The 3 DIY Essential Oils Roller Balls I Use on My Kids During the Winter.

This winter has been a doozy for sickness, and unfortunately, our family hasn't been able to avoid the fray. We've dealt with our fair share of the gunk, and because of that, I've created a few specific essential oil roller ball recipes to use on my kids while they haven't been feeling 100%. I hope they are helpful to you and your little ones!

Also, I want to mention that I love and use DoTERRA essential oils - they are 100% pure and safe to use on children when properly diluted. In fact, they are safer, cheaper and more effective than most regular solutions I've found. If you would like to learn more about why I believe these essential oils are THE BEST, please feel free to reach out!

Okay, on to the DIYs! Here are 3 blends I use on my kids during the winter season:

Bye Fever Recipe:
- 3 Peppermint
- 3 Eucalyptus
- 3 Frankincense
- 1 Bergamot
* Top off with fractionated coconut oil.

I use this on my kids when they are running a fever and I want to break it. I apply this to the back of the neck, up and down the spine and on the bottoms of feet (put socks on quickly after!) I apply this every 2-4 hours as needed and especially before nap time! We also like to roll it on while saying, "Bye fever!"

OnGuard Recipe:
- 10 drops OnGuard oil blend
* Top off with fractionated coconut oil.

OnGuard is an immune-boosting blend, and while DoTERRA sells this in a pre-diluted roller ball, I like to use my own to keep at home as well! I use this on my kids when they are showing signs of feeling under the weather - sneezing, coughing, runny nose, etc. I apply this on the back of the neck, up and down the spine and on the bottoms of their feet.

Teething Recipe:
- 5 Lavender
- 5 Roman Chamomile
* Top off with fractionated coconut oil.

This has been my go-to for Daxton's teething relief. That sweet boy - he's been cutting teeth for months and has been miserable! I roll this blend under his ear lobes, along his jaw line and on the back of his neck. He loves it! In fact, he tries to put it on himself (which is really, really cute), even though I won't let him ;)

All of these recipes are formulated for 10ml roller balls.

I hope you enjoy making some of your own for your kiddos! xx

DIY Trio of Essential Oil Bath Salts.

Since discovering a passion for my DoTERRA essential oils, I've been reawakened in my love for DIY as well. Now don't get me wrong - I've been talking about recovering the chairs in my dining room for 3+ years now. But mixing up some essential oils in test tubes with some rock salt? That is not only something that is relatively easy (okay really really easy), but it also can be enjoyed right away!

My sister Rachel originally helped me make a batch of these EO bath salts as party favors for my 30th birthday back in the fall. And friends! When I say these are easy to make, I'm not teasing you here. They are EASY, and they make awesome Galentines gifts, along with batchelorette, Valentine and birthday presents! Who doesn't love being pampered with beautiful, nourishing and pure products? I like to give these in sets of 3, so that the giftee can experience all the different blends!

Supplies:
- Set of test tubes with cork toppers
- Organic Epsom Salt
- Essential Oils (I love and use DoTERRA oils - get yours here!)
- Funnel
- Labels (you can make your own or buy some!) or washi tape
- 3 gallon-size zip-top bags

Method:
1.) Pour 3/4 oz. of Epsom salt into a gallon-size zip-top bag.
2.) Drop in essential oils (see blend recommendations below) and zip up the bag.
3.) Shake the bag until the oils are well mixed.
4.) Using the funnel, carefully pour the salt into a test tube. Seal the containers.
5.) Attach label or washi tape so you can tell the difference between the batches.

Blends:
Clear Your Mind Blend
- 8 drops Lemon essential oil
- 8 drops Rosemary essential oil

Calm Your Heart Blend
- 8 drops Lavender essential oil
- 6 drops Frankincense essential oil
- 2 drops Ylang Ylang essential oil

Respiratory Boost Blend
- 12 drops Eucalyptus essential oil
- 4 drops Peppermint essential oil

Each of these blends makes 1 test tube, but feel free to triple or quadruple the batch to fill all the containers.

Soaking in an Epsom salt bath is an excellent way to detox the body from toxins and chemicals, as well as supplement the necessary magnesium that most of us are deficient in. The essential oils provide a boost of energy, immune defense and calming properties to help target those specific needs.

A tub soak of this nature is best paired with a mud mask (I just got this one and I'm excited to try it!) along with the Magnolia magazine and a glass of wine. But then again, maybe that's just me.

I hope you have fun giving these bath salts a try! Let me know in the comments section how it goes for you!

White Pork Chili (a Whole30 Meal!)

Taken and slightly adapted from Danielle Walker's Against All Grain Cookbook

This is my favorite recipe discovery from the past year. My sis-in-law Katie made this White Pork Chili for our family when I had just had Daxton, and it was the BEST thing to have during that cold month and newborn life. So I definitely associate this meal with feeling super loved and nourished. However, I happen to have a penchant for stews. I love one-pot meals, because they're so easy to make, and I especially love a hot bowl of soup. The original, paleo version of this recipe can be found in Danielle Walker's book, Against All Grain, however, I've changed it up to make this particular version Whole30-friendly. Don't let the lengthy ingredient list scare you - this stew is SO WORTH making. I promise you will love it. Omg I think I'm going to have to make more this week after drooling over these photos while I edited them.

Ingredients:
- 2 pork chops, grilled or oven-baked until medium done, cooled, and then diced
- 1 small jar tomatillo salsa
- 1/2 cup cashew butter
- 2 poblano peppers, deseeded and chopped
- 2 large sweet potatoes, diced
- 2 large zucchinni, diced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. ground oregano
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic together until soft and fragrant.
2. Add the peppers, sweet potatoes and all the spices and saute for another 5 minutes or so, until the vegetables are soft.
3. Pour in the chicken stock, then add the zucchini.
4. Add in the rest of the ingredients and cover the stockpot. Return every few minutes to stir, as the cashew butter will need to continuously mixed in.
5. Once the vegetables are soft and the pork is warmed all the way through, this is ready to eat!
6. Top each bowl with a handful of parsley and a fresh squeeze of lime.

There you have it! This meal stand alone beautifully by itself. If you aren't doing Whole30, you can add a splash of white wine to the broth. You can also serve it with some delicious baked bread to sop up all the savory goodness. Oh gosh, this is SUCH a great winter stew, I hope you super love it! Let me know if you decide to make it! xx

Rosy Cheeks, Warm Hearts.

It's that time of year! The most wonderful, and also, the time when the weather likes to bite as it says "top of the morning to ya!" We spent some time up in New York last week, and after a few hours playing outdoors in Central Park, our entire family's cheeks were blasted with a good wind-whipped chapping.

Add in some runny noses, because as we've already established, it's that time of year. #virusleavemyhousehold #itsalliwantforchristmas

Oh, and then factor in Daxton's teething predicament. This kid likes to cut teeth at least 2 at a time - which is exactly what he was up to while we traveled last week! I thought he was just mad at me for the excessively cold weather...

Needless to say, our family has had a lot of drippy noses and wet cheeks and wind-burned knuckles (southern kids don't know how to keep mittens on) - so what's a mama to do?

Baby Face Nose + Cheek Balm.
It's no surprise that we are into natural remedies over here - I've been on a journey to find natural and non-toxic solutions that actually work for my family (you can check out my Green Beauty Trials posts for more info about this journey.) I've tried a lot of products, especially over the past year. Which is why it was a no-brainer when we were sent this Earth Mama Organics Face, Nose & Cheek Balm - I slathered my kids (and husband!) with this stuff and I must say, we are hooked. I've gushed about my love for Earth Mama Angel Baby products before (remember this postpartum must-haves post?), and now that the company has rebranded as Earth Mama, there are several new high-performing products being added to the family of products, and I am stoked. This balm in particular is an an all-purpose remedy that is 100% organic and formulated without parabens, petroleum, preservatives or artificial fragrance. Instead it treats skin vulnerabilities with a rich calendula coconut balm, one that has been formulated specifically for use around a baby's mouth. It's so safe, technically you could eat this balm. It's probably Whole30 compliant ;)

Check out the cutest little video clip about this Face, Nose & Cheek balm! I want to take that little girl home with me ;)

NEW! Baby Face Organic Nose & Cheek Balm: Petroleum jelly has met its organic herbal multipurpose match. Babies and toddlers have to battle drool chap, dry chin and runny red noses, not to mention red, grumpy skin from colds and teething.

Also, I want to say something quickly about the new packaging - isn't it beautiful? The new logo and color scheme is sleek and warm and I just LOVE it - it suits the products better than the previous packaging and as someone who cares about packaging... I am amped about this new look and feel to the brand.

As for the balm - it has been in constant rotation in my household over the past few weeks. I want to share a few of my favorite ways to use this balm, not just on my baby, but on my toddler, my husband AND myself!

My Favorite Uses:
1.) BEFORE GOING OUTSIDE: Slather thickly across the cheeks, on the lower bridge of the nose, underneath the nose (if my wiggly children let me!) and over the curve of the chin. This balm acts like a protective layer while kiddos (or adults!) are outside in the elements, whether riding in the stroller or running around playing.

2.) BEFORE GOING OUTSIDE: Rub on the tops of hands (mine, as well!) - over the knuckles and fingers. Even if I'm wearing gloves, this seriously helps keep my hands from drying out and cracking. Bloody cracks in the hands just aren't cute.

3.) AFTER BATHTIME: I like to coat my kids' faces from the nostrils down in this balm. It insulates the skin and protects against dryness from the heat in the house and the bath. It seals the skin and promotes a restful evening of sleep.

4.) ON DIAPER DUTY: This balm even works as a natural diaper rash cream! After applying on my son's sore bottom and then checking it again just 1 diaper change later, his rash was cleared up! You really can't ask for more in a balm.

This multi-purpose balm is quickly becoming the swiss army knife in my medicine cabinet. In fact, the other day my husband asked me for some lip balm, and then immediately found the Face, Nose & Chin Balm and said, "Oh never mind, I got it."

I love having products in my home that are so safe and so high-performing that THIS mama doesn't have to work quite as hard to do everything for everyone. I also love the feeling of this product replacing several other products in one fell swoop - no need for dozens of babycare products when this one ticks so many boxes for our family needs. Plus, I really love snuggling my little babes just after we've applied this balm - watching them tumble around, goof off and play with their ruby, well-oiled cheeks gleaming, well I can't help but smile. It is, indeed, the most wonderful time of the year.

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Whole30 Quick Reference Meal Guide.

Since I just completed my round 2 of Whole30, I thought I would go ahead and share a quick guide to some of my favorite and most-prepared meals. You can find all my favorite Whole30 meals throughout this blog under the tab "Food & Drink", and then click through all the categories, but I thought I would make it super easy for those of you who want a quick reference for exclusively Whole30 recipes. This is an easy way to find what you're looking for over and over again if you're on Whole30 and needing to cook a lot :) I will continue to add to this post as I share Whole30 recipes that become favorites!

Whole30 Breakfast:
Chicken-Apple Sausage and Spinach Frittata - (Probably our most-made breakfast during Whole30!)
Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash - (which we've made for lunch and dinner, too!)
Dragonfruit Smoothie Bowl - (omit the granola and honey and make sure the almond milk is Whole30-compliant, otherwise use canned full-fat coconut milk or coconut water.)
Acai Berry Smoothie Bowl - (omit the granola and honey, make sure the almond milk is Whole30-compliant or go ahead and use full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut water.)

Whole30 Lunch:
Salmon + Caper Spinach Salad - (omit the Parmesan cheese)
Strawberry + Grilled Chicken Salad - (omit the goat cheese)
*We find ourselves eating a lot of leftovers for lunches so that we don't get bored in salad land :)

Whole30 Dinner:
Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti and Chicken-Herb Meatballs
Pork Chops and Spiced Apple Sauce
Roasted Tomato Soup (omit the white wine and Parmesan cheese)
Lemon & Olive Chicken
White Pork Chili - My newest and favorite stew! Not just my favorite Whole30 stew, my favorite of all time!

Whole30 Snacks:
Note: snacks aren't encouraged on Whole30 unless you are pregnant of breastfeeding, which I was during my round 2, so these are some of my faves.
Apple Sauce, 2 ways
Boiled Artichoke (omit butter, sub olive oil and extra lemon)
Lara Bar (I love the banana, apple and blueberry bars)
Almond Butter Energy "Milkshake"
Almond Butter Date Round Bites - Coming Soon!

Like I said, I will continue to add to this post as I keep finding recipes that are winners. If you need some more guidance, feel free check out my Whole30 Diary (Parts 1, 2 ,3 & 4), my reasoning on why I love Whole30, my 3 biggest takeaways from Whole30 and my favorite tools to use in the kitchen. Happy Whole30 prepping/eating/enjoying to you!