Maternity Photo Shoot

This weekend we decided to do a little maternity photo shoot. I didn’t do one when I was pregannt with Nellie and wanted to make sure I did one with this pregnancy! It was pretty quick because when you are working with a 5 year old, you only have so long before they are done! Then we went to grab some yummy burgers and shakes! 

Here are some of my favorite shots. Hope you like them! 

The yummiest pot roast ever!

I made this for dinner last night and while I normally don't toot my own horn, this was so good, I have to share about it! I'm going to get right to the recipe, because I hate it when food bloggers write on and on about a dish and I have to scroll forever to find the recipe! 

So, here it is. I got it from the Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook by Mickey Trescott and made my own adaptations according to what I had on hand. I should add that if you are following Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), you'll want to stick to the recipe. I happen to really like this recipe whether you are doing AIP or not. It's easy and the roast comes out really tender every time. I've used both chuck roast and rump roast and both came out great! 

Shredded Roast Beef

- 1 tablespoon solid cooking fat (I used olive oil, but if you are following AIP this would be anything that is solid at room temperature, like coconut oil, lard, or tallow.)
- Sea salt
- One 3 to 4 pound beef roast, cut into 2 or 3 big chunks
- 1 1/2 cups bone broth (I used store bought)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, and oregano all work great. I didn't have any so I left these out and it was still super flavorful.)

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

2. Generously apply salt to the roast.

3. Heat the cooking fat in an oven safe pot on medium-high heat. When the fat has melted and the pan is hot, brown the chunks of beef on all sides. Turn off the heat.

4. Add the bone broth and vinegar to the pot along with the fresh herbs. Ensuring that your lid is on tightly, cook for 3 to 4 hours, checking periodically to make sure there is liquid in the bottom of the pot. The roast is finished when the meat pulls apart easily with a fork. 

5. Remove the meat from the pot and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, strain the juice from the pot, pour it into a small saucepan, and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the liquid until the quantity is about 3/4 cup, about 15 minutes. (I DID NONE OF THIS :)

6. Once the meat has cooled a little bit, shred into bits using two forks or your hands. 

7. Add the reduced pan juice back to the shredded beef and combine. 

I just shredded it and added it back to the pan. I was planning on serving it with potatoes and carrots but my hubby said tacos sounded good so that's what we did! By the way, carrots are ok on AIP but potatoes are not, so if you wanted to stick to AIP just be sure to include side dishes that are compliant! 

Let me know if you make this! 

There is just something about new makeup…

I love makeup. Always have. When I was little, I’d sit on my mom’s bed and watch her get ready for work. She always looked so glamorous while she curled her hair and put on her makeup. I couldn’t wait to grow up and be just like her! 

Fast forward to junior high when all of my friends were getting into makeup. Cover Girl compacts were the popular thing, and I remember Cappuccino Cream was the “in” shade - even if it didn’t quite match your skin! Anytime I went to the store with my mom I’d ask if I could go look at makeup, run to the Cover Girl section, and check each compact to see if I’d get lucky and find Cappuccino Cream!  

There’s no surprise that in my early 20’s, one of my favorite things to do was go and get my makeup done at a makeup counter, usually at Nordstrom. I loved sitting while a makeup artist applied my makeup, it was so relaxing! I especially loved the result. A makeup artist could achieve a look that I could never quite do on my own at home. Anytime I felt like I was in a rut, I’d go pick out a new eyeshadow or new lip gloss, and it would just make me happy!

Then YouTube came along, and the makeup world changed. At any time of day or night you could watch a makeup tutorial by a beauty guru, and then try it yourself. I’d make a list of the products they were using and go and get them. Some were drugstore products. Some were higher end. Some were in between. I fell in love with makeup even more and decided to take a course in makeup artistry. I learned some cool tips and tricks, but my 9-5 job took priority and makeup artistry took the backseat to other things. But my love for makeup never went away!

A few years ago I decided to take a look at everything I was using in my home, including cleaning and personal care products. I found that every product we were using contained toxic ingredients. Things that are directly linked to allergies, endocrine disruption, and even cancer. I began to overhaul all of those products and replace them with healthy and safe options. The last place that I thought to look was my makeup bag. I knew that there were chemicals in my makeup, and I assumed they weren’t good for me, but I didn’t know where to check the safety of them and I didn’t know about any safe options for makeup. My friends that were into overall health and wellness told me about a couple of different makeup brands that are safe, and the more I looked into healthy options for all of my body care products, the more I started to learn about safe makeup as well. The Think Dirty app is a great place to start. You can check the safety of all of your cosmetics there. You can also hop onto the EWG’s Skin Deep database to see how your cosmetics rank in terms of safety. 

At this point, I’ve tried quite a few different eco-beauty products. Some I’ve liked, some did not work for me at all. I am committed to using safe products though because to me, it doesn’t make sense to eliminate harmful chemicals from my home and body care products, only to put them on my face everyday when I apply my makeup. I am always on the hunt for makeup that is safe, performs well, and doesn’t break the bank. So you can only imagine my excitement when Young Living announced a new makeup line last month, Savvy Minerals! I already love Young Living products, I love the company, and I love everything that they stand for! I was so pumped to give this makeup a try! 

For my first order, I decided to try foundation, 4 eyeshadows, Multitasker (eyeshadow, eyeliner and brow filler in one!), blush, lip gloss and lipstick. I also got the misting spray to spray on my makeup brush before applying the foundation. 

Here are the things that I love about it:

1. The foundation is buildable. I like full coverage, and this definitely gives me the coverage that I like. If you just want a light wash of color to even your skin tone or to combat shine, one application is all you need. If you’d like more coverage, you can add to it. 

2. The Multitasker is dark brown. A black eyeliner is available, but I prefer dark brown and I think it is most flattering on all skin tones. Even Marilyn Monroe’s famous eyeliner was dark brown!

3. The products are SO GOOD FOR YOU! They are formulated with NO: talc, bismuth, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances, or synthetic colorants

4. The makeup lasts all day. I live in Southern California where our summer days can reach the 100’s, and my makeup doesn’t wear off! Plus, my skin can breathe! 

5. My little girl loves makeup, and she is only 4! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! She asks nearly every day if she could put makeup on. And you know what? Most days, I let her. I love knowing that the products in my makeup bag are safe enough that I can feel comfortable putting some on her skin. I know they aren’t going to harm her little body or compromise her health. 

I only recommend products that I’ve used and that I love. So far I am loving everything that I've tried! If you’d like to order some makeup and receive a wholesale discount, leave your email below and I’ll get you hooked up!  

Here's my before & after! 

Out with the bad, in with the good!

Hello lovelies! Hope you all are doing really, really well! 

I am making an effort to be more active on here and post once a week… so since I’m putting it out there, I better deliver! Before I get started, I just want to show you why I do what I do. My family. My people.

Back to the post at hand. :) This week I wanted to talk about something that has a big impact on the health of every single person living in the U.S. 

Awhile back I decided to look at everything I was using in my home. The things I cleaned my home with and the things I put on my body, mainly. I started with my hand soap, body wash, lotion, shampoo, conditioner… you see where I’m going with this. I wanted to see how safe, or unsafe they were, and to my surprise, every product I was using in my home was completely toxic. Not just a little toxic, I’m talking completely full of cancer-causing ingredients and other nasty stuff that could lead to some pretty serious health implications. I decided to overhaul my entire personal care routine and get rid of the dirty (toxic) products and replace them with clean ones. To make it easy on my sanity and my wallet, I switched out one product at a time. As I finished one thing, say toxic toothpaste, I replaced it with a safe option. I did this until all of my (and when I say my, I mean mine and my family’s :) products were replaced. The one thing I threw out right away was dryer sheets. As soon as I learned about the dangers of dryer sheets, I tossed my two huge Costco-sized boxes in the trash and ordered some wool dryer balls from Amazon. I did not want those things in my house any longer than they had to be! 

The last thing that I thought about was my makeup. I had heard years ago that a certain brand of makeup contained lead, and I remember thinking, “There is no way that can be legal!” Well, turns out, it is. Regulation of the personal care and cosmetics industry is extremely lax - no major laws regulating the safety of their ingredients have been passed since 1938! There are thousands of harmful chemicals that have been introduced and added to our moisturizer, foundation, eye makeup, lipstick, etc., with little or no safety data! We are literally guinea pigs for these cosmetic and personal care companies. Other countries, like Europe, are WAY more strict than the U.S. and ban more than 1,300 chemicals than we do. It’s a shame really. Go into almost any chain store in the U.S., and the majority, if not all, of the personal care items and cosmetics are dangerous and should not be applied to our skin. That means we can't just go to Target or Walmart and get safe products (soap, shampoo/conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, etc), because they just don't carry them. 

The average consumer, and most of the time it is the women making buying choices for their household, needs to know this! I don’t think that it’s a matter of people knowing and still purchasing toxic products. I think that most people have no idea so they run out of lotion or laundry detergent and pick up another bottle at their local store, without knowing that the product they just purchased could lead to a serious health issue for them or another person in their household. What makes this even trickier is now companies are marketing their products as safe by adding the words “natural” or “organic” to their packaging. There’s a name for it - greenwashing - and it is a nasty ploy to get consumers to buy products that LOOK safe. A quick scan on the Think Dirty app or a search on EWG’s Skin Deep Database will tell you otherwise.  

So what can we do? Install the Think Dirty app on your phone if you haven’t already. It’s free and super easy to use. Then start scanning the products that you use daily and weekly. If any products rate higher than you would like them to (the absolute max our family will go to is a 3), make it a point to replace them. How quickly you do it is completely up to you. If a product is not in the Think Dirty app, send in a request to have it added, then go to EWG.org and check there. If it isn’t there, look up the individual ingredients on EWG.org. If there are a ton of ingredients that you cannot say, let alone spell, then that is a good sign that you want to avoid that product! 

There are lots of safe options out there! If you are the DIY type, you can make a ton of products yourself. Google recipes for body wash, shampoo, etc. If you are not, there are ready-made products that do the job. 

Here is a list of my favorites!

1. Hand soap: Thieves Foaming Hand Soap. I would buy this and also make my own, thinking I was saving money, until I found out that buying the refill was actually cheaper! This now goes in our bathrooms and by our kitchen sink.   

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/thieves-foaming-hand-soap

2. Bar Soap/Body Wash: Lemon Sandalwood Bar Soap. Gentle, yet effective cleaning. It doesn’t give me that dry feeling that most other bar soaps do.

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/bar-soap-lemon-sandalwood

3. Body Lotion: Genesis Body Lotion. The Lavender Hand and Body Lotion is really nice also.

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/genesis-hand-body-lotion

4. Shampoo & Conditioner - Copaiba Vanilla Shampoo & Conditioner. This is sulfate-free and is a great way to detox your hair routine! I was experiencing some weird hair loss and sulfate-free was the way to go.

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/copaiba-vanilla-shampoo

5. Lip Balm: Cinnamint Lip Balm by Young Living. Moisturizing, but not to the point that your lips need it to feel moisturized. I felt that way when I used to use Chapstick. Like my lips got addicted to it and felt super dry unless I put it on.  

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/lip-balm-cinnamint

6. Toothpaste: Thieves Aromabright Toothpaste. Hands down the best toothpaste I’ve ever used. My mouth feels so clean after brushing! Way better than the toxic toothpaste I used to use that rated a TEN on Think Dirty!

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/thieves-aromabright-toothpaste

7. Mouthwash: Thieves Fresh Essence Mouthwash. Did you know that most mouthwash sold in stores can actually lead to oral cancer? Um, no thanks.

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/thieves-fresh-essence-mouthwash

8. Face Moisturizer: Art Light Moisturizer

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/art-light-moisturizer-1oz30ml

9. Deodorant: Thieves Aromabright Toothpaste. This may sound really weird, but it totally works! If you look at the ingredients, they are very similar to DIY deodorant. I’ll add a drop of Purification to it if I need some extra support! And guys, I used to use the clinical stuff, so you know that this is powerful if I can use it! It doesn’t stop the sweating because it is not antiperspirant, but that it the stuff you want to stay away from anyway. https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/thieves-aromabright-toothpaste

10. Toner: Thayer’s Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel. This smells so good and the alcohol-free formula is gentle on skin! 

https://www.amazon.com/Thayers-Alcohol-free-Petal-Witch-Hazel/dp/B00016XJ4M/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1499456778&sr=8-3&keywords=witch+hazel

11. Facewash: Art Gentle Cleanser

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/art-gentle-cleanser

12: Exfoliator: Satin Mint Face Scrub 

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/satin-facial-scrub-mint

13. Nail Polish: 100% Pure  

https://www.100percentpure.com/collections/nail-polish 

14. Muscle Support: Deep Relief or Cool Azul Pain Cream

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/cool-azul-pain-relief-cream

15. Insect Repellant: YL’s Insect Repellant. No harmful ingredients in this one! Great alternative to products that contain DEET, which should be used with caution, if at all. I would not use DEET on myself or my family. 

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/insect-repellent

16. Sunscreen: Mineral Sunscreen Lotion. Just like insect repellant, some sunscreens will do more harm than good. Not this one though! You can enjoy time in the sun with this one with the peace of mind that the ingredients are completely safe.  

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/mineral-sunscreen-lotion

17. Shave Oil: Mirah Shave Oil. This smells so good! I also use this to smooth any flyaway hairs. 

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/mirah-shave-oil

18. Perfume: Any Young Living essential oil that suits my mood! I love Believe, Humility, Gratitude essential oil blends! Store bought perfume and cologne are completely toxic. I threw all of mine out and just use essential oils now! 

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/believe-essential-oil-new-formula

19. Laundry Detergent: Castille Soap or Thieves Laundry Detergent.

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/thieves-laundry-soap

20. Household cleaner: Thieves Household Cleaner. This one product takes the place of Windex, 409, Scrubbing Bubbles, Comet/Ajax, , Pledge, and every other conventional cleaning product. It’s extremely concentrated so a little goes a long way (as in one capful in a spray bottle of water)! It will actually SAVE you money. You won’t have to ventilate your whole home when you clean. Your kids can help you and you don't have to worry about them breathing in dangerous fumes or touching harmful chemicals! It’s amazing stuff. 

https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/thieves-household-cleaner

The best way to get started with Young Living products is with a wholesale membership, so that you get the very bet prices. YL even has a monthly subscription program that is totally optional but just makes sense if you'll be ordering regularly. You'll earn points back on each purchase that you can spend on personal care products, supplements or essential oils of your choice, so you'll want to sign up for this to make the most of your money! Comment below with your email address when you are ready to get started! 

Next week I’ll be showing you some safe makeup options! I’ve tried just about every makeup brand out there from drugstore to department store, so if I’m recommending something, you’ll know that it performs just as well as conventional makeup! Stay tuned for that! 

Fall In Love With Failure!

Today I want to talk about failure. What? Failure? Yes! It is so important! When we set out to do something, we never think, "I really hope I FAIL at this!" Right? Of course not! We hope we succeed at whatever it is we want to accomplish.

I went to a seminar not too long ago and the speaker said that we should "fall in love with failure." It really made me think. She said that when we first start something, we are going to have moments of failure along the way. There are going to be times where we fall on our face. It's ok. Get up, brush yourself off, and ask yourself, "what can I do better next time?" Just like when a child is learning to walk, they fall over and over. They keep getting back up - that is the key! 

We would never consider Thomas Edison a failure, would we? According to his teacher, he was hyperactive and easily distracted at school so his mom pulled him out and taught him at home. He attempted over 9,000 experiments before creating the first commercially viable incandescent light bulb. 

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Edison

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Steven Spielberg was rejected from film school… three times! Beethoven's music teacher told him that he had no talent! These people did not stop when they heard the word no. They had the TENACITY to keep on going!  

If you have started your own business and keep hearing "no," from customers or investors, remember to not take it personally. Just think of it as "next opportunity." It may not be "no" forever, it may be "no, not right now." 

And if you ever need a pep talk, watch this little girl! 

There's a way to earn free essential oils?! No Way!

I thought it was time to dust off this blog and let you all know that there is a way to earn free essential oils! But first, some FAQ's because I know when I was an oils beginner, this was all a bit confusing!

1. If I purchase a Premium Starter Kit, do I have to make monthly purchases?

No, you do not! Once you start using your essential oils and it's time to replace them, you'll want to consider ordering monthly because there are some great perks, like reduced shipping and free products, however it is not necessary! 

2. How do I get wholesale pricing?

Your purchase of a Premium Starter Kit makes you a wholesale member! Yay! So see that less expensive wholesale price next to the product that you like? Yep, that's what you pay instead of the higher retail one! It makes sense to become a wholesale member! The only thing you need to do to maintain your wholesale membership is place one or of 50PV during the year that you've purchased your kit. So easy!

3. What is Essential Rewards?

Essential Rewards is Young Living's monthly subscription box. Think Birch Box, Fab Fit Fun, or Bark Box. The difference is:

• You get to choose what comes in your box every month (almost out of lavender or Purification? Add that to your order!)
• You get to choose your processing date (want it to process after your mid-month paycheck? Cool, set it for the 17th of the month or so!)
• You get points back on each purchase that can be used to snag MORE items of your choice, and with qualifying orders, you will earn even more free stuff (I'll talk about this more below!)! 

The best thing about it as far as I'm concerned? Your box will be full of TOXIN-FREE products that will help you take care of yourself and your family in the best way possible! If you are looking to remove harmful chemicals from your home (I'm talking things that are linked to cancer, reproductive issues, and other chronic conditions), take advantage of Essential Rewards. You can literally overhaul every toxic item in your home and earn free stuff while you do it. No brainer. Not sure if the products in your home are toxic? Scan them in the Think Dirty app. It will tell you how a personal care or cleaning product rates in terms of carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), reproductive toxicity, and allergens. You may be surprised at what you find!

4. Is there a monthly minimum?

There is a monthly minimum of $50. For our family, that equals about 2 meals out at a restaurant. We still go out to eat during the month, we just replace 2 meals that we normally would eat out with with meals that we make at home. I have no problem eating peanut butter and jelly for lunch if it means a new bottle of oil! For us, it's worth it to receive these amazing oils, home cleaning and personal care products every month. When I first started, I wondered, "how in the world am I going to choose $50 worth of oils every month?" Let me tell you what this looks like: Thieves is a must have essential oil blend, one we will never be without. If I notice I'm getting low, I add that to my monthly order. Purification is another one that I always have on hand. You can get 15 ml bottles of each for 52.50. These bottles are larger than the ones you receive in the kit, and have about 250-300 drops in them, depending on the thickness of the oil. These will last you awhile and in the meantime, you can either replenish more oils that you are low on next month, or you can start replacing items in your home like toothpaste (Thieves Aromabright is my fave), all purpose cleaner (one bottle is super concentrated and lasts forever!), hand soap and hand sanitizer (Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier is non-toxic, unlike Purell!). All of these add up to 50.25. 

5. So what are these gifts I've heard about?

As if Essential Rewards isn't amazing enough, Young Living will send you a gift at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of consecutive enrollment, then every 12 months after that. I'm not talking small, little useless gifts, either. After 3 months of membership, you'll receive a Peppermint Vitality! Yum! I love a drop in my water to help with digestion and give me energy, and it's been crucial in keeping my sniffling at bay during this beautiful Spring weather! At 6 months you'll receive a 5 ml bottle of Thieves. Again - this is a favorite in my home, and if I had another child, I just might name him/her Thieves. ;) Ok, maybe middle name. At 9 months, you'll receive a BREATHE AGAIN ROLL ON! I'm so excited for this! And at 12 months, and exclusive Loyalty blend that you can only get your hands on by being a part of this program! Can't wait to smell it! 

6. What do I need to spend to get free stuff?

As long as you place a 50 PV order every month, which usually translates to $50, you will earn points. These points can then be used to buy products of you choice! During months 1-3 of continuous enrollment, you earn 10% back, months 4-24, you earn 20% back, and months 25+ you earn 25% back! These points add up quickly, and you can either spend them every month or let them accumulate (you have one rolling year to use them) and use them to purchase big ticket items, like NingXia Red! 

You can also earn free stuff by spending certain amounts: 100 PV, 190, 250, or 300.   

Here are this month's promos for each level:

300 PV:
15-ml Dragon Time
Thieves Household Cleaner and 8 oz. Glass Spray Bottle
15-ml Tea Tree
5-ml Oola Grow 

5-ml Tangerine Vitality

(The only way to get Oola Grow and Tangerine Vitality for free is by being a member of the ER program!)

250 PV:
Thieves Household Cleaner and 8 oz. Glass Spray Bottle
15-ml Tea Tree
5-ml Oola Grow 

5-ml Tangerine Vitality

190 PV:
15-ml Tea Tree
5-ml Oola Grow 

5-ml Tangerine Vitality

100 PV:

5-ml Tangerine Vitality

So at the 300 PV level, you'll receive everything that you ordered, plus a 15 ml bottle of Dragon Time, a bottle of Thieves Household Cleaner and a glass spray bottle, a 15 ml bottle of Tea Tree, a bottle of Oola Grow, and a bottle of Tangerine Vitality. All of this is worth over $144! 

Here is why I invest in our orders every month. I say invest because it truly is an investment in our health. The health of our entire household. I'm not receiving a box of makeup or personal care products, which are for the most part extremely toxic (totally counter productive to what I am trying to do right now -- remove toxins from our home and detox our bodies). I'm not receive a box of clothes for myself or toys for my kids. I'm spending my money on my priority right now, and that's the wellness of my family. If I'm going to be buying these products anyway, which after lots of research, I've found to be the very best out there, I may as well be earning free stuff. 

Do you have any other questions about Young Living's monthly subscription box? I'm happy to answer them! 

Kids + Oils Make and Take

Friday night I hosted a Kids + Oils Halloween Make & Take and it was so fun! What's a Make & Take, you ask? Well, you (usually) come to someone's home and make stuff with essential oils, then take it home with you! The items can range from DIY beauty/skin care stuff (think sugar scrubs, face toners, etc.), to cleaning items (dust spray, household cleaner), to immune boosting/overall wellness stuff. You name it, there is probably a recipe for it! That is the beauty of essential oils. You can replace most of the products in your home with things that you make with your oils, and most of the time you can make it at a fraction of the price of store bought stuff and 100% of the time it is better for you! 

Here is what we made:

"Along Came a Spider" Bug Spray
This bug spray is awesome because you can do away with DEET or other bug repellants that contain some really harmful ingredients that are actually toxic for us. 

Add the following oils to a 2 oz. spray bottle:

3-5 drops Purification
3-5 drops Thieves
3-5 drops Peppermint

Swirl the oils around. Top with 1 oz. of witch hazel and 1 oz. of distilled water. Swirl again to combine. Spray on body to enjoy the outdoors annoyance-free! Well, from bugs anyway. I can't make any promises about anything else! :)

"Monsters Away" Bedtime Spray
Add the following oils to a 2 oz. spray bottle:

10 drops Lavender
10 drops Cedarwood
5 drops Orange (optional)

Swirl the oils to combine. Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water. Spray on blankets and pillows to promote a restful night's sleep. Can also spray under the bed or in closet, or anywhere else monsters may be hiding!

"Little Monsters" Body Wash
I LOVE the smell of lavender and lemongrass together. I love the smell of them alone too! This body wash is so great and it gives me such peace of mind knowing that all of the ingredients in it are safe and pure! 

1/8 cup baby castille soap
Tiny pour of grape seed oil
5 drops Lavender
3 drops Lemongrass (optional)

Add all ingredients to a 50 ml foaming pump bottle and top with distilled water. You can use this on your little monster's hair and body! (I got my bottles from Life Science Publishing, but you can definitely make a larger batch of this and put in a larger container. The 50 ml bottles are small so they are great for traveling! Comment below if you'd like the recipe for a larger container.)

And we added Orange and Cinnamon Bark essential oils to homemade play dough! It smells so good! My daughter likes me to sit with her while she plays with her play dough, and I find myself smelling it just because it smells delicious! It's important that if you make this one and add Orange EO to it that you keep it in a glass jar. (I find these in the dollar/Bullseye section at my local Target all the time.) Citrus oils will leach toxins out of plastic and we don't want to expose these toxins to our kids!  

The little ones had a BLAST running around and playing! A couple of them sat down to make stuff with their parents but most just had fun playing! I loved seeing them play together. Made my heart full!

Have you ever hosted or been to a Make and Take? What kind of items did you make? 

You may be wondering if essential oils are safe for kids. I use and recommend Young Living Essential Oils. When using them on kids or diffusing around them, you just want to make sure to go low and slow since their bodies are so much tinier than ours. Always dilute when applying topically! I use them for various things to support my daughter's health, and I was pleasantly surprised at how effective they were when I first started using them. I appreciate the fact that I can relieve any discomfort that she experiences, while not having to pump synthetics in her tiny perfect body. Essential oils support our body systems so that everything functions the way it is supposed to, thereby relieving symptoms, and I love this approach. I'd MUCH rather do this rather than mask symptoms the way that medication does. Plus there are no side effects like you get with medication. This is not to say we never use it, we just rarely (and I mean RARELY) have to now that we use oils! If you are interested in getting started with essential oils and using them to support your health or your children's health, please comment below!