Back To School...........ALREADY????

I'm sure I'm not alone, I cannot believe that it is already back to school time.  It feels like the summers just keep getting shorter & shorter.    There is a lot of excitement that goes along with going back to school.  Summer is such a carefree & laid back time.........so much freedom & fun.  But going back to school brings its own goodness.  Getting back into a routine, football season, hometown celebrations & excitement.  

Going back to school can also bring a few problems......nervousness, temporary anxiety, sharing of germs, etc...  Today I thought I'd share some natural ways of dealing with things.

Does your family have trouble getting going in the mornings?  Check out this diffuser blend. 

Two of the best ways to support your child's wellness & immunity is by using Ningxia Red & Thieves oil blend.  If you're not already using these two, please go get some NOW!!!  You can thank me later. 

The first day of school brings a lot of excitement & a lot of nervousness.  My girls love wearing their diffuser necklaces & taking oily benefits on the go with them.  Stress Away, Valor, & White Angelica are just a few of our favorites for necklaces.

Starting back to school also means getting back into having regular, early bedtimes.  If your kids are like mine, that can be hard after a summer of carefree, late nights & evenings.  Try this relaxing pillow spray & roll on some Tranquil.  These oils will most definitely promote relaxation & peaceful sleep. 

It is never too early to start thinking about teacher gifts. Lots of people start the new year by bring the teacher a back to school gift.  Whether you take a gift at the beginning of the school year or not, there are tons of oily ideas that any teacher would be thankful to receive.    

So, now you're ready..........go out have a wonderful school year!!!

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Any Better...........

So, by this time I'm sure you've all seen the new products that Young Living released at the Convention!  But I thought I would take a few minutes to share a peak with you.  I am planning a new product launch party this weekend for my local team members.  I'm so excited to let them try the new products that I ordered.  Here is a graphic that shoes all the new products released.  My upline made these first two graphics for us to share.  These products are now available to everyone in your virtural office.  If you're not a Young Living member yet, I'd love to help you start your oil journey!

I was so excited when my products arrived.  I got my girls the dolphin diffuser.  Then I got the Thieves dish soap, Cool Azul, Ningxia Zyng, & Thieves Laundry detergent.  To say I was excited about these products would be a HUGE understatement.  But I was MOST excited about the Thieves Laundry detergent.  And I'll just have to tell ya, it did not disappoint!!  I absolutely LOVE it.  It smells of Thieves & freshness & I know there are no harmful chemicals in it.

 My girls couldn't wait to get their diffuser going.  It is really cool.  You can change the light colors & the light stays on even after it stops diffusing so it serves as a night light as well.  I love that Young Living has made products that are so kid friendly.  This has been a wonderful addition to our home. 

 Ningxia Zyng..............where do I start?  If you haven't tried this yet, you really do not know what you're missing!!  It reminds me of Clearly Canadian back in the day.  But it is so much better for you!!  Enriched with essential oils & natural energy boosters.  It is delightfully refreshing & a great pick-me-up to get thru the daily grind.  And if that's not good enough, try it with some fruit infusion.....Oh, my.  It is delish!!!

 I hope you've enjoyed this sneak peak at some of the new products.  I'd love to hear which products are your favorite.

The Struggle is REAL

Good morning!!!  I hope this post finds you having a GREAT week!!!  I'm not sure how the weather is where you are, but let me tell ya.......we've got a PERFECT weather day going on today!!!  When I woke up this morning, the overnight low was 60*!!!!  So FALL-LIKE!!!  Most everyone that knows me, knows that fall is my absolute favorite time of year!!!  So, I say, bring this weather on!!!  Now, I do realize that we're about 5-6 weeks away from fall so there will be, I'm sure many more HOT, HUMID days between now & then.  But for today, I'm going to bask in the perfectness of this weather!! I hope you will too!!

Have you been following along with our #1Step group on Facebook?  I hope you have.  It is a phenomenal group full of people who just want to encourage each other to better themselves by taking just 1 health step (or making 1 healthy choice) each day!!  We have a calendar for the month of August that you can download & print to write out your goals for the month!!!  I love having this......makes the goals more real & it keeps them in front of me so I'm focused on them.  
My goals for the month are to drink 100 oz of water daily, continue my Couch to 5k program, start back with my healthy meal planning, drink 2 oz of Ningxia Red daily, lose 5 pounds, blog about my #1Step journey, & consistently take my lemon, grapefruit, & peppermint capsules to help me reach my goals!!  Well, I'll just tell you......some of these goals, I've done very well with & some of these goals are proving to be a REAL STRUGGLE!!!

I have done well with the couch to 5k program.  I am just finished week 6 today!!  And I'm happy to say that I'm doing the program 3 times a week & I'm walking on the days in between!!!  I just hope my motivation holds.  ;)  I'm also doing really well with the 2 oz of Ningxia Red.  Let me share with you how I'm doing that.  I LOVE Ningxia Red.  Have you tried it yet??  If you haven't you are really missing out!!  So, go order your some Ningxia Red right now.....I don't mind waiting!! :)  Okay, there are some days that I take the very convenient 2 oz pouch with me when I head out to run.  I'll drink it on my way to the track & then I'll chase it with a Nitro to give me an extra boost during my run.  Some days though, like today, I'll just have a Nitro on my way & then when I get home, I'll have a smoothie.  I make my smoothies with organic kefir, fresh & frozen fruits, a splash of maple syrup, & 2 oz of Ningxia Red.  Then I'll add some essential oil for a flavor boost!!  It is a super yummy way to fuel for the day!

Do you have some favorite things to use or do to help you get through a workout?  I know I need help getting through mine.  But I also want to keep in mind that a workout has to be that........WORK!! Or it will not change me like it want it to.  Still I love having these amazing products from Young Living to help make the workout a little more bearable!!  Here are some of my favorites........

I've already mentioned Nitro...........I feel about Nitro the way I feel about Ningxia Red.  If you don't have this, you really need to get some.  You NEED this in your life.  I promise you'll thank me for this later!!  Besides Nitro I also use various combinations of essential oils.  En-R-Gee is always on the bottom of my feet.  And the one time I forgot it, I FELT like I forgot it!!!  So, I make sure I have it on now!!! I also like to put peppermint on my knees....this just helps the joints feel cool & loose to handle the run.  Peppermint is also great on these super HOT summer days.  On those days, I'll apply it to the back of neck for a cooling sensation through my workout.  Last week, each day that ran required that I use RC.  Why?  RC is wonderful for supporting healthy lung function.  I've found that it is incredibly helpful to my breathing on hot, humid days!!

One of my other goals is to consistently take my lemon, peppermint, & grapefruit capsules.  I love how these capsules make me feel......the only problem is that I FORGET to take them.  So, I went ahead & made me about 2 weeks worth & stuck them in the freezer for storage.  The reason I put them in the freezer is so that the citrus essential oils don't breakdown the gel capsule.  The lemon oil works as a detoxifier.  It pulls toxins from my body to be eliminated. Who don't need that???  The peppermint oil is wonderful for supporting healthy digestion.  And the grapefruit oil is for boosting metabolism.  So, you can see that these capsules need to consistently be part of my routine.  I'm doing better with this since I've made them in advance.  But there's still room for improvement.  So, I'll continue to work on that this month!

I also need to do better with the blogging.  I'm really trying....but you know how it is.  Life keeps us busy & time gets away!!  I'll do better.  I have made other improvements along the way this month.  I am doing better at drinking my water.  I'm not getting 100 oz in every day, but I am on most days.  And I'm also consistently ordering water in restaurants!!  This is HUGE!!!  I'm making my water more enjoyable by adding some essential oils for flavor.  My current favorite is Jade Lemon!!!  So refreshing!!   I'm also enjoying healthy snacks...........lots of fresh fruits.  And I'm loving the Slique bars. They are just 140 calories!!!  I cannot wait to try the new chocolate ones they just released at convention!!!!  YUM!!!

So, tell me............are you in the #1Step group?  Want to be added?  All you have to do is let me know!!  I'd also love to hear how you're doing with your goals this month!! 

#1Step in August

So, we're at the end of the first week of August (I'm not sure how that happened so fast......time is really FLYING!!).  Most everyone that you know wants to be healthy.  Whether they admit it or not, whether they are actively pursuing it or not.  What I told you that it doesn't have to be have to HARD!  If you knew that you could accomplish your health & wellness goals easily, who wouldn't jump on board???

 My amazing Young Living leader has started a fabulous Facebook group for the month of August.  This group is called #1Step.  It is a wonderful group of people who are all striving for the same goal.......to better our health & wellness.  Elizabeth is also amazing with photography & design & she has made these incredible graphics for the group.  (I hope she doesn't mind me using them here!!)  :)

 The point & purpose of this group is to realize & encourage each other to know that we can ALL reach our health & wellness goals by taking 1 healthy step & decision each day!! How awesome is that!!!  When you break it down to 1 simple, healthy decision a day, it becomes really easy & totally doable!! 

I am super excited to be participating in this group.  So much fun & encouragement being shared.  Here is a quick selfie I snapped at the beginning of the month with my goals.  This is really going to help jump start me into a new, healthy me!!!  Can't wait to see the progress!!  And I would LOVE to have you join me!!  If you want to participate in this #1Step group, please comment on this post or email me (ericalovell@att.net), or message me on Facebook (ME) & I'll be happy to get you added.  

Now, let's talk about those goals!!  We all have goals.......we can have personal goals, financial goals, spiritual goals, work goals, fitness goals.....you get the idea.  For this group we will be focusing on health & wellness goals.  Taking our health into our own hands.  When thinking about your goals, you want them to be specific, realistic, attainable, & measurable.   Once your goals are set, you need to make a plan & get to work.  You'll be achieving your goals before you know it!!

So, I thought I'd share some of my goals with you!!  My goals for this month to have better health are to drink 100 oz of water a day (this one's tough!), continue & complete my couch to 5k program, lose 5 pounds, drink 2oz of Ningxia Red daily, get back to my healthy & weekly meal planning, blog about my #1Step journey, and consistently take my lemon, peppermint, & grapefruit capsules to help with my weight management.  Each of these goals will help me be a better, healthier me!!  So, tell me what are your goals!!!  I'd love to hear from you!!!

Back To School!!!

Who can believe that it is already time for back to school!?!?  After homeschooling last year & having a wonderfully fabulous year, we have decided to put our girls back in school this year.  So I'm right there with you all in the back to school rush to get ready.  We all know that school starting in the fall requires lots of shopping.........new clothes, new shoes, pencils, paper, bookbags, crayons, etc.  Today we're going to talk about other things that are necessary when going back to school.  

You all know that I'm all about Young Living Essential Oils.  Did you realize that there are so many amazing YL products that are needed for a super healthy & well school year!!! 

There are several essential oils that can enhance your child's learning & make the school year better!!

Young Living also has a whole line of KidScents that are especially made for kids, prediluted & ready to help with a wide array of issues!!  And now they're available in a kit AND individually!!!  I'd love to hear how you use these!!!  

We all know how incredible Thieves is, right?  Well, did you know there is a Premium Starter Kit with Thieves??  So many awesome products!  I just recently placed my monthly order & have all things Thieves headed our way!!  We will not start the school year without being prepared with Thieves!!  Don't you agree??

And let's not forget all the teachers & grown ups going back to school!!  We have a lot of must have products for you too!!!  Check out our work survival kit recommendations!!!  

So, tell me, what all do you have ready to go for Back to School???  

Spring Into Wellness ~ Nitro

So, have you discovered Young Living's Ningxia Nitro yet??  If you haven't you are totally missing out!!!  I mean, seriously!!  You need to stop reading right now & go order your Nitro.  Go ahead, I'll wait.....then you can finish reading!!! :)

 Okay, everyone ready now?  Let's move on.  I seriously believe this is some of the BEST stuff EVER!!!!  NingXia Nitro™ combines 100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils with naturally powerful ingredients to lift mental clarity and focus while also providing a surge of energy when needed.

Primary Benefits: *Increases mental fitness, cognitive alertness, and physical acuity* *Enhances athletic performance and endurance* *Boosts energy and serves as a daily pick-me-up*  See, doesn't that sound like something EVERYONE needs in their life?  I know I do!  Even Young Living's founder, Gary Young LOVES NITRO.  At the 2013 Convention he said, "I can't give you more time, but I can give you more energy."  You can see more of why Nitro (along with the amazing propterties of Ningxia Red) is the answer to the energy question by reading HERE.

  So, how do you Nitro?  Let me tell you, there is no wrong way!!  You can slurp it right out of the tube or you can enjoy it mixed with another drink or smoothie.  The possibilities are limitless.  My favorite way to enjoy Nitro is to add it to my morning smoothie.  I start with our homemade goat's milk yogurt.  Then I add fresh & frozen fruit, a little Ningxia Red, a tiny splash of maple syrup, & a tube Nitro.   Then I'll usually add an essential oil for enhance flavor.  A smoothie of this caliber is sure to power me through my morning!!

Nitro is also a perfect pick-me-up for that afternoon slump we all hit.  Instead of reaching for the coffee or energy drink, why not grab a Nitro?  It is so much better for you. Here are more ways to use YL's Nitro.

Nitro along with Ningxia Red is a powerful way to start your day.  Try it the next time you need an extra kick of energy. 

One of my goals of this series is to get myself back into exercising & taking care of myself.  I mean, I can't take care of my family if I don't take care of myself, right?  So, I'm really enjoying slurping a Nitro before a brisk walk. 

What is your favorite way to have your Nitro?

Spring Into Wellness ~ Power Meal

I have always like the idea of "meal replacement shakes" when I'm trying to diet & lose weight.  Somehow it helps me better manage my calories by having something like that & just know, "Okay, this is breakfast."  Well, by this point in this series, you have to know that Young Living has the perfect product for that purpose.  I'm talking about Power Meal.  I love to use Power Meal to make my smoothies at home.  It is super easy & yummy.  I throw in come fresh & frozen fruit.  Then I use my homemade goat's milk yogurt, Ningxia Red, a tiny splash of maple syrup, & Power Meal.  After I blend all that up, I add whichever essential oil I want to add flavor to my smoothie.  This morning I used Citrus Fresh.  I know that when I make a smoothie like this, I am getting full & complete nutrition.  And I can certainly feel it throughout the morning.  I have a little extra pep in my step & stay full much longer. 

Power Meal is rich in calcium, antioxidants & amino acids, & it delivers an impressive 20 grams of protein per serving  plus a complete vitamin, mineral and enzyme profile.  How's that for whole nutrition!?!  I have found Power Meal to be  a delicious, satisfying, rice-based meal replacement.

 How do you know you're getting the BEST nutrition.  For me, the thing that "sold" me on YL is the Seed To Seal process.  This is completely unique to Young Living.  No other company out there can offer this kind of purity promise.  And because of their integrity, they will not compromise on this process.  It is truly top notch.  Here is a link for you to check out more on the Seed to Seal.  Check out the amazing process Young Living goes through to create all of their top notch nutritional supplements & see this great list of products from Young Living to aid in weight management.

Which products have you tried or are you looking forward to trying to reach your health & fitness goals?

Spring Into Wellness ~ Slique

Have you heard of Slique?  Young Living has an entire Slique product line specifically designed to help us reach our fitness goals while using good for you products. Slique Essence combines grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, spearmint, and ocotea with stevia extract in a unique blend that supports healthy weight management goals. These ingredients work together to help control hunger, especially when used in conjunction with Slique Tea or the Slique Kit. The pleasant citrus combination of grapefruit, tangerine, and lemon essential oils adds a flavorful and uplifting element to any day with the added support of spearmint that may help with digestion. Ocotea essential oil adds an irresistible, cinnamon-like aroma to help control hunger, while stevia adds an all-natural sweetener that provides a pleasant taste with no added calories.  This is a wonderful line of products & there is something for just about every need you have.

A couple of drops of Slique Essence in your daily shot of Ningxia Red makes for a great start to the day.  The Slique bars are a delicious way to take your healthy lifestyle on the go.  I keep a couple of these bars in the car.

I'm looking forward to trying more of these products & learning how to use them to reach my health goals!!  I'm so thankful to have found Young Living & to know the dedication they put in to having quality products available to us.  I need the BEST help available.........I've got a long way to go to hit my goals!!

Here are a couple of really helpful posts from the Young Living Blog about SLIQUE  & SLIQUE COLLECTIONS. These are fabulous products to help you reach your goals!!  

Spring Into Wellness ~ Ocotea & Cinnamon Bark

Today we'll turn our focus to two oils that help your body maintain healthy function. The first oil that we'll talk about is Ocotea.  Ocotea is extracted from an Ecuadorian tree & it has the highest level of alpha humulene of any Young Living essential oil, which is a compound that helps aid the body's natural response to irritation and injury. Ocotea also has natural cleansing and purifying properties.  Now I'll share some ways to use Ocotea:

Here is an article with more information & uses of Ocotea.

Let's also look at Cinnamon Bark.  The warm, spicy aroma of cinnamon has been sought throughout the ages both as a valuable commodity & for its ability to improve wellness. Cinnamon is thought to promote healthy cardiovascular & immune function. You can also use it to enhance your cooking, or dilute and massage into chakras to create a soothing, relaxing sensation. 

We'll talk later this week about the Slique product line, but here is a YL blog post using Cinnamon Bark in a recipe.

I love this plan for using these oils.  In fact, I have me about two weeks worth of capsules already made & I'm keeping them in the freezer (I'm doing this so the citrus oils won't eat through the capsule before I can take them).  Have you tried this?  What were your results? 

Spring Into Wellness ~ Workout Performance & Recovery

Exercise............love it or hate it, it is something we all desperately need. I
 know this lady right now does not get enough of it!!  But we all know we need to take care of our body......we only get one!!  We have to take care of our body through  diet & exercise.  
So, in this post I'll be sharing some of my favorite exercise oils.  There are oils & other products that are beneficial for pre-workout & post-workout.  Some of the oils shown in this post will be discussed in greater detail later this week.
This graphic just happens to have some of my favorite products listed.....Deep Relief!!!  It is amazing......sore muscles, headache, knee pain, back pain, shoulder pain. I could go on & on.  Deep Relief is a convenient roll on blend containing Peppermint, Lemon, Balsam Canada, Clove, Copaiba, Wintergreen, Vetiver, Dorado Azul, Helichrysum, & Coconut oil.  WOW!!  What a powerhouse!! Besides all that it has a energizing & invigorating scent. Now, do you understand why I won't be without?? 

 Besides already being AWESOME, now our roll ons have brand new gorgeous packaging!!! 

 














Sore muscles are just a part of exercising.  We all know this.  I think it helps when we know safe ways to help us deal with & relieve the pain.  Panaway is another fabulous blend by Young Living.  Think of it this way:  Panaway = PAINaway.  :)  Make sense?  Panaway contains Wintergreen, Helichrysum, Clove, & Peppermint.  Here is what Young Living says about Panaway:  "

PanAway® was created by Gary Young following a severe injury to the ligaments in his leg. Containing wintergreen essential oil, which is often used for massage, PanAway is soothing to the skin while providing comforting warmth to muscles after exercise."  Young Living also offers these tips for using Panaway: Product Tips

• Rub PanAway essential oil blend across your lower back if you feel discomfort from sitting in front of a computer.
• Rub PanAway essential oil blend on muscles to help alleviate stressed muscles or other physical discomforts.
• Rub PanAway essential oil blend on your temples to ease minor head tension.

 Recently I developed some sort of problem in my left shoulder.  It didn't bother me all the time, but it was especially tender if I slept on my left side or did too much lifting & pulling during the day.  During this time I decided to sweep our garage out for my hubby while he was at work one day.  We live on a mini farm.......full of dust & dirt & grass.  So, the garage was in horrible shape.  Our driveway is gravel & when it is dry is super dusty & when it rains it is super muddy.  So this does not bode well for our garage.  Our vehicles bring in either dust or mud.  So I spent about an hour sweeping all the mud/dust out of the garage.  Now, this is not traditional exercise, but let me tell you, I burned some calories that afternoon.  When I was about halfway through I could tell that it was a mistake for my shoulder that I had done this.  That evening I was hurting BAD!!  So, I alternated a couple of roll ons on my shoulder.  I started with Deep Relief.  Then I used a "Pain Bomb" blend that I made myself.  In it I put Panaway, Peppermint, Valor, Lemongrass, & Copaiba. I put in about 10 drops of each essential oil & then filled the bottle with grapeseed oil.  This recipe is "the BOMB!"  After alternating these two roll ons, I woke the next morning & was almost 100% pain free in my shoulder!!!   

Lemongrass & Copaiba are two wonderful oils from Young Living.  So many therapeutic properties.  Lemongrass is know to support overall well-being and I personally find that helps help tension & pain for me.  Copaiba is a powerful essential oil from South America.  It supports the body's natural response to irritation & injury.  This makes it a perfect fit for use after workouts & exercise.  Copaiba also acts as a magnifier.....meaning whatever you pair it with, it will "magnify" that oil's properties.  I discovered Copaiba when it came to be as a freebie one month and boy am I glad I got that freebie!! It has truly become a favorite oil of ours. Here is some more information from Young Living about Copaiba Essential Oil. 

No matter what kind of exercise you're doing you can be confident knowing that Young Living has the best oils & products for you.  Whether you are doing yoga or running or anything in between. 

  Here are just a few more tips & ideas for your workout & recovery part 1
 & part 2.
So, now tell me, what are YOUR favorite YL products for your exercise program?

Spring Into Wellness ~ PLG Trio

I cannot believe we are already to week 4 of our Spring Into Wellness series.  This has been so much fun & so great for ME...........I hope you've been able to get at least half as much from this as I have.  WOW!! I continued to be amazed each day by these essential oils & other products & supplements.  I am so thankful that I found this incredible company to help me take natural, pure care of my family!!!  

So, this month we've taken a specific health focus for each week.  I've tried to share some of Young Living's amazing products & supplements with you along with their essential oils.  For this last week in the series we will be focusing on Diet/Exercise.  I mean, seriously, who doesn't need this??  I'd venture to say that almost everyone we know has made these statements, "I'd like to lose a little (a lot) of weight.", "I'd like to be in better shape."  I saved this topic for the last week because it is the one that I need help with the most.  I've struggled with my weight most of my adult life.  It seems I've never been satisfied with my body.  I've tried every quick fix out there.  Now that I've hit 40 I know my battle is going to get that much harder.  So, at this point in my life, I do not want a quick fix.......I just want pure, natural, good for me products that are going to help me take care of my body.  Do I still want to lose weight??  YES!!  Do I still want to look better??  YES!!  BUT my main focus now is NOT to be skinny or hit a certain number on the scales.  My focus now is to make MY body the best it can be & the healthiest it can be.  I will be sharing products, supplements, & oils this week that can aid me (& you) in life's health journey.  I hope you find this helpful.  As always, feel free to ask me any questions that you have OR if you've decided to join the oil train, message me & I'll gladly help you get started!!

The first thing we'll talk about is a well know little "trio" of oils.  These are used by lots of people to help aid their bodies into losing weight.  The three oils I'm talk about are Peppermint, Lemon, & Grapefruit.  Each of these oils is capable of doing great things on their own. When you use them together.......WOW!!!!  I'm including several amazing graphics to help you see what these oils can support your body to.  All three of these oils can be used aromatically, topically, & internally.  

Can you believe there are so many uses & ways to use these oils??

 

 

I am also going to include some graphics that share ideas on how to use these oils.  There are so many ways!!!  Some of these I have tried & others I have not yet.  I'm excited to have new ways to help me meet my health goals!!!  Which ideas do you see that you'd like to try?

We have already talked earlier this month about the amazing Ningxia Red.  I believe this is something everyone she have daily!!  Over the past several months I have participated in two "30 Day Ningxia Red" challenges.  And it is unreal just how much better & more energetic I feel when I'm having my daily red.  So, why not up the benefits by adding the oils that will aid in a healthier body?

 Only Peppermint & Grapefruit are pictured, but lemon is also a very nice addition to the red!! 

We all know that one key to losing weight & being healthy is to stay hydrated.  I'm gonna be completely real & honest with y'all.......this is an area that I need MAJOR improvement in.  I honestly just cannot stand water!!!  I wish I did.  I will try to make myself drink enough water & most of the time I end of gagging.  I have had plenty of times when I could tell that my body was dehydrated.  So, I've got to figure out a way to change that.  I love the idea in this graphic......adding these citrus oils to water does seem to help me drink more.  Now to just stay focused & do it daily!!!  What are your favorite oils to use in your water.  **Note:  When adding citrus oils to your water, make sure that you are drinking from a glass or stainless steel cup.  Citrus oils will pull toxins from plastic.  So, if you're drinking from a plastic cup, you will be ingesting the toxins while I drinking your water!!  YUCK!!!! 

Do you have tips on how you make sure to get enough water?  I'd love to hear them.  Here are ore ways to up your HYDRATION.