A week of absence, and I'm back. No offense, but some days cuddling sweet (and sassy) little girls is WAY more fun than blogging, so that's where we were.
Now, I am here and it's warm outside! Well, warm is probably a very relative term. If I were still in Alabama, I would consider this weather "chilly", but here in Missouri where we are finally seeing the last bit of snow melt and kissing the negative wind chills goodbye, I'm claiming that with the temps in the 50s, it's time to pull out the bathing suits! OK, maybe not bathing suits but I'm running in tank tops!
Here's a little topic that's been on my mind, and hopefully something we are almost done with for this season- Germs! and why we hide when we have them.
Once upon a time (before my family discovered the beauty of essential oils) my oldest daughter had SEVERE lung issues. She didn't have a chronic disease or anything that made you think she had such fragile little lungs, but she did. And her immune system was shot from all the meds trying to determine what was wrong with these fragile little lungs. If anyone in the same room with her at church or gymnastics had the slightest runny nose or cough, within 3-5 days she was struggling to breathe, up all night with coughing fits, and we were all sleepless and miserable. I would remember that little child whose parents brought them out into a closed space with other kids and wonder "WHY?! That was so inconsiderate!" But maybe it really wasn't. Maybe it was just ignorance on that parent's part because they had super healthy kids with perfect little lungs and an immune system that could fight off anything. I understand that now that my kids are capable of fighting through bugs with not much more than an aggravating cough and runny nose. However, I remember our days not too long ago when we weren't so fortunate. This is why we hide at home when we have little germs. Even if they don't make my kids super sick, I don't want to share with another child who may not have the same immune system that my kids have now. Those other children may have baby brothers and sisters at home, or even premie brothers and sisters whose parents are trying so hard to shield them from germs.
So, when you don't see us for extended periods of time because my kids have "colds" this is why, why we hide from the world so we don't share germs. Here's to hoping sunshine and warmer weather will help us kick our snot to the curb for a while!
Happy Monday!
Monday, March 9, 2015
Monday, March 2, 2015
Look a Little Closer
I'm starting a new journey with food today, for 2 weeks (and possibly forever) I am removing gluten and dairy from my diet. When I was pregnant with Emersyn, I started getting little dry patches on my hands which eventually spread, and now we have determined it's eczema. Eczema is an outward sign of an inward problem- related to food. So, now I'm tired of the ugly, red hands and excited to find the root cause so I can avoid it in the future. Plus, this has caused me to look at every ingredient on every food label and really question some of the things even we were eating. It's scary when you stop and pay attention, and we weren't buying what most would consider "junk" in the first place. It's amazing how many foods contain milk products.
Here's a challenge for ya, just take a look at the ingredients of some of the products you eat everyday and Google whatever you don't recognize or can't pronounce. Find out what you are eating, be aware and pro=active in your health. There are plenty of food companies who aren't trying to poison your family to save a dollar; while you may pay a dollar more, just think about the health benefits for a minute, and go buy for your health!
Here's a funny for you, in case you missed it on my Facebook page last week. I have eaten a lot of my words when it comes to things I swore I would never do when I had children. A lot of it has to do with diet, but one thing I have kept to my guns about is hot dogs- they turn my stomach and my girls have never had one, ever. (Nobody's judging if you and yours eat them daily, just one of my "things") So, we are walking through the grocery store when my oldest (3 years old) starts proclaiming her love for hot dogs, and how she loves them so so so much. I was a little horrified but so tickled at the same time. This is the same child who tells everyone her name is "Ruth Haney Rose" (her name is Emersyn Ruth Haney and her sister's middle name is Rose). She's hilarious. We compromised and came home with all-natural turkey sausage "dogs". She was thrilled and hugging and kissing the package all through the store. I just prayed over them before I served them, I couldn't handle to peek at the ingredients :)
Happy Monday, friends!
Here's a challenge for ya, just take a look at the ingredients of some of the products you eat everyday and Google whatever you don't recognize or can't pronounce. Find out what you are eating, be aware and pro=active in your health. There are plenty of food companies who aren't trying to poison your family to save a dollar; while you may pay a dollar more, just think about the health benefits for a minute, and go buy for your health!
Here's a funny for you, in case you missed it on my Facebook page last week. I have eaten a lot of my words when it comes to things I swore I would never do when I had children. A lot of it has to do with diet, but one thing I have kept to my guns about is hot dogs- they turn my stomach and my girls have never had one, ever. (Nobody's judging if you and yours eat them daily, just one of my "things") So, we are walking through the grocery store when my oldest (3 years old) starts proclaiming her love for hot dogs, and how she loves them so so so much. I was a little horrified but so tickled at the same time. This is the same child who tells everyone her name is "Ruth Haney Rose" (her name is Emersyn Ruth Haney and her sister's middle name is Rose). She's hilarious. We compromised and came home with all-natural turkey sausage "dogs". She was thrilled and hugging and kissing the package all through the store. I just prayed over them before I served them, I couldn't handle to peek at the ingredients :)
Happy Monday, friends!
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Be Free
Let's address sickness today, it's on my mind because it's in my home. Let's talk a little about what germs and sickies mean now versus our pre-oil life. One word comes to mind- FREEDOM. Let me explain...
Before we started using essential oils, my oldest daughter was getting sick a lot, like 3 days well between 10 day antibiotic treatments. When she would start the same symptoms in the middle of the night that she had just gotten over, I would just lay in bed with her and cry. I felt helpless, to my knowledge there was absolutely nothing I could do, I would send an email to the doctor at 2 am because that was all the power I had. Then, I would call as soon as their answering services opened the next morning, and beg and plead for something to make my baby well. If we went in to the doctor, I just wanted something to make her feel better. I was so ignorant as to what all of these antibiotics were doing to her little body, but for the next 7-8 days I would at least know she felt good. One day, I would want to go to medical school so I could write my own prescriptions and not want to be at the mercy of a doctor, appointment openings, and weekend clincs. The next day, I would want to go to pharmacy school so I could just get our own drugs (nothing illegal, you know what I'm saying :) ) I just wanted to feel like there was something in the world I could do for a miserable baby.
Then we found essential oils. Now, I'm not saying we never go to the doctor anymore or ever take antibiotics because sometimes we just have to, and I'm fine with that. My girls still get sick and get nasty germs that are floating around, but at least I have some power in healing their little bodies. The greatest term I read to ever classify an essential oil was "ANTI-VIRAL". If you have ever seen a doctor with a miserable, sick baby and told "I'm sorry, it's viral. You'll just have to let it run it's course" did you not want to throw that doctor clear across the room?! And it's totally NOT their fault, God love them. We can treat and reduce symptoms, we can shorten the duration of sickness, and we can avoid so many OTC and antibiotic drugs in our bodies.
Also, I should say I love doctors, I think they are wonderful and smart and completely necessary, but when my baby has a runny nose and can't sleep from the congestion, they can't fix it, but my oils can! I am so thankful we are nowhere near as sick as we used to be and that I feel like I can do something besides hold and comfort my little ones when they are under the weather. I can aggressively treat their symptoms and help their little bodies overcome the sickness without putting toxins in that can be found decades later. Sometimes we just need to go back to the basics. Just like our diets- how much better would be feel if we ate food straight from the Earth without a ton of processing and chemical additives- it's the same with essential oils. They have been here forever, put on Earth by our Creator Himself for their amazing healing powers. Science is great, but most of the time we are only creating something we already have...
Happy Wednesday!
Before we started using essential oils, my oldest daughter was getting sick a lot, like 3 days well between 10 day antibiotic treatments. When she would start the same symptoms in the middle of the night that she had just gotten over, I would just lay in bed with her and cry. I felt helpless, to my knowledge there was absolutely nothing I could do, I would send an email to the doctor at 2 am because that was all the power I had. Then, I would call as soon as their answering services opened the next morning, and beg and plead for something to make my baby well. If we went in to the doctor, I just wanted something to make her feel better. I was so ignorant as to what all of these antibiotics were doing to her little body, but for the next 7-8 days I would at least know she felt good. One day, I would want to go to medical school so I could write my own prescriptions and not want to be at the mercy of a doctor, appointment openings, and weekend clincs. The next day, I would want to go to pharmacy school so I could just get our own drugs (nothing illegal, you know what I'm saying :) ) I just wanted to feel like there was something in the world I could do for a miserable baby.
Then we found essential oils. Now, I'm not saying we never go to the doctor anymore or ever take antibiotics because sometimes we just have to, and I'm fine with that. My girls still get sick and get nasty germs that are floating around, but at least I have some power in healing their little bodies. The greatest term I read to ever classify an essential oil was "ANTI-VIRAL". If you have ever seen a doctor with a miserable, sick baby and told "I'm sorry, it's viral. You'll just have to let it run it's course" did you not want to throw that doctor clear across the room?! And it's totally NOT their fault, God love them. We can treat and reduce symptoms, we can shorten the duration of sickness, and we can avoid so many OTC and antibiotic drugs in our bodies.
Also, I should say I love doctors, I think they are wonderful and smart and completely necessary, but when my baby has a runny nose and can't sleep from the congestion, they can't fix it, but my oils can! I am so thankful we are nowhere near as sick as we used to be and that I feel like I can do something besides hold and comfort my little ones when they are under the weather. I can aggressively treat their symptoms and help their little bodies overcome the sickness without putting toxins in that can be found decades later. Sometimes we just need to go back to the basics. Just like our diets- how much better would be feel if we ate food straight from the Earth without a ton of processing and chemical additives- it's the same with essential oils. They have been here forever, put on Earth by our Creator Himself for their amazing healing powers. Science is great, but most of the time we are only creating something we already have...
Happy Wednesday!
Monday, February 23, 2015
Being Mom
My mom just left after an extended 3 week visit, it was longer than she had originally planned due to snow and ice but her visits always come to an end way too soon for us. She always seems to arrive when my nerves are a little frazzled and my patience is wearing thin. She has a way of always reminding me, in subtle ways, that my babies aren't going to be babies forever. They are growing up a little more everyday and learning new things, I can treasure the good seconds and the bad hours or I can walk around in cranky, sleep-deprived fog the majority of the day and let these times fly on by without capturing the beauty and innocence of these toddler years. Of course, the amount of time she gives me to re-charge is a great help, too :) Thanks, mom.
My goal everyday is to treasure my babies, whether it's treasuring the fits in the middle of the grocery store because they want the most processed and genetically modified cereal on the aisle because Anna and Elsa are on the front or if it's treasuring the moments when they ask for me to sing "Jesus Loves Me" while they fall asleep. It's every moment of everyday, and although the days are long, we all know the years are short.
My goal everyday is to treasure my babies, whether it's treasuring the fits in the middle of the grocery store because they want the most processed and genetically modified cereal on the aisle because Anna and Elsa are on the front or if it's treasuring the moments when they ask for me to sing "Jesus Loves Me" while they fall asleep. It's every moment of everyday, and although the days are long, we all know the years are short.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Excuses
So, let's pretend it's Friday and I'm right on time, because I'm so not. Here's what has been on my fitness heart this week- excuses. I hate them, and can be very un-sympathetic (is that a word?), but I want to be nice so let me encourage you to turn off that little voice that is always thinking of an excuse on why your health shouldn't be a TOP priority.
Excuses are such stumbling blocks, they come from OUR minds, though and we have the ability to shut them up every single day they start rearing their ugly heads. Sometimes we make the excuse we don't have time- let me tell you, everyone has at least 10-20 minutes to MOVE and if you start moving, I can almost guarantee you will find a few more minutes :) We use excuses for our age, our phase of life, and our lifestyle. "I'm too old", "I've had a baby", "I'll never look like (insert super model who's pictures have been ridiculously photoshopped) so why even try?" Stop it. Just don't even listen to that little demon telling you that you can't-for whatever reason, and hear my little cry on my little blog telling you that you CAN. Don't be afraid to try a class at the gym that looks way too advanced, you will be amazed at what your little body can do. Don't be afraid to hit the pavement when you are trying to start running, what's the worst that could happen? It's harder than you thought and you're a little more out of shape, so you walk. You're still moving, thumbs up from me.
No one becomes a fitness machine overnight, everyone in the industry has worked their tails off for their rocking bods. I'm not even concerned with that, though. Just be healthy. Make one positive decision for your health, and your family's health, today. Make two decisions tomorrow. Slowly take the excuses, and show them where the door is. I can do it. you can do it, we can all do it. Little by little, day by day. Get those tennis shoes on, and exercise because you are never too old or too out of shape. Put down the candy bar and grab a Cliff bar because eating healthy isn't disgusting or it won't be too hard to change your habits.
Embrace health, just embrace it.
Excuses are such stumbling blocks, they come from OUR minds, though and we have the ability to shut them up every single day they start rearing their ugly heads. Sometimes we make the excuse we don't have time- let me tell you, everyone has at least 10-20 minutes to MOVE and if you start moving, I can almost guarantee you will find a few more minutes :) We use excuses for our age, our phase of life, and our lifestyle. "I'm too old", "I've had a baby", "I'll never look like (insert super model who's pictures have been ridiculously photoshopped) so why even try?" Stop it. Just don't even listen to that little demon telling you that you can't-for whatever reason, and hear my little cry on my little blog telling you that you CAN. Don't be afraid to try a class at the gym that looks way too advanced, you will be amazed at what your little body can do. Don't be afraid to hit the pavement when you are trying to start running, what's the worst that could happen? It's harder than you thought and you're a little more out of shape, so you walk. You're still moving, thumbs up from me.
No one becomes a fitness machine overnight, everyone in the industry has worked their tails off for their rocking bods. I'm not even concerned with that, though. Just be healthy. Make one positive decision for your health, and your family's health, today. Make two decisions tomorrow. Slowly take the excuses, and show them where the door is. I can do it. you can do it, we can all do it. Little by little, day by day. Get those tennis shoes on, and exercise because you are never too old or too out of shape. Put down the candy bar and grab a Cliff bar because eating healthy isn't disgusting or it won't be too hard to change your habits.
Embrace health, just embrace it.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Where to Start?
Happy hump day, it's Wednesday and we are back on track with an oily word. I seriously just love oils, love them to pieces. You will, too, you just have to know where to start.
This is totally my opinion, it's how my family approached oils and where I have seen friends and family have the most success using essential oils. Most of you reading this know that Young Living has an amazingly awesome deal where you can purchase a starter kit of 11 essential oils, a diffuser, and samples for a fraction of the retail price if you were to buy it all separately. And, if you know a little bit about oils and it's not a completely foreign idea to you, start there- dive on in and embrace it! However, if you are just hearing about essential oils and the thought of having ELEVEN oils to think about just blows your mind, start small. It's perfectly fine, no sin in the oil world= I encourage this. Find one oil you think could really help you; for instance, if you have headaches and have to pop an OTC med to get through the day, try peppermint- just peppermint. Hold it, smell it, use it and get comfortable with it. Maybe you want to try one or two more and get comfortable with how to use them safely, then go for all 11 oils and a diffuser. It will change your life and you will appreciate these little pieces of heaven so much. No one should have a box of oils sitting on a shelf and not using them, and I am seeing this happen way too often. It breaks my heart, really.
I don't like to use the phrase "I sell oils". I don't like it one bit, actually. My job is to get an oil in your home, every home of every person that I love and care about because we all need it. I hate toxins, I hate the diseases they are linked to and the disruptions they cause to our body's natural chemistry, and I hate seeing people I know and love dealing with effects of toxins. So here I am, "sharing" oils with you because I care about YOUR health and well-being. One oil, eleven oils, or a hundred, just embrace it and start somewhere :)
If you are reading this and are on Facebook, I have an oil page. "Like" it for more frequent posts than Wednesdays on the blog! Follow this link:
https://www.facebook.com/OilsandgraceYL?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
This is totally my opinion, it's how my family approached oils and where I have seen friends and family have the most success using essential oils. Most of you reading this know that Young Living has an amazingly awesome deal where you can purchase a starter kit of 11 essential oils, a diffuser, and samples for a fraction of the retail price if you were to buy it all separately. And, if you know a little bit about oils and it's not a completely foreign idea to you, start there- dive on in and embrace it! However, if you are just hearing about essential oils and the thought of having ELEVEN oils to think about just blows your mind, start small. It's perfectly fine, no sin in the oil world= I encourage this. Find one oil you think could really help you; for instance, if you have headaches and have to pop an OTC med to get through the day, try peppermint- just peppermint. Hold it, smell it, use it and get comfortable with it. Maybe you want to try one or two more and get comfortable with how to use them safely, then go for all 11 oils and a diffuser. It will change your life and you will appreciate these little pieces of heaven so much. No one should have a box of oils sitting on a shelf and not using them, and I am seeing this happen way too often. It breaks my heart, really.
I don't like to use the phrase "I sell oils". I don't like it one bit, actually. My job is to get an oil in your home, every home of every person that I love and care about because we all need it. I hate toxins, I hate the diseases they are linked to and the disruptions they cause to our body's natural chemistry, and I hate seeing people I know and love dealing with effects of toxins. So here I am, "sharing" oils with you because I care about YOUR health and well-being. One oil, eleven oils, or a hundred, just embrace it and start somewhere :)
If you are reading this and are on Facebook, I have an oil page. "Like" it for more frequent posts than Wednesdays on the blog! Follow this link:
https://www.facebook.com/OilsandgraceYL?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Monday, February 16, 2015
...and We are Back!
I have been MIA from the blog for a little over a week, thankfully now the stomach virus is gone and I am back :) We had our first big stomach virus about a week ago, like Satan in the form of a stomach virus. It was awful, and I know it could have been worse. Everyone is all better now, and I will always remember the stomach bug of 2015.
Now, we have snow on the ground, and it's a super cold day in Missouri. You can find us snuggling together and trying to keep warm!
I'll get back on the "organized blog posts" on Wednesday- oil post day :) Stay warm, my friends! (And if it IS warm where you are, I am VERY jealous!)
Now, we have snow on the ground, and it's a super cold day in Missouri. You can find us snuggling together and trying to keep warm!
I'll get back on the "organized blog posts" on Wednesday- oil post day :) Stay warm, my friends! (And if it IS warm where you are, I am VERY jealous!)
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Why We Chose Young Living
Over a year ago, I began to throw around the idea of using essential oils to help our daughter's immune system and respiratory issues. I had been introduced to essential oils about 4 years earlier when I was working in a health food store in the health and beauty department- where essential oils were sold. Company reps came in and their spill would go something like this " This is ___ essential oil and it is used for headaches. This is ___ essential oil and it is uplifting. This is ___ essential oil and it helps scrapes and cuts." Ok? I was never blown away by these presentations, we were never told the chemistry behind oils and about the farms these companies use to grow the plants that are used to extract these precious oils. Well, I realize now that's probably because most everything we were shown, from the liquid in the bottles to the label on the outside, was all created in a lab. It has an expiration date and a warning not to be taken internally- as does the label around poisonous cleaning products.
Back to my search for an oil company! We are going to barely touch the surface here, there is SO much information that Young Living makes available to it's customers. If I miss something or you have questions and want to go deeper, let me know- we can so go there. I knew if this was going to be something I was going to try on my fragile, precious daughter, it had to be something that was going to work. I didn't want controversy, I wanted purity. I researched and learned about how essential oils work in the body and how their purity can be compromised, I wasn't willing to compromise and I wanted a company that felt the same. Over and over again, I landed back at Young Living. I was, and still am, amazed at their dedication to control, purity, and education.
The process of growing and extracting an oil from a plant is a very delicate process. It blows my mind at how delicate this process is, factors ranging from the soil, the amount of sun, the time of year, the humidity, the amount of frost free days, and so much more dictate the best place to grow certain plants. Distilling is another huge factor, some plants need to be distilled right away while others need to rest for a specific amount of time. These factors are important because if you grow a plant in a sub-par area, harvest it at the wrong time of the year, then are inconsiderate with it's distillation, it won't exhibit it's highest potential for therapeutic properties. If all of this is well understood and a company educates it's workers on the art form that begins with choosing seeds to plant in the ground, you are going to get essential oils full of therapeutic constituents. Young Living does all of this and more, it's called their Seed to Seal process and you can learn all about it here. Pure, amazing, knowledgeable, simply wonderful.
It can go even further as to the machines used to test oil samples. Young Living uses Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry to test their oils as well as a chiral column to test for adulterations that may not be found with the first two machines. The column on the GC/MS is almost twice as long as other labs, allowing for maximum separation of molecules to determine the presence of chemical constituents. If any oil does not meet Young Living standards, it is thrown out. Have I lost you yet? That's fine, I became familiar with these units while my husband was finishing his PhD. I heard them over and over and my mind was in la-la land, then when I started learning about Young Living, I impressed him by recalling his dissertation :) Bottom line- this company goes over and beyond any standards that have been set in not only the US, but European nations that actually do have tighter controls on essential oils. They allow the FDA to inspect so that their oils safe for ingesting can have a nutrition label printed on them. Although, here's my opinion- if anything has passed Young Living's strict standards, I would not think twice about putting it in my body; however, if it's passed the FDA's standards, I'm still going to think about a hundred more times and research it to great extents before it even touches my lips.
Everyone wants to talk money when you bring up essential oils. I paid almost $80 for a 15 mL bottle of sacred frankincense to un-do damage done to my daughter's lungs, and guess what? It did just that. Worth every stinking penny spent, in my opinion. This frankincense comes from the Middle East, and was limited to Saudi royals until Young Living was able to partner with them, it's also believed to be the same species of frankincense brought to baby Jesus by the Wise Men. I look at it as a privilege to be able to buy it for my family, and we've saved well over $800 in medical costs since using essential oils. I've also used an $11 bottle of lemon oil to help a congested baby breathe through her nose, if you've been there, you understand the value in that. There's definitely a range in price, but just another example in the realm of "you get what you pay for." I am happy to be able to purchase essential oils for my family from a company that is so knowledgeable in the world of essential oils and goes to such lengths to make sure the bottle that arrives at my doorstep is pure, unadulterated and going to help, never harm my family. Thank you, Young Living for your commitment to awesome essential oils!
Back to my search for an oil company! We are going to barely touch the surface here, there is SO much information that Young Living makes available to it's customers. If I miss something or you have questions and want to go deeper, let me know- we can so go there. I knew if this was going to be something I was going to try on my fragile, precious daughter, it had to be something that was going to work. I didn't want controversy, I wanted purity. I researched and learned about how essential oils work in the body and how their purity can be compromised, I wasn't willing to compromise and I wanted a company that felt the same. Over and over again, I landed back at Young Living. I was, and still am, amazed at their dedication to control, purity, and education.
The process of growing and extracting an oil from a plant is a very delicate process. It blows my mind at how delicate this process is, factors ranging from the soil, the amount of sun, the time of year, the humidity, the amount of frost free days, and so much more dictate the best place to grow certain plants. Distilling is another huge factor, some plants need to be distilled right away while others need to rest for a specific amount of time. These factors are important because if you grow a plant in a sub-par area, harvest it at the wrong time of the year, then are inconsiderate with it's distillation, it won't exhibit it's highest potential for therapeutic properties. If all of this is well understood and a company educates it's workers on the art form that begins with choosing seeds to plant in the ground, you are going to get essential oils full of therapeutic constituents. Young Living does all of this and more, it's called their Seed to Seal process and you can learn all about it here. Pure, amazing, knowledgeable, simply wonderful.
It can go even further as to the machines used to test oil samples. Young Living uses Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry to test their oils as well as a chiral column to test for adulterations that may not be found with the first two machines. The column on the GC/MS is almost twice as long as other labs, allowing for maximum separation of molecules to determine the presence of chemical constituents. If any oil does not meet Young Living standards, it is thrown out. Have I lost you yet? That's fine, I became familiar with these units while my husband was finishing his PhD. I heard them over and over and my mind was in la-la land, then when I started learning about Young Living, I impressed him by recalling his dissertation :) Bottom line- this company goes over and beyond any standards that have been set in not only the US, but European nations that actually do have tighter controls on essential oils. They allow the FDA to inspect so that their oils safe for ingesting can have a nutrition label printed on them. Although, here's my opinion- if anything has passed Young Living's strict standards, I would not think twice about putting it in my body; however, if it's passed the FDA's standards, I'm still going to think about a hundred more times and research it to great extents before it even touches my lips.
Everyone wants to talk money when you bring up essential oils. I paid almost $80 for a 15 mL bottle of sacred frankincense to un-do damage done to my daughter's lungs, and guess what? It did just that. Worth every stinking penny spent, in my opinion. This frankincense comes from the Middle East, and was limited to Saudi royals until Young Living was able to partner with them, it's also believed to be the same species of frankincense brought to baby Jesus by the Wise Men. I look at it as a privilege to be able to buy it for my family, and we've saved well over $800 in medical costs since using essential oils. I've also used an $11 bottle of lemon oil to help a congested baby breathe through her nose, if you've been there, you understand the value in that. There's definitely a range in price, but just another example in the realm of "you get what you pay for." I am happy to be able to purchase essential oils for my family from a company that is so knowledgeable in the world of essential oils and goes to such lengths to make sure the bottle that arrives at my doorstep is pure, unadulterated and going to help, never harm my family. Thank you, Young Living for your commitment to awesome essential oils!
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Imitation
No, it's not Monday, I can explain. Last week, I showed my husband some paint swatches and said, "I like these for the main level." That turned into a trip to Home Depot this weekend and I was in a little over my head renovating our living room. It's finished now and I love it, but there were times I thought I may never live to see the finished product. We went from a muddy brown shade and brass finishes to bronze accents and pastel jade walls, I'm a color girl- I love color on walls.
Anyways, I've had one reminder heavy on my mothering heart the past few days. My 3 year old has been in quite the imitating mood lately, not in a direct, I repeat everything you say kind of imitation but more of showing me in simple moments how she is watching everything I do and wanting to repeat it. Instead of feeling flattered, which of course I do since she wants to be just like mom, I feel very humbled and loudly reminded of the example I am setting for her. She's done everything recently from pretending to drive my car while wearing my sunglasses to nursing her sad babies and cooking me snacks then telling me it's too late and may give me a tummy ache, she makes my heart smile. She has been repeating phrases and loving on her sister just like I do. She's such a sweet reminder that every word I utter, she hears and every motion I make, she sees. She keeps me honest, overwhelmed, and humble and I am so thankful for her little spirit. She's actually in my lap as I type this blog "reading" every word, and counting. Oh, motherhood, thank you for your humility.
Anyways, I've had one reminder heavy on my mothering heart the past few days. My 3 year old has been in quite the imitating mood lately, not in a direct, I repeat everything you say kind of imitation but more of showing me in simple moments how she is watching everything I do and wanting to repeat it. Instead of feeling flattered, which of course I do since she wants to be just like mom, I feel very humbled and loudly reminded of the example I am setting for her. She's done everything recently from pretending to drive my car while wearing my sunglasses to nursing her sad babies and cooking me snacks then telling me it's too late and may give me a tummy ache, she makes my heart smile. She has been repeating phrases and loving on her sister just like I do. She's such a sweet reminder that every word I utter, she hears and every motion I make, she sees. She keeps me honest, overwhelmed, and humble and I am so thankful for her little spirit. She's actually in my lap as I type this blog "reading" every word, and counting. Oh, motherhood, thank you for your humility.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Our Oily World
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you probably know that our little family has been transformed by using essential oils. TRANSFORMED. We are doing things and making things I never thought was possible, and it's so clean and wonderful.
We started this journey almost a year ago, March 2014. We were at our wit's end with our then 2-year-old. She was diagnosed with asthma and on inhaled steroids and bronchodilators daily, she was having some immunity issues and could NOT fight a cold which led to a constant feed of antibiotics into her system. She was still having random nightly coughing fits, so then she was prescribed a medicine for acid reflux. My husband and I finally decided enough was enough. Neither of us felt settled about all that she was being prescribed and taking, so we started researching other options. I feel like I should say we do love our ped, and she was endlessly trying to help our little darling, waiting until she only felt antibiotics were absolutely necessary. Her pulmonologist, on the other hand, was an egotistical jerk- felt like I should add that, too, since we are rating our doctors :) It was just getting out of hand and we were not seeing improvements. I had been seeing and reading of countless people whose worlds were being rocked by using essential oils. I had been familiar with essential oils for many years, but was a little terrified of using them. I knew they were potent and such a different route than anything I had been used to, so they scared me.. until I was desperate for a solution to help my baby.
Men are hesitant to love oils, it's in their genes, my husband and I decided to try one blend first and see how it worked before we really dove in. We got this one blend in that is formulated for respiratory conditions. Sure enough, the first night our little love started having one of he trademark coughing fits. They would usually last a solid 60-90 minutes and we would spend the remainder of the night in the recliner. We got the oil, put a drop in my palm, and cupped my palm over her face- she instantly stopped coughing and rested soundly the remainder of the night. We were in love and in awe. The next day we went big and started our oily journey, and we haven't looked back a second since then.
Initially, we just wanted to find relief for our girl. Just like so many other moms and dads, we were tired of pumping her full of antibiotics. It hurt my heart, and after so many doses I was in tears giving her her daily meds and breathing treatments because I knew there was a better option. AND THERE WAS. She's wonderful and healthy now, her lungs are better than ever and she can fight a cold like a boss. Her ped is amazed, as is everyone who knew her struggles then versus now. After we felt like we had her troubles under control, we moved on to another area, and another until we have become complete oily nerds. We are making soaps, lotions, face wash, body scrubs, diaper creams, deodorant, etc. I clean my entire house with ONE cleaner and we brush our teeth with Thieves toothpaste. It's been one small change at a time, and it amazes me to look back and see the HUGE changes our lives have encountered in the past year. Last week, I cleaned out cabinets and closets, and I threw away 2 huge bags of cleaners that I haven't had any use for in the past 6 months. I threw away an entire bag of Bath and Body Works lotions, soaps, and creams because I have no use for them anymore. Yeah, my heart hurt a little but then I flipped the bottle over and read all of the toxic ingredients that would be absorbed into my body if I were to use the product and the heart ache was instantly cured.
This is just another area of our lives that I refuse to be ignorant in anymore. We used so many things from OTCs, cleaning products, body care and personal products, fragrances, candles, and even sports creams that we were making our bodies a toxic wasteland every single day. Essential oils are freeing, their possibilities are endless, and their results (when used properly) can bring a mama to tears. I am so thankful for this journey that our family has begun, because we are nowhere near the end :)
I'll tell you more next week on WHY our family chose Young Living, and we chose it long before I ever thought about sharing it with others. It's a golden company with pure, therapeutic, top of the line products, and if I am rubbing my babies down in these oils, I want the best!
We started this journey almost a year ago, March 2014. We were at our wit's end with our then 2-year-old. She was diagnosed with asthma and on inhaled steroids and bronchodilators daily, she was having some immunity issues and could NOT fight a cold which led to a constant feed of antibiotics into her system. She was still having random nightly coughing fits, so then she was prescribed a medicine for acid reflux. My husband and I finally decided enough was enough. Neither of us felt settled about all that she was being prescribed and taking, so we started researching other options. I feel like I should say we do love our ped, and she was endlessly trying to help our little darling, waiting until she only felt antibiotics were absolutely necessary. Her pulmonologist, on the other hand, was an egotistical jerk- felt like I should add that, too, since we are rating our doctors :) It was just getting out of hand and we were not seeing improvements. I had been seeing and reading of countless people whose worlds were being rocked by using essential oils. I had been familiar with essential oils for many years, but was a little terrified of using them. I knew they were potent and such a different route than anything I had been used to, so they scared me.. until I was desperate for a solution to help my baby.
Men are hesitant to love oils, it's in their genes, my husband and I decided to try one blend first and see how it worked before we really dove in. We got this one blend in that is formulated for respiratory conditions. Sure enough, the first night our little love started having one of he trademark coughing fits. They would usually last a solid 60-90 minutes and we would spend the remainder of the night in the recliner. We got the oil, put a drop in my palm, and cupped my palm over her face- she instantly stopped coughing and rested soundly the remainder of the night. We were in love and in awe. The next day we went big and started our oily journey, and we haven't looked back a second since then.
Initially, we just wanted to find relief for our girl. Just like so many other moms and dads, we were tired of pumping her full of antibiotics. It hurt my heart, and after so many doses I was in tears giving her her daily meds and breathing treatments because I knew there was a better option. AND THERE WAS. She's wonderful and healthy now, her lungs are better than ever and she can fight a cold like a boss. Her ped is amazed, as is everyone who knew her struggles then versus now. After we felt like we had her troubles under control, we moved on to another area, and another until we have become complete oily nerds. We are making soaps, lotions, face wash, body scrubs, diaper creams, deodorant, etc. I clean my entire house with ONE cleaner and we brush our teeth with Thieves toothpaste. It's been one small change at a time, and it amazes me to look back and see the HUGE changes our lives have encountered in the past year. Last week, I cleaned out cabinets and closets, and I threw away 2 huge bags of cleaners that I haven't had any use for in the past 6 months. I threw away an entire bag of Bath and Body Works lotions, soaps, and creams because I have no use for them anymore. Yeah, my heart hurt a little but then I flipped the bottle over and read all of the toxic ingredients that would be absorbed into my body if I were to use the product and the heart ache was instantly cured.
This is just another area of our lives that I refuse to be ignorant in anymore. We used so many things from OTCs, cleaning products, body care and personal products, fragrances, candles, and even sports creams that we were making our bodies a toxic wasteland every single day. Essential oils are freeing, their possibilities are endless, and their results (when used properly) can bring a mama to tears. I am so thankful for this journey that our family has begun, because we are nowhere near the end :)
I'll tell you more next week on WHY our family chose Young Living, and we chose it long before I ever thought about sharing it with others. It's a golden company with pure, therapeutic, top of the line products, and if I am rubbing my babies down in these oils, I want the best!
Monday, January 26, 2015
An Intro Into Our Little Family
Happy Monday! Mondays are for posts about our little family. I've been married to my husband for almost 5 years. We met at Auburn University while he was in his PhD program and I was finishing up my B.S. He is a genius (literally, not just because he married me) and works outside the home as an engineer, while I stay home with our two little darlings, who are 1 and 3. After we got married, we adopted a pitiful little puppy mill rescue whom we call Bo Jackson, he's the psycho dog I'll be referring to, he's never quite fully recovered from his previous life.
I love being mom, and am so thankful I can be 100% of the time. When I was a little girl, it's all I ever desired when I grew up, and all of those high school personality tests that were supposed to tell you what you were going to be when you grew up always irritated me, I just wanted to be a mom. I realize now it's a dream so many have, but it can be so difficult to achieve. Am I good at this whole mom thing? No way, I struggle every single day. It's the most rewarding yet most humbling, frustrating, trying, and difficult thing I've ever done. Our days are full of mercy and grace. We are all learning repentance and forgiveness.
So, here we are making it day by day by God's grace. And now, I've got two darlings fighting over a chair. We will call this the intro to the Haney family and not much else, because motherhood is calling :)
I love being mom, and am so thankful I can be 100% of the time. When I was a little girl, it's all I ever desired when I grew up, and all of those high school personality tests that were supposed to tell you what you were going to be when you grew up always irritated me, I just wanted to be a mom. I realize now it's a dream so many have, but it can be so difficult to achieve. Am I good at this whole mom thing? No way, I struggle every single day. It's the most rewarding yet most humbling, frustrating, trying, and difficult thing I've ever done. Our days are full of mercy and grace. We are all learning repentance and forgiveness.
So, here we are making it day by day by God's grace. And now, I've got two darlings fighting over a chair. We will call this the intro to the Haney family and not much else, because motherhood is calling :)
Friday, January 23, 2015
Get Fit Friday
Happy Friday! Just like I committed to yesterday, it's Friday and that calls for a post about our world of fitness.
Let me give you a little background, I worked as a personal trainer for 2 years, a group fitness instructor for 6 years, graduated college with a degree in nutrition and food science, and have run 4 marathons. "Fitness" is just kind of how we do things around here, but I understand we are rare, maybe a little strange :) Nonetheless, we are always trying to incorporate new training regimens and always trying to be healthier and feel even better. A growing family is always a challenge, one that we gladly accept, but we have learned to get creative and get as much exercise and training in the least amount of time! When the weather is compliant, I have a double jogging stroller and the girls and I can run for days, but when we are in the heart of winter we have to find an alternative. Now, I love running, really. It's not something I ever had to force myself to like, it's just my "thing", but when I'm not logging miles I try to add in more muscle strengthening workouts instead of straight cardio. I want to really push myself, and that's where my friend Shaun T comes in. I am NOT a Beachbody coach or anything along those lines so believe I am telling you this for no gain for myself, simply because I love Shaun. He's great, so creative and sometimes such a turd, but he gets results. Recently, Lance and I started Insanity Max:30 and it is, hands down, the BEST workout I've ever done. After 30 minutes, I am lifeless on the floor, and I am still in month 1. I can tell I am getting stronger and can push a little longer each workout. Every person has 30 minutes, I have a 1 year old, a 3 year old and a psycho dog and have 30 minutes each day. Now, I wouldn't advise if you've never exercised before to try this program because it's insanely tough, but find time and do something. Do I follow the plan perfectly? Of course not, if the suns out and it's above 40 degrees, we are going to go for a run :) And on those extra run days, I may have a treat....
Speaking of treats, we are almost through the month of January and I still have a doughnut coupon in my inbox. We are really trying to work on our food intake. We began around October/November cutting out one processed/crap item every two weeks (when I buy "big" groceries). Unfortunately, I think we have reached doughnuts now. Will we ever eat another doughnut? Of course, don't be silly. But, we don't need to take a trip every month, and we don't need to teach our children sugar addiction either- just a conviction over here. So, what is a treat? Actually, I found a recipe for a blueberry "pie" that I think we may try this weekend. My new favorite that I have tried and made is brownies- with black beans and avocados. Now, let me tell you how much I hate avocados- Emersyn would ONLY eat pureed avocados from about 6 months- 1 year. I saw good, bad, and rotten and disgusting avocados. I was up to my elbows in them everyday, and swore I would never eat them again. However, they have great health benefits and I am an expert at picking the best ones out, so pureed in "brownies" I can do, and do well :)
So, if you want your butt kicked, find a Beachbody coach and order Insanity Max:30 ASAP (if you don't have/know a coach, my girl Anjali can hook you up.) And let me encourage you to look deep at your daily intake- how much processed and genetically modified food are you eating, where can you make improvements? I'll talk more about this next week.
Black Bean Brownies
1 can black beans (or 1 1/2 cups if you want to soak and cook your own beans and freeze individual servings, just thaw completely before you add to the food processor.)
1/2 avocado
2 eggs
3 Tbsp cup brown sugar*
3 Tbsp Stevia*
2/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup chocolate chips + extra for sprinkling
Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree' until smooth. Add in 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Spread in 9x13 pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 17-20 minutes
*For sweeteners, you can use whatever you prefer. I like this combination because it keeps sugar content low but isn't all Stevia. You want about 1/3 cup total of sweetener
Let me give you a little background, I worked as a personal trainer for 2 years, a group fitness instructor for 6 years, graduated college with a degree in nutrition and food science, and have run 4 marathons. "Fitness" is just kind of how we do things around here, but I understand we are rare, maybe a little strange :) Nonetheless, we are always trying to incorporate new training regimens and always trying to be healthier and feel even better. A growing family is always a challenge, one that we gladly accept, but we have learned to get creative and get as much exercise and training in the least amount of time! When the weather is compliant, I have a double jogging stroller and the girls and I can run for days, but when we are in the heart of winter we have to find an alternative. Now, I love running, really. It's not something I ever had to force myself to like, it's just my "thing", but when I'm not logging miles I try to add in more muscle strengthening workouts instead of straight cardio. I want to really push myself, and that's where my friend Shaun T comes in. I am NOT a Beachbody coach or anything along those lines so believe I am telling you this for no gain for myself, simply because I love Shaun. He's great, so creative and sometimes such a turd, but he gets results. Recently, Lance and I started Insanity Max:30 and it is, hands down, the BEST workout I've ever done. After 30 minutes, I am lifeless on the floor, and I am still in month 1. I can tell I am getting stronger and can push a little longer each workout. Every person has 30 minutes, I have a 1 year old, a 3 year old and a psycho dog and have 30 minutes each day. Now, I wouldn't advise if you've never exercised before to try this program because it's insanely tough, but find time and do something. Do I follow the plan perfectly? Of course not, if the suns out and it's above 40 degrees, we are going to go for a run :) And on those extra run days, I may have a treat....
Speaking of treats, we are almost through the month of January and I still have a doughnut coupon in my inbox. We are really trying to work on our food intake. We began around October/November cutting out one processed/crap item every two weeks (when I buy "big" groceries). Unfortunately, I think we have reached doughnuts now. Will we ever eat another doughnut? Of course, don't be silly. But, we don't need to take a trip every month, and we don't need to teach our children sugar addiction either- just a conviction over here. So, what is a treat? Actually, I found a recipe for a blueberry "pie" that I think we may try this weekend. My new favorite that I have tried and made is brownies- with black beans and avocados. Now, let me tell you how much I hate avocados- Emersyn would ONLY eat pureed avocados from about 6 months- 1 year. I saw good, bad, and rotten and disgusting avocados. I was up to my elbows in them everyday, and swore I would never eat them again. However, they have great health benefits and I am an expert at picking the best ones out, so pureed in "brownies" I can do, and do well :)
So, if you want your butt kicked, find a Beachbody coach and order Insanity Max:30 ASAP (if you don't have/know a coach, my girl Anjali can hook you up.) And let me encourage you to look deep at your daily intake- how much processed and genetically modified food are you eating, where can you make improvements? I'll talk more about this next week.
Black Bean Brownies
1 can black beans (or 1 1/2 cups if you want to soak and cook your own beans and freeze individual servings, just thaw completely before you add to the food processor.)
1/2 avocado
2 eggs
3 Tbsp cup brown sugar*
3 Tbsp Stevia*
2/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup chocolate chips + extra for sprinkling
Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree' until smooth. Add in 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Spread in 9x13 pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 17-20 minutes
*For sweeteners, you can use whatever you prefer. I like this combination because it keeps sugar content low but isn't all Stevia. You want about 1/3 cup total of sweetener
Thursday, January 22, 2015
A Little Dose of Order
I've been in full swing Spring cleaning mode the past few days, and I'm bringing it to the blog! Maybe it was the little taste of sunshine we got and the 5 runs I got in with the girls- the last run was pushing it a bit, but I just couldn't let winter come back so soon and harshly!
I've cleaned out drawers, closets and cabinets, and now I am on to organizing! Organizing little girl clothes, product information, recipes- you name it, I probably have a plan to organize it.
I usually way over think what to blog about, and have been so inspired by all of the "new year" blogs, I decided I need to get with it. So, here's what's coming up on our little world of "Giggles and Grace" (I don't think blogs existed when I was in English class, so that may not be the proper way to address a blog, forgive me, English teachers!) Since I stay at home with my babies and have an array of passions along with mommy-ing, I want to share it all, so we are going with a new schedule of posts :)
I'm a health nut, avid runner/exerciser, a mom trying to figure out how to handle the sassiness that comes with toddlers, a wife learning how to honor Christ in her marriage, a friend with pieces of my heart ranging from Alabama to Pennsylvania and Missouri, and an oil loving-toxin elimating explorer all wrapped into a sweet, Southern spirit.
I'm going to commit to three days of blogs/week, because I'm trying to do all of the above mentioned when I'm not typing in front of a computer :) Mondays are for family talk, Wednesdays are for oily and toxins/food supply/whatever new thing we are into in the holistic world talk, and Fridays are for fitness and nutrition fun!
I'll be here tomorrow telling you all about our new dinner plans and my newest workout addiction for weather conditions when it's considered child abuse to put your kids in a jogger and push them around town :)
I've cleaned out drawers, closets and cabinets, and now I am on to organizing! Organizing little girl clothes, product information, recipes- you name it, I probably have a plan to organize it.
I usually way over think what to blog about, and have been so inspired by all of the "new year" blogs, I decided I need to get with it. So, here's what's coming up on our little world of "Giggles and Grace" (I don't think blogs existed when I was in English class, so that may not be the proper way to address a blog, forgive me, English teachers!) Since I stay at home with my babies and have an array of passions along with mommy-ing, I want to share it all, so we are going with a new schedule of posts :)
I'm a health nut, avid runner/exerciser, a mom trying to figure out how to handle the sassiness that comes with toddlers, a wife learning how to honor Christ in her marriage, a friend with pieces of my heart ranging from Alabama to Pennsylvania and Missouri, and an oil loving-toxin elimating explorer all wrapped into a sweet, Southern spirit.
I'm going to commit to three days of blogs/week, because I'm trying to do all of the above mentioned when I'm not typing in front of a computer :) Mondays are for family talk, Wednesdays are for oily and toxins/food supply/whatever new thing we are into in the holistic world talk, and Fridays are for fitness and nutrition fun!
I'll be here tomorrow telling you all about our new dinner plans and my newest workout addiction for weather conditions when it's considered child abuse to put your kids in a jogger and push them around town :)
Monday, January 5, 2015
2*0*1*5
We ended 2014 on a high note. We ran a great marathon- I finished in 3:54, almost identical to my Boston time. By no means, did I PR but I finished under 4 hours and felt great afterwards. This was the first marathon I have run that I didn't swear I would never do another at the finish line! I am excited for #5... when it warms up, of course, you will not find me out running in single digits, I don't have that kind of dedication!
Christmas was a blast, after everyone recovered from a round of flu. My children were loved on, Lance and I were loved on, and it was a wonderful, relaxing time at home. I can't believe how much the girls grew up in the 3 short weeks we spent in Alabama, we returned to Missouri with two little women ( well, two little women who can pitch mean fits!)
So, that brings us to the new year (just a few days late!) I don't love new years resolutions, but I always try to think of something to accomplish in the upcoming year. If you've been following this blog, you know the heart struggle I have had with toxins in our home, so we are continuing that progress this year. I buy "big groceries" every 2 weeks and my goal is to replace or cut out a new processed/toxic item each time, and learn more about food companies and products every day. We are still learning about essential oils all of the time, I feel like there is never too much to know and I am left amazed all of the time! We are making more and replacing every day items bit by bit.
I pray that I can be a more patient mom, loving wife and let my light shine to every person I come in contact with. I am excited for what a new year holds. Happy 2015, friends, and shoot for the stars this year!
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