{Peppermint or Lavender?}

When a friend of mine introduced me to Améo essential oils, I thought I might grab a bottle or two to use in a hot bath. You know, just every now and then. I was, ahem, clueless. Now, I am an avid oil user. I know, I'm a little late to the game. But, no matter! 

Who knew all the things you could do with essential oils! Really, there are miles of possibilities. In the name of full disclosure, I am an Améo independent distributor. So, there are links in this post that will take you to my website where you can learn more about the brand or even purchase some of your own. I am partial to these oils, even though I’ve tried other brands, because all Améo Essential Oils are extensively tested for quality, purity, and usability. They truly are of the highest quality and potency. Best oils out there, hands down. Our family sees the benefits day in and day out. 

Here are two of my favorite go-to Améo essential oils. If you only have one oil in  your home,  make it one of these!

1. Peppermint Oil  I haven’t come across a person yet who doesn’t love the distinct, stimulating scent of this oil. It’s fresh and vibrant. I’ve used peppermint oil to ease nausea, clear up congestion, and relieve stress. Tension headaches don’t stand a chance against the powerhouse that is peppermint oil. You can mix it with fractionated coconut oil and use it to cool a sunburn. Mix it with true lavender and rosemary and rub it on sore, tired muscles. And, it’s AWESOME in a hot bath. Oh, yes. I’ve even used it in non-toxic homemade cleaning solutions and scent clean laundry by adding a few drops onto my woolen dryer balls. And, it’s perfect in DIY sugar scrubs. This gem of an oil can be found in various, strategic places throughout my home. I love it. And it’s a great place to start if you’re just dabbling. 

2. True Lavender Another familiar favorite for sure. This oil is as versatile as it is lovely. It blends well with just about any other oil out there, which is nice. It’s a soothing oil and eases tension. I use it at bedtime on my neck, shoulders, and wrists to promote relaxation and sleep. That’s after I’ve added it to a warm bath, of course! I also love this oil for dry, irritated, or chapped skin. I use it on my kiddos diluted in fractionated coconut oil and it soothes and cools itchy eczema skin. I love this oil in my homemade, non-toxic cleaners, in DIY room freshener, and again in the laundry room alongside my peppermint oil and woolen dryer balls. Oh, and my favorite use is in the kids’ bathroom. I put a few drops on the inside of the toilet paper roll to fight odors and freshen up the air in that room! Sneaky, I know. It’s just one of those oils that makes you feel better. And, because of it’s versatility, it’s also a great starter oil for the newbies of the essential oil world. I always, always keep this oil on hand. I love mixing it with my peppermint oil and diffusing it throughout the house! Imagine that! 

What about you? Do you have a favorite essential oil? What’s your favorite way to use it? I’d love to hear! 

{#RealLife | No. 5}

Some weeks it feels like we do life with the Dora the Explorer theme song playing in the background. Everybody sing! "Come on vámonos! Everybody let’s go! Come on let’s get to it! I know that we can do it!” We are in constant motion juggling school schedules, sports schedules, playdates, chores, errands, dinner, and precious family time. It’s madness. “Let’s go!” “Hurry up!” “Where are your shoes!?” “Let’s not be late!” “I hate to be late!” When it’s really bad, we get to the end of the week and wonder how in the world we got there with our heads still attached to our bodies and all our limbs in place. Kind of like when you mindlessly drive that familiar route from one place to another and the trip is kind of hazy in your mind’s eye. Yeah, there’s a lot of that too when the madness is upon us. Once we come to the other side we can see the trail of a hot mess behind us. You know, when you have that many balls in the air sometimes you drop one or two. Last week, was one of these whirlwind weeks for us and I looked in the back of Luna (that’s our mom van) and could see the evidence.

This one hurts a bit. It really does. Don't judge. It doesn't always look like this, I promise.

Yes. There it is. Evidence of a mad, hurried, overcrowded week. Right in the floor of the car. It looks like that because we likely spent ALOT of time in that space getting from one place to the other. Usually, we clean it out every evening so there’s a place for our feet the next morning. Yeah. Not so much last week. 

While I don’t recommend ordering your life to include constant madness and overcrowded schedules, we are growing together as a family because it teaches us some valuable lessons. We have to be intentional in making plans and arranging schedules. There’s a plan. On a whiteboard. We know what our non-negotiables are, the things that always win space on the schedule. That teaches us that it’s ok to say no to other things and gives us the chance to practice that. We have to pull together, pitch in, and make it work. All of us, even the littlest one. We’re figuring out how to actively look for ways we can contribute above and beyond — even if it means cleaning up someone else’s mess or helping the little one find her shoes. And sometimes, we even do it without complaining. Thankfully, Luna will get cleaned up and there will be place for the kiddos’ feet. It’ll just take each of us grabbing an armful of stuff to get that done. And, it’ll be faster than leaving it for one person. Yeah. Two are better than one and three are even better than two. That’s it. That’s what we’re learning. 

This momma is learning to find the teachable moments even in the midst of the madness and mess.  

{Letters to My Daughter | No. 5}

Sweet girl, it’s been quite a whirl wind the past couple of weeks. Your first volleyball tournament of the new club season, your first winter ball, your first letter from a college volleyball coach - and all in the span of a few days. Listen, I know it can be overwhelming and exciting and sometimes even a little exhausting. So, here are a two things I want you to remember. 

1. Make sure you take time to pause and be grateful. Remember that the Creator of the Universe is weaving this beautiful story of your life in perfect detail. Sometimes, it’s helpful to take a look back at these moments and see how the Lord is working things out on your behalf. He knew exactly when you’d get that first letter about collegiate volleyball; He knew exactly how beautiful you’d look in your ball gown and which friends to surround you with; He knew exactly what needed to happen on the court during your tournament to help you continue to grow as a person and a player. He knows how to grow you into the very best version of yourself, and His timing is always perfect. Always, always take the time to thank Him for being concerned with the details of your life and invite Him to continue working His plan. He loves you more than you can begin to fathom. Don't miss an opportunity to thank Him for what He's doing! 

2. I want you to remember that WHO YOU ARE is what makes you a priceless treasure, a masterpiece. Your worth and value isn’t tied to what you do or how you perform. Yes, please keep it classy. I know that you will because that’s who you are. You’re that girl. We love you for who you are. God loves for who you are. There’s not one single thing you could do to earn more love and affection — you’ve got it. Unconditionally. Just because you are you. And by the way, you are fabulous. 

We love you sweet, brave, beautiful girl. We are so grateful that we get to be part of your story.

Keep growing. 

XO

{#RealLife | No. 4}

Sometimes, you wake up tired. Yeah, that was me today. I was up at “normal” time but my sweet husband promptly sent me straight back to bed. I was so sleepy. Like my eyes felt like as heavy as softballs in my head.  For me that usually means that I haven’t been making rest a priority. True rest, the kind that creates space and breathing room. Yeah, I have a bad habit of that. I’m doing better. I figured out somewhere along the way that my inability to rest was directly related to my weak trust in God. My malady was Don’t-Know-How-to-Take-My-Hands-Off syndrome. Rest cures that. So, today I slept in and took a nap. 

So, because today is a rest day let's keep this one short.  Maybe you can find some space in your life for rest.  Be intentional. Schedule it. Make a date with that comfy chair or your favorite blanket. Go to bed early, take a nap. Get ahead of the exhaustion curve by making rest a priority. Oh, and just so you know, taking a rest doesn’t make you a slacker. So, go ahead and flip open your calendar and schedule yourself a nap. I promise it’ll make you feel better! 

{Five Minute Friday | First}

It's Five Minute Friday. That means unplanned, unedited, straight-from-the-heart-to-the-paper writing. Yep, you just write whatever comes out based on a word you're given. If you have five minutes, you should give it a try!  Find out how here.

This week the prompt is {FIRST}. 

Ready? 

GO. 

“I have this complaint against you, you don’t love me or each other as you did at first.” That’s the sentence I hear ringing loud and clear in my mind when I think of first. There’s something about what a first represents. There’s significance. Anticipation. Appreciation. Gratitude. Excitement. Those things are built in most of the time. But time ticks on and we forget. We forget those feelings that swell up deep in our gut and make us nearly explode with gratitude.

What if we get back there? What if turn the mundane and routine on it’s head by reconnecting with what makes our firsts special and significant? You know, what if we approached our tired, boring routines with the same amount of anticipation and gratitude as we do those first time moments in our lives.

Yeah. What if we do that.

Especially in our relationships with each other and with the Lord. I heard Dr. John Piper say something last weekend as he spoke at Passion 2016 that landed right smack-dab square in my heart. I’m paraphrasing here, but it went something like this: Our job is not to keep ourselves alive but to keep ourselves in love with Jesus. And, isn’t that the key to everything else we do? Yes. Love Him like we did at first. Then, we can love each other the way we are supposed to love each other. Let Him be first. And then we can approach our tired, boring routines with a fresh eyes and ears and soft hearts. It reframes everything else. And it's what we need. It's where we find strength and joy and hope. It's where we land - His unfailing love - when we think we can't handle another boring, mundane minute. 

Yeah. What if we do that. 

Stop.