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.

Nevertheless…

Posted on by Krystal

The internet is a funny thing.  We see the best of everyone’s lives and then sit and compare ours to the snip-its they are allowing us to see.  I always thought this was ridiculous, but you know what?  I’m guilty too.

I’m guilty in that I absolutely compare myself to the girls with the beautiful clothes, perfect messy buns, gorgeous homes.  I do.  I wonder how they look so great all the time and how their lives are so shiny and beautiful and mine is just such a mess.

But I’m also guilty in the sense that I also heavily edit my life.  Now I don’t do this because I want people to think I live a perfect fairy tale or that I’m better off than anyone else.  Quite the opposite, I don’t want people to see what is really going on and think “Oh wow.  Her life is F’ed UP”.

But here I am.  I’m about to put all that out there.  I’ve put bits and pieces out there before, but if I want to truly expect people to know and trust me, than I need to show them all of me.

And getting to know someone who is never present online, well, that’s nearly impossible.

So here’s my thought.  I’m letting my hair down, you guys.  I want to be ME.  Not some polished, happy version of myself.  Listen, sometimes I get cranky.  Sometimes, I curse.  Ok, well a lot of the time I curse.  Sometimes, I don’t like things.  But that’s part of being a real person.  And I feel like those are all the things that I’m so afraid to convey on social media.

So what is the point of this post?  Well, firstly, it’s another in a growing list of “I’m sorry I’ve been absent” posts.  When I tell you my life has been in shambles over the last year and a half, that is no understatement.

We have had several health scares with family members, some more permanent than others.  From serious motor vehicle accidents, to surgery, to a completely debilitating disease, this year has not been kind to our extended family members.

On top of all that, the home that we are currently living in has been foreclosed on.  We have been house hunting for quite some time, as I’ve mentioned briefly before, but due to our lacking budget, we have yet to find a house that will work for us.  So right now, I’m packing to move into a house that I don’t own yet and we are desperately searching for something while the clock ticks on.

I cry most days.  I hide it from most, but this year is taking a toll on me mentally.  And I know I’ve talked before about how easy it is to shut down when you are stressed.  I do it ALL THE TIME.  But when you shut down and do nothing, sometimes you lose sight of some of the things that make you happy.  For me, my business is one of those things.  I love building my business, interacting with people, making relationships.  HELPING PEOPLE.  I love it and it brings me joy.  But I forgot.

SO here I am.  I am back for the hundredth time.  Be patient with me.  Know that through the madness, I’m trying like hell to get back to happy and back to my business.  I want to shed some layers and become just a little more real, a little more transparent.  Nevertheless, I plan to persist.

What I Do Involves a Dirty Word, But It’s Anything But…

Posted on by Krystal

How’s that for grabbing your attention?

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted, and I know, I’ve been heavy on the oils, light on the life.  Right now there are some heavy, hard things going on in my life that aren’t really mine to talk about.  So for now, I have to leave them be.

What I really wanted to talk about is that dirty word I mentioned.  I guess it’s actually TWO dirty words: network marketing.

Now I may have already lost some of you right there.  No one has good feelings about the term “network marketing” but really, isn’t any job network marketing?  We are bombarded constantly with advertisements for one product or another.  Marketing. To a network of people.  That’s pretty much the name of the game.  But for some reason, when you apply that title to someone like me, a person trying to make some extra money and provide a service without sitting in an office building working for a corporation, it becomes a yucky thing.

And I know this is because a few bad apples (ok, MORE than a few) have ruined it for the bunch.  We’ve all been to the “parties” that feel more like a shakedown.  We’ve all paid more than we should have for something that just didn’t work as well as we were promised.  And there are the dreaded moments when a friend we haven’t spoken to in a while contacts us and rather than having a genuine conversation, it turns into a sales pitch, or endless flattery to prove just how AMAZING you would be as a memeber of their team.  The only thing worse?  Is getting that same message or phone call from a COMPLETE STRANGER that hustled your number out of one of your friends.  Cold calls ARE NOT awesome.

So what am I getting at?

Well, I felt so much trepidation joining a “network marketing” company. I don’t like to be pushy. I don’t like harassing people into a sale. I will not approach someone with the mentality of “how can I make them buy…”.  I was terrified that I would be encouraged to do these things and all with a smile and a lecture about how our product is better than everyone else’s

Two years later, I can confidently say, this has been so much more rewarding than I could ever imagine. I am with a group of like-minded women. Some of them are long time friends. Some of them have BECOME friends. I am in a community where people are constantly cheering each other on (without pressure! Imagine!) and helping each other when things aren’t going smoothly.

I’ve never been one to “know what I want to do in life”.  I had the crazy, unrealistic dreams, but never a real purpose or direction. Then I had kids and they became my purpose. Which is great and how it should be, but I never felt FULFILLED. I wanted something for me. Something I could do and work at to better myself and my family.  I feel I’ve finally found it.

Now, I know you’re wondering “How much money are you making!? You must be killing it if you’re writing this post!”

Deep breath.  Stay with me here.  You’re going to roll your eyes, but know that I mean every word I’m about to type with all my heart.

I started this business thinking I would never sell.  I didn’t know many people and I’m not a salesperson.  I loved my oils and loved what they did for my family.  That was enough for me.  Whatever happened business wise happened and that was that.

Do I measure my success by the size of  my paycheck?  Nope.  If I did, I would have quit this months and months ago.  I never thought I would even GET a paycheck.  

I have focused my energy on making connections with the people on my team.  I’ve focused on getting essential oils into the hands of those who need them, whether that means friends, family, or acquaintances.  I measure my success off of my family’s wellness and my own happiness.  That is all.  If there is any money coming in, well that’s just a bonus.  

Now, are you always going to like and get along with everyone?   No.  There are people in this business that I don’t see eye to eye with.  And you know what?  That’s ok.  They still have things to teach me, even if that “thing” is teaching me how I DON’T want to run my business.  

So at the end of the day, I guess what it all boils down to, is that even I had preconceived notions about what this journey would be like.  And honestly, I was wrong.  Am I sitting at the top of the food chain in my mansion?  Not yet.  But I have made my family better, my confidence a little better, and I’ve also made genuine friends.  So if that isn’t winning, what is? 

 

 

 

Let’s Get Real

Posted on by Krystal

90% of having a blog (for me) is ignoring it because you can’t think of anything to write.  Truth.  But sometimes, something hits you in the  middle of the night and keeps you up while screaming “YOU HAVE TO WRITE ABOUT THIS!!”  That was last night, and this is me, tired but listening.

Now I’ve been pretty open about Slugger and his ADHD/ODD diagnosis, but what I’ve failed to mention is that I suffer from mental illness.  There it is.  Bomb dropped.  It’s out there.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults will experience mental illness, so I know I’m not alone.  Regardless, mental illness is still a taboo subject for a lot of people and therefor most people suffering aren’t very forth coming about their experiences.

So here we are.  We are talking about it.  I was diagnosed some time ago with chronic depression and anxiety.  Now, what drives me out of my mind, is when people say “Everyone is depressed.”  or  “The whole world has depression!”  Trust me.  They don’t.  But there are a lot of us.  Chances are you may not know someone in your circle suffers.  Let me explain.

Again, this is where I pause to say that what I’m about to talk about is my personal experience.  I do not speak for everyone; I only speak for myself.  I am not a medical professional.  If you are struggling with ANY health issue, mental or otherwise, please reach out to your doctor.

Ok, now that we have that out of the way…

I think a common misconception is that people with depression are “just sad”.  Which leads to a group of uninformed people who think that by saying “We’re all sad!  Just get over it!” magically, they’ve found the cure for depression.  But it’s so much more than “just sad”.  It’s raw.  It’s painful.  It’s all consuming and all encompassing.  It means there are days where, despite knowing I have a million things to do, I don’t make it off the couch.

I feel like I’m not good enough.

I’m not smart enough.

I’m not pretty enough.

I’m not funny enough.

I’m not skinny enough.

I’m NOT ENOUGH.

I spend everyday feeling all of these things.  When you couple that with my anxiety, I now also worry about how I’m none of these things.  And again, “We ALL worry.”  Yes, but this worry doesn’t go away.  This worry tells me I don’t belong… I don’t deserve… I don’t need…

On a typical day, I leave my house, let’s say, to go grocery shopping.  Easy enough, right?  We all have to do it.  Now where most people go about their day and get the things they need without a second thought, my trip is a little different.  My brain tells me I’m in the way.  I’m inconveniencing everyone around me.  I don’t deserve to be there.  I imagine everyone I come in contact with leaves thinking about how much of a waste I am.  How I can’t do anything right.  How I was in their way.

Now, rationally, logically speaking, I’m pretty sure most people don’t even notice me.  I’m like 80% sure.  I know this.  But in the moment, I cannot convince my brain that everything is fine.

I once had a therapist tell me:  “You know, it’s really self centered of you to think EVERYONE is paying attention to your every move…”

And I see her point.  But trust me when I say it doesn’t stem from self centeredness.  Quite the opposite.  It’s a serious lack of self esteem with a heap of depression and a sprinkling of anxiety.  Needless to say, I didn’t go to that therapist anymore.

So what do I do about this?

Here comes another disclaimer:  Don’t handle it the way I do.  Seek professional help.

I have convinced myself that because I know and can rationalize why I feel the way I feel, therapy isn’t for me.  I don’t need to talk things out to come to a conclusion.  I’ve felt this way my whole life.  Literally.  And I’ve had a lot of time to soul search and understand where this all stems from.

I also don’t want to take medication.  I know it works amazingly for some, but I’m just not there.  I’ve tried it once (I know, I know) and there was no difference really.  So I’ve just told myself I don’t need it.

Depression is a funny thing.  You have this illness that tells you how worthless you are everyday.  And then you’re expected to get help.  What those on the outside don’t realize is that you don’t feel like you deserve help.  There’s someone who “really” needs it.  And it can’t be you, because you don’t matter.

Pretty messed up, huh?

So if you’ve gotten this far, and you know me personally, you’re probably thinking “But, you don’t act like this.  You’re always laughing and smiling.”

Well, this is how I deal with it.

When I’m around people, I tend to be a little too loud, a little too awkward, a little too happy.  Because I want what any one else wants.  I want to be someone people want to be around.  I don’t want to be isolated all the time.  So I do and say the things that I think I should.  I bury all the things that are whirling in my mind so as not to be a burden to my friends and family.  And this is why I say you may not know that someone has depression.  We sometimes hide it.  We want to be happy as much as the next person, and sometimes you have to fake it ’til you make it.

So why am writing this?  Why am I pouring my heart out on a blog post that maybe 5 people will actually read?  Well, you always hear “Don’t compare your behind the scenes to someone else’s highlight reel”.  That seems to be a big thing with the invention of social media.  So, if it helps one person feel less alone, if it helps one person better understand their friend or family member…

If it helps one person, it’s worth uncovering my behind the scenes.

 

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.

 

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Posted on by Krystal

Vacation.  HA!  That is hilarious.

So I’ve been missing again.  I received an awesome reminder via my email that it has been FOUR MONTHS since my last blog post.  Which just sounds wrong.  I refuse to believe it’s been that long.  But I digress.

We have less than two weeks until school starts here and I’m having conflicted emotions because this is the first time BOTH of my kids will be in school full time.  I want to be sad about it, but I’m ecstatic.  Maybe that makes me a bad person.  But whatever.

So what, you might ask, has been taking up all my time this summer?  Well the vast majority of it has been trying to keep my children alive.  You would be surprised how hard that is.  It requires feeding them, breaking up ridiculous fights, and trying not to murder them.  If you murder them, then honestly why did you bother doing all of those other things?  It would just be silly.   So I find that I’ve been saying “Just go away!”  a lot.  Because I can’t murder you if we aren’t in the same room.  I’m not Carrie.

So the keeping alive of the children was especially difficult this summer because the hubs and I decided we each needed our own vacation.  In the hospital.  A month apart.

I have to say, that my husband was at least courteous enough to wait until baseball season had ended.  The night of Slugger’s last game, he started to complain about a pain in his knee.  He hadn’t done anything to it, but he’s notorious for having horrible joints and being that he spends the entire day on his feet, we didn’t think a whole lot of it at first.  But then he went into work the next morning and couldn’t even stand.  He had to come home and tried to convince me that his giant, red hot knee wasn’t that serious.  I wasn’t convinced and long story short, he ended up hospitalized with an infection under his knee cap.  There were lots of antibiotics involved and a surgery to drain it.  After a little less than a week, he came home.  It was weird and scary.  I didn’t like it.  Not a highlight of my summer.

While this was going down, Pixie decided she wanted to participate in the Little Miss “Insert name of our town here” pageant this year.  So, while her father was in surgery, we were standing around in a super hot field, waiting to see what tiny person would be crowned.  My daughter had NO CLUE what any of this entailed, but was super excited because she knew she got to wear a dress and stand on a stage.  Which is more or less all she did, along with flashing the judges her underpants randomly whenever she felt nervous.  She didn’t win, but now we know for sure she’s my kid.13423875_10209530964381234_9101752849184228286_nEven though she didn’t win, she received prizes for being a runner-up.  Prizes = Winning.  So she promptly left there telling everyone she met that she was the winner and the new Little Miss.  Eh.  Whatever.  You do you, Boo.

So this brings us to July.  My hubs was recovered and back to work.  He stubbornly went back before being cleared by the surgeon and then rubbed it in my exasperated face when the surgeon agreed with him at his next follow up.  Men.

July started out as a pretty magical time.  Our school does a summer enrichment program for all grades INCLUDING the kids going into Kindergarten.  So both of my snowflakes were signed up faster than you can say “BYE KIDS!”.  It was about three hours a day/four days a week.  Which is perfect for both of us to get used to the idea.  I would love to say that I was productive during this time, but seriously it was only three hours.  You can’t do anything in three hours, so I didn’t even try.  I caught up on some reading.  Because then I was learning things too and everyone was better educated after those three hours.  At least that’s what I tell myself.  13599930_10209667783921637_4293443858245239248_nNotice Slugger’s completely mismatched socks.  This kid.  He’s going to be the death of me.

Speaking of Slugger, he turned ten at the end of July.  I’m still in denial.  I’ve covered the many things I’m not qualified for and having a ten year old is just another thing to add to that ever-growing list.  I mean, I was ten not that long ago.  I don’t know what I’m doing here.  I have no idea.  Soon we’re going to be having THE TALK and seriously, I’m not qualified to lead THE TALK.  And my husband won’t have THE TALK, because he, well, doesn’t talk.  WHAT THE HELL!?  I can’t do this.  I need to huff some Stress Away.  I’ll be back.

Ok.  Let’s not talk about that again.

Here’s the part where we get to my tale of misery and woe.  Let me preface this by saying: the only time I’ve been hospitalized was when I was birthing my children and though I didn’t enjoy it, at least I went home with a prize.  Like, “Sorry that was painful!  Here, have a baby!”  I can deal with that.  This wasn’t like that.

Things are about to get gross.  You’ve been warned.

I woke up one morning with weird stomach pain.  Now, this isn’t THAT unusual for me because I’ve had weird stomach pain for a good portion of my life.  The fact that I HAVEN’T had any pains in a while was more unusual.  But any way…

So I think that these are the pains I used to get and I bust out my Digize.  Then I ate some yogurt, because in my head I was all “Yogurt has probiotics”.  I ended up regretting that, because only a few moments later, I ended up seeing that yogurt again.  Gross.  So I call the hubs and really at this point, my main concern is that the kids want lunch and I can’t stand long enough to make lunch, so for the love of all things holy can he please come home and make them lunch?  He comes home, makes them lunch, and proceeds to tell me that I probably shouldn’t feel like I’m in labor and that maybe we need to go to the ER.

So I get my act together enough to roll out of bed and put shoes on.  I did not care that I was wearing little sail boats on my pajama pants.  Didn’t care.  But I did put a bra on, because wearing pajamas while needing a shower and not brushing your hair is a lot to deal with on top of free swinging boobs.  Yeah.  I said it.

If all this wasn’t enough, I hobble myself to the door just to open it up to a BEAR on my deck, hanging out.  In the middle of the afternoon.  This is my life.  Thankfully the bears around here don’t know they’re vicious and can be scared senseless just by whispering aggressively at them.  Which is precisely what I did.  I angrily whispered “What are you doing!?  Get out of there!” and the bear looked at me like I was the scariest whispering person ever and took off.

I learned a super important lesson this day.  If you want to get through the ER quickly, just start vomiting.  No sooner did I start, a nurse rushed in with an IV full of anti-nausea meds.  Which was helpful.  Especially since it was slightly humiliating that every time I threw up, the elderly lady next to me would yell “GOD BLESS YOU!”  She was hard of hearing and I’m pretty sure ended up being my neighbor once I got moved to a permanent room.  Unless I was just blessed with two different deaf old ladies during my stay.  I mean, anything is possible.

I really didn’t think any of this could get worse.  I mean, I was already puking into a bucket and groaning with my eyes half closed for all of the Emergency Room to see while receiving numerous blessings.  That’s an all time low for me.  But then, I went in for a CT scan.  Which was fine.  I mean, whatever.  But after the CT scan, I started to feel very hot.  And queasy.  And the poor, distinguished looking gentleman in a lab coat had to rip me out of the machine so that I could once again resume vomiting.  However, at this point, my stomach was empty.  So instead of vomiting, just made awful noises while retching into a bucket and proceeded to PEE ALL OVER THE TABLE I WAS SITTING ON.  Yes.  I peed.  On the CT scan table.  So then I was groaning, and apologizing, and kind of hoping I would magically lose conciousness.  I didn’t.  But at least the lady next to us couldn’t hear the story when I had to repeat it to my husband upon returning to my assigned cubicle.

So skipping lots of other barbaric stuff, I ended up admitted with what they THINK was an infection in my large intestine.  We are really good at weird mystery infections around here.  So I basically had to lay in a bed with an IV and starve for a few days.  Which was ok, because I was in so much pain that eating wasn’t even a thing I wanted to think about.  THAT’S A BIG DEAL.  I LOVE EATING.  AND THINKING ABOUT EATING.  But anyway…

Things were running smoothly until the antibiotics really started to kick in.  Because the side effects of the antibiotics?  Stomach pain and diarrhea.  The irony was not lost on me.  And I was kind of ok with this anyway because I hate vomiting and would much rather sit on the pot than kneel in front of it.  Everything would have been roses.  Except, that morning, they moved my IV to my right hand.  I’m right handed.  You would think that wiping your butt with the wrong hand would be as easy as just visualizing what the dominant hand does and then, you know, doing that.  BUT NO.  My left hand is for aesthetics only.  It can’t follow directions.  I sat there longer than I’d like to admit just willing it to do my bidding.  It.  Was.  Terrible.  At one point, I missed my target completely and ended up sticking my hand in the toilet water.  I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.   Don’t try it.

I’m feeling much better now.  I still can’t eat quite like I used to and still have random pains, but I’m off all meds and am alive and can wipe my butt.  So it’s all gravy.

WHILE ALL THAT WAS HAPPENING, Pixie started cheerleading.  Which has been a fascinating experience.  I missed her first couple of practices because I was busy sticking my hand in toilets, but for the last two weeks I’ve been taking her and goodness, my kid is going to be a star.

She’s not interested in what the other girls are doing.  Oh no, not my child.  She’s putting her own twist on EVERYTHING.  A lot of it involves jumping.  She jumps.  A lot.  Which is cool because if I jumped, I’d pee, just like I did on the CT scan.  Have kids, they said.  It’s fun.

Anyway, cheerleading has been 2-3 nights a week.  Pixie still really doesn’t understand why they have to show up and do the same things over and over, even though I’ve explained that’s what PRACTICE means.  So it’s been challenging.  Tomorrow is their pep rally, and I’m sure it’s going to be a big, adorable mess.  I’m excited.

AND THIS HAS BEEN MY SUMMER.  If this was being graded, I’m sure the teacher wouldn’t have bothered and probably just would have called my parents to make sure I’m not on drugs or something.  But I’m not anymore.  I finished them, remember?

And though I’d like to say this has been a great summer, it really hasn’t.  I’m glad it’s almost over.  Bring on the school year.  BRING IT ON.

Itovi, Utovi, We all, umm, tovi 

Posted on by Krystal

So I had posted on Facebook some time ago that my Itovi had arrived.  

What the heck is an “Itovi”?

Well I’m going to tell you what it is and what it ISN’T. 

 itovi

There it is, in all it’s tiny glory.  
The Itovi is a personal scanner. Sounds pretty sci-fi, right?  And in so many ways, it kind of is. 

The Itovi uses a technology called “Bioimpedance” to tell us about our own bodies and health. Bioimpedance is the same technology used in most of the fitness trackers people are using these days. Basically, tiny frequencies of electricity are used to bounce around and report back on what is happening in your body. That’s probably the least scientific way to explain this, but Google. Just. Google. 

So after a scan that roughly takes about two and half minutes, you get a read out that looks something like this:

 

So, the read out you see is actually from Pixie’s most recent scan.  Now if you’re like my dad, you’re probably looking at this wondering what any of this means.  As you can see, of the 273 bio points scanned, 72 of them can use improvement. Now this information is based off of so many variables: sleep, stress, diet, exercise, water intake, and so on. 

What this scanner doesn’t do, is diagnose.  I am not a doctor and I’m not going to tell you that you have small pox, or the measles, or whatever else.   

But this scan shows me that based off of this readout, Pixie would have the most beneficial results using Petitgrain. It gives the Young Living description of each suggested oil or supplement and nothing more. So now what? 

Now, I would take this information and research Petitgrain on my own. Knowing what it assists with and what benefits it has leads me to a plan of action as far as how I would use this oil on Pixie. And that’s the gist. 

Do you need extra knowledge of oils to use the scanner?  Not necessarily, but it certainly helps fill in some of the gaps here.  I’ve been more or less running the scan and then providing each person with a full break down or “oil map” letting them know the nitty gritty details. 

Overall, it’s an amazing tool that offers the most customized results possible. Regrets?  None. 

I will say, the results we’ve seen have made tremendous sense when considering our various health concerns. I even eliminated one of the supplements I’ve been taking for a few days (totally intentional, not because I’m lazy. Ha!) and low and behold, there it was in my next scan. Voo doo!  Or, even better, science!  So cool. 

If you’re interested in getting scanned and are local to me here in beautiful New Jersey, let me know!  Or if you’d like to look into getting an Itovi for yourself, or just want more information because I’m a terrible science teacher, visit www.itovi.com

I think it goes without saying, I’ve received no compensation or product for this post (seriously, no one would pay for this). I just wanted to share how excited I was over this new gadget! 

I’m here! I’m here!

Posted on by Krystal

I have been missing for a while!  

I haven’t run away screaming (yet), I’ve just put so many, many things on my plate and I’m trying to keep myself focused and organized on all of them.  I know, I’m funny.

I have been loving the new aromatherapy course I’m taking, but I had NO IDEA it was so involved.  Like, learning about things that I didn’t even know were words let alone concepts I should understand.  It’s deep, involved stuff.  The fact that I’m still marching through it only proves to myself that this is something I’m passionate about.  And that’s a good thing.  A time consuming, stressful, good thing.  So I apologize that this course has taken me away from you, but it’s only so I have more knowledge to impart and more ways to help spread oily goodness.  (Mind out of the gutter, you know what I mean.)

I’m completely in the infancy stages of this course and have already learned a crazy amount of things.  Things that can actually be applied to my daily life.  Which is probably a “duh” concept for other people, but the skeptic in me still lingers in a corner telling me how crazy this all is and that there’s no way any of this is legit.  

Insert science here.  So, so much science, you guys.  

After a heaping helping of science, I started to rethink the oils we were using for Slugger.  Lately, he has been struggling again in school.  Part of this struggle is completely psychosomatic in the respect that because we took him off his medicine (about two months ago), Slugger equates this to being able to act inappropriately and blame it on the lack of medicine.  The fault in his logic?  The behavior he’s exhibiting would never have been controlled by the medicine in the first place.  We’ve once again had to have the conversation about why faking symptoms to receive unneeded medicine is a bad thing.  It’s a work in progress. 

The other part of his struggle is attributed to a complete lack of focus.  Rather than the stereotypical ADHD behaivior (i.e. Hyperactivity), Slugger has been almost retreating into his own head rather than working in class.  He literally sits at his desk and stares into space.  For the entire class.   Work isn’t getting done.  At all.

So again, I started to rethink his oil regimen.  I was originally approaching things based off Slugger’s behaivior at home, rather than his work ethic and I think that’s where I tripped myself up.  The behaivior at home is completely different than at school.  At home he’s loud and defiant.  So naturally, I gravitated towards oils that would promote a calming, focused effect.  The problem here is that kid’s with ADHD typically respond better to stimulants.  So no wonder Slugger was zoning out in school.  I was giving him the polar opposite of what he needed.  

After thinking all this through, I immediately made up a roller of the Clarity blend.  This blend is great for supporting cognitive function, but the best part?  The oils in the blend all tend to have an energizing effect.  A STIMULATING effect.  Bingo.  

Two days later, Slugger’s teacher was raving about how he was a totally different kid in class.  He is focused and alert.  He isn’t responding with anger when asked to make corrections.  He is applying his roller of Clarity about 3 times during the school day and it seems to be giving him the boost he needs.   

Thank God.

We just got our bottle of Mindwise in as well, so I have been giving that to Slugger daily to help things along.  I have to say, I’ve been taking it as well, and it is DELICIOUS. I definitely think we need to give it sometime to judge the results. But let’s put it this way, taste is a bonus.  Slugger takes NOTHING in liquid form, but once we got passed the initial taste, he was onboard.  Win.  

So that’s where we are right now.  Onward and upward.  And hopefully more blog posts. 

I’m trying.  

Update:  I’m Lazy

Posted on by Krystal

Seriously though.  I can’t seem to get my butt in gear this week.  I’ve had about 2039840293784 things on the agenda and maybe accomplished, oh, 3 of them.  Anyone else?

Anyway, I figured since I didn’t tackle any of the big things I’ve had planned from this blog so far this week, I’d at least stop by with a little update.  

As I mentioned before, we took Slugger off his meds a little over a month ago now.  There have been some changes, and I thought this was as good a place as any to think them out and put them on “paper”.  Plus, you know, I like you guys.  

So the pros:

I have heard more genuine laughter from Slugger the last couple of weeks than I’ve heard in a while.  Like goofy, belly laughs.  

We’ve been able to joke around a little, which is hard sometimes because he is SO literal.  Like, sarcasm.  I embrace it.  He doesn’t understand sarcasm and gets really upset with me some times.  Whoops.  

BIggest pro?  No more meds.  Duh.

The Cons:

There is really only one HUGE con.  Slugger seems to think that because he isn’t on his medication anymore he now has free reign to act like a fool.  And I don’t mean the goofy stated above.  I mean blatant disrespect and disregard for everyone around him.  More so than the usual.  Now, how do I know this isn’t a side effect?  Well, his meds were for his FOCUS.  Not BEHAVIOR.  

So I have a feeling, in his head, he thinks that he can blame any and all indiscretions on the fact that we are no longer medicating him, when in fact, the issues we are having are completely unrelated.  Ahhhh, kids.  They’re great.

But on another note, we finally got our new oil blend in and I’m hoping this at least assists in Slugger’s anger issues.  I will say, I made the mistake of diffusing it during homework time yesterday.  Never. Again.  Talk about letting the flood gates open.  We are going to have to use this one with caution.  So there’s that. 

I’m super excited because we are going to be trying a supplement for Slugger next month.  Even though his go to blend, Brain Power, seems to be working well for him (when he feels like actually doing work!) I figured the added boost of a supplement couldn’t hurt.  I’ll be trying it as well because, ummm, who couldn’t use some assistance with their continuities function, am I right?  More on that though when it comes in.  

Any way, I’m going to go try to be productive.  Then I can actually present something interesting to you folks.  So hang in there.  It’s coming.  I think. Maybe.  

Exciting Announcement!

Posted on by Krystal

So, I was originally going to work on graphics for a different post today, but seeing as I can’t find my bobby pins (be worried) and Young Living made an awesome announcement today, plans changed.  

I’m going to keep this short and sweet.  Young Living announced a new product line today called the “Vitality” line.  

   
 
Now why is this exciting?  

This line is strictly dietary oils.  Same quality oils with a different, easy to distinguish label.  No more guessing as to whether or not an oil is safe for consumption.  These are especially awesome for those new to oils.  Again, no guess work.  This makes oil use safer and more effective.  Granted, you should still practice safe usage.  Just because they are safe to ingest doesn’t mean you should abuse them.  Typically, a drop’ll do ya.  Which means these bottles last. 

These oils are being released, to the best of my knowledge, in 5ml bottles only.  This is great news.  Why?  Well this means you’re getting these oils at a super reasonable price point.  Frankincense.  IN A 5ML BOTTLE.  You don’t have to break the bank anymore.  I know I have been babying the Frank that came with my starter kit, because I knew it would be pricey to replace.  Not. Any. More. 

Also, 5ml bottles are a great “on the go size”.  Wants to flavor your water while running errands?  Just pop one of these in your purse or pocket and you are good to go.

Am I over the moon about this new line?  You betcha.