Friday Favorites

Im starting a series called "Friday Favorites" where I will be posting some of my favorite things.  Today I am posting my 4 favorite blogs: 

MaggieWhitley:  Maggie writes about motherhood and life in such an uplifting way and she also started writing about her running journey.  She also has the two cutest kids ever and a bright and cheerful apartment that I adore.  Im so encouraged by her to get moving and looking at life on the bright side. 

Mamawatters:  Amanda writes on motherhood, natural living and just life.  Amanda motivates me to live simply...and c'mon just look at her beautiful home and cutest baby bump.   

BecomingJolie: Jolie has an amazing sense of humor and writes exactly how it is. I also love her sense of  fashion and home decor, and she is also AMAZING at thrift shopping. 

valmariepaper:  Valerie is such an inspiration to me, she writes on accomplishing goals, and staying focused in her life. I love how she lists her goals every month, it has really motivated me to write my goals down every month.  She also has some amazing journals that Im looking forward to purchasing. 

What are your favorite blogs to read? 

Photo credit: Maggie Whitley & Valmariepaper 

//FOCUS//

I've been feeling convicted about how I've been spending my time lately, so I've decided to do something about it.  I'm not the best planner/organizer, but when I saw that Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom was doing a course called "Make Over Your Morning" I decided to take the plunge!

I'm on day 3 and its been amazing, I've been learning how to prioritize my mornings and listing what the important things are that I want to fill up my day with instead of the day taking over and feeling like I did a million things but can't think of what they were.  I'm super excited about taking this course and getting a better hold of my days and what they will look like.

So far:

+ I started to wake up at 5:00 a.m. so I can get some alone time in the mornings to pray, read my bible and exercise.  I know not every mom can do this, specially if you have little ones waking you up throughout the night.  

+ I've been preparing my day starting the night before, getting my kitchen clean so that when I wake up my kitchen is not a mess and I can cook without having to do tons of dishes before.

+ Laying out my clothes so I can change for the day, this has been hard for since becoming a mom...specially a stay at home mom.  I would feel like I had no one to dress for and I was bound to get your clothes messy from Peanut Butter and Jelly, or dirt and mud.  I decided that I should be dressing for the people I love and since I've started getting ready in the mornings I feel like I have more energy for the day, like I'm ready to tackle our day! and not just sit and binge watch on Netflix....Oops did I just say that aloud? 

So if you feel like your mornings look like a bunch of craziness, check out "Make Over Your Mornings" it has helped me so much!

What is the hardest part of your day?  

This is my personal opinion, I did not "review" this product. 

Weekly Goals vol 1

I've been following Alicia Hutchinson for quite some time now, she is a homeschool mom that I look up to for inspiration.  She just recently moved and started posting weekly goals to keep herself accountable and I thought....hm....I need something like that!  So here I go:



Health Goals

Take a walk 3 nights a week with my family.  The kids love walking around the neighborhood looking for nature finds.

Also, I need to drink more water and less coffee.  So I am limiting my coffee to 1 cup in the morning.  This is going to be so hard for me, I love my coffee!

Home Goals

Right now my living room is a big MESS, I cleared the "new" homeschool room that used to be my sewing/craft room so now all those things are in the living room needing to be organized.  Im taking pictures of items Im wanting to sell and posting them on Instagram @melsclosetandthings.

Homeschool Goals

Starting right in the morning, this is the hardest for me.  The kids start playing and I have a hard time breaking that up.  Then one thing after the other and by them time I look at the clock its 11:00 and the kids are wanting lunch and we have yet to begin school.  

So this week we started right after breakfast, we read the bible and do our devotionals and start our "school".

Parenting Goals 

Alicia's parenting Goal was to look at her children in the eyes when they are talking and I just fell in LOVE with that.  Its hard sometimes to get caught up in emails, text messaging, and checking Instagram.   I will be doing the same, EYE contact is so important, our children need to know that we are listening and I know it aggravates me so much when my children don't look at me when I am talking to them as well.

Personal Goals

This weeks personal goals for me is to change in the morning, that means no "YOGA" pants.  I need to dress up and it makes you feel so good.  You get a boost of energy when you are ready to tackle the things that need to be done.  Also, Im showing my kids that getting ready for the day is important.   So my children are also changing in the morning before coming downstairs for breakfast.

Make sure you check out Alicia's posts on weekly goals!

Oil Pulling How To

Oil Pulling, what is that?

Oil pulling has been used for thousands of years for dental health and overall wellness by “pulling” toxins out of the body.

Oil pulling simply involves swishing oil ( I like to use coconut oil because of its health benefits and flavor health benefits of coconut oil) in the mouth for about 20 minutes. Its simple and inexpensive, it can reduce dental plaque, re-mineralize teeth, strengthen your gums and fight gingivitis. It attracts and removes bacteria and toxins that live in your mouth and lymph system, and can pull congestion from your sinuses. There have been over thousands of people reporting improvements in everything from allergies to migraines to even depression. 

Essential Oils for Oil Pulling

• Thieves essential oil  has amazing bacteria-fighting properties, which is great for cavity prevention.
• Lemon essential oil helps to clean and naturally detoxify the body. This essential oil is made from the oil of the lemon rind, not the juice, so it’s not acidic for the teeth.  Young Living’s Lemon oil contains 68% of d-limonene, a powerful antioxidant .
• Peppermint essential oil  freshens breath.

(I can only recommend using Young Living Essential Oils as they are safe for ingestion, make sure you do your research and check all labels for directions on using) 

Health Benefits of Oil Pulling

There are a number of studies that clinically show the benefits of oil pulling, and over 100 studies that show the benefits of how essential oils kill the microbes that cause tooth decay and gingivitis

1. Cavity prevention

Oil pulling can inhibit the formation of cavities by reducing the Streptococcus mutans bacteria that causes tooth decay. It will also reduce plaque buildup and gingivitis formation.   

I like to add a drop of Thieves to my coconut for oil pulling to boost its bacteria-fighting properties. Thieves has been tested for its bacteria-fighting properties. 

2. Whitens teeth

Teeth whiteners from the store are loaded with harsh chemicals. Oil pulling has natural antibiotic elements that will strip your teeth of the bacteria that cause teeth to have a dingy, yellow color. I like to add a drop of Thieves and Lemon to aid in whitening. 

3. Fresh Breath

Oil pulling on its own helps to remove bacteria that causes bad breath and halitosis.  I like to add a drop of Thieves or Peppermint to help freshen my breath. 

4. Healthy Skin

The liver helps to body to break down and remove toxins from the body.  Blemishes and acne are often a sign that the body is using the skin to detoxify. Oil pulling helps the body to detoxify before those toxins are released through the skin. 

5. Increase in Energy

Oil pulling can actually help to increase energy because it relieves the body of the stress to eliminate toxins.

How To Do Oil Pulling with Essential Oils

1. Take 1 tablespoon of oil (I prefer coconut oil) and add 1-2 drops of essential oil of choice. Swish it around in the mouth for 20 minutes.  Swish it in your mouth, if your jaw gets tired don't swish as much.  Just a few swishes every now and then is fine. 
2. After 20 minutes, spit out the oil in a trash bag (can clog drain) . Do NOT swallow the oil, as it contains all the bacteria and contaminants in your teeth.
3. Rinse your mouth with water.

Oil Pulling Tips

• Oil pulling is most effective when it’s done in the morning, before you’ve had breakfast or anything to drink, keep yourself busy (Take a shower, do laundry, tidy around). Can be done 1 to 3 times a day. 
• After 5 days, you should be able to notice the effects of oil pulling. My teeth already feel cleaner! 

These oils are all part of the Premium Starter Kit. 

How about you? 

Do you oil pull? Have you ever added essential oils?  Share with us in the comments! 

DISCLAIMER: The content on this blog is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. I am not a medical professional and the information contained on this blog should not be used to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease or health illness. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented here. Any statements or claims about the possible health benefits conferred by any foods or supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Homemade Thieves Foaming Hand Soap

A few months ago I tried the Thieves Foaming Hand Soap and fell in love with it and haven't wanted to try anything else since, it didn't dry out my hands like other soaps did and I knew we were using something that wasn't harmful to our bodies and it smells AMAZING.  I ran out a few weeks ago and went searching for a recipe to make my own.  

Here is the recipe I used for my homemade foaming hand soap:: 

1/3 cup unscented Liquid Castile Soap

10-12 drops of Young Living Thieves Essential Oil

Distilled Water

Foaming Hand Soap Dispenser

Combine castile soap and oil, and then fill soap dispenser the rest of the way with water, give a little shake.  That’s all there is to it!

They also make the perfect housewarming or hostess gift to put in a basket! 

ESSENTIAL OILS // EVERYDAY USES

We've been using Young Living Essential Oils for almost 2 years now and we use them daily.  A lot of people get intimidated when the kit arrives and have no idea where to start so I wanted to share this with you to give you some ideas on how to get started with your Essential Oils kit and how to incorporate it into your everyday life. 

thieves-  This is my most used oil!  We use thieves for so many things, I put a drop on my toothpaste to help prevent cavities and its been said to regenerate teeth. I make my cleaning sprays, hand sanitizer, hand foaming soap, and I diffuse it in our home to keep germs in the air at bay and you can also make a chest rub for cough/cold symptoms.  

tea tree-  This one is pretty new to me, but its used for skin care, helps treat eczema.  You can also apply it to your shampoo to help dandruff.  

frankincense-  Another one of my favorites from the kit, I use this on my skin as a natural moisturizer and spot treatment for places where wrinkles are. 

lemon- We put it in our water to give us a little immunity boost.  I also put it in my coconut oil when doing my Oil Pulling  (Aids in whitening!)

pan away- I rub on sore muscles or anywhere you are achey.  I love how its acts as a muscle relaxer. 

stress away- This is my FAVORITE scent! What momma doesn't need a bottle of Stress Away?  I ALWAYS keep this with me, if I'm on vacation, going to the grocery store, or just at home...its a must have.  I've been using it on my wrists if needed during a busy or stressful day. I also love it massaged on my temples.  

peppermint- One of my favorites and one I use almost daily (I'm sure I say that about all my oils). I rub it directly into my temples and on my neck  if I have a headache or any tension pain.  This is also amazing mixed in for a cough/cold chest rub, it helps my children breath at night when they are congested. Also helps with fevers rubbed on the bottom of your feet.  I also make my own blend with Peppermint, cedarwood and fractioned coconut oil, helps the kids concentrate on their school work for the day. 

lavender- Amazing as a sleep aid, I’ve been mixing it with Cedarwood (not in the starter kit) at night and rubbing it on our feet, and diffusing it.  It can also be used as a moisturizer and is really good for your skin and hair. 

purification- amazing in the diffuser, helps purify your air and it takes stinky smells out of any area of your home. 

joy- I rub it on my wrists when I need a little emotional boost.  I also like to put a couple drops on my wool dryer balls and pop them in the dryer with a load of laundry.  Smells amazing! 

citrus fresh-  I put it in my water and for their detoxing, fat-dissolving, immune-boosting properties.  Its also calming and uplifting.  I like to put it in my diffuser to keep the air smelling fresh and clean. 

These are just some simple ways we use our everyday young living oils.  I’ll be sharing more  recipes and uses!  Like always, contact me if you would like more information on Essential Oils or if you would like to order! 

DIY Body Wash

Our skin is the largest part of our bodies and we need to be careful on what we put on them.  I am on the journey to change products in my home to help us be healthy and natural and throw away the things that harm us.  So here is this simple body wash that seriously only takes a couple minutes to make. 

Ingredients:

8 oz. Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap

8 oz distilled water

1 tbsp. sweet almond oil 

1 tbsp. coconut oil (I used fractioned so it stays liquid, if you don't make sure you melt the coconut oil before combining with the other ingredients)

15 drops Young Living Cedarwood Esential Oil

15 drops Young Living Lavender Essential Oil

You can use whatever oil combinations you like, geranium and jasmine is also a good combination.  I used Lavender and Cedarwood which is very relaxing.

Combine everything in a large mason jar and put a lid on it and swish it around and your done!  Not only is it simple, but its very moisturizing so I haven't needed to use lotion afterwards. Just make sure you give it a good shake before each use to make sure its all well blended.  

Join us in this #naturalbeautymonth  by getting rid of the toxic products on your bathroom counter and replacing them with safe alternatives.

If you have any questions or would like to order Young Living Essential Oils please contact me, I would love to answer any questions you may have.