If my Gram were still here and she loved an oil blend, this would be it.
She is the inspiration behind this blend and I’ve blogged about her original recipe before. See it HERE.
To make an essential oil blend that mimics this recipe, try this!
Gram’s Oil Blend
10 drops grapefruit
10 drops lemon
2 drops clove
2 drops cinnamon
Add these oils and water to your favorite diffuser, and let the scent fill your house! This is one of my favorite diffuser blends. Let me know what you think of it and which blend you love that I just have to try.
Disclaimer: I use Young Living Essential Oils and based on my research, I believe these are the best, safest, and most pure oils on the market. PLEASE do your own research and determine which oils are best for you and your family.
I can’t cook for just two people, like I literally CAN’T. I love to cook. I like to cook huge meals with lots of leftovers. And when I try to cook for just two, I always have enough for at least four.
But since going on the road, I needed to figure it out. And in a short amount of time, I’ve really gotten better! I’m buying less but prepping more and thinking about ingredient specific meals before even going to the store. #learning
My Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast was a great recipe to do for just two people and not make extras. (But truth be told, if we were going to be in this AirBnb longer than 2 more days, I would have batch cooked these, too, and had several breakfasts for the week.)
Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast
2 eggs, scrambled
3-4 shakes cinnamon
2 tablespoons vanilla almond milk
butter and maple syrup
Scramble the eggs in a shallow dish. Add the cinnamon and Almond milk and stir until incorporated. Heat a skillet to low-medium heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter is melted, submerge the bread into the egg mixture and add the bread slices to the pan. Cook on each side until they begin to brown or to preference.
Top with butter and maple syrup and enjoy. Mmm.
I’m typically not a fan of sweet breakfast but when I do have sweeter things in the AM, they are always simple and delicious like this. I hope you love these as much as me!
Tip: If you like crispier french toast, quickly dip the bread into the egg mixture. For a “wetter” and less crunchy piece, submerge and let sit in the egg mixture for 15 seconds.
Nick loves chia pudding. And chia pudding is quick, easy, healthy, and a great dish to have on hand. So we have it a lot and I am always trying new combos.
This is my newest version and according to him, it’s a winner, too. Make this quick so you can get some of the last of the summer strawberries to add in. Yum!
Strawberry Vanilla Chia Pudding
2 cups vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Combine all the ingredients and let chill in the fridge for 5 hours or overnight. (Stir a couple of times in the first couple of hours to make sure that everything is combined.)
It’s almost late September and it (sometimes) feels like Fall, I’m in Wisconsin for a few more weeks, and I accidentally got sunburnt just 3 days ago. Ugh. This is what I did.
I used oils. Yup, my trusty essential oils. And the burn, and my lobster red skin, were 90% recovered by morning. No joke. This is what happened.
I was with some of my favorite friends since high school and we all went to a Brewers game. It. Was. HOT. I’m talking sun without clouds, almost 90 degrees, and the littlest of breezes you ever did feel. I use sunscreen religiously so I did apply!
I slathered on sunscreen..that is on my legs, arms, and shoulders, a spot I always know gets too much sun. But I forgot to get my face, and I forgot to get my upper chest, and DAMN did I get a burn. I meant to sunscreen my face and chest, but one distraction later, and I forgot. That night, it hurt.
But after getting back from the game, I showered my sunscreen off, and added three essential oils with a carrier oil to my burnt parts, mostly my face, chest, and shoulders. My forehead and hairline was the worst by far but like I said, three applications and a good nights sleep and my skin was cured!
I should have taken a before and after because looking at my face yesterday made it hard to believe how red I really was. But if you need to save your skin from a burn (or if you peel,) use this blend and you will be good to go!
Sunburn Saver
1 drop Lavender
1 drop Frankincense
1 drop Copaiba
½ squirt of Sweet Almond Oil (or carrier oil of choice)
Mix this combination in the palm of your hand and apply to your face or any sunburned area.
I’m telling you, this blend will take your skin from tight, hot, and red to better in just a few applications. Be careful in the sun, but if you do get a burn, save your skin with these oils!
I hate when my psoriasis flares, it’s the worst feeling. What does it feel like? My skin itches, it’s on fire, it turns red, and it’s all around uncomfortable.
So what do I do when it happens? Slather on steroid cream? Run to the dermatologist to get shots? Nope. These are the last things I do, the things I do ONLY if I have to. Let me explain.
I am not one to take medication. If I’m sick, I’m downing homemade, garlic-filled soup, dousing on essential oils, and sipping on OJ along with endless amounts of water.
And when I get psoriasis flares, it’s much of the same. Well, not exactly the same, but as natural and non-medicine as I can. Here are the things I do when I get a flare and the things that make me feel better, sans medicine.
Ice
Sometimes, nothing feels better than ice. It cools your skin, slightly numbs it, and does a good job of taking away the itch. Of course, be careful to not over-chill or give yourself ice burn, as this will only further irritate your skin. But in this case, for psoriasis flares, cold is good.
Essential Oils
If I’m “at home,” and not going out, geranium is key. The thing is, it doesn’t smell good. But you know what else? It stops the itch. My other favorite no itch oil is peppermint. Because of the mint in it, it instantly cools your skin and, you guessed it, stops the itch.
Essential Oil and Epsom Salt Bath
These baths are perfect for flares and really help me relax, too. I like to use lavender, tea tree, and geranium oils for the bath. Make sure to mix the oils in a cup (or more) of Epsom salt and then add them to your bath water. (Just so you know, this mixture doesn’t smell good, it isn’t meant to, but it will make your skin better and you will be glad that you sat in it.) Also, add apple cider vinegar to your bath. I KNOW, yuck, all around, but this isn’t a smell good bath, it’s a (skin) feel good bath. Oh, and make sure the water’s not too hot, this is very important!
These are the main things I do when I get a flare. I have steroid cream on hand if I ever need it, but I rarely use it. I prefer to eat gluten-free, make sure to drink all the water, use paraben-free, fragrance-free, high-quality and natural lotion, and do anything and everything I can to naturally protect and take care of my skin.
I hope you don’t have psoriasis, but if you do, I hope this blog post is helpful and inspiring. Take care!
If you read my Fall posts last year, you know I am not a pumpkin fan. I don’t want Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I don’t want pumpkin seeds, and I don’t want pumpkin cake. What do I want?
Apples, I want all the apples. Apple cider, dehydrated apples, raw and fresh apples, apple everything! And these stewed apples take next to no time at all, smell up your whole house with real apple flavor, and taste super indulgent all while being super healthy. Here’s the recipe:
Crock Pot Stewed Apples
6 medium apples, cored and cut into thick slices (I got about 6 pieces per apple)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
In a crock pot, add the apples and lemon juice and combine. Then on top of that add the raisins. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the top and drizzle with honey. That’s it! Turn the crock pot on high and cook for about 1 1/2 hours. It’s done when you can poke a fork through them, but before they are mushy.
Seriously, this recipe couldn’t be easier or quicker, and the taste will fool anyone into thinking you put serious time and effort into this dish. Enjoy the apples of the season and Happy (almost) Fall!
I have talked about my psoriasis before, my story and how I treat it naturally. Honestly, I hope that no one reading this has psoriasis, because #psoriasissucks. But at the same time, and equally, I hope that people with psoriasis do find my blog and find hope in the disease and tips and tricks to take care of it.
This post relates specifically to scalp psoriasis. No one can really see it, but I feel it. My head is itchy and hurts. And if you itch, our scalp flakes, and it’s just no fun.
While I don’t “treat” it with anything, I love to do avocado hair treatments, at least once a week. This is literally avocado oil on my hair, under a plastic bag, and beneath a heated towel.
It helps the itch, it moisturizes and softens my hair, and it is super easy to do.
Here are two videos to show you what you need, the exact steps, and why and how long I do everything. If you have any questions, please ask in the comments. And see below for a quick (non-video) tutorial, too.
Avocado hair treatments are great for my scalp. I use avocado oil and I love it. But you could also use olive oil or coconut oil. You will also need two towels, a plastic store bag, some kind of butterfly clip, and about an hour.
First, you slather your scalp in oil. Then you loosely secure your hair with a butterfly clip, add the plastic bag, and a warmed towel, and wait.
You can switch out the warmed towel with another warmed towel for salon effect. (Sometimes I will switch two towels out for each other about 4-5 times throughout an hour.)
Then you remove the towel, the bag, the clip, and get into the shower to rinse, shampoo, and condition.
PS you do NOT have to have psoriasis to do this treatment! It works for all hair and will not disappoint.
I hope that you love this as much as I do and would love to hear about your experience. Thanks for reading!
Philippians 4:6 says not to worry, but instead to go to Him with everything.
I love this. It’s reassuring and calming, like so much of the Word. The thing is, worry is a part of everyday life. And while I am not one to worry, I know people that are.
And this is where Jesus comes in. And prayer. And God. Don’t worry, instead go to Him with everything.
In your prayers, thank God for everything He has done for you. And pray to Him about everything you want Him to do. Prayer is how we communicate with God, and he is always listening.
As you pray (and go through your day,) pray as if you already have what you’re praying for, as if your prayer has already been answered. This is faith.
Speaking life and what we want from life is the most important thing. If you don’t want it, don’t say it!
I just want to take the time to pray for you if you’re reading this:
Dear God, We thank you that we can come to You and that You know our hearts. We are glad to know that we can always speak to You and that You are always listening. We thank you for Your peace and joy. We thank You for encouraging us to come to you in prayer whether we are sad, happy, upset, annoyed, hurt, or worried, because You will take care of all of it. Thank you for taking our worries so that we don’t have to carry them. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Otherwise known as our life. And we leave in less than two weeks! (Actually move from our apartment in South Florida to become gypsies, digital nomads, or like I like to call it, Airbnb’ers!)
I can hardly believe it. What once was a thought of, talked through, pipe dream is fast becoming our reality, and I cannot wait to tell you about it.
First things first, a little about my story. My hubby and I are anything but traditional. We moved and lived to Panama for 6 months early in our dating life. We came back and got married on the sly. And then, once we were back (home,) Nick found himself his dream job and we left and moved to Florida.
And today, we are coming up on almost three (HOT) years in Florida. It’s really crazy how fast it went. Wow.
And now, we’re on to the next!
Wisconsin
We plan to spend most of August and September back home (in Wisconsin,) almost all of October traveling, November back here in the Florida life and by Christmas we will be to my mom and step dad’s in Arizona. Whew!
From there, we plan to spend most of 2019 on the west coast. We have lots of love for California, Washington and Oregon, and are excited to visit new states and areas, too!
The end of this year will go fast and there are so many things I am looking forward to. A Brewer’s game back home, seeing friends and family, walking on the lake path in Lake Geneva and my favorite egg rolls ever are just the beginning.
Maybe I should back up and preface all of this with, both my husband and I have the ability to work remotely. Travel and seeing the nation (and the world!) is on both of our hearts and with the remote work option, neither of us can say exactly where we want to live “forever” or where we want to be even for now. We want to see, and be, in it all!
We talked about this life, this dream, this possibility..all the way back when we lived in Panama. Truly, that feels like a long time ago. It’s crazy how much time has passed, how many things have changed, and all that has happened to us in the last five years.
And now, we both are in completely new professions that hold our passions and allow us to live out our other passions, too, like spending time with our people and traveling.
Life has not always been easy and sometimes, it still isn’t. But things happen and you have to be flexible, and be as positive and patient as you can!
I am so excited. It’s hard to believe. But for now, I must go. I need to pack my life, my place, and my suitcase! (We’re off to Vancouver Canada at the end of this week for 10 days,) and we move three days after coming back. Oy! Oh yes, and don’t forget about that work life, too!
Thanks for reading and do me a favor and put in a prayer for us! Life may not have turned out like we “wanted it to,” or even how we thought it would. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t turned our exactly how it was supposed to.
I can’t wait to share this journey with you and all of my continued love for natural everything, delicious food, God, workouts, friends and family, travel and everything else Emmy!
What do you do to help you focus? As a freelance writer, I have to stay on task when I work. So, I have lots of tips and tricks I’ve developed along the way.
Taking several quick, short walks throughout the day is amazing for focus. I do this often. I also like to stand while I work sometimes. This is great for your body and allows you to move more.
And I love to use essential oils to help me focus, too! I find that bright, fresh citrus is great for focus and this blend smells amazing.
Focus Blend
2 drops peppermint oil
2 drops lime oil
2 drops grapefruit oil
This blend is awesome in a diffuser. Just add the oils and water and set your diffuser next to you for your task, and boom. Smells great, keeps you alert, and helps you focus.
If you want to make a roller bottle with this blend, add 15 drops of each into the roller bottle and fill with Jojoba oil (or carrier oil of choice.)
Disclaimer: I use Young Living Essential Oils and based on my research, I believe these are the best, safest, and most pure oils on the market. PLEASE do your own research and determine which oils are best for you and your family.
gets too much sun. But I forgot to get my face, and I forgot to get my upper chest, and DAMN did I get a burn. I meant to sunscreen my face and chest, but one distraction later, and I forgot. That night, it hurt.
get shots? Nope. These are the last things I do, the things I do ONLY if I have to. Let me explain.
Led to Share 