The transition from working mom to stay-at-home mom…

I distinctly remember looking for a daycare when I was pregnant with Tyce.  I wanted to make sure I found one that at least stayed open until 6:30.  I was in public accounting, Clancy was in public accounting, surely one of us could always leave by 6 to get him everyday?  I loved my job.  I was one of the few that would openly tell people that I wanted to be a partner (this is few and far between in public accounting- ha!).  I would seek out opportunities, any opportunity, to advance my career.  I specifically waited until I was a manager to get pregnant because career-wise I believed that was the best option.  Yes, I was THAT person.  (Totally nothing wrong with that person- but just so you get the picture.) I remember someone coming up to me and saying, "You know, you aren't going to care what time the daycare closes, your priorities will shift."  I laughed and thought, "She doesn't know me."  Turns out, she might have known me better than I knew myself!  (Or at least knew the effects of parenthood on some people).

Tyce was born in 2010, and as most of you have also experienced, I had emotions I had never felt before.  I was dreading going back to work, but everyone reassured me that I would get used to it.  I cried the first day. I cried the second day.  I stressed out at work starting around 2 or 3 trying to figure to what time I could leave so I wouldn't hit traffic and could get Tyce as early as possible.   Everyone kept telling me it would get easier.

Tyce as a baby

Fast forward a couple years, and for me, it didn't get easier.  Along came another kid and I still would rather be home with them.  I still loved my job, but I realized I loved spending time with my kids so much more.  I cared so much less about the money. All of these other working moms had adjusted to some extent and I couldn't.  Totally nothing against them, I was actually a little jealous I couldn't quite "adjust", but I was still struggling.  I refused to EVER leave them at night, on the weekend, send them to church nursery because I couldn't stand being away from them for another minute - I felt like that time was way too valuable.  This started to effect other things as Clancy and I would never go on dates, would never leave them, etc.  I refused to even stop at the grocery store and run in to get one thing on the way home bc that was time I couldn't see them- sound crazy?

Enter Coy

We decided that we were going to have a total change of plans and after the third kid came along, we would find a way for me to stay home.  And then that third kid did come along...

Baby Bryn...the one who pushed me off the cliff :)

Let's just say that decision was easy emotionally and financially difficult.  I had been in public accounting for 10 years.  Clancy is in the same profession which means we were basically cutting our income in half.  EEEK… at ANY income level, that is tough! We made a lot of financial sacrifices and decided to go for it.

Although I am a CPA, holistic health has been my passion for a while.  When I decided to stay home, I also decided I would pursue the business side of essential oils for "fun" because I loved the oils so much and as many of you know, love sharing my opinions.  :)  I guess this is the part where people keep telling you "the financial part will work out".

Young Living oils have blessed my family more than you can imagine.  In the relatively short time that I have been pursuing this business, it has provided me with 1) financial benefits I could have never imagined, 2) an avenue to pursue my passion of helping people get healthier and learn how to be healthy, 3) a way to channel my competitive drive, and 4) given me adult interaction and the best of both worlds - a career while being home with the kids.

Tyce with the Aroma Complete

I hardly ever talk about these oils as a business opportunity because I don't want to ever distract anyone from how amazing these oils are.  And its not about business to me, its about getting healthy.  It is about teaching people that there are other options.  But what I want everyone to take from my story is this:  find what you LOVE, find what you want to do, pursue it.  Pursue it with 100% effort, even if you have limited time.  It will pay off, emotionally, spiritually and the financial part will come.  Although I loved my job, nothing compares to staying home with my kids and doing something I love on the "side".  I can't even begin to express how excited I get when I hear all of your oil success stories.  These oils have changed my life in more ways than one- and I know they have helped more of you than I can count.  I hope they will also bless yours if you haven't yet started your journey.

If you aren't a member and want to be part of the Oils Adventure team, sign up here.  We are also hosting a few live classes this month (first on on Sunday in Austin) and webinars, so if you want more information, please comment or email me.

These are a few of my favorite things…...

I love that song.  I think that is how it goes?  I sing some version of it to my babies when I rock them to sleep.

Anywho….. I was thinking, what are my favorite YL products?  Well, here they are.

Favorite cleaning product:  Did this first because duhhh- thieves!  I use the thieves cleaner for everything, countertops, bathrooms, glass, couches.. you name it, I LOVE it!

Favorite diffusing combo: I made the post topic so I can break the rules.  I still stand by my two favorites which are either: Thieves OR Lavender and Lime together.  It is getting cooler outside, so I have found myself diffusing Thieves more- reminds me of the holidays.  Christmas Spirit it out of stock, so throw some Evergreen Essence in there with the Thieves and you got your Christmas smells!

Favorite Supplement: Gosh this is so hard.  I am going to have to pick 3. HA!  I love Life 5 (Probiotics are crucial y'all- make sure you are taking one!).  I also love the longevity capsules because I really feel like they help me have every and I really like my Inner Defense to have on hand just in case. So, I guess I have to say all 3.

Favorite Drink:  Ningxia Red.  Another duhhh?  If you haven't tried this, try it for a month.  See how you feel.  If you don't feel any different, stop.  You can do it for one month right?

Favorite Everyday oil:  This is so hard too, but I am going to have to go with Peace and Calming or Frankincense.  I love them both for opposite reasons but sort of the same reasons?  HA!  Peace and Calming totally relaxes me at night and helps me fall asleep.  Frankincense relaxes me when I have kid related anxiety.

Favorite "other" oil:  Tie again.  RC and Digize.  I couldn't live without either of these oils, honestly. RC works better than anything ever has for my kids when they are stuffy.  Digize is so great for all things stomach related.  If you can bear the smell, you will feel the benefit.  Both of these oils are amazing in my opinion.

Favorite oil kit:  Golden Touch.  This kit has so many oils that I use quite a bit.  This kit is perfect for those of you with kids for the winter months.

Favorite "other" product:  The ART day activator.  This stuff is great.  It has a very slight fragrance to it, and it is so light.  I put it on my face every morning- love it!

Favorite of my three children:  Psh…. yeah right.  I did always wonder though how parents didn't have a favorite.  Something you totally don't get until you have kids, right?  At any given moment of course I would prefer to hang out with one rather than the others, but its so true, you don't have a favorite!

What are your favorites from some of these categories?  Haven't gotten started and so you don't yet have favorites?  What are you waiting for?!!!? Sign up here!

Ningxia Red- it is THAT good

Ningxia is my new soapbox.  Why?  Because it is THAT good y'all!  It is THAT good for your body, THAT good for your health, your sleep, your stress…. you name it.   You have got to try this stuff, and here is why…

Straight from the EODR,  "Ningxia Wolfberries have long been treasured in the natural health community.  Their phytochemical profile is legendary:  amazing polysaccharides, calcium, 18 amino acids, 21 trace minerals, beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E along with phlyphenols.

Ningxia Red has an amazing ability to provide high levels (the highest you can find actually) of antioxidants while boosting energy, naturally!    It supports brain, digestive and cognitive health.  It fortifies the cardiovascular system and supports healthy blood pressure levels while promoting restful sleep patterns.  It also aids in the body's natural anti-inflammatory response and enhances immune function.  It also supports proper muscle and joint health."

What if I told you to get all of this, you ONLY had to drink 1-2 oz a day?  What if I asked you to try to replace that multivitamin you are using (that is probably filled with all sorts of artificial ingredients anyway) and try Ningxia for 2 months?  What if I told you it will be about the same price but I almost could promise you would feel better?  AND, it tastes good!

Along with Ningxia Wolfberries, Ningxia Red contains Blueberry juice, Plum Juice, Cherry Juice, Anonia Juice Pomegranate Juice, Grape Seed Extract and the essential oils of Orange, Lemon and Tangerine.  This drink is packed with nutrients.

What is even better?  Y'all have samples of this drink in your premium starter kit.  OR, are you not quite ready to start with oils, but want to try this for a couple months?  You could get started with the Ningxia Red starter kit.  Trust me y'all, you will want to try this stuff.  You won't be able to get enough.  You will feel better, less tired and your health will thank you.

Who's in?  What do you have to lose?  Don't you think its worth a try?  Your kids will even LOVE it!

Let's Talk about Sleep Baby...

Welllllllll...we hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Jenna and I didn't mean to take 2 weeks off, but life happens. {grin} But we're back! And ready to talk about oils.

One of the biggest issues we hear about from people who are interested in trying oils is because of sleep issues. And a lot of times sleep issues with kids. And I absolutely love that Young Living has so many oils that can help with sleep!!!! 

With my kids, my son has a hard time falling asleep and he wakes up early, and my daughter just can't get enough of me so she wants me to visit her in the middle of the night. Good times! 

So what have we tried and what have been our sleep successes?

• Peace & Calming: We've blogged a lot of times about how wonderful peace & calming can be. It works wonders with both my kids! Especially my daughter. Last night she slept for 13 hours without a peep.
• Cedarwood: This is another one that helps both my kids.
• Lavender: Lavender helps my son SO much, but it hypes my daughter up. I avoid lavender with her like the plague!
• Roman Chamomile: I didn't even know that roman chamomile was a relaxation oil, and one night, I realized I would out of peace & calming AND cedarwood. I decided to look in my essential oil desk reference and discovered roman chamomile was listed for relaxation, and I had some! I decided to try it {what else did I have to lose?}, and it was another success!
• Tranquil: This is a combination of lavender, cedarwood, and roman chamomile. It is seriously MAGIC for my son. Again, I avoid this one for Drew for the lavender, but I absolutely LOVE it for Trent. I also put it on him before school to help keep him calm during the day.
• RutaVaLa: Another lavender blend that I've tried on Trent. I don't like it as much as Tranquil since Tranquil is great on Trent during the day, and I think this one smells like lavender mixed with dirt, but it's definitely better than not having oils!

I've also discovered that if I rotate the oils, I have really great success. Every crop of essential oils is a little different {because no 2 plants or crops are the same}, but I find that if I use 1 oil for weeks in a row, Drew will start to have some random wake-ups. But if I do peace & calming for a week and then cedarwood for a week, etc....the great sleep continues!

Do you have sleep issues? Or do your kids? Young Living essential oils can help! What do you have to lose by trying? {Except maybe some sleep?!?!} Sign up here, and start your oils adventure today!

#theresanoilforthat

I've got some funny stuff to share today, but first I wanted to let all you loyal readers know about 2 upcoming opportunities to learn about essential oils.

First, Jenna and I are co-teaching a local class {Essential Oils 101} in ATX on Sunday at 7:00 PM. Comment below and we can hook you up with the address. Second, Jenna and I are co-teaching a webcast {also Essential Oils 101} on Tuesday, October 7 at 8:00 PM. You can register HERE. Both classes are free and each has their own perks, but I think if you can make the live class, it's so fun to be able to touch, smell, use the oils!

Now...onto the funnies!

I don't know about you, but I love a good meme. Jenna and I love to make fun of ourselves and our pretty much obsessive love for oils. But the best part is apparently we aren't the only ones who are pretty nuts for Young Living essential oils! With that said, here's a day off from oil stories and testimonies and just a chance to laugh at our shared love {okay obsession} with all things essential oils!

Remember, if you've been reading for a while and want to start your oil adventure, click HERE to get started today!

Need a Little Clarity?

Do you ever have that day at work where you just can't focus? Or you ate a big lunch and it's 2:00 PM, and you're about to fall asleep at your laptop? Please tell me this isn't just me! I was super excited to try Clarity because I can't seem to make it past 2:00 or 3:00 almost every day with having a huge dip in energy and focus.

And let me tell you, Clarity has been SO amazing! I just put a drop or two on my big toes right after lunch, and I do not have an afternoon slump! I have noticed a huge boost in my concentration - no brain fog, no sleepiness...it's so refreshing to feel GOOD all afternoon at work. This is definitely an oil I don't want to be without.

Need to get started today to be able to have a clear mind? Click HERE and begin your oiling adventure today!

My Top 5 Oils...Right Now

My ER order ships on Thursday, and I am in desperate need of some of my favorite oils! Thinking about which oils I'm running low on makes me think of which oils are my favorites. {I think we ALL know what Jenna's favorite oil is! Jenna - am I right?} This list is a moving target, but I thought it'd be fun to share which ones are getting the most use in my household. Now as a disclaimer, I'm cheating a little bit and might name more than 5 - it's more like my top 5 categories. I just love my oils! {grin}

1. SLEEP! Oils that help my kids relax and sleep are at the TOP of my list. EVERY day, some combination of lavender, cedarwood, and peace & calming end up on my kids. But...BUT...I just discovered Tranquil. This blend combines lavender, cedarwood, and roman chamomile. I have the single of roman chamomile but hadn't used it...I think I might try it on its own and see what happens too, but I am obsessed with Tranquil right now. It smells wonderful and is so relaxing to both my kids!

2. Thyme - I think this oil smells terrible, but it keeps my husband from snoring 90% of the time we use it. I put 1-2 drops on his big toe, and hear it work its magic. We used to sleep apart quite often because of his snoring, and now I am almost never poking him and neither of us get annoyed. I swear this oil has made my marriage MUCH happier!

3. Focus - We use Brain Power and Vetiver on our son every day to help with his concentration. I have heard SO many success stories from these oils, and I am excited to see what they do in the future as he gets older. I am also in love with Clarity for me - when I feel that early afternoon slump come on, I can put some Clarity on and feel myself get more alert and wake up!!!

4. Stress Away - I probably should have put this first because it is MY favorite. Anytime I feel myself get worked up or stressed I rub my Stress Away on and can just feel the tension, anxiety, the butterflies just dissolve. It is MAGIC I tell ya!

5. Immune Support - As the mom of small kids, I want everyone healthy in my house. Thieves gets used almost every day in my house. To boost our immune systems and kill germs...this oil does it all!

So what do you think of my list??  And if you're ready to sign up and get these oils for yourself, click HERE!!!  Happy oiling!