Company's Coming! {free download}

Don't get mad at me for saying this but.....

Thanksgiving is in less than a month! You know what that means right?

Christmas is in two months! You know what that means right?

Company in your house!

This is good news and bad news!

Good news...time with your family!

Bad news...time to clean

But it really isn't that bad! I have found ways to get my house ready for company without it becoming a major event. Ok that's a lie. It will always be a major event, but it's a good one.

Here are 4 simple ways we get ready for company.

1.  I get my kids involved. I make a list of all that needs to be done and they choose what they will do. If no one chooses, then I assign them. There is always a reward involved. Even I like to be rewarded when we tackle the task of prepping for company.

2.  I divide the house up into zones. Sometimes that's how we assign jobs, by the zone. Often we will work on the house for several days, one zone at a time.

3. Gather all our tools. I make sure we have easy access to what we need to get that zone cleaned up. If several people are cleaning, I make sure they each have a spray bottle of cleaner and a cloth. Here is the cleaner I use to clean my house with.

4.  I try to make it fun. Try is a really big word. Sometimes I just want it done. Other times I turn on our favorite music, set a timer, give a challenge or whatever I can think of to get it done with a smile on all of our faces.

A few years ago I learned of the importance of reducing the harsh chemicals in our house. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about this before. But it was shocking to me what is in the common cleaners I was using and the harmful effects it was having on our health. I have a son with asthma and realized the cleaners and candles I was using was only making him more sick!

Here is an article that explains what these ingredients are and why we need to avoid them. 

Instead of a bucket of cleaners under my sink that could be really dangerous if my little kids got a hold of them, I only have one bottle of cleaner. It works great. Saves me money. It's very versatile.

Download this PDF of simple recipes that I use when I clean my house! 

>>>> DOWNLOAD  CHEMICAL FREE CLEANING  <<<<<

Chemica Free Spring Cleaning! {Free Download}

Here in Texas, the weather is just about perfect. The days are warm, but not too warm. The evenings are cool, but not too cool. I love this time of year!!

This time of year also brings about a desire to clean & toss out! We have been working on minimizing our stuff. Now it's time to start cleaning.

It has become really important to me to pay attention to what we are using in our home for cleaners, body care products and air fresheners. It only made sense to make changes in those areas if we were making diet changes too. What good does it do to eat healthy if I'm coating my body in chemicals?

Did you know that the average person uses at least 300 chemicals a day and 80 of those before breakfast?  The biggest pollutants are fabric softeners, dryer sheets, air freshener plug-ins and candles.  We are literally poisoning our families when we use stuff that we can't pronounce in our home. Your bright blue dish soap doesn't need to be blue to clean your dishes. When I began to read labels I realized that so many of the ingredients used in the cleaners I was using were toxic!  Many of the ingredients are known to cause asthma or they are endocrine disruptors. That just means that they interfere with the way your body produces hormones.

Think about this...it only takes about 26 seconds for these chemicals to reach your blood stream!

I know what it is like to use chemical cleaners in my home. I saw the side effects but didn't realize they were possibly related to the cleaners we were using.  I began researching the ingredients I saw on the labels and did not like what I was learning.

Tossing the chemicals and cleaning with healthier products was a no-brainer for me! I'm not a DIY kind of person. I have a Pinterest board packed full of great DIY recipes, but that is where they sit. If I can't make it super fast I won't do it. But, I have learned to make a few things that have really helped me.

Dyer sheets are super easy. If I don't use these, I use wool dryer balls and add essential oils to them! So easy & work so well! (I buy my essential oils here)

When I went to the store and saw how expensive the "green" cleaners were I thought, there is no way I can afford this.  I tried using Vinegar & baking soda on everything but I cannot stand the smell.

Enter in Thieves Household Cleaner! (I buy mine here.)

Seriously friends! This stuff is the secret to my super powers when it comes to chemical free cleaning! I have learned to use this stuff to clean my house from top to bottom! It doesn't just work really well, but it smells really good. The ingredient list is short! It even has essential oils infused in it.

I love that it is safe. I can mop my floors with it and when Charlie was crawling, he crawled right through it and I didn't worry about him getting it on his skin.

I love that it's cheap. One bottle is so concentrated that it makes over 20 spray bottles of all purpose cleaner. That's less than $1 a bottle! I couldn't buy the "green" cleaners that cheap.  And since it makes so many spray bottles, that means it lasts me a long time. Double win!

I use Thieves cleaner on my windows, floors, counters, walls, doors, dishes, in the laundry. I've cleaned the inside of my car with it. It is safe on granite and tile. 

I don't just use this in a spray bottle. I've learned to make a few other recipes with it. I think this Tub & Sink scrub is my favorite!

It works so well. Like you wouldn't believe it! Our septic system backed up into our bathtub. My husband wouldn't let me get a new bathtub. I thought there was no way we would ever get that tub clean again. I used this scrub and it came so clean you couldn't even tell what had happened.

My kids are playing outside a lot these days! Which is great, but when they come in they have a bit of an odor about them! One of the products we tossed out was plug-in and aerosol room fresheners.  I love to diffuse essential oils.  But I also like to make room sprays. I keep one in each bathroom and I've even kept one in my car for when those stinky boys jump in.

If you want more recipes that you can use in your own home, I have a free download for you.

>>>>CLICK TO DOWNLOAD CHEMICAL FREE CLEANING RECIPES<<<<

If you are interested in learning more of how you can incorporate Young Living products into your daily life contact me to check out my website.

If you are on Facebook you may find my page helpful as well.

What if Essential Oils are not a Fad?

So, what do you think? 
Are essential oils a fad? After all, there are quite a few famous people who have caught on to them. 


So what is the big deal about these little bottles of liquid?

Anyone who knows me well, knows our family has used essential oils for many years.  In fact, I placed my first order December 2004 with Young Living. Our naturopath had suggested an oil blend to support our son's respiratory system. It did such a great job that I just had to know what it was! We were already using herbs and homeopathic ways to support our health. I was thrilled to find out that the essential oils were simply a much more potent form of the herbs I loved to use! I had 3 reasons to love them.

1.  They worked quicker than the herbs and proving to be more effective.
2.  I didn't have to buy or use as much which means I saved money.
3. I could get them delivered to my door and as a mom of a lot of little kids, that was a huge score!

Over 10 years later, our family has incorporate YL products into basically every aspect of our lives. I love that my kids reach for essential oils before they reach for anyone else to support their health.  I love that after my son works out & comes looking for essential oils to soothe his sore muscles. I love that while my father in law was battling cancer, the Young Living supplements and Ningxia Red juice helped to keep his immune system so strong that he experienced no side effects from the treatments and he had plenty of energy to live life as he normally does.

Ok, but still...what is all the rage all of a sudden? I mean, I fell in love with these products over a decade ago, what is the big deal all of a sudden?

Social Media!

Yep, plain and simple. Word spread super fast, like a grass fire and BAM! Before we knew it, everyone else wanted in on the oily goodness.

So, some may say that this is a fad and in some ways, it probably is. People try them out and then stop. That is so sad to me.
I did that. I used my favorite 8 oils for a few years and then I stopped. The reason is that I didn't understand the difference between Young Living and the oils I could get in the stores. It didn't take me long to smell a difference. And it didn't take me long to experience a difference.  And when I had a true need for the oils, those store bought ones just didn't cut it.

When I returned to Young Living oils, I learned of the difference. It is called Seed to Seal. You can read more about this here.  But, the short of it is unlike any other essential oil company, Young Living has complete control of the entire production process of the essential oils. From the seed that is put into the ground to the seal put on the bottle just before it ships out to you, Young Living controls every step.  The reason they do this is because they want to ensure that the oil in that bottle is of the most pure therapeutic grade quality possible.

So, let's play the "What if" game.

What if, I'm not crazy for using essential oils in our family? Because I have been accused of it.

What if, I'm not crazy for taking a proactive health approach?  Is what you're doing working, because what I'm doing is working.

What if, none of my kids needing a prescription for the last 4 years isn't a coincidence? Many years ago I knew the pharmacist by name & he knew mine.

What if, it's possible to support the immune system with something just a little outside the box of the western school of thought?

What if, you could purchase over $300 worth of these said products for $160?

What if, you could get your money BACK through the referral program?

What if, you could make a little money in the process?

What if, you could change your family's financial destiny?

What if essential oils are not a fad, but are one way God has given us to be healthy so that we can live the life he has purposed us to live?

Any of that, in fact, all of that, is possible.

I rarely blog about our business, but allow me just this one post today.

Today is a great day to get started, but each day is a great day to start. I'd like to ask you that if you aren't going to choose today, why are you waiting?

The cycle you're in can only change if you change what you're doing. It's time to start. I can help.

Monday is Cyber Monday and Young Living is said to have some pretty amazing specials, but there's a catch. Only YL members can take advantage of these special deals.  I don't know what these deals are yet, but as soon as I find out I will be posting on my Facebook Business page, Dynamic Life.

If you are ready to make a change, I can help you get started. I'm not a trained professional in the field of medicine or aromatherapy, but I am a mom who has personally used these products for a long time and I will walk with you, help answer your questions and direct you as best I can.

For the next few days, I am offering anyone who becomes a YL member an extra special offer. Everyone who joins Young Living using my referral number receives one on one product support and a packet of information to help you get started. But if you join with my by Monday, I will reimburse for your shipping and tax as well.

If you are interested, send me this text to 903.502.0135, "I follow your blog, I am ready to get started with YL today!" or you can email me.  Or if you are still not sure, visit my website by clicking the "Essential Oils" tab at the top of the page. You can also contact me via the website.

Is Your Immune System ready?

September is coming in just a few days. I cannot believe it! Do you know what that means to me?

Crazy schedules
Germs
Sweets & desserts (Holidays are coming)
Germs
Being around a lot of people indoor (church & homeschool co-op)
Germs

I don't want to sound negative, but the reality is we are coming into the crazy season!
School has started back.
Our church fall schedule is about to kick off.
Our homeschool co-op is beginning soon.

It can often mean dinner in the car and snacks on the way. Eating out of a cooler instead of at home. Not getting enough sleep. Late night meetings or work sessions for me.

Our body will take a beating if we are not careful. Stress levels can easily get out of control.

And to make it even worse, we are coming into a season of holidays, baked desserts, being indoors with a lot of people who forget to wash their hands when they sneeze or cough, etc...

Is your immune system ready?

How are you preparing yourself for this crazy time of the year?

Stress can get you down so fast you didn't know what hit you! I get stressed out just looking at my calendar! And when I get stressed, I want to eat. I don't want to eat salads, I want a chocolate bar!

Did you know that sugar compromises the immune system? And what do we have a lot of from October until February? Sugar & lots of it!  And when do we seem to get sick the most? October through February.  Coincidence? I don't believe in that! Is there something we can do about it? Of course!



Number 1: Limit or even better eliminate sugar! Sometimes, you just can't. That Christmas party is too much fun, hanging out with your friends is too much fun and the desserts are way to good to pass up. But, limit yourself. If you know that party is coming up Friday evening, avoid all sugar during the week. 
If you know your kids are going to have cupcakes at school on Monday, make it a no sugar kind of weekend. A few days of your kids having no sugar and I have a feeling you will never want them to have it again. My kids always behave better when they haven't had any sugar. And be mindful of those hidden sugars in snacks. Sugar shows up everywhere.

Number 2: Drink a lot of water. This helps the body flush out the toxins that can make it easier for our immune systems to fail. A well hydrated body is a healthy body.  See this blog post for an idea of how much water we should be drinking.

Number 3: Protect your immune system. This is so important. Don't wait until you are sick to make changes. Make them now before you are sick. Build your immune system up so that it is better able to fight off the germs & whatever is floating around.

Natural, Plant based protection is best!

We build up and support our immune system in several ways.

Ningxia Red is a nutritional drink that is packed with fruits, veggies and essential oils. It does not have the junky fruit juices in them like white grape or apple juice that tends to raise the blood sugar. The protein levels of 2 oz equals that of a boiled egg and it scores higher than any other juice on the market on the ORAC scale.  My kids love it and I have to ration it out or they would drink it like Kool-Aid! It doesn't take much of this to give you the nutritional boost to your immune system, that is another reason why I love it!

Thieves Vitality is an essential oil blend that is another mainstay for us during this time of year. Adding a few drops of this to some warm water or into a capsule makes for an amazing body guard to my immune system!

Citrus Vitality essential oils added to my water is how I not only keep myself hydrated, but give my immune system that support that it needs. These oils also contain Limonene & you need to google that so you know why it is so important! Lemon, Orange, Tangerine & Lime Vitality are my favorites!

Thieves hand sanitizer and Thieves spray in my purse so that while on the go, we can protect ourselves from germs.

Number 4: Protect your schedule! It is so easy to sign up for everything. I homeschool my kids, I work from home and I'm involved at my church. It is very easy for me to let my activities get out of control. I have to be very careful! I have learned to set boundaries. I have to say no sometimes. I need to know what is important, what will help us accomplish our goals, what fits in to the purpose of our family.

Stress is a crazy thing and it can make us sick, lose sleep, crave the wrong kinds of food. So we need to keep it in check.

If you want to incorporate Young Living products into your daily health regimen, now is the perfect time to do that!! Contact me today & I can help you get started!!  Or click this link to get started right now! The offer below won't be available for very long.

You can also visit my business site for more information on the products.

Choosing Wellness: What are you Drinking?

I grew up with a mom that was a firm believer in drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.  If I poured some milk to drink, she was right there...

"How much water have you  drank today?"

I just rolled my eyes and drank my milk.

When I was nursing my first baby the nurse and still at the hospital, the nurse told me that I had to drink a lot of water to keep my milk supply up. I figured that water and Dr.Pepper was pretty similar so I drank both.  Not true!

What we drink and how much is really important. Keeping our bodies properly hydrated is not hard, yet the majority of Americans are dehydrated and don't even realize it.  If you are thirsty you are already dehydrated. If your lips are dry, chances are you are dehydrated. If you have a headache, you could be dehydrated.

I like this article by Dr. Mercola about dehydration. Take a moment to read it completely.

One of the first things I did when we became intentional about getting healthy was return to drinking mostly water. I am not good at measuring it, so I can't tell you if I am getting the right amount. An easy formula to tell you how much water you need is to take your weight & divide that by 2. That number is the amount of ounces of water you need a day. It's not an exact number, but a good place to start.

I get tired of just drinking water, so I like to add some citrus essential oils to my water. The citrus oils have some really important health benefits as well, so I'm not only flavoring my water, but maintaining my health as well.
My favorites are:
Lemon
Grapefruit 
Tangerine
 I get my oils here and do not recommend using any other brand internally as I cannot attest to the purity of them as I can to Young Living's EO's.


Herbal teas are ok, but be careful of the brands. Some have caffeine in them and others are not worth the trouble. If it won't benefit my health, then I'd rather just drink a Dr.Pepper. I still like them & I still want to drink them even though I choose not to...most of the time. At the time of this writing I am going on 14 days with no DP.

Back to the tea. One of the things we had to become very intentional about was reading labels and avoiding chemicals. We find chemicals in things we never dreamed...like herbal teas!

Here is a great blog post by the Food Babe concerning what is in our tea.

If you need to remove something you are drinking that is not healthy, make sure you replace it with something healthy.

I need to stop drinking coffee, but am not there yet. This is a process and I'm not ready to ditch my morning mug of Java yet.  Scott went cold turkey on the coffee. He replaced his morning cup of coffee with fresh juice! He is the rock star!!

We drink fresh juiced fruit & veggies through out the day. He juices carrots, beets, cilantro, spinach, celery, apples & oranges and so much more. I joke that if I don't use up the produce fast enough he will juice it. I have gone to the refrigerator many times to get veggies to make for dinner only to find that he juiced them already. The struggle is real! We need a frig just for our juicing produce!  We have a Jack LaLanne juicer and really like it. We have had it for almost 10 yrs.

But there is no way we could eat that many fruits & veggies in one day that we are getting in our juice.

In addition to that, we drink Ningxia Red by Young Living! This juice is an even bigger boost to our health than the juice we juice ourselves. This juice is very high in antioxidants and supports every body system. We have seen big improvements in our health since making this a part of our daily regimen.  Our immune systems are strong, I sleep better at night and Scott only needs one short power nap during the day instead of several like before.

So what are you drinking?

Are you hydrated well?

Is what you are drinking, giving your body what it needs to function and way God created it to?

Don't forget...if you remove an unhealthy beverage, make sure you replace it with a healthy one.

Choosing Wellness is Choosing Life

There was a time, many years ago when our daily schedule was one that was intentional about our health. I was really careful about our food, choosing organic real food, limiting our processed food. Our lifestyle was active. Our emotions were healthy & my walk with the Lord was growing and deepening.

Then 2006 happened. Pregnant with our 10th child, we found ourselves in the midst of a terrible financial crisis. The end result was losing our house and having to move.  Our finances didn't improve and we struggled for many years. As a result I went into survival mode and our healthy lifestyle was not a priority anymore.

Things happened that had not happened in years.

1. We all began to get sick. 
2. I gained a ridiculous amount of weight.
3. My emotions were really out of whack.
4. My spiritual life declined. 

In 2011 we had to move again, this time not into our own home, but in with our parents. I went to my parents with our youngest 4 and Scott went to his parents with our oldest 4 while 2 of our girls moved in with a friend. Survival mode was not even enough at this point. At this point a healthy choice was choosing sweet tea over Dr.Pepper.

Fast forward to 2013. Scott & I knew we had to make some changes or we would be in big trouble. We knew we needed to return to the lifestyle we once made a priority.  It was about more than food. It was about our whole life. Living with his parents was not easy, but it could no longer be an excuse for not being well.

Today.  We eat a lot of raw produce. We juice every day again. We walk at least 30 minutes 6 days a week (about 2 miles). We rarely eat out, especially fast food. We have reduced our sugar intake drastically. We have reduced the "white" foods we eat (white rice, bread, sugar, flour). We take essential oil based supplements and we use our essential oils to support our health and maintain the wellness we have worked so hard to achieve.  We have not arrived by any means. We still have a long way to go!

The result. Scott & I have both lost a considerable amount of weight. Our energy levels are high. My emotions are much more even and my hormones are happy for the first time in years. 

We made the decision to do this in 2013, but it has taken 2 years to finally make enough changes to really see a difference. Our changes were slow. We worked to replace foods, not just remove them.  We are diligent to make time to be active, to get our 30 minutes of walking or working out into our day. That is not easy! 

I had stopped blogging because I just didn't feel that I had much to say anymore. But the Lord has really helped me to see that living is more than just reading our Bible and prayer. That is critical. That is most important. But if we ignore the physical body he has given us we are truly missing out on the life he really wants us to live.  Not only does he desire that our spiritual life be healthy, but that our emotional and physical life as well to be healthy. And I think he wants me to share this part of our journey with you. It's not pretty. I still fail...many days. I still love Dr.Pepper. But, the Lord is really working on me. He is helping me to stay true to my convictions and choose wisely.

Choosing overall good health has really convicted me lately. Neglecting my physical health is just as bad as neglecting my spiritual health. According to 1 Corinthians 6 my body is not my own, it belongs to God. My body is a gift! We should honor God with our body.  It is the only one he gives us!

I'm working to create a series of simple blog posts that better explain what we have been doing and how anybody can do the same. Scott and I are not health experts by any means. We are not certified in nutrition. We are simply working to make better choices in all area's of our life.  These blog posts will not all be on nutrition. There is more to life than food. But, more on that later.

Stay tuned. More is on it's way!

My New Adventure

Have you ever wrestled with God concerning something you don't want to do, but you know he is telling you to do it?

Yep!  Me too.

Remember the posts last year I wrote about surrendering to God?  I just thought I had surrendered.  He had more.

No, he didn't make me stop eating chocolate.  It isn't that bad. :)

There is a part of my life I rarely, if ever blog about.  It isn't that it is too personal, I just never thought this was the right place to write about it.

I never write about my family's health and how we use essential oils to stay healthy.  But God has taken me in a new direction that sometimes I still don't want to go, but I have to admit it is pretty cool to watch him at work.

Young Living is the company we have always bought our oils from.  For 10 years we have used essential oils from them & even when I thought they were too expensive so I bought a cheaper brand I always went back.

Essential oils are amazing. They are alive.  They are the life blood of the plants they are extracted from and when in our blood stream they have amazing qualities and can do unbelievable things.

Young Living is a MLM company and for some that is a turn off.  I never cared either way.  All I knew is that if I spent $50 a year I could get the products at the wholesale price and that is all I wanted.  Recently the Lord turned it into more.  It isn't about me and my family any more.  It has become about others and helping them learn how they too can be healthier.  Don't worry, I'm not trying to recruit you. (But contact me if you are interested in knowing more)

The Lord told me to make myself available & tell others how I use the oils & leave the rest to him and that is ALL I have done.  The result?  He is using Young Living to help provide for us financially.  I don't think you understand how huge this is for me.  I have attempted to "make money" with other companies many times before and never made a penny.  In fact I usually gave my products away or sold them at my cost.  So, when I decided to do this I never thought it would work.  I argued with the Lord for a few days.  I told him of all the reasons why I can't do this & how it will never work.  All of a sudden I felt like Moses when God told him to go back to his people.  I felt very inadequate & unqualified.

This is more to me than selling oils...because I'm not selling oils...OK, I am, but it doesn't feel like it.  When friends come to me with serious health concerns and they trust me to help them find answers, I take that very seriously.  Who am I to take this on?  The Lord keeps reminding me I am His and He will equip me.  So, I am reading, listening to audio, watching YouTube videos and reading some more educating myself on basic Biology and the amazing benefits of using Essential Oils.

I don't just have a down line after only a few months of working this as a business, but I am getting paid...a lot...in a very short amount of time & I have to tell you that I am totally shocked!  It's totally the Lord doing this because honestly I'm not out there beating down doors & asking people to smell my oils.  He is bringing people to me...and he is bringing people I have never mentioned any of this too.  Totally cool!!

Ok, so why am I telling you this?  Well, I have been trying to be a better blogger & post more regularly but of course I haven't.  So, I am stepping away from the blog for just a little while so I can get my new website set up for the oils.  I have a website; http://joyfuloils4u.com  Please check it out...and you will soon realize why I am calling it a temporary one.  But it still has good info on it.  I have put this off for a long time because frankly I don't have time to do this, but I really need to make time.  The Lord is using this to provide money for us so I need to do my best at using the resources before me.

I am excited to see what the Lord does with this.  I hope you are too.