Tag Archives: family health

Is Your Family Ready for an Emergency? Help is Here! Meet City Girl Prepper

Leave a reply

I’m a little bit intimidated by emergency preparedness people. There. I said it.

Now hear me out … it’s not that I don’t want to be ready for a crisis, it’s that I’ve never had a good idea how to start getting ready. The supplies overwhelm me. How much water do we need to have on hand? How much food? How many batteries—and do I really need duct tape? I have it but it’s plaid and green and my kids use it for crafts-n-stuff.

The events of the past several months have caused me and my husband to shift our focus to what kinds of things we would need to have on hand if there was a disruption in everyday life. I know many of you are feeling the same way. There is a lot going on in our world. But what if you could find a way to have a little bit of peace-of-mind and know that if something does happen, you have resources to tackle the disruption or disaster at hand?

My blood pressure dropped just thinking about how much calmer your kids would be if they knew that mom had it handled. Can you relate? If so—I have good news for you. I met a mom in California recently who has started a business that helps moms like me make sure their family is ready for any kind of emergency situation. Jennifer Stewart-Tai has put together backpacks with literally everything you would need in case of an emergency.

Emergency PreparednessMade for MomsBy a Mom

Why should we be concerned? Because we need to be able to take care of our families in the event of an emergency. It can take a while to get help if first responders are overwhelmed. For example, did you know that there are only 15 first responders for every 25,000 citizens?

With just 80% of American families prepared, resources will quickly be tapped out if there is a natural disaster or disruption in services and goods.  So it’s up to you to have supplies for you and your family.

“As a busy mom it’s difficult to find the time to research and assemble a backpack and the supplies you need in case of an emergency,” says City Girl Prepper founder Jennifer Stewart-Tai. “That’s why I started City Girl Prepper. CGP focuses on making emergency backpacks for families, with a special emphasis on women.

All the backpacks are already assembled and take the guesswork out of the equation.”

If you already have a backpack, consider this: City Girl Prepper backpacks are different because they were designed by a mom for moms. In addition to the basics, like a 3-days’ supply of food and water, it’s filled with all the extras you really want to have in case of an emergency; women’s fit work gloves, quality feminine products, fun band-aids, and of course—chocolate.
You’ll gain comfort knowing that you are doing what you do best—taking care of your family.

And *newsflash!* We all know that a calm mom= calm kids.

But—here’s what makes City Girl Prepper even more exciting…you can get prepared and help other families do the same thing!

busymomprep

Save 10% on your City Girl Prepper purchase!
Use code busymomprep

Become a Preparedness Coach today!
Use code busymomcoach

Have you ever attended a party for jewelry or candles? What about a Readiness party? Isn’t it time for a party with a purpose? City Girl Prepper is actually a direct selling company who is recruiting founding consultants. So you can get your family ready and help others too. City Girl Prepper is on a mission to inspire and create self-reliant women who are ready for anything that comes their way. It’s a big mission, and they need as many people as possible to join in and make a difference in their community. “The more prepared our community is, the stronger we all are!” says Stewart-Tai.

partywithpurpose1

Favorite Uses for Essential Oils

2 Replies

Favorite Uses for Essential Oils

 

Have you heard about essential oils but aren’t sure how to use them–or even why you might want to use them? I started using them a few years ago with my family and in my home, and I would love to tell you a few of my favorite ways to use them and to encourage you to give them a try!

To freshen the air and bed sheets:

I have a little dog who sleeps in the bedroom with my husband and me. We keep her bathed and trimmed, but let’s face it, she still causes our bedroom to smell not-so-fresh sometimes. To help keep the room smelling fresh and to kill germs, I use essential oils in a diffuser each morning. As soon as my husband and I are up and out of bed, I add water along with a couple of drops each of 2 or 3 essential oils, and I let the diffuser run for at least 30 minutes while the bed is still unmade. Once the diffuser has had time to freshen the air and my sheets, I make the bed.

  • A few of my favorite essential oils for this purpose:
    • lavender
    • peppermint
    • lemongrass
  • You may also choose to use:
    • rosemary
    • eucalyptus
    • tea tree (melaleuca)
    • cinnamon bark

To help my children and me settle down and get ready for sleep:

Some evenings, especially after a really busy day, my children and I have trouble settling down and getting ready to go to sleep. It seems that we get stuck in “high gear” and can’t slow down! I’ve found that using essential oils in a diffuser in the living room or in each bedroom helps us a lot. About 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime, I put fresh water and a few drops of 2 or 3 essential oils into the diffuser in the living room or the diffusers in the bedrooms. Then we read or do something else quiet while the essential oils help us start to quiet down and relax.

My teenage daughter in particular benefits from having a few drops of essential oil massaged into the bottoms of her feet about 30 minutes before bedtime. Lavender and cedarwood work very well for her. Both of these oils can be used neat (which just means they can be applied directly to the skin without being diluted), so I massage a drop of cedarwood onto the bottom of each foot followed by massaging a drop of lavender onto the bottom of each foot. Cedarwood doesn’t smell very good, so we always use that one first. Using lavender second helps get rid of the cedarwood smell. But cedarwood truly helps so much that it’s worth the not-so-wonderful smell!

  • A few of my favorite essential oils for this purpose:
    • lavender
    • cedarwood
  • You may also choose to use:
    • orange
    • ylang ylang
    • chamomile

To freshen my laundry:

Not long after I began using essential oils, I read about using them to help freshen laundry. I don’t like to use fabric softeners in my washing machine or dryer because of the chemicals they contain, but I do like for my laundry to smell fresh and clean. I also want to be sure it really is as clean and germ-free as I can get it. For these reasons, I began using eucalyptus essential oil along with my detergent to help get rid of dust mites on sheets and towels. It can also help kill germs. (Then I put vinegar into the cup meant for fabric softener. The vinegar helps get rid of all traces of detergent and washes away the eucalyptus smell so that my clothes smell fresh but don’t have a medicinal smell.)

I usually put a drop or two of eucalyptus into the laundry detergent cup right after I put in the detergent. (You can do this with liquid or powder and with store-bought or homemade detergent.) I also often put a couple of drops of orange or lemon essential oils onto a wash cloth and toss it into the dryer with my clothes when I want them to smell extra good!

One final way I use essential oils with my laundry is when I make a spray that I spritz onto my clothes as they hang on the clothesline during the summer. I love this linen spray! I know commercials often show clothes hanging on the clothesline and mention how fresh and clean they smell, but the truth is that clothing from the clothesline really doesn’t have a very pleasant smell, so I use this linen spray to make them smell good! When my kids were younger, they loved to spray the clothes on the line! It made them happy to help hang out and bring in the laundry–and that’s always a good thing!

To make my linen spray, I mix 10 to 20 drops of lavender (or other essential oil) into 2 tablespoons of witch hazel or vodka. (Essential oils won’t mix well with water, so the witch hazel or vodka is necessary.) Then add 3 ounces of water. Mix well. (I like to shake mine up in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.) Then pour into your spray bottle. This recipe makes about 4 ounces of linen spray. I usually make about 12 ounces at a time in a larger spray bottle so I don’t have to make it as often. Each time I use it, I simply shake the spray bottle to make sure everything is mixed well.

  • A few of my favorite essential oils for this purpose:
    • lavender.
    • eucalyptus
  • You may also choose to use:
    • orange
    • lemon
    • peppermint

To help my students stay attentive:

Another way I like to use essential oils is to help my children pay attention while they do their school work. I simply put a few drops of peppermint essential oil in my diffuser and let it run in whatever room my children are doing their school work. If I forget, my children will ask for me to turn on the diffuser because they feel like it helps them so much!

  • A few of my favorite essential oils for this purpose:
    • peppermint
  • You may also choose to use:
    • vetiver
    • lavender
    • frankincense

These are a few of my favorite every day ways to use essential oils. If you’d like to find out more about using essential oils, getting a good guide book is a very helpful way to learn more. The following are a few of the guide books I use:

ONE OF HEIDI’S FAVORITE BRANDS IS SPARK NATURALS, AND YOU CAN USE THE COUPON CODE THEBUSYMOM FOR 10% OFF ALL THE TIME!

Do you use essential oils? If so, please share your favorite use in the comments! We’d love to hear from you!

Essential Oils: Where Do I Start?

Leave a reply

Almost 2 years ago, I was home with a 5 year old, a 2.5 year old, and a 2 week old.  As luck would have it with a December baby, my 2.5 year old was coming down with a nasty cold, and I was looking for anything that could help keep my 2 week old son from catching her bug.  My sister was here to visit and well, let’s be honest, keep us all alive!  I had heard of essential oils, but didn’t know anything about them.  A few hours later, I was the proud owner of peppermint oil, a First Response oil, and some frankincense.  So started my journey into learning how essential oils can be a helpful tool for my family’s health.  I’m not against medications, but any time I can find a natural alternative for myself and my kids I’m so much happier to use that!

intro_essential_oils

Essential oils have been so useful for us!  I’ll be honest, it’s a really overwhelming world to get into. Even after 2 years there is still so much I don’t know.  But, I have learned a few things, and I’d love to share them with you.  I have no certifications in this area, I’m no expert for sure, just a mama trying to help her family in as natural a way as is possible.  Here are my 5 favorite oils and how they have helped us in case any of you are beginning to look into them and are as confused as I was.

  1. Lavender – What can I NOT do with lavender?  Love this one.  So gentle and versatile, it is a great one for using with kiddos* around.  A swipe of lavender can change the mood around here for my fussy toddler, emotional preschooler, or hyper 6 year old.  The first few months I felt so silly trying it and thinking it couldn’t possibly be working – but I can’t deny the mood change that occurs almost every time I use it!  We use lavender on bee stings, bug bites, and burns for quick relief for little ones, and add it to lotion for dry itchy skin.
  2. Frankincense – Am I the only mama who too frequently finds herself with a spinning brain full of thoughts and plans, but can’t quite process what to do next?  Well, maybe I am, but somehow I think not.  Using frankincense in a diffusing necklace, a room diffuser, or just a few deep breaths over the empty bottle really helps to clear my thoughts and balance my brain on these kinds of days.  It has also been really helpful for my headaches, used together with peppermint and lavender.  (Frankincense is one of the more expensive oils, but remember, you only use a drop or two at one time so it really stretches out.)
  3. Tea Tree (Melaleuca)- This is another incredibly versatile oil, and is used in our house on a daily basis.  A drop in my face lotion helps keep my skin clear.  3-5 drops in my laundry loads, especially those loads that have been washed multiple days in a row because the next step keeps getting missed.  Oh wait, does that happen in your house too?
  4. Peppermint – This oil is one to be cautious in using on little ones, but has been very helpful for me.  I used it for morning sickness to help survive my first trimester, use it on the back of my neck with lavender and frankincense for headaches, and it helps clear out stuffy sinuses quickly.  I’ve used it in lotion on for my back muscles that aren’t thrilled about the second trimester baby growth spurts.
  5. Lemon – I love lemon oil.  Honestly, I just love the smell!  I love mixing it with frankincense to freshen up the smell, as I don’t love the smell of frankincense.  It’s great for adding to laundry to freshen it up.  You know that lovely sticker goo you find folding a load of laundry that’s already gone through the washer and dryer?  A few drops of lemon oil and it will wipe right off. Amazing right?  I thought so.  Gum stuck in the little girl’s hair because her brother told her he would make it pretty?  Yup, takes that out too.  Mixed with peppermint, it makes a great morning blend to help wake up after a sleepless night.

One of Heidi’s favorite brands is Spark Naturals, and you can use the coupon code THEBUSYMOM for 10% off all the time!

While it can certainly be an overwhelming world to get into, I have so enjoyed finding all the different ways that these oils can help our family.  What a gift that God has created plants with properties that can help our bodies function more healthily and naturally!  What is your favorite use for essential oils in your home?

*Note: Not all essential oils are advised around children and babies!  Please research your oils, dilute and use kid safe oils around your little ones!

How Do We Honor God With Our Bodies?

3 Replies

As I sit down to write this post, I am on day 23 of a 31-day juice fast.

To give you a little background about that — about 6 years ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, called Lupus. The medications prescribed to me cause side effects I would rather not live with — immunosuppression that led to things like bronchitis (twice!), strep throat, and shingles, all in the span of about 6 weeks. So I began looking at more natural means to manage my disease and fell upon the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. And in watching it, I learned of the role that diet plays in autoimmune diseases.

It makes sense, of course. Garbage in, garbage out. My diet has not been what it should for much of my life. In addition to Lupus, I have about 80 extra pounds to show for that.

This isn’t the first time I’ve done a long-term fast, so I am aware of the pitfalls, and yet, day 25 of this juice fast finds me a bit weary. I am tempted to quit — to cheat — to go back on my word. Who am I without the sanctity of my word? (And did I mention that I’ve discussed this fast online — both on my blog and in social media. It’s out there y’all — for all to see.)

I spoke these words out loud to my 14-year-old son this week,

 “Maybe I should just eat one meal a day and fast for the other two, or fast on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and eat the other days. I only have a week left. It won’t hurt anything. I have been fasting for 25 days!”

His response:

“Mom, you’re sure trying to find a loophole, aren’t you?”

Why yes son, I am, thankyouverymuch.

There’s not much more humbling than being called out by your child.

I knew what I needed to do to get back on track with my mind and heart in this matter — I needed to reflect on God’s Word.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corthians 6:19-20)

I love this verse from 1 Corinthians.  It is humbling to realize how true it is. God did not purchase us with gold coins — He did so with the blood of Jesus. We often think of Jesus’s death on the cross as for our eternal salvation alone, for our souls, but He died for all of us — even our physical bodies.

Honoring God with Our Bodies

I find it interesting that the Bible uses the word, temple, to define us. For me, this denotes a holy, worshipful place. Sacred. To be revered.

Our bodies do not belong to us; they belong to Him — to be used for his purpose and His glory. Not taking care of our physical bodies inhibits our service to him, and it must dishonor Him.

Ouch.

It blesses Him when we are honoring our bodies.

And in return, He blesses us.

Juicing is just one way I can take care of my body. There are others:

Sleeping more
Exercising.
Being careful of what I allow to infiltrate my heart and mind
Ensuring that the words coming from my mouth speak Truth, with love

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4: 31-32)

It’s not all about the food we eat. It’s about what we feed our hearts and minds, too.

So I will continue on this journey to reclaim my health — and juicing with be a part of that — no loopholes here. But I can feel my focus shifting.

count it all joy,

signature_marcy

 

 

 

Sore Throat? Try Essential Oil Tea!

18 Replies

YL_thieves_tea

I’m gonna admit to being *very* skeptical when it comes to things like this.  As a mother of seven, I’ve tried it all. Antibiotics, OTC remedies, etc. Here’s the thing: Essential oils work.

This is the tea I use whenever I feel the slightest twinge of a sore throat or “pressure” in my throat. It works.

A few months ago, I tried this little remedy when I was scheduled to speak for a large audience. My throat hurt. I was sure I was coming down with something. Hesitantly, I drank a “tea” that my friend made me using essential oils.  Within four hours, I felt 100% better.

Give it a try.  For more information, please visit my go-to for essential oils: Young Living.

*disclaimer*
I DO NOT subscribe to the idea that inner healing comes from essential oils. As a woman of faith, I believe (and have experienced) ultimate spiritual healing. It’s never going to be found in a bottle, no matter how cleverly named. True inner healing comes from our Creator. It only comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ. God is the Master Healer.

Also, I’m not a doctor. Don’t tell this to my kids. (Raising a bunch of kids sometimes puts me in that role!)

Essential oils work in the same way modern-day medicines work—without the “modern day.”  You can read about them in the Bible!  In fact YL sells a set of them called 12 Oils of Ancient Scripture. After using them successfully for over two years, I decided to share what I’ve learned. I’d love it if you would purchase your oils through my link. I get a small percentage of what you purchase. I think I’ll get a latte with it… and you’ll feel a whole lot better.

I also love diffusing essential oils.  Here is the #1 selling Essential oil diffuser on Amazon—but you can also purchase them directly from Young Living. Just search products for “diffusers.”

Essential oils work! Give them a try!
signature-heidi

 

Summer Beauty and Fashion Must Haves

Leave a reply

Summer Beauty and Fashion Must Haves I The Busy Mom

It feels like just yesterday I was staring at piles of snow from our living room window. And now, we’re full speed ahead into the hot summer months! I love this time of year! I love getting outside more with my kids, playing in the pool, and curling up on the couch after a long day of fun in the sun.  I thought I’d share my favorite summer must-haves in case anyone needs any inspiration!

Beauty and Body

Hair

My summer hair routine consists of keeping it hydrated, and stressing it as little as possible. I have naturally curly hair, but I usually blow dry my hair. During the summer, it feels pointless to do as often because I’m always in the pool and it’s so hot outside I want to prevent excessive damage.

Shampoo and Conditioner

Look for a Shampoo and Conditioner that will restore moisture to your hair. More than likely, you’ll be getting it wet in the pool or at the beach often. Both of these strip your hair of its natural oils. I go straight for products designed for dry and damaged hair. They’ve always kept my hair in its best condition throughout the summer. My favorite line to find shampoo and conditioners are Dove and Pantene.

For a deep hair conditioner I recommend 10 en 1 (ideal for thicker hair or if you have a lot of hair). I grew up on an island, so I’ve used this my whole life and still do during the summer months since I’ve lived in the states. Some others that are wonderful are Neutrogena Triple Moisture and Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask.

Leave in conditioner

I like mix some of my favorite conditioner with water inside of a spray bottle. You can find spray bottles at the dollar store, or even at Target for less than a dollar (the Target ones are super cute!). Whenever I know I’m going to be outside in the sun a lot, I spray some of this on my hair. During the summer months, this works better for me than any leave in conditioner in a bottle ever has.

Body

Daily Lotion

You want to find something that deeply hydrates and restores the skin. I like to use anything from the Lubriderm line, but the one on my shelf right now is Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Lotion.

I also use a body butter at night. I keep it on my night-stand so I can apply it to my legs, feet, hands, and forearms before going to bed.

Sunblock

This is a total personal preference. You may want to make your own natural sunscreen or you may not have any issues purchasing one at the store. Personally, I just pick one up at the store. The important part is to know what you need your sunblock to do. You might want to check out this article which explains the differences between UVA and UVB rays. This should help you pick the best sunblock that works for you and your family.

For the face, I like to use Neutrogena Sport Face Oil-Free (I somehow still tend to break out in my 30’s…seriously though, wasn’t this supposed to stop by now?). It’s the only face sunscreen I’ve used that doesn’t cause my face to break out. I use this year round.

Sunburn

It happens. You put sunblock on every few hours while you’re out in the sun, and yet you still get home sunburned. When this happens, I like to use Aloe Vera Gel. Growing up and for most of my adult life we had a plant growing in our yard so we just used it straight from the plant. But we no longer live on an island so we have to find ours at a health-food store. I highly suggest you get Organic Aloe Vera Gel vs the ones you find on the shelf in all the stores. If you see that it contains alcohol, put it back on the shelf and run. Just imagine putting alcohol on sun-burnt skin… Ouch.

Fashion

I’m a bit of a minimalist when it comes to summer staples, I find we rotate the same thing often because we’re doing a lot of the same. Here are my favorite summer must-haves fashion items

Maxi Dress – easy to put on and you can dress it up with a belt and some cute jewelry.

Skirt – I usually have two summer skirts. A white one and a dark colored one. This way I have something to go with most of my tops.

Flip Flops – self-explanatory, eh? Target brings some really cute ones in a variety of colors.

Sandals – after I’ve been out in the sun or at the pool all day, I really don’t feel like putting shoes on. I always keep two pairs of sandals (if not more…ahem). Much like with the skirts, I like to have a white pair and a dark pare (usually black). Target is my favorite place to go for these too.

Can you tell I’m a Target girl? 🙂

When summer is full force, what are some of your beauty and fashion must haves? Let me know in the comments below!

signature_marlene

Heidi St John Guide to Daylight

Homemade Citrus Dusting Spray

Leave a reply

Homemade Citrus Dusting Spray @thebusymom.com

Over the weekend I realized I was out of my favorite lemony smelling dusting spray. I really, really hate running to the store for one thing like that…and I really wanted to get my living room clean right.that.moment. {Do you have manic cleaning sessions, too? Where all of a sudden your house looks disgusting and you.must.clean.it?}

So, where else to turn but Pinterest to find a recipe for your own dusting spray!? Voila! Of course, being the tweaker that I am, I had to tweak the recipe just a bit to get it how I liked it. But, so far, so good on the citrusy smelling, clean living room! I love making my own cleaners and hygiene products, you might remember I shared a citrus all purpose cleaner here at The Busy Mom, but I have a few other recipes on my blog, too!

Homemade Citrus Dusting Spray

You need:

  • empty spray bottle
  • 2 cups water
  • 3/4 cup white vinegar
  • 3-4 T olive oil
  • 10 drops lemon essential oil
  • 10 drops orange essential oil {I love the combo of lemon AND orange but you could use any combination of oils or scents that you love!}

I usually use warm water when mixing things like this, but not hot, for the benefit of the oils. Also, I shook mine a few times to get the oil mixed a little better. Just shake as you use.

So, the only negative to this homemade spray is that now I have no excuse not to dust. 🙂 Good thing I have several children that are old enough for this chore now!

Happy dusting, busy moms!

signature_candace