Goodbye 2022
So done with you.
We knew it would be a rough year. Transitions are hard. We knew we were in for something but no idea how 2022 would unfold for our family. Don’t get me wrong there was a TON of positive growth for our family this year. And we are so grateful for the perspective and lived experience. But man. I’m not sad to see the backside of 2022.
When I look back on the past year one word comes to mind - exhausted.
I started out 2022 with not one, but three jobs. Yea. Three jobs. WTF?! Not sure what I was thinking there. There was no let up as I made the move from three jobs to one. The position I accepted required a lot of ground work from me. From February to May I was creating and implementing systems for our office. In June I had to travel. July and August were dedicated to reports and procurement. September brought another unexpected longer trip across the province. October to December was dedicated to catch up with every intention of a clean slate for 2023. But alas here I am accepting that I am only one person as I move reluctantly into the upcoming year, exhausted. (Let’s normalize disappointing others shall we.)
Travelling for work is hard. Thankfully, I was able to take my family with me. That was a treat although in hindsight a working vacation is not really great. For anyone. ANYONE. As exhausting as it was I had time with my son and husband and we were able to experience bits of this province we wouldn’t have otherwise. My initial thought was to vlog the trip but the lineup was quite full… Driving, pulling over to find things or clean things (toddlers), pumping (yup still breastfeeding), getting lost, dropping fam to the AirB&B, getting food, cooking, reorganizing the car 587 times, still trying to keep up with admin things and run a functioning business from the road, being a wife, being a mom, doing bedtime….. so many exhausting things.
By the time August rolled around I was run down. Exhausted, behind (again), busy as all hell and sick. I flew to Halifax for work and remember being so tried and sick on the plane. I arrived at the hotel 3 pm and slept till 6 am the next day. That was the best and most comfortable rest I've had since becoming a mom. I digress.
In September, Harrison was able to transition into full time daycare. He had been in daycare 2 days per week up until that point. That was a new positive transition but one that came with a lot of germs. Just as I was getting over my July - August cold I was entering cold + virus hell. If you have kids in daycare or school you know what I'm talking about. Harrison caught everything. EVERYTHING. And brought it home to me. Lucky us. Chad only picked up every third cold. But they were man colds. We either had a dozen small colds/viruses ; 1 long nasty cold/virus; a few medium sized colds/viruses; or a combo of all of the above. Who knows what. Welcome to post (?) covid-19. Exhausting.
In November, my focus was to just make it to December. Just get to December and then we can rest. No work. No school. Just pyjamas, movies and snacks on the couch. No visitors (because visitors bring germs), no drama, no germs, no sickness, no unsolicited advice, no thinking, no doing. Just rest, recovery and healing.
But then. My house. My house is a mess. Like huge mess. There are things everywhere. So many things. Where did all these things come from? Get to December and rest in your messy, cluttered house. Rest with my thoughts and clutter. Clutter and thoughts… ((I’m realizing that we need to change all of this)) All this crap has to go. Start cleaning. Start decluttering. All of this ‘stuff’ is exhausting. But. Wait for it. Let’s throw in more stuff on Christmas Day. Ugh. Exhausting.
And now my rest break has become my cleaning + decluttering break. Bleep. Bleep. BLEEP. Lol. Bleeping exhausting. No it’s all good. Transition. Right?! (Right?)
#overit.
These last 2+ years have been exhausting. We have all been playing some strange game of catch up while trying to function through the unknown. Trying to make up for who knows what. I feel it. I really do. People want better, are seeking better and so they should. I see you. I am you. But this entire transition - whatever ‘this’ is - has been fucking exhausting. Its been one giant step forward and backwards all at the same time - a retrograde of sorts. And we are colliding with other journeys of exhausted transition. What a mess?! No wonder we are all sick?!
If you have been feeling this know that you are not alone. I see you. I do. Take a moment to breathe and remind yourself what you have endured over these last 3 years. Remind yourself and celebrate what you have overcome. And we are still going. Take extra time and extra care these next few days. Don’t feel the need to finish 2022 strong or start 2023 strong. Step slowly and gently into this next season. Don’t worry about goals or resolutions or mapping your year. It’s ok to step into 2023 with out a to do list. Be gentle and kind with yourself. Take time with each task. Learn to say no to what doesn’t serve you. Do what feels right to you and let go of everything else.
Goodbye 2022.
Here’s to rest, continued growth, intentional living, cleaning house ;) , and letting go.
I knew this new journey was going to be hard. There were times when I wanted to give up because I questioned my ability. Times when I felt it would be easier to stop and go back. But also times when I knew in my soul this was and is the right path for me.
What I know for sure is if you ask and trust in the universe it will provide and give back to you in ways you can’t even imagine for yourself. Being open and accepting means being open and accepting to everything - the amazing, the beautiful, the ugly, the unanticipated, the unusual and the struggle. Because on the other side of all of that is the lesson and the growth. And sometimes the healing.
In the midst of struggle there are messy bits. Very messy. Hard messy. But the systems are developing. The routines are coming along. And the path is unfolding and I can see and feel the clarity we have been manifesting.
Have faith. Trust the struggle because growth is happening. The universe is unfolding for you.
-Natalie xo
My vision for this space is evolving. I have a lot of wonderful things planned. I hope you stick with me as I regroup.
The sun is our friend - we need it. Twenty minutes per day with no sun protection is how we get our vitamin D and happiness. You want to protect your skin from burning with non-toxic sunscreens. So what should you use? Mineral Sunscreens are the way to go!
Chemical Sunscreens absorb into the skin, Mineral Sunscreens with non-nano ingredients, such as Zinc Oxide, are barrier sunscreens. Basically, they sit on the skin. Here are a few ingredients you want to avoid: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate.
SPF---Sun Protection Factor
Let’s first talk through what SPF even is. SPF stands for sun protection factor. It is a measure of how well an agent blocks UVB rays (the kind that causes skin cancer). When not wearing sunscreen, your skin will naturally change color and incur a certain amount of damage in one hour. If you are wearing an SPF of 2 you will incur that same amount of damage in 2 hours that you would have incurred in one hour without any SPF. An SPF of 10 will get you 10 hours, SPF 30 will get you 30 hours, etc.
Here’s the thing, SPF is not linear (i.e. you don’t get 10 times more protection going from SPF 1 to 10 or 10 to 100). When you apply SPF 10, you are blocking approximately 90% of UVB rays. SPF 15, approximately 93%; SPF 30, approximately 97%; and SPF 50, 98%. So applying an SPF of 30 only gives you 7% more protection than SPF 10.
Also worth considering: if you do not plan on spending more than 10 hours in the sun, you may not need the 30 hours of protection that an SPF 30 may offer. In fact, when is the last time you saw 30 hours of daylight?
The bottom line, lower SPFs, applied more often, may offer similar sun protection as higher SPFs. I don't think I can beg you any stronger to look at the ingredients on your sunscreens! Just because they are mineral-based does not mean you should use them!!
There are many sunscreens that are non-toxic, but my fave by far is the Mineral Sunscreen by YL. It comes in SPF 10 or 50. The ingredients are clean and it works!
Outdoor Blend
Don’t let bug bites ruin your family’s outdoor fun this summer! But, just say NO to DEET! Here are some lovely side effects of DEET in children reported by the CDC:
Children with DEET toxicity reported lethargy, headaches, tremors, involuntary movements, seizures, and convulsions, though the amount that led to this toxicity was unreported.
Young Living's Outdoor Blend is our favorite way to keep mosquitos, ticks, and fleas away. It’s proven to repel them with 99 percent active ingredients, plus 1 percent vitamin E to moisturize and condition the skin. And the best part, it rubs easily into the skin without feeling greasy or sticky and you don’t feel like you need a shower after heading outdoors. It may seem pricey at first but one bottle has lasted our family for a couple of years.
In case you forget to use your insect repellent before heading outdoors, this roller comes in handy to bring relief and support healthy skin.
KID DILUTION (AGES 3-8)
8 drops Lavender essential oil
8 drops Purification® essential oil
5 drops Tea Tree (Melaleuca
Alternifolia) essential oil
Organic fractionated coconut oil or carrier oil of your choice
ADULT DILUTION
15 drops Lavender essential oil
15 drops Purification® essential oil
8 drops Tea Tree (Melaleuca
Alternifolia) essential oil
Organic fractionated coconut oil or carrier oil of your choice
Drop essential oils into a 10ml roller bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil and enjoy!
You may have heard me talk about this red juice with the funny name before but have you really taken the time to take a look at the benefits of this super juice? It's unlike ANY juice on the market. I like to call it "Ninja Juice" because of the Ninja powers I feel after drinking it. Kidding...kind of...
I know organizing a home is typically a big topic for springtime, but if you didn't quite get your house in order, there’s no better time than now! Getting organized will leave so much more time for fun and family when the weather is nice. When was the last time to decluttered dressers and closets?
To keep things simple and manageable, let’s tackle one thing at a time. I don’t know about you, but clothing clutter is killing our house right now. We still have winter clothing and outdoor gear all over, and now we’re starting to think about tank tops and shorts.
It’s time to tackle this clothing clutter in a manageable way. Take today and organize the winter gear. Do you need all the heavy coats, gloves, and snow boots within arm's reach? If you do, by all means, keep them out but if you don’t, gather them up and put them somewhere until next season. We keep ours in a basement closet where it’s still easy to grab them if we need them, but they are out of the way. It cuts down on the clutter so much!
Dressers
Don't let yourself get overwhelmed. Pick the one that is the most out of control if you have several.
You’ll need at least two strong trash bags and a notebook to start. The notebook is to write down items as you put them in the donation (or sell) pile. One of the trash bags is for donations, and the other is trash for items that aren’t suitable for donation.
When you’ve got your bags and paper ready, start in one drawer. Pull each item out and put it in a keep pile, the donate bag, or the trash bag. It’s important that you don’t just look through and pull out things to donate. You want to empty the entire drawer.
As you go, watch for items that are stained or damaged. Why do so many of us still have socks with holes in the toes!?! Add all these items to the trash bag.
Some items will probably be easy calls to the donate bag. For example, I found some items that are still in decent shape but are way too small at the moment. While I’d like to fit in them, I also know that when that day comes, I’m going to celebrate with new clothes in my current style and not be digging through drawers for old stuff. Reality is your best friend when purging.
Once you’ve reached the bottom of the drawer, give it a good wipe down and head to the keep pile.
Ask yourself these questions about each item before you put each “keeper” back in the drawer:
- Does it fit?
- If the weather was right, would you wear it today? Is it still your style?
- Is it in good condition?
- Can you put together an outfit you’d be excited to wear with it?
- Do you already have a reasonable number of similar items? A person only needs so many socks and pajamas. We tend to add to things like that year after year without getting rid of our least favorites.
- Have you worn the item in the last 6 months?
Unless you need to rearrange what’s stored in each drawer, I’d put all the keep items back in the drawer before starting the next. It can be overwhelming if you empty out an entire dresser at once, while one drawer at a time is manageable. Continue tackling the dresser drawer by drawer. It’s amazing how great it feels finishing a long-overdue project like this.
Closets
Brace yourself…I’ll tell you upfront, this will take time, so do this on a day when you have some extra time to finish. You’ll need a couple of hours more than likely. But, once you’re done, you’ll feel so much better. Also, you get a special feeling when you donate items that you don’t need anymore. I always think that I’m going to miss something, or that I spent good money on it and maybe I should hang onto it a little longer, *just in case*. But, that just-in-case moment never arrives (and if it does, clearly my mind is changed). So I’ve learned over the years to part ways with items that don’t serve me anymore, and I let them go to others who can use and enjoy them. It also reminds me not to purchase crap that I’ll just end up donating. I mean, how much richer would I be today if I just said no to all the things I end up donating? Ok, let’s not get into that. But you know where I’m going with this.
Step 1 – Clear Your Closet
The first thing we’re going to do is clear absolutely everything out of the closet. Make sure you have a clear bed and a somewhat cleanroom to be able to accommodate the contents of your closet.
So, start going section by section and taking all garments out of the closet and placing them on your bed. Of course, I say this for two reasons. First, it’s a big flat surface that will help you organize your clothing, and second, you won’t be able to go to bed until this job is done (haha).
Step 2 – Clean Your Closet
This is indeed the actual physical cleaning of your closet, also fairly easy to do. You have a totally empty space, and now you just need to give it your magic touch. Closets rarely (if ever) get cleaned. If you wonder why your closet smells stuffy, it’s likely because it houses stale air and has carpet which hardly gets cleaned. So, kick this off, mix 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil (I love Citrus Fresh)with baking soda, sprinkle some on the carpet, and leave it for 15 minutes or so and that will help rid the carpet of odor.
While the baking soda is sitting, get your step ladder and climb up to the shelves you can’t reach by hand. Vacuum the shelves down and then spray and wipe with Thieves cleaner and a cloth. Feel free to clean hanger rods too. Then, finish off by vacuuming up the carpet and including the corners and baseboards. Much better!
Step 3 – Sort The Clothing
OK deep breath here. You should know that this is probably going to be the longest, most grueling part of this job – but this is where the rubber meets the road – this is your opportunity to rid yourself of all sorts of clothes that are doing nothing more than clogging up your closet. I’m just being honest.
Let’s just have a quick pep talk about this. Your clothes just hang out in your closet, on a hanger that could be used for a piece of clothing that you actually wear. Here are the same helpful guidelines we used with our drawer cleanout:
- Does it fit?
- If the weather was right, would you wear it today? Is it still your style?
- Is it in good condition?
- Can you put together an outfit you’d be excited to wear with it?
- Do you already have a reasonable number of similar items? A person only needs so many socks and pajamas. We tend to add to things like that year after year without getting rid of our least favorites.
- Have you worn the item in the last 6 months?
The way I put items back in the closet:
- Like items with like items, pair similar types of items together
- Color code items – range from one end of the color spectrum to the other, which can help you when trying to coordinate an outfit or look for a particular garment.
- Place items you don’t use as often out of the way, and items you wear frequently front and center (my dresses are harder to reach, my jeans I could grab with my eyes shut).
Trash Your House
How are you feeling now that you took care of some major clothing clutter? Next we’re going to trash your house! Lol!! Stick with me... it soon makes sense.
First step, start your diffusers and pick a blend that motivates you! I love to put in peppermint + orange!
Next, grab a garbage bag and set a timer for 15 minutes. Stop at every garbage can in your house and dump it in there. If you have a multilevel house start at the top level and work your way down.
Not only that, look around… Are there water bottles by your bed? Candy wrappers by the kids’ beds? Is there paper sitting around that you don't need?
Throw it away.
Make this quick and fast. You only have 15 minutes! Get a new bag if you need a new bag and do all the things!! Do you have boxes that you're saving?? Do you need all of them? It’s a lie that you need to save so many boxes. Lol!!
If you didn’t finish up in 15 minutes, take extra time or do another 15 minutes tomorrow. Isn’t it amazing what we can get done with a timer and some hustle?
Enjoy your clean house! (And load those donation bags into your car... now!)
Sweet Summertime. The sun. oh how I have missed you. Pool or lake days, BBQs, getting outside! Summer is the season of being outdoors. It’s also the season of forgetting to hydrate, sunburns, and bugs. BUGS! In today’s post and next week's, we will dive into each of these further.
Hydration is key to many functions in the human body, and in the summer heat, it can be challenging to maintain hydration. One of the most significant roles that water plays in the body is regulating internal temperature. The body’s ability to stay cool in hot weather depends on proper hydration. But hydration isn’t maintained by water consumption alone. Yikes! Water is vital, but electrolytes are also required for hydration. The body cannot fully absorb the water you drink without electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential for your body to function. They help regulate your pH levels and are necessary for nutrient absorption. You must have sufficient electrolytes to absorb the vitamins and minerals from the food you eat. So it’s a big deal!
Some of the most common electrolytes found in the body are:
- Calcium
- Chloride
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
Each of these minerals carry an electric charge when dissolved in the body giving them the name electrolyte. Electrolytes help regulate nerve and muscle function, hydrate the body, balance blood acidity and pressure, and help rebuild damaged tissue.
Energy drinks are often associated with electrolytes. However, they usually include high amounts of sugars and dyes that are not beneficial to health. Consider consuming electrolytes from healthier sources:
- Avocados
- Dried Apricots
- Bananas
- Unsweetened Coconut Water
- Lentils
- Pickle Juice!
- Sea Salt
- Spinach
- Sunflower Seeds
- Watermelon
So what is the easiest way to introduce electrolytes to your body? Sea salt. Seriously! Sprinkle some pure non-iodized sea salt into your water. You will barely notice it is there. Along with skipping iodized salt, skip the pink Himalayan salt too.
Not getting enough water? Not sure how much you should be drinking? Sign up for my free 3 day hydration challenge and get all the info right in your inbox!
Summer is coming soon, and I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty excited about it...warm weather, green grass, all the good feels! Not sure if you’ve looked through your entire product guide or have seen first hand, but there are sooo many must haves heading into the next season! I wanted to do something fun and share our family favourites for you to easily see what I’m talking about. Check it out!
Sunscreen
Young Living seriously has the bestttt. If we are trying to protect the skin, ingredients should matter right? Thankfully, YL Mineral Sunscreen is completely toxin free and actually works! Hallelujahhh! This is the only Sunscreen we have used on Harrison and the only SPF we have been using since I found YL.
Outdoor Blend
Onto a fun topic, BUGS. Warm weather usually brings more of them, which I know we all so thrilled about. Thankfully, we have a completely oil based outdoor blend that works wonders! Here’s the really good news...it is DEET-free! We absolutely love this blend.
Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood Hydrosol
This stuff is incredible and comes directly from our reforestation project in Hawaii where they are sustainably harvesting sandalwood and the profits go towards bringing back the forest! I love that so much! Fun fact: they only distill dead or dying sandalwood tress. This spray is perfect to use at the beach, at a BBQ, an outdoor event, basically any place in the sun because it’s extremely moisturizing for the skin! I also use this in my hair daily and have had amazing results! The hydrosol is the water left over from distilling the oil, and still contains many beneficial properties of the oil itself — AKA AMAZING skin + hair support!
Coconut Lime Body Butter
This body butter is heaven for your skin! It contains mango and cupuacu butters. Mango butter comes from the seed of the mango and helps ease dry skin and can slow down the degeneration of dead skin cells (heck yes). It’s creamy, blends well with other oils, and is super nutrient dense. It rejuvenates and revitalizes dry skin, improves skin’s texture and smoothness, and is vegan friendly! AND.... one of the best things - NO parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, synthetic preservatives, synthetic fragrances, or synthetic dyes or colorants. What you put on your skin matters, because your skin is your body’s largest organ and what you put on your skin absorbs into your bloodstream.
Lip Balm
Lip balms from Young Living are THE BEST lip balms you will ever use. The ingredients are really incredible: coconut oil extract, beeswax, jojoba seed oil, sweet almond oil, wolfberry seed oil, and rose hip seed oil. Of course each one is also infused with an essential oil to further support the skin and give it a nice subtle flavor. Bring these with you to the pool, the beach, wherever to keep your lips happy + smooth! My fave - Lavender.
Essential Oils
There are so many oils! But I will try to narrow down our top summer oils!
Cooling
ᕱ Peppermint
More sun = more heat, so let’s talk about staying cool! Have some extra peppermint oil on hand? Dap a drop neat on the back of your neck or make a cooling spray. Mix a few drops it an amber glass spray bottle with some distilled water and a splash of witch hazel! It makes the perfect cooling spray to avoid getting overheated! And of course, it’ll give you a little burst of energy too!
Skin Soothing
It’s a time of the year where we are out in the sun lots, but obviously want to avoid aging and wrinkles, right? here is a breakdown of four of the most common oils used for skin:
ᕱ Frankincense - this oil is one of the top used oils for glowy skin. add to your nighttime
moisturizer or apply directly on the skin.
ᕱ Geranium - this oil revitalizes tissue, helps cleanse oily skin, and has been used for centuries
for all kinds of skin conditions.
ᕱ Patchouli - this oil smooths wrinkles and soothes chapped skin. mixed with a carrier oil and
apply topically as need.
ᕱ Lavender - we call this one the “swiss army knife” because of it’s vast uses. it’s incredible
smoothing to skin and our go to when we’ve stayed in the sun a little too long! mix with organic
coconut oil to soothe away.
Some other favorites are: Rose, Blue Tansy, Roman Chamomile, Valor, and Copaiba.
Make a sun soothing balm by mixing 30 drops of any of these with 1/4 cup of organic coconut oil.
Plus + Dietary Oils
Let’s chat really quick about PLUS + oils...you know, the ones with the white labels that people use often internally to cook with or drink? These are incredible to add to your water all summer long to constantly support your digestive & immune systems. Most of these are great for detoxing and cleansing. I don’t know about you guys, we tend to eat a little more unhealthy during the spring + summer months. Making a habit of adding these oils to my water (or NingXia) helps me be proactive in cleansing, staying hydrated, and keeping my immune system strong!
Some of my favorites to add to a stainless steel cup or glass of water (or fancy drink!):
ᕱ Orange
ᕱ Grapefruit
ᕱ Tangerine
ᕱ Citrus Fresh
ᕱ Lime
ᕱ Lemon
ᕱ Jade Lemon
I hope you enjoy! You can try this today with whatever PLUS + oils you have on hand!
Exhausted? Not sleeping well? Hitting those afternoon slumps? This month I am talking all things energy, stress, and sleep!!
Today, I am going to dive deep into four ways to boost energy levels--naturally!
Read more...With no federal regulations on ingredients in household products, the only way we can protect our families is to learn how to read labels ourselves.
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The question I hear these days is: What the heck are MACROS? Why are people talking about them, and why are they important? I can honestly say its something that I hear A LOT! As a former personal trainer on my own journey of health and wellness I thought I would give you the inside scoop. Maybe you are on your own wellness journey and need help navigating the details too (if you are come join me on my instagram and we can do this together!)
Read more...
