Category Archives: Babies and Children

San Clemente

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We’ve been coming to San Clemente for the past 4 years for every pediatrician appointment that the boys have – sometimes with a 3 hour drive in each way. It is always 100% worth it for so many reasons! First of all, our pediatrician is hands down the BEST there is. We’ve been seeing Dr. Sears for several years and I have never once left there feeling like we did not get amazing care that was completely geared toward the best interest of our kids. Dr. Bob has worked with us to find the most natural options to take care of whatever they are dealing with and has been great to work with through some of our more difficult challenges dealing with 2 of the boys’ food allergies.

The boys love their visits to see Dr. Bob! I also loved that I have been able to partner with the Sears Wellness Institute as a Certified Health Coach to learn more how to support their nutrition and teach others what we have learned through the years. The boys did great on their check-ups and are all super healthy and strong!

While loading up on donuts may seem very ironic after finishing up well visits, we could not pass up a trip to Sensitive Sweets bakery seeing as they are RIGHT across the street from Dr. Bob’s office. It’s not every day (or EVER) that we have a completely allergen free bakery in the area, so it was super fun to take the boys in and they could have ANYTHING they wanted and know it was completely safe. They are a gluten free, dairy free, nut free, peanut free, soy free, egg free bakery with 2 locations in CA. For those of you who only dream of a place like this, check them out at www.sensitivesweets.com because they SHIP too! Awesome! So the boys could not decide so we did a little sampler of the blueberry muffins, cupcakes, donuts and pumpkin spice donut holes. 🙂

For those who have kids with food allergies, you know how happy it makes your heart to see them enjoy a rare treat that normally they cannot have. <3

San Clemente is such a charming little town. Since we are looking for a small cabinet to store our computer in while we travel, I had fun searching through antique stores. La Casa Verde is a cute little shop on Granada St that you definitely want to check out if you’re in the area! Some of our FAVORITE spots to eat are South of Nick’s (upscale Mexican) and Mimosa’s for breakfast/brunch. The Fisherman’s is another great spot if you want to grab fish and chips on the pier, but it’s super touristy and usually has a long wait, so we prefer the more local stuff off the beaten path.

There are few places as charming as wandering the streets of San Clemente. We literally could stay here forever, but we have to get rolling on our adventures, so time to say adios and start our drive up the coast! san clemente 4

play date owies – essential oil blend!

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Loooooove this oil, but have found myself using it so so much this week. So much so that I just keep it in my pocket at all times. Not only have I used it on my skin for it’s anti-aging and restorative properties, but after having reactions to my other natural deodorant options, I had to go back to just using doterra’s products. This makes a great natural deodorant by just rolling it on in the morning! Love it!!

As much as I use it though, I think my boys use it even more! My 4 year old has had sooo many bumps, scrapes and falls since being on the road. Every time this is my go-to blend. It immediately calms and settles down the area in addition to calming him down! It is a playground staple for sure and they come running to me constantly asking for their ‘owie oil’

Love that I have something 100% natural that my boys know helps them so much.

free essential oils in August!

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Want some free essential oils in August? A new month = new promos on essential oils and this is a GOOD one! Any 160 PV (appx $160 in oils) will get a FREE 15 ml lavender, lemon and peppermint oil this month with their order!!! This is amazing! We use these 3 oils non-stop and even combine them for daily season support (my husband swears by them)! Lavender is a must-have for sunny summer days to calm and soothe the skin, but can also relax your mind after a busy day and help with restful sleep! Lemon is a staple in our baking and cooking, but also works as a gentle cleanse and even removes sticky residue or paint safely and naturally! Peppermint is a natural pick-me-up for sluggish afternoons or mornings and is excellent to provide not only flavor, but a cooling sensation on hot summer days when spritzed on the skin. Peppermint is also a must-have for relief of temporary head tension or muscle soreness after a busy day!

In Tune is also 10% off this month and is a must-have homework/focus helper for back-to-school! Known as the ‘focus blend’ it’s one that we use every day in our family to help us keep on task and have good listening ears 🙂

For those who already have doTERRA accounts, order all of these before the 15th on your loyalty rewards program and any order over 125PV will also get a 5ml bottle of our Breathe Respiratory Blend! It’s fantastic to help open up airways and promote clear and healthy breathing!

If you don’t have oils for your family yet, message me ASAP and I can help you get your hands on these. They have been game changers for our family and are something that we use every day in our home to get and stay well naturally!

{DIY} laundry detergent

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About the time I had started using essential oils, I came across a killer deal on a super green cloth diaper friendly laundry detergent, so I bought a TON of it. I was so proud of myself for scoring that deal. Since then I have wanted to try making my own several times, but just had no need for it! I FINALLY (after almost 2 years) have run out of my stash, so this was my project! My first attempt I followed a traditional recipe that used borax and that was a big NO GO on my little ones sensitive skin. I made a massive batch, and had to give most of it away!
laundry_detergentMy REVISED detergent is now borax FREE and it seems to be working quite well so far. Here are the ingredients that I have switched to for our homemade laundry detergent

  • 2 cups washing soda
  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 1/2 cup of course sea salt or epsom salt
  • 1/2 cup of Biokleen oxygen bleach
  • 1 bar of castille soap finely grated (a cuisinart with a finer grater attachment works great to do this quickly)
  • 10 – 20 drops each of lavender and wild orange essential oils (I’ll change this up each time just for fun)

Dump it all into a container, mix it up, add in the essential oils, and there you go! Use about 1-2 Tbsp with each load, add in white vinegar with 2 drops of essential oil as the liquid fabric softener and run the load!

 

 

Simplified Parenting:: listen to the whale story

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We are on a mission to simplify, and most days are failing miserably. We get caught in the cycle of never ending to-do lists. One more message, one more call, one more errand, one more chore. Even days when I just set out do to the ‘basics’ and get us all ready, dressed, fed and put together long enough to actually go DO something, the day is 1/2 over by the time we get to that point. With three active boys 4 and under, I’m convinced there is no such thing as ‘the basics.’ Nothing can happen simply without an incident or massive event around it.

Today I put a little more effort than normal into making a ‘special’ family day since daddy was able to stay home on what otherwise would be a ‘work’ day. We had yummy GF homemade apple peach cake for breakfast, played with magnet blocks, went on scooter rides around the neighborhood and stopped at all their favorite playgrounds, let them watch their favorite show, jumped on the trampoline, etc etc….all the stuff toddler dreams are made of, right? After putting the baby to bed tonight and thinking the boys were fast asleep, my husband heard sniffling coming from under one of the covers. My 4 year old just wanted to see mommy before falling asleep, so I went in and snuggled with him for a few minutes.

While I was loving the snuggles, I desperately hoped that he would be content with a quick squeeze and tuck-in, and quietly drift off into an immediate deep sleep. My to-do list of the evening was still running through my head, and I was running out of steam quickly. He obviously was NO WHERE NEAR as tired as I was, and  immediately started in on one of his ‘stories.’ This particular one was about the robot whale that he will invent that is a thousand pounds heavy and as big as an entire ocean and lives in a cave that is larger than the ‘camping’ beach we go to. I then proceeded to get every. last. detail. that his little brain could muster up about his fantastic, amazing, brilliant robot whale and what it could do and where it would go, etc etc. My boy is NOT known for telling short stories and he has no lack of imagination. I was fighting sleep so hard my eyes were literally crossing and running with tears of exhaustion. I tried a few times to que him to wrap it up and end the story, but was met with ‘just one more thing, mom’ over and over and over until I just had to completely cut him off. “Ok now that part is done.” He said. and seemed to finally take a breath after what seemed like an eternity of whale robot adventures.

I tried to quickly change the subject as not to allow the ‘one more thing’ to jump back in. “So what was your FAVORITE thing you did today?”, I asked.

Without skipping a beat, he grinned and said “That, mommy. That was it.” “Telling you my story was my favorite thing I did ALL day.” He reached his little arms over and hugged me so tight, smooching my cheek and grabbing my hair just like he has since he was a baby. “I love you so much, mommy.” And then he was content to roll over, close his eyes and drift off to sleep.

None of the things I had filled their little day with had made his list. None of the things that I had thought so hard to try and DO for them. Just those last few moments where I (not so patiently) stopped long enough to listen. That was his favorite thing.

He taught me more right then than I learned in all my ‘busyness’ of the day. I need to remember this tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. Keep. it. simple. and just listen. Those are the moments that make their memories.

IQMega

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Omega 3 is so essential to healthy development in children, and this awesome stuff contains 1000mg (combo of EPA & DHA) Omega 3, flavored with wild orange oil. This is the perfect Omega3 supplement to add to the kids’ morning smoothies! My 3 year old even asks for it in a spoon if he can catch me before I add it in!

Maybe some of you have toddlers that are jumping up and down to eat a plate of fresh wild caught salmon for breakfast every day, but for the rest of us….this stuff is golden! The Wild Orange oil paired with these essential fatty acids is a perfect combo to cover that ‘fishy’ taste and odor that is so common with Omega 3 supplements.

IQ Mega

IQ Mega

If you aren’t already aware of the immense benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids in the diet, see here why these are so critical for your children, and check out some of their other benefits. The typical American Diet is high in Omega 6 essential fatty acids (found in things such as vegetable oils, seeds, soybean, sunflower, etc) but generally people tend to be heavy in Omega 6 and deficient in Omega 3…both of which are critical to healthy growth and function.

There have been impressive studies that show marked improvements in children’s attention, learning and behavior with no other changes than adding in Omega 3 to their diet. It is also amazing for healthy skin. Since strictly controlling his diet and adding in some key supplements, my 4 year old has healthy and soft skin for the first time in his life. I’m still learning so much that the skin is an outward sign of internal wellness, so rather than just masking the symptoms, how great to have things that can help soothe from the inside-out.

In addition, the IQ Mega
• Promotes healthy cardiovascular, nervous, and immune system function.*
• Supports healthy joint function and comfort.*
• Provides important modulating nutrients for healthy immune function.*
• Protects against lipid oxidation and supports healthy function of the brain and eyes.*

Always consult your pediatrician with any medical questions, but I hope this stuff can help your family as much as it has helped ours!

disclaimer

Road trip!!

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Ok, so I have a whole new level of appreciation for my oils thanks to the road trip we have embarked on today.

keychain
First of all….packing up toiletries/meds/first aid stuff was AWESOME! I grabbed my little 4ml spray bottles of our daily used oil blends, a few soft gels (just in case), and my little keychain of 8 oils I thought we might need. I put everything in a makeup bag, and it was still mostly empty! In the past it took 3 bags to bring along all the ‘stuff’ we thought we might need!

Simplifying is a beautiful thing!!

The biggest win has been having the oils on hand while on the road. They have saved the day FIVE times within the first 60 miles!!

  • Kids hungry and hadn’t washed hands….no problem! We have a powerful blend of oils like clove, cinnamon, melaleuca, rosemary, eucalyptus and orange to the rescue!
  • 2 year old started crying of a ‘really really bad tummy ache’ thanks to car motion…..a blend of awesome oils like peppermint, ginger, caraway, fennel, anise and coriander saves the day! I mean seriously. Handed the little vial to my toddler and he ‘sprinkled’ it on his tummy, rubbed it in, and within 2 minutes was back to laughing and not crying. The blend of oils I have that supports healthy digestive system is amazing. Didn’t even have to pull the car over!
  • baby starts screaming (this one usually sends me over)….instead pull out lavender oil and stick it under his nose! He gets distracted, relaxes and we’re all good!
  • pull off for a pit stop and above mentioned 2 year old wipes out while ‘racing’ down the sidewalk…all better (and disinfected) with owie spray!!
  • 4 year old removes shoes in front of the air vent….WHAT!?! How do 4 year old boys already have stinky shoes!?! Wishing I would have grabbed the disinfecting and odor-be-gone spray (it is now on my ‘to pack’ for any future trips), but instead whipped out a blend of spruce and woodsy oils and smelled fresh trees instead of stinky shoes

Not sure what I did before we had these, but we will certainly NOT be leaving home without them!

If you don’t have any of these oils yet, shoot me a message and I can give you more info about where to get them!
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Owie Spray

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Today I needed to whip up a batch of Owie spray for the kids. This is a must-have in any house with little ones, but especially this house full of boys!!

Owie_bottle
OWIE SPRAY:
7 drops melaleuca
7 drops lavender
7 drops frankincense
3 drops helichrysum
2 drops myrrh

Put into a 2 oz glass spray bottle and top off with fractionated coconut oil.

(This recipe is approximately a 2% dilution which is fairly standard and what I generally start with for use with our family. You can increase or decrease the increments of each oil if you desire a stronger blend or need more dilution)

BENEFITS

  • melaleuca: fantastic cleansing properties
  • lavender: soothing and calming to the skin
  • frankincense: supports healthy cellular repair function, reduces the appearance of blemishes and rejuvenates the skin
  • helichrysum: supports healthy tissue repair and reduces blemishes
  • myrrh: soothing to the skin; promotes a smooth, youthful-looking complexion

Just RELAX {and sleep deep}

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I have had several amazing moments since I started using essential oils, one being the time we discovered roman chamomile and vetiver! These oils have powerful properties that promote relaxation and calm the mind.

My first experience with these oils was using them to support calm and relaxation for someone experiencing intense emotions from a traumatic experience. Just 1 drop of Roman Chamomile onto the bottom of each foot (diluted in a bit of fractionated coconut oil), and they slept a solid 6 hours for the first time in a week. After discovering vetiver oil, they did the same application (1 drop on each foot over fractionated coconut oil) and you could literally see and feel their body relaxing. That night brought a full 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Nothing short of a miracle!

Vetiver is a key player to quiet anxious feelings, emotional distress, and mental chatter. It has also been used with great success on children struggling to improve focus and relax.

We put together this ‘Relax Blend’ and it has been amazing to help ‘settle’ both the kids and grown-ups alike and support deep and restful sleep.

Here’s my ‘Relax’ blend…
10 drops of vetiver
4 drops of ylang ylang
3 drops of roman chamomile
3 drops of frankincense
3 drops of lavender
2 drops of clary sage
1 drop of marjoram
Fill the rest of 10 ml roll-on with Fractionated coconut oil and rub on bottoms of feet!

The oils are a very safe, yet powerful way to help calm the body and mind!

Simplify: the 10 minute pickup

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This is another very simple habit, but one little thing that has made a HUGE difference in my sanity and stress. For me, messy house = higher anxiety and stress (though with 2 little boys you sort of learn to deal throughout the day). The last thing that I want to do after a long bedtime/bath routine is come back down and pick up all the stuff around the house, so here’s the solution:: 10 minute pick up time for EVERYONE just before going up to get ready for bed!

SIMPLIFY: the 10 minute pick-up habitNow maybe everyone already does this, but if you don’t you should start today!
Make it into an event:

  • set the timer
  • turn on some music
  • sing a song
  • whatever it takes!

I have a 2 and 3 year old and they are more than old enough to help out with this, and the more we do it the better they get. They know exactly where their toys, shoes, clothes are supposed to go and that is their job. Being 9 months preggo the less I have to bend over and pick things up the better! They work on their mess, I make sure the kitchen and random piles are clean, and in the morning we all wake up to a clean slate!! If we fail to do this at night, it takes me literally 3-4x as long to go and pick everything up. I get worn out and frustrated while they miss on a learning opportunity to be responsible for their own things.

Oh happy day! Waking up to a picked up house = relaxing start to a good day (for a few minutes anyway)! 🙂

{DIY} baby onesie makeovers

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This week I decided to do something to prepare for this next baby’s arrival since he could show up any time now! Having boy #3 doesn’t leave you with much to shop for, so instead I decided to give some old onesies new life using some fabric scraps I already had (cost = $0). These are really simple and such a fun way to customize some things for a little one! Also a great use of ‘old’ clothes given new life – recycling at it’s finest!

photo(1)These all had previous designs that were a little boring and outdated, so I simply picked some new ones that would cover what was already there. (and NO we haven’t finalized a name for this baby yet, but figured an “E” would be a safe bet) ; )

4 steps to a {DIY} Onesie makeover

  • Print out a template using any clip art silhouettes or font in the size that you want, cut the shape out and trace it onto fabric heat transfer paper (this is the one I use)
  • Iron the transfer paper onto your fabric scrap and cut the shape out
  • Position the shape (heat transfer side down obviously) on your onesie where you want it and iron it in place according to the product instructions.
  • Outline the design with a simple stitch for extra reinforcement and to prevent any peeling and fraying. (this may be optional, but I haven’t tried it without the stitching so not sure how it would hold up through washings?)

This also works GREAT for custom burp cloths, blankets, etc!

{DIY} natural bum paste!

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The {DIY} project today…home made diaper cream! This {DIY} has been a huge success and I can honestly say I will not be buying diaper cream from the store ever again! It works great, smells great and mostly importantly is SAFE to use on my little ones. You will be happy to know exactly what is in your cream, especially when your 2 year old decides to open it up and rub it all over himself (that may or may not have happened here yesterday) 🙂diaper rash cream

This stuff is so easy to make, and my 3 year old loved helping.
Recipe adapted from www.mymerrymessylife.com

What’s in it:

  • 1/2 c raw organic Shea butter
  • 1/4 c raw organic coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp organic beeswax pastilles
  • 2 Tbsp zinc oxide powder (can omit if using cloth diapers)
  • 1 Tbsp pure aloe vera gel
  • 10 drops lavender essential oil
  • 8 drops melaleuca essential oil
  • 4 drops peppermint essential oil

STEP 1:
heat the shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax in double boiler over med heat until liquified. Remove from heat and let cool slightly (just so the temp is lower).
STEP 2:
Pour into stand mixer and add zinc powder, aloe and whip on high until smooth and completely blended. Drop in essential oils (make sure the mix is no longer hot as heat can break down the therapeutic properties of the oils).
STEP 3:
Mix thoroughly and pour into containers. Glass containers are best as the essential oils can break down plastic over time. Makes appx 8 oz of cream so I divided into two 4 oz glass jars. It will be thin when you pour it, but will thicken up quickly as it cools, so don’t plan on moving it to different containers after cooling 🙂 I keep a small one in the diaper bag, and at each changing station throughout the house!

The oils are are moisturizing and calming and soothing to baby’s skin. The zinc provides an excellent wetness barrier. The combination of ingredients is perfect for the little bums, and you may want to rub it on your arms and hands while you’re at it 🙂 If you like the recipe, I’d suggest doubling it next time and stocking up!

Living “free” – our story with food allergies

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If you’d have asked me before I had kids if there were things that I didn’t think I would ever be able to deal with, having a child with food allergies would have been high on my list. My husband and I LOVE food. We love to travel and often recall our favorite places by the amazing food we found. Our favorite relaxing outing was a trip to whole foods to discover a new cheese and wine pairing. Our evenings at home evolve around cooking together and mastering new recipes. Neither of us have any food allergies and we would never have imagined having to change the way we eat and think about food.

About 4 months after our first son was born it became apparent that he was having issues with some of the foods I was eating. I tried going off of all dairy as I’d heard many babies are sensitive to cow’s milk protein. I stopped drinking milk and eating cheese, but quickly learned that milk is in a LOT of things….things you’d never even think of. Not only was I tired and sleep deprived from having a newborn (who was struggling with eating and health issues), but I quickly became overwhelmed with things I was not allowed to eat and soon found myself in tears in the middle of the deli on our next outing to Whole Foods. It wasn’t pretty – I literally had a break down right in front of all the Friday night shoppers.

It was too hard. I couldn’t do it. I could even think about what to eat, all I could think about is what I couldn’t have and was convinced that we’d soon die of starvation. All that to say we quickly learned that my son was not just allergic to milk, but to ALL of the top allergens (dairy, wheat, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, etc….) We ended up having to put him on an elemental formula to gain weight. A few months later he started eating solid foods and our lives were forever changed. We had to accommodate these allergies and we bought NOTHING without reading labels. It was horrific to discover some of the things that are in the food we were eating with no thought. I was forced to learn how to cook with the few ingredients that he COULD have in order for him to have balanced meals with things he could eat.

When my 2nd son was born the doctors advised that I avoid any dairy or peanut given the fact that our other son’s allergies are so severe. I was not super excited about this after the trauma of my first attempt, but this time around I felt much more confident. I knew there were things out there that I could eat, and if my son could go without ANY of the allergens, I could surely go without two of them with no complaining. We have since learned to make all of our family dinners free of all major allergens. We will occasionally eat a piece of bread and eggs (although my son has an anaphylactic allergy to them so we have to be super careful to not cross-contaminate), but these items are a rare addition, not an every day occurrence.

I have tried a LOT of products, recipes and experimented with things over the past 3 years.  I will try and document some of these recipes and tips in hopes to pass along the info, and safe someone else the time and energy! I hope to give someone else out there in this situation some hope that you CAN do it!! You can eat better than you EVER have and don’t have to live thinking that you are missing out. Good luck and please message me with any questions!