Focus on Health & Wellness: The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle

Today I want to share a recipe with you from the book "My Simple Healthy Life" by Tammie Nelson. This is one of the three books in the Health & Wellness section of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle. (Check out the other 75+ books and resources that are included for only $29.97.)  The book is a "minimalist approach to herbal remedies, beauty & natural cleaning." It's got a recipe for elderberry syrup that is a lifesaver in helping beat the flu. There are instructions for making mascara (!), all-natural deodorant, and lip balm. In addition to that, there is a great section on DIY natural cleaning.

Moving Marathon

This has been a rough few weeks for our family. You may remember that we are in the midst of moving. I say “in the midst” because moving is an ordeal. A process. It’s not a sprint - it’s a marathon. 

We were originally scheduled to close on the sale of our current home on April 18. Well, folks, here we are on April 22 and we are still in our house. This is both a blessing and a curse. For one, I’m a little nervous about the status of our buyer’s loan; however, I’m glad we didn’t have to resort to sleeping on a friend’s couch for 2 weeks while we wait for our new home to be finished. And as you can in this picture, we have come a long way on the new place but we still have a ways to go. There is still flooring, cabinets, countertops, hardware, and landscaping to be done. 

Thursday afternoon when my daughter came down with an awful stomach bug I was saying prayers of thanks that we weren’t packing up the rest of our things and moving out of the house the next day. I’m pretty sure my pregnant self would have just withered into a pile of tears at that point. Thankfully, I covered our family in prayer and Thieves oil and we got back to healthy pretty fast. In fact, my husband and I were able to steer clear of the bug entirely. 

This was my first experience with Thieves and I’m beyond impressed. Early Sunday morning my mom caught the nastiness and was in bed nearly 2 full days before I was able to get her a roller ball bottle with Thieves in it. In less than an hour she said she felt like a normal person again and even ate a full dinner. She asked me to order her a bottle so she will have some on hand for the next time she feels something coming on. I'm pretty sure my mom thinks that I'm a crazy, crunchy hippie mom but hopefully this experience will lend some credibility to my semi-crunchy ways. (Find out more about my experience with essential oils and how to get some for yourself here). 

My Introduction to Young Living Essential Oils or "How I Learned to Stop Poisoning My Family"

I was first introduced to essential oils (EO's) in 2012 when I was pregnant with my daughter. I had a beautiful, hippie natural birth planned and wanted to do all I could to facilitate an easy delivery. I did minimal research and decided on some lavender to help me relax during labor, sweet orange for when I needed energy to push and clary sage to help speed things along. I was so excited when I was able to pick these oils up at my local GNC for less than $20 and I immediately threw them in my hospital "Go" bag.

However, the birth moved so quickly that I didn't even get a chance to open my bag and pull out any of the goodies I had brought - and I had brought a lot (that's a entirely different post). The oils went unused for months until I decided to try my cheap lavender oil to help my daughter relax and fall asleep at night. And guess what folks, it didn't help at ALL!!!