Like just about everyone else this time of year, we've had some sick people in the household. We've had bad sore throats and I've been brainstorming creative ways to get the On-Guard blend in my young kids. (to learn more about all the great benefits of this blend of essential oils, see my previous post here.) I've added it before to warm water, which helps sooth a sore throat... Ding... Light bulb!

Heat up the apple juice in the microwave to a warm, but drinkable temperature. Add one drop of On Guard

They say heating up oils takes away some of the benefits, so add the oil after you've warmed the apple juice.

Enjoy! Feels so good on a sore throat! I am enjoying a mug of it right now. ;)

I put it off for quite a while.

Only because I knew it would suck up all of my time and because my to-do lists were already way too long.

But I finally did it.

Why? Because, the other morning, I looked at my kitchen cabinets and couldn't fight the desire to dive in and start painting them. But I told myself that I've gotta plan it out.

Then I thought about taking interior design classes in high school (WAY back in the day!) where we would take a piece of foam board and put paint samples, fabric samples, floor samples, wood samples....

And I realized what easier way to do this than.....

Follow me!

Two of my latest projects:

I haven't worn long skirts for years. But this winter has been SO cold, I decided it was time to add a couple to my church wardrobe.

The blue one used to be a knit dress, that I hadn't worn in a while. So, I cut the top off of it and turned into an A-line floor length skirt. (Wish I would have taken a before picture.. Doh!) There was just enough fabric to add the ruffle to the bottom, which really makes it cute!

After wearing the blue skirt a few times, and not seeing any end to this frigid weather, I decided I ought to make more.

The brown one is three tiered skirt. After looking at a several tutorials, I kinda followed this one by Sew Much Ado.

I love how comfy they are!

At just two years of age, my first daughter could "read" books to me. In reality, she had them memorized word-for-word. It was amazing and so cute to listen to her read. Now that she is five and in preschool, we've been working on teaching her to read "for real".

I love this literacy tip from Usborne Books:

I LOVE this idea, because her little mind is so good at memorizing, that I always wonder if what she is reading is just memorized or if she is actually reading.

My little pony, polly pocket, tinkerbell, strawberry shortcake, barbie.... and ALL their cute little accessories.

After finding them all over the house, in the carpet and under my feet, I made my daughter a little pouch to keep them together and somewhat organized.

I can't believe I've let so much time pass without any updates! I've neglected my blog, but on the flip side, I've been trying not to neglect my kids. So, in a way, it's a good thing. A really good thing.

I've still been finding a little time for my hobbies and for crafting. So I'll try to fill you in on some projects over the next couple of posts. Here's one to get us going....

I spent a lot of time in December trying to come up with a gift idea for my daughter (age 5) to give to her grandparents. One set of grandparents lives in our same neighborhood and she gets to see them almost daily. The other set of grandparents is about a 40 minute drive, but still close enough to see regularly.

I wanted her to be able to give them something truly from herself and not something that I took her to the store to buy.

December 20th, the idea finally came to me! I bought a set of flour sack dishtowels and acrylic paint.

Ever heard of On Guard Essential Oil from doTerra? It is a wonderful immunity boosting blend of oils that smells like fall and Christmas.

On Guard is Antiviral and Antibacterial! Made of a combination of wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils for a fragrant, natural and effective alternative to synthetic options for immune support.

I started using this four months ago. Since then, we haven't had any major illnesses running through the household. And we are a family with three young immune systems (3 kids under age 5). Last winter we were sick constantly.

How do I use On Guard?

Around the home:

Last October, my little guy had just turned one and had just learned to walk. He was toddling all over the place and reminded me of Frankenstein or a mummy. I had planned on him wearing a cute little dalmatian costume for Halloween, but after realizing that he had the perfect walk for one of these other little monsters, I had to come up with something that was a better fit.

I started searching for a Frankenstein costume online. They were popular at the time, but not made small enough for a one-year-old. So, I decided that I had to make him a costume. I decided that a mummy would be easier than Frankenstein, so I went ahead with it.

I took some muslin and ripped up a bunch of one inch strips. Silly me, I thought I could just sew these onto a shirt and a pair of pants.

When I had my first child, my most favorite gift that I received at the baby shower was children's books. It is never too early to start reading to babies and infants. Now whenever I give a gift to a new mother, I always include at least one book for her new baby. Researchers have found that babies and infants prefer: