DIY Deodorant

I bought the ingredients (really just the arrowroot powder) about 8 months ago to make this and just procrastinated about doing it for fear that it would just be a disaster.  But, I work from home, so I figured the only one who would have to suffer if this didn’t work would be my husband, who also works from home.  So, off we go.  Into a world with a non-toxic and aluminum free deodorant that works.  It actually does an amazing job and smells divine.  Plus, it is easy to apply and your body will thank you for this lovely chemical free option.

Ingredients:
1/4c arrowroot powder
1/4c baking soda
5 TBS coconut oil (I used liquid, but I am sure that the solid version would work as well)
5 drops of any lovely essential oil combination you can dream up.  I used lavender and lime for this one because, SPRING.  Lemon and lavender, tea tree and lavender, and if you feel like being awesome and your husband is on board, whip up one made from cedarwood and lemon for the man in your life.

Directions:
Combine it all in a bowl and stir.  Add to glass storage container and apply.  That is all!

*A note about oils.  Buying quality oils MATTERS people.  If you are going the non-toxic, chemical-free route, make sure that you are using oils that are of the best purity.  We use Young Living and wouldn’t do any other brand because they have a wonderful Seed To Seal promise.  Read more about it here:  http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/discover/seed-to-seal

Additionally, I send over a fabulous ehandbook from The Happy Oils to help you on your journey and have a huge support team available to assist you in your journey and answer questions!

If you want to order your VERY own amazing kit that includes 11 of their most well-loved and most frequently used oils and a diffuser, here is how to do it:

1. Click over to the sign-up page: https://www.youngliving.com/signup/?site=US&sponsorid=1842761&enrollerid=1842761

2. Select “Sign Up As: Young Living Wholesale Member” (this secures you the 24% off discount on all future orders)

3. The “Enroller ID” and “Sponsor ID” boxes should already be filled in for you. If they aren’t, fill in 1842761 in both spots.

4. Fill out your name, billing address, shipping address, and contact info. (The reason you are asked for your SSN is for tax purposes; if you make over $600/year selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail, as is required by law. Young Living never shares this info with anyone, and you’re not obligated to sell anything if you do not want to. I promise I wouldn’t lead you astray here!)

5. Create your password and pin which you will use to log in to your account and order your oils.

6. Select your enrollment order. This is where you can specify which starter kit you would like. I recommend the Premium Kit with the Aroma Diffuser.

7. It will ask if you want to sign up for the Essential Rewards program. I recommend saying no to this for now.

8. Agree to Terms & Conditions

9. CONFIRM YOUR ORDER. Some folks miss this step and end up not fully checking out. To confirm, the tool will log you in and it will show you your order again and it will make you enter in your payment information again.

10. Wait for the mailman to arrive! This step is will be agonizing.

Oh, and
11. Please friend me on Facebook so that I can add you to some fun oily Facebook groups! : )

Lavender Ginger Detox Bath

I love a good detox bath.  On days when the kids are all at their various schools and I allow myself some downtime, my first order of business is a nice detox bath.  I try to do this once a week, but no more than three times a week.  I use a few ingredients that are known for their ability to pull out toxins, heat the body, and enable me to relax.
I also incorporate dry brushing into the routine to help stimulate the lymphatic system.  Dry brushing is so beneficial and I try to do it as often as I remember.  I use this dry brush and adore it.

I also make an Epsom salt blend to make it easier and allow the essential oils to disburse evenly in the water.  I prefer lavender essential oil to promote relaxation since I struggle with this so often.

Epsom Salt Blend:
1 cup of Epsom salts
A pinch of lavender flowers
5 drops of lavender essential oil (I buy mine from Young Living and will include instructions on how to buy them if you want to love your oils as much as I do)
Combine and store in a glass jar.  You can make as much of this as you want just so you have it on hand.

I also add pure ginger tea bags to the bath to help heat the body, which also assists in flushing toxins.  I love these, but you can also use fresh ginger if you have some on hand.

Here is my detox bath routine:

1.  Fill up the bathtub as HOT as you can stand it.  You want to sweat.  While the bathtub is filling, I do the dry brush thing.

2.  Add baking soda, your Epsom salt blend, and the ginger tea bag or fresh ginger to the bath and swirl to mix it all in there.

3.  Get into the bath.  Make sure you have a big bottle of water and drink that while you are bathing and after to flush toxins.  Sit there for 20 minutes.   I have a playlist on my phone that acts as my timer.

4.  Get out and dry off.  Some people get dizzy when they get out, so just be careful and move slowly.

5.  I cozy up in my robe afterwards and then lay in my bed under the blankets for another 20 minutes.  I also make sure to drink a ton of water while I am doing this.

6.  Try not to eat a ton prior to or after the bath.

Boom.  Detox bath done and your body is happier for it!

How to purchase Young Living Oils:

1. Click over to the sign-up page: https://www.youngliving.com/signup/?site=US&sponsorid=1842761&enrollerid=1842761

2. Select “Sign Up As: Young Living Wholesale Member” (this secures you the 24% off discount on all future orders)

3. The “Enroller ID” and “Sponsor ID” boxes should already be filled in for you. If they aren’t, fill in 1842761 in both spots.

4. Fill out your name, billing address, shipping address, and contact info. (The reason you are asked for your SSN is for tax purposes; if you make over $600/year selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail, as is required by law. Young Living never shares this info with anyone, and you’re not obligated to sell anything if you do not want to. I promise I wouldn’t lead you astray here!)

5. Create your password and pin which you will use to log in to your account and order your oils.

6. Select your enrollment order. This is where you can specify which starter kit you would like. I recommend the Premium Kit with the Aroma Diffuser.

7. It will ask if you want to sign up for the Essential Rewards program. I recommend saying no to this for now.

8. Agree to Terms & Conditions

9. CONFIRM YOUR ORDER. Some folks miss this step and end up not fully checking out. To confirm, the tool will log you in and it will show you your order again and it will make you enter in your payment information again.

10. Wait for the mailman to arrive! This step is will be agonizing.

Essential Oils and Arbonne | A Match in Natural Living Heaven!

Yesterday I hosted an essential oils event and was so blessed to have Lindsey with Arbonne as a presenter.  We had a wonderful time and I learned so much from her!  Arbonne’s products are all natural and she talked with us primarily about clean and healthy eating.  Everything Arbonne stands for totally works for our lifestyle – I cannot wait to get my products in and get started!  Plus, she shared some delicious samples with us – most impressive were these glorious protein bars.  YUM.  SO much yum!  I have always wanted to try Arbonne and have heard so many amazing things about their products, so I was super excited to learn and purchase some great items!

1. 
   Lindsey was kind enough to share her recipe with us for these crazy good treats!

   2 cups organic peanut butter or almond butter
   1 3/4 cups raw honey or brown rice syrup
   2 1/4 cups Arbonne protein powder (9 scoops)
   3 cups rolled oats

   – Mix nut butter and honey/brown rice syrup in microwaveable bowl
   – Heat for 90 seconds – Mix well
   – Add protein powder and mix well
   – Add oatmeal and mix gently
   – Spread in 9 x 13″ pan (wet your fingers first)
   – Refrigerate for 1 hour and cut into 48 squares
   – For firm bars, store in fridge
   – For gooey bars, store room temp

   To order some amazing nontoxic and healthy items – Arbonne carries so many wonderful products – including delicious protein powders, cleanses, skin care, sunscreen, and baby products, you can reach out to Lindsey and she will get you started:

   http://www.arbonne.com/pws/lindseygolembeski/tabs/home.aspx

   I also discussed some uses of Young Living essential oils and talked about safety and my favorite oils outside of the starter kit.  I tried really hard to narrow them all down, but I couldn’t so I ended up selecting 12.  Sorrynotsorry. We had a great time with lots of snacks and wine and super fun ladies.

   My top 12 oils outside of the starter kit are:
   Vetiver
   RC
   Roman Chamomile
   Peace and Calming
   Gentle Babies
   Valor
   Digize
   Grapefruit
   Orange
   Cedarwood
   Release

   Here are some pictures of the event!

   
    

   1. Click over to the sign-up page: https://www.youngliving.com/signup/?site=US&sponsorid=1842761&enrollerid=1842761

   2. Select “Sign Up As: Young Living Wholesale Member” (this secures you the 24% off discount on all future orders)

   3. The “Enroller ID” and “Sponsor ID” boxes should already be filled in for you. If they aren’t, fill in 1842761 in both spots.

   4. Fill out your name, billing address, shipping address, and contact info. (The reason you are asked for your SSN is for tax purposes; if you make over $600/year selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail, as is required by law. Young Living never shares this info with anyone, and you’re not obligated to sell anything if you do not want to. I promise I wouldn’t lead you astray here!)

   5. Create your password and pin which you will use to log in to your account and order your oils.

   6. Select your enrollment order. This is where you can specify which starter kit you would like. I recommend the Premium Kit with the Aroma Diffuser.

   7. It will ask if you want to sign up for the Essential Rewards program. I recommend saying no to this for now.

   8. Agree to Terms & Conditions

   9. CONFIRM YOUR ORDER. Some folks miss this step and end up not fully checking out. To confirm, the tool will log you in and it will show you your order again and it will make you enter in your payment information again.

   10. Wait for the mailman to arrive! This step is will be agonizing.

   Oh, and

   11. Please friend me on Facebook so that I can add you to some fun oily Facebook groups! : )

My Whole30

A Guest Post from Erin

My journey to healthy started about a year after my son was born. When I was nursing that first year I was so hungry that anything in the refrigerator or pantry became fair game. The food I was eating (if you can call it food) was completely processed and full of all kinds of ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce. After about a year I weighed more than I did when I was 9 months pregnant (I only gained 16lbs throughout my pregnancy) and I knew that I had to do something quick. My first thought was to go back to “old Faithful” and start going to the weekly weigh-ins at Weight Watchers. After a few months of frustration and no weight loss, I gave up. Then a friend of mine introduced me to a nutritional cleansing/rebalancing program that consisted of Shakes, bars, and cleanses. While the idea was great and I lost weight really fast, I quickly realized that this was not a weight loss that would be sustained after I stopped drinking two meals a day and although they claimed to be “clean” there were ingredients that concerned me.

My sister-in-law had started a clean eating/Paleo program and had not only lost weight but was also sleeping better, had no bloating, more energy, no joint pain, and was overall just a lot more healthy and happy. After watching her eat this way for her 30 days I decided that this would be my next weight loss adventure. I am the kind of person who never does anything half way so that afternoon I went to Barnes and Noble and bought “It Starts with Food”, “Well Fed” 1 & 2, and a few other Paleo cookbooks. My next stop was Sprouts to buy the staples that were listed as pantry “must haves” in order to succeed with my Whole30. This meal plan eliminates sugar, grains, dairy, legumes, and gluten from your diet for 30 days. It is amazing to me how many foods that I ate on a daily basis that have a lot of sugar in them (even meat). Once you get over the sugar hangover and drinking your coffee black this meal plan is truly easy to follow. You get to eat real food and you can find something that meets the requirements at almost any restaurant so you social life does not have to suffer.

My goal in starting this was to eat clean until I got to my goal weight and then start adding items back in to my diet. I realized that this new way of eating was not a diet; it was my new way of life. I didn’t need or crave all of the sugar and cheese and candy. I also realized that if I wanted to indulge and have desert or wine on a special occasion then that was ok too. I have finally found a lifestyle that allows me to meet my weight loss goals and sustain them without feeling like I am missing out on all of the fun ☺

Once I had overhauled my pantry it was time to overhaul the other products that I use in my home. This and my sons sleeping issues are what led me to Young Living essential oils. I am so excited to continue on my journey to a cleaner and healthier lifestyle.

Erin is a independent distributor for Young Living.  To purchase your starter kit, you can sign up here!!!

Spring Cleaning | Kitchen

I have a love/hate relationship with cleaning.  I hate the idea of doing it and procrastinate until there is no other option left.  Usually it is when I am all caught up on my Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest feeds and there are a million things on the counter.  And when the kids are home it is nearly impossible and redundant.  I realized that in the past, part of it had to do with all of the chemicals in the products.  I HATED washing my floors and seeing my babies walk or crawl over them and then eat the random food items off of the floors.  Sometimes, I would have preferred my floors stay dirty versus washing them with chemical laden products.

There had to be a better way.  So I researched and found out there are all kinds of different natural products that work just as well, if not better, and gave me peace of mind about my kiddos touching them.  All of them are chemical free, which means that they can actually HELP me clean.  Not that that ever happens, but a girl can dream.  And, I sometimes look forward to cleaning because then I get to use my products and when they work as well as these do, I feel like a magical cleaning fairy.

Supplies:
Baking soda
Vinegar
Olive Oil
Liquid Castille Soap
16oz glass bottles
Essential Oils

Here we go.  A nice full list of recipes that will enable you to clean your entire kitchen top to bottom and not fill it with toxic chemicals and will make everything sparkle, if only for 5 minutes until your kids spill random stuff on your floor or open your refrigerator or pour themselves a bowl of cereal.  But, for those 5 minutes, you will be at peace.  Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy it.

All Purpose Cleaner
I make this one using either citrus essential oils or thieves essential oil, depending on my mood and the level of cleanliness my kitchen has achieved.  If super crazy dirty because the kids have been home for more than three consecutive days and all that I have managed is to make sure everyone survived, I bust out the thieves.  If I have somehow turned into supermom and was able to clean on a daily basis, I use my citrus.  I have blogged about this cleaner in the past, but I thought I would give the info out again because I like when things are all in one place.  This will clean pretty much everything.  Countertops, floors, appliances, tile, glass.  I haven’t met a surface that I haven’t been able to successfully clean with this.

Ingredients:
16oz Glass spray bottle (like this)
White Vinegar
Water
10 drops each of your chosen oils (I love orange, grapefruit, and lemon together or thieves and lemon)

Directions:
Fill bottle 2/3 of the way with water.
Top off with vinegar.
Add 10 drops each of your oils.
Shake and spray.

Cooktop Cleaner
I need to discuss this because I have anger issues with my stove manufacturer.  When we got our lovely sparkly new stove, the only instructions on how to clean it told us to use this chemical laden cooktop cleaner.  And included a TINY sample of it.  And that stuff did NOT work well.  So we tried other “cooktop cleaners” and none of them worked well.  This one.  This homemade one.  Works so well.  And I am so angry because, hey oven manufacturer – in the cleaning instructions, just say use baking soda and vinegar. Stop pushing your toxic chemical crappy product on us.  Ugh.  Anyway, this homemade version – it rocks.

Ingredients:
Baking soda
White vinegar
Glass spray bottle
Grapefruit (or any citrus) essential oil

Directions:
In the glass spray bottle, combine about 1/2c of vinegar and 5 drops of grapefruit essential oil.
Take baking soda and sprinkle it all over the cooktop.
Spray that down with your vinegar mixture and watch it bubble up, because science is fun.
Wait 20 minutes.  You can check your Facebook if you want and catch up on all the stuff you missed by being productive.
Take paper towels and start to wipe it up.  Concentrate on scrubbing the crusty parts.  If you need to, add more spray and really scrub.  This may take some elbow grease.  Think of it as exercise.
Wipe up and as it dries you should see a film covering the cooktop, which is good.  Wipe that off.
If film still remains, spray down with your all purpose spray and watch it sparkle.

*I store my baking soda for this in a shaker jar and have a separate glass spray bottle with the vinegar mixture ready to go


Stainless Steel Cleaner
I posted a picture of this on my Instagram and so many were amazed (@lauraelysephotography is my name if you feel like seeing natural living, my photography, and my kids – I just combo everything, filter out the stuff you don’t want to see).  This is crazy easy.  And it sounds crazy.  But oil dissolves oil, so trust me on this.  I promise it is awesome.
Ingredients:
All purpose spray
Microfiber cloth
Olive oil

Directions:
Spray the surfaces down and wipe off crusty parts.
Take olive oil and pour a bit on the cloth.
Wipe with the grain of the stainless steel.
Buff off if you have time or if it looks oily.
Stand back and call your spouse over to admire the awesomeness that is your appliances.

Sink cleaner
So easy.  You just need water and baking soda.  I am not even going to give you an ingredients list for this one.  Take water and spray your sink down.  Take baking soda and sprinkle it all over the water.  Grab some paper towels and scrub away.  Rinse.  I always dry it off afterwards because it feels satisfying.

Garbage Disposal Cleaner
Another two ingredients one.  Grab some ice and put in the your disposal and then add 2 drops of grapefruit essential oil.  Alternatively, you can also add some citrus peels. Grind everything up.  Enjoy the happy fragrance.

Floor Cleaner
Ok, so you can do this a few ways.  I recently purchased some thieves concentrate cleaner and adore it to pieces.  But if you don’t have that, it is ok.  You can still have the most amazing clean floor without chemicals.

Ingredients:
1 gallon of hot water
3/4 cup vinegar
1 tbs castille soap
15 drops total of essential oils (so if you are using lemon and orange, do 7 drops lemon and 8 drops orange)

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a bucket and mop.  So simple.  Maybe mix them a bit prior to use….yeah, definitely stir them up.

Alternatively, you can use thieves cleaner, which can be purchased from Young Living and that is amazing.  Thieves for all of the cleaning is amazing.

I haven’t yet attempted dish soap or hand soap or dishwasher detergent, but I have plans to do so very soon!

A note about the essential oils I use:  I only use Young Living because they work the best for our family and they are so super pure that I feel very comfortable using them.  So comfortable that I can recommend them to everyone!  If you are interested in purchasing these oils and joining me in some amazing groups with fabulous resources, here is how you would do that:

1. Click over to the sign-up page: https://www.youngliving.com/signup/?site=US&sponsorid=1842761&enrollerid=1842761

2. Select “Sign Up As: Young Living Wholesale Member” (this secures you the 24% off discount on all future orders)

3. The “Enroller ID” and “Sponsor ID” boxes should already be filled in for you. If they aren’t, fill in 1842761 in both spots.

4. Fill out your name, billing address, shipping address, and contact info. (The reason you are asked for your SSN is for tax purposes; if you make over $600/year selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail, as is required by law. Young Living never shares this info with anyone, and you’re not obligated to sell anything if you do not want to. I promise I wouldn’t lead you astray here!)

5. Create your password and pin which you will use to log in to your account and order your oils.

6. Select your enrollment order. This is where you can specify which starter kit you would like. I recommend the Premium Kit with the Aroma Diffuser.

7. It will ask if you want to sign up for the Essential Rewards program. I recommend saying no to this for now.

8. Agree to Terms & Conditions

9. CONFIRM YOUR ORDER. Some folks miss this step and end up not fully checking out. To confirm, the tool will log you in and it will show you your order again and it will make you enter in your payment information again.

10. Wait for the mailman to arrive! This step is will be agonizing.

Oh, and

11. Please friend me on Facebook so that I can add you to some fun oily Facebook groups! : )

ACV Rinse | A Goodbye Letter to my Conditioner

I have super long and super thick hair.  When I read about using ACV as a conditioning treatment, to be honest, I was scared.  I have had to use conditioner since before I can recall.  And not just a little conditioner.  My hair can take down a large bottle in less than a month.  I go through it at about three times the rate of a shampoo bottle. The struggle is real.

So I made sure to give this a good test run and gave myself ample time to take another shower just in case I couldn’t manage to get a brush through my hair and had to hop back in to re-shower and condition.

Surprisingly, I was pleased.  Actually, scratch that, more than pleased, ecstatic!  For the first time in forever, I didn’t use conditioner.  And my hair was shiny, sparkly, and smooth.  Basically I felt like a Disney princess and, if I had any kind of singing voice, would have broken into a love song about this ACV rinse.

So, here we go…the details.

Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV is an essential item for any good natural lifestyle home.  It has a million (*probably) uses, but today, I am just going to chat about using it as a rinse.  ACV works to balance the PH of the scalp and the hair and remove all of the icky chemicals and build-up.  So if you have dandruff or dry scalp, definitely give this a try!  It also smooths the hair cuticles to make it really shine.

The essential oils I am using in this are for both fragrance – because who wants to walk around smelling like a salad bar, not this girl – and for hair health.  I selected lavender, rosemary, and cedarwood.  All three are excellent for promoting hair growth and supporting scalp health.  They work to hydrate and moisturize the scalp and also provide nourishment and nutrients.

I purchase all of my essential oils from Young Living because they work best for our family and their seed to seal promise keeps me happy and worry free.  To start your own amazing collection, check out the starter kit which is a fabulous deal and contains everything you need to crunchify your home.

Ingredients:
1 bottle – you can use plastic for ease and safety – make sure it is squeezable.
Apple Cider Vinegar (Braggs is awesome)
Water
Lavender Essential Oil
Rosemary Essential Oil
Cedarwood Essential Oil

Directions:
Fill up bottle 1/4 of the way with ACV and add filtered water.
Add 2-3 drops of each essential oil.
Shampoo as usual.
Add ACV rinse to hair making sure to tilt your head back to avoid getting it into your eyes (it burns.  A lot.  Trust) and work it into your hair.  I usually let it sit in my hair for a while while I finish up – I aim for at least 5 minutes to allow it to soak into my hair.
Rinse with cold water, which will help seal in moisture and add shine.
Dry your hair and be amazed.  I couldn’t stop petting myself.

Interested in getting your hands on some essential oils???  The starter kit is hands down the BEST way to get started!  Here are the step-by-step instructions!

1. Click over to the sign-up page: https://www.youngliving.com/signup/?site=US&sponsorid=1842761&enrollerid=1842761

2. Select “Sign Up As: Young Living Wholesale Member” (this secures you the 24% off discount on all future orders)

3. The “Enroller ID” and “Sponsor ID” boxes should already be filled in for you. If they aren’t, fill in 1842761 in both spots.

4. Fill out your name, billing address, shipping address, and contact info. (The reason you are asked for your SSN is for tax purposes; if you make over $600/year selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail, as is required by law. Young Living never shares this info with anyone, and you’re not obligated to sell anything if you do not want to. I promise I wouldn’t lead you astray here!)

5. Create your password and pin which you will use to log in to your account and order your oils.

6. Select your enrollment order. This is where you can specify which starter kit you would like. I recommend the Premium Kit with the Aroma Diffuser.

7. It will ask if you want to sign up for the Essential Rewards program. I recommend saying no to this for now.

8. Agree to Terms & Conditions

9. CONFIRM YOUR ORDER. Some folks miss this step and end up not fully checking out. To confirm, the tool will log you in and it will show you your order again and it will make you enter in your payment information again.

10. Wait for the mailman to arrive! This step is will be agonizing.

Oh, and

11. Please friend me on Facebook so that I can add you to some fun oily Facebook groups! : )

Sweet Dreams

Ahhh sleep. When you have three kids like we do, sleep is a cherished situation. I love sleep. I missed it so very much. 6 years of being awake with little ones at various points in the middle of the night really messed up my natural sleep rhythms and I had had enough. After a bunch of research, I found these wonderful essential oils that finally worked for our family! I have had a lot of questions on how to use the oils for sleep from exhausted parents, so instead of inundating everyone with a bunch of information on Facebook, I just decided to blog it so that it is all in one place for anyone who wants to find it!

Ideally (because we are not always on top of everything 100% of the time), this is how we use the oils for sleep. Sometimes they don’t get baths, sometimes I forget to spray the linens, but I always try to use the cream or roller bottles on ALL of us. I also have my husband apply Valor to his big toe and the back of his neck, because, snoring. And I apply Valor to my jawline, because I am a clencher.

Step #1 – Add lavender to bathwater. I usually add around 5 drops for my kids (ages 6, 4, and 2). If I feel fancy, I will throw some Espom salts in there.

Step #2 – While the kids are getting dressed, I spray down everyone’s sheets and pillows with my Sweet Dreams spray.

Step #3 – Diffuse lavender and cedarwood. Additional oils that are amazing and can be added to the diffuser are roman chamomile and peace and calming. I love this combination though and am sticking with it because it works!

Step #4 – Apply either sleep cream or a sleepy time roller to their feet, depending on where we are and which is closer to me.

Step #5 – Watch them drop like flies and have a peaceful night of sleep.

So, here are the recipes for all of these wonderful miracles…

Sweet Dreams Spray:
4 oz spray bottle (from here)
Water
2 T of Witch Hazel (like this)
4 Drops of Lavender essential oil
3 drops of Cedarwood essential oil
3 drop of Peace and Calming essential oil

Directions:
Add witch hazel and essential oils and top off with water. Shake and spray onto linens. Inhale the lovely fragrance.  Sleep.

Sleepy Cream:
Glass container
1/3 cup of coconut oil (like this one: http://amzn.to/1wZszBE)
12 drops of Lavender essential oil
12 drops of Cedrarwood essential oil
12 drops of Peace and Calming essential oil
12 drops of Valor essential oil

Directions:
Whip coconut oil until fluffy (maybe 5 minutes, but whatever works for your timing).
Add oils and whip some more.
Store in glass container.
Apply to bottoms of feet of all.
Watch the children fall asleep and stay asleep. Get into bed and sleep. Wake up shocked when you sleep all night without interruption.

Sleepy Time Roll-on
Roll-on bottle (like these:  http://amzn.to/1AhFdHW)
Liquid carrier oil (can be V-6, FCO, Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil, but I found liquid coconut oil and am thrilled with life at this discovery). I love this one: http://amzn.to/1ECL5BU
15 drops of Cedarwood
10 drops of Lavender
10 drops of Peace and Calming
10 drops of Valor

Directions:
Add oils to bottle and top off with carrier oil of choice.
Apply to bottoms of feet of all. My daughter puts in on her feet and the feet of her baby dolls and then passes out. It is adorable.

So, to get started on your oily journey, here are some step-by-step instructions! Also, if you already have a premium starter kit and want to add some different oils to your collection, I cannot stress how amazing Cedarwood is. I would say that is a great oil to order after the starter kit along with rosemary and orange and grapefruit and peace and calming. I can go on and on…anyway, instructions, here we go:

1. Click over to the sign-up page: https://www.youngliving.com/signup/?site=US&sponsorid=1842761&enrollerid=1842761

2. Select “Sign Up As: Young Living Wholesale Member” (this secures you the 24% off discount on all future orders)

3. The “Enroller ID” and “Sponsor ID” boxes should already be filled in for you. If they aren’t, fill in 1842761 in both spots.

4. Fill out your name, billing address, shipping address, and contact info. (The reason you are asked for your SSN is for tax purposes; if you make over $600/year selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail, as is required by law. Young Living never shares this info with anyone, and you’re not obligated to sell anything if you do not want to. I promise I wouldn’t lead you astray here!)

5. Create your password and pin which you will use to log in to your account and order your oils.

6. Select your enrollment order. This is where you can specify which starter kit you would like. I recommend the Premium Kit with the Aroma Diffuser.

7. It will ask if you want to sign up for the Essential Rewards program. I recommend saying no to this for now.

8. Agree to Terms & Conditions

9. CONFIRM YOUR ORDER. Some folks miss this step and end up not fully checking out. To confirm, the tool will log you in and it will show you your order again and it will make you enter in your payment information again.

10. Wait for the mailman to arrive! This step is will be agonizing.

Oh, and

11. Please friend me on Facebook so that I can add you to some fun oily Facebook groups! : )

Strawberry Lemonade Chia Seed Beverage

Yesterday I went to the store to grab something for dinner and on whim, picked up a Mamma Chia drink.  I love these and they are just deliciously yum.  At checkout, this beverage rang up for $4.00.  $4 flipping dollars.  For a not large drink.  I got the evil eye from my husband and when we got into the car, I said to him, I bet I can make my own.

Chia seeds are a superfoods and have a ton of amazing health benefits.  They are loaded with antioxidants and rich in fiber.  Just two tablespoons of chia seeds contains 4 grams of protein!  They are also super high in Omega-3 fatty acids and can help to improve heart health and diabetes.  Plus, they are super easy to incorporate into your diet.  Sprinkle them in smoothies, chia seed pudding, and homemade granola are all excellent ways to get them into your body.  Or you could just make this delicious and healthy beverage.

So here we go.  So fast, so easy, so yummy, and so inexpensive.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS Chia Seeds (I buy mine from BJs in bulk, but you can find them pretty much anywhere at this point)
• 2 cups of filtered water
• 1 TBS of fresh fruit juices (I used thawed organic strawberries and a freshly squeezed lemon)
• 1 TBS of natural sweetener (can be raw honey or organic maple syrup)

Directions:

• Measure water into a glass container and add chia seeds.  I used a mason jar.  Shake to combine and place in refrigerator for around 10 minutes or so.  The chia seeds should for a gel and look like this:

• Remove from refrigerator and give them a few good shakes
• Add your juices.  I used thawed strawberries and squished them through a strainer.  I also used half of a lemon that I juiced.  I love lemons!

• Shake again and add your sweetener.  I love maple syrup and raw honey, but if you are a stevia person, you can add that too.  I just don’t use it often enough to be sure of how much to put in there and prefer honey or maple syrup.
• Pour into pretty glass (or keep in mason jar, whatevs) and enjoy!
• Feel free to experiment using different juices, teas, etc…I am looking forward to trying this with a green tea and honey for summer.  Yum!

Start

I randomly fell into wanting to live a more natural lifestyle.  It wasn’t intentional, but I am grateful that it happened because I genuinely feel that our family is in a much better place, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

How did I start?  Three years ago, I was watching Good Morning America and Jessica Alba was promoting her book about natural living.  The discussion about laundry detergent and fabric softener really got to me.  I mean, here I was with three kids thinking, “gosh, their clothing does smell amazing, but what IS in that fragrance and how is it affecting them?”  I downloaded the book and began reading.  About chemicals.  About food dyes.  About all of the artificial stuff our bodies, our children’s bodies are bombarded with on a daily basis.  And I never actually thought twice about it.

Well, now I was thinking.  And determined to really limit their exposure to chemicals and toxins, that are really, just completely unnecessary.  I figured I could start simple by making a non-toxic cleaner and some laundry detergent.  When both of those were relatively easy, our conversion to leading a more natural life had begun and I was more than thrilled with how actually easy it is.  I think that is where a lot of us get stuck, but taking that first step and finding out how relatively painless it was made it worth the change.

Some of these changes included making as many household cleaners as I could – my #1 go-to is my non-toxic all purpose cleanser, which not only works great, but works better than all of the others and works on pretty much every surface, including glass.  I will post the recipe for it below and I promise, once you have made it, you won’t go back.  Oven cleaners, cooktop cleaners, stainless steel cleaners, granite cleaners, floor cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, fabric softener, laundry detergent.  All of those commercial products were tossed away and replaced with my own homemade chemical free alternatives.

To start making your products, here is what you should have on hand:
Baking Soda (I buy the largest bag I can find from BJs)
White Vinegar (Again, the largest bottle I can find from BJs)
Olive oil for the stainless steel cleaner
Castille Soap for the laundry detergent
Washing Soda (you can make your own with baking soda – super easy)
Borax (a bit controversial, but it works for us)
Essential Oils (I buy mine from Young Living – to order yours, I recommend the starter kit which can be purchased here)
Various glass containers (I purchase in bulk, but if you only want one for making a cleaning spray, here is a great place to buy it)

Once you have all of these items, you can pretty much make any cleaner you want.  My next replacements are going to be dishwasher detergent, hand soap, and dish soap.

So now for the fun stuff!  The recipes – these are the first three things I made and how I started to move to a more natural lifestyle!!!

All Purpose Awesome Cleaner

• 1 16oz glass bottle 
• White Vinegar
• Essential Oils
  • Some great combos are lavender and rosemary, lemon and lavender, thieves and lemon, purification, orange and lemon, thieves and purification.  I really love using thieves because of the powerful oils in the blend that work to kill all the germs and switch to that cleaner as soon as sickness hits our home.  So far, so good.
• WaterDirections:  Fill the bottle about 2/3 of the way with water,  then fill the rest with vinegar and leave some space at the top.  Add 10 drops each of your chosen essential oils.  Shake and spray!  Spray it everywhere!!!  Your kids can even spray it and you won’t have to worry about chemicals on their hands!

Laundry Detergent

• Big glass container (like these)
• One bar of castille soap (I love Dr. Bonners – can be purchased at a bunch of places, but amazon has these)
• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup washing soda (to make washing soda, simply take baking soda and spread it out on a cookie sheet.  Preheat oven to 400 and let it cook in there for an hour or so, mixing it up once at around the 30 minute mark.  Boom.  Washing soda.  Easy)Directions:  Grate the soap.  This is literally the worst part of it.  Ask your husband or work on your arm strength.  I personally ask my husband since I usually have a child or two in my arms and it would be dangerous.  At least that is what I tell him.  Once soap is grated mix the borax and the washing soda into the soap and that is all.  To use, take a tablespoon and sprinkle it all over that laundry.  This is safe for front loaders as well.  So enjoy!

  Alternatively, I keep soap nuts around, just in case I procrastinate the soap grating task.  I love them and they are amazing and even easier than making your own detergent.  I bought mine from here.

  Fabric Softener

• Glass container – mason jars work for this!
• 3 c white vinegar
• 1/4c rubbing alcohol
• 20 drops of Essential oils – Purification is amazing.  Lavender is amazing.  Thieves if there is sickness.

Directions:  put everything in glass jar and shake.  Shake prior to use and add some to your washer’s fabric softener dispenser.

Alternative:  Wool dryer balls – you can make your own or you can buy them.  I bought mine because craft stores intimidate me.  Again, amazon has these.  I add 4 drops of essential oils to them – usually lavender or purification.

***A note about essential oils.  I didn’t know this when I started.  I thought essential oils were all the same and the ones you purchase at natural foods stores are the same as Young Living.  Wrong.  So much wrong.  I was basically replacing my chemicals with unlabeled chemicals unknowingly.  So when you purchase oils, please make sure they are as pure as you can get.  I researched for 2 years and found that Young Living was the very best choice for my family.  If you want to purchase your very own awesome oils, which have so many more uses than just making cleaning products (another thing I didn’t figure out until last year), click on over to my sign-up page and go crazy.  Which is very easy.  I am fully on the essential oil train and no end is in sight.

I will definitely be discussing the other household cleaners I make in another post, but I figured upwards of 1000 words is enough for now.  Enjoy and please don’t hesitate to ask questions!!!

Bloom – A Natural Living Blog

Hello!  This is a quick introduction to Bloom Natural Living.  This blog is intended to be a community for anyone who is interested about living a more natural and sustainable lifestyle.  We will have many interesting and varied topics that we will blog about and varying levels of “crunchy” contributors.  Natural living is not an all or nothing lifestyle.  We love to embrace all lifestyles and encourage you to try new ways of doing things, whether it is cleaning with non-toxic cleaners or creating a homestead for off the grid living.

We hope that you enjoy the journey as we learn about natural living.