Homemaking DIY

For a couple years now I have had a desire in switching over my personal care and household items to ones that are non-toxic. I have understood for a while that the foods that we put into our bodies is very important, but it hasn't been until the year or two that I have started to understand the importance of the products we use on a daily basis. We often don't think about how the stuff we put on our skin and the air we breathe all affect us internally.

Since getting into essential oils, I have switched over many of my cleaning products (Click here for my post on Spring Cleaning). However, I have done some pretty fun DIY all-natural projects that I would  like to share with you all (and there's a few more I plan to do soon!)

Laundry Detergent (powder)

My first attempt at homemade laundry detergent. It was easy!

Ingredients:

• 4 lb box Borax
• 4 lb box Baking Soda
• 1 box Washing Soda
• 3 bars of Castile (or Fels Naptha) soap - grated
• 2 containers (3.5 lb total) OxiClean
• APPROX. $20 for all - found in laundry aisle of store

Note: I only made half a batch to accommodate my container.
Directions: First, finely grate the bars of soap
 into a container then add all ingredients into container mixing well as you go.
To use in washer, add 1/4 cup into powder insert of washer. THIS IS HE washer friendly :)
Helpful Hints: This makes ALOT (20 lbs worth), so unless you have a big enough container I suggest halfing it and saving the left overs for next time (which will be a while from now because this stuff lasts!!)

• Be sure to read your washer's manual to see how to use powder detergent if you aren't used to using it. I had to take out the main wash liquid container in my front loader for it to work.
• This will be easier to do without a one-year old trying to get her hands in everything (haha), but could be lots of fun for older children to help with!

Bug Spray

No harsh chemicals, and still bug-bite free :)

Ingredients:

• 4 oz glass spray bottle
• 3 oz water
• 1 oz witch hazel (not necessary if you don't have it...substitute with a splash of rubbing alcohol)
• 15-20 drops TerraShield essential oil

Directions: Add all ingredients and mix well before each use. Spray over possible affected areas. For extra protection TerraShield can also be applied directly.

Go to www.mydoterra.com/jamileekeaton to order TerraShield and any other oils for your laundry :)


Other DIY products I plan on using SOON!

• Fabric Softener (You can use vinegar in the softener section of washer, or add a wet washcloth with 4-5 drops essential oil to either washer or dryer)

OR doTERRA has an awesome blog on dryer balls:
http://doterrablog.com/laundry-essentials-diy-natural-alternative-to-fabric-softener-and-dryer-sheets/

• Matress cleaner: Don't let the bed bugs bite! ;)

http://doterrablog.com/diy-use-these-two-ingredients-to-say-goodbye-to-dust-mites-and-hello-to-a-cleaner-mattress/

Finding Balance

Stressed, hectic, torn, exhausted, tense, worried...do these words sound familiar in your life? I often find myself using these words... It's not how we were meant to live our lives. First and foremost, God is in control and we are to cast our cares on Him.
Secondly, it is all about finding BALANCE.

I am still learning how to find balance with all my different roles: wife, mom, teacher, student, daughter, and friend. Trying to raise a one-year-old, teach math full-time, and take graduate classes all while trying to be a good wife and keep up with the house has been EXHAUSTING to say the least, which has left little to no time for me. I have been trying to learn how to prioritize my time to get as much done as possible in the time I have, but to also set aside time for me. This way all those words I used at the beginning of this post don't becomes words I say when describing how I feel.

What I have learned to do when I am feeling unbalanced, stressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed:
1) Pray. Sit in a quiet location where I can focus on God, pray, meditate, and rest in His presence.
2) Use essential oils! doTERRA has several essential oils that are great for moods depending on your situation, but I have recently found balance essential oil and I LOVE IT!!!

Rub a few drops on the bottoms of your feet in the morning to
start the day off right or at night with serenity to relax.

3) Take some time to forget everything I have to do and just enjoy spending time with my daughter...they don't stay little forever...cherish every moment.
4) Take time for myself. Go for a walk, exercise, do yoga.

I am still not where I want to be. I will keep striving, keep pressing forward...with a positive attitude. I will keep prioritizing my time, making time for everything that is important...including me.
Finding Balance.

Spring into doTERRA

It has been a busy month since I last updated! Last week, Ryleigh turned one year old. I can't believe she has been in our lives for over a year now! Being a mom truly is one of the most amazing things I have ever done/been. We had a wonderful time celebrating her birthday with family and clos friends, and can't wait to see how all of her 1 year pictures turn out! We truly are blessed!

Ryleigh was born on the first day of Spring which is very fitting for her! I had chosen "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles to be "her song" before she was even born :) And I am telling you, this girl loves to smile and laugh...most of the time anyway haha! She also LOVES being outside. One of the reasons I am sooo glad it is not Spring and warmer outside (well except for this weekend). Which brings me to the rest of this post. Along with Spring comes two major things: spring cleaning and allergies! doTERRA essential oils have some great solutions to both!

I absolutely love cleaning with doTERRA essential oils because I know they are much safer than normal cleaning products, and having a one year old crawling (and sometimes licking) all over the floors, I have peace of mind knowing they are clean and not cleaned with chemicals that are not safe to ingest. Here are a couple of my favorite oils for cleaning:

• OnGuard: protective blend that helps support the immune system; Wild Orange essential oil, combined with Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary offer a fragrant, natural and effective alternative to cleaning products. I add OnGuard essential oil to a glass spray bottle an water (sometimes a little vinegar) as a countertop and multi-purpose cleaner. I love the Fall cider smell it reminds me of :) I also add OnGuard to my Shark Steam Mop to sanitize the floors.
• Lemon: Lemon has such a fresh and cleansing scent that I love! It is also great for disinfecting surfaces. Lemon is great for creating a streak free shine on stainless steel and glass, so I add a little to a vinegar/water mixture in a glass bottle to have on handy! Lemon essential oil is also great for cleaning fresh fruits and veggies! If you are looking to also spring clean your own body, adding a drop into your glass of water is a great detox! (Note: not all brands of essential oils are safe to take internally)

Here is a great link that has several recipes for all natural cleaning with doTerra essential oils including tub, toilet bowl cleaners, and air freshener.
http://doterrablog.com/spring-cleaning-natural-cleaning-solutions-for-the-bathroom/

Allergies! Everyone hates allergies. Jake has HORRIBLE allergies and most prescription and over the counter medications only somewhat help, so I am so excited that doTERRA has a completely natural supplement called TriEase that has been known to significantly help allergies! My cousin's husband has gone off all allergy medication by taking these soft gels. TriEase is made up of three essential oils, lemon, lavender, and peppermint, that together combat allergies like no other! You can use the actual essential oils yourself and take them internally with a Veggie Capsule, but since those cannot be made ahead of time, the TriEase supplements are so convenient! Jake just started taking them since allergy season is come soon, and I can't wait to let you all know how well they have done! Let me know if you would like to order them or get more information.
And if you find yourself with an allergy attack, Breathe essential oil blend is absolutely wonderful for opening your airways and letting you breathe much easier. We all LOVE breathe at my house.

I sure do love Spring, just not these two things that come with it, cleaning and allergies. Thank goodness I have doTerra essential oils on my side to help me through ;)

<3 Jami

30 Day Cleanse

 

After months of using doTERRA essential oils, I finally enrolled to receive wholesale membership! The timing worked out great because not only would I be getting 25% off all of their products and the chance to win free products, but I was also able to enroll with the Cleanse and Restore Kit to get that wholesale membership. This was great for me because I had just gone to the Healthy From the Inside Out class where I learned hives and other skin issues are often a cause of blocked passage ways in your liver and kidneys, and since your body cannot properly eliminate toxins through your liver and kidneys when blocked these toxins are often released and cause skin problems. This was actually exciting for me to hear because I finally was starting to understand what may have happened to me to get dermatographism! I knew for a while that a cleanse would be a great thing for me to do where I have had a lot of GI issues as a result of candida, I just was not sure which cleanse would be best...there are a lot of them out there! I was so excited when my Cleanse and Restore Kit came in that I had to take a picture!!

                          

 

The Lifelong Vitality Pack (LLV Vitamins) is optional for the cleanse, but are so recommended by doTERRA and it's users that they added it to the cleanse enrollment kit!

Terrazyme® is a Digestive Enzyme Complex which is a proprietary blend of wholefood enzymes that support healthy digestion of food for nutrients and energy. This is to be taken the entire 30 days of the cleanse and even beyond to help digest any foods that are generally rough on the system like dairy and gluten.

Zendocrine® Detoxification Complex is a proprietary blend of 14 active whole-food extracts in a patented enzyme delivery system that supports healthy cleaning and filtering functions of the liver, kidneys, colon, lungs and skin from unwanted toxins.

Zendocrine® Essential Oil Softgels support your body's natural detoxification system with a proprietary blend of Tangerine, Rosemary, Geranium, Juniper Berry, and Cilantro essential oils. Zendocrine helps cleanse the body of toxins and free radicals that can slow the body’s systems down, leaving a heavy, weighted feeling.

Both Zendocrine Complex and essential oil should be taken together for the entire 30 das as well.

GX Assist® is a proprietary combination of Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils and caprylic acid that help support a healthy digestive tract by creating an unfriendly environment for potentially harmful pathogens that can disrupt digestive immunities and cause digestive upset. GX Assist should only be taken for 10 days, preferably starting 10 days into the cleanse.

PB Assist®+ Probiotic Defense Formula is a proprietary blend of pre-biotic fiber and six strains of probiotic microorganisms in a unique double-layer vegetable capsule delivering 5 billion CFUs of active probiotic cultures and soluble pre-biotic FOS. PB Assist+ should be taken the last 10 days of the cleanse and can also be taken after the cleanse daily for promoting overall health.

Slim & Sassy Softgels contain dōTERRA’s proprietary Slim & Sassy essential oil blend in convenient softgels to promote weight loss in a healthy, natural way. Slim & Sassy does not have to be taken as a softgel...many people just drop the essential oil into their water, which is probably a cheaper way to do it, but I chose the softgels for ease of use. They are to be taken up to three times a day in between meals to help curb appetite and boost metabolism!

** The kit does not come with Slim & Sassy...instead it comes with Lemon essential oil to drop in water to use as a detox. Lemon is part of Slim & Sassy anyway! I chose to do both Lemon essential oil in water and taking the Slim & Sassy for a double of metabolism boost since I was trying to lose the last 10+ pounds of baby weight.

 

All of these different supplements and essential oils and when to take them can be a little confusing do doTERRA has it all organized in a chart! This was easy to follow!

 

 

Here's my take on the cleanse:

Overall, I loved the cleanse! While I did have a few days where I felt "sick" because of die-off symptoms, I mostly felt 10x better than I normally do. I also cut out dairy and gluten about 90% of the time to help aid with digestion and to see if I could have sensitivities to either of them. I definitely suggest getting a pill box or something of the sort to put your daily supplements in so you do not have to open 4 (or 7 if you are doing the LLV vitamins too) bottles every day 2-3 times a day! However, I would also suggest getting a bag (I used a 31 large zipper bag) to hold all of your supplement bottles in to keep them in one place and grab on your way out the door if you forgot to fill our pill box the night before (which I often did).



My Thirty-one Zipper bag I keep all supplements in!

 

 

My hives did not go away while on the cleanse, but I do believe they lessened because I was able to go from taking 2 Zyrtec's a night to only 1 with minimal itching. I have also noticed that my hives do not last as long upon scratching like they used to.

Having said that, it was my intentions to do this cleanse twice in a row with a 30-45 day waiting period in between anyway, and I have heard that with severe conditions such as mine a second cleanse is recommended!

Another suggestion: DRINK LOTS OF WATER!! I cannot stress this enough. I normally drink a lot of water daily due to being dried out and dehydrated if I do not, and I kind of thought that would be enough, but I found myself needing about 100 oz of water a day to keep the supplements from making me a little nauseous. I also wanted to make sure I always had a glass or aluminum water bottle on me so I could drop essential oils into it so I bought this from target...



Glass water bottle from Target :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was surprised at the end of the cleanse that I really had not had any upset stomach issues all month (other than the die-off days). However, my first meal off the cleanse was pizza and icecream cake (not the best decision) and I did have some upset stomach for a day after that, but I also forgot to take Terrazyme with it!

I am excited to give the cleanse a second round in about a month!

I you have any questions please feel free to comment here or on facebook and let me know! I have done other cleanses before and this one was by far my favorite! AND I lost 8 pounds on this cleanse overall...I credit much of that to the Slim & Sassy and Lemon water :)

 

If you are interested in starting this cleanse, let me know. If you enroll with doTERRA with this Cleanse Kit by March 1 you can be eligible for $100 in free products just like I did :) Contact me for more details.

Intro to Essential Oils

Some of you may be wondering...What exactly is an essential oil? doterra.com defines essential oils as

"natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. If you have ever enjoyed the gift of a rose, a walk by a field of lavender, or the smell of fresh cut mint, you have experienced the aromatic qualities of essential oils. In addition to giving plants their distinctive smells, essential oils provide plants with protection against predators and disease and play a role in plant pollination"

dōTERRA  has over 40 single oils such as lavender, lemon, peppermint, frankincense, and ginger, and over 15 oil blends such as Breathe, OnGaurd, Balance, and DigestZen.  The oil blends contain several different single oils blended to create the perfect combination to help aid in congestion, provide immune support, regulate emotions, and ease a stomach ache just to name a few!

 

What makes dōTERRA different?
dōTERRA CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade^® essential oils represent the safest, purest, and most beneficial essential oils available today. Because dōTERRA are CPTG, they can be administered by one of three methods: diffused aromatically, applied topically, or taken internally as dietary supplements.

Note: Do not think it is safe to ingest just any essential oil. Most essential oils you buy at the store or on amazon are not internally safe. I only trust doTERRA's CPTG essential oils!

What's with the new craze on essential oils? How long have they been around?

I feel like more people now days are left unsatisfied by doctor reports (I know I was) and the options and effects that over the counter and prescription medicines have left us. However, essential oils have been used throughout recorded history for a wide variety of wellness applications. The Egyptians were some of the first people to use aromatic essential oils extensively in medical practice, beauty treatment, food preparation, and religious ceremony. So essential oils have bee around forever. A little over 2,000 years ago Jesus got the wonderful gifts of frankincense and myrrh!  

Watch this video to see what's with the hype:

A Natural Solutions Revolution!

Natural Solutions Revolution video

 



To end this post, a list of my Top 5 favorite essential oils:

1) Lavender: calming/sleep, itching, burns, depression, and hyperactivity

2)Breathe: congestion, cough, sinuses, flu

3) OnGuard: antibacterial/antiviral, infections, hand soap/sanitizer

4) Lemon: disinfectant/purification, blood pressure, kidneys, sore throat

5) Melaleuca (Tea Tree): acne, cold sores, yeast/fungal infections, inflammation

 

Contact me for more information on these oils or any others you may be interested in!

Stay tuned for my next post on the 30 Day Cleanse!

I'm baaaaack! :)

Where to begin? Maybe where I left off. I started this blog 2 years ago today to promote my life style changes of healthier options. I last posted that I was very excited with the changes I was making in hopes of clearing up my horrible disorder called dermatographism. I had just started using essential oils. I ordered a kit through another company that I am not currently using any more, but I am not going to dwell on that much this post. I am however, now using dōTERRA essential oils and love love love them! They have completely changed the way I take care of myself and my family, but more on that later!


LIFE CHANGES:
Most of you already know all of the BIG changes that have occurred in my life over the past two years, but here's a quick run down. While I types my last post, I had a little baby girl being formed inside of me.

Psalm 139:13(NLT)

¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I had no idea at the time how crazy my life was about to change! (i did not keep up with this blog because shortly after morning sickness struck with vengeance. (If only I would have none the oils that were safe to use during pregnancy that could have helped, but I was not built into a team like I am now that are so helpful to explain all of these details and want to see me reap maximum benefits with the oils! I truly am a part of a great family here with doTERRA!) 

My little girl, Ryleigh Faith Keaton has grown so much and is almost a year old!! 

 Newborn photo

10 months old!

This girl is my everything! God has blessed me indeed! It is true, children are a gift from the LORD! And I would have to say it is because of her that I have taken back this lifestyle of health and using all natural products! When a little baby gets sick there's not much you can give them to help ease their pain and discomfort. PLUS there are just way too many chemicals in our medicines anyway! So I started giving essential oils a try again. My cousin was currently using doTERRA and told me about an essential oil blend called Breathe, and I tell you what that stuff does exactly what it claims. After just a couple days of diffusing it in Ryleigh's room her congested/runny nose was all better! Lavender has also been a go to for us because it helps her sleep better. She is sleeping 10-12 hours straight every night! WAY to go doTERRA!

Well, I do not want to spend too much time on my initial post back, but its been a crazy year and a half with pregnancy and watching this joy from the Lord grow!

I am currently on an awesome cleanse with doTERRA, called the 30 day cleanse and restore that I learned about from Sarah deGroff (she's on my upline and so very helpful and informative!) and her class called Healthy from the Inside Out. Which is exactly what my body needs. My skin flairs up with hives because internally, my cells react in a crazy way anytime I scratch thinking I am attacking my body. Obviously there is something wrong internally that produces an external condition. I am having good progress already, but more on that later! 

I'll stop here for tonight, but if anything I have wrote about the essential oils sounds interesting to you contact me for more details!! I am a wellness consultant with doTERRA and can help get you started on your pathway to wellness too! 

Click here to access my doTERRA website