Don't let things raise your baby

No I am not referencing the movie Where The Wild Things Are, I am talking about actual material items. Don't let things raise your baby.

These days moms spend hours upon hours perfecting their registries, myself included. There is a baby item for absolutely everything under the friggin' sun. It gets to be so overwhelming.

I realized today that most of my baby "gear" just sits around, never getting used, and taking up space.

Now that I have had two babies and two baby showers, I have realized that most of the stuff I thought I "needed" I actually did not. In fact I am against most of it now. It is designed to make having a baby more "convenient" for mom. I got news for you, being a mom is not convenient. Ever. Embrace it because it doesn't last forever.

Babies sleep, and when they are awake they should be in mommy's (or someones) arms... Do you really want a full blown bouncing, lighted up, spinning, swinging thing to mother your baby? I don't.

If you are going to invest in a baby item, let it be a baby carrier of some sort, preferably a wrap or sling. Learn how to use it, and it will be your best friend.

Think about how much time your baby spends in some sort of contraption!! Car seats, swings, bouncy seats, strollers, bouncers, baby entertainment centers... Ridiculous. Babies learn from mommy, not a toy. Babies need your touch, not a glowing thing in their face. My best advice to a new mom would be to remember LESS is more.

Ditch the baby stuff. Embrace every second that you get to snuggle up with that sweet thing because time is gone before you know it, and you can't get it back. Sleep with your baby, wear your baby, nurse your baby, and guess what?! Happy baby.

Can't afford organic? I have your solution.

Organic produce is really expensive. Is it worth it? YES. However if you can't afford organic then that doesn't mean you should not buy produce... Your body needs fruits and veggies. Feeding a family of 5 all organic food is not cheap. Some months the budget is tighter and buying organic is a luxury we can't afford. Below is a picture of WASHED blueberries still covered in pesticides that will go straight into your family's body unless you do something about it.

 

Before

 

See all that white nastiness? That is chemicals going straight into your body! Eww. So what can you do about it? Here is my solution:

Young Living essential oils! I soak my produce in water and grapefruit essential oil (lemon works too) and it removes the nasty chemicals that rinsing alone can't get rid of.

1.Fill up the sink with water
2.Add 10-15 drops of essential oil
3. Soak for about 15 mins (every couple minutes I go move everything around to make sure the oil touches all the produce)

The result:

 

After

What an amazing difference!! Not only does the oil break through all those pesticides, but it kills fungus that could have possibly grown on the food and naturally and safely preserves the produce. Not only that, but the remaining oil has amazing health benefits and is medical grade and safe to take internally (only Young Living oils are safe to ingest, so don't do this with oils you buy at the store!)

To order oils, schedule a class on essential oils, or ask questions, email me at:
ylessentialoilmama@gmail.com!

Change of heart... (especially for wifeys!)

One of the lessons I have learned lately is that no matter how hard you try or what you do, you CANNOT change other people. Sounds simple, right? Well duh, everyone knows you can't change people, but do people change?

I believe that people can change, but not because you forced them to. That sort of change is never permanent. If you spend your entire life waiting for someone to change and nagging them to do so, you are going to have a miserable existence. The only way to be happy is to realize that the only person you can control is yourself.

I cannot believe the amount of time I have wasted getting mad at people because they aren't what I expect them to be. It is even harder when the person or people's decisions directly effect you. I have so many people in my life that I wish were different, but I have finally come to terms with the fact that until there is a change within themselves, I must move on. You want someone to change? Spend more time on your knees praying for TRUE internal change and less time nagging, worrying or arguing. Take the time you usually would spend doing that, and pray for the person. That is the very most you can do.

This is particularly true for wives! I have had a couple of friends confide in me in the last few weeks about their husbands, and frustrations they have with them. "I wish he would do (blank) differently" or "I wish he would not do (blank) anymore".. It is not weird for a wife to feel this way. I have felt this way with my husband lots of times. I have also learned that trying to tell him how he "needs" to do things does NOT work and actually just causes tension between us. I have also realized that in the past there are some decisions he has made, that I didn't agree with at the time, that have turned out to work out in our family's best interest.

Change comes from the heart. The best advice wives, is to just shut your mouth. When you want to nag or complain to him about something he is doing, just don't. Pray about it instead. This is the ONLY way you will see true change from the heart. Think about it... Has your nagging and anger worked thus far? Probably not. If it has, I guarantee you it is only temporary change. This is true with anyone in your life, not just husbands. This applies to your kids, difficult family members, whoever!

Letting go is the most freeing and wonderful experience ever! Give it a try, I would love to hear your success stories! xxoo

Beat the mommy blues!

I am now 9 days post pardum and have had a totally different experience this time than I did having my daughter two years ago. My baby boy is healthy and perfect, but decided to come down the birth canal hand/arm first and could not be delivered naturally without breaking bones.

Needless to say, I had a c-section and find the recovery to be literally 10 times more difficult. I see why God did not create us to have our guts split open to deliver a baby, but this is one of the few times I am truly thankful for modern medicine.

Right now, I am smack in the middle of crazy hormones, pain, breastfeeding, and falling in love with a new little soul. I am not suffering from post pardum depression, but I know many moms do, and I want to give a little insight as to how I keep my spirits up despite my raging hormones. These things all apply to the first year of mommyhood as well...

1. Get up, take a shower, put on a little makeup, and put on something besides PJ's. So simple, but will make you feel like a woman again, not just a mommy with a screwed up body. Hehe.

2. Force yourself to engage in non-mommy duties. This could be anything from going to coffee with a friend or engaging in a hobby. For me, it is my business, and blogging of course. As soon as I was feeling half human (about a week post pardum) I continued emailing, scheduling classes and reaching out to new contacts.

 If you are a stay at home mama, as I am, then I encourage you to find something that you love and start doing it. Even if its just something crafty. I sell essential oils, they are medical grade and can treat any illness under the sun. They have been a huge part of my recovery and my children's overall health. For more info on the oils email me at ylessentialoilmama@gmail.com

3. Let it go. Don't let people get to you. Everyone will probably annoy you with the drop of a hat, but just make the decision to keep your mouth shut and let it go. I promise you that you will have a much more peaceful experience doing this. Your husband will be especially thankful for this too, remember, he is adjusting as well, but doesn't have the hormones to go with it.

4. Exercise. When your body is healed and ready to conquer the world again, start an exercise routine and continue to make yourself a priority. Get your hair done, get your nails done, and buy yourself a cute shirt here and there!

My biggest pet peeve is that moms think they have an excuse to let themselves go just because they have had children. You are a mommy, and you have now accomplished the best thing a woman can achieve, why not look like a rockstar too?! This is another pointer that your husband will appreciate.

 

Me and my new little boo.

Hazel's immune system passed it's first test!

Ok, so most of you are thinking that I am nuts at this point because who really blogs about a kid getting sick?! Well, this was a big deal for me. I take great pride in my daughter's extraordinary health. It is also a big deal because I was amazed at the great strength it takes to practice what you preach and not let fear kick in.

Hazel just turned two and as I said in my last post, has never needed to go to the doctor for a sickness or even had anything worse than the sniffles. Most moms are amazed at this because the average two year old has had at LEAST a handful of illnesses and been on antibiotics for at least half of those. I attribute Hazel's health to her lack of vaccines, healthy diet, and that she was breast fed until she was 17 months old (would have been longer if I didn't get knocked up again, hehe.)

When she started feeling warm on Christmas Eve, I imagined it was her two year molars coming in, as this is the only other time she has ever run any sort of temperature. We gave her homeopathic teething tablets and carried on with our regular activities. As the next couple days went on, she was not wanting to eat, feeling warmer and warmer and super clingy. It was so sad! I still don't know what she was battling, but we let the sickness run its course and find its way out of her body without any sort of medical intervention (not even Tylenol or Motrin.) I used all the natural methods I had in my arsenal (essential oils, baths, cold compresses,prayers, fluids and lots of love.) Her body was detoxing. The crappy food from the holiday season in combination with the crazy schedule, and messed up sleep routine totally threw her body off. She needed a reset.

I made an effort to let her immune system do what God intended it to do instead of putting chemicals in her body that would further suppress the illness into her body. It took a little over a week for all the symptoms to subside. The first morning that she woke up feeling good again I could tell because her eyes looked brighter and clearer than they had in a really long time! She came out of it stronger and healthier than she was before! I call that success!

I look at sickness differently now. I see it as an opportunity to cleanse and refresh the body. I am so glad I stuck with my gut and didn't give her anything that would interfere in this process. I spent every waking moment, for a week, tending to her every need and monitoring her closely. I am not sure that every parent has the time or patience to do this, and I can understand because there were times I was tempted to go get some Motrin so I could get a break. With all the knowledge I have gathered over the years, I couldn't bring myself to do it and now I am very glad.

When I was starting to question myself I went to my trusted sources for information on health, this is one of the articles that gave me reassurance, I suggest taking the time to read it. http://www.drpalevsky.com/general_guidance.asp

Here is to a happy, healthy New Year! Blessings, friends!

How to keep your kids healthy during cold/flu season!

I am very proud of the fact that my daughter has never had to go to the doctor for being sick. Even though she is constantly exposed to sick children, including her sister, she never catches these illnesses! They even share drinks, food, give kisses, you name it and I really don't even worry about her catching anything. Actually, I welcome the exposure to these things, because I believe it is part of the reason her immune system is so strong.

 

This is my little health nut :)

Am I a super awesome, better-than-you mom? I wish I could say that is the reason, but it isn't. I have simply taken a bunch of information from other moms with healthy kids, along with my own research and applied it to my kid. I couldn't be happier with the results.

Are you sick and tired of your kids being sick and tired??? Well read on, my friend. I am going to give you the non-magical tips that I believe lead to the reason my daughter is healthier than any kid I know. *Please note: I am just a mom sharing what works for my daughter, I am not a doctor. *

1. DON'T get the flu shot. You may think you are doing your child a service by staying ahead of the game for cold and flu season, but you are actually damaging their immune system and not allowing it to work its own magic. The flu shot is indisputably loaded with mercury and other toxins that are harmful to the human body and natural immune responses.

2. Keep processed foods and sugar to the minimum. Did you know that Halloween is the kick starter for cold and flu season? Why is this? Well, sugar severely compromises the immune system. After Halloween you have all the other sugar filled holidays and it just makes a big mess that your body can't keep up with. I am not a completely unrealistic person, and I myself am a chocolate lover so my best advice is to only give your kids these things for special occasions.

3. Fruits, veggies, and water!!! So simple. I am really blessed that my daughter absolutely loves fruits and veggies. She would live off of them. She eats fruits and veggies with every meal I make, and for snacks in between. Some easy options are raisins and other dried fruit, berries, and bananas. All things that don't require peeling or slicing so they are super easy. Fruits, vegetables and water are the best ways to detox their bodies from the toxic environments we live in.

4. Supplements. I give them vitamins and probiotics. If they are eating a balanced diet then this may not be necessary, but something high in vitamin D is recommended since kids tend to get less sun during the winter months. Vitamin D is crucial for a properly functioning immune system.

5. Essential Oils! I use Young Living essential oils daily. I use them for non-toxic cleaning, washing my fruits and veggies, for any skin issue, or even just as sickness prevention if we are surrounded by sicklings (which happens quite a bit this time of year.) Did you know you can get rid of ear infections, back pain, fevers, headaches and tons of other conditions with essential oils? I love it, I feel like I have my own doctor kit right at my finger tips!

Young Living also carries a drink that is very high in anti-oxidants that we try to keep around at all times. It is called Ningxia Red. A few months ago, I started having that little itch in my throat that happens before a cold, I drank a couple ounces and within hours my throat was 100% better and I didn't get sick. I highly recommend it for kids too, because it tastes good and is easy to get them to drink. If you want more info on essential oils you can email me at Crsantos85@gmail.com.

I also believe that not vaccinating and breastfeeding lead to a healthier child, but these may not be options for you if you already have an older child. The best you can do is detox them with healthy foods and essential oils. If you do these 5 things, I guarantee you will see a difference in your child and get them on the road to a stronger immune system!

The Birds, Bees and Santa

With the holidays quickly approaching, I have been giving the whole Santa Claus thing a whole lot of thought.

A couple months ago Breanna asked me how the baby comes out of your tummy when it's born. Really? This kind of question was not one I was particularly ready to answer, so I danced around with my response hoping she would stop questioning. She didn't. I don't believe in lying to kids, if they are old enough to ask, then I believe they are old enough to know the answer. I said "Well, when the baby is ready to be born it comes out of your lady part." She looked at me for a second and then said "Oh." That was it. I was prepared for shock, disgust, or a further series of questions, but that was enough of an answer for her, that was all she was ready to hear.

We don't give kids enough credit. They are curious little souls, searching for the answers in order to develop themselves. The worst thing we can do as parents is lie to them. This brings me to the whole Santa Claus thing.

No, I am not going to tell you Santa is evil and you are a liar and terrible parent for telling your kid all about him... I just have a different take on it. Children are full of imagination, and a good parent will create an environment where their imagination is free to roam. Do you play with your kids? Play house, dolls, barbies, superheroes? If so then you know that one of the requirements for these games is an imagination. This is how I feel the Santa Claus thing should be treated. It is a game, a way to develop and foster a child's imagination. Playing, in a sense.

While all kids need their imagination to learn and grow, they also need a solid ground to land on. What happens when the dreaded question arises... "Is Santa Claus real?" Well, for me the answer will be easy. "No. We play Santa, but he is only real in our imaginations." Once again, I don't believe in lying to kids. Doesn't mean we can't still "play Santa" even if they know he isn't real. If they are ready to ask, they are ready to know the truth.

This will develop a deep level of trust. This says, I can play with you and imagine with you, but I will also tell you the truth, no matter what. I want my kids to trust me and come to me with anything, and for that to happen, it starts with Santa.