Could I have SAD??

     I currently live in a state with 300 days of sunshine.  I grew up in a state that had about 300 days of grey skies.  When I moved out to Colorado, I was amazed that the sun was present all winter long.  I didn't know that it made a difference, since I was so used to the grey sky.  Boy, was I in for a big surprise.  I realized that I am now active all winter long, versus holding myself hostage on the couch with a blanket on until March! It was miserable to get out of bed. I felt no motivation to do anything but survive during those long, long months.  I used to think it was funny to see all the advertisements for the sun lights. How could it really make a difference?  As with most good things in life, I learned to take for granted that which was before me.  Of course, until it disappears.  Our beautiful state has seemed to fall under a heavy blanket of grey.  It all began with the terrible fires burning in Montana and California. The smoke moved in and hung over us.  We recently had a weather change due to a storm system blowing in from the North West.  I don't mind the cooler temps descending upon us, but the sky is where I take issue.  I feel that lackluster. pressure headache, survival mode mood encroaching. I can see it also happening to my children. My 15 year old and I had a discussion about feeling the blues lately.  So, what is an Essential Mama Bear to do?

     I began to do research.  Most people feel more vitality through the Spring and Summer months.  Why is that?  More sunshine seems to be a recurring theme, but there has to be more to it.  Since I have no control over the sun, I wanted to find something I did have control over.  This is what I found...
   
     During the Spring and Summer months, we have more citrus fruits around than any other time.  I started to read about what our Citrus Fruit Essential Oils offered by way of effects.  Each one of them indicted that they were uplifting while also creating a calming and relaxing atmosphere.  So it makes perfect sense that dōTERRA would make a blend called Citrus Bliss (Invigorating Blend).  Reading about what using this blend achieves was spot on for my needs.  Everything I was looking for was right there in that fabulous little brown bottle. 

     Diffusing Lavender to create a calming atmosphere may not be the best decision I ever made!  I already felt like I could nap at a moments notice, this was not helping.  It appears that I was on the right train, I just needed to jump the track.  By adding Citrus Bliss and Peppermint to my Lavender, I will now be able to improve my focus and clarity.  I came home from dropping my kids off to school (late, by the way) and fired up my diffuser.  In the 1.5 hours since I began running this blend, I got rid of my headache, cleaned my kitchen, started laundry, wrote this post, finished a document I have been dragging out, reached out to 5 clients, and  made a healthy breakfast.  When I was driving the kids to school, my only thoughts were on finding a way to fit in a nap today. 

     I do believe I found a winning combination and can kick these grey sky, seasonal blues to the curb! Time to get back to living and not just surviving.  I am going to begin playing with some of the other recommended diffuser blends I found created by a fellow wellness advocate. 
     I may not see the sunshine today, but I can feel it!
   

 

On Guard for the win

     As we transition into Fall, along with the beautiful colors also comes cooler mornings and evenings, seasonal allergies, sore throats, and pressure headaches.  This is my favorite season by far, but also my most trying.  I am one of the chosen few that are affected by each of these changes. Sadly, my youngest son is as well. He is still in elementary school, so he is also susceptible to everything brewing in the petrie-dish we call his classroom.  Recently, he caught strep throat that made its way through his school.  What is a mother to do?  Normally, I would have given him the antibiotic prescribed by his doctor.  But this Essential Mama Bear now knows better.  With the assistance of On-Guard throat drops, On-Guard throat spray, lemongrass to reduce his fever, and my magic flu-bomb roller ball recipe we were able to battle the beast and win.  Not only was he better, but no one else in the family got even a whisper of a sore throat. With this treatment, he did not suffer the stomach issues he normally would have with antibiotics.  With this treatment, he was feeling better within  4 days of diagnosis and not the usual 10. I knew that replacing my medicine cabinet with Essential Oils would help my family keep our suffering at bay, but I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it is my best defense when germs find their way in. 

Loving the skin I'm in

     My whole life, I have felt like I was trapped behind glass.  Watching my life happen around me.  There have been very few times that really felt authentic. During each pregnancy and the birth of my children,  my freshman and sophomore years of high school, when I first moved out to Colorado, and finally today.  I always felt like there has been this internal battle between the person I am meant to be, and the one that everyone wants me to be. I felt I had to conform to this certain mold.  To fit in, to be loved, to be seen.  I wasn't supposed to rock the boat or stir the pot.  It felt like when I was trying to just be me, that I did both, and often.  Or, at least, that's how it felt.  I wasn't always looked down upon with disdain or misunderstanding.  I have had the pleasure of many a fine soul to call friend.  So here's the thing I figured out, I like being that girl.  The one that rocks the boat.  The one that stirs the pot.  The one that endlessly searches for ways to be comfortable in her own skin.   
     When I was younger, I remember watching Lilias Yoga on PBS.  I remember her talking about food in a way that not only sounded delicious and fulfilling, but that also nourished your soul.   That's not how we ate in my house.  Not that we ate badly, just different.  I wasn't really secure enough in myself to step out and break that routine.  I then remember reading The Jungle.  I was so moved by this book that I stopped eating red meat and fowl for 9 years. I married a man that was about as carnivorous as they come and that part of my world came to an end. I suppose I didn't have that security within me at that point either. When I was first introduced to Essential Oils 13 years ago by my friend, I was mesmerized by the immediate change I felt when I used them.  Again, my focus seemed to bring me back to my longing for better nutrition in my life.  I planned to go back to school and become a Nutritionist.  My life drastically changed shortly there after and my focus then became survivalistic and limited.  I assume full responsibility when it comes to the decisions I have made and the state of my health.  My lack of confidence in myself led to a lifetime of poor eating choices, a sedentary lifestyle, and excuses.  I am finally ready to take this life by the haunches, and hump it into submission. 
      Feeling comfortable in my own skin today doesn't necessarily mean that I am not continuing to work on it.  I am far more forgiving of my downfalls and appreciate that this is part of my journey.  I no longer expect overnight transformation and when I don't achieve it, there is no more belittling.  With the gift of age has come the wisdom of knowing what I truly like and don't.  If the things that I want in my life are different, so be it. If the things that are popular or trendy are not what I want, so be that as well.  If I were to ever make one wish for the world, it would be that every person just be who they are and be ok with that.  
     So now that I have bared my soul even more, I look forward to shifting gears and begin sharing the things I am incorporating into my world.  I appreciate everyone that decides to follow along with my journey. Much love. <3

Welcome to my Garden

WELCOME!  

Come one, come all. Join me in my Garden.

     I have come to think of my life as a garden. What I reap, I sow. From raising kids, nourishing my body and mind, to planting the seeds of my knowledge around my world.  I am cultivating life through my daily choices. I have refocused my path to a journey towards better health and vitality.  My intention with this blog is to remain accountable, by sharing my successes and struggles. I want to share what I am learning in the hopes that you too, can find your way to a healthier lifestyle as well.  All that I will share is a result of what works (or doesn't work) for me.  We all find our own path, gathering bits along the way from all kinds of sources. Not all ideas that work for me will work for you, and vice versa.  I am a firm believer in information sharing.  I love when people share ways they have made their lives easier.
     Once I opened myself up to the idea of being a constant work in progress, my life changed.  I no longer looked at my struggles or failures as anything other than learning.  I now look at my successes as stepping stones along my journey and I remember to celebrate them.  My failures are no longer road blocks. I have finally stopped playing the "coulda, woulda, shoulda" game.
     To give you a little background on me, I am currently 46 years old.  I am single and the mother to 4 strong willed, free-spirited, beautiful souls.  I was born in Pennsylvania, grew up in Michigan, and found myself in Colorado. I am of Polish and German decent. I am short in stature and currently working on my width factor.  I have been on a path of self discovery since my eldest son was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 5 and I was left alone to raise my children just 16 months later. Thankfully he survived, but it opened my eyes to a better way of treating our bodies.  I was pressured into a Western Medicine treatment of radiation and chemotherapy.  Sadly, my thirst for knowledge was cut short by the necessity to provide.  I fell into a deep hole of despair, regret, and sugar.  Just recently, I have felt that my head is finally above water and I no longer stand upon a rug that is about to be pulled from under me.  I was given a book, Start with Why by Simon Sinek, by a boss I had about 5 years ago. I read it and really latched on to the ideology.  I also have a major crush on Simon Sinek, but that's for another time.  I believe there are no coincidences.  Even though I had read this book when I got it, it wasn't until I read it the second time about a year ago that everything clicked.  I just had to read it again at the right time.  The foundation was there, then I was able to build upon it.  The same thing happened for me with You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay.  But, I digress.
     My primary course of action in working toward optimal health and vitality is through Essential Oils.  I was originally introduced to Essential Oils by a massage therapist friend while my son was in the hospital.  I saw the amazing effect they had on him and they became a part of our household.  When I was introduced about a year ago to dōTERRA, my life changed drastically.  I admit, I had very little education in terms of the oils I was using, and I never really branched out past my usual 5.  The possibilities were now endless.  I was a kid in a candy store.  Except, this time, the candy wasn't going to slowly kill me! So, in April, when I decided to sign on as a dōTERRA Wellness Advocate, it seemed like such a natural step.
     Finding my WHY.  I am sure by now, that term has been used in something you have read or heard.  Sitting down and really discovering yours is a profound exercise.  I highly recommend it. When you find someone or something that matches up with your Why, it feels so synergistic.  When your passion is natural health alternatives and you find a company that offers those choices, you want to shout it from the rooftops!  But then you remember that your rooftop is barely above garden level and you still have yourself surrounded by walls. Thankfully, I am very interesting in maintaining that garden. So, the next logical step is to dive in and educate myself. Create a regimen that works towards the results I am looking for.  Next document the progress to allow for adjustments, additions, and accountability. So that long, round-about description then brings me back to this blog.  That's me and my mission in a nut shell.  I am back from crazy town, finding myself again, working on ways to live a healthier lifestyle for myself and my kids.  I hope you will join me. Much love <3