Self-Care

Heart Shaped Bath Bombs

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Over the years I have mastered a few things—making bath bombs and body butter, and mastering the art of serious self-care.

Like truly mastering it. My self care practices include walking, investing in good coffee, reading uplifting books, and walking a little more, surrounding myself with quality people, eating well, using top notch essential oils, learning to make my own blends and skin care, taking time to crochet, and long luxurious bubble baths.

You gotta have bath bombs when you take a soak in a bubble bath. And there is no way I would spend what they cost in a store when it is so easy and affordable to make them. I always have a batch on hand. A batch of bath bombs cost me literally less than a dollar a batch for ingredients. Since I enjoy making them and they are quick I don’t even factor in my time!

Today I grabbed my heart shaped molds just for the heck of it and they turned out so cute!

Seriously, using a mold like these or a round disc mold is so easy for everyday bombs. If I am making a gift set of bombs I usually make the traditional round ones but they take a bit more time. And I prefer to use my time doing other things so the mold is what works for me.

What You’ll Need

  • 1.5 cups baking soda
  • 1/2 cup citric acid
  • 1/2 cup Epsom salt
  • Food safe coloring (optional)
  • Essential oils (my faves are lavender, mints, and eucalyptus for a bath bomb)
  • Tiny bit of water

Here Is How You Do It

  • Combine the soda, salts and citric acid in a bowl with a whisk.
  • Add in a few drops of coloring and about 20-25 total drops of essential oils.
  • Slowly and gently pour in about 2-3 tablespoons of water and stir.
  • The mixture should feel like slightly wet sand. Not super wet, but enough to where you can make a ball if you squish it in your fist.
  • Pour the mixture in the mold and pat down.
  • Let sit for 24 hours and then store in a cute jar or give them away in cute bags.

You can find my favorite molds in my Amazon shop here. I prefer to use the most pure oils on the market since our skin absorbs everything we put on it. Check out my my favorites here. Of course these essential oils have way more use than just bath bombs—sleep, energy, aches and pains, tension, belly aches, and more. Learn how versatile they are in this free downloadable ebook.

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Self Love

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This time of year can seem like we are stuck in endless amounts of cold, dark winter days that go on and on. Also for some of us the holiday hype leads to a low-energy winter drag that sometimes can last months.

Many of us also dread the month of February because the influx of romantic love seems to be everywhere. I’m all for love but I have learned over the years that without self-love, there will be no room for love-love. It’s just doesn’t happen.

For many years I was a seeker of love outside of myself. In some ways we all are—we want validation and to be seen—that is normal human behavior. My trouble came when in the truth and quiet moments with myself, I really didn’t like who I was, and actually loving myself was not even in the ball park.

Then I woke up.

I realized that my kids needed a healthy mom. They needed someone who demonstrated self love. They required a mom who was no longer angry but instead developed an acceptance for life’s hard things and took them as lessons to grow.

I also became radically aware of self care. For decades I thought self care was selfish and totally for the elite. Wow, right? I came to realize that the only way I was to find pure unconditional love was to begin by loving myself unconditionally. You attract what you are.

Today I actually coach women (and men) on the power of a deliberate self care routine to help become the very best version of yourself. It’s not all about bubble baths, although those those do help tremendously.

I crafted this essential oil blend with the intention that it dives into the areas of our brain and heart that focus on positive self love and self image. There was a lot of thought and trial and error that went into finding the perfect combination to embody self love that is purely unconditional.

Unconditional Blend

Rose: Opens the heart chakra and allows you to feel unconditional love. Creates a sense of well-being and calmness while awakening your ability for self-compassion, nurturing, and love.

Lemon: Opens the heart chakra to self-love and self-nurturing. lightens while uplifting your spirit and bringing clarity into your life.

Neroli: A natural tranquilizer and regulator of the nervous system that opens the heart chakra, uplifts your spirit, and encourages confidence, joy, and peace.

Marjoram: Restores warmth, self-compassion, and self-nurturing when feeling lonely or isolated.

Lavender: Helps you to relax, let go of the stress, and release fear, which fosters connect with the heart center and opens you up to more love.

Jasmine: Uplifting and joyous oil that balances the emotional system, soothes anxiety, and helps with depression and apathy.

Geranium: This emotional healing oil restores confidence and trust in others. It can help to heal a broken heart and open one up to love.

Ylang Ylang: This is a powerful remedy for the heart and releasing trauma from the past. This oil helps to release bottled up emotions that weigh heavy on the heart which allows for a more playful, carefree, emotionally connected and loving experience of life.

Tranquility Blend: Includes Lavender Flower, Cedarwood, Ho Wood Leaf, Ylang Ylang Flower, Marjoram Leaf, Roman Chamomile Flower, Vetiver Root, Vanilla Bean Absolute, Hawaiian Sandalwood. Encourages individuals to first reconnect with themselves and discover peace that lies within, and then to reconnect with the humanity in others. This brings a calm, tranquil, peaceful, relaxed, compassionate and connection person.

Rose quartz: Rose Quartz is the stone of universal love. It restores trust and harmony in relationships, encouraging unconditional love. Rose Quartz purifies and opens the heart at all levels to promote love, self-love, friendship, deep inner healing and feelings of peace. Calming and reassuring, it helps to comfort in times of grief. Rose Quartz dispels negativity

Plus a sprinkling of rose petals makes this blend gorgeous to look at, too.

You can purchase this gorgeous blend here or invest in my self care package and it is included along with bath bombs, soothing foot salve, yoga and meditation.

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DIY Lotion Bars

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Seriously? Lotion in a bar form? YES! These glide over your skin making your body feel (and smell) amazing. Using all natural ingredients you eliminate toxic junk from going into your body. Remember our skin absorbs EVERYTHING you put on it so those store bought bottles lotion contain lots of stuff that can be harmful over time for our bodies.

Making these is quick, easy AND fun. Plus, they make awesome gifts!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup beeswax
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup cocoa butter
  • 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
  • 15 drops of doTERRA essential oil

Recommended essential oils: my favorites are Citrus Bliss, Peppermint, Lavender.

Directions:

  • Measure all ingredients, except for essential oils, in large glass jar.
  • Place jar in saucepan with one to one and a half inches of boiling water.
  • Stir ingredients until combined.
  • Once melted, remove from heat. Let rest three minutes.
  • Add essential oils and stir or swirl jar.
  • Pour mixture into silicone mold.
  • Massage lotion bar on skin for moisture.
  • Wrap in a fun paper and tie with twine for a cute gift.

These are so fun! You can find the molds in my Amazon shop listed below and if you check out this handy ebook you can learn more about essential oils and how you can get the most pure and potent in your home.

Gratitude Diffuser Blend

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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. Gratitude produces dopamine! Dopamine is our brain’s pleasure chemical. The more we think positive, grateful thoughts, the healthier and happier we feel. Amazing, eh?

What if you started saying 5 DIFFERENT things you’re grateful for every single day. Try it! it has changed my life!

Gratitude. Gratitude. Gratitude.

I hope you enjoy this diffuser blend today and I invite each of you to pause for a moment, and recognize all that is GOOD!

Gratitude Essential Oil Blend

• Siberian fir; breaking negative emotional and spiritual patterns

• Frankincense; raise awareness, shine your bright light

• Grapefruit; appreciate who you are

• Wild Orange; abundance and bright future, gladness to the heart

• Geranium; heart opening, realize security in what you do have

• Clove; instills power, sense of protection, integrity

Amber chips—A fossilized tree resin, amber radiates laughter, vitality, and courage. This stone holds the protective energy of our beloved trees, the guardians of Earth. Radiating the golden ray, amber shines light on new paths as obstacles become the stepping stones of growth. Amplifying one’s life force and physical drive to fulfill one’s destiny of simply being human. Amber is a powerful healer and cleanser of the body, mind and spirit. It also cleanses the environment. Amber draws disease from the body, healing and renewing the nervous system and balancing the right and left parts of the brain. It absorbs pain and negative energy, helping to alleviate stress. Amber clears depression, stimulates the intellect and promotes self-confidence and creative self-expression. It encourages decision-making, spontaneity and brings wisdom, balance and patience.

This blend is also available to purchase!

Circadian Rhythm

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Have you ever heard of the circadian rhythm?

The circadian rhythm, also known as your internal body clock, is responsible for making you feel alert and sleepy throughout the day. Ideally, you should feel most alert early in the morning and sleepy as it becomes darker and later in the day.

The circadian rhythm is the reason why teenagers find it difficult to go to bed and wake up early, because their melatonin is released later than adults and children, so they’re awake later. Jet lag and shift work also interfere with the natural body clock as well as long and irregular hours.

Get ready to hack your circadian rhythm for sleep:

•Go to bed and get up at the same time every day and diffuse trees and flowers
• When you wake up, take a morning walk and get some sunlight on your face
• Try a sunlight alarm clock that wakes you up with light
• Pop citrus and mint oils in your diffuser to start waking up your senses

Price Per Drop

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The number one reason people give for not using essential oils is because they are expensive. Here is the deal—a drop is a considered a “dose”. A typical bottle has 250 drops (doses).

Lavender—9 cents to sleep well for over half a year….plus amazing skin benefits for burns or cuts. Oh, and anxious feelings—a drop.

Melaleuca—8 cents a drop will give you amazing skin cleansing, germ removal and if you put a few more drops into a spray bottle with water you just made an awesome household cleaner.

Peppermint—9 cents a drop and you can ditch the Tylenol for your headaches and fevers. One drop equals 28 cups of peppermint tea. You’ll be getting digestive support for a long time with this one.

Lemon—4 cents. Yep, 4 cents to detox your body, clean you house, brighten your mood and just basically feel amazing.

Breathe—8 cents a drop to breathe easier going into the winter season. Congestion and coughs will be much easier for 8 cents a drop. You know that Vick’s stuff is full of yucky chemicals right?

Drop=dose. It literally costs you pennies.The initial investment is so worth it.

This is my absolute favorite starter kit. There are others to choose from though!!

Plus until the end of the month, I am tossing in a bonus oil, plus my usual amazing welcome package! Yay! Let’s do this!

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True Measurement

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Over the course of the last eighteen years I have gone from being roughly 100 pounds heavier and oblivious of my health to obsessing on every calorie and every step.

And I mean every calorie and every step.

Both extremes were missing a huge and important aspect of health—joy and contentment.

When I was heavy I was so toxic in my mind, body and sprit that I spent my day just surviving. In that season of my life I was a really young mom, one kiddo with a significant and challenging disability, a marriage that was empty and I was consumed with giving to my family, not myself. I had no concept of balance.

When I was exercise and food obsessed I was equally toxic. I would log every crumb that passed my lips and I walked around my living room late at night countless times to reach my step goal. I overdid my body to the point of big time injuries and I completely lost joy in eating delicious foods and the nature around me while exercising.

Again, no joy, no contentment and no balance.

Now, I am free. I measure my happiness not by the size of my pants or the number on the scale. And I am working hard to not measure it by the steps on my watch—this is still a struggle for me.

I am working to measure it with the internal state of bliss I feel most days and by the purpose that I have discovered and the light that I share.

That is contentment and wellness of the mind, body and spirit.

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Full Moon

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The full moon is traditionally known as the time of letting go…of releasing what is no longer serving your highest good.

It’s a good time to ask yourself where do you feel constricted? Where do you feel bound? Where do you feel obligated? Where do you long for freedom?

With freedom comes joy. And joy is the ultimate goal, right?!

Sit quietly today… ask where you need to release responsibility that you’ve been carrying that really isn’t yours to carry. This could mean stepping out of drama between friends or co-workers. This could mean letting go of volunteer positions or projects you said yes to out of obligation.

Another question to ask is where is an area can I take better responsibility in order to receive the freedom I desire? This could mean de-cluttering your home or making freezer meals to free up mental and emotional space to play and be spontaneous with your family. Or this could mean really getting focused on the income producing activities in your business so that you can enjoy the travel you crave.

Remember… “Whatever is on your plate got there because you said yes to it.” Danielle LaPorte (Desire Map)

This blend is packed with clarity and releasing emotions.

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Chakra Balancing Blend

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I am hosting a special event next week for a great organization—the Ronald McDonald House here is Southern Colorado. This is an amazing place for families whose children are in the hospital to come and have respite from the hospital setting to sleep/rest, take a hot shower, enjoyfresh baked cookies, and be loved on.

The people who work at this special place are coming to me for an evening of self care and I am so excited to share this special blend I crafted for them.

Check out this special blend I crafted for them:

Vetiver to stabilize our sense of safety and security in an often harsh world.

Wild Orange to remind us of abundance and our creative playful side.

Ginger to help us to feel empowered ans strong as have to sometimes stomach hard realities.

Rose to nurture the ever loving heart.

Peppermint to open up communication and help us speak clearly and effectively.

Lavender to assist in soothing and calming our active mind so that we can learn to foster our inner knowing.

Frankincense to hold our highest Truth as our guide.

I made the blend using three drops of each essential oil and topped it off with fractionated coconut oil in a 10ml bottle. When used along the spine and on pulse points this blend will bring balance to all those important energy centers.

Amazing, yes?

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Which Essential Oil?

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Not sure which plant essential oil you need? Keep this handy chart tagged until you are familiar with which category does what. I tell people when they are learning to use essential oils is similar to learning to cook–in the beginning we need cookbooks and recipes but in time we become more confident and intuitively begin to know what we are doing. Essential oils are much the same. The more you use, the more you begin to know. Trusting yourself and listening to your body helps, too.

•when you have anything skin related, the FLORALS will help soothe and calm your skin’s irritants (burns, insect bites, cuts). FLORALS are also great for calming emotions and helping to reduce feelings of stress in the body and mind.

•when our bodies start to take on symptoms of an illness reach for your HERBS to help knock out the germs (thyme, oregano, basil, marjoram, etc). These powerhouses work so well at helping the body return to health. Many herbs produce soothing and renewing feelings.

• the constitutes in TREES helps to relieve uncomfortable aches in the muscles and joints (cypress, Siberian Fir, Douglas Fir, birch). Emotionally TREES are grounding and balancing.

•when you find yourself feeling low, just reach high up on the tree for a CITRUS and feel the immediate lift both energetically and emotionally. CITRUS = happiness, plus CITRUS oils are detoxifying and cleansing for the body.

Check out this handy guide to learn more about the basics of essential oil use.

Dedication and Release

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Last fall I started to increase my daily steps from an average of 18,000 (ish) a day to above 20,000. By mid spring and early summer I was hitting more like 25,000 steps a DAY walking. Many days l topped 30,00 steps and sometimes that was multiple days in a row.

I sustained that number for nearly 10 months and I am realizing a couple things by walking that many steps per day.

1) it takes on average 2.5 hours a day of deliberate walking to sustain that amount. I love walking probably more than anyone but giving up over two hours a day of my work and family life to reach that goal has been a lot.

2) I feel the same whether I walk 15,000 steps or 23,000. My body literally feels the same. Is more always better?

3) I let several balls drop these last 10 months. Some of them needed to be dropped but others have felt the impact of me not having that extra hour to give. I try to work while I walk—listen to podcasts, plan lessons, write blogs posts but the truth is while I am excellent at multitasking, is multitasking excellent for me?

4) Other areas of my life have been left dry because of my lack of attention to them while I have focused on steps. Meal prep, social connection, down time to name a few. It’s basically really hard to work full time, commute hours at a time and still find 2-4 hours a day to walk two to four hours a day that and strength train multiple times a week.

I was planning to finish this year with the same tenacity but my heart is saying to let it go. My body has trimmed up and toned up. I am leaner than I have ever been in my adult life. But, it’s time to celebrate ten months of incredible dedication and now, stop. Breathe. Let it go. Release the grip. Walk when I want to walk. Unroll a yoga mat instead. Read a book. Sit.

I am so proud of my body. So proud of all she has overcome. I will never take for granted a mile or a even a step again.

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Life Span vs Health Span

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Gosh did I ever learn a lot about these five pillars this week.

Did you know that while our life span is greater, our HEALTH span is lower. This means that most Americans live on average the last EIGHT years of the their life struggling with disease.

What!?!

Who cares about living longer if your quality of living is suffering? I learned recently that while our life span is increasing, our HEALTH span is decreasing which means in average Americans are spending the last 8 years suffering with disease. What??

So what if we are living longer if we aren’t living better? I know for me I want better stress response, better sleep, more energy, better recovery after workouts and overall vitality.

I am so excited to start targeting my own health span with proper supplementation and increasing my nutrition profile. (I tend to not eat much and probably am not fueling my body optimally, especially given how much I work out).

I can’t wait to step up my game and watch the results. The science and research that is supporting this pillar of health model is astounding.

My daughter has struggled with her weight and her body’s response to carbs since she was 10 years old. She comes from a family of similar medical history and her dad died at an early age due to health complications.

Lindsey has been able to drop her some of the numbers that doctors look at when managing a healthy metabolic function, but only slightly and has been on medication for MANY years now to help her.

Some of the side effects of her medication have NOT been good. And controlling her diet has been hard, too. She is a lover of all things carbs. Since she also has an intellectual/cognitive disability making good choices food wise takes a lot of support from me.

I am so excited Sri try something new that I read about recently regarding Berberine… one of the amazing ingredients in the new doTEERA MetaPWR Assist.

To say I am excited and hopeful, is an understatement!!!

The new product is a natural option to the medication she has been on for years.

Here a little info:

I want to show some insight and excitement for MetaPWR assist.

•We’ve been discussing a lot about NMN, NAD+ and collagen in MetaPWR advantage, but I’d like to bring your attention to Berberine in MetaPWR assist (not just a carb blocker)

• One of the ingredients in MetaPWR assist is Berberine.


• In terms of longevity, Berberine is a valid alternative to some metabolic supporting medications*


Berberine binds to complex one and reduces energy in the body and make the body more sensitive to insulin and lower blood glucose.
The doses in the human clinical studies are 1-2 g per day (1,000mg – 2,000mg per day)
Berberine
-Activates AMPK
-Increases Mitochondrial Energy

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult with your physician.

  • improve insulin sensitivity and lowering blood glucose. Berberine also significantly increased lifespan in mice

Note: MetaPWR Assist more than berberine, it contains the newly formulated MetaPWR EO blend, Mulberry extract (5% DNJ), and Cinnamon.

I am SO excited for her. I can’t wait to also jump into this program because although I am thin and my sugars are fine, I struggle with sleep, energy and eating to fuel my body—which this will also help!

When we focus on these five pillars of health our HEALTH span increases. Who is ready to find the proper supplementation to manage their metabolic health? This system is the is truly three simple steps plus healthy habits.

Regardless if you’re on the heavy side or thin like me, everyone can benefits from this! I have a special education and mentoring group I can plug you into if you’re interested! Just contact me! You’ll want to stay connected as more info will soon be coming!

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