Hey, I’m new here.

So, this is what it’s like to be a blogger? So far I am loving it. I just put my 2 boys down for their nap, I have the house to myself for a while and a cup of hot chocolate in hand. Silence is a luxury nowadays for me. Before I get distracted, let me introduce myself.

My name is Kimberly, I am 27 years old. I am married to the most wonderful man and have 2 sweet boys. My oldest is Rome, 2, and my baby is Rio, 9 months. I know what you’re thinking, and NO I have never been to either Rome or Rio de Janeiro! Maybe one day though. 😄 I work 2 days a week as a hairstylist/lash tech. The other 5 days I am a stay at home mom. I am a LOVER❤️ of Young Living products, so much so that I became a distributor. If you have tried their products, you know what I’m talking about! 🙌🏼 And I live in the suburbs of Chicago IL but feels more like Antarctica.

My reason for becoming a blogger is simple. I want to help! I want to encourage! I meet so many newer moms like myself who want to make healthier and better choices for their families but don’t know where to start. I totally get it. That was me 3 years ago during my first pregnancy. I had every intention of eating only organic, buying only the best products, making all the best choices, but it never turns out that way. Where do I start? What’s the best brands? This cost how much?? It’s extremely overwhelming.

Three long years later, I feel like I can finally help moms to be, new moms, or even experienced moms who have a desire to learn to make better choices for their family.

In my blog posts, I plan on sharing my stories with you. The very beginning of my journey, ( spoiler alert: it all started when I questioned vaccines 🤭) . Then from there, how I began to question everything, from food choices to cleaning products to bath and body products, to my candles😩!! The list goes on and on. The journey was long and exhausting, but that’s why I am here now, to share what I have learned with you! And hopefully you can make better, safer, healthier choices for your family as well!

Since I am a new blogger, if you like what you read, do me a favor and share my blog with people who you think would be interested too!

Also, if you have any questions or topics you are interested in me writing about, health and wellness wise, let me know!

Thanks for reading ❤️

Being a Boy Mom

I know it’s been forever since my last post. I am really going to try to stay disciplined and not go that long again. I really missed it, but as a mom of 2 young and very needy boys, I have been struggling at being consistent with anything! Haha! Hopefully you can relate!

As I’m sitting here now with a few free minutes, I wanted to write about something that’s been in my heart for a very long time. And that is being so thankful for having sons.

Everyone who knows me, knows I’ve always and ONLY wanted daughters. 6 to be exact! I even had all their names picked out. It never even crossed my mind that I would have boys. It’s crazy I know. I was naive. I cried both times (from disappointment) I was told “it’s a boy!” I was so sure I was meant to have daughters and I want to say now that I was so wrong.

I think about this all the time, particularly when I’m picking up balls around the house or when I find a Hot Wheels car in my purse. I am reminded at how wrong I was. And that the plans we have for ourselves aren’t always what’s best for us. I’m sure God had many laughs as I spent my time shopping for girl clothes and jotting down girl names. God knew what I needed was sons and I’m so grateful I am the mother of 2 sweet boys. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

How to Make Money as a $AHM

Please tell me I am not the only SAHM who likes to have/make/spend her own money!?!

I have always been a hard worker. I was a freshman in high school when I got my first job and I have been working ever since. My entire high-school career I had no social life because I was working nights and every weekend. I enjoyed making money! And I loved the financial freedom.

Now that I am 27 and have 2 little ones. The conversation between me and my husband comes up a lot. He reminds me I don’t have to work and I remind him that I want to! I work 2 days as a hairstylist for now. I love what I do and the people I work with. They are my second family. But I know one day I will have to give that up as my boys grow and get schedules of their own.

I never imagined I would one day be a full time SAHM, but I am quickly realizing that is going to be my reality.

So how can I still maintain my financial freedom as a full time SAHM? I want to share with you some of the ways I will always be able to generate an income.

1. Poshmark

For those of you who don’t know what this is, it’s an App that allows you to list and sell your used clothes,accessories,jewelry, etc. Don’t we all have things in our closet that we haven’t touched in a while? List it on Poshmark! This site isn’t just for name brand items. I am in no way a designer hog. I am a very frugal shopper, most of my clothes come from TJ Maxx or online clearance sales. I have made a great deal of cash for the items I no longer wear. Sure, some things I sell for $5 but it adds up. It’s a great way to make some money.

2. Shopkick

This app gives you points for walking into stores! Thats it! The points are then redeemed for a gift card of your choice! It could not be easier. The app will tell you if you are near any stores that participate. You open up the app, walk in the store, a little blue bubble pops up on your screen, you tap it and walk out! Done! I have earned so many gift cards to stores and restaurants this way, it’s crazy! The best place to have this app is at the mall. A lot of stores participate and it actually can be fun! So next time you’re out shopping, download this app and start earning!!

3. Survey Mini

This app requires a little more work then Shopkick but it’s still a super easy way to earn. This app rewards you in gift cards for answering little surveys. The surveys will ask about stores or restaurants that you had recently visited. It takes 30 seconds at the most to answer these little questionnaires. Each time you finish, you get points which then get redeemed for a gift card of your choice!

4. MLM

Last but not least. I save this one for last because unfortunately so many people overlook this option. I used to be one of them, until I came across an MLM company I had a passion for. Let me tell you, the possibilities of starting your own business with an MLM that you love, are endless! There are no job requirements!!! Anyone can do it!

Starting my own business has given me so much excitement and promise, especially as a SAHM. I do my “work” when the kids take their 2 hour nap. I don’t like to call it work because it’s something I truly enjoy doing. That is why I stick with it. I am excited to see what this opportunity can bring me and my family in the future.

The MLM world is changing, especially with social media. I don’t have to leave the house! That’s the beauty of joining an MLM these days. So look at your options, find a company you are proud to stand with and put in the effort!

Can I just say, that in no way do I ever mean to minimize the work SAHMs do! As a SAHM I know first hand the work that goes into raising children, keeping the house clean, cooking meals, etc. I absolutely believe the work we put in around here is enough. However, I simply enjoy making some extra money and this post is only to help out those who feel the same.

***Only 1 week left of the GIVEAWAY, click Here to enter!!!

How I Keep my Kids Healthy

With all the sickness that is going around, I wanted to take the time to write this blog about how I manage to keep my kids healthy. I’m not going to sit here and act like my kids don’t ever get sick, cuz they do. It’s inevitable. But I can honestly say, they are VERY RARELY sick, I’m talking once a year.

So with that said, I am happy to share with you some of the “secrets” in our household that keep my 2 little men happy and healthy.

Vitamins. Every morning my 2 year old gets 2 vitamins before his breakfast. We place them on the table infront of his seat. His face lights up when he sees them! He loves his vitamins! Currently I am using Young Livings MightVites. Since I’m a distributor, it makes sense for me to purchase from them. But before I knew about YL, I used the Critters brand and those were good too.

I’m an avid ingredient label reader. I wanted to make sure the vitamins I’m giving my son didn’t contain artificial anything and that it derived from a good natural source. So be picky when choosing a vitamin. Quality definitely matters.

Probiotics. Along with his 2 vitamins, he gets 1 probiotic. Our gut health is SO important. If we can keep our guts healthy, we are generally healthier. Balancing the bacteria in our guts can have a very positive effect on our immune system. It also helps aid digestion which is always a plus. I use a GNC brand and have been very happy with it overall.

Echinacea. I love this stuff! I typically don’t give him this everyday. I usually will wait till I see any first symptoms of a sickness, or if he’s been around anyone sick lately. I put about half the dropper of liquid into his water. It’s orange flavor and he seems to really like it. Echinacea has a million and 1 uses, but I love it for the additional immune boost. Studies have shown echinacea cuts the chances of getting a cold down to 58%. And if you happen to get a cold, it cuts the duration of the cold by 1.5 days. So this is something we always have around. Especially these winter months.

Diffusing. I think a lot of people don’t understand the power of diffusing a quality essential oil can have on the immune system. Yes it smells nice, but the overall health benefits is why I love it so much. As you know from my other posts, I have a diffuser in every room. And we use them everyday for both the smells and prevention. Thieves in particular is what I reach for during these month. Here is why:

The Essential Oil Desk Reference explains:

“Studies conducted at Weber State University (Ogden, UT) during 1997 showed the antibacterial effectiveness of the Thieves blend against airborne microorganisms. One study showed a 90 percent reduction in the number of gram positive Micrococcus luteus organisms after diffusing for 12 minutes. After 20 minutes of diffusing, the kill-rate jumped to 99.3 percent. Another study against the gram negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed a kill rate of 99.6 percent after just 12 minutes of diffusion.”

So you can see why this is my go to for this time of year. I diffuse for my boys every night. And it’s made a huge difference in their health and our overall health as a family. In addition to diffusing, I use diluted Thieves in a roller and will apply to their feet and spine. I labeled it my ‘immunity’ roller, for obvious reasons. 😂

These are my experiences and I can honestly tell you it works! I expect them to get sick once in a while, but I try my best to keep their immune systems strong. To me that is most important. I hope you all stay strong and healthy in these last few weeks of winter and as we enter spring!

**Don’t forget to check out my YL GIVEAWAY in my last blog post Here!**

Young Living Giveaway!

Have you been thinking about buying Young Living essential oils but haven’t yet!? Today is your lucky day! 🍀

I keep hearing how so many people are waiting to try Young Living essential oils! I can easily understand the hesitation whatever it may be. It took me a while of thinking about it before I purchased a kit myself! But I’m glad I did!

My mission these days is to get YL oils into every household! You need them! Whether you realize it or not! They have been so helpful to me and I want you all to have the same experience!

So, what I want to do for my readers, friends and/or family members, is a GIVEAWAY! A little incentive to help you get started in your YL lifestyle 😁.

So what are you playing for?? Take a look!

Grand Prize: Desert Mist Diffuser ($85)

**The New Desert Mist Diffuser has 10 colors options (including my favorite, the candle-like flicker). Can run up to 10 hours depending on setting!

2nd Place: YL USB Diffuser ($30)

**Can be used in laptop, car or office! Take the smell of EOs with you wherever you go!

(I’ll send your color of choice as long as it’s in stock.)

3rd Place: Thieves Household Cleaner ($30)

** Plant based ingredients! A multipurpose cleaner that can be used on virtually any surface in your home. Safe enough to use around kids and pets! This is a concentrate and is meant to be mixed with water in a separate bottle. This concentrate can make up to 30 bottles of cleaner! 👍🏼

⭐️⭐️I have more good news! For the participants who didn’t win the above prizes, I still want to offer you a free gift. You can either choose a 5ml of Grapefruit Vitality EO or 5ml Lime Vitality EO. Both oils are great additives to water, lotions, cleaning products, or diffuse alone for a fresh citrus scent.

*The Giveaway starts Feb 9 (today) and will end on Feb 28.

I will randomly choose the 3 winners on Feb 28 and will send out the winning email the following day, March 1.

Once I have heard from all the winners, I will get in touch with you all and verify addresses.

**You can expect your prize to be delivered within the month of March. It all depends on your location and the speed of delivery.

Ok are you ready to play?? Rules on how to participate are below!! Feel free to share this Giveaway with anyone you feel may be interested. All are welcome!

👉🏼Here are the rules:

1. Must live in the US

2.Purchase any starter kit using the link below. Click the link and sign up as a member. As a member, you get wholesale prices, commission for referrals, qualify for events and essential rewards!

Next, you choose your starter kit. I recommend the Premium Starter Kit ($160). This kit comes with a powerful diffuser and 11 most popular EOs, and some other sample products. ( pic of starter kit 👇🏼)

Once you purchase your kit, I get an email from YL letting me know you signed up. I will then add your name to the raffle!

3. Subscribe. This will make the raffle much easier for me. I will send out a list of the winners when the raffle is over. Winners must get back to me within 48 hours after the drawing or I will randomly select another participant.

I hope this giveaway will help jumpstart your desire to try Young Living essential oils. Don’t miss out!

I think I covered everything, if You have further questions, please reach out! Purchase link is below:

https://www.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/new-start?sponsorid=13244200&enrollerid=13244200&isocountrycode=US&culture=en-US&type=member

Treating Pain with Turmeric.

My first C-section wasn’t planned. I had all intentions of having a natural birth, but after 3 hours of pushing and making no progress, the doctor advised we do a C-section and I was so desperate I agreed.

Everything went well. Rome was born and was a happy healthy baby.

Being that he was my first, I had no idea what recovery would be like. Since the C-section wasn’t planned, I had done no research as to what I would need to be comfortable. What the recovery would be like or what I was in for as a first time mom just having gone through a surgery. It was very overwhelming.

I was written a prescription for some narcotics for the pain and I was told to take them and ibuprofen for as long as I needed.

At that time, I wasn’t living the all natural, holistic lifestyle I am now, but I knew I didn’t want to take narcos everyday. Reluctantly, I was in so much pain, I felt I had no choice. I was a new mom and didn’t have the luxury of resting. The narcos caused me to have horrible constipation which would lead to stomach discomfort, but I pushed through thinking there was no other option that could help me.

Fast forward 2 years later, I am pregnant with my second and this time it’s a scheduled C section. I must have forgotten how painful it was because for some reason I thought I could get through the recovery without the use of pain meds. I had previously been diagnosed with a bowel obstruction so with constipation being a side effect of the narcotics, I didn’t want to risk anything. (I’ll be blogging about my bowel obstruction journey in the future).

As soon as the c section was over, I asked to be taken off all pain meds. They were making me extremely nauseous and I was throwing up constantly which is not ideal after having a brand new baby you want to hold.

As the pain meds wore off, I could feel the sharp pains from my new incision begin to creep into place. I felt like I couldn’t move. The pain was so intense. I finally gave in and allowed myself some ibuprofen.

At home, as you can imagine, I had zero time to recover. I had a bouncy 2 year old and a crying newborn both demanding my attention. Even while taking the ibuprofen, I was still in pain. I was constantly moving and bending over. With every little move I would make, I would feel like my incision was on fire. At times I wanted to cry, the pain was so intense.

I have a friend who owns a health/ fitness store. I texted him asking what he would recommend as a natural anti inflammatory. He quickly responded with turmeric or cherry juice extract. Later that day I stopped by his store and picked up a bottle of turmeric capsules he recommended. I took 2 pills and within the hour the pain melted away. I couldn’t believe how I was feeling. Suddenly, I could walk upright and not have to slouch. I could bend over and go up or down the stairs without having any pain! I felt over joyed and so relieved that I had found a natural solution for my pain.

Since that experience, I have used turmeric for many things. It’s helped me recover from another surgery I had a few months later too.

It has many health benefits. Some of them being a powerful anti inflammatory, aids in metabolism, natural antibiotic, blood purifier, promotes wound healing and cancer prevention.

My mom now uses turmeric for her arthritis. It’s brought her much relief. We also use turmeric for mild headaches! It really works! It is a supplement we will never be without. Neither should you!

Rethinking an MLM Business

I see and hear it all the time. “Does anyone know of anyone hiring? No MLMs!”

It’s a shame that MLM companies get such a bad wrap. They get discarded because they are often referred to as pyramid schemes. I know from experience, if you want the free time and financial freedom, an MLM is the best route to take. It takes time in the beginning to build your business, but the outcome of that hard work is more then worth it.

As most of you know, I’m a distributor for Young Living. They are a company known for their essential oils, but overall they promote a chemical free lifestyle with other products they sell. They are an MLM company, which means multi level marketing. When people hear MLM the next question always is “oh so it’s a pyramid scheme?”

The answer is No! And let me explain why.

Sales. Doesn’t every sales or commission based job have a pyramid shape? They do! If you think about it, every company has a pyramid shape. There is an owner, managers and employees. Each person making more money as you go up the ranks.

When I think of pyramids, I think of a scam. I think of people selling a product they don’t believe in, to people they don’t care about, taking advantage and saying whatever it takes to make a sale. While I can’t speak for everyone, I can speak for myself and for my upline. We genuinely love the products and lifestyle we are “selling”. I invest my own money in these products. I believe in them. And in turn, I want to help my friends, family, acquaintances and strangers for that matter love them too. I love the changes I’ve seen in my own life and want to encourage and inspire others to have the same great experiences!

No education required. After high school, I went to beauty school and have been working in a salon ever since. I thought this was the only career I’d ever have. I love what I do.

When I started distributing, I never knew I would consider this another career. I didn’t intend on actively pursuing this business. But when you love something, you talk about it and share it with everyone who listens. And that’s how it began for me. The extra income was bonus, and the sky is the limit. I never imagined I would be able to make a living being a YL distributor, but I am well on my way, that’s for sure. And that’s exciting for me. To be able to make 6 figures a year was never a mindset of mine as a hair stylist, but as a distributor it is!

Free time. Most people use the excuse “I have no time to start a business.” But little do they realize just how much they need to start one! One of the great benefits of being in an MLM business is that it gives you free time! Yes, I said that right. There is a point in the beginning where you have to put in some effort, but with time, you create a strong down line and that inevitably will provide you with an income without even having to work (even though you’ll still want to). I know people in this business who take a vacation with their families and will continue to make money that week without having to work a single second! Talk about freedom!

Supporting families. I never thought about this reason until recently, I saw another MLM mom post about it on Facebook. The argument for this being, when you buy from a mom who’s a distributor for any MLM company, you are supporting that mom and her family. You are helping put her son in baseball or her daughter in ballet class. If you can buy a product she is selling versus buying it in a store, you would be contributing to her cause instead of a big box store.

I hope this has enlightened you at least a little. From now on when you hear someone you know joined an MLM company, don’t ignore them or discredit them. But instead, take an interest and maybe even support them or better yet join them!

We aren’t all that bad 😉

Please feel free to email me any questions you may have about starting your business with an MLM company. I’m happy to share with you what I know! ❤️

5 Changes You’ll Notice After Using Essential Oils in your Home

I wanted to share the top 5 changes I noticed after using my starter kit because I hear a lot of people tell me they won’t use all the oils. I can promise you, you will. It’s like diving into a rabbit hole. Once you use one oil, you use another, then another and soon you are using them all and quickly become obsessed. 😆That’s what happened to me and everyone else I know who used the starter kit.

Young Living’s Premium Starter Kit is $160. You receive a powerful diffuser and 11 of YL’s most popular oils. The value of this kit is $300, so the kit is a steal!

I could go on and on about how I use the oils for everyday tasks and remedies, but I’m going to save us some time and just share with you the top 5 changes I noticed in our household once I started using these miracle oils.

1. Better Sleept’s true! If you read my blog post titled “Becoming an Oily Mom” you would know this was the main reason I knew these oils were legit. They helped my fussy son sleep. He’d sleep through his nap and sleep through the night. 🙌🏼

But not only him, my husband and I started sleeping better too. Who doesn’t want to sleep better? I made a roller bottle using coconut oil and lavender (kit oil) and would roll the bottom of my feet before bed. I’d sleep all the way till morning. We diffuse lavender in our room as well. ( All the rooms in my house have a diffuser). So you can see why sleep is my 1st mention. I’m nothing without a good nights sleep.😂 I’m sure you can relate!

2. Beautiful Skin I had read so many times how Frankincense essential oil is good for skin. ☝🏼Let me tell you something, frankincense has many uses, but I use my frankincense for one purpose and that is my skincare!

I know I’m missing out on it’s other wonderful healing properties, but what this oil has done for my skin is unimaginable.

I used to get bad break outs which would then leave acne scars and marks on my face. I never ever dreamed I would be the one to leave the house without make up. I was always too self conscious about my skin. But I am happy to share that I am now that mom that will leave the house without make up because my skin is amazing! I have no redness, my scars are disappearing and my fine lines are gone. I’ve actually had people ask me if I get Botox 😂. I get compliments on my skin all the time!!! It’s so nice to get those compliments because I’ve never had people tell me that before. I have to give all the credit to my frankincense essential oil.

3. Better Health This one I noticed right away, not only for myself but for my boys. My oldest would always get sick around this time of year. His sickness would last for at least 2 weeks. It was miserable for the whole family! But this winter, since I’ve been using my oils, all has been good! At his worst, he had a runny nose. But to me that’s not sickness, that’s the body doing its job. We are constantly diffusing Thieves (kit oil) around the house, using a thieves hand sanitizer I made, and rubbing it on our feet and chest every night. And so far we’ve all been feeling great!

For myself, in addition to the diffusing, I drink hot honey water every morning and night and will add 2 drops of lemon essential oil (kit oil) to my glass mug. It’s delicious, I look forward to it everyday. I strongly feel that has helped boost my immune system as well among other health benefits like digestion. 🍋

4. Calmer Kids I thought this was a coincidence, but now I’m convinced this is true. When I diffuse Stress Away essential oil (kit oil blend), my kids are calmer! 🤭 I swear! I even have my mom diffuse it at her house when she babysits and she would tell you the same thing! I’ve noticed less crying, less tantrums and an overall happier atmosphere during our days at home. You’re welcome 😉.

5. Good Smelling Home

I have a 75 lb Doberman Pinscher and 2 babies still in diapers. I am constantly worried my home smells bad. I used to light candles and use Febreeze everyday to mask odors.

Now that my household is chemical free, it’s worked in my favor. Diffusing oils actually kill the airborne germs, allergens and odor. So there is nothing to ‘cover up’ . That was easy.

I also made my own fabric refresher. I use my Purification (kit oil blend) which is an odor neutralizer and smells wonderful. I’ll mix that with some peppermint or lemon ( both kit oils). I’ll mix it with some witch hazel and water in a spray bottle and spray my entire house down. Unlike the Febreeze I was using, the scent of the oils linger much longer and they are also anti bacterial and will disinfect surfaces. Bonus!

Another quick example, I make a mattress mist for my babies that I spray before they go to sleep to help them relax. Now my boys always smell like lavender and cedarwood 😂. Other people will always mention how good they smell. Haha now you know my secret!

Like I said earlier, I could probably add 95 more bullet points about all the changes I noticed in my home after using Young Livings Premium Starter Kit. Im a distributor because I want to get a kit in everyone home so they can experience what I’ve experienced. So if you have any questions, ask away. Im overjoyed to answer any questions.

If you have read enough and want a kit for your home! Congrats! I’m excited for you!My link is below, please use it and I will contact you afterwards to help walk you through everything you need to know! ❤️

https://www.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/new-start?sponsorid=13244200&enrollerid=13244200&isocountrycode=US&culture=en-US&type=member

All Natural Rash Relief

My son came to me one morning pulling his diaper down and saying “ouch”.

He is not one to cry wolf, so I laid him down and gasped when I saw this nasty rash.

In the past, I used to to use Aquaphor for everything, but since I decided to go chemical free, I was sure there was a way to heal this naturally!

And I was right. I found applying my YL peppermint essential oil every hour did the trick. As you can see in the pic above, it started to clear within the first hour! Not only did it clear, but immediately my son was no longer in discomfort which is the most important thing to me.

This is what I enjoy most about the all natural, holistic, chemical free lifestyle. I love to experiment and trying new things. It’s fun for me, it’s something I enjoy and don’t mind doing. I’m ok with it taking a little longer, this lifestyle is all about patience. In the end I know that I’m making the safer, healthier choice for my kids.

*if you are interested in learning more about essential oils and how I got started, I encourage you to read my blog post below and reach out with any questions ❤️

https://kimberlini24.wordpress.com/2018/01/18/becoming-an-oily-mom/

The Dangers of Laundry Detergents

One of my biggest pieces of advice for families who are trying to switch to a chemical free and all natural lifestyle, is to take baby steps. Switch over one product at a time.

I’m in a hurry to live chemical free, but I am also very frugal and hate being wasteful. So the easiest way to transition is to finish up a product, then when it’s empty, find a safer, chemical free alternative. That’s how I switched soaps, serums, lotions, cleaning products and the everyday product I am now going to blog about… laundry detergent.

Have you ever researched what’s in our laundry detergent? Well I have and let me tell you, it ain’t good 😬. It’s actually a shame. Let me list some ingredients found in most laundry detergents:

1,4 dioxane– a solvent that is recognized by the EPA as a carcinogen. It’s been known to cause headaches, vertigo, irritation of eyes, nose and lungs, can cause liver and kidney damage, etc.

Quaternium-15- a cleaning agent. Also known as a carcinogen. It’s been linked to eye and skin irritations and possible liver damage.

Phosphates/EDTA– make detergent more effective. Toxic ingredients that are harmful to the wildlife in our ponds and streams. They are also known to kill cells and damage DNA ☠️.

These are just 3 of dozens of harmful chemicals found in laundry detergents. When I really stop and think about this, it really upsets me. I get angry because these ingredients can directly affect myself, my husband and most importantly my babies!

I obviously wash all our bed sheets, clothes, stuffed animals, blankets etc. with these harmful ingredients. The sheets we spend 8 hours sleeping on each night, the clothes that touch our skin every second of the day, the blankets I cover my sleeping boys with, could potentially be causing our health to suffer.

So what now? I’m glad you asked. 👍🏼

Switch!!

There are many brands out there that are toxic chemical free. Do the research and make the safer choice. Remember to invest in your health. It might be costly to buy at the store, but it’s the best choice you can make for your family. Or try making your own.

For myself, I decided I wanted to try to make my own and I’m glad I did! It’s SUPER cheap and works really well. I made 2 gallons of detergent for less then $7. It’s just as effective and perfectly safe!

I did some searching on Pinterest for DIY laundry detergents and I found a recipe I really liked! I used

*Organic Washing Soda that I purchased on amazon for $10.

*Trader Joe’s baking soda

*Dr.Bronners Organic Castile soap

* YL essential oils (I chose lemongrass and spearmint)

It took me a whole 5 minutes to make! 😂

That’s it. Baby steps are better then nothing when it comes to the chemical free lifestyle. If you need exact measurements for this recipe, let me know I will happily share that with you.

Also, feel free to ask for help or advice if you want more DIY ideas! I’d love to help ❤️

Staying Oily in a 3rd World Country

I’m home!

The last 5 days, I was in a town called Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, working at an orphanage there. This trip was my 7th time there and to say I love that town and the people there would be an understatement.

I highly recommend everyone take a missions trip at least once in their lifetime. I believe serving others should be done on a regular basis, and I encourage everyone to put a missions trip on your bucket lists! You won’t regret it!

I wanted to share how I maintained my oily, organic, chemical free lifestyle in a 3rd world country.

I had no idea how this was going to go. The last time I was there, I didn’t have the knowledge I do now and therefore didn’t care what I ate or put on my body.

I was nervous and excited at the same time, to see if I could make this lifestyle work. I have to honestly say, I am very proud at how well I did.

To start, I always get motion sickness on airplanes. I would take Dramamine before every flight. To get to where we were going, we take 2 flights!

I had no idea which oils I wanted to bring with me, so I brought them all just in case! 😂 And I’m glad I did. I immediately got nauseous as the plane took off from O’Hare. I grabbed my peppermint essential oil and direct inhaled it 3 times. I applied some to bottom of my nose, temples and around my ears. I closed my eyes and just breathed. After a few minutes I felt completely fine. I was so thankful. I wanted to make sure I didn’t get nauseas again, so before every landing and take off, I did that same thing and it worked like a charm! That was huge win for me! 👍🏼

A lot of the work we do there requires us to be in the grass, dirt and mud so another big problem I worried about was the bug spray. Where we were going, No-see-ums are a big problem. If you don’t know what those are, you are very lucky 😂. They are basically super small insects that bite you and leave the itchiest red bump and are a huge pain in the butt! The only thing that has worked in the last for me was 99% Deet I would get from Bass Pro Shop.

Well this year, since I’m trying to be a chemical free as possible, I decided I would make my own “deet”. I did some research and decided I would use Lemongrass and Citronella essential oils along with some coconut oil and use that as my bug spray. Guess what? It worked!!! I had mixed it in a carry on spray bottle and reapplied every few hours or so! My legs are bite free! My essential oils worked just as well as the Deet and I couldn’t be more excited about that.

Eating organic is not as easy to do in Jarabacoa. When it came to eating, I brought a lot of my own snacks from home. Did I eat organic 100% of the time? No way! I had to pick and choose. Not to mention, to refuse a meal from these people who prepared it was considered rude. But I did the best I could and for that I am content. There were a lot of opportunities I could have caved, but I stayed strong. Speaking of picking a choosing…

One night I went into their “downtown” area with a friend of mine who is a local there. He was hungry, so we stopped at a small place so he could get something to eat. I had ate earlier so I wasn’t hungry, but he bought me a sandwich anyway. I have no idea what this sandwich was, I watched him make it and it looked like some kind of ham or thin meat that was fried and then a bunch of other ingredients placed on a bun. He handed it to me and I didn’t want to refuse his offer so I accepted and he watched as I took the first bite. I told him it was delicious and thanked him for his kindness but said I was full and didn’t want anymore.

As you can imagine, later that night I was laying in bed with stomach pains. I remembered I had brought my Digize oil and I quickly put a few drops on my stomach and rubbed it in. Within minutes I felt no discomfort and was able to fall asleep.

These are just my favorite examples of how thankful I was to have brought my oils. I, of coarse, used other oils during my time there, but was most impressed with the stories I just shared with you!

I hope to encourage you to try using oils as a replacement for your everyday go-to products. I think you will be surprised and glad you did!

**For those interested in getting started with oils, you can read my blog titled “Becoming an Oily Mom” and feel free to ask me any questions. ❤️