Safest Baby Powder
Safest Baby Powder
Had I known how easy and cheap making my own safest baby powder was, I would’ve started this a long time ago!
Currently our choices are doom and gloom or pay through the nose for a few ounces of the stuff.
I call shenanigans!
At first I didn’t though. I wondered, if it’s so cheap to make, then why is all the “good stuff” at the store so expensive?
There’s no better way than trying it myself. I found no good reason other than greed to mark organic baby powder as high as it is.
It’s so easy, cheap, and good to DIY that it’s one of my new favorites!
(First and foremost, if you want to superpower the following DIY, you’ll need your toxin-free kit. Do you have yours? It comes with a 24% discount on all toxin-free non GMO products! If not, click here: Young Living Starter Kit )
Why use baby powder with no babies in the house?
1.) Big boy stinky shoes (of which range in age from our youngest at 4 to my husband at 34!)
2.) Moisture absorber with my DIY deodorant
3.) Soft skin after shaving
4.) Dry shampoo
5.) Removes sand at the beach
6.) Keeps ants away
7.) Eyelash plumper
8.) Pet shampoo
9.) Removes grease stains
10.) Untangles necklaces
11.) Makes rubber gloves easier to get on/off
12.) Makes pumpkin carving easier (see the punched holes better!)
13.) Knocking hair off the boys’ shoulders after Momma cuts their hair
14.) Keeps sheets cool on hot nights
15.) Keeps playing cards from sticking together
16.) Takes squeaks out of hardwoods
17.) Sets makeup
18.) Keeps rabbits out of the garden
19.) Keeps pests out of garbage (they don’t like the feel of it on their paws)
20.) Protects hands from blisters and gets a better grip on gardening sheers
Option 1: Buy cheap.
*lung damage
*shortness of breath
*wheezing
*obstruction of airways
*Pneumonia
*Asthma
*cancer
*death
SERIOUSLY? If we’re on a budget these are our options!?
Option 2: Pay up, Buttercup
The powder scoring a “2” is $17.28 for 2.5 ounces. TWO and a HALF OUNCES!? WHAAA?!
Option 3: Mix together the following recipe
*Non-toxic, real ingredients for a fraction of the cost? SOLD!
- 1/4 C Bentonite Clay Powder
- 1 TBS Organic Arrowroot Powder
10 drops Young Living Lavender Essential Oil (or your favorite scent/benefit!)
Mix together and store in a glass jar and enjoy!
Benefits from using Option 3:
*Non-toxic
*Cost effective
*Simple to make
*Softer than other baby powders I have used
*Benefits of Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils
With so many benefits and uses, it looks like our DIY baby powder is a keeper!
My hope is that it will serve you as well as it does our family!
Enjoy!
Andrea 🙂
Want to know how to go non-toxic using essential oils? Click here!
Top 10 Immune Boosts
Top 10 Immune Boosts
What if simple immune boosts could be the ticket to making life easier in your home?
Before watching helplessly from the sidelines as the next virus runs through each kid and adult in your home, you may want to take a look at these natural supports first.
Support is Key
We can’t forget that it’s always better to preemptively strike when it comes to our family’s health.
(If you don’t have your wellness box for 24% discount that will make all of this a million times easier, click here: Young Living Starter Kit (AKA Health in a Box!) )
1.) THIEVES ROLLER
What a defense system when you have this in your rack of immune boosts!
This blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary pack a powerful punch against germs, so why not head out the door each day with it as our first line of defense?
The Recipe
- 1 empty essential oils bottle (recycling old bottles…yay!)
- 15 drops of Thieves
- Liquid carrier oil to fill the bottle to the bottom of the neck
- Roller filament on the top
Roll on neck, behind ears, down spine, and on the bottoms of feet each morning before leaving for the day and each night before heading to bed.
2.) COUGH DROPS
In my past life of store-bought, dye (that’s banned in other countries!) and sugar-filled cough drops, I would never have used a cough drop for immune boosting!
Now, thankfully I have a great threat against germs as well as a soothing, sore throat buster!
The Recipe
- 1 cup local, organic honey heated to 300 degrees using a candy thermometer, stirring often (approximately 20 minutes)
- Take off heat and continue to stir until honey thickens but isn’t sticky or hardened too much.
- Add 11 drops Thieves and 7 drops Lemon and stir
- Pour into fun silicone molds by whatever means necessary (I just use a spoon and carefully pour then smooth it with the back of the spoon, but for you patient types, you might find a nice pipette that works for you. Mine always gets too filled with hardened honey, and I end up using a spoon anyway).
*NOTE: The honey MUST get to 300 degrees so it will harden once it cools. Mine always jumps higher than 300 and it’s okay, but I try to pull it off the heat as soon as it gets there!
Take before school and pack one in with a vitamin at lunch for prevention.
Not a DIY kind of momma/daddy? Try these trusted cough drops instead for one of your immune boosts!
3. THIEVES HAND SANITIZER
I probably don’t have to tell you that kids aren’t washing their hands well or that often at school.
Fortunately we can arm them with hand sanitizer, as long as we are working on immune boosting in the process.
It shouldn’t have come as such a shock to see this, except for the fact that it’s so heavily marketed for children and schools. It shouldn’t surprise me anymore, but it will always upset me. These are our children!
Thankfully we have a safe option that fights germs in an amazingly powerful way.
DITCH
Store bought, gene damaging and hormone harming sanitizers.
SWITCH!
Put one in the kids’ lunch boxes, book bags, and pencil pouches!
4. QUALITY VITAMINS
There’s no better prevention than filling our bodies with the nutrients that we need.
Along with a balanced breakfast and healthy lunch, MightyVites have an impressive lineup to help build immunity and fight germs!
Take one before school, toss into their lunch box to eat mid day, and finish the night with a third at dinner for a full day of immune support!
5.) GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP
If your kids are anything like mine, sleep affects their behavior, mood, and focus.
More than that, a good night’s sleep is a great way for immune boosting!
For my six-year-old, 7-12 hours is recommended, but only 7 hours of sleep would never work for him!
Our four-year-old can waver between 12 and 14 hours depending on if we squeeze in a nap that day.
Over the years we have learned these numbers. They shift with growth spurts and age, but no matter how old they get, sleep plays such an important role in their immunity.
Something we do to promote good sleep is having a semi-strict routine in play.
We head up for shower around the same time every night, read a book, and we put some Peace and Calming or SleepyIze on their backs as his final way to wind down.
Our youngest (4) loves Peace & Calming on his Brown Bear to breathe in and calm down. Our oldest (6) would rather have three or four drops of Sleepyize massaged on his back while he tells us little bits of his day. We also pray during this time together.
When Germs Strike
Unfortunately, sometimes we let our guard down, or those pesky illnesses are just nasty enough to push their way through, so immune boosting needs to be our focus.
If and when that does happen, we need ways to fight back.
Though I am not a doctor and do not claim to be, I will share what personally works for our family time and time again.
1. THIEVES TEA
I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am for this tea in my arsenal of immune boosts.
The second I notice a runny nose, scratchy throat, or mention of a tummy ache, I am heating up water for some chamomile tea and putting a batch of Thieves Tea together.
For us, most times, we are able to completely avoid whatever illness is trying to creep into our lives.
On that off chance it does make its way through, I give Thieves tea twice a day to our boys and up to three times per day (morning, noon, and night) for myself and my husband.
THE RECIPE
- Steeped organic chamomile tea (2-3 minutes usually does it for us!)
- 2 drops Lemon
- 1 drop of the following:
- Honey to taste
One cup of tea, two great benefits!
While the tea is hot, take some time to waft it toward you and breathe deeply. We notice ourselves breathing better almost immediately!
Once you’re ready to drink, take small sips and savor it.
Now, a tip for those saying your kid would “never” drink this…
What would you do if he/she doesn’t want to take medicine?
We hold our nose and chug!
For us, our boys love Thieves tea when they are stuffy, but try to get out of it if I’m trying to beat an illness before it takes over with immune boosts.
So, I give them the ole pinch and chug trick (and sometimes bribe with a mini-marshmallow in full disclosure).
I have seen sick eyes and sad faces ask to run downstairs and play within an hour of giving Thieves tea, and I’ve felt it myself, too.
This is our first line of defense against any nasty gunk that tries to get in our home!
2. THIEVES COUGH DROPS
I don’t know about you, but my kids are really great at hiding a runny nose now that they’re a little older.
If we’ve had a busy day or they spend most of the daylight hours outside, I can miss a sniffle and by the middle of the night I’ll hear a cough coming from the next room.
The cough drop recipe above is amazingly soothing while giving the fighting power of Thieves and Lemon along with it.
Because I make it, I know exactly what goes into it.
I love that about it, and they love the animal shape surprise they get each time they open one!
Not a cough drop making kind of momma/daddo?
No worries!
Young Living now has cough drops you can buy that actually work! These have stopped a cough in its tracks and kept me going through full days of teaching before!
3.) OIL ‘EM UP!
Again, I don’t claim to have any prescriptions here as I am no doctor, but these work for us.
Every.
Single.
Time.
The key to immune boosts? Consistency.Â
- Thieves roller (see recipe and uses above)
- Copaiba on spine
- RC on chest (see recipe in next section)
- Breathe Again on neck and chest for stuffy nose support
- Peace & Calming and RC on neck for sore throat/cough support
- Tummygize for tummy support
We find applying every hour on bad days and less depending on their needs on regular cold days works best for us. We will follow the directions for dilution and drop amount that is on the bottle (but mostly-we use this Reference Guide for Essential Oils.
A good rule of thumb for dilution:
Infants: 1-2 drops essential oil per 1 TBSP of carrier oil (fatty vegetable oil)
Children & Adults: 2-3 drops essential oil per 1 TSP carrier oil
4.) R.C.
This is our favorite for supporting a cough. There are two main ways we use this:
- 2 drops RC with 3 drops Thieves in the diffuser in their rooms at night
- Diluted (we use 1 tsp. coconut oil, but you can check dilution charts to decide that for your individual child) with 1 drop RC as chest, neck, and back rub. This replaces store-bought vapor rubs that aren’t as child-friendly as their marketing makes them out to be.
5.) DIFFUSE PURIFICATION
While we use Purification for about a million different things in this house (think family car stink, smelly shoes, and garbage can among many others), we are most grateful for how it cleanses our air when illness is floating around.
You know the strip-the-beds-sanitize-the-doorhandle Mom/Dad move we do?
Here’s what ours looks like now:
- Pull all sheets and wash in hot water with non-toxic laundry detergent (air quality to someone with upper respiratory illness is important, and most store-bought detergents are super toxic!)
- Sanitize handles of doors, sinks, toilets, and kitchen with Thieves Household Cleaner (1 cap full poured into a spray bottle full of hot water)
- Diffuse 3 drops of Purification in all bedrooms and in our common living area throughout the day
I hope this list serves you as well as it does our family.
I can never be more thankful for our Premium Starter Kit than I am every time we fight off an illness or shorten the duration of one from simple immune boosting.
The majority of everything I wrote about in here is in the kit, so not only do we save a ton with the it, but we also have all the tools we need to stay well.
The diffuser from this kit has been invaluable, as you can see from the tips and tricks in this post.
Because I am equipped with these supports, I can get a jump on the new school year and cold & flu season.
My advice to you?
Grab your oils, diffuser, and household cleaner and be the first one to make a move.
Go on, Momma, Daddo. Get the upper hand against school germs with these immune boosts.
You have totally got this.
~Andrea
Healthy Hair Heat Protectant
Healthy Hair Heat Protectant
Heat treated hair needs a good, healthy hair heat protectant DIY!
Unfortunately there aren’t any pesticide and synthetic free options on the market, so we make this super simple one instead!
DIY
Water, coconut oil, and essential oils is all it takes!
**If you haven’t gotten your 24% discount on the only pesticide and synthetic free lifestyle products, click here: Happy New Healthy Lifestyle! Â
16 oz. spray bottle (this one is super cute!)
2 tsp Fractionated Coconut Oil (this is the one that’s always liquid–if you melt the solid kind, it’ll gunk up the bottle and not work)
10 drops Cedarwood oil
8 drops Lavender oil
4 drops Geranium oil
2 drops Patchouli oil
Add all ingredients to spray bottle and fill the rest with water.
Shake and lightly spray on ends of hair before blow drying or heat styling.
If it makes your hair too heavy, try spritzing on your hand first.
Rub your hands together and just use your fingertips to work through your ends in a lighter way than the spray bottle can do.
Results:
First of all, how seriously easy was this healthy hair heat protectant!?
Now, that’s the kind of DIY I can enjoy!
Start LOW and go SLOW.
You’ll see what I mean when you feel this product.
Want to know how to go non-toxic with essential oils? Click here!
Fearless in Times of Suffering
Fearless
If there’s any time I need God’s grace, it’s when I am mustering up faith in Him to become fearless.
When I don’t know how things will work out.
Don’t have control over the situation.
Just can’t make things go the way I want them to.
When I just. Don’t. Know.
Today was one of those days.
Hospital Scare
I was at the hospital for a routine checkup with Hudson.
Our oncologist was saying how the disease he once had, Neuroblastoma, usually ends up okay for kids like him.
One who has favorable genetics, but he wanted to let me know that there could still be some cancer left over in my child.
What do you mean, left over cancer? You said it was out.
Long story short, he was speaking of calcified and dead cancer and also in generalities.
He ended the conversation by saying Hudson is okay and will most likely have a totally normal life expectancy.
I should be fine, right?
I was.
I am.
But the devil totally saw his opportunity to mess with my head.
What if?
Get OUT
Get out, Satan. Not today. Not ever!
My God is greater. My God is stronger. My God is higher than you and your lies.
I know the Truth.
I know God is the ultimate healer, and my son is clean from this disease.
I know that even if something does happen, that the Lord will see us through just like He did three years ago.
But most of all, I know that I don’t have to fear anything because I am not a slave to your fear, Satan.
Who I Am
I am a child of God.
I don’t have to wallow in the piercing fear that immediately gripped me when Dr. Dole began talking about Neuroblastoma.
I don’t have to let myself get caught up in the past trauma of how it feels to be a mother of a very sick child.
I don’t have to camp out there, because my identity is not traumatized mother.
My identity is daughter of God– Heavenly Creator and Healer.
He > I
He has done a perfect job of being Him. Walking me through all the pain, all the joys, triumphs, and all the fears.
God’s grace goes far beyond what I could ever be capable of doing myself.
If it weren’t for grace, He would’ve been angry that I could second-guess what I know in my heart to be true, and He would’ve washed His hands of me completely.
But that’s just not our God.
He loves so abundantly and so grand– bigger than we can comprehend.
So, instead of kicking me to the curb, He drew me nearer to Him.
I felt myself being drawn up into His arms and comforted.
I know what is true: I can trust You, Lord.
Grateful
Thank You Lord, for being a merciful Father.
Who sees my fears and disbelief and triggers of past pain and uses it to pray, connect, and delve deeper in my relationship with You.
Thank You for being a God whose number one mission is to care for His children.
Sitting here in my motherhood fears, You love me so tenderly that I am able to feel calm and peace in my heart.
To be overwhelmed with Your love through grace, to rest in the fact that You are good.
You are God.
You are Truth.
When I Fail
Is it always my first fleshly reaction to trust?
Unfortunately, no.
I wish I could say that every single time I’m met with adversity I was fearless, but fear does get a hold of me–especially when it comes to my children.
However I never have to live in that fear because I have my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Even More
Because of this, I can enjoy my motherhood. I can enjoy my family. I can enjoy this precious gift of life the Lord has given me. I can be fearless.
Best of all, I can share His grace with you with the hope that you, too can open your heart to it as well.
Never would I ever want to hold all this to myself. It’s too big not to share.
It’s too amazing.
It’s the only thing in this world worth calling perfect: God’s love.
DIY Herringbone Bench
DIY Herringbone Bench
I couldn’t settle for just anything when I designed our DIY herringbone bench.
When I look around our home, I feel settled.
Wrapped up in the comfort of the atmosphere we’ve created. Our hands and hearts have crafted most everything we see here.
You can do it!
Shopping List:
NOTE: Measure your space to make sure that these cuts would fit in your home. Also measure how tall you might want your bench to be as this will change the height of your legs. Don’t forget to take into consideration how wide your bench will be once you secure the short ends to the outside of the legs. This adds space to the width of your bench.
-1 8 ft. 4×4 cut into four 18.5 inch long legs
-2 8ft. 1x4s cut both to be 64 inches. Use the leftover wood to cut 2 boards to 16 inches. This will make up your 4 trim boards that go on the front and the sides.
-1 8ft. 2×4 cut into two 16 inch boards.
-1/4 inch plywood cut to 16×62.5
-180 sq. ft. of wood (of your choice) for the top. The antique flooring we used were 3 inches wide and 3/4 inches thick.
–1.5 Inch nails (we used a nail gun)
Tools List:
–Circular Saw or / or Miter Saw
-Pencil
-Paint, stain, or mineral oil for your herringbone (we used mineral oil to bring out the natural wood grain)
-Paint or stain for your legs
–Clear Coat for the herringbone
Step 1: Cuts
-Cut wood according to directions above. You can have your lumber cut at the home improvement store and leave with 10 of your cuts already made. We just cut everything at home, but if you’re up for it, this is an option.
Step 2: Legs and Plywood
-Lay plywood on the ground.
-Put wood glue on the top end of each of the four 4×4 legs.
-Glue each leg flush with the outside four corners of the plywood.
-Let them dry then flip it over so the table is standing on its legs..
-Measure 4 inches by 4 inches of each corner on the top of the plywood and draw the square to give yourself a template of where to put your screws.
-Use the drill to put four screws into each corner of the square you drew to securely attach the legs to the plywood.
See below for an example of how they look when they’re nailed flush against each other and into the leg:
Step 3: Side or Top
**You have two options for step 3**
OPTION 1: Saw cuts of herringbone side cuts show (our choice)
OPTION 2: Hide herringbone side cuts
If you chose option 1 do step 3. If you choose option 2, skip to Step 4.
-Nail the 16 inch board to the side of the legs and plywood.
-Repeat with the 64 inch boards to make the front and the back, this time making them flush with the plywood and the 16 inch boards/ends.
-Flip the bench back onto its top and screw in the two 16 inch 2x4s to the front and back (64 inch sides) for added support. We just eyeballed two good, midway support areas.
-Paint or stain your legs and sides at this point if you’re not planning on painting the herringbone. We did this to make sure we wouldn’t accidentally paint that beautiful antique wood!
Step 4: Herringbone
-Once the legs are dry from step 3, flip it back so the bench is standing on its legs.
-Measure the direct middle of your plywood, and draw a line using a board to be your straight edge. You now have a horizontal line running from left to right if you’re looking at the front 64 inch side.
Get the Right View
-Stand at the short side with the line going out directly in front of you. This way, you can watch your herringbone pattern as you create it to make sure it looks right.
For example, when I was standing in that spot upon its completion, it looked like this. See how you get a better look at the pattern from this angle?
-Lay the speed square against the longest side (front 64 inch side) of the plywood to give you a 45 degree angle in order to make your herringbone pattern.
You’re Doing Great!
-Now that the speed square is laying on top of the plywood, take your first board chosen to be a part of your herringbone pattern (in our case, the antique hardwoods) and lay the long side up against the 45 degree angle on the speed square. Make sure to move the board down your speed square until the middle of the board lines up with your center line.**Your wood will be laying awkwardly out to the right of you and not away from you following the line you drew. Remember, you are only working with the right side of the line you drew at the beginning of step 4 right now.**
NOTE: You will want to check and see if your board will need to be cut where it’s laying. If so, scoot it up until you know you can get a full board.
-From underneath the board, run your pencil along the edge of the bench making your cut mark on the wood (in our case, on the antique flooring we’ll use to be the pattern on top).
-Use circular (or miter, whichever you chose) saw to cut on the line.
It’s Coming Together!
-Put glue on bottom of the cut wood. Still standing at the top of the bench with the middle line going straight out from you, line the short end of your cut wood up with the front (64 inch) side of the bench. Place your first herringbone piece with the glue once you see and feel the edges are flush.
-Use the nail gun to shoot one nail into the top of the wood at each corner .
-Take the next board and line up the edge against the nailed down board. The two boards flush against each other should make one long line. This time, you’ll be going out to the left or back side of the bench. Continue marking the bottoms, cutting, gluing, and nailing– alternating from the right side to the left– until you are done with all of your pieces, and your herringbone pattern is complete.
NOTE:
You’ll need to go back in and cut the smaller pieces to finish out the top of your herringbone pattern since we didn’t start at the very top of the bench. You may have to draw lines on both edges to get the right cut.
If you chose OPTION 2 in Step 3, go back to Step 3 now.
Step 5: Sanding
-Use a random orbital sander to smooth the top and sides of the herringbone pattern to make sure you have a clean finish. *TIP: You may want to round the top edges a bit, so sitting is a little more comfy.
Step 6: Finishing
-Paint, stain, or oil your top, sides, and legs.
-Once the top is dry, seal with the clear coat.
-Let dry. Apply second coat if needed and let dry again.
Put in your entry and enjoy!
–
Ally.
Ally
There’s nowhere we can go in this world where we will find another human being that has lived the exact same situations as us. An ally who totally and 100 percent gets it.
But we look, don’t we?
We love empathetic people because they’ve been there. Done that. Have insight.
If we are connected by friends and family, and we feel better.
Temporarily.
We are bandaged but not healed.
As Close as We Can Get on Earth
Why can’t someone who has had similar struggles heal our hearts?
Because even if we lined our situations up on paper, there would still be one big difference: this person isn’t us.
They don’t have our mind or our heart. They don’t have our past or our future.
Unfortunately, that still leaves us broken and unable, trying to pull everything together.
It’s frustrating because we are always so sure that if we can just find someone who “gets it,†we can start to move past whatever is hurting us.
I know how this goes, because I have lived it.
When I speak to other women who have experienced miscarriage, they too have lost a child. I am in the presence of a person who has felt the same loss, so we chat. Offering hope. Offering understanding. Sharing our stories.
Sometimes it just feels good to tell another person who has lived it.
Because God made us to join in fellowship, not live alone.
And it does feel vindicating when I hear her hardest part was right before the baby was taken, too.
That even though she knew her baby was gone, that she also laid her hand on her belly and wept like me for the thought of not having her baby be a part of her body anymore.
Like I’m not the only one.
Like she gets it.
It does feel a little better to hear it.
But for all the mothers I’ve spoken with, it never healed me.
Not completely.
It was good for me to know I wasn’t alone, but it most certainly didn’t change me.
My babies were still gone.
I still wasn’t raising them at home with my other two children.
My heart was still shattered.
I was still confused and broken.
Why can’t the empathy of another person fix everything?
Because there is only One who understands everything.
Only Jesus
When we’re feeling lost, hurt, lonely, afraid, worried, or broken, we do have somewhere to turn.
Someone who will not only empathize, but who will also heal us from the inside out.
I know it’s true because it’s happened to me.
To get me through the unbelievable pain of seeing our first baby’s heartbeat on an ultrasound and then losing it three weeks later.
That held me after learning our twins’ miscarriage possibly saved my life.
Who broke down anxiety over scans that the cancer in my youngest is gone for good.
I have felt it. I know it.
And so I want to give you these.
When you’re unsure where to look, here are Words from the Bible that explain why Jesus is your best ally.
And why, when you’re hurt, you can turn to Him above all else to receive complete and total healing.
1. Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
That’s how we feel when we’re broken, don’t we?
Raw and unsure and simple.
Looking for a reason. We’re unable to understand on our own.
The Lord shines light, over time, in big ways and in little, on every pain. Helps heal us through the process of leaning on Him for understanding.
2.) Psalm 119:169
Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word!
When we’re hurting worse than we could ever imagine, we can cry out to God.
We can ask Him to give us understanding according to His Word.
I can attest that He will. He is always who He says He is. He never lets us down.
3.)Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
All it takes is opening our heart, and we can feel this very real, very present help.
The best way I can explain it is as an overwhelming sense of peace and clarity. Strength to face my problems because there’s an ultimate sense that I am not battling alone. Something I know couldn’t have come from anywhere else. It’s astounding and beautiful.
4.) Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do not lean on your own understanding.
This can be super difficult.
It is hard to trust someone we can’t see, especially if we don’t know Him. I get that.
However, if its come to the point where we don’t know what we’ll do if something doesn’t change, then we can open our heart to the Lord, and put our trust in Him.
Things will change. Not in our timing, but in His. So we are patient (or keep trying really hard…because it is difficult!). We keep trusting, praying, and going to the Lord, and we’ll start noticing things happening that can’t be explained any other way than by the God.
5.) Proverbs 3:19
The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens
If He created the heavens and the earth in all its intricacies, then His wisdom should surely be what we seek.
To guide us.
To carry us through.
Why wouldn’t we go to the One who knows everything?
6.) Isaiah 40:28
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
We faint. Grow weary. BUT with God, nothing is impossible, and so while we are weary, Jesus carries the burden.
We can’t even look for how far His understanding goes because it’s too far beyond what we can fathom.
As children of a Father, we look toward Him, because He knows this world, and he knows our hearts.
He loves and cares for us.
And in that we can find rest.
7.)Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Not only does God have all the understanding in this world and beyond, but he wants us to seek Him.
He wants us. You. Me. To come looking for him. To call out, “God, help!”
He wants to make our paths clear, to be a lamp to light our way. He tells us plain and simple, “Come to me.â€
We don’t have to wonder if we’re enough or if we need to achieve something before we can lay our problems at His feet because He’s already invited us.
It’s a standing invitation to be with Him.
Invest in Your Relationship
When we show up. Take Him up on His offer…that is when we see—when we feel–change.
When we look at this, which is only a small sliver of how many times we are told to look to God, come to him, rest in him, it is clear that we have an unbelievably amazing ally in Jesus.
Always.
And this God of ours, he’s not only an ally here and there or only when you’ve been on your best behavior.
That’s not why He died on the cross.
He died for sinners. He died for you and he died for me.
Because He loves us.
All we have to do is let Him in.
Let Him fight for us, in us, beside us, and we will be stronger.
We will be in the army of all armies, being lead to true victory.
With this love, support, empathy, and understanding, we will be healed.
From the inside out.
Safest Sunscreens
Safest Sunscreens
The sun is not my friend, so I’m always armed with the safest sunscreens.
What I look for in sunscreen:
(If you haven’t gotten your toxin-free kit that makes DIYs like this one super easy at 24% discount, click here: Young Living Starter Kit )
1.) Non-Toxic
This means it must be either DIY (from all natural ingredients) or from Young Living.
Why?
They’re the only company I can find who doesn’t spray their plants with pesticides or add anything synthetic into their formulas.
If I’m going for the safest sunscreens, why waste money on overpriced harmful things pretending to be safe?
It’s Young Living or DIY for this family all the way.
2.) Good Consistency
There’s nothing worse than trying to put a tough-to-apply sunscreen on a two-year-old at the beach. I’m looking for something smooth, not runny, but also something that isn’t going to flake. My favorite is a creamy texture.
3.) Convenient
I need to be able to carry this in my bag or even purse for anytime we find ourselves in the sun.
For there to be enough in the bottle so I won’t have to make a trip to the store right as my boys are geared up for a fun day.
I also need the container to be helpful when I’m applying sunscreen on our two eager-to-play boys.
4.) Cost Efficient
Three seasons of the year we live outside, and applying sunscreen to two adults and two children–plus reapplying–can get expensive quickly. We went through so many bottles of sunscreen it was crazy, but felt stuck spending the money because we couldn’t stop using sunscreen. Then to make matters worse, we switched to the more expensive non-toxic versions. It’s tough to find something truly safe that costs less than $10/bottle and comes with enough to last the family for a while.
After Years of Experimenting, Trying, and Failing: We Found our Answer.
We love Young Living Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, for the sun , or this DIY recipe. The two batches in one jar has lasted us all summer–even through a 10 day vacation in Florida!
Ingredients:
1/2 C Coconut Oil
1/4 C Beeswax
2TBS Shea Butter
30 drops lemongrass essential oil
15 drops lavender oil
1 tsp Vitamin E oil (this one is soy and wheat FREE)
2 TBS Zinc Oxide Powder
Melt coconut oil, beeswax and shea butter. Add vitamin E, zinc oxide and essential oils. Mix together and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Whip for approximately 8 minutes. Transfer to a sealable container and use in place of 35-40 SPF sunscreen. Water resistant.
Because I doubled this recipe, I found I needed not only something bigger but something more durable to carry it in.
We are on-the-go, and I have to use something that can fall and take a hit, be carried by little hands, and can hold all we need for the entire summer.
We use a container like this and have had great luck!
I am so thankful I found this recipe.
It lasts, I can see the water bead up on the boys when they spray each other with the hose (daily occurrence around here!), and it’s made with ingredients I can trust.
We can never be too careful with our skin, and we always need to do everything we can to protect our childrens’.
This has been a wonderful take-along for our summer adventures, and I hope it can be that for you, too.
These are the two very safest sunscreens out there!
Want to know more about how to go non-toxic using essential oils? Click here!
When I Thought I Was Alive
When I Thought I was Alive
Before March of 2008, I thought I was alive.
I was 25, engaged to my best friend, and looking forward to our life together with excitement.
Had friends, family, and a job I loved.
Had a home, I travelled, I had the means with which to live the life I sought after.
Thought I was alive.
Until I learned how to live.
Learning to Live
Freedom came to me when, as a visitor to my friends’ church, the pastor asked, “If God were sitting with you right now, what would be the first thing you would say to him?â€
Though I counted myself a “good†person, my answer was “I’m sorry. I am so so sorry.â€
I was shocked to my core.
Sorry about what? I challenged Satan challenged.
As I searched my heart for the answer, it became clear. I was indeed so very sorry.
In Need of a Savior
For thinking it was me who had it all under control.
Wanting control in the first place.
My mouth. Gossip. Disrespect.
My selfish life.
Judgement.
Knowing that I felt a stirring for God deep in my heart and doing nothing about it for four years.
Living in sin.
Being less than I knew I could be.
For all of it.
Overwhelmed
I was overcome by the feeling of all I’d done wrong.
I sat there, staring straight ahead at this man I didn’t know, asking this question I didn’t like the answer to, and I sobbed.
How could I ever make a life that was worthy of God?
He is far too grand. He is far too good.
How could he love a wretch like me?
But the next words out of the preacher’s mouth were not about condemnation.
They were not saying I needed to wallow in this mess I’d made, but his direction was clear.
I had to ask for forgiveness. With my whole heart. Truly wanting to have my slate wiped clean.
So I Prayed
So I prayed.
When people share their experiences coming to know the Lord, it can feel a little weird to those reading it (Satan’s move).
So, when you hear what happened next, know that this is not made up.
This not something I’ve put into writing for some sort of personal gain.
It’s the honest and complete truth.
I felt myself being forgiven.
Cleansed
Washed as white as snow.
A clean heart created in me by the One who gave His life, so I could be there in that room being saved and found.
To have grace pour down on me.
I can’t really explain that feeling.
It was somewhat like how I felt when I got married seven months later, but not quite.
It was a little like how I felt when the nurse handed my babies to me, but not exactly.
What’s Next?
Going forward, I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I was going to do it exactly, but I did know two things:
- I was changed.
- I was alive.
Since then, I have learned that Christianity isn’t for the weak or the proud, nor is it easy by any stretch of the imagination, but that’s a different story for a different time.
This story is of God’s grace.
His mercy that fell on me, wrapped up this sinner, and held me close.
Even though life has handed us some serious curve balls since that day, boy am I glad I haven’t walked through it alone.
Never Alone
Going through this life with Jesus inside me and beside me is the only thing that got me through some of life’s hardest moments.
What I thought was living almost 10 years ago was nothing like the alive I am today.
The alive I’ve been given.
The alive I’ll inherit one day.
Praise God for His grace and mercy.
I didn’t deserve it, but You gave it anyway.
You gave it all so I could live.
And live I will.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Eek. 36:26)
Healthiest Oral Care
Healthiest Oral Care
To find the healthiest oral care, we have to look at the ways they’re packaged.
The dentist said shifts in hormones can damage teeth, and boy did it ever do a number to mine!
Things Get Worse
Since then my oral health continually declined.
I was pregnant three more times, nursed two babies, lost sleep, and pushed through survival mode as a full-time working momma.
I have had cavities filled, my gums became tender, and I had heat/cold/sweet sensitivity like crazy.
Cold sensitivity from the girl who used to be the only person in the room who could bite right into a popsicle.
It was so frustrating.
I spent five years going to the dentist and getting cavities filled.
The dentist would send new toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash combos my way, only to be left with even more pain-filled experiences.
I got to the point where I gave up completely on trying to eat anything sweet, cold, or overly hot if I could avoid it.
It just wasn’t worth the pain.
A Light
Thankfully, about a year ago, I decided to look into essential oils through Young Living.
My main goal was to switch our life from toxic ingredients in our home to natural and real ingredients for everything.
(If you haven’t gotten your toxin-free toolbox yet and 24% discount on all nonGMO products, click here: Young Living Starter Kit )
Over the past year, I’ve learned a lot and changed even more. One of those big changes, and it is one I’ve been so super thankful for, is my oral care.
As a desperate last plea for pain relief (and the enjoyment of the food I ate!) I looked into Young Living’s oral care.
After many years of trying and failing, I fully expected this to be another fail, but I’d never know unless I tried.
Since I’d gotten so many great results from the oils, I did have a little spark of hope.
Results
The first change I noticed (as did others) was the brightness of my teeth.
I’ve been asked if I bleach or whiten them a lot with this toothpaste.
No bleach necessary when you’re non-toxic!
In fact, one of the worst parts about those whitening products is that they never worked for my sensitivity!
The next difference I noticed was that the sensitivity seemed to be far less than it was before.
I didn’t want to be this automatic big believer of something if it wasn’t really working for the better, so I gave it some time.
I especially didn’t want to write something for you that I hadn’t given a lot of time trying out first.
Here I am, six months from starting, and my mouth is far healthier than it was six months ago.
Good Report
Finally, I noticed a huge change to my gums!
No matter how much I brushed or how I flossed with my old set up, my gums still seemed inflamed and painful.
What was worse- I never got a good report from the dentist.
Now, they are pink, healthy, and no longer painful. No more pain! That is something to celebrate!
Safe Toothpaste
The Aromabright toothpaste is so wonderful; we use it, and so do our kids.
It has a cinnamon-like taste to it that I thought the boys (six and three) wouldn’t like, but they love it!
It leaves my mouth feeling so fresh and my teeth looking so much better, I can’t imagine ever using a different toothpaste.
Safe Floss
The Thieves floss is a big contributor to my gum health improving. It lasts so long and smells so Thieves-y good, it is one of my favorites!
Safe Mouthwash
The Thieves mouthwash leaves my mouth feeling so unbelievably fresh, I could never go back!
Because it is made with Thieves, it was a little warm for me to start. I reminded myself of rinsing with those alcohol-based rinses and decided to toughen up.
I’m so glad I did because I quickly got used to the warmth, and it’s now something I enjoy each day.
Finishing my routine with Theives mouthwash has made a big difference. It’s like I can feel it getting cleaner as I swish–weird, but true!
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m beyond thrilled with my switch to this trio, and our family has never looked back.
Both boys, my husband, and I get great feedback from the dentist about my teeth.
For me, that is a big win, especially for our kids.
We want the dentist to be a positive experience where they learn good oral care, since it directly links to their overall health.
We also don’t want to fill their bodies with toxins twice a day, every day, so to know they are using safe ingredients is the biggest relief.
I was shocked to find how many toothpastes use harmful ingredients, and I find peace in having this routine implemented throughout our family.
Want to know how to go non-toxic with essential oils? Click here!
7 Habits You Need To Start Today
7 Habits You Need to Start Today
If you’ve ever been forgiven for something or loved even though you haven’t been the best version of yourself, you’ll appreciate these habits.
It’s the one thing any of us ever need to both give and to receive: grace.
This isn’t something that just happens. In fact, it’s quite purposeful.
There are habits that grace-giving people do each day, and because God’s grace is something we’re given, it only makes sense that we, too adopt the following:
1. Wake up enjoying Jesus
When I wake up it can be hard to think about enjoying Jesus.
To do anything more than obey my autopilot: shuffle into the bathroom, turn on the hot water, stand.
Beginning our day with a thankful heart is huge.
It can literally change our attitude, how we face our day, and what the outcome of that day actually looks like.
Once the fog clears, we can start enjoying Him.
Lord,
Thank You for my home. For my children. For a job that makes our life possible. Thank You for this day you’ve given me. I praise You for a hot shower. Thank You for a new day. A new beginning. A fresh start.
Even in the middle of a pile of heavy junk, Lord, I have a new start today.
Thank You for mercies new every morning. For Your grace that is so big and so deep and so freely flowing that I can receive Your love even when it seems like all the odds are against me.
Thank You for knowing more than me.
For seeing the big picture so I don’t have to. Thank You for this life and this day, and help me make choices that reflect Your love and grace in it.
Amen.
Beginning each day in prayer of thanks and even asking God for help with facing the challenges of the day, you open your life to His grace, and in turn are more able to spread that grace onto others.
2. Study the Word
It was a struggle for years thinking I didn’t need to do a Bible study.
Said that I knew what the Bible said, and I loved God. I was a good person.
My shallow view of studying the Bible only hindered my relationship with God, thus hindering my relationship with others.
Once I got over myself and became humble enough to think maybe I didn’t know everything (duh) my life began.
I start my day bundled in a chunky knit blanket with a cup of hot coffee next to me in the same spot each morning.
I curl up into my Bible study praying with an open heart that God will take these lessons, these words-His Word- and work it into my heart changing me to be more like Him. To give me something to dwell on and grow from within.
With each study, each page, each sentence, I learn little nuggets of what it means to be like Jesus, live like Jesus, love like Jesus, and I face my day thinking of Jesus.
We start our day with joy when we start our day with Jesus.
Joy opens our eyes to grace. It fills us with the ability to give grace to others.
Joy-filled people aren’t dishing out hate.
They’re giving love. Jesus. Grace.
Starting our day studying the Bible changes the face of our entire day and in turn shapes our entire life.
3. Sing Praise
This one is one of my favorite habits.
In fact, starting my day listening to a Christian radio station in the kitchen as I make breakfast for my family just reaches into my heart and sets me up for grace. I can’t help it.
Singing God’s praise, no matter how bad the morning or what kind of struggle I’m facing, rights my heart.
Really listen to the words and think about what God is trying to tell you about this Son of His that was given to us for our saving.
What He’s telling you about where you are right now and how to handle it. It’s all there.
In this experience of Jesus, you’ll start to even notice the songs that come on are just what you need. Just for you.
You’ll find yourself in awe of how big God’s love is for you.
When we belt out the tune and feel the tears welling up in our eyes from the overwhelming love of the Holy Spirit filling up our heart, we feel Jesus.
A heart full of the Lord breeds grace.
We feel His grace loving us even when we are unlovable. We turn that grace outward and love others through our day.
4. Pray through the Work Day
If we walk into work and face the negativity of the day’s tasks that bear their full weight on our shoulders, and we pray right when we think we can’t take it any more, “God, help!†we know Jesus right then and there.
When He comes along to pull us out of gossip and rudeness. To soften our hearts for our co-workers or a stranger on the phone, and we in turn give kindness when it isn’t deserved, we give Jesus. We give grace.
We’ve all had those days when we need something to pull us away from the negativity our environment throws at us. This is it, friends.
It’s a tried and true method.
It’s one of the biggest things that really solidified my relationship and understanding of just how powerful God really is.
Praying through your work day whether that’s in an office, in a field, or in the playroom with your children, you’ve got a mighty tool that can change how your heart views each situation and how your mouth reacts to it.
Your words are shaped by the truth of your heart.
If the truth of your heart is the Truth of who Jesus is (grace, love, patience, etc), then imagine what kind of a day you can have.
What kind of day you can give to others.
5. Speak Grace
If we come home to our spouse starting up again, bringing on old points of contention they know will lead to argument, and instead of fighting back, you pray, “Love is patient. Love is kind†to yourself, the result will knock you back a step or two.
When, instead of hate-filled, I-got-the-last-word spite, you hold your tongue, you’re speaking volumes.
You speak Jesus. You speak grace.
If you walk in the door and your children are arguing, your husband didn’t do that one thing you needed him to, and your dog just barfed in the floor all at once (because that’s just kinda how life goes sometimes), you choose how you react. Yelling and anger and accusatory speech makes the situation the same.
Grace makes the situation very different.
Because you’ve been with Jesus all day, your heart is different. You’ve walked into a mess, but you’re prepared mentally to handle it because it’s just another bump in the road of the day.
“God, help!”
Instead of yelling, you hug, you explain, you hold your tongue, you reach for thanks that you have a home and a crazy family and a loyal companion. You take a deep breath and turn to praise.
You give grace when you turn to Jesus.
Your home becomes more peaceful, situations diffuse more quickly, and you can give grace because all day long you’ve been giving and receiving grace.
And so, it just…fits.
6. Share Jesus
This one is tricky.
Not everyone wants to hear about your God. Or how beautiful His love is. Or what He’s done for you today.
In some situations, it’s perfectly natural to share that Jesus captivated your heart from the minute you opened your Bible that morning, but in others, it doesn’t feel like the right time.
And that’s okay.
When I’m met with these situations, I can’t help but think of Jesus meeting nonbelievers where they were.
He didn’t go in, guns blazing, knocking people over with a spew of judgement. He loved them.
Just simply, purely loved.
That’s how we give grace.
So, if you want to share the Lord, but you don’t know how, I can promise you two things:
1.) Judging, pushing, and acting holier than thou isn’t going to bring anyone to know God, sinner. None of us have it together. Even those who pray all day. We can’t. We need a Savior no matter which way we spin it, so just love. Love your heart out. Love like Jesus.
2.) Building a relationship with nonbelievers and believers alike and sharing how God works in your life from a place of humble praise is the only way to go. Acting like we had anything to do with our blessings is going to push others away from God, and that is just so not the point. Let’s love more and boast less.
Sometimes it takes showing others that we are empty without Love, that we are nothing without the Lord, and that because we are given His grace and mercy, we show it, too is all it takes to soften a heart toward the greatest gift we could ever give another human being.
Let’s love people with grace toward Jesus.
7. End the Day in Praise
Lord,
Thank You for this day. For the opportunities, lessons, and people in it. Thank You for walking me through the tough situations and for holding me up when I needed it. For blessing me and for providing this life. Thank You for my inheritance as a child of God and for giving it all so I can have You. I love You.
Amen.
In a world that tries its hardest to point us toward justice, judgement, and spite, you can be a light.
But it’s an intentional thing. It doesn’t just happen. It’s an actual, gradual change.
How does this apply to you today?
Maybe you start with number 1 and practice that for a couple weeks. Waking up enjoying Jesus is a pretty great place to start.
And it only gets better from there.
What a relief to know that His grace isn’t something I have to earn, but instead something lavished upon me in His ultimate love.
To pass that on would make any day brighter.
Would make any world less cold.
Place grace above hate.
And be the change.
Simple DIY Wooden Headboard
Simple DIY Wooden Headboard
There’s just something about a DIY wooden headboard that makes the entire space of a master bedroom look cozy. Complete. Put together.
The only problem we had was choosing one that fit our style.
Oh, and that didn’t cost a fortune.
Thankfully, an idea came to mind after seeing some Pinspiration and watching some home renovation shows.
There was hope!
Some of My Pinspirations
When I showed my husband what I wanted to create, he was on board.
Here are some of my Pinspirations:
Easy, He Said!
I wanted something simple. Something that spanned the width of our bed but wouldn’t need any real upkeep. Something that would fit the space but would also fit changes in decor.
We decided this DIY wooden headboard was the answer. I’ve provided directions in case you’d like to make your own!
Directions:
1) Measure bed and choose desired size of headboard. It was quite the discussion. This is seriously why I love Pinterest. The fact that I can look at how the finished product could be is huge for me. I’m not exactly a conceptualizing kind of girl.
2) Gather materials and tools:
SUPPLIES:
- Planks (as many as you need to meet your desired height- we did 4 ft. ). We go to Lowe’s for ours. We’re there so often, our boys say it’s one of their favorite places to go…really!
- Three 2X4s. These will be used on the back to hold the planks together.
- Screws
- Circular saw
- Screwdriver
- Measuring tape
- Sandpaper
- Stain of choice We like to test a small piece of the wood we’re going to use and let it dry while we’re building to see if what we’ve chosen is what we want to commit to for the entire project.
Measure Twice, Cut Once!
3) Lay out and measure your planks. We have a King-sized bed, so we measured its width and decided we would like about two inches on either side of the mattress to have the headboard go past it. Painter’s tape has been our friend in many times like these. We like to map it out on the wall and stand back from it to get a better idea of how it will look in our room. Pinterest is helpful, but every space is different. It’s better to be safe than sorry in this case!
4) Cut boards to length with circular saw.
5) Use three 2×4’s to mount the headboards to (these will go vertically so the headboards will be horizontal). Here’s how this should look:
You’re Almost There!
6) Screw them together – make sure the screws you use are not too long and poke through the front but that they also go in far enough to hold everything together.
7) Sand, stain/paint finished boards.
8) Mount to the wall using Interlocking Flush Mount brackets – enough to hold the weight of about 200-300 lbs. I included the link for a ten pack. You’ll most likely use all ten to evenly distribute the weight.
Our final product! We added this little sign above it for a sweet and simple reminder of the way God calls us to love each other.
This is the link to our duvet. We found the denim pillows at Home Goods and the “love” pillow at Target.
Craftsmanship
Every time my husband makes something for our home like this DIY wooden headboard, I do know that he really does enjoy the craftsmanship in woodworking. However, I also know that a big part of what gets us through is that agape love.
I’m not easy to please with my Pinterest dreams and specific ideas, but he hangs in there with me and listens. He reads directions (sometimes not great ones) and works out the problems we encounter even though it can be frustrating. He gives me grace when I dream a little too big for the space and he loves me when what I want stretches him a little thin.
Thankful for this man and for our cozy little space in this fixer upper of ours.
Inexplicable Grace
Inexplicable Grace
If you’ve never been a parent, there’s no way I can possibly explain that kind of love. That kind of inexplicable grace.
I can use words. I can try, but I’ll never achieve the exact feeling. It’s just too grand.
I’d like to compare it to the love of a spouse because when you fall in love it’s intense. However, this too will never compare to the love of a child because it’s so different.
I could compare it to the love of a sibling. Especially if you’re an older sibling, who feels it’s your responsibility to care for the younger child, yet that child was not created for you. It cannot be the same.
Fellow parents, why can’t we accurately tell this feeling?
I try so hard to explain everything else as a writer, and yet this one single thing I just can’t pinpoint.
Scratch that. Two feelings I can’t pinpoint.
Beyond Me
The love for my boys is something I never expected, It was overwhelming. It crushed me in a sense. I didn’t see it coming.
And yet, the feeling of God loving me is far greater than anything I’ve ever felt in my life.
There are no words.
To have a relationship. Receive the inheritance as His child.
How could this be?
Because God’s love is inexplicably huge.
His grace and mercy reaches even the most lost of wanderers.
No Matter What
It doesn’t matter how far you go, no matter how loudly you shout to the world that He is nothing more than a mere Santa, who Christians have made up.
And no matter how you’ve said He isn’t listening or doesn’t care.
No. Matter. What.
Open His Word and you will see. You will feel.
The living Word of the Bible is full of His love.
Yes, for you.
It is true. There’s death, destruction, and sin at every turn, but only so we know how to live. This is the same as how we would warn a child, whom we love so much, not to wander into the street.
We are His children, and oh, how we wander.
Search and See
Search the Bible, read with an open heart, and you’ll be hit with this inexplicable feeling. You’ll be given what Christians are taught, breathe in, and are left in awe of.
Not a teaching on death, destruction, and sin at every turn. Not teaching on how to be better than everyone else. Or hate those who don’t love God.
But something more: how to love.
God’s word is really our road map back to Him. How to get back, so he can lavish his love on us. On you. On me.
Though we don’t deserve it.
Upon grace.
Upon grace.
Oh, child. How He loves you.
1 John 4:7
Dear Friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Best Hand and Body Lotion Ever
Best Hand and Body Lotion Ever
These best, toxin-free hand and body lotion options ever will rock your world!
There are only two places where you can find truly safe options.
You’ll love them!
Safe Answers
Option 1: Trusted Toxin-Free Source
There are many lotions from Young Living that we love!
The best part?
There are options for adults, kids, and babies!
The following are wonderful choices for adults:
1.) Genesis Hand and Body Lotion
2.) Lavender Hand and Body Lotion
3.) Regenolone Moisturizing Cream
4.) Sensation Lotion
For kids:
1.) KidScents Lotion
For babies:
Option 2: My Favorite DIY
The DIY recipe I love the most is below.
I choose it and Young Living lotions over anything I can buy in-store.
I know I use the only pesticide free essential oils and I can choose the combination of oils to make the smell and effect I like.
With in-store lotions, I’m getting scary synthetic versions of oils that do more harm than good, so to me, it’s worth it.
Recipe
Ingredients
3/4 C Jojoba Oil
1/4 C Mango Butter
3 TBS Beeswax
3/4 C warm water
20 drops pesticide and synthetic-free Lavender Essential Oil
Directions:
Melt jojoba, mango butter, and beeswax together.
Add to mixer.
Add water and blend, whipping until completely mixed.
Stir in Lavender.
Refrigerate 1/2 hour or until desired consistency is achieved.
How to Get Young Living in Your Life
You’ll notice I write about Young Living being the only brand I’ll trust.
You can always trust this as the only source of pesticide-free oils because of the Seed to Seal promise.
Read more about how our family called on Young Living to live toxin free here.
Final Thoughts
Lotion matters.
We make our skin youthful with lotion and body butters, but only if we aren’t pouring toxins into our bodies when we use it!
Safest Toxin-Free Self Tanner
Safest Toxin-Free Self Tanner
The safest, toxin-free self tanner that doesn’t harm your body in the store doesn’t exist.
Thankfully, you have an option in this amazing DIY.
This Skin…
My entire life I’ve used self-tanner, but mostly since my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 Melanoma.
I’m made just like her.
We even have moles in the same places.
So, when I’m not under the knife at the dermatologist, I’m trying to appear more life-like with self-tanner.
I have tried some really horrible brands that simply didn’t work, and unfortunately all were terrible for my body.
Sunless Tan Must-Haves
If you haven’t gotten your toxin-free toolkit and 24% discount on all products that make DIYs like this possible, click here: Young Living Starter Kit
1.) Color: Not too orange. Not too yellow. More natural, brownish color.
2.) Longevity: How long does it last? Does it reapply well?
3.) Application: smooth, not streaky, doesn’t leave my hands stained, and I can see where I apply it.
4.) Safety: is pesticide and synthetic free.
My Favorite DIY:
Here’s a simple and effective sunless tan from One Mom and a Blog that applies evenly, wears off evenly, and even smells great!
You’ll Need the Following:
1/4 C organic shea butter
1/4 C organic cocoa butter
1/2 C organic coconut oil
1/4 C organic beeswax
6 TBS organic cocoa powder
20 drops Young Living essential oil (only pesticide and synthetic free oil option–follow this link to get your kit and discount)
Directions:
1.) Melt shea, cocoa, coconut, and beeswax.
2.) Add cocoa powder and essential oils. I like Myrrh or Lavender because they’re so great for skin, but choose whichever you’d like.
3.) Mix together and let sit in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.
4.) Whip with either a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid for around 8 minutes and transfer to a glass container.
Apply daily for a sun-kissed glow!
Why I Like It
I love this mostly for how easy it is to fix if I apply it too thick in certain spots.
Just blend it in a little longer, and you’re all set!
Get Warm Weather Ready!
Summer is here, fellow pale girls.
Instead of slathering on expensive toxins, let’s feel confident in not only what we’re using for our tan, but how we look in it, too.
Want to know how to go non-toxic with essential oils? Click here!
Healthiest Hand Soaps on the Planet
Healthiest Hand Soaps on the Planet
Hand soap should be simple, not full of endocrine disruptors.
Today you’ll learn about the healthiest hand soaps on the planet.
Option 1: Pre-made
The “safe” hand soaps at the store are purposefully leaving out a few key pieces of information.
First, that the plant material they’re using was sprayed heavily with pesticides.
Second, they’ve added fragrance.
Those “essential oils” they infused them with are actually just fragrance pretending to be healthy oils.
These soaps are amazing because they’re concentrated! Simply put 1/4 of the mixture into a foaming hand soap bottle. One of these covers just about every sink in the house for us!
You can also get a refill bottle so you never run out!
Option 2: DIY
INGREDIENTS:
- Foaming Soap Dispenser for Castile Liquid Soap (there are three in this pack)
- Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap
- YL pesticide-free oil of choice (I like Thieves during cold and flu season, Citrus Fresh in the kitchen, and Joy in the bathrooms)
DIRECTIONS:
1.) Fill dispenser approximately 1/3 of the way with castile soap (if you made the laundry detergent , dish soap, or makeup remover, you already have this!)
2.) Fill the rest (slowly or it gets bubbly really fast) with purified water (we use the water from our reverse osmosis system).
3.) Add 10-15 drops of your essential oil.
The Problem
One winter break, I worked for a company that sold all things smelly-good.
Lotions, candles, soaps.
Now we know better.
In the News
First, CNN reported on chemicals from antibacterial soaps that had been banned.
We pressed on and found cancer causing chemicals lurking in soaps.
The irony isn’t lost on me.
What cleans us on the outside makes us filthy on the inside.
Is Your Soap Harming You?
(If you haven’t gotten your toxin-free toolkit and 24% discount on all nonGMO products that make DIYs like the one below possible yet, click here: Young Living Starter Kit ).
The first step is to understand what toxic is.
Fragrance, synthetics, pesticide-filled.
Thankfully Young Living brings us truly safe products.
Most Trusted Source for the Healthiest Hand Soaps
Our family’s most trusted source is Young Living.
The best part is the 24% discount and 25% back on each purchase!
I absolutely love Thieves Hand Soap!
How to Buy from Young Living
You’ll notice we use Young Living in our home as you read this blog. It has completely changed our life!
If you want to learn more about how to get the best deal, click here.
Final Thoughts on the Healthiest Hand Soaps
With our skin being the biggest way toxins get into our bodies, it is such a relief to know that we can immensely limit our daily intake (and our children’s!) with such simple solutions.
Vote with your dollars!
We can stop companies from selling products that fill our bodies with junk.
Stop the rise of disease.
Make a difference.
My hope is that as more and more of us stop using the toxic products, we can collectively make a change.
We can make a place for our children and grandchildren where their only options are safe ones.
What a beautiful world that would be.
The One Thing That Won’t Fit on Your To-Do List
The One Thing That Won’t Fit on Your To-Do List
Let’s take a different look at the to-do list.
It’s so weird, isn’t it?
How we call a “change of heart” something that refers to a sudden act.
Why did she end up going to the event?
She had a change of heart.
Why didn’t you choose to accept the position?
Change of heart.
Just like that.
One minute you think one way and then, with the snap of a finger, you’ve had this total heart change, and you’re thinking in a completely different way.
If only it were that simple.
Truth
As Christians we have come to know heart changes as some of the biggest transformations of our lives. And rightly so.
All God wants is our heart.
However, changing the way one’s heart feels changes our actions, our speech, our mental thought process.
This, unfortunately does not fit into the world’s description of a “change of heart.”
A Big Christian Struggle
One of the biggest struggles in Christianity is the waiting.
Oh, the waiting. Then the learning. Then the waiting some more.
Because God doesn’t work on our time clock or our will.
Thy will be done.
Not Andrea’s.
My Flesh Has a To-Do List
See, my flesh doesn’t like this so much.
Why?
I’m a planner. A checklist-er.
I have an end goal, and I either meet that end goal, or I will tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next week.
Whenever and however it happens, I know that it will all fit together. Nice and neat. Tied up in a little bow. Checked off my list with an immediate gratification.
Groceries-check!
Dishes-check!
Lesson planning-check!
Trust the Lord in all things——–
Trust the LORD
That’s a bit different. Let’s think: I know when I want it to happen: today, obviously. Okay, okay…maybe by the end of the week to give myself some grace. I do have a lot on my plate. Maybe I won’t get to all-out trusting by midnight tonight.
I know how I plan on making this happen: Bible study, prayer, accountability partner.
I set forth. Bible open. Journaling pens poised. Hands folded and head bowed.
I feel great about the work I’ve done during quiet time on day one. Maybe I’ll meet that midnight goal after all. God, thank You for working in my heart! I love you!
Two hours later, I’m at work, and I get a call about making Hudson’s next ultrasound appointment. My heart drops but only for a second. That familiar feeling of “what if”.
I start thinking about the day I can take off that works with my schedule.
I think about how he’ll react to going NPO (not eating until the ultrasound is over).
My mind wanders over to how that first ultrasound looked when we confirmed our baby had cancer. What did it look like again? It’s hard to remember now three years out. Best to try to remember  though, so I can watch the screen.
My heart flutters that familiar way it does every six months when I have to schedule the blood draw. The x-ray. Should I go for the x-ray? I hate the extra radiation exposure, but who am I to say I know more than Dr. Dole?
So much for that midnight deadline.
God, Help!
“God, help!”
I take a deep breath. My heart settles. I lean on Him again.
My heart hasn’t changed! But I felt so great about my time with God this morning!
What gives?
Why can’t I just check this off my list and move on? Even though I really want it with all my heart?
Because God’s not done working on me just yet.
Patience
He has lots of lessons. Lots of “Oh, I see…” moments just waiting for me.
To be perfectly honest, I both love and really really dislike this about walking the walk, friends.
I love it because I’ve been on the other side of a true heart change, and it’s huge.
Huger than huge.
It’s game-changing big and God reveals Himself in ways that knock me over.
I know what’s coming from Him is not just good but the absolute definition of awesome.
BUT.
Not Me But Him
I don’t know when. I don’t know how. I don’t know what I’ll have to endure to learn the lessons He knows are best for me.
I don’t have control over this situation, and just like that the belief floats away in the breeze, and I’m left bare, raw, and insecure.
The only way to overcome this is calling on Jesus. My Savior. My Redeemer. My King.
And then I realize something.
Instead of rolling through the list of how this is so unfair, and can’t God just see I have good intentions? Â
Can’t He give me what I went for that morning during my quiet time with a pure desire to be better for His kingdom?
Can’t He just follow my timetable?
I realize that…simply put… it’s not about me.
And all about Him.
When I check off my to-do list, I’m the head of my life and my heart.
When I’m empty without Him and can do all things with Him, then and only then has He truly got my heart.
I Am Weak. He is Strong.
In my weakness He is strong.
So, no. The life-altering heart changes won’t fit on that to-do list of ours, but it’s okay.
It’s more than okay. It’s the way it’s supposed to be.
To draw us nearer to God in our inability to take on His role. To bring us clarity in only ways He can do. To forever change our earthly life so we can better serve His kingdom in our forever home.
It takes surrender. It takes love. And it takes us on the journey whether we like it or not.
To learn the ultimate lesson: only when we stop grasping for what’s in our short sightedness and pray for eyes to see His path can we be changed.
Every hour. Every minute. Every second. I need You.
Praise God, how I need You!
AMEN!!
Toxin-Free Deodorant
Toxin-Free Deodorant
OLD NEWS: Our deodorant is killing us.
But there actually are options that don’t harm you or leave you stinky!
Option 1: Premade
No matter how safe other companies say they are, if they are spraying the plant material used with pesticides of any kind or adding fragrance, you’re not any healthier than you were before.
Thankfully, Young Living offers multiple deodorant bars for you to use.
I particularly like using my Essential Rewards/Loyalty points to get it for free!
Option 2: DIY
INGREDIENTS:
From onemomandablog.com:
1/4 C Baking Soda
1/4 C Organic Arrowroot Powder or Non-gmo Cornstarch
4 TBS Organic Coconut Oil
1 TBS Organic Shea Butter
12 drops Thieves Blend Essential Oil (OR Peppermint)
12 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
DIRECTIONS:
1.) Mix baking soda and arrowroot powder
2.) Melt coconut oil and shea butter. Add in to the baking soda and arrowroot powder mixture
3.) Add in essential oils and stir until incorporated
It will be runny. It will solidify eventually, but to speed up the process, feel free to put it in the refrigerator for about a half an hour.
Apply with fingers after showering.
Answers
No toxins. Works amazingly well. Keeps sweating to a minimum.
(If you haven’t gotten your toxin-free toolkit and 24% discount that makes DIYs like this possible yet, click here: Young Living Starter Kit )
The best part? You know every ingredient!
Before I can give you the good news, you know I have to break your heart just a little bit.
If it’s from anywhere other than Young Living, you’re dealing with pesticides, synthetics, and fragrance–all recipes for hormonal disaster
What deodorant are you wearing?
What are you letting your teens wear?
How are we setting up their (and our) future health?
Do you see yours on this list? I did!
AXE–I taught middle school and have basically tasted this in the air it hangs so heavily there by the lockers between classes.
I’m not surprised to see it listed as something we need to beware of putting on our growing children.
Now that we see where greed has gotten the consumer, let’s decide instead of anger, we will fight back with taking our business elsewhere.
Note:
If you made the Dishwasher Detergent, Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, Lip Balm or Makeup Remover, you already have most of your ingredients!
Want to know how to go toxin-free using essential oils? Click here!
Enjoy!
Want to know how to live toxin free? Click here!
3 Words to Kick Pride to the Curb
3 Words to Kick Pride to the Curb
Pride: a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.
Why would anyone want to get rid of a pleasurable feeling?
It’s crazy.
Ludicrous.
Necessary.
A Humbling
Every time we get a sense of pride-of true unabashed pride-we are really saying one thing: “Look what I did.”
My son can speak at three months: look what our boy can do.
I spend two-and-a-half years getting my Masters degree: look what I finally accomplished. Look at how my hard work has paid off.
My husband makes a sale that affords us renovation: All of those long, hard days and sacrifices our family has made while my husband worked so hard is blessing us.
The 8th graders in my class create amazing projects: Look what my students did after a long quarter of perseverance.
All of these things, they’re good things, but pride isn’t the feeling we should associate with it because pride is a lie.
Pride is a Lie
Deceitful.
Wrong.
We have been taught to believe pride. To relish it. To find our joy in it.
And frankly, no one likes to hear that something they like is a sin.
But it is.
If you read further down into the synonyms part of the definition, you’ll read the following:
Pride is a lofty and often arrogant assumption of superiority in some respect: Pride must have a fall.
A Fall
Must have a fall.
Then why in the world do we tell our children, “I’m proud of you” or our husband upon that bonus check, “Babe! I’m so proud of you!” or to others, “I’m proud that I stuck with that degree, it’s really paying off”?
Because we’ve been taught to.
Child of God, when looking within ourselves, we must remember that we are living in this world, but we are not of this world.
In It Not Of It
Whether we particularly like it or not, we are set apart. Living in exile.
Which is why what I’m sharing today is most likely not sitting well with my readers.
How do we undo this prideful thinking?
We must trade in old feelings for new.
It sounds impossible, but it can be done.
How?
Changed Viewpoint
We must change our view on how the achievement was made.
All things. Not some things. All.
And if this is our truth, if this is what we claim to believe, then we cannot ever take complete credit for accomplishments because that would be a lie. That would be prideful.
And pride, we know, must come with a fall.
These three words are all we need:
1.) Grateful
2.) Thankful
3.) Praise
Instead of “I’m so proud of…” say, “I’m so grateful that…” or “I’m so thankful that…” or “I praise God for…”
Some Easy Changes
CHANGE THIS:
“I’m proud of myself for sticking with that tough course load and making it to graduation. That was so tough!”
TO THIS:
“I’m so thankful God helped me through that course. That was so tough!”
CHANGE THIS:
“Babe! I’m so proud of you!”
TO THIS:
“Thank God you were able to earn this bonus. I’m so thankful!”
CHANGE THIS:
“I’m so proud of you, son!”
TO THIS:
“I’m really thankful God helped you through this test. I know you studied hard for it.”
What’s the Payoff for Ditching Pride?
It really is a switch in how we think about the end result of our hard work, but we must speak truths, especially to our children.
We are the only way they will know who’s truly at work within them allowing them the strength, courage, and perseverance to complete tasks.
Today, instead of falling from pride, we’ll fall to our knees and pray, “God, thank you!”
We will use the words with our children, “I’m so thankful God was with you through that assignment,” or “Thank you, God for my child. Thank you for his courage. His heart. And that I get to be his momma.”
Turn Our Hearts and Eyes
We will still feel joy, excitement, and happiness, but we will turn our hearts toward giving credit where credit is due.
While only God can change a heart, we do play a very specific role in how our children’s hearts are shaped. We play an active part in our own salvation and heart changes, too.
Because we know God wants our hearts, we know we have to make ours right and raise up the next generation to understand the driving force behind their life, too.
Thank you, Lord for being with me as I wrote this piece. I pray You are in my reader’s hearts so they can become closer to You through this post. I love you! Amen!
Banana Maple Muffins
Banana Maple Muffins
Banana maple muffins are quick and easy to throw together. My favorite kind of recipe!
Amazing Recipe
Thankfully, about a half hour before our first snack time today, I ran across a recipe on cookieandkate.com.
It looked not only easy, but also like a recipe that I could swing on grocery day when my fridge was looking fairly sparse.
The original post gives other options, but this is the one we used and enjoyed.
They are so sweet yet call for no refined sugar!
They are moist, delicious, and we topped them with strawberry jam (which we are also dangerously low on now that I think about it).
Muffin Recipe
INGREDIENTS
â…“ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup
2 eggs
2 bananas
¼ cup milk of choice (I used raw milk from our local farmer)
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1¾ cups whole wheat flour
â…“ cup old-fashioned oats
DIRECTIONS
1.) Preheat oven to 325.
2.) Mix ingredients in from the first ingredient to the last one (in that order). Nothing fancy, just pour and stir!
3.) The batter is thicker, so I scooped it into greased muffin tins (actually, we used paper cups on the first batch then the dye bled onto our muffins…sigh).
4.) Bake for 22 minutes.
5.) Enjoy!
Tasty Treat
We ate these straight out of the oven, broken up on a plate while the steam poured from the inside.
A little strawberry jam (we use organic strawberry jam from Costco…yum!), blow on your piece for a few seconds, and just like that, you’ve got yourself an easy, healthy snack!
I love recipes where I don’t have to go backwards in the list of items. I really get annoyed as a non-baker, when I have to use two bowls.
See? I mean e-a-s-y. Easy.
I know. It sounds ridiculous, but in my simplistic baking mind, everything should just go in one bowl when little hands are helping to prepare it.
Stir, no mess ups, pour, and go, right?
A Bit of a Difference
You’ll notice a considerable difference between my pictures and the original post. Hers are pretty. Mine had to be taken as quickly as possible before two little squirrels (and one hungry project-doing daddy!) gobbled them down.
I loved how they were like eating a sweet treat between the maple syrup and the banana, but I knew I was giving the boys a good, filling, snack. It held them for two solid hours!
Two hours, people!
I will admit after the second muffin they wanted a third because they were so delicious, but I told them no because that felt like plenty. I’m glad to report it most definitely was!
They had all the energy they needed to wrestle all the way down the hall jumping on each other and to make a fort from every piece of bed clothing and pillow in the house before lunch.
I’d say it was a win.