Oil Life, Happy Wife

I need to be real for a minute. It's not that I don't want to be around you. It's not that I don't like your kids. It's not that I don't love watching your kids grow up from afar. It's not that I'm not happy for you. It's just too hard. It's too hard to see your children developing at a normal rate. There's no speech and language delay. There is no vocal stimming. There are no show stopping meltdowns. You just have kids who have a typical path to follow. I'm exhausted and envious. Every day we are fighting a war that no one sees but us. We are battling time, and I honestly don't know what the outcome will be. I'm a planner, an organizer, and a fighter. Yet I am lost in this life that has been given to me. I cannot see our future and that terrifies me. It breaks my heart to see your kid who is younger than mine passing milestones we haven't hit yet. We are not giving up. We are working hard every day. We are doing ALL...

There is no shortage of blogs and posts about how much work marriage takes. Insert hard eyeroll here. Marriage is not a job. Are there difficult seasons of life to get through? Sure. Do you have to spend the rest of your life looking for all the stuff your husband lost? Of course you do. If it feels like work, you're doing it wrong. Marriage is about a partnership. It requires truly unconditional love, respect, honor, and a sense of humor. The energy between the two of you will ebb and flow. It is a constant give and take, but if you're doing it right, it stays balanced. Too often couples forget that they are supposed to be a team. Small things creep in between and become a source of anger or resentment. That is toxic to a relationship. It is never me against my husband, it is always us against the world. We live our lives together. We make plans and decisions together, and we ask each other for opinions and advice. We are more involved with each other than we are wit...

Recently I took Frog to an early learning assessment to determine if he would benefit from early learning intervention. He passed in all areas except for communication. Even though he is doing much better with speech and language he still has a long way to go to catch up. The office will call at some point to set up further assessments in that area. While we were there, hearing and vision tests were performed. The vision test was uneventful. The woman gave him a paper with the outline of four shapes on it. Then she held cards out in front of him with tiny versions of the outlines on them. He pointed to the corresponding shape on the paper. It went great, although it did make me realize how badly I need glasses. The hearing test was an experience in itself. She gave him a paper with different pictures on it and had him identify each one. Then she put the terrible headphones on him. They were metal, heavy, and the ear parts had the ability to turn inside out so they didn't s...

Let's chat about cookware. I just watched The Devil We Know, a documentary that a friend recommended to me. I highly suggest you watch it too. It's currently available on Netflix. The film is about the dangers of Teflon and how the company knowingly put the health of everyone on Earth at risk. It's very much the same situation as Monsanto and GMO seeds. They can't be taken back, and the damage cannot be undone. It was shocking and appalling to watch, and I was left feeling very lost as to what I should use to cook for my family safely. Did y'all know Young Living sells cookware?? All the cookware is made from titanium, cast aluminum, and glass. The pans have no screws or rivets on the handles to cause you problems later. All the pans are oven safe. The glass lids and steamer are heat-resistant and shatter resistant. Before I even read the details, I knew they would be safe to use. Young Living has continued to add to the health and wellness of my family...

Approaching the date of Frog's three year checkup Jason and I decided to tighten up on Leland's gluten free diet. That meant no cheating whatsoever. That may sound easy to some, but you can't really explain to a small child why he can't eat the same foods as his brother. Likewise it's not fair to an older child to have him eat his favorite foods far away from his little brother. We decided though, that it was the right choice despite the challenges. About a week after we started being insanely strict we started to see improvements. Frog began sleeping better and having less stomach problems. His sleep study was scheduled for two days later. It took a while to settle him down, but he actually took the ordeal like a champ. He endured the half hour of hooking him up without much protest. We were instructed that his cannula had to stay in, so I fought with it several times in the night. Aside from some occasional fussing he slept pretty well, just as he had done t...

Why YL Oils Work Better Scented fragrances are everywhere. Most people use them in candles or plug-ins without even considering they might be contributing to headaches, hormone imbalances, and/or depression. The popularity of synthetic fragrances effected the essential oil world. Most essential oils companies have a sweeter smelling aroma to their oils in order to compete with the fragrance industry. YL processes the plant through their distillation stills. That's it. The result is an unadulterated, pure, botanical essential oil. The oil smells the same as the plant. Other companies take that raw oil and distill it additional times to remove the heavier, earthier smelling molecules. You end up with an oil that has therapeutic qualities, but it does not have action as deep or long-lasting as the original, true, un-fractionated oil. Think of the difference between raw coconut oil, which is solid at room temperature, and fractionated coconut oil, which is liquid at room temp...

🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿 Young Living is not just an amazing essential oil company that promotes our health and wellness. It's also how I help support our family. Every time I sign someone up with a starter kit I receive a thank you check from Young Living. We have an assortment of starter kits, but my favorite is the premium starter kit. It contains an awesome diffuser, 12 of our most cherished essential oils, sample bottles we can use to share with others, and samples of additional products to try. When you purchase a starter kit you become a Young Living member. That means you will get all of your products at their wholesale pricing. It also means that if you want to sign someone up with a starter kit, you will receive a thank you check. If you just want to use the items yourself and not share the lifestyle with others, that's ok too. You are never obligated to buy anything else, ever. In addition to all the great things that come in the starter kit, yo...