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! 

Road trip to Utah!

A couple of weeks ago, my husband, daughter and I took a road trip to Utah. We met some friends up there and stayed in cute little cabins right on Provo river. It was absolutely gorgeous! The mist on the water in the mornings was so cool. There's just something about being near the water. I wish we could have spent more time there! 

The view from our cabin. Just beautiful!

While we were there, we took the kids to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point. There were jumpers, little wooden playhouses, slides galore, face painting, a little tractor-pulled train, and mining for treasures. We were there for hours and didn't even see the whole thing! It was 11.95 per person (Monday-Thursday, 14.95 Friday and Saturday), and so worth it! I definitely recommend it if you are in the area or are going to be passing through and have little ones. They had a blast!  

This girl lives for face painting!

We also visited the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum in SLC and I have to say, the children's museums around here don't even come close! In all fairness, we haven't been to Pretend City and some of the other museums in our area. But as far as our local children's museum goes, this one blew it out of the water! Nellie had a blast in just about every exhibit. Her favorite was the cute little retro home, the store, and she loved working on a truck as a mechanic! My grandpa would be proud!

My favorite was the YL Lavender Farm exhibit! I had no idea this was going to be there, but it was a nice surprise! Especially because we were going to visit the real Lavender Farm the next day!

I was really looking forward to visiting the YL Lavender Farm in Mona, and it did not disappoint. The farm was so beautiful and clean. Everywhere you looked, there was something fun to check out. My husband and daughter loved it too! The people there were so nice. We were given a tour of the distillery and got to see juniper being distilled. I think it is so cool that an essential oils company owns their own farms and distilleries and that they are open to the public. That kind of transparency really impresses me! We took our time there and really enjoyed the grounds. There was a cool little western town that my husband loved, and a play structure with swings and a slide so we let Nellie play for awhile. We all had a blast! Again, if you live in the area or are traveling through Utah, this place is a must-see. The farm is set against the beautiful Utah mountains, and the setting is so peaceful and pristine. My favorite part of the farm was the gift shop! Some things never change! 

About to get my NingXia Red slushie. I was a happy girl!

We'd all love to go back!       

Simple Weeknight Dinner!

So apparently Southern California missed the memo that ITS FALL and it was 103 degrees today! :(

I needed a quick and tasty dinner so I decided on ham and cheese crescent rolls that I baked in the toaster oven. I actually wanted to do some lightly sautéed asparagus wrapped in ham that I saw on Giada De Laurentiis' cooking show but my local grocery store didn't have asparagus. And since it was so brutally hot outside, I was not going to another store. We had already run a bunch of errands and this was our last stop! 

I should have taken a picture of the ingredients I used but of course I didn't! I wasn't planning on blogging about them but they were so easy that I wanted to give other parents a quick dinner idea for busy weeknights or an insane heatwave!

To make them you'll need an 8 oz. package of crescent rolls (I like the Immaculate Organic Crescent Rolls), some good quality ham slices (8 to be exact) and some sliced cheddar cheese. Just lay out the crescent roll and place your ham and cheese on top, roll it up and place on your baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crescent rolls are golden brown.

I served them with apple and celery slices, and added a bit of Wild Friends Organic Maple Sunflower Butter to my plate. Perfect light dinner for a super hot day! These would also be great for breakfast or lunch and you can swap out the meat and cheese for whatever you like! I should mention that I was only feeding the girls and myself. My husband would need something more substantial! And he doesn't eat pork, so there's that.  

For a healthy snack, slice up an apple or celery and dip in this sunflower butter!

Follow me on Instagram for more tips like this @peppermint_and_peonies!! 

Winner of Gentle Babies book!

Congrats to JulieRach! She won the copy of Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern! 

Check back often for more fun giveaways!

Essential Oils + Pregnancy

Hi everyone!

So, you all know I'm a bit obsessed with essential oils and the AMAZING ways they support our bodies. There really is nothing else like them! It is so important that we take care of our bodies with the best stuff on Earth, and pure, quality essential oils make it easy to do just that! 

WOMEN - we need to be aware of what we are putting on our bodies and in our bodies, especially when we are pregnant! Everything we eat or apply topically will enter into our bloodstream, and then into the bloodstream of our sweet baby. So tell me, are you ok with using products that are full of harmful chemicals, or would you be interested in going the more natural, healthy route? 

My sweet friend Heather, who actually introduced essential oils to me, is pregnant with her third baby right now and I am so excited for her! This is her first pregnancy since she has started using essential oils 2 year ago and I asked her a few questions about using oils during pregnancy. This can be a controversial topic, but it all comes down to personal preference and education - just like anything else. Essential oils can actually really help with pregnancy related discomfort in a natural way!


Here are some adorable pics of Heather and her family! Are they not the cutest??? 

Read on to see which essential oils Heather is using to support her body during this special time!

J: What are some oils that you are loving right now and how are you using them?

H: I am loving Frankincense rubbed on my tummy with a dab of coconut oil for skin support and elasticity!  Trying to avoid getting stretch marks you know! I love all the citrus scents right now to give me a little pep in my step. I smell them right from the bottle or diffuse them! They smell so fresh and clean. I love them all but my favorites are Orange, Bergamot, and Lemon. I also love rubbing Tender Tush Ointment on my tummy and my face for skin support too! So many amazing oils in this product to help with healthy, glowing skin. Peppermint Vitality is a must have when pregnant for when I'm feeling queasy! I love to smell it from the bottle or add a drop to my water. It is advised to avoid Peppermint in the third trimester because it can turn the baby in the womb.

J: What about other products?

H: Comfy PJ's are on the top of my list! And some cute maternity clothes! I also went and bought myself some "healthier" nail polish from Sprouts to avoid some of the toxins found in traditional nail polishes.

Ningxia Red has helped boost my immune system too. It keeps me healthy and well during pregnancy… along with the energy boost. I haven't been sick at all since drinking it daily!

J: What do you love about being pregnant?

H: There are a few things I love about being pregnant. I love knowing there is a little blessing from God growing inside me that I have been given to care for and nurture.  It makes me want to be the best, healthiest person I can be! It's a big responsibility! I also love the anticipation of finding out the gender (it's a BOY!), what the sweet baby will look like, waiting for those little kicks to happen, and getting the baby items and room ready. And I'm not going to lie, the special privileges are nice… like people wanting to help you carry things, opening doors for you, special "expectant mother" parking at certain stores.. ;)

J: You lead a very active lifestyle (hiking, Pilates), what are some of your favorite ways to stay active throughout pregnancy?

H: It's super important to stay active and strong during pregnancy. There are some days I don't feel like it, but I always try to walk at least a mile or two, stretch, and do some squats. I also LOVE to hike with my family. We just went hiking in Yosemite and it was a blast! Hiking doesn't feel like a workout to me because I enjoy it so much so it's a great way to get exercise in. 

J: Any cravings?

H: Cravings… Oh goodness I have been craving peaches and plums like crazy!! And Young Living's antioxidant drink Ningxia Red. I drink it twice a day! It's so good for you and gives you energy! 

J: What advice would you give someone who is pregnant and just starting out with essential oils?

H: For someone pregnant and new to the oils, I would definitely recommend getting the Gentle Babies book. It has so much great information about which oils to use for what and which oils to avoid. Oils are a much better alternative to so many of the toxic products out there and they can help support a healthy pregnancy.  

………………

A BIG thank you to Heather!! She has been my oil guru and pretty much my health guru (whether she knows it or not!) since I made it my mission to live a healthier life and detox my body and my home! She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to essential oils, supplements, healthy eating and fitness! Love her and her commitment to living the best, most healthy life for herself and her beautiful family! You can follow her on Instagram @my.essential.life to learn more oily goodness and how she incorporates essential oils into her daily life! 

***GIVEAWAY***

Thoughts of new babies just gets me all warm and fuzzy inside and makes me feel extra giving, so we are going to do a fun little giveaway! Enter to win a copy of Debra Raybern's Gentle Babies! All you have to do is comment on this blog post and tell me your favorite way to use essential oils! It can be anything, a diffuser blend, a great way to use your oils topically, or even internally if you choose to do so! This book is a must if you are expecting or have a baby or young child! The winner will be announced on Friday, Sept. 16! Good luck! XOXO

Anaheim Packing District

Hello friends!

Today Nellie, Gilbert and I made a fun little trip to the Anaheim Packing District. If you haven’t been there before, and you eat food, what are you waiting for? Jump in your car and go this instant! Just make sure they are open. And that you are wearing clothes. And that you are HUNGRY because there are so many food options it is kind of overwhelming!

This was only our second trip there. I had seen pictures on their Instagram feed of pho and banh mi sandwiches and Vietnamese food was what I was craving! We went straight to Sawleaf Café and browsed their menu. I was planning on getting pho, but their Vermicelli Noodle Salad looked so good so I opted for that instead. It did not disappoint! I got it with Lemongrass Chicken and it was so tasty! Even Nellie liked it! My hubby had to round out the meal with sweet potato fries! They were pretty darn good too!

Vermicelli Noodle Salad and Sweet Potato Fries

After our dinner we went upstairs to popbar where you can get a little glimpse of heaven. Check out all of those beautiful colors! They are made with real fruit and there are no artificial flavorings or preservatives, just pure deliciousness!

I got a pineapple sorbetto on a stick, half dipped in dark chocolate and then dipped in pistachios. Nellie wanted a plain chocolate gelato on a stick. When I asked if she wanted it dipped or wanted sprinkles, I got a firm, NO. Ok, then. Chocolate it is. :) Gilbert got a peppermint frozen hot chocolate. And you all know my affinity for peppermint! It was so delicious! I’ve always wanted to go to Serendipity in New York but never had the chance. I imagine this drink tastes just as good or better than their frozen hot chocolate! It was that good!  

The before pic, giving her gelato a big thumbs up!

And the after...

Here's mine, I'll spare you my before and after pictures!

Off to detox now!

Seriously though, the Packing District is such a fun place to hang out. It is family friendly, at least when I’ve been there it has been, but I imagine on weekend nights the bars can get pretty lively. And they have so many choices when it comes to food that there is literally something for everybody. If you are in the area, stop in! You won’t be disappointed!

Tips:

Parking can be tricky. There is street parking and lot parking. There’s even valet. We’ve gone at off-peak times and were able to find lot parking pretty quickly. But I imagine on days where they are having the Farmer’s Market, or weekends in general, parking would be kind of hard. Try to go in between breakfast and lunch or before the dinner crowd to make parking a cinch!  

If you go in a group, and it is busy, have one person save a table while the others grab food, then switch off if needed. It can get packed and tables/sitting areas are hard to come by.

If you can't decide what you want, and you are in a group, see if everyone is willing to get a different dish so that you can sample a bit of everything! We did this the first time we went and it worked out really well! We got to try quite a few things and see what we really liked! 

Use This, Not That #1

Hi guys! Have you seen those books that are titled Eat This, Not That? I wanted to do a series of blog posts that are similar, but instead of food - ok, some food might creep in here - I wanted to focus on other things that we use all the time, like cleaning products (fun, I know!) and personal care products. I recently became aware of the harmful ingredients in a lot of the stuff that we use everyday, including makeup, shampoo, soap, lotion, perfume and cologne, toothpaste, sunscreen, dryer sheets, scented candles, household cleansers and more. I'm going to list some of my favorite alternatives to the products you may be using that are potentially harmful to your health and hopefully inspire you to make some positive changes!

Here goes:

1. Makeup

If you know me, you know how much I LOVE makeup. I even dabbled with being a makeup artist for a bit! One of my favorite things to do back before my BFF's and I were married with kiddos was go get our makeup done at Nordstrom. We pretty much used any excuse we could, like birthdays, bachelorette parties, or just if we were in the mood for new makeup to go and get dolled up at a makeup counter. It was so relaxing and I just loved the result of a professional makeup artist doing my makeup! Unfortunately, I had no idea what we were putting on our skin! From dangerous heavy metals, like lead, which can actually cross through the blood-brain barrier, to formaldehyde, which is directly linked to cancer, most women are putting multiple personal care and beauty items on their skin a day while unknowingly putting their health at risk. Just think about how many products you use everyday. I use a moisturizer, foundation, concealer, mascara and lip balm at least, and some days add eye shadow, eye liner, blush and lip gloss or lipstick. Now think about the multiple ingredients in all of those products. If they are harmful, and most are, then we are literally layering carcinogens and allergens on our skin every.single.day. 

I recently learned about Beautycounter, a brand of makeup that is doing things differently. They have a never list - a list of harmful ingredients that will never be used in any of their products. They are also passionate about making changes and taking this issue, a serious health issue for many women, to Washington DC to make some real changes. Did you know that there hasn't been a major change to the laws regulating the safety of beauty products since 1938??? The UK bans 1300 harmful ingredients in beauty products. The US bans 11. That's right. ELEVEN!! Beautycounter bans over 1500. I started using their Tint Skin foundation, under-eye concealer and mascara recently, and I love them all. I'm going to eventually overhaul my whole makeup bag but thought these were the best products to start out with. I strongly urge all of you to take a look at what is in your makeup bag and research the ingredients. With the internet at your fingertips, it won't take long and it is so worth it. You can even install an app on your phone that will let you know how a product rates in terms of safety. I use Think Dirty, but there's also EWG's Healthy Living or EWG's Skin Deep cosmetics database.

Winning combo: Beautycounter's Tint Skin Foundation and Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

There are quite a few brands out there that have much safer ingredients than the commonly used drug store brands or even department store brands, and even if you just switch out one product, you are doing yourself some good!

2. Sunscreen

We try our best to protect our kids from the harmful rays of the sun and prevent sunburns. But sometimes the ingredients in sunscreen actually do more harm than good! Check out the EWG's list of worst sunscreens for kids. If you are using one of them, throw it out! Some of them may actually contribute to skin cancer, disrupt hormones, and in the case of spray sunscreens, are super dangerous if inhaled! Read up on the best scoring options for your sweet kiddos and you'll have the peace of mind knowing that when they are playing at the waterpark, pool, or beach, that they are protected and the ingredients are completely safe. Check out this post by Wellness Mama for even more info on sunscreen safety.

3. Perfume and Cologne

This one was another eye-opener for me. I had no idea that any product with synthetic fragrance was basically toxic, perfume and cologne being some pretty huge culprits. I used to give cologne and perfume as gifts and was always happy to receive it as a gift! Do yourself a favor though and break up with your perfume! Would you spray any liquid on yourself if you knew it was linked to cancer, birth defects, nervous system disorders, allergies, or reproductive issues? I hope the answer is NOOOOO!

If you don't want to go completely without fragrance, essential oils are the way to go. They smell amazing and are actually good for you! Just be sure you are using a brand that is organic and contains no synthetics. I recommend and use Young Living essential oils. I love the smell of Lemongrass and will add a drop to my wrists and put a little behind my ears (one drop goes a long way). Lavender and cedarwood are also really nice. I'll add some to my scalp to promote hair growth and my hair acts as a diffuser and I can smell it throughout the day! Young Living's product line is huge so there are tons to choose from and something to suit every taste (floral, woodsy, musky, etc.)! You can even make your own perfume blends! Here is one from an awesome essential oils educator, Jen O'Sullivan. Check out her website, she is such an amazing resource!

Lime Cake Fragrance

In a 5mL atomizer combine 6 drops Young Living Lime and 3 drops each of Young Living Cedarwood and Young Living Lavender. Add 2 drops Eden's Garden vanilla. Mix well and then add 6 drops sweet almond or grapeseed carrier oil. Mix well again and then add almost to the top 190 proof Everclear alcohol (you can use anything between 100 proof to 190 proof). Shake vigorously for 60 seconds then add 10-12 drops of bottled water and shake again. You can also add this to a roller bottle instead of an atomizer, just omit the alcohol and top with more carrier oil. :)


There are also great options for men!

Here is one that Jen calls Strength in a Bottle:

5 drops Northern Lights Black Spruce
3 drops Idaho Blue Spruce
2 drops Sacred Frankincense
2 drops Pine
1 drop Cedarwood
1 drop Bergamot
1 drop Vanilla absolute (she uses Eden's Garden)

Put this all in a roller bottle and top off with sweet almond oil.

Ok, friends, that's it for this edition of Use This, Not That. There are TONS more products out there that I want to discuss but I thought these were the most important to start out with.

I was looking through magazines the past few days, something I rarely do anymore, and all of the ads are for toxin-filled cosmetics and fragrances. I wish someone would create a magazine with pages full of healthy options! If there is one out there that I don't know about, please comment below and let me know! It makes me sad/angry that we are using products everyday, without knowing the real dangers of them. It isn't right. It shouldn't be legal. I urge you to share this post with anyone that you love and that may be interested in swapping out their potentially hazardous products for healthier alternatives. And if someone shared this post with you, then you know you are loved! ;)

Remember, we only get one shot at this life! Let's make it the very best!