Before this house was even on our radar, I was listening to Gabby Bernstein, author of The Universe Has Your Back, about asking for clear guidance and trusting that God has a better plan for our lives than we do. Gabby went on to say that your sign could be used if you were unsure about a decision or wanted to know if you were on the right track. As we were prompted to choose our sign, the first thing that popped into my head was a cardinal. “It’s winter. I rarely see cardinals. I need to think of something else,” was my immediate response.
Fast forward two days, and while cleaning out Conor’s folder, I opened it to find a picture he had drawn...of a cardinal! It literally stopped me in my tracks. I hadn't said anything about the cardinal and in that moment had to share with my husband. Then my other son came home with a cardinal project he had done.
Okay, God. You have my attention.
About a month later, while out to lunch with friends after church, we were shown this house. We weren't looking to move. In fact we had just finished putting in the hardwood floors in our kitchen that I had waited 10 years for.
But I couldn't get this house off my mind. And we decided to go look at it.
The decision to buy it was not an easy decision. Moving farther from family, my job, the boys school, a community we loved, best friends in the neighborhood. It was during this time that it became crystal clear that the only way we could move forward, and make a decision, was to be in constant prayer. And God kept showing up and opening doors. Over and over. It became a joke that when I would start to question our decision I would say, “Okay, Lord, I need you to show up for me again.” And He would.
It would take a lot more than this post to share all the signs, open doors, and answered prayers that occurred and continue to occur. But the cardinal was a recurring sign throughout the process. The cardinal in the bush when I drove to the house with a friend, still unsure of what to do. The inspector asking us if we saw the cardinals in the tree when we took shelter in the garage from rain. The new neighbor who randomly asked, “Did she tell you about the cardinal?” I literally started to laugh in the driveway.
Here’s the thing. God is always speaking to us. It starts with prayer. 1 John 5:14 says, “If we ask anything according to his will, He hears us.” Prayer is communication. It’s so important to talk to God, but just as important to listen. My very first prayer, before we even went to see the house was, "Lord, if you make this happen I promise I will tell the story." Owning this type of property with, 30 acres, had felt like something that was truly impossible. And the only way it would be possible was with God's help. During this process I learned to lean into prayer and to really listen. Whether it was through how I felt in my spirit, through signs, or through messages that people would share with me....I learned to pay attention.
Where in your life could you use some guidance? Where do you need to surrender and trust that God’s plans are better than your own? As recently as this morning, the questioning thoughts of whether we made the right decision started to bubble up. Only time will tell....but I can tell you that I am much more at peace, because God is in this story.
As the name indicates, aromatherapy is a therapy that uses aromas. Aromatherapy is a branch of botanical medicine that uses volatile and aromatic plant compounds. Because of the unique direct relationship between emotions and olfaction within the brain, essential oils can help “unlock” stored memories and emotions. When you breathe in essential oils, molecules enter the limbic system and elicit an emotional response. An aversion to a particular oil may indicate something more than just personal preference. It could actually be stirring an unpleasant emotional reaction. Conversely, oils that bring about positive emotions are likely favored.
Intentional imprinting is a POWERFUL way to take control of your emotions by using essential oils, well, intentionally! Below are the steps:
1. You will be choosing (4) different essential oils and/or essential oil blends to correspond with one of the following emotions:
- Anger/Frustration
- Sadness
- Overwhelm/Stress
- Anxiety/Fear
2. Now, keep these oils on you or in places where you experience the opposite of the
emotions above. You will inhale your selected oil to start imprinting your limbic system to elicit the particular emotional response you want to occur when you want the emotion experienced.
For example, the opposite emotion of anger/frustration is calm. I choose to use
lavender essential oil in times of calm or when I experience a sense of calm in my life.
Examples of calm moments in my life might be in the evenings after my children have been put to bed or when I am in the shower taking a few moments to myself for self-
care and relaxation. I will inhale lavender at these moments of calm as consistently as I
can. Now, when I am feeling angry or frustrated, I need to take my bottle of
lavender and inhale deeply. If I have been consistent for about 30 days, then my limbic
system should be triggered by the lavender aroma to bring about a feeling of calm.
3. Be consistent. Try to inhale your chosen oil when you are feeling calm, happy, peaceful, or courageous every time you feel that emotion. It will take about 30 days to imprint your limbic system. Be patient with yourself if it takes longer. You need to remember to be intentional and conscious of your use of oils with your emotions.
Below are listed the (4) emotions we will be focusing on and the opposite emotions that we want to elicit. There are also suggested essential oils and blends for your consideration. Honestly, there is no right or wrong oil to pair with an emotion. I suggest trying to pick oils that you are drawn to.
Anger/Frustration – Calm
- lavender, bergamot, cedarwood, cypress, rose, melissa, orange, frankincense, geranium, helichyrsum, lemon, mandarin, sandalwood
Sadness – Joy, happy, blissful
- orange, geranium, helichrysum, joy, lime, lemon, citrus fresh
Overwhelm/Stress - Peace, tranquil, relaxing
- stress away, vetiver, peace & calming, cedarwood, lavender, tangerine
Anxiety/Fear – Courage, valor, bravery
- valor, peace & calming, sandalwood, bergamot, clary sage, geranium, juniper, marjoram, orange, Roman chamomile, myrrh, rose, ylang ylang
As far as I’m concerned, it’s never too early to start thinking (and dreaming) about summer…. So, this month we are going to talk all about preparing for the summer months!
Up first, let’s talk about skin. Summer skin is much different than winter skin and the skin on our face is much different than the skin on our feet. One of the best ways to get all skin in summer shape is to exfoliate!
Exfoliation for skin is the holy grail of skincare.
However, too much of it is also bad. When exfoliation is done right, it makes the skin much smoother, cleaner, better, and younger. But if you use an exfoliator that’s a bit rough on the skin, or apply it too much or too often, or, even if you combine two or more exfoliating agents, then it’s very likely that is going to over-exfoliate your skin which can damage your skin’s lipid barrier. When this happens, our skin becomes rosy, puffy, or a bit swollen and can be easily inflamed. This inflammation can then escalate into an acne breakout. Using too much exfoliant also removes too much of the surface layer of the skin, taking away with it all the trapped moisture and your skin can become visibly dry and dehydrated.
The best way to exfoliate your face is to make small, circular motions using your fingers to apply a scrub according to your skin type. My absolute favorite scrub is the Satin Mint Facial Scrub! If you are using a brush, make short, light strokes. Exfoliate for about 30 seconds and then rinse your face with lukewarm water. Keep in mind that the water should not be too hot.
When exfoliating other parts of your body like elbows, knees, and feet it may take a more heavy-duty scrub but it’s still important to not get carried away and scrub your skin too vigorously either while you’re washing or as you dry off. When you’re exfoliating, let the product do its job, and don’t feel the need to take off a layer of healthy skin cells by pressing too hard. And after you’re done with your shower or bath, be sure to pat dry rather than rubbing the towel back and forth across your body with all your strength. Over-scrubbing can cause dry skin to peel off before it’s ready to be removed. The scrubbing should be done gently in the shower, and when it’s time to dry, show your skin a little tenderness.
Check out my favorite DIY body scrub here:
Need to grab the oils above? Click Here to shop with me! Once you have that skin beautifully exfoliated, don't forget to moisturize! Check out this blog post to learn more about natural hydration for dry winter skin.
See you next week when we talk about prepping your home for summer!
7 Steps to Finding Life Balance in an Unbalanced World
If you took inventory of your life today, you’d discover that every circumstance, challenge, opportunity and achievement you experience fits into 7 major categories:
• Fitness • Finances • Family • Field (Career)
• Faith • Friends • Fun
More than 20 years ago, two holistic physicians—Dr. Dave Braun and Dr. Troy Amdahl—created “The 7 F’s of Oola” to help people establish new habits, practice new ways of living, and take those daily actions that are key to bringing life into balance, then keeping it that way on an ongoing basis. Today, “The Oola Guys” are international bestselling authors, social media influencers, personal growth experts, and founders of Oola Coaching with countless successful clients around the world.
Since the first copy of their blockbuster book, Oola: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World, rolled off the presses years ago, the Oola lifestyle has become a phenomenon with over a million readers seeking the Oola life. Countless success stories of real people around the globe confirm that the simple, practical, easy-to-implement Oola formula works to help people get healthy, eliminate debt, build wealth, move into their dream career, have more fun, create a better circle of friends, resolve lifelong family conflict, find their ultimate life purpose . . . and so much more.
Oola is not about achieving an important goal in a single area. It’s not just about making more money or losing weight or meeting your soulmate. It’s also about tackling the tough stuff, cleaning up relationships, setting boundaries, and eliminating stress—all while dreaming big dreams again and putting together a plan to get the complete life you want.
Are you ready to get your Oola life? Deciding what you want in these 7 areas will help:
Your Fitness & Physical Health: One of the greatest aspects of living an ideal life is a healthy, vibrant body that looks good and supports all the activities you want to pursue. If you know your health and body could be improved, start visualizing now what you want them to look like.
Your Finances & Debt-Free Lifestyle: Your monthly income, spending, debts, savings and investments will dictate the kind of life you lead—including whether you eventually get what you want. Deciding what you want in your financial life is imperative. And it will usually take some research to discover what things cost. For now, however, start thinking about the big picture. What kind of financial life do you want?
Your Family Relationships: One of the most fundamental requirements for the survival of humans is social interaction. And your own family members are the most foundational connections of all. But how these family relationships support, affect, enhance or expand your life is up to you. What do you want your family relationships to look like?
Your Field, Career & Calling: For most people, a job, career or profession not only occupies the majority of the workweek, it also forms a large part of your identity. It affects your well-being and contributes to (or diminishes) your happiness and contentment. It can uplevel your finances, your relationships, your personal growth and more. And if you’re following a career as a full-time parent, you’ve chosen one of the most demanding and important jobs in existence. Deciding what you want in your career will set the stage for every other area of your life.
Your Faith in God & Daily Walk: Many successful people attribute their achievements to a strong belief in God, as well as prayerful, daily devotion. Others renew their faith after a lifetime of struggle. Wherever you are in your faith walk, the Oola Guys remind us that you were designed by God for greatness; your life circumstances do not define you. You have a special purpose on this Earth and an active relationship with God will help you discover that life purpose.
Your Friends & Network: It’s said that we become like the five people we hang out with the most. Well, who are you hanging out with? If your friendships and social circle could use some fine-tuning, this is your chance to “reverse-engineer” the friendships and social relationships you want—including being a better friend yourself. By choosing to be a good friend, you will naturally attract other supportive, positive and loving people into your world.
Your Fun Time & Bucket List: Over the past few decades, studies have shown people are working more and vacationing less. But free time and recreation are part of an ideal life. Rest and relaxation are necessary. And deciding what you want to do during your “down time” will improve and enhance every other area of your life.
Creating balance in your life is a process that includes working on all 7 areas. The key is to decide what you want in these areas, set some goals, and stay accountable to taking action daily to bring about those goals. Working with a coach can help keep you on track and accountable for results. And I’m here to help.
Email me at ashleymartin@lifeinbloomco.com and we can jump on a call to chat about it. You can also go here to check out the Oola Coaching Program I deliver for clients who want more balance, less stress, and more happiness in their lives. Over just 10 weeks, with the Oola Guys as your instructors and mentors, you and I will work on every major area of your life including finances, fitness, family, field (career), faith, friends and fun. Together we’ll face what’s not working for you and create a workable plan for lowering your stress, creating life balance, having more fun, and pursuing major life goals that are important to you. Ready to get your own Oola life? Contact me and let’s get started.
It's Back to School time and staying healthy is on everyone's mind! Check out these tips for keeping your family well this fall!
Having quality essential oils is a MUST. We only use Young Living because of their Seed to Seal promise.
Seed to Seal is a quality commitment and promise Young Living makes to YOU. Seed to Seal consists of three pillars - Sourcing, Science, and Standards. These three are the foundation on which every product is built and everything that Young Living does. This promise ensures you can trust that Young Living is providing you with products of the highest quality and purity, free from synthetics. You can expect that Young Living will provide you with only the BEST!
- Plant material that is grown on corporately-owned farms or carefully vetted partner farms (that you CAN visit!)
- Sustainable farming and sourcing practices, providing the purest oil
- Great care is taken to preserve and protect natural resources
- Hand-weeded fields and ZERO use of pesticides
- Oils that retain all their natural constituents and therapeutic properties
- Use of food-grade distillers with state-of-the-art design and distillation methods
- Low pressure and low-temperature distillation, without the use of solvents or synthetic chemicals
- Rigorous testing on each batch by internal labs and third-party facilities
- Oils that are carefully reviewed through every step of production in order to meet or exceed industry safety and purity standards (beyond organic!)
And the best part… if the oils do not meet these high standards they are rejected and will not be bottled as a Young Living product. YL would rather have something go out of stock than let an inferior product slip through to us. It's rare to find a company with such high standards. Now that’s amazing!! To learn even more, check out www.seedtoseal.com.
Diffusing vaporizes essential oils and gets them into the air so that we can breathe them in. Young Living provides us with cool mist ultrasonic diffusers so that the oils are protected from heat and retain their therapeutic properties, too! Diffusing also purifies the air, makes your home smell good without chemicals, and helps get those awesome oils into your lungs and to your brains. Simply add your essential oils drops to your diffuser, add water to the fill line, and start diffusing.
There is a huge difference between Young Living supplements and regular store-bought supplements. Young Living supplements have an 80% absorption rate compared to conventional supplements, which only have a 30% absorption rate! That is a whopping 50% increase!
The difference in these supplements is in their bioavailability and their essential oil content. D. Gary Young was the first to formulate nutritional supplements with essential oils. Essential oils infused into a supplement make the nutrients and vitamins more bioavailable in the body. This means the body can absorb them and use them as nutrients.
Here are some easy "SHOT" recipes for you to try!
IMMUNITY
- 1 oz. NingXia Red
- 1 drop Thieves Vitality
- 1 drop Copaiba Vitality
ENERGY
- 1 oz. NingXia Red
- 1 drop Peppermint Vitality
- 1 drop Orange Vitality
WEIGHTLESS
- 1 oz. NingXia Red
- 1 drop Grapefruit Vitality
All the products within the Thieves line contain the proprietary Young Living essential blend called Thieves, which is a sweet and spicy combination of Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata, Rosemary, and Lemon essential oils. The name ‘Thieves’ was inspired by the legend of four 15th-century French thieves who formulated and wore a special aromatic combination of clove, rosemary, vinegar, and other botanicals that they believed provided protection while they were stealing. The story goes on to say that when the thieves were caught they were offered a lesser punishment if they would divulge to the king the secret to their immunity, despite being exposed to a highly infectious, deadly disease. Pretty interesting, huh??
Thankfully, Young Living has taken this incredible cleansing blend and created an entire line of amazing household and personal care products for us! They are all backed by Young Living’s Seed to Seal quality commitment as well. You can rest assured that you’re getting a quality product made with the highest quality essentials oils and other naturally-derived ingredients.
There is no need to grab all of these at once! Use Young Living's Subscribe to Save program to earn free gifts and store credit! With YL’s Subscribe to Save autoship program, you control what products you want and WHEN you want them. Make it work for you! You can even earn bonus FREE product, Loyalty Rewards points and gifts based on your order totals and frequency.
Subscribe to Save is Young Living’s monthly autoship program. Being enrolled in Subscribe to Save unlocks a 24% discount on all subscription and one-time purchases. It also qualifies you to earn Loyalty Rewards points and gifts when you spend 50 PV or more on your subscription items each month.
You get to pick from over 600 oils and products - customizing your subscription orders to your liking. Once you find the item you’re looking for you, simply choose the frequency in which you’d like to receive it - every month, every two months, or every three months. You’ll be able to manage all your subscription items independent of one another. You can even choose to skip a month for an individual item, making your orders specific to your needs. You can learn more here: Subscribe to Save
If you aren't a Young Living member yet, I would LOVE to help you get started. Use my referral link to start shopping. I'll send you a special welcome package full of info, samples, and some gifts to help you get started and feeling like a wellness pro in no time!
Here's to a healthy and happy fall!
