Self care is often the lowest priority for parents. School is back in session for most and that means many parents will have a little more time to think about themselves. As a parent it is hard to put ourselves first but now is a great time to do that.
For many, many, MANY years I neglected my own well being thinking that I was being a great mom by giving every ounce to my kids. Wrong.
Before long I was overweight, angry and exhausted.
It was time to learn self care
Long ago, when someone mentioned to me the idea of practicing self-care, I had no idea what that could be and I had an immediate reaction that is was selfish. Boy, have I ever come a long way.
Not sure what self-care looks like for you?
For each of us it can mean so many things. There is no one-size fits all when it comes to self care.
The good news is, if you are not sure what self-care can be, I can help!
A self-paced virtual self care series
I have an amazing virtual self-care package that includes a variety of tools to help YOU take care of YOU. And the best part? It is self paced and can be done on YOUR time, in YOUR space, but with my loving support.
Check this out! I’d love to walk alongside with you on finding YOU again.
I am so excited about my theme of this month–ABUNDANCE. When we choose to look at all that IS, all that is so good, so full, so bountiful, we actually set ourselves up for even more goodness.
This blend is crafted with the idea of FULLNESS and it doesn’t disappoint.
Abundance is a manifesting blend that helps you attract wealth and health in your life.
Eight essential oils are combined to create an aroma that enhances the frequency of the energy field. When you are stimulated through aroma in your thought process, the frequency—called the electrical field or the aura—creates what is called the law of attraction. To simplify, smell Abundance essential oil blend and think about abundance. This may bring about abundance both physically and emotionally. I love this blend to bring joy, positivity, attraction, energy, good feelings, wealth, and wellness.
Abundance is a blend of great oils; wild orange, clove, cinnamon bark, frankincense, ginger, black spruce, patchouli, myrrh essential oils. Also added is Tigers Eye for making dreams a reality and Peony Flower for prosperity and good fortune .
Planting flowers and vegetables can reap bountiful bouquets and delicious harvests for your dining table. But did you know gardening also can do wonders for your well-being?
Beginning my day with an easy stroll through my gardens helps me start my day from a place of quiet groundedness. You might even hear me whisper good wishes to the plants that they have a beautiful day of growth. The first place I go when I am done with work is back to the garden. Being there helps with me unwind after a long day and provides me with a different kind of being productive, but also much needed quiet time.
I have found that not only does spending time with my plants help my stress it also has an array of other benefits.
Check this out:
Gardening can build self-esteem.
Maybe you don’t think you were born with a green thumb, but after tilling, planting, nurturing and harvesting plants, you might see a slightly different person in the mirror: a person who can grow things and is a little more in tune with the earth.
It always feels good to accomplish new tasks, and if you can grow a garden, what can’t you do
Gardening is good for your heart.
All that digging, planting and weeding burns calories and strengthens your heart.
“There are physical benefits from doing the manual labor of gardening,” says UNC Health internal medicine physician Robert Hutchins, MD, MPH. “It’s hard work to garden, and it provides some cardiovascular benefit.”
Gardening reduces stress.
Gardening can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
“Gardening gives you a chance to focus on something and put your mind to work with a goal and a task in mind,” Dr. Hutchins says, “which is helpful especially now with so much illness and death and talk of death, just to see things growing and things thriving.”
Gardening can make you happy.
Getting dirt under your nails while digging in the ground can make you pretty happy. In fact, inhaling M. vaccae, a healthy bacteria that lives in soil, can increase levels of serotonin and reduce anxiety.
Gardening can improve your hand strength.
All that digging, planting and pulling does more than produce plants. Gardening also will increase your hand strength. What a great way to keep your hands and fingers as strong as possible for as long as possible.
Gardening is good for the whole family.
Gardening can be a solo activity or an opportunity for bonding with your family and friends. The happiness and stress relief that gardening provides is a great thing to share with loved ones. Also, gardening has special benefits for kids. Early exposure to dirt has been linked to numerous health benefits, from reducing allergies to autoimmune diseases. Plus, when they pull a carrot from the ground for the first time you will see pure happiness and awe.
Gardening can give you a boost of vitamin D.
A healthy dose of vitamin D increases your calcium levels, which benefits your bones and immune system. Exposure to sunlight helped older adults achieve adequate amounts of vitamin D. Just don’t forget your sunscreen.
Growing your own food can help you eat healthier.
If you have a vegetable or herb or fruit garden, you’re getting fresh produce that you know hasn’t been treated with pesticides.
“It’s essentially as farm-to-table as it gets,” Dr. Hutchins says, “if you’re eating what you’re growing.”
Are you ready to start planning next seasons garden?
Gratitude is the #1 way to shift out of low frequency emotions like fear, grief, shame and lack… and into high frequency emotions like joy, peace, trust and love.
What if you started saying 5 DIFFERENT things you’re grateful for every single day.
Try it! it has changed my life!
Gratitude is the best way to shift your mood! I hope you enjoy this diffuser blend today and I invite each of you to pause for a moment, and think of something that YOU are grateful for today.
This blend includes pure essential oils and amber chips perfectly crafted. Grab one!
For kids, cut the amount of essential oils in half!
If you’re curious about how easy it is to add essential oils into your life, check out this gorgeous ebook. I also have a great community of learning and mentoring.
My veggie garden is taking a slow start this year despite plenty of sun and rain. While the bounty is slow to start, the weeds are in full bloom around my garden. I have little clover type weeds and random grasses popping up.
Since I plan to eat my crops I definitely don’t want to use a chemical weed killer. In fact, I don’t know about you, but where I live I am seeing less and less bees and hummingbirds this year. The mighty pollinators are disappearing and it’s a little scary. The chemicals I see my neighbors using plays a huge role in the cycle of pollinators and our natural environment doing what it is supposed to do.
I am opting to use this super cheap, super effective, and super safe for ALL beings (including animals and insects).
It’s so easy. I ran to the dollar store and grabbed a spray bottle, some epsom salt, white vinegar and dish soap. I have plenty of oils on hand but you could also skip adding them. Although, the clove is an added punch for the harder to kill weeds.
Check out this handy essential oil guide to see how easy they are to add to all areas of your life.
Losing a battle or losing everything we possessed will bring us moments of sadness. But when those moments pass, we will discover the hidden strength that exists in each of us, a strength that will surprise us and increase our self-respect. —Paulo Coelho
Determination is defined as the ability to continue trying to do something.
Do you have what it takes to push through even the hardest and most unlikely circumstances to succeed? Do you have the will to make things happen despite being faced with struggle? Do you give up because it is challenging?
What if the things that you think limit you could instead inspire you?
It took allowing myself to feel like I lost it all to find my inner determination and strength. And just like this little sunflower, I found my way through the tiniest cracks of hope.
There is nothing better than fresh sheets on the bed. Did you know that fabric softener sheets is one of the most toxic things in your home??
Switching to a natural fabric softener is easy and so much more cost effective. Your clothes and bed sheets will smell amazing and be less staticky and no toxins!
Recipe for natural fabric softener:
1 tsp Witch Hazel or Vodka
Water
30 drops Lavender (or essential oil of choice)
Directions:
Add witch hazel, water, and essential oil into a 2 oz spray bottle and spray linens! You can also use wool dryer balls and either spray the balls, or add essential oils straight from the bottles onto the dryer balls! This helps reduce static clean AND makes your sheets (or clothes) smell amazing and no awful toxins!
Bonus: the lavender will help you relax and drift off to dreamland.
Curious how essential oils can work into your world? Check this gorgeous ebook out. Plus, I offer some amazing mentoring and education along the way.
Many of you know I have a daughter with a disability. To be specific it is a rare chromosome anomaly with feature of autism and cognitive delay. She is a delight in many ways, but the truth is, many of the “typical” interactions of having a daughter were lost. Out life consisted of therapists, learning to talk and cope and much more.
Having a granddaughter has brought such a joy to my heart through the simple things like painting nails.
While my girl means so much to me, the truth is there is a loss. The honesty in saying that is real. And in that honesty, there is redemption. Her same is Sawyer.
Did you know that liquid dish soap is another one with a high score on the Think Dirty app. We all use it though, so it might be nice to just make our own!
Fill a large, clean bottle with castile soap and essential oils To use, shake and add 1-2 tbsp to dishwater or a small amount to a natural sponge
So simple, yet again, MASSIVE impact!
Once you start to swap out these super expensive grocery store products with an easy DIY one, you will be shocked at why it took you so long to jump on board!
Not a DIY-er??? Whip out that On Guard concentrate cleaner! It has instructions right on the bottle for how to use it as dish soap!???
Ready to learn more about essential oils? This gorgeous ebook will give you the basics!
Unfortunately, commercial dish detergent is loaded with awful chemicals that coat everything you eat off of. So here is an alternative that you can make right at home and have comfort knowing you aren’t washing your dishes in harmful chemicals!
Recipe for DIY dishwasher tabs:
1 cup baking soda ¼ cup citric acid 1 tbsp On Guard Cleaner Concentrate 5 drops Grapefruit essential oil (or any citrus)
Directions:
Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix together until the mixture is an even consistency.
Place in silicone molds and let sit for 4 hours.
Remove tabs and store them in an airtight container. Use in place of store-bought tablets!
This is a MAJOR impact DIY and a MAJOR money saver!
Are these types of non-toxic swaps important to you? Would you like to know more about the basic uses of essential oils? Check out this gorgeous ebook!
