Finding Dual Enrollment For My Kindergartener - My Story

The last couple weeks have been insanely crazy.  I would love to just say its because I'm so busy cause I love to get out and do lots... but its not.  My little girl, the oldest of my 3 is in Kindergarten right now. We started her full time in Public Kindergarten at the beginning of this year.  I had many tear filled mornings as I struggled to let her go.  I am the kind of mom that feels most comfortable and confident when I can see my kids at all times.  I like to let them go play in the backyard, but when it is an option I prefer to be able to see them while they are playing on their own.  In our most recent home this isn't the easiest scenario, so I've grown to be more ok with just being able to hear them out back while I am doing some of the household chores.  Optimally seeing is always better in my mind though so that I can help or prevent something really bad from happening ASAP.

After getting over the fact that letting her go into the care of someone I didn't know (even though she happens to be one of the most amazing teachers I've ever met), there were a myriad of problems that started to arise.  Firstly, her personality started to change for the worse.  She stopped enjoying to help around the house, she stopped enjoying learning to do new tasks at home, she started to break household rules that we've always had, she started to do a lot herself that was far too beyond what I feel is safe for her age (like trying to cut food on a cutting board), she snuck a pair of scissors and cut up a bunch of my bills, she started to talk about kids that were bullying her on the playground, she started pushing around her little brother and sister more than I've ever seen, and her focus along with ability to process my direction as a parent decreased drastically.  That on top of my little boy throwing tantrums every time we picked her up or dropped her off because of the school yard made life feel, in essence, like a total nightmare.

I pulled her out of the local public school, feeling bad because Mrs. Hurzeler was so good with her and was doing tons of extra stuff.  She was even in a center that was close to first grade level reading in the sense that they were ready to start spelling tests this early in the year and before 1st grade.  She also had a few friends that I just adore.  Summer is the sweetest cutest little girl and they play princess together, which touches my heart.  I would love for them to stay friends.  She thrives in social situations and I felt guilty taking her away from something social and advanced.

I put her into K12 which is an online public school.  The kids have a teacher online and the parents are the learning coach.  In the younger grades the parents do most of the work with the kids and then the kids can start doing most of it on the computers themselves as they get older.  This was a problem quick because she gets addicted to screen time fast and too much computer caused some different behavior problems.  I loved the curriculum that they sent, however much of it she was too advanced for (she would need to start at least half way through or she'd just be bored).  I asked what to do because of that and they told me that I'd have to pay $100 to get the curriculum she needed and move up when she was ready.  I thought she would be able to move at the super fast pace that she loves without finances being an issue!  This made me upset and so my decision became that I either needed to do her part time with the elementary again or do my own curriculum that I created or found that fit her needs better.

Guilt for that social and for knowing how cool Mrs. Hurzeler was made me lean toward dual enrollment (hoping she wouldn't revert back to the negative behavior again).  I felt good about it, but didn't know if it was right or not.  I took a week and did straight homeschool.  My own curriculum that I used all through preschool, but the portion that was still challenging her.  Her behavior finally normalized!  I could see my sweet girl coming out again.  The little girl that loves to help and play and serve.

My hubby came home one day and asked Eeva about the different school scenarios.  We wanted to get her take because its her life.  She likes any and every type of school so most of her answers were geared to what she thought we wanted to hear until now.  In their conversation she had an epiphany out loud "if I don't do Mrs. Hurzeler's class than I have to break up with those friends" and she started crying.  It was at that moment that in a rush we booked it over to the elementary, met with the principle and teacher, and arranged dual enrollment.

------Since dual enrollment started....  I want to say that in the last couple weeks that everything has stabilized and normal.  It's not.  She is better now than when she was full time at school behaviorally, however she did revert back a little.  She has much more "I know better and can do my own thing" attitude on the days she comes home from school and my 3 year old still throws tantrums most days we go.  The days we have homeschool is now my curriculum and it flows beautifully.  Though there are sometimes just hard days as a mom, as far as schooling goes, my homeschool days are far less taxing and some of the most peaceful and fun days for my family.  I am so grateful for those days of teaching her myself.  I promised to give dual enrollment 2 months to let things stabilize before getting frustrated and changing it.  I don't want too many changes to mess with Eeva's emotional stability.  So we are in it until the end of the semester at least.  I hope that things do stabilize well for her sake.

Some of the good things about school is that she and I have made some friends with kids and parents that we go to the park with occasionally.  I also love her teacher, the learning centers, and the Raz Kids online program she is offering the kids for a reading homework game.

Some good things about home school.  I love that the day starts of peaceful and continues that way really easily in contrast to a school day.  I also love that I get to be involved in helping her learn and grow.  Seeing those moments when something just clicks for the first time is such a treasure that we give away when someone else educates our kids.  I love that I just found some amazing friends for her who are also home schooled (This has been a somewhat hard task for my area, I had to create my own facebook group and events, because all the groups I found, most events were a bit far and I couldn't find those involved unless it was at someone's house - that doesn't feel like a field trip to me, sorry).

Why even doctors are starting to use essential oils for care in America...

Ok, so we all are very glad that when we get a really severe wound we are able to get to an emergency room for stitches.  I'm sure we're also all glad that doctor's know how to measure things like our blood pressure and test for intense or chronic conditions.  Doctor's are an important part of our society.  It's a big deal when the best in their field see the value of alternative therapies such as using essential oils.

Most doctors I know don't know much about "preventative or natural health care" unless it's being promoted by the latest pharmaceutical company, so has it in fact become more like "sick care" when visiting a doctor?  However true that may be, it is now evident that times are truly changing.  It's about time too.  In France all the major pharmacies and doctor's consistently use essential oils in their patient care.  For good reason too, when they are pure, there is really nothing I've found that works better at alleviating health frustrations and concerns.  Because our bodies understand how to absorb the non-synthetic molecules of pure essential oils there are very few side effects if any.  Most people claim that essential oils don't have any side effects at all when they are pure.  I however think that people all react to things a little different and what some may deem as normal for a given situation, another may not.  This video I found talks about the concerns many have with the common American health care model and what many families and physicians are now turning to in an effort to take control and get past those problems.  I especially like the quotes in this clip from the doctors that were interviewed.

To see more videos on essential oils and their use see my post : 

Essential Oils Class 101 Favorite Videos

If you also want to see a video on how essential oils are now being used in medical facilities here it is.

Essential Oils Class 101: My Favorite Videos On Essential Oils For Beginners

Learn some ways essential oils have helped so many families in these awesome videos!

This first video is of how much pure essential oils are helping in a hospital setting, how cool is that!?!

This video introduces what essential oils are, how they work, and a brief history of them.  Its an amazing video and I learn something new every time I watch it.  Enjoy it!

This next video is from a bunch of people that are so excited about some great experiences they've had by using self informed healthcare.  By that I mean that they obtained the knowledge they needed so that they didn't have to go to the doctor for the small stuff (although doctors are very much appreciated for the big issues).  Knowing how to help yourself and your family is an empowering thing that I invite all to feel.

This one is an interview with Laura Jacobs, an amazing business woman.  She is very knowledgeable about the use of essential oils and herbs and has been in the industry for over 17 years.  She talks about how she found what works, why it works and how important purity is to an essential oil actually doing its intended job the way its expected.

Wow... you won't want to miss this last one.  It is the story of a family who's niece had seizure's and was able to overcome them.  It's an amazing story! 

Link to Discount Form

I know, this is a lot of videos but this last one is kinda cool cause it talks a little about how essential oils are distilled from plants and what it means to have a pure essential oil.  I can't tell you how important it is.  Not only will you not see the intended results from a synthetic or diluted essential oil, but they could be toxic!  It took me years of using essential oils to realize that the label saying 100% of an oil didn't mean anything because there are so many loopholes in the laws and industry standards.  Then I found out how many toxic results that can stem from improper use of impure essential oils.  

I decided I needed pure essential oils for my family and not only did it solve the majority of our health concerns and first aid needs, it very quickly started to save us money.  We didn't need to buy products with additives but could "go green" in our cleaning and hygiene supplies which are much healthier, cheaper and simpler when homemade.  We also saved money because I redistributed the money I was spending on our other supplements every month and using the loyalty rewards program we got an extra overall discount on top of wholesale pricing discount with free product credits.  In the end we will get up to 55% off retail along with some free and discounted products based on monthly promotions they do.  Way to maximize my dollar!  I love saving money, and I have found an amazing way to do just that in most of the categories of my families care.  It's Awesome! 

My mission is to serve those around me so that they may be able to find solutions that will help them in their lives in the most affordable ways possible.  Please, don't be weary.  If you have a question, I am happy to help.  That's why I'm here.  There are no stupid questions or stupid problems.  Love to you all.  Kim

Why do I use essential oils for my family care?

Essential oils are soooo cool!

I started using them when I was pregnant and on bed rest with my 2nd and that led to diffusing to kill bad bacteria, which became learning how to kill my kids viruses.  Thank heavens, cause the doctor just sent us home and told us to wait it out even though it was pretty severe.  Its been an incredible journey of learning and testing, with different oils and theories for care.

Now that I have discovered the proven purity in DoTerra oils I use them for nearly everything.  There are essential oils for cooking, for cleaning, and for nearly all ailments, conditions, and quick emergency situations (which happen consistently with 3 kids).  What is really amazing is that once we started using them for everything we stared saving tons of money.  We didn't need to buy so many specialty products for our hygiene, our hair, our cleaning supplies, our first aid kit, and for our arsenal of cooking spices.

We started feeling healthier, calmer, happier, and empowered.  We didn't need so many expensive doctor visits and were able to easily educate ourselves for how to handle our own needs quickly, safely and effectively.  Not only did I save money by replacing less safe and functional items, but I found out about a rewards program that can get me up to 55% off retail!  That with the monthly sales and free product specials makes the pure essential oils cheaper than the low quality oils, but they work 10x better!

It truly has been a win-win scenario for my family to start using truly pure and potent essential oils daily.  Using these along with good eating and lifestyle choices, I lost 85lbs in 9 months and my little boy doesn't throw his 45 minute tantrums every day anymore.  Life is about finding what works and what we each need to help us progress.  I truly feel like I have found that for my family.  It's amazing!

Kim   :)

How do I use essential oils?

Frankly, there are hundreds of ways to experience essential oils.  They do a million different things and each one has a different complex molecular structure with different nutrients.  Here are a couple videos on how to actually use them to get those experiences.

The woman in this last video I want to share is Natalie Goddard, one of my team leaders and one of the creators of the doTerra Pro Success System & Support Community.  As I listen to her and watch her story I feel like I can very much relate to her.  She really is an amazing woman.  I'm excited to share her story with you through this video of how she found and uses her oils, and then those of you hoping for a sample of these exciting products are welcome to contact me and I'll get you the sample of what fits your needs best.

Now to get your free sample just contact me at momof3livingsmartly@gmail.com and I can answer any questions, set up a wellness consult, a zyto scan, or get you a free sample.

+Free samples are only for those who are not already IPC or Preferred Members in doTerra.
+doTerra products are not intended to treat, cure, or prevent disease.  Instead they give your body what it needs so that it can heal itself!

Freeze Fresh, No Freezer Burn With Vacuum Sealing

Those of you who know me well know that I am in love with Mason Jars!  I love to vacuum seal our food so that it lasts longer both on our pantry shelf and in the freezer or fridge.  I also love to do crafty projects and decor with them.  Enjoy this video showing how I vacuum sealed to prevent freezer burn.

A road trip to share and teach healthy living

My post tonight is a bit different.

At this very moment, I am across the country on a road trip with my family.  I was feeling such a need to connect with my hubby's family.  I have had very little chance to get to know them since they live so far away and most of them I met once on our wedding day.  I am so grateful for their amazing influence on Kirk and am very happy to have the opportunity to really get to know them better.

I wanted to connect so badly but knew I couldn't come all this way unless I also had a more logically based approach as well!  I was very excited when my hubby and I came up with the same idea at once to teach classes on natural solutions while we're on the road.  We are so excited about this and sharing how our family has benefited so much.  I love to teach and really it isn't about selling products or pushing others to choose a certain way.  What they really are to me is a way of sharing what has become a delight in my life.  Ways that I take care of problems or simply ways that spice up life to make it more enjoyable in a safe and healthy way.

So we are teaching some classes along the way as we truly and deeply enjoy connecting to his family along with some of my family too.  These are our first classes together on the benefits of essential oils.  We've taught together before, but that was other health topics, so I am very nervous.  Its so funny because when its not an official class its so natural to talk about but with our other topics we've always felt most comfortable teaching groups of 20-40 at a time.  Oh well, I guess its just a matter of preparation, confidence, and practice.  That is what it really takes to succeed at anything.

Announcing: Hypno-Labor Video Class Coming!

I am excited to announce my new Hypno-Labor Video Class Series.  I am so excited to share this with you!  The videos are still in production and take quite a while to put together, but will be available soon.  Here is the way I am planning on having it work.  Whoever needs the class will pay for it and then get the classes which they can watch and re-watch as they feel its needed.  They will also get my awesome audio's to put on an ipod, cd, or computer to listen to daily.  Then, once a week I will have a webinar where everyone in the course that is able to attend can come and share their stories, get extra tips and tricks, and most importantly get more support from me personally as well as others in the same place.  I'm thinking for those that are able to come a once a month support party would be a great addition to this as well.  

Those of you who are interested in this... PLEASE either leave a comment or send me an email (at momof3livingsmartly@gmail.com).  I would love to hear from you and send you some tips and tricks for completely free.  Birth is such a magical thing to me and it is so fulfilling to me to help and give how I can.  

Teething Kids

So right now I have 2 teething kids.  My 4 year old girl is getting her big kid teeth right behind her baby teeth instead of under them and my 10 month old is getting her first baby teeth in front on top and bottom.  Every time a new tooth for my baby breaks through the gums she bleeds and cries.  There is also a lot of crying from the pain in between breaking through and that's not to mention the runny noses that come with the teething.

I went to a class on babies, pregnancy, and birth using essential oils about a week ago and learned so much.  The care provider teaching talked about how something like 90% of early childhood ailments were from teething and some things to prevent those conditions.  I took what she said to heart and decided to try a few new things.

In the past I've given my babies homeopathic teething tablets I got from Target, homeopathic Roman Chamomile from the health store (which I loved but am out of), and gum numbing cream (which just made my kids mad).

I ended up using an essential oil blend called Serenity that has Roman Chamomile, Lavender, and Vanilla; which smells divine.  It was actually really soothing for Daisy and really fun for me.  :)  I added a drop to a a small amount of carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil) in my palm and then rubbed it along her entire jaw line and chin, all the way to behind her ears.  I also rubbed a little on the base of her neck.  Then, to help with her teething runny nose, I put 1 drop of the essential oil blend called Breathe on the base of her neck with a little carrier oil.

This new trick is awesome.  It helps her pain so much and her symptoms go away for much longer spans of time than with any of the other things I've tried.    

A Healthy Eggy Breakfast

Today I decided to try something I've seen in quite a few recipe books.  Although I didn't follow any of them, it still turned out great!  These egg and turkey muffins are very yummy!

The Oil Healed My Cut!

I have to tell you all what happened to me today.  So I was fixing lunch for my kids when the lid of a can after I opened it sliced the top of my knuckle on my hand!  I took this picture after I had washed it off, it was bleeding really bad (gushing) and I was getting quite nauseated by all the blood.  I wondered why it was taking so long to clot and remembered how well the Lavender with Lemon essential oil worked when I used it for Tye's nose bleed (stopped it in under a minute).  I decided to try the doTerra Lavender Essential Oil on my cut directly, just a drop or two.  It was amazing!  Clotted in 15 seconds or less without any more issues!  I am so grateful that I decided to try to use these oils for as many things as possible.  I used oils before that were not Certified Pure, and always had to use them in conjunction with other natural remedies.  These Pure Oils are pure enough that they work without needing anything else with them.  They are amazing and have actually made day to day life and its little emergencies so much easier.  I can't imagine the extent of their importance if we were to have a big emergency - like a natural disaster where doctors weren't readily available!

My Little Miracle

I thought I should share with you the miracle that happened to me recently.  I am so grateful!

Making Fruit Leather From Fruit & Veggie Juice Pulp

Our New Venture

I am finishing writing my book on helpful smart solutions for mothers soon and we have had it in our plans to teach courses on the topics that I cover in my book.  I started this blog for some of the topics I cover in my book, tips and tricks, and to sell or recommend the different health products I recommend through vigorous research and personal results (so they are only things we've used and fervently believe in).

Its funny because we found a company that sells Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils (called doTerra) and it has the option for being a distributor and teaching health courses as well.  They are definitely on top of their game because most of their information that they distribute actually falls in line with the extensive research that I have done.  It seems like a lot of people and places overlook much of the research that has been done on health, so this is a very good perk.

We have decided to teach, distribute, and lead others to do the same when they desire to (and if not, we can help people get the products at wholesale pricing). We feel like we are entrepreneurs, teachers, and leaders at heart and are so excited to do this and share it with everyone!  Hopefully we will be able to travel as a family this summer because of this too.  That would be so fun!

Here is a video of me opening the enrollment kit that gave me a bunch of free product along with the ability to purchase everything at wholesale prices (technically below wholesale because I earn points toward free product with every purchase).

Seal It to Save It - No Freezer Burn!

I hate freezer burn!  This made me want a better way and I think I found the best way.  Its great!  We put together a vacuum sealer with the jar sealing attachment and I just take out the air before I freeze.  I use this for dry pantry items and refrigerated foods as well, to make them store for 3x as long (or longer).

Review of New Sedona Dehydrator Purchase

This video is our family opening the dehydrator.  We were so excited when we saw the FedEx guy pull up with it.  Kirk ran out to meet him at the truck with the kids and surprised him when he came out of the back with the box.  He said "We have been waiting for you!"  It reminds me of the Mr. Postman song by the Carpenters.  The FedEx man laughed and gave Kirk this monstrous package.  I really had no idea that it was this big.  Its about 2 inches wider than my toaster oven and double the height.  Its bigger than our microwave too and I was expecting smaller because of the videos I've seen.  Because of the size the trays are actually about the size of a typical cookie sheet I use for baking.  That makes it really nice because we can make more with it.  I am now gonna have to pack up my toaster oven though, cause I don't have room for both in my kitchen like I thought I would.  Oh well, this is cooler anyway, right?  :)

Here is the video of me going over the individual parts of the dehydrator and how they work.  I thought it would be useful for anyone thinking about getting the sedona, excalibur or any other food dehydrator on the market for that matter.  Enjoy!

Paper or Plastic? Both! When I get baby food in bulk with my groceries :)

About once a month we buy the baby food for that month in bulk so that I'm not always running back and forth to the grocery store and then I can take advantage of sales as well.  Its a nice system that saves me a headache and produced my personally developed bagging system and storage system for the baby food jars.  When we go to WinCo I bag anyway, cause that's their system, but at other grocery stores I usually get flak for even wanting to put the food in bags.  It was exciting this past trip to Dan's Market because the bagger was so excited to learn my system and wanted me to share it with the world.  Most importantly she wanted me to share it with other mothers who could use it.  You may love it or you may hate it, either way its been very useful and I will keep doing it for as long as I am buying baby food.

I do want to note that most of what I feed my 10 month old baby is actually breastmilk still, and then it is mostly fresh veggies.  She really likes heavily steamed carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.  I also give her juiced veggies and fruit like beets, celery, carrots, and apple.  She can have nutritional yeast as well, which she loves; and then she likes raw pears and avocado.  Since starting to buy baby food I've found a lot more allergies with bum rashes and upset tummies, and.... lots of tears.  She can't handle banana, grains of any kind, or any of the typical bad food that kids love that I wouldn't give her at this age anyway.  If she has much of those things she not only gets a rash, it turns such a deep red its almost purple and sometimes starts to bleed.  I have a special cream I get from target and buybuybaby.  It's from a company called "Shea Moisture" is made from shea butter and has frankincense and myrrh essential oils in it that works better than any other cream I've ever found, though its hard for anything to help when its due to a negative reaction to food that's in the body still.

The baby foods are super exciting for my 4 and 2 year olds to eat as well.  I like to get a lot of applesauce because it makes a really fun snack for the older kids if I need something to tide them over while I'm preparing lunch, or while we're out running errands.  The jars are awesome to keep and re-use.  There are hundreds of fun things you can do with them, so subscribe to my blog or youtube.com uploads to be able to see a bunch of those as I get them done.

Campout Dinner In Backyard - No Electricity or Gas

Our electricity went out a bit ago and it inspired our Dad of 3 from DadOf3LivingARTly.blogspot.com to practice what preppers typically call "Bugging In".  It was very fun.  To cook we only used found things for starting the fire.  No grill, sun oven, or any other appliance, and it was bricks and wood that was left in the garage from who we purchased our home from.  The food is some from our pantry and some from the freezer and from the fridge, so a good mix of what you'd probably use both in normal conditions and in a power outage or other disaster situation.  It is nice to become more self sufficient and build more experience and skills every chance we get.  

Motherly Challenges & Weight Loss Bring Dress Designing!

This is the video where I explain about how the overwhelming challenges of adapting to becoming a mother of three along with losing 50 pounds (through my healthy meal plans) brought me to a really fun project.  I designed some really fun and new mother friendly dresses!  The design is all set and I've purchased the inexpensive material (purposely designed to be good quality bed sheets from the thrift store to save money), now I just need to sew them.  I better hurry though, cause none of my pants want to stay up anymore cause of how much I've lost around my waist.

Essential Oils a Scam? Part 1

I stumbled upon an article yesterday that surprised me.  Are essential oils a scam just to make an extra buck for someone?  Simple answer... NO!  There is nothing untrue about the power that these oils have to stimulate healing and other natural health benefits.  More complicated answer... SOMETIMES!  :)

I knew little to nothing about essential oils 4 years ago and am so glad I discovered them.  My caregiver for my second child's pregnancy introduced me to diffusing oils when I was put on bed rest.  They were very relaxing and though I do not think they are the reason I was able to go off bed rest after 2 weeks, they definitely helped and gave my family many other benefits.  

One of my favorite reasons to diffuse the oils was that certain oils have traits that help them to kill any bad bacteria in the air making it less likely for our family to get sick.  I enjoyed diffusing them so much that I decided to do some extra research.  As I read books and research from so many different places I fell more in love with the amazing power of essential oils.

When I read about people saying that there is no research done on essential oils it is kinda funny to me.  There is more literature and research out there than people seem to realize... and its a lot.  For a list of a bunch of resources see my other post called "Research On Essential Oils?" where I put a few of my favorite references along with a longer list of research based more strongly on scientific and medical studies.  

Most people I talk to don't know that in France the Medical Doctors actually prescribe Pharmaceutical Essential Oils.  I found this so interesting because here in America they are not even close to being covered on any type of insurance program and its rare to see them in a doctors office.  It turns out that in France there was a lot of research done on the level of their effectiveness vs. other pharmaceuticals and in this they looked heavily on what chemical compounds the essential oils contained.  All oils contain these components (though in different amounts - therefore giving different results according to the ailment and what is used for its medicinal therapy): Phenols, Aldehydes, Estragol, Ketones, Monoterpenes, and Monoterpene Alcohols.  These components in proper dosages cause chemical reactions that can help jump start the body into healing.  The french government decided that if it was being prescribed than they needed all the oils to follow very strict guidelines for these components.  Sadly, when the oils are altered (even when it is for a good cause) it actually does not work as effectively as the unaltered oil does according to the literature and research by Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D.

Essential Oils have been around for thousands of years, really since the first plant grew.  They are truly the "essence" or "being" of the plant that they come from.  Hence the name essential.  If plants did not contain these oils within themselves they literally would not have an immune system to survive and would die off.  This is why it is such an amazing thing.  We get to help our immune system and body by providing help from an alternate form of an immune system.  I know that may sound kind of silly, and it is simply my own interpretation from all my research, but it is very true that using outside elements such as certain oils, food, and herbs (all derived from plants by the way) can help strengthen our immune systems greatly.

On that same note, everything that is taken into our bodies should be taken with a strain of caution and some research.  Yes, people seem to show less side effects from using essential oils than from using pharmaceuticals.  However, that does not mean that one should not need to gain some knowledge about what they are doing before they do it.  If you are on a medication than there are many oils that won't react with a lot of many medications, but there are some that will react badly.  This is why it is so important to become well informed and talk to your doctor.  Most doctors in America don't know much about essential oils and therefore are afraid of using them.  This is why it is nicer to have a Naturopathic Physician.  They are trained and have the authority to give pharmaceutical & natural prescriptions (although these doctor visits and their natural prescriptions aren't covered by insurance here in America yet).

Also there are some oils that are not good for people.  They can be very harmful instead of helpful.  I will definitely post a list of these in the future, but it is important to inform oneself before the use of any oils or any other type of care too (be it natural or medically based care).  When purchasing oils be very careful.  Laws for essential oils have a lot of loop holes.  ...Continue Reading in Part 2...

To Read Part One Click Here:  Essential Oils a Scam? Part 2
To Read Research on Essential Oils Click Here:  Research on Essential Oils

Essential Oils a Scam? Part 2

To Read Part One Click Here:  Essential Oils a Scam? Part 1

An essential oil from the market may say 100% pure essential oil, but in actuality it is not pure.  There are tests given on oils to actually know if they are pure: Gas Chromatography testing along with testing on Specific Gravity, Optical Rotation and Refractive Index.  If there is a warning that the oil should not be taken internally be very wary of its purity and safety levels.  The ones that are Food Grade Truly Pure Essential Oils are the ones that are safest to use.  In America there are very few companies that are truly pure.  Why does it really matter and how do they get away with saying 100% if its not 100% that oil?  This was my question for a while, as I used the cheaper oils from the market that I knew were not as pure (only for external and distilling uses though).  More research on this topic led me to learn that when the plants are taken to derive oils from them they are actually placed into lots of chemicals.  These chemicals force the plant to produce more oil than what is naturally possible without them, causing the un-pure essential oils to contain toxic chemicals that do not need to be listed on the label.  Hence the don't eat warning.  These chemicals may also be harmful for use externally and when distilled so be careful.  My two favorite brands of essential oils that are "Food Grade Pure" and that I've put some research into are DoTerra and TRUessence as you can see in some of the other sections of this site.

Once I became more comfortable using the oils as a mother they helped my family so much.  We went through a time period when my 2 oldest kids pretty much constantly were re-catching whooping cough.  Those of you who have dealt with this sickness before probably know how dangerous and scary it can turn out to be for children ages 3 and 1.  I was so worried and found out from our doctor that this disease was a viral infection.  Antibiotics don't do anything for viral infections so I was on my own with doing other nutritional things.  I did some research and found out that Food Grade Pure Oregano is an amazing essential oil that not only boosts the immune system but also helps fight and kill off both bacterial and viral infections.  This was my answer.  One drop in a big glass of water, swished around, dumped out, then re-filled with more water (so very dilluted).  I put that in a squirter thing, gave them a dose of the oregano water 3 times a day, and it made it so that instead of a 10 day sickness, it became only a 3 day sickness.  That year they caught 10 or so strains of that same whooping cough, and now I feel like a pro at getting rid of it quick and easy.

As I've said before and I'll say again though in another post YOU have the power to heal YOU!  Nothing else can ultimately heal you besides you, other things can help your body kick into gear to heal itself though, and that is what we ultimately want from any care, including essential oils.  Essential Oils are something that help push our body closer to a state of internal strength.  They do things for us physically & emotionally, and on the sidelines can also effect us spiritually & psychologically for the better.

In conclusion, there are essential oil scams out there, but the scams are not from the Food Grade Essential Oil distributors, but rather the distributors of cheep chemically derived oils from local markets and health stores.  Just make sure to do your research on each brand and distributor before spending your hard earned money, then enjoy all the numerous benefits of using truly pure essential oils.  

To Read Part One Click Here:  Essential Oils a Scam? Part 1
To Read Research on Essential Oils Click Here:  Research on Essential Oils

Research on Essential Oils?

Because so many people say that there is no research or any medical or scientifically based rational reason to use essential oils I decided to surpass their ignorance by posting a list of some of the available research and books that have been done that I have come across.  By ignorance I mean that these people are uneducated on this subject and have not actually looked for the research (which is why I'm giving it here as an easier way for everyone to look it up).  There is much more than this out there, but if you're looking for a good start to some great research and information than this is an amazing start.

A few of my favorite references for essential oils:

Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy  - By Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide To The Use of Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalismd  - By Julia Lawless

500 Formulas for Aromatherapy: Mixing Essential Oils for Every Use  - By Carol & David Schiller

The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils: The Science of Advanced Aromatherapy  - By Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D.

Nature's Farmacy: A guide for the use of essential oils for healthy living  - By Lorene Davies

Modern Essentials - By AromaTools (great reference for uses, chemistry, and lab researched information in textbook form)

--Then there will be the book that I am working on writing as well, so keep watching for that!  :)

A longer list of some more medically & science based references on essential oils:


Carson, C.F., Hammer, K.A., and T.V. Riley. “Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil: A review of antimicrobial and other medicinal properties.” Clinical Microbiology Reviews 19, (2006): 50-62.

Carson, C.F., Cookson, B.D. et al. “Susceptibility of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus-aureus to the essential oil of melaleuca-alternifolia.”Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 35, (1995): 421-4.

Klevens, R.M., Morrison, M.A., et al. “Invasive methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States.” Journal of the American Medical Association 298, (2007): 1763-71.

Warnke, P.H., Becker, S.T., et al. “The battle against multi-resistant strains: Renaissance of antimicrobial essential oils as a promising force to fight hospital-acquired infections.” Journal of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, May 25, 2009.

Caelli, M., Porteous, J., et al. “Tea tree oil as an alternative topical decolonization agent for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus.” Journal of Hospital Infection 46, (2000): 236-7.

Lehrner, J., Marwinski, G., et al. “Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood in a dental office.” Physiology and Behavior 86, (2005): 92-5.

Field, T., Field, T., et al. “Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants.” Early Human Development 84, (2008): 399-401.

Spirling, L.I., and I.R. Daniels. “Botanical perspectives on health peppermint: more than just an after-dinner mint.” The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health 121, (2001): 62-3.

Kite, S., Maher, E., et al. “Development of an aromatherapy service at a cancer centre.” Palliative Medicine 12, (1998): 171-80.

Maddocks-Jennings, W., and Jenny M. Wilkinson. “Aromatherapy practice in nursing: literature review.” Journal of Advanced Nursing 48, (2004): 93-103.

Baratta, M.T., Dorman, H.J., Stanley, G.D., et al. “Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of some commercial essential oils.” Flavour and Fragrance Journal 13 (1998): 235-44.

Nakamura, A., Fujiwara, S., Matsumoto, I., et al. “Stress repression in restrained rats by (R)-(-)-Linalool inhalation and gene expression profiling of their whole blood cells.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 57, no 12 (2009): 5480-85.

Warnke, P.H., Sherry, E., et al. “Antibacterial essential oils in malodorous cancer patients: clinical observations in 30 patients.” Phytomedicine 13, (2006): 463-7.

Eccles, R., Griffiths, D.H., et al. “The effects of D and L isomers of menthol upon nasal sensation of airflow.” The Journal of Laryngology and Otology 102, (1988): 506-8.

Warnke, P.H., Becker, S.T., et al. “The battle against multi-resistant strains: Renaissance of antimicrobial essential oils as a promising force to fight hospital-acquired infections.” Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery 37, (2009): 392-7.

Brady, A., Loughlin, R., et al. “In Vitro activity of tea-tree oil against clinical skin isolates of miticillin-resistant and sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci growing planktonically and as biofilms.” Journal of Medical Microbiology 55, (2006): 1375-80.

Caelli, M., Porteous, J., et al. “Tea tree oil as an alternative topical decolonization agent for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.” Journal of Hospital Infection 46, (2000): 236-7.

Groves, Bob. “Healing’s Sweet Scent.” The Record August 1, 2006.

Edwards-Jones, V., Buck, R., et al. “The effect of essential oils on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus using a dressing model.” Burns 30, (2004): 772-7.

Modern Essentials A Contemporary Guide to The Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils, Spanish Fork, UT: Abundant Health, LLC. (2009)  6-18

David K. Hill, DC., Nature’s Living Energy: A Personal Guide to Using Essential Oils. Sound Concepts (2007) 59-71

D. Gary Young, ND., Essential Oils Integrative Medical Guide. Essential Science Publishing (2003)  1-27, 44-45

David Stewart, Ph.D., D.N.M., The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple.  Care Publications (2005) 6-10, 51, 
doTERRA Intl, LLC. “Essential Oils and Healthcare” Orem, UT (2009) 1-10

Robins, Jo L. Wheeler, R.N., M.S., A.N.P.  “The Science and Art of Aromatherapy”. Journal of 

Holistic Nursing.  http://jhn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abtract/17/1/5 (1999) 5-6, 14

BBC NEWS.  “Essential oils ‘combat superbug’”.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/6471475.stm (2007) 1

BBC NEWS. “Aromatherapy oils ‘kill superbug’”.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/4116053.stm (2004) 1-2

McUsic, Teresa. “Fort Worth Hospital Incorporates Aromatherapy”.  http://news.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/SC02/107280044 (2008) 1-2


Click Here to Read:  Essential Oils a Scam? Part 1
Click Here to Read:  Essential Oils a Scam? Part 2

YOU Have The Power to Heal YOU!

I think it is very important for people to know something about how our bodies heal.  Whether using natural health "cures" or using a pharmaceutical drug that comes out of a lab prescribed by a doctor, the things you use are never what actually cure you of your ailment.

Yes, thats what I said, NOTHING outside of you can ever CURE you!

Our bodies are incredible things.  They have built in defense mechanisms and fighting capabilities to be able to recover from anything that comes their way.  Sometimes it needs a kick start from outside sources however.  This is when things that have medicinal properties are so nice, like herbs, tinctures, essential oils, and other "natural remedies."  Some of these natural remedies have therapeutic properties that help the cells start functioning better and can even kill off some of the bacteria or viral infections for us while allowing our bodies to kick in for the end result.

When people resort to pharmaceutical care for themselves they are essentially trying to do the exact same thing as people who resort to natural care.  They are using something to try to get rid of an ailment, and that thing has medicinal therapeutic properties.  The difference here is that the pharmaceutical "cures" use methods that are damaging to the future health but get rid of the symptoms you see on the surface.  For example Antibiotics kill not only the bad bacteria, but the good bacteria thats needed in our bodies.  It may rid us of the symptoms from 1 infection of bad bacteria but what happens when there is not enough good bacteria to protect and help our bodies run effectively?

Good bacteria is such a profound idea, because our society thinks so negatively about most bacteria.  The truth of the matter is our bodies desperately need it.  The good bacteria helps our immune system along with a lot of other systems in our bodies to run up to par.  Getting rid of them is not the best option.

The other thing that I truly believe is that we are all children of a living God.  That is an amazing thing! He put us on this earth that was created for us.  He created everything here for our use.  The plants and animals, everything!  He wanted us to succeed and be happy.  The fact that the herbs help our bodies kick into gear is not a scam or a fluke, it is the way God designed them, and he doesn't make mistakes.  When we take a chemically derived pharmaceutical we are not only taking something that is not naturally created, which many cringe at, but are also only taking one element of healing that some scientist found.  That is not the way God created or intended our world.  There is so much in the combinations within our plants that is unknown about why certain properties are combined.  When only certain aspects of therapeutic agents are used, such as in pharmaceuticals, there are many more unwanted side effects.  The healing actually seems to occur more quickly and fully, with less side effects, when the used item has not been chemically altered such as in pure essential oils, herbs, etc.

In conclusion to this post, YOU have that power to heal YOU.  Ultimately you are in charge and in control of you and your families healthcare.  The actions you take every day to improve your health and wellbeing are the biggest things that will help you be healthy and when you get an ailment you can use something to kick start your body back into gear so that YOU will heal YOU!  No matter what you take natural or not (and I am obviously partial to the natural because I've seen it work better with my own eyes along with doing a lot of research into the scientific studies of essential oil therapy), nothing will ever ultimately cure you besides simply you.

A Look Into My Fridge & A Week of Bone Broth

As you can see, like most people who drastically change their diet, the contents of my fridge are not yet perfect.  Especially when it comes to our condiments.  We are very slowly getting rid of them and then to do more with what we have I am making my own versions of them that is healthier and then putting that in the empty bottle of the store bought condiment.  Its amazing how many eggs and how many vegetables it takes to get through 2 weeks.  Normally that 2nd shelf is full of just eggs, but this week I did it a bit different.  On the top shelf right now I have 13 quarts of homemade bone broth that I have made this week.  I am planning on making lots of different types of soup with them.  Wow... bone broth is not nearly as hard as I thought it would be and I can get about 4 quarts a day and keep the same bones cooking in the crock-pot for a whole week (just add new veggies every couple days or so).  The longer it sits in the fridge the darker it gets, so fascinating.  Here's a few pictures from making the chicken bone broth.

13 quarts of homemade bone broth (a week of doing broth gave me a lot more than this, I just have used a bunch for cooking and soups since it is soooooo nutritious) & 6 + dozen eggs

The bone broth on the third day right after adding fresh water and 3 cups of new veggies - 1 small onion, 1 celery stalks, 1 carrot, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup cut up kale, 1 Tbsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 Tsp Sea Salt

This is the way the broth looks when stirred when the veggies have been cooked for 8-12 hours.  You can cook anywhere from 8 hours up to 3 days without taking out the broth liquid.  The sooner its removed, the more broth you get, but the longer it cooks before being removed the stronger (and better) the flavor and the more nutrients go cook into it from the bones.  I like it to simmer for 12 hours before I switch out the liquid for new water, but there were a couple days this week that I did 24 hours (the first day it seemed better to do a full 24 hours).

This is the bone broth right after I used a measuring cup to spoon out the liquid through a sieve into a 2 quart mason jar.  I like using the mason jars cause they can be vacuum sealed to preserve the food in them longer and better.

I found that to strain the broth well enough I needed something similar to a cheese-cloth on top of the small sieve.  I also found that it turned out better to use the sieve in a pot and then pour it into the mason jar from that because it spilled so much less onto my counter that way.

I love this picture because it shows so well the bones  once they have just started to break apart after the broth has been taken out.  Every time I remove the liquid I use my wooden spoon and push the bones against the crock-pot.  After the first 24 hours to 3 days this is what the chicken bones look like, just the ends break off first, then as the week goes on they fall apart more and more until they are basically a mush at the bottom of the pot. 

 For those of you that have been thinking about doing a bone broth for a while now like I did, it's so fun!  To see how the bones change is fascinating.  It doesn't have to be as intimidating of a task as it seems.  Once you get it going for the week in the crock pot it only takes around 30 minutes a day to change out and get 2-3 quarts of the broth out twice (every 12 hours - morning and evening) along with add new water & veggies (if you want more veggies - this is optional).  This broth/stock is one of those super foods that helps the gut heal and provides so many nutrients people in our society are deficient in.  I recommend it to everyone.  Take my word for it, you'll love this, and you're body will love all the micro-nutrients in it too!

Achieving Optimum Health and Weight

Nurturing Traditions, Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS), The Body Ecology Diet, BEDROK, PALEO Diet, etc. all have a lot in common.  All these dietary lifestyles teach building health through nutrition and dietary changes.  They all are very similar in many of their key points.  Reading books on these along with many other books on other health guidelines and information, I have come up with my own guidelines for diet and lifestyle that suites what I believe is the quickest and best way to get to optimum health & weight.  So far using my guidelines in the last couple months I've lost a much needed 45 pounds of weight that my body had been holding onto for many years.  In all the conflicting along with corresponding information I have read, my conclusion is that most common cause for all illness that lasts for an extended time period can be traced back to what I call "Leaky Gut Syndrome".  This includes all auto-immune diseases, all types of autism, along with psychological disorders, depression, asthma, and it can (but is not always) also be the reason why we get the common colds and flu's too.  My guidelines help us to defeat the source cause of all these ailments.  I am not a doctor and I cannot diagnose or treat anyone, but I am a mother of 3 beautiful children.  I have an auto-immune disease that has made me very aware of the fact that if I don't follow the healthiest way that I can while still enjoying life, then I might not be here for them much longer.  They need me, and I feel like I need to share what I learn and know so others can achieve greater health as well.