My WHY for Sharing

For the year after Lizzy was born, Anthony missed over a week of work a month because I was either too sick, in too much pain or too depressed to get out of bed. Simply put, it was... bad. It was a dark season and after trying literally EVERYTHING to get me the help I needed, we were at a point where a hysterectomy seemed to be the only option that would give me any level of a decent quality of life.

BUT... before we scheduled the surgery, I convinced Anthony to let me try one more natural thing. He was reluctant... not because he didn't want me to get better but because I'd gotten my hopes up and had huge disappointment about so many things before and they all sucked. Like... really sucked. Sucked money, sucked time, sucked energy... and then gave nothing back except frustration and disappointment. He thought oils were weird and that it was just some weird placebo aromatherapy effect. Frankly, I did, too. But something stirred in me when I went to a class and I felt a TINY bit of hope. So... we ordered a few things, I used them consistently and they totally changed my life within a few weeks. We were shocked. And so, so thankful.  (You can read more of the details about my personal story here.)

Because of that, I couldn't keep my mouth shut about it and now I have the HONOR of helping almost 1,000 families get SAFE, effective products and OPTIONS into their homes to change their lives, too. There aren't even words to describe how all of that feels. I know it just seems like I am another network marketing "boss lady" kicking back on some beach "working in my office" with the money rolling in. But... that's really not it. I work hard. REALLY hard. Not because it's good income for our family (even thought it is) but because I am doing something really, really important. These products (and community!) that I am always talking about are actually changing lives for the people that are willing to take responsibility for their length and quality of life... the ones who are willing to NOT take the risk that all the scary research about our cleaners, lotions, candles and OTC medications could actually be true... the ones that are tired of things not working or making their lives worse and more complicated. It's SO AMAZING that it's difficult to put into words. I just want everyone to experience it for themselves so they can fully understand what is available to them, too.

Today, I posted in our team page about the products you see in this photo because they make my life better. It's just that simple. I no longer believe that women need to curl up into a bloating, emotional ball of torturing pain every single month of their lives. There IS freedom available... freedom that doesn't come at a high cost or take a ton of your time or turn you into some crazy all-or-nothing person. Your journey to freedom is just that... YOURS. Nothing more. Whether we realize it or not, we DO have choices and we DO have a say in what crosses the thresholds of our home and the path you take with your wellness. What you breath, put on your skin and eat everyday is going to either increase disease in you, your children and your grandchildren... or decrease. It's YOUR choice. And there is no better time to learn more and do something to move in a good direction than now.:)

If you're ready to learn more, please just ask. If there is something holding you back, let's talk through it. It's really simple... I just want to give you information and give you access to things that could make your life better, too. The proof that it works is there. It's just waiting for your YES to work for you, too. <3 <3 <3

Ditch & Switch

Calling all gatekeepers! What in the world is a gatekeeper?! It is the one who makes the decisions about what products cross the thresholds of your homes. We’re talking cleaners and personal care products here and this is GOOD information.

One of my main goals with our team is to empower all of you to make the best possible choices for the products you and your family uses every single day. So, before you turn down the cleaner aisle at Target, I want to encourage you to stop and think, “Do I have something at home I can use to make what I am about to purchase? Does YL sell something I could purchase in my ER Order instead?” That is EMPOWERMENT. That is you taking back responsibility for your health and wellness. That is you saying NO. We deserve more than what the ingredients in these products give us.

Here are some reasons for why this is so important…

• The average American women exposes herself to over 200 chemicals that her body cannot properly process before 9 AM every single day.
• Over 85,000 Americans were seen in the ER last year for liver toxicity. 1,500 of them died. Why? They were using Tylenol as prescribed. The average American reaches their maximum tested dosage of Tylenol by age… 2 ½. 2 ½ you guys. After that, we have NO idea the effect it has on our health and life span.
• When you look at a bottle and see the word fragrance listed as an ingredient, put it down and never pick it up again. Fragrances are TOXIC and are known endocrine system disruptors. They cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, depression, asthma and developmental disorders in children. 
• Liquid Dish Soap is the number one leading cause of poisonings in the home for children under the age of six. There were over 2.1 MILLION cases are reported last year. Most brands of liquid dish soap contain formaldehyde and ammonia.
• Since 1950, at least 70,000 new chemical compounds have been invented and dispersed into our environment. Only a small fraction of these have been tested for human toxicity. We are, by default, conducting a massive clinical toxicity trial and our children and their children are the experimental animals.
• The EPA reported that women who work in the home have 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside of the home. They credit this to the toxins that are IN OUR HOMES.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement before Christmas saying that your child is less likely to get cancer from a pack of cigarettes in their stockings than Hello Kitty Lip Balm. GLORY SAKES.
• Infertility, cancer, Parkinson’s, asthma, ADD, ADHD, autism, allergies, chronic migraines, hormonal imbalances, reproductive diseases, anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders… all of these diseases can be reduced in our lives by OUR CHOICES. Today, more than 95% of the chronic diseases Americans are crippled are caused by food choices, lack of physical exercise and the toxins we are putting on our skin and in the air of our homes.

Those are some seriously powerful WHYS. Look, you guys. I know this is scary and it isn’t meant to make you feel guilty but the facts remain - Diseases are on the rise at incredible rates and we are learning more and more that toxins are to blame for it. The good news is that WE CAN CHANGE IT. Right now, we have the power to control what we expose ourselves and our family to on a regular basis in our homes. USE THAT POWER. Decide that as products you use every day run out, you are going to draw a line in the sand and say, “NO. There is something better and I will find it.” Why? You are worth it. Your family is worth it. God has a purpose for all of us and we need GOOD health to enable us do what we are here to do.

If you aren’t the DIY person (like me), YL has some awesome options for you. Our Thieves line replaces every single cleaner and soap you use every day. We have dish soap, hand soap, cleaner concentrate, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent and produce wash. And it isn’t expensive either. A $22 bottle of our Thieves Cleaner Concentrate makes THIRTY bottles of the only cleaner we use on every surface of our home. That’s cheaper than anything I’ve ever bought and it’s the most effective cleaner that this clean freak has ever used. 😉

If you are the DIY person, Pinterest will be your BFF! Simple search for Young Living ___________ (window cleaner, dish soap, face wash, etc.) and you will find some great recipes to try. Keep a list of the recipes you like and a shopping list of the oils you need to purchase to make them. Add a few to your ER Orders every month to build up your collection within your budget. Most of the base items for these recipes like castile soap, coconut oil, witch hazel and others can be purchased on Amazon and they last forever. You can even split the cost of ingredients with friends and have a fun make and take party!

Easter Weekend

I decided to read the Good Friday to Easter story in all the gospels this morning. I grabbed my Oils of Ancient Scripture collection because I like smelling the oils as they are mentioned in the Bible. It really helps the stories to come alive and makes me feel like I am almost there right next to Jesus because I am smelling what He was smelling.

Right before He dies on the cross, He asks for water. The soldiers offer Him a rag soaked with vinegar and He refuses it. This has always stuck out to me so awhile ago, I did a little research about what was actually on the rag and why Jesus would refuse any liquid at all when His mouth was so dry that He could barely speak.

What I discovered was one of those things that stops your heart from beating for a moment. I discovered that the Greek word used here that we have translated to vinegar mostly likely meant the oil of spikenard. During Biblical times, spikenard was commonly used to help manage pain. So the fact that Jesus refused it makes that action one of the most profound things He did while on the cross.

He refused any help with the pain He was experiencing because He knew that He had to feel every joint break, every muscle tear, every piece of skin shred, every disease and infection that overtook Him, every depressing and dark emotion, all the HEAVY spiritual weight of taking on all our sin ... He knew He had to feel it all FULLY so that you would never have to feel it at all. He refused something that would numb and dull what He was experiencing so that the great exchange could finally take place for a dying, sick, poor and fallen world.

Who does something that selfless for someone they love?! Not many of us. Who does something that selfless for their enemies and those who reject them?! None of us. It's truly the greatest Love story of all time and when He says that He wants you to have an abundant life here on this earth, He means it. Because He doesn't want anything that He did for you to be in vain.

So, this weekend as you reflect on the Easter story, resist the urge to pick up any guilt, settle for any pain or allow anything to convince you that you are not fully loved. He suffered and died fully IN YOUR PLACE so that you can have what only He deserves to have. IT IS FINISHED. When God sees you, He sees you IN CHRIST. No longer does He see your sin. You. Are. Righteous. All because of Jesus. Such LOVE. Such scandalous GRACE. It would take more than a lifetime to fully understand so stop trying to and just freely receive it. <3 God tells us that as Jesus is NOW so are we in this world NOW. It makes absolutely zero sense. It's too good to be true. But... that's the Gospel and that's our story. I pray you just fall into that truth fully this weekend.

If you haven't yet believed this for yourself, today is your day. It is the LOVE and KINDNESS of God that bring us all to repentance. It isn't what any of us have or have not done... it is this divine Easter story that has made all the difference because it is all about what Jesus has done FOR YOU. Eternal life and abundant life is a gift that you can choose to receive. I pray that you stop fighting with the lies that are holding you back from the amazing gifts that He died to give you. You. Are. DEEPLY. Loved. Whether you choose to accept it or not. But... accepting it will change your life for the better now and forever. God isn't trying to take from you. He simply wants to give you everything that Jesus deserves. <3 It is such a good life and He wants it for you because you, too, are His precious child.

Release & Forgiveness

Many of you do now know this but I lived twenty-eight years of my life in bondage.  Worse than that, I was constantly trying to put people in my life in bondage, too.  I had been hurt in big ways.  A LOT.  And I wore a victim mindset like a badge that I used to justify being miserable and that I used to fuel my desire to control people and circumstances like a puppet master.  I was convinced that if I was going to have peace and joy, the people in my life had to treat me a certain way and my circumstances had to live up to all my (ever-changing) expectations.  That kind of life is a black hole.  It doesn't fill you... it's never ending... it'll never get you what you really want. In fact, it pushes the things you really want further and further away.

I blamed everyone and everything else... until one day I owned up to the fact that if I didn't like my life, I had to change.  As the saying goes, "Everywhere you go, there you are."  I reached a point where I realized that the only constant in my miserable life was... me.  So the fear of continuing down that miserable road with high highs and low lows became greater than the fear of facing myself and letting people around me off the hook.  So I started working on it with God and I am happy to say that CONSISTENTLY pairing these two oils with Scripture, faith-filled words and actions and learning to focus on Jesus instead of myself was the process God used to set me free from all of it.  What used to take weeks or months to get past now takes just a few minutes.  Not kidding.  That's what I call freedom.  <3

I highly recommend investing in these two blends and taking some time to find some Scripture to pair them with if you are ready and wanting to...

... receive and give forgiveness easily.
... let people and situations go.
... trust God.
... be free from your joy and peace being found in circumstances and people.
... have better relationships.

Ask God to know you how to use them and where to apply them for your specific needs and journey to freedom.  <3  He wants you to involve Him in this.  He tells us in Proverbs that it is not in us to direct our own steps.  We need Him.

Some great books that can also help you change your thinking (AKA - renew your mind) in some of these areas are Seize the Day by Joyce Meyer, Grace Revolution by Joseph Prince, Keep Your Love On by Danny Silk, Self Centered-ness is the Root of all Grief by Andrew Wommack and Change Your Words Change Your Life by Joyce Meyer.  I also like the Amplified Version of the Bible.  It gives great enhancements to each verse using various definitions of the original Hebrew and Greek texts.

Seasonal Support

Happy Spring!

I love this season.  Everything in the world gets warmer and more colorful.  It's definitely good for energy and making everyone a little bit happier.

BUT... it does come with its challenges.  Especially in Delaware where the pollen just ruins most of us for several months out of the ear.  Swollen eyes.  Itchy and runny noses. Headaches. Rashes. Scratchy throats.  That is a part of spring that isn't fun so let's talk about how we can naturally support our bodies so we can enjoy the better parts of spring with more freedom and wellness!

SEASONAL SUPPORT CAPSULE
2 drops YL Peppermint Vitality
2 drops YL Lavender Vitality
2 drops YL Lemon Vitality
2 drops YL Copaiba Vitality
Add essential oils to an empty vegetable capsule and top with a carrier oil like Young Living's V-6.  Take this once or twice a day as needed.

SEASONAL SUPPORT ROLLER BLEND
20 drops Lavender
20 drops Lemon
15 drops Peppermint
15 drops Copaiba
Add essential oils to a 10 mL roller bottle and fill to the top with a carrier oil like Young Living's V-6.  Roll on wrists, sinus cavities and under your nose as needed.

SEASONAL SUPPORT DIFFUSER COMBO
3 drops Lavender
3 drops Lemon
2 drops Peppermint
2 dope Eucalyptus Globulus
Add essential oils to an ultrasonic diffuser and operate as directed in the instructions.

Some other great essential oil blends and products to have on hand...

• Raven
• RC
• Harmony
• ImmuPower
• NingXia Red
• Super C
• Allerzymes
• Super B
• MultiGreens (contains bee pollen!)

Also, be sure you are eliminating toxins from your home!  Many fragrances and chemicals in the products we use everyday make seasonal allergies and their symptoms (especially headaches) much worse.  Young Living's Thieves product line of cleaners and awesome selection of personal care goodies make the ditching and switching really easy.  Candles and air fresheners are a major culprit and contributor to the rapid rise in seasonal allergies, too (and so many other horrible chronic diseases).  So eliminate them from your home immediately and replace them with diffusing essential oils.  It's an easy switch because your home will still smell lovely and you will enjoy lots of extra body system support.

As far as diet goes, try your best to consume non-GMO  and organically grown produce.  Einkorn wheat serves as a great replacement to traditional flour and Young Living's isn't sprayed with harsh chemicals and uses original, ancient seed.  It's WONDERFUL for your body.  Drink plenty of water and add Young Living Citrus Vitality oils as an easy way to keep your body detoxed and well hydrated.  Substitute sugar and artificial sweeteners with local honey and add bee pollen to your salads, eggs and sandwiches.  Be smart!  We know what is healthy and what foods make us feel good.

God designed our bodies to know what to do when it comes to allergens.  Unfortunately, OTC medication replaces the healthy and effective function He gave us within our bodies.  Since we are designed to run efficiently, those body systems will shut down if they do not have to work.  So the more medication we take, the worse our allergy symptoms become and the more we have to take for the same results.  It's a slippery slope but we have options!

Start feeding your body systems NOW with quality food and supplements and support healthy system function with these great essential oils.  You will feel awesome because your body will be doing what it is designed to do with God-given support that your body knows how to use!

(As always, these recipes are to be used with Young Living essential oils ONLY.  They are the only essential oils in the world that are pure enough to breathe, apply and ingest.  To learn more about how to have access to them for yourself and your family, please click here!)

Natural Support while Traveling

I am going to Florida for four days next week to the You Infuse Conference. I am BEYOND EXCITED to be filled to overflowing with even more knowledge, clarity, direction and passion for Young Living and my team! < I want nothing more than for all of us to use, love and share our oils... and I want to make that as easy as possible for us. So I cannot wait to learn from some of the top leaders in the company that are doing just that for their teams, too. 

Of course, while I am away I want to make sure I keep up with the routines I have developed that make me feel good.  Traveling and being away from my family will be stressful.  Good stress, absolutely!  But any stress is hard on the body so I want to make sure I am getting the support I need to function at my best.

So here's what Young Living products are on my list for packing for the trip!  (Click here to learn more about Young Living and how to have the best and easiest access to these products for yourself and your family, too!)

SUPPLEMENTS 

• NingXia Red Packets 
• Super B
• MultiGreens
• Super C Chewables
• ImmuPro Chewables
• Slique CitraSlim Packets

OILS 

• Peppermint (focus, energy, occasional headaches)
• Frankincense (youthful skin, cell health, occasional anxiety)
• White Angelica (protection from negative energy)
• Peace & Calming (the name says it all)
• Progessence Plus (supports balanced hormone levels)
• EndoFlex (supports entire endocrine system)
• Cypress (supports healthy circulation during plane rides)
• Grapefruit (promotes healthy appetite)
• Thieves (supports immune system)
• Cedarwood (promotes good sleep)
• Lime (energy, under arms as deodorant)
• Into the Future (focus, emotional support)
• Lavender (skin irritations, relaxation, seasonal support)
• Orange (supports healthy circulation and cells)
• Lemon (natural cleaner, detoxes body)
• Copaiba (supports body's response to injury)
• Deep Relief Roll-On (occasional headaches and discomfort)
• Rosemary (neck muscle tension)
• Clarity (focus, memory and energy)

OTHER

• Thieves Hand Purifier
• Thieves Sanitizing Spray
• Lip Balms
• Rose Ointment
• Bon Voyage Travel Kit (travel sized goodies of all my favorite personal care supplies)
• Dew Drop Diffuser
• Diffuser Bracelets & Necklaces
• Slique & Wolfberry Crisp Bars

All the oils, supplements and hand cleaning stuff will stay in my purse and the rest will go in my carry-on. YES you can take essential oils on planes without issues! I have a diffuser case and oils case from Baggage & Company on Etsy and I love them both... great quality for good prices and they make sure everything stays safe and organized.

Cypress to Warm Up

I know I've posted about this before but we used this again today and it reminded me how grateful I am to always have Cypress on hand. The kids played outside in the snow for about 30 minutes... the last several without gloves because they "couldn't make snowballs with mittens on". Needless to say, their little hands were red and cold as ice when I got them inside and they didn't like it. I put a few drops of Cypress in my hands and rubbed their hands and arms with it. Then, I laid them on the couch with blankets to warm up. They were totally fine and their hands were a normal color within a minute or two. Then, we ate snow ice cream. :-P 

This oil is amazing! It supports healthy circulation and helps to warm your body in the area you apply it. Simply apply a few drops to cold hands and feet and you'll be amazing at how well it works. (No more making your hubby fussy at night because you are touching him under the sheets with ice cold feet, ladies!) ;) I also like using it over my heart and on my legs (hello, pregnancy veins...) and it's amazing diffused with a citrus and Frankincense. Glorious.

So add this to your next ER order now (to earn points on it!) or Quick Order soon if you don't already have a bottle! You will love it... especially during winter. <3