My Intro to Essential Oils

As I'm sitting here drinking my lemon water and loving the smell of thieves in the air around me, I'm feeling unusually calm considering the day I had. It might (very likely) have something to do with the 'stress away' oil I slathered on my neck and wrists before heading downstairs to work.

And then I totally realized I MUST share this with you guys!


Essential Oils. Have you heard of them? By nature, I'm a total skeptic. Take the amber necklace. We (mostly Rusty, but me too) thought it was so hokey but we knew it wouldn't hurt anything so we tried it. It didn't take long to convince us it was money. So you would think when I started having friends tell me over and over again about essential oils that I would pay attention. I'm a slow learner.

Fast forward....  I had a few health issues and a sleeping problem. Taking somewhere around 10 pills a day didn't leave me feeling the greatest about my current approach so I wanted to learn more. I asked my friend to host a workshop to teach me (cause every one I could find anywhere near me didn't work with my schedule). But I got anxious and couldn't wait so I ordered the premium starter kit.

It showed up with a bunch of oils, a home diffuser and some other stuff. I started googling 'essential oils for sleep,' 'essential oils for cramping,' 'essential oils for pain,' 'essential oils for headache,' and well, you get the idea. Amazingly everything I needed was right there in my starter kit. I started diffusing the oils in our home and started rubbing them on my feet and shoulders (then later wrists and neck and temples too). I immediately noticed a difference. As in (other than my daily thyroid medicine) I haven't taken a single pill since the oils came into our home. Not only that, but the oils for pain worked faster (immediately) and better than the pain meds I had been taking. I was already a believer! It didn't take long to convince Rusty to let me try some on him as well and they worked like magic. It took me a little longer to decide to try them on Beckett but the day he was crying in pain saying 'owie' all day, I decided it was time. I rubbed the 'pan away' for growing pains on his legs and he immediately calmed down and I could see the pain leave his face. He kept asking for, 'more, more please.' And I was hooked.

The kit I talked about above is $150 but it's SO worth it. We decided between the pills we were ditching this month alone, we were saving $50. I'd much rather be investing in a natural remedy than pills I'm afraid to overuse. (Also, I've since found out that if just three people sign up under you, you can essentially be paid back... email me and I can get you more details on that too!)

This is kind of starting to sound like an infomercial. I'll stop there but wanted to share some links here with you.

For more information about the oils you can check out Essential Oils Testimonials.

For more information about the Young Living products you can visit their website.

To order any products, my local friends can email me directly and I can order them for you at my 24% discount.

If there's something you are wanting to try, let me know. I have a few sample packs I can share. (I don't have many and don't plan to buy anymore since I'm not selling it to make money but I can definitely share what I have!)

If you want your own 24% discount and the kit I talked about above you can sign up to be a wholesale member (and distributor) by:

1. Go to the signup page: https://www.youngliving.com/signup/
2. Select 'wholesale member'
3. In sponsor ID and enroller ID enter: 1618387
4. Under Step 2, choose the Premium Starter Kit ($150).  (There's also an option for Essential Rewards. I chose to skip that because I have no plans of selling YL to make money but if it's something you are interested in, I can try to help you find out more about it.)


And do let me know if you have any questions! I've started a facebook group for those of you that sign up with my number to be a distributor where we have shared some documents and other great resources that are super helpful. I'll get an email once you're a distributor and I can add you to the group from there.

I'm SO excited to hear how you use and love the oils too!!


Updated:

I've had several questions about how we use the oils. Like I said above, we haven't had them a terribly long time but here are some ways we've used them:

Diffusing: The diffuser is one of my fave, fave things! I've been diffusing a lot of purification (to clean the air/get the stink out) and thieves (which kills germs- we have a lot of people in/out of our house throughout the week so this helps keep all the gunk out). I also may have diffused lemon on cleaning day when I didn't actually get around to cleaning... (at least it smelled clean in here!).

R: He's used the thieves on his chest/back/feet and it worked wonders on his cough. We ran out and a few days later his cough came back. We have thieves and RC on order now and they can't come soon enough! I've rubbed some of the stress away/peace & calming on him at night. I can't tell if he just likes the massage or the oils but he is sleeping much better (as in he's not snoring and not waking me up).

B: As I mentioned above, we used the pan away for growing pains. He loves it and will ask for it if he feels achy. He had tonsillitis (before I was using the oils on him) and I've used some thieves on him for that. He bounced back after getting one night's sleep and some oils. I've used the lavender (on his pillow) before bed and he sleeps so good with it. (Unfortunately for me, since he sleeps so good, he's skipped naps those days.) He's been waking up and asking for oils on his feet so I've been using lemon when he asks (and doesn't have any noticeable 'need' for anything.) I may switch this out for thieves (immune booster) when that comes in.

H: I've been using the peace & calming or lavender to help with sleep. (The peace and calming seems to work better for me.) Pan away on aches and pains. Peppermint for head aches (it's amazing how fast this one works). Stress away on my neck and shoulders when I've been sitting at the computer too long and just generally feel stressed, lavender on a cut (more like a hole) that I've had on my finger for months (again, I'm shocked how fast it works). Lemon in my drinking water (use glass... not plastic). And last night I put valor on my feet before bed to boost my mood. I did wake up happier this am so maybe it's working too?

I'm sure our list is longer but these are the main things that stand out. Basically, our oils have replaced all our pain killers/meds we would normally be taking otherwise. One of the gals that did the workshop here said she took everything out of her medicine cabinet and placed the oils in their place. We haven't done that yet but we are totally getting there!

me and my boys

I had kind of planned to post these a really, really long time ago- right after Christmas cards were all sent out... but when you never get all your Christmas cards sent out (how am I so bad at that?), it complicates things. Since it's nearly February and I still haven't gotten all those cards sent out, I'm just going to go ahead and give up on that dream and just go ahead and post the pictures of me and my boys. :)

checking in

I was informed that I left you all hanging after the last post. Promise I haven't been in that place since I posted. Still slightly (or more?) crazy at times. But good. In a blessed sort of way. I'd type more but my 10 minutes of me time are about up for the day and I have online browsing for bathroom showers to do. Any leads on a 32" super cheap shower for our basement would be greatly appreciated.

I grab at my necklace, trying to pull it off my neck. Its choking me but I can't seem to find it. There's nothing there. But I can't breath. The lump in my throat grows larger. My eyes start to burn and the tears sting as they come. They come and they don't stop. I can't tell if this emotional low is the pregnancy hormones still lingering in my body or if this is depression. The hormones make me crazy on a good day. And on a day like today? They make me long for something less painful like crazy. 

Grief is a funny thing. It comes in waves and catches you off guard. Things will be going well till it takes you out at the knees and knocks you down again. People ask how I'm doing. How I'm handling life and everything it's thrown at me lately. Honestly? Great. Or at least better than I expected. But what I didn't expect to feel was this sense of being an outcast. Of no longer belonging where I used to. Of feeling alone. People are mean. They say rude things. They don't think. They act cruel. But even Joseph was protected by God after his brothers plotted to destroy him. With every text of encouragement. Every email of checking in. Every meal delivered. Every card of kind thoughts. He sustains me. He reminds me that He's got this. And when my emotions are spent and I have nothing left to feel, I feel gratitude. I feel thankful for the strength and life He gives. And I give thanks. 

my mom.

One time we were watching the news (or more likely saw on Facebook or weather apps) and saw that my hometown was under tornado warnings. I checked in with everyone to make sure they were all okay and I later found out that part of my mom's house had been damaged. I asked her what she did during the storm (thinking she would at least say she went to a closet or something). She told me that she figured if it was God's time for her, it was His time, so she just laid in bed and prayed.

I often picture her just laying in bed, praying and trusting. 

I'd like to have faith like that.

271.

271: The number of blessings I've recorded since January 1st.


I posted this post as a quick recap of 2013. I know it's a super downer. And that's not even all of it. I haven't even mentioned over here how one of our cars was totaled last month (no one was hurt!) and how we're currently a one car family. And I really wanted to tell you about how sick my mom is right now and ask you to pray for her but she's super private and would probably be really embarrassed if I did. So maybe I shouldn't.



But you guys.

We have so much to be thankful for.



It doesn't take spending much time of Facebook or in the blog world or looking out in my own neighborhood to see that there are people that have things a lot worse than we do right now.

And we count our blessings.

And I'm sure a whole lot of you thought there was no way I could get to 10,000 (I have a to admit, I'm a little skeptical.)

But they're there.

Reasons to sing. Blessings to be thankful for.

271 of them in three days.


So we keep moving forward. And we keep counting our blessings. And we keep thanking God for His never ending grace. And I keep coveting your prayers.




P.S. I should probably note that every time someone tells me they are praying for me, I count that as a new # on my list. So feel free to keep those coming because each prayer gets me that much closer to 10,000. ;) Seriously though. I really do appreciate SO MUCH that you guys are praying for us. It means a lot to us.

avery.

In case you didn't read this post and this post. You should go there first. (PLEASE don't look at the first few pictures without reading the post and sending me notes of congrats. Seriously.)

 We had our baby before Christmas. We hadn't even officially announced baby yet but baby was born and in Jesus' arms before Christmas.

Today we were supposed to be one day past a healthy baby ultrasound and finally officially telling more family and friends. But instead I get to share baby Avery's name with you and the few pictures we have.

This is a photo I had set to auto post to share our big news.


And this.



And these.










There were others too but you get the point. We were SO excited. If you've been around the Hickstionary for very long, you know that we tried a long time with B. So one month when we decided it'd be a great month to have a baby, you can imagine our excitement when we found out a few short weeks later that we were in fact pregnant. Seriously. Someone should have pinched me. It all felt so surreal.

A few months later when things started to go wrong, I was wishing for that surreal feeling to turn out to be real and for all of this to be so very not real.

But when I saw my perfect looking, tiny little baby, it was all so very real. And raw. And painful.

It still knocks the wind out of me every time I close my eyes. I recently saw a friend who had not so long ago suffered a huge loss (her husband) and we were talking about grief and loss and blessings. I told her how I wasn't sure if seeing my baby was a blessing or not yet. I'm so thankful God gave me that one little glimpse of our baby but so far, it's all I see when I close my eyes and it hurts. so. much.

I wonder if it will always hurt. I wonder if December 23rd and the days that follow will always be a painful reminder. I wonder if July will come and go with me being the only one to notice. My friend tells me she doesn't know but she tells me that's okay. She tells me it's okay to hurt. She tells me the blessings are going to come but they might be a painful reminder and hurt too. She hugs me and let's me know it's okay to feel. Whatever it is that I feel.

I get flowers. And candy. And cookies. And my friend just wanted to let me know she cared. And we get more flowers. And the sweetest card. My sister-in-law just wants me to know that she cares. And I check the mail. And there's an anonymous note with a whole bunch of cash. Someone wanted to bless me with their Christmas cash this year.

I cry.


I don't know why anyone would want to do something so special for me.

I decide to spend a little of it on a gift for our baby. We buy an ornament with baby's name on it. We named our baby Avery. We wanted Avery to have a name for us to use once we meet in heaven. And for a second, we thought about using one with a Christmas theme but decided we couldn't find a 'Christmasy' name that we liked. We settled on Avery. It means wise. Avery's life has definitely made me more wise. And I'm sure sweet Avery is already more wise than I'll ever be. We look up alternate meanings to the name. We don't like the alternate meaning (rules the elves) but take it as a sign that it's the link to Christmas we were looking for.



This is one of the only pictures I have of sweet Avery. I had a pretty noticeable bump already but it was still hide-able. Not so much in this picture. This picture was taken the day before Avery's birth day. Me with both of my sweet babies.

I'll probably stop blogging about Avery now. (Maybe?) But I'll wear my new stacking ring right next to B's and I'll remember. I'll remember when I see Avery's name. I'll remember when I feel the phantom kicks. I'll remember when another date is scribbled out on the calendar (oh why do I insist on marking my calendar out so far ahead?). I'll remember on January 25th when we had planned our gender reveal. I'll remember when the due date comes and goes in June. I'll remember on July 13th (when I thought the due date would be). I'll remember every December 23rd. I'll remember. Avery, your life matters to me. You matter to us. I'm a better mom, a better wife, a better person. I'm so much more wise. Because of you.

10,000 Reasons

I posted this to Instagram today. I mentioned that I was afraid. Afraid of today. Afraid for a lot of reasons but mostly because R was going back to work and I would be on my own. R was going back to work and I'd be home alone to take care of B while being depressed.

Depression.

I've done it before but never while being a mom. I didn't know how to be depressed and take care of B at the same time. I was afraid. I was afraid I would forget to feed him. Afraid I wouldn't be a good mom. Afraid that when my 10:30 am appointment time rolled around (when I was supposed to be having my healthy baby ultrasound) that I'd lose it. Just afraid.

But somehow I was fine today. Better than fine really.

The unexpected visitor and the caring texts and prayers definitely helped with that. And the silly two year old. And God's grace. Lots of grace.

And I feel so blessed.

So I started writing down why. I started numbering off the reasons I feel blessed today. And pretty quick my list got to 150(!). And I thought I could keep going. So I told R I was going to list 10,000(!) Reasons I'm blessed. 10,000 Reasons to be singing.

I know that's a lot. A whole lot. R told me that averages out to about 27 a day for the year. In 2011 and 2012 I did one thing a day I was thankful for and in 2013, my planner had a spot for 10 things a month I was grateful for so I did that. But 27 a day seems like a lofty goal. (It may take me more than one year.)  I think I can do it though. It helps having a two year old that does 100 things a day to be thankful for. :)