Essential Oil and Humidifier Giveaway

I'm excited to be able to offer you all the chance to win an essential oil humidifier and a bundle of essential oils!  I wish I could win this!

Essential Oils are a powerful tool in any home. You can use them all over the house for safe and natural cleaning. Apply them to cuts, bruises, scrapes, and burns to help soothe pain and speed healing. Massage them onto your feet and muscles to help facilitate sleep, relaxation, and help soothe aches and pains. Or diffuse them using a humidifier to help purify the air of particles and toxins, kill odor, and make your house smell awesome!

Positively Real Media Network (for like-minded “natural” Christian bloggers) is giving away a Blue Rose Ultrasonic Humidifier and a bundle of essential oils to use with it {worth over $380} to one lucky reader!

Blue Rose Humidifier

This humidifier is a perfect addition to any home and is different than most humidifiers. Instead of using hot water with huge particles that can settle around your room, the blue rose humidifier uses cool mists to distribute a finer water particle which is safe to use in all rooms, even in those with electronics.

The humidifier features a mood light {which works as a terrific night light for kids}, uses low amounts of power, and is very quiet to run. But the best part is that you can add essential oils to this humidifier and it disperses the oils throughout the room! It has a fragrance bottle receptacle that you can put essential oils directly into.

This powerful machine is essential to use in every home's medicinal routine.Read more about the Blue Rose humidifier from Kitchen Kneads. And if you don't win the giveaway, you can always purchase your own humidifier while it's on sale for only $59.99! Watch this video to see the humidifier in action:

Essential Oil Bundle

In addition to the humidifier, we are also including a bundle of essential oils in the giveaway so you can start using it right away! 13 bloggers have come together to giveaway these oils in addition to the humidifier to one lucky reader! Included in the bundle is:

Introduction to Essential Oils Pack {includes: 5 ml of lemon, lavender, and peppermint}: Includes the basics for cleaning, relaxation, and helping soothe aches and pains. Intro pack from Jill of The Prairie Homestead, find out where to buy HERE.

Lavender Essential Oil {15ml}: Lavender is used for it's calming and relaxing properties. Lavender oil from Krissa of More Than Mundane, find out where to buy HERE.

DiGize Essential Oil {15ml}: Di-Gize™ is a dietary supplement that provides valuable aid for digestive concerns and helps support a healthy digestive system. DiGize oil from Clarinda of A Jewel in the Making, find out where to buy HERE.

Rare Quality Tea Tree Oil {.2oz}: Treats minor cuts, scrapes, bug bites, and burns, gently soothes “ouches,” naturally fights bacteria, naturally penetrates and cleans, and jump-starts the healing process. Melaleuca oil from Kristy of Little Natural Cottage, contact her to find out where to buy.

Idaho Blue Spuce Essential Oil {5ml}: This oil contains high percentages of alpha-pinene and limonene, with a pleasing evergreen aroma that relaxes both mind and body. Idaho Blue Spruce oil from Jennifer of Royal Little Lambs, find out where to buy HERE.

Orange Essential Oil {15ml}: has a rich, fruity scent that lifts the spirit while providing a calming influence on the body. Orange oil from Sara of A Mama's Story, find out where to buy HERE.

Tangerine Essential Oil {15ml}: Tangerine is a calming essential oil with a sweet, tangy aroma. It helps with occasional nervous irritability. Tangerine oil from Mary of The Encouraging Home, find out where to buy HERE.

Thieves Essential Oil {15ml}: This proprietary essential oil blend was university tested for its cleansing abilities. It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health. Thieves oil from Anne of Authentic Simplicity, find out where to buy HERE.

Frankincense Essential Oil {5ml}: A truly unique essential oil, with a rich, aromatic scent that is calming to your senses, your emotional state and overall sense of well-being. Frankincense oil from Stacy of A Delightful Home, contact her to find out where to buy.

Clove Essential Oil {15ml}: A favorite among both health care professionals and health conscious individuals for its many useful and healing properties. It is also a powerful antioxidant. Clove oil from Sara of Your Thriving Family, find out where to buy HERE.

Ylang Ylang Extra Essential Oil {.5oz}: Has an intense floral aroma that is prized in perfumes. The powerful scent nourishes and encourages the spirit. Ylang Ylang oil from Danielle from More Than Four Walls, contact her to find out where to buy.

Peppermint Beadlets: Each tiny beadlet delivers a refreshing burst of peppermint as it quickly dissolves in your mouth, while invigorating your senses as you breathe in the cooling aroma of pure peppermint essential oil. Peppermint Beadlets from Audra of Naturally Well, find out where to buy HERE.

Purification Essential Oil {5ml}: Purification® can be used directly on the skin to cleanse and soothe insect bites, cuts, and scrapes. When diffused, it helps to purify and cleanse the air from environmental impurities including cigarette smoke and other disagreeable odors. Purification oil from Whitney of Beauty in the Mess, find out where to buy HERE.

Enter to Win!

Enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter below. The mandatory entry is super simple – just hit Enter! Then you can earn additional entries for following your favorite blogs via Facebook and email. Increase your chances by liking them all!

This giveaway is only available in the United States and Canada.

(If your computer is not showing the entry form, you can click on the link below to be taken to the entry form.)

My Journey to Healthy Living

This is the story of my journey to healthy living.  The story is not complete yet, and it won't be until the day I die.  It is my goal to always be learning about what I can improve and making positive changes.

The steps in my journey have often been slow.  Other times I've felt as if things were moving way too quickly for me to keep up with it all.  That's why this is all about Finding the Balance.

I want to be as healthy as possible, but there are also demands on my time and on my tightly-stretched budget.  How do you stay healthy without feeling like your whole life is spent in the kitchen?  How do you purchase only the best ingredients when your budget says you must do otherwise?

My story will not be the same as your story.  Our circumstances are different; our budgets are different.  And once we think we have it all figured out, things change.  We get a raise and are finally able to put more money toward the food budget.  We lose a job and have to figure out how to eat as frugally as possible without feeding our family things that could damage their health.  Regardless of what your story looks like, I hope mine will inspire you to keep taking steps forward toward a healthier lifestyle!

If you've been reading here for a while, you may have read these posts in the past.  If not, here's my story in a nutshell:

• Part 1: Introduction
• Part 2: The Beginning
• Part 3: Those sneaky bad habits
• Part 4: A new strategy
• Part 5: A well-balanced plan
• Part 6: A big bump in the road
• Part 7: The conclusion

As I continue on this journey, I hope to bring you along and share new things as I learn them.  I strongly desire that I never make anyone feel guilty if they don't make the same exact choices I do.  And I hope I never give anyone the feeling that they have the right to look down on others' choices either.

Keep going forward – one step at a time!

Easy Ham and Egg Cups

These Easy Ham and Egg Cups are a great way to prepare breakfast quickly while still serving something substantial!

I saw a picture of something similar on Pinterest, but the site didn't actually have a recipe, so I made up my own!

Note: I made sure to instruct you to use nitrite/nitrate free ham, but please be aware that I still don't recommend consuming commercially made lunch meat on a regular basis. 

Here goes:

You can pick these right up and eat them with your fingers!

Enjoy!

Protecting Your Child From The Devil

As I sat in my room this morning during my quiet time, I noticed out the window a cat strolling casually across the yard.

Suddenly a bird swooped down, attacking the cat.

For a split-second, I was incredulous.  A bird?  Attacking a cat?

But I quickly realized that this bird was not attacking a cat because she thought she was bigger and badder than the cat.  She was a mama bird, and she had baby birds nearby.  Even though the cat didn’t seem to be seeking his breakfast, he was still close enough to the location of the baby birds to cause their mama plenty of concern.

Although a bird is no match for a cat, she was willing to put her life on the line for the protection of her babies.  She swooped down over and over until she had driven the cat far away from her home.  Then she flew high into a tree and waited until the cat was completely out of sight before she flew back to her nest.  She didn’t want to chance having the cat know where her babies were located.

Mamas, there is another member of the feline family just waiting for his chance to destroy your children.  He is the devil, and like a lion, he walks about seeking whom he may devour.

What are you going to do to protect those children of yours?

You need to recognize the various ways that he will try to attack them and eliminate his opportunity to do so.

I’ll give a few examples, but you as a parent need to be diligent to think through the circumstances of your own child’s life and pinpoint all of the areas that need to be protected.

•     Friends

God let us know for a reason that “evil communications corrupt good manners”.  The people your child associates with on a regular basis are one of the biggest influences he has.  Do you know who your child’s friends are?  Do you know what they believe and what they talk about to your children?  If you are not aware of these things, you are leaving your child in a very vulnerable position.  The devil has the opportunity to use those friends to influence his thinking in ways that could completely undermine everything you are trying to teach him at home.

•     Media

One of the most powerful influences on the mind of your child is the media that filters through his eyes and ears.  The tv shows, movies, books, video games, and music that he is exposed to are not a neutral force.  They are either drawing him closer to God or driving him away.  Examine closely what goes into your child’s mind, and do everything you can to protect him from anything that contradicts God’s Word.  Even if you become the world’s most “uncool” mom, saying no to these things is worth every minute of your unpopularity.  I’d rather be uncool than to lose my child’s soul to the devil.

•     Their own sin nature

We are all born with a burning desire to sin, and even after salvation that sin nature still rears its ugly head, tempting us when we least expect it.  You may be doing all you know to do to protect your child from evil influences, but his greatest and most subtle enemy lies within himself.  Just as those baby birds will one day leave the nest and be responsible for protecting themselves, your children will gradually become more and more independent.  You won’t always be right beside them, swooping down and chasing away the devil when he comes too close.  Give them the tools to protect themselves when they’re on their own!  Teach them the Word of God.  Engrain it into their minds and hearts.  Instruct them about the armor of God which they possess if they are a child of God and teach them how to use it!  Pray for your children every day.  Pray for their protection from temptation and that God would help them to remember the things you have taught them about resisting the devil.

That mama bird would have been devastated had the cat gained access to her babies and taken the opportunity to injure or kill any of them.  Can you imagine the grief that you will feel if your child falls prey to the devil?

To the mother bird, it was worth risking her very life for her children to be protected.  What will you risk?  How hard will you work?  How unpopular are you willing to be?  

It’s worth it all.

How to Occupy Your 2 Year Old While You Homeschool

We've actually been “doing school” all summer since I missed a lot with my health issues, and I wanted to try to finish up the kindergarten books before we started 1st grade.  Because of that, I already have a pretty good idea of what works for keeping the 2 year old occupied.  My 3 year old just does kindergarten along with her older brother and has picked up quite a lot from it.

I hope these ideas will help those of you with toddlers – especially 2 year olds – as you prepare for this year of homeschooling.

I have moved all of my homeschooling posts to christianhomeschoolfamily.com. You can go here to read this post at the new site.

Homemade Insect Repellent Recipes

I wish I would have begun searching for homemade insect repellent recipes a little earlier in the summer, but at least we'll have these on hand for the rest of the year and for every subsequent year as well.

Up until now we've just been using the “slap the skeeters” method.  🙂  When my husband had to do some major yard work last night, he realized he really needed something for the bugs, so he came inside and asked me to find a homemade insect repellent recipe.  I was impressed.  I'm usually the instigator of all the crazy natural stuff around here.  🙂

As I searched, I realized there were several options one can use for a homemade insect repellent, and different ones will work better for different people due to your preferences and the ingredients that are easily accessible to you.  I decided that instead of posting just one recipe, I would post lots of different options so you can quickly browse for a solution that works for you.

1. Rub the juice of a freshly sliced lemon over your arms and legs.  (Lauren at Little House in the Big City advises not to do this if you have just shaved your legs! 🙂 )

2. Another insect repellant idea from Lauren is to lightly wet a bar of soap and rub it over you.  Store-bought soap isn't a completely all-natural solution since it still contains some chemicals, but it's better than toxic bug sprays and is definitely one of the easiest solutions on this list.

3. Smithspirations has a recipe using a variety of essential oils along with coconut oil, cocoa butter, castor oil, and beeswax.

4.  Here's a really nifty recipe for a beeswax insect repellent candle at Design Sponge.

5. Use a lavender and vinegar blend in this recipe from wikihow.

6. Wellness Mama has several recipes using fresh or dried herbs.

7. Your Thriving Family has a recipe using witch hazel and essential oils that can be sprayed around the home or on your clothes or body.

8. Keep spiders and mice away with this very easy-to-make peppermint spray from Scratch Mommy.

9. If you get some bites, read up on some natural remedies for treating them at Day 2 Day Joys.

What's your favorite way to keep bugs at bay?