Our Daily Family Essential Oil Routines.

Essential Oils have become a big part of our family life over here. Almost two years ago I started using them here and there, and progressively discovered different ways I could incorporate them more and more. What began with purchasing a simple starter kit (to have on-hand for my labor and delivery with Daxton!) has grown into a full-blown lifestyle for our family and I am so grateful! I love having so many safe alternatives for allergies, viruses, anxiety, rest management, energy support, immune defense and more!

I've shared about oils here and there but I wanted to give you a specific outline of how and why my family uses essential oils throughout the day to support our health and wellness.

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Morning:

1. Diffuse in the AM!
I diffuse something every morning once I get my kiddos downstairs and begin our breakfast routine. I like to diffuse something bright and cheerful, like an energizing blend of citrus oils (Elevation and Citrus Bliss are some of my favorites!) Because of pollen season, I've been diffusing a equal blend of Peppermint, Lavender and Lemon (this trio is available here!) a lot lately. I have also been loving DoTERRA's Yoga Collection, which is composed of 3 killer good oils called Arise, Align & Anchor and these three are all so grand and make me feel super happy for the day.

2. Drink Up!
I also take this opportunity to add 1-2 drops of a citrus oil to my first glass of water in the morning. Why? Drinking water with citrus helps detoxify the body, ridding it of chemicals and helping to balance the pH levels. Lately I've been on a kick with Grapefruit oil, but I also love Lemon & Tangerine oils. They're all good!

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Afternoon:

3. Work Groove!
Once 2pm rolls around and my kids are down for their naps, I get busy! Haha, not that I wasn't busy with them before hand... ;) Believe me, there are days where I need to take a nap, because motherhood is exhausting  - and when I feel that I need it I take the time to rest! But most of the time, I use this block of time in the afternoon to get work done (like this blog post!), and I usually need a pick-me-up. At this point in the day, I usually brew up a mug of hot tea (lately I've been adding this Beauty Dust into it) and I roll on my go-to "get stuff done!" oil - Motivate! I love rolling this on my pulse points (wherever you would apply perfume), but I also have a diffuser necklace that has this oil in it, as well. That way I can smell it whenever I want! This oil just gives me the amplification I need to get my work groove on before I have to switch gears again into Mom-so-hard ;)

4. Laundry Flip!
Usually right before my boys wake up from their nap, I try to flip a load of laundry. That's gotta get done at some point, right?!I learned a few years ago about how toxic dryer sheets are (I'm talking about the potential cause of migraines, asthma, allergies, rashes - the list goes on and on!) because of the chemicals in them. It's not a myth, simply google "are dryer sheets toxic" to find a slew of research on the subject. Gross! I prefer not to serve my children a chemical cocktail every time I bring their folded laundry into their bedrooms. So I use wool dryer balls instead (found on Amazon!), which are less expensive and a completely toxic-free way to fluff laundry. I like to add a few drops of my Lemon essential oil to my dryer balls so that my laundry has a fresh, clean scent.

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Nighttime:

5. Boys' Bedtime!
I like to use my essential oils to help my kids wind down at night and help get to sleep and stay asleep (can I get an amen, mamas?) I do this first by adding a drop of Lavender essential oil into their nighttime bath. This helps them calm down and get into a restful mode - more cuddly and sleepy and less, you know, about wrestling.

Next I make sure to diffuse Serenity in their bedrooms, which is a beautiful blend that has so many delicious sleepy-restful oils in it! I have little diffusers in all our bedrooms so we can all get the benefit of nighttime diffusion. I got several of these on Amazon and they have held up pretty darn well (plus, this diffuser has a color-changing nightlight, so it's a big hit with the boys!) I have noticed a marked difference when I diffuse this in my boys' rooms - they fall asleep easily and don't wake up. If you're a mom, I'm sure you've experienced your toddler coming out of their bedroom 10+ times a night "needing" water, "needing" to go to the potty, "needing" to snuggle (when they actually just want to see what you're watching on Netflix - or is this only my child??) When I remember to diffuse Serenity, this doesn't happen!

During story time we also roll something on their feet - usually a diluted rollerball of OnGuard or Serenity. OnGuard is an amazing immune-defense blend, so if it's flu season or if they simply have a runny nose, I like to roll this on the bottoms of their feet to prevent any sickness. Why the bottoms of the feet? The pores on the bottom of the feet are larger and allow for easy absorption of the oil into the system. Plus, when I put socks on their feet afterwards, I don't have to worry about them getting oil all over their hands (or bed!) I've made up some custom blends for my boys to address teething, flu and fevers - I shared about that here ;)
 

Beware of ticklish toes! Everett howls with laughter so I usually try to distract Dax with a book while I put on his teething oil :) BTW these pics are blurry because this is real life - lighting in the evenings is not ideal! But I wanted to let you guys have a real-life picture of how this oil routine goes ;)

6. Lights Out!
After the boys are in bed and Stevie and I have had dinner and relaxed a bit, it's time for lights out! I love to get something going in the diffuser while I'm getting ready for bed, so that when I actually settle in, the oil has had a few minutes to diffuse and fill the room with a comforting scent. My absolute favorites are Serenity, Forgive and Breathe. These oils smell SO good and are super relaxing. If I am super sleepy and really need to get some serious rest, I will pop a few of the Serenity supplements, which are a natural rest complex and let me just say - THEY WORK. You wake up feeling super rested and satisfied with your sleep!

P.S. - I've been re-reading Pride & Prejudice as my pre-bedtime book and I miiiiiiiight have made a specific rollerball blend inspired by the book. It may or may not be called "Most Ardently" and it may or may not be so freaking good, you guys. Not to brag or anything but I like to think of it as the essence of Elizabeth Bennett. Okay, bookworm moment over.

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Giveaway!

Let's have a giveaway, shall we? Gosh I love giving away presents to you people.

Since I love you guys and such, I wanted to give you a chance to try out my laundry routine by gifting you a set of 6 wool dryer balls and a 15 ml bottle of DoTERRA Lemon essential oil! Hop on over to my Instagram to enter :)

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Do you have any questions about this daily routine with essential oils? Let me know in the comments how you use your oils or if you are willing to try something you read about here!

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Ready for More?

Don't have any essential oils in your life and you're ready to give them a try? I can hook you up for 25% off the retail price! Send me an email at oykristen(at)gmail(dot)com OR click "Hook me up!" and follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Click the link below.
2. Select "Join & Save" for 25% off anytime with your wholesale membership.
3. Select Your Kit! I recommend the "Home Essentials" or "Family Essentials", because those have a lot of the oils I mentioned in this post ;)

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Easter Weekend!!!

I have such intensely vivid memories of hunting Easter eggs. I close my eyes and I am instantly present again, traipsing through the Winters' back yard with my 700 million cousins, and we are all taking this egg hunt as seriously as 8 years old can. IT'S WAR.

Climbing under generations-old azalea bushes, fingers combing the cool grass, tennis shoes fanning out the pine straw, the adrenaline orchestrating the beat of my heart.

Must. Get. Eggs.

Must. Eat. Treasure.

Must. Trade. Candy.

My favorites were always the Starburst and Twix, and then as I got older, into high school, the Starburst Jellybeans. My mom always got me the Starburst Jellybeans, she was still making me up a little Easter basket until a few years ago and she decided to let me grow up.

I kind of hate that she stopped.

I bought the Easter candy too early this year (two weeks too early, who was I fooling?), and I was a bad girl sneaking it every night after the kids went to bed. Those Starburst Jellybeans. Never made it into any Easter eggs this year.

This weekend my kids got to celebrate with their cousins, traipsing through the freshly-laid mulch and pine straw in search of their eggs. I admit, I filled many of them with fruit snacks and yogurt raisins, because I really try to limit candy - because I eat it! - and also because I don't want my kids to get hooked on it like I was as a kid. But lets be honest, Everett had his fair share on Easter and I let him. YOLO.

I love this holiday and I love Jesus and I love my family and I love Starburst Jellybeans and I love my yard and I love my strange-colored green house and all it's 80's quirks that I refer to as "charm" even though let's be honest, they're quirks and it's kind to even call them that. I love that our family gathered at our little green house and celebrated this wonderful sweet day together and I don't take any of it for granted because I know that KIDS REMEMBER EASTER. And I am so so glad. Best holiday ever.

I hope your weekend was dreamy and filled with so much love! He is risen! xx

P.S. - Wearing a few clothes that I purchased for a summer wardrobe capsule. My shirt here, my shorts here and my shoes here. The boys are wearing this and this and Stevie is wearing this.

On Blogging.

REAL TALK.
I’ve been blogging for 5 years now.

I started when Stevie and I relocated from Atlanta to Boston for a big adventure (he was going back to school), and I wanted to blog and share the stories about our experience in New England (which I did - lots HERE). I was also exiting college at the time and needed a fresh way to continue writing, something I’ve always always loved.

From Boston to NYC we went, for new jobs (remember when I was working as an actor? I’m still stressed from all that auditioning.) Then from NYC back to Atlanta because our baby boy Everett was coming around the mountain (maybe don’t move across the country when you’re more than 30 weeks pregnant? Just saying.) Then came Daxton not long after and here we are on the south side of Atlanta, feeling very settled in our suburban life (though I admit, for fun I play the game where I dream of picking up a moving to a random country - who cares if we don’t speak the language?!)

I say all this because this blog of mine has changed A LOT in the past five years, because I’ve changed a lot. I spend time each year asking myself what I’m doing in the blogging world. Am I making an impact? Does my blog matter? Does it uplift, inspire, motivate? Because every good blog should. But sometimes, friends, I’m fresh out of ideas. Sometimes I wonder if what I shared was good, or cheesy, or purposeful. Blogging can be isolating. And sometimes I have things to share, but I don’t want to overexpose my family by sharing certain parenting or marriage stories (which I know is the struggle of our generation with all this social media at our fingertips- sometimes my kids do the funniest things but I don’t want them mad at me in twenty years because I posted all those bathtub shots 😆).

It's easy for me to share this with you today, because honestly, I’m having a lot of fun blogging these days. I feel better with my camera (even though GOSH it's getting old), I’ve carved out more time in my week to write, and I’ve started pitching to companies that I love about collaborating on content. It’s been obviously great to monetize this little shindig of mine, when it really truly makes good sense and it’s something I actually want to spend my time promoting. At the end of the day though, my barometer for why I’m still what I’m doing is, “Am I having fun?” and “Are the people reading this feeling loved, inspired, challenged and humored?” and most importantly - “AM I KEEPING IT REAL.” Such important messages for me.

One thing I've realized since I've had kids is that my content here on the blog is more planned and less spontaneous. I used to sit down, right something, and post it immediately. I rarely do this anymore. I usually have a monthly content plan, and then take time writing the posts, taking the pictures, editing, and then post it on or around the date I had planned on the calendar. However, I do miss the frequency of spontaneous posts, because those raw thoughts are often some of my favorite memories. This is something that I want to incorporate back in the blog. 

I hope you hear my heart today. I am still blogging because I love it and I love sharing and connecting with YOU. I hope it creates an attitude of joy and rest in your heart when you visit my blog and read. Thank you so much for reading and interacting and being my friends. And for all of you who have been hanging out here with me on the Internet since back in the old days before Instagram - thank you!!! Your support and input have made this venture such a delicious joy!!!

P.S. - This photo is from a few months back when I went to Serenbe with my sisters for my bday. They were all running ahead of me (because I suck at running), and I stopped for a moment and just took in the view. Their running into the sun flare was too beautiful not to photograph. These are the girls who always give me honest feedback (sometimes painful, sometimes funny) about my blog, and I am SO THANKFUL for it and for them.

Love to you all, friends! xx

Soccer Mom with a Sweet Tooth.

This post is sponsored by Taste Nirvana and all opinions are my own.

Is it so bad that on this particular day, I raced my son and didn't let him win?

He's wasn't thrilled about it either. I think he expects adults to let him win at things like racing, but I don't want to coddle him in that way because you guys, he's actually really fast. And I want him to learn how to be a good loser because I know he will win at things in life, too. And it's all about handling victories and losses with equal grace, right?

Or maybe I just get crazy satisfaction out of beating a 3-year old at a sprinting competition. The world will never know...!

In all seriousness, I really do my best to keep my kids in the healthy eating zone, and as their appetites grow, I'm continuously searching for ideas and ways to nourish them without throwing processed snacks and sugary drinks their way. I've been an avid coconut water drinker for years now, but my kids have never quite gravitated toward the taste. In the past I've hidden that herbal taste in smoothies, especially for Everett, because I want him to experience all the incredible benefits of coconut water, like the mega-hydration, electrolytes and potassium.

Little Tip - As someone who has dealt with dehydration migraines in the past, I've learned that coconut water is my go-to drink if I'm planning to be in the sun or exercising intensely. My favorite beach trip beverage is coconut water on ice with a whole sliced, squeezed lemon. Yummmm.

Since giving Taste Nirvana a try, I am thrilled and so pleased that my kids will actually drink this, too! Taste Nirvana is unique because it is actually made in Thailand from the Nom Ham coconuts (which literally translates to "fragrant water coconuts"), which produces a much sweeter water without the use of added sugars. Which makes my sweet tooth a happy tooth. These coconuts are harvested at their peak, when the water and meat composition are perfectly balanced, and then bottled within hours on the same day of harvest. The pure, flowery-honey taste is so different from conventional coconut waters, and I appreciate how sweet and fresh it is without tasting overly earthy.

Our family  has been drinking Taste Nirvana lately on and off the soccer field, because it's so great to consume when you need to boost your electrolytes, potassium and hydration, making it the perfect sports drink (straight from the earth!) I will be keeping these in my soccer bag all season long so that my son can boost his energy and quench his thirst without compromising nutrients or taste. I'm used to regular coconut water (because I like to add lemon to it!), but Taste Nirvana has some pretty rad additions to their water - you can drink it with aloe, with coconut meat and even with passionfruit seeds! It's making me feel real exotic... and also like I'm maybe missing out on a much-needed trip to Thailand :)

We do a lot of "cheers!" with our drinks, and sweet Daxton is beginning to catch on to our little practice... he basically wants to do whatever he sees his big brother doing! I have a feeling soccer is just around the corner for him. Along with some sprinting sessions with mama. Not gonna lie, I'm thinking this kid will be able to beat me soon.

I'd love to hear from you about how you and your your family stay hydrated during the warmer seasons of the year, especially with exercise, sports and so much time in the sun! Stay tuned for more about this coconut water find - I'm excited to share more about the ways our family is weaving this beverage into our everyday life! And if you're interested in snagging some for yourself, you can shop Taste Nirvana here. Happy hydrating, friends! xx

Spontaneous Trip to Florida!

We took the most spontaneous, last-minute, throw-stuff-in-the-car-and-GO kind of trip last weekend. The kids had a winter break, which means they were off school all week long, and of course, I'm always dreaming of sunny days. My sister-in-law Lauren texted me and my other sis-in-law Katie and said, "Wild idea - wanna take the kids down to the beach??" We were all like, YES. Lauren has taken like 10,000 church group trips down to the Panama City area over the years, so with her hook up we found a last minute rental that was available. Then we all basically tossed our children into their carseats and HIGHTAILED down to the ocean.

The water was too cold for me, but kids are so resilient! Everett and Daxton had such a blast with their cousins. These kids are the cutest - they really love each other and it brings back such amazing memories that I have of growing up near my cousins.

And I have no idea how I ended up with no pictures of Katie here, except that she must have been avoided my paparazzi eye. She wins mom of the year award, because she toted her kids down to the beach solo while pregnant. #momsohard

Daxton was so much fun at the beach this year! Last year it was a ton of work with him, because he was still so little. But this time around he just crawled everywhere, ate a lot of sand, and really played, with sand toys and everything! It was so much fun to see him coming alive in a new way! Also, he started walking while we were down here. Just another sign from the LORD that the beach is always, always a good idea.

Oh - and we biked! In the same impromptu fashion, we bough a bike trailer while we were down there so we could take both of the boys on the back of our bike and ride to dinner! I've wanted one of these for a while, because I know it will come to good use this year. Everett is learning to ride his bike right now (he's getting really good!), but when we want to take longer rides this is such a great option and you guys - they hold hands while riding. I could just die.

I mean. We weren't having a bad time you guys.

These two just make me laugh SO MUCH. I cannot handle Brent's shenanigans. In all honesty - I lucked out in the in-law department. I love them so much!

Found a purple wall that was incredible. Unfortunately it was a little too dark when we tried to take some pics in front of it - but I love this one of the kids jumping off the ledge!

I think this trip was just so refreshing to my soul because it was just so spontaneous. January was such a crummy month, haha. Everyone in our family dealt with different forms of the flu bug, so we were kind of down for the count. And February was suuuuuper busy for me - my essential oils business has really picked up the pace and I'm still figuring out the "balance" (muahahah the elusive myth - BALANCE!) of how to work and still do all the mom things I love to do. This was actually a really busy week for me, when we decided to come down to the beach, but I figured that working with an ocean view is still way better than not! Plus Stevie was able to take a few days off and it was really great for all of us to be together down there.

It makes me want to simplify our travel - less planning time meant bringing way less stuff and it was easier to make decisions when we were down there - pb & j for lunch because that's all we've got! This ONE tube of sunscreen because that's all we brought! This ONE bathing suit - because that's all we grabbed when we packed!

Simplicity and spontaneity. I think they might be my new love languages. xx