Grace Blossoms

How State Standards Can Be a Tool for Your Homeschool

Your state standards can provide a few good things for your homeschool, and in this quick read, you'll find it's easier than you may think.

State Standards are a Tool

While I know it may not be the popular homeschool mom thing to say, the state standards can actually be of use to you.

I’m not implying you should drop what you’re doing and follow these “rules.”

However, I do think it’s important to take a look at them, and here’s why:

One day your child will enter the work force with people who have this as their base minimum.

In my opinion, it only makes sense that my children, while under my homeschool teaching, would get this as a minimum as well so they can be even more of a contender for a job one day.

What You May Not Know About State Standards

Here are some helpful tips I came to learn after eleven years teaching in a public school:

They’re fairly minimal and not overly challenging
They’re super repetitive from year to year
At times, they focus on small pieces of information (i.e. nouns). It’s up to the educator to make sure they’re learning how to actually utilize them in real life and not simply memorize what they are.
They are somewhat difficult to read. Google is your friend here.
They’re available online
Looking at earlier and later years will help you get the scope of where the standards are going
You’re likely doing these in your homeschool anyway

How I Use Them

I print them at the beginning of each school year.

Cross out any that I know my child has mastered.

Highlight any I’ve seen him almost master in one color.

Then, I’ll highlight any I know he hasn’t learned in another color.

Teaching those highlighted areas in organic ways where it’s easy to see real world application, is where we keep kids engaged and learning.

Final Thoughts

My case for standards is simply for knowing the whole picture of what’s happening in the world of education.

I’d never endorse sticking to these state standards and making them your end-all-be-all.

As a former educator, I saw my students bored out of their mind with them by the 8th grade.

They’d seen the same ole narrative seven times before, and they get it, already (insert teen eye roll). And they did.

What they didn’t get was how to write.

And this is why I take state standards lightly.

As a frame of reference.

If my child can’t form coherent sentences, who cares if he can spot an abstract noun from a mile away?

I wholeheartedly support organic learning where these standards of education happen naturally.

Some of my favorites are Readers and Writer’s Workshop, amazing classes around town, traveling, playing sports, etc.

I want all of those amazing perks for my children and I want to know what’s happening in the school system.

It’s my job to do what my children cannot. I have to take a look at the peripheral vision of education and focus on where we need to learn.

Most importantly, it’s my job to create an exciting learning experience that creates lifelong learners.

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Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop in Homeschool

How to incorporate Reader's and Writer's workshop in your homeschool classroom in a simple and fun way for everyone.

Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop is a way of teaching Language Arts that is more natural.

Essentially, you’ll read great literature and teach quick lessons. You’ll join reading and writing while building upon your child’s skills.

If you’d like to dig into this concept more, here are some great resources:

Reader’s Workshop

Writer’s Workshop

The following is what you’ll need:

1. Mentor Authors

A mentor author can be any published author that is an example of the lesson you’re wanting to teach.

This allows your children to see how real writers use the skill you’re teaching .

For example, when I pull Ezra Jack Keats The Snowy Day, my plan might be to teach words that make sound and how we put them into our writing.

With words like, “Crunch, crunch, crunch, his feet sank into the snow,” and “Then he dragged his feet s-l-o-w-l-y to make tracks,” and “-a stick that was just right for smacking a snow-covered tree,” and “Down fell the snow-plop!” I’ve got lots of great examples from which to teach.

Choosing a mentor author is powerful.

It allows your child to zoom in on one learning point. It makes him or her feel successful because it’s easy to see how to perform that certain skill. Our students mimic our mentors. It’s easy as that.

2. A Reading Mini-Lesson

You’ll need one small teaching point.

The beauty in workshop is the ability to teach children based on their specific needs.

You can pull from the state standards if you’d like. I have some thoughts on how this can fit in without completely taking over here.

Here’s the key to your mini-lesson: keep it short and simple!

Let’s say I want to teach children how to make a text-to-self connection.

I’d tell them what a text-to-self connection is and then have places marked in the mentor text to show them as we read.

They then try to make a connection to the same text aloud. This will help you assess their understanding.

3. Read Alouds

Reading aloud to children is so important. In your mini-lesson, it’s vital.

After reading about Peter (from the example above) waking in the morning to fresh fallen snow, I can say, “I have a text-to-self connection! I love waking up to find it snowed while I was asleep just like Peter. I can tell he was excited because right after breakfast, he put on his snowsuit and ran outside.“

Never be afraid to stop reading aloud to practice your teaching point. Allowing your child(ren) to attempt this while you’re reading aloud teaches them something important. They are learning how to be critical thinkers as they read on their own.

3. Writing Mini-Lesson

Your reading and writing lessons will come from the same text.

Share something you noticed the author did that’s evidence of great writing.

For example, I’ll point out how Keats used sound words also called Onomatopoeia.

I’ll ask the children to look back in the text to see if they can hunt them down.

We can write them on post-it notes and stick them in our Writer’s Notebook to use as reference for the next part: writing.

4. Lessons in Action

We keep both a Reader’s and a Writer’s Notebook.

If you’d like to learn more about them, this book as well as this book are both great resources.

The Reader’s Notebook is for all our good thinking we do about the books we read.

The Writer’s Notebook is for exploration and growth in our writing.

The only rules for our Writer’s notebook is that it’s a place for trying new things and being brave as writers.

This is not the place for perfection!

We love these simple notebooks for younger children.

And these for older elementary kids.

Whether your child is writing a longer or shorter piece, prompted or free, it write doesn’t matter.

What does matter is they’re practicing what good writers do.

What matters in your Reader’s notebook is that they’re writing what they’re thinking. As you can imagine, this is an amazing tool. You’re able to keep such a good pulse on where your children need support. This also allows you to celebrate their achievements.

Your Role in Notebooks

Your own thinking aloud/writing alongside them is huge. Allow yourself to show them how you make mistakes and overcome them. Let them hear how a good reader thinks as he/she reads.
Gather their thought process and use it to decide what gaps they have in their comprehension
Decide what they need to learn next
Writing goals (we usually set one or two per session–see our homeschool schedule here).
Finding spelling needs
Adding a note for them to prepare for discussion with you about what they’re thinking/learning/wondering.

5. Self-Selected Texts

Choice is key to life-long readers and writers.

After your mini-lesson, your students(s) should be given an assignment to read from their choice book applying the lessons to their Reader’s and Writer’s notebooks from that text.

For example, if I taught sound words for Writing and text-to-self connections for Reading, I would assign the child to make a couple of text-to-self connections to what they choose to read and write about it in their Reader’s Notebook.

They’d then create a story (either prompted or free write) in their Writer’s Notebook to try adding in sound words like you picked out in The Snowy Day story.

Final Thoughts

Take your time incorporating this idea into your homeschool setting.

It can feel overwhelming if you’ve never taught like this before, but give both teacher and student some grace.

You’ll likely see what I did. Students growing in their reading and writing. An enjoyment of the process of learning. The knowledge that you have a great grasp on what your child(ren) know and where they need to go next.

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Our Simplistic Homeschool Schedule

A quick overview of both yearly and daily schedule that's so simple I can't believe we didn't start this as soon as we began homeschool!

Homeschool Schedule

One reason homeschool is so amazing is because you can make it fit your family.

There are so many ways to do it.

I would love to encourage you to take what you can apply from our schedule and leave behind what doesn’t work for you.

Year-Round

We chose year-round schooling because of a belief cultivated from eleven years of being an educator myself in the public school system.

It never made any sense to me how we ever came up with summer break, honestly.

With the huge learning gaps that happen over the summer, it never seemed like the best way to learn.

It also didn’t leave much wiggle room for travel, which is something our family loves to do.

Instead, we homeschool four weeks and then take one week off.

One blissful week every fifth week where we do whatever we want, get caught up around the house, and play games like crazy.

It’s been one of the best things to happen to our school year!

Daily Schedule

We do an every other day schedule where we only learn half the subjects each day.

I decided to do this after reflecting upon my student teaching assignment in a rural public school where we did what they call “block scheduling.”

Basically, we split our learning in half with the ability to dig into the subjects we’re doing each day for as long as we need without feeling rushed.

I plan everything in my high performance planner because I also fit time to write and running my business into our day .

Mondays and Wednesdays we do Math, Science, and Music.

Tuesdays and Thursdays we do Language Arts (Readers and Writer’s Workshop, handwriting, spelling), History/Geography, and Art.

We love it because there’s so much time for the kids to play and experience all the learning that happens outside of books.

This leaves extra time to be outdoors hiking, building, taking lessons in specific sports, or exploring something new to learn.

Fridays

We put our field trip and service days on Friday.

Fridays are good to run to a museum, the zoo, drive somewhere further, or even do some world-schooling long weekends with the whole family.

Simply Put…

We love this schedule.

It’s so relaxed.

It allows time for the boys to really soak up their childhood.

To grow in other areas outside of what books alone can teach them.

It lets them see their books’ material in real life a lot of times.

My favorite part is the ability to seek out unique learning opportunities outside the home.

What’s your favorite homeschool schedule? I’d love to hear about your school day in the comments!

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Why You Shouldn’t Buy Just ANY Essential Oil

With essential oil companies popping up left and right, here's how to spot a fake, and here's who's always got your back.

Essential Oil Key Info: Before You Buy

With essential oil companies popping up all over the place, there are a few things you should know first.

1. The 26 Second Rule

Anything on your skin is in your bloodstream within 26 seconds.

Yes, this means it alters your DNA.

2. The 5% Law

One more thing before we get into the nitty gritty here.

The law only requires FIVE PERCENT of what is in an essential oils bottle to be actual oil from the plant.

This five percent bottle can be called “pure” and “therapeutic.”

Keep reading to find out what the other 95% is.

3. Organic Confusion

As consumers we generally see organic as safest, but that is hardly the case when it comes to essential oils.

The 5% law means that the “organic” oils you see on the shelf are packed full of synthetics and fragrance for highest profit.

Your body, very real and non-synthetic cannot handle fragrance or fake stuff, so every little cell in your body freaks out. Not good.

4. Pesticides Matter

Both inorganic and organic pesticides are still just that: pesticide.

And you do NOT want pesticides in your bloodstream.

There is only one company who never sprays their plants, and that’s Young Living.

Want proof?

You’re welcome on any farm, anywhere in the world, any day of the week.

5. Other Factors

I could go on forever about how Young Living is the only first distillation, zero pesticide, zero synthetics, and zero fragrance company and why all that matters.

However, it really comes down to pesticides.

They’re a big factor when it comes to the crazy-huge rise in disease, and it has to be stopped.

6. One-Stop Shop

Young Living has over 600 lifestyle products all bearing the Seed-to-Seal promise.

Zero junk. 100% oil in every single bottle–whether that’s chapstick, body wash, deodorant, CBD or anything in-between.

7. Your Vote Matters

When you buy from Young Living only for every cleaning, personal care, and supplement need, you’re saying to the rest of the world, “This is our demand. Real, body-helping products. Or you don’t see a dime.”

8. Less Expensive than In-Store

Young Living is less expensive despite the sticker shock much like when you’re at Costco or Sams for the first time seeing how much bulk costs.

Young Living is simply buying in bulk.

Because of this, I can get 29 household cleaners for $22.

300 times I’ve rid of fever for $21.

Not too shabby considering the store comes nowhere near these prices.

9. Start Today

The way Young Living works is simple:

Choose your wholesale kit (priced $35 and up–click HERE)
Choose Essential Rewards for max benefit (read more about it here)
Click “accept” when I add you to our education group and become a part of our tribe. We learn together–you’re never alone. It’s amazing!
Accept the free reference guide app I send to you, so you know what to use when making the start of this journey SO EASY!

10. Questions?

Email me anytime at andrea@graceblossoms.com.

I would so love to chat oils and healthy living with you.

Our family has been toxin-free for three-and-a-half years as I write this in February of 2020.

All in an effort to stop disease in its tracks, feel better, and keep our six-year-old from relapsing (childhood cancer).

I teach Young Living because I have researched like crazy and cannot find anything else that matches Young Living’s purity, cost, and efficacy.

I look forward to meeting you and learning more about your needs!

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Top 20 Family Games

A list of family-favorite games, how we adapt to different age levels, and links to everything to make it super easy for you to play, too!

We play games a lot as a family.

Our boys, 8 and 6-years-old, enjoy the family time. We’re so glad to have my husband home from work, and it’s a great time to laugh and enjoy each other before bedtime.

Here are our top 20 favorite games in no particular order.

Ticket to Ride First Journey

This was a great one to start around age 6. It’s a little involved, but takes between 45 minutes to an hour to finish.

Find it here.

Battleship

Who doesn’t love shouting, “You sunk my battleship!”? Our six-year-old still struggles with the grid on this one, but the eight-year-old is amazing at it. We typically team up for this since it’s only a two player game, anyway.

Find it here.

Uno

Numbers, colors, and a great one to play with the whole family or in teams depending on your family’s needs. Sometimes the amount in the boys’ tiny hands can get to be a bit much, so we’ll let them lay them down or put some back.

Find it here.

We also really love this Harry Potter version here!

Tapple

This game is fun to play faster with bigger kids, but will need to be slowed way down for the younger ones. What kid doesn’t love to push a button and shout words? Super fun and easily adaptable to any age.

Find it here.

Guess Who

Another classic favorite! We find that both boys handle this game particularly well, even if the six-year-old does sometimes give away who his guy is!

Find it here.

Clue-Retro

Okay…real talk… I just don’t like the new version! The 1986 version is where it’s at! We definitely have to pair the six-year-old up with one of the adults, but our oldest gets along just fine.

Find it here.

Chinese Checkers

Oh, goodness do our boys love this game! It’s simple, quick moving, and like a more fun version of checkers with all the jumping everywhere.

The trick is to avoid the tin version. Those marbles slide all over the place, and the tin gets warped over time. The link below is for the best-priced wooden one we like best.

Find it here.

Life

Truth be told, the boys like this one everyday, and Steve and I like it most days.

It’s a bit time consuming, but it really lets our oldest one work with bigger numbers with such high currency (he always calls banker).

The spinner is our youngest’s favorite thing ever, and he loves it when more babies are added to his car. It takes a bit of parental help, but it’s a good weekend day game.

The version we like best is here.

Trouble

I loved this game as a child, and playing it with our boys is the most fun! I like this game as a simple way for little hands to learn moving and counting. Of course, the popping bubble is the kids’ favorite, though!

Find it here.

Connect 4

For some reason this game gives our family the giggles! We like how simple and quick-paced it is. The boys crack up when they let all the checkers fly out of the bottom!

Here’s the version we have.

This giant yard version is definitely on my wish list, though!

Jenga

Speaking of games with giant yard versions, Jenga is one that we love both inside and outside!

Find the indoor version here.

The outdoor here is still small enough to allow all-family play.

Yahtzee

I happen to have an over-the-top YAHTZEE! shout that makes my husband roll his eyes and the kids howl with laughter.

This game gets confusing for the six-year-old, so we let him join one of the adults while my eight-year-old is pretty good on his own.

Find it here.

Outdoor version here.

Mastermind

This game was something I picked up thinking my eight-year-old little code breaker would love the sound of, but it turned out to be one of our all-time favorites!

Find it here.

Pay Day

This game is so fun and simple. We also like the flexibility of time since you can choose to go as many times as you’d like through the calendar. If it’s a night after not a lot of sleep the night before, we’ll choose this game, so we can run through the calendar once and head right up to bed.

Find it here.

Headbandz

Truth be told, we ditched the headbands themselves because it was a bit too intense for tiny fingers to stick the cards into the slot attached to their head all while trying to beat out the clock.

Instead, we opted for holding the card up in front of us and letting the person on our team shout clues at us. This was all it took for our kids to fall in love with this game!

Find it here.

Scrabble

I like how we can change up Scrabble to fit both a kid who devours books and one who’s just learning to read. It’s fun to play, and as a homeschool mama, it tips me off on any spelling words we need to add to our school day!

Find it here.

Stratego

My husband grew up loving this game and couldn’t wait for us to play after the boys got it for Christmas this year.

It’s surprisingly easy enough for both boys to understand, even if the strategy of the six-year-old doesn’t quite outmatch the eight-year-old just yet.

Find it here.

Sorry!

I will never forget how exciting it was when my now eight-year-old could finally read his own Sorry! cards. He felt like such a big kid, and I know our six-year-old is on his way!

We love this quick and simple game. For some reason our boys get such a kick out of sending Daddy back to home but feel so bad if they have to do it to me. But I don’t mind. Not one bit.

Find it here.

Clack

We have to slow down a bit for our six-year-old to take a look at the pieces and grab them, but the eight-year-old is out to win now that his reflexes are much sharper!

This game is fast and fun!

Find it here.

Pie Face

This game is one that comes with past stories they tell others about.

We laugh so hard when we play Pie Face, and the boys are always begging to play it! If you haven’t played Pie Face yet and are okay with some mess on the table, your face, and table, this is the game for you!

Find it here.

We hope you have enjoyed our list of favorite after-dinner games.

We are soaking up every minute of time with our boys, and these game times are such a part of our story.

Let me know in the comments which games I didn’t list that we need to try!

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February 2020 Free Items

What’s New this February?

Here’s your quick February overview, but please message with any questions at andrea@graceblossoms.com!

Have a joyful month and a happy Valentine’s Day!

Don’t Have a Young Living Wholesale Discount?

For as low at $35 you can get your first oils and forever discount with no pressure to spend ever.

Click HERE to learn about our Premium Starter Kit, HERE to learn about the Basic Starter Kit, and HERE to learn all about Essential Rewards that makes your life far less expensive and much safer than shopping in store.

Video of Promos

If you’d rather watch to learn about the February promos, here’s the overview!

Cedarwood

I love Cedarwood for sleep and skin!

It’s so calming and can be used in so many DIYs for skincare.

Ylang Ylang + Patchouli

Ylang Ylang has that light floral smell that makes your home smell like spring has sprung.

Patchouli + Joy blend are amazing in the diffuser, so if you got the free Joy a couple of months ago, that will be a wonderful combo.

Geranium

If you want an oil that makes your hair luminous and skin glow, Geranium is your friend!

Ylang Ylang and Geranium are also in our oil blend “Sensation,” which means you could totally make your own Lucy Libido roller with your freebies!

Rutavala

Need help dropping off to sleep?

Rutavala is your new best friend!

Its calming effect makes for a great addition to your bedtime routine, and the roller bottle gives it a convenience aspect you’ll love.

Seed-to-Seal Story Collection

This is a fantastic gift because it embodies what Young Living is all about.

Never sprayed plants. Nothing ever added. The safest oils on the planet.

Best of all, Tea Tree, Lavender, and Peppermint are the oils you’ll receive in this collection.

Tea Tree is amazing for all things skin.

Lavender is fantastic for skin as well, but in our home, my very fair skin is grateful for Lavender and Tea Tree essential oils every single summer.

Peppermint is one of the most complete oils and one we were told in training to always keep on your person along with Lemon.

Peppermint has calmed me in times of panic, cooled me off, and kept me focused and energized.

Enjoy the Lifestyle

The Young Living lifestyle is the way our family has turned our health over from desperate to well.

If you’re looking into the Young Living lifestyle, remember that most everything is concentrated, diluting out to make most of the 600+ products far less than your in-store cost.

The even better part is that on top of saving money, you’re also getting the safest oils and products available.

Click HERE to get started with your Premium Starter Kit and HERE to learn all about the Essential Rewards that saves our family thousands every year!

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Multi-Age Writing

One way to teach one text for writing across multiple ages in homeschool or during summer while you're trying to stop gaps from happening is easy! — How to teach multiple ages writing, grammar, and punctuation in one simple text.

Multi-Age Writing

In homeschool or during the summer for public and private school kids, we’re faced with multiple ages learning and writing around one table.

How do we make it fit without making a new lesson for every kid?

One of the most successful writing times in our home is when use one text and stretch it to fit the ages and learning levels of both boys (ages 6 -kindergarten and 8-third grade).

Showcase the Text

The first step is to write out the text on something big.

We like to use our chalkboard.

I chose the lead of a book for this particular lesson.

Just the first few sentences of a book my son loved called A Cricket in Times Square worked well to analyze some basic reading points and start a new story in our own Writer’s Notebooks.

Read the Text Multiple Times

The oldest read the text aloud, so I could get a sample of where he was at in his fluency.

I then read it aloud again as he followed along, so he could hear how it should sound.

We can talk about how his voice should sound both in his mind and aloud as he reads when we do this.

For my emerging reader, I put my finger under each word as I read, so he could be immersed in words new and already known.

Stopping to let him read the words he’s already memorized to help me out makes him feel like a big helper, too.

Find What’s Right, Not What’s Wrong!

In Everyday Editing by Jeff Anderson, he teaches that the old idea of fixing up broken sentences like we experienced in school is the backward way of learning.

I found this to be a much better way to teach my 8th graders years ago, and I still find it to be true with my boys in homeschool.

For today, A Cricket in Times Square was the text, making George Selden what we call our “mentor.”

Someone who is published.

A great writer we can learn from.

Just like how every major leaguer once watched his favorite MLB star swing a bat over and again, we watch our authors.

What do they do that’s amazing?

How can we create that in our own writing?

I asked each boy specific questions.

For my oldest I asked about possessive nouns. Why is this apostrophe different than a contraction? Why did Seldon need it here?

What do words like, “Times Square, abandoned drain pipe, and subway” give the reader in the beginning of the book?

For my youngest, I asked questions like, “What did Seldon do at the start of every sentence?”

What did he do when he was finishing his sentence?

Why didn’t he use an exclamation point or question mark instead?”

Link it to a Writing Piece

For my youngest, I grabbed one of his blank books.

If you don’t have these stock-piled somewhere in your learning space, grab them fast! Your kids will LOVE becoming authors in their own bound books to put on the shelf!

His mission was to draw the cat and mouse he visualized in his mind’s eye as we read.

He told me what they were doing, and we worked together to write simple sentences to help tell his own version of the story.

It was fun to see how his mind saw the words we just read.

While my six-year-old started drawing, my eight-year-old and I looked at the key pieces of the text we were examining.

“What are the words ‘mouse and Mario?'”

Characters.

“You get to create two characters!”

My little non-writer panicked.

“Let’s play a game to decide. I’ll name a kind of character, and you name a kind of character on the count of three. No matter what kind they are, you’ll make them both a part of your story. Even if they don’t seem to go together. We’ll make it fun! Got it? One…two…three!”

He said inventor. I said troll.

“What words did we say were giving us setting?”

He answered the words he saw on the board from the text. I circled them.

“Okay, let’s choose your own setting. You pick the specific kind of place, and I’ll choose the big location. One…two…three!”

He chose an underground laboratory. I chose Alaska. He changed it to an underground Alaskan ice lab where an inventor creates a troll that helps him make his creations.

At this point, he was excited and ready to go!

Keep It Small

One way to keep your writers loving the art of writing, is keeping your lessons and the amount they write small.

Realizing it didn’t all have to happen today (and shouldn’t) was one of the best things that happened to me as a teacher.

Just write this starting point.

Just get going.

Tomorrow you can look at how an author crafts his characters. Then later in the week, his plot, another day his problems, next week his solutions, and even later his conclusions.

We can slowly investigate writing with our author’s eye looking for the genius behind our favorite authors.

But what’s best…we can be successful because they showed us how.

Celebrate!

Writing should be fun and exciting!

In this house, I have one who likes to write and one who really really does not.

So, whenever we finish even one small part of writing, we read it aloud to everyone.

We celebrate.

Laugh.

Do immediate quick fixes (editing) because that’s what great authors do.

Read, we write, and we do it all together.

One former English teacher, one kid who can’t read yet, and one kid who’s an avid reader but avoids writing like the plague.

We enjoy this process.

In its beauty and craft, it can be shaped, molded, and shared.

No matter what age. What interest. What ability.

Writing is for everyone.

A way to teach one text for writing across multiple ages in homeschool or during summer while you're trying to stop gaps from happening is easy!

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Oil Cleansing

Oil Cleansing is EASY

Oil cleansing is a wonderful way to take off your makeup and clean your skin gently.

First, you’ll need an oil that suits your skin.

I use this organic hempseed oil because I’ve been struggling with acne for about 15 years. This is the only oil that doesn’t clog my pores.

Put a quarter-size amount of oil in your hand.

Add Young Living essential oil drops to the oil already in your hand.

I like to use 1 drop of this Lemon, 2 drops of this Frankincense, 1 drop of this Tea Tree, and 2 drops of this Roman Chamomile to help my skin’s particular needs.

Rub your hands together to mix and massage onto your face in small circles starting from the center and moving your way outward.

Run a washcloth under water as hot as you can stand it, and lay it over your face.

I hold this over my face for a little while or until I’m out of breath (haha) and then slowly pull it away from my face.

Use the washcloth to gently wipe away oil.

Oil Cleansing is AMAZING for Your Face

I still build in time to cleanse with my favorite Orange Blossom face wash.

I also exfoliate every few days with the most wonderfully gentle Satin Mint Scrub.

This has been such a beautiful process making my face finally feel smooth.

The combination of this and my Young Living oils (learn more HERE) has helped do some serious healing for my acne scars!

Also a Great Moisturizer!

I cannot get over the ART Light Moisturizer, and I prefer putting that under my Savvy Minerals makeup in the morning because of how light and wonderful it is.

However, at night I take a few drops of hempseed oil and add in the oils I’ve used like Frankincense, Lavender, and Roman Chamomile with great success for cell turnover resulting in brighter, healthier skin.

Want a Pesticide-Free Lifestyle Makeover?

From toxic and aging to the ONLY pesticide, synthetic, AND fragrance free products for health and wellness, you can make your life over for much less than you’re spending in store right now!

Click HERE to learn how or reach out to me at andrea@graceblossoms.com

I hope this blesses you like it has me!

Oil cleansing plus the suggestions of the essential oils mentioned here makes this a gentle yet effective way to create healthy skin.

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Get Essential Oils + a Toxin-Free Lifestyle Here

Click HERE for a simple walk through on how to buy the safest essential oils and start a toxin-free lifestyle with Young Living.

Why Young Living Only?

Zero pesticides
Single distillation
Soil hasn’t been touched by pesticides in 50+ years
You can go to any farm in the world to see for yourself
Zero synthetics
Zero fragrance
ONLY essential oil
BECAUSE YOU ARE READY TO TAKE BACK YOUR HEALTH!

5% Rule

There’s a rule that says companies only have to make sure 5% of the oil in their bottles is actual essential oil to be considered “pure and therapeutic.”

Organic oils can even have synthetics and fragrance added to them under this rule, and do.

Young Living oils are the ONLY oils who never adulterate* their oils and have 100% never changed essential oil.

*I consider spraying plants with any pesticide as adulterating the oil.

Why Care About Pesticides?

Anything you put on your skin is in your bloodstream in 26 seconds.

Choosing an essential oil company outside of Young Living ensures you’ll have those pesticides coursing through your veins as well.

Why spend your money on a temporary fix that makes a long-term problem?

What About Organic Pesticides?

When I say ZERO pesticides, I mean ZERO.

Not even organic pesticides.

Young Living is hand-weeded (or sheep-weeded in some cases like the France Lavender farm!) and this is their above-and-beyond calling they call Seed-to-Seal.

Are They Expensive?

The amazing part about Young Living is the concentration of the oils and over 600+ lifestyle products.

For example, the household cleaner makes 29 spray bottles.

One 15mL bottle of oil has around 300 drops in it.

When you buy a Young Living lifestyle item, you’re adding immense value to your home and saving a ton!

How Do I Know Which Oils I Need?

Most people start with the Premium Starter Kit. It comes with 12 oils, a diffuser, and some samples of other lifestyle products at around half the cost as a bundle/kit.

These 12 oils are called our “Everyday Oils,” and the kit itself comes with a 24% discount on all products for life.

From there, the iTovi scanner {click HERE} and Essential Oils Reference Guide {click HERE) are two must-haves for taking on your new life of proactive living.

How Often Do I Have to Order?

That’s up to you.

Our family can’t possibly pass up the thousands of dollars we save every year with the loyalty program called Essential Rewards (read about it HERE).

You can order once in your whole life and never again, you can order with Essential Rewards, or anywhere in-between.

Do I Have to Sell this Stuff?

Nope.

I personally tell everyone I know (including you!) because it feels like a deep down serious moral obligation to let people know there’s a safe way to live with all the disease in this world. You can be a part of one of the greatest changes in someone’s life, and that’s big.

You decide how and when you share, AND if you do, Young Living will send you a thank you check. No strings. No immediate business you’re roped into. Simply a, “Hey, you helped save a family. Thanks!” bonus check!

You can learn how to utilize the Young Living referral program HERE.

Learn fast truths and how to get the safest oils on the planet. Add value to your home and budget. Feel better. Live well.

What if I Need to Talk This Out?

Email me at andrea@graceblossoms.com, and I’ll answer any questions you have.

This is about YOU.

It’s your decision. Your lifestyle change.

We will go at YOUR pace, within YOUR budget, and with ZERO weird pressure.

I’m Totally Ready. What’s the BEST Way to Start with Young Living?

Premium Starter Kit and Essential Rewards. (Get started HERE).

I will get an email confirming you’ve gotten started.

You’ll have immediate access to our education group online. This is our tribe. We lift each other up. Learn together. Ask questions. And most importantly have FUN!

You will never be alone in this new lifestyle!

Hope to meet you soon!

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How the iTovi Scanner Rocked Our World

First iTovi Scanner Experience: Skeptical

The first time I saw the iTovi Scanner, I wasn’t so sure about it.

The scan came up for Thieves (among other oils and products leaning toward immune support), which if you’re not familiar with Young Living Essential Oils, is a blend that we use in our home when we’re sick.

I didn’t feel sick at all.

How could this little hand-held device tell me what oils and oil-infused supplements I needed?

I walked out of my friend’s house thinking this iTovi thing was ridiculous.

The next day, however I came down with one of the worst sicknesses I’d ever had.

All of a sudden, this girl was a believer.

If Only

Had I just taken Thieves, diffused it, and put it on topically that night every hour, there’s a chance I could’ve either avoided the sickness that took me down or at least lessened it.

This is why we love our iTovi scanner and have had one for the last year or so now.

iTovi Technology

You can read all about how iTovi works here.

The short version is that it measures the electrical conductivity of your skin to pair you with oils and oil-infused products that will bring your body back to balance.

This galvanic skin response technology isn’t new, but how iTovi is using it is brilliant and super helpful!

Scan Example

The following is a recent scan I did.

You’ll see how amazingly helpful this tool really is.

The first thing you’ll see are your top 7 oils. You can see my top 4 here.

These are the top 7 oils and supplements that I can use to bring my body back to balance.

If you want to dig a little deeper, you can click the “emotions” or “body systems” pages.

Emotions

This part of the scan report is fascinating to me.

Each time I scan, I can either understand why I feel this way, or I am able to take some time to reflect on the past few days and think about what I might be holding onto that I need to release.

This is huge.

Mental health is screaming to be looked at, normalized, and in serious need of real tools that will help.

You can learn more about an emotional release technique I use here.

Body Systems

When I got this report it made total sense.

I knew exactly how I’d been feeling and was hoping for answers and for the scan to help me.

It absolutely did.

It’s amazing what happens when you follow the top oils and dig down into your report to see what oils you have in your arsenal to make your family feel their best.

Using the Scanner

It’s super simple to use.

We scan every 3-4 days, and jot down a quick list for each of us to keep in the kitchen.

It’s amazing to see the patterns forming which really help us unfold the underlying truths behind our health and wellness.

We will use these oils and oil-infused products three or four times per day.

We’ll use the Vita Flex charts and Buttoning to enhance the performance of each product we’re using.

Get Your Own Scanner

Click here to get your own iTovi scanner.

You’ll be so glad you did!

Need the ONLY Pesticide-Free Oils?

Click here for help.

This link will also be extremely helpful in starting the journey.

Need step-by-step directions? Click here.

Once you get started (I suggest the Premium Starter Kit with 10 hour Desert Mist diffuser), I’ll send you an Essential Oils Reference Guide to make your new journey super simple!

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How to Take Care of Your Diffusers

This quick tips guide will help you take care of one of the most precious items in your home and for your health--your diffusers.

What Kind of Diffusers?

Did you know there are two different kinds of diffusers?

1. Ultrasonic

This is your Aria, Rainstone, Feather the Owl, Desert Mist, Lantern, and other diffusers with an ultrasonic plate.

These use ultrasonic vibrations to put oil into the air.

They also have a great humidifying effect, which is especially wonderful in dry weather.

Many people say to watch adding citrus oils into diffusers because they’ll erode.

This is why I choose Young Living medical grade plastic and only Young Living oils. The purity and diffusers matter.

I’ve tried getting cheap diffusers off Amazon, and they eventually fail me every time.

Now, I just save my money and get the real deal through YL to avoid having to constantly replace the others.

2.Atomizing

This is for the AromaLux and any other diffuser with an atomizer.

An atomizer gives you the scent for your home that we have come to love, but it also has therapeutic and healing capabilities.

It breaks down the oil put into it and puts out small particles that are easier for your lungs and body to absorb.

Which Kind of Water?

The instructions always suggest distilled, but what if you’re a diffusing queen like yours truly and don’t want to lug huge distilled water jugs home from the store each week?

Our family chose another route that affects the quality of our water both in our diffuser and that we drink each day: reverse osmosis.

You can get a whole home reverse osmosis (see an example here) or one to place under your kitchen sink (see an example here).

This ensures we are breathing in and drinking in only the best water available sans prescription meds, heavy metals, and other chemicals.

Cleaning Your Ultrasonic Diffuser

Best practice is rinsing and wiping your diffuser after each use. The type of deep clean that follows is suggested 1-2 times per month.

Turn off and unplug diffuser.
Wipe out the reservoir with a wet cotton cloth.
Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and clean the ultrasonic plate to remove any extra buildup.
Rinse the reservoir with water, wipe it clean, and dry up the excess water with a soft cloth.

Cleaning Your Atomizing Diffuser

Turn off and unplug diffuser.
Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and swab to clean ALL areas of the diffuser.

Troubleshooting

Check for power: if the light turns on, the power is working.
Listen for fan: fan should be audible when diffuser is working.
Make sure air vent isn’t obstructed or damaged.
Check ultrasonic plate: if no bubbling is seen after water is added, the ultrasonic plate may need to be replaced.
Check lid: if it’s not flush with the body, it won’t work properly.

Need the Only Pesticide-Free Oils in Your Life?

Click here to see how to get started.

Once youâ€™ve followed the instructions here, Iâ€™ll send you your very own Essential Oils Reference Guide to make life as a new oiler simple.

Youâ€™ll also be added to our exclusive community called Life+Oils where you get private coaching, online teaching, and support from like-minded people with lots of testimonials to pull from every day!

Choosing the right person to walk you through this is important to your success. Iâ€™d love to be that for you!

Always feel free to write to me at andrea@graceblossoms.com.

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My Fake Sensitive Skin

Sensitive Skin?

For years I was told I had sensitive skin.

Sensitive to what?

They couldn’t tell me.

I was just “born with it,” docs guessed.

Also on the guessing board was that I must just be “prone” to things like acne, yeast infections, rashes, and dry, itchy skin.

I was also told I had oily skin and an oily scalp.

You can see where I’d be a little confused.

The Push

The more I pressed with the question, “...but why?” I only found hard pushback.

Then, at the start of my oily journey, I’d ask if my docs thought I might find some relief looking for the root problem.

“No, there’s no way to tell. Until we can learn more about ___(enter issue here)___, here’s a script for ___(insert medicine, antibiotic, cream, etc)___here.”

However, no matter how many of those prescriptions I filled over the next two decades, I’d never even get close to getting better.

In fact, I was getting worse each year.

Empowered

As I steeped myself further into the Young Living community, I read more and more testimonials about people overcoming their sensitive skin when ditching all their products and switching to Young Living’s toxin-free options.

This interested me for a few reasons:

1.) I’d already ditched all dyes, fragrances, and went organic but still had major issues.

2.) I had this new Essential Rewards thing that could help.

3.) I really had no other choice or help.

A Fresh Start

The decision was made to ditch all of my products by taking advantage of the Essential Rewards program.

So, I made a list of what all I needed.

I actually had the entire house plus husband and kid products on this list, but for the sake of the topic of sensitive skin, that part looked a little something like this:

Shampoo
Conditioner
Face Wash
Facial scrub
Toothpaste/Mouthwash/Floss
Moisturizer
Toner
Makeup (this one particularly freaked me out)
Body Wash
Shaving lotion/foam
Deodorant (also scary to switch)
Heat protectant for my 3,000 pounds of hair
Lotion (I prefer body cream)
Laundry Detergent (assuming since all my clothes are touching my skin, this made sense to me)

Blessing in Young Living

I knew Young Living was supposed to be safe, but I looked up the ingredients anyway.

I couldn’t find anything that would harm me.

In fact, they were the only company I could find who didn’t spray their plants, hand-weeded, and didn’t add anything synthetic to their products, so all systems were a go for Essential Rewards!

Steve (the hubby) and I decided on our budget, figured out which of the products we could stretch (mostly all, as they’re super concentrated), and started in on building a new home like we’d done years ago, but this time we’d do it right.

Results

When you don’t have the budget to buy every single thing in one fell swoop, your rise to normal is a slow progression.

Because of that, I just got used to feeling better without any of my prior symptoms returning.

It didn’t seem like anything miraculous when you’re not exactly in a stage of life where you can focus on yourself, either. Two little boys, a full-time job, friends, family…you get it.

Until one day, years later, I realized just how much better we had become.

Air BNB

Last year, for our ten year wedding anniversary, we took a trip to Boston and stayed at Cape Cod.

We had the cutest little beach house, and it was perfect, except for one thing: the second we walked in the house, we threw the windows open, put all their products under the sink, and after knocking down the intense fake fragrance smell, ran the diffuser like crazy.

We used the towels provided in our Air BNB, and I immediately smelled toxic laundry detergent/fabric softener.

I was nervous, but without any other option, I did what I had to do.

After two days, my skin was itchy, I felt all the symptoms of a yeast infection coming on, and my nose was stuffy.

I was using all of our own non-toxic products.

The only difference was the fragrance in the air and synthetic junk in our towels and sheets.

I had the hardest time sleeping on those sheets and woke well before sunrise just to get out of the bed and away from that intense headache-making smell.

Grateful for Fake Sensitivity

I realized how good I had it with Young Living’s toxin-free lifestyle that weekend.

I can’t believe what a huge shift it was in just a day or two.

Weirdly, I’m glad I had to go back to my old life for just a couple of days.

It hit home even more why my purpose for writing, teaching, and sharing the Young Living lifestyle matters so much.

It further lit my fire to bring this to you every day.

Fight for Your Family

When you’re ready to fight for your family, too, click here.

This will get you started.

I suggest the Desert Mist Premium Starter Kit with Essential Rewards.

The Desert Mist runs up to 10 hours, the Premium Starter Kit will let you ditch all your synthetic fragrances, and Essential Rewards will ensure you get $10 back for this great decision and money back each month as well.

Here are some ideas for what to order in your first months on Essential Rewards.

With your kit, I’ll send you an Essential Oils Reference Guide , and with your permission I’ll add you to our online community of learners where you’ll have access to tons of free resources, education, and like-minded friends learning just like you!

Like always, please email me at andrea@graceblossoms.com for help!

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10 Reasons Young Living Will be Your New BFF

Young Living Will be Your New BFF

Young Living is a 25 year company, who has over 600 toxin-free and pesticide-free products.

These products will change your life in ten major ways, leaving you feeling like you’ve just met your new best friend.

Here are ten reasons (though this only scratches the surface) of why Young Living Essential Oils company will be your new very best friend.

1. Stress

Stress comes in many shapes and sizes.

It can easily ruin a day, week, month, or year.

But it doesn’t have to.

Pop a roller fitment on top of your Stress Away bottle from the Premium Starter Kit, and you’ll find yourself melting into a calmer version of yourself.

Why?

It’s science, of course!

Simply put, smell goes to the spot where emotions are handled in your brain.

Certain smells (like the Lime, Vanilla, and Lavender in Stress Away), tell your brain, “chill out, friend…you got this.”

2. Cleaning

Okay…no one likes to clean, so why make it complicated with a bunch of cleaners all over your house that don’t even disinfect?

Hard pass!

Grab your ONE bottle that does it ALL: Thieves Household Cleaner!

Read here for FIFTY ways I use this bottle of magic.

3. Digestion

You’ve just had lunch with some friends and your stomach isn’t happy with your choices.

Or…

The meeting you’re in ran much later than you thought and your stomach is trying to attack you for ignoring it for so long…and getting louder by the minute!

Or…

“Mama, Daddy! My tummy hurts!”

Such an easy solution: DiGize from the Premium Starter Kit or the KidScents version, TummyGize.

To knock down the DiGize-y smell, carry a rollerbottle with 10 drops DiGize, 5 drops Peppermint (also in the starter kit), and fill the rest with carrier oil.

Make life much simpler when you pop a roller fitment on top of the TummyGize and keep it in the kids’ bathroom!

Your tummy will soothe faster than you’ve ever experienced, and you’ll feel much better!

4. Immunity

Our old life before Young Living was just a crapshoot.

My goodness. We just sat around waiting for when we might get sick again.

Such a silly way to live!

Now, we have preventative and active measures to get us through whatever illness might come along.

We have been successful in using oils like Thieves from the Premium Starter Kit, ImmuPower, and Inner Defense to kick the sick without gut-harming, liver-harming, brain-harming over-the-counters and prescriptions!

In fact, our family hasn’t had one of those in the house for years!

Even better: our over-the-counter medicine cabinet expired!

5. Energy

No, not the fake, from a can or pouch, synthetic, on-the-run type energy.

We’re talking real, from the inside, “I feel better because I am better” energy.

Adopting the Young Living lifestyle means you’re kicking out the fake fragrances and synthetic dyes and ingredients that bog you down.

Add in our NingXia Red antioxidant drink with a drop of brain, focus, and energy-boosting Peppermint (all in the Premium Starter Kit), and you’re on your way!

I’m a girl in love with her coffee (especially with a drop of immune-boosting Cinnamon Bark oil in it!), but we know coffee is only a temporary fix.

What we really need is ongoing energy, so we can snuggle up around that cup of joe but not become dependent upon him. That’s just not a healthy relationship, Joe. No offense. 🙂

6. Skin

Toxins, especially those floating around in every other product other than Young Living, are a huge reason for premature aging!

Drink water (especially with a drop of Lemon from the Premium Starter Kit!) to boost your skin’s cell turnover, and fill your Essential Rewards order with the ART line of premier skin care or the beloved Orange Blossom line that’s sure to be amazing for even the most sensitive skin.

And speaking of sensitive skin…I was told I had it.

Nope.

My body was simply rejecting the synthetics in all the products I was using before Young Living.

Post Young Living: not an irritation in sight.

One of the best things about sharing Young Living are the skin testimonials.

Especially my friends who have such powerful stories of ridding their kids’ eczema and other rashes and skin conditions. WOO!

7. Sleep

Guess what interrupts sleep?

You guessed it: toxins.

Synthetic fragrance (AKA fake hormones) mess with your body’s ability to regulate so many of the factors it takes to not only fall asleep and stay asleep but also to have good, quality rest!

Along with the toxin-free lifestyle and oils like Lavender, Cedarwood, and supplements like SleepEssence, Young Living also offers you the safest CBD isolate on the planet. No chemicals. No pesticides. Lots of good, quality, sleep!

BONUS: great sleep=more energy!!

You can learn more about CBD here.

8. Focus

Before Young Living I didn’t even realize how foggy my brain was!

Adding brain-health support like MindWise, NingXia Red, and ridding our family of the bioaccumulation from fluoride that harmed our brains with our Thieves oral care, I now feel more clear-minded that I ever have before!

Click here to learn how the Thieves Oral Care line saved my mouth!

9. Mental Health

We shout it from the rooftops to normalize mental health in mainstream media, but what no one seems to realize is that this is only half the problem.

We need real tools to save our mental and emotional health, and we need it now!

The toxin-free lifestyle is the biggest relief you can offer anyone with anxiety, depression, or any other mental and emotional health issues.

From there, you can tap back into that science I was talking about before and do things like the Memory Release technique (click here to read about it) and just simply breathing in certain oils that reroute your brain to literally think and feel better.

This is what we strive for in prescriptions, but our perfect, pesticide-free oils have zero side effects.

It’s been amazing to hear the testimonials of people who have used oil blends like Release, and our CBD oils to regain control of their mental and emotional health.

10. Whole Family Love

Last but certainly not least, Young Living’s 25 years of experience has something for every single person in your family.

From everything I mentioned above to our Seedlings line for babies, KidScents line for littles, AnimalScents for our fur babies, and even serious nutritional support for every age, Young Living offers you a lifestyle like no one else.

The best part is that with the Essential Rewards program, we find we’ve saved thousands every year we’ve taken advantage of this new lifestyle.

We are forever grateful to Young Living for Gary’s vision of Purpose over Profit.

Get Started in the Young Living Lifestyle

Click here to see how to get started.

Once you’ve followed the instructions here, I’ll send you your very own Essential Oils Reference Guide to make life as a new oiler simple.

You’ll also be added to our exclusive community called Life+Oils where you get private coaching, online teaching, and support from like-minded people with lots of testimonials to pull from every day!

Choosing the right person to walk you through this is important to your success. I’d love to be that for you!

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How to Create a SAFE Kitchen

Simple Switches = Clean Kitchen

The biggest myth about toxin-free living in the kitchen is that it has to be complicated and expensive.

That couldn’t be further from the truth, friend!

A quick guide for how to dig into the heart of your home and get rid of any pesticides and synethtics lurking, so you can create a truly safe kitchen.

Dishes

Eating hormone and organ-harming chemicals for dinner?

Here’s what dishes need in a soap: grease-cutting, low in cost, yet safe.

ANSWER: Thieves Dishwasher Detergent and Dish Soap!

These are both concentrated, which means you are buying in bulk but in a small bottle.

They work great and are absolutely safe for your family!

The best part: Young Living never sprays the plants that go into your bottles of oils or oil-infused products.

That makes Young Living’s products one of a kind!

Surfaces

Sink, counters, cabinets, faucets, windows, stove, oven, and floor.

It’s no longer necessary to have 8 cleaners just for the kitchen.

Friend, you only need ONE!!

ANSWER: Thieves Household Cleaner!

29 servings in one bottle makes this cleaner super cost-friendly and again, buying in bulk with only a small bottle.

This cleaner has been proven to kill 99.96% of germs all while boosting your immune and respiratory systems.

There’s no other option for cleaning that does this for you.

Love this cleaner!

Read here for 50 ways to use Thieves Household Cleaner.

Fruit & Veggie Wash

I used to believe it wasn’t necessary to wash my organic produce.

A little dirt never hurt, right?

Then I learned about pesticides and gassing on our organic produce, and it no longer made any sense to give my kids fruits and veggies with only a rinse.

ANSWER: Thieves Fruit & Veggie Wash!

One capful is all it takes.

That means this little bottle will last you a good while!

Cozy Heart of the Home

The kitchen is the heart of your home, and because that’s where people tend to gather, we want it to smell great.

However, we refuse to use synthetic smells or dangerous wax melts, candles, or plug-ins to do it!

Getting a diffuser and filling it with something like Lemon, Lavender, or Citrus Fresh are great in the kitchen.

Or if you’re going for more cozy fall smells, you can diffuser Thieves, Cinnamon Bark, or Orange.

One of my current favorites is Sacred Frankincense and Pine!

Thieves Oil Blend

Finally, keeping Thieves Oil Blend in the kitchen is essential!

One drop in honey, Elderberry Syrup, or NingXia will serve as both a preventative that builds your body to be stronger and healthier as well as a great defense against illness.

Our family has used Thieves to knock out strep, ear infections, pink eye, sore throat, cough, colds, and viruses.

This blend is so amazing that we never go without it and make sure it’s on every single Essential Rewards order, so we always have what we need!

Simple Way to Start

The Thieves Premium Starter Kit is a fantastic way to make your switch to clean living simple.

I love how I can start in the kitchen and move room to room around the house until we’re harsh chemical-free.

It’s such a great and cost-saving rotation with Essential Rewards!

You’ll get what you need for each room and build your wellness arsenal.

It lasts a good long while, so you’ll save a ton!

Get Your Start

This will help you get started : click here.

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Introducing the New Basic Starter Kit!

Nothing Basic About It!

For those setting out to begin their chemical-free lifestyle wanting to customize their first order, the Basic Kit is just what you need.

Young Living has revamped their Basic Starter Kit, lowered the price point by ten dollars, and reduced waste in its packaging!

Young Living's Basic Kit is the answer you have been looking for with its super low price point and access to the world's safest products.

Reward Yourself

The greatest option for shopping of this generation is Young Living’s Essential Rewards program.

This program makes sure you get the most bang for your buck.

With it, you’re able to invest in your health while saving more money than you ever could on the scary-ingredients in the store.

Customization Options

You might like to use my favorite Essential Rewards orders post to help, which you can read here.

I’ve also included some ways to make the most of your Kit month one below.

Option 1: Immune Strength

For Essential Rewards, you only have to hit the $50 mark each month.

However, always striving for $100PV (point value) is best because you get a free oil (monthly promos), still save more than you would’ve bought in store, and when you share, you’ll get a thank you check.

Basic Kit
Thieves Household Cleaner
Thieves Blend- 15mL
Lemon -15mL

Option 2: Ditch Synthetic Fragrance

Basic Kit
Thieves Laundry Detergent
Thieves Household Cleaner
Orb Diffuser
Lemon-15mL

Option 3: Personal Care

Basic Kit
Thieves Aromabright Toothpaste
Dental Floss (Thieves)
Thieves Fresh Essence Mouthwash
Bath & Shower Gel (you can add some Stress Away from your kit!)
Lavender-15mL

Option 4: Oily Arsenal

Basic Kit
Peppermint Vitality
Lemon Vitality
Lavender Vitality
DiGize Vitality
R.C.
Thieves Vitality

Option 5: Kids

BK
KidScents Bath Gel
Lotion (KidScents)
KidScents Shampoo
TummyGize

Perks!

During this month of October, you’ll get free shipping with your kit as long as the order hits 100PV!

Also, when you use my referral code 3929342 or go directly through my link here, you’ll also get an Essential Oils Reference Guide!

Finally, you’ll love our online community, resources, education, and freebies found in our private Facebook group.

This makes starting your chemical-free lifestyle much simpler!

Young Living's Basic Starter Kit is the answer you have been looking for with its super low price point and access to the world's safest products.

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Free Shipping + Product Reference Guide

Free Shipping with Your Kit!

It’s likely you’ve heard about Young Living being the only truly toxin-free products on the planet.

However, did you know that this October there’s a special free shipping surprise for each new membership?

It’s True!

New enrollees will receive free shipping on their first purchase of 100PV or more!!

This includes the purchase of a Premium Starter Kit OR a Basic Starter Kit as long as their enrollment order reaches 100PV!

What This Free Shipping Means for You

With the Premium Starter Kit, you get the following:

12 of our Everyday Oils (those oils you’ll vow to never ever live without again!)
Diffuser (I like the 10 hour Desert Mist!)
NingXia Red packets
Thieves Spray
Thieves Hand Sanitizer
24% discount
Free shipping

Get Your Rewards!

Don’t forget about Young Living’s Rewards program!

It’s basically getting your cake and eating it, too!

With your Premium Starter Kit, you can choose to join the Rewards program for free!

Learn more about it here.

Making it SIMPLE!

To make the transition from toxic to Young Living’s pesticide-free lifestyle super easy, I love gifting each new member their own Essential Oils Pocket Reference Guide book!

Small and a breeze to use, you’ll carry this with you everywhere you go!

This allows you to look up oils and oil-infused products to see how to best use them. It also allows you to search out support for certain issues you may be facing.

Take a look at it here.

Get This Free Shipping Special Now!

When you go through this link or use my referral code 3929342 when getting your Premium Starter Kit, you’ll get 24% discount, free shipping, and a free Pocket Reference Guide.

Our Community

In addition, we have a community of learners over on Facebook, who will support and guide you as you make the switch.

You’ll love all of our amazing resources, classes (both online and in person), and the most generous and fun group of oilers you’ll ever meet!

Please click here to get started, or reach out to me personally at andrea@graceblossoms.com for more info.!

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Energy Boosting Breakfast Shake

Simple!

What you’ll need for your breakfast shake:

NutriBullet (get yours here)
1 Young Living NingXia Nitro (Get 24% discount on this and all YL products mentioned here)
1 drop Favorite Young Living Vitality Oil (I like Peppermint)
8oz. Organic Almond Milk
1 TBS Elderberry Syrup (I use this one)
1 TBS Young Living MindWise
2 Scoops Young Living Balance Complete
2 TBS Cacao Powder (I use this one)
1 banana

Put in liquids then powders. Blend.

Energy

The Nitro, Peppermint, and protein from the Balance Complete not only helps you stay fuller longer, but these are a great combination for giving you a boost first thing in the morning.

Take your Young Living oil-infused Super B vitamin and OmegaGize alongside this for even better results with more bioavailability because they’re oil-infused!

Depending on how early you wake, this can help you hold off on coffee until the better time of 8 a.m. or after when your adrenal glands are able to “wake up.”

Sweet vs Bitter

I liked the taste of this, but my husband wanted a little more sweetness to it.

Put a little honey or maple syrup in to take the edge off if you’d like.

Immune Strength

The ingredients in this breakfast shake are amazing for strengthening your immune system.

It’s a much better start for your body than something like cereal yet takes about the same amount of time to put it together!

Need these Powerful Oils?

Click here to learn more about our over 600 safe and amazing products.

You’ll also want to get on the Essential Rewards program to save money and get the most from your Young Living account! Learn more about Essential Rewards here.

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Safest Dog Shampoo

2 tablespoons baking soda
2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon pure vegetable glycerin
1 tablespoon pure liquid castile soap
5 drops of BOTH Lavender and Lemon Young Living Essential Oils

Mix all ingredients. Wash dog.

It’s THAT simple!

Hattie’s Experience

Toxins, additives, and synthetics in dog food, treats, and care products like dog shampoo are lessening our pets’ lifespans.

When we’re striving to live a toxin-free life, it’s important to remember our K9 friends as well.

Thankfully this doesn’t have to break the bank in order to get great pet care.

Dog Shampoos

While we live by the Furminator with our Siberian Husky, Hattie, we also have to give her a good scrub every now and again.

Thankfully, Young Living gives us an amazing, concentrated option where we can get three safe bottles in one with the AnimalScents Shampoo!

Simply get a foam pump bottle like this one, put a third of the bottle of shampoo in, filling the rest with water.

You can even add a little T-Away in there from our AnimalScents line if you’d like.

This blend will help calm your pup, which is great for dogs like ours, who tend to get stressed during a bath.

Our Husky, Hattie (and I) loved this easy DIY because it was thick enough to lather up in her thick fur, yet there was enough of it to wash her really well twice!

Hattie is a big dog.

She also likes to play in the dirt and mud with our boys and prefers to live outside in most weather, so she was extra filthy.

If you have a smaller dog, mainly inside you could get four or five washes out of this. Maybe more!

Best Part

The best part is knowing there weren’t any synthetic fragrances in either of our dog shampoos that could really harm our sweet pup.

The oils are only from Young Living, so we know they’re 100% safe for her.

Why buy oils anywhere else when Young Living is the only one that meets all of the following criteria: never sprays their plants, never adds synthetic fragrance, only 100% oils.

Get Oils Here

Not getting a 24% discount yet?

Not utilizing the 25% back on top of that with Essential Rewards?

Click here for help.

This link will also be extremely useful in starting the journey.

Need step-by-step directions? Click here.

Take the very best care of your dog with the only synthetic and pesticide free shampoo with the safest ingredients available.

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50 Uses for Thieves Household Cleaner

New School Clean

Thieves Household Cleaner is the best and most cost-effective way to clean your home.

Long gone are the days of my mama sending me outside to play while she cleaned the house all rubber-gloved up to her elbows.

Now, I joyfully hand the Thieves Household Cleaner to my kids and say, “Let’s clean!”

Strong…in a Good Way

This cleaner literally strengthens the immune system and lungs while you clean.

Where else in this world can you find a safe, strong, yet immune-boosting cleaner for your house? Nowhere!

Thieves Household Cleaner Uses

Fruit flies/gnats
Bleach Alternative DIY
Stainless steel scrub
Safe Clorox-type wipes
Vents
Outlets
Toys
Exercise equipment
Clean your washing machine
Clean blinds
Add to Rainbow Vacuum
Add to power washer
Clean whirlpool tub
Clean your car inside
Removes smells from bathrooms
Jewelry cleaner
Scrubbing paste
Stain remover
All purpose Cleaner
Heavy degreasing
Fruit + Veggie wash
Dishwasher pod DIY
Dishwasher detergent
Laundry detergent
Pots and pans soak
Windows + glass cleaner
Walls
Hardwood floors
Carpet cleaner
Fabric cleaner
Wrinkle release
Mattress cleaner
Laundry pre-treat
Wood furniture cleaner
Granite
Stove
Shower
Sinks
Tub
Toilet
DIY foaming hand soap
Mirrors
Dish soap
Tile and grout scrub
Fridge/freezer deep clean
Disinfect garbage can
Glass sliding door tracks
Mold removal
Pet stains
Furniture polish

Final Thoughts

The amount of money we save every year from this plant-powered cleaner is unbelievable.

Love that we can always clean without ever having to worry about dangerous chemicals.

If you’re needing Thieves Household Cleaner, the best place to start is the Premium Starter Kit and the Essential Rewards program.

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« Previous Page

State Standards are a Tool

What You May Not Know About State Standards

How I Use Them

Final Thoughts

1. Mentor Authors

2. A Reading Mini-Lesson

3. Read Alouds

3. Writing Mini-Lesson

4. Lessons in Action

Your Role in Notebooks

5. Self-Selected Texts

Final Thoughts

Homeschool Schedule

Year-Round

Daily Schedule

Fridays

Simply Put…

Essential Oil Key Info: Before You Buy

1. The 26 Second Rule

2. The 5% Law

3. Organic Confusion

4. Pesticides Matter

5. Other Factors

6. One-Stop Shop

7. Your Vote Matters

8. Less Expensive than In-Store

9. Start Today

10. Questions?

Ticket to Ride First Journey

Battleship

Uno

Tapple

Guess Who

Clue-Retro

Chinese Checkers

Life

Trouble

Connect 4

Jenga

Yahtzee

Mastermind

Pay Day

Headbandz

Scrabble

Stratego

Sorry!

Clack

Pie Face

What’s New this February?

Don’t Have a Young Living Wholesale Discount?

Video of Promos

Cedarwood

Ylang Ylang + Patchouli

Geranium

Rutavala

Seed-to-Seal Story Collection

Enjoy the Lifestyle

Multi-Age Writing

Showcase the Text

Read the Text Multiple Times

Find What’s Right, Not What’s Wrong!

Link it to a Writing Piece

Keep It Small

Celebrate!

Oil Cleansing is EASY

Oil Cleansing is AMAZING for Your Face

Also a Great Moisturizer!

Want a Pesticide-Free Lifestyle Makeover?

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

Directions

Final Thoughts

Ready for a Toxin-Free Lifestyle?

Why Young Living Only?

5% Rule

Why Care About Pesticides?

What About Organic Pesticides?

Are They Expensive?

How Do I Know Which Oils I Need?

How Often Do I Have to Order?