poor Jenny McCarthy gets a whole lot of blame for the non vaccinating movement, and homegirl is just trying to spread awareness. She's not a trend setter, because choosing to not vaccinate your child is not a "trend", it's an educated decision.

3. Non-vaccinating parents are putting their children directly in harm's way
No, we aren't. We have outweighed the pros and cons. Obviously the biggest con about not vaccinating is that, according to the rest of the world, your putting your child at risk of a "deadly disease". Since when is chicken pox deadly? Mumps? Measles? These are all treatable diseases. Are they fun? Of course not! But, the media blows them up to scare the living poop out of everyone. When we decided not to vaccinate, we had a very long talk with our doctor. And then I went on a massive study learning about all the ways to treat these diseases. They are not nearly as deadly or life threatening as the media wants us to believe. The media is the real enemy here...but that's an entirely different blog post.

4. Non-vaccinating parents make this decision on a whim
Yep. We just woke up one day and decided it would be so much fun to go against the grain and be the target of hatred by every pro vaccinating person on the planet. Because it's a real treat to constantly be judged and ridiculed for your parenting choices. In a word...no. Just no.

5. Non vaccinated kids are unhealthy
I can't speak for every un-vaccinated kid, but mine are VERY healthy. We haven't had a sick visit to the doctor for either child, in nearly 2 years. In fact, my son has never had a sick visit in his life. They eat healthy super foods, we use essential oils and vitamins to build their immune system, and they are rarely sick. Most parents who choose not to vaccinate, live a very crunchy and clean lifestyle...which often results in very healthy children.

The bottom line...


Ya'll...we all start this road of parenting with the same amount of experience. Babies don't come with instructions. Some choices are harder than others, but we are all just trying to make the best choices we can for our kids. Our decisions as parents aren't cookie cutter decisions. Other parents may have reasons for doing something that I don't decide for my own children, but that doesn't make either of us wrong. Shaming parents for their choices is so destructive. We all know how hard it is being a parent. Why don't we shelf the judgement and give each other the kudos we deserve for doing the best we can. Peace and Love. <3

The Young Living Difference

I am going to be straight up honest with you all...I CRINGE when I hear people talking about how they "saved money" buying cheaper oils at the grocery store or a health food store. I am a bargain loving, frugal-ista...so trust me when I say...I LOVE saving money. However, sometimes we get what we pay for, and that is absolute truth when it comes to essential oils. I want to take a second to show you two very different methods of oil removal. First, watch this short video on Young Living's process... Click Here

Now watch how off brand oil companies "distill" their oils. Click Here

Do you see the difference?? In the off brand oil's video, he mentions the possibility of iron and aluminum being in the oil - not good! They also keep it in a plastic bottle. There's no legitimate testing done. There's no way of knowing exactly what all is in that oil. 

THIS is the quality you're buying when you purchase cheap oils. I'm not trying to step on toes, just speaking truth. There's one oil company you can trust, and that's Young Living. Buy from whoever you want, just make sure you're buying Young Living. ;)

Why I don't watch rated R movies

I might be the only adult on the planet who won't watch rated R movies...or at least it feels that way. I even get a heavy sigh from my hubby from time to time when he sees the previews for a movie that peeks his interest...and I shoot it down when I see the R rating. I get giggles and side glances from friends and family when I tell them I'd rather not watch the R rated movie they just picked. I've heard it before...the gasps, the questions and the teasing. Yes, I'm an adult. Yes, I love watching movies. And yes, I can still enjoy a great movie without compromising.

So, before I explain myself, I'd like to start with this...I don't judge people for watching rated R movies...because let's face it...most people do. (and that's a crap load of judging that I don't have time for) So please know that I'm not shaming anyone for watching a rated R movie. I'm simply explaining why I don't. :)

The Bible tells us in multiple places that our heart is directly connected to what we surround ourselves with.

Luke 6:45
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

What we put in, is what will come out. This is a big reason why I avoid rated R movies. It's just my way of protecting my heart. If you continually watch movies with crude jokes and vulgar language...you risk two things - First, you risk the chances of taking on the kind of language you constantly hear. Second, you risk becoming desensitized. The more you surround yourself with vulgar language and crude jokes, the less they bother you. This isn't a place you want to be.

Ephesians 4:29-30

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

I truly do feel that sexual jokes and swearing grieve the Holy Spirit. I feel extremely uncomfortable when I'm watching a movie and this stuff is in there. This is also a huge reason why I don't watch too many comedians or listen to certain bands. I don't want to get to the place where I become OK or comfortable hearing these things. And I know a lot of my readers are probably shaking their heads and thinking that I'm a major goody-two-shoes right about now...but these are the convictions God has laid on my heart. This verse truly says it all for me...

Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

I want everything I do to be a testimony of my life with Christ. Anything that can jeopardize my integrity, my testimony and my walk with God isn't worth it. 90 minutes of laughter and crude jokes isn't worth it to me. This is my own conviction. I'm not saying that every person who watches rated R movies is a horrible person. Please don't twist my words. What I am saying, is that today...right now...more than ever before, we as Christians have to fight with all our might to guard our hearts and protect our convictions from being corrupted by the world. So, take this post into consideration and do with it what you will. This is just some food for thought, from a small town goody-two-shoes pastor's daughter...just keepin' it real ya'll. ;)

Must Have Monday: Glass Gallon Mason Jar with Spout

Saturday my hubby and I had a date day in Springfield, Illinois. He took me to this awesome store called Five Below. (Everything there is five dollars or below) I am a total "stuffs" girl. I love buying stuff. Jewelry, sunglasses, trinkets of various kinds...so this store was straight up awesome sauce for a girl like me. I found several awesome items...and then my eyes caught a glimpse of a glass gallon mason jar with a spout...for FIVE DOLLARS! If you have ever looked around for one of these, then you'll know that they do not come cheap. I loved it so much that I bought two.

In the crunchy world of holistic living, these glass mason jars are amazeballs. I got them for brewing kombucha, but you could use them for fruit infused water, homemade kefir or whatever your crunchy little mind can think of. ;)

I bought mine at an insanely cheap price, so if you happen to live in an area that has a Five Below, you can find them there for $5 a piece. (You can search for a Five Below near you by clicking here) If you don't have a Five Below near you, I did find these glass gallon jars on Macy's website, starting at $12.99. Find them here.

Brew your own Kombucha or Kefir? I'd love to hear about it! Feel free to leave your favorite recipe in the comments. ;)

DIY Friday: Thieves Spray

If you're a Young Living user, you have probably used Thieves Spray before. (It's amazing!) There is a way to make your own Thieves spray.

Take equal parts of witch hazel and water, 20 drops of Thieves and mix it all together in a glass spray bottle. Shake well, and use.

You're welcome. ;)

For the moms who want more kids

If you're a loyal reader, then you know that I like to keep things pretty lighthearted around here. So, hang tight for one blog post while I let off a little steam, because there's something I feel needs to be said...

There's a common issue I hear between moms, and I've had it happen to myself as well. I'm not sure if it's the times we live in, or what...but when did it suddenly become ok to tell a mom "You don't need to have any more kids." Or "You can't afford any more children." Or "You've got a boy and a girl now, I guess you're done." When did the activities that go on in a woman's uterus suddenly becomes anyone's business other than the said woman and her spouse? And how in the world do you expect a woman who has been so guilted over the very thought of having more children, handle telling people if and when she does get pregnant again?? It's incredible to me how many young women deal with this issue.

 Here's the bottom line - every life is a gift from God. He planned each one. He knew the number of hairs on our head before we even existed. He knows the number of children we will have. He planned it all out for us. He planned their purpose and their annointing before we even conceived them. So tell me, how is it fair for anyone to tell a woman when she's done having more children? God may have a plan for an incredible person to be born. One of influence and change. And you just shamed that mother for wanting more children. If that life is meant to be lived, God will make a way. It's no new situation that most parents struggle a bit financially. Please find me someone who hasn't uttered the words "We struggled to make ends meet when we first had you." Because the truth is, most parents do struggle a little. Does that mean that we close up shop and call it quits? Maybe for you. Maybe it does. And that's ok. But it's also ok for the ones who don't. For the mom who decides she'd rather struggle a little and have her life fulfilled with the richness of her beautiful children. That's ok too. And it's time we stop acting like a woman is less of a person for wanting more kids. 

So how about we start a new trend where we stop saying stupid things to people? You don't get a free pass to be offensive just because you're talking to a mom. I think sometimes we forget that. Love more, talk less. Or how about this oldie - if you don't have anything nice to say...well...you know the rest. ;)

Must Have Monday: Mireh Shave Oil

Mireh Shave Oil...this stuff is amazing! It's made of essential oils, and works great even if you're not using it in the shower. (It's a fantastic product for an on-the-go shave, because it travels well and doesn't require water) And as funny as it may seem, this shave oil is FANTASTIC for your hair! Applying a drop on your hands and running it through your hair, will make your hair shiny and silky. And it's not just me. People who have tried this on their hair all rave about how incredible it is. Try it! You'll love it! 

You can purchase it here