Does the thought of starting a wellness routine make you cringe? 

Is it exhausting just thinking about trying to squeeze one more thing in your schedule? 

I know it sounds like so much, but I promise with a little practice and starting with baby steps, you can grow into a wellness routine in no time.

Check out this five day wellness challenge that is completely doable for you and your kiddo!  But before you get started reviewing the days, here is how this challenge plays out.

On the first week of starting the challenge, it is okay to do the one task that is listed on that day.  However, moving into the following week after you have tried each activity, I want you to have a plan to do as many as these as possible or all each day for 5 days!  I know it sounds like a lot, but that is why you can do a practice week just to assess how much time it may take you to do the activity and any adjustments in your schedule you may need to make.

You can do the activities alone with a separate time slot for you and another for your child, or complete the activity together.

As you are going though the list, I also want to note that if there is something you absolutely would not consider doing, think about what would be a great alternative.  I will add a few alternative ideas below as well for you.

So let's start a wellness routine!

Day 1 - Take two daily breaks for self care time.  This time slot must be at least ten to fifteen minutes long each.  During this time you can choose to read a book, do a hand or foot scrub, put on face mask, spend time outdoors, go for a walk, stretch, do sound therapy, or any other activity that you can do in the time frame you took out that makes you feel relaxed.

Day 2 - Meditate or get in a good yoga or stretch session.  This time frame should be longer than fifteen minutes.  This is different than your two shorter breaks that help you to recoup your thoughts or rest your mind during your busy day.  This time is to really allow yourself time to focus on clearing your mind or stretching the body and getting your circulatory and lymphatic systems flowing more freely.  This time should be with a goal in mind to increase physical and or mental wellness.

Day 3 - Journal your worries, dreams, & daily goals.  Give yourself at least ten minutes to journal.  If you do not like to journal than write down a few goals and dreams you have (short term or long term).  Hang them up where you can see them every day.

Day 4 - Spend time in nature.  Give yourself at least fifteen minutes to be nature, looking into nature, spending time outdoors or by the window, gardening, planting, caring for household plants, or simply sitting under a tree or at a park bench.  But here is the kicker... pay attention to what you are actually seeing.  Look at the dynamic of the trees and flowers.  Notice the moon and stars.  Watch the sunrise or sunset.  Let you mind get lost in nature and feel free and grounded with earth.  This is extremely helpful to promote calm or prevent anxiety.

Day 5 - Walk, swim, or workout.  Pick up the pace!  Can you do thirty minutes?  If not, at least fifteen minutes would be great.  Increase your energy levels and burn excessive built up negative energy.

Let's break this down and see what this could look like in a real busy Mom's day!

I will use myself for the example and tell you exactly what I would be putting in my calendar.

* I will get up thirty minutes every day and have coffee before the kids wake, check for urgent emails, and check my calendar to plan my day accordingly to everyone's schedules, my work schedule, and my wellness routine.  I will note the exact times I can get my activities in.

* I will give myself thirty minutes before bed to review my day and look ahead at tomorrow.  Then I will sneak in a few minutes of a hallmark movie.  I will go to bed on time so I can wake on time so I do not want to snooze.

* Every day I will stretch in the morning and in the evening.

*. Everyday I will write down thoughts, goals, dreams, worries, or new wellness areas I would like to try that could help me achieve some of my goals.  I will hang my notes up so everyday when I am feeling lost on what to do, I will be reminded of what I could be doing and why.

* I will be sure to allow myself time to take care of my skin every morning and night because that is important to me.

* I will be sure to go outside on nice days with the kids and play, go for a walk, go on an adventure, tend to the garden, etc.

* I will be sure to do cardio at least three times a week to rid excessive energy that does not serve me in healthful way.  The other two days I will go for a walk outside or walk on the treadmill while listening to a podcast or watching a webinar that promotes education or happiness.

What did I take out of my day your ask?

I took out watching TV.  The morning news made me anxious so I quit watching it years ago.  I check the weather on my weather app instead.

I took out cleaning time.  I know, I know... this is a hard one!  But here is the thing, I just simply got sick of doing squats while picking up trying to two things at once.  It didn't work that well and no matter how many things I picked up or how many squats I did, it wasn't the same relaxing feeling as if I would just accomplish one task at a time.  Now I can get my workout in, feel more energized, and clean what needs to be cleaned and leave what can wait.

I took time out trying to be super organized and have every cabinet perfected.  These kids will only be young once and I will have A LOT of time when they are older to organize.  Besides, cleaning and organizing with kids in the house is like trying to vacuum during a tornado!

I started to say NO.  This one is BIG!  Are you living your life or someone else's dream?  Are you doing things because you really want to and going to events or being places you really want to be or just doing it to be nice?  I bet there are things in your day you would love to say NO to that are actually possible to say no to.  Just take a peek at how much time you are spending doing things that cause you anxiety, stress, your children stress, and so forth.

That's a wrap my friend.  I believe in you and know that you can amp up your wellness routine for you and your sweet kiddo.

Oh, and here a list of other wellness and self care ideas you could swap if you wanted for the challenge -

• get a massage
• do a foot detox
• get cupping done
• infrared sauna session
• foot scrub or self pedi
• go for boat ride
• go snowshoeing
• join a swim aerobic class
• sit in a sauna
• make relaxing roller ball blend to use
• take a relaxing epsom salt bath

I would love to hear how it went!  And if you love ideas like this or shorty challenges, then be sure to subscribe to my free wellness emails full of wellness tips and info... and be the first to know about an upcoming shortie wellness class that will be available soon!

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 I was always super busy and always on the go before becoming a Mom.  The busy after becoming a Mom and the stressors were all of a sudden completely different though.  For instance, it is crazy how we can have a day planned out to a T but then have to add in forty-seven Mom call interruptions, bathroom runs, diaper changes, feeding breaks that are off the norm, clean ups in aisles 5, 7, & 9, and the list goes on!

We become robotic in nature just trying to keep up.  Our energy levels become depleted.

Other sources that can literally be burning our energy without us knowing would be our physical, social, and mental functions.

Our mind is running nonstop after having kiddos.  There are more worries all around, the to do list changes each year as they age, and we need to find a new type of balance.  The work/momlife balance.  If we cannot take time to nuture ourselves and create this balance, we will continue to let our minds run 24/7, depleting our valuable energy levels.

Physically if we have become robotic, we are already disconnected from the mind/body balance connection we need in order to sustain energy.  Our bodies are not meant to run 24/7.  Rest and sleep on a regular basis gives our body time to heal, nourish, and recover.  And I am talking good rest.  What is your sleep quality?

Socially we can pulled in different directions by different people including our own family members.  People pleasing and making others happy before our own happiness can deplete energy levels very quickly. 

Finding the courage to say "no" when something is going to cause a crinkle in your schedule is key.  Finding the strength within to be able to stay strong when you do say "no" is also key. 

You will need to learn to stand your ground and only do what is right and functional for you and your family.  After all, you are the leader right?  Good leaders need energy to stay strong. 

How many things are you doing in a week that you don't actually even care to do?  Or, how many things are you doing that cause you anxiety or that you just absolutely dread doing?

Here is a BIG energy user --> Storing old emotions you don't care to deal with or were never taught to deal with.

Emotions are stored in our organs... yes, I said organs.  Our lungs are said to hold onto sadness and grief, our heart carries joy, the spleen stores worries, anger sits in the liver, and fear burrows in the kidneys. 

Have you ever noticed when your are sad your chest feels heavy?  Interesting right? 

How would your body function if you pulled the emotions out of your organs?  How do you think you would feel?  I think most of us would maybe feel like pulling an elephant out of our stomach!  At least that is how I felt after doing the framework I created to create balance and restore energy. 

The point is, we are letting our valuable energy get depleting every single day.  It isn't easy to recognize this because we are too busy to take the time to do so or don't even think that this could be the first step in holding on to precious energy.

The steps to get through this before even talking about natural ways to increase energy levels (I will save that for a different blog) are here -

1.  Take an hour out of every day for the next two weeks to review your days, your mood, your energy levels, and note any patterns you see.
2.  Once you see a pattern, find the root cause of why you are feeling depleted at that time.  It could very well be you aren't exercising, hydrating, or eating healthy enough, but it could also very well be one of the above reasons as well.  What is the real cause?
3.  Now the hard work.  How can you fix it?  What can you do to resolve the issue causing the energy loss? 

Do you need to say "no" to something every single week to free up some "me" time.  

Do you need to create balance in your work/social/motherhood/wife life to function better on a day to day basis?

Do you need to learn ways to forgive, heal, deal with, or move on from certain emotions?

4.  What steps can you take to tackle the root cause?

Do you need to have a massage every other week to help decrease stress?

Do you need to take more time for yourself and your children to really be able to be in the moments and see what everyone is needing emotionally or to stay balanced?

Could using aromatherapy, herbs, tinctures, flower essences, or other natural products help assist you with what you are going through during the process of healing, dealing, feeling, forgiving, etc.?

Do you need someone to help guide you through your energy flows and help you to create a more balanced pattern?

Do you need someone to teach the options of natural therapies and productrs that may work best for you and your children?

Maybe you already know your root cause and are ready to explore natural options to start boosting your energy level asap.  Natural therapies and products that can amp up your mood and motivation to get to that balanced place you want to be at more quickly?

5.  The even harder part.  JUST DO IT!  Take the time and spend the money to have someone help you or get the massages you know would help you relax.  Whatever you think may help, just do it!  Because here is the thing -

• You will not have any more time in a few weeks
• You will not have any more money saved
• You will not stay focused and motivated to continue to do what needs to be done
• You will not learn anything
• You will not get any closer to being balanced
• You will not get closer to a good night's sleep with less worry
• You will not model the tools needed to stay balanced to teach your children so they can use stay balanced
• You will continue in the energy depleting pattern you are currently in

That is NOT what you want.  I know that.  You got this!   Just do the work and do what needs to be done to get you to a place of better balance.  

Your energy is valuable and only YOURS.  You only have so much of it.  Cherish it and use it wisely.  💜  Jamie

As a Mom of three I know there have been so many times I have felt anxious.  It is such a terrible feeling.  I honestly greatly dislike to feel anxious so I knew right away this was one battle I wanted to learn to win.

Essential oils were a huge part of this journey.  But before I started using natural products, I needed to journal what my typical week looked like and when anxiety was sneaking up.  I needed to assess the triggers.  I needed to know time frames and exactly how long and what would help me to prevent having an anxiety attack in the first place, and what I could do to kick it.

I created a framework to use and looked at it daily, then weekly, then biweekly and so forth.  I updated it as needed.  This helped me to stay focused and keep on track with my self care routine to prevent anxiety attacks.  Hey, P.S. - I teach this exact framework to create balance!  It can be used over and over again!  You can book a call here to get started!

I made sure I was doing all of the basics too, like staying hydrated, started a sleep schedule, started waking up an hour before the little's, amped up my diet, and went for walks and stretched more regularly.

I then started to experiment with which essential oils I could use that were safe to use around the little's.  Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) became my go to's. I found that if I diffused Lavender and Mandarin when I felt like things were getting a bit chaotic, I was able to create a calm and uplifting environment which preventing anxiety from sneaking up on me.

I found that if I was already becoming anxious, using Lavender, Frankincense, and either citrus above helped my nervous system calm down faster.

I found that I could use these oils prior to certain occasions or events, or even certain times of the day to help keep us all on a calmer and much more pleasant level!  Win Win!  This wasn't just working for me, it was helping my children stay emotionally balanced as well.  I was creating a more peaceful, fun, happy, and relaxing environment for us.

Now I am not saying that you have to use these exact oils, but I am sharing a few of my first favorites to promote calm, relaxation, and ease anxiety.  You will have to do the research and check precautions of course!  Especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or in regards to your child's age and health profile.

So how did I use these oils... well there are many ways one can use them.  Here are some suggestions that might work for you:

• Add a few drops to a bowl of slightly steamy water (keep away from kiddos to prevent burns) and allow the aromatics to fill the room
• Add a few drops of each e.o. in a diffuser (start out by adding one drop of an e.o., then add another, then another.. this will help you determine how many e.o.'s you would like to use or like to blend and the amount.  If you feel an oil is overpowering, you can calm it with additional drops of a citrus e.o. or your favorite kid safe e.o.)
• Add a few drops to your bath... if you missed my recent insta post with bath time dilutions - check it out here!  Be sure to always make sure e.o.'s are bath safe prior to use.  Just because they are kid safe, doesn't mean they are bath safe too!  Always dilute your e.o.'s in a carrier oil, and again, grab dilution rations for kiddos by age at link above!
• Add a few drops to a tissue and waft in front of your nose or your kiddos.  Take a five minute time out to do some deep breathing and grounding work.   Starting by taking three slow deep breaths.   Slowly inhale being sure to focus on dropping your tense shoulders as you exhale.  Then slowly exhale the anxious thought and inhale a good thought.  Note things around you... talk to yourself "My child is safe.  I am safe.  Inhale, exhale.  We are at home.  We are happy.  Inhale, exhale.  I will only allow myself to be upset about xyz for five minutes and then I am moving on with my day.  Inhale, exhale.  I only have to do this and this today and then I am only focusing on me and my child.  Inhale, exhale.  HUG, SNUGGLE, and FEEL YOUR FEET GROUNDED TO THE FLOOR.  Go outside and deep breathe to really amp up the grounding.
• Use a nasal inhaler instead of a tissue and have access to your favorite calming blend for months!  This saves you a TON of money on drops of e.o.'s.
• Create a roller ball blend to use and carry with you.  If you are unsure how many drops of e.o.'s to use for a blend for your kiddo, grab this FREE GUIDE HERE!  I seriously made it just for you because I was always lost when I first started trying to remember things and figure things out... so please feel free to grab it, have it, use it when you need to, or even print it if you'd like.  Hurry though, it won't be available after while!

SO WHAT IF I DO NOT WANT TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS?

No worries, here are a few quick tips:

1. Use hydrosols instead.  Hydrosols are also called "floral waters" and they are way less concentrated than essential oils, making them a lot safer for use with kids anyways!  They are created during the distillation process of plant matter to obtain the essential oil from the plant matter.  The aroma is more subtle as well.  Hydrosols can be sprayed into the air or even added to the bath.  They still have precautions so you must still check precautions prior to use.
2. Get moving.  Exercise and movement decrease our cortisol levels calming the nervous system down a notch.  Make it a point to walk, swim, or workout daily to keep emotionally balanced.
3. Stick clear of too much caffeine, food coloring, candy, and processed foods.  Eat cleaner.
4. Get some rest.  Try to get on a schedule.
5. Start saying "no" more often and only doing what is necessary so you aren't making your schedule too tight.  Being on the go and in a rush all the time causes anxiety just looking at the calendar!
6. Drink herbal teas known to assist in calming and relaxation, such as lavender, lemon balm, or chamomile tea.
7. Set aside time for the things you love.  Add them to your calendar with an extra hour included.  WHY?  Because you have kids! :)  Things come up.  Work can get in the way of our "me" time.  So if you book out an extra hour and something comes up, you are still golden to get your self care time in!

We are all on a journey for better wellness.  I hope this was helpful!  Don't forget I send out weekly emails with tips every single week!  Click HERE to get your tips so you can stay on track with your wellness!  You got this!

With much love!  Jamie

If this was helpful, consider sending a coffee tip of appreciation! I pour my time into serving you and LOVE seeing your appreciation...I also really like coffee! :)

Have you ever heard about a new product, approach, or therapy and thought "hmmm... that might be for me.  I am going to look into that"?

You write it down in your calendar on a certain day that you plan to google all about it.

You finally reach that day and have run out of time, but can still squeeze in a few minutes to just see what the hype is all about.

Your google search tells you this approach to improve health and wellness is amazing!

But then as you continue to search google... You start to see the negative reviews and the terrifying what if's or why this approach or product is actually terrible for you and not amazing for you.

Which now leads you down a rabbit hole of searching for answers that you don't even have enough time to continue searching for.

So you quit.

That's it.  Done.  Too much.  Overwhelming.  I am out.  Culver's it is!

Haha!  I have done this so many times!!!!  Let me simplify this for you!

DON'T GET CAUGHT IN A RABBIT HOLE.

There are so many things that are known to be good for us that also get a bad rap.  There are also so many people that have different opinions.  Everybody is different so there is always going to be some good and some bad noted.

At the end of the day I want you to keep this in mind.

"Just do better tomorrow than you did today."

That is it my sweet friend!  Keep it simple. Don't get caught going down rabbit holes and researching different Google links.

If you notice that keeps happening to you, reach out to professionals who can give you clear and simple answers.

Always keep the mindset that you will do better tomorrow than you did today.  You don't need to go and bake chicken with seven natural herbs and a side of ten different colored fruits and veggies.  If you are currently eating plain chicken for supper, start tomorrow by adding one veggie and one fruit to the meal.  Baby steps.

If you are using a humidifier for you child and think you need a fancy diffuser with a huge kit of essentials oils because that is what the neighbor does, you don't.  Plain and simple.  Your humidifier is great and serves it purpose.  If you are interested in diffusing essential oils, start with purchasing one child safe essential oil of your interest and add two drops to a bowl of steaming water.  Then you can decide if you like the aroma, how you feel after inhaling the aroma, positive or negative effects it may have, and if buying a diffuser to go with this one essential oil will be for you.

Do you see how simplifying makes things so much... simpler.  If you research everything about diffusers and everything about each oil in a kit when you are new to using and diffusing essential oils, you will get overwhelmed and quit.  You will have basically wasted all that time because now you won't want to even explore the option again.

You can't start at the starting line knowing the basics expecting to finish with the fastest speed when you haven't learned the technique to get there.

Baby steps is all you need.  Keep working on the health and wellness of you and your child.  Don't let things get complicated.

I am rooting for you!  To be honest, here is a great place to start.  Start with this consistent routine -

• Stick with a sleep schedule and bedtime routine
• Start every day with a glass of water and have a glass of water before every meal (helps you to stay hydrated!)
• Stretch, move, yoga it, or walk every day.
• Say no to something and make time for your self every day.
• Add plenty of fruits and veggies to every meal and snack.  Make it a goal not to have a meal or snack without at least one.  Make your plate colorful.
• Spend time with yourself looking into how you feel and how your body is feeling and what you can do to improve that.
• Spend time with your children watching and learning from them.  Note their emotions and reactions and be aware of what their body needs so you can provide it for them.
• Never stop learning.  Make it a goal to learn something new every day, but keep it simple.  Do not fall in a rabbit hole of people's opinions and reviews.  Look for the right resources and right people to answer the question if needed.
• Always check precautions though.  That is important!

You got this!  Jamie

If you are prone to sore throats, then I am sure would try just about anything to make it stop!  Besides, one can only eat so much ice cream right?...

There is a natural waxy and resinous protectant, that also has antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, that bee's produce to build, repair, and protect their hives.  This waxy substance just happens to also be super beneficial for humans to ward off germs and help give the immune system a boost.  It is called bee "propolis". 

Honeybees make propolis from local tree buds and other botanical sources.  Propolis is usually brown (can be other colors though) and is soft when it is above 68℉, otherwise it is hard and brittle. 

There are different types of propolis, depending on the location and the tree or plant sourced from the bee.  

Using bee propolis throat spray can be a very helpful friend in your home apothecary to prevent illness.

Before you run off to spray your child's throat with bee propolis spray, please note the precautions and ask your health care provider if there is any reason NOT to use this spray with your child's specific health profile, allergies, or sensitivities.  Also, never give a child honey under the age of 1 to prevent any chance of infant botulism.

Do not use if there is a possible or known allergy to bees.

If you are all clear to use this spray, you may find it very helpful to use at the start of a sore throat.  Not only can all the beneficial bacteria in bee propolis spray (over 300 beneficial compounds) help to prevent different microbes from housing in the mouth and throat, it can soothe the sore throat too and alleviate some discomfort.

In addition to using bee propolis spray, you can tackle a sore throat with many other helpful natural and simple ways -

• Use a humidifier
• Apply a diluted blend of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) to the sides of the neck and over the tonsil area (blend dilution appropriate).  *Check precautions prior to use and do a spot check (if using a new essential oil, always apply the blend to a child's inner arm below the elbow to check for a reaction... wait at least 30 min, my preference is up to two hours, before even thinking about applying near your throat or your child's... just to be super safe to prevent any possible swelling type reaction near the neck and throat that could cause breathing issues
• Make homemade sorbet to nourish your child and soothe their sore throat
• Rest is key
• Tea with elderberry honey is also very soothing.  If you do not harvest your own herbs, you can browse the options of organic tea at your local nutrition center too.  Some blends include elderberry, lemon balm, slippery elm bark, and marshmallow root which can all be beneficial to the body, immune system, and help soothe a sore throat.  We will save diving into those herbs for another blog!
• Stay hydrated and enjoy organic fruit juice popsicles
• Snack on frozen fruits

I hope this helps a busy Momma out!  Don't forget to boil the tooth brushes, rinse with vinegar, or discard and buy a new one!

Having frequent headaches can be very frustrating for mom and child. I'm honestly not sure which is worse. There is so much emotion involved, and worry, stress, frustration, and even sadness when we are bummed that we can't be doing the things in life that we would rather be doing. Mom may have to miss work, and the child may be missing out on playtime or fun activities, sports, etc.

If you think about the last time you had a headache, you probably can't remember exactly what you ate and drank that day or what other things you may have been exposed to such as fragrance plug in's, aerosol sprays, and such.  But, if you can write these things down the next time you or your child do get a headache, it can be very helpful information.

Many headaches in children are caused from dehydration.  I think we can easily say the same for adults.  Life gets busy and it easy to forget to drink water on the regular.  Keeping track of what you eat and what you drink is helpful as you can then monitor if you or your child might be dehydrated.  How would you know?  Well... check you pee!  If it is dark yellow, you will want to grab a glass of water as it should be yellow or light yellow, but not dark yellow and certainly not orange!

Teach your kids this trick from little on!  Little kids love to check the color of their pee!  Plus it helps them want to head to pot so they don't have an accident or helps with potty training.  And believe it or not, most of the time, they will tell you if they need a cup of water or not.  It's pretty fun.  Try it!

Foods can also cause headaches such as foods cooked in old grease or rancid oils, highly processed foods (like the kind that never grow mold!), MSG, food coloring, and sugars.  Chocolate, dairy, and peanuts can be triggers as well as many other foods and ingredients.  It is a process to find out the cause, but if you can write down the clues, then you will get closer to knowing what to avoid.

If you notice you are walking in your office or in your home and you have a spray or fragrance that triggered your headache to become worse, that is another clue.  Replace the product with something more natural or with no fragrance.

So writing these things down and keeping track when you have headaches, is really to note your clues on what to do differently or better in the future.  And that is key for prevention of getting more headaches.

Then I suggest coming up with short term and long term therapies that can help.  So short term will be "What can I do right now to help alleviate my headache."  Long term would be "What can I do regulary (daily, weekly, or monthly) in order to prevent getting headaches."

Let's look at some short term tips:

• use an essential oil roller blend across the head or even down the neck and shoulders if tension is the cause
• use a flax seed eye pillow to cover our eyes to nap - these can even be put in the freezer to cool them prior to use
• use a cold cap
• remove anything giving an unwanted fragrance
• avoid using chemical sprays and aerosol products
• avoid using chemical wipes and use a more natural alternative
• switch fragrant detergents to a more natural and fragrance free option
• avoid eating foods that could be triggers
• drink calming herbal teas to manage stress
• get plenty of fluids and add electrolytes if needed
• get off the screens and let your eyes rest
• make extra time for stress reducing activities or quiet time activities to reduce chaos
• reach out to your provider to see what natural supplements may help for you or child that are safe to use

Now let's look at some long term tips:

• get a massage every other week or monthly
• see a reflexologist every few months to help balance any imbalances
• try acupuncture
• walk or workout
• do yoga or stretch and meditate often
• eat a healthy and balanced diet
• monitor fluid intake to always stay hydrated
• journal your thoughts, goals, and set backs and next steps to succeed
• keep learning how to incorporate more natural products and therapies
• keep learning to create balance in your life, including emotional balance for you and your child

Remember to run any new therapies or natural products past your provider first to make sure there isn't any reason you shouldn't do a certain therapy or use a certain product.  This goes for your littles or big kids too.  Always check precautions and do the research.

Questions are welcomed!

Before you dig deep into creating balance, don't miss a beat this year with your wellness goals.  Jamie loves to send weekly inspiration, tips, natural wellness and health tips to you!  Sign up below!

Are you finding yourself with many of the same thoughts circling through your mind on an every day basis?

It can be really hard for a busy mom to create balance between work life and family life. Not to mention it can be extremely hard to fit in time for self-care.

The reason we sometimes have thoughts that keep circling through our mind, is because we are not solving the riddle. Why is the thought there in the first place? Is it a goal that needs to be accomplished? Is it something we wish we could get done, but can't seem to find the time? Is it a frustration or a feeling that we have not dealt with or learned to cope with yet?

All of these repeat mental to do lists can be absolutely exhausting. So the question is, how do we create balance in a busy world? How do we create time to not only create a self-care routine, but actually do it. How do we create time to enjoy the moments with our children without feeling stressed and like we should be doing some thing else?

The answer may lie here.  But I need to sneak in a quick P.S. note here!  

If you are not on my weekly wellness list that sends you a wellness tip or inspiration every single week, you need to be there!

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If you are really truly wanting to do the work to create balance, it starts with you spending time with yourself.  I know that sounds crazy, but think about it, if you would spend 15 minutes doing something you love, that is relaxing, that allows you to think, that allows you to open your creative space, that will give you time to push the repeated chaos in your mind to the side, how could it be anything but beneficial?  Right?

In order to spend time with yourself, you need to schedule it. You need to decide what you want to do and for how long.  Do you want to commit to taking three relaxing 15 minute lavender and epsom salt baths per week so you can unwind and think?  Do you want to go on a daily hike and allow yourself time to process your thoughts and plan your day or your week? Do you want to journal every day for 10 minutes a day and allow yourself to see your dreams and goals written on paper and have this as a reminder?  Do you want to inhale your favorite essential oils and meditate?

After you've spent time with yourself, the next step would be spending time with nature. You have now allowed yourself time in your busy schedule to spend time with yourself. You are an amazing person and you should want to spend time with yourself. Nature is also amazing. It can provide you a clear space to organize your thoughts and allow yourself a change of perspective.

Just as trees grow, we need to have our feet on the ground to feel rooted and grounded.  Being with nature can be extremely relaxing, calming, grounding, and can offer a breath of fresh air. Taking time to review your thoughts, your dreams, and your goals that you wrote down or took a mental note of can help you plan the next steps of what you need to do to continue to create balance in your life, accomplish goals, and achieve the loving moments and memories that you want to create.

Being in nature also gives us the ability to see things in a different light, and notice things that we don't get to notice during a typical busy day.

What you are doing to create balance, you should also be doing with your children. Make sure you are letting them know that you are taking time for yourself and why that is important. You can then have them take time their own time and teach them why that is so valuable. Then when you are out in nature you can let them know that it is a coping tool that is offering balance to you and how it is doing so or how it makes you feel.  

More easily said, let them know what you love about being in nature so they can learn to love it too or love something in nature just as much. Take a deep breath's with them and let them know that it feels amazing to breathe in fresh air. Look up at the sky and explore and let them know that the sky is the limit, but in order to reach our goals in life, we need to be healthy and well, and we need to be out in nature looking up to the sky and exploring everything around us.

Once you learn to spend time with yourself, be consistent. This should last you all year, not just one or two weeks to see how it goes. It takes us a long time to become unbalanced and it can take us a very short time to become unbalanced. So we need to do things short-term and long-term to continue to create balance all year long. We need short term tools and long-term tools.

After you have gotten to experience the importance of connecting with nature, the third way to continue to create balance, it's just simply slow down. In order to slow down, having a calendar that includes hours of the day and a monthly page to take quick peaks, and goals or side notes, can be extremely helpful.  This will allow you the ability to take time with yourself daily, you could even sit outside while you do this, and go through your agenda and plan things per hour. I would suggest having younger babies or children to allow yourself an extra hour or two for every small task. This way you can actually accomplish some thing and not feel so extremely overwhelmed while trying to work on 10 different projects at once.

If your children are older and in school, it is always a good idea to give yourself a few days per month that are open in case your child has sports events to attend that take up extra time, is home from school with an illness, etc. These extra days are so beneficial. They are so hard to put into the calendar, but I truly believe in you and if you put extra time in the calendar, you will accomplish more and be thankful for the extra time. It is always a nice surprise to have the extra days or hours to catch up, or even work ahead on the next goal or project.

Did I mention new Mom's could actually even sneak in a NAP!  That helps create balance too!

There are many ways to create balance, but it all has to start within ourselves. We simply cannot use one or two products to create this balance, but if we start here, we can then start to learn the other natural ways, products, and therapies that we can incorporate into our self-care routine to help allow us to destress, relax, calm, focus, and all of those wonderful things that help us feel balanced.

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Let's chat about stomach bugs.  If it isn't going around in your area yet, chances are it will be, especially if you have kiddos in school or day care.

Sometimes kids can get stomach aches from eating too fast, having too much candy, sugar, or junk food, running or playing too soon after eating, etc.  Stomach aches are no fun, but even worse is a bug I want to talk about today.

The Norovirus.  Have you head of it?  It is known as the stomach bug or the stomach flu.  This virus causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines.  It spreads very easily and therefore it is very contagious.  It is absolutely no fun for anyone and comes with symptoms that last 1-3 days such as vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps or pains.  For most adults and children, this virus will pass and one will recover and recoup, but for babies, young children, immunocompromised, and the elderly, this virus can lead to severe dehydration and cause a boat load of more severe problems.

Let's really dive into this bug because I want this blog to be information that you WANT to share and spread to as many other parents and caregiver's out there.  Why?  So you can help prevent the spread because no busy Mom has time for this bug!

The first few tips are on prevention -

• Stay hydrated so your body can eliminate toxins.
• Wash hands!  This one is huge because hand sanitizers do not kill the Norovirus.
• Disinfect surfaces as this virus can live from days to weeks on different surfaces.
• Eat a well balanced diet with plenty of fruits and veggies for much needed fiber to keep the digestive system functioning, able to absorb nutrients needed to stay healthy and well, and to eliminate waste from the body.  Be sure to wash all your fruits and veggies well.
• Drink fresh squeezed organic lemon juice in warm water to help cleanse the digestive tract, balance ph, and for much needed nutrients and vitamin C to keep immunity up.
• Drink herbal tea's such as peppermint, chamomile, lavender, and so forth to improve the health of the digestive tract by calming the nerves and stomach muscle tension, improving digestion, and relaxing the mind which in turn relaxes the body.  
• Take probiotics.

Next, let's cover a few tips in case you do catch the this stomach bug -

• The biggest concern is dehydration.  Some symptoms of dehydration include headache, fatigue, decreased urination, darker yellow urine, and dizziness.  It is so incredibly important to try to stay hydrated.  You can do this by adding an electrolyte powder or liquid to your child's water or juice.  You can also add in a few lemon wedges if they will allow it.  (Always check proper dosing with your health care provider).
• Depending on the child's age for safe use of essential oils, you can properly dilute essential oils into a lotion or carrier oil such as lavender, lemon, spearmint, orange, or ginger and add to their stomach to help alleviate nausea and stomach discomfort, help a kiddo get some rest, and because it never hurts to topically add any blend with antiviral properties (depending on the essential oils used) in hopes to help one recover more quickly.
• Stick with bland foods such as mashed potatoes (make with chicken bone broth to amp nutrient intake, not milk, and use ghee instead of butter), bananas, or plain toast or crackers.  Eat small amounts as able to.
• Diffuse essential oils that help with nausea such as orange and ginger or spearmint (again, check safety precautions prior to use for those in your family).
• Continue to do all of the preventative measures listed above to prevent the spread to others in the family.

Lastly, here are some tips to recover if you caught this horrid flu -

• Continue for the next few weeks doing all the preventative tips above, as this virus can be tricky to rid from your home.  Even though it can be tiresome and a hassle, it could help prevent you or one of your sweet kids from catching this awful bug.
• Continue with the next set of tips - Stay hydrated, continue to eat plenty of healthy foods, fruits, and veggies, and take prebiotics and probiotics to help the digestive tract rebuild and rehouse some of the good microbes.
• Add herbs into your diet or spruce up a regular meal by really thinking about what your can swap for ingredients or what you can add to your meal that will amp up your digestive system health and your immunity.

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When I working full time as a nurse I was often asked how to tell the difference between a common cold and or a viral cold.  Both are actually caused by viruses though, so it gets really confusing!  Then there is also the complicated "flu" word thrown in there which can be the stomach flu or a viral cold!  Does this frustrate you too?  When you are trying to figure out what everyone is talking about when they are referring to one of the above?  I used to hear other Mom's talking about what was circling around the schools, and it definitely got confusing!  Let's see if I can change your perspective a bit to make the bottom line much easier...

So we can all easily catch a little cold here or there.  Sometimes viral cold's can last up to fourteen days!  Then there is the stomach flu.  The time that lasts can vary as well.

Instead of trying to figure out if a cold is just really that... a cold with a cough and some sniffles... or the viral flu, let's just make the bottom line this -

Prevention is key to preventing catching any illness.

If you do come down with something, regardless of if it is the cold or flu, you need to focus on recovering more quickly, getting back on your feet, and preventing the spread within your household.

A few things to know in order to change your perspective and shift your focus may be as follows...

No matter what cold you have, if you have sinus drainage or congestion, you want to prevent what could possibly come next.  This would be sinus pressure, headache, earache, and drainage into the lungs which can lead to a bronchitis.

What does all that mean?

It means that when you have a cold, you could have symptoms that follow that can lead to an infection as well.

Always think prevention by using the natural therapies that work for you to prevent your symptoms from getting worse.  Even if you do not want to or do not think it will help, it will. 

Here are a few ideas:

*  Eat healthy even if you do not want to.  Get creative.  Add herbs or drink herbal tea.  Add herbal syrups such as elderberry syrup or elderberry honey to your tea.  Eat fruits and veggies.  Stay clear of junk when you are ill. 

If it doesn't nourish your body, it will only bog your immune system down more.

*  Try a facial steam for sinus pressure.  You can do this by warming up distilled or natural springwater water in a bowl until it is warm enough to give off some steam.  Place a towel over you head and inhale the steam for ten minutes.  Be careful not burn your face!  You are simply taking in warm moisture to help loosen your sinuses and get them to drain.  This is also adding moisture to your lungs which is great for a dry cough.  You can add a drop or two of your favorite essential oils as well that may help open the sinuses and chest such as lavender, tea tree, or eucalyptus.  Keep your eyes closed though if you do add essential oils.

By getting congestion to move, you are possibly preventing pressure in the ears and sinuses that can lead to the earache and headache.  By moistening a dry chest, you are getting your lungs to move mucus, which can prevent bacteria building in the mucus in the lowest part of your lungs that can lead to a chance of getting pneumonia on top of your common cold.

*  Drink plenty of fluids to help your body rid toxins and germs.

*  Stretch to move the lymph in your lymphatic system.  This also helps your body filter and rid toxins and waste.

*  Get rest!  Even if you do not feel like sleeping.  Apply (properly diluted) your favorite calming essential oil, practice deep breathing, focus on relaxing your muscles, and lay down to watch a movie at the least.

Deep breathing also helps open up the lungs and move any mucus that may be stuck.  It also exercises the lungs.

*  Take a warm epsom salt bath.  Add some lavender, tea tree, or frankincense in proper dilution, to get in another aromatic steam in.  After your bath, you can apply your favorite sinus or chest relieving essential oil in your lotion and apply to the sinus area, down the sides of the neck, and over the chest to promote fluid movement, drainage, and let the antibacterial or antiviral properties in your essential oils help ward off the bug.

*  Take your supplements, especially if you appetite is low.  Talk to your health care provider and get the vitamins in that are essential or known to help boost immunity (such as vitamin D, C, and zinc).

So you ask if it is a cold or the flu?  If you are ill and need to stay home, does it matter?  I do of course know there are scenarios where it absolutely does.  But for the sake of not needing to know, it certainly makes it so much easier to change the perspective to "I just need to get better, prevent the rest of the family from catching this, and carry on with my busy self."

What about preventing the whole family from catching it?  You do the same as above for everyone!  You amp up the healthy meals, supplements your health care provider agrees with or recommends, and continue with natural therapies and remedies that you know work for you and your family. 

The intention is to build immunity to prevent and to recover.

What about that confusing "flu" word?  Bookmark this page and stay tuned because the next blog is on preventing the stomach flu, how to prevent the spread, and what you can do to get over it more quickly if you do catch it!