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Rollin with my homies😜 we had a blast trying ou Rollin with my homies😜 we had a blast trying out the @cadillac XT6 for the week, it’s the perfect midsize suv with room for the whole family - giving you a closer look over in stories! Thank you to Cadillac for gifting us this experience!!
Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I shared how I’m doing in stories today, we made it through the holidays but it was a lot harder than I thought. I’m sruggling in a few ways. Struggling on social media with the comparison game, struggling in general as a stay at home mom of two, struggling with a fussy two month old that doesn’t sleep, struggling that I’m unable to do things for me right now (like even go to the bathroom or shower alone), struggling with the omnipresent grief and anxiety, struggling with guilt — guilt over not giving my oldest enough attention, over wanting him to start back at school again, over not being happy and grateful 24/7.⁣⁣⠀
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If I learned anything last year it was to accept my feelings as they come and not label any as “bad,” so that’s what I’m working on, that’s my daily reminder. As my friend said to me today, this is hard, it’s the trenches!! Be gentle. It’s hard and wonderful all at once.⁣⁣⠀
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Check in below👇⁣⁣⠀
❤️ - I’m feeling great⁣⁣⠀
🧡 - I’m feeling ok⁣⁣⠀
💛 - I’m surviving⁣⁣⠀
💚 - I’m struggling⁣⁣⠀
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Let’s show up and support each other and remind each other we’re not alone in these hard days🖤
Took this week to unplug and reflect. Wild year. M Took this week to unplug and reflect. Wild year. Mixed feelings about a new year is not foreign to me, this is how I felt last year going into 2020. 2019 was Liam’s year, it was the worst but it gave me a perspective I’ll never lose and one I carried into 2020.⁣⁣⠀
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Through hardship you grow.⁣⁣⠀
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2020 saw more focus on me, on my mental wellness + on my family. Less worrying about what people think of me, less apologizing, more doing what makes me happy (or gets me through the day). More of that in this space also. I’m not going to be everyone’s cup of tea so might as well be me, ALL of me💯✌️⁣⁣⠀
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I’m not a resolution or goal setter when it comes to a new year, I try to focus on reflecting, releasing what doesn’t serve me any longer + manifesting/using affirmations to bring the good. Still working on what those are exactly for 2021!⁣⁣⠀
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In the meantime I wanted to share some of my big 2020 memories and wish you all love, light, peace and healing in the new year✨⁣⁣⠀
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1-2. Our new family unit🧡⁣⁣⠀
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3-4. The birth of our daughter, Elora, the best thing to come out of 2020. She is the brightest light.⁣⁣⠀
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5. Luca’s love for his sister + once again navigating a “new normal” in our family.⁣⁣⠀
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6. Pregnancy after loss. Amidst a global pandemic. While wrangling a toddler. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done, it was pure survival mode (+ still is postpartum).⁣⁣⠀
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7. Growing the most beautiful dahlias and diving more into gardening than ever before, mostly as a form of therapy, AND sharing it all with you guys — connecting through our gardens was one of my favorite parts of the year + growing this community has brought me so much joy!⁣⁣⠀
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8. Finding my groove and launching my oils business — never thought I would make more than my blogging income + be able to pay off debt😭⁣⁣⠀
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9. Luca turning 2 and weaning + potty training at the same time — his decisions, not mine!⁣⁣⠀
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10. Liam’s due date in April. I remember wishing more than anything for the chance to deliver him healthy and full term, pandemic and all. We miss our boy + are moving forward WITH him, we’ll love him forever from afar❤️
Chaotic and beautiful and hard and exhausting and Chaotic and beautiful and hard and exhausting and awesome❤️ exactly how I want to remember this day. We’re sending you big love this Christmas, complete with our best “ewie smiles” (Luca’s term for silly faces🤣). I love how Doobie snuck his nose in there too!! Swipe for some special moments/things of the day❤️❤️
⋒ 8 weeks of Elora Leigh ⋒⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ ⋒ 8 weeks of Elora Leigh ⋒⁣⁣⠀
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You have been here in our arms for almost two whole months and my heart still skips a beat when I wake up and see you next to me. You are truly here. I still can’t believe you’re real and you’re ours.⁣⁣⠀
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At 8 weeks you’re not such a tiny babe anymore, you’ve doubled your birth weight and grew four inches — a testament to how much you love to eat😅🍼 (pic four is day 3 for reference!). Your chubby cheeks are also a testament to your love of milk😍😍 The super sleepy newborn days are over😭 You’re waking up more and more, crying more too (see pic three🤪), but still giving us good stretches of sleep (4-5 hours) at night. You don’t love cuddling with me as much as your brother did, I’m still in denial over that! And you’ve broken out of the swaddle, sleep sackin it up already! Luca loves you more than anything and is always wanting to hold you and help me clean your “spiggups,” he calls you “mista baby” and it killssss your dad and I every time🤣⁣⁣⠀
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I feel like you just arrived but also like I’ve known you forever. Happy 8 weeks of life Elora, you are so loved💗⁣⁣⠀
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#8weeks #eloraleigh #watcheloragrow
Unpopular or popular opinion? Gratitude is hard wh Unpopular or popular opinion? Gratitude is hard when you’re struggling.⁣⁣⠀
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Gratitude, when forced, feels like shame. As the wise @sitwithwhit said the other day, it’s  the new toxic positivity — if we’re going to feel sad, then we better be grateful too.⁣⁣⠀
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The pressure on the bereaved to feel and express gratitude in their grief is REAL.⁣⁣⠀
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So here is my reminder — It’s ok to *not* balance out your pain with gratitude. ⁣⁣⠀
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To me, when gratitude is forced I feel inauthentic and ashamed. When everyone is talking about gratitude journals and how to “focus on the good,” I feel left out.⁣⁣⠀
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Let’s normalize expressing pain and grief without following it up with “BUT... gratitude.” It’s like saying that makes our pain seem more bearable from the outside. I get it. Grief is uncomfortable. Pain is ugly. It’s easier to look away. It’s easier to engage if the griever ends their thought on a positive, that’s the pressure. But what if I don’t feel positives in my pain?⁣⁣⠀
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If gratitude helps you to process your grief, that is really great. Everyone grieves differently. I spoke about this in stories today and 100s of you wrote in saying you felt heard. I’m happy it resonated, I’m always nervous to express these opinions but there are ALWAYS people out there who relate and need to hear it. You are my people❤️⁣⁣⠀
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So here are your reminders if you’re grieving or struggling this holiday season, or just reflecting on a hard year:⁣⁣⠀
❤️Be gentle with yourself, your feelings are valid.⁣⁣⠀
❤️You don’t owe anything to anyone, especially in your grief.⁣⁣⠀
❤️It’s ok to feel shitty, period. No ifs, ands, buts or justifications necessary.⁣⁣⠀
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Love you guys🤟🤟🤟⁣⁣⠀
📷: @mymotherhoodstory
This photo shoot took years off my life😅🤪 Do This photo shoot took years off my life😅🤪 Don’t let the cute faces fool you, it’s HARD to get a toddler to stay still and a newborn to not cry🤣 But we snapped a couple gems, these two quite literally light up my life💖 http://liketk.it/34ldF
Just love this little Christmas corner with all of Just love this little Christmas corner with all of our stockings🌲🥰 Anyone else getting snow tonight!? I’m excited! I love the snow and I love seeing the magic in Luca’s eyes, he just lights up over the littlest things and it makes this season so much brighter for us✨
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I linked everything I could in the @liketoknow.it app or head to the link in my bio for my blog and holiday home decor post with all my winter home inspo❄️ http://liketk.it/345gU
Third postpartum, second c-section, a little more Third postpartum, second c-section, a little more prepared for recovery this time and it’s going a lot smoother. I shared some of my postpartum favorites/must haves in stories today as well as on the blog (link in my bio)! ⁣⁣⠀
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Also shared some tips I wish I knew the first time around like to not feel ashamed to ask for help or guilty for taking care of myself. That’s my biggest tip —⁣⁣⠀
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Take care of yourself.⁣⁣⠀
Take care of yourself.⁣⁣⠀
Take care of yourself.⁣⁣⠀
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I can’t stress this enough. It’s the norm in our society to focus more on the baby than the mom but during the fourth trimester she needs care and attention now more than ever. You can’t take care of your baby without taking care of yourself first❤️⁣⁣⠀
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Some other postpartum tips:⁣⁣⠀
🌿take all the pictures and take pictures with you in them, they will be absolute treasures to look back on, especially the ones where you look like crap (I promise you don’t actually look like crap, it’s real life though, which are the best to look back on)⁣⁣⠀
🌿you may not know what you’re doing but listen to your instincts, the mama instinct is strong and it’s REAL⁣⁣⠀
🌿take home all the things from the hospital (pads, disposable undies, abdominal binder, all of it)🙌⁣⁣⠀
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If you are postpartum after loss you’re still postpartum but it’s even harder without your baby. Cabbage leaves, peppermint essential oil and a tight sports bra to help get rid of your milk supply. Find a grief counselor and a support group, validation and acknowledgement is everything. I’ve been there and it’s the literal worst, be gentle with yourself. You are still a mother❤️
📷 @jessicamicciophoto
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Christine Covino

- The Blog -

7 Easy Swaps to a More Natural Home

October 6, 2020 / Lifestyle, Wellness

7 Easy Swaps to a More Natural Home

Tips for a More Natural Home

I feel like I start out every post with “I’m so excited to talk about this today” but it’s true, you guys. I am trying to share topics and posts that are really important to me and not just throw up content here just because – I hope it’s things that you all resonate with and are able to take and put to use in your own life in some way! I polled this topic on instagram last week and it was a hot one..

So, that being said, I’m excited to share with you all about the changes I’ve made in my home for more natural and non toxic products. My journey with overall wellness awareness began a few years back when I learned I had a Thyroid condition called Hashimoto’s. With the help of a functional medicine doctor I made a ton of changes in my diet and it massively impacted me.

My doctor also is one of the first people who helped me become aware of how harmful toxins can be in our environments and how much they impact our bodies for the outside as well – Our skin is our biggest organ! This means everything we touch, are exposed to, or come in contact with goes into our body in some way, shape, or form.

I think in general there’s a movement right now with awareness being brought to products, foods, drinks, etc. that are filled with chemicals. Take Monsanto for instance. Or the articles that are buzzing with how toxic febreze and candles are. It’s becoming more and more common knowledge – so when I decided to do just a tad of research, I was dumbfounded at the results… and that this stuff is all out there in the market, readily available for us to buy (seriously, what?!).

I will say, though, that a lot of the products we think are “natural” or “organic” or whatever actually aren’t… I discovered this after downloading the Think Dirty app and checking out EWG.ORG and scanning my everyday household products, when brands pull this tricky wording or imagery it’s called “greenwashing.”

Clorox wipes, Mrs. Meyer’s stuff, Method soap, Tide Detergent, even Seventh Generation. Don’t get me wrong – some of these brands are making an effort to be more natural-oriented, but they’re still pretty toxic. Scan for yourself with the app/search the ingredients on EWG and see for yourself!

But I digress. I’m not here to talk about all the bad stuff per se, but I just want to share with you guys the changes I’ve made in my home to make it as natural as possible, and why I chose to do that! There are alternatives out there, if you just do a little digging, you’ll find them. Lucky for you, I did the digging 😉

7 Easy Swaps to a More Natural Home

1. All Cleaners —> Thieves Household Cleaner

You know what’s crazy? Plants actually clean *better* than chemicals🤯 Insane, I know. Read on!

I used to have a plethora of cleaners under my sink and the mess under there was real, can anyone relate? I had a different cleaner for every different task… counters, fridge, table, floors, toilets, you name it. I’m all about simplicity and this was anything but simple.

The other thing that got me was the fumes – I could never clean my bathroom or deep clean my kitchen without flinging open all the windows because I couldn’t breathe. Thankfully, I don’t have asthma or any other respiratory issues, but so many of my friends (and I’m sure many of you do) and I know those fumes affect you even MORE. For me, I would get crazy headaches because it was just too much chemicals.

Not to mention how concerned I started getting with these toxins around my newborn baby.

Insert Thieves Cleaner. Literally my life saver and has replaced EVERY cleaner we used to use!

I discovered this about a year ago and it has seriously changed my life. One cleaner does ALL THE THINGSSSS you guys. No more mess under my sink with 75 bottles and toxic ingredients. I use thieves to clean counters, floors, inside the fridge, the shower, toilet, granite, travertine, my wood dressers + tables, carpets, windows, doors, walls, stove, oven.. literally you name it, I clean it with thieves. And just look at how clean my stove is in the pic above!

The power of plants you guys, it’s REAL🙌🌿

Thieves is plant based + infused with 100% pure essential oil – aka there’s no chemicals, no sketchy “fragrance” and no strong fume/odor that you’d be coughing and dying from. In fact, Thieves actually SUPPORTS your immune system🤯 And it’s safe to use around kids, Luca now helps me “clean” aka sprays Thieves everywhere haha, but he tries and we have fun and I know it’s not harming him. Big mama win!!

Did I mention it smells AMAZING? The oil blend is seriously good – cinnamon, clove, citrus… yum. Cleaning feels good now!!

The one 22oz. bottle is a concentrate so it makes 22 individual bottles of cleaner..sooooo also, HUGE #moneysaver. I’ve only gone through 2 bottles in the last year. I could go on and on about all the uses for my cleaner (maybe I’ll do a separate post about 10 ways to use thieves cleaner or something??…) but bottom line, you need this girlfriend!

Shop the amber bottle set under “Oily Supplies” on my Amazon Storefront!

Soft Scrub Recipe

  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1/8 cup Thieves cleaner
  • 10 drops lemon eo
  • Mix to a paste and store in an airtight jar
  • I use this on our stove, oven, toilet and tile including in the bathroom

2. Laundry Detergent & Dryer Sheets —> Thieves Laundry soap & Wool Balls

Detergent was honestly something I didn’t think too much about, because I wasn’t coming into direct contact with it or sitting there smelling everything when it was in the wash. But I found out it was something I should definitely be paying attention to!

A lot of detergents contain dyes, phlathates and other endocrine-disrupting toxins – aka really not good for us! When we wash our clothes, the components of said detergents are all over our clothing. Then we turn around and wear that clothing all day long – so where is it sitting? On our skin! Remember what I mentioned before about skin.. so our skin is absorbing all that detergent junk all day long. Woah, I ran as fast as I could and ditched that bright blue concoction right down the drain.

We switched to the Thieves Laundry Soap in 2018. Just like the cleaner, it has a fresh clean scent thanks to the essential oils in it. No dyes, phlathates and all of that junk. It’s also highly concentrated so we dilute it by three and get about 64 loads of laundry from one jug… #saywhat. I’ve been using it for two years now and love it. My clothes don’t smell like “fresh summer rain” or whatever artificial “fragrance” anymore, they smell like true scents derived from the purest plants and their essential oils.

My thought process here is that my body shouldn’t have to fight toxins in my laundry detergent or cleaners, it has enough things to worry about and if I can use more natural stuff in some areas then why not?

I even make my own Stain Remover Stick out of this stuff now, I can’t say enough! We are saving our health AND saving money!

Also, pleasepleasepleaseeee ditch the dryer sheets! Look them up on the Think Dirty app to see for yourself! One of my favorite things to do is use a few drops of whichever essential oil I’m feeling that day and add them to my wool dryer balls. They fluff the clothes perfectly without the crazy toxins andddd make everything smell amazing!! The power of plants you guys, it’s crazy!!

Laundry Recipes

Laundry Detergent Dilution

  • I split the Thieves detergent by four, adding it to 4 separate 32oz. glass bottles
  • I then add two capfuls of Thieves cleaner concentrate and 10 drops of Lemon, Thieves and/or Purification eo
  • Fill the rest with distilled water and gently shake to mix!
  • You can also add one tablespoon of baking soda (pre-diluted in warm water!)
  • Now you have four 32oz. laundry detergents instead of ONE🙌 also making it less than $8 per diluted bottle and each bottle lasts us several months because I use only 3-4 pumps per load!

Stain Stick (30ml glass roller)

  • Fill 1/3 with Thieves Laundry soap (or sub Thieves dish soap)
  • Add one capful Thieves concentrate
  • One teaspoon hydrogen peroxide
  • 15 drops lemon eo
  • Fill the rest with distilled water

Organic Wool Dryer Balls

  • I picked up a pack of these from amazon
  • For each load I add 4-5 drops of purification to each ball and tumble the load with 3-4 balls
  • Sooooo much better and safer than chemical-ridden dryer sheets!!

3. Plug-ins/Deodorizing Sprays –> DIY Room Refresh & Linen Spray

Oh gosh. Read this article and then you’ll know why I got rid of the Febreze cans (I had one in my kitchen, one in each bathroom, and extras stocked in my laundry room!) and Bath and Body Works wallflowers (had those in my living room, hallway, and bedroom). I actually started to wonder about these when I was having trouble sleeping at night.

My wallflower was about 5 feet from my bed and I had massive sleeping issues.. It would take me an hour to get to sleep, when I finally did I couldn’t stay asleep, and I would wake up feeling tired because I was so restless the whole night. After I read that article, I ripped them out of the wall and threw them right out.

Now, I have these room refresh sprays that I DIY-ed in about 1 minute all over my house.. on my nightstand, on my coffee tables, in the bathrooms.. I spray pillows, throws, my sheets, the air, you name it.

Here’s a combo I love to do for Room Refresh and Linen Sprays:

  • 6oz. spray bottle (I get mine on amazon)
  • 10 drops Lavender
  • 10 drops Cedarwood
  • 10 drops Bergamot
  • 5 drops Peppermint
  • 2 oz. witch hazel, fill the rest with distilled water

4. Candles —> Diffuser

Okay yikes, guys. This was a hard one for me. I was a candle freak up until last winter. I had candles going 24/7, and a whole shelf in my laundry room filled with new ones ready to go when the old ones burnt down. I mean, how bad can a candle really be right?

My first bird moment with candles goes back to right after college when I was living with my roommates in a condo and discovered some of the walls had this black film all over them. Turns out, it was candle soot covering the walls and it had to be professionally cleaned. I didn’t even know that was possible! So if that junk was sitting on our walls, furniture, etc… that meant it was on my clothes, shoes, personal items, and even breathing it in. #what.

When I researched candles I discovered that burning a candle for an hour was equivalent to smoking a cigarette. I DON’T SMOKE but basically was a chain smoker by default thanks to my candle addiction.

Even with seeing that with my own eyes and learning the scary facts about candles, this was a hard habit to break. I didn’t want to get rid of candles because I liked that “cozy” feeling (whatever that even means..ha). But I just decided to stop one day, I threw my candles away and started using my diffuser much more.

I got a starter kit from Young Living with a diffuser and 12 essential oils. It was a total game changer, I can’t quite explain it, the oil scents just smell more “real” (I mean, because they are haha).

I could make my own blends/scents literally any second.. and then discovered I could use the oils for a million other things than just diffusing! Also, I’ve saved probably hundreds of dollars because I’m not running to B+BW every time there’s a sale and buying $120 worth of candles that burn out within 3 days.

5. For Kids & Babies —> Swap All

Yup. Swap it all. This is probably the most important swap I’m made in our home.

Anyone else use Dreft to wash their newborn clothes? That was me too. And then a friend told me to download the Think Dirty app and look up all my household products. Well I was APPALLED that a laundry detergent specifically marketed towards babies rated a 9 (10 is the worst) and some of the ingredients “cause reproductive harm and harm to children.”

Like what in the actual…….

I felt guilty but decided that was it, I’m not going to be washing our clothes in toxins, no thank you, and slowly but surely I’m going room by room and eliminating every toxin from our home.

I was so stoked to find Young Living and their loyalty/monthly wellness box program. It has made our ditch and switch process SO MUCH EASIER. Plus I save a ton of money. More on that HERE.

But specifically for kiddos it’s made my life easy – for Luca we use the Kidscents line for so much (Tummy, Respiratory, Sleep and Boo Boo support), for his enzymes, vitamins and probiotics, as well as bath wash, lotion, diaper cream and toothpaste — no icky, toxic ingredients in any of these. I cannot tell you how good it feels to know I’m using SAFE products on my child!!

We also use the Seedlings line baby wipes and I’m also stocking up on the wash and lotion for our baby expected to arrive in November.

They literally have us covered from head to toe and I feel so thankful to have found a company I can actually TRUST to be safe, it’s so important mamas!!

6. Garden Pest Sprays —> DIY Essential Oil + Thieves Spray

Most of you guys here know I’m an avid home gardener and my family owns a small farm. I cannot express to you how important it is to NOT use chemicals or conventional pest sprays/fertilizers on food you are growing to eat. Or even on your property at all – most are harmful to small children and pets even if they’re just sprayed on the grass!

We avoid conventional sprays at all costs. But that doesn’t mean we sacrifice quality! I have tons of blog posts about how we grow organically HERE, but incorporating essential oils into my pest control routine has been an absolute game-changer for the overall health of my plants.

The terpenes and constituents of the oils (especially Cedarwood) combined with helpful dish soap and occasionally some extra Neem oil have helped the nasty pests and disease stay away from my precious garden!

Click here for my DIY Pest Spray post with all the info on how to make it!

I also spray my straight Thieves cleaner spray on house plants and outdoor flowers to keep the little gnats away and I swear it also feeds them somehow because my foliage is always super shiny and healthy!

Last tip I just want to mention – these oils are also fantastic at repelling bugs and ticks away from humans! There are lot’s of easy recipes for bug repellent sprays out there and YL also sells their own combo which works like a dream.

If you have a tick problem I would recommend looking for a landscaping company that will come do a big application on your property with Cedarwood essential oil! We found a local company and have been using them for the past tow years – NO TICKS!!!!

7. Personal Care Products —> Swap All

A reader actually just asked what I’m using for personal care, body lotion, skincare, makeup, etc. I also swapped the majority of this stuff out as well! The biggest thing is the ingredients + fragrance that are added to the mainstream products on our shelves. I know there are a ton of good brands out there  (like 100% pure, Jane Iredale, and more) but since I’m purchasing a lot of things from Young Living already, I’ve actually just starting using their body lotions, shampoo/conditioner, skincare products, and more, and they’re GREAT!

Some of my favorites from them: vanilla copaiba shampoo + conditioner, Mirah Shave oil (for alllll the things + can be diluted in half with straight jojoba!), Genesis Hand + Body Lotion, Lavender body lotion, Mineral Sunscreen, Bath Bombs, Mint Satin Facial Scrub, Thieves Aromabright Toothpaste, and the Savvy makeup line.. just to name a few.

When I tell you they have a product for it – they DO. It’s seriously been SO easy to swap everything out. I do the monthly wellness box and instead of shopping at Target, Walgreens, or other stores now, I just buy everything from Young Living while getting 20% back. I know the products are safe and it’s a one stop shop. Making my life easier since 2018 #signmeup ha!

SO.. all of this to say – switching to natural products was/is so easy! I get pretty much everything from one spot.


So no you’re like.. Okay, I want in too, what do I do from here? If you’d like to make some switches in your home, it’s best to sign up as a member and purchase one of the starter kits (oils, thieves, makeup..etc) You do NOT have to sell oils in order to be a member. It just means you are getting a starter kit for more than 50% off & will get 24% off retail prices on every oil, forever (totally worth it!).

If you have questions about anything that I’ve done/how/why leave them below or drop me an email or DM me over on Instagram – I can chat with you and walk you through any part of the process!

If you’re like nah girl, I can do this on my own, then ORDER HERE and make sure the number 14830095 appears in both the “Enroller” and “Sponsor ID” fields and choose wholesale member and to do ER. You’ll be on my team, I’ll send you a welcome email, a gift and you’ll get access to our private Facebook groups to learn all about the healthy life!

Phew, that was a lot – BUT I hope so helpful for you guys!! Seriously love sharing with you about all the amazing changes and benefits.. so I hope you can enjoy that 🙂

ORDER HERE

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Rollin with my homies😜 we had a blast trying ou Rollin with my homies😜 we had a blast trying out the @cadillac XT6 for the week, it’s the perfect midsize suv with room for the whole family - giving you a closer look over in stories! Thank you to Cadillac for gifting us this experience!!
Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I shared how I’m doing in stories today, we made it through the holidays but it was a lot harder than I thought. I’m sruggling in a few ways. Struggling on social media with the comparison game, struggling in general as a stay at home mom of two, struggling with a fussy two month old that doesn’t sleep, struggling that I’m unable to do things for me right now (like even go to the bathroom or shower alone), struggling with the omnipresent grief and anxiety, struggling with guilt — guilt over not giving my oldest enough attention, over wanting him to start back at school again, over not being happy and grateful 24/7.⁣⁣⠀
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If I learned anything last year it was to accept my feelings as they come and not label any as “bad,” so that’s what I’m working on, that’s my daily reminder. As my friend said to me today, this is hard, it’s the trenches!! Be gentle. It’s hard and wonderful all at once.⁣⁣⠀
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Check in below👇⁣⁣⠀
❤️ - I’m feeling great⁣⁣⠀
🧡 - I’m feeling ok⁣⁣⠀
💛 - I’m surviving⁣⁣⠀
💚 - I’m struggling⁣⁣⠀
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Let’s show up and support each other and remind each other we’re not alone in these hard days🖤
Took this week to unplug and reflect. Wild year. M Took this week to unplug and reflect. Wild year. Mixed feelings about a new year is not foreign to me, this is how I felt last year going into 2020. 2019 was Liam’s year, it was the worst but it gave me a perspective I’ll never lose and one I carried into 2020.⁣⁣⠀
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Through hardship you grow.⁣⁣⠀
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2020 saw more focus on me, on my mental wellness + on my family. Less worrying about what people think of me, less apologizing, more doing what makes me happy (or gets me through the day). More of that in this space also. I’m not going to be everyone’s cup of tea so might as well be me, ALL of me💯✌️⁣⁣⠀
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I’m not a resolution or goal setter when it comes to a new year, I try to focus on reflecting, releasing what doesn’t serve me any longer + manifesting/using affirmations to bring the good. Still working on what those are exactly for 2021!⁣⁣⠀
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In the meantime I wanted to share some of my big 2020 memories and wish you all love, light, peace and healing in the new year✨⁣⁣⠀
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1-2. Our new family unit🧡⁣⁣⠀
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3-4. The birth of our daughter, Elora, the best thing to come out of 2020. She is the brightest light.⁣⁣⠀
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5. Luca’s love for his sister + once again navigating a “new normal” in our family.⁣⁣⠀
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6. Pregnancy after loss. Amidst a global pandemic. While wrangling a toddler. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done, it was pure survival mode (+ still is postpartum).⁣⁣⠀
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7. Growing the most beautiful dahlias and diving more into gardening than ever before, mostly as a form of therapy, AND sharing it all with you guys — connecting through our gardens was one of my favorite parts of the year + growing this community has brought me so much joy!⁣⁣⠀
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8. Finding my groove and launching my oils business — never thought I would make more than my blogging income + be able to pay off debt😭⁣⁣⠀
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9. Luca turning 2 and weaning + potty training at the same time — his decisions, not mine!⁣⁣⠀
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10. Liam’s due date in April. I remember wishing more than anything for the chance to deliver him healthy and full term, pandemic and all. We miss our boy + are moving forward WITH him, we’ll love him forever from afar❤️
Chaotic and beautiful and hard and exhausting and Chaotic and beautiful and hard and exhausting and awesome❤️ exactly how I want to remember this day. We’re sending you big love this Christmas, complete with our best “ewie smiles” (Luca’s term for silly faces🤣). I love how Doobie snuck his nose in there too!! Swipe for some special moments/things of the day❤️❤️
⋒ 8 weeks of Elora Leigh ⋒⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ ⋒ 8 weeks of Elora Leigh ⋒⁣⁣⠀
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You have been here in our arms for almost two whole months and my heart still skips a beat when I wake up and see you next to me. You are truly here. I still can’t believe you’re real and you’re ours.⁣⁣⠀
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At 8 weeks you’re not such a tiny babe anymore, you’ve doubled your birth weight and grew four inches — a testament to how much you love to eat😅🍼 (pic four is day 3 for reference!). Your chubby cheeks are also a testament to your love of milk😍😍 The super sleepy newborn days are over😭 You’re waking up more and more, crying more too (see pic three🤪), but still giving us good stretches of sleep (4-5 hours) at night. You don’t love cuddling with me as much as your brother did, I’m still in denial over that! And you’ve broken out of the swaddle, sleep sackin it up already! Luca loves you more than anything and is always wanting to hold you and help me clean your “spiggups,” he calls you “mista baby” and it killssss your dad and I every time🤣⁣⁣⠀
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I feel like you just arrived but also like I’ve known you forever. Happy 8 weeks of life Elora, you are so loved💗⁣⁣⠀
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#8weeks #eloraleigh #watcheloragrow
Unpopular or popular opinion? Gratitude is hard wh Unpopular or popular opinion? Gratitude is hard when you’re struggling.⁣⁣⠀
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Gratitude, when forced, feels like shame. As the wise @sitwithwhit said the other day, it’s  the new toxic positivity — if we’re going to feel sad, then we better be grateful too.⁣⁣⠀
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The pressure on the bereaved to feel and express gratitude in their grief is REAL.⁣⁣⠀
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So here is my reminder — It’s ok to *not* balance out your pain with gratitude. ⁣⁣⠀
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To me, when gratitude is forced I feel inauthentic and ashamed. When everyone is talking about gratitude journals and how to “focus on the good,” I feel left out.⁣⁣⠀
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Let’s normalize expressing pain and grief without following it up with “BUT... gratitude.” It’s like saying that makes our pain seem more bearable from the outside. I get it. Grief is uncomfortable. Pain is ugly. It’s easier to look away. It’s easier to engage if the griever ends their thought on a positive, that’s the pressure. But what if I don’t feel positives in my pain?⁣⁣⠀
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If gratitude helps you to process your grief, that is really great. Everyone grieves differently. I spoke about this in stories today and 100s of you wrote in saying you felt heard. I’m happy it resonated, I’m always nervous to express these opinions but there are ALWAYS people out there who relate and need to hear it. You are my people❤️⁣⁣⠀
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So here are your reminders if you’re grieving or struggling this holiday season, or just reflecting on a hard year:⁣⁣⠀
❤️Be gentle with yourself, your feelings are valid.⁣⁣⠀
❤️You don’t owe anything to anyone, especially in your grief.⁣⁣⠀
❤️It’s ok to feel shitty, period. No ifs, ands, buts or justifications necessary.⁣⁣⠀
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Love you guys🤟🤟🤟⁣⁣⠀
📷: @mymotherhoodstory

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