A Story We Never Could Have Written - Part 1

It has been a really long time since I last wrote here on this blog. I've wanted to and thought to write so many times, but life has been quite busy the past couple of years. I'm literally laughing at the title of my last blog post, "Seeking to Simplify" because it was probably within days of that post that I found out I was pregnant with our fourth baby. And then we decided to pull our kids out of school the following year to home school. Hah! So much for simplifying. Our life is very full these days, but it's also really, really good. And we are so thankful for all that we have.

God really can seem like a mystery sometimes. Like when we don't hear and see and feel him in the ways that we want. We are sometimes unsure of him. But often, when we look back, we see that his providential care & provision are remarkable. A couple Sundays ago, we heard a sermon through our church's Livestream in which our pastor was talking about the story of Joseph. You know, the guy with the colorful coat. His main point through his sermon was that God always provided for Joseph, through everything. Yes, there were likely times when Joseph doubted if God was really there and if was actually hearing his cries, but God took care of him through it all. God provided. Pastor Trav said it like this, "Once you hear the silence of God, you begin to appreciate the mystery of God." And if that doesn't describe our life over the past couple of years, I’m not sure what does! 

The story I want to tell is one that's been in the works for longer than I ever could have imagined. It probably started back in 2005 or maybe even before that, when I first met my friend who is now my neighbor. I was at Gordon college and had a friend who had a best friend from childhood at a nearby college. She told me multiple times that I needed to meet this friend because we were so similar and we'd get along really well. I don't even remember when we were first introduced or exactly how, but we definitely got along well and became easy friends. And our mutual friend was right, we were very similar in so many ways.

As time went by, we graduated college, I started dating my husband and she started dating her husband around the same time.  We have wedding anniversaries that are within days of each other, different years. We drove the same car, different colors, for at least five overlapping years. We would get together and get pedicures together and often pick the same color. She moved to my local area, I invited her to my church. We go to church together. We have kids all around the same ages. So naturally, when she knew we were looking to buy a bigger home than our two bedroom condo, she recommended her neighborhood and told me how much she loved living in her little town.

When I first got pregnant with our fourth baby [which yes, was actually planned for all those in question!] we knew that it would be tight in the condo, but we knew we could make it work for at least the first year with a new baby. We had enough room in the master bedroom for a crib and the other three kids shared the other bedroom really well. As in, they all slept through the night, hah! 

You’re probably wondering why we were even still living in a two bedroom condo with four kids? Well, when I quit my full time job as a high school math teacher to stay home full time with our kids back in 2011, it obviously reduced our household income significantly. But we both agreed that being home was where God had called me to be. We also felt that God would make it known to us when it was the right time, both practically & financially, for us to move our family into our “forever home.”

While I was pregnant with this fourth baby, I kept my eye pretty close on our local real estate market. We had a list of wants & needs in a town, neighborhood & home. It was maybe a long list. But we knew that wherever we moved to, we’d be staying for a very long time.

The summer I was pregnant, we went on a 4 day camping trip with lots of friends and little electronics time [the best kinds of trips!] and coming off the camping trip, I saw a house that had come on the market while we were away. It seemed like it had all that we wanted, except for the town that it was located in. We were willing to compromise though. I went to the open house within hours of when I first saw it. It had its flaws, but had most of what we wanted. We saw it again. And again. We were ready to put an offer on it, but during that last visit, we saw some things that we just couldn't overlook. So we decided not to make an offer. 

After that, we decided that I was getting really pregnant and the timing of everything just wouldn't be ideal with a really pregnant mom or a very new little baby and three other kids and colder weather approaching... So we put our housing search on hold for some time.

About six months later, I was feeling more like I could handle things again, and the spring real estate market was ramping up, so we decided to start our house hunt again. But at this point, some things had changed and we were a bit unsure as to where we wanted to live. We had gone through another New England winter, and we were now wondering if this was an opportunity for us to head south as a family. The real estate market was much more appealing down there, there were hybrid home schooling models that we really liked, we had visited areas that we loved and had friends and some family already living down there, so it seemed like an easy decision. 

But there were a few other important things we needed to think about like all of our family here, a job for the primary income provider and our amazing church family. We were torn. We sought advice from some friends who are in the next stage of life from where we are. They were once in our place. They gave us some great advice. They said, "Pray for reasons why you should stay up here."

So for the next few months, we prayed. We prayed just what they had suggested. That God would reveal reasons as to why we should stay in this area. It was hard as I was constantly comparing the real estate market in the two areas. What we could buy here versus what we could buy THERE. If a house was all that mattered, buying there would have been a done deal. But there is so much more! Every time we got together with friends for a hang out or a party or a shower, all I kept thinking was, "This can't be the last time I do this!" Or I'd think, "Well if we're going to move, at least wait until after we do ____." It was like I was trying to bargain with God for what I wanted. But that's not His game. He remained silent on the house hunt.

During that time, we also had so many great things happening at our church and within our church family that we kept thinking, "This is so good! Why would we want to leave this?" We knew that the community we have built around us over these past 7 years is unique and special. And to build that same type of community and life somewhere else would not be easy and would take time. Maybe lots of time. Why would we want to take that chance? God was speaking to us through these times.

Throughout that whole summer, when the real estate market is hustling & bustling, here in New England, God made us wait. He was silent. Different things happened in our lives over those months that made it clear that it was not our time to be looking for houses anywhere. We needed to just stay where we were and be patient and wait. Patience is hard for me, but I waited. During this time, my friend now neighbor, would tell me about homes in her neighborhood coming on the market. But none seemed exactly right for us. There was always something that wasn't exactly what we wanted. It was like God was continuing to tell us to be patient, while continuing to be silent.

Over Columbus Day weekend, we went on our annual camping trip with friends up to the mountains of New Hampshire. It is beautiful at that time of year. The foliage and fellowship are some of the best and it's a weekend we all look forward to all year long. But again, limited electronics time, which is great! While driving home that Monday, we were stuck in traffic and I did my usual real estate search. A house had come on the market that day just hours earlier. It looked like it had all that we wanted, except for again, the town it was located in. We could overlook that again though. I set up a time to go see it the next morning with our realtor.

The house and yard both needed a lot of work. It was very outdated and hadn’t been occupied for many years. But that was ok, we were ok with some updating. It had all the other things. It even had neighbors that we knew from church! And they had daughters that were of babysitting ages! We saw the house a couple times. We decided to put in an offer. Our realtor tried to submit the offer online and it came back as “cash only offers.” What?! Why was that not in the listing? Who has that kind of cash? Turned out it was bank owned. We weren’t sure how we could get around it, but it was a house we really wanted.

Our realtor, who is also a great friend, wanted to help us out. He has a friend who is in the business of flipping houses. He got his friend on board with this house. His friend worked out a budget with us and was willing to buy the house, flip it, then sell it to us. Could it be any better? Could this be God at work?! So his friend did all he needed to do and went to submit an offer on the house. 

Turned out that the house was actually up for auction. Again, not disclosed in the listing! Our flipper friend could obviously only bid so high to stay within our agreed upon budget. Sadly, he wasn’t the highest bidder. We lost the house. We found out on October 30th, which was our littlest one’s first birthday. I was all sorts of emotional that day and had a hard time keeping it together most of the day. 

Why was God continuing to be silent on our house search? Why was he closing so many doors? I continued to trust him, knowing that he always provides, but I was also just so sad on so many levels. Life was not easy with 4 kids in a three level, two bedroom condo while trying to homeschool! It was stressful in a lot of ways. But I continued to be patient and wait on God.

Sometime in November, I met up with my friend who’s now my neighbor for coffee one evening. We hadn’t caught up in a while since we both still had nursing babies and life was a bit crazy. We chatted about all sorts of things and I filled her in on our big house let-down from weeks prior. She mentioned there might be a house in her neighborhood.

Weeks later we were walking out to our car after church on a Sunday. Our church is so awesome that we have parking attendants to help us find spots and get us in and out of the parking lot safely. The two attendants just happened to be the neighbor of the house that unfortunately didn’t work out, and the husband of my friend now neighbor. One attendant said, “We’re so sad the house didn’t work out for you guys! We were hoping to have you as neighbors!”

The other attendant said, “I heard you might have a flipper to work with? There’s a house across from us that looks like it might be going on the market, but I think it needs a lot of work.”

And the next part of our story is when things really started to happen...

Seeking to Simplify

Last fall I spent a day visiting Old Sturbridge Village with my kids and my parents. I grew up going to this little village, in fact I think we went there so much that I began to take its simplicity and simple beauty for granted.

As we entered the village, just as I had done many times before, I was drawn to the first home we encountered on our left. I'd probably gone into this house as a child, but it didn't stand out in my mind as a favorite. Upon entering though, its simplicity struck me. It was basically one big room, with a small bedroom off of the main room containing a double bed and some hanging herbs & fruits and then an attic room with a few more beds. That's it.

Sounds silly, but I felt like I was in love. I started imagining what life would be like in that home. What life might have been like there over a hundred years ago. Less to organize! Less to clean! More time to do other things! Like quality and intentional time with family and friends.

I told my parents that I want to live in a house like this now. They laughed. How or why would anyone today actually want to live in something like this? There is hardly any space at all. Why would people choose this simplicity?

I thought about it a bit and realized that I live in somewhat of a modern day equivalent to this house. Our main floor has an eat-in kitchen and a living room and the second floor has two bedrooms. And then the basement is our bonus space - playroom/home gym/office. That's it.

I used to really dislike the smallness and simplicity of my home. I really wanted more in a home. But ever since I started intentionally becoming content with my home, as you can read about here, I'm finding that I love it more and more. And I'm craving simplicity in so many other areas of life.

Fast forward a month after the Old Sturbridge Village trip and I received this book for Christmas. It's a book I've had my eye on for a long time. I wanted to read it, but wasn't sure if I really had the energy or motivation or desire for big changes in my life. As luck [or maybe not so much luck] would have it, the majority of our family was sick around Christmas, as you can also read here and the following week, and it was bitter cold, so I got my chance to read the book and make some changes. And it has been amazing. Never did I think that reading a book about simplicity and organization could have such a big impact on my life.

The first thing I did was to go through all of our clothes. I got rid of a lot and also changed the way many of them were folded and stored. This allowed us to get rid of several shelves that were previously housing clothes and to also combine many drawers, thus freeing up several drawers. All of this then enabled us to make a really big change, which was finally moving the Littlest Ginger out of our bedroom and into the room with the other two Gingers. After almost two years, it was time ;)

After the clothes I tackled books. This allowed us to get rid of more shelves, which simplified and opened up more space in our home. I also went through many cabinets and drawers and organized things like electronic cords and dishes and cookware. It also made me get organized in terms of how things are displayed on the walls of our home and using that space more wisely. It basically made us make at least one big major change in every room of the house.

But these changes were not by adding things. They were by removing things and simplifying. We're learning to live with less more and more each day and it is such a freeing feeling.

As I'm moving along in my journey to simple and simplicity, I started to think of simple things in my life that have made a really big difference that I wouldn't want to be without.

Here's the basic list that I've come up with:

1. Room divider from Ikea

Now, I'll be honest, this is kind of see-through and it's probably only 4-5 feet wide, but it works really well for a baby who thinks that if they can't see someone, they're not really there. This has made all of our room sharing possible. We used it in our own room to separate the Littlest Ginger from our bed, and now we use it in the room between the crib and bunk beds. Money well spent.

2. A Portable Sound Machine

We're white noise addicts here. We all sleep with it. It started when darling Daddy and I lived in our first apartment and it happened to be near train tracks with a train that would come through every morning around 3:30 blowing on its horn repeatedly. If we didn't have a fan going, it woke us up every single morning. Fast forward a few years and we had a rough first few weeks with Curly Girl after she was born. Like her crying half the night and me and Darling Daddy taking sleeping shifts. We then discovered the book, The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. He talks about the 5 S's of calming a baby and white noise was one of them. Curly Girl loved it and settled with it. And slept 10+ hours straight by the time she was 12 weeks old. We thought we were rock stars and had found the magic trick. Turns out she just loved and needed her sleep [still does] and the white noise helped. It's stuck all these years. This machine was bought right before we went on our first family camping trip when the Littlest Ginger was only 4 months old. I was a little worried about sleeping on the ground in a tent with no electricity, but this battery operated sound machine made our nights pretty bearable.

3. The Infamous Bunny Clock

We've been using this clock for about 5 years. I talk about it and post about it a lot. It's amazing. When bunny is sleeping, our kids know that they need to be quiet/sleeping. It definitely takes time & effort & discipline to train on it (we're in the midst of training with the Littlest Ginger right now) but it pays off amazingly well. I can get up hours before my children in the morning and exercise, shower and have my morning quiet devotional time with a HOT cup of coffee before they get up. Huge win and money well spent in my opinion.

4. Beachbody On-Demand

I used to be a YMCA advocate and lover. I was there a lot both alone and with the kids. But let's face it, getting to the gym with a kid or two or three is a chore! It basically takes the entire morning. And you're not always guaranteed a full workout! If they're crying, they come get you! And all of the germs that toddlers can pick up in there... When I discovered this gem a little over a year ago, I was sold. I can choose when and where I want to workout and what kind of workout I want to do and for how long. I have access to every workout program they offer for a fee of $100 per year. That's way less than a gym! And I can do it every morning in my basement before my kids wake up and get a shower in too. [If you think I'm saying that I actually DO it every morning, don't be fooled! I'm not that good. But the option is there and I am good at least 3 times a week...]

5. Pour-Over Coffee Maker

I know I've posted about this before, but it's because it's so great! I honestly will never go back to drinking other types of coffee again. A friend recommended this last summer and I am so glad that I found it on sale on Amazon Prime day! Best coffee ever. So smooth and no bitterness. Now, it does take a bit longer than your normal cup of coffee. I have to boil my water first and then pour it over the grounds, but I'll take a little extra time and work for a good cup of coffee. And I can drink it with almond milk! No need to even buy creamer. It's so smooth and not bitter that the almond milk does the trick.

5. Peppermint essential oil

This little bottle of oily goodness has saved me in the digestive area. As my life has gone on, I've developed more and more digestive issues due to dairy and some other things. This oil has helped so very much. And I had no idea that it would when I got it! It was just part of my starter kit of oils! I put one drop into my coffee grounds of my pour-over coffee maker every morning, mix it up and it does its work. I get coffee with a slight minty flavor and no indigestion and uneasiness like I used to face most days. It also helps to curb my morning hangriness so that I don't overindulge at breakfast. And also, has come in quite handy for motion sickness, as well as some head tension and pressure. As I began to write this, I was feeling some sinus pressure, but started diffusing peppermint and put it on my temples and I'm feeling much better. This is one oil I never ever want to be without!

6. Activated Charcoal

While we're talking about digestion, this one ranks high on the list. Lots of digestive and heartburn issues here over the years. Used to have bottles of Tums and Pepto Bismol and Immodium all over the place. This has replaced all of them. Whenever I feel a little upset, dairy related or something else that I've eaten, I pop a couple of these capsules. Kids can take them too. I just cut open the capsule and add it to juice. I've also read and heard from friends that it can slow and/or stop a stomach bug outbreak in a family once the first person goes down if all other members take it. We've only had an experience like that here once, and it definitely helped and shortened the effects. I always have this on hand.

7. Books & Stories on CD

Yes, that's a discman you see in the picture. You're jealous that you didn't save yours because it's been awesome here. And a CD player, which are SO hard to find these days! These things have been so awesome here though, really. My kids LOVE listening to books & stories all day long. Like today. They've been playing most of the day in the basement. Which means my kids have been playing quietly and entertained in the basement. It's great. We get a lot from the library and we have quite a collection ourselves that we have accumulated. We just love these!

8. Lavender essential oil

The question is not what do I use lavender oil for, it's what do I NOT use lavender for? This is like the swiss army knife of oils and I really really love it. I used to think it was just for relaxing and sleep, but the biggest thing I use it for lately is skin issues. We suffer from dry skin, scrapes, acne, stings and scratches here. If you get these things too, you'd like this. I basically put it on any skin ailment that we get it. And it works. For all of them. I'm not even joking or exaggerating. It's really like a magical oil. I always have it on hand. No more creams, anti-itch things, bacitracin, etc. just this now. 

Another amazing use is in my mascara to make it last longer. I'll admit, I'm cheap when it comes to mascara. I wear it every day, but I don't like paying much more than $5 for it. So I always buy some type of Mabeline. But it starts to clump and dry out so quickly! I used to use contact solution (saline) to help it last longer, but I had to do a drop like every 2-3 days. Then about a month ago I heard that lavender oil could do the same thing! I put a drop in and it makes my mascara smooth for weeks! And I think it might even be making my lashes grow?! Making things so much more simple here. 

9. Chatbooks

This is basically the reason that I use Instagram. And why I post so much on Instagram. I have my account set up so that every 60 pictures that I post on Instagram, they automatically get put into a book and that book gets mailed to me. And it's like $6 total for the book and shipping. It makes photo-documenting our life SO much easier. I don't feel as bad when I kinda slack on our yearly Shutterfly albums, because I know that most of our daily life activities are on Instagram and being documented with Chatbooks. And I don't have to do a thing! And as you can see, we have quite a collection after 5 years of doing this... But the kids love sitting down and looking at the books! If you want to sign up for Chatbooks (which I HIGHLY recommend if you use Instagram and like photo books!) Use this link and we'll both benefit: http://invite.chatbooks.com/kellykilbourn11i 

10. My 3rd best guy, Frank

Ok, so I really didn't want to make this post all about oils, really. But I couldn't leave this one off my list of simple things that I can't do without!!! I first got Frankincense like 15 months ago in my oil starter kit. And everyone raved about him. And I just couldn't love him. I wasn't drawn to the smell and didn't know how to use him. But about 3 months ago, that allllll changed! I changed up my skincare routine to get rid of some bad things I'd been using on my face for many years because I simply could not part with them, and switched to more natural products. Frank has been gold in this transition and is now a staple in my skincare routine. Think of him as a natural form of like retin-A. Lots of skin renewal and helping with inflammation. Love him and don't go a day without him now. 

So there you have it. Some simple staples that I just can't live without here. 

They get me through the days and I just want to share my love of them with you!

Be still. Be patient.

This has been my mantra for almost three weeks now and it's surprisingly bringing me more peace than I ever thought possible.

Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act. Psalm 37:7

This was the Bible verse that came out of our 'Devotions for Preschoolers' daily devotion back on December 11th, which was exactly two weeks before Christmas. At the time I thought it was the perfect verse to look to and use as a daily reminder for my Christmas-hyped Curly Girl and Ginger Boy. We posted it on the wall and memorized it quickly. In fact it's still hanging on the wall almost three weeks later.

Little did I know, that it was placed there more for me to read that day than for my kids. I needed that reminder at the time and I'm still needing it now. 

You see, five days before we read that verse, Curly Girl had woken up with an unexplained rash on her entire face, which then developed into her entire face being puffy & swollen for about five days straight. She didn't want to be seen outside of the house and the two visits to the doctor's office gave us little hope or answers. They chalked it up to an allergic reaction to something. We have our suspicions, but nothing conclusive. 

That time was a tough time for not only her, but also for this worried mama. I had so much mom guilt and worry built up inside of me. Even though my faith is strong, sometimes it's just not strong enough.

The day that she woke up almost completely back to normal with no swelling and wanted to go back to school was the day that we read this verse in the morning. I felt like God placed it there for me to read. I'm often impatient, Darling Daddy can attest to that ;) 

I felt like God was reassuring me through His word that He WILL act. I just need to be patient. And still. 

Little did I know that it was only the beginning of a season of being still for our family.

The next day, the Littlest Ginger spiked a fever in the afternoon. No other symptoms, just a fever. It went on for three days. Normally I'd just assume teething, but it was a bit high for teething and she was in pretty good spirits and sleeping well at night. We just couldn't participate in any activities because she was actively fevering. Sigh. 

I had to be still and patient. 

During the three days of Littlest Ginger fevering, Ginger Boy woke up from a nap one afternoon screaming & crying about ear pain. He had no complaints prior to that day. A trip to the doctor's office [third trip in less than a week] revealed an ear infection. And then a trip to Walmart to wait for the antibiotics. With all three kids. At dinnertime. During Christmas shopping season.

Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act.

We then had Christmas concerts for both older kids at their respective schools on back-to-back days. Darling Daddy couldn't get the time off work to attend either concert, but fortunately three of the four grandparents were able to come. And one grandma graciously stayed home with the fevering Littlest Ginger so that I could attend a concert. But I was tired. And not myself.

Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act.

Then, hooray! We had a run of a few days where everyone seemed healthy! No more fever or other symptoms, no more facial swelling, and antibiotics seemed to have kicked the ear infection. We were looking good with a little over a week to go before Christmas. I still had so much to do and we had many events yet to attend, but it was a time of excitement. Christmas was drawing near.

With a little less than a week to go, Littlest Ginger developed a rash on most of her face, which also spread onto her body. However, this rash was not the same as Curly Girl's rash. It was much different. She still seemed to be in good spirits, but the rash seemed to linger for a few days. Again, this mama was a little worried. Rashes are always a bit unsettling.

Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act.

Five days before Christmas, Curly Girl came home from school in good spirits and excited about her class Christmas party in two days. We worked together to make treats for her to bring to all of her teachers and principal at school. The next day she was so excited to bring them all to school and deliver them to teachers all around the school. Gift giving is how she shows her love. Christmas is such an exciting time for this girl.

She came home from school that day full of excitement and Christmas cheer. Her class would be celebrating all day at school the next day. She couldn't wait to take part in all of the fun. She had already brought in gifts for all of her classmates, which were waiting in her classroom in a big sack, and was planning to dress completely in red, including a Santa hat, to pass them out to everyone the next day. We had some time that afternoon, so we decided to make more Christmas treats that we could pass out to family, neighbors and friends.

And then that evening, she started fevering. And it was a high fever. [And then I remembered the letter that had come home from school earlier that week stating that Strep throat had been present in her classroom...]  The poor girl was so chilled and shaking as I put her to bed that night. She was wearing four layers and had four blankets on her. A trip to the doctor's office early the next morning revealed what we had hoped we could avoid - a positive Strep test. And a confirmation of Fifths Disease for the Littlest Ginger. So this meant we now had two kids on antibiotics for two different things and another kid with a rash.

Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act.

We had a Christmas party to attend that evening, but because of bad weather that day and our fevering Curly Girl, we had no babysitter we felt comfortable with, so had to stay home. 

Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act.

The next day was December 23rd, with a family Christmas gathering to attend. The weather was terrible and Curly girl hadn't been fever free for over 24 hours, so we all stayed home. That day Darling Daddy and I also started to feel terrible. Like we were maybe getting Strep throat too. A family trip to the CVS Minute Clinic [during nap time, because that was when the roads were finally clear and safe] revealed two negative Strep tests. That was good news, but we still felt horrible.

Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act.

The next day was Christmas eve. We had another family gathering to attend. This one would include seeing my 94 year old grandmother and nephew who is under a year old, among others. We still weren't feeling 100% and didn't want to bring the germs to the young and old, so we again stayed home. It was sad, but we knew it was the right decision.

Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act. 

Christmas Eve church service was that evening. We were all feeling well enough to attend, Curly girl had been on antibiotics for over 48 hours so we knew she wasn't contagious, so we went! And it was so good. It was so great being with our church family that evening to celebrate what this season is really all about. The birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Sent to us to save us. A gift that we truly do not deserve, but was given to us freely. 

When we are still and patient, we are able to truly focus on what this season is about. It's not about the hustle and bustle and running around shopping and attending parties. It's about Christ, and the gift that God gave us when he was born on this earth. 

I've always known this to be true and we've tried to make this the focus of our Christmas celebrations with our children. This year though, I feel as though God really put it on us to make this the focus of the season. Due to all of our sickness, it was all we really could focus on because we were unable to participate in other things.

We celebrated Christmas day in a bit of a still way. It was quiet. Some grandparents came to visit. We had a birthday cake for Jesus. But there was nothing extravagant. It was restful and peaceful.

This past week since Christmas has also been very still. It's usually a week where we travel and spend multiple days away from home. We see lots of family and friends and don't get all that much rest in our home. But this week has been different. We've had bitter cold temperatures, preventing us from going out too much. And we're all resting and recovering from sickness and still dealing with sickness in different ways.

Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act.

I am so thankful that this verse has been a present part of our lives these past few weeks. I'm usually one who needs to be going or doing, but having this reminder has been so helpful in reminding me that it's okay to just stay home and rest and really have no agenda for the day. This restful time together at home as a family has been wonderful. Most days we don't know what day it even is and can't remember what we did the previous day. We're taking time to do things we often don't have time to do and it's been a good week overall.

God has ways of bringing His truth into our lives. Sometimes we just need to go through hard times to really see and understand this truth. He is present and active though. And He does act in His own time. We just need to be still and patient to see and understand how. 

Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act. Psalm 37:7

20 Easy Ways to Use Essential Oils Everyday

There are a lot of you out there who are interested in essential oils, but not quite sure as to exactly how you would regularly use them in your day to day life. Or when. Or why. You're overwhelmed and interested, but just don't know where to start. 

I know, I was right there too! I waned to get into them, but didn't know where to start! It was a little less than a year ago that I bought my membership into Young Living. And thanks to all of the support I've received along the way, I'm using the oils daily in so many ways. And you can too.

For 2 days this past week, I tried to be really intentional about taking a picture every time I used essential oils. I came up with over 20 ways. And I know there were even more that I missed! 

So here they are, 20 easy ways to use essential oils in your days :)

1. I start out every day by adding one drop of Peppermint Vitality oil to my coffee grounds. Not only is it uplifting & energizing, but it also aids in healthy digestion, which is helpful for me because I struggle with dairy issues.

 2. I woke up feeling congested and full of junk as the weather has been changing so much these past few days. First thing in the morning I diffused the 'seasonal relief' trio of Lemon, Peppermint & Lavender to get some relief and help clear out the junk in me.

 3. Rather than using air fresheners and candles, we use Purification oil as a 'stink spray' in the bathroom and other stinky areas around the house. 3 drops of purification oil and 1 tbsp of witch hazel and then water to fill this little glass bottle go a long way! 

4. I carved pumpkins with my 4 & 6 year old... And I have a 19 month old on the loose... Rather than lose my sanity, I diffused Peace & Calming oil. Things actually went quite well during this time!

5. We carved our pumpkins and then sprayed them with a spray mixture of Thieves & Peppermint oils & water to help preserve them. I would have loved to tell you how it worked, but I forgot to pick up my pumpkins at Choate park in time (after displaying them at the pumpkin walk) and they sent them to the farm to be composted. Oops. Next time!

6. Stress Away. This is a favorite. Not only because it smells amazing, but because, well, my life kinda crazy with 3 little kids. I apply this to my wrists and neck like a perfume and inhale it to help calm me down. One of my favorite times to apply it is when everyone is strapped into the car. I get a little peace and relief ;)
                                              
                                              

7. Oils at bedtime. This little one woke up screaming throughout the night one night. The next night I diffused Lavender to help with that. I'm also using Copaiba oil on her jawline because I suspect the waking is due to her 4 canine teeth coming in. [And we did have a better night after these oils were used!]

8. More oils at bedtime. Ginger Boy caught a preschool cold like a month ago and has had a lingering cough. He always gets the yucky cough with a cold and it takes forever to go away. It's not necessarily present during the day, but then ramps up at night when he's laying down. I diffuse R.C. oil in his room at night. It helps us all get through the night with less interruptions to our sleep. 

9. Purification oil for laundry, specifically towels. I sprinkle a few drops in the load along with detergent. Then I put a few drops on my wool dryer balls in the dryer.

10. Thieves concentrated cleaner as a jewelry cleaner. I pour a capful of cleaner into a dish and let my rings sit for a few minutes. Works great and doesn't have stinky, yucky, ammonia!

11. DIY Cleaning wipes [similar to Clorox or Lysol wipes] that are safe to use all around kids! I use Thieves concentrated cleaner along with Thieves, Lemon and Eucalyptus oils and a roll of Viva paper towels cut in half to make my own cleaning wipes. They work great and smell great too!

12. DIY Thieves mouthwash. Both Darling Daddy & I have a mouthful of gum issues. I've had gum grafting surgery done three different times in 5 areas of my mouth. I'm hoping to never have to do that again... Darling daddy has also had his own separate gum issues and was told that his overuse of Listerine with all of the alcohol in it had actually contributed to some of the issues because it was so drying. This is our attempt to preserve our gums and keep our teeth in our heads ;)

13. Thieves concentrated cleaner to steam mop my floors! I'm very particular about what I clean my floors with. I've got kids all over them and they're always eating food off the floor, etc. I've been steam mopping for a few years now. The steam mop can only use water and nothing else. I felt like it was getting my floors mostly clean, but I knew I should be doing more. Thieves concentrated cleaner to the rescue! I spray this all over the floor then mop it all up. Germs be gone, smelling great and I know it's clean.

14. Darling Daddy had a pounding head one night. This roller is made up of Lavender, Peppermint, Copaiba & Frankincense oils. I rolled it on the temples and across the forehead for a bit of relief. 

15. Curly girl had a realllllllly rough morning one morning. Mornings are often a tough time for us. This roller is called the "Homework" blend, to help with focus - Lemon, Basil & Rosemary. I figured it was worth a shot to help us get through the next morning more easily. We definitely didn't have a repeat of the morning before after rolling this on the back of her neck after waking up.

 16. DIY Lice preventer. I'm pretty paranoid about Curly Girl coming home with lice. The curly hair would kind be a nightmare... So I spray this on her head every day before school. It's a combination of Tea Tree, Peppermint & Lavender oils.

 17. DIY carpet freshener! Baking soda with some Purification oil and Lemon oil. Sprinkle it on the carpet and leave it for a few minutes, then vacuum it up. Fresh, clean scent in the house!

 18. I use a Clary sage roller to help keep this mama balanced. I put it on the inside of my ankles before bed every night. And then during the day if I feel like I'm becoming unbalanced and overwhelmed. 

19. Immunity roller on the bottoms of my feet every night before bed. This is made up of not only Thieves oil, but about 7 other oils that are known to help boost the immune system and fight the yuck that's all over the place during this time of year. I also use this when I feel like I have something coming on, or when the kids start to get sick. 

20. Thieves oil on the kids feet before bed and before heading out to school each day. It helps to boost their immune systems while they sleep and when they're at school. We're just trying to stay healthy here!

21. I am diffusing Thieves all the time. I diffuse often in the morning before school to help give our immune systems a boost before we head out for the day and then again after school to help to get rid of the air born germs that may have come home.

Interested in getting your own oils? Send me a message or take a look here :)

Young Living Member Number 10706388

Curious About Essential Oils? Learn the basics right here!

Curious About Essential Oils? All you need to know to get started with oils is right here!

You’ve heard about essential oils. You’re curious. Wondering what the hype is all about. Wondering what they can do for you. Here is the lowdown on the oils. Get ready to be schooled, oil style ;)

First, take a look at the ingredient lists of the products that you have in your bathroom and kitchen. Can you even pronounce them all?! Never mind know what they actually are! Every day we put products on our skin, in our body, and breathe them, but many of these products contain damaging synthetic chemicals. The average person applies 300 synthetic chemicals to their body every single day, and 80 of those chemicals are applied before breakfast! Most are from four things – soap, makeup, shampoo and hair care. The biggest pollutants in our home are fabric softener, dryer sheets, air freshener plug-ins, and candles. You could be harming your family every day with the stuff that you can’t even pronounce that’s in the products in your home. Health and safety data only exists for 15% of all of the synthetic chemicals out there, even though so many are known to cause asthma or endocrine (hormone) disruptions.

[If you want to check out how bad some of the products in your home actually are, check out the Think Dirty app - https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/ ] 

Essential oils are a better way! 
They are totally chemical free, they are steam distilled or cold pressed, and come from pure plants. There’s nothing in the essential oil other than that one oil, whether it is lemon, orange, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon or others. There are so many uses for essential oils which range from cleaning supplies to personal care products (i.e. toothpaste, hand soap, lotion, and deodorant) to aromatherapy through a diffuser to even oil-infused nutritional supplements.

It all seems like a lot, I know. But don’t be too scared. As many of you know, I’m a teacher turned stay-at-home mom. Just because I’m no longer in the classroom, doesn’t mean I don’t like to teach! Oils are something that I have become passionate about. So this is where I get my teacher fix in!

Keep reading here in my “Curious About Essential Oils?” which is free information about how you can get rid of the chemicals in your home! I will walk you through step by step. It’s easy, simple, and it’s a small change you can make to protect your family and take charge of what’s in your house.

WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL OILS?

They are the most powerful part of the plant. They are distilled from shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, fruit, rinds, resins, and herbs. Oils consist of over 100 different natural, organic compounds.

In humans, essential oils provide support for every system in the body, including your skeletal system, your muscular system, circulatory system, endocrine system and your hormones, respiratory system and immune system. They support brain health and a healthy weight. They are used for helping with emotions and for spiritual support in prayer life. An essential oil in a diffuser can soothe a child’s tough day at school or provide a calming effect when you’ve had a stressful day at work or a long day at home with the kids. Oils can be used as an alternative to toxic cleaning chemicals in the home. You can literally start swapping out the chemical cleaning toxins in your home with oils to live a more simple & pure lifestyle. Even better is that you can do it without going broke! (Seriously! We’re on a tight budget here!)

There are about 300 essential oils on the earth, but you really only need about 10-20 oils to build a good base oil kit.  And contrary to what most people think, you do not need to be an aromatherapist to use them! In most cases, you just rub the oil topically into the skin.

There are 3 main ways to get oils into your system:

1. Topically, by rubbing the oil on the skin

2. Ingesting and cooking with the oil

3. Diffusing and inhaling, which can be the most effective method because the oil doesn’t have to pass through the digestive system.

How do they enter and how long do they last? 
Tests have shown that oils reach the heart, liver, and thyroid in 3 seconds when inhaled; they were found in the bloodstream in 26 seconds when applied topically. Expulsion of essential oils takes 3-6 ours in a normal, healthy body.

ESSENTIAL OILS HISTORY

Essential oils were first mentioned by name in the Bible in the book of Genesis, chapter 37, when Joseph was sold to salve traders. They carried spicery, balm and Myrrh. Genesis ends with the burial of Joseph’s father anointed with myrrh. Oils were even used by Jesus! When he was first born he was given gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Frankincense is sometimes referred to as “the coconut oil of essential oils” because it has over 10,000 uses. Oils are mentioned 1100 times directly or indirectly in the Bible.

[And let's be real for a second - does it really come to a surprise to anyone that God gave us everything we needed from the very beginning? In Genesis 1:29 it says, “And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.” – This “food” from plants can satisfy not only hunger needs in our bodies, but other needs as well, hence essential oils. God had a plan to care for us from the beginning!]

Some of the oldest cultures on earth also used essential oils. The Babylonians placed orders for Cedarwood, Myrrh, and Cyprus. The Egyptians used essential oils for beauty and embalming and they have the oldest recorded deodorant recipe made with essential oils. Pakistan and Rome used essential oils in the communal bath houses. Essential oils were used by the Medieval Europeans, many of whom brought oils back during the Crusades. It was only after World War II when essential oils were “rediscovered,” and the science on their uses grows every single year.

DO ESSENTIAL OILS WORK?

I started really getting into oils about 3-4 years ago. Lavender smelled nice in my bath water with some Epsom salts and orange and peppermint appealed to me as scents that could calm or distract me during labor. Tea tree was highly recommended and used for blemishes and scrapes. But none of them ever really had a truly significant effect on my body. I used to buy my lavender in the local grocery store for $10 or less, or online for even cheaper.[I didn’t know there was a difference!]  In the United States, there is no rating system for essential oils. The closest we get is a FDA requirement that in order to label a bottle of essential oil “pure” or “therapeutic grade,” the contents of that bottle must contain at least 5 percent essential oil! That’s it! Only 5%! Whaaaaaat?!?! [The math teacher in me goes crazy over this!]

All oils in the world fall into one of 4 categories: Grade A, Grade B, Grade C and Grade D

1) Grade A is therapeutic, made from organically grown plants and distilled at low temperatures

2) Grade B oils are food grade, but may contain synthetics, pesticides, fertilizers, chemical extenders, or carrier oils.

3) Grade C oils are perfume oils that often contain adulterating chemicals. They usually use solvents, for example, hexane, to gain a higher yield per harvest. Solvents can be cancerous, and are in many store bought oils. They may also be diluted 80-95% with alcohol.

4) Grade D is called “floral water,” which is aromatic only and is usually a byproduct of Grade A distillation. After all the oil is pulled out, the leftover trash water is sold to companies which will fill 5% of the bottle with this leftover trash water, top off the rest with carrier oils, and label it “pure.”

Grade A is the only true pure oil. Grade D would be like walking into your fridge, taking a glass of orange juice and diluting it 95% before you drank it! It wouldn’t have the full benefits of orange juice. That’s why you want Grade A oils. Before you purchase, check to see if the company grows their own plants, owns their own fields, and controls the entire process from Seed to Seal – from the farm to the sealed bottle. Pesticides, pollution, and previously farmed land can all affect the quality of an oil. Young Living’s oils are all Grade A. Why would you go the extra step of using an essential oil to get away from a toxic synthetic chemical, and then use an oil that’s loaded with other chemicals? It makes no sense!

One of the things that is really important to me is Young Living’s Seed to Seal process. It’s a promise of integrity. Gary Young has said he never makes an oil for a profit, he makes it for a purpose.

Seed to Seal process means:

- each plant is hand-weeded  [For real!]

- no pesticides are used

- no synthetic chemicals

- no weed killers

- plants are harvested at their peak

- plants are put through a vigorous testing process

- they go from the farm directly to your home

Seed to seal is not a slogan, it’s a promise. You can learn more by checking out the Young Living story, and fall in love with the company as I have, at seedtoseal.com.

WHY DO OIL COMPANIES SELL OILS MORE CHEAPLY?

Bottom line - to save money. If you spray your crop with pesticides, you have more crop to distill. If you use a chemical solvent to extract the oil, you pull more out of the plant. If you dilute it with a cheaper oil or a carrier oil, you stretch the oil you have distilled. Most essential oils are sold more cheaply because companies cut corners!

HOW OILS ARE MADE

It takes a great deal of work to produce a tiny amount of essential oil! Here are some examples:

             -60 thousand rose blossoms provide only 1 ounce of rose oil

            -Lavender is abundant – 220 pounds will provide 7 pounds of oil

-Jasmine flowers must be picked by hand before the sun becomes hot on the very first day they open, thus making it one of the most expensive oils in the world! It takes 8 million hand-picked blossoms to produce 2.2 pounds of oil

-A Sandalwood tree must be 30 years old and 30 feet high before it can be cut down for distillation

But a little bit of essential oil goes a long way! Most oils are about $10 to $30 a bottle. A 5ml bottle contains about 90 drops, and a 15ml bottle contains about 250 drops. Each application is one to three drops, meaning even a small bottle will get you 45 to 90 applications. Thieves cleaner is made of only  plants and costs about $1.50 a bottle to make. You can’t even get that in the organic section at the grocery store! It replaces a multi-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, and floor cleaner. The organic versions of those can run you $4 to $6 per bottle. How can you go wrong with this easy switch in your home? [I use this and LOVE it! It's the first cleaner I feel completely at ease with using to clean the counters, sinks, toilet , high chair tray and toys!]

ARE THEY SAFE?

There are certain oils that are photosensitive, meaning you don’t want to wear them when you’re going outside. These are mostly citrus oils, like grapefruit, lemon, etc.

When using on your skin, always watch for redness and dilute with a carrier oil. Dilute oils on children, because their skin is more permeable and absorbs the oils more quickly.

What is a carrier oil? It’s a fatty oil like olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, etc. and its molecules are much larger than those of essential oils. Using a carrier oil with an essential oil slows down the rate the body can absorb the essential oil, because it has to ping pong through the large molecules of the carrier oil to get into your skin.

Be wary of putting oils topically near your eyes. Some oils, like peppermint, can cause a burning sensation. If you are placing oil near your eye, apply the oil to a Q-tip instead of tipping the bottle toward your face.

What about the internal use of oils? Young Living has created a Vitality line with distinctive [white] labels so you can easily recognize which oils are safe to take internally. These vitality oils are also only sold in 5ml bottles.

USING ESSENTIAL OILS

When you use Young Living’s essential oils, you’re using a product with one single ingredient, like Lemon, Oregano or Tangerine. There are no additives and no yucky synthetic chemicals. Just pure, plant-based oils.

I know it can all seem a bit overwhelming. I was there once too. I knew I wanted to start getting rid of all of the chemicals in my life and replacing them with oils. In order to do this though, I knew I’d need a small collection of oils to meet many of our everyday needs. So, I decided to kickstart my oil journey with a Young Living starter kit. It’s the only thing you’ll find on the Young Living website that is half off! And honestly, we’re on a budget here, so I wanted to find something that was the best bang for my buck. The kit comes with a diffuser [$65 value] and 11 bottles of essential oils which average out to be less than $10 per bottle [You can’t find Grade A oils for that price anywhere!]

WHAT COMES IN A STARTER KIT?

Frankincense – One of the top skin oils. It helps to smooth the appearance of skin. It is a key ingredient in Young Living’s “Brain Power” essential oil blend. Diffuse it during prayer time to help with grounding and purpose. I use this in a nightly face serum.

Lavender – The oil of relaxation. Diffuse it for a calming, soothing aroma. Unwind by adding a few drops to a bath. It is one of the top oils to support healthy skin. It’s called “the Swiss Army knife” of essential oils because of its many uses. I use lavender like the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding uses Windex :)

Peppermint – Supports gastrointestinal comfort. Promotes healthy bowel function and enhanced healthy gut function. Helps maintain efficiency of the digestive tract. May support performance during exercise. I use one drop in my coffee grounds each morning for digestive health and morning alertness.

Purification – Diffuse to freshen the air and eliminate odors. Add to a carrier oil to moisturize your skin or for a soothing massage on your feet. Use in a spray to enjoy an annoyance-free outdoor experience. This one is my stink saver for laundry! I put it in the washer on the forgotten overnight wet clothes and I also add a few drops to my wool dryer balls. It has also replaced all room sprays, deodorizers, etc. 

Thieves – Helps maintain a healthy respiratory system  and helps maintain overall wellness by boosting immunity. You can add a drop to hot drinks for a spicy zing. This is the oil that really pulled me into Young Living! Not only does it smell great, but it also does a big job in helping with all of my little germ-catchers!

Stress Away – Promotes wellness and may be an important part of a daily health regimen. One of the top emotion oils! I wear this one as a perfume many days. And diffuse it during nap time :)

Lemon – Its citrus flavor enhances the taste of food and water. It is a key ingredient in Thieves and NingXia Red. It may help support the immune system. And it has a clean, fresh scent!

PanAway – You can apply this oil blend after exercise to help soothe sore muscles. It has a stimulating aroma. Applied to the back and neck, it gives a soothing aromatic experience. It also supports the appearance of helathy skin coloration.

Copaiba – Promotes overall wellness. It supports nearly every system in the body. Also a great skin oil. I use this one when we have teething issues and monthly cramps.

DiGize – This is the top oil for supporting the digestive system. Add two drops of this along with a drop of Peppermint to water for a stimulating beverage. You can also take it in a veggie capsule internally. You can apply topically when you have a yucky tummy.

R.C. - Supports a healthy respiratory system. Diffuse for a comforting aroma. Contains eucalyptol. Rub on feet and chest. It encourages an atmosphere of comfort. When colds & coughs hit us, we diffuse this in the bedrooms to help us get through the night.

HOW DO YOU ORDER?

Go here: https://www.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/new-start?sponsorid=10706388&enrollerid=10706388&isocountrycode=US&culture=en-US&type=member

My member number is 10706388 – you use this as the sponsor & enroller number

When you sign up with me as your Young Living sponsor, I will be like your oils & healthy living coach! I will provide you with the proper resources, links to where you can buy the needed materials, lots of oily recipes and opportunities for oil education, both online AND in-person. You will become a member of our HUGE (and continually growing!) oil education support group on Facebook.  I also send out monthly emails and try to keep up with oily posts on my blog.  

And I’m available to answer questions whenever you may have them! 
You will not be left alone to figure out oils on your own!


DISCLAIMER
The information presented here is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or treat any health condition and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with a professional health care provider. This information applies solely to Young Living products and should not be used in conjunction with other brands of Essential Oils.

Many thanks to Sarah Harnisch at Oil Ability :)