Great news, Mom’s Got An Oil For That!

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It is the WORST feeling when your little one is not feeling well and so often we feel helpless. Applying essential oils is a great way to use four of our 5 senses at the same time to help our little ones feel better.

Sight – They can see you are present and paying attention to only them.

Smell – The amazing aroma of the essential oils helps calm and relax not only your child but any anxious momma feelings.

Touch – Mom’s soothing touch is the best kind of “medicine”. The love that is expressed helps mom and child feel safe and protected.

Sound – Now this one really is up to you. I sing or hum to my children but if that isn’t your thing then soft music playing is a great choice.

If we want to go for all 5 senses then check out this great recipe for Honey Lollipops.

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
⅓ cup honey
2 tablespoons water
5 drops Lemon oil, or oil of choice

Instructions

1. Pour the sugar, honey, and water into a medium saucepan.
2. On medium heat, stir ingredients together with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves.
3. Once sugar dissolves, place a candy thermometer in the pan and allow ingredients to boil.
4. While the mixture is boiling, prepare candy molds with non-stick spray and sucker sticks.
5. Let mixture boil until temperature reaches 295° F, or the hard crack stage.
6. Immediately pour into a heat-resistant measuring cup. Add essential oil and stir.
7. Pour mixture into candy molds. Twist sucker sticks to make sure they are fully coated.
8. Let suckers rest for at least 30 minutes before removing from mold.

Tip: If you decide to use another oil, consider reducing five drops oil to a toothpick or one to two drops when using an oil you would usually dilute for sensitivity, such as Cinnamon Bark.

I am excited to share that I’ve written a children’s book entitled  Mom’s Got An Oil For That! and is now live on Kickstarter.  Visit this website to know more about this lovely book. And if you don’t have a mom in your life right now… not to worry, more books are coming. Don’t forget to like Mom’s Got An Oil For That on Facebook and please follow @momsgotanoilforthat on Instagram.

You may also visit Mom’s Got an Oil For That on Kickstarter and please consider backing. Thanks a lot!

I’m Not Okay…That’s Okay

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May is Mental Health Awareness month, I am so grateful that mental health awareness is becoming so mainstream. This is something that should be talked about openly and often. I have lost friends and family members due to mental health issues. I have close friends and family member that deal with different mental health issues, and I myself have dealt with bouts of depression, anxious feelings and panic attacks. Thankfully they have been few and fleeting and not of the clinical nature.

About 5 years ago I started having panic attacks. I’m not sure why they started. At the time I had a lot of things going on, it was after my car accident, I was traveling a lot and I was trying to figure out who I was. Whatever the reason, they started and they were terrifying.

The first time I had one thankfully I was with a friend, I was gasping for air and not understanding at all what was happening. He looked at me and asked what he could do and all I could manage to say was “lime”. He grabbed the lime oil and got it on my hand. Within a few minutes I was able to breathe in enough to calm my limbic system down and breathe.

I had watched my mom have panic attacks several times growing up. Each time resulted in her ending up in the ER for help. Each time it was hours of getting her the right help and then waiting for the concoction to kick in and then hours of recovery from the “fix”. Then days for me to get my mom back.

I’m so thankful for the doctors that helped my mom. It might be sad to say but I’m thankful that I was able to see that growing up so that when it happened to me, after I was safe and calm, I understood what had happened. Mom I’m so sorry that you had to go through that and grateful that your experience was able to help me.

I’m also grateful that I have many options available to me to get help. What I have found that works for me quickly, and effectively is:

Essential oil right away – My family knows to get Breathe oil or any citrus oil. (you will have to figure out your “happy place” oil) They put a drop on my hand and slowly lift my hand toward my face. Do not get in a person’s face if they are having a panic attack this will only freak them out more. The more control you can give them over their own situation the better.

Calm music, Guided meditations, or affirmations that you know work for you. – You can prep your family to know what helps you the most. Talk about this when life is good. Let your friends and family know how to help you through the attack. You can even write up a formal plan and have your emergency kit in a place that is easily accessible. If you are out, make sure that you have a small emergency kit in your bag/purse.

I have found that using these methods I’ve been able to gain control in just a few minutes. I am so thankful for the love and support of my friends and family. I’m also thankful that this subject is no longer taboo at my house and in my circle. I’m also thankful that if the methods above don’t work for any reason the rest of the plan is put in place. If I’m not able to calm down in a timely manner then we will head to the nearest ER and get professional help.

I hope that you find this information helpful. There are MANY resources available to you, here are a few of my favorites:

  • Essential oils of course! – I carry them with me everywhere. Figure out your “happy place” oils. If you need help with this feel free to contact me and we will do a “sampling”. Kind of like a wine tasting but for your nose.
  • Insight Timer – Best app for guided meditations
  • Lots of water and Exercise
  • Counseling – I think everyone should do counseling at some point in their life. It is so incredibly helpful.
  • Other peoples blogs – here is one written by a good friend of mine
    https://beyondabuseessentialhealing.com/
  • Self help books: Big Magic, You are a Badass, Girl Wash Your Face, Girl Stop Apologizing, Braving the Wilderness, Loving What is. I know that there are a bunch more but these are a good start.

Whatever method you choose to help with your mental health, please know that there is no shame in reaching out for help. This is definitely a road that should not be traveled alone. Please talk about it with friends and family, you might be surprised by how many people not only want to help but might need your help in return.

You never licked the sidewalk???

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Ok this seems to be my week for letting go of fear and embarrassment for things that I do or say. Here goes…when they first released Cedarwood my first thought was “this smells like when you are little and you lick the hot cement sidewalk” Yep you read that right. I had the unfortunate luck of actually saying that out loud to a friend. By the look on her face I found out that this wasn’t a normal kid action. Kids do weird things, some eat paint chips, some eat dirt, some lick the sidewalk on a hot summer day. To each their own lol.

I have since learned a better way to explain this amazing aroma, think about a super hot day that has a sun-shower, now think about the aroma that happens when the rain first hits the sidewalk… That is what I think Cedarwood smells like. (Better right?)

Now that I have your attention lets talk about the cool benefits of this amazing essential oil.

Cedarwood oil is known to promote relaxation, and can be used to calm the mind when you are feeling all the feels. (Kinda like being a carefree kid on a hot summer day) Apply Cedar oil to the bottom of your feet to help promote a peaceful, settled feeling. You can also add Cedarwood oil to your diffuser (Call it summer rain lol) to relax and chill. When it comes to promoting calming, grounding feelings, Cedarwood essential oil is amazing!

As a bonus when you are diffusing cedarwood to help calm the all the feels you will also be discouraging bugs from entering your house. It’s kinda like an aromatic “keep out” sign. As much as I love nature, I do not love creepy crawlies inside my house. You can also put a drop of Cedarwood oil on a cotton ball and place in closets, storage boxes, or other areas to keep moths at bay. When the aroma fades, add another drop to ensure that no bugs will make their home in your furniture or storage areas.

Cedarwood oil is the oil of community and helps promote wellness and vitality. This is a perfect oil to use before your workout or during my favorite yoga pose, savasana. Actually can I just skip the whole yoga routine and go straight to savasana?

As a warm, woody essential oil, Cedarwood produces an aroma that is reminiscent of the outdoors (especially the suburbs for this kid.) Because of its warm properties, Cedarwood plays well with the other children. You can blend it with herbal oils like Clary Sage, woody oils like Cypress, and even other spicy essential oils like Frankincense. Cedarwood also blends well with Bergamot, Cinnamon Bark, Lemon, Sandalwood, Thyme, and Vetiver.y

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this walk through my weird childhood quirks. Please know that there are more where that come from. If I’ve peaked your interest and you want to try Cedarwood for yourself click here.

What could be better than that?

Rachel Hollis called me on my BS

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So I have something that I’m a bit ashamed to admit… but then I was listening to Rachel Hollis’s new book Girl Stop Apologizing and I thought, “OK time to out myself”

In her new book Rachel is talking about getting fake boobs and loving when she’s all made up with hours worth of makeup. At first I was a bit like, “Wow, this is weird for someone that is talking all about loving who you are.” But then she goes on to explain that she does love herself for who she is and who she is is a person that loves herself with fake eyelashes. Check out Girl, Stop Apologizing.

So now its time to admit something that I’ve been ashamed to admit before. I like being skinny and fit. SHOCKER…not really but most people look at me and think that I look great. What they don’t realize is that I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin. I carry weight really well but when your medical chart says “Well Fed” that is not a compliment.

  • This is AFTER the half Marathon
  • Beam me up Scotty
  • I just like this one
  • Ellie and I at the Deaf School in Mampong, Ghana

When I talked to friends about wanting to release weight they all say pretty much the same thing… “You don’t need to. You look great.”

I’ve gotten really good about wearing scarves, shawls and jackets to cover up the fact that I am carrying around an extra 30 lbs. When I tell people this none of them believe me. I am 5’5” on a good day and I weighed 165 lbs when I started this new program that I’m no longer ashamed to tell you about. (Thanks Rachel for your book and your fake boobs)

When I talked to the Executive Director of MedStudio I started out the conversation like this, “ I want to do something but I know you might want to roll your eyes at me.” She’s a friend and I know that she loves me just the way that I am. She was surprised when I told her how much I actually weighed. I also want to be clear that the number on the scale means almost nothing it is just a tool to use. The important part is how I actually feel. I know that my body actually feels its best between 133-137lbs. That is a completely healthy weight at my height. 165 for me means belly fat, clothes that don’t fit right, and struggling with high cholesterol. I have a family history of heart disease and cancer. I am also recovering from an eating disorder I had as a teenager, so for me it is important that I keep on the positive side of self-image.

So what is so hard to admit?…

I started the HCG diet.

  • Here’s my before pictures

The person that is TERRIFIED of needles learned to give herself a shot in her belly every morning. The person that LOVES food (food is love people) has learned to live on 650-775 calories a day… EXTREME I know… but here is the deal, I’m only doing this for 1 month.

Here is the cool stuff that I’m learning from this experiment so far: I eat when I’m bored, when I’m stressed, upset, happy, bored, frustrated, bored…etc. I have let food dictate my actions and I was out of control. Doing this program, I am learning control. I’m learning that I really can live without the donuts that are sitting on the counter or the 600 calorie Blueberry muffin. Holy crap that is almost my full daily number of calories right there!

I’m also exercising, drinking more water, eating healthy choices and learning to love veggies without all the dips and dressings (It can be done!) I’m using my “Love Your Body” emotional weight release support rollers. (Thank you Angela Villa)

Why am I admitting this? Because I want to be real about my weight release journey. I’ve done these journey’s before and have lost 10-12 lbs but the problem is what is lost can often be found and then some. Can we say yo-yo? Been there, done that.

I am ready to release, trust my body, and love myself. I also know myself. I need a bit of accountability and the more people that know the more people that can check in on me. The other reason… I teach people all day about doing things naturally. I can already hear the criticism from some people and I want you to know that yes, I am still using my oils but sometimes you need just a little something more.

AND this is still natural! For more info about HCG please check out www.medstudio.com

My numbers so far are VERY encouraging!

I will keep you all updated throughout my journey. What could be better that that?

BEST DAY EVER!!!

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Have you ever just met people and new that you would be fast friends? So you invite them to do something crazy and out of your comfort zone and it completely solidifies that friendship??? Yeah that totally happened today!

Last week Michael and I were in beautiful Puerto Vallarta Mexico on the doTERRA Incentive trip that we earned. (See Previous post) One of the coolest things about these trips are the people in doTERRA that you meet that aren’t on your team but are totally supportive of your growth.

Last year I met this amazing woman Jennifer and we just hit it off right away. We hung out on the beach, by the pool and all over the resort talking about life and business. We kept in touch all year and were so excited to be on the trip again this year.  

Tuesday night we planned to have dinner together, dinner for 3 soon turned into dinner for 8 as Jen collected friends throughout the day. Such a fun surprise when Alex and Becky show up (we met them last year) and Jason and Nandi who I met earlier that day and Lynn, Jen’s roommate. We had a great dinner and then Michael and I talked them into doing a Zip Line Excursion on Thursday. BEST DAY EVER!!! We didn’t just zip line we raced through the jungle on ATV’s, did indoor skydiving, rappelled from a tree, did this sort of Ninja warrior thing climbing up a cargo rope ladder into the trees, almost pee’d myself on the pendulum swing and went down an EPIC water slide! We ended it all with delicious hand tossed tortillas that were out of this world.

We weren’t allowed to take our phones with us which was actually a good thing so we could just be present and fully in the moment. (sorry no cool selfies) But the pictures they took are AMAZING (also why this blog is a few days after the fact) It was really nice to just be present, take in the scenery, physically interact and not be pulled away by a text, call or some other electronic distraction.

The conversations that we had were real, light hearted, totally deep and hilarious! I loved the sharing of essential oil knowledge and actual oils (we passed them around each person having different oils that someone needed), business tips and life in general.

One of the hardest things I did was taking a step off of a perfectly good, really high in the trees, platform to bungee/rappel from a tree. I knew I was harnessed, I knew it was safe and yet it was so hard to take that leap of faith and just let go. Right before my turn Becky asked me, “What are you going to release when you jump?” It was such a cool thought, I could not only get over this fear but release something else in the process. I decided to let go of my scarcity mindset over a few different things I’m dealing with. I took that step and released…my fear, my scarcity mindset and a huge scream. It felt AMAZING!!!

I can not express to you my gratitude for that day. For the friendships forged and the physical and emotional release that I felt throughout the whole experience. If you would like to try this out for yourself, I highly suggest Vallarta-Adventures and do the Extreme Zip Line Adventure. The staff there are fun, silly and incredibly professional.  https://www.vallarta-adventures.com/en/tour/extreme-zip-line-canopy-adventure

#bestdayever #whatcouldbebetterthanthat #friendship #releasethefear #doterraftw

I Earned It!!!

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I’m in Puerto Vallarta Mexico!!! Its 85 and sunny, back home the Polar Vortex is raging with incredibly low temps and dumping tons of snow.

I EARNED it. Its so funny this is the 4th time that I’ve earned the incentive trip with doTERRA and each time people will say “that’s so cool that you won a trip”.

Just to be clear, my name wasn’t chosen out of a hat, I didn’t pick number and magically get to go on this trip, I worked hard and was rewarded for my efforts. *rant over*

Now for the good stuff!!

Oh my goodness people, this is AMAZING!!! Earning my way here I truly do feel like a winner. Each of the 4 trips that I’ve earned has been completely magical! The All-inclusive hotels are always beautiful, the swag that we get is so fun and the time that we get with the owners of the company is priceless. doTERRA really does a great job of showing their appreciation for all of our hard work.

  • Emily Wright playing in the ocean

My favorite part of the whole trip, besides having Michael here with me, is that we do a Voluntourism day.

This time we had the great privilege of serving at Pasitos de Luz (Little Steps of Light) in Mexico. They support underprivileged children with severe physical disabilities and autism. The children come to get therapy, schooling and day care so their parents, almost 50% of which are single moms can work. This is the only facility of its kind in Mexico.

This place is so BEAUTIFUL!!! It is run completely off of donations. Today the donations of our time as well as the financial donation for supplies from dōTERRA’s Healing Hands Foundation made so many different projects possible. It was AMAZING!!!

  • Plastering the fence wall
  • Connor’s Castle

We mixed and poured cement for flooring for a storage room for the horse feed. Added to the equine therapy space. Helped build a fence so the children can have outdoor therapy, adding to the vegetable garden, painted where needed, taught the therapist how to use essential oils, loaded backpacks full of supplies for the kids…it was all so beautiful to be a part of.

I can’t believe how much we were able to do in such a short period of time but with so many of us all working together (About 500) we made a huge impact,

  • I left a little love (don’t worry this section needs a second coat)

My favorite part of working with this amazing company is that doTERRA makes it their mission that where ever we go in the world we leave it better than we found it by making a difference in the communities that we visit.

If you want to know more about this facility and maybe even donate please go to their website www.pasitosdeliz.org

Happy Anniversary!!!

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Today Michael and I are celebrating 24 years of marriage. That seems unreal as I really don’t feel much older than 27.

***warning*** super mushy words ahead.

I just wanted to say publicly HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my love Michael.  Thank you for your kind heart and beautiful soul. Thank you for loving me through all the years and all my flaws. Thank you for 4 amazing kids and for being such an incredible dad, our kids are so blessed by you.

Thank you for never giving up even when things looked hopeless. Thank you for fighting for us through the hard times and for being so fun through the easy times.

You are my best friend and the best thing that ever happened to me and I plan on showing you how important you are everyday for the rest of our lives and beyond. 

#myhubbyrocks#wegotthis #familyfirst #anniversary #iloveyou #inlovewithmylife #inlovewithhim #thankful

In it for the Long Run…

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People ask me all the time, “Do you sell essential oils?” Me…”No, I’m an essential oils educator. I educate and I share an opportunity.” For me this is key, I have a problem with “Selling” to my friends. I LOVE essential oils. I think every house should be using it. I’m definitely “That oil lady” but to me selling is not my focus. My focus is to help people be healthy, physically and emotionally first. Now if financial healing happens along the way woohoo!!!

This is not a “get rich quick” scheme, a pyramid scheme or any other kind of scheme. In fact there is no “Scheme” to it at all. It is network marketing, a legitimate business. In network marketing there is always the next goal, that next rank to achieve. Don’t get me wrong goals and ranks are a good thing. It is a way that I can measure how many families I’ve helped, how many lives I’ve been able to touch through this great business…but these goals are not MY goals or what we refer to as our “why.” For me, I am in the business of building relationships. Helping families heal. That is the most important thing to me. Along the way yes this did turn into a “business”, but I’ve noticed when I turn away from my “why” (Helping people heal) then my business fails. When I focus on the individual that I can help, the family in need then I am able to help them and my business at the same time.

Spending time working with essential oils and taking on new team members to mentor I have learned the importance of investing in the long run and making sure others do as well. Think of what you feed your body. If you invest in fresh fruit and veg now, which can cost more (financially and with your time), instead of an over processed meal, which is cheaper and faster, in the long run what will that cost you consistently? More than likely a few heart surgeries and the cost of your overall health and wellness. Now I’ll ask you what is more cost effective and a better use of time? Just like eating healthy (and exercise), this is a long term investment, in people, in health and in finances. There is really no way to go wrong. Unless you don’t go.

There’s a mountain of encouragement to keep you going. “I think I can, I think I can.” “Keep your chin up.” “Reach for the stars.” All of these are great but the one that sticks with me? “If you don’t quit, you win.” Just don’t quit. I don’t want to climb ranks and propel through an ever increasing trajectory but I do want to help people and I want to live a healthy life. I don’t think I want to quit that and I think that’s a pretty good “win.”

If you are interested in the long-term benefits of using essential oils or sharing essential oils, let me know! I am “that oil lady” and loving sharing my oils.

What could be better than that.

If you would like more information about which essential oil brand I use that is safe for me and my family, please email me.