Monthly Wellness

I can easily list all the ways in which getting started with doTERRA and investing in a monthy wellness order has impacted my life, perhaps I will (in another post). But first, I want to talk about the ways in which the Monthly Wellness Order can benefit you.

The first is time.
A pretty purple box shows up on your doorstep. If you want to do something like “maximize the energy you have to make decisions in your life”, this action saves you a ton of time because you have a source to order from for the majority of your self + health care products each month. No more running or shopping around. As a mom of two boys, this was huge. When I actually looked into it, I saw all the leaks and sealed them up quickly with my monthly Loyalty Rewards Order. Sure you can do a lot with the amazon app, but besides the 3-5% cash back I get for using a amazon credit card, Amazon is not rewarding me.

So, second, rewards.
doTERRA rewards you for being committed to a healthy life.

Start with a customer account, choose your collection, shop your own store at 25% off - access for a whole year - you don't have to order monthly - you can opt in whenever you want, you can customize the box that shows up with whatever you want + shipping costs come back in points .. and you only need to order one thing per month to receive points. You don’t have to commit to something bigger or get things your don’t really want or need. You are in complete control. You own your own online store.

Take a minute and be honest about what you are spending and how long it's taking you to gather it all up ... and then ask, am I getting any rewards back for doing this?

After your first year of ordering, you lock in 30% back on every single order + you get your shipping back in points.

Here is an example of short list of items you could add to your customizable wellness box.

Life Long Vitality supplements - we order every other month

PB assist Jr + A2Z

PB assist probiotic

Terrazyme - supports digestive + absorption ability, with kids if they are having anything showing up on their skin, eats up the yeasts

Mito2max - clean energy cycles in the body, supports mitoconcrodia (no caffiene)

Deep blue polyphenels - Frankincense gum resin extract + curminodes, grapeseed extract - polypenols give produce it's color

Natural spa line: 1-2 on ewg, super clean
body butter, body scrub, mud masks, hair care, etc.
Balance deodorant
Lip balm

On Guard: provides gentle exposure to immune support throughout the day
Toothpaste + mouthwash (cheaper than health food store, dentist impressed) - helps to reminialize teeth, protective, whitening
On guard throat drops, santizier, detergent - very concentrated

+ Oils!!

Product of the month = 125pv before the 15th

+ Gifts
+ accessories (teachers gifts)

It just replaces so many products that you are already buying. It takes all the decision fatigue out, its super convenient, you are complete control of you, you can get 30% back + shipping cost come back in points, you can cancel anytime, buy one item or 30 AND you are investing in your self and partnering with a company that is ethical, sustainable, caring, and committed to all the things that you in your heart are committed to.

Click here for more info on the LRP.
Click here if you would like to get started.

Midmorning

MIDMORNING

• 10Min clean up + CREATE BEFORE CONSUME MINDSET

• JOURNAL

• ACTION on top 3

• MOVEMENT (to sweat - 30min)

• SMOOTHIE: BASE OF SPINACH + NUT MILK + SPIRULINA + COLLAGEN + OIL + SEEDS + HERBS + SUPPLEMENTS

• PICK UP O FROM PRESCHOOL + CONNECT

• COMPUTER WORK - 30/60MIN

• LUNCH + DINNER PREP

create before consume mindset + journal + action: “Create before consume” is a phrase I hear from Ange Peters and it’s a concept that resonates with me so deeply and feeds my actions. I have spent lots of time consuming inspiration - my feed is full of beautiful inspiring friends and people, but what started to happen is that I went there and took from there and then gave that. I didn’t give from my deep well of wisdom and experience - I didn’t give from myself, my heart, my unique soul. So I spend time in silence and I journal and I listen and give from there. It’s so much more satisfying, the work is hard and good, but the more I do that, the more it flows. Just like everyone, I have my own energetic signature. No one in the world can give what I can give, no one in the world can do what I do. Gone is the question of “good enough” or “valuable”, because when I offer what is true and authentically me, everything is changed. When I focus on what I can give, share, offer; when I focus on the question of what will be valuable to another person, what might uplift or encourage, what will serve, my writing, offering, living changes for the better. The energy moves from what can I get to what can I give - and everyone benefits! I think that this kind of action, being YOU deeply, authentically, essentially, truly you - is the best thing you can do for the world. Discovering who that is comes from consistent, deep listening .. and the courage to mine the depths of your being. (More on that another day!)

10min clean up + movement: the 10 min clean up is key to keep the energy clean and flowing in our home. Things can reach tornado level quickly with 4 males. It's so managable to set the timer for 10 min and focus completely on pick up/clean up. Never underestimate what you can accomplish in ten minutes time with complete focus. I consider restoring order my magic power. I must say, that I have spent some considerable time feeling resentment and out right rage in regards to the state of the house. Now, I see it as an amazing task I accomplish everyday. No one in our home prefers a mess; and no one in our home wants perfection (well, there is a part of me that still wants perfection, but I've tasked this part of myself to these 10 minutes of clean up and that part of me is thrilled!) I love a clean house - I love how it feels to have things put away, counter tops free of crumbs, floors sweeped and a gentle, loving kind, benevolent energy running through our home. The 10 min clean up - I dare you.

Since I'm already moving and focused, its pretty seamless to transition into movement. I have some things downloaded on my task list and I just play a video, or put on yoga glo (though I like to save this for days that aren't as busy because energy shifts from active to stable on the mat), or simply put on my running shoes and literally run out the door, down the street (maybe take a loop around over the to prairie trails) and then over to school to pick up Owen.  [side note: we have choosen to live in a smaller town and we were lucky enough to find and purchase a house close to both school and work - we don't have long commutes and this affords us the option of running or biking instead of driving.]

smoothie: unless I’m really wanting eggs (usually around my cycle), this is breakfast. I started doing this when I went through Cate Stillman’s Body Thrive Program a few years back and really automated it this year. Automation is so freeing. If you are a bit of a rebel with habits, remember that automation = freedom - the guess work, the thinking, the should I have this? or this? ruminating - gone. The smoothie is little different each day .. I don’t use a measuring cup, but it’s consistent and that is the key. Once the habit is automated your body will tell you. It’s like we are downloading instructions and the body executes. The alternative would be say, wait until you are starving, find anything edible, revert to old habits (cereal, like when you were a child for example), then your blood sugar crashes, you get cranky, and your repeat that throughout the day. Make it easy to be healthy and you will be. That voice that says (whiny toddler voice) … I don wanna will quiet with your consistent action.

pick up O + snack & connect
Running to get Owen is fun. We walk, run, or ride bikes home. I make him a snack and if I haven't had my smoothie yet, I drink it here. I enjoy this time connecting with my almost 5 year old and keep all distractions out of eye site so that I can focus my attention on him, so that he feels seen, loved, and appreciated. I always ask him at least one open-ended question (more on that in a different post).  

screen time: O loves his screen time, loooves. He’s probably the most consistent person in our household and has his routines pretty clearly laid out for himself. Almost immediately after snack and usually with his mouth full he’s running down the stairs to the den. So instead of fight over screen time (You know what I’m talking about!) we do it together. 30 min. Never underestimate what you can accomplish with 30 min of clear focus. He gets his screen time and I get it done - and leave what I don’t get done until the next day. There are exceptions for sure and I can be admittedly lax especially when the words are flowing and the inspiration is high, but that limit really helps focus my energy and helps me make that time super efficient.

lunch + dinner prep: N usually comes home at lunch with is a huge blessing to be able to see him in the middle of the day. The 3 of us can sit down to a good hot meal together. Since I’m in the kitchen, I batch my tasks I get the boys snacks + next day lunches and dinner prepped or in the crock pot so that dinner time can be a peaceful and potent time to connect.

What a Super Duper Happy Life isn't

The Super Duper Happy Life is not about having a La-de-da, care-free existence. No. It is about making the choice again and again, again and again to choose Joy, to choose Happy in the face of a world that will tear you down and make your mind so small and dark that all you can see is your own pain and suffering.

I believe that we have free will - we have a choice, not always easy and most times unbelievably difficult, as to how we respond to what life offers us. I have spent years, probably decades in fear of the critical voice that has said - you just aren’t good enough. I have, though my teacher has cautioned me against using ‘war’ language, battled this voice on the mat, on the cushion, in the mirror and in the faces of those I love the most.

Now, I simple don’t let that fear rule me any longer.

I wish that I could say that I came to this change in thinking, in being with hard work, dedication and conscious awareness and perhaps that is a big part, but the truer truth is that it took Heartbreak. … Oh English, you simple language, you - your words don’t have the power to portray depth of emotion.

[side note about emotion: we humans experience life if different ways - and thank the Creator that for; some cry, some scream, some go numb, some lash out, some internalize, some avoid, some keep busy, some do all of that, some of us have had that part broken or traumaztized out of of us, but humans feel - its our birthright, its our gifting and a powerful part of being human.]

My experience is not a prescription, and its not meant to inspire. It is what happend from my perspective, and I share it with you because I must. If it helps you find your way, its not my doing. Non-the-less, I give you this from my heart.

It took everything and future that many parents take for granted.

We, I, found out that B had DMD.
We felt the Heartbreak.
We set about healing.
We set about re-prioritizing for clarity.
We set about choosing to live our lives with integrity.

For me, the phrase Super Duper Happy Life is a talisman. It has special, … it has Magical Powers.
A Super Duper Happy Life takes consistency and a growth mind-set temperred with acceptance and a recognition of limitation; potency within boundaries and the tiniest offerings of self, drops in the Ocean, in service of a better world. It has as much to do with conservation and it does with improvement. Because in the pursuit of improvement, we humans have done irreparable damage and its is time, I believe to stop. Reconsider the direction we want to go and then do that, everyday.

I believe in Us. I believe in You. And I believ in Me.

Mornings

My first step in creating a super duper happy life: consistent daily actions, the structure. This structure has been years in the making.  I have the whole day mapped out and coming for you soon, but for now I wanted to flesh it out a little bit in this post and get very clear on why I do this. I’ll start with mornings.

MORNING

• Wake GRATEFUL + say a prayer, pee

• Make bed

• put kettle on (fall/winter/spring)

• scrape tounge, brush teeth, mouthwash/oil pull

• wash face (oil/cleanser - alternate)

• moisturize + e. Oil (alternate)

• pour cup of warm water + oil

• choose oils + start diffuser

• sit for meditation

• 1 litre water + probiotic

• BOYS AM: DRESS, BREAKFAST, BRUSH TEETH

• SCHOOL RUN + DOG RUN

• Coffee with gf butter, mct oil, collagen + adoptogens + herbs
  (mix it up w/matcha, golden milk, shroom coffee, cacao)

Wake GRATEFUL + say a prayer, pee: Waking up grateful means I am starting my day with the mindset that I get to be here. I get to wake up in my bed, in my home, with my family, my dog jumping on my face, my kids noisy-ing about and my husband preparing for his day. My bed is warm, my shelter is sound, I get another day to live in this body, to live this life. It is choice to think this way.  Some mornings I forget this and there were some mornings where I didn’t think this. Each day I choose to start my day with at one small appreciation is a day where I can recognize the privilege of being alive and being aware. To this end, I spend some time in prayer - its not elaborate, it is a mindset. Its a sacred moment within the mundane. And then I pee.

Make bed: A relatively new practice, that takes two minutes. I don’t think there is much benefit in doing it in the morning, the benefit though, comes later - when I’m tired. I walk into my room and there is negative space. In art, negative space helps to define the boundaries of positive space and brings balance to a composition. So, there is a point of balance that I can count on, when the chaos of that day overwhelms me. There is also this speech which brought me to tears the first time I heard it (get your American flag out for this one, it’s patriotic, hooyah).

Put kettle on (fall/winter/spring): This starts the night before, when I fill up the water filter. It would make sense to do this and then go back and make the bed, but I have to do this after I make the bed or I neglect it. The amount of time it takes to boil is the perfect for the next few tasks.

Scrape tongue, brush teeth, mouthwash/oil pull: I scrape my tongue, brush my teeth and I either use mouthwash or oil pull. I’m pretty congested in the morning so oil pulling is challenging when my nose is stuffy, so depending on what I ate the night before, I rinse with one or the other.
I’ve linked up my supplies for you here: tongue scraper, toothpaste, mouthwash, pulling oil and some oils to support your oral health here. *I don’t use a neti pot as I have nasal polyps, and until they are removed surgically, I use this.

Wash face (oil/cleanser - alternate): I wash my face with oil and I love it! My over 40 skin loves to drink up this kind of moisture. Somedays I cleanse with something yummy from Angelina Skin Care in addition, but mostly I wash my face with a base oil like jojoba or coconut + oils like geranium, rose, frankincense dropped in.

moisturize + e. Oil (alternate): Then I add a drop of oil to support my skin into my moisturizer. Stephanie Matulle is a fellow Oshkosh yoga teacher and Ayurvedic practitioner and I get Mircle Ghee moisturizer from her as it is divine and she infuses it with so much love.

pour cup of warm water + oil: I alternate citrus oils or use slim n sassy or add peppermint (which is great in the summer). This gets the digestion going after slowing down during sleep and gently warms up the body.

choose oils + start diffuser: a have an intuitive process here, I take 3 deep breaths, ask and choose from there. I visit Emotions and Essential Oils for more information and I take that into my meditation time. I use the insight timer app for my meditation practice.

sit for meditation: this habit is essential for my over all well-being. There is a lot of noise, a lots of chaos in the world and in our home. This practice is accessible at anytime and doesn’t require anything other than a shift of attention towards the breath. I love to have a beautiful set up for my practice, perfect meditation cusion, luxurious wrap, candle, fire, quiet - but none of that is required. One of the most common .. excuses (lets call it what it is, but with no shame) I hear from students is they don’t have time or they can;t find time. I think that perhaps there is an ideal of what the practice of meditation looks like. But, I promise its a simple practice and that will make massive shifts in your well-being and your ability to stay flexible, adaptable and present throughout your day. It is way to orient and move from the inside out.

1 litre water + probiotic: this one is tough one, a definite growth edge. For this first liter of water, I just gulp it down! It’s to cleanse more than to hydrate in the morning. I stand in front of my fridge and read Brene Brown’s Parenting Manifesto posted there. I’ve counted, my gulps and it is equal to about 30 - it takes 2 minutes. I’ve then set up for the rest of the day to drink the other 3 litres to stay hydrated. Surprisingly, I pee less when I drink more. I’m not sure how that’s possible, but its whats happening. My skin in the first place I can see dehydration and brain fog is the first place I can feel it.

Boys am: dress, breakfast, brush teeth, play (if there is time): the boys have their own daily actions and have become very self-sufficient. If you have little littles, hang in there. Nate helps (he’s does breakfast most days). I also ask the boys the night before what they would like for breakfast. They each get A2Z + IQ Mega (with a drop of Vit D) + PB Assist Jr. probiotic from doTERRA. B has some extra medications that he needs to take. They both know what they are taking and why. We get most things set up the night before so to mitigate the scrambling and possible screaming. Boys am smoothie (posting up soon).

School Run + Dog Run: It helps that we live literally behind the school where both boys attend. O is riding his bike now and I take B in the bike trailer as long distance is challenging. After I drop the boys, I go for a bike ride. I am super appreciative that I live in a neighborhood with trails through the prairie and woods. This is an example of batching my tasks. Since I’m on the bike already, I get my exercise in after. Since I’m already moving, I then ride home and get Wendell for a walk.

Coffee with gf butter, mct oil, collagen + herbs (mix it up w/matcha, golden milk, shroom coffee, cacao): I use my intuition and mix it up. I tend towards coffee addiction so to receive the benefits of the caffeine without the negative side effects I switch it up. Though I “love coffee”, I really have no business drinking lots of it. My vata-pita constitution goes haywire and it taxes my adrenal system. However, my heart, lungs and brain all benefit from just a little bit of a boost from the magical “black juice.” and so I find a balance that works for me. I have also found that coffee may give me a boost, but it doesn’t necessarily help me to focus. Its excellent for doing one task or automated tasks like cleaning up.

Then I move into my mid-morning actions, which I’ll post up for you next time.

I need to reference two places/people of inspiration in creating this map:
Cate Stillman : yogahealer.com and her book/program Body Thrive .. I went through the 10 week Body Thrive course and this creating very fertile soil for the seeds to take root.
Ange Peters : hol-fit.com. Ange’s Beautiful Life Blue Print and the following podcast were written in my language! Also listen to her podcast, episode 41: The Rituals that Create the Ripple.

Daily Greens Smoothie recipe

Ingredients: Use all the organic, non-gmo, locally sourced things. The base of spinach with the addition of good fats, provides a slightly sweet and creamy smoothie. I'm of the mind that if it's good for me, I will put it into my system, but this .. is .. delicious*.

3-5 handfuls of spinach

1.5 cups nut milk

1 tsp spirilina

1 tbs collagen lipids

1 tbs plant based protein

1 tbs mct oil

1 tbs grass fed cow's butter

1 tbs seeds for the current cycle (see: seed cycling) 

1 tsp adaptogenic herbs: ie ashwaganda, maca, astragulus, chaga, reishi, etc. (see: adaptogens)

1 date (optional) 

3-5 ice cubes

Combine and buzz in a high powered blender. 

Makes approximately 32oz

Drink with your supplements and vitamins.

*If you are used to a sweet fruit based smoothie or a creamy chocolate shake, add a maple syrup to taste and gently use less overtime. Sugar is one of those things that causes a great deal of inflammation in my body leading to more intense emotions of irritation and anger, so with the exception of a treat or in season fruit, I've been slowly eliminating all suger from my diet.