Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Essential Oils and Exercise

A few years ago, I decided to join the gym and start working on me again. That worked well until the membership simply became too costly. I decided after running the Goofy Challenge at Disney to let the gym go. Instead, I purchased a good treadmill, and not long after that, I decided to join my friend Melanie's Beachbody Team. A little plug for her, if you are needing someone who is gentle yet firm in their motivation, and absolutely loves what they do, then she is your girl!! You can find her page here . I have known her since our school aged days and can say that her journey through weight loss is as real as it gets!

Anyhow, I dove in to Insanity Max30, then 2 months later Rich and I ran the Disneylanf Half Marathon to complete our Coast to Coast Challenge. It seems like immediately after that, Etsy and vendor shows were in full swing for the Holidays. Fastforward to the new year, and orders for mermaid tail blankets were EXPLODING!! I loved them, but the stress at my day job had me feeling far less than motivated. I decided to join doTERRA as a wellness advocate, and suddenly I am working 3 jobs!

I was able to take a leap of faith and leave my day job, and it was as I shopped for wedding dresses that I realized what the past 10 months of stress, lack of sleep, sloppy diet, and lack of exercise motivation had done to me. It just so happened that Melanie decided to start the Insanity Max30 program this past Monday, and it was just what I needed to start taking steps in the right direction, but I still needed some motivation! This is where my oils came into play!


It started with diffusing Peppermint and Citrus Bliss.The combination of these two oils is very uplifting and refreshing. Peppermint oil is steam distilled using the entire peppermint plant. One of the reasons I chose to diffuse it during my workout is because it helps promote healthy respiratory function. Citrus Bliss is a combo of fantastic citrusy goodness! It contains, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Clementine Peels, and Vanilla Absolute (doesn't this all just make your mouth water??). Citrus oils are invigorating and uplifting, and help to reduce feelings of stress. 


Next, I decided to spruce up my water with some Lemon oil. DoTERRA's lemons are sourced in Sicily and is distilled by cold pressing the peel. Lemon oil is cleasning, purifying, and uplifting. Lemon oil will help give you a nice energy boost, while helping to combat exhaustion during and after your workout.  Lemon is also a mood enhancer that will help you feel good about your workout even if it wasn't your personal best. Simply add 2-3 drops to a glass or stainless steel bottle and drink as you normally would during your work out. *Make sure you avoid using plastic when using oils.Essential oils will eventually break down plastic*



Another fantastic product is Breathe. Breathe also helps to promot healthy respiratory functions, and comes in many forms. There is the oil istelf, the touch version, breathe lozenges, and a breathe stick. I choose to use the stick during a workout becuase it's very handy to use. It looks like a clear jell in a tube, and it can easily be rubbed on to your chest and neck when you need a little breathing boost. It isn't sticky or greasy, and it absorbs quickly. Breathe is also one of my favorite go to's in the morning! I love diffusing it with Lime for a nice morning wakeup. Breathe contains Eucalyptus, Laurel Leaf, Lemon, Melaluca, Peppermint, and Ravensara.



Finally, one of my all time favorites, Deep Blue Rub. I'm pretty sure I have a love affair with this lotion! It contains, Wintergreen, Blue Tansy, German Chamomile, Helichrysum, Osmanthus, Eucalyptus, Menthol, and Capsicum. Take a moment and imagine all of the muscle rubs you have used in the past. Now imagine them being a million times better! This all natural mixture will have you feeling tingly and relaxed after a hard workout, and it will help your muscles feel good too. Personally, I like to put it on after a hot shower. That's when the pores are open, and the rub gets in real good. Others may not like the intesnity of Deep Blue on open pores, so wait until you have cooled down to put this on. The more you rub it into your skin, the warmer the sensation will be. Unlike other muscle rubs, you have a bit of control on how hot/cool you can handle.




doTERRA has made it easy to get some incredible oils and supplements through their Athlete's Kit. There are far more oils and prodcuts within this kit that I haven't mentioned, but if you are serious about wanting to get on track, this kit makes it easy to do so! If you have any questions about oils and how they can help you in your workout, let me know! I'm always happy to help.

















Sunday, August 7, 2016

Oil Spotlight: TriEase and Breathe

I love the look of a nice, well manacured lawn. However, mowing the lawn and other yard work, can have me feeling sluggish for days afterward. I have one neighbor who is out almost daily working on his yard. It looks fantastic, and I feel slightly awful that my yard doesn't look nearly as nice as his!

Thankfully, I have found a few things that help! Though I may have a couple of sniffles and a few sneezes, I don't have that chest constriction and sluggish feeling for days anymore. Watch this video to learn more about these fantastic seasonal discomfort belnds from doTERRA! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like a sample. And please excuse the nasty sweatin' look I have going on! It may be nice out, but it's still warm!!



As a remind, if you place a 125pv order before the 15th of the month, you recieve a 5ml bottle of breathe for FREE! Bouns, if you place 160pv order, you recieve 15ml bottles of lemon, lavendar, and peppermint. You can diffuse them together, put them in a roller bottle, use the seperatly for so many other uses, and who doesn't like free??
Thursday, August 4, 2016

Crochet Pattern Review: Knee High Socks

Months ago, a friend of mine tagged me in a photo of knee high slipper socks on facebook, asking me if I was able to make them. The problem was, her photo was of a knit pair of socks, and I just never was able to pick up on that particular craft. After catching up on mermaid tails, I decided to set out to find a crochet pattern for these adorable socks!


They kind of remind me of Punky Brewster! Something about all the colors make me smile. These are the pair I made from the pattern, and they are now available in my shop 

The pattern comes from the creative mind of a gal named Clarissa at AspenCustomCrochet on Etsy. The pattern is listed for $3.50, and worth every penny! It is listed as "intermediate", and I think this is a very accurate description. I would not attempt this as a beginner. What you need to know for this pattern:
Single Crochet (sc)
Half Double Crochet (HDC)
Double Crochet (DC)
Front Post Double Crochet (FPDC)
Front Post Triple Crochet (FPTC)
Magic Circle (MC)
Slip Stitch (SL ST)

The description when you purchase also mentions that you will need to know how to increase and decrease which you use when creating the toe and the heel. Knowing how to chaneg colors on each round will also be helpful. You will also want to have a good needle for sewing in the ends, as there will be a lot! 

Another reason why the intermediate rating is accurate, is becuase you may have to do some of your own tweaking to make these fit you around the calf. There are a few rows of SC just above the ankle that work to keep the sock from slipping off, however, that same stitch up around the calf muscle didn't work for me. It was too tight. Instead, I decided to continue with DC, and then towards the top where the rows of blue are I decided to do a HDC and crochet behind the stitch to give it a knit look. This allowed for a bit more flexability around the calf, yet still snug enough to not fall down.

The other fantastic part about this pattern is that it comes with 3 different sizes, and you can adjust the colors ot fit any style you want! It is also versitile enough that if you need to make the sock wider, you can easily add a few more stitches. You can add your own flare using a ribbon through the top, a larger flower, or buttons. There are endless possibilities here.

All this said, go check out AspenCustomCrochet!! These will make some great gifts for any gal in your life!


Happy Hooking Y'all!