fun in the sun.

It is finally time for warm weather, which means lots of playing outside in our future! We pulled out the water table yesterday and stayed outside almost all day long! I pulled out the patio umbrella and we even grilled hamburgers last night. So much fun! I was able to do a little work on my newsletter for Young Living Essential Oils and even had someone call me to ask to questions and find out how they could get their Premium Starter Kit. I feel so blessed that my name is getting out there and that people know to call me. I've never been successful in these types of things, but this is coming so naturally to me, and it makes me happy!

I am doing my 3rd vendor event this coming Saturday at the Thorn Hills and Hollers Day. Lots of vendors will be set up, plus there will be food and music - and I have friends and family who will be there as well, so it will be a great day! I will be selling home made sugar scrubs, bath salts and oatmeal face masks as last minute Mother's Day gifts.

Speaking of Mother's Day... it's always a hard day for me. I'm glad that I have a lot going on this weekend to keep my mind off of things. Since my mother died when I was 3 of cancer, I've never enjoyed this day. Having Ava has made it much less depressing, but I still get a little down when I really sit and think about it. Seeing all the pictures of everyone with their mother just breaks my heart a little that my mom isn't here to share this day with me, see how I grew up and watch her granddaughter grow and thrive. I know she can see me, and is always with me, but I wish I could just sit and talk to her and hug her. I have only 2 memories of her, and I cherish those and play them over and over in my head so I won't ever forget. My best friend lost her mother in a car accident when she was 15, so I do have someone who can empathize with me. I hate that we both lost our mothers, but I'm glad to have someone to talk to who understands.

Ava had her 2.5 well visit today, and she did so much better with the Dr. than she has in the past. She did cry when the nurse came out to the lobby and when we did her height and weight, but she didn't cry at all when the Dr. came in. I was so happy! Normally she has a crying fit and nearly hyperventilates because she doesn't like people she doesn't know touching her. She was still very nervous, but there was no crying and screaming. I was actually able to talk to the Dr. instead of screaming over Ava. It was nice. She is doing a lot better with her size. She is still petite, but we have moved up to 18% in weight and 2% in height. She was very impressed with her speech and how well she spoke. She did say we are ready to see a pediatric dentist, and that frightens me, because I already anticipate her being inconsolable. We will cross that bridge when we get there.

Citrus Burst Body Wash.

I've been waiting on that perfect recipe for some good body wash that lathers really well (hard to do with castile soap), smells great, and makes you feel nice and soft afterward. After playing around, I finally perfected it! Since I typically shower in the morning, I thought a good Citrus blend would be great at waking me up. I was right! This stuff smells awesome!

What you'll need:

• A glass bottle to keep your body wash in. Citrus oils are so potent that they will eat through plastic. They will also leach any toxins out of it. I opted for an olive oil bottle found at Walmart for under $3. It doesn't have a lid you need to worry about opening, and is small enough to sit on the corner shelf of my shower.
• 8oz. Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap (I use Baby Mild)
• 20 drops Vitamin E Oil
• 4 tsp. Vegetable Glycerine
• 40 drops Young Living Orange Essential Oil
• 40 drops Grapefruit Young Living Essential Oil

 I just started out with putting in the castile soap, then added all of the other ingredients, saving the essential oil for last. Once everything was added in, I shook it up really well. The vegetable glycerin is the secret to the suds. I really need things to lather for me to feel like they are getting me clean. This worked with my body poof, but I think a sponge would be even better. I'll be getting one of those to use with this body wash my next grocery shopping trip. Just plan on shaking it up a little to get everything mixed well before each use. This is such a better, natural alternative to store bought body wash - no chemicals!

Comment below with a review if you make this. I'd love to hear how everyone else likes it!

peppermint fudge.

For my first EO 101 class this past Friday, I made some amazing Peppermint Fudge for my guests to try. I wanted to share the recipe with you all, because it tastes like an Andes mint.

Here is the recipe:

• 3 cups chocolate chips 
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 3-5 drops Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil (I only recommend ingesting Young Living oils - You can order your oils from me here)

Melt your chocolate chips in a double boiler. Once melted and smooth, add in your SCM and stir in completely. Remove from heat and add in desired amount of Peppermint EO. I used 4 drops for this batch and it wasn't overpowering, but had a nice mint taste. Have a 7x11 or 8x8 pan lined with greased foil and pour in the mixture. Put in refrigerator and let it set for about 2 hours. Remove, cut and serve!

Sunday FUNday - Thieves Hand Soap!

There has been a lot of concern in the green and medical community in the past 10 years about the overuse of antibacterial hand soap, particularly because it most often contains a chemical called Triclosan. Triclosan has been found to cause hormone disruption in animals and is currently being reviewed by the FDA for safety. Even the FDA’s own site restates that antibacterial soaps may not provide significant benefit over plain soap and water. That being said, I really wanted to try my hand at making my own hand soap for our family.

Did you know that Thieves essential oil blend was university tested for its cleansing abilities? It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health. I absolutely love my Thieves Household cleaner, and just knew I needed to make this hand soap to reap the benefits of this amazing oil.

What you'll need: 

• A foaming soap container (glass is preferable, but plastic will be OK since we aren't using a Citrus oil - I just purchased a foaming hand soap from the Dollar Tree and poured out the contents)
• 3 tbsp. Dr. Bronner's Castille Soap (I use Baby Mild - Unscented)
• 5 drops Vitamin E Oil (I used Trader Joe's brand)
• 1/2 tsp. Vegetable Glycerin (I used NOW brand)
• 10 drops Young Living Thieves Essential Oil (you can sign up to become a member of Young Living here, or contact me via my Facebok page and I can order this oil for you)
• water

It is so easy and quick to make! Not to mention if you already have these products on hand, it will save you so much money on soap!

Here is my process:

First, I added the castile soap into the empty soap container, added the vegetable glycerine, added the vitamin E oil, added the Thieves oil, and then topped it off with water; making sure not to overfill it so the pump didn't make it spill over. I just make sure to shake it a little before each use. You would never know this wasn't store bought hand soap.

lovely weekend.

I've been dealing with Josh having to work overtime for MONTHS and MONTHS. He typically works Sunday-Thursday night, and on overtime, he works Friday night too. That sucks, because it makes him tired on Saturday, and on Sunday he has to sleep... so we literally don't get hardly any family time in, and if we do then he is usually very tired. We were determined to get out this weekend even though he had to work. Ava and I picked up a pizza on Friday night and stayed in and watched loads Peppa Pig and just hung out and had a fun girl's night.

Saturday we decided to go to the new Alumni Hall in Papermill Plaza store in Knoxville. OMG, it was amazing! So much better, bigger and easier to navigate than the one in West Town Mall. It would have even been more fun if the Whole Foods market next to it were open... maybe next time it will be. Josh got a few stickers and a new tag for his new truck. It finally has some personality now and looks great. After that, we went to the mall just to kill some time. All I needed was to make a stop in at VS for some new bras. Sadly, I hadn't been fitted since Ava weaned herself at 14 months... I was wearing the same crappy bra that I knew was way past it's expiration date, lol. I'm so bad about that. Anyway, I found out that I am now a size bigger, even though I feel like I'm 2 sizes smaller. How does that even happen? I got 2 bras that fit SO GOOD now. Bonus is that I did manage to find one that was not black or beige - so, score! I am queen of boring bras. A little color makes me feel fun.

When we left the mall, we went to eat at Wasabis. We love hibachi, but didn't have the best experience there. We are in love with a little local place in Pigeon Forge called Little Tokyo. They have the best hibachi and sushi. Wasabis just doesn't even compare, and it's way overpriced. Ava hadn't napped and she was getting cranky, so we headed home after we ate. We decided, on the way home, to let Ava stay with her Maw & Paw since they wanted to see her. We headed on over to their house and she was really upset. She was just overly tired and teething and not in the best mood. She hadn't eaten hardly anything at all. I hate when she does that. She goes on these food strikes where she won't eat anything. I really just think her molars were bothering her, and of course I didn't have any diluted Thieves with me to put on her gums where they were coming in. I'll know better next time we leave the house!

She stayed the night and ended up having a good night. I met up with my cousin today before I went to pick Ava up. He just got back from a work trip to Germany and managed to sneak back some Kinder Surprise Eggs for Ava. She is obsessed, as many toddlers are, with watching the videos on YouTube of DC Toy Collector opening them up. She couldn't have been any cuter digging into that egg!

Young Living March Promo

Remember that promotions are open to both RETAIL and WHOLESALE customers who reach the minimum PV levels in a single order!!

300 PV Reward

Retail Value: $117.37
5-ml bottle Marjoram
$20 Enrollment Voucher
Ortho Ease Massage Oil
Bonus 5-ml bottle of Idaho Balsam Fir on Essential Rewards orders

250 PV Reward

Retail Value: $71.65
5-ml bottle Marjoram
$20 Enrollment Voucher
Bonus 5-ml bottle of Idaho Balsam Fir on Essential Rewards orders

190 PV Reward

5-ml bottle Marjoram
Bonus 5-ml bottle of Idaho Balsam Fir on Essential Rewards orders

Marjoram

Marjoram is a calming oil, and it has a warming effect on both mind and body and soothes tense muscles after exercise. It is beneficial for occasional simple nervous tension and may also be used for cooking.

$20 Enrollment Voucher

This $20 enrollment voucher can be given to a friend so they can receive $20 off the purchase of a starter kit!

Idaho Balsam Fir

Traditionally used for muscular aches and pains, the warm aroma of balsam fir soothes and rejuvenates body and mind. Known for supporting respiratory function, this herbaceous oil can be diffused for aromatherapy or diluted with a carrier oil for topical application. Also believed to create an uplifting sense of well-being.

Ortho Ease Massage Oil

Ortho Ease Massage Oil soothes and warms tired and stressed bodies, helping to combat the damaging effects of everyday activities. With a calming blend of essential oils, Ortho Ease will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed.  This soothing massage oil contains the essential oils of Wintergreen, Peppermint, Juniper, Eucalyptus Globulus, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Thyme, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Vetiver.

*Disclaimer:  The information on this website is based upon my research and personal use of Young Living Essential Oils. I am not a doctor. Statements, products, and techniques mentioned have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.