Back to school can be a stressful time for parents and the child. Let's discuss 5 tips to make back to school easier as we transition out of summer. Plus, 5 essential oil roller bottles for kids going back to school. Whether you go to private school, or public school, making the transition from summer can be tough — so many emotions for all parties and as a mom. I want to share these 5 tips on how to make back to school easier. PIN IT FOR LATER #1 PREPARE THE NIGHT … [Read more...]
How to Make an Essential Oil Diffuser
Diffusing essential oils can uplift the mood, boost the immune system, and so much more! Learn how to make an essential oil diffuser with these DIY diffuser hacks. I love diffusing essential oils in my home because they smell fantastic and have many aromatic benefits. But what if I want these same benefits when I am not at home or do not have a diffuser? Learn how to diffuse essential oils without a diffuser using these 8 simple hacks. Don't worry; there are several ways to … [Read more...]
Benefits of Beef Tallow
Traditional fats are making a comeback. You might be wondering, what is tallow? I'm going to introduce you to this healthy fat and talk about the many beef tallow uses. This is a guest post from my friend Marisa from the blog bumblebee apothecary. She is a mama of 2 little ones and has one on the way. She shares lots of DIY skincare products and healthy recipes. As you know, these are a couple of my favorite things. Today she is going to introduce us to an ingredient she uses in almost … [Read more...]
Water Kefir Soda
Making fermented drinks at home can be easy with this simple recipe. This water kefir soda is loaded with beneficial bacteria for optimal gut health and is absolutely delicious. You may have caught on by now that I am a little obsessed with fermenting. If you follow me on Instagram, you often see that most of our meals consist of something fermented. From sourdough to sauerkraut, we love getting our probiotics from the foods we eat. Sometimes we even drink them! I am so excited to share … [Read more...]
Positive Natural Hospital Birth Story
Learn about my positive natural hospital birth story using the Bradley method and what I did to make it manageable. This story is a bit overdue, but hey, better late than never, right? I absolutely love reading birth stories. Giving birth amazes me, and hearing all the different ways little ones come into the world fascinates me. Continue reading to hear my positive natural hospital birth story. This story is about my third-born, Maxwell Richard. He was named after my dad. He was my … [Read more...]
5 Must-Have Essential Oil Roller Bottle Blends
With a large stash of essential oils in my home, I can hardly decide what to bring with me when I am out of the house. These 5 essential oil rollerball blends are the ones I never leave town without. I will show you exactly how to make them, how to use them, and why these are a must-have. This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure HERE. I never get far without an essential oil roller bottle (or ten) in my … [Read more...]
Best Foot Scrub to Remove Dead Skin
Do you have dry, cracked skin on the bottom of your feet and heels? If yes, this recipe is for you! This DIY exfoliating scrub is the best foot scrub for removing the dead skin from the bottom of the feet and will leave your feet feeling soft and fresh. My absolute favorite thing ever is a good ol' fashion foot massage. Seriously, not much can top it, in my personal opinion. My feet are far from perfect and sometimes need a little TLC. I can remember a time in high school I went to … [Read more...]
Healthy Strawberry Shortcake | Real Food Desserts
Healthy strawberry shortcake is so delicious you won't even notice that it is healthy. This real food dessert is gluten-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, and has a dairy-free option. Made with wholesome ingredients, you can eat this strawberry shortcake guilt-free Recreating desserts is one of my favorite things to do! Not because I love to bake, but because I have a sweet tooth. I think everyone does to some extent, right? Who doesn't enjoy a little sweet treat after a savory … [Read more...]
How to Make Natural Body Wash
Making your own all-natural body wash is easier than you think. With this simple 4 ingredient recipe, I will show you how to make a natural body wash that is moisturizing for the skin and cost-effective. Some of the products that we are using to keep our bodies clean can actually cause our bodies more harm than good. Have you revamped your daily grooming routine yet? When I decided to "clean up," pun 100% intended, my routine, I noticed that making my own natural body … [Read more...]
Homemade Sugar Scrub Bars
With a few simple ingredients, you can make homemade sugar scrub bars. These make the perfect handmade gift for anyone on your list. Something about homemade sugar scrub bars makes me feel fancy and girly. I love keeping a jar next to my sink to exfoliate my skin, especially during the wintertime when my hands can get so dry. In a house of mostly boys, sometimes my daughter and I have to have a girls' night. This can consist of going shopping and out to eat, or it can … [Read more...]
Homemade Anti-Itch Cream (Natural Bug Bite Relief)
Bug bites can be very annoying and itchy. Try this homemade anti-itch cream for natural bug bite relief. This cream is made with soothing ingredients that are great for relieving the itch and healing the skin. I decided to make a homemade anti-itch cream since the bugs are extra bad here this summer because of all the flooding in my area. We had one of the rainest springs in history here in the midwest! Thankfully, our house isn't affected by the flood, but many nearby … [Read more...]
How to Start the GAPS Diet
Starting with the GAPS diet can be overwhelming at first. I will teach you how to start the GAPS diet without overcomplicating it. Plus, learn how to make the GAPS diet staple food, bone broth, in the instant pot. I would be lying if I said the GAPS diet was easy. Previously, I shared our experience with the GAPS diet and went into detail about why we needed it. In short, I had a very sick baby that required a long hospital stay, IV antibiotics, and lots of steroid breathing … [Read more...]
Homemade Toilet Cleaning Bombs
Your cleaning day just got easier with these lemon-scented homemade toilet cleaning bombs. Made with all-natural ingredients, these cleaners will leave your toilet sparkling with little effort. Cleaning the toilets isn't the most pleasant job, though if you were here when I got out the toilet brush, you would think differently. All my kids LOVE to scrub the toilets. Yes, they are weird! But I know this is partly because they are little, the brush looks exciting, and it appears … [Read more...]
Benefits of Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil
Oil pulling with coconut oil for teeth has been shown to reduce bad breath, lessen plaque buildup and even whiten teeth. Have you heard of oil pulling? It is becoming quite the hype these days, and for a good reason. I have been oil pulling with coconut oil for quite some time now, and though it's been a struggle to stay consistent with it, I have been noticing some great results. The hardest part about oil pulling is not being able to talk for 20 minutes. I have tried doing … [Read more...]
Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream (Without Ice Cream Machine)
With this healthy peanut butter chocolate ice cream, this summer treat will quickly become a family favorite and leave everyone asking for more. No ice cream machine is needed. HEALTHY HOMEMADE ICE CREAM WITHOUT ICE CREAM MACHINE I have been making this healthy, peanut butter chocolate ice cream treat for many years. It is so simple and delicious. I decided it was time to share the love. My kids love when I make "ice cream," and I love that they think of this as ice … [Read more...]
Cooking with Essential Oils
Cooking with essential oils; All you need to know about essential oils in the kitchen. My tips on how to substitute herbs for oils and several recipes to try. Most nights, I stick to the basics: roasted chicken with sweet potatoes or soup in the instant pot. Sometimes I like to get fancy. Anytime I break out the essential oils, I feel fancy. The first time I used essential oils in the kitchen, I was making pumpkin bread, and halfway through I realized I was out of cinnamon. I … [Read more...]
My Experience with the GAPS Diet
Two years of clean eating and healthy living reversed my son's dairy intolerance, eczema, and digestive issues. I am excited to share my experience with the GAPS diet. If you have been one of the many MANY people who have requested that I post about my experience with the GAPS diet, thank you! I am very passionate about the GAPS diet and am so excited to write about it. For some reason, every time I sit down to write out my schedule, I kept forgetting to add this one to the … [Read more...]
How to Reduce Chlorine Exposure This Summer
Learn how to reduce chlorine exposure this summer while swimming. After swimming, detox spray and protecting lotion recipes included. Do you spend a lot of your summer in the pool? I know we do! Sounds harmless, right? Well, not exactly! Most pools are full of chlorine, and overexposure can be harmful. In my home, I work hard to minimize the amount of chlorine we are exposed to. We use a water filter for our drinking water and a crystal ball bath de-chlorinator for our … [Read more...]
How to Use Essential Oils on Kids
Learn how to use essential oils around kids safely and effectively, as well as which oils to avoid, how to properly dilute essential oils, and the best diffuser blends for kids. As a mama, I couldn't imagine life without my essential oils. I just counted over 10 oils we have used today alone, and I am sure I am missing some. Using essential oils on kids can be very safe if you are following a few safety rules and guidelines. This post contains affiliate links, which means … [Read more...]
DIY Bug Repellent Lotion Bars
These bug repellent lotion bars are perfect for summertime. While moisturizing your skin with all-natural ingredients: you will also be keeping bugs at bay. Safe for all ages! Last winter, I made lotion bars and absolutely loved them. In fact, I made such a large batch we still have a couple left. So while I was getting ready to whip up another batch, I thought, why not add in some bug repellent essential oils? Instead of adding lavender essential oil, as I did before, … [Read more...]