Limes and Turtles......

I don't know about you, but life has been a little "over the top" here lately.  During the last few weeks my emotions have been comparable to a roller coaster ride at Six Flags!! Up, down, around, turn, repeat!  I thought I'd been handling it pretty well, until yesterday. Everything hit me like a boxer throwing his knockout punch. No one likes feeling down and out. I am not an exception to this. In the (recent) past, I would have eaten an entire chocolate cake and a half gallon of equally chocolaty ice cream. Instead (trying to break the emotional eating habit)  I reached for my Young Living Essential Oils. I didn't have my entire collection at my disposal, but fortunately I'd packed  few good ones. What am I saying, they are ALL good! 

The first oil I grabbed out of my "magic bag" was Stress Away. 

Stress Away is an Essential Oil Blend (made up of multiple single oils) that, well, helps with stress. 
This blend is made up of Lavender, Cedarwood, Lime, Vanilla, Copaiba and Ocotea.
Lavender is, as most people know, a very calming and soothing oil. It is often used when someone is looking for some help at bedtime.
Cedarwood is high in sesquiterpenes, which are calming and soothing to the nervous system.
Lime is an inspiring and uplifting essential oil.
Vanilla is another soothing and calming scent.
With it's warm, sweet aroma, Copaiba adds something special to this blend.
Ocotea is high in levels of alpha humulene, a compound that helps aid the body’s natural response to irritation and discomfort

Add all those essential oils powerhouses together and you have a warm, sweet, tropical aroma that will have your negative emotions and thoughts simply melting away.

The next oil I applied was Valor II



Valor II is also a  blend of many essential oils, including;  Northern Lights Black Spruce and Idaho Blue Spruce essential oils, along with Ylang Ylang, Frankincense, Vetiver, Cistus, Bergamot, Cassia,  and German Chamomile, among a few others.
This is a very uplifting, inspiring and empowering blend. It is difficult to explain how essential oils can have such a positive affect on your emotions. It truly is something you need to experience for yourself!

While these oils did not magically "make all my cares go away" they did make this emotional roller coaster I was on go from what felt like a runaway train to that of a slowly meandering turtle. Oils are a tool to help you support your body's natural healing process.
I'm simply here to share my essential oil journey with you.

*disclaimer - I am not a doctor. The information found here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Lets be real........

There are SOOOO many things about these AMAZING essential oils that I want to share with you!! But, I have to be careful. I have to share each story compliantly. We can not diagnose, treat, or cure. If we do that, we are being non-compliant and can get into real trouble!!! I don't want anyone in trouble. But I want to share. So, bear with me on this crazy rollercoaster ride and I'll share as much and as often as I can, compliantly, of course!

Today I'd like to chat about one of the ways you can easily remove some chemicals and toxins from your home.

Back in the day (I'm talking PRE September, 2016) I loved to burn candles and use wax warmers to make my house smell yummy! I mean, who doesn't love all those scents? Pumpkin Spice, Apple Cinnamon, Lavender, Vanilla,  and the list goes on and on. What I didn't realize was, every time I burnt a candle or melted that wax, I was releasing harmful, toxin chemicals into the air. Say what?? YES, it is very true!!!

The holiday season is upon us y'all. It is here. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those 3 holidays are probably some of the biggest candle/wax warming holidays that there are! All those yummy smells filling your house with goodness. Who can resist?? Well, what if I told you that you could make your house smell JUST as amazing WITHOUT releasing harmful things into your home? What if I told you MOST of the options I can show you are CHEAPER as well? Would you switch??

For those that don't believe me, let me link a little info about chemicals and toxins in fragrances, like those used in candles and wax and even perfumes (but that is another post for a different day). You can read about it for yourself here, here and here. Still skeptic? Do your own research, see what you find!

Below you will find some options for diffuser blends similar to those found at all those stores you love to shop at, as well as a cost comparison. You'll be surprised at how much cheaper these safe, non toxic options are for you and your family!

Similar to Yankee Candle Cinnamon Stick

Recipe - Cinnamon Stick
• 2 Drops of Stress Away
• 3 Drops of Clove
• 4 Drops of Cinnamon Bark

Diffusing costs for 4 hours = $1.29
Burning cost for 4 hours = $2.24

Similar to Scentys Cozy Fireside

COZY FIRESIDE Diffuser Blend
• 4 drops Pine
• 3 drops Idaho Blue Spruce
• 1 drops Ginger
• 2 drops Cinnamon
• 3 drops Cedarwood

Cost of diffusing for 4 hours: $1.22
Cost of burning the candle for 4 hours: $5.00

Similar to Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar

BALSAM & CEDAR Diffuser Recipe:
• 1 drop Cedarwood
• 2 drops Citrus Fresh
• 2 drops Pine
• 2 drops Stress Away

Cost of diffusing for 4 hours: $0.59
Cost of burning the candle for 4 hours: $1.54

See my friends, safe and healthy options for your family don't have to break the bank!!

Want other tips on money saving swaps you can make for healthier, toxin and chemical free choices? Feel free to contact me!

If you're ready to start your journey to a chemical and toxin free lifestyle, you can do so here

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LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

*disclaimer - I am not a medical professional. I am in no way, shape or form qualified to give you medical advice. I am just a person, sharing my experiences with others


A little while ago....a week and a half, maybe two, I got a couple funny spots on my left wrist. At first I didn't think much of them. They looked like ant bites. I couldn't remember getting bitten by any ants, but I didn't get too worked up about it. Then the bites started to itch. I tried not to itch them, but eventually gave in. After the scratching started, they seemed to spread. More bumps popped up along my arm, and then my right wrist and arm.

I was puzzled at this point. Ant bites don't spread without getting bitten again. Someone thought it might have been poison oak/poison ivy. I still didn't know what it was, but it sure itched like crazy and heat made it worse. 

Now, those of you who have been readying any of my blog posts (sorry for the lack there of, I didn't realize it had been so long since my last one) know that I've been on a journey of going as chemical and toxin free as possible. Cleaned out the nasty products from under the kitchen sink, cleaned out my portion of the medicine cabinet, replaced as many products as possible with safe, healthier ones. So, I wasn't about to go to the Dr. and let them prescribe some man made medications full of junk with nasty side effects. No thank you. 

So, I tried some home remedies. I tried swabbing the bites with alcohol and peroxide. I tried a few essential oils. I tried hot water, then I tried cold. The alcohol seemed to dry the "bites" up for a while, and the cool water seemed to sooth the pain some, but the "bites" remained. The "bites" not only remained, they were multiplying and weeping a clear water like substance. They continued to spread even after we bought new sheets for the bed, threw out the old shower scrubbies and washed everything I wore everyday, no wearing shirts/pants multiple days in a row.  I woke up last Sunday morning beyond frustrated and at a complete loss. The "bites" had spread even more, itched worse than ever and were constantly weeping. I now had them on both arms, my right shoulder, both hips, the top of my left thigh and the insides of both legs.

Feeling very defeated, I got in my truck and drove to one of the walk in clinics. You know the kind that your insurance company sees as a regular Dr. visit, not an ER visit. I was the only one there, and was seen right away. The Dr. couldn't tell me exactly what caused it. The official diagnosis was allergic contact dermatitis, cause unknown.  I got a steroid injection at the clinic, was prescribed 2 medications, and told to get an additional 2 over the counter. I got my medications, went home, and took a nap. When I woke up, I ate and took my first round of medication that had been prescribed to me. At this point, I only took the steroid pills. What I wasn't prepared for was my bodies reaction to the medications I was prescribed.

First of all, I was wired. I couldn't sleep, couldn't sit still. My mind wouldn't stop either, it was constantly going, I couldn't get any peace.  Secondly, I was hungry. All the time. Not just normal hungry, the hungry you get when you haven't eaten in a few hours. I constantly felt like I hadn't eaten in weeks, and could eat more than an entire high school football team in one sitting, even though I had just eaten. Not good for someone who struggles to make good food choices already. Thirdly, even though I was wired, at the same time I felt exhausted, blah. I had no energy, but I couldn't sleep either. I was miserable for almost 48 hours.

 I didn't take another dose of medication. I began researching other ways of supporting my body through this ordeal. If one does of medication made me feel that bad, I could only imagine what continuing them would do.

I sought out other options, and supported my body with some more natural choices instead of man-made ones. I started to feel like my old self again after a few days. I'm still using some essential oils to support my various body systems that took a hard hit from the medications. Word to the wise - if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right! Go with your gut, trust your instincts, find people who have experience with alternative therapies and let them guide you. Don't be afraid to think "outside the box" my friends!! I'm glad I did!

Have oils, will travel!!

          So recently (like this past weekend) I got to go on a weekend away with a super cool friend. We went to Austin for the weekend and kept it really weird! :) Austin, sweet Austin. How I love your cooler weather, decreased humidity, strange folk and mellow vibe! We get along well, Austin and I, and I wish I could go more often!

            This trip was my FIRST trip since I became an oil junkie! (see oil junkie; noun; person who can not go an extended length of time without the use of oils in some way, shape or form. Also see addict)  So, as you can imagine I was a bit worried about how to travel with my oils. Which oils to take? How to transport them? To leave them in the room or take with me all the time? So many questions!!! Hopefully, by sharing what worked for me you may find some tips and tricks that will work for you too!

My Travel Oils

          1 - What to take?
                       This was tough! I have probably close to 30 different oils at the house right now. I don't use them all on a regular basis, but I wanted to take enough that I could deal with things that I thought may come up on my weekend adventure. So, what did I take??

Stress away, Joy, Cedarwood, Lemon, Peppermint, Lavender and Tea Tree.

Stress Away and Joy because my trip was supposed to be fun and relaxing. I wasn't going to let anything stop that from happening.

Cedarwood and Lavender to support all of  the systems the help run my body because I wasn't sure if I would have trouble sleeping. With my crazy work schedule and sleeping in a new, strange place I wanted to be prepared.

Lavender, Lemon and Peppermint to support my respiratory system! Being in Austin, I wasn't sure what funky things wold be in the air and I wasn't taking any chances of those funky things ruining my weekend!

Tea Tree because, well, I love the smell and I'm using it for skin care support right now!

Pencil Bag turned Oil Carrier!

         2 - What to take it in?
                      I don't have any of the fancy cases (yet) that are offered by a variety of companies. While I thought about buying one, it was too late to get it in time for my trip. I looked around my house to see what I could possibly turn into an oil carrier. It had to be on the smallish side, I wasn't taking all my oils! It had to be about the height of the 15mL bottle. Much bigger than that and it would allow the bottles to topple over. Viola! I found this! A cheap pencil bag I bought a few years back at the dollar store! It was perfect! My 5 big and 2 little bottles fit perfectly!! I was set! Yes!  I stowed this handy dandy little bag inside my big bag that served as my suitcase. Making sure to keep it rigth side up, and between things so it wouldn't fall over and my prescious oils wouldn't leak all over!

         3 - Leave them in the room or take them with me?
                       I have a 31 bag that I carry around with me in my vehicle. It is my purse substitute. I keep the things I need in it, and take them out and with me as needed. I try not to carry around a purse. I've just never been a purse girl. I'll take my wallet into stores and such as needed, and then chunk it back in my bag. Most of the time, I applied my oils in the morning and let them safe in my room. One day I did take them with me, when it was cool out, and left them shaded in the bag in my truck. Worked out well.

          Traveling with my oils was easier than I thought!  I didn't need an expensive oil carrier to accomplish my goal of traveling with some of my oils. I think it helped that I only brought that ones I thought I'd need. I do wish that I'd traveled with a small diffuser, to use in my room at night. With the weather being so nice last weekend in Austin, we didn't run the AC! We slept with the windows open! I tried putting a few drops of Stress Away on a cottonball and setting next to the bedside table. That didn't seem to work too well. But other than that, I wouldn't change a thing!


          Want to learn more about oils? Have questions you'd like to ask me, or topics you'd like me to blog about? Click the oily tab at the top of this page, or email me at yankecwgrl@hotmail.com

Lemon! Who knew?

Hey y'all!! Thought I'd type out this informative little post really quick before I head off to our make and take event tonight. What is a make and take? It is a fun little event we host monthly that allows people to try oils! Sounds fun, right? It really is! Tonight we are doing a Halloween theme, and our containers for the items to be taken home in are tooooo cute!!! I'll come back and post a picture
later. Anyway, on to the reason for my blog post today.......

            So, for this particular event I was in charge of one of the containers. Frankenstine! I picked up the perfect green paint, already had my repurposed Starbucks jars cleaned and ready to roll, and I was good to go! Laid out some cardboard on the outside table to keep it from turning green, and away I went. Sprayed those suckers down in about 5 mins and went back in the house. I planned on leaving them out to dry for at least 2 hours. The can of spray paint said 2-4 hours until they were dry to the touch. I popped my head out the back door after about 30 minutes had gone by, just to check on the jars. It was a bit windy outside but I didn't think it was windy enough to knock the jars over. Well y'all, it wasn't the wind I should have been worried about, it was my husband's chickens!!! Yes, my husband has a small herd of chickens, about 25ish hens and 4 roosters. Those stupid buggers had gotten up on the table and knocked all my jars over! TWO were on the ground, and the rest managed to stay on the table. I ran down the steps yelling at them and waving my hands to scare them off. Ugh, I seriously dislike chickens, and this little escapade didn't help me in the chicken love department. The two jars on the ground had sticks, dirt, grass and feathers all over them. The other 5 that remained on the table had a spot or two where the paint had been rubbed off, but were fine otherwise. So, two at a time I carry the jars inside and set them upside down on our small freezer. As you can imagine, wet paint plus a trip inside equals paint all over my finger tips. Even though I was as careful as possible in my chicken induced rage, I still managed to go paint on my hands.

            So, this led to another problem. How to get the paint off my fingers. I knew water wouldn't work. This was outdoor type paint, Rustoleum, I think. I could hear my husband's voice in my head saying there are cans in the back yard with gas and diesel in them, that'll take the paint off! Gross! I don't want to put that stuff on me! I don't want to smell like gas or diesel either! Then, I had a lightbulb moment! I remembered that, a while back, I used Lemon oil to get some gunk off one of my apples. I wondered if it would work on the Frankenstein green paint that was now dried onto my fingertips? Well, I knew that if I didn't work, no harm would be done. So, I reached for my bottle of Lemon oil and dropped a drop on one of the paint spots and rubbed. Y'all, it worked like a charm! One drop on each spot, run it around, and wipe with a paper towel. That simple! No harsh, harmful chemicals on my hands to remove it, and my hands smelled great! That is a win, win!

            Want to learn more about oils? Click the oily tab at the top of this page, or email me at yankecwgrl@hotmail.com

This & That!

            A little bit of this, and a little bit of that! I've been up to many oily things lately.....but none that I've been using enough to devote an entire blog post to. So, I'm going to give you a little preview of  a few of the things I'm working on.

            About 3 weeks ago one of my puppies (ok, he's almost 6, but to me he is still a puppy!) got a horrid infection. On his NOSE! Yes, his NOSE of all places.  Poor fella. His nose got dry and cracked and it bled. Poor boy. I felt so bad. So, off to the vet we went. Two different types of medicines and two weeks later, the infection is cleared up. His poor little nose, however, isn't back to normal. So, I started giving him coconut oil in his food while he was sick. It didn't really help. I then tried putting some on his nose. That worked a little bit, until it dried up, but then once the oil soaked in it was back to dry. I reached out to an "oily" friend of mine, and her reply was simple. Add Lavender oil to the coconut oil. Seemed easy enough, since I had Lavender oil on hand already! So, for the past 5 days I've been adding Lavender oil to the coconut oil. I'm happy to report that his nose is getting much softer and much more like that cold, wet nose I've grown to love!

            I have very sensitive skin. I'm allergic to all sorts of Laundry soaps and lotions and sun screens and any other thing you can think of that most people are ok putting on their bodies. My skin gets red and gets bumps on it. So, to take care of one of the issues, I've started using coconut oil with some essential oil added in for a nice aroma, in place of lotions.  :)  The coconut oil by it self moisturizes my skin and doesn't make it red and bumpy. Adding any essential oil has also not bothered my skin, and makes my skin smell wonderful! I actually applied some coconut oil and essential oil not too long after I used a "regular" lotion, and it took the redness and bumps away not too long after I put it on.

            So, in my "quest" to rid my house (and life, in general) from as many chemicals as possible, I'm changing how a do a lot of things.  I believe the is a correlation between the chemicals in our lives and some of the sicknesses and diseases that are harming us. I've already cleaned out all the nasty, chemical ridden cleaners from under my kitchen sink and have replaced them with one, all natural cleaning product. Thieves Household Cleaner. See my post about that here. Along those lines, I'm changing my laundry soap, and dryer sheets. I ordered some wool dryer balls. You use them instead of chemical and fragrance laden dryer sheets. To give them a pleasant aroma, simply add a few drops of essential oil to each one and you are good to go. They are reusable, and supposedly last quite a while. I'm waiting until I replace my current laundry soap to try them out. This should happen soon, just a few more loads worth of detergent in that jug I think.  Once I've used both the new laundry detergent and the wool dryer balls for a little while I will be making an entire post about my opinion of both products.

            So, those are just a few of the "oily" things I've been up to lately! Questions? Feel free to email me directly!  Ready to start your own oily journey? Sign up here! Our team is full of positive, helpful fellow oilers who are ready to guide you each step of the way!

Feel the burn...or not??

            I'm sure y'all can tell from the title of my blog that I live in Texas. I don't know how many of you reading this are living in or are from Texas......but Homecoming is a BIG DEAL here! I mean, huge! The Homecoming game is THE highlight of the football season. Well, unless you make it to State! Our local homecoming game was this past Friday. I was working, from what I understand the kids played hard, but couldn't bring home the win. There is always next year!

            So, with the annual Homecoming game comes......another Texas tradition.....drum roll please................. the Homecoming Mum! What? What is a homecoming mum you ask? A homecoming mum is a gigantic display of school spirit with a burst of individuality mixed in that is worn to school on the Friday of the homecoming football game. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the mum pays serious homage to this slogan. The bigger, the better! They range in size from Mini Mums for the elementary and middle school kids all the way to triple (or larger) mums for the high school girls. Don't worry, the boys are not left out. There are garters for them to wear, mostly on their upper arms. These don't get nearly as large and showy as the mums the girls wear, but they are still a sight to behold.  See some examples below!  The large triple was worn around the neck, and the singles were pinned to the shirts of those wearing them.

Large Triple for a High School Sr.

Same mum as above, just shown with lights on. Yes, lights!

Regular single hippie themed mum

Large single in school colors with some turquoise thrown in

 

 

 



            So, the construction process for these babies includes a great deal of two things. Staples and hot glue. It is the hot glue that leads me to the topic of this post, feel the burn! I was working on a super mini garter for a 1 1/2 year old boy to wear in support of his favorite football player when the inevitable happened. Tiny craft object, my big fingers and hot glue do not make for a winning combination. I had placed some glue on the cardboard backer that holds the flower in place. There is a small hole in the middle that the stem of the flower sticks through before it is trimmed. Right through said hole into my fingers fell a huge, smoldering hot glob of glue. Said glue fell right above my wedding ring. Just as quickly as it fell I brushed it off with one of my other fingers because I didn't want it damaging my ring. Probably not my smartest move, because that poor, helpless finger became the casualty of the evening.  Even though I wiped the glue off on my pants as soon as I could, a good size bright white blister had already formed where the glue had landed.  Instant blister!

            Talk about burn! That stuff hurts!! If you've never had the 'pleasure' of being injured by a hot glue gun, I suggest you NEVER try the experience. It is not pleasant. Don't say I didn't warn you! Being fair skinned and red-headed I am no stranger to blisters. Every summer for longer than I can remember I would spend a few days nursing at least one major sunburn that blistered my shoulders and upper back. You do NOT put cold anything on blisters. It just makes them worse. No, I had something else in my arsenal that I was pretty sure would help in a big way. Turns out, I was right.

            Enter Lavender and Frankincense!  I raced to my Young Living Premium Starter Kit and grabbed the two bottles that would lead to relief from the horrible burning on my finger. I twisted the caps off and applied one drop of each. The relief, it was almost instant! It was amazing!!! I quickly finished up the mini garter I'd been working on and cleaned up. It was very late and I needed to hit the sack since I had to be up early the next morning for an appointment. Before bed I applied another drop of each essential oil to the blister, which kept the pain at bay long enough that I could fall asleep. I woke up in the morning to find the blister still there, but the pain was gone. A few days after that, the blister it self was gone.

            I have to say, I never ever thought that these oils would be so useful! It seems like every week I'm finding yet another use for them.  Want to find out what oils can do for you? Interested in a more natural, holistic approach to some of the curve balls life throws at you! Feel free to contact me, I'd love to talk you about what oils can do you and your family!

Life sucks when you can’t breathe!

              Yes, it does. Add in the fact that I have a very tiny nose, and that makes it even worse! A few weeks back my husband and I had to make a trip to Florida. I don’t know what happened to the air while we were gone, because the first morning back in Texas I woke up and couldn’t breathe through my nose. I had so much pressure under my eyes and in my nose, it felt like someone had my sinuses in a vice!  I spent two days trying nasal sprays, decongestants and the like. Nothing helped. I couldn’t get any relief! Then I remember that a good friend of mine had given me some gifts for Christmas, and I was pretty sure one of them was for respiratory support. At this point, I was willing to try anything. I mean, I had tried everything else I had available, why not try this?  I found the bag of Christmas goodies, and low and behold I was right! So, I got out the roller ball, rolled a little over what I later found out is the Maxillary Sinus area (about ½ a pinkie length under your eyes, right across from each side of your nose) and went to bed.

                I figured that worst that would happen is that, well, nothing would happen. If nothing else, I would at least smell good while I slept. Within 10 minutes, I felt a little bit of the pressure dissipate. I could even begin to smell hints of the wonderful fragrance of the oil mixture on my face. Within 20 minutes I could almost breathe like a normal human being, the pressure was almost gone. Now, I’m not saying that everyone will experience results that quickly, I’m just sharing my experience with you.  I again applied the mixture when I got up, and again when I went to bed for the next two nights. It really, really helped.  Not only did it help, the solution wasn’t a pharmaceutical one, it was an all-natural one. How wonderful is that? Would you like to find out more? Check out my website or contact me directly. I look forward to helping you with a more natural lifestyle!

Just one of the AMAZING oils in the sinus roller ball!!

Toxins, be gone!

  Toxins? Yes, toxins!

               Toxins are everywhere, and we don’t even realize it. Most people don’t realize how bad they are for you. We use them because we’ve seen other people use them, without knowing what we are using. I’m NOT going to get into the chemical makeup of every cleaning product out there. That would be BORING and take a long time. What I am going to do is give you a link so that you can look into them for yourself, if you are so inclined. THEN I am going to tell you what I’m using instead of all of those products we grew up with. Go to www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners and type in whatever cleaner you’d like to look up in the search bar near the top of the page. I just went and typed in Windex. Everyone knows that Windex is used to clean…….windows! I’ve used it forever!  I grew up watching my Mom and Grandmother use it. Two of the components of that product score an F on the EWG’s scale of A-F, an F!!! Two other components score D’s, 4 score C’s, 2 score B’s and 2 score A’s. This gives the product an overall score of a D. D, on a scale of A-F isn’t very good is it? Nope!!  What if I could tell you there is a product out there that is formulated with 100% plant and mineral based ingredients, is biodegradable and complies with EPA standards?

                Enter Thieves Concentrated Household Cleaner!!! Now, believe me, I was very skeptical at first. Especially since it is not only good for you, but much cheaper than regular cleaners when you break down what it costs you to make 1 bottle. I believe a 14.4 oz bottle of the concentrate will make about 30 bottles (based on a 30 oz squirt bottle) of  all-purpose cleaner. That is like $1.59 cents per bottle of cleaner. Now, if you buy the larger container, I think it makes each 30 oz bottle like $.88 cents!  I know that none of the products I was using before Thieves Household Cleaner were that affordable! 

                But does it work? That is what you are all asking, right?? YES, it works!! I wouldn’t be telling you about it if it hadn’t tried it! I was blown away by how well it worked. I mixed up the all-purpose cleaner, which is 1 cap full of concentrate and about 30 ounces of water when I cleaned my house this past Monday. All my counters and the stove got Thieves Household Cleaner. My house smelled great, and the counters were clean. No nasty, filmy residue was left behind. My counters were clean. They just felt clean! There were a couple of spots where things have obviously been spilled, and didn’t get cleaned up. I literally let the cleaner sit for 5-10 seconds, and with minimal elbow grease everything was gone.

                I also used Thieves Household Cleaner on my floors. Those who know me know I have dogs. A few dogs. Ok, A LOT of dogs, sheesh! I used to hate cleaning my floors with regular floor cleaner and then having my dogs walk all over it, getting all those toxins on their feet and skin. And lets not even think about one of the licking the floor right away! Gross!!! So, I mixed up the floor cleaner, and went to work. I have two different surfaces in my house, laminate and linoleum. The Thieves cleaner did wonders on both! I walked across both surfaces after they had dried, and just like the counter tops, they felt clean! No residue or sticky filmy feeling. They felt clean, and looked clean. My linoleum is the cleanest it has been in months! I wish I had before and after pictures for you guys. But trust me, it was clean. Not only did the floors get clean, the house smelled great! No chemical hospital smell. I don’t know about you, but I hate it when my house smells like that. I know, some of us associate that with clean. I used to be the same way. Now I associate that with toxins and Thieves with clean!

                I will admit, I was very skeptical about this product when I was told about it. So skeptical that I bought the smallest bottle I could, even though the bigger bottle was a MUCH better deal. I didn’t see the point in spending the higher amount for the bigger bottle, even though it was a better deal, if the stuff didn’t end up cleaning my house the way I wanted it to. I NOW wish I’d bought the bigger bottle!! Interested in trying it out for yourself? Check out my website or contact me  and I can tell you how to get some!

               

                The next adventure for my Thieves Household Cleaner? Laundry soap. Yep, you read that right, laundry soap! I don’t know about you guys, but I have super sensitive skin and finding a laundry soap that doesn’t irritate it is difficult. I have a recipe for laundry soap, and as soon as my current soap is gone I am going to try it out. I already have all the ingredients, and my bucket! Stay tuned to find out how it works!!!

Back from a Blogging Hiatus!

               Y'all, I've been gone a LONG time! Too long!!  Truth is, I didn't have much to blog about. Life was just a chugging along like usual here. Well, until recently. I just HAD to come back and tell you allllll about it!!!

               We’ve all had friends who have jumped into those “pyramid companies” (as so many people refer to them) that try to sell us things. I am not an exception to this statement. I’ve had many friends who’ve done Tupperware, Mary Kay, AdvoCare, Beach Body, and the list goes on.  I love supporting my friends, and have consequently had many “parties” over the years to help them out.  While I have tried MANY different products, and have enjoyed most of them, I’ve never found anything that I just felt like it was life changing enough for me to get into. Until now.

 

                Let me start off by saying, I am NOT in this to make money. I will be using these products for life. I’d love to expose you to the benefits of using them also. If I earn some free products or a few bucks here and there, awesome. If not, that is awesome too! The fantastic thing is that you will have that same opportunity.

               

                So, what is the wonderful product that I have found and enjoy using so much I want to share it with you? Essential Oils! Young Living Essential Oils, to be precise.  If I were to tell you about ALL the products and ALL the benefits in one post, I would be typing for hours and you’d be reading for the same. So, here is what I am going to do. I am going to post individually about a few of the products I have used and how they have helped me. From there, you can decide if you’d like to try them or not. If not, you don’t have to read another post about them. If you do, please contact me and I can give you the information you need to either add a few items you’d like to try to my monthly order, or to get signed up with a membership yourself!!  Stay tuned to my blog over the next few days to learn a little bit about a few different products I've tried and how they are making a difference around my household every day!

 

                If you care to read a little bit more about this wonderful company, check out their Seed to Seal Promise. Young Living sets the standard when it comes to essential oils, and this website explains why this is true.

 

Give Away!

Check out the awesome give away over here at CRAVE Photography folks! Woohoo!!

7/13/2013 - UPDATES

Well, I know that I owe two more ride posts since the last post.
I don't really remember, at this point, much about them.

I do remember that the first one included some moments in the arena where I thought Cas was really testing me. He walked off from the mounting block like a champ, but stopped and refused going forward when I was in the arena a few times. Nothing major, just enough that I felt it.

The second ride was uneventful, I guess, since I can't remember what went on.

Since then I've been plenty busy at work, and at home.

I had a sick dog 2 weeks ago, and an event on 7/10 that I can't even begin to think about without getting teary eyed or becoming a blubbering idiot. I think I should write about it, soon. They say getting it out is therapeutic. I'm not convinced yet. We will see how a feel in a few days. I'll sum it up to say we are one critter short around our place these days, and the loss has been devastating to myself and dh.

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm chugging along........it can only get better from here.

Cas is GOOD at getting time off!

I don't know what he did.
 Maybe had the fairies come and sprinkle magic dust around that has been making things happen which have prevented me from riding. Maybe it's just MURPHY making my life miserable? Who knows. What I do know is, I AM RIDING IN THE MORNING. Yes, I am putting my foot down and riding dang it! 

Now that I've gotten in the habit of riding, I honestly do miss it. Will we ever be seriously riding, working on things for competitions? I doubt it. I am about ready to head over to the BRC and take in some trails though. I think Cas will enjoy that too.

I should be home a bit after 6am. The weather should be 'cool' and Cas hasn't worked in FOREVER! SO, he needs to. I should also be able to ride both Friday and Saturday morning. Sunday is questionable, as I'm covering for a co-worker Saturday night shift.

Cas hasn't worked since the 14th, so I'm sure I'll get the EVIL EYE when I hoist the saddle up on his back. It'll be ok. He will get over it!

6/14 - day 17 - ride 4

Wow, 17 days? That is pretty good, don't you think? I mean, he hasn't worked every one of those days, but we are chugging along.

After a less than stellar performance the day before, I was a bit apprehensive about how things would go today.
I got up at 5:30 am and went out to get Cas ready. I wanted to be working him as early as possible, as the weather has been ghastly. The AM's had been about 15-20 degrees cooler, but these past two days the heat index when I went out was already almost 90. Not good for 6am!

So, out on the line he went. Less antics today. I had to really push him to keep him in the lope/canter. He wasn't feeling like it today. When I stopped working him on the line, it was 6:30, and DH wasn't home yet. Dang it! Wanted him to be home, just in case Cas did act a fool and something happened, I'd have someone there to help out. OH well....not wanting to wait any longer (I'd already done some flexes on the ground,  both sides) I sent a text to JenJ and let her know I was about to get on and ride, and that I'd txt her by 7 when I got off. :) You can never be too careful!

At the "log" (aka mounting block) Cas didn't even move. No moving his hindquarters to the right when I put my foot in the stirrup. So, that's progress, right?

After getting on, I again did some flexing both sides. OH, I did take the curb strap off the bit. When I tried flexing yesterday (which I forgot to note) the left side kept getting hung up/stuck. I had to reach down and fix it several times. So, I figured we'd give it a try sans curb strap. This one attaches with little metal clips that, no matter how you attach them, are very capable of poking the horse in the face. I'd like to add a simple leather piece under there, to keep the bit in place better.

With the flexing out of the way, and the "you don't move off right after I get on" lesson refreshed, it was time to move forward. I was a bit apprehensive, I'm sure. I asked the beast to walk forward, and I got 2 steps backward. Not what I was going for. A thunk to his right side, and I got a pinned ear and a head toss. Oh no you don't! I pulled him around, forcing him off balance and making him step to the side. A couple of those moves and a couple more thunks into his barrel and we were in the arena.

 He balked a bit more over the next 25 minutes. All I asked for today was a walk. We changed directions, A LOT. This way, that way, 1/2 circle, full circle, diagonal, serpentine. Stop, flex, walk off again. I sent JenJ a txt about 6:57 and let her know we were done.  It was much more humid when we ended, and the beast was indeed sweaty when we finished.

His sweat marks under his saddle however, didn't look even to me. SO, I snapped some photos on my phone and sent them to JenJ. She's had some saddle fit issues with her critters and is a PRO at saddle fitting and issues and what sweat patterns should look like and what they shouldn't and what to do about them :) Yay!  As I feared, they didn't look right! I did tell her that I felt my saddle was a little further forward today then in past rides. SO, I'm going to pay better attention to saddle placement when I ride Monday or Tuesday am (I know, this will be the longest time between rides, but I have a busy weekend ahead) and take more photos and send back for further analysis!

So, bottom line....Cas "acted" up, but I was able to push him through it and end on a good note. Hope he retains this lesson for the next ride!

6/13 - Attitude

I really could have just sat in the chair, and waited for DH to get home. I could have waited, and made him feed......or I could have just gone to bed. But a little 'bird' chirped a text to me, telling me to have a good ride. Now, how could I be lazy and stay inside after that?

Ugh. I mustered up what little energy I had left, and went out to get Cas ready. With my lateness in getting out the door, I didn't start to lunge him until 6:40am. Much later than the usual 6:10-6:15. He ran around a bit on the end of the line once asked to canter, but slowed down after he realized that was just TOO much work!

DH jumped on the tractor when he got home and made a few passes around the arena with the drag, and hung around to watch the ride. Since it was a bit warmer than it had been, I only planned on walking Cas in the arena. I also planned on lots of direction changes, circles, serpentines, etc to keep it interesting.

The plan was fine and good, until Cas got a case of the "I don't want tos". After I mounted, I did some neck stretches each direction. He's a good boy about NOT taking off the minute I get on, and I want to keep it that way. The neck flexes/stretches give me something productive to do with him while we are standing there waiting a while. After about 10-12 each way, I asked him to walk off. He balked, and started to back up. At one point, it felt like he kicked out. I took into consideration that Hannah (our neighbors JRT) was standing near his backside, and he's fairly anti dog. I chalked it up to her being there, and DH grabbed him and pushed him forward to the arena. No big deal.

Once in the arena, however, he decided he wasn't going to walk. Then he wasn't going to turn. Then he wasn't going to trot. Butt head! So, he got lots of direction changes, lots of stop and go, and some trotting. He also got some pretty good thumps on his side with he calves/heels. Silly horse! He's testing me, I know this.

After the issues, he worked for about an hour. He was pretty sweaty and gross when we were done. DH even helped me hose him off, which was nice.

I was a little anxious about our next ride, hoping the attitude of today's ride didn't carry over........