Today we got to enjoy so much! God is such an amazing God, He gives us more and more such day!! Today God gave us time with friends and family. We were able to enjoy Jackson Memorial's Fall Fest with mom, dad, Stryker , Skylar, Megan Bradley and her girls Rylee and Aubree.
At the fest we got a balloon animal, face paintings, hot dogs and chips, bounce house play time, games with prizes, a petting zoo and horse rides! Little Miss had a GREAT time, we are blessed to have such an amazing beautiful little girl <3 Boy, it was again very interesting doing things with two kids. It's no longer a quick exit out of the car and into the festivities....its work it's planning its strategic with two 😋. Then Little Man seemed extremely hot in my carrier so daddy walked around with him, he then got hungry. So I'm walking a screaming baby across the lawn into the building asking for a place to nurse my screaming baby boy. Swhoo. It was enough to send me to the ABC store and FoodLion to get ingredients to make my own sangria. Lol Btw....they came out soooooo delicious! Megan came over with her girls and enjoyed some sangria with me, such a good time. She's great great great company! I couldn't ask for a better friend <3
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How exciting it was to go enjoy all that autumn has to bring!!
Today my little family and I went to Hickory Ridge Farm to enjoy some fresh pumpkin picking, horseback riding, hayrides through the farm, a tiny petting zoo and play area. My wonderful cousin Casey drove us which was extra special because now that we both have children we are connecting on even more levels than we have in the past. Bonding over the joys of parenting is always fun, because you learn you're not the only crazy mom. I am just so blessed to be in this giant family of mine. Cousin Casey is extra amazing not only is she vegan and health-conscious but she loves do-it-yourself stuff and she's also an oily girl.....she's just my kind of gal! Little man was with us today too......I'm thankful that God has kept him healthy through all the ins and outs of our busy life. It was fun trying to pack three babies into a car. Poor little man lies strapped to my chest in my ergo baby carrier and about sweat himself to death so I undressed him completely and then strapped him back in...... I'm not sure how much it helped I know that little man has a really high resting temperature and the weatherman totally lied to me he said it was going to be 70° it felt more like 90° but like I said I am thankful that God has kept us healthy little man is doing just great. I breast-fed him on the hayride which was super super weird yet funny, Casey was sweet enough to hold up the carrier so that I could try to latch him on as were bumping and being thrown all around the back of the tractor. It was certainly something to remember. And then as we are getting in the car to leave Little Miss is hungry Little Man is hungry Little Cousin is hungry so we spend an extra 30 minutes in the parking lot feeding all three kids, changing diapers, hearing cries, but....we made it out alive and all three babies fell asleep on the way home. The joys of parenthood.....I swear, life before kids just wasn't life. THIS is life <3 We consider today a great day I am so pleased to announce the arrival of Little Man 💙
My beautiful baby boy was born 9/30/15 at 5am, weighing 7 lbs 7 oz 💙 The labor was rough. I had contractions for days!! By Tuesday I was exhausted, my body was tired, I felt beaten down, my brain hurt from trying to calculate contraction frequency....I was a mess. Finally, 6pm Tuesday night I went to L&D and was admitted, at only 2 cm dilated. Having had vag surgery about nine months after the birth of my daughter, the scar tissue held me together like tape. So they went ahead and gave me an epidural at 11pm, at this hour I had only dilated another inch. My first birth was ALL NATRUAL......it was HELL! So I knew this time I wanted drugs drugs drugs. Lol The epidural was AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG OMG!!!! Omg, in between pushes I said, "I love this epidural!" In three-four pushes he was out. My beautiful baby boy 💙 Sadly, I didn't get to do skin to skin with him right away because he had passed a bowl movement in the womb, so they immediately had Corey cut the cord, then took him for testing and sucking all the fluid out of his lungs. My poor newborn had tunes shoved down his nose, and suckers poking him left and right. God is good though, and he's perfectly healthy 💙 My recovery has been a breeze, I didn't tear which was another great change from my first birth. So far, he's nothing like Little Miss was when she was an infant.....but she was just extraordinary and easy! Little Man is like any other baby....clingy and doesn't sleep at night. But, I'm so thankful to have a little man to wake up to feed in the middle of the night 💙 God is good! The Missing Link in Modern MedicineEven though I should be downstairs cleaning...because trust me, cooking three meals in two hours for three people while your two year old runs crazy in the house pulling out every single toy and puzzle and book possible doesn't exactly make for a polished house. But you know what, I'm going to sit back, relax, and blog. Corey tells me all the time that I just need to relax, so here I am, relaxing and thinking about the mess downstairs. Ugh, the life of a stay at home mom. LOL.
So, let's dig in. The ecological state of our world is largely based on plants. Plants aren't just the beautiful colors of the we see in peoples flower beds and in botanical gardens, they also play a great role in physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of all mankind. With that being said, plants are under constant supervision and large amounts of research. Did you know that the base of most prescription drugs are............you guessed it, PLANTS! Since the beginning of time (yes, as far back as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden) essential oils and plant extracts have played a GINORMOUS role in medicine. Oils and extracts stimulate tissue and nerve regeneration, they have been used to kill bacteria, fight infections, help with snack and bug bites, and have also been used in treating all kinds of diseases and ailments. But their uses don't stop there, they have also been used to cure depression, anxiety, uplift and balance your mood, lift spirits, fight off bulimia and anorexia, and have also been used to create a romantic atmosphere. The point is, PLANTS ARE AWESOME!! ;) Alright, so what exactly is an essential oil? Young Living defines an essential oil as an aromatic, volatile liquid that is within many shrubs, flowers trees, roots, bushes, and seeds and that is usually extracted through steam distillation. Essential oils are the missing link to modern medicine! Essential oils will come in a small dark glass bottle, this will glass helps to filter any unwanted ultra-vilolet rays from the sun. You should never leave oils in a place where the sun will shine directly on them - like on a window shelf in the bathroom, for example. Over a period of months this will dramatically speed up the process of oxidation (deterioration) due to them continually heating up and cooling down. One final but very important point....you should never keep your UNDILUTED essential oils into plastic bottles, since most oils will eat into, and in some cases melt the plastic. Essential oils shouldn't be taken lightly, over used, or improperly used. Here are some facts on the concentration of some of the Young Living oils. (I reference Young Living oil because I have studies this company thoroughly, they own their own plants and their own factories. Meaning, they don't buy lemons from some company in china that they are unsure of the sprays and chemicals being used on the lemon plants. Young Living owns and operates from seed to seal.) Lemon – It takes 3000 lemons to produce 2 pounds of oil. Just one 15 ml bottle of lemon oil takes 75 lemons. There are 300 drops in a 15 ml bottle, so 1 drop of lemon oil = to 1/4 of a lemon. Lavender– Just one 15ml bottle of Lavender takes 27 square feet of lavender plants There are 300 drops in a 15 ml bottle so 1 drop of lavender oil = .09ft² or 83cm² of plant material. Peppermint – Just one 15ml bottle of Peppermint takes 1 pound (453 gm) of peppermint plant material. There are 300 drops in a 15 ml bottle so 1 drop of peppermint oil = to 0.05 oz or 1.5 gm of peppermint plant. 1 drop of peppermint oil is = to 28 cups of peppermint tea! There's a lot of punch to each drop of oil. Which is a great thing, but again when I begin to talk about the different uses and methods of application I'm only referring to how you can use Young Living oil. For instance, I add a drop or two of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil to my water every other day: to support my body's natural response to irritation, to support pH levels in the normal range, to energize and enhance my mood, to strengthen my immune system, to support healthy digestion, to boost my brain power, to support healthy skin, to cleanse my system, and to hydrate. (That's a huge punch for one little drop of oil to carry.) So please don't go adding your store bought oils to your body or your water/food because I said to do it.....I'm specifically referring to Young Living oils. Alright, so now lets talk about the ways to safely use essential oils. Before you start always test an oil. Each person's body is different, so apply a small amount of oil to a small area of skin (best to test the bottom of foot first)....and only test one oil at a time. You can also dilute an essential oil like 1-3 drops of essential oil to 1/2 teaspoon of a carrier oil and test your skin with this dilution. When mixing essential oils, or diluting them, it's good idea to use glass or earthenware, rather than plastic. And wash your hands before applying oils ;) So....topically essential oils can be used through/with massage, acupuncture, acupressure, warm compress, cold packs, layering, bath, and in the shower. You can also diffuse, directly inhale, and indirectly inhale essential oils. I think I've thrown enough your way with this post. Ask away if you need more clarification or more detail on a topic discussed. Remember that these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, these oils and the information I have given is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. I hope I have inspired you to take a closer look at your plants, your medicinal methods, and your thought on essential oils. Be looking out for Essential Oils Part 2 when I talk about the oils I use daily, weekly, regularly how and why. Pregnancy hit hard. Harder this time than I ever remebered from the first.
But hopefully, this spell is over til Little Man comes and I'll be back to doing what I love most, Blogging about life. So much has happened this year, and it's only August. Corey and I aren't vegan anymore, not even vegetarians. We simply eat clean. It's best this way....no more fake burgers or fake chicken full of crazy ingredients we can't read of even begin to try to figure out where they came from (most come from a science lab). Eating clean has really improved so much in our lives. Like our new love for food....not the fast kind, but the down to earth kind. Corey dropped over 15 pounds in two months just by cutting out processed foods and I have managed to stay slim and sexy (as sexy as you can be with a giant belly) this pregnancy. Let's say we didn't lose weight by switching to clean eating....we've gained a ton of knowledge on health and wellness and now have family and friends coming to us for advice. Now what is better than being skinny.....being healthy and people taking notice. Knowing that you're not just focused on your outward image but that you're also focused on your insides. We know that our organs are working better than ever and those toxins from all the processed foods and overly sprayed produce are gone from our bodies. I'm no longer a walking cesspool, I'm now fully human, just the way God intended us to be. There is a catch. To rid your body of chemicals and toxins....you can't just change your eating habits, you have to change everything. Any cream, lotion, beauty product, or soap you put on your body will make its way into your bloodstream in a small 26 seconds. WOW!! So yeah, your bath wash that smells like Chinese Cherry Blossom, isn't at all made with real oils from a Cherry Blossom it's just a chemical made in a lab to smell like the real thing. That chemical has now entered your blood stream and is clogging up your organs. Let's face it, Americans are the most UNHEALTHY....and it's not just because we eat like crap.....it's because everything we do involves TOXIC CHEMICALS. When you clean your shower you use a Tilex or Clorox scrub right? I loveddddddd Comet. That stuff was bomb, it smelled like Bleach and kinda made my nose hairs singe and I'd cough and smell bleach for a while after I was done cleaning.....but I knew for sure that the tub was clean. But what I didn't realize was that the smell of Bleach alone was infecting my lungs and filling them with toxins. I also didn't know that after I had rinsed out all the dirt and comet from the bottom of the tub that there was still a ton of residue left hanging around. So that meant that when I would go to take my shower the next morning, as soon as my feet hit the tub my body was now receiving another dose of toxins. There are over 2000 pores on the bottoms of our feet, so stepping into the tub and onto the Comet residue was just like me DRINKING COMET!!!! ::vomit:: So along with changing the way we ate, we have also changed the way we do all of life. Essential oils have become our BEST FRIENDS! I make everything...expect for clothes and such. But I now make our shampoo, deodorant, face scrub, exfoliator, toothpaste, shaving cream, lotion, body butter, muscle relaxer, antidepressant, anti-stressor, baby wipes, chapstick, cleaning solutions and so much more. WOW, it just feels good knowing that we have rid so much toxic waste from our home. We are not only saving ourselves from the nasty cancers and diseases of the world of toxins but we are also inspiring others to take hold of their own destiny. So stay tuned as I go into more detail about clean eating and essential oils in my next posts. Hopefully this inspires you to come back and read more. I've had fun these last how-ever-many months playing around with the naturals of this world...and I think if you opened up to the things of the earth and not so much the things of this world you'd find a much happier and healthier you. xoxo |