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Raising Biracial Kids in Today's World

Diedre

The Best Quarantine Friendly Teacher Appreciation Gifts

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Teachers sacrifice much of their time and energy for the good of their students. That’s why Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-8) is so important. It’s an opportunity for us to show them how much we appreciate all that they do.

Ever since our country (and the world) has been turned upside down, it’s been difficult for everyone to work from home–especially teachers.

Teachers are calling students, creating lessons online, having Zoom classroom calls, driving by to see their students, and so much more.

Many teachers have their own families to tend to on top of carrying on the responsibilities of educating their students.

Now more than ever, we need to use Teacher Appreciation Week to show just a small token of how much we need our teachers!

Here is a list of things you can gift your child’s teacher from the convenience of your home:

Free teacher appreciation gifts:

Have your child write a handwritten note and mail it to their teacher.

Have your child write an email (your older children will probably prefer this option).

Take a picture of something your child accomplished that they’ve been struggling with.

Create a video of your child telling their teacher what they appreciate about them and their classroom.

Gift Ideas:

Mugs/Glasses
This Because Virtual Teaching glass is the perfect gift for the teacher who is grading, doing Zoom calls (and probably having wine) at home.

Now more than ever, we need to use Teacher Appreciation Week to show just a small token of how much we need our teachers!

And when you purchase this glass from Etsy, you are also supporting a small business owner.

Gift Cards

You really can never go wrong with a gift card. And many teachers are parents too, so they love gift cards because it helps them enjoy time with their families! Here are a few places you could purchase one from:

Amazon

Starbucks

Target

Walmart
Lowe’s

Apple

Google Play

Petsmart/PetCo

Local Restaurants

Books for their classroom

Books are expensive ya’ll. And teachers are often on a limited budget, but they want to have the best and biggest library for their classrooms.

Need some help picking out books?? I got you! Check out my Amazon list of diverse books any teacher would love to have in their classroom.

Teacher t-shirts

One of my favorite places to get educator t-shirts from is Jane.com.

Teacher Appreciation Tees

Essential Oils

For the wellness-minded teacher, they would appreciate some essential oils to keep them healthy and relaxed during the quarantine. The Welcome Home kit from Young Living is the perfect gift!

Now more than ever, we need to use Teacher Appreciation Week to show just a small token of how much we need our teachers!

 

Or, if you’re looking to give them a gift of oils that comes with hand sanitizer, Thieves spray, a diffuser, and a few other goodies, the Premium Starter Kit may be what you are looking for.

You could even split this gift with other families in the class to keep your costs down.

Want to know more about essential oils? Read more here.

Now more than ever, we need to use Teacher Appreciation Week to show just a small token of how much we need our teachers!

Even though you can’t see your teacher face to face, they will appreciate anything you gift them with. Educators do their job because they love it, but teacher appreciation week is the perfect time to show them how much you care!

Just knowing that their students and parents are thinking of them helps on those down days. Trust me, I know!

Flowers

When you’re stuck inside, flowers are sure to brighten your day! Farm girl flowers delivers flowers all over the country. They are ethically grown and have a variety of price points to fit your budget.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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I know I’ve said this a zillion times but I’m going to just keep on saying it. Thank you all so much for all of your support. I just can’t get over how many of you are supporting us with your dollars and showing all the people in your lives how much you love them and wish you could be with them. ⁣ ⁣ Being cut off from loved ones has been challenging for all of us, so I won’t go into how it’s felt personally too much because it’s pretty much the same as what a lot of you are experiencing I’m sure. But I’m really missing in person connection and I’m so honored that our flowers get to play that part for so many of you. So I’m going to put a couple more orders in myself for people in my life that I wish I could be next to right now, and thank you all who have done the same. It means so much to us! ❤️ ⁣ ⁣ Also, thanks for sharing all your great pics, there’s nothing we love more than seeing all the bouquets you’re sending to each other and yourselves and also the ones you’re making at home from the videos that I’ve been posting on the weekends. By the way, another ones coming tomorrow! This beautiful pic was shared by @champagneandmacaroons. Thank you for sharing (and loooove your door mat!). 🥰 #fgflove

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*Make sure your teacher doesn’t have allergies before purchasing flowers*

I’m an educator myself, but it’s been difficult to teach my 3rd grader and kindergartner from home. I realize that I don’t have to patience to teach all the subjects and am not privy to all the cute tricks the teachers use to help them understand things better.

Teacher Toolkit

Ya’ll, I try so hard to keep my desk clean, but in between meetings and classroom guidance and duty, it’s hard! I know many of my teacher friends feel the same way! The teacher toolkit keeps all the educator essentials in their own place! Many teachers also purchase templates from Etsy to customize their toolkits. As an added bonus, you could also gift your child’s teacher supplies to go in their toolkit (pens, pencils, paperclips, staples, binder clips, etc)

Mini USB Fridge

How cute is this mini-fridge? This is perfect for the teacher who has a small space, but would love to have somewhere to keep their drinks cold.

Google, YouTube and the teacher Facebook groups have been my best friend through the quarantine.

For those of us that may have taken teachers for granted, I’m sure that those sentiments have changed.

Now more than ever, we need to use Teacher Appreciation Week to show just a small token of how much we need our teachers!

 

6 Things Every Mom Needs to Avoid During the Pandemic

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Every mom needs to feel like her feelings are important.

This pandemic has made it tough. We are so busy taking care of our families in a different way, that our feelings sometimes get neglected. Not just by our loved ones, but by ourselves.

We are making sure our kid’s assignments get done and that our husbands have a quiet place to work at home. Or we are the essential workers who are maintaining a sense of normalcy while everyone else is at home.

This new normal has been tough on everyone–especially moms.

Whether you work from home, work outside of the home, or stay at home, the inability to come and go as we please has been difficult no matter the age of your children.

Every mom needs to feel like her feelings are important, the shut down makes it tough. Here are a few things moms need to avoid during the pandemic.

It’s been a little easier for me as I live on a farm on a large piece of land and the closest neighbor is my mother in law.

My kids get plenty of outside time, but I’m a full-on extrovert. I love meeting up with friends, talking with coworkers and I love seeing my school kids and interacting with them.

The first few weeks of the shut down felt like a much-needed break from the everyday hustle and bustle of life, but I quickly felt my need for socialization taking a toll on my emotions.

Phone conversations and Zoom calls just aren’t the same.

And the first time I ventured out to the Post Office, it was such a depressing scene. To see the plastic barriers and X’s on the floor marking where we should stand made me feel like I was in a horror movie. It was surreal and just didn’t feel right.

My heart instantly went out to people who suffer from anxiety. 2 years ago I had a miscarriage, and anxiety sometimes shows its ugly head, so I know how life changes can be triggers for anxiety.

Here are a few things moms need to avoid during the pandemic (and can lower anxiety levels too!)

Unplug from social media

Listen, social media is a great way to connect with friends and family as well as just chill and laugh.

But sometimes it can be toxic. It can feed your fear and anxiety, and it can cause people to argue back and forth with each other.

If you feel like social media is not serving you in a positive way, it may be time to take a break or get off all together.

And that unfollow button is there for a reason–I’ve used it quite a bit these days.

Every mom needs to unplug from people and things that don’t lift her up.

Ditch the Judgmental Jerrys in your life

We all know them. The people who have opinions about everyone and try to force them on others.

Sometimes Judgemental Jerry is a family member. Or a coworker.

Adjusting to this new normal is stressful enough without the input from others who are not trying to help or be positive.

Every mom needs to cut negativity out of her life.

Run an errand alone

The first few weeks were okay for me. I didn’t become anxious about leaving the house.

In fact, right before the stay at home order, I had been back and forth to meetings, conferences and appointments.

Ya girl was tired of running here and there and everywhere.

So the idea of staying at home was actually pretty refreshing.

But then it went on……and on…..and on.

After a month of staying at home, I was over it. I was dying to see places and people beyond the farm.

Whenever we needed something from the store, I volunteered to get it. Lately, I’ve been going through the drive-through just to give myself a break from cooking. Sometimes it’s just the little things that make each day seem a little easier to tackle.

Indulge in something you love a least 1x/day

Now this one can be tough. Moms are guilty of giving themselves selflessly until there is nothing left to give.

But this leaves us empty. Emotionally, physically drained.

Vow to give back to yourself so that you can continue to give to your family.

Every mom needs to feel like her feelings are important, the shut down makes it tough. Here are a few things moms need to avoid during the pandemic.

It can be something as simple as enjoying a cup of tea while you read a book at night, taking a quiet walk around the neighborhood in the morning, listening to your favorite music while you take a shower, or using a back massager while you catch up on your new Netflix binge session.

Cry if you need to

I’m a glass-half-full kind of gal, but being at home day in and day out was starting to get to me.

I was chatting with my mom a week or so ago and she asked me if I was okay because I sounded tired. And then the tears fell. I let go of everything I had been holding in for weeks.

I’m so guilty of holding on to my feelings and pushing through.

Yes, being resilient is important.

Yes persevering through tough times is a great skill to have.

However, we can’t neglect our feelings for the sake of pushing through. We are human, and it’s absolutely okay to express sadness or frustration about what’s happening in our community and in the world.

Every mom needs to be real with herself about her feelings. If you need help, schedule an online session with a counselor.

Get dressed and do your hair

Staying home day in and day out makes it easy to just sit in pjs and leggings all day. You start to lose track of the days and it’s easy to get lazy with our appearance (pot calling kettle black here).

Every mom needs to feel like her feelings are important, the shut down makes it tough. Here are a few things moms need to avoid during the pandemic.

Every now and then, get dressed. In real clothes. Put on some lipgloss or lipstick when you go through the drive-through.

Sometimes those little things are mood boosters.

 

Quarantine Curls: How to Keep Your Curly Hair Hydrated While at Home

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This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you subscribe or purchase something through the links on this page.

Quarantine curls.

That’s what I call hair that is missing a beautician and stays under a cap or bonnet most of the time.

Y’all, when the stay at home order hit in Georgia, I had just taken out my faux locs.

 
 
 
 
 
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For better or for worse.💍 Farm season has been slow this winter & we got too much rain, so seedlings are just getting in the ground. Our chickens got worms & were dropping like flies. One of our new farm pups started killing 🐔 (sometimes farm life ain’t easy ya’ll!)I started 2020 sick & was sick for weeks. And then corona plagued our world, which brings some uncertainty to our farm business as we depend on the spring farmer’s market. But instead of anxiety & fear, we’re choosing Joy & peace. We’re soaking up these extra moments together even if it’s not the way we envisioned. I’m thankful he’s gotten so good at removing crochet hair, so now it only takes me half the time I would spend alone. And since Georgia is eliminating state testing because of school closures, the kids can enjoy learning again without all the pressure. So even when life is uncertain, we can find joy in the small things. What are you finding joy in today?

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I was giving my scalp a break and had intended on getting another protective style. I was torn between faux locs or passion twists (again).

And then the shelter at home went from two weeks to a month, to now the end of April.

I got really lazy with my quarantine curls and my hair was started to look a little dry–okay let’s be totally honest—crazy.

Something about the uncertainty of our world caused me to focus on everything but my hair. But I have a lot of hair. And I was tired of fighting with it because I wasn’t giving it the care it needed.

It's easy to get lazy with your hair while we are stuck at home during the pandemic. Here are a few easy tips to have healthy quarantine curls.

I didn’t have access to my beautician for a trim and I couldn’t even peruse the hair care aisle to check out the newest products.

I had to rely on the products that have always served me well instead of shopping for new ones.

If you’re stuck at home like me and want to make sure that your quarantine curls still look great, here are a few quick and easy tips to have your curls popping again in no time!

Detangle quarantine curls fully before styling

If you have a head full of hair, detangling could easily take 30 minutes to an hour if you are carefully working through each section. I’ve been guilty of detangling in a rush, and then styling took longer because I had to work through knots.

It's easy to get lazy with your hair while we are stuck at home during the pandemic. Here are a few easy tips to have healthy quarantine curls.

Trust me, if you have a conditioner with good slip, then working out those tangles will work in your favor & styling will be so much easier!

Skip the products with harmful ingredients

What kinds of harmful ingredients? Stay away from products with words like fragrance, parabens, sulfates.

Why are fragrances toxic??

Phthalates used to make fragrances last longer, have been linked to many hazardous health conditions, such as reduced sperm count, liver and breast cancers, reproductive malformation and diabetes.

Did you know that under the Fair Package and Labeling act of 1966,  companies don’t have to list their ingredients?

Check out the Netflix documentary Stink for more information.

One of my favorite books that teaches you how to make your own DIY products is Kinky Locs. It was written by a licensed esthetician and gives several recipes for rinses, hair masks, deep conditioners and more!

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize

Curly hair needs moisture, especially the thicker, coarser textures. Before manipulating your hair in any style, make sure your hair is moistened with water.

This is my favorite water bottle.

Since everyone in my house has curly hair (with the exception of my husband), we have one in every bedroom. It sprays water evenly and doesn’t get the hair soaking wet.

Sometimes I like to add oils (lavender or cedarwood) or aloe vera juice to my spray bottle to add an extra boost of hydration to my curls.

Protect your curls at night

My favorite cap for sleeping is the Grace Elayae slap. Every cap or scarf I’ve ever owned has always come off at night. The Grace Eleyae cap stays put and keeps my curls protected while I sleep.

Most days I’m lounging around the house, on a Zoom call with my co-workers or essential oil friends, homeschooling the kids, or helping my hubby on the farm.

None of these duties really requires my hair to be free, so when I take my cap off, I often keep my hair in twists.

 

I know, it’s tough. It’s tough to have to do your own hair all the time. We’ll get through this together.

 

5 Simple Ways To Teach Your Kids About Online Safety

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This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you subscribe or purchase something through the links on this page.

With many schools around the country closed for the year, parents are forced to rely on online resources to educate their children–and let’s be honest, to help with their own sanity too! If our kids are spending more time on the internet, it’s important for us to spend time talking about online safety.

Unlike many of us, our children grow up understanding that technology is an important part of our everyday lives. Our kids watch us take pictures and videos everywhere we go.

Most children don’t even know what a landline is!

The internet is a useful and dangerous tool for children. It's our job as parents to teach them the importance of online safety.

They watch others make videos and post to Snapchat, Tik Tok and a variety of social media platforms.

The best way to protect your child and your family is to simply teach them about online safety.

Don’t Make It Too Scary

Some parents show their children news articles about children found tortured or dead to keep them from talking to strangers.

The problem with using this as the only means of explaining online safety to your children is that many kids naturally form relationships online. As a school counselor, I’ve talked to hundreds of kids about online safety. When I’ve asked kids from elementary to high school if they have friends on their social media accounts that they don’t know, an overwhelming amount of kids say yes.

Why?

They want to be seen.

Kids  want to be liked.

They want their status to gain attention.

They don’t see the danger in allowing strangers to see what they post. They just don’t get it, and they think the dangerous things that happen won’t happen to them.

Try having a conversation about how your child can’t trust everyone on the Internet: “People aren’t always who they say they are on the Internet – some people go online to hurt kids, so unless you know them in real life, always assume they’re an adult. Don’t tell them your last name, and don’t show them what you look like.”

Talk to Them About Your Parental Controls

Parental controls are a great tool for families. They block websites, features, and downloads that your kids shouldn’t be using. You might block websites that your children would be interested in using, like social media and sites that let people watch movies for free.

When you set up these parental controls, talk to your kids about why certain features are blocked on their web browsers. Every parental block has a purpose that your child can appreciate!

Keep an open mind about your parental controls – sometimes, a website will be blocked that your child needs for homework.

Single-player flash games and multiplayer games can also wind up on a blocklist unintentionally.

Tell your children that website blocks are negotiable, and if a website is blocked that they feel they should be able to use, they can talk to you about potentially unblocking it.  

Show Them Tools They Can Use

If you subscribe to antivirus software, you probably have tools that check for viruses.

Show your kids how they can run a virus check when they use the computer. With one click of a button, they can make sure they’re protected from malware.

There are also search engines that show how safe a website is to use. If your child enters a website into this search bar, they can find out if that site and its downloads are safe. 

Some antivirus tools, like Norton scan files as you download them to see if they’re safe.

Show your child features like this so they know not to disable them. Additionally, show them how to block users on any websites they use.

Tell Them What to Look For

Sometimes, there are telltale signs that a person online is unsafe.

Teach your child about the things a safe person should not ask them for: pictures, their town, their last name, or where they go to school or camp. Remind your kids that another kid isn’t going to beg, scare or threaten them for this information.

Also, teach your child to consider signs that the person they’re talking to is actually an adult. Are they unfamiliar with popular games and TV shows?

To keep your kids from falling for phishing scams or downloading viruses, teach them to always check the URL bar before entering usernames and passwords.

If the URL has a different suffix (.net instead of .com), is spelled differently, or looks otherwise different, it’s not safe! Of course, remind them that what comes after the suffix doesn’t matter – that tells you which page you’re on, not which website you’re using.

Remind Them That They Can Trust You

If a child comes across danger online, they might be afraid to tell you. They might feel like you’ll blame them for being on certain websites or punish them for their actions.

Make a verbal or written promise with your children: if they interact with a bad person on the Internet, accidentally download a virus, or accidentally disable a safety feature, they can tell you about it without facing punishment. 

Talk to your older children about their friends. Check their devices regularly and have open conversations about what they are seeing online. They may not be engaging in inappropriate conversations online, but I guarantee you they know someone who is.

Sometimes teens ask for or exchange nude or half nude pictures. The pictures get circulated to everyone–even people who didn’t ask for them. Talk to your child about what they should do if they are on the receiving end of pictures, or someone asks them for pictures.

When I was a middle school counselor, kids often felt uncomfortable receiving pictures they didn’t ask for and deleted them without telling an adult out of fear.

Have these conversations with your children so they know exactly what to do.

The internet is a useful and dangerous tool for children. It’s our job as parents to teach them the importance of online safety.

For younger children, we love the Amazon Fire tablet.

You can set parental controls, and for the 1st year, you get access to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited which gives your kids access to over 20,000 apps, games, books, videos, audio books, and educational content from PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, Disney, and more. Your subscription will then automatically renew every month starting at just $2.99 per month plus applicable tax.

You can create screen time limits, set educational goals, and filter content with easy-to-use parental controls.

Here are some books that can help guide your conversations about online safety:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Get Your Relationship Back on Track After Arguing

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It can be difficult to get your marriage back on track after arguing.

Whether it’s lack of communication, or the inability to express feelings, communication issues interferes with happy marriages.

And even in relationships where healthy communication isn’t an issue, arguments will still happen. And there are seasons that are tougher than others and it seems like you just can’t get it together.

Marriage is hard heart work. Marriage requires two different people who were raised differently to come together and build a life together.

Raising kids, blending families & finances. Whew. Sometimes it isn’t as easy as it appears.

Getting your marriage relationship back on track after arguing means being willing to address the good and frustrating parts of your marriage.

Sometimes our culture puts so much emphasis on the wedding, but not enough on the life after the wedding.

One of the biggest problems in marriages is communication.

I’m a counselor and I feel like communication is a strength of mine, but I’ve been hit by some rough seasons in life and in my marriage. Thankfully my husband is just as committed as I am to making our marriage work, so we’ve had to roll up our sleeves (on a few occasions) to get to the heart of our issues.

If your season is lasting longer than you had anticipated, here are a few tips on how to get your relationship back on track:

Stick to the issue at hand and don’t attack

It’s easy to go in attack mode when you are hurt or disappointed.

And no name calling. Ever.

Listen, nothing ever good comes from backing someone in a corner and going into attack mode. I promise.

If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything. Put your discussion on pause until you can articulate like an adult. Yup, I said it.

Stay away from speaking in absolutes

“You always….”

“I can’t believe you…”

“You never…..”

No one does the same thing the same way all the time. Be responsible for your words, even when you are angry.

Discuss your issues right away, don’t allow them to fester

The longer you hold in your feelings, the bigger your explosion will be when they come out.

For me, this is the toughest. When I get angry, I hold back. Not because I’m afraid of expressing my emotions, but because I don’t want to lose control of my emotions by saying things I’ll regret. I also don’t like arguing about the same things over and over again.

Marriage means discussing the same things over and over again until you get it right. And that’s okay.

Listen, to everything there is a season---and some seasons last a little longer than we anticipate. Life throws us curve balls and those seasons bring hurt, confusion, depression, and a host of other issues.

We’ve been taught that something is wrong if we can’t fix it the first time.

But you won’t always be on the same page the first time you argue…or even the second or third.

Getting your relationship back on track means being willing to have long and frequent discussions until you get it right.

Enlist the help of a professional if you can’t seem to get it together

Don’t threaten leaving

It’s just not nice. It causes hurt, frustration and later regret. No one gets married with the goal of divorce. Don’t use threats to get your spouse to hear what you have to say. Hurtful threats don’t work–even if they work temporarily, it doesn’t sustain a healthy relationship.

But if you are experiencing physical abuse, get out. It isn’t your fault.

Listen, to everything there is a season—and some seasons last a little longer than we anticipate.

Life throws us curve balls and those seasons bring hurt, confusion, depression, and a host of other issues, but if you are willing to address those issues, you can get your marriage relationship back on track after arguing.

10 Ways to Lessen Anxiety About Home School During the Quarantine

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This post is sponspored by Godaddy, but all opinions are my own.

I’ve been a blogger for five years and I’ve never seen parents panic more than I’ve seen in the last few weeks.

School closures have parents on edge and entrepreneurs are biting their nails waiting for normalcy and praying that their savings can sustain them during this pandemic.

With all the school closures, parents have been forced to home school during the quarantine. Here are a few tips to lessen anxiety.

Parents have been thrust into teaching their kids via home school during the quarantine. While anxiety is at an all-time high, it’s hard to see day by day when your vision is clouded by fear. Here are a few ways to help you cope and take a deep breath:

Start your own garden

When you grow your own food, you can have confidence in knowing where your food came from. How it was grown, what was used to grow it, and who handled it.

You don’t have to worry about braving the stores for fruits and veggies when you grow your own. And if you’re an outdoorsy person, you get a dose of Vitamin D while you do something you love!

Stay in touch with family and friends

Apps like Marco Polo and Zoom allow you to still see the people you love while you are practicing social distancing. If you’re an extrovert, it can be difficult to be shut off from daily interactions with people.

Limit your social media time

People are losing it online. They are sharing information without fact-checking. They are waving anxiety around in a desperate attempt to cope.

Being online can be a place that causes more anxiety if you are already experiencing anxiety due to the current state of affairs.

It’s okay to log off and give yourself time to breathe.

Take advantage of all the free entertainment available online

Home school during the quarantine doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun!

Instead of checking your Facebook account for updates that may not be accurate, use the Internet to access free group fitness, concerts, museum & zoo tours, and so much more!!

Let your tv or computer screen take you where you can’t go for now.

Use the resources your school/district is offering

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen a plethora of resources to help you navigate homeschooling with your child.

If you aren’t an educator, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin, even if your school is providing links and packages. Most teachers have provided a way to contact them, as well as offering office hours if you have questions.

Teachers entered the teaching profession to TEACH!

Don’t feel like you are bothering them by asking questions. They are concerned about their students and want to see them succeed, even if they are having to learn via distance learning.

Get creative with homeschool work

Is your kindergartener learning how to write their name? Get outside and have them write their name in dirt with a stick or in some chalk on the sidewalk.

With all the school closures, parents have been forced to home school during the quarantine. Here are a few tips to lessen anxiety.

Is your third grader struggling with multiplication? Use pretzel sticks to make groups to create a fun edible lesson.

Sitting at the kitchen table doing worksheets is boring. And if it’s not your thing, it makes the homeschooling last even more overwhelming.

Think back to some of the things your favorite teachers did in school. They use creativity and kept your attention. Learning doesn’t have to happen indoors and it doesn’t have to last all day. Think outside of the box! Home school during the quarantine doesn’t have to be labor-intensive and boring!

Catch up on housework

If you work outside of the home, balancing work, family, and home can be tricky. Sometimes it can be overwhelming juggling it all. Use this opportunity to catch up on some household projects that you were waiting on spring break to do.

Turn on some music and have a folding party. Get your little ones to learn to match and have them help match their socks. Housework doesn’t have to be boring. My kids love it when I blast music and dance around while doing things around the house. It makes a house feel like a home.

I work in an elementary school, so I make a practice of keeping up with laundry and wiping down surfaces. In my house, we try to keep toxic products out of our home, so I only need 1 product to clean every single surface, Thieves!! It helps our family stay above the wellness line.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Now is the time to invest in your health!!! With Young Living you get the opportunity to be plugged into some amazing supportive groups (like @shadesandstone), an amazing welcome package & access to me for all the questions! Thieves sanitizer, thieves household cleaner (for all the messes & spills), thieves roller (make your own), lavender for cuts & scrapes, valor for big feelings, peace & calming for the crazy moments, Ningxia to keep us all above the wellness line. Thieves is one of the easiest YL products to ditch and switch with. When you grab a bottle of thieves, you no longer need soft scrub, lysol, comet, toilet scrub, comet, windex, or any other cleaners! I use to pick up bottles that looked like they were “green” and “safe”, but I quickly learned that pretty pictures of plants on the bottle did not translate to being free of toxic chemicals. Let’s get this oily party started and let me help you on your wellness journey!

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Learn more about long term wellness

Wellness isn’t a choice you make once, rather a lifestyle.

When my husband became a farmer, his goal was to provide healthy, sustainable options for our local community. I remember him saying that he wanted to ensure that no matter what happened in the world, our family would never go hungry.

I admired his tenacity but scoffed a little at his thoughts about if something happened. His mission doesn’t seem so crazy anymore.

Wash yo hands

Listen, all the ‘rona’ talk has us paranoid about how long the virus can live on surfaces.

Now is the perfect opportunity to teach (and reteach) your kids how to wash their hands.

When our kids graduate from toddler years to adolescence, we assume that they’ve learned the basic skill of handwashing, but now is a good as time as any to reiterate it to your ENTIRE FAMILY.

Give yourself some grace

Home school during the quarantine is new for all of us. I’m a school counselor and preparing lessons for my kids was a little overwhelming for me too.

With all the school closures, parents have been forced to home school during the quarantine. Here are a few tips to lessen anxiety.

I’ve been in the field for over 12 years, but the new dynamic of our world makes homeschooling seem a bit daunting.

You won’t stick to the same schedule every day and that’s okay.

It’s okay to sleep in some days.

It’s okay that your kids miss their teacher.

It’s okay to miss work even though you are feeling guilty about not enjoying every second with your kids.

We have been thrust into quarantine, loss of some of our basic needs (i.e. toilet paper) and homeschooling all at once. Understand that defining your new normal won’t happen overnight.

And that’s okay too.

And find a community to connect with online. Times are different. And hard. Especially for those of us who are entrepreneurs. Thankfully, Godaddy has provided a new community for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Click here to be a part of it.