How We Use Essential Oils

Let's get started, how can you use oils in your home...for those who are wondering, what exactly are essential oils?  Good question!  

Essential oils are the lifeblood of a plant, which can be found in a plant's flower, stem, leaves, bark, or fruit.  When applied topically, they can reach every cell in your body in 20 minutes! (20 minutes!)  Essential oils an transport nutrients, help support cell regeneration, and support digestive, nervous, and immune system health.

The possibilities are endless, but start with a few, trial and error, find what scents you like and dislike, and then begin to establish routines that work for you and your family.  

Why did you start using essential oils?

There are minimal regulations in the United States which dictate which ingredients can be allowed in personal care products.  After doing some research on my own and learning that many of the so-called "clean" products we used as a family were actually hard hitting offenders, I started to make some changes in our home, including adding essential oils.  Since we can't control everything in our environment, trying to take back what control I can to contribute to our quality of life by limiting our exposure to toxins and chemicals.  

I was especially freaked out after the recent memo by the EPA confirming the connection between formaldehyde and leukemia.  Until the FDA regulations increase and improve to eliminate harmful chemicals, we'll keep diligently reading labels, doing our own research, and work to understand what ingredients are really in the products we use.  Companies that are transparent about disclosing their ingredients earn our trust, such as Beautycounter, Young Living, and Seventh Generation.

How does one use oils?

Most people begin with the starter kit which contains 11 commonly used oils (digize, thieves, lemon, peppermint, copaiba, raven, citrus fresh, frankincense, lavender, panaway, and stress away).  Note: you definitely don't have to buy the starter kit, but it's usually a popular choice as you get the most bang for your buck.

Let's get started, how can you use oils in your home...

 We add a few drops of lavender and purification to wool dryer balls to freshen up loads of laundry. Dryer balls help dry faster without any of the toxins of dryer sheets with the bonus of adding a pleasant fragrance to your laundry.

One of my favorite uses for oils is to replace candles.  Some of my favorite blends include peppermint + lemon + lavender, stress away + valor, and orange + northern lights black spruce.  The fragrance and comforting aromas of candles without excess toxins in the air.  A lot of people swear by the 

Also use peppermint for headaches, I dab a drop on my temples and massage.  I don't know if it's the strong minty scent or what, but it usually helps even the worst headaches subside.

I also use purification to absorb stinky odors, for example, our in-house compost bin fills up quickly with two little kids and plenty of sandwich crusts and banana peels. After emptying the bin, it kind of stinks!  I add a rinse of dish soap, a few drops of purification, swirl it around, wipe it clean, and bam, we're back in business!

And my most favorite use for essential oils - sleep!  After my gallbladder surgery I had a really hard time sleeping, something I had never dealt with previously.  I started diffusing a few drops of northern lights black spruce + cedarwood every night and those zzzz's started coming.  Other favorite sleep oils include lavender + cedarwood, lavender + sleepyize, and stress away + lavender.  Sweet dreams!

Speaking of sleep, I also made a sleep spray from cedarwood + lavender + orange, topped off with witch hazel in a spray bottle.  I spritz on our pillows about 5-10 minutes before we're heading to bed for an extra boost of sleep inducing, calming scents.

While I've given you a few ideas as to how we use oils in our home, this is just scratching the surface with the possibilities for essential oils. 
What are your favorite oils?

Beautycounter

Hello out there!  I have a new gig I wanted to share with you!  I recently became a consultant for Beautycounter. I was reluctant to take on a side hustle unless I truly felt like it was a good gig for both myself and family and it had to be a company I really believed in.

How I got here? Well, I've been on a quest to rid toxins in my everyday products since a good friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer, and was told by her doctors that traces of parabens were found in the cancerous tissues removed during her mastectomy. Since then, I've tried to transition out all the products I use that contain chemicals. During this process, I kept noticing that swapping out household cleaners seemed to be an easier switch. Their labels were more explicit, clear cut, and more transparently chemical free. But when it came to skin care, shampoos, and makeup- if was very ambiguous and I felt like I never really knew what I was putting on my body.

I first heard about Beautycounter on a few blogs I love. I admit, at first, I too was skeptical. With so many people are plugging their side hustles these days, it's hard to know if it's the real deal. In addition, I'd been pretty loyal to big name makeup brands like Laura Mercier, Mac, and Tarte for years - despite not knowing what exactly was in their products. In addition, I was a little wary of a new brand - would an exclusively clean line be able to hold up to the makeup coverage I was used to? The answer is YES!

I started small; first with foundation, powder, and moisturizer. Since then, I've dabbled in lipsticks, lip gloss, concealer, cleansers, sunscreen, and more! And believe me when I say, since I've switched, I haven't looked back! Plus, I feel so much happier and more confident in my skincare and makeup routine today knowing that I'm not inadvertently putting any chemicals or potentially harmful ingredients into my body.

One of the main reasons I'm excited to partner with this company is because of their mission. They only sell products FREE of parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, etc. in addition to 1,500 other questionable or possibly harmful chemicals, which consequently are quite prevalent in other companies the beauty market today. Their never list includes the 1,400 chemicals restricted or banned from personal care products in the European Union plus others Beautycounter has found to be of concern.

To put this in perspective, there are currently only 30 banned ingredients in the US, and there have been no laws passed to regulate the cosmetic industry since 1938. Beautycounter also spends considerable resources advocating for stricter laws and regulations in Washington, D.C. to help change this, to promote change and hold companies accountable for the the ingredients they're allowed to put into their products.

I encourage you to check out the Beautycounter website and seee if you find something that piques your interest. If you decide to buy and try, there's a 60 day exchange/return window, no questions asked. And if you’ve read this far – thank you!  I want to give you as much information as I can without overwhelming you.  If you have any questions, please ask!  I'm excited to be doing something that I believe in that also earns money for my family.

P.S. I'll be posting some of my favorite products soon, so stay tuned!

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Workouts for the Tired Mama

Hello out there!  What's new with you?  We had a lovely weekend, went apple picking, that was a first!  My kids love it, though truth be told, my son was probably more excited about climbing bales of hay than the actual picking of apples, but hey, what can you do?  We gathered a heaping bushel of apples, and have applesauce brewing in the crockpot this morning.

In other news, I've begun exercising again!  Woohoo!  It only took me, well...a really long time! Granted, this is not the first time I've resumed working out after the birth of my second child, but my exercise regiment has definitely been slightly intermittent and erratic (to say the least).

Part of this renewed excitement is thanks to some Wireless On-Ear Headphones my dad gave me for Christmas which somehow make running that much more enjoyable, and partly due to my new fitness program and motivator, Aaptiv.  Have you heard of it?  First off, it's like no other fitness program I've encountered, starting with the initial fact that it's an app.  Yes, this app is your ticket to a variety of workouts for all sorts of interests; traditional indoor training, outdoor activities like biking, running, strength training, even cardio and yoga.  They even have maternity workouts, ideal for the mom adjusting to her pre and post natal body.

As a mom of two young kiddos, I love the convenience of this format, because I never quite know when I'll be able to squeeze a workout in.  The app is ideal for the on-the-go individual, so I can literally grab my phone and go.  And of course, since I'm often wearing workout clothes anyway, the flexibility and independence of this app really makes it a win-win.  No syncing up to a streaming workout on your TV (which in my case is usually delayed due to to spotty internet), and definitely no driving to the gym, only to arrive and realize you are too exhausted to workout.  Because yes, that has happened before...

My personal favorite Aaptiv channel has been the running workouts, which offers interval training, from steady jogs following the beat to miles of mashups, synced to energetic playlists to get your steps in stride.  This has been ideal for the mom in me, trying to get back to my peak running shape with the support of audio motivation guidance from virtual trainers.

Need to try it for yourself, I don't blame you.  Download the Aaptiv app and start exploring these workouts today with a free 30-day trial.  Enter the code BURPEES for a free 30-day trial!

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The Healthy Deodorant

Continuing in my quest to use beauty products free of parabens, toxins, and the like, I have a new product to share with you.  Behold, The Healthy Deodorant by Lavanila.  Deodorant it seems has become a hot topic among blogs I've read lately, namely because several studies have suggested that aluminum and parabens in deodorant could be linked to breast cancer.  Doing my due of diligence, I picked up current Dove deodorant, flipped it over, and sure enough, the main ingredient is Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY (15.2%), sounds really natural, right?  Um..no.  

While this data is only pulled from a few studies, and perhaps is inconclusive, that is reason enough for me to seek out an alternative, healthier antiperspirant.  My thinking is, deodorant is something I apply EVERY SINGLE DAY.  If there is even the slightest possibility that any of these ingredients could be linked to breast cancer, that's reason enough for me to change my ways.  

A few other bloggers have reported success with Lavanila, so I bought it on Amazon (also available at Sephora) between $14-15 per stick depending on your scent.  I opted for Lavender Vanilla.  This brand boasts no parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, silicone, or mineral oil.  Scents are derived from essential oils and anti-oxidants. Three days in, I'm quite pleased with this product.  There's no sweaty smelling odors late in the day, I've had no issues with staining on my clothes, and I feel it's held up with my level of activity and exercise.  

Are you up for the deodorant challenge?

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Paraben Free Skin Care

Forgive me if this post gets a little "preachy," but I thought this information was too critical to not pass on.  Do you know what parabens are?  I hate to admit, but I wasn't very knowledgable on the subject...  I recognized this word from the ingredient list of many of the bottles in my shower, but I assumed it was just another ingredient in the mix and nothing more.  However, when a friend told me that doctors found traces of parabens in the tumor they removed from her breast cancer surgery, I was utterly shocked.  That reality check was all I needed to get myself in the know..and NOW!

When I googled "paraben definition," three separate definitions all looked almost identical to this: "paraben: an antifungal ingredient commonly used as preservatives in skin care products that is linked to hormonal changes in the body as well as an increased risk of breast cancer."

What?!  And to think I've been blindly putting these parabens into my body.  Uh-uh, not anymore!  This was the kick in the pants I needed to revamp my skincare for a paraben-free regiment.  

If this post is at all is intriguing, inspiring, or a skin care game-changer for you, I suggest you start here: The Cosmetic Database.  This database lists the stats on most brands of makeup, shampoo, toothpaste, and skincare products.  Use to find out what's really natural, paraben free, which brands have higher risk factors, the list goes on.  But, beware - this is a major time suck, I spent a good hour and a half scouring this website before I managed to pull myself away.

From this website, I discovered Yes To brand.  This brand uses natural ingredients and is entirely paraben free.  I originally bought the Yes to Cucumber face wipes and Yes to Tomatoes clear skin moisturizer on Amazon, but last week I discovered Target is now carrying the brand, hooray!  Products are affordable, with fresh scents, and leave your skin feeling healthy and clean.  

Here's another perspective on the paraben free trend via real simple.  While I'd like to eventually try and go all natural, it's been pricy to make the switch.  As of now, my game plan has been to try and cut out the amount of paraben products I use, see what new products I like, and keep up the momentum. 

Have you found any must-try paraben free products you'd like to share?

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What's on Your Workout Playlist?

I love a good playlist.  What I love even more?  A playlist so invigorating, so captivating song after song, that I can listen to it in its entirety without skipping a single song.  However, the challenging piece is, I'm not a huge music buff.  I'm that girl who can sing along decently to the chorus of top 40, but rarely do I know the name of the song or artist off the top of my head.

So I need your help... I need some suggestions as my workout playlist is slightly underwhelming.  I'm looking for fast-pace, high-energy songs.  

What's in your workout playlist?

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Green Monster

I did it, I jumped on the Green Monster bandwagon. Who would've though a green smoothie would taste good? But it sure does! The Green Monster if you're unaware is a concoction of this:

Ingredients:
2 Cups Raw Baby Spinach
1 Cup Almond Milk
1 Banana

Optional: 1 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed
Ice

And the best part, you can't taste the spinach AT ALL! Aside from the green color, you'd never know it was a part of the drink. Making this smoothie packed with vitamins and nutrients. Ever since I bought my cute little Bella Cucina rocket blender, I've been a smoothie making machine!

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Workout Routine

While I enjoy working out, I'm not a committed gym-goer. On my own time at the gym, I'll usually do the elliptical, bike, and maybe the treadmill if I'm really motivated. As such, I'd noticed my exercise routine was becoming pretty ho-hum.

A few weeks ago, a coworker of mine raved about her personal training gym, that specializes in targeted cardio/weight loss work-outs à la the Biggest Loser. It sounded intriguing, and since historically I've had more success gaining muscle and flexibility in group classes, I signed up.

And oh man, has it has been whipping me into shape! It's been such a good work out in fact, it's kind of addicting!

On my way to a toned wedding physique!

Soon to be Delivered

I joined a CSA! A few of my friends convinced me to make the switch, and I'm now a proud soon-to-be recipient of local organic produce, delivered to my doorstep! How fabulous is that?! I ended up going with this local Seattle company - New Roots Organics, per some great reviews.

My first box is set to include cherry tomatoes, cucumber, corn, sweet peppers, heirloom fingerling potatoes, broccoli, spinach, dapple fire pluots, ginger gold apples, and local peaches. It was also slated to include rainbow chard and fennel - but I subbed those out for avocados and nectarines. Can't wait to start cooking!

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Can I Go Back to Bed?

Forgive my lack of posts, I'm seriously dragging today. I feel about like this, tired, exhausted, wanting to just crawl back into bead and pull the covers over my head. This is what it feels like when your energy runs out...

Hoping to recharge by tomorrow...

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A Bicycle Built for 3

A few families at my school bike to school on family tandem bikes and I just LOVE that. This European tradition of biking in lieu of car transport is one that seriously needs to be revived in America.

When I have kids, I'd love to be one of those moms that bikes their kids to school. I know this may sound ridiculous in Seattle - especially as a teacher, combining the rain, busy schedules, backpacks, etc...but I do believe it is possible. I'm loving these tandems by Dutch Bike Co. Seattle who imports their styles from Europe. One day I'll pick up one for myself, just you wait and see!

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Yoga Novice

Good news, I survived my first power yoga class! My friend Anna and I sweated through our 90 minute class in the heat of a 75-degree studio last night. I felt pretty good last night after the class, challenged, stretched, and this morning I woke up to find my arms were incredibly sore! Turns out this Vinyasa yoga is pretty challenging stuff! Hopefully I'll get some sweet toned arms as a result!

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Ready for the Power?

My sister has turned me onto Power or "Vinyasa" yoga. While we were in the Croatian countryside, we spread out our beach towels and I attempted to follow her as she led me through a series of fluent poses (harder than it looked, let me tell you)... It seems that power yoga is essentially yoga without the reflective pauses, one motion flows into the next, focusing a lot of strength and flexibility. Since I've been back I've begun researching power yoga in my area, and am looking into take an intro class with a friend of mine this fall. While my sister raves about it, she is kind of a fitness freak, so I'm looking for some opinions about this particular breed of yoga. Anyone ever tried it? image/moderngirlstyle

Feel the Burn!

Doesn't this look like fun? Welcome to Sweaty Sundays, an LA dance class where people dance off the previous night’s excesses to a soundtrack of indie rock, techno, and 1980s new wave hits. All the while looking Jane Fonda fabulous in lycra, leg warmers and belted leotards.

One of the regulars even affectionately calls the dance gathering “It’s kind of an American Apparel ad come to life." Once I read about this hot new way to feel the burn, I emailed the article to my sister who lives about 30 minutes from Foresight Studios in the hipster Silver Lake neighborhood. Within minutes I got a "Awesome!" reply with exclamation points...she's already got her leg warmers ready to go!

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Fun + Run Weekend

Off to a weekend wedding tonight, then my big half marathon tomorrow morning - eek! I'm a little bit nervous, hoping I can survive the 13.1 miles...seems there will be no champagne drinking for me at the wedding! Have a fabulous beyond fabulous weekend.

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So Refreshing

My team survived the first round of kickball playoffs last Wednesday. Our co-ed team plays once a week typically at a local playfield, it's the perfect excuse to get together with friends, have some fun, and get some exercise. Rather than Capri suns & orange slices of childhood leagues past, we enjoy snacks like chips and salsa and appropriately - adult beverages.

We have a rotating snack schedule, and last week Anna brought mint lemonade with a hint of alcohol. Considering the heat on Wednesday, this was the perfect, refreshing snack. I'm even thinking about making my own virgin version next week - and try out this recipe.

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Hot Dog

I am one of those unfortunate few who suffer chronic headaches. Unfortunately, having had these headaches since I was a teenager, I've perfect my pattern of how to deal. Of course, every headache is different, from dull to throbbing, regular to migraines. No fun at all!

Through the years, I've perfected my headache regiment, which usually includes a heating pad or hot water bottle of some sort. Since I've been through my fair share of sub-standard heating accessories, I was intrigued this these - dog inspired hot water bottles. Aren't they cute?image/showpony
via greedy girl

Weekend Bliss

It's Friday! Today has been a very productive week in spite of being sick. I'm hoping to kick this cold/sore throat/cough "thing" I have been battling once and for all this weekend!

Looking forward to a weekend of spontaneity, does anyone have any exciting plans?

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You vs. The Snooze Button...

Thanks to my friend Sarah for introducing me to these cards from Banana Blossom Press. They are simple and to-the-point, fun, and refreshingly honest. Perfect for that less-than-motivated running buddy, or that extra nudge needed to sway a new friend to sign up with you!

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via sarah

Back in the Game

Day 1 of my exercise regime...starts today. I just signed up with a few friends and co-workers for my first half marathon, and now that I've paid my $80, I'm committed! My fellow teachers and I are trying to organize a 2-3 runs together after school every a week, and stick to it. Wish me luck!

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