Essentail Oils 101

Essentail oils... They really are a hot thing right now aren't they?  I was always on the fence about their abilities, could they really do all they said they can?  It seemed to good to be true, buy this little bottle of oil and never need medicine again. I wasn't a believer, just couldn't accept it, but whats amusing is I've been using oils in my cleaning products for years. I started with Tea Tree because it was said to have antibacterial properties and when I was switching to a natural cleaner that is what I wanted the most.  So I believed that a few drops would enable my cleaner to kill bacteria around my house.  I trusted the recipe so much I stopped buying anything else, and haven't gone back.  Its been about 5 years since I have bought any kind of commercial cleaners.

So I could accept that when mixed with simple household items like vinegar and dish soap you had a great natural cleaner, but I couldn't seem to wrap my head around their use for people.  Then one day I broke down and bought a headache roller.  I don't know what all was in it except peppermint, and it worked enough to make me want to try again.  I realized that if I caught my headache at the beginning the roller would work. Then I read about oils helping kids with ADHD.  My son was going through a really rough patch and I was desperate. So I ordered a Serenity blend for him.  While it didn't help him, I realized that it did help me. I could use it at the beginning of an anxiety attack and it wouldn't become a full blown one!  At this point I still had a lot to learn.  What was the difference between all the brands, grades and how do you know what to use and when?  So I did what I do best and started talking to people.

During my research I found out a few interesting facts, the big one being people are fiercely brand loyal. Most essential oil users have one brand and they stick to it and its hard to get them to budge! I also found out for most people using oils is part of a life style, one that I wanted for my family. I found it hard to find information that wasn't biased toward a specific brand or that made me feel like using oils was the end all be all cure for everything.   This bothered me because while I use them and agree they work I still don't think to reach for them first. I'm coming around though and have started making blends and selling them on my etsy shop: browns brownsteading


So what have I learned?

1)  Essential oils are like any other medication and they work different for everyone. Like I said earlier I tried the Serenity oil for my son with ADHD.  I put it on every day before school and at the beginning of his tantrums and nothing. Now for me, with its help I was able to stop my anxiety and depression meds and only use the oil.  So as you play around with them its important to remember not to give up if one doesn't work, try another one and maybe that will and Don't stop any medication with out the ok from your Dr.

2) Each oil has a multitude of uses. Seriously, lists and lists of things each oil can do, it really is amazing.  You really need to know what your looking for before you go in.  Do you want to just improve your overall health and get a big kit or do you want to start small with something that will help you relax and sleep or take away your headache?  It can be costly so knowing what your looking for can help save you money.

3) Not all oils are created equal but there are ways to use them without breaking the bank.  So as many of you know you have two main competitors when it comes to oils.  Young Living and Doterra, now both of these brands are amazing for different reasons.  Young Living is made right here in America,  they have an amazing variety of oils. Not just single oils but they have a ton of blends as well. I feel like for the money you get way more options with Young Living. Doterra is great as well.  They have tons of options as well but I feel like they are missing some of the basics like Thieves and Tea Tree.  Now Doterra isn't made right here in the US but their oils are grown where they naturally grow.  Some say this give them a better oil because your growing the plants where they are meant to be grown.  To me they are the same and I use both depending on what I need. Edit:  I just found a company called Bepurely they are a brand new oil complany just open in the last few years.  Their mission is to make oils affordable for everyone.  I have used a few of thier oils and personally I think they work just as well as the bigger companies!  Just to add to the mix if you google essential oils you will find a bunch more brands that all claim to be 100% therapeutic, skin safe, ect.  I don't know much about the other brands,  here is what I have found that you need to look for when selecting an oil.

• If your looking to use them in anyway on your person or in a blend that you will be using on your person be sure they are marked as therapeutic quality and skin safe. Oils that are not meant for the skin should not go on the skin and can cause a bad reaction.  Never ingest oils unless it specifically says and you know where the oil came from. 
• If your looking to use oils in cleaning products and around the house its ok to go with a cheaper brand. I use Now brand and a few others when I'm working with rooms sprays, cleaners and laundry salts.  These are not going directly on my skin so I feel its safe.  I still make sure they are 100% essential oils, they shouldn't come with anything added.  I also try to make sure they say organic and skin safe, but with most of these you have to dilute them to make them skin safe.  Since Im using them in room sprays, cleaners and for the laundry this isn't an issue.  
• The main thing is to make sure to do your research before ordering any kind of oil.

So while I am not 100% convinced they can cure anything I think the possibilities are endless. I am excited to dive in and try all kinds of oils and see what works!  I will keep you updated on where all I find to use them and how and how they work.  Until then im going to list a few ways I have found so far.

• You can find my household cleaner recipe here: 3 ingredient DIY cleaner
• To scent your laundry you can use a jar of epsom salt and your favorite smell.  Just add a few drops at a time and shake to mix well until you reach the potency you want.  I add a scoop right at the beginning of the load when I am adding my laundry soap.  My favorite scent is citrus.
• Buying good quality oils you can use them directly on the skin or mix with a carrier oil to treat almost any ailment from heart burn to lice.  
• Mixing with a carrier oil you can create everything from bug sprays to room sprays
• If you use dryer balls you can add a few drops to it to further scent your laundry
• Add Lemon, Orange or Thieves to your mop water to add extra cleaning properties and a good smell. 

Thanks for reading and learning with me!  I look forward to learning more about oils and sharing them with you! 

A New Venture!

We are so excited to announce that starting September 17th, 2016 we will have our etsy store up and running!  You can find us by searching brownsbrownsteading or by clicking on the link.

We will be selling all natural bug sprays, headache blends, liquid flu shots, sleepy time sprays.  Also, room and linen sprays and homemade candles. Eventually we hope to add a line of soaps. If there is anything you would love to see please email us and let us know!

And then there were goats

Have you ever heard that chickens are a gateway animal?  Its soo true, we started our farming journey in 2014 with 6 chickens, today August of 2016 we have 25 chickens, 7 ducks and 3 goats.  How the hell did this happen?  Where did the time go and where did all these animals come from?  The answer can be found in simple chicken math, an addicting form of mathematics where numbers really don't matter and the answer always equals happiness!

As an experienced goat owner of all of a week now let me share what I have learned with you.  First and for most they are just as cute as you thought!  We have two five month old babies and their mom.   Mom (Annie) is such a lover, she yell when you walk away because she wants more love.  Harley is our independent one and doesn't care much for love, although after one short week she is slowly coming around.  Quinn is a lover just like her mom. She will come up to you and want her head scratched and a snuggle.

They really do love to climb. We have stumps, an old washer with a barn door leaning on it, a wagon of hay and their actual hay bales and they love to climb it all.  They climb it and sometimes even lay for a nap!

We have read that bored goats escape so we are trying to keep them busy but honestly so far they dont seem to intenet on roaming far.  We have tie outs around the yard and the babies are just to little and scared to go out there but mom loves it!  We put her out 3-4 times a day to eat her fill, this keeps our weed eating down and saves us money on hay and feed.

They really are low maintenance.  We built their pen, gave them hay and once a day I give them feed to supplement. Once a month give or take you have to give dewormer and trim their hooves.  Beyond that they really don't require much more.  They do need shots when they are young and I am out there all the time loving on them or putting Annie on the lead but if you had a big pasture they would take even less time!  We havn't had them over the winter yet so I am not sure how that will work and how much more or less work they will take then.

The biggest thing I found that they don't like: Water, the babies are not fond of wet grass and adults and kids DO NOT LIKE BATHS!  Now I'm sure your like ok lady you have really lost it you gave your goats a bath, before you put me in the loony bin let me explain.  My husband is super allergic to poision ivy, like he looks at the stuff and he breaks out. Somewhere, either here or at thier last home the goats came in contact with it and he was breaking out.  So we gave them all a bath to see if it helps.  Although, it was funny it was not an experience I would want to repeat on the regular.

Ok so enough about my goats and farm, I hope you enjoyed the pictures.  Come back in a few weeks and I'll have an update!

Close Encounters of the Coon-kind

So bright and early this morning we had our first true encounter with predators in our coop.  We woke up the the dog spazing and the chickens freaking out and when we went out to the coop to investigate and found a family of coons.  Literally 6-7 coons in and around the coop.  Needless to say it was a tension and adrenaline filled half an hour as we proceeded to scare off and kill coons.  We were able to kill 3 and the rest ran off.  At this point we are not sure how many chickens we have lost but there are no dead bodies in the coop so if they did get chickens they dragged them off before we got out there.  We will go count and inspect the ladies later today when we clean the coop, but for now we want them to relax and try to calm down.  Besides I need coffee and maybe something a little stronger! 

This isn't our first time dealing with the loss of chickens to predators.  Our first summer with chickens we lost one to a raccoon and 1 to a hawk.  We were good for about a year and then in the fall when we were on vacation a coon got another one.  So we have known they were around and enjoying our feed, garbage, bird seed and occasional chicken.  However this is the first time the sneaky little buggers got into the coop.

Needless to say today will be spent putting a new latch on the door, cleaning the coop and decompressing. My husband and I have learned that in high stress situations we work really well together, so that's always a plus!

Tips for Keeping a Long Distance Friendship Alive

 

 

When we moved from Wisconsin to Texas I was in a bad spot.  I didn't have a lot of close friends.  I have always been the kind of person who made lots of acquaintances but it takes a lot for me to make really good friends.  Before, that was OK because I was working or going to school so I would see and interact with people everyday.  Once I became a mom I was at home all the time and I found that getting out and meeting people is hard! 

When we got the orders to move I knew something had to change and I resolved to find friends for my son and I.  The first thing I did when we had our Internet hooked up was hop on yahoo groups and search out mom groups.  I got lucky and the first group I joined was the one.  We met lots of friends, most of them I still keep track of on Facebook and are probably reading this right now (Hi guys, you know who you are :O).  Anyway, it was amazing for this small town girl to find all these friends and really start building a support group.  When we bought our new house in Texas we decided that it was time for me to work, so I started my in home daycare.  It was a great time and my house was usually filled with kids but it meant that I wasn't able to attend many meet ups with my moms group and we started to grow apart.  Our kids became school age and meet ups turned into mom nights out, which were just as fun.  During this time the isolation sort of came back.  I was in the house for hours a day all by my self and the only adults I saw were parents dropping off their kids, my husband, and my neighbor who we were close with.  Eventually, I became good friends with some of my clients and we started hanging out outside of work.  All of these moms I still talk to and see each time I go back.  

 

My close friend Crystal had told me for years, literally years, that she had this friend Liz that I had to meet.  She kept insisting we would hit it off and that we were so alike.  I was skeptical, I mean really how many times do you hear that and it turns out to be a dud?  Finally, a bunch of us got together for dinner and Liz and I said Hi and that was the end of it.  I thought she could be fun... maybe next time I'll get to talk to her more.  Then the summer of 2013 came around, this was the year that Jon deployed.  It was a full 6 month deployment and he would be gone for the holidays and I would be home alone with the kids, not the first time this had happened but the first time the kids were old enough to miss him.  Anyway, that year we went to Crystals 4th of July party and ran into Liz and this time we exchanged numbers and made plans to meet up later.  She's a single mom with only a brother in the area for family, basically the same position I was in at that point.  So a few weeks later we met up to let the kids swim and we spent the morning talking about everything!  We found out that we had so much in common, besides the nasty sunburn we got that day!  Anyway, that started a friendship that in the last 3 years has developed into way more.  She really got me through that deployment.  She was there for the holidays with me where we sat around and drank wine and watched the kids run around like crazy people.  She talked to me late at night when I was lonely.

 

  We are two parts to the whole, she really is my other, other half.  I have never had a friend like her, someone who I know I can say anything to, in any way, and she will either accept it or give it right back.  Someone who will tell me when I'm being an ass but also support me and be ready to hide the body if I need it!  She also loves my family like her own.  She can listen to me vent and rant about my husband but it never changes her view of him, which is big!  We have been apart longer than we were together but we are stronger than ever and I wanted to share a few ways we stay in touch.

 

1) We talk everyday, multiple times a day. 

        

        This can be hard because life gets in the way and there are times where half the day has passed and I will realize I haven't heard from her, but then I send a simple hi or miss you text and move on.  It takes a very real effort but we both make sure to do it.  Thanks to technology there are many ways to talk everyday, here's a few we found.  

 

Facebook, Instagram, texting, Skype, Pinterest and Marco Polo (which is a great app for those of us who are android users.  Its like a cross between a walkie talkie and facetime!) 

 

2)  Use Snail Mail

 

     We love to send things back and forth.  Cards are our favorite because they are cheap and you can find some really great ones.  We fill them with random nonsense, even the kids get involved with picking out the cards.  Once a month or every other month we send a box back and forth.  We will fill it with all kinds of random stuff.  Some of it is stuff we pick up at the store, some of it is stuff the kids picked out for each other and some of it is random stuff from around our houses.  You know like the extra bottles of body spray or lotion or that sweater that your Aunt sent you that you would never wear but she might.

 

 

3) Keep the kids involved. 

 

    We like to have the kids write to each other and send cards and pictures back and forth.  We also let them talk whenever they want.  This is whats so great about technology today, they can pick up my phone and be able to see their friends when they want!  Its helps keep us accountable as well.

 

4) Plan trips.  

 

     This one is really money dependent and is the hardest to do but we try to make it a point to see each other at least once a year.  Maybe you meet in the middle or maybe you take turns going to each others new home, or you pick a spot you both want to visit and meet there.  Last year we took a vacation to Hawaii together.  Watch for deals on plane tickets and plan a head.  This is the most difficult one to do but if you can it is a must.  Even if you just go to do nothing but sit on the couch and do puzzles together!

 

5)  Share common interests. 

 

      Pick something that you both love and do it together and talk about it. This gives you something to bond over and look forward to.  It also keeps things spicy in the conversation department. You can pick a show or a book and read/watch it together. Maybe you share an interest in a specific craft so you pick a project and share your progress and support each other. 

6)  Be intentional.  

 

      This one is probably the hardest but most important.  In order to keep a long distance relationship alive you really need to be intentional about it.  Make the time, force yourself if you have to, to send that text, to buy that gift, to mail that package.  It takes a lot of thought and work but you can do it.  We did and we are closer now than we ever were!

 

3 Ingredient DIY Natural Household Cleaner

 Its been a while since I have been on.  Life gets crazy and busy and some days I can't even keep my eyes open after the kids go to bed.  Anyway, here is a quick update.  Spring is in the air and we are getting ready for new baby chicks, planting the garden and most exciting is foster kids!  We just finished our final home study and by the end of April we are hoping to be certified.  We are so very excited and can't wait to grow our family and bless some little ones along the way.  In the mean time I wanted to share my super cool recipe for household cleaners. 

A few years ago I decided to get rid of all my household cleaners and it was the best decision I have ever made!  It so simple and saves so much money and most of the items can be found right in your kitchen.  My main concern was how I would disinfect everything, the thought of a homemade cleaner working as well as Lysol just didn't seem possible.  Truth is 3 out of the 4 ingredients  in the cleaner have antibacterial properties, and since switching we have been healthier not the opposite!

Before I get started with how to make the actual cleaning solution I want to talk a little bit about cleaning with natural cleaners.  First of all you need to realize its going to take a lot of elbow grease and a little extra time.  I use a paste of baking soda and vinegar.  By applying this and using either a brush or a scrubie I can remove most baked on or hard water stains.  All you need to do is add some vinegar to the baking soda, be careful because it will foam up but once that is done you can mix it together and make a paste. Spread it on thick and let it sit for a few minutes.  Then spray down with your cleaner and scrub.


You will need:

Spray bottles, I just bought these and love them! 
Tea tree oil
Baking soda
Vinegar
Dawn Dish soap
Any additional oil for scenting

Fill a quarter of the bottle with vinegar.  Add a squeeze of dish soap, be careful not to add more than a small squeeze.  If you add to much it will be to sudsy and a mess.  Next you need to add 10-20 drops of Tea Tree Oil, I use Now Brand.   Thats it.. really its thats easy. 

If you want to create a smell good all you need to do is fill a spray bottle with vinegar and add enough oil to make it smell good.  I use this mixture in place of Febreze.   I have used orange and lavender oil. 

Weeekend update

Its Tuesday so its not really the weekend but what the hell!  Last night winter finally hit and we got about 2 inches of snow with a wonderful layer of ice over the top.  As of now the boys are outside playing in it and I'm enjoying a second cup of coffee and chatting it up here.  I'm also trying to figure out my day and how the roads are going to affect my plans!  We have our final home-visit today for fostering and I really want it done but I am afraid it wont happen.  I feel like this has been going on forever and this is the last step.  I have been praying for the children God is calling to be a part of our lives, I am ready to take them in.  Like all good things it will happen in Gods time and I need to accept this.... sigh.. sometimes I am not good at accepting his timing. 

So we have had a week, but then again don't you always feel like your saying that?  I know I do, it seems like every time I turn around something is coming up, or someone has a bad attitude or an issue.  I feel like I'm always telling people how rough/crazy life has been.  I've been wondering if maybe I need to change my lenses and view it as wonderful chaos that tells me I am loved and loving. That I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.  Maybe in changing the thought process I will find my self telling people not how rough it is but how amazing things are.  Not that I'm complaining per say, Its more of a weary, tired in my bones comment. 

Anyway, we have been working with our youngest.  He is 6 almost 7 and having a rough time of it.  We believe he has ADHD (total self diagnosis there) or something along those lines and we are worried, stressed and close to breaking.  He has always been a very strong willed, busy child.  He was walking and climbing by 10 months and hasn't stopped since.  He has a very big, loving personality but can't seem to control any of it.  He has issues sitting still, focusing, listening, transitioning from what he is doing to what is asked of him.  These issues result in temper tantrums that rival a 2 year old.  Crying, screaming, laying on the ground, sometimes he throws things, its hard to get him to calm down when he is in this state and some times it can be down right scary.  I am in the process of getting him tested through our local school district and working with our Dr for a definite diagnosis.  While I don't really want that label attached to him I do know he is different and I need help parenting his different, so if that's what I have to do to understand how he works then I guess its what we do.  I have been reading this book called  The Explosive Child.  It has helped me see that I have been focusing on his behavior when I should have been focusing what is causing the behavior.  The book operates on the premise that all children do good when they can and if they are misbehaving and they know right from wrong then their issues stem from a lagging skill.  The book works with you to identify those lagging skills and then work with your child to help them learn those skills.  It has helped me be more proactive about the situations but we are still a work in progress.

As you can tell this as dominated my last few weeks.  Working with "Tank" has taken lots of energy, but we are moving forward and trying to smile.  After all isn't that what life is all about?