No more sickness in this house! (Young Living essential oils)

I'm really excited to tell you about Young Living Essential Oils. They are blessing my family in so many ways. And before you think I've gone off the crunchy mom deep end (I know what you're saying... first cloth diapers, now this?!), just give this post a read.

I first learned about essential oils when a Facebook friend who was honestly probably tired of hearing me complain about my sick kids sent me a sweet private message about how she has been using essential oils to keep her family healthy and also treat a number of health issues. My original thought was, "Sure thing crazy lady. Enjoy your snake oils and voodoo medicine." 

But then Graham got sick again. And again. 

So I began to look into essential oils, and Young Living Essential Oils in particular. I researched on the Internet and asked my friend endless questions. She eventually added me to a Facebook group where people can ask questions and share testimonies on how the oils have helped them. And not long after that, I purchased the starter kit so I could try them out. I was still skeptical, but I figured other than putting my family in a bubble, I was at a loss as to how to keep my family well. 

What sold me on the oils was how healthy my kids have been since I started using them. Owen and Graham have not gotten sick in the last month. And that's saying something! We haven't had an entire month of being well since Graham was born more than five months ago. We have started attending church again and putting the kids in nursery without fear of them bringing home some new disease and I have had playdates with other kids without worrying about getting something from them. And I give all the credit to the Young Living Thieves blend of essential oils. The Thieves blend is based on research about four thieves in France who covered themselves with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. When they were captured authorities offered to lessen their punishment if they would explain how they were avoiding contracting the plague. University testing found that diffusing Thieves kills 99 percent of airborne bacteria.  

Here's a look at what the oils in the premium kit that I bought can do:

In addition to helping our immunity, I have used the oils for lots of other issues now too. Here are a few of my favorites and how I have used them. 

Lavender: In addition to just smelling nice when diffused or sprinkled on laundry or rubbed on your wrists, lavender has a ton of other uses. For instance, clumsy me burns myself while cooking (or straightening my hair...ahem) all the time. Just a dab of lavender essential oils on the burn takes away the pain immediately and helps prevent blistering. I have also used lavender (and frankincense - yes, the kind they gave to Jesus) in coconut oil to moisturize my dry hands and feet this winter and they are the softest they have ever been without my going to get a pedicure or manicure! I also have rubbed a smidgen on the boy's cheeks to help with chapping. 

Peace and Calming and Gentle Baby: These two blends are used to help improve sleeping. Since I began diffusing them at bedtime, Graham has started sleeping much longer at night and only wakes to eat once during the night as opposed to the two or more times he was waking before I started using oils.

PanAway and Valor: I have had issues with my lower back since I was a preteen. If I bend over or twist in just the right (or wrong) way, my back wrenches and I am in tons of pain. I did this the other day right before bed and was having a hard time finding a comfortable position and couldn't fall asleep. So I got out of bed and grabbed my oils. I mixed one drop of each of these blends and rubbed it into my lower back. The pain relief I felt was practically instantaneous! As in just a minute later I was back in bed and completely pain-free. 

Stress Away: Stress Away is one of my favorite blends. I use it during the day like perfume when I'm feeling stressed out. It is also Graham's personal favorite oil. Whenever he is inconsolable and we have tried all manner of ways to calm him, I swipe some Stress Away on my neck and cuddle him close and within about five minutes he will be calm and 99 percent of the time sleeping peacefully afterwards. 

Clove: Clove oil contains eugenol, which is used in the dental industry to numb the gums. I use it diluted with olive oil to numb Graham's gums when it seems like he is teething. I doesn't get all over the place like store-bought numbing agents and a little will go a long way. I have also used it on myself when my jaw popped out of place while eating the other night and I was in pain. The taste isn't great, but the results are quick!

DiGize and Peppermint: Both of these oils can be used for digestive issues. You know, the kinds of things you usually deal with using that fluorescent pink medicine. I use it on Graham a lot since he has such a sensitive tummy. When he seems gassy or constipated, I rub some on his tummy diluted with coconut oil and he seems to feel so much better pretty quickly after. 

I am so enjoying using all natural oils to stay healthy and heal our bodies without over the counter medicines. Particularly because their aren't a lot of ways to ease symptoms for babies and toddlers (no cough medicine until age 6, FYI). I have found so many ways to use them and I am still learning! In fact, if you are interested in learning how essential oils work, read this blog post. 

Feel free to leave me any questions or comments or e-mail me at jessrumely@gmail.com to learn more about how I'm using the oils or about Young Living. 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Images source: Young Living

The Honest Company review: Wellness and vitamin bundle

      

    The Honest Company has within the last year debuted a new bundle to add to their diapers and wipes and personal care and home cleaning essentials bundles: a health and wellness bundle that offers vitamins and other supplements. I recently ordered the wellness bundle for the first time and wanted to review the products that I tried. 

        Here's the scoop on the newest bundle:

Bundle: The Honest Company Health and Wellness Bundle

Options: Prenatal Multi-Vitamin, DHA/Omega-3 Vitamins, Baby and Toddler Multivitamin Powder, Kid's Multivitamin, Immunity Defense, and Kid's Immunity Boost. 

Price: Choose two products for $39.95 a month. 

Other Information: Like the other bundles, you can adjust your shipping date if you don't want to receive it every month. You can also add-on extra products to your bundle at 25% off their regular price. 

Special promo code: INVITED10 will get you $10 off your first bundle. 

      In my first bundle, I ordered four of their new products. 

Kid's Multivitamin (Retails for $24.95): I ordered these for Owen. These 100 percent natural vitamins are filled with 36 fruits and vegetables featuring 22 essential vitamins and minerals, plus probiotics to support immunity, enhance focus, and support brain and bone health. The chewable vitamins come in Tropical Blast flavor. They are free of gluten, soy, yeast, eggs, dairy, casein, lactose, tree nuts, GMOs, dyes, preservatives, and artificial flavors. They are naturally sweetened and Owen seems to like them a lot. 

 Kid's Immunity Boost (Retails for $19.95): It's winter so I figured trying an immunity boosting product couldn't hurt. The powder is a premium botanical blend featuring Black Elderberry, Arabinogalactan and other natural extracts known to be effective at warding off seasonal illnesses. The slightly sweet and flavored powder is gentle on tummies and can be sneaked into yogurt, juice, oatmeal and more. Owen doesn't seem to really like the taste of this in water so I will have to be sneakier about putting it in things.  

     Immunity Defense (Retails for $21.95): This formula for adults is made from concentrated and natural botanical extracts to help maintain and support healthy immune system function. Mine are in pill form so I don't have to sneak them into any of my food. Like most of their products, it is free of common fillers and allergens. I can't say that I feel any healthier, but I haven't gotten sick lately so who knows?

Baby and Toddler Multipowder (Retails for $29.95): These powders are made with high quality, real food nutrients to provide nutrition needed to support the development of a healthy, strong body. It includes gentle and enriching nutrients plus probiotics. ordered this for Graham because breast-fed babies are supposed to get Vitamin D supplements. I think the ones I found at the grocery store seem disgusting and obviously have dyes and weird additives so I was hesitant to give them to my baby. These powders are made from real foods and have a green-ish hue. They are easily mixed into a bottle of breastmilk. 

     If you are interested, you can sign up for The Honest Company by going here and selectingwhich bundles you want to receive. If you sign up for the Trial Kit, you can get samples of all three bundles (diapers and wipes, personal care and home cleaning essentials, and the new wellness bundle) for just $5.95 shipping. By ordering the trial kit though, you WILL BE signing up for the monthly subscription so you have to cancel within 7 days of receiving your trial kit or you WILL BE CHARGED and shipped the bundles.

Graham is four months old!

     This is super super late (Graham will be five months old tomorrow), but I figured I should post it anyway. He turned four months old just a few days before Christmas and we visited family for two weeks so I just got completely behind and didn't have a chance to write anything up for a while. I will try really hard to get his five month post up in a more timely fashion. But I'm not making any promises...

Eating: 

       Graham still eats every 2.5 to three hours like clockwork. He eats four to five ounces at every feeding. He still gets really mad if you try to burp him before he's had a couple ounces as if we regularly starve him. 

        Pumping is going okay. I got mastitis over Thanksgiving week so my supply suffered some from that and hasn't really come back completely. 

Sleeping: 

Graham is on a schedule during the day. He will typically go down for naps about an hour and a half after we wakes to eat. This is helping in getting him to fall asleep faster and without too much fussing. At night he generally falls asleep sometime around eight and then we try to feed him once more before we go to bed. He typically wakes up about twice during the night and early morning. He is still sleeping swaddled. 

Other Things I Want to Remember: 

      Graham wears size 3-6 months. He wears size one diapers when he isn't in cloth. We are pretty much in cloth full time now which I enjoy. 

      He has a pretty good amount of hair still, though it is rubbing thin on the back on his head (see photo below). His eyes are still blue.

       I am still amazed at how talkative Graham is. He coos a lot and "talks" to us. He is for sure really smiling now and he laughed for the first time while he was three months old. 

       Another milestone reached during his fourth month was the ability to roll from back to front. He rolled that way for the first time on December 4. 

      While he was three months old, Graham got RSV. It wasn't a very bad case and he did not have to be hospitalized or anything, but it was really rough on us, especially since he had just gotten over the whooping cough. 

      He enjoys music and really loves when I sing to him.

      He likes being on his playmat for limited amounts of time and enjoys looking at the toys hanging overhead and in the mirror. He does really well at tummy time and can hold his head up well. Since he can roll over, he typically does not stay on his back for long. He prefers to be held, but will play for a pretty good amount of time on the floor by himself. 

December Citrus Lane review (3-month-old box)

       My December Citrus Lane box for Graham came early this month, which was great because I was really hoping to get it before Christmas. It normally arrives anywhere between the 17th and 22nd of the month, and I think they are getting faster now that they are shipping with FedEx instead of their previous shipping partner. 
       I always look forward to the December edition of my Citrus Lane box because I figure they will do something extra special for the holidays. I was really pleased with Graham's box. This month's Citrus Lane boxes contained great brands like Pearhead, North American Bear Co., Melissa and Doug, Barefoot Books, HABA, and Episencial.  

           Here are the details on what we received in our box for our three-month-old son:

• Cozie from North American Bear Co. ($10.00): This super soft lovey is so cute. I don't know if Graham will become attached to a lovey because Owen never did so we'll have to see. I really like this one though and think its really adorable and perfectly sized for my little guy. It's also machine washable which is great since I'm sure it will get chewed on and dirty. I got the Flatocow version, but there are tons more on their website where they sell them as two-packs for $20. 

• Rira Clutching Toy from HABA ($9.49): I really like the HABA brand and this toy is no exception. I love that it is wooden and colorful and unlike any other baby toy that we have. This will definitely be going in Graham's stocking this year. HABA is a German company that makes wooden toys out of reforested timber. The wood is stained instead of painted so it won't flake off and is nontoxic for babies who teethe on them. 

• Handprint Keepsake from Pearhead ($14.95): I think that Citrus Lane sent these out last year to the under one age group too. I am really happy to get it this year because I have been the typical parent of a second child who does way less with the second kid than the first. We have tons of keepsakes from Owen's first Christmas, but haven't done much of anything with Graham. He is at a different age from Owen so he can't do as much, but I really wanted to do some type of handprint or footprint artwork with him. The homemade ornament similar to this that I did with Owen when he was a baby didn't work very well and one of them broke so I'm happy to have a foolproof kit to make the process easier this time. 

• Snuggly Lotion from Episencial ($4): I really like this brand and am always happy to see it in my Citrus Lane box. I really love the cherry scent and knowing that the lotion is organic and contains nourishing and hydrating ingredients like borage seed oil, avocado, flax oil, and primrose oil. 

       The retail value of this box is $38.44, which is more than $15 over what I paid for it since I subscribe for six months at a time and get these boxes monthly for $21 rather than the $25 if you pay monthly. It also came with a discounted offer to become a Barefoot Books member who can sell them. 
       If you are interested in signing up for Citrus Lane, you can use this LINK to get $10 when you start a subscription. It's my favorite subscription box for babies and toddlers from newborns to age 5. They have introduced us to a lot of great brands and products and are a fun treat to get in the mail each month. 

Graham is three months old!

     I'm late in posting this again, but we have had a really busy month with illness and visiting family and life with two kids in general.

        At three months old, Graham weighs about 13 pounds (nothing exact since we didn't have a doctor's appointment this month). This is more than Owen at that age. This past month Graham was also diagnosed with pertussis (aka whooping cough). This has made our boy pretty fussy as his cough wakes him frequently and we're not getting much sleep. He still has a little bit of a cough especially at night. I think for this reason, he will be later than his brother in starting to sleep through the night. Here is some other news on the Graham front:

Eating: 

       Graham still eats every 2.5 to three hours like clockwork. He eats four to five ounces at every feeding. He gets really mad if you try to burp him before he's had a couple ounces as if we regularly starve him. I have tried integrating some dairy back into my diet, but I think that is causing Graham to be fussier and spit up more so I think I'm going to have to cut it out completely again. 

       I am still pumping breastmilk for him and haven't had to supplement with formula. I pump about four times a day now and am still storing milk in the freezer. 

Sleeping: 

Graham is a pretty good sleeper for a sick baby. He is getting to be on a schedule now and will go down for naps about an hour and a half after we wakes to eat. This is helping in getting him to fall asleep faster and without all the drama. At night he generally falls asleep sometime around eight and then we try to feed him once more before we go to bed. He typically wakes up about twice during the night and early morning. He is still sleeping swaddled. 

Other Things I Want to Remember: 

      Graham  wears size 0-3 month clothing. He is about to be in size 3-6 months. He size one diapers when he isn't in cloth. We are pretty much in cloth full time now which I enjoy. 

      He has a pretty good amount of hair still, though it is rubbing thin on the back on his head (see photo below). His eyes are still blue, but if he is like Owen, they will begin to change sometime in the next month. 

       I am still amazed at how talkative Graham is. He coos a lot and "talks" to us. He is for sure really smiling now and is really close to laughing. I can't wait! 

       Another milestone reached is the ability to roll from his tummy to his back. He did this on Halloween. He had done it a couple times in the first few weeks after he was born, but I didn't really count it. 

       Graham also found his hands this month and loves putting them in his mouth.

      He enjoys music and really loves when I sing to him.

      He likes being on his playmat for limited amounts of time and enjoys looking at the toys hanging overhead and in the mirror. He does well at tummy time and can hold his head up really well. He has started reaching for and grabbing things like the little toys that hang from the playmat's arches. His favorite is the giraffe. 

       He is super strong and can hold his head up and look around. He hates laying flat now and fusses until we sit him up in our laps or stand him up. 

      Car rides are calming and he typically falls asleep in his carseat. We made the drive to Georgia for Thanksgiving and he did really well in the car again. 

       He loves being in the Moby Wrap and the Beco carrier. 

       He likes bathtime a lot more now. I tend to bathe him in the kitchen sink because it's a good level for me and it makes it easier. Bathtime tends to be quick before he gets upset.

       Graham thinks his big brother is awesome and loves looking around for him when he hears his voice. 

Awesome Citrus Lane deal!

     Citrus Lane has finally offered their big Black Friday deal for this year. This is my favorite time to continue my subscription because you can get such a great deal on a discounted subscription. These are the deals currently:

• Three months for $56 (25% off)
• Six months for $105 (30% off)
• One year for $196 (35% off)

If you have always wanted to try Citrus Lane, now is definitely the time to sign up. You can cancel anytime after your subscription is done or you can continue your subscription if you love it. Click through either of the links above to get this deal!

Citrus Lane review (31-month-old review)

 

       My November Citrus Lane box for Owen arrived today. It normally arrives anywhere between the 17th and 22nd of the month, so it was still pretty early as part of their normal delivery window, but I was impatient for it because I got our other box for our two-month-old last week. This month seemed to have a lot of unique items in it and a couple new brands, which was really nice to see. While I love all the brands they include like Green Toys and Skip Hop, I get excited when they put something brand new in there. 

    Owen loves opening his box each month. He is so cute because he looks through everything and then says, "Now take a picture." He definitely is used to my doing reviews on the boxes now and knows I have to take photos of everything before he gets to start playing with them. 

         This month's Citrus Lane boxes contained great brands like Green Toys, Boon, Bumkins, Faber Castell, Skip Hop, Good Boy Organics, and Tiny Prints. 

          Here are the details on what we received in our box for our 31-month-old son:

• Faber-Castell Doodle Pad and Beeswax Crayons ($2.49 & $4.99): I have never seen this brand in Citrus Lane's boxes before. Owen is still rather new to coloring and isn't interested in doing it for long so I may save these for when he is a bit older. Either way, they are a good quality brand and I am pleased to have received them. 

• Reusable Lunch Bag from Bumkins ($12.95): Since Owen doesn't go to daycare, we don't have much of a need for a lunch bag just yet, but it would be good for snacks or to pack a lunch when we're traveling. We prefer packing our own food and stopping at rest stops to eat when we are traveling so that Owen gets the opportunity to run around and expend some energy while we are on the road. This lunch bag has a super cute pattern and is made of wipeable, washable fabric that is free of lead, PVC, BPA, Phthalates, and vinyl.   

• Build-A-Sandwich from Green Toys ($16.99 for full set, so estimated $8): This toy is actually part of a larger 15-piece set called the Green Toys Sandwich Shop. Owen is really into play food right now so this was probably the thing he was most excited about seeing when he opened the box. The pieces stack together and are great for pretend play. They are made of recycled plastic and are free from BPA, phthalates, and PVC. 

• Good Boy Organics Organicasaurus Baked Organic Corn Snacks ($1): Owen will never be unhappy to receive snacks in his Citrus Lane box. These are particularly fun because we have never gotten them before and because they are shaped like dinosaurs. What little boy wouldn't love that? 

•  Four Sets of Address Labels and Free Shipping from Tiny Prints: This voucher is good for free address labels and free shipping from Tiny Prints. I am not including them in the value of the box because you have to spend $99 or more to redeem the deal. 

       The retail value of this box is $29.43, which is pretty low value compared to some previous months, but all the items included were useful and none of them will go unused. It's still my favorite subscription box for babies and toddlers from newborns to age 5. They have introduced us to a lot of great brands and products and are a fun treat to get in the mail each month. 

       If you are interested in signing up for Citrus Lane, you can use this LINK to get $10 when you start a subscription. The code TAKEHALF will take 50 percent off your purchase of a monthly subscription. Multi-month subscriptions are already discounted. 

       Currently, they have started offering a variety of subscriptions at different price points. You can select a Basic Box ($12/month), which contains two items, the Classic Box ($25/month), which is what they have always offered and includes four or five items, and the Deluxe Box ($49/month), which is the same as the Classic Box with additional premium toys and other products.