Let's Look: My September YL Order

I've shared before, that I order a monthly subscription box from Young Living, and I totally love that I can choose the products I order and how much I spend each month! It's a one stop shop, and I love that I no longer stand in the aisle at Target reading ingredient labels. It saves me so much time and ships right to my door! 

Let's look at what I ordered in September: 

Gretchen asked to start using lotion, and I want to get her in the habit now of using products that are safe as she grows. Conventional body lotions contain synthetic fragrance, which can wreck havoc on our reproductive systems. And, since I have girls, it's pretty important to me that one day, they can have babies if they choose. I know Bath & Body Works is popular, but it's not a store we shop at. Even walking by, I get an instant headache. 

I ordered Gretchen this Lavender Hand & Body lotion that not only smells good, but doesn't contain harsh chemicals. 

She also asked for a lip gloss, so I ordered her this pink one. I love Young Living's lip gloss, because it isn't sticky. One thing I hate about lip gloss, is my hair sticking to it when the wind blows- ha! My hair doesn't stick to this lip gloss! 

I'm loving the newly reformulated shampoo & conditioner from Young Living. We all use this, so I keep it on my monthly orders. Again, conventional shampoo & conditioner not only contain fragrance, but parabens, sulfates, and sodium lauryl sulfate which are all carcinogens and hormone disruptors. 

Bath Gel for the girls :) Again, because of the harsh ingredients in conventional bath gels. I love that Young Living has a line of products just for kids- we've used their Kidscents Bath Gel (& shampoo) for years and all love it! 

Pst- they also have a line just for babies! Their Seedlings collection smells divine! 

DJ uses their shave cream and really likes it!

Oh gosh, we are obsessed with these! I ordered 4 of the vitality drops and received 1 free, so we have 5, which should get us through the next month. Gretchen and I use these daily in our water. I have said before that I don't drink coffee, tea, or soda. I rarely drink juice or milk. It's straight water for me, but sometimes I need some flavor. These vitality drops come in lots of different flavors! I'm currently loving the Jade Lemon and Berry. Some of the drops have caffeine, but you can order different flavors without. I find that the caffeine is just enough to give me a boost, but it doesn't keep me awake at night. These also contain electrolytes so they're a great alternative to kids sports drinks. 

These supplements are on repeat around here. Both Super Vitamin D and Super C are perfect for boosting your immune system, and with the girls back in school this year, I need them to be as healthy as possible. We are taking these daily as a preventative, and if we do get sick, we have them on hand and can take extras. 

Lately, I've been singing the praises for Super B. Moms, if you are tired and need energy, this is hands down the one product you need. Super B is a complex supplement that is great for maintaining healthy energy levels, supporting mood and cardiovascular and cognitive functions. Gosh, if I could give this to every single one of you, I would. 

This month, I received 7 essential oils for free! All of the ones pictured above and below were all sent with my order. 

It's actually pretty rare that I order essential oils from Young Living. We get a lot free each month, and while I love using them to diffuse, on wool dryer balls, and to support our body systems, I just don't buy them- again, we are gifted so many each month, and then I also receive points on my orders so I'll cash those in for oils if I need certain ones. 

I started using YL for their oils, but I seriously stayed for all of the products they have! 

If you want to order any of these products, you can click here and grab whatever you need! There's no starter kit that you need to purchase, you can just shop & it will ship right to your door! It's the best easy button there is! 

And finally, if you're curious about which products would be right for you and your family's health & wellness goals, I'm scheduling 1:1 consultations right now! These are free to you with no obligation. We'll just chat about your specific needs and I'll share a few products that might help! You can email me or send me a DM on Instagram! 

Come On In: Fall Home Tour

Last week, I shared a few Fall finds for your decorating inspiration, and today, I'm sharing our home... all decked out and ready for Fall. 

I start by decorating our entertainment stand. It's one of my favorite areas in our house to have decorated, because we don't have a fireplace. If we did, that would be the "showstopper" for our decorations. I love adding banners below the TV for some color and whimsy. 

I purchased this tier tray years ago from Magnolia and now they're everywhere. This one is similar. I just wanted pumpkins everywhere, so I put all the pumpkins that I could find on it. Megan laughed at the amount of pumpkins I had. 

On the opposite end, I added eucalyptus, our huge lantern, a little white squirrel and another pumpkin. 

On top of each bookcase; more pumpkins. 

A pumpkin platter, and another pumpkin. 

On our sideboard, I added wheat grass, a few little pumpkins, another squirrel, an owl plate, and faux fall leaves. 

I purchased the owl plate from Wal-Mart, and the little pumpkin last year from Target. The squirrel is from my college days. 

And on another table, a pumpkin tea pot set that my mother gave to me, and a few more pumpkins. 

The acorns on the bottom shelf belonged to my grandmother. 

I didn't add a lot of Fall touches to our entry way, another pumpkin, and a new sign. 

This sign is reversible, and I bought it from the dollar spot at Target a few weeks ago. 

This pumpkin is also new from Target. 

These are reversible signs from Target's dollar spot. I thought that I would hang them in my entry way, but after I bought them, I put them in our kitchen, with our cutting boards, and I actually love them here. 

The girls have all of our "halloween" decorations upstairs, and the playroom is always a mess, so hopefully in October, I'll have a little Halloween tour for you, and because it's still so hot here, our porch is not decorated at all for Fall.

I hope you enjoyed a little sneak in to our Fall home. 

 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! Today is a good day, because after 2 weeks home, Adalyn is going back to school! She was home due to covid cases, so I took some time off work to be home with her, and today she gets to back! I have the day off, and I am so excited to be home and I'm looking forward to a productive day ;) 

I'm linking up today with Andrea and Erika to share a few favorites. 

Our family is working on going gluten free. We decided for some health reasons, that Gretchen needed to be gluten free, and the rest of us are slowly following suit. Out of respect, I don't want to go in to too much detail until she gives me permission, but she's been gluten free for 2 weeks and we are already seeing some changes! We picked up a few gluten free baking mixes, and these two made us a chocolate cake last week! 

Megan and I went to the park one afternoon, and she was so proud of herself for climbing up this high. 

And when this girl was in a bad mood, silly selfies did the trick to turn her frown upside down. 

I feel like cooking is going to be a big theme in this post. Megan said that she never gets to bake by herself, so I let her make banana bread on Sunday. 

And then we hit up the pool. We only have a few more days left of pool season, so we wanted to soak it up!

Monday night, Adalyn helped me make meatloaf. 

And after dinner, we went on a walk to see our neighborhood's favorite Halloween decorations. 

Tuesday afternoon, Adalyn and I tried to have a picnic at the pool, but the gate wouldn't open. So, we took our picnic lunch to a neighborhood splash pad. We had lunch, and she opted to play at the park because the water wouldn't come back on, after we tested it out. Sigh. 

Once we made it back to our neighborhood, the pool was open, so we swam for an hour. 

On Wednesday, we had a movie day and rented Spirit, and then we made rice krispy treats. 

I put together my favorite Fall oils in a little bundle, totaling $104.00 if you want to grab these. You'll also receive a free diffuser from me through the end of September! Click here to grab this bundle. 

And, my favorite  nail brand, released the cutest Halloween nails this week! You can grab any of them here. 

This weekend, we'll be busy with church camp, a gymnastics competition, and the Texas football game! 

I'd love for you to follow along over on Instagram! 

 

10 Fall Home Decor Finds

 Last week, I decided to add all the Fall touches to our home. It's 90 degrees here, but I'm pretty convinced that if I can make it feel like Fall inside, it will feel like Fall outside. #agirlcandream

Here's a little sneak peak of a little Fall fun in our home. I just wanted pumpkins everywhere!

Today, I'm sharing a few Fall finds with you. If we can all get in the Fall decorating spirit sooner, then Fall will come. #fingerscrossed.

1. White & Gold Pumpkins

2. Wooden Beads

3. Pampas Grass

4. Pillow Covers. 

5. Velvet Pumpkins

6. Wooden Candlesticks

7. Pumpkin Banner

8. Hello Sign

9. Vase Filler Orbs

10. Blanket

Happy decorating friends! 

Peanut Butter Cookies

Each week, I bake treats for DJ's staff and students. I made peanut butter cookies and thought I'd share the recipe! These are light and fluffy and not overwhelming. I am picky about peanut butter cookies, and these are the only ones I'll eat. 

What You'll Need:

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. butter (softened)

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tspn vanilla

1/2 tspn baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

What You'll Do:

Place peanut butter and butter in your mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater and mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Add sugars, egg, and vanilla. Beat another minute. Stop & scrape bowl.

Turn your stand mixture to stir speed. Gradually add all remaining ingredients to sugar mixture and mix about 30 seconds. 

Roll dough in to 1 inch balls. I use a cookie scoop, to scoop, and then roll. Place balls about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press flat with fork in a criss-cross pattern.

Bake at 375 about 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy!!! 

 

Come on In: DJs Office

I'm fairly certain that when we moved to Texas, I never actually completed a full home tour. We've been here 3 years, and I still have a ton of painting and touches that I want to do, but gosh, time sure does get in the way of that! 

Last week, I was home and I deep cleaned DJ's office, and figured that I should probably share this space, because I'm certain I never shared it after moving in. Whew, that was long winded. 

His office is the 5th bedroom in our home, so I love that it has closet space to hold some of his crap stuff. 

Here's a peek at his office from the door. 

This room is filled with memorabilia from all of the schools we've been at. We are slowly adding some Texas memorabilia to the mix. I have some bowl things that I need to have framed, but we are waiting until we have more of a collection. 

This bookcase holds footballs, photos, trinkets, books, helmets, game day passes, and more from all of our old schools. 

DJ is a huge Cubs fan. His dad made him the "baseball cabinet" which holds his entire collection of baaseball cards from when he was growing up. Above are a few photos we've purchased form the Cubs, their world series baseball and replica ring along with DJ's old glove. 

More photos, bowl watches, and a paper bevo, that I have no idea how we have. 

Behind his desk are more footballs from bowl games, we use these mounts for the balls. 

DJ's mom purchased these wooden signs for us to display all of the school's he has worked at. 

So, there's a little peak at his office. It's a manly space just for him, because Lord knows he needs it in a house full of girls! 

Friday Favorites: It's Been a Week

Happy Friday! It's been a while since I've stopped by and linked up with Andrea & Erika for their Friday Favorites, but I thought I'd do just that today! 

Last week, I made chocolate chip cookies for DJ's student workers, and the girls had to swipe them to make sure they tasted okay! Chocolate chip cookies are definitely a favorite around here! 

Adalyn had an entire plan for her Friday outfit. She picked out a dress, added her cowgirl boots, and her pink denim jacket. She also asked me to braid her hair the night before, so it would be wavy for school. 

DJ was out of town for the football game, so we try to make those nights a fun girls night. Megan had gymnastics, but we were able to pick her up early because she had a competition the following day. We were debating on ice cream or pizza for dinner- they're both our favorite- but ultimately, the girls decided on ice cream. 

Fast forward to Sunday..... the little girls joined me on a trip to Costco. Their best friend brought them each a backpack from her trip to Brazil over the summer, and the girls love them! They're perfect for holding all of the fidget toys they've collected. Are fidget toys a favorite in your house too?

While at Costco, the girls found squishmallows, and they each bought one with their own money. These are so soft, and the girls love them! They'd make a great Christmas present if you're already shopping! 

After school on Monday, Adalyn came home not feeling well. In the same evening, we got an email from Megan's class that they were moving to virtual learning for the remainder of the week. I decided to play it safe, keep all the girls home, and cancelled my clients for the week. 

Virtual learning has been a pain. Megan's on and off zoom calls throughout the day, and accessing her assignments isn't the easiest, but we are making it. Gretchen has had a few assignments throughout the week from teachers that already post their assignments online, and Adalyn hasn't done much of anything except whine and cuddle. 

But, she started feeling better, and we played a game of Uno in bed. She beat me every round. 

Megan and I needed out of the house, so we want on a walk, and took a picture with our neighborhood skeleton. Someone has already put up their decorations, and it's been fun to see this guy in the hood. 

Last Friday when I was home by myself, I cleaned the girls bathroom and the new kitchen & bath scrub was a game changer for the girls bathroom. I sprinkled it in the sinks, and the layers of caked on dried toothpaste came right up. You can grab these products here, and get a $10.00 gift card back from me. 

I am slowly adding in some Fall decorations, and I'm loving this pom garland from Hobby Lobby. It was the perfect touch of burnt orange as we transition in from football decorations to fall decorations. 

The Good Crisp chips are her favorite snack.... we order them through Thrive market, which I'm loving because I can just hop on my phone, place my order, and it gets delivered to my door. When you join, Thrive donates a membership, and you get 30% off your first order and a free gift. Yes, please! You can click here and shop right from your phone. 

Whew! That's it for today's favorites! If you're not following already, I'd love to connect wiht you over on the gram!