DIY Fruit Fly Trap

It never fails, without question, each year we get fruit flies that hang around for what feels like forever. They are pesty, they are gross and they multiply like crazy. So, rather than spraying poison all over your counter tops...here's an all natural way to say goodbye to these nasty little critters.

You'll need:

A jar (Mason jars work splendidly) 

A piece of paper

Tape

Apple Cider Vinegar

Pieces of fruit (optional)

First, fill a Mason jar or glass jar with Apple Cider Vinegar. I don't measure it, I just pour in a decent amount. (You want enough vinegar in it that the flies will get stuck and drown)

*Optional* You can add fruit or rotten food to the vinegar to attract more flies, although hear me when I say - vinegar alone WILL work.

Next, take a piece of paper and fold it into a cone, then tape it to the jar.

Now sit back and watch your trap work.

The smell of the vinegar draws them in, and then once they are in, they have a hard time getting out of the cone hole. Eventually they drown in the vinegar and your house is fly free.

Add Some Flavor to Your Water

We all know it's important to drink your daily serving of water (which is eight 8 oz glasses), but let's be honest...water isn't nearly as tasty as tea, coffee or soda...so most people are missing out on their daily servings. Myself included.

I'm going to be honest with you and let you in on a little secret. I'm a total tap water snob. I hate it. I'm a bottled water junkie. (Want to hear a funny story? The town I live in actually won first place for the best tasting water in Illinois, and for years prior I always said it was the worst water ever. Hilarious, right?!)

I got tired of constantly running out of bottled water and buying more. It adds up when you're continually buying bottled water. So, I decided to find a way to drink tap water and be happy about it. Solution: essential oils. (Essential oils are pretty much my solution to everything, so this isn't surprising). ;)

Young Living has SO many oils to choose from to give your water a great taste! My personal favorite is lemon essential oil with 2 squirts of liquid Stevia. I have really started to LOVE adding Stevia to my water. It gives it a hint of sweetness, and with the citrus oils, it tastes amazing!

Here are some other fantastic oils to add to your water:

Lemon
Orange
Grapefruit
Lime
Tangerine
Citrus Fresh
Peppermint

(Mixing oils is another great way to spice up your water. I love Lemon and Orange together!)

Citrus oils are great for cleansing the body of toxins and taste so refreshing! Peppermint is an excellent oil for digestive support and focus. (I know we are talking about water, but it tastes great in tea as well! ;) )

Be sure to use a glass or stainless steal water bottle if you're drinking your oils on the go. Here's one on Amazon for a great price -

Have a favorite oil combo you like to drink in your water? Let me know!

**Disclaimer: When I talk about ingesting essential oils, I am ONLY talking about Young Living brand oils. DO NOT ingest any other brand of essential oils without referring to the labels. Young Living Essential Oils are exceptionally pure (check out their Seed to Seal Promise) and other brands of essential oils are NOT safe to ingest!**

Barbie Goes Modest

I can not be the only toddler mom who finds naked Barbies everywhere. My daughter hates having clothes on her Barbies. Don't ask me why. It's one of the mysteries of life why toddlers enjoy having all their dolls naked. It's like they know it's the original state we were in before the fall of man or something. Kids like naked. Moms don't. So, here's a simple and fun solution...

I know you've got a makeup bag of nail polish hanging out in the bathroom drawer somewhere. Pull it out and put those pretty colors to use. I will admit, I had a fun time designing this Barbie's top, but if you aren't a crafty person or you just simply don't care...just take some nail polish and paint broad shapes over the private areas. This doesn't have to be Project Runway. I have also seen people use Sharpies and color underwear on as well. 

If you do want to do something similar to this, I started by painting from the boobs down, then I added the dark pink bra, I made flowers with the brush and I did small outlines around the bra with a purple color. You can make this as simple or elaborate as you want. ;)

I think she turned out rather nice...

Must Have Monday: Essential Oils for Fall

Happy Fall ya'll! The first day of autumn has come and gone and we are officially in pumpkin season! (can I get a hallelujah?!) This time of year is always such a mix of emotions for me. I'm a die hard water girl. Give me all things sun, beach and swimming all summer long and I'm set. But, I equally love fall. Pumpkin spice, apple orchards, bonfires, hayrides, Halloween and pumpkin patches...it's awesome! :)

So, the perfect scent to get me transitioned from swimming to pumpkin picking is this fab-u-lous essential oil combo.

Pop these little babies into your diffuser and you'll be in fall heaven. This is by far my favorite diffuser combo. It's delish! It might make you crave some hot apple cider or a pumpkin spice late, but one thing is for sure...you won't want to diffuse anything else. You're welcome. ;)

Not a Young Living member? Order your oils here!

Mini Essential Oil case (That you might already have!)

Hey hey, friends! Today I want to share a little oily hack with all of my essential oil using readers. You might have an oil case lying around and not even realize it. So, over the weekend I was cleaning out my kid's closet prepping for fall weather...and I found an old pacifier case. It's the perfect size for holding oils! Mine can hold four 5ml OR two 15ml bottles. The possibilities for this are endless. You can create your own blends with roller bottles or recycled oil bottles. You could use small sample bottles instead for extra room. Two blends that I love to have on hand, with my kiddos, are a boo boo blend and an immune boosting roll on. For me, I gotta have my DiGize, because you never know when you might need it. ;)

 Want one of these adorable paci holders? Get one here:

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.