Young Living Essential Oils

Months back I had purchased a diffuser.  I had been on the fence for a while about buying one but decided I would give it a whirl.  I bought the diffuser along with some random oils.  After a few weeks of diffusing them I was not super impressed with the quality of what I'd bought.  I started looking at essential oils and remembered a friend of mine had posted information on essential oils she used.  I decided to ask her why she chose Young Living Essential Oils as opposed to another company.  Her response to me was:

"Young Living has a seed to seal guarantee.  That means that Young Living owns the farms, processing platns, etc.  There's no third party.  It's the highest quality you can get.  A little more expensive but totally worth it in my book."

I knew she always did her research so I decided to sign up as a Young Living member so I could take advantage of the wholesale pricing which is 24% off retail pricing of Young Living products.

This was the starter kit I chose.

Premium Essential Oils Collection:

• Lavender 5-ml
• Peppermint 5-ml
• Lemon 5-ml
• Copaiba 5-ml
• AromaEase™ 5-ml
• Thieves® 5-ml
• Purification® 5-ml
• R.C.™ 5-ml
• DiGize™ 5-ml
• PanAway® 5-ml
• Home Diffuser (110 volt)
• 5-ml Stress Away™
• AromaGlide™ Roller Fitment
• 10 Sample Packets
• 10 Love It? Share It! Sample Business Cards
• 10 Love It? Share It! Sample Oil Bottles
• 2 NingXia Red® 2-oz. samples
• Product Guide and Product Price List
• Essential Oil Magazine
• Essential Edge
• Member Resources

One or more of the following essential oils may be substituted in the event of sourcing constraints or supply considerations: AromaEase™, Citrus Fresh™, Lemongrass, Orange and Tea Tree.

I ended up using up the majority of my oils by mid December.  I love that I can not only diffuse them but I can use them topically and internally.  These oils do not dissapoint and have loved everything about them.  I even use them on our dogs.  I honestly did not think I would use the diffuser I got in the kit but ended up setting it up in our computer room at home and I diffuse Stress Away while I work.  

Questions, please let me know!!!  If you are interested in becoming a member you can sign up here.  

I have an order set to process on February 3 so if you want to try something out at my price let me know!!

Half Marathon Training..........9 weeks down, 3 to go!

Tuesday will mark my 10th week of training. I feel I have done a great job of sticking to the schedule but have missed two days due to being sick. I have 2 short runs during the week and a longer run on the weekend. For the last 8 weeks I had been doing interval training which consisted of running and walking. The first several weeks I ran 3 minutes of running/ 1 minute of walking. It eventually changed to 5 minutes of running/ 1 minute of walking and most recently it was 7 minutes of running/ 1 minute of walking. I struggled quite a bit with the 7 run/ 1 walk so I went back to the 5 minute/ 1 minute. Two Saturdays ago I had a shorter run of 4 miles and when I got to my running location I realized I did not have an interval workout set up for 4 miles. I was totally freaking out but decided I would warm up with my typical 3 minute walk and would run until I got tired. I managed to run the entire 4 miles!! I was super stoked and could not believe I had actually done it. I realized that I did much better without the in the interval runs I had on set up on my watch.  This past week I ran without intervals and did quite a bit better on my overall run.

I  had a 9 mile run yesterday and ran the entire first 4.5 miles and did the best I could on my way back.  I did a little running and a little walking.  I typically text my mom when I head out and give her a round about time it will take me to finish.  Based on the 8 miles I ran a few weeks ago, I told her it would take me about 2 hours and 15 minutes give or take.  I accomplished my 9 miles in 1:53:43.  This was definitely a personal record for me!  Next week I will run my last long run until race day and I will set out on a 10 mile run.  I'm hoping it goes as well as yesterday did.

2015!!

We had a busy 2014 but definitely looking forward to what 2015 has in store for us. We did a lot of family time during the holidays and it was really nice to have Cesario home. I spent the New Year with my family in LA. We went to the Rose Bowl Parade, Santa Anita Horse Races and managed to get to Downtown Disney! I had a great time but it was nice to get home to the girls and our house.

I started my half marathon training this past week and managed to run 9.36 miles. I am trying very hard to improve my pace and breathing. Penelope turned 4 this past Thursday and she is a little fire ball. My classes for the 2015 winter term will officially start on Monday and I am looking forward to getting back to work. I will continue to work at my hair salon when they need me. I have such a good time while I am there and look forward them calling me. I have missed blogging so it is one of the things I want to stick to this year.

Scentsy Laundry Love

About a month ago I decided to try Scentsy's dryer disk. I was a bit reluctant but thought what the heck! OMG.....I absolutely loved them! They add just a hint of frangrance to the items I put in the dryer. I decided to get a little crazy and ordered the laundry love which is a multi-pack that contains 1 Washer Whiffs Tub, 1 Laundry Liquid, and 2 Dryer Disks.

Washer wiffs is pure indulgence: fragrance for your clothes! Add a cap of Washer Whiffs and enhance everything from your towels to your Sunday best with Scentsy fragrance and is available in two sizes.

Laundry liquid a high efficiency laundry detergent that lives up to its name. Ultra concentrated Layers Laundry Liquid delivers the perfect amount of amazing Scentsy fragrance and packs as much punch in a few easy pumps as a capful of traditional detergent. Our cutting-edge formula transforms the way cleaning agents bond with dirt and stains, lifting and washing them away and leaving every load of laundry remarkably fresh and clean.

Dryer disk goes into the dryer and infuses your clothes with scent for up to 15 loads.

It comes in 10 fragrances!! My favorite scent is French Lavendar!

If you interested in ordering, you can check out my Scentsy website.

30 Day Ab Challenge

We have decided that this years Christmas gift to ourselves is to take a trip. It has been 5 years since Cesario and I have taken a trip alone. We typically go with our friends which has been fantastic. Initially we had plans to go to Germany but when we realized how much work it would be we decided that we needed another plan. Plus the weather was going to be super cold, the highs were 38 degrees. We were looking for something relaxing that did not include getting up at a certain time, tours, etc. After going back and forth we decided we were going to hit the beach. We booked a trip to the Dominican Republic. We are both looking forward to some much needed rest and relaxation.

I workout regularly but need a little extra to get beach body ready. I found this 30 day ab challenge and have decided to start tomorrow! Hopefully I lose a little of the fat and tone up my mid section. Stay tuned!

Down to the last 14 days!

Our PCS countdown has officially begun. As of tomorrow we will have 14 days left before heading to Fort Benning. We have so many memories and made some wonderful friends here. Although it wasn't our typical Army community it was nice to have our civilian friends around and especially great when a someone (Nick) would use military terminology I taught him. Over the next 14 days I am hoping to log some of our favorite spots that we had here. I am truly going to miss Milledgeville and our friends here.

Supporting our Sacred Heart Campus Catholics

While at church the earlier part of last year, they were asking for volunteers to prepare meals for our Catholic Campus program. We thought this would be a good way of supporting our community and college students. With Milledgeville being such a small town most of our students are not from here and either live in dorms or housing. Our Catholic Campus program provides the college students with a nice, hot meal after the 5:30pm mass on Sundays. We have been told that when school first starts back they can have up to 120 kids.

We weren't as active for a while there but a few weeks ago we were asked if we could bring something and I decided it was time to get active again. We only have a few months left before school is out and we PCS. I really enjoy cooking and it really doesn't take much of my time. Most of the meal I take consist of meat, pasta, sauce and cheese. I really hope the kids enjoy the meals we prepare.

Today's meal is rigatoni with italian sausage!

Maggie Mae 1997-2013

On January 24, 2013 we lost our beloved Maggie Mae. We could not be more heartbroken but take comfort in the fact that she is no longer suffering.

We adopted our munchkin in August 2008 at age 11.5 and had 4.5 wonderful years with her. We all learned so much from our little MagPie! She was so loving and had a heart of gold. We are so extremely thankful that God brought this sweet girl into our lives.

Unfortunately in June 2012 the doctor found a tumor in her anal gland and was almost positive it was cancerous. Due to her age he was unable to operate to remove it. Prior to this she had been put on numerous medications to include a daily IV. Even with all these ailments she was a happy girl. On January 15, 2013 we had to take her in to see the doctor as she'd had an existing cough that seemed to be getting worse. The doctor put her some additional medication and found that she had what they call "old dog" bronchitis and an eye infection. We attempted to nurse her back to health but she got progressively worse. She stopped eating and drinking and we knew her time had come. One thing about Maggie is no matter how sick she was, she never missed a meal!

There are so many fabulous memories of our girl and we will always remember her. We are happy to have celebrated her 16th birthday on January 1, 2013. We love you so much Maggie and your will forever be in our hearts. We look forward to the day our paths cross again our little princess!

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.
Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

Happy New Year!

I have really been horrible about keeping our blog updated, so I am trying to start off 2013 with a new slate!

Over the last year I have tried to get into a better routine of exercising and logging my food. I did really well and managed to log 200+ days and right before Christmas decided to take a break from food logging. I did keep up with my fitness during this time. I am back at it and it feels good to be logging again. It was almost as though I was having withdrawals from not logging.

I am always looking for ways to cut calories but still enjoy the things I like. I drink protein shakes a couple times a week and typically make them with non-fat milk and protein powder. I know a lot of people use just water but it doesn't seem to work for me. My normal shake I would make with chocolate protein powder, chocolate PB2 and non-fat milk was 224 calories. I discovered Silk Vanilla Unsweetened Almond Milk. It is only 30 calories for 1 cup. I bought some yesterday and tried it in my shake today. OMG........I absolutely loved it and it saved my 56 calories.

Deuce took new pictures!

Savannah

We did a quick over night trio to Savannah.  A couple of friends/co-workers were there for a conference so we decided to go up and meet them.  We had a great time bar hopping and enjoying the Octoberfest music. 

My Favorite Guy in Milledgeville

Avery's Bucket List: Avery Lynn Canahuati 11/11/11 - 04/30/12

Avery's Bucket List: Avery Lynn Canahuati 11/11/11 - 04/30/12: Hello everyone this is Avery's father.  Avery passed away yesterday sometime around 3pm due to pulmonary complications related to SMA.  In s...

Trip to Atlanta

During Gina and DJ's visit I was trying to find things to do. Milledgeville is quite small and there is only so much to do. After going online I found out the Coca Cola Headquarters was in Atlanta as well as CNN World Headquarters. We decided to make a day of it and head to the city.

World of Coca Cola was fun and interesting. The best part was the test tasting room. They had Coke products from 6 different countries. All the products were unique in their own way but definitely not something I could drink on a normal basis.

Once we were done we headed to CNN to try and get into a tour. Unfortunately the next tour was several hours later. It was getting kind of late so we opted for a snack at the Hard Rock Cafe before making our way back to Milldegville.

The Masters

About a year ago a group of friends, Cesario and I all put in for the lottery to get tickets to the Masters. I had also mentioned it to my sister, Gina. When the drawing for the lottery was completed, none of our friends or us had been selected. I get this random call from Gina one day that low and behold she had been selected. It was a bit ironic as we all live in the vicinty but she is in LA. Gina and DJ flew in on her birthday (April 2). We enjoyed some time around here and headed to Masters today. We had an incredible time!!

We walked around quite a bit and enjoyed the day. We got to see Arnold Palmer which was pretty cool.

We saw quite a few other golfers but really didn't know who they were. The grounds at Augusta National are absolutely amazing.

It is funny because we have talke to people who have lived in Georgia all there lives and have never had this opportunity. We haven't been here a year and we were able to go and enjoy. We feel fortunate that we were able to go and experience it with Gina and DJ. We are putting in for it again and keeping our fingers crossed that we get selected!

Georgia Sweet Tea

My sister, Gina and her husband DJ fly in tomorrow for a week long visit. DJ's request was sweet tea. I searched some recipes and received a great one from my friend Jaimel, I made the attempt. The only stipulation was DJ requested I use an artificial sweetner and not sugar. Many of the recipes I found recommended using Luzianne tea bags. I found some at Walmart and proceeded with my tea. It acutally turned out really good. I also bought some Meyer lemons for garnish. Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and either a mandarin or common orange. I thought it was picture perfect.

Spring

I don't know where to start.......I have never experienced spring. Every single time I walk out of the house I am in awe of the transformation going on. I did some weeding yesterday and came across and interesting plant I'd seen in our front area several times. Usually our lawn guy comes in with his weed eater and chops them down. I decided to take several and pot them. I had no idea until today what they were. Afte a little research I found out they were an iris plant. Luckily, my friend Valerie saw the picture and confirmed my suspicion.

Our huge oak tree in the back yard has been bare and is now sprouting new leaves. I can't wait until it is full and we get our nice shade tree back.

The greenery that surrounds our house is just gorgeous. I will continue to montior everything and take pictures as time passes.

St. Patrick's Day

It had been a really long time since I had celebrated St. Patrick's Day. I don't recall ever having celebrated with Cesario. I really like the holiday but found when we moved overseas it wasn't a big deal. This year my friends Nick and Myra threw a party at their house on the lake. We don't have many friends here but everyone we did know was there. The party was during the day so we were able to get some sun, play games, eat, drink and enjoy the lake. We had a great time but we are really hoping to get to Savannah next year. Thanks Nick and Myra for the good time!

Crazy Bug

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I was outside this morning with the girls when I saw this crazy looking bug on our window. Cesario said he'd seen it earlier but forgot to mention it to me. It looks like some sort of a butterfly. I decided to ask a friend of mine and she told me it was a lunar moth. Who would have ever thought this crazy looking thing would have been a moth. Of course I had to google it and found this on wikipedia. Actias luna, commonly known as the Luna Moth. It has a wingspan of up to 4.5 inches making it one of the largest moths in North America.

Being Home- Week 1

We were home for three weeks and had a blast. During these three weeks there was never a dull moment. Our typical first bar stop is always Rusty's. We love it because it is a couple miles from home and they have great food and drinks. We got to enjoy this evening with my parents.

We got to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home for the first time in years. We got together with a group of friends and met up at El Charro. The food and drinks were okay and we felt there could have been some where better to go but the company was great. Plus Gina and DJ had come into town which made it nice.

Gina and DJ got their marriage license for their upcoming nuptials in October.

The last thing we did for week one was celebrate my nephew Ethan's birthday. Ethan loves sucking on his chicken bone. He is absolutely adorable.

No party is complete without a pinata. Everyone got in on the fun!!

Lets see what the next week has in store.