April 17, 2018

Our Daily Family Essential Oil Routines.

April 17, 2018/ Kristen Hale

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 :)

Enter the Giveaway!

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!

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 ;)

Hook me up with oils!

September 28, 2015

Creating an Intentional October.

September 28, 2015/ Kristen Hale

I'm going to get vulnerable with you.

I've found myself to be in a bit of a funk.

I'm not thoroughly unhappy with my life - in fact, I am far from that. But I find myself unfulfilled at the end of each day and I don't know why. I find myself frustrated as I clean the kitchen at night, annoyed while I brush my teeth, and unable to fall asleep because of all the to-do lists in my head. So I know that the problem is with me, and I need to make a change. Probably a few changes.

My Goal:
To be a healthier, happier me. So that I can give more love away to my family and so that I can create something special. Pursue dreams. Create areas for more fulfillment every single day. I'm contemplating right now - do I want to write a book? Do I want to start a small business? What do I want to do?? I'm not sure yet. But those things sure can't happen when I am frenzied and overwhelmed by menial to-do lists and exhaustion. So first, I must implement some changes and some discipline.

It's sort of like a diet. For the brain.

What's YOUR Goal?
Do any of you feel this way? Are there things holding you back in your personal day, perhaps habits or routines that are just sucking up your time and leaving you feeling underaccomplished? Are there things you keep telling yourself you're going to do, but then you just never get around to it?

I am proposing that you join me in this Intentional October journey.

What does that look like?
We all create our plan, and then check in each week with how the disciplines are going. You can post a comment here on the blog, tag #intentionaloctober on instagram and get a conversation going on my Facebook. It's nice to have a community for accountability!

How Can I Get Started?
Determine your goal. And based on that goal, figure out what needs to be done to help you accomplish it. If the goal is to be happier and healthier, then a tactic might be "exercise 5 days a week" and "have 10 minutes of quiet time everyday". Make your list. Take some time to figure out what might be holding you back from accomplishing these tactics. For me, I can never make myself wake up early enough to exercise when I stayed up the night before. So in order for me to accomplish the whole "exercise early in the morning" thing, I also have to make sure to get a ton of sleep the night before, which means going to bed earlier, etc. So one positive change leads to another and another. But I think I can do it. I know I can. And if you're with me, and you're ready to make some changes in your life, we can do it together! It helps to create positive change when you know there is someone else out there going after a goal, too :)

I wanted to share this a few days before the month begins so that we all have time to wrap our heads around what Intentional October means to us. I am getting really excited and motivated. Check back here tomorrow - I will share the things that are holding me back from my goal, and the 7 tactics that I will be addressing this month. So take some time to think for yourself today and let's check in again tomorrow!

January 23, 2015

Happening Lately.

January 23, 2015/ Kristen Hale

// 1. Bedtime is equating to sleep time these days. HALLELUJAH HANDS. // 2. Sweet Auburn Barbeque in the Highlands. Rad spot, less rad parking. // 3. 4 hawks in the sky. Oh wait. Those are vultures. // 4. Our little family out and about this weekend. Happy 1st birthday to baby Ethan! Everett has friends yall. //

Happening Lately.

The new year is a little less new these days. There has been an attempt in our household for a bit of grounding, refreshing and re-focus. Probably like many of you, my little family is grasping for our center of gravity and licking our lips in anticipation of Spring. I know, we have a while to go. But we live in Georgia this year! Which means spring is coming sooner for us than it has in years! Our stints in Boston and New York really left a freezer-burn kind of scar on our hearts in terms of the monumentally blistery winters. I will gleefully accept a pass this year and prematurely skip on into the sunshine, if the groundhog allows such a frivolous delight. BRING IT, LITTLE HEDGEHOG.

Our life lately:

1. SLEEP.

People. We have been sleeping. THERE HAS BEEN SLEEP IN THIS HOME. It's been a long road (almost 6 months) of gently nudging my child into the direction of a peaceful state of rest. I haven't been shy about it. I haven't modestly pretended like I have it all together, as if we have nailed this whole "having a baby"-thing. I have not had it together. I have not slept well in over a year (pregnancy can do a great job robbing you of that, too.) I've read the books and tried the methods. And I have been pretty vocal in asking, nay, begging for help. Some of your suggestions have worked. For like 3 days. And then things would change again. But I am happy to announce that for the month of January, my son has sifted into a much more manageable sleeping routine at night (still working on the daily naps situation, more about that below.) But these days, we are putting him down to bed between 7-7:30 pm, and he sleeps until about 3:30 am. Halle-LU-jah. I change him and feed him then, and then he's up again at 6:30 am. That's usually when I whisper to him about the wonders of dreaming and MORE sleep and I prod him into another mini-slumber, always attempting to inch him past the 7:30 am mark. Sometimes it works. But the point is, this routine. Is SO doable. I mean, we aren't in the sleeping-through-the-night phase, but we are close. Closer. We are ballparkin' it. Thanks to everyone who willingly shared their stories and encouraged me - you have no idea how valuable your kindness was during a time that can only be described as the dark night of my soul.

2. Getting Out.

You know what happens when you get sleep? You feel normal again. I'm not saying that I feel normal yet (or that I expect I ever will! What is "normal" anyway?), but I'm starting to feel normal-ish again. I have the urge to leave my house. Do things. Eat meals in exotic places. Like Panera. You know, that kind of thing. I even ventured to Atlanta the other day and enjoyed

a tasty birthday lunch

celebrating my girl Tricia. That's right. Stella is getting her groove back.

3. My Goals.

My birdwatching is going very well, thank you for asking. I learned this week that all the hawks I've been thinking I've been seeing... well, a lot of them are turkey vultures. Womp womp. They walk like a hawk and talk like a hawk, but hawk they are not. They are a vulture. Yuck. The angle of the wingspan and finger-like feathers are a dead give away, so now I can spot the difference in the sky! And we still have our one close, personal hawk friend who frequents the back yard and sits on the brick fence. He'd rad. I've named him Moonhawk, for the gloriously Moonstone-colored feathers that warm his broad chest. He is most welcome here. Also, other than the bird watching, I've been *attempting* to meal prep a bit more so we eat healthier.

This gal inspires me. And last week I worked out 5 times! This week... well, I'm currently sipping coffee and eating a breakfast cookie. Yes. Breakfast cookies are a thing. Moving on.

4. Normalizing Routine?

I'm going to say two normal words that equate to one valiantly mysterious phrase: baby + schedule. This has been my Everest as of late. What in the world. How in the heck. WHAT IS A BABY SCHEDULE. How to get a child to nap on a schedule? I've started to notice ebbs and flows in Everett's sleeping urges, but it's not consistent enough to follow on a daily basis. And the thing is... I want this schedule more for me. Yes, the selfish truth is just that. If he could stick to a plan, I could get a few things done around here! I mean, when am I supposed to clean? Shower? Blog?! MAKE BREAKFAST COOKIES. I've started asking moms about their schedule, but it all seems so cryptic. Share your secrets, women! There are people in the world (cough*me*cough) who need to glean from your treasured knowledge and experience!

Fun Around the Web.

Just a few fun things I had to share because they made me smile this week.

This cop jamming out with his sassy bad self to "Shake it Off". I can't stop giggling.

I am still infatuated with Designlovefest's Dress Your Tech posts. It's like a free present every month! I won't stop sharing these with you because they are just so indulgent.

I feel like a lady again because I bought this organic lip glaze and it's super, ultra pink. I feel like I should smack my bubble gum and twirl my hair. Girl alert.

Also, have you entered my giveaway in partnership with Turbans for Tots? We are giving away this adorable Sibling Set, which is for a boy and girl, consisting of a bow tie (for him) and a hair bow headband (for her) - this Turbans for Tots stuff is so cute! You can enter the giveaway here up to three times and the winner will be announced and contacted next week. Share with your friends and deck out the littles of your life!

Love to you all.