The Magic of Thieves

       My oils obsession continues... One of my favorites? Thieves. It smells heavenly diffused, it has SO many uses, and it has such a mysterious name. What's not to love?!

       According to Youngliving.com, the Thieves oil blend was inspired by the legend of the 15th century French thieves who formulated a special aromatic combination made up of close, rosemary, and other ingredients that they used while robbing the dying and dead. Young Living's Thieves essential oil was created in the spirit of that legend. It is made up of clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary. It is great to add to a daily wellness regimen by taking it internally, diffusing, or using topically. The bonus? It can help support a healthy immune system!*

       My personal favorite is cleaning with it! There are SO many recipes out there for cleaning with Thieves, but my personal favorite is below.

Thieves Cleaner
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. white vinegar
3 drops Lemon essential oil
1 capful of Thieves cleaner
(store in a glass bottle)

And for those times when you're out and about and need a little bottle of this goodness to help clean up a mess, see the recipe below! (It's perfect for your purse or diaper bag!)

Thieves Spray
1 tsp. witch hazel
15 drop of Thieves
2 oz. distilled water
(store in a 2 oz amber glass bottle)

       Thieves is must have in my house! (if you couldn't tell...) I can't wait to try out some other Thieves products! Yep, there's more! Landry detergent... toothpaste... dish soap... and more! The obsession continues...

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Young Living Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Why the Break...

       The excitement of something new... It tends to wear off. (It's always such a bummer when it does!) A new car isn't quite as exciting anymore, and it loses that really awesome new car smell. A new house doesn't seem as large or as extravagant as it did on that first walk-through. A new top is faded and showing signs of wear and tear. (especially when you have spit up, drool, and/or sweet potatoes smeared on it) If I admitted to that being the ONLY reason that I haven't blogged in three weeks, I wouldn't be telling the complete truth.

         Why the break? I hit a wall - a hard one. I've struggled with depression in the past, and it was my number one fear throughout pregnancy. Would I suffer from postpartum depression? Depression is super scary and almost impossible to describe. Looking back, the solution seems so easy. but I can tell you that while going through it, the solution seemed impossible, unreachable, and overwhelming.

        I was so blessed with a (somewhat) easy birth. There were no complications, it wasn't incredibly long, I went epidural free, and besides for some MAJOR soreness, (no matter what you do, no matter how you sit, stand, or kneel, NOTHING is going to feel good and the only relieve you get is from a can of dermoplast and tucks pads) I'll admit to it being not so bad. My worst fear didn't come true. Sure, I was weepy those first couple of weeks, but I was also exhausted. (like EVERY new mommy)

         Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I started to feel "off". Sluggish. Unproductive. Unhappy. Tired. Unmotivated. Down. (I think I've mentioned this a few times, but hormones can be pretty wicked, huh?) Luckily, I could recognize it and be proactive about fixing it. Reaching out and admitting that I needed help was the first and most important step. Many moms (or people in general) suffer silently, and this can be very dangerous. Once I talked through it and had some support, I felt like I could work my way out of it. I forced myself to do things. I tried to keep super busy, which is fairly easy when you have a seven month old. I prayed. A lot. I focused on the fact that the key to happiness isn't things or situations. The key to happiness is Jesus. He doesn't always promise good, but He does promise to be there and help us through the bad. What was really cool was hearing a sermon on that this past Sunday! Whoa! Was that meant for my ears!

       Am I miraculously healed? NO! But I am in a much better spot now than I was a couple of weeks ago. I am oh so far from perfect, but Jesus loves me anyway. I am so blessed that He is there through the many good times AND the many bad.

My Top Ten Money Saving Tips

1. First (and most importantly) you NEED to create a household budget. I can't tell you how many times I have scribbled expenses and incomes on sheets of paper. I've crunched numbers. Added and subtracted. This is SO important. You need to be able to SEE how much money is coming in and where it is going. The only way to do this is to write it out. From there, you'll be able to see where you can make cuts.

2. Set an amount and STICK with it! If you are only budgeting $300 for groceries that month. Make sure you keep your receipts. Keep track and try your best not to go over that amount. What happens if you do? Find another category where you might be able to make cuts that month and "borrow" from there.

3. Pre-paid vs. cell phone plan. I switched to Verizon pre-paid and cut my bill almost in half! You're thinking, "There must be a difference!" NOPE.  I have the EXACT same service and plan, but I'm paying half the price. Winning!

4. Don't buy name-brand. Better yet? If you have an Aldi, shop there! We save LOADS of money shopping at Aldi!

5. Check out those sale ads! They come every week in the mail, and we each go through them. Jewel can have some AWESOME sales on fruit and meat. (Yes, surprisingly even less expensive than Aldi! Gasp!) It isn't every week that we find something great, but when we do, it is definitely worth it!

6. Instead of buying movies and books on Amazon, head to the library! We find many great books and movies, and better yet? They're free! If we really enjoyed what we read or watched, we'll buy it!

7. Unplug. That cell phone charger that is constantly plugged in? It is eating up electricity, even when it doesn't have a phone attached to it. We try to make sure we unplug and turn off things when we aren't using them. It saves us quite a bit on our electricity bill.

8. Cheaper is not always better. Buying something because it's cheaper and then having to replace it often is not saving you money at all. Do your research!

9. Cut the cable. Netflix and Hulu are awesome and much cheaper!

10. When you see something you really LOVE, and you just HAVE to have it, jot it down and tell your significant other. It's a great gift idea! Anniversary... Valentines Day... Birthday... Christmas... It'll save you money and give your sweetie the satisfaction of getting you something you love.

There's an Oil for That!

       In a previous post (check it out by clicking the word post), I talked about why I use Young Living essential oils. Today I thought I'd share a few ways that I used them last week! No joke, I use these oils daily. Sometime I diffuse something. Usually I am putting a few on topically. I even ingest them by drinking lemon daily. There are SO many ways to use these amazing little bottles that I just have to share a couple of them!

(No, our garden doesn't look quite like this... but close. ;) I wish...)

       This is the first year we decided to plant a garden. We didn't want to use any harsh chemicals on our plants because we planned on Emma eating some of it. Enter the magical oil...  PEPPERMINT! We didn't want pesky little bugs invading our garden and eating away at our plants that we worked hard on growing so I made a simple recipe that is safe to spray on plants. The CrAzY and cool part about all of this is that the literal minute second that I started spraying it, the bugs were flying like crazy trying to get away! Awesome, right?!
Peppermint Garden Spray
-8 oz or 16 oz spray bottle
-1 cup distilled water
-1/2 tsp. natural soap (I actually used Dawn, and it worked great)
-10-15 drops of Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil
(I doubled my recipe so I could get several uses out of it.)

       Does anyone have a patch of dry skin that will literally NOT go away. It doesn't matter what you try, it just is always there? Ever since my crazy pregnancy hormones showed up last year (and I'm still convince some are just hanging around for the heck of it), I have had the driest (like the desert on a miserably hot day) skin on my face, especially around my eye brows. I can scratch and scratch and the flakes just keep flying. Ew, gross... I made this peppermint (can you tell that I just LOVE this oil?!) sugar scrub to exfoliate my face. I can't get enough of this stuff! Try it out! It is super easy to make!

Coffee Peppermint Sugar Scrub
- glass jar
- 1/4 cup dried, used coffee grounds
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
Mix it all together in the glass jar, and exfoliate away! It smells magnificently beautiful!

Looking for a Little Inspiration

       This week has seemed... Long. It has dragged. I have dragged. I have yet to unpack my bag from a week ago. Clothes are piled everywhere. Emma's room, the spare room, our room, the bathroom. The sheets need to be washed, floors need to be cleaned, toilets need to be scrubbed. The list goes on...

       The week hasn't been a complete "epic fail". I've gotten little things done here and there. I spent time with family. Cuddled with my adorable nephew. Finalized (I think) a tough decision. Laughed with friends over a glass of wine. Brainstormed new ideas for my oils. Took my daughter to the library and read some books.

       Last night, I kept thinking about how I needed a little mid-week inspiration to get my rear in gear. But when I woke up to my crying daughter this morning at 5:45, I realized that I had all the inspiration that I needed. The week wasn't a failure. I was just focusing on the things that I didn't get done. The quote below really hit home...

       This quote is proven true everywhere I look... in my daughter's bright blue eyes, the wall of pictures in my parent's house, my childhood scrapbook, hard-earned college diploma, photos of kids I used to babysit for, memory books from my years of teaching. Moments like the ones I mentioned don't get repeated. Life is made up of those little moments, and if you blink (or in my case focus on what I didn't get done), you miss it. You miss life. That is all the inspiration I need.

Favorite Recipe Monday

       The four o-clock hour is approaching. Your kids are crabbing. The laundry is split between the floor, washing machine, and dryer. You quickly open the washing machine lid so the clothes don't smell later otherwise your efforts will be for nothing. (Did I mention that on days like this laundry is the first thing on the FOREVER long list of things to do?) Missed naps, dishes in the sink, still wearing your yoga pants and lacking a shower... it is one of THOSE days.

       At this point, the crock pot is obviously out of the question. You are kicking yourself for not prepping a crock pot meal last night or early this morning while the kiddos were sleeping. (Maybe For sure tomorrow!) You stare into the pantry and refrigerator, and your mind is drawing a blank... Sound all too familiar???

       I will share a favorite recipe of mine. It is pretty simple. Keep it on the back burner for days like the one that I just described! Even if my house is a disaster, and my daughter is fussing when my husband gets home, I at least feel like I accomplished something if I pulled off a semi-decent dinner. :)

Bruschetta Chicken

You will need...
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I have to skip this yummy ingredient because I'm lactose intolerant- yes, it sucks.)
- 1/4 cup crushed garlic croutons (If you don't have any, you could use bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes and season them with garlic salt.)
- 1 tbsp. butter, melted
- 2 large tomatoes
- 3 tbsps. basil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (approx. 1 tsp.)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Place flour & beaten eggs in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken into flour, then into eggs. Place in baking dish. Then combine Parmesan cheese, crushed croutons, & melted butter and sprinkle onto chicken. Loosely cover with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes. (or until top is browned and chicken is cooked through) Chop tomatoes and combine with basil, garlic, olive oil, and salt & pepper. Spoon the mixture over the cooked chicken and bake for 5-7 minutes. I served my chicken with salad and toasted garlic ciabatta bread.

       Enjoy! :)

Life with Essential Oils

       It all started about a year ago. I was pregnant with my daughter and majorly stressing over being responsible for a little life. I was all of the sudden way too aware of the harmful chemicals/substances in... well... just about everything! From food, to shampoo, to household cleaning products... Scared this new mama!

       A friend and co-worker had been using and talking about these "essential oils." I just thought, "A new fad... it'll pass. They can't possibly work." (My dad is a pharmacist, and I can name (and pronounce!) more drugs than most people.) But then she kept sharing and sharing, and I started listening. As the school year dragged on, I noticed that she was hardly taking any days to stay home with sick kids. She also talked about how she loved cleaning with her oils, and how amazing they left her house smelling. I started asking her questions...

       Fast forward to today. I bought a kit from her and decided that I wanted to share these awesome oils with my friends and family so I became a distributor. People often mistakenly think that it is just another mlm company, and I am in it to "get rich." So. Not. True. I am still learning A LOT about my oils, but I can tell you that, without a doubt, I do not regret buying my kit, and we use these oils every day! My purpose in distributing these oils is to help others like my friend/co-worker helped me. I want my friends and family to live healthy, happy lives!

       In what ways do I use them?
          1. I clean with them! (Thieves/Lemon/Thieves Cleaner/Purification are game changers when it comes to cleaning!)
          2. I diffuse them to freshen the air and create different environments. When I'm feeling groggy after a rough night of sleep, I might diffuse Citrus Fresh or Lemon/Peppermint to help rejuvenate me. If Emma is out of sorts or I am stressed/overwhelmed, I might diffuse Lavender, Stress Away, or Peace & Calming to create a relaxed environment.
          3. I use them topically for the same reasons that I diffuse them. I also use them in a lip/body scrub. (take that dry skin!) I mix with coconut oil to help with Emma's diaper rash. So. Many, Ways...
          4. I ingest them. Lemon water anyone? (amazing for scratchy throat!) Peppermint brownies? (YUM!) (When ingesting, remember to ONLY use therapeutic grade oils. I only use Young Living which I'll explain below. NOT all essential oils are created equal. Some are NOT safe to ingest!)

       I did some research, and the only company I feel good about getting my oils from is Young Living. What are essential oils anyway? Essential oils come from different parts of plants. These plants are grown, harvested, distilled, and bottled. Why Young Living? They are the only company with a "Seed to Seal" promise. What does that mean??? They monitor their oils from the moment they are seeds to the seal that goes on the bottle! Every part of the process is completed under the company's watchful eye. They are tested according to their high standards and even disposed of if the oils fail to meet those standards! (Now that is something I can feel good great about!)

       Watch for some fun posts about how I use my oils and crafty recipes in the future! :)