A Giant Christmas Secret

Posted on by Krystal

Ok. I’m back. And this is important, you guys.

I have super insider info and I’m sharing here for the first time ever. So if you don’t want to know a little about Christmas magic and how it isn’t really magical, look away.

Santa. He’s pretty great, right?  He gets all these presents for kids (even though he’s pretty sure the naughty list should be a lot longer. He’s seen some of those kids in Walmart with their mom and he’s not sure they made the right list after all…) and gets them all delivered in one night.  He’s pretty amazing at all things Christmas, because he has to be. He’s FATHER CHRISTMAS.

BUT did you know he’s absolutely terrible at wrapping presents?  It’s true. Let me explain.

So first things first, no one ever thinks about the fact that Santa has family members he has to get gifts for as well. That’s a lot of shopping and wrapping and by the time he gets to wrapping the gifts for the kids, he’s pretty tired of folding, taping, and garnishing. He used it ALL UP.

Now, you’d also assume that Santa has a special wrapping room. No. He doesn’t. He can’t just wrap presents out in the open because then people would see what’s in them and that defeats the whole purpose. So no, instead Santa has to hide in his room and wrap. And he totally always thinks that his bed will make a great wrapping table, but it’s soft and heavy things crinkle the paper and he definitely needs to remember this next year.

Santa absolutely has Christmas music playing while he wraps, but he forgets because he’s concentrating so hard on trying not to rip this extremely delicate barrier that we insist on putting over EVERYTHING. Santa ignores the music while pondering what human came up with this idea and why they chose this media. He pauses from ignoring the music just long enough to wonder what the hell John Lennon and Yoko Ono whisper to each other at the beginning of that song. Except he doesn’t say hell. He probably says “what the jingle” or something.

Santa also takes a lot of liberties with kids’ presents.  Too much paper?  Easier for little fingers to grab that pillow on either side of the box and rip it open. Not enough paper?  Add a strip of scrap. No one will see. Rip a corner?  Just tape it. Because listen, Santa bought cheap paper again this year because he has too many gifts to wrap in that $10 roll. See?  Santa knows that the only people who will admire the wrapping are adults because kids don’t even blink before tearing it all off.

Sometimes, Santa gets lazy and waits until zero hour to wrap. Sometimes he makes this way harder than it needs to be because he drinks too much eggnog that night and forgets where he hid things. He then finds unwrapped toys months later and hangs his head in shame.  But like, really does it matter?  Suzy changed her list daily, right up until Christmas Eve so really she doesn’t even know what she wants anyway.

Santa also can’t micro inspect every package. There are times, if you look hard enough, you might find a cat or dog hair has hitched a ride on your gift. Yes, Santa has pets and who are we to deny him that companionship?

You might unwrap a box and find a long brown hair attached to the tape. “Who’s is THIS!?” you’ll think. This is the most secret part. It’s Mrs. Claus’. She’s not a natural gray. Don’t. Tell. Anyone.

Now. There’s only one time Santa might ACTUALLY say a bad word. I think it’s forgivable because it doesn’t happen often but it totally did happen that one time and he said something really not nice:  When Santa moves the scissors and incredibly, they touch the roll of wrapping paper and rip a GIANT hole in the center of the paper rendering that spot useless for the present he needs to wrap. I knew you’d forgive him. It’s really the worst.

So that’s it. That’s the big secret.

So Santa, if you’re reading this and sweaty, covered in tape, and yelling “WHAT THE JINGLE!?” I see you and your hard work.  Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, and get ready to do it all over again next year and every year for the rest of exsistance. No pressure.

Now where’s my eggnog…

My Secret Stress Relief

Posted on by Krystal

OK. So I’ve sat on this blog post for way too long only because I wasn’t confident in the fact that other people would be interested in this. But here goes anyway because the more I sat and thought about it, I was holding onto something that could help others and not sharing that seemed wrong.  Be prepared for some “woo woo” stuff right now.  You’ve been warned.

So the last blog post I talked about how 2018 has kind of been the worst year ever. And throughout the last eight months I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I didn’t spend that entire time completely freaking out. And trust me it wasn’t easy. But here it goes.

I’ve never been a particularly religious person.  Let me just throw that out there.  Where others would turn to a higher power to help them through a hard time, I never really felt like that was my jam. Instead, I am the type of person who likes to give my brain something else to do and something else to think about. So I decided that I would learn a new hobby, as complicated as that seems during such an intense period of my life. But I’ve talked before about how I am the queen of putting things off and sometimes that’s just how I keep from freaking out.

So during this particularly rough period of time I decide to do what I always do and give my brain something else to focus on. And honestly this kind of came out of the blue and wasn’t something that I had put a whole lot of thought into. But I decided that I was going to take up Tarot card reading. And I didn’t think it was something funny to take up or a cool party trick. I always found it particularly interesting and wondered if it was something that anyone could do or if you had to have any particular “abilities”.

Long story short, I was ill informed about what went into Tarot.

Regardless, I got myself a deck and started researching the heck out of this really cool (what do we even call it?) past time.

Now, know that I had no intention of falling into this stuff so hard.  None.  I just thought it was interesting and sooooo many people are so fascinated with divination for obvious reasons.  I think we all want to be able to peek behind the veil from time to time.  However, Tarot kind of had other plans for me, and soon I found myself head over heels in love with this awesome skill set I had learned.

Also, finding out that my essential oils went hand in hand with Tarot and crystal energies was an added bonus.  Because let’s be honest, I love my oils and what girl doesn’t love pretty rocks?

If I went into details here, you’d think I was crazy.  I’d think I was crazy.  I started to have experiences right away with these cards that made me think that maybe, just maybe this was a path I was meant to take.  The things that were coming up were just too big to be coincidences.  And I sat on this information for months because I was afraid of sounding like I had gone off the deep end.  Like, how do you even begin to tell people that you’re having conversations with your dead relative through a set of fancy looking playing cards?  Yeah.  Now you see my dilemma.  It.  Sounds.  Nuts.

Regardless, I eventually came clean with those closest to me and believe me, I expected a thorough talking to about how this was all nonsense and the Devil’s work and how I need to not mess with things I don’t understand.  BUT, that was not at all what happened.  My grandmother casually told me

“Oh, I believe you.  My grandmother used to read Tarot…”

WHAT.  Where was this cool tidbit before?

Not to mention, I discovered that my great-grandmother on my father’s side was a cartomancer as well.  She read playing cards in a similar fashion to Tarot.

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I mean, how beautiful is this deck?

So here I was thinking that this time, my family would surely disown me for my weirdness, but in reality, this is something that ran in the under current of my DNA all along.  How friggin cool.

So, now I’m at a place where, yes I am still growing and learning (tarot is one of those things where the learning is never really done) but I’m now fairly confidant in my abilities to read for myself and others.  I’ve been reading just about anyone who walks in my door (if they want to of course) and I’ve learned somethings about what Tarot is and isn’t.  At least to me.

Let’s start with what it ISN’T

First of all, Tarot isn’t something that is limited to ladies in comical halloween costumes or those with “psychic” abilities.

Anyone can read Tarot.  Just like any other skill set, some will be better than others, but it is incredibly inclusive and obtainable if you’re willing to put in the work and time.

Tarot isn’t “evil”

There is nothing intrinsically evil about a bunch of cards.  The messages in the cards are complex.  There’s darkness and light in every card.  Yes, even Death.

The cards aren’t the be all end all

Listen, I know we all want to know how the story plays out, but the cards are not giving you information that is DEFINITE.  Things change, situations are fluid based on your choices. You write your story.  Period.

 

Now, what it IS to me…

Tarot is like therapy

Tarot is like sitting down and talking things out with your best friend.  The cards are only going to tell you so much and how you interpret them is solely based on how your thought process works.  So for example, if you sit down to the cards and they say “something is coming to an end to make way for a new beginning.” and you say “Oh!  That’s talking about my relationship!”  The cards didn’t say that.  You did.  But maybe you knew that relationship was on it’s way out and the cards are simply giving you another way to look at the situation.  It’s way more psychological than psychic.

 

So, if this isn’t your jam, I completely understand.  I do.  But you might be surprised once you give it a chance.  ♥

What are your thoughts on divination?  Have you had a reading?  Would you like one?  How would we all feel about maybe doing some card pulls during Facebook Live?  Sound off in the comments and let me know!

 

See ya later, Alligator and an Itovi update!

Posted on by Krystal

Guuuuuuurrrrrl. So far 2018 hasn’t gotten the memo that I’m expecting great things. It’s looking a lot like 2017 2.0. So maybe we’ll just call January a trial run and hope for the best. Who’s with me?

Anywho. Moving on.

What are we talking about today? My favorite topic ever! Skincare!!!!!! Here in Jersey, we’ve had some serious arctic temps so far this winter, but I’ve come up with a routine that’s keeping my skin baby soft. Most of my routine has stayed the same, but I’ve switched out a couple of things for some winter friendly options.

That’s the dream team right there. If they look a little battle weary and dirty, it’s because they’ve been working overtime. Now I’m not going to flood you with info, but I’m going to tell you a bit about each of these and how I’m using them to keep sandpaper skin at bay.

Now I’ve talked a little about Rose Ointment before. This little tub has been hanging around for over a year, and though we’ve obviously hit pan, a little of this goes a long way. So it will be a while before I have to worry about running out. (Although I would be lying if I said I’m not stalking the website for when this comes back in stock. Shhhhh.)

Now truth bomb: When I bought this I had little to no idea what I was planning on using it for. What I did know was that Rose oil is PRICEY and that this was an affordable way to get the benefits without breaking bank.

Originally I thought this was perfect for healing summer feet. You know, after wearing flipflops all summer, things down there be looking dry and scaley. But using this for just my feet seemed crazy beans. Once they started looking better, this jar sat around. So I started getting creative and loved the results!

Chapped lips (leave on overnight for an awesome lip mask!), booboos, chub rub (I know you know) and everything in between. This has been a life saver. Oh, and if by chance you get a patch of aligator skin from the cold? Yup. That too.

Loooooook at that thick, creamy goodness! I will say, the Sandalwood Moisturizing Cream INTIMIDATED ME. Again, Sandalwood is pricey and this cream, while being more reasonably priced than the oil, was up there in price with some of the “luxury” brands. I splurged on this and then immediately decided it was heavier than what my skin required. So it sat.

Fast forward to me running out of my ART Light Moisturizer. I didn’t want to order more because I knew this jar was sitting and it felt super wasteful not to use it. Best. Decision. Ever. This stuff is the bomb.com. It IS heavy, so I literally just dip a fingertip in for all the moisturizer I need. I’ve been using this for about four months straight, twice a day and it’s not even half way done.

So what’s so awesome about this stuff? Well because it’s a heavier moisturizer, it’s perfect for the winter season. Usually when you think heavy, you think greasy, but that’s just not the case. This stuff absorbs quickly and actually has a matte finish, making it great under makeup. It’s like a primer without all the pore clogging side effects.

ART Sheerlumé. Yaaaaasssss. It might seem a little extra, but I put this bad boy on under my Sandalwood Cream. It’s light enough to layer but could definitely work as a stand-alone moisturizer. It is a skin brightening cream, so it works double duty while helping to correct my skin tone. Bam.

Ok. So I know most people don’t think of Coconut Lime when they think of winter, but goodness is it awesome. This body butter goes on after every shower and makes my skin feel like it went on a tropical vacation. But like, a moisturizing one. I know what’s in it, so I feel great about slathering the kids in this too. The texture of this stuff is amaze. It feels like homemade body butter without all the work. That being said, keep it somewhere cooler so it doesn’t melt on you. Been there.

And that’s it! I’m happy to say that thanks to these babies, I haven’t had any of my seasonal skin issues. It’s been smooth sailing and well, smooth skin for everybody up in here.

And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. An Itovi update. Now this is long overdue. Especially since my original Itovi post is by far my most visited. It’s one of those devices that people are super curious about and want to research before making the investment. I get it.

Well Itovi has changed their app and report since I first received it. You used to get a number of bio points that requires support but they’ve done away with that. The readings now look like this:

So as you can see, they now break your recommendations down into three categories: Emotional, Environmental, and Physical. I will say that I do like this as it takes some of the confusion out of the number game. The bio points seemed to scare people a little. What I miss is the breakdown of how much each recommendation would support your issues. I do like that they now seem to give a little more information on the actual products that are recommended. So that’s nice.

All in all, I’m still totally blown away by the accuracy of the Itovi. When I took this scan, I was recovering from a stomach bug and not surprisingly all of my recommendations supported my digestive system. Still amazes me. Every time.

My own personal downfall? I always forget that I have the Itovi. So ridiculous. I know. But my goal is to try and scan myself regularly and use the data to better my personal health. So I’ll be sure to check in with that.

That’s all folks! Any questions? Feel free to comment below! Also let me know how you’re surviving these winter months. We’re in this together. Think warm thoughts, you guys.

First Day Survival

Posted on by Krystal

Sure. That sounds a little dramatic, but whatever. Today was the first day of school!!!  And it still isn’t over. I’m actually typing this from cheerleading practice on a phone with 5% battery. Nothing like cramming it all in.

Speaking of cramming it all in, this is a HUGE post.  It is.  So, before you bail (please don’t) I just wanted to let you in on some exciting stuff.  I’m hosting an online Intro to Essential Oils class, right on Facebook.  It’s Monday, Sept. 12th at 9pmEST, but the info will stay up a couple of days.  There will be all sorts of good tips and information and probably a giveaway and probably some fun.  And.  So many ands.  Anyway, head to my Facebook page to find the event and JOIN US.  Any way, back to the post at hand.

Orginally I planned to just talk about what my kids were using this year to help them in school, but after I slathered things all over MYSELF this morning, I thought it could be awesome to cover both sides of the coin.

Dont get me wrong. I was really excited for both of the kids to ship out this morning, but it was a little bittersweet. I’ve had a buddy with my for the last (almost) five years. Seeing as I suffer from anxiety, it’s always helped to have a friend to talk to. I know that sounds super dependent. And it is. Shhhh.

So anyway. I was doing fine until Facebook decided to break my heart by showing me a picture of Slugger’s first day of Kindergarten. (Totally just typed Kinderfarten by accident and my phone says that’s a word. Mental note to look that one up later.) My mother’s guilt always kicks into high gear when I see pictures of little Slugger. We’ve had such a hard road and I always wish had done things differently. Maybe had more patience. Or been more gentle. I don’t know. A lot of things. Moral of the story it was seriously killing my “I’m going to Target with my bestie alone” vibe.  It doesn’t help that I’m PMSing. Dangerous.  So I oiled up. And ended up dressed as a unicorn. Magic!image

Ok and my phone died.  I’m going to break here to tell you a secret.  Every time my phone dies, I imagine I’ve been transported back in time and I’m trying to show people my phone.  I just keep telling them that if only I had a charger, I could show them that touchscreens are real!  Not sure what that says about me.  Anyway…

Since my phone died and I’ve had approximately 2300480298 things to do, it’s no longer the first day of school.  But we can pretend it is.

TIME TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS!

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Every kid is different, and this isn’t really a guide to school success, more like me telling you what is currently working for us and how we plan to use those same oils/supplements for school.  Things will change I’m sure.  Just as they did last year.  But for now, here’s the lowdown.

Slugger:

We are starting Slugger’s morning off everyday with two different supplements right now: Super B and MultiGreens.

Super B is filled with all of the B vitamins ever (don’t quote me on that) and other AMAZING things like manganese and biotin.  These are great for supporting healthy cognitive function, maintaining energy levels, supporting circulatory function, and boosting your moods!  Umm yes, please.  They also turn your pee super bright yellow, which would only be a positive thing if you are a ten year old boy.  He thinks it’s great.

MultiGreens are filled with more awesome stuff like bee pollen, spiraling, and Pacific kelp.  They even smell amazing.  Which doesn’t really matter, but whatever.  They work in conjunction with the glandular, circulatory, and nervous system.  Glandular…preteen…yessssss.  I’ve posted on ALL the social media about how glad I am that my son no longer smells like a football team.  A BLESSING, YO.

I’ve touched many times on Slugger and his various issues and hangups.  Last year, we had one oil blend that was a total game changer for us:  Clarity.

WHEW.

This blend IS AMAZING at helping provide mental clarity and stimulating the senses.  It also puts some pep in your step.  I believe I covered in a past post how we made the switch from Brain Power to Clarity last year.  Brain Power was great as well, however being that Slugger falls on the ADHD spectrum, stimulation is key to help support healthy brain function.  Using Clarity in conjunction with the the help he has in school allows him to stay focused through the WHOLE DAY.

The next oil blend is one that BOTH kids are taking with them this year.  It’s our tried and true “Bathroom Buddy”.

Bathroom buddy is a Combo of DiGize and Peppermint, both of which offer amazing support to your digestive system.  Anytime either one feels a little “off”, they roll this combo on their belly and go back to being their obnoxious wonderful selves in no time.  Usually after a trip to the bathroom.

DiGize is packed full of amazing oils in itself.  You know, in case I haven’t bragged on it enough or solidified the fact that it is my FAVORITE blend.

DiGize:

Tarragon, Ginger, Peppermint, Juniper, Fennel, Lemongrass, Anise, and Patchouli.

Now, you’re probably all “There’s already peppermint in there, Dummy!”  And you’re right!  There is!  However peppermint is always good to boost certain oils and help them absorb a little faster.  So we add that bad boy in there.  Diluted, of course.

Now, my tiny Pixie.

Pixie is probably one of the most precocious little people you can meet.  She has no problem telling you her life story, no matter how busy you may appear.  Unless of course, you’re a kid.  Then she has no use for and really doesn’t have any idea how to talk to you.  So we needed to make her BRAVE.

We tested out a blend for cheerleading that worked pretty well, but then after going through the Happy Oiler Handbook (did I mention it’s amazing?) I found a recipe called “You Make Me Brave”.  It only had one extra step that ours didn’t, so I thought why not try it for school?  You Make Me Brave consists of Orange essential oil, and two different blends, Peace & Calming and Valor.  Now.  Those blends?  SUPER SOUGHT AFTER.  And super out of stock.  So if you’re following along at home and need to be…well, brave, let me know and we can come up with substitutes for you that might work just as well at turning you into a movie star.  I happened to have snagged both blends before they went out of stock, so I sacrificed them to my child like a good parent.

So any who, that’s Pixie’s secret weapon.  And I can absolutely see a difference in her already, so I’m even more excited to see what the school year holds in store for her!

Now to my unintentional PMSing, Stressed, First Day of School Mom Kit.

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This is basically everything.  I left out DiGize, because I use that EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Because I love it.  Not that I don’t use these other things everyday.  Some of them I do, but I forgot to put the bottle in the picture and this is me pretending that was intentional, ok?

So what do we have here?  You can see the Super B and MultiGreens we talked about earlier.  Love them.  But there are also some other supplements to make your kid free experience run smoothly as well.

Every day I take the Master Formula.  It’s really cool because it’s actually a little packet of supplements already divided up for each day.  So you grab you bag and go.  EASY.  I’m not even going to pretend to be smart on this one though.  I’m literally going to show you EXACTLY what Young Living has to say about these bad boys.

As per the website:

• Naturally supports general health and well-being for the body
• Gut flora supporting prebiotics
• Ingredients help neutralize free radicals in the body
• Includes antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other food-based nutriment
• Pre-packaged sachets are convenient to take your vitamins on the go
• SSI Technology delivers ingredients in 3 forms chosen for their complementary properties

Click HERE to go to the information page for Master Formula.  It’s some seriously awesome stuff.  GUT FLORA SUPPORT?  Yes.  Clearly I need that.

Now Essentialzymes-4 is super new to me and I just started taking them this past week.  They just keep showing up on my Itovi scans, and I really don’t have to wonder too much about WHY.  These little guys help support healthy digestion of our super duper processed foods and aid in the absorption of nutrients.  Uh yeah, sign me up.

Now, goodness, if I haven’t lost you yet then YOU my friend are either really interested or a trooper.  I like you.  I’m going to wrap this up with my various oils because if you are a woman and have a vagina/uterus/reproductive system/hormones, you need to know about the next two oils.

Progessence Plus and Endoflex.

Now technically, Progessence Plus is a serum MADE with Essential oils, but whatevs, right?  It contains WILD YAM, which sounds weird, but has naturally occurring progesterone.  What?!  It also works double duty, because this stuff is great for your skin.  Let me say, I saw such a difference when using this blend, it actually scared me.  Like, I stopped using it because I was all “NO WAY!”  And then I regretted that I stopped using it because “things” went back to their terrible ways and then I swore I would never be without this again.  Hormone support?  CHECK.

Endoflex supports healthy endocrine function.  So that thyroid?  Let’s keep it healthy and happy.  That makes everything ELSE healthy and happy.  AM I RIGHT LADIES??

The dream team up there.  Trust me.  My kid’s thank me for using them, my hubs thanks me for using them, MY UTERUS thanks me for using them.

I would like to say I’m surprised I ended a blog post by talking about my uterus, but that would be downright lie.  I’m not surprised.

But this, this my friends, is our back to school game plan.  So far I can say we each feel pretty darn great and I will update (obvs) with how this goes for us!  Thank you for sitting through this ridiculously long post!  Go eat some ice-cream!!  You’ve earned it!

If you want a closer look or NEEEEEEED to have any of the oils/supplements mentioned click HERE.

Then tell me how much you love it.  Because you will.

 

Hair We Go Again…

Posted on by Krystal

 
Welcome back to another edition of I need a better camera Hair We Go!  Today we were a little pressed for time, so I thought we would try a tutorial I’ve seen floating around for a while.  Some people call it “faking a long ponytail” or “the double pony tail trick”.  What ever makes you happy.  

Being that Pixie has such curly hair, her hair often looks a lot shorter than it really is.  You wet that head and her hair goes down between her shoulder blades, but once it dries, it’s more like a bob.  Regardless, I’d kill for her curls.  Typically, her ponty tails are tiny, curly and adorable.  I’ve actually had people ask if I curl her hair.  I should have really taken a picture of a typical Pixie pony so I could show you, but I’m a terrible blogger and who has forethought these days?  

So any way, let me show you how it turned out. 

   
 I need to start by pointing out the obvious, that weird part on the side of her head makes me crazy!  If I had more time, I would definitely play around with it and see if I couldn’t get rid of that obvious part that screams “Secret ponytail isn’t so secret!”  I had tried this hairstyle on myself and ran into the same problem.  I definitely think it has a lot to do with my lack of hair skills.  

All in all, this hair style is stupid easy and incredible satisfying.  Pixie’s ponytail has easily doubled in length and looks great (aside from that PART!).  I would absolutely do this with my own hair as well.  I would show you, but taking pictures of the back of my own head was super difficult and no one wants to see the lame attempt I made.  

So success!  

Here’s a simple tutorial from makeup.com so you can try on your own!

http://www.makeup.com/two-ponytail-trick
Let me know what you think! 

The Nitty Gritty

Posted on by Krystal

Ok ladies and gents. I’ve already covered a little bit of how I got started with essential oils, so today I’d like to address a pretty big WHY that gets asked about often.  I’ve had more than a few people ask me why I use Young Living specifically.

“Aren’t they expensive?”

“Aren’t they a multi-level marketing company?”

“Can’t I just get some oils at the grocery store?”

Let me explain. Just. Let. Me.

I know a lot of people are immediately turned off by multi-level marketing. You immediately think of pushy sales people, trying to recruit every single person they ever said hello to, making up lies like “Oh my goodness! I finally have an opening on my team and I think you’d be perfect for it!” We all know that’s not true. We all know they could sign up 24 people a day if they wanted. If they could find willing participants.

I had all these thoughts at first as well. Trust me. I had failed once selling a certain cosmetic line that may sound like Hairy Fey. And I won’t lie when I say I felt a little dirty try to pander something that I didn’t really believe in. I liked their product, but did I really feel like it was the best out there? No. Certainly not. And this is why I bowed out gracefully and a little more poor than when I started.

So again, I wasn’t thrilled.

Now, here is where a little research got me over that hump.

I knew pretty instantly that I wanted a distributor account. I knew that if I was going to do this, I wanted it to “be a thing” and I wanted to be dedicated. And I wanted a discount. (Of course). Now this is typically how other companies suck you in. You want a discount, but you have to spend $30348028520 on product a month to keep your account. (Maybe a SLIGHT exaggeration.) And you HAVE to be “working the business”. So. Much. Pressure. And if you don’t have a large social circle willing to spend money, you’re buying a ridiculous amount of product that you just don’t need and can’t use. It’s a waste.

With Young Living, you only need to spend $50 A YEAR to keep your account active after purchasing your starter kit. And there’s no business unless you want to sell. You just have an account, with a discount. No pressure. No one yelling “Sell, sell, sell!”

After learning this, I raised an eyebrow, took a mental note, probably nodded and said “Hmmm”.

But there’s more.

Young Living has been in business for 22 years. They are largely responsible for the introduction of essential oils to the American public. I think it goes without saying that after 22 years, they must be doing a thing or two right. And they are.

Young Living prides themselves in something they call “Seed to Seal”. What the heck is that, right? Well, allow me.

Young Living owns all their own farms and crops. Everything they sell to public has been handled strictly by them through that entire process. From the moment they plant the seed into the ground to the moment they put the oil in the bottle and label it, no one else has their hands in their oils. This ensures they are pure and have not been tampered with. Their crops are grown organically so you can ensure that you aren’t slathering yourself in pesticides along with your lavender. They cold press and steam distill everything themselves to ensure they get the best quality oil out of each plant.

In fact, this is part of the reason the cost is higher than the bottles you might find on Amazon or in your local grocery store. Young Living is so committed to the quality of their oils, that only about 30% of their crops actually get bottled as essential oil. Anything that isn’t up to par is used as fertilizer and natural insect repellant for their crops. Call me crazy, but this is a HUGE selling point for me. I want to know I’m getting quality. I want to know what I’m using. I want to know that everything has been done the best way possible with no harmful chemicals before I start using anything on my family.

The coolest part? As a distributor, you can actually go to the farms yourself and help with the process. Nothing to hide. I like that.

Ok, so we’ve covered why they’re a little pricier than others. And though I’m ok with paying for quality, maybe you aren’t. And hey, that’s cool. I don’t know if I get it, but you do you. The cool thing here is that there are definitely incentives for having an account with Young Living that off set some of the costs. There is a monthly auto ship program called “Essential Rewards”. You voluntarily sign up and can cancel at anytime while still keeping your account open. You get a shipment each month (that you choose and edit as you see fit) and you get a percentage of that order back in points to use on product. There are also monthly promotions for free product if you spend over a certain amount. And need I repeat, this is without having to “do the business”. This is just for having an account. That’s all.

Young Living also has the largest inventory and variety of oils because of their farms located all over the world. They offer more single oils and blends than any other company on the market. And because they’re pure, you’ll never see “fragrance oils”. Fragrance oils are just that. For smelling. No health benefits. In some cases they’re synthetic and manufactured to smell like what you think a plant SHOULD smell like. No thank you.

Now the easiest way to see why I’ve chosen Young Living? Buy a bottle of, say, lemon. Then buy a bottle of lemon from somewhere else. Any where else. I’m that confidant. Not only will they not smell the same, but I can almost guarantee you will not the same benefits from the other company’s bottle as you do from the bottle of Young Living. Prove me wrong.

Also if you’d like more info on the “Seed to Seal” process, check this out.

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/discover/seed-to-seal

Pretty cool stuff.

I hope I’ve maybe answered some questions. If there’s anything I left out, or you’d like to know more about, please leave a comment below.

Also! Don’t forget about the Thieves Household Cleaner giveaway! Information for that is posted in the “Out With the Old’ post. Let me give you free things!! Enter!

How to Survive Being a Sideline Mom

Posted on by Krystal
sports mom

School has officially started here!  WHICH IS WONDERFUL!  And also means something else has started.  I’ll give you a hint.  Ready?

planner

Do you see it?  Do you?

For those who don’t know about my crazy obsession, this is my planner.  Like, really.  I use this to plan my entire life.  (And for the record, Steve isn’t some heart broken man that I plan on counseling through a break up.  It’s Slugger’s teddy bear, who was missing an arm.) And there, there at the bottom!  Fall baseball season has begun!

Slugger has been playing ball since Kindergarten, and though I wonder about how much HE has learned, I’ve learned a tremendous amount over the last few years.  And because I’m a giving person, I plan to share that knowledge with you.  Now, if you’re looking to the learn the definition of “short stop” or “pinch hitter”, this isn’t the place.  Seriously, you guys, google.  I’m here to teach you something far more valuable.

How to survive being a side line mom.

Now, though in my case this applies to baseball, the tips I’m about to teach you can be applied to just about any activity you are forced happily spectating.  So pay attention.

baseball kid

This first nugget of wisdom applies to almost anything kid related:

  1.  No matter how much they enjoy the activity once they’re there, your children will fight you tooth and nail about actually going to said activity.

It never fails.  My son loves his team and coaches.  He generally enjoys himself while out on the field.  But when it comes time to leave the house, he acts like I’m dragging him to a symposium on the effects of global warming.  Every.  Damn.  Time.  So, that being said, plan to leave at least a half an hour earlier than you need to.  You know, in case you have to shove them in the car, kicking and screaming.

2.  Always bring water.

Do not, I repeat, do not count on your child to remember to bring their own water bottle.  It’s a recipe for disaster.  You will remind them 345,239 times, and mid game/practice they will be dehydrating faster than you can say “I told you so”.  Or at least, it will seem that way from all the throat clutching and rasping noises they will be making in your direction.  They will spend more time whining by your side than on the field playing the sport you paid good money for them to play.  BRING WATER.

3.  Find your people.

Stop scratching your head and let me explain.  There are going to be other moms there, you know, because it’s a team made of children.  Unless you’re  a magical chameleon unicorn, not all of these moms will get you.  It’s up to you to hunt down and find the ones that do.  And then firmly plant yourself next to them.  To avoid confusion and awkward social situations, I’ve complied a list of most of the “mom types” you will find among the bleachers.

The Posh Moms:

You will know these moms from miles away.  They are always polished and well dressed.  Hair is coiffed, nails are polished, and they are dressed like they just stepped out of a high end catalogue.  Their makeup is always on point and you’ll notice they never seem to sweat.  I’ve yet to figure this out.

The Sporty Moms:

These moms clearly played some sport in college, though the debate is open as to what.  They are usually dressed like they just went for a jog, with lots of spandex, ponytails, and baseball caps.  Don’t look for them on the bleachers, because more than likely, they’ve positioned themselves behind the team bench and are leading the little buggers in some kind of group cheer.  You can also easily recognize them by their intense need to high five everyone and shoot a thumbs up to their kid on the field every thirty seconds.  Team work.

The All Together Moms:

These moms were born to birth people.  Like, really though, they seem to have the mom thing down to a science.  They are always prepared, always on time, and usually have anything any child could possibly need on hand.  When it comes time for them to provide the team snack, you can bet it’s something painstakingly homemade.  Like cupcakes with a  picture of each child made from icing and fondant.  The Martha Stewarts of Moms.

Which brings me to my final group.

The Barely Holding it Together Moms:

Personally, this is my group.  These are the moms who are in the thick of it.  They look war weary and disheveled.  You can tell by the strain in their voice and the twitch in their eye that they are one tiny person away from a mental breakdown.  They cope with sarcasm and humor.  They scream from the sidelines at their kid, who is currently throwing dirt in the air like confetti, rather than paying attention to the action on the field.  My people.

Now that we’ve covered that…

4.  Clear your entire afternoon/evening schedule for the duration of the season.

Don’t even imagine that you will have any form of a life until the season has concluded.  Just don’t.  Plan on pop up practices, last minute games, and God knows what else.  There will be parties and impromptu ice-cream.  You are a slave to the game now.  Live with it.

5.  Forget eating dinner.  Ever again.

This one kind of runs hand in hand with number 4.  Because your brats are school aged, most activities take place during prime dinner time.  Which means rushing through homework, throwing a snack at your child, and running out the door (thirty minutes early, don’t forget this.) You will spend a good percentage of your time on the bleachers wracking your brain on how to actually feed your family a meal that night.  Don’t stress it.  This is why McDonald’s was invented.  Don’t judge me.

Now this last bit is just some added advice for those fools moms out there who have more than one child, like yours truly.

To keep your additional little ones entertained, consider packing the following:

Every electronic device you own.

Every snack currently in your pantry.

Water (We covered this)

A toy loved enough to entertain, yet not so loved that losing it wouldn’t cause a complete meltdown. (Like such a thing exists.  Ha!)

Vodka (For you.  Clearly.)

Duct tape (Just in case…ummm.  Never mind.)

If all of the above doesn’t work, send your additional children to All Together Mom.  Chances are she has something they want.

Above all, have fun.  Enjoy this time.  It will go quickly.  Plus, at the very least, you know your kid will one day have a bitchin collection of “participation trophies” to show off.  It’s all good.