Coffee Cozy

We are adding some fun new coffee sleeves to the Etsy shop today! Check them out and remember I will always make custom orders so please, don’t hesitate to ask for changes!

doTerra Oils

Our family has been using doTerra essential oils for about a year religiously and we’ve noticed some major benefits to using them!

Let me start by saying I’m talking about a super sensitive subject in this and I’d appreciate your sensitivity to the topic… Okay back on track.

First and foremost, I’ll say that when I first started doTerra I did so with the intent to add oils to my water or green smoothies to add some extra health benefits. Over the course of time I’ve become more knowledgeable as to other issues to treat with the oils. I’ve dealt with “women issues” for many years. I got my period at a particular young age and my period was abnormal to say the least. I’d bleed over half the month, every month, I had horrible headaches, I’d gain about 8lbs every cycle just in a bloated belly, I had terrible leg pain to the point of being unable to walk, and overall I just couldn’t function properly. These issues definitely came on slowly and got worse as I got older. We talked with doctors, OB’s, I had test done and finally we came to the conclusion that the pill would be my best option for the sole purpose to control my menstrual cycles. So I went on birth control my sophomore year of high school. I changed brands of pills 3 different times because of side affects but overall my period was under control for the first time. After about 4 years I went off the pill. My period never returned.

About a year before I got married I started actively trying to get my period. I worked with my doctor and OB, had a million different tests done, took medication, and did just about anything to try to get my period. Not only is this a difficult and painful process, but it’s also emotional. Then our wedding came and went and our hearts began to desire a baby. So, with the encouragement of my OB we sought out our fertility doctor. We’ve now been with him for over a year doing various things to try to get pregnant. A few months ago I decided to seek out oils to help in this process. I started using clary sage and ylang yalng and about a week later I got my period! After I cried for about a day, we finally were able to take the next step with fertility. Although we still are not pregnant, my hormone levels have begun to come into a somewhat normal range. This is huge for us! Anyone struggling with infertility knows it is such a horrible road to travel. The emotions in this process are unlike anything I’ve experienced. On a side note, we’ve started a new remedy with oils and anyone wondering anything about this journey, I would love to speak with you! Please email me! I have a lot of experience in this and would love to share my heart with you!

Okay, back to oils! Another crazy amazing thing we’ve used oils on in our home is athletes foot. I use lavender and melaleuca on my husbands feet and it’s helped so incredibly much with this problem!

We use Breath at night in our petal diffuser and for this lady that has made a world of difference. I wake up stuffy every morning and since using this oil I’ve noticed a major reduction in this problem! I absolutely love the diffuser! I’ll put it in my kitchen during the day with lavender or purify or serenity. These are great to have going throughout the day!

There are so many health benefits to these oils. They are so powerful and I know I still have so much to learn but I’m having a blast eliminating drug store buys with natural oils. Whether it’s ginger for an upset tummy, deep blue for a muscle rub, grapefruit and lemon in my morning water, or any of the other amazing uses for these oils there is something so great in knowing they are 100% healing for our bodies!

Has anyone else had an experience with oils? I’d love to hear how you use them!

My Top 5 Kitchen Gadgets

I am obsessed with my kitchen! This is probably because I love to cook…

Over the last few years I’ve added to my kitchen collection of gadgets so I’m going to list my top 5 favorites for you!

1.    Teavana holds my heart. I love a great cup of tea and as far as I’m concerned they hit it on the head with two pieces I can’t live without (I know I said 5 things but these two go hand in hand!). I love their PerfectTea Maker (when making tea for myself only) and the Breville One Touch Tea Maker (when making a few cups at a time). These two pieces do essentially the same thing, just in different quantities. For the Perfect Tea Maker I can make a big glass of iced tea or a cup of hot tea for myself. The Breville maker makes a much larger quantity. The Breville also boils the water, whereas the Perfect Tea maker needs you to boil before hand. Both are amazing pieces I use regularly!

2.    My Le Crueset Dutch Oven. This was the first major thing my husband bought me when we were dating. It is still one of my most used pieces in my kitchen. I have since then invested in many different Le Crueset pieces but I use my dutch oven at least 3 times a week… and it’s a piece that will outlive me so it’s fun to think my babies will cook with it one day!

3.    Our juicer. When I first thought about investing in a juicer I did a ton of research! I talked to friends, searched the internet, and browsed William Sonoma and Sur la Table until I was confident I found one I liked. My mother in law bought a slow juicer and I knew I didn’t want one of those (see my reasoning why here) so I finally decided on the Breville Juice Fountain Duo. It was quite an investment but I’ve used it religiously for a few years now and it works like a champ! I’m so happy with this purchase!

4.    Our Le Creuset Grill Pan. Seriously ladies we all need this! I refuse to grill (if you do grill, I strive to be more like you!) but I love grilled food. I am a stay at home wife for the most part so I feel that it’s the least I can do to have both a clean home, and dinner prepared when my husband gets home. This means no grilled food for us… until I bought this piece. I cook everything from veggies to fish to meats on it and best of all it transfers from the stove to the oven so I don’t have to dirty any more dishes! This pan does it all and I have been so impressed at how much it will do for me.

5.    Our Stacking Bowls. My mother in law gave this collection to us at one of my bridal showers and it is the most useful bowl set ever! It literally has every size you’d ever need and because it’s a set it all fits together perfectly making storing the set a breeze! I think this is just a staple for all kitchens.

Juicing continued...

Juicing continued…

So as I mentioned yesterday I love juicing! I’ve noticed some major health benefits to juicing which makes the sometimes long process of juicing so incredibly worth it!

When I first started juicing, my mom was fighting cancer. I woke up every morning and made us both a big green juice. She loved it! She felt better throughout the day, was able to keep the juice down, it was easy for her to drink, and it was delicious even when chemo altered her taste buds.

During the last 2 weeks my mom was alive, these benefits changed to me as now it was about the only thing I could keep down. Juice is packed with so many nutrients and you will feel that benefit indefinitely! 

So rewind to the first week of my juicing adventure! I bought our juicer the day before I started a new position at work (which had nothing to do with me buying the juicer I just remember the timing). The first morning I juiced I felt great… then the next day came. I literally came down with the worst “cold” of my life. My poor mom had to wear a mask in the house because I literally looked like a small train ran my over! It was awful! Then comes the next day… I wake up with a million pimples. I have always had extremely dry skin and I’ve never dealt with acne so this was surprising to say the least. I didn’t even know what to do with a zit! At this point I’m still thinking I caught this awful monster from work or something but I would soon figure out my body was literally detoxing. At this time of my life I was running 6-10 miles a day and was in great shape so if someone looked at me they’d think I was really healthy. What they wouldn’t know is up to this point I had dealt on and off for many years with an eating disorder. I’m not going to get into this too much right now but I had a horrible body imagine and was about as unhealthy as could be. In fact my doctor told me to stop running because all things combined I’ll probably have a heart attack.

So after my gross phase of monster cold finally faded my body literally felt healthy! I could feel my energy level rise, my skin looked way better, and I had better hunger/satisfaction in my diet. Another thing I noticed was little things like achy joints, dry eyes, bloated tummy, swollen fingers all were greatly reduced! This was huge for me!

There is no way to possibly consume as many veggies and fruits through whole food as you do through juicing. On average, I will juice 5 zucchini, a bunch of chard, a bunch of kale, 2 cups of spinch, 2 apples, ½ grapefruit, and ginger (which is amazing for your tummy) all in one day! If I tried to eat all this I would be eating all day! Plus it tastes amazing! If you have any good recipes pass them along!

Juice, Juice, Juice

I love juicing! I started juicing after visiting with a friend who made an delicious juice for me and I have nothing but amazing things to say about it! I bought our juicer during my mom’s battle with cancer and started seeing the health benefits immediately. During the last few weeks my mom was alive I pretty much lived off of juice alone. It was the only thing I could keep down at the time and I was happy knowing I was at least getting some good nutrients.

I’ve tried 3 different kinds of juicers and am completely pleased with the one we bought. You can find the link by clicking here. My mother-in-law bought a slow juicer so I experienced that method of juicer from her and I’ll tell you the difference. The slow juicer had a difference consistency than our juicer did and my husband in particular was not having it. If you are one to like pulp you might not mind it so much, just remember that orange pulp and kale pulp are different and kale pulp is not for me! Some people argue that slow juicers give more nutrients and all I have to say to that is whatever floats your boat. No matter the difference, you are receiving SO very many nutritional benefits by juicing tons of yummy greens that if it’s easier for you to consume less pulp and more free juice I say a regular juicer is for you! But hey! To each his own!

Over the last past couple of years I’ve narrowed down my favorite juices and I’ll list some simple and yummy recipes below! I’m going to list them in single serving amounts but when I make juice I typically make enough for 3-4 glasses. I’ll post one big recipe (my go-to) at the very bottom. Cheers and happy juicing!

*Keep in mind: You can make some delicious fruit juices just remember the more fruit you add the more sugar you are consuming. Sometimes this makes for the perfect treat, but adding more greens than fruits makes for some delicious and extremely healthy juices. It’s all about balance!

Summer Beauty

1 bunch kale

2 handfuls spinach

¼ pineapple

2 apricots

1 small green apple, cored

½ inch ginger

The Basic Green

1 bunch kale

2 large handfuls spinach

2 stalks green chard

1 green zucchini

2 small green apples, cored

¼ inch ginger

Sweet Orange

1 orange

1/3 pineapple, peeled and cored

2 carrots

½ lemon, without the rind

Dance to the Beet
1 medium green apple, cored

2 small beets, cleaned thoroughly

3 large carrots

½ inch ginger

handful spinach

(Beets are tricky to juice, I strain my juice before serving to make sure its pulp free!)

Cheerful Cherry

3 large kale leaves

2 large leaves of romaine lettuce

1 green zucchini

2 stalks celery

1 large carrot

1 medium green apple, cored

handful cherries, pitted

½ peach

Family Sized Greens

4 green zucchini

1 large bunch (about 7-8) rainbow chard

2 bunches kale

3 cups spinach

4 stalks celery

5 small green apples, cored

2 peaches, seeded

½ large grapefruit

1 ½ inches ginger

*When storing fresh juice, store in glass jars (I used Mason jars) and fill to the tiptop so NO air is left in the jar. Seal with a lid and refrigerate up to a few days.