tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43331658609934361552024-03-19T03:33:09.739-07:00Colleen Faye Personal BlogColleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-79534592172239741292020-11-24T11:12:00.001-08:002020-11-24T11:12:14.876-08:00How to be green with a new baby<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px;">Being green is important to me. Everything from keeping my body to our planet healthy is a big part of mine and my family's priorities. While we are not perfect at any of it, it's more important to have everyone trying and messing up a few times, than it is to have a few people doing it perfectly. With that here's a list of some easy things we did to be green even with a baby:</span></p><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604066066194" style="background-color: white; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px;"><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071127196">š Reusable wipes- this might not sound like a lot, but the amount of damage that wipes can do to plumbing of any kind is pretty big but most of them don't end up in our sewage system they end up in landfills and they take time to decompose. We also decided to do cloth for the financial impact it made.</div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071177309">š Use rags not paper towels- you can buy a 100 pack of terrycloth rags at Lowes for $4 and they will last you for years. With a baby you clean so much more than you did before from cleaning up big messes to just tidying up so the baby does eat dust, hair, or whatever is lying around your house. </div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071298424">š Green cleaning- my baby love to lick the floor to tell me she's sleepy and of course puts everything in her mouth so I have to wash everything all the time and do it with something that wont leave traces of chemicals behind for my baby to ingest. I found a natural plant based cleaner concentrate that works to make everything from dish soap to floor cleaner and is 100% safe from doterra that has become the only cleaning product I own.</div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071004282">š Gondola bamboo baby toothbrush- we all know how bad for the environment plastic is. Bamboo is a fast growing tree which is able to grow as quickly as is needed to be cut down for use making it the perfect solution for wooden products without the guilt of losing our tree population. Plus it makes a great teething toy!</div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071019408">š Bamboo baby hair brush- you can forget about breaking this bad boy, they are virtually indestructible. Wood for babies is much better than plastic because it's not made with harmful chemicals. Plus when your ready to upgrade to a new one you know the bamboo will biodegrade instead of sitting in a landfill forever.</div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071317390">š No more candles- candles can smell nice at times but there are a few pitfalls of burning them. 1 being the fire hazard which with a baby goes way up since your little one isn't going to understand not to pick up the candle or throw it around, but even out of reach candles can be dangerous. The fragrances used in candles are synthetic which means they are made with crude oil, which essentially means your burning crude oil in your home for you and your family to inhale as a pleasant smell. Once you start using REAL fragrances like diffusing an essential oil you will start to notice that you don't enjoy synthetic fragrances anymore because your body will start to reject the fact that the smell isn't real. The last reason is for the smoke. Candles are still something burning and release smoke into your home every time you light one. Do yourself and your new baby a favor and ditch the candles for a better alternative of diffused oils.</div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071128952">š Grovia Cloth O.N.E. diapers- we decided on cloth diapers because of the cost, but also because it can be better for the environment. If you buy brand new though the environmental impact wont be as impactful so if you can find used cloth diapers grab those up- also the used diapers are more absorbent than brand new ones that haven't been broken in. We chose Grovia but I would suggest that if your going to go cloth to research the different styles and brands to see what would fit your family and baby needs best.<br /></div></div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470ydp49d15306yiv6293933774ydp9acb31aeyiv9005716037yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602080868933" style="background-color: white; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px;">š Mason Bottles- we breastfed almost all the time but when I needed a break for a nap we loved the mason bottles for feeding. The glass mason jar can be reused as a sippy cup, regular cup, and canning jar over time which makes me happy because, recycling!!! <br /></div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071350625" style="background-color: white; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px;">š Natural bath and body care- did you know that the average person puts 5000 chemicals on their body a day. Yes you read that right. 5000. Everything from sunscreen to lotion, shampoo, body wash, makeup and makeup remover. It's all made with chemicals and none of which are good for your body at all. After you use these products and your body processes them and you excrete them, they end up back in our water cycle. They also create a dependency within you to make your body need these products. </div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071263972" style="background-color: white; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px;">š BLW- what does this have to do with going green? First off you wont be buying little one time use plastic containers of purees that end up in a landfill somewhere. Your baby eats the same foods you do so there is less food waste because what isn't eaten can be stored more easily and for a longer time (did you know that when your baby puts a spoon in their mouth and then that spoon goes back into the food. The saliva from the spoon starts decomposing the food right then making it so that your baby food spoils faster?) </div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071372297" style="background-color: white; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px;">š Compost- so I know that this can sound daunting or difficult, and I'll admit it takes more effort and time than simply throwing your scraps into the garbage can, but it's not as difficult as you would think. If you have the space you can create a compost pile out in the open, or you can contain the smell and animals by using a box. Both methods work fine. Simply take all your food scraps, dryer lint, and fallen out hair and add it to your compost pile. If you have your own garden or indoor plants you can use all your homemade organic soil yourself, and if you don't you can either sell/give your dirt to local gardeners, or use it around your lawn for some great lawn food.</div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071495615" style="background-color: white; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px;">š Natural plant based remedies - going green isn't just about the environment around us but also inside us. Using natural plant based remedies helps you get in tune with your body and learn to take on diseases at home by tackling the root of the problem rather than the effects of it. Essential oils are a great way to start with natural solutions.</div><div id="ydp44615dc1yiv5949727470yMail_cursorElementTracker_1604071380133" style="background-color: white; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px;">š Glass Tupperware - if you haven't picked up on it yet, we are all about eliminating unnecessary plastics in our home. Tupperware is a huge plastic source. Mason jars are a hit for storing baby food in right sized portions. I remake oatmeal for the week and freeze it in small mason jars so they are just the right size to defrost for a meal. There are so many glass Tupperware options these days so as your plastics ones fail you try replacing them with glass ones. Not only are they better for the environment but you can freeze and microwave without cooking plastic into your food, and they last forever longer so you can save money from having to buy new Tupperware each year.</div>Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-5569594660674631372020-11-24T11:05:00.007-08:002020-11-24T11:05:56.495-08:00Essential Oils for the Fourth Trimester<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Fourth Trimester?! WTF?!?!?!!! honestly the first time I
heard this term, I wigged out. I've already had a baby in me 9 months and you
think I'm going to do it for another 3? You are soooooo wrong! Not to worry.
The fourth trimester doesn't include you hold that baby in any longer. It's just
a term use to describe the first 3 months of your babies life and moms recovery
during the following 3 months after giving birth.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is such a tough time for moms as we try desperately to
be there for our babies while we are recovering from our own experience. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For me I was recovering from my c-section and the anxiety of
needing to deliver early and the possible hysterectomy - that I ended up not
needing- was really difficult. Here are my favorite products for me and baby
during this time:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Me:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oils:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Milk mama blend- 2 drops fennel 2 drops basil. This was my
favorite blend to help my milk come in. Because of the fennel you do NOT want
to use this for more than one week at a time. For more information on oils for
help with nursing check on my nursing blog<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Balance- balance is my longest favorite oil for mental
health. This oil balances out everything bringing you to a happy Medium
emotionally. This oil is infused in my deodorant and body wash so I always have
it on, but during my 4th trimester I used it so much extra to help me balance
my emotions so I could be my best while with baby. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frankincense Touch- the touch oils are prediluted and in a
roller bottle for easy on the go use. This was great for me because I didn't
have time to mix blends or make any rollers when i came home from the hospital.
Frankincense has magical healing properties by healing at a cellular level
making a great oil to have on hand while recovering from any surgery. I used
this oil daily along my scar once my stitches came out. Not only was it helping
my visible scar heal but also my uterus and my previous scar tissue.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Immortelle- Immortelle comes in a roller ball which makes it
perfect for applying. It is not diffused but that helps it be a very strong oil
blend of Frankincense Resin, Hawaiian Sandalwood, Lavender Flower, Myrrh Gum
Resin, Helichrysum Flower, Rose Flower essential oils to make your skin
radiant. And who doesnt want to show their skin a little love after all that
stretching to make room for baby. I used this on my stretch Mark's and over my
scar.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Melaleuca - Tea tree is such a versatile oil that came in
handy for me in my post baby belly lotion. Recipe below.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Adaptive- adaptive is a new doterra oil blend that I
happened upon right when baby was born. This oil was such a great oil to
diffuse any time of day. Much like balance it helps sooth and calm without
making you sleepy. I also started using the softgel version of this oil for
myself (see below)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Serenity- After giving birth I made some changes to my sleep
routine and chose to start using the doterra reccomended sleep blend which is a
combination of Balance and Serenity. Using these oils together helps regulate
your emotions to a calm medium and then alows you to fall into a restful sleep
from there. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Supplements:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">LLV- have you heard me rant and rave about how much I love
my LLV yet? Omg ok so if you haven't read my blurb on LLV here gos<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">LLV stands for Lifelong Vitality which is a 3-part
multi-vitamin. A full dose is 2 of each vitamins 2 xs daily totaling 12 a day,
so there is definitely a lot involved, but it was so worth it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The LLV has a ātummy tamerā blend in all three parts which
allows you to be able to take them without food which is sometimes necessary
for new moms. I also love the energy that I got from taking these I would take
the first half in the morning to help wake up and the second dose at lunch to
help me finish the day strong.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1. Vegan Microplex MVZ- This formula includes a balanced blend
of essential antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, and an energy complex of B
vitamins presented in a patented glycoprotein matrix. It also contains chelated
minerals including calcium, magnesium, and zinc for optimal bone and metabolic
health, and is encapsulated using sodium lauryl sulfate-free vegetable capsules<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2. Alpha CRS+ - This is a proprietary formula combining potent
levels of natural botanical extracts that support healthy cell function with
important metabolic factors of cellular energy. It is to be used as a
comprehensive dietary supplement foundation for a lifetime of vitality and
wellness.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">3. vEO Mega-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a
revolutionary, 100 percent vegetarian-friendly formula blending CPTG Certified
Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils with natural, plant-sourced essential
fatty acids.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">* Vegan Microplex MVZ does include Folate, but I did take an
additional Folic Acid supplement<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> PB Assist+ - scared of those after birth poops? I was.
This amazing probiotic makes going to the bathroom a breeze even during surgery
constipation. This is a proprietary formula of pre-biotic fiber and six strains
of probiotic microorganisms in a unique double layer vegetable capsule. It
delivers 6 billion CFUs of active probiotic cultures and soluble pre-biotic FOS
(fructooligosaccharides) that encourage friendly bacterial growth. The
time-release, double-capsule delivery system is designed to help protect the
sensitive probiotic cultures from stomach acid. PB Assist+ offers a unique,
safe, and effective way to deliver the well-recognized digestive and immune
system support benefits of probiotics.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> TerraZyme- This is another proprietary blend, but of
active whole-food enzymes and supporting cofactors that are often deficient in
cooked, processed, and preservative-laden foods. The powerful combination of
digestive enzymes found in DigestZen TerraZyme supports the bodyās constant
production of enzymes critical for healthy biochemical functions, including
healthy digestion of food nutrients and cellular metabolism of nutrients to
energy. DigestZen TerraZyme includes a variety of whole-food enzymes that help
with the digestion of proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates, sugars, and fiber.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex- My first trimester I had a
lot of inflammation and pain in my hips to where I was taking 2 of these a day
and the pain continued on and off during the rest of my pregnancy and into my
post pregnancy life. The brand name Deep BlueĀ® is synonymous with soothing
support. It only makes sense that an ingestible supplement would complement the
topical benefits of the Deep Blue product line. Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex
delivers polyphenol extracts of frankincense, turmeric, green tea, ginger,
pomegranate, and grape seed, and is designed to provide soothing support to
aching muscles and to other occasional discomfort.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Copaiba soft gel- Copaiba is an anti-inflammatory as well
as an oil I used nightly even before I was pregnant to help reduce nightly
stress and sleep better. Taking it now as a soft gel helped reduce the pain in
my hip and fall asleep faster. I started taking this every night during month
5. Copaiba essential oil is derived from the resin of the copaiba tree which can
grow upwards of more than 100 feet and can be found in tropical South America.
Copaiba oil is widely used in cosmetic products including soaps, creams,
lotions, and perfumes. Since the 16th century, copaiba essential oil has been
utilized in traditional health practices by the natives of north and
northeastern Brazil.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mito2Max- dont want to drink too much coffee while nursing?
No problem. Want to be awake while feeding and changing your baby? No problem.
Mito2Max wakes you up without caffeine. Mito2Max contains doTERRAās proprietary
energy and stamina complex that enhances mitochondria function, supports
stamina and endurance, helps the body adapt more quickly to the diverse
activities of life, and helps increase mental energy. Acetyl-L-carnitine, a
primary ingredient, supports mental health, mitochondrial function, and
circulation to the brain. Oligonol is a unique and powerful antioxidant blend
that combines biologically active polyphenols from lychee fruit and green tea
in a form that allows them to be quickly absorbed and is effective at
protecting cells against free radicals and oxidation. Oligonol also helps
support improved circulation and energy, both of which are important to overall
healthy aging.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Turmeric- after surgery your body works hard to reduce the
inflammation around the area of your body that was cut into. Turmeric reduces
inflammation which for me was great for recovering from my surgery but also for
my hip pain I mentioned earlier. Deep blue has green tea in it so I order to
not feel the caffeine effects at night I would take deep blue in the morning
and tumeric before bed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Placenta pills- I went to Delaware placenta pills to get my
placenta turned into raw placenta capsules. I know it's new and odd for most of
us and it was for me too at first but I have to say it was the best decision I
ever made. Consuming your placenta post pregnancy helps your body re-nourish
itself after 9 months of giving so much of yourself to your baby which is why
most mammals do this. Not only that but it helps with reducing or completely
preventing PPD, aids milk supply in coming in and staying up, energizes you and
helps in your overall recovery after giving birth. Wendy walked me through
every step and talked about all my options. I finally chose to purchase raw
encapsulated placenta and an additional tincture for long term keep and use. If
you are interested in more information on placenta pills check out Wendy's
website:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Delaware Placenta Pills |
Placenta encapsulation specialist excited to work for you!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Iron- being highly anemic during pregnancy and knowing that
for some women we dont fully recover from giving birth for 10 years (yes you
heard that right. Some womens bodies can take up to 10 years to recover fully)
I decided it was best for me to continue on the same iron regiment I was on
during pregnancy and continued to do so for the first year of my daughters
life.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Folic acid- If you are breast feeding folic acid should be
included in your diet. While the LLV Vegan Microplex MVZ already includes Folate,
I decided to continue taking my folic acid to make sure baby and I were each
getting enough.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Vitamin D- if you are breastfeeding it's important that you
take all the necessary vitamins that your baby needs including vitamin D. Many
breastfed babies dont recieve enough vitamin D through mommy's milk without
taking a supplement. One way to make sure that your baby is getting enough is
to make sure you are taking it yourself. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Adaptive softgels- my mood stabilizer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a calming and grounding blend much
like balance and serenity if they were mixed together -although without the
sleepy side effects. I used this anytime I felt out if whack with life for a
day and it really helped me get back to feeling myself.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oil infused products:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Correct X- this stuff is amazing for any booboos including
really big ones like c-section scars.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>HD clear- my body reacted to pregnancy hormones by making my
face break out like a middle schooler so I used my HD clear skin regiment. It's
a 3 part process that works synergistically, with each product building on the
next to thoroughly cleanse and purify the skin, and deliver optimal hydration
for a balanced moisture level. Made with pure plant extracts, the ingredients
in HD Clear are gentle and calming to the skin, but powerfully effective. Using
HD Clear every day will help reduce the appearance of blemishes; promote a
clear, healthy complexion; and soothe the skin. HD Clear provides a natural
solution for problem skin of all ages.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Post baby belly lotion-The recipe for my āBaby Belly Butterā
is:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1 cup raw shea butter<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1 cup cocoa butter<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1 cup coconut oil<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1 TBS argon oil<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1 TBS rose hip oil<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1TBS vitamin E oil<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">20 drops melaleuca<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">20 drops Frankincense<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">20 drops Lavender<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Heat shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil in a double
boiler until liquid then remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients,
mix and store in a glass jar.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you want to use a store-bought body butter thatās fine
too, but hereās why you want to add these three essential oils:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Melaleuca aka Tea Tree: This oil is great for skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This baby belly butter is thick and can make
you break out even more so than just pregnancy breakouts. Thatās one of the
reasons I added the melaleuca. Because of its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic
properties, helps reduce skin redness, irritation, and swelling. The oil is a
powerful solvent, which means it breaks the oil, dirt, and debris that builds
up under our skin and clogs up our pores. It also helps to strengthen skin and
heal cuts which helps to add to the prevention of stretch marks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frankincense: Frankincense is known as the King of oils. It
has so many amazing benefits, not only for the skin, but for the entire body.
Specifically, for the skin, its ability to revive and rejuvenate the skin makes
it wonderful for reducing the appearance of wrinkles, stretch marks, and scars,
preventing acne, and healing minor wounds. Aside from just skin health it can
help de-stress and relax the body. Frankincense is also an anti-inflammatory
oil which I mentioned need a lot of. I experienced so many aches and pains in
my hips, and knees, that I was taking anti-inflammatories daily. Lastly
Frankincense rejuvenates and supports and encourages cellular function. Meaning
that new little one youāve got growing inside you that is trying to piece
together all its cells and their functions is going to get a little extra help
from this oil as well as Mama, who is getting the benefits of healthy
functioning organs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lavender: I normally used this baby belly butter at night,
and this was for a few reasons. 1. It's thick and takes a little time to dry so
you donāt want to be wearing your nice going out in public clothes, PJs are
best. 2. Two of the essential oils that I picked that are really great for skin
health are also great for relaxation. Lavender is known for helping to relieve
stress and anxiety as well as promoting restfulness and relaxation which I
really needed at night since that seemed to be the only time, I couldnāt fall
asleep. The anti-inflammatory properties also helped me with my joint pain in
my hips and knees as well. Lavender is known for healing injured skin from
burns, cuts, and scrapes, because of its abilities to quickly heal skin. This
come sin great for helping to prevent those stretch marks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Non-oils<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Baby sign language: ok so this isnt a need to have product,
but it does help. I started with the signs for hungry, sleepy and all finished,
the basics. And I signed them all the time. My little one is now 14 months and
although she can only speak dada, mama, and nose, she can communicate when she
wants more or when shes all finished, when shes hungry, when shes sleepy, and
learning to ask for help and thanks. So for me it's been a blessing to be able
to truly understand what my baby is in need of which is why it made this list.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What to expect the first year- I know these books are cheesy
but for me it gave me a sense of peace as I knew what to look for and what to
help foster and grow in my baby through each month<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Baby:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oils:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lavender touch- Thank you for the touch line!!! Honestly as
a new mom all over again, I did not have time to make blends for me or my baby
so having prediluted oils delivered right to my doorstep was a lifesaver.
Lavander can be used for so much. I used it for mild diaper rash, help sleeping
restfully, and along the jawline for teething pain.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frankincense Touch- want to give your baby a leg up? We all
do! My little one was born a bit early due to some scares we had during my
pregnancy so I wanted to help her out as much as possible. Frankincense is one
of the ouls that can be applied undiluted to your baby from birth, but when we
are talking oils- less is more. I would apply Frankincense touch to her head
daily to help her cells grow and form quickly so she could leave the NICU
(which she did in 4 days!)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Digestzen touch- although its diluted digestzen touch still
packs a punch I used the Tiny Tummies Blend(see below) on a daily basis, but
when my baby was in pain I would apply digestzen touch for immediate relief to
all her stomach pains.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tamer- this is part of the doTERRA kids collection and is
created specifically with children in mind. This specific blend helps with
digestion. My little one had some digestive issues which turned out to be
caused by a dairy intolerance. Until we figured out it was dairy we focused on
just keeping her comfortable which meant giving her some help when she was
constipated with Tamer.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Copaiba- this oil became a lifesaver for teething for us.
Some babies can start teething early on which make many teething relief options
unavailable. doTERRA Copaiba can be applied without dilution to your babys gums
to help with teething pain.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Roman chamomile- lavender is well known for its calming
properties but Roman chamomile is also a great sleep and calming oil. Just as
every person is different, the oils that work best for each is us is going to
be different as well. Roman chamomile is what we initially tried for teething
because of how sweet it is, but she was not a fan so we switched and found
copaiba. We also ended up switching from lavender to Roman Chamomile for sleep
help early on because the lavender didnt seem to help her as much as the roman
chamomile did and since lavender was being used for her in other ways it was
nice to have some variety for her.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nightly diffuser blends:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1. Sleepy Baby- 2 drops Balance, 2 drops Serenity, and 1
drop Roman Chamomile <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2. Breath easy- 2 drops Breathe,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>drops Lavender 1, and 1 drop Frankincense <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Non-oils:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hazelwood necklace for GERD- this is available at Baltic
essentials as a necklace or bracelet. I was skeptical at first because I didnt
understand the science or language behind the description of how the hazelwood
would help sooth GERD but seeing it made me a true believer. Almost instantly
we saw a huge difference in our childs ability to eat food and digest it
without issues or pain. Best part was that I didnt need to be constantly
reapplying oils to her belly which was a huge relief. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gripe water- gripe water can be used from everything from
hiccups to an upset stomach. I love the fact that it's a natural product that I
can use with my baby to help give her relief. It's honestly hard to find
effective natural products so I wanted to share this with you all. It wasnt the
right fit for our stomach issues at this time but as we grew out of our stomach
and digestive issues it showed effective for excessive hiccups.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mason Bottles- we breastfed almost all the time but when I
needed a break for a nap we loved the mason bottles for feeding. The glass
mason jar can be reused as a sippy cup, regular cup, and canning jar over time
which makes me happy because, recycling!!! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Grovia Cloth O.N.E. diapers- we decided on cloth diapers
because of the cost, but also because it can be better for the environment. If
you buy brand new though the environmental impact wont be as impactful so if
you can find used cloth diapers grab those up- also the used diapers are more
absorbent than brand new ones that havent been broken in. We chose Grovia but I
would suggest that if your going to go cloth to research the different styles
and brands to see what would fit your family and baby needs best.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bamboo baby toothbrush- there are a million different kinds
out there and the brand truly doesnt matter, but I loved these most because of
the fact that my daughter loves them, and not just as a toothbrush. This turned
into her favorite teething toy which made the transition to brushing our teeth
as part of our routine that much simpler and enjoyable. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Oil Life Mama and Babies Rollers- these were life!!! they cover every need for new mamas and babies:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Cool Baby: 2 drops Patchouli, 2 drops Peppermint, Fill with FCO in a 10ml<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sleepy Baby: 2 drops Lavender, 1 drop Roman Chamomile, 1 drop Vetiver l, Fill with FCO in a 10ml<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Tiny Teeth: 1 drop Lavender, 1 drop Copaiba, 1 drop White Fir, Fill with FCO in a 10ml<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Tiny Tummy: 2 drops Cardamom, 2 drops Fennel, 2 drops Wild Orange, Fill with FCO in a 10ml<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Tiny Airways: 1 drop Lime, 1 drop Melissa, 1 drop Rosemary, 1 drop Frankincense, Fill with FCO in a 10ml<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Calm Momma: 5 drops Balance, 5 drops Serenity, 2 drops Lavender, 2 drops Sandalwood, 2 drops Ylang Ylang, Fill with FCO in a 10ml<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Happy Momma: 3 drops Bergamot, 2 drops Clary Sage, 6 drops Frankincense, 2 drops Grapefruit, 2 drops Wild Orange, Fill with FCO in a 10ml<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Mama Tiger Stripes: 10 drops Yarrow POM, 2 drops Cypress, 2 drops Geranium, 2 drops Frankincense, 2 drops Lavender, 2 drops Wild Orange, Fill with FCO in a 10ml<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Milk Momma: 10 drops Basil, 10 drops Fennel, Fill with FCO in a 10ml<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Tender Ta-Tas: 10 drops Geranium, 10 drops Myrrh, Fill with FCO in a 10ml</p>Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-91661711781492005282020-10-27T14:05:00.000-07:002020-10-27T14:05:13.736-07:00Essential Oils for Nursing<p>Nursing has been quite the adventure and honestly when I
first started I didn't think I would make it. When I had my first baby she was in the hospital for
quite some time so I was pumping and I had a very hard getting my milk to come
in. I had terrible PPD and after heavily supplementing with formula, I ended up
giving up on nursing and pumping at about 3.5 -4 months in. This time around I
was determined to nurse. Not only is it amazing nutrition and immune support
for baby, but it also helps Mama with PPD.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let me start (as I do every one of my blogs) with a quick
anecdote which I hppe will give at least one mama some hope after reading. ( I
am purposefully leaving out the hospital and nursing names because I do not
believe that it was their fault specifically, but more so a lack of education
all around)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I gave birth, I had a C-section at 34 weeks, which
meant my LO was going to have a bit of a NICU stay. When your baby is in the
NICU, the doctors and nurses have very strict protocols they have to follow
when it comes to food (as with most things) that are kind of unattainable for
most mothers. I was expected to pump 40 ml per feeding (every <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">3 hours) from the beginning on top of nursing every 3 hours.
I was only aloud to nurse for 10 minutes at a time and then was told I had to
stop because I was going to exhaust and starve my child if I nursed her for any
longer, and had to bottle feed her pumped milk. The lactation consultant came
to take a look and said that baby was nursing just fine and that my milk had
come in great so that there should be no issues with nursing, however the NICU
nurses were all pretty determined that nursing was NOT what was best for my
baby. At one point I had a nurse who would not even wait for me 2 minutes to
make the trek down from the maternity ward to the NICU so I could at least try
to nurse. All in all the experience was awful. I felt like I wasn't going to be
able to nurse, that nursing was the wrong choice and I was full of anxiety and
sadness. When I got home I talked to the La Leche Group leader in my area who
gave me so much helpful insight, comfort and support.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now while you are in the hospital under the doctors care
there isn't much you can do about the protocols in place, nor is there much you
can do if you are dealing with a particularly difficult nurse other than to
surround yourself with supportive family and friends, but if you find your
still having a hard time one thing you can do is to contact your local La Leche
League leader or a IBLC to see if they can come see you in the hospital for a
consult and to help support you.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After coming home from the hospital and speaking with the La
Leche leader I realized that I had pumped myself into an over supply and
actually had to work hard to bring my supply back down because my oversupply
was making it hard for my little one to nurse properly. My letdowns were
forceful which would choke her up a bit. Plus the fact that I had so much milk
meant that she was getting fore milk and then getting full before she could get
any hind milk. This is a problem because hind milk is the fattier milk which is
the more filling milk. Also too much fore milk can make baby gassy and bloated
as well as hungry again much sooner. This all meant that I was nursing every
20-30 minutes and she was super gassy and fussy most of the time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So I am hoping that in reading this if you run into a
similar situation, do not get discouraged, and do your best not to be the
reason you over produce. If you have any questions about your supply or you are
nervous for any reason contact an IBLC or your La Leche league leader to help
you find one.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>**Before I get
started letting you all know what I took, let me start with a quick disclosure
notice, because essential oils in general, and the products I am about to
mention are not FDA regulated. So, let me confirm that I am not a doctor, or a
chemist, or a prenatal specialist of any kind. No one is paying me to write
what I am writing, and none of these facts have been checked by the FDA. What I
will do is provide links to articles and additional material so that you can do
your own research. The information given in this post is not meant to take the
place of doctor treatment or recommendations and I always recommend that you
ask your doctor before trying anything new. Essential oils, just like many
other things can interfere with medications and treatments and should not be
used without your doctorsā consent.**<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>STEP 1:</b> The first thing I did was make sure that what
I was using was legit. ā Most therapeutic or essential oils out there are total
BS because essential oils do not fall into a category that is FDA regulated.
So, I did my research and was pleased to find that not only were the oils I was
using as pure as pure could get... but that was only step 1. I do want to
mention for those of you reading this that you will see me mention using some
of these essential oils internally and depending on what companies you use this
is probably not a possibility. If you are interested in using the same company
and products as are listed throughout this blog, I can help you with a free
consultation; Iāll leave my contact at the bottom of this post.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another thing I did was to find myself a midwife who work in
a practice in a hospital who was familiar with doterra essential oils and was
comfortable assisting me from a medical standpoint.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Step 2:</b> was to find out what I absolutely could not
take which surprisingly thereās not nearly as much that you will find is going
to be bad for you or baby while nursing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Wintergreen<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sage<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cinnamon<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Peppermint<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oregano<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All three of these have the potential to decrease your milk
supply. While everyone's experiences will differ when using oils, these are
ones which have most often decreased supply in the majority of women. When
these are diluted like wintergreen in the DeepBlue blend it should not effect
your supply. Is taken as a small dose on a regular basis over a long period of
time like peppermint in tri-ease throughout allergy season, it should not
effect supply.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So now, let's talk oils <i>for</i> breastmilk:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whether you pump, or nurse there are some oils that you are
100% going to need and some that your going to want on hand in case of
emergency. So I wanted to share with you guys some of what I have found to
really work well.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Upping Supply/Helping Milk Come In:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Clary Calm: so a lot of websites mentioned having clary
sage, lavender, and geranium to help increase milk supply. So rather than using
these all separately or blending them myself, I use Clary Calm. I have been
rolling this on behind my ears after each pump. (The best place to apply is
actually on the low abdomen over where your reproductive internal organs would
be, or even directly to the boob if your pumping. -clary clam is not edible so
dont apply to your breast if you are nursing) Clary Calm is known as doterras
"Monthly Blend for Women" Its called this because it helps balance
out hormones that get thrown out of whack during our cycles, menopause and even
post child birth making this blend the perfect must have for any mom who's just
had a baby and even more so if you plan to use your Boob juice in any way!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fennel: Fennel is known for having the highest concentration
of galactagogue which increases your milk supply. I used this oil in a blend
called Milk Mama which is 2 drops fennel, 2 drops basil, in a 10 ml roller
topped off with FCO applied around the breast(avoiding nipple) after every
feeding or pumping session. This roller should only be used for 1 week because
fennel has been linked to UTI infections if taken for an extended period of
time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lavender: one of the most important things about nursing is
to be relaxed. If you are stressed not only is your baby going to feel that and
in turn become stressed and fussy making it extremely hard for them to latch,
but your let down will not come as easily which will frustrate you and baby
more and just make the entire situation more difficult than it has to be. Point
here is to make sure you are relaxed when you are going to nurse. If you are
having a particularly rough time try putting the baby down for a moment, and
take a few deep breaths inhaling some lavender from your diffuser or from a
drop in your hands, then pick up baby and soothe her before trying to nurse.
the 2 of you being calm and relaxed will help you both through the nursing
session. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">doterra also has an entire line of oils designed to help you
through certain emotions. Forgive, Peace and Console are 3 that I used quite
often when I could figure out what specifically was stressing me out. Sometimes
I was mad at myself for not being a "good enough mom" in which case I
would use forgive and remind myself that I need to be less hard on myself and
more forgiving, because I am a great mom and we all make mistakes. Sometimes
the chaos of the world and my family and friends and the baby would just get to
me in which case I needed a little Peace to help me settle. Sometimes I was a
little sad about her chaotic birth, or my surgery, and Console would help me
cry it out so I could get back to taking care of my baby.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Milk Mama Roller Bottle: 2 drops fennel 2 drops basil top
off a 10 ml roller bottle with FCO. I use this roller on my chest after every
time I pump. The blend smells actually pretty good - I was nervous about the
fennel - and has been working wonders. Seriously if I forget to use it. I can
immediately tell during my next pump.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Delaware Placenta Pills: Wendy did an amazing job talking me
through the process, and helping me pick what was going to work best for what I
needed. She also provided me with piece of mind in being fully certified and
accredited. I got my pills in less than 48 hrs after my surgery and I was so
happy with everything.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Motivation: this oil doesnāt actually help you produce any
additional milk but let's not forget that mama needs a little help sometimes
too. Nursing was exhausting for me as I assume it is for many women so I wanted
to share <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are also oils that I personally did not use but that I
have heard great things about when it comes to helping you milk come in such as:
basil, cardamom, dill, geranium, and jasmine.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cracked Nipples:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My favorite thing to do is just to put some breast milk on
the nipple and let it air dry from there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frankincense, Lavender, Geranium, Roman chamomile, Myrrh,
sandalwood, and Neroli are all great oils for your skin and so can bring relief
to a cracked nipple. For best results dilute with coco nut oil and apply to
your nipple after nursing. Then wipe it off before baby nurses again or you
pump again to avoid getting the oils in your breast milk.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I did experiment with a fun little concoction:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1 cup (4oz) breastmilk<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1 cup<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>coconut oil<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">5 drops vitamin E
oil<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">1 drop lavender
eo<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;">1 drop roman
chamomile eo<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;">1 drop copaiba eo<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Clogged ducts/ mastitis:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lavender, tea tree, patchouli, orange <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Keep in mind that mastitis can happen if you have a lot of
milk so if you are trying to produce extra to keep a storage supply, try
cutting back on how much extra your doing since this could likely be the cause
of your over supply and so, the cause of your clogged duct.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Weaning:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Peppermint<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sage<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cabbage leaves<o:p></o:p></p>Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-52191638965209230212020-10-13T10:40:00.002-07:002020-10-13T10:40:46.619-07:00Essential Oils for Giving Birth<p>I had truly hoped for vaginal birth this time around. For my
first I had an emergency C section due to a placenta abruption during my first
trimester which lead to a retro-placetal bleed along with my little girls
inability to get all the nutrients she needed, she wanted to bust out early. I
went into labor at 32 weeks and the doctors had to perform surgery and then she
was in the hospital for almost 2 months. It was all super traumatic and I was
determined to go for the complete opposite experience this time. Right from the
start I bought the Natrual Mama baby book and was reading about water births
and home births and doulas. I was talking about natural births and vbacs I was
so excited to have the opportunity to actually be present for the birth of my child
seeing as the last time I had been completely unconscious and woke up and was
conscious a few days later not even remembering I had had a baby.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So anyways, it was a nice wish, but not at all what
happened. My doctors got a scare that I had what's called a placenta accreta.
Which has kind of a high mother mortality rate especially if you dont have a
c-section. In the end I got a weeks notice that my baby would be born at 34
weeks via c-section with the possibility of a hysterectomy! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I guess I'm destined for traumatic birthing experience!
Haha! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anyways I tell you all this, but I'm fine.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you are looking for essential oils to help with the first
trimester, click <a href="http://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/essential-oils-for-first-trimester.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hereās the thing. During my first pregnancy I was not into
essential oils. I was barely out of high school and had no idea who I was yet
as a person. I did know at that point that I wasnāt a fan of doctors, hospital
or medication though- which is part of the reason why I didnāt find out I was
pregnant until I was way into my second trimester and getting really sick. But
this time around I am older, and I have grown into who I am. I know that I
enjoy a natural approach to medicine and that essential oils are something I
have been working with specifically for 5, almost 6 years now for myself, my
family, and those around me. What I hadnāt done thus far was learn about
essential oils for during pregnancy, and this was a daunting aspect for me
since I found out very quickly that my first OBGYN wasnāt going to be any help
and that I was now in a situation where I was going to need medication and I
had no one to help point me in the right direction. My husband and I had been
struggling for the past 4 years with fertility, and conceiving, and
unfortunately went through the grief of a few miscarriages, but things finally
took a turn for the better.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you are looking for essential oils that can help increase
your fertility, click <a href="http://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/essential-oils-for-fertility.html" target="_blank">here.</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>**Before I get started letting you all know what I took,
let me start with a quick disclosure notice, because essential oils in general,
and the products I am about to mention are not FDA regulated. So, let me
confirm that I am not a doctor, or a chemist, or a prenatal specialist of any
kind. No one is paying me to write what I am writing, and none of these facts
have been checked by the FDA. What I will do is provide links to articles and
additional material so that you can do your own research. The information given
in this post is not meant to take the place of doctor treatment or
recommendations and I always recommend that you ask your doctor before trying
anything new. Essential oils, just like many other things can interfere with
medications and treatments and should not be used without your doctorsā
consent.**<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">STEP 1: The first thing I did was make sure that what I was
using was legit. ā Most therapeutic or essential oils out there are total BS
because essential oils do not fall into a category that is FDA regulated. So, I
did my research and was pleased to find that not only were the oils I was using
as pure as pure could get, but a lot of the accusations online about people
saying things about the products not working or being dangerous were also
debunked. Whew! ā¦ but that was only step 1. I do want to mention for those of
you reading this that you will see me mention using some of these essential
oils internally and depending on what companies you use this is probably not a
possibility. If you are interested in using the same company and products as
are listed throughout this blog, I can help you with a free consultation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another thing I did was to find myself another OBGYN who was
at least willing to help guide me in the right direction when it came to
holistic health and contact a Douala and a midwife.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Step 2 was to find out what I absolutely could not take, and
the list is quite long and is not the same on every site. I played it really
safe only using things when absolutely necessary and even then I didnāt use
anything without talking to my doctor and midwife first. Most oils are
perfectly fine to having while giving birth compared to some of the longer
lists of oils to avoid during pregnancy. Here is a list I have compiled of oils
that shouldnāt be used while giving birth:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Peppermint- I wanted to breastfeed so peppermint was no go<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yarrow: yarrow is a blood thinner, so it should be avoided
especially if you are like me and are having complications or are high risk.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> 3. WHAT DID I BRING???</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First off at the top we have my overnight stuff. A typical
c-section recovery time is 4 days so I packed for 4 days:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">4 of the shampoo and detangler samples- I am probably not
going to be hopping in the shower right away due to my scar, but I have found
that whenever I spend any time in a hospital or in an airplane, my hair always
gets instantly greasy so with some help from the hubby I'm planning on washing
my hair.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">8 of the onguard toothpaste samples- these are actually the
perfect size for 2 uses, but I'm bringing extra in case I loose, or misplace
them, or if I end up having to stay longer.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1 extra chapstick- hospital air is dry so so dry so I am
prepared. There is also a possibility that I end up undergoing general
anesthesia in which case a breathing tube is place to help me breath which
doesn't allow for any normal saliva to reach the lips for moister, thus
creating super nasty dry cracked lips. Also a nervous tendency of mine is to
bite and peel my lips especially when they are dry so keeping them moisturized
is a big one for me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A handful of onguard throat drops- a c-section is pretty
major surgery, so I am coming fully armed against the possibility of infection.
Plus contrary to popular belief hospitals are not always the cleanest places
due to the amount of patients and everything they are carrying.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Balance deodorant- must have! So when your pregnant you gain
water weight which once you deliver needs to come out. Its typical for women to
experience an increase in sweating and BO right after giving birth. So we bring
the deodorant to help make sure I dont stink every body out. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Winter itch lotion- as I mentioned,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hospital air is super dry. After any surgery,
your body is spending time focusing on repairing the damage from the surgery
and doesn't have as many resources available to fight off dry skin, so I'm
bringing my winter itch lotion to help fight off dry skin.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">OnGuard Hand Sanutizer- the NICU does a really good job of
making everyone wash and sanitize before entering, but when baby is my room, I
dont always have a nurse outside making everyone wash up before entering. Being
that my immune system is going to be working overtime because of my surgery and
baby is going to have a still developing immune system, I am bringing the hand
sanitizer to offer to EVERYONE to help lower the possibility of germ spreading
when they come visit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fractionated Coconut Oil FCO: this comes with for a few
reasons. I am bringing a bunch of oils and I will probably want to dilute some
of them. FCO is also great as a quick lotion for anywhere and everywhere for
both me and baby (great for cradle cap too). FCO is also extremely healing for
the skin and can be use to help with my scars healing process. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Deep Blue and Arnica creams: these two are for the aches and
pains. Between the pain of surgery, the pain of having a baby, the pain of
having to lay in a hospital bed for days on end, I could end up in loads of
pain. A lot of women talk about developing restless leg syndrome towards the
end of their pregnancy with sometimes effects them for a week or 2 after
delivery as well. With all of these factors, I am being cautious and bringing
my go-tos for aches and pains.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Next are the oils:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Breath Touch- the touch rollers are prediluted with FCO and
perfect for on the go. Breathe has been packed to help me fight the dry
hospital air.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Digest Zen Touch- I know how clichƩ of me since I hate this
smell, but I cant eat anything for 8 hrs before my surgery and that includes
vitamins so the oil will have to do. A lot of women who undergo a c-section get
nauseous from the over stimulation of their digestive organs so I'll be using
this as a preventative method before surgery on the bottoms of my feet- to help
avoid the smell.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Clary Calm-after giving birth many women experience post
partum depression due to the rush of hormones being released during and after
surgery. Clary calm is specifically formulated to help balance out hormonal
shifts during your cycle, menopause and post delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing as I am having an early c-section, I
may need a little extra help navigating<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
triggering these shifts and hormones. This is also for helping to bring in your
milk supply.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rose Touch- with baby coming early she may need to be in the
NICU for some time and not be near me as much as I would like. Rose is great
for helping to mend a broken heart and for stimulating the heart chakra, so I
am bringing with to help me in navigating those emotions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Immortelle- major scar alert! Immortelle is the anti aging
oil blend, but it works wonders on scaring as well.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Milk Mama roller- this a roller bottle is one that is to
help my milk come in if I run into any post-OP milk issues. In a 10 ml roller
bottle add 2 drops of basil and 2 drops of fennel, then top off with FCO.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frankincense Touch- I mean really if your having surgery of
any kind, your should have your Frankincense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It has healing powers from the Gods!!! No, but really, it's an amazing
healing oil that is great for not only scars on the skin, but internal healing
within the body for your organs, and even deeper on a cellular level. I have
the touch roller bottle to help my scar and its healing process.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frankincense- and I have the oil to take internally to help
with all of the internal healing I will be undergoing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">OnGuard- I am bringing my diffuser to my post-OP room and
will diffusing onguard to help disinfect the room when we have guests and bring
ten the air with its warm and uplifting scent.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Balance- balance has been scientifically shown to change the
bodies frequencies and with the massive hormone releases and emtional shifts
that are going to be happening after the birth and post-OP I am bringing
balance to diffuse in my room on tough days as well as to apply on the bottoms
of my feet. Balance is also found in the deodorant I am bringing (and use
daily)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Roman Chamomile- with the chance of baby needing to be in
the NICU without me and the rest I am going to need post-OP Roman Chamomile is
a great option for a little relaxation and help sleeping. (I also will have
lavander but that's in my purse)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Peace- this is the reassuring blend. Along with the
relaxation provided from the Roman chamomile and lavender peace will help to
steady my nerves at night and promote full relaxation for a good nights sleep.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Serenity- this is the calming blend. Not everything always
works the way we want it to, so I am bringing the calming blend as a third
option for relaxation. Sleep is so important after surgery and giving birth so
I plan on getting as much as I can while baby sleeps her first few days.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Non-essential oil products<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love my oils but
there were a few things I needed that were oil related.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Magnesium supplements- the PP dump is a killer. Magnesium is
shown to help you go easier. You can ask your dr for some while your at the
hospital but the price youl pay for 1 tablet there is about the same as buying
a whole bottle of it at home and bringing it with you.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Iron- with all the blood loss and fact that I'm already
anemic I wanted to bring this as well.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*I will list the rest of my supplements in my fourth
trimester blog.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A front zipper robe- you dont really think about this often,
but after you deliver via c-section pants are a no go for a few days,really
anything on your waist is a no go. I brought this robe because it would keep me
covered and warm in the hospital while not irritating anything.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tablet- I really wanted to be productive and read some of my
year 1 book but I was exhausted. The maternity ward was on one floor and the
NICU on another. My oldest daughter had strep so my husband had to leave right
after I gave birth. Every 3 hours I would shuffle run down to the NICU to nurse
and then shuffle run back up to maternity so I could pump, eat and wash my pump
parts out enough for next time. At night I would try to sleep instead of eat
but that was just as difficult. Then I would run back down stairs again to
nurse. It was the toughest week and I'm so glad it's over. I really learned a
lot that I will share with you all soon. Anyways I had my tablet because when I
wasnt sleeping or running I entertained myself that way.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Books: for those of you who may enjoy a book more so than a
tv show or movie, a book is a great way to help you stay occupied during your
down time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Slippers- get yourself a pair of slippers for when you go.
It's cold in hospitals and your going to want to be comfortable.<o:p></o:p></p>Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-78558241296990608192020-10-06T13:01:00.000-07:002020-10-06T13:01:02.680-07:00Essential Oils for the Third Trimester<p> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 16px;">Omg! My third trimester kicked my ass! I was not ready for it at all. Honestly it's taken me this long to get back to any sense of normalcy and my baby is 15 ( She was 7 months when I started writing this) months already. Mamas going through your last trimester in the end of summer heat you are true warriors and you have my undying respect, love, and admiration. That is seriously hard! </span></p><div id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582904265830" style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582915669918" style="font-family: New;">I seriously spent the entire time trying to be indoors with AC, I was panicking about the tiniest details, and over preparing, while simultaneously being exhausted and sleeping so much.</span></div><div id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582904526855" style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582904265830" style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582904303616" style="font-family: New;"><br /></span></div><div id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288" style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582904273000" style="margin: 0px;">If you are looking for essential oils to help with the first trimester, click <a href="http://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/essential-oils-for-first-trimester.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">here</a>.</p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p style="margin: 0px;">Hereās the thing. During my first pregnancy I was not into essential oils. I was barely out of high school and had no idea who I was yet as a person. I did know at that point that I wasnāt a fan of doctors, hospital or medication though- which is part of the reason why I didnāt find out I was pregnant until I was way into my second trimester and getting really sick. But this time around I am older, and I have grown into who I am. I know that I enjoy a natural approach to medicine and that essential oils are something I have been working with specifically for 5, almost 6 years now for myself, my family, and those around me. What I hadnāt done thus far was learn about essential oils for during pregnancy, and this was a daunting aspect for me since I found out very quickly that my first OBGYN wasnāt going to be any help and that I was now in a situation where I was going to need medication and I had no one to help point me in the right direction. My husband and I had been struggling for the past 4 years with fertility, and conceiving, and unfortunately went through the grief of a few miscarriages, but things finally took a turn for the better, and I am currently 32 weeks today!</p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p style="margin: 0px;">If you are looking for essential oils that can help increase your fertility, click <a href="http://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/essential-oils-for-fertility.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">here</a>.</p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p style="margin: 0px;"><i>**Before I get started letting you all know what I took, let me start with a quick disclosure notice, because essential oils in general, and the products I am about to mention are not FDA regulated. So, let me confirm that I am not a doctor, or a chemist, or a prenatal specialist of any kind. No one is paying me to write what I am writing, and none of these facts have been checked by the FDA. What I will do is provide links to articles and additional material so that you can do your own research. The information given in this post is not meant to take the place of doctor treatment or recommendations and I always recommend that you ask your doctor before trying anything new. Essential oils, just like many other things can interfere with medications and treatments and should not be used without your doctorsā consent.**</i></p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582915817933" style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">STEP 1</span></b>: The first thing I did was make sure that what I was using was legit. ā Most therapeutic or essential oils out there are total BS because essential oils do not fall into a category that is FDA regulated. So, I did my research and was pleased to find that not only were the oils I was using as pure as pure could get... but that was only step 1. I do want to mention for those of you reading this that you will see me mention using some of these essential oils internally and depending on what companies you use this is probably not a possibility. If you are interested in using the same company and products as are listed throughout this blog, I can help you with a free consultation; Iāll leave my contact at the bottom of this post.</p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582915859541" style="margin: 0px;">Another thing I did was to find myself a midwife who work in a practice in a hospital who was familiar with doterra essential oils and was comfortable assisting me from a medical standpoint.</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582915868475" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal" style="font-family: New;"><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582904245247" style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Step 2</span></b> was to find out what I absolutely could not take, and the list is quite long and is not the same on every site. I played it really safe only using things when absolutely necessary and even then I didnāt use anything without talking to my doctor and midwife first. Here is a list I have compiled of oils that shouldnāt be used during the third trimester:</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916218033" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916003694" style="margin: 0px;">Peppermint- this is only for those of you who plan to breast feed. Peppermint has the ability to deplete or inhibit milk supply so best to avoid it if possible. </p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916261675" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916225307" style="margin: 0px;">Clary Sage (and blends containing it- clary calm) or sage- up until you are in labor you dont want to use clary sage since it can induce labor. If you are thinking of using clary sage to induce labor, please check with your midwife or dr first.</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916066910" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916221810" style="margin: 0px;">Also when your close to your due date you may want to avoid large amounts blood thinning oils such as:</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916123208" style="margin: 0px;">Yarrow</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916126609" style="margin: 0px;">Birch Cinnamon </p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916172153" style="margin: 0px;">Wintergreen</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916201109" style="margin: 0px;">Birch</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602008235926" style="margin: 0px;">Sage</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602008241112" style="margin: 0px;">Clary Sage</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602008216478" style="margin: 0px;">Peppermint(if your planning on breastfeeding)</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916420376" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916420531" style="margin: 0px;">Now let's get to the good stuff! What did I use during my third trimester, and why!?</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916501083" style="margin: 0px;">First off, if you've read any of my other pregnancy blogs you know I took my LLV. So if you've already heard me talk about it a million times please feel free to skip ahead, but for those who haven't the LLV is about to ROCK YOUR WORLD!!! </p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916636538" style="margin: 0px;">Seriously. I swear by this stuff. Basically it's a 3 part multi-vitamin that targets 3 areas of your body: your brain, your gut, your cells. Let me explain:</p><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal"><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916821776" style="margin: 0px;">LLV: LLV stands for Life Long Vitality which is a 3-part multi-vitamin. Personally, I am not a fan of prenatal vitamins because of the size of them and the fact that you have to take them with food (sometimes I donāt have an appetite first thing in the morning, but I still need to take my vitamins before I leave the house). The LLV has a ātummy tamerā blend in all three parts which allows you to be able to take them without food. I also liked this because it came as a vegan option, and although I am not a vegan most baby books will tell you to try to get as much of your nutrition from raw plants, so this seemed like the perfect fit for me. Now I was taking these before I was pregnant so by the time I was pregnant I was taking the full dose which is 2 of each vitamin 2 times a day. If you are looking to try a new multivitamin, I suggest starting at a Ā½ dose and working you way up because it can be a lot al at once.</p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal"><p style="margin: 0px;">Part1- Vegan Microplex MVZ: This formula includes a balanced blend of essential antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, and an energy complex of B vitamins presented in a patented glycoprotein matrix. It also contains chelated minerals including calcium, magnesium, and zinc for optimal bone and metabolic health, and is encapsulated using sodium lauryl sulfate-free vegetable capsules</p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal"><p style="margin: 0px;">Part 2- Alpha CRS+: This is a proprietary formula combining potent levels of natural botanical extracts that support healthy cell function with important metabolic factors of cellular energy. It is to be used as a comprehensive dietary supplement foundation for a lifetime of vitality and wellness.</p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal"><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916885038" style="margin: 0px;">Part 3- vEO Mega: This is a revolutionary, 100 percent vegetarian-friendly formula blending CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils with natural, plant-sourced essential fatty acids. -SIDE NOTE- during this trimester I actually took 3 of these in the morning and 3 at night because of the extra Omegas needed during that part of babys brain development. </p></div><div class="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288MsoNormal"><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916812735" style="margin: 0px;">* Vegan Microplex MVZ does include Folate, but I did take an additional Folic Acid supplement</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916850840" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916862261" style="margin: 0px;">I also used a few other supplements during this trimester. </p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916985924" style="margin: 0px;">Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex- I had some of the worst hip pain during pregnancy like to the point of not being able to walk at all at times. This little vitamin which I took 2 of every morning helped keep me on my feet throughout my pregnancy. Now I took the full dose in the morning because these have green tea in them because I am super sensitive to caffeine and pregnant mamas know how difficult it is to get sleep during those last few months so I was not about to add to that struggle.</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916998024" style="margin: 0px;">Mito2Max- being pregnant is exhausting and sometimes you cant be that exhausted especially if you have other kids so for me I took Mito2Max. Being that I was getting caffeine in my DeepBlue I didnt want to drink any caffeine so I needed to find alternative forms of energy: enter B vitamins. Mito2Max is full of B vitamins to help you wake up and stay active throughout the day without any crashing or jitters.</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582917030505" style="margin: 0px;">Copaiba - I love love love copaiba essential oil, but with everything I was taking and using during pregnancy it was easiest for me to include the copaiba softgels with my night time vitamins. This bad boy does so much from boosting your immunity to relieving stress, to reducing inflammation and so much more. I used it nightly to reduce my stress to help me sleep as well as to help give the DeepBlue I took in the morning a little boost through the night.</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582917053619" style="margin: 0px;">Womens Bone Complex - I was highly anemic during pregnancy to the point of popping iron pills like candy all throughout the day and never increasing my iron levels. One of the interesting things I found out was that the calcium supplements I was taking were actually hindering my bodies ability to process the iron I was taking so I switched from a straight calcium vitamin to the women bone complex which adds some many other vital nutrients help help keep your bones strong and healthy in addition to calcium which aloud for strong bones, less calcium in my body and more iron to be processed in my body.</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582917065769" style="margin: 0px;">Iron - as I mentioned... super anemic!!! I was taking so much iron. Now everyone is different so I'm not going to talk about how much I took (honestly I thought I was too much) what I will do is tell you some of the things I learned. 1. Iron is super harsh on your tummy, so if you are taking it regularly or in high doses consider using something like orange essential oil applied to your belly to help sooth your stomach after taking a beating from iron (this is actually where the spinach and mandarin orange salad idea came from). 2. Iron isn't always absorbed orally. For some people taking iron through foods or vitamins isn't going to do the trick, in which case asking your Dr. about an IV dose is an option that may work better for you.</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582917079287" style="margin: 0px;">Folic acid - who doesn't know about folic acid? If you are pregnant you should be taking folic acid. It helps your babys' brain grow and develop especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy, but it should be used throughout all of pregnancy. Because I was not using a "prenatal" vitamin I took a little extra on the side, but keep in mind that if you are taking LLV there is a form of folic acid in the vitamin already- also fun fact side note is that in men folic acid can help increase fertility</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602010378973" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602010380085" style="margin: 0px;">It's not a supplement, but I also made myself some vegan collagen gummies to help with skin elasticity here's the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/NuNaturals-Gelicious-Unflavored-Gelatin-Pound/dp/B01IE65OI4/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=vegan+gelatin+powder+unflavored&qid=1602010560&sprefix=vegan+ge&sr=8-7" target="_blank">gelatin powder</a> I used.</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602010372507" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602010606762" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602010373218" style="margin: 0px;">Essential oils</p></div><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1582916420732" style="margin: 0px;">Immortelle blend: for skin elasticity </p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602010645141" style="margin: 0px;">Lavender: sleep aid</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602012961985" style="margin: 0px;">Chamomile: sleep aid</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602012970690" style="margin: 0px;">Cedarwood: sleep aid</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602012977918" style="margin: 0px;">Serenity blend: sleep aid</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602013259085" style="margin: 0px;">Neroli: this floral oil helps reduce stretch marks, dark spots and scared tissue. </p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602012998824" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602010691215" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602010654006" style="margin: 0px;">Baby body butter:</p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602010686928" style="margin: 0px;">1/2 cup cocoa butter<br />1/2 cup Shea butter<br />1/2 cup coconut oil<br />Melt, mix (whip if possible), and let cool some.<br />1 T vitamin E oil or rosebud oil<br />20 drops melaleuca <br />20 drops lavender <br />20 drops frankincense <br />Mix and store a room temp<br /></p><p id="ydp4e47f5d2yiv6340891288yMail_cursorElementTracker_1602013328657" style="margin: 0px;">This stuff makes your skin feel A-MAZING! unless it's the middle of summer - like it was for me- in which case you end up sweating a lot and just rolling around in a mixture of sweat and oils that feels super slimy. So this is great for every season except summer.</p></div></div>Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-2311727954316622622019-09-03T14:11:00.001-07:002019-09-03T14:11:58.006-07:00Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers<div id="yiv6056663061yMail_cursorElementTracker_1567203348691" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
These were an absolute hit!!! Those of you who follow my recipes and food posts know that I absolutely LOVE to stuff peppers with just about everything! Most of the time it works, sometimes its redundant, and sometimes its a huge success. This time was a huge success, and so after quite a few requests for the recipe I had some time to type it all up and share it with you all!</div>
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Here are a few notes tips and side notes for this recipe to help make it fit for your kitchen and your family.</div>
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Personally I like to use chicken tenders because I feel it's easier to get them cut into small pieces before cooking them vs using a chicken breast, but if you only have chicken breasts your more than welcome to use them instead.</div>
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I baked my chicken this time, but typically I would have used the air fryer to help give it an extra crunch. The other option is to pan fry your chicken in which case make sure you are adding oil to your ingredients. My personal favorite for pan fried chicken would be peanut oil, or avocado oil, but your welcome to use whatever you like best. </div>
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You can also skip the flour if you want a healthier version of this recipe. For this simply cut the chicken and go right to the baking step.</div>
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Currently my garden has an abundance of cherry/grape tomatoes so that is what I used for this recipe, however it's pretty well known that Roma tomatoes are best for sauces so if you would like to substitute please feel free to use your Romas and dice them instead. If you are pressed for time you can also use canned diced tomatoes in which case you do not need to cook them as long and you can add them at the same time as your other sauce ingredients. </div>
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I use block cheese and shred it myself. I'm not sure but I have a theory that pre-shredded cheese has been tampered with because when I shred my cheese at home and put it in a container it clumps and sticks, however pre-shredded cheese does not. Plus I like the feeling of making things from scratch as much as possible and most of the time it's cheaper. When using shaker cheese (Parmesan) however you can be almost certain that the powdery stuff is mixed with cellulose and wood pulp.* So if you want the real stuff, splurge a little (real Parmesan is expensive) and shred it yourself.</div>
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Ok, so these should be all the variations and tips for this meal, let's go ahead and get started. </div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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Flour<br /><div id="yiv6056663061yMail_cursorElementTracker_1567202756896">
About 20 cherry/grape tomatoes </div>
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3 handfuls of fresh spinach</div>
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5-6 med peppers of assorted colors (if you are using large ones you may only need 4. We had these 5 and still had some stuffing leftover- not that that's a bad thing)</div>
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1 Tbsp garlic</div>
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1 stalk of fresh basil (you can use dry)</div>
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1 stalk of fresh oregano (you can use dry)</div>
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1 Tbsp olive oil</div>
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1 Tbsp dry chopped onion (or 1/4 small yellow onion)</div>
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1 cup mozzarella </div>
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Parmesan </div>
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Salt and pepper to taste</div>
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Directions:<br />1. Start by cutting your chicken up into 1/2 cubes- you don't have to be exact with the measurement just know that when you to batter your chicken you want to have a decent amount of chicken. No one like a mouth full of batter and no chicken. You also don't want your pieces to be too big seeing as your going to try to fit multiple pieces in each pepper.</div>
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2. Preheat the oven to 350Ā°</div>
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3. Crack our eggs break the yolks and mix them lightly in one bowl. Then in a bowl next to that use your flour and favorite chicken spices mixed together to make your batter.</div>
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4. Take your chicken, dip it into the eggs, and then coat it with your flour. (You can repeat this a second time if you want but I just do one layer) then spread your chicken out on a cookie sheet pan.</div>
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5. Bake your chicken for 30 minutes.</div>
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6. While your chicken is baking cut your peppers in half from top to bottom and put aside. </div>
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7. Shred your cheeses! The Parmesan is optional and you only need what you would like to sprinkle on your pepper as garnish.</div>
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8.Then cut your tomatoes into halves, and let's prepare our sauce.</div>
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9. Start with olive oil garlic and onion in your pan on medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the flavors fill your nose. </div>
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10. Add your tomatoes, reduce your heat slightly and cover the pan. Let cook for about 10 minutes, remove lid and cook uncovered for 2 minutes while stirring. Then add your herbs, salt and pepper, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Then turn the flame off, but leave the lid on.</div>
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11. (By now your chicken should be out of the oven or almost there. When you take your chicken out of the oven leave the oven on at 350Ā°) Take your chicken bits and your spinach, and add them to your sauce pan stir and let finish cooking for 5 more minutes or until your spinach has completely wilted.</div>
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12. Transfer your peppers on a cookie sheet and use your tomato and chicken mixture to stuff them, then top with the mozzarella. Bake these for 20 minutes.</div>
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13. Garnish with Parmesan and serve! </div>
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* https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/feb/17/parmesan-cheese-store-bought-wood-pulp</div>
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Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-30333131029515928762019-07-08T19:15:00.000-07:002019-07-08T19:15:16.186-07:00Essential Oils for the Second Trimester<br />
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So, I know I'm a few weeks late in updating you all on my
second trimester must haves, but this third trimester has barely started and it
already kicking my ass!<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you are looking for essential oils to help with the first
trimester, click <a href="http://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/essential-oils-for-first-trimester.html">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hereās the thing. During my first pregnancy I was not into
essential oils. I was barely out of high school and had no idea who I was yet
as a person. I did know at that point that I wasnāt a fan of doctors, hospital
or medication though- which is part of the reason why I didnāt find out I was pregnant
until I was way into my second trimester and getting really sick. But this time
around I am older, and I have grown into who I am. I know that I enjoy a
natural approach to medicine and that essential oils are something I have been
working with specifically for 5, almost 6 years now for myself, my family, and
those around me. What I hadnāt done thus far was learn about essential oils for
during pregnancy, and this was a daunting aspect for me since I found out very
quickly that my first OBGYN wasnāt going to be any help and that I was now in a
situation where I was going to need medication and I had no one to help point
me in the right direction. My husband and I had been struggling for the past 4
years with fertility, and conceiving, and unfortunately went through the grief of a few <a href="http://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/through-pain-essential-oils-i-used-to.html">miscarriages</a>, but things finally took a turn for the better, and I am currently 32 weeks today!<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you are looking for essential oils that can help increase
your fertility, click <a href="http://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/essential-oils-for-fertility.html">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>**Before I get started letting you all know what I took,
let me start with a quick disclosure notice, because essential oils in general,
and the products I am about to mention are not FDA regulated. So, let me
confirm that I am not a doctor, or a chemist, or a prenatal specialist of any
kind. No one is paying me to write what I am writing, and none of these facts
have been checked by the FDA. What I will do is provide links to articles and
additional material so that you can do your own research. The information given
in this post is not meant to take the place of doctor treatment or
recommendations and I always recommend that you ask your doctor before trying
anything new. Essential oils, just like many other things can interfere with
medications and treatments and should not be used without your doctorsā
consent.**<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">STEP 1</span></b>: The first thing I did was make sure that what I was
using was legit. ā Most therapeutic or essential oils out there are total BS
because essential oils do not fall into a category that is FDA regulated. So, I
did my research and was pleased to find that not only were the oils I was using
as pure as pure could get, but a lot of the accusations online about people
saying things about the products not working or being dangerous were also
debunked. Whew! ā¦ but that was only step 1. I do want to mention for those of
you reading this that you will see me mention using some of these essential
oils internally and depending on what companies you use this is probably not a
possibility. If you are interested in using the same company and products as
are listed throughout this blog, I can help you with a free consultation; Iāll
leave my contact at the bottom of this post.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another thing I did was to find myself another OBGYN who was
at least willing to help guide me in the right direction when it came to
holistic health and contact a Douala and a midwife.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Step 2</span></b> was to find out what I absolutely could not take, and
the list is quite long and is not the same on every site. I played it really safe
only using things when absolutely necessary and even then I didnāt use anything
without talking to my doctor and midwife first. Here however is a list I have
compiled of oils that shouldnāt be used during pregnancy:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Basil<o:p></o:p></div>
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Birch (sweet)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cassia<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cedarwood<o:p></o:p></div>
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*Cinnamon<o:p></o:p></div>
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*Clary sage (OK during labor)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Clove<o:p></o:p></div>
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Coriander<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cypress (OK after 5 months)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fennel<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jasmine (OK during labor)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Juniper<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lavender<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lemongrass<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nutmeg<o:p></o:p></div>
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Parsley (in large doses)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Peppermint<o:p></o:p></div>
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*Rosemary<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sweet marjoram<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tansy (blue)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thyme<o:p></o:p></div>
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Wintergreen<o:p></o:p></div>
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Wormwood<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yarrow<o:p></o:p></div>
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There were a few exceptions to the oils I avoided from this
list, but before even thinking of using I researched a ton online, and checked
with my doctor, doula, and midwife. This is me not trusting anyone and needing
to hear it from 6-7 different sources before I accept it as a truth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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* These oils are not to be messed around with under any
circumstances. They cause contractions and will make you go into labor early
and or possibly lose your child.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><b> <span style="font-size: large;">Step 3</span></b> Used the Oils</o:p>, and without further ado, here are the things I absolutely could not live
without during my second trimester.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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During my second trimester, the first thing That was really different for me was that I used less oils, but way more supplements. So I am going to start with a full list of the <b>supplements I used that are made with essential oils: </b></div>
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1. LLV<o:p></o:p></div>
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LLV stands for Lifelong Vitality which is a 3-part
multi-vitamin. A full dose is 2 of each vitamins 2 xs daily totaling 12 a day,
so there is definitely a lot involved, but when pregnant there are so many
things you are suggested to take that can be eliminated by the use of this
combo that I honestly found it worth it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Personally, I am not a fan of prenatal vitamins because of
the size of them and the fact that you have to take them with food (sometimes I
donāt have an appetite first thing in the morning, but I still need to take my
vitamins before I leave the house). The LLV has a ātummy tamerā blend in all
three parts which allows you to be able to take them without food. I also liked
this because it came as a vegan option, and although I am not a vegan most baby
books will tell you to try to get as much of your nutrition from raw plants as
possible, so this seemed like the perfect fit for me. Now I was taking these
before I was pregnant so by the time, I was pregnant I was taking the full dose
which is 2 of each vitamin 2 times a day. If you are looking to try a new
multivitamin, I suggest starting at a Ā½ dose and working you way up because it
can be a lot all at once. During my second trimester though I did have a few
adjustments to make to my doses.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Vegan Microplex MVZ- I have been steadily taking the full
dose so 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. This formula includes a balanced
blend of essential antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, and an energy complex of B
vitamins presented in a patented glycoprotein matrix. It also contains chelated
minerals including calcium, magnesium, and zinc for optimal bone and metabolic
health, and is encapsulated using sodium lauryl sulfate-free vegetable capsules<o:p></o:p></div>
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Alpha CRS+ -I have been taking the full dose so 2 in the morning
and 2 in the evening of this as well. I found this most helpful during my first
trimester to beat some of the fatigue. My second trimester I didnāt find myself
as exhausted, so this wasnāt as huge of a need for me, but I mean when coffee isnāt
an option, nothing gets taken off the table to help me get an energy boost.
This is a proprietary formula combining potent levels of natural botanical
extracts that support healthy cell function with important metabolic factors of
cellular energy. It is to be used as a comprehensive dietary supplement
foundation for a lifetime of vitality and wellness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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vEO Mega- being that brain development spikes during the
second trimester my maternity book suggested increasing omega, so I increased
the dose to 3 in the morning and 3 in the evening. -this wasnāt recommended by
my midwife, so if your considering this, I would absolutely run it past your
doctor or midwife first. This is a revolutionary, 100 percent
vegetarian-friendly formula blending CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade
essential oils with natural, plant-sourced essential fatty acids.<o:p></o:p></div>
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* Vegan Microplex MVZ does include Folate, but I did take an
additional Folic Acid supplement<o:p></o:p></div>
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2. PB Assist+ - I didnāt experience much digestive issues
during the first 2 months of my second trimester, but by the last month, I
started experiencing constipation, so I started taking this every other day,
along with Terrazyme. This is a proprietary formula of pre-biotic fiber and six
strains of probiotic microorganisms in a unique double layer vegetable capsule.
It delivers 6 billion CFUs of active probiotic cultures and soluble pre-biotic
FOS (fructooligosaccharides) that encourage friendly bacterial growth. The
time-release, double-capsule delivery system is designed to help protect the sensitive
probiotic cultures from stomach acid. PB Assist+ offers a unique, safe, and
effective way to deliver the well-recognized digestive and immune system
support benefits of probiotics.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. TerraZyme- I had been taking this every other day as a
protective measure, and during the first 2 months of my second trimester these
alone on an every other day basis did the trick, but during the last month, I
bumped up these doses to everyday. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
another proprietary blend, but of active whole-food enzymes and supporting
cofactors that are often deficient in cooked, processed, and preservative-laden
foods. The powerful combination of digestive enzymes found in DigestZen
TerraZyme supports the bodyās constant production of enzymes critical for
healthy biochemical functions, including healthy digestion of food nutrients
and cellular metabolism of nutrients to energy. DigestZen TerraZyme includes a
variety of whole-food enzymes that help with the digestion of proteins, fats,
complex carbohydrates, sugars, and fiber.<o:p></o:p></div>
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4. Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex- My first trimester I had a lot
of inflammation and pain in my hips to where I was taking 2 of these a day.
During my second trimester I wasnāt experiencing as much pain from walking and
moving as so I was able to take only one of every morning. The brand name Deep
BlueĀ® is synonymous with soothing support. It only makes sense that an
ingestible supplement would complement the topical benefits of the Deep Blue
product line. Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex delivers polyphenol extracts of
frankincense, turmeric, green tea, ginger, pomegranate, and grape seed, and is
designed to provide soothing support to aching muscles and to other occasional
discomfort. <o:p></o:p></div>
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5. Copaiba soft gel- Sleeping became difficult by the end of
this trimester. Especially getting comfortable with sleeping on my left side. I
donāt know if other women experience pain in their left hip from sleeping on
their left side, but this has been the biggest pain for me in trying to sleep.
Copaiba is an anti-inflammatory as well as an oil I used nightly even before I
was pregnant to help reduce nightly stress and sleep better. Taking it now as a
soft gel helped reduce the pain in my hip and fall asleep faster. I started
taking this every night during month 5. Copaiba essential oil is derived from
the resin of the copaiba tree which can grow upwards of more than 100 feet and
can be found in tropical South America. Copaiba oil is widely used in cosmetic
products including soaps, creams, lotions, and perfumes. Since the 16th
century, copaiba essential oil has been utilized in traditional health
practices by the natives of north and northeastern Brazil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>6. Bone Nutrient Lifetime Complex- I mentioned that one of the things that baby is developing these months is its brain, but another is bones, so my baby book mentioned increasing calcium intake. However straight Calcium was not an option for me seeing as I am highly anemic, and calcium inhibits the body's ability to absorb iron. I started taking the bone nutrient Complex because it contains more than just calcium and allows for one nutrition without compromising my iron intake. If you are not anemic taking just calcium is fine, but if you are anemic you and your doctor or midwife may want to look into other options like the bone nutrient complex. At an early age, women begin to build bone mass, reaching a maximum bone density in their late twenties. A diet rich in essential bone nutrients is critical during these early years of bone development, but food intake surveys suggest that women consume half the recommended amounts of calcium and other bone nutrients for optimal bone health. This deficiency is pronounced in teens who are less likely to eat right but who would benefit from increased bone nutrient consumption as their young bones are absorbing nutrients at a rate nearly double that of adult women. The Bone Nutrient Essential Complex is formulated with bioavailable forms of natural nutrients that include vitamins C and D, plus calcium, magnesium, and other trace minerals that support healthy bone density as a woman ages.</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p>7. </o:p>TriEase - months 4-6 of my pregnancy happened during the spring for me, and so allergies were a struggle. Mainly I just wanted to stop sneezing because I peed myself almost every time, and bringing extra underwear with me everywhere I went was not as convenient as just taking this. I was nervous about the peppermint in TriEase would effect my milk coming in but during a second trimester milk supply is not a huge necessity for me, so I wasnāt too worried. My milk did come in though and read that when taken daily peppermint wonāt have as much of an effect of milk supply as when taken sporadically. While I do not know this to be a fact, it was true for me. TriEase Soft gels were developed to protect against seasonal and environmental elements and to promote a healthy respiratory system when needed most. Each soft gel contains equal parts of Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint essential oils, known for their ability to maintain clear breathing and a healthy immune response when combined together.</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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8. (NOT A SUPPLEMENT, but I wanted to include with the supplements) TrimShake- anyone else have trouble eating enough? I
constantly forget to eat- like even when I'm not pregnant, eating is not on my
to do list, and so I normally forget to stop moving, and find time to eat, so I
am constantly looking for ways to make sure that when I do eat, I am getting
enough nutrition for me and the baby. TrimShake is a great way to make sure of
just that. I add it to cereal, to desserts, and have it as a shake to help make
sure I am getting enough nutrition even when I forget to stop and eat. Now I
know that taking a weight management or weight loss shake seems ridiculous but
when youāre not replacing a meal, but instead enhancing or adding extra meals
then it becomes less of a weight loss technique and more of a healthier weight
gain technique. Slim & Sassy TrimShake is a convenient and delicious weight
management shake mix that provides essential nutrients and 70 calories per
serving. Blended with water or nonfat dairy, almond, rice, or soymilk,
TrimShake can be used as part of a weight-loss strategy of reducing daily
caloric intake and burning fat stores through exercise. Slim & Sassy
TrimShake includes the patented weight-loss ingredient EssentraTrimĀ®, which
research has shown to help manage cortisolāa stress hormone associated with fat
storage in the abdomen, hips, and thighs. Slim & Sassy TrimShake also
includes SolathinĀ®, a special protein extract from natural food sources that
supports an increased feeling of satiety. Available in natural chocolate and
vanilla flavors, TrimShake blends well with water or milk and provides 8 grams
of protein per serving.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><b>Here are some of the essential oil combos and DIYs I used during me second trimester:</b></o:p></div>
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1. Lavender, Melaleuca, Frankincense- these 3 oils I used in my
baby belly butter for preventing stretch marks. I mentioned the recipe in my
first trimester post, but I'm going to give it again because of how awesome it
has been working (I do not have a single new stretch mark on my belly, things,
butt, or boobs):<o:p></o:p></div>
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The recipe for my āBaby Belly Butterā is:<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 cup raw shea butter<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 cup cocoa butter<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 cup coconut oil<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 TBS argon oil<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 TBS rose hip oil<o:p></o:p></div>
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1TBS vitamin E oil<o:p></o:p></div>
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20 drops melaleuca<o:p></o:p></div>
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20 drops Frankincense<o:p></o:p></div>
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20 drops Lavender<o:p></o:p></div>
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Heat shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil in a double
boiler until liquid then remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients,
mix and store in a glass jar.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you want to use a store-bought body butter thatās fine
too, but hereās why you want to add these three essential oils:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Melaleuca aka Tea Tree: This oil is great for skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This baby belly butter is thick and can make
you break out even more so than just pregnancy breakouts. Thatās one of the
reasons I added the melaleuca. Because of its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic
properties, helps reduce skin redness, irritation, and swelling. The oil is a
powerful solvent, which means it breaks the oil, dirt, and debris that builds
up under our skin and clogs up our pores. It also helps to strengthen skin and
heal cuts which helps to add to the prevention of stretch marks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Frankincense: Frankincense is known as the King of oils. It
has so many amazing benefits, not only for the skin, but for the entire body. Specifically,
for the skin, its ability to revive and rejuvenate the skin makes it wonderful
for reducing the appearance of wrinkles, stretch marks, and scars, preventing
acne, and healing minor wounds. Aside from just skin health it can help de-stress
and relax the body. Frankincense is also an anti-inflammatory oil which I
mentioned need a lot of. I experienced so many aches and pains in my hips, and
knees, that I was taking anti-inflammatories daily. Lastly Frankincense
rejuvenates and supports and encourages cellular function. Meaning that new
little one youāve got growing inside you that is trying to piece together all
its cells and their functions is going to get a little extra help from this oil
as well as Mama, who is getting the benefits of healthy functioning organs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lavender: I normally used this baby belly butter at night,
and this was for a few reasons. 1. It's thick and takes a little time to dry so
you donāt want to be wearing your nice going out in public clothes, PJs are
best. 2. Two of the essential oils that I picked that are really great for skin
health are also great for relaxation. Lavender is known for helping to relieve
stress and anxiety as well as promoting restfulness and relaxation which I
really needed at night since that seemed to be the only time, I couldnāt fall
asleep. The anti-inflammatory properties also helped me with my joint pain in
my hips and knees as well. Lavender is known for healing injured skin from
burns, cuts, and scrapes, because of its abilities to quickly heal skin. This
come sin great for helping to prevent those stretch marks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1a. Replenishing Body Butter- For those of you who arenāt big
into DIYing like me, or just donāt have the time, this is a great baby belly
butter base, or even one to be used on its own. The base of this natural butter
combines shea and cocoa seed butters, known for their deep moisturization and
ability to promote skin suppleness. Jojoba seed oil absorbs quickly into the
skin and helps keep skin looking hydrated while avocado oil provides essential
fatty acids to nourish and soften skin. Essential oils of Wild Orange, Douglas
Fir, and Frankincense turn this into an intensely aromatic spa experience while
providing purifying, rejuvenating, and stretch mark reducing benefits.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Toothpaste- So we know that once pregnant everyone is
constantly reminding us that oral health is so important, and while it can seem
like a weird thing to prioritize, your oral health is super important and you
should make sure to have at least one dentist visit during your pregnancy.
Unfortunately, the natural toothpaste I normally use has rosemary, cinnamon,
clove and myrrh so it was a bit out of the question for me to use:<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
4TBS coconut oil<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3TBS baking soda<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
20 drops peppermint<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
20 drops frankincense<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Heat your coconut oil in a double boiler to liquify, then
add your other ingredients mix and store in glass jar or approved plastic
squeeze tube. (another option is to include orange essential oil.)
https://draxe.com/homemade-baking-soda-toothpaste/<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Frankincense: Thanks to its antiseptic properties,
frankincense essential oil is a natural solution to fighting the bacteria in
the mouth that can cause plaque and bad breath. This can help prevent tooth
decay and oral infections. Frankincense essential oil can be added to mouthwash
and toothpaste to keep gums healthy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peppermint: Along with the fact that it freshens your breath
and gives you a minty fresh feeling in your mouth after using it, peppermint
oil displayed antimicrobial activities against oral pathogens, including
Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus fecalis, Escherichia coli and Candida
albicans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Orange: Because orange oil has the ability to fight
bacterial growth, it can help to protect teeth and gums from infections. Itās
also been used to help ease a sore throat for fast relief when gargled with
water and salt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Mouthwash- In addition to brushing and flossing,
mouthwash can be important as well. The formula is safe and gentle for
everyone. Not all mouthwashes are made the same- did you know that Listerine
was originally created as a floor cleaner and when they rebranded as a mouth
wash, the formula was not even updated?!?!?!?! Some mouthwashes that contain
alcohol can dry out your mouth and combat your natural mouthwashāyour
salivaāfrom doing its job. Any mouthwash that says it kills 99% of germs is
doing your mouth a disservice! If you struggle with dry mouth at all, it is
important to use an alcohol-free option. Fortunately, I made my own for years
with just water and peppermint. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup water <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10 drops peppermint <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Store in a glass jar or vial with lid<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 1 cup to 10 drops is the ratio I used, but you are
welcome to increase or decrease that depending on how minty youād like, and you
can also add frankincense if you would like.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a video on how to make this toothpaste and mouthwash,
click this link:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://youtu.be/0GAHdK8ZatY">https://youtu.be/0GAHdK8ZatY</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>4. Lemon Lavender and Peppermint: earlier I mentioned using something called TriEase, which is a supplement containing these three oils. for those of you who aren't keen on taking essential oils internally, you can certainly use this combination topically or aromatically to help combat seasonal threats. Keep in mind that as you get closer to your due date peppermint may begin to affect your milk supply, so if you are planning on breastfeeding, this combination may need to be altered when you are ready to start that.</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><b>Single Oils used during my second trimester:</b></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Neroli- This super sweet oil is actually great for your skin
and is known for reducing stretch marks. I absolutely love the smell and
started using it during the day on my belly. Most moms know that having nice
clothes is a luxury and most clothes we own turn into a tattered stained mess
quite quickly. As I had mentioned before, the baby belly butter is rather thick
and can stain shirts with oily residue. Using Neroli, I was able to continue
allowing my skin to be nourished without staining all my clothes, and thus
keeping my nice shirts and dresses looking nice. Neroli essential oil is said
to reduce inflammation, alleviate stress, stimulate circulation, and enhance
mood. When used in skincare and hair products, neroli essential oil is thought
to treat oily skin, reduce signs of aging, and diminish the appearance of scars
and stretch marks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Lavender- This is still my all time favorite go to for sleep help. In addition to applying it at night in my baby belly butter, I also diffused it every night to help me get a good nights sleep, which in all seriousness is a super hard thing to accomplish during pregnancy. I also used it in my morning facial routine along with grapefruit.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Grapefruit: I use this as a spot treatment for acne. While lavender is one that I applied all over my face, grapefruit is one I would apply directly to individual breakouts to help fight the bacteria causing the breakout, and help keep the pores clear to help prevent future breakouts.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><b> Extras: </b></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. HD Clear- oh the dreaded baby acne. I have been using this
skin clearing system and have been lucky not to have a lot of breakouts. This
isnāt to say that I have been 100% breakout free, but Iāve been pretty close to
it since I started using this product. HD Clear is a three-step system that works synergistically, with
each product building on the next to thoroughly cleanse and purify the skin and
deliver optimal hydration for a balanced moisture level. Made with pure plant
extracts, the ingredients in HD Clear are gentle and calming to the skin, but
powerfully effective. Using HD Clear every day will help reduce the appearance
of blemishes; promote a clear, healthy complexion; and soothe the skin. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Fortunately, I did not have a lot of nausea during my second
trimester, however if you find yourself battling nausea Ginger, Peppermint and
Digest Zen are a few options that can really help. Ginger and peppermint are
both great as a tea. Simply heat up a cup of water to the temperature you desire
and add 1 drop of oil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b>Here's a list of useful oils I found on another site:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bergamot-Analgesic, antiseptic, antidepressant, uplifting,
and refreshing. Helpful for cystitis during pregnancy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chamomile-Antiseptic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and
antispasmodic. Soothes pain from muscular aches, headaches, toothaches and
indigestion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cypress-(OK after 5
months) Antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent and diuretic. Helpful for
varicose veins, hemorrhoids and swollen ankles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eucalyptus-Antiseptic, antibiotic, analgesic,
anti-inflammatory, antiviral. Helpful with respiratory congestion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Frankincense-Antiseptic, astringent, sedative, warming.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Geranium-(OK after 3
months) Antiseptic, antidepressant, astringent, refreshing, uplifting. Eases
aching legs and is good for poor circulation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Grapefruit-Astringent, digestive aid, lymphatic stimulant.
Helps with water retention.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lavender-Antiseptic, antibiotic, analgesic, antidepressant,
healing, relaxing. Helps soothe aches and pains of pregnancy, encourages cell
renewal and helps with fluid retention.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lemon-Antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, astringent,
stimulant, tonic. Useful as an inhalant for morning sickness and in massage for
varicose veins.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mandarin-Antiseptic, refreshing, tonic, mild relaxant. Can
ease fluid retention in leg and ankle massages.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Neroli-Antiseptic, antidepressant, antispasmodic,
anti-inflammatory, relaxing. Useful in pregnancy to promote healthy skin cell
regeneration and for easing nervous tension.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Patchouli-Antiseptic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory,
nerve sedative. Eases confusion, indecision and apathy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peppermint- helps alleviate nausea, heartburn, and
indigestion. Gives a short term energy boost.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Petitgrain-Antiseptic, antidepressant, sedative, refreshing,
tonic. Helpful in dealing with pre or postpartum depression.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rosewood-Antiseptic, sedative.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sandalwood-Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant,
sedative. Helpful for cystitis during pregnancy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tangerine-Antispasmodic, lymphatic stimulant, calming,
sedative. Helps to prevent stretch marks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tea Tree-Antibiotic, antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral,
disinfectant. Can be used to treat thrush during pregnancy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ylang Ylang-Antiseptic, antidepressant, aphrodisiac,
sedative, lowers blood pressure. Restorative when overworked or tense.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you want to learn more about any of these products or about
an essential oil company that has Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential
oils, that are safe for internal, expecting mothers, and infant and toddler
safe you can comment on this blog, visit my website <a href="http://www.beyoutfit.com/">www.beyoutfit.com</a>, or find
me on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/colleenfayebroughs">@Colleen Faye</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-33369537178623909342019-06-25T07:42:00.000-07:002019-06-25T07:42:42.505-07:00 Peanut Butter Chocolate Zucchini Cake<br />
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ok
who's ready for another recipe? I know it's been forever since the last time I
shared one of these with you, and there's been so many things I've tried too so
I am really trying to make an effort to start sharing recipes with you all
again starting with this gem!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As most of you know - or
anyone who follows me on any social media knows- I love having a garden, and I
always grow zucchini. Year 1 was the year of the zucchini pasta. The first time
I tried zucchini pasta I fell in love and for almost an entire summer, it was
all I made. Unfortunately, my family did not have the same fondness for this
new dish and after that summer, I have been banned from making zucchini pasta
ever again- at least for family meals. After that I tried to stay away from
zucchinis because I didn't want my family to hate a vegetable that was so easy
to grow in abundance and so versatile, so the following few years I tried to
limit the amount of plants I had and whenever I could I would give away extra
zucchini. During this time, I tried my hand at some fun variations like the
zucchini taco boats, zucchini grilled cheese which were both big hits, and a
few others that fell flat for us. This year I am at it again with a large crop
and hopefully enough recipes to keep things fun and funky, so no one feels like
they are being force fed something only I enjoy. So of course, I wanted to
throw in a few extra new recipes, and I was inspired by one I found in the
Ambitions Kitchen, by Monique. It was a peanut butter chocolate zucchini bread.
Now don't let the name fool you, this is definitely more of a cake than
anything else. First, I will share Monique's recipe with the options she offers
that I chose to use, and then I'll share with you my second attempt which I
turned into a sheet cake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIrX2d7ZGif_P6_5IhZ2e-jdNtg-gG3U0X9g-JnMooc7i0EUHF9V_O1X0fI_oTSa6bGvh2NPfJr7yPXSZmQohzvQsCiKVBwGLmiyulosFk3nJOLKkcZoDrbtHHYATqft0MyCH4hrgpGo/s1600/Z1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="1080" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIrX2d7ZGif_P6_5IhZ2e-jdNtg-gG3U0X9g-JnMooc7i0EUHF9V_O1X0fI_oTSa6bGvh2NPfJr7yPXSZmQohzvQsCiKVBwGLmiyulosFk3nJOLKkcZoDrbtHHYATqft0MyCH4hrgpGo/s400/Z1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Monique's Chocolate Chip
Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread (with my twist)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1 medium zucchini,
shredded & squeezed of excess moisture (about 1 cup shredded zucchini)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 7.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 7.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">3/4 cup all-natural
creamy peanut butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1/4 cup pure maple syrup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">2 large eggs, slightly
beaten<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1 teaspoon vanilla
extract<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">about 1/2 cup of doTERRA
chocolate trim shake powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1 teaspoon baking soda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1/2 cup peanut butter
chips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">9 Hershey kisses<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2528; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
Instructions</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Preheat oven to 350
degrees F. grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with
parchment paper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a large bowl, mix
shredded zucchini, peanut butter, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla with whisk
until well combined and creamy. Stir in trim shake powder, baking soda and
cinnamon. Mix until just combined. Next, fold in peanut butter chips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Pour batter into
prepared pan, and smooth. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out
clean, then add the Hershey kisses by flipping upside down and pressing into
bread. The bread will develop a nice brown crust, so don't be nervous if you
observe this while baking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once done baking, remove
from oven and transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Once cool
enough, remove bread from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Cut
into 12 delicious slices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For her full recipe and
notes, you can check it out with this link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/grain-free-chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-zucchini-bread-2-different-ways/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/grain-free-chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-zucchini-bread-2-different-ways/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZfqeQsb_Nk63YSCGormMus98K88cqb9IlBdG9v9Ll2ZetelhcOHghTCLorWXPk4vCmi2sadAEwGGHhUZeWdO8NZThurT5AmEpVM-xUQodg70nto-1TdaOinqe4Erggx5N8cnSSAS_zk/s1600/Z2+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="605" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZfqeQsb_Nk63YSCGormMus98K88cqb9IlBdG9v9Ll2ZetelhcOHghTCLorWXPk4vCmi2sadAEwGGHhUZeWdO8NZThurT5AmEpVM-xUQodg70nto-1TdaOinqe4Erggx5N8cnSSAS_zk/s400/Z2+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here is how I turned
this into a sheet cake:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1 large zucchini,
shredded & squeezed of excess moisture (or 4 cups shredded zucchini)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">3 cups all-natural
creamy almond butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1 cup pure maple syrup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">3 large eggs, slightly
beaten (if you want more of a brownie feel you can reduce to just 2 eggs)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1/2 tablespoon of
vanilla extract (if you think you need more of a chocolate flavor though you
can replace this with coco powder)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">2 cups of doTERRA chocolate
trim shake powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1 and 1/3 Tablespoons
baking soda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">2 teaspoons cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1 cup peanut butter
chips (optional)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Hershey kisses
however many you want<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Preheat oven to 350
degrees F. Grease an 9x13 inch cake pan with coconut cooking spray or line with
parchment paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a large bowl, mix
shredded zucchini, peanut butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla with whisk
until well combined and creamy. Stir in trim shake powder, baking soda and
cinnamon. Mix until just combined. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Pour batter into
prepared pan, and smooth. Top with peanut butter chips and lightly push them
just under the surface. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out
clean, then add the Hershey kisses by flipping upside down and pressing into
cake- I cut these into 1x1 in size pieces and added 1 kiss per piece. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Transfer pan to a wire
rack to cool for 30-45 minutes. Once cool enough, remove cake from pan and
transfer to wire rack to cool completely. The cake will develop a crust, so if
you want to add icing and make it a full-on cake you are welcome to do
so-personally I think the Hershey kisses add enough topping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-84724901962114902712019-02-20T07:36:00.000-08:002019-03-11T05:30:10.273-07:00Essential Oils for the first Trimester<br />
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So hereās the thing. During my first pregnancy I was not
into essential oils. I was barely out of high school and had no idea who I was
yet as a person. I did know at that point that I wasnāt a fan of doctors,
hospital or medication though- which is part of the reason why I didnāt find
out I was pregnant until I was way into my second trimester and getting really
sick. But this time around I am older and I have grown into who I am. I know
that I enjoy a natural approach to medicine and that essential oils are
something I have been working with specifically for 5, almost 6 years now for
myself, my family, and those around me. What I hadnāt done thus far was learn
about essential oils for during pregnancy, and this was a daunting aspect for
me since I found out very quickly that my first OBGYN wasnāt going to be any help and
that I was now in a situation where I was going to need medication and I had no one
to help point me in the right direction. My husband and I had been struggling for the past 4 years with conceiving, and so I had a little experience with what I could and couldn't use, but now that I actually was pregnant things were different.<br />
If you are looking for essential oils that can help increase your fertility, <a href="https://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/essential-oils-for-fertility.html">click here</a>.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">**Before I get started letting you all know what I took, let me start
with a quick disclosure notice, because essential oils in general, and the
products I am about to mention are not FDA regulated. So let me confirm that I
am not a doctor, or a chemist, or a prenatal specialist of any kind. No one is
paying me to write what I am writing, and none of these facts have been checked
by the FDA. What I will do is provide links to articles and additional material
so that you can do your own research. The information given in this post is not
meant to take the place of doctor treatment or recommendations and I always
recommend that you ask your doctor before trying anything new. Essential oils,
just like many other things can interfere with medications and treatments and
should not be used without your doctorsā consent.**<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">STEP 1:</b> The first
thing I did was make sure that what I was using was legit. ā Most therapeutic
or essential oils out there are total BS because essential oils do not fall
into a category that is FDA regulated. So I did my research and was pleased to
find that not only were the oils I was using as pure as pure could get, but a
lot of the accusations online about people saying things about the products not
working or being dangerous were also debunked. Whew! ā¦ but that was only step
1. I do want to mention for those of you reading this that you will see me
mention using some of these essential oils internally, and depending on what companies
you use this is probably not a possibility. If you are interested in using the
same company and products as are listed throughout this blog, I can help you
with a free consultation; Iāll leave my contact at the bottom of this post.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another thing I did was to find myself another OBGYN who was at least willing to help guide me in the right direction when it came to holistic health, and contact a Douala and a midwife.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Step 2</b> was to
find out what I absolutely could not take, and the list is quite long and is
not the same on every site. I decided to play it safe and avoid any essential
oil listed on any of the sites just in case, and I am going to provide you with
the list I compiled right here:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Basil<o:p></o:p></div>
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Birch (sweet)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Buchu<o:p></o:p></div>
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Calamus<o:p></o:p></div>
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Camphor (brown or yellow)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cassia<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cedarwood<o:p></o:p></div>
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*Cinnamon <o:p></o:p></div>
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*Clary sage (OK during labour)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Clove<o:p></o:p></div>
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Coriander<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cypress (OK after 5 months)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fennel<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hyssop<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jasmine (OK during labour)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Juniper<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lavender<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lemongrass<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mugwort<o:p></o:p></div>
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Myrrh<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nutmeg<o:p></o:p></div>
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Origanum<o:p></o:p></div>
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Parsley (in large doses)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Peppermint<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pennyroyal<o:p></o:p></div>
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*Rosemary <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sweet marjoram<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tansy (blue)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thyme<o:p></o:p></div>
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Wintergreen<o:p></o:p></div>
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Wormwood<o:p></o:p><br />
Yarrow</div>
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There were a few exceptions to the oils I avoided from this
list, but before even thinking of using I researched a ton online, and checked
with my doctor, doula, and midwife. This is me not trusting anyone and needing
to hear it from 6-7 different sources before I accept it as a truth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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* These oils are not to be messed around with under any circumstances. They cause contractions and will make you go into labor early and or possibly lose your child.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Step 3:</b> Start
using the products and seeing what worked for me<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Here are the essential oils I used:</u><o:p></o:p></div>
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1. Peppermint: (Let me address that peppermint was an oil I
found listed on a few sites as not being safe to use during pregnancy. I asked
both OBGYN doctors I had and their entire staffs along with my douala and
midwife and they all said this is BS and that peppermint is perfectly safe to
use while pregnant and often times is prescribed for women struggling with heartburn
or nausea during this time.- of course check with your doctor first; I'm just saying I haven't found any reason for this to be on the not approved list.) I took this literally everywhere with me. My first
pregnancy gave me horrible nausea vomiting heartburn and indigestion (yes I had
a girl), so I was petrified of that happening again. Peppermint helps with more
than just tummy issues though. This pregnancy had me exhausted all the time,
and Peppermint helps give you a boost of energy. Plus the best part is that
after I pigged out of pickles, ice cream, and buffalo chicken dip, I could get
the nasty combo smells off my breath. -There is also a super cute beadlet
version of this oil which contains only Ā¼ of a drop and is really easy for on-the-go
use.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2. Serenity: This a blend of oils of which none fell into the ādo
not use categoryā that promotes relaxation and sleep. (I tried to make sure I
was using a variety of oils so that I wouldnāt use too much of just 1 and
possibly use too much and youāll notice later that I used lavender for a few
things, so this was a great way to reduce some of my lavender use). It is a
blend of lavender flower, cedarwood, ho wood leaf, ylang ylang flower, marjoram
leaf, roman chamomile flower, vetiver root, vanilla bean absolute, and Hawaiian
sandalwood. I diffused this at night to help me sleep because for whatever
reason that seemed to be the only time I couldnāt fall asleep. ā There is also
a serenity bath bar which is just a soap bar infused with this oil, that is
great for evening showers for yourself (or to wash your kids in if youāre a stay
at home mom so both you and the kiddos reap the benefits).<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. Roman Chamomile: This is another great oil for helping to
promote relaxation and sleep. Now donāt get me wrong I was constantly getting
tired during the day and literally falling asleep everywhere, anytime I had
more than 5 minutes to myself, but when it came to sleeping at night I have
always struggled, and now that I was even more limited than normal as to what I
could and could not take, It was really important for me to find out what would
help. Chamomile is a soothing and relaxing oil that I like to blend into hot
water for tea. I did not use this very often, but when I had the chance for a
nice cup of tea and some meditation time before bed, this was a go to favorite
of mine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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4. Grapefruit: Oh the dreaded baby acne. During my first
pregnancy I didnāt experience this at all, my skin was so clear, and I had no
idea how lucky I was. This second time around Iāve got gray hairs and acne
everywhere, Iām like a grandmother going through puberty. HAHAHA! Grapefruit is
was helped me out big time with the acne I was experiencing. Grapefruit oilās
antibacterial properties have a positive effect on the skin, which help fight
bacteria that cause acne, and its antibacterial properties help to keep the
pores clear of additional bacteria.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5. Lavender: I used lavender along with grapefruit for my face
neck and shoulder acne issues. Lavenders anti-inflammatory properties help to
reduce redness, swelling and irritation from acne and its antibacterial
properties and can kill bacteria that penetrate your pores, making it perfect
for preventing and also healing acne.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Additional essential oil infused products I used:</u><o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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1. Stretch Mark Prevention. Yes I homemade mine because I am
never sure about what is actually in the lotion, moisturizers, and body butters
out there. The recipe for my āBaby Belly Butterā is:<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 cup raw shea butter<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 cup cocoa butter<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 cup coconut oil<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 TBS argon oil<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 TBS rose hip oil<o:p></o:p></div>
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1TBS vitamin E oil<o:p></o:p></div>
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20 drops melaleuca<o:p></o:p></div>
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20 drops Frankincense<o:p></o:p></div>
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20 drops Lavender<o:p></o:p></div>
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Heat shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil in a double
boiler until liquid then remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients,
mix and store in a glass jar.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you want to use a store bought body butter thatās fine
too, but hereās why you want to add these three essential oils:<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Melaleuca aka Tea Tree: This oil is great for skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This baby belly butter is thick and can make
you break out even more so than just pregnancy breakouts. Thatās one of the
reasons I added the melaleuca. Because of its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic
properties, helps reduce skin redness, irritation, and swelling. The oil is a
powerful solvent, which means it breaks the oil, dirt, and debris that builds
up under our skin and clogs up our pores. It also helps to strengthen skin, and
heal cuts which helps to add to the prevention of stretch marks.</li>
<li>Frankincense: Frankincense is known as the King of oils. It
has so many amazing benefits, not only for the skin, but for the entire body.
Specifically for the skin, its ability to revive and rejuvenate the skin makes
it wonderful for reducing the appearance of wrinkles, stretch marks, and scars,
preventing acne, and healing minor wounds. Aside from just skin health it can
help de-stress, and relax the body (which was perfect since I would apply this
cream at night and sleeping through the night was always an issue for me).
Frankincense is also an anti-inflammatory oil which I actually needed a lot of.
I experienced so many aches and pains in my hips, and knees, that I was taking
anti-inflammatories daily. Frankincense is also great for dental health, but
Iāll come back to that a little later when I discuss toothpaste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lastly Frankincense rejuvenates and supports
and encourages cellular function. Meaning that new little one youāve got
growing inside you that is trying to piece together all of its cells and their
functions is going to get a little extra help from this oil as well as Mama,
who is getting the benefits of healthy functioning organs.</li>
<li>Lavender: (this was another oil mentioned on the do not use
list, which was approved for me to use) I mentioned that I normally used this
baby belly butter at night and this was for a few reasons. 1. Its thick and
takes a little time to dry so you donāt want to be wearing your nice going out
in public clothes, PJs are best. 2. Two of the essential oils that I picked
that are really great for skin health are also great for relaxation. Lavender
is known for helping to relieve stress and anxiety as well as promoting
restfulness and relaxation which I really needed at night since that seemed to
be the only time I couldnāt fall asleep. The anti-inflammatory properties also
helped me with my joint pain in my hips and knees as well. Lavender is known
for healing injured skin from burns, cuts, and scrapes, because of its
abilities to quickly heal skin. This come sin great for helping to prevent
those stretch marks.</li>
</ul>
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2. Replenishing Body Butter: For those of you who arenāt big
into DIYing like me, or just donāt have the time, this is a great baby belly butter
base, or even one to be used on its own. The base of this natural butter
combines shea and cocoa seed butters, known for their deep moisturization and
ability to promote skin suppleness. Jojoba seed oil absorbs quickly into the
skin and helps keep skin looking hydrated while avocado oil provides essential
fatty acids to nourish and soften skin. Essential oils of Wild Orange, Douglas
Fir, and Frankincense turn this into an intensely aromatic spa experience while
providing purifying, rejuvenating, and stretch mark reducing benefits.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. LLV: LLV stands for Life Long Vitality which is a 3-part
multi-vitamin. Personally, I am not a fan of prenatal vitamins because of the
size of them and the fact that you have to take them with food (sometimes I
donāt have an appetite first thing in the morning, but I still need to take my
vitamins before I leave the house). The LLV has a ātummy tamerā blend in all
three parts which allows you to be able to take them without food. I also liked
this because it came as a vegan option, and although I am not a vegan most baby
books will tell you to try to get as much of your nutrition from raw plants, so
this seemed like the perfect fit for me. Now I was taking these before I was
pregnant so by the time I was pregnant I was taking the full dose which is 2 of
each vitamin 2 times a day. If you are looking to try a new multivitamin, I suggest
starting at a Ā½ dose and working you way up because it can be a lot al at once.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Part1- <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk1469303">Vegan Microplex MVZ</a>: This
formula includes a balanced blend of essential antioxidant vitamins A, C, and
E, and an energy complex of B vitamins presented in a patented glycoprotein
matrix. It also contains chelated minerals including calcium, magnesium, and
zinc for optimal bone and metabolic health, and is encapsulated using sodium
lauryl sulfate-free vegetable capsules<o:p></o:p></div>
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Part 2- Alpha CRS+: This is a proprietary formula combining
potent levels of natural botanical extracts that support healthy cell function
with important metabolic factors of cellular energy. It is to be used as a
comprehensive dietary supplement foundation for a lifetime of vitality and
wellness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Part 3- vEO Mega: This is a revolutionary, 100 percent
vegetarian-friendly formula blending CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade
essential oils with natural, plant-sourced essential fatty acids.<o:p></o:p></div>
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* Vegan Microplex MVZ does include Folate, but I did take an
additional Folic Acid supplement<o:p></o:p></div>
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4. HD Clear Foaming Face Wash: So I mentioned before that I was
using some essential oils to help reduce my acne, but a good facewash is always
useful when fighting breakouts. HD Clear Foaming Face Wash is an exclusive and
natural formula containing plant extracts known to improve the look and feel of
skin. Designed with essential oils, it thoroughly cleanses skin with melaleuca
(tea tree), eucalyptus, geranium, litsea, and ho wood essential oils, each
renowned for their purification properties. This also contains an active licorice
root extract, for clear, healthy looking skin, while white willow bark promotes
a clear, smooth complexion. Additionally, it nourishes and soothes the skin
with amino acids and helped keep my skin feeling and looking great.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Salon Essential Shampoo and Conditioners: There are so many
chemicals in your hair care products, so I have done natural shampoos for quite
some time. The problem is that Rosemary is a great oil for hair and many
natural shampoos and conditioners contain it, in addition most natural dandruff
hair care contains mentha (peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen or a mixture of
these) and wintergreen is also an oil you should avoid. I went with this
shampoo because itās a natural shampoo that has a complementary conditioner
that protects and strengthens hair without any oils that might interfere with
baby.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5. Toothpaste: So we know that once pregnant everyone is
constantly reminding us that oral health is so important, and while it can seem
like a weird thing to prioritize, your oral health is super important and you
should make sure to have at least one dentist visit during your pregnancy. Unfortunately,
the natural toothpaste I normally use has rosemary, cinnamon, clove and myrrh
so it was a bit out of the question for me to use:<o:p></o:p></div>
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4TBS coconut oil<o:p></o:p></div>
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3TBS baking soda<o:p></o:p></div>
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20 drops peppermint<o:p></o:p></div>
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20 drops frankincense<o:p></o:p></div>
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Heat your coconut oil in a double boiler to liquify, then
add your other ingredients mix and store in glass jar or approved plastic
squeeze tube. (another option is to include orange essential oil.) https://draxe.com/homemade-baking-soda-toothpaste/<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Frankincense: Thanks to its antiseptic properties,
frankincense essential oil is a natural solution to fighting the bacteria in
the mouth that can cause plaque and bad breath. This can help prevent tooth
decay and oral infections. Frankincense essential oil can be added to mouthwash
and toothpaste to keep gums healthy.</li>
<li>Peppermint: Along with the fact that it freshens your breath
and gives you a minty fresh feeling in your mouth after using it, peppermint
oil displayed antimicrobial activities against oral pathogens, including
Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus fecalis, Escherichia coli and Candida
albicans.</li>
<li>Orange: Because orange oil has the ability to fight
bacterial growth, it can help to protect teeth and gums from infections. Itās
also been used to help ease a sore throat for fast relief when gargled with
water and salt.</li>
</ul>
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6. Mouthwash: In addition to brushing and flossing, mouthwash
can be important as well. The formula is safe and gentle for everyone. Not all
mouthwashes are made the same- did you know that Listerine was originally created
as a floor cleaner and when they rebranded as a mouth wash, the formula was not
even updated?!?!?!?! Some mouthwashes that contain alcohol can dry out your
mouth and combat your natural mouthwashāyour salivaāfrom doing its job. Any
mouthwash that says it kills 99% of germs is doing your mouth a disservice! If
you struggle with dry mouth at all, it is important to use an alcohol-free
option. Fortunately, I made my own for years with just water and peppermint. </div>
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1 cup water </div>
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10 drops peppermint </div>
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Store in a glass jar or vial with lid</div>
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The 1 cup to 10 drops is the ratio I used, but you are welcome to increase
or decrease that depending on how minty youād like, and you can also add frankincense
if you would like.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
For a video on how to make this toothpaste and mouthwash, click this link:</div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/0GAHdK8ZatY">https://youtu.be/0GAHdK8ZatY</a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Here are a list of
oils and what they can help with:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Bergamot-Analgesic, antiseptic, antidepressant, uplifting,
and refreshing. Helpful for cystitis during pregnancy.</li>
<li>Chamomile-Antiseptic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and
antispasmodic. Soothes pain from muscular aches, headaches, toothaches and
indigestion.</li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cypress-(OK after 5
months) Antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent and diuretic. Helpful for
varicose veins, hemorrhoids and swollen ankles.</li>
<li>Eucalyptus-Antiseptic, antibiotic, analgesic,
anti-inflammatory, antiviral. Helpful with respiratory congestion.</li>
<li>Frankincense-Antiseptic, astringent, sedative, warming.</li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Geranium-(OK after 3
months) Antiseptic, antidepressant, astringent, refreshing, uplifting. Eases
aching legs and is good for poor circulation.</li>
<li>Grapefruit-Astringent, digestive aid, lymphatic stimulant.
Helps with water retention.</li>
<li>Lavender-Antiseptic, antibiotic, analgesic, antidepressant,
healing, relaxing. Helps soothe aches and pains of pregnancy, encourages cell
renewal and helps with fluid retention.</li>
<li>Lemon-Antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, astringent,
stimulant, tonic. Useful as an inhalant for morning sickness and in massage for
varicose veins.</li>
<li>Mandarin-Antiseptic, refreshing, tonic, mild relaxant. Can
ease fluid retention in leg and ankle massages.</li>
<li>Neroli-Antiseptic, antidepressant, antispasmodic,
anti-inflammatory, relaxing. Useful in pregnancy to promote healthy skin cell
regeneration and for easing nervous tension.</li>
<li>Patchouli-Antiseptic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory,
nerve sedative. Eases confusion, indecision and apathy.</li>
<li>Peppermint- helps alleviate nausea, heartburn, and
indigestion. Gives a short term energy boost.</li>
<li>Petitgrain-Antiseptic, antidepressant, sedative, refreshing,
tonic. Helpful in dealing with pre or postpartum depression.</li>
<li>Rosewood-Antiseptic, sedative.</li>
<li>Sandalwood-Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant,
sedative. Helpful for cystitis during pregnancy.</li>
<li>Tangerine-Antispasmodic, lymphatic stimulant, calming,
sedative. Helps to prevent stretch marks.</li>
<li>Tea Tree-Antibiotic, antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral,
disinfectant. Can be used to treat thrush during pregnancy.</li>
<li>Ylang Ylang-Antiseptic, antidepressant, aphrodisiac,
sedative, lowers blood pressure. Restorative when overworked or tense.</li>
</ul>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Here are a list of
potential first trimester issues and how to help treat them:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Anxiety/Tension: Lavender, ylang ylang, melissa, or myrrh.
Diffuse or dilute and rub on back of neck, temples, chest, shoulders, back or
reflex points on the feet.</li>
<li>Breasts: Lavender (soothes), geranium (soothes), Roman
chamomile (sore nipples), or fennel (tones). (Caution: Fennel should not be
used for more than 10 days, as it will excessively increase flow through the
urinary tract.) Add 3-5 drops to 1Tbs. carrier oil, and massage on location.</li>
<li>Energy Blend: Combine 2 drops Roman chamomile, 2 drops
geranium, and 2 drops lavender in 2 tsp. carrier oil, and massage into the
skin.</li>
<li>Hemorrhaging: Helichrysum. Apply 1-3 drops on lower back to
help prevent hemorrhaging.</li>
<li>High Blood Pressure: Ylang ylang, eucalyptus, lavender,
clover, clary sage, or lemon. Diffuse or dilute as recommended and apply on
location, on reflex points on feet and hands, and over heart. (Note: Avoid
rosemary, thyme, and possibly peppermint.) Bath: Place 3 drops ylang ylang in
bathwater, and bathe in the evening twice a week. Blend: Combine 5 drops
gernaium, 8 drops lemongrass, and 3 drops lavender in 1 oz. carrier oil. Rub
over heart and on reflex points on left foot and hand.</li>
<li>Miscarriage (After): Frankincense, grapefruit, geranium,
lavender, or Roman chamomile. Dilute 5-6 drops in 1 Tbs. carrier oil, and
massage on back, legs, and arms. Add 3-4 drops to warm bathwater, and bathe. - For more information on the use of essential oils for the pain and grief of a miscarraige, <a href="https://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/through-pain-essential-oils-i-used-to.html">click here.</a></li>
<li>Morning Sickness: Ginger or peppermint. Dilute and apply 1-3
drops on ears, down jaw bone, and on reflex points on the feet. Place 1-3 drops
of ginger in empty capsule with 1-3 drops of olive oil; swallow capsule.
Diffuse into the air, inhale directly from bottle, or apply oil to hands,
tissue, or cotton ball, and inhale.</li>
<li>Preeclampsia (see also High Blood Pressure above): Cypress.
Diffuse or dilute 1:1 in carrier oil, and apply 1-2 drops on bottoms of feet
and on abdomen.</li>
<li>Self Love: Joyful Blend. Diffuse into the air or wear as
perfume.</li>
</ul>
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If you want to learn more about any of these products or about
an essential oil company that has Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential
oils, that are safe for internal, expecting mothers, and infant and toddler
safe you can comment on this blog, visit my website <a href="http://www.beyoutfit.com/">www.beyoutfit.com</a>, or find me on Facebook
@Colleen Faye.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>References:</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-lavender-oil">https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-lavender-oil</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-peppermint-oil">https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-peppermint-oil</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-frankincense-oil">https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-frankincense-oil</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.gurunanda.com/blogs/essential-oils/melaleuca-oil-uses-and-benefits">https://www.gurunanda.com/blogs/essential-oils/melaleuca-oil-uses-and-benefits</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://organicaromas.com/blogs/aromatherapy-and-essential-oils/7-amazing-benefits-of-frankincense-essential-oil">https://organicaromas.com/blogs/aromatherapy-and-essential-oils/7-amazing-benefits-of-frankincense-essential-oil</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-tea-tree-oil">https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-tea-tree-oil</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.aromatools.com/pregnancy-safety">https://www.aromatools.com/pregnancy-safety</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.doterra.com/US/en/pregnancy-essential-oils-presentation">https://www.doterra.com/US/en/pregnancy-essential-oils-presentation</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://naturallivingfamily.com/how-to-use-essential-oils-for-oral-health/">https://naturallivingfamily.com/how-to-use-essential-oils-for-oral-health/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://draxe.com/peppermint-oil-uses-benefits/">https://draxe.com/peppermint-oil-uses-benefits/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://draxe.com/orange-oil/">https://draxe.com/orange-oil/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-doterra-serenity-restful-blend">https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-doterra-serenity-restful-blend</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-41852202217482393012019-02-18T08:28:00.000-08:002019-02-18T08:28:02.645-08:00Through the Pain: The essential oils I used to help me work through the pain and grief of miscarriage<br />
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Miscarriagesā¦<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lets talk about it! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iāve
mentioned before that I have had quite a few of these. The first time I was scared
out of my mind but I had already given birth once and figured out immediately what
was going on. What I did not know was that I had to go to the hospital for it to
make sure everything came out <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ā
yes I am going to talk about it, so if you are already getting woozy, than you
had better turn away. (If you have just recently had a miscarriage and you are
still processing, I suggest scrolling to about mid post where I start talking
about how I processed, Ill put a big break in the post so you know where to go
this first half is stats, and some ranting that probably isnāt going to help
you at all) But itās the idea that we cant talk about it that had me hide my
first one from EVERYONE including my doctors for years!- <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Since I didnāt know, I didnāt go. My
best friend/roommate/sister from and another mister was the only one to find
out about it a week later when she finally dragged me out from the hole of sorrow and misery I made for
myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second time was
different, I was with my husband and we were trying desperately to have a
child. Because of our constant monitoring we found out we were pregnant about 1
week before my period, but a week later my period came and with it some of the
worst cramps. We went to see the doctor the next day who did a pregnancy test,
but because my HCG levels were still high enough I was told I was still
pregnant. Unfortunately they were not cramps and I was not still pregnant, I
was having a miscarriage. I found out 2 days later when I went back to the
doctors to double check. My husband and I both were devastated, we had already
been trying for so long and our first shot died before it even started, so
needles to say it took us a while to get ourselves together and try again. When
we did though it happened again. This time I figured out what was happening
almost right away. Everything that happened the last time was happening again.
I had a positive pregnancy test (which i decided not to share right away and wait until I missed my period), but a week later the cramping, backaches, and
bleeding were all there again too. I was super embarrassed. We had told everyone about the first
pregnancy too early, and then had to give everyone the bad news, and now less
than a year later, I was supposed to tell them my body had killed another. All of
my male centered societal thoughts came jumping into my head āas a woman Iām
supposed to have kids and I cant even do thatā āwhat if he leaves me because I
cant have kidsā āwhat will his parents think of meā "what will my parents think of me?"āMy entire body is built
around having children and it cant do it, what can I do?ā āIt must be a sign
that Im a terrible motherā and so on and so forth, and thatās when I started
researching, more about miscarriages. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Did you know:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li>70-75% of all fertilized eggs fail to implant and end in miscarriage</li>
<li>31% of implanted eggs end in miscarriage</li>
<li>10-20% of all confirmed pregnancies end in miscarriage with
80% happening in the first trimester</li>
<li>After your first miscarriage, your odds of miscarrying during
your next pregnancy go up 20%</li>
<li>That number doubles if youāve had 2 miscarriages to 43%</li>
</ul>
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Most women, donāt even know they have had a miscarriage unless
they are constantly testing (like we were). They fall into that 70-75%, or 31% because
unless we are trying a lot of us donāt know to test until weāve had a missed
period, assuming we miss one because you donāt always miss your first either. Women
who do know arenāt going to be sharing that news with everyone either, because weather
we want to admit it or not the idea that our bodies cant do, literally the one
thing a female body is designed to do is devastating. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*Side
note and disclaimer: <b>I am not saying that choosing to not have kids means that
you cant do anything else.</b> That is so very far from what I am saying. If you donāt
want to have children and you want to do something else, go for it! I honestly
believe you can do whatever you put your mind to, and applaud every individuals strengths and choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lets look at evolution though, the only way to
continue a species and evolve is to have children, and lets look at the female
body. The breasts we have are there to feed children. The vagina we have is
there as an opening for the male counter part to begin fertilization. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean weāve all had health class. I donāt need
to go over the entire anatomy but hereās something you may not have known.
Women on average have worse circulation than men, ā this is why we are always
colder and have higher heart disease rates and such- but did you know that this is because
our circulatory system was designed to get blood to our womb before the rest of
our body. Granted if you are not pregnant the blood isnāt going to stay in your
womb or anything, but it still passes by there first just in case. So yea as a
female your body is physically designed to do 1 thing, have kids- everything
else you do is extra.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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On top of physiologically not being able to do what we are
meant to do, we are raised in a society that tells us we should have kids (Iāve
already stated that I am not for this idea and do not support it, but itās the reality
in which I and many others grew up in), so now we feel we arenāt suitable for
society<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>either. This can be devastating
and heart breaking.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What I can say is that after taking the time to REALLY let myself heal, and becoming ok with the fact that having my own child may not be a possibility, life became a whole lot easier, and the healing process sped up. I never gave up hope or stopped trying, but I also became ok with the fact that no matter how hard I tried I would always have a greater risk of not giving birth to my own child than some other women. If you are a fighter like so many of us who wont give up <a href="https://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/essential-oils-for-fertility.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR3GbKmcJfNwObBvjWCvhOoCKVPoWyhJgRhXf1uIgAVyTHeQTbZuiHkEYM4">click here</a> to read some of the things my husband and I did to help increase our chances.</div>
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<b>Hereās how I dealt with the pain. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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First of all, know that you are not alone. Here are some
websites that talk about the normal emotions and reactions we have after this
kind of loss:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-loss/miscarriage-surviving-emotionally/">http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-loss/miscarriage-surviving-emotionally/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://unspokengrief.com/"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">http://unspokengrief.com/</span></a><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Did you know there are online and in person support groups, and
events/meetups:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://nationalshare.org/">http://nationalshare.org/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.pregnancylossdirectory.com/support-groups">http://www.pregnancylossdirectory.com/support-groups</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Along with finding support from others, I needed to allow me
to help me, and regain some faith in my abilities. I am a huge fan of holistic
health, specifically essential oils, so here as some of the ones that I used.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Console:<br />
<!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p><br />
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Console is a blend of frankincense resin, patchouli leaf, ylang
ylang flower, labdanum stem/twig, amyris bark, sandalwood wood, rose flower,
and osmanthus flower blended to help you close the door on sadness and take
your first steps on a hopeful path toward emotional healing. It promotes
feelings of comfort and hope and counteracts negative emotions of grief,
sadness, and hopelessness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I used this anytime I felt the overwhelming need to cry or
when I just felt sad, which lets be honest was more often than not. For the
first month this was used nonstop. Anytime I felt I needed a hug, but wasnāt somewhere
where I could get one, I would apply console. I applied it to my pulse points,
so on both wrists, on my neck and over my heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Cheer:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cheer is a blend of wild orange peel, clove bud, star anise fruit/seed,
lemon myrtle leaf, nutmeg kernel, vanilla bean extract, ginger rhizome, cinnamon
bark, and zdravetz herb that can counteract negative emotions and provide a
boost of happiness and positivity when you are feeling down. Everyone knows a
bright disposition and cheerful attitude can smooth over many of the bumps and
challenges of life, right? But, sometimes no amount of positive self-talk is
enough to avoid the blues. Its sunshiny, fresh, optimistic aroma will brighten
any moment of your day by promoting feelings of optimism, cheerfulness, and
happiness, and counteracting negative emotions of feeling down, blue, or low.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I used cheer in combination with motivate (ill cover this
blend next) anytime I had to leave the house and be around people when I just
really couldnāt stomach it but felt obligated to like work. I would put cheer
behind one ear and motivate behind the other to help motivate me to be cheerful
around others when really I wanted to curl up in bed with a pint of ice cream
and a warm compress.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Motivate<o:p></o:p></div>
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Motivate is a blend of peppermint plant, clementine peel, coriander
seed, basil herb, yuzu peel, melissa leaf, rosemary leaf, and vanilla bean absolute
which replace negative emotions like guilt and pessimism, with feelings of
confidence and courage. It will help you find the courage that comes from
believing in yourself again. It promotes feelings of confidence, courage, and
belief while counteracting negative emotions of doubt, pessimism, and cynicism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I used motivate in combination with cheer by applying cheer
behind one ear and motivate behind the other to create a pleasant aroma that
was therapeutic to me as well. Honestly I had little to no motivation for the
following 1-3 months after each loss, so motivate became a part of my daily
routine to help get me out of bed and focusing on other things.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Balance:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Balance is a blend of spruce leaf, ho wood leaf,
frankincense resin, blue tansy flower, blue chamomile flower, and osmanthus
flower essential oils in a base of fractionated coconut oil designed to create
a grounded feeling of calm and wellbeing, bringing harmony to the mind and
body, and balance to the emotions. It promotes a whole-body sense of
relaxation, helps ease anxious feelings, and evokes feelings of tranquility and
balance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I used this everyday as a mood stabilizer. I would apply it
to the bottoms of my feet as well as in my deodorant to my armpits (PS it
smells pretty good and doesnāt irritate sensitive skin areas like armpits). I discovered
this oil blend with motivate just wasnāt enough. Balance is a mood stabilizer
so all feeling of anxiety and or depression were stabilized with this blend,
which then aloud me to feel the effects of Motivate and Cheer more fully.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Forgive<o:p></o:p></div>
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Forgive is a blend of spruce leaf, bergamot peel, juniper berry
fruit, myrrh resin, arborvitae wood, nootka tree wood, thyme leaf, and citronella
herb to create a renewing blend that helps to counteract emotions of anger and
guilt, while promoting the liberating feelings of contentment, relief, and
patience. It promotes feelings of contentment, relief, and patience, while counteracting
negative emotions of anger and guilt. When you are ready to move forward, this
blend of tree and herb essential oils will help you discover the liberating
action of forgiving, forgetting, and moving on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This was a big one for me, that I didnāt even know I needed
at first. Once I had taken the time to realize that a lot of my residual grief
was coming the fact that I was blaming myself for the loss I had to confront
this and let my self heal from it. I am not a big bath person, but Forgive
baths became my thing. 30-45 minutes at the end of the day in a hot bath and 1
drop of forgive in the bath with another drop in the diffuser (sometimes I
would add console or peace to the diffuser a well) and I would just let myself
cry. Not the crazy cry that can make things worse a cry of release that ends
with more clarity. Sometimes there were no tears, just deep contemplation in
remembering what happened, and coming to terms with it. Forgive helped open me
up to moving on from the pain and being ok with myself again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Peace<o:p></o:p></div>
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Peace is a blend of vetiver root, lavender flower, ylang ylang
flower, frankincense resin, clary sage flower, marjoram leaf, labdanum leaf/stalk,
and spearmint herb used to promote feelings of contentment, composure, and
reassurance when anxious feelings overwhelm your emotions. This oil is a
positive reminder you donāt have to be perfect to find peace. It promotes
feelings of peace, reassurance, and contentment while counteracting anxious and
fearful emotions. Slow down, take a deep breath, and reconnect with the
composed, collected you. Everything turning out fine begins with believing it
will. *side note- this blend also helps promote fertility.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is one that I would use in conjunction with balance on
pulse points (wrists and neck) to help calm my haywire emotions and help me
find some peace within myself. I later found out that a side effect is
<a href="https://colleenfayebeyoutfit.blogspot.com/2019/02/essential-oils-for-fertility.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR3GbKmcJfNwObBvjWCvhOoCKVPoWyhJgRhXf1uIgAVyTHeQTbZuiHkEYM4">increased fertility</a>, and so this became a long term oil for me to help improve my
chances of conceiving.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Hope<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hope is a blend of fractionated coconut oil, bergamot fruit,
ylang ylang flower, frankincense oil, and vanilla bean absolute designed to uplift
your mood with a bright, fresh, scent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I used this once I was ready to try again. I applied it to my
neck and wrists not only as my perfume, but each time I smelled it, I was
reminded that I have another chance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you are struggling with loss or grief you can contact me through this blog or privately through my website www.beyoutfit.com and I will help you find the tools you need to process your emotions and help you find peace. This is not an easy thing to process alone; let me help.</div>
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Here's where I got the statistics used earlier (yes I know its a blog, its also doctor reviewed)</div>
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<a href="https://www.verywellfamily.com/making-sense-of-miscarriage-statistics-2371721">https://www.verywellfamily.com/making-sense-of-miscarriage-statistics-2371721</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-76804470776855059052019-02-11T11:11:00.002-08:002019-02-20T07:41:14.238-08:00Essential Oils for Fertility<br />
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We are pregnant! Wow it feels good saying that out loud. Itās
been a long time coming honestly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am not the most fertile of beings to begin with, but after
the complications and surgeries of my last pregnancy my chances of bearing children
again diminished more. So three miscarriages later, we have finally made it to
the second trimester of a pregnancy without any hiccups and we couldnāt be
happier.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Through this journey I have found so many couples who are/were
struggling with having a child of their own fertility treatments are an option
which seemed super costly for us with the purchase of a new house and all the
expenses that come with having the child once born. Adoption is option we
talked about for a long time, but due to circumstances surrounding my oldest daughtersā
father we were denied. Surrogacy was also an option that we had started to consider
but hadnāt quite decided on whether we wanted to ask a stranger through an
agency or someone we knew personally. Being that we needed a female surrogate
though we knew that we were running the chance of the surrogate mom deciding to
keep the baby which was a heartbreak I wasnāt fully ready to swallow yet, and so
we kept trying on our own. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I write that because I am an advocate for exploring all
options, and if circumstances had been different my first choice was to adopt.
I feel that there are so many children who are already alive and on our earth
who need a loving home that had my family qualified I literally would have
tried to take them all in. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, if
you are like us and you havenāt decided on another option or no other option is
an option for you, then here are a few things that you can try at home that we
used, and you can too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me start with a quick disclosure though because the
products I am about to mention are not FDA regulated. So let me confirm that I
am not a doctor, or a chemist, or a fertility specialist of any kind. No one is
paying me to write what I am writing, and none of these facts have been checked
by the FDA. What I will do is provide links to articles and additional material
so that you can do your own research. The information given in this post is not
meant to take the place of doctor treatment or recommendations and I always recommend
that you ask your doctor before trying any thing new. Essential oils, just like
many other things can interfere with medications and treatments and should not
be used without your doctors consent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Increasing Fertility in Women<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before you begin trying a bunch of products, start with the
basics. Learn to track your period and ovulation cycles Use this link form the
womens health center to help you find the best ways to do so: <a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health/tracking-your-menstrual-cycle.aspx">https://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health/tracking-your-menstrual-cycle.aspx</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Also keep in mind that staying healthy is a huge part of
fertility so exercise, eat right, and avoid toxic situations. - Honestly this
can become a much bigger issue than you expected because of the recent studies
on how cosmetics and synthetic fragrances can cause infertility. Hereās an
article about it:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://naturalfertilitybreakthrough.com/infertility-prevention/are-your-cosmetics-making-you-infertile/">https://naturalfertilitybreakthrough.com/infertility-prevention/are-your-cosmetics-making-you-infertile/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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or if your not a big research reader, try watching STINK. (If
you want any help in reducing the toxic load of your cosmetics, perfumes or
cleaning supplies, Ill add a link below.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do not lose hope. For a lot of people it takes about 1 full
year to conceive. If you have been trying for over a year or if you have had 1
or more miscarriages, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>then you should
talk to your doctor about your options, but wait until its been 1 year first.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1. <span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Clary Calm<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
This is an essential oil blend made with
Clary Sage*, Lavender, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang*,
Geranium*, Fennel*, Carrot seed, Palmarosa, and Vitex. The oils I put an * next
too are well known for increasing fertility in women so if you donāt have this
blend you can use any or all of those individually to help. Clary calm blend
helps to regulate hormones during your menstrual cycle and keep your cycle regular
in order to help increase your chances of implantation at the right time, and
keeping your hormone levels high and ready. This blend can also be use by women
who arenāt looking to get pregnant as well or in conjunction with birth control
to help regulate hormones for those of us who suffer from painful periods or
bouts of PMS, acne, or tender breasts. Clary Calm should not be used once you
are pregnant however due to the clary sage which can cause contractions (unless
of course your trying to induce and your doctors says its ok).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
I used this blend daily. Every night before
bed I would roll it over my lower abdomen and let it soak into my skin completely
before having sex, or going to sleep.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Phytoestrogen<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Almost every function in a womanās body is
controlled by hormones. Estrogen and progesterone are particularly important
hormones for women and will influence a womanās good health and emotional
well-being throughout her lifetime. High estrogen production in young women can
result in significant issues related to menstruation, while the production of
too little estrogen as a woman ages can impact many aspects of a womanās
reproductive health and can be a contributing factor to the health challenges
that some women experience during and after menopause. Balancing healthy
estrogen levels will help minimize monthly hormone swings and the hormone
fluctuations associated with menopause. This product is complementary to, but
not a replacement for, hormone replacement therapies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
I took 1 of these every day with dinner,
and 2 on days when ovulating (yes we tracked ovulation as well)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->LLV<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
LLV stands for Life Long Vitality which is
a 3-part multi-vitamin. If you are trying to have a child and you are not
taking a daily multi-vitamin, you should start. If you want to start taking prenatal
vitamins, that is also a great option. Personally, I am not a fan of prenatal vitamins
because of the size of them and the fact that you have to take them with food
(sometimes I donāt have an appetite first thing in the morning, but I still
need to take my vitamins before I leave the house). The LLV has a ātummy tamerā
blend in all three parts which allows you to be able to take them without food.
I also liked this because it came as a vegan option, and although I am not a
vegan most baby books will tell you to try to get as much of your nutrition
from raw plants, so this seemed like the perfect fit for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Part1- Vegan Microplex MVZ: This formula
includes a balanced blend of essential antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, and an
energy complex of B vitamins presented in a patented glycoprotein matrix. It also
contains chelated minerals including calcium, magnesium, and zinc for optimal
bone and metabolic health, and is encapsulated using sodium lauryl sulfate-free
vegetable capsules.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Part 2- Alpha CRS+: This is a proprietary
formula combining potent levels of natural botanical extracts that support
healthy cell function with important metabolic factors of cellular energy. It
is to be used as a comprehensive dietary supplement foundation for a lifetime
of vitality and wellness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Part 3- vEO Mega: This is a revolutionary,
100 percent vegetarian-friendly formula blending CPTG Certified Pure
Therapeutic Grade essential oils with natural, plant-sourced essential fatty
acids.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Start slowly with Ā½ dose 1 of each in the morning
and 1 of each in the evening. Do this for at least 1 full month before
switching to the full dose: 2 of each in the morning, and 2 of each in the
evening.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Increasing Fertility in Men<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Donāt forget ladies and gents that although many women will
feel as though it must be there fault, the ability to produce a child takes 2.
If you arenāt sure, you should check with a fertility specialist. Men can get
the same warning I gave the women. Before you go trying abunch of products, start
with educating yourself on what can help increase fertility naturally. Low
sperm counts or poor sperm motility may be due to environmental toxins such as
chemicals, radiation, drugs, heavy metal exposure, cigarette smoking, excessive
alcohol use, street drug use and pollution, and avoid hot baths, showers or hot
tubing before intercourse. Men can also be effected by toxic overload from
plastics and fragrances so reduce your toxic load. Make sure you are getting proper
exercise and nutrition.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For more information on reducing the toxic load of your hygiene
products or household cleaners I will post a link below.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Vitamin C and Zinc<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
For men, the most important supplemental
nutrients to enhance fertility are vitamin C and zinc. Vitamin C (2,000 to
6,000 milligrams daily) helps prevent sperm from clumping or sticking together,
thus improving the chances for fertility.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Sandalwood <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
The use of sandalwood oil may help in
dealing with sexual dysfunction in men. This oil also helps in igniting the
sexual desires of a man. In case a man is battling with low testosterone
levels, the use of sandalwood oil may prove to be helpful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Frankincense <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
In a study conducted in 2007 on rats, it
was established that the use of frankincense oil not only increased the sperm
density but motility too. However, there is no substantial evidence on humans
available, but it is believed that it helps in increasing the sperm count.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Marjoram and Sage<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
In a study conducted in 2015 on rats, it
was observed that the use of marjoram and sage effectively improved the male
fertility. It not only helped in increasing the sperm count but also improved
the testicular structure of the rats. Another reason for infertility in men is
obesity and the use of these oils help in battling the effects of obesity on
the male fertility.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->LLV <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
LLV stands for Life Long Vitality which is
a 3-part multi-vitamin. If you are trying to have a child and you are not
taking a daily multi-vitamin, you should start. Taking<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>multi vitamin is the start to estabilishing a
healthy nutritional balance in your life that is needed when you are trying o conceive.
The LLV has a ātummy tamerā blend in all three parts which allows you to be
able to take them without food which is really nice for people on the go. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Part1- Vegan Microplex MVZ: This formula
includes a balanced blend of essential antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, and an
energy complex of B vitamins presented in a patented glycoprotein matrix. It
also contains chelated minerals including calcium, magnesium, and zinc for
optimal bone and metabolic health, and is encapsulated using sodium lauryl
sulfate-free vegetable capsules.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Part 2- Alpha CRS+: This is a proprietary
formula combining potent levels of natural botanical extracts that support
healthy cell function with important metabolic factors of cellular energy. It
is to be used as a comprehensive dietary supplement foundation for a lifetime
of vitality and wellness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Part 3- vEO Mega: This is a revolutionary,
100 percent vegetarian-friendly formula blending CPTG Certified Pure
Therapeutic Grade essential oils with natural, plant-sourced essential fatty
acids. Nothing can do hormone regulation as good as omega 3 fats and DHA, which
is termed as docosahexaenoic acid. These are highly essential for good
ovulation in women. Found in judicious quantities in salmon fish, it is,
however, necessary to avoid fish with high mercury quantities, such as tuna or
shark. There are supplements available in the market that increase your chances
of getting pregnant and, once done, can still be beneficial in improving brain
development of the fetus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
Start slowly with Ā½ dose 1 of each in the
morning and 1 of each in the evening. Do this for at least 1 full month before
switching to the full dose: 2 of each in the morning, and 2 of each in the
evening.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Increasing sex drive<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People who have been trying to concive for a while typically
run into issues with desire. Sex becomes almost like a chore. The first thing I
want to address is that you do not need to eliminate all sex other than just
when you are ovulating. Even with the best technological readings of your peak
ovulation, only have sex during that time can actually lower your chances. You
want to have sex on those peak ovulation days but having sex the week before
and or week after can help improve your chances. This is because sometimes the
egg is moving slowly, and sometimes the sperm can stick around for a while
searching for an egg. Another thing that tends to happen is that in seeing sex
as a chore it does not become fun, and while there are still debates as to whether
or not a female orgasm helps increase fertility, it sure will help to keep sex
enjoyable and fun for both partners. Keeping these things in mind, here are a
few essential oils that can help increase your desires and get you in the mood<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Neroli<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Essential oil derived from orange blossoms
instead of the fruit's peel is called neroli, a precious and very useful oil.
In one clinical trial, researchers found that āinhalation of neroli oil helps
relieve menopausal symptoms, increase sexual desire, and reduce blood pressure
in postmenopausal women,ā making it another helpful option when libido is low
due to hormones or stress. Neroli actually helps fertility in 2 ways. Not only
will it increase sexual desire for women, but it also helps to reduce stress,
and improves cortisol and estrogen concentrations.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Application: Diffusion or inhalation a
couple of times each day for calming, balancing effects.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Rose<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
As an anxiety-relieving, calming oil, it
comes as no surprise that rose essential oil is also traditionally used as an
aphrodisiac. As a pricey oil, though, rose is most efficiently used in blends
or heavy dilutions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Application: Blend into a perfume to carry
this romantic floral scent with you, or diffuse periodically throughout the day
for both partners to enjoy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jasmine<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
A precious and pricey oil derived from
delicate flower petals, jasmine has proven itself well in studies. Researchers
tested alertness and ābehavioral arousalā after a topical treatment of jasmine
oil. The participants were found to be more refreshed, with their senses on
alert. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Application: Apply jasmine topically in a
perfume or sensual massage oil for men and women. Note that the delicate petals
sometimes require the use of a solvent to extract the oil. Check labels
carefully, especially for an organic certification.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ylang
Ylang<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Ylang Ylang is widely used as an
aphrodisiac throughout the aromatherapy world and is one of the best essential
oils for sex. Its gentle floral scent is appealing to nearly everyone, and its
application potential is diverse. Enjoy with other floral oils or deepen the
fragrance with sandalwood.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Application: Diffusion, inhalation, or
diluted into a carrier oil as a massage oil for both men and women.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fennel<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
As a whole herb, Fennel seeds have been
reputed to increase milk secretion, promote menstruation, facilitate birth and
alleviate the symptoms of the female climacteric, increase libido and
alleviation of the dysmenorrheal symptoms. Fennel essential oil retains some of
these estrogenic effects, making it a beneficial addition to your
libido-increasing, hormone-balancing diffusion or massage blends.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Application: Include fennel essential oil
in DIY lotion blends or massage oils for balancing effects.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
To relieve the stresses of every day life,
boost libido and begin to ignite a spark with your significant other, try this libido
boosting blend diffused:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
2 drops neroli (or sweet orange)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
2 drops jasmine<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
2 drops ylang ylang<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
When it comes to essential oils for sex,
ylang ylang, clary sage, and rose are go-to oils that can be safely used as
long as their dermal cautions are observed and make great options for massage
oils.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
-For either ylang ylang or jasmine, use 2
drops per tablespoon of carrier oil.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
-For clary sage, use 6 drops per tablespoon
of carrier oil.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
-For rose, use 1 drop per tablespoon of
carrier oil.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
As with anything you want to make sure that
you are using the best that is out there and also getting the most out of your
dollar. Most essential oil companies are not honest with consumers about what
is really in their products and you could end up using something that is not
even an essential oil, much less a pure therapeutic grade essential oil. Choosing
the right company for your essential oils is important. If you are ready to
switch to more natural products and REDUCE YOUR TOXIC LOAD as well as be guaranteed
that your ESSENTIAL OILS ARE PURE CERTIFIED THERAPUTIC GRADE, then this is the
time to start. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
You can visit my website: <a href="http://www.beyoutfit.com/">www.beyoutfit.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Find me on facebook: Colleen Faye<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Let me know that youāre interested in making
some changes to your life and Ill help you get started with a free consultation
and an online class on essential oil basics.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Here are some additional links to where I
got my information and where you can read more:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://draxe.com/neroli-essential-oil/">https://draxe.com/neroli-essential-oil/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health/tracking-your-menstrual-cycle.aspx">https://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health/tracking-your-menstrual-cycle.aspx</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://www.verywellfamily.com/does-female-orgasm-boost-your-odds-of-getting-pregnant-1960265">https://www.verywellfamily.com/does-female-orgasm-boost-your-odds-of-getting-pregnant-1960265</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://essentialoilexperts.com/essential-oils-for-fertility/">https://essentialoilexperts.com/essential-oils-for-fertility/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://www.tomakeamommy.com/perfumes-harms-fertility-non-toxic-phthalate-free-options-bonus-diy-recipe/">https://www.tomakeamommy.com/perfumes-harms-fertility-non-toxic-phthalate-free-options-bonus-diy-recipe/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ā·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://naturalfertilitybreakthrough.com/infertility-prevention/are-your-cosmetics-making-you-infertile/">https://naturalfertilitybreakthrough.com/infertility-prevention/are-your-cosmetics-making-you-infertile/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-61381774948001777042018-12-19T10:49:00.000-08:002018-12-19T10:49:35.724-08:00Business and Finance: predictions<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-1d7040e5-7fff-469f-1ec4-9f663daa99de" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why is developing a financial plan so important to an entrepreneur about to launch a business? What should you consider including in your financial planning?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Having a financial plan is important to any entrepreneur because without one you are not making money. Even if you do not know when your off season is, you can project it based on what your product is, who it benefits, and if others have done this before you, you can base your projections off of their businesses. For myself, when I had not had a full year of working by myself, trying to predict how each month will go was hard, however I had lots of experiences working in gyms and just being in one to know that the winter tends to be a bit dead for the first half and picks up during the second with all of the holiday weight people put on as well as the new years resolutions people want to try to keep. The real season for money is during the summer. That gave me an idea as to when my off season could be. The other thing to take into consideration is that since I donāt have a gym most of my clients are either at home or outdoors. No one really wants to workout in the snow, so winter is even tougher for me, and my real seasons to make money on the outdoor workouts is spring and fall, while the at homes are during the summer when people are trying to get fit for the beach and still have enough time to workout. I worked in a franchise once and the manager used to talk to all of us waitresses all the time about how he wasnāt sure exactly how well we would do on a night by night basis, and all we could do is look at see how other branches are doing and how they did in hopes that we would bring in about the same amount. Once youāve been open for at least a year you can use previous years earnings to know when your personal business will do well and when it wont. There will be flukes when you may make more or less than projected, but it will give you a good idea to base your plan off of. It is important to know when your going to make a lot of money and when you arenāt so that you know how much to save and when it is important to make and save enough. This will help not only for your own savings and payroll, but for when you have to pay back any loans to others as well. If you dont want to go under, you need to know how much you need to make, save and spend. If you want people to sponsor, finance, and trust you enough to loan you money, then you need to have a plan written out for your money and how much you think youāll be able to make by when. </span></div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-61773935526779623042018-04-07T11:41:00.004-07:002018-04-07T11:41:44.609-07:00High Lunge aka ANJANEYASANA<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">A lunge is such an awesome pose. Seriously it is versatile as can be. From a passive lunge to help stech out, to an overhead lunge building core, leg, and upper body strength. Lunges are absolutely amazing. This blog will cover 1 specific lunge: a static engaged lunge, or crescent lunge. This is a strength building lunge that is held rather than in motion.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">This pose is referred to as anjaneyasana in yoga. The term anjayeya is a matronymic reference to the lord Hanuman using his mothers name, Anjani. Lord Hanuman is a central part of Hindu devotional worship, Believed to be an incarnation of lord Shiva, and is often portrayed as resembling a monkey. The pose resembles a young divine child reaching towards the sky and the warmth of the sun, captivated by a glowing fruit in the sky as depicted in the traditional epic.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>How to:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>From standing (Moutain):</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shift weight to right foot lifting left foot up out in front of you with the knee bent. Find your balance.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then step back with the left foot landing softly on the balls of the feet with your toes facing front, knee down, and hips square. Take a moment to adjust.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>From Downward Dog:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lift your right foot up as high as you can while keeping your hips square.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tuck the right knee in towards your nose. Then step the foot up between your hands.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Come up on to the fingertips as you adjust your feet to find your balance, then lift the torso upright. Taking the hands to the hips to square them off.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, let yourself sink down in this lunge as deep as you can comfortably. For the most traditional posture, raise your hands above your head reaching your fingertips up towards the sky while keeping your shoulders relaxed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4B-QSzRZdwJtC-uYnXsJ34v3VijAQdXg-qk9SZq3YVL5iK2xVqfs65IN9jR8Jh49CIK2_tDN0EPGbiFA4DlOUNGgTs9tl-juevrHRoE-10AGUB4xJSOmpdEmX96SldTIjDQKvjxAP4w/s1600/lunge+11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="927" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4B-QSzRZdwJtC-uYnXsJ34v3VijAQdXg-qk9SZq3YVL5iK2xVqfs65IN9jR8Jh49CIK2_tDN0EPGbiFA4DlOUNGgTs9tl-juevrHRoE-10AGUB4xJSOmpdEmX96SldTIjDQKvjxAP4w/s320/lunge+11.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Modifications:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anything with your arms reaching overhead is great way to engage the core, even in this lunge where you arenāt holding any additional weights. However In cases of shoulder injuries and some back injuries, keeping your arms over head is not the best idea. Here are some alternatives:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: small; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Hands at heart center</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54EC71hbzqyP_UmsAZ1BgCNTcUBITkKLPN1Zz14ZmDaFrSz-yb_B9LL60NcOkkn_bKvm28IPKvB2L_4PqVjoHAgzrEpK3AD_UAJV3SM4Td6UfRNs_aufLokvy7LGpn0QLQKt2r0HC_A4/s1600/lunge+8.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1022" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54EC71hbzqyP_UmsAZ1BgCNTcUBITkKLPN1Zz14ZmDaFrSz-yb_B9LL60NcOkkn_bKvm28IPKvB2L_4PqVjoHAgzrEpK3AD_UAJV3SM4Td6UfRNs_aufLokvy7LGpn0QLQKt2r0HC_A4/s320/lunge+8.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hands on the hips: If you are someone who is trying to work on alignments, this is a great way to get physical feedback as to where your body is in space and what its doing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrnNZUzUulS9ObZGa5WFb6GWhCqy9JQLH5Je09oBqCikg6UZmMe4wUFMXCfucq51kXQIud950YJ29g5jbwBSDqoeitU-Px46XV2zsa8c0v1xTDtyi6ui-sfAtyjbzjvOK1Fhj9BHYBBY/s1600/lunge+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="924" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrnNZUzUulS9ObZGa5WFb6GWhCqy9JQLH5Je09oBqCikg6UZmMe4wUFMXCfucq51kXQIud950YJ29g5jbwBSDqoeitU-Px46XV2zsa8c0v1xTDtyi6ui-sfAtyjbzjvOK1Fhj9BHYBBY/s320/lunge+9.png" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Backwards prayer hands: If you want to get the benefits of a heart opener but donāt have backbend in your lunge, then is is a great way to get this.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doing the same pose over and over again can get boring, and so is simply holding a pose for a long time. Twists are a great addition to a lunge to add some varritions to your lunge. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDn6ivYSbkad_FiOL97auENbTxMdw9Te39eA3EO244Nif-o_vCORWicot-hnsxvecN_Ezi4Xz_yihfpFP9xCKj_t8AmRz4RMzWIFFfj5i8TTWDUGqlUtq3QsEj5cgl2ZDfA54VXb2p_PU/s1600/lunge+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="979" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDn6ivYSbkad_FiOL97auENbTxMdw9Te39eA3EO244Nif-o_vCORWicot-hnsxvecN_Ezi4Xz_yihfpFP9xCKj_t8AmRz4RMzWIFFfj5i8TTWDUGqlUtq3QsEj5cgl2ZDfA54VXb2p_PU/s320/lunge+1.png" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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Open twist: allows for more accessibility into and out of the twist<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I also demonstrated here a modification for those who cannot reach the floor. Simply allow your elbow to rest on your knee.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I7AqWObDsZVY1CNp5C88LQl7I17OfiqrT7_QeRZTMxj-W4Y5uqx7_mNpfzZleZ5teZeLNtB23X_HNOVJaWOIajtzVPSXRCsofk_N4lmJCTnNeJNw3zf6qhrB9kBf2ejut21ztbQvFWU/s1600/lunge+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="979" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I7AqWObDsZVY1CNp5C88LQl7I17OfiqrT7_QeRZTMxj-W4Y5uqx7_mNpfzZleZ5teZeLNtB23X_HNOVJaWOIajtzVPSXRCsofk_N4lmJCTnNeJNw3zf6qhrB9kBf2ejut21ztbQvFWU/s320/lunge+3.png" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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Closed twist: allows for a deeper twist and bind. Here my arms are "Fanned out"<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A closed twist with hands at heart center</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Upright: When we bend forwards to hook the elbow, we are often distracted from the natural twist to a more over exaggerated twist which relies heavily on how much you can twist yourself around using your arms. Also more easily accessed for those struggling with balancing in a lunge twist.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM2W7kko9TiVnf30VBLd-u6Ai5xKDgYelOOKmO1rKTvjIc2HoTUX2C78mIps_TjkHqi24kdPrKG4Wa5bY1GYIhun3gXuivrI-MEPEIRZ5FWjCi3oT6LTy2ApvAV9xsQ9XxwG5MSq0hlI/s1600/lunge+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1019" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM2W7kko9TiVnf30VBLd-u6Ai5xKDgYelOOKmO1rKTvjIc2HoTUX2C78mIps_TjkHqi24kdPrKG4Wa5bY1GYIhun3gXuivrI-MEPEIRZ5FWjCi3oT6LTy2ApvAV9xsQ9XxwG5MSq0hlI/s320/lunge+4.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Bind: To bind your twist you must first be able to do a low twisting lunge. From here lets say your doing a lunge on your right leg and you are twisting to the right. You will take your right arm up and over your body so that your right hand is behind your back right around the lumbar portion of your spine. Your left arm will scoop under your body so that your right leg is being held in your left armpit. With your left hand, reach for your right wrist. If you can reach it, clasp it. This is your bind. If you cannot reach you can use a strap to help extend your reach.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Backbend: Back bends are an option when in a lunge. They require a lot of balance so only do it when you feel sturdy and balanced. When you take a backbend, make sure that you keep a bend in the back knee to help make sure you donāt over stretch the hamstring.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sidebend: Side bends are also an option for a lunge variation. These bends also require a lot of balancing so again itās important for you to keep a bend in the back knee.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Runners Lunge: This is a hybrid of a low lunge, and a high lunge. For this lunge, you will keep the back knee up off the ground and the back leg engaged. Lean your body forward with your fingertips on the ground. Keeping your fingertips on the ground will help you with finding and keeping your balance.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Benefits:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Physical</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-stretches the legs, groin, and hip flexors, while also opening the front torso, chest, and shoulders</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-strengthens and tones the thighs, hips, and butt, while strengthening and stretching the thighs, calves and ankles</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-considered a balance pose, backbend, and heart opener</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-helps the front of the body to expand, which increases energy and reduces fatigue.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-creates flexible strength</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-promotes stability in the front and back of the torso</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-tones the lower body</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-stretches the chest, lungs, shoulders, arms, neck, belly, groins (psoas) and the muscles of the back</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Energetic</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-develops stamina and endurance in your thighs</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-improves your balance, concentration and core awareness</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-calms the mind</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Cautions:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Do not practice Crescent Lunge if you are currently experiencing high blood pressure or heart problems. Also, avoid this pose if you have a knee or spinal injury. Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, talk with your doctor before practicing yoga.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Those with shoulder problems should not raise their arms above their head, instead placing their hands on their front thigh</span></div>
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Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-17083965991899734302018-02-07T16:46:00.002-08:002018-02-07T16:46:37.690-08:00Pigeon Eka Pada Rajakapotasana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I have always been a huge fan of pigeon. I like how it stretches my glutes, inner thighs, and hips all in one while allowing me to relax. I know most people donāt find this stretch super relaxing, but I take a variation where I lie over my front leg and try to use the least amount of energy as possible. Pigeon was one of the first poses where I started to understand finding relaxation in the activation and activation in the relaxation. How many of us find that when we get into our pigeon our jaw is wired shut teeth gritting? That was me too. Trust me though doing this wonāt help make the pose easier, or prettier, or feel better. Honestly it wonāt have any positive impact on the pose. It will however have a negative impact. This teeth-gritting and tension is training your brain to automatically assume that you are doing something hard that you donāt like, which in the moment will simply make you more tense and possibly run into emotions such as anger, fear, sadness or stress, and thatās not fun. Overtime, as the pose becomes easier, your body will go into autopilot and still tense up and act as if you are having the worst time doing this pose which will ultimately make you dislike the pose regardless of whether you do or donāt. So, if there is a change to make to your pigeon, the first change to make is to smile, and relax the jaw!</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">How To:</span></b><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Letās start from Downward Dog. Raise the right leg up into the air and then tuck the knee in towards the nose. Tuck the knee in tight and rotate the hips slightly as you lower the right hip to the floor and allow the back knee to come down as well. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">From here square your hips to the front of your mat extending the back leg long down the mat. Your right knee will be slightly out to the right with the knee bent. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Take hold of your right foot and bring it up the left side of your mat towards the top so that your right knee is at about 90 degrees or parallel to the top of your mat.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Take a moment up right with the spine tall, or forward fold over that bent right leg taking your head to the floor.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you folded forward, bring yourself back up right to come out of this pose.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Curl the back toes lifting the left leg up some, engaging it, and bring that foot in about 6 inches up towards the body- this will help you transition into your downward dog.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lift your right hip up pressing through the arms lift the hips high to find downward dog.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Raise the left leg up into the air and then tuck the knee into the nose rotating the hips slightly as you lower the left hip to the floor.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Square the hips to the front of the mat and extend the right leg long down the mat. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Take hold of your left foot and bring it up the right side of your mat towards the top so that your knee is at about a 90 degree angle, lining the shin up parallel to the top of the mat.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Take a moment up right with the spine tall, or forward fold over that bent right leg taking your head to the floor.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you folded forward, bring yourself back up right to come out of this pose.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Curl the back toes lifting the right leg up some and pressing through hands, lift the left hip up and send the hips upward and back to downward facing dog.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Modifications:</span></b><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pigeon is actually quite a difficult pose to do, so here are some modifications you can take so as to help protect injury to your hips, or groin:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1. Take the pose on your back. Start by lying down on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Take your right ankle and place it on your left knee, pressing the right knee out to help open the hip. You can keep the left foot on the floor, or grab the back of the left knee to help tuck it in some more. Keep in mind though that as you tuck that left knee in that the right hip is not closing off, you really want to make sure that the hips is open here. The last option for the left leg is to straighten it up towards the ceiling giving you a double stretch 1 in the right hip, and 2 in the left hamstring.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Doing this stretch on your back will help to alleviate pressure from the knees as well as lessening the stretch if your hips arenāt open enough for the full expression.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. Add a prop!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prop 1, a block. If you have trouble lowering your hip all the way down to the ground or keeping it there as you square off your hips, then you may need to lift it up some. Use a block to sit one hip on and elevate it so that your hips can be square and still stay in contact with something. So if your right leg is bent in front, the block will go under your right side to lift, and if your left leg is in front then the block goes under the left hip.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prop 2, a bolster. Set your bolster up horizontally on your mat, and as you lower your hip into the pose let your hip settle on the bolster. (Depending on the length of your thigh, your knee may stay off the ground or not.) This will give you more lift than just a block as well as provide stability.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">***If you don't have a bolster you can use a big firm pillow, or stack 2 blocks (shortest height to start) next to each other and lay a blanket or thin pillow over them</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">3. Tuck the front knee in. If you hip isn't happy with your front knee at 90, try bending the front knee more and allowing the foot to come closer to the torso. This will allow you to focus on the hip flexor stretch, allow you to feel more stable, and lessen the impact on the hip.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you are someone who has really open hips and you want to get a little bit more out of pigeon, here are some modifications you can use to increase the intensity of the stretch. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4AkBpZYMPtH518bLjj5450goenLwSIeJwjLmOzUI6dC3VSoD02GGqN0yqEWM9BseVS1f6EjIuK1ihV4aD1ULTGSDWjAdNK9B5TQ5_QlZGz0ifLhMehApIWNmIhlIL1kTLoLFE5ixctg/s1600/20180207_130446.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1019" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4AkBpZYMPtH518bLjj5450goenLwSIeJwjLmOzUI6dC3VSoD02GGqN0yqEWM9BseVS1f6EjIuK1ihV4aD1ULTGSDWjAdNK9B5TQ5_QlZGz0ifLhMehApIWNmIhlIL1kTLoLFE5ixctg/s320/20180207_130446.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1. Mermaid variation</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the mermaid variation the back leg is going to get more attention directed towards a thigh and hip flexor stretch, as well as a mild open twist. Bend the back knee so your foot is up in the air (if the left foot is back use the left hand) and grab the foot allowing it to slide down to the crook of the elbow. Using the other hand, reach over the head and back joining hands for a bind.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. Full King Pigeon</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">King pigeon requires a lot of stability, flexibility, and openness and strength in the shoulders and hips. From your pigeon bend the back knee so your foot is up in the air. Take your arms up and over your head reaching back for your foot. Once you have grabbed hold of your back foot, press the foot into your hands to gently pull the arms back and open the shoulders, and gently pull your hands in the opposite direction to help stretch the thigh.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">3. 1/2 King Pigeon</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The full king pigeon is a difficult pose, but you can try what I call a 1/2 king pigeon to see if you have the stability and leg flexibility/strength. From your pigeon, bend the back knee taking the foot up into the air. Keeping the fingertips on the floor take a back bend connecting the foot to the head, or as close as you can get. Hold here, while testing your stability, by lifting the fingertips off the floor for as long as you can hold.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Not quite ready for that kind of intensity? No problem, here are a few more options</span></div>
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<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Place a block or bolster under the back leg to lift it up a little higher. When you do this, it is important to make sure that the back knee is straight. This lift of the back leg will intensify the stretch to the groin, hip flexors, and thigh area.</span></div>
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<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Add a twist to your pigeon to help keep the hips square and open the front legs' hip. From your pigeon, twist towards the leg that is bent in front, lowering the opposite shoulder to the floor and extend the arm out (as you would in threading the needle). Your other arm will come over the head reaching out past the front of the mat, or bind by taking it behind the back and down the floor by the opposite hip.</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Benefits:</span></b><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Stimulates the internal organs</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Opens the hips, groin, hamstrings. Open hips improve your posture, alignment and overall flexibility. Open hips also release the negative feelings and energy from your system since stress, tension and anxiety are often stored there.</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Elongates the back and relieves pressure on the lower back and sciatica</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Stretch deep glutes</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Stretch groins and psoas (a long muscle on the side of your vertebral column and pelvis)</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Relieve impinged piriformis and alleviate sciatic pain</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Help with urinary disorders</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">For the athlete, this pose is critical to overall health, speed and agility. Open hips relieve the stress transferred to the knees when hips are tight. Less knee strain means a greater range of motion for the pivot sports such as tennis, basketball or soccer, reducing risk to the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). Clear hips also give the back a full range of motion. This helps athletes avoid lower back strains that often plague them. Flexible and aligned hips are essential for an athletes' best performance.</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Contraindications: </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Consult your physician if you have any of the following, or if you experience any as a result of trying this pose.</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">A sacroiliac or back injury</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">An ankle injury</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Certain knee injuries</span></div>
<div class="m_-705727697259340113ydp82fb26d8MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 18.75pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Ā·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Extreme tightness in the hip</span></div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-18712620081082087632018-02-07T16:33:00.001-08:002018-02-07T16:33:56.334-08:00Homemade Spaghetti Sauce<div class="MsoNormal">
12 cups of tomatoes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">5 cups of water</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">2 cups mushrooms</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">1 pint cherry tomatoes</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">3 cups shredded
carrots</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">1 small-medium yellow
squash</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">1 small-t medium
zucchini</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">5 cups of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>finely chopped baby spinach</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">5 cloves of garlic</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">1 large yellow onion</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">1 1/2 cup olive oil</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">3 spoonfuls of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sugar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">1 pinch of salt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">3 large pinches of
basil</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">6 1 Ā½ pint sized mason
jars</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">1mixer</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">Clean your tomatoes
really well because we are using the skins.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">Cut your tomatoes into
4ths and place them in a pot along with just enough water to match the height
of the tomatoes (for me that was 2 cups) then bring this to a boil and let boil
for about 10-15 minutes or until the skins of the tomatoes start peeling off
naturally and the tomatoes become really soft.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">While you are bring
the tomatoes to a boil, and letting them boil, clean and chop up your
mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and onion. Mince your garlic, and add all of this into a
bowl with your finely chopped spinach and shredded carrots. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">Your tomatoes should
have sufficiently boiled at this point, so turn off the heat, and bring out the
mixer. Keep the mixer on a low setting and mix/blend your tomatoes together,
into a soup like substance. Be careful to allow the pot to cool completely
before mixing and not to wear white, seeing as the watery nature of the pot
mixture will cause it to splatter a lot. Keep the mixer on a low setting to
help keep the splattering down as well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">Once youāve mixed your
sauce to your liking, add your bowl of mixed vegetables, and throw in your
olive oil, sugar, salt, and basil. Then mix this all together.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">Set the heat on super
low, add the lid, and let sit for 3 hours.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">So because I use 1 Ā½ pint
jars for sauce I donāt have a pot big enough to hold them so here is another
trick for sterilizing jars: stick them in the dishwasher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted I donāt use this method often,
since I hardly ever use my dishwasher at all, but in cases where there are big
jars, I need to modify. So set your dishwasher on to sterilize the jars (mine
has sterilize as an option) at the end of the 3 hours of your sauce cooking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">Then slowly bring your
pot to a boil, like really slowly, the time it takes for your dishwasher to
run, and then pour your sauce into jars. Make sure when you take the jars out
of the dishwasher that they are still hot, and havenāt had a chance to cool
down yet. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KXzSK5OPhl0mD7SuCjmzILZ6kasLYBMhHmCZBOaWouoyne1IUccOrH9rKJfQ-ru_-Db6xBfuFEVZjQvz_6CDueBQdsLK8Lub9ZBI-bj7aknRs_RO6a0Ksc5OA0ZGK8LzNKApLp5clKQ/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KXzSK5OPhl0mD7SuCjmzILZ6kasLYBMhHmCZBOaWouoyne1IUccOrH9rKJfQ-ru_-Db6xBfuFEVZjQvz_6CDueBQdsLK8Lub9ZBI-bj7aknRs_RO6a0Ksc5OA0ZGK8LzNKApLp5clKQ/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK39;">I also do not use wax
for these because I freeze them. If you want to freeze them, you may just make
sure you are using a freezer safe jar and that you leave at least Ā½ inch at the
top of the jar for the sauce to expand when frozen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-29377164031421508522017-11-14T13:36:00.000-08:002017-11-14T13:36:12.243-08:00"Bad Words"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Growing up my parents followed
protocol in tell my siblings and myself that certain words were bad and that we
should never use them. āNever use themā. Why never? I didnāt question it
though, I left it alone. That is until I was made fun of for being too afraid
to tell someone to āshut upā because I was told that it was wrong to say that.
As soon as I realized that all my peers were using these words and that I was
the only one too afraid to, my need to fit in made me seek out what all of
these taboo words were, learn them and then use them as much as possible. For
many years I got in trouble numerous times for my foul or inappropriate
language. It wasnāt until freshman year of high school that I met an adult who didnāt
see cursing as a bad thing. Mr. Cohen my English teacher. He was a vividly imaginative
man who allowed me to find my own love for English. He taught me that although
seen as one of the worst words of our language, āfuckā was also the most versatile
word, and the only word in our language that not only how to make an entire
sentence using only it, but that it is the only word in our language that can
used in every part of speech, and can mean everything from pleasure to pain,
and everything in between. He opened my eyes to words and how every word is absolutely
amazing and should never be disregarded as something to avoid. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
When I discovered standup I of
course listened to a man named George Carlin who went on a rant about why
people are afraid of words and how they shouldnāt be, and from that moment on I
decided that I would never allow my children to be afraid of a word. There are
no bad words, there are no words that should scare you. Yes, if used in certain
ways words can hurt, but they can also heal. So should we disregard the word āfuckā
just because it has the potential to be used negatively, when in reality it has
just as much potential to used positively? I personally donāt think so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
My daughter is now 7 and has and a
few run-ins with āfoul languageā. Here was my approach. First off if she wants
to use a word she should know what it means. So step 1 was introducing her to a
dictionary and learning how to use it. I feel as though communication is
hindered enough that if we could all just learn what words mean before we use
them then maybe there would be a little less miscommunication in our day to day
lives. So we started a word list. Any word that she read, or heard that she didnāt
understand she would write down, or copy and together we would go over the list
and look up each word so that she could learn what they meant and how to use
them. The words that she would write werenāt just bad words, honestly there was
only one bad word that she wanted to know the meaning of, the rest were all
things that she heard from our family reading, or her independent reading. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Step 2 was learning when and how to
appropriately use words, and honestly this is the hardest part. This involves
teaching a child how to read social cues in a room which most adults have
trouble doing. But because there are so many people today who fear words, and
fear a child using certain words that it became difficult for me to express to
her that even if she is using the words in a nice way and to do well that there
are still people who will be angry with her out of pure ignorance of the word and
of who she is. I mean seriously though, how do you explain that something that
is in fact true, but isnāt politically correct is wrong to a child. So we
settled on an agreement that while writing in her journal she can use whatever
language she wants, and when speaking to me she can use whatever language she
wants, but as far as anyone else she had to run it past me first for each
person until she turned 18. So far that seems to be working. -- We did have one
occasion where it didnāt and that was when one of her friends was exploring ābadā
language during a playdate under my care and I had to handle that situation.
For me it was a simple question of just opening up a dialog about the word:
Understanding that words are extremely powerful and have the ability to hurt
someone more deeply than a knife, but can also to help heal someone better than
any medication. Before using a word know what it means, make sure we are using
it for good. See if we can come up with other words that people arenāt afraid of
that we can use to say the same thing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
This all led us to step 3, which
was to learn alternative language. So I introduced her to a thesaurus and how
to use it to find other words that would mean the exact same thing that she
would be trying to say in a way that wonāt offend anyone. However then we ran
into other issues; like the fact that some people will even be offended if she
uses the expression ādarn itā to express something going wrong. - I mean she
could have said āFuckā, or āShitā, or āDamnā āDamnitā, or she could have done
that ridiculously stupid thing that parents do when we say āfudgeā, or āfrickā because
we think somehow that saying a different word with the exact same intention
somehow makes it better. That is what gets me; please tell me how saying āthe B
wordā or āthe F wordā is just as bad as actually saying the word because as the
speaker, saying things like āthe N wordā or āthe IT wordā, puts the words you
mean to say into the listeners head anyway. So technically youāre not, not
saying the word; you are! ā Fact of the matter is that my daughter weighed the
possibilities and picked the least āevilā word she could think of to express
her dissatisfaction. However she was still asked to āplease not use that wordā.
Well what word should she have used? Should she really be forced to dumb down
her language and use infant-like language because someone else wasnāt ready to
hear her use it? Or how about the time she wanted to talk about Hell and was
told that she was using bad language. Is it better for her spell out āH-E-double
hockey sticksā? That is literally doing the exact same thing as saying it. She
is just putting the exact same word into the listeners head by saying it
without saying it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
My point for all this is that if
you know what a word means and how to use it and your using it appropriately
and in a kind way, then why shouldnāt you use a word? Because if I slice my
hand open while making dinner one night, Iām sorry but āoh fudgeciclesā, or āwhippersnappersā
doesnāt cover the situation or my emotions quite like āFUCK!ā will.</div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-55802508790740353532017-06-08T13:02:00.000-07:002017-06-08T13:02:17.713-07:00What to expect when your expecting<div class="MsoNormal">
Yea no, this is not going to be one of those blogs with a list of the top 10 things to expect and how to properly handle them... this is real life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I remember when I first found out I was going to be a mom.
The news firstly brought me great joy in the fact that I would be a mom. Then
came panic. I started reading as many books as I could about what was going to
happen to me and then what would happen after I gave birth and how I could
react. But this just lead to more panic. The more books I read the more
contradicting opinions I heard. Each book had a different take on what my baby
would do and how I should act. I wasnāt sure what to believe anymore, so I went
straight to the source, and began asking other moms. This was an even bigger
mistake. Every mom that I spoke to had her own way of doing things and each one
was certain that their way was the right way. Being that I was young and single
meant that as I got closer to my due date peoples opinions got pushed on me
more and more forcefully. I had completely lost all joy of becoming a parent
and was now dreading the being a mom. My daughter came early and of course every
āmistakeā I had made thus far was said to have been what caused this to happen.
With my daughter in the NICU and family members and friends judging my every
move sent me into a terrible bout of depression, intermixed most likely with
normal post partum depression. I was totally lost, and I wasnāt even sure where
to look to get myself found. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>month later
when my daughter was aloud to come home, I had decided I had enough of being
told how I was a terrible mother. I still wasnāt sure what to do, or how to go
about doing it, but I knew that I loved my daughter and that she loved me back.
Day by day my confidence as a mother grew, and so did my daughter. I slowly
began allowing people back into our life. Each time I did though I was
criticized. From the food I fed her to the way I dressed her, the naps she
took, and the activities she did, not a single thing went un-criticized. It
took a long time for me to get used to being told I was doing everything wrong
and being able to ignore it. I had never had a job before where there was no
job description, no manual, or rule book. I also never had a job before where
my boss would scream and cry if I did things wrong, or you know could possibly
choke to death on her own spit, and I certainly never had a job where any
random stranger could come up to me and threaten to fire me or tell me I wasnāt
a good fit. It was totally strange, and really hard, but like I said, I slowly
got used to it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As time went on and my daughter go older, people slowly
started to back off. She hadnāt fallen off any tables and broken her skull, or
burnt her hand off on a hot stove. So I guess people stopped having things to
complain about, or critique much anymore. In fact, they totally switched up on
me and started telling me what a wonderful child I had. How well behaved she
was, and how smart, and how talented, and beautiful. It was like a total 180. I
couldnāt believe it. Really, these people thought I had done something right?
Now I cant take all the credit, my daughter is an amazing kid, but Iāld like to
think that my parenting had something to do with how sheās growing up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have lots of mom friends, and I work with a lot of new
moms, and I am seeing more and more that critiquing a mothers ability to be a
parent is completely normal. Why? Honestly do we seriously not have anything
better to do than tell others that they are wrong. We see it in politics when
Republicans and Democrats fight because their way is the right way. I see it in
sports when my team is the best team. I see it in medicine when this treatment
is the best treatment. And while in each of these situations one individuals
opinion is never the only one, there is always research, articles, lectures,
and many other things to help people make their own decisions. As a parent
though, there really isnāt. Like I said in the beginning, every book
contradicts the last, and each person you talk to contradicts the last. There
is nothing to help a new mom stand firm other than just pure confidence, and we
are normally lacking this right after childbirth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Point is when youāre expecting, you can only expect to not
expect anything. Donāt expect there to be a book that will solve all your
problems or answer all your questions. Donāt expect there to be just one way to
do anything. Donāt expect people to respect or disrespect your decisions. Donāt
expect your baby to grow the same way that any other child does. Every child,
every parent, and every situation is going to be different. The most important
thing I can advise you to do is to get yourself a friend who is willing to support
every and any decision you make. Weather that is your significant other, or
just your best friend. Find them and stick with them. There will be so many
people telling you that you are doing things wrong, that you need someone to
encourage even your most stupid sounding ideas. There isnāt a day that goes by
that I donāt make mistakes as a parent. In fact just today I sent my kid to
school today, when there was no school, and didnāt realize that there was no
school until I called to pick her up instead of taking the bus. There are so
many things that I do wrong but its ok. I may have never had a job without a
manual, but Iāve also never had a boss that kissed me on the forehead when I
was sick, or poured go-gurt in my armpit to wake me up to play, or sang āI love
youā on repeat to me for 2 days straight. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Donāt worry. You got this. And trust me, your doing just
fine.</div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-78992082100582325822017-05-25T10:14:00.000-07:002017-05-25T10:14:01.435-07:00Memories are really our best form of time travel<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you ever just catch yourself and thinking about what life
would be like if you were still with your first boyfriend/girlfriend, or first
crush, first time, or maybe the one that got away? I do. All the time, but the thing with
me is that I was so wrapped up in my own world when I was young that I had a
lot of āones that got awayā because I couldnāt see how much of a bitch I was to
anyone who came close to me. I had great boyfriends that would ālike just dump
me for no reasonā but clearly it wasnāt for no reason, it was because of how
terrible I was to them. I remember my first real boy friend in high school. (I
wont say his, or any other name because I am not sure how many of my high
school friends read this and no one needs a blast) This guy was a sweet heart.
Really sweet guy, but for whatever reason I didnāt like him. As a matter of
fact I would openly make fun of him for liking me. After he asked me out for
the third time, my friends begged me to take pitty on him and at least give him
a chance; after all, he really was a great guy. I on the other hand, liked his
best friend (of course man it was high school, thereās got to be a love
triangle) who coincidentally was going out with one of my friends. So being as
clever as I thought I gave in to dating the sweet best friend so I could
participate in fun high school double dates stuff. Really it meant hanging out
after school, playing guitar, and listening to music. I was still being a total
douche though to the sweet friend. I know I pretended I didnāt kiss boys though
so I wouldnāt have to kiss him. Secretly though I had started to like him. Too
little, to late though, he got wise to me and broke it off. I deserved it for
how I treated him, but I had started to like him, too little too late. When he
broke up with me he immediately started dating another girl who was never too
fond of me, but that he liked very much and who was sweet to him. I lost any
chance of ever getting him back. Today is his birthday which is what sparked
this blog of mine. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every once in a while, I get really pensive about my life
and I just think back to everything that has happened. When the sweet friends
picture popped up on social media for it being his birthday, I started looking
through his Facebook to see what he was up to these days. Weāve all done it,
looked through high school friends profiles that we havenāt seen in a while. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first guy I ever really had a crush on was in middle
school. I met him at first when his best friend was dating mine in 7<sup>th</sup>
grade. It was brief and I didnāt like his best friend who was dating mine. I
thought my best friend should break up with him. I met him again on my bus in 8<sup>th</sup>
grade. He was a flirt for sure, and nothing like his best friend who was still
dating my best friend. We rode the bus every day we became pretty ok friends, but
the kind of friends who had to bicker in public to defend our best friends who
were a terrible couple. Now my best friend and her boyfriend (lets call him B1)
catch on to the friendship between myself and the other best friend (B2) and
they donāt like it. So B1, tells B2 lots of mean things about me while my best
friend tells me lots of mean things about B2, so that we donāt like each other
anymore. In high school B2 left us and went to a different school, but I never
forgot him. A few years after high school we met up again as friends. I
immediately had a crush again. We talked about how we had met in middle school.
I found out about how B1 had told him to stay away from me and how our
friendship had been sabotaged. We suggested the possibility of dating now.
Unfortunately I had to move, almost immediately after we met again and so
nothing ever happened to the evolution of our friendship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are both now engaged and heās
getting a stepchild. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That story wasnāt one where I was really mean to anyone, but
I was heavily influenced by my apparently wicked (totally kidding, there are no
hard feelings) best friend who did want me dating her boyfriends best friend.
There are really only 2 other people worth mentioning. The next person to get a
story is the first person I fell in love with. And the terrible awful no good
thing I did to him. I was a very stupid little girl who fell in love with
someone who was in a relationship. Now lucky for me, I made this mistake while
I was young and in high school, and the not older, destroying a marriage or
learning my lesson would have been much harder. This guy I fell in love with
was in a relationship of 4-5 years, so you know it was marriage level serious
to us high-schoolers (honestly its impressive to me as an adult too, have you
seen how people date todayā¦) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I
started talking to a guy, who was awesome. Seriously everything I had ever
wanted in a person. He was kind and compassionate, at one point he helped me
find a place to work and live, just and overall great guy who would do anything
for his family and friends. Down side was that he was with another girl. She
wasnāt in our grade nor did she<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>live near us, so most of the time people became used to seeing my crush
(call him C) and me together like a couple. One night he and a couple of his
buddies, invited me and my friend to come hang out with them, and this other
girl tagged along with us. Well this other girl was drunk and all over C. So I
was heated. All of a sudden the two of them left the room while no one noticed
and I was pissed (little did I know that he was being a gentleman and taking
her to the bathroom to puke, found that one out years later) so I went to his
best friend and hooked up with him, in front of everyone, even though I was at
the party with C. Needless to say my friend and I left the party and the next
day C plead his case to me, but I didnāt believe him. I pinned the kiss
entirely on him and made him feel like it was his fault. Told him to break up
with his girlfriend or I would never speak to him again. After that I moved to
another school in another state and so even though I made an ass of him at the
party and he broke up with his girlfriend for me, I left him. I called him a
few years later when I came back to our home state and he was still mad at me.
I used to imagine my with him a lot. As kids we had talked about how our lives
could be when we were older, but being older and looking back in a-whole-nother
thing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last person to get a story was a short relationship. Its
not the heās super special to me, but he was the first decent boy I had dated
since the sweet best friend in high school. He was actually the first person I
had dated in a very long time, since I was recently a single mom. He was the
first guy who met my child and who I felt I could trust around her.
Unfortunately for me I was in the throws of my addiction during this time. It
was during a point when I thought I had things under control, because I had a
great job and was looking to move and buy a house, but honestly I was a mess.
One day He just stopped texting me, stopped answering my phone calls. I wanted
to say I didnāt know why, and that I had done nothing wrong, but really I did.
When we would go out with friends I would always get trashed and expect him to
just take care of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even left
drugs at his house and let him take the blame for me. He was almost kicked out
of where he lived. I would have stopped talking to me to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought about him a lot when I first
got clean. I wondered if things would have been different if I had stopped a
year or two sooner. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
All of these men have made an impact on my life, along with
a few other of people I fantasized about having kept in my life, some of them
were long and drawn out of the period of almost a decade. I new I was finally
over all of these guys when I would try to imagine a different life than the
one I had and I wouldnāt want to. This was my sign that I was over any crush,
or ones that got away and that I was ready to commit fully to my current fiancƩ.
Who I should think I have been good to. I know that from taking the time to reflect on my mistakes of the past I know things not to do, and we've got no complaints yet (fingers crossed). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was really just a reflection of my
life and the people who have moved through it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Memories are really our best form of time travel.</div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-60497147344775122862017-03-24T19:26:00.001-07:002017-03-24T19:26:31.790-07:00My Third Eye Experience<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
So the other day I had an
absolutely awesome experience that brought me closer not only to understanding
my third eye chakra, but all the chakras. See to me the chakras were something
I had briefly read about and new that they were an energy system in the body,
but something I had never really felt. The only chakra I was really connected
to was Muladhara, or the root or earth chakra, but had always figured that this
was something I felt as an energy from the ground, not one within me. I never
really thought I was at a point where the chakras were real for me; more
conceptual or theoretical than anything else. This however changed everything. I
learned how my mind works by itself and how it works with energy, and the
experience over all was just so amazing that I wanted to share it with you all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
It started at a 2 hour class on the
third eye chakra. Now in the past I have had such a clouded idea of what the
third eye chakra really is because this is the chakra that was described to me
as what drove palm readers or tarot readers to be able to see the past present
and future, as well as what aloud people to see auras, and that it was
literally an invisible eye that saw all things that were invisible to our
physical eyes. From the workshop I attended I was able to get such a better
understanding for the chakra and how not only is it so much more than what was
described to me but how much I truly use and have a large third eye chakra. My
intellect and imagination are some proof of this. The third eye is also known
as Ajna, which means to perceive or command.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Element: All elements combined, light</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Color: Indigo</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Shape: Five pointed star</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Petals of the lotus: Two</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Seed sound: Aum (Om)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Endocrine gland: Pituitary gland</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Physical association: Eyes, base of skull, brow</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Psychological function: Intuition, imagination</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Identity: Archetypal identity</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Developmental stage: Adolescence</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Challenge: Illusion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Sense organ: Mind</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Predominant sense: Neutral</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
During the workshop we did a
meditation where we started off with the cue to only think in images. We
started with colors, and immediately I started saying the colors I saw, and
telling the colors what to do. I just couldnāt get away from words, I started
noticing even that when I looked more closely I wasnāt even seeing the colors,
but the word written out in the color ie: I would read āREDā in the color red
in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This cue was repeated
to us in seeing our breath in color, seeing our body in color, and a few others
which I couldnāt pay attention to because I couldnāt see color, I could only
see words in colors, so I shut everything out and decided to regroup and
re-center and try again. After regrouping I noticed that there was really
pretty music in the background which I hadnāt noticed before. From the music I
began seeing myself play the instruments, from the piano to the violin and the
cello, and everything was in first person. My hands were moving across
keyboards and strings gracefully as if I was playing the music myself. Music
was a huge part of my upbringing from listening to playing and so this felt
very natural to me, but then everything started changing. From these images
appeared a dancer, who was dancing beautifully to the music. I was watching her
this time instead of being her, and she was dancing in a lyrical and ballet
style to the music. It was wonderful to watch since dancing is something I have
always watched, admired, and wanted to be able to do well. Every once in a
while, I would find myself talking in my head again and images of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my playing the instruments would bring
me back to watching this dancer. The neat part is that I was feeling less and
less me, and the dancer was starting to look more and more like me. The next
thing I noticed was that now when my mind would wander I wouldnāt even see/feel
myself playing the instruments anymore, but rather I would see abstract musical
notes dancing through my mind. The words my mind wanted to say would turn into
quarter notes or triplets, before I knew what the thoughts were. I stayed with
this for a while simply enjoying the peace that the music and the dancer
brought me. The instructor then turned off the music and began beating a drum
giving again the cue to think only in images. The drum wasnāt a loud one, but I
could feel vibrations coming from it and filling my body with its sound waves.
A huge orange yellow glow filled my mind and took the shape of a fire. The fire
was huge and bright and full of life as my view panned out I was able to see a
dancer around the fire, but this time the dancer was more abstract. I couldnāt
tell whether it was male or female, only that it was most likely human and it
was dancing around the fire. The entire thing was very tribal and reminded me
almost of portrayals Iāve seen of Native American fire dances and rituals. The
drum beating began to slow and change and eventually fade away as we were given
the cue to feel our connection to the ground. (Now hereās where I really got a
kick out of the experience) Typically when I meditate on the root chakra, or
want to feel grounded, I literally start feeling the energy in my feet (mostly)
or whatever is in contact with the ground and I can feel the energy coming and
going. For whatever reason this time that was not the case. I stayed as a third
person, observing my body and seeing my body turn into a twisted and gnarly
root system buried deep. The next cue told us to feel the energy from the
ground flow up through our body and out the crown of our head. Again I watched
as light energy moved up through the root system growing in brightness and size
as it moved up from the smaller roots into the bigger ones getting closer and
closer to the trunk, and as soon as this energy reached the trunk, or my body,
I was pulled out of the third person and back into first as I felt an energy
shoot through my spine starting in my buttocks and coming out the top of my
head. Even though my eyes were closed I felt as though my eyes were open and I
was watching myself in first person fill with light, and very strong white
light. I could feel energy moving through me. I sat here in the indescribable
feeling of power, energy, love, and light that was me, and yet not for a moment
before the bells were chimed and the meditation was over. As I came out of
meditation I realized I had to use the bathroom and while I was washing my
hands afterwards I noticed my face looked almost ghostly white, but my skin
looked really good, like the summer time glow where you have no breakouts and
everything is exfoliated and fresh, but it was pale. I figured the paleness was
probably because I needed a drink of water, but was super happy about the
natural glow. A few minutes later, a student from the class came up to me and
told me they needed to tell me something. They apologized for watching me
during meditation but that close to the end of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the meditation that there was something bothering them, and
it had distracted them so much that they had been forced to come out of
meditation and open their eyes, and thatās when they saw me. They told me I was
glowing white like an angel of sorts. I was really taken back at first until I
remembered that white glow I noticed when I was in the bathroom, and then
remembered the white light of energy I was feeling during the meditation.
Coincidence? Maybe, but for me the entire experience was amazing and I really
waned to share it with you all and get it down on paper before I forget all
about it and think that I cant get in touch with the chakras.</div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-25891803698232054952017-02-01T02:53:00.004-08:002017-02-01T02:53:45.803-08:00The High School Jeans Story<div class="MsoNormal">
Ok so I need to just get this off my chest I think. Well I
think its pretty clear that I need to get it off my chest since, its 3 am and I woke up crying and then couldnāt fall back asleep no for almost an hour
while my mind raced around an event that happened to me back in high school; an
event that although was not nearly the most traumatic, scariest, or craziest
event in my life it was probably the most publicly humiliating event in my
life, and the first time I felt truly alone; an event about pants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was in high school I had learned that you donāt need
millions of friends as long as you had 1 or 2 really good ones, and thatās what
I had, in fact through my entire K-12 career I can count on 1 hand how many
friends I had. I was, and still am completely fine with this, however my school
was very cliquey, to the point where even if I was friends with one person, it
was like we were never truly aloud to be friends, because I wasnāt friends with
the 20 other people in their clique, which again was fine other than high
school lunch. In elementary and middle school, you sat with your class, in high
school you sat where you wanted. Oh the freedom! Well not if the 3 friends you
have happen to be in different lunches. I avoided high school lunch my freshman
and sophomore year by over filling my class schedule, but as a junior I dropped
my music classes in order to get a break during the day. Lunch was anything
but. I had to sit in a cafeteria full of people I didnāt know, I wasnāt aloud
to leave once I was finished eating to go to the library or gym. Some kids had
notes from their parents that aloud them to leave campus entirely and go eat
lunch elsewhere, but no such luck on my end. So I was stuck. I found quickly
that the girls in my school were much more cliquey than the guys, and if I
found a table of all boys, they would be more welcoming to allowing me to sit
with them if they had room. This lead to me bouncing around from one table to
the next, depending on which table had someone who was out sick, or skipping
that day, and meeting some pretty interesting characters. Although I got along
with the people I sat with, I cant remember any of their names which goes to
show either how terrible my memory is, or just how much we actually interacted.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another important back story fact is that I was known as the
girl who never wore jeans. Every day I would wear yoga pants, or sweatpants,
but never anything else. I was a swimmer, and trying to squeeze into a pair of
jeans in 5 minutes when your still somewhat wet, just isnāt going to happen.
Plus yoga pants and sweat pants were just so comfortable, I never saw the point
in wearing anything else. Until this one timeā¦</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everything happened in one day at lunch. There was an upper
level to our cafeteria where you could get snacks and where all the upperclassmen
sat, and then there was the lower level with the lunch line and the
lowerclassmen. I normally only had enough money to buy a soft pretzel for lunch
which was on the upper level, so here I was in line for a soft pretzel when a
girl from the soccer team came up to me to comment on my pants. Told me they
were cute or something. Honestly, she and I had been practicing soccer together
now for 2 years, but had ever exchanged a single word, so her comment on my
pants caught me off guard, but I thanked her and went about getting my pretzel.
A second later, she was gone, and another girl from her table was behind me
playing 20 questions with me about these pants. Asking me when I got them and
what store, and where was the store, but her entire body language wasnāt āhey,
cute pants! Where did you get them so I can get some?ā it was almost scary in
the way she was asking, like she was angry that I was answering. After about 2
minutes the girl from my soccer team waved her back over to the table and I got
my pretzel and went to find a table. I kept feeling watched, and I was right
because once I found a table I snuck a peak up at the table with the girls and
saw a few of them looking over at me; and not the ādonāt let them see me
looking at themā look, this was full on, evil stares that they didnāt care if I
or anyone else saw. I wasnāt sure what was coming next, but I had been on the
tail end of enough high school humiliation to know that something bad was going
to happen before the end of the lunch hour. I snuck my chance when the lunch
line was long using it as cover to move to another table. I hid right along the
wall to the upper level at a table with people I didnāt know. Apparently one of
them knew me and came over to ask what I was doing? Not in a mean way just a
hey, youāve never sat here before whatās up kind of way. I told him the wall
was the most comfy place to sit because it gives you a chair with back support
and he sat with his back to the wall with me making idle chatter, and
everything was fine. Everything was fine until there were about 20 minutes left
to lunch. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A girl from the previously mentioned table came up to me and
started yelling at me that I stole the pants I was wearing. They were not mine
and I should give them back. I was a bit dumbfounded and shocked at first
because this is not exactly the type of thing I was expecting. My dumbfounded
look must have angered her because it made her yell louder. The fact that she
was accusing me of stealing her pants had now sunk in, and so I stood up and
try to tell her that I had not stolen them. Bad move. Girls from all over the
cafeteria started coming up to me, and telling me I had stolen their pants too.
There was no point in arguing with these people so I sat back down and ignored
them. Eventually some got tired of yelling and others were told to go sit down
by the cafeteria aids. But donāt be fooled, my sitting down was yet another bad
move. One of the guys from the original girls table came down. Funny thing is that
I knew this guy, I knew most of the guys in the school, especially the jocks,
because my dad helped train most of them, so I would workout with most of them and
I would help some plan their nutrition (only wrestlers needed the nutrition
really).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being that I knew him I
thought maybe he was coming to see what the yelling was about, see that it was
me and that would be that, but apparently not. These girls either honestly
thought I stole their pants, or they were playing one of the worst jokes in the
history of high school pranks in the world. My friend leans in and asks did you
steal her pants? I told him no. He asks if I am sure because his friends (the
girls) are pretty convinced? Again I assure him that no I had not. Then he
flips. He starts shouting to tell me they showed him evidence that it was me
who had stolen the pants. As soon as he starts yelling 2 more guys come down,
along with all of the original girls and a few new ones. Every single one of
them looks pissed, and I know that if they wanted to they could kick my ass.
(haha especially with the odds now being something like 10-1). Needless to say,
Iām pretty scared especially since the group seems to be closing in one me. So
I start looking for an exit strategy. I scrambled under the table I had been
sitting at and crawled out the other end, my shirt covered in cafeteria food,
only to have the head disciplinarian waiting for me at the other end looking
pissed. At some point I must have started crying because I remember being
paraded through the cafeteria by him with people laughing both at my food
covered outfit, and the fact that I cried. He took me back to his office where
he started berating me with questions about the pants. Finally I told him that
honestly if this was all about a pair of jeans, that I would gladly get rid of
them if I could go get some sweatpants from my locker. Honestly they were the
only jeans that I owned, and I had gotten them with a gift certificate to a
store that priced jeans so high they cost more than what I spend in groceries a
week now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didnāt really want to
get rid of them because I had found a pair of jeans I liked, they were super
soft like leggings, and they were from a really cool store, and they fit me
really well, so I felt good wearing them. But nothing could make me want to
live getting screamed at by what felt like Ā½ the cafeteria while the other half
watched. Nothing made me want to see people that I thought were at least
friendly acquaintances scream and yell at me humiliating me in front of
everyone. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt alone because everyone had a group; a tight knit
group that would back them up no matter what. And when I was trapped by all
these groups, there was no one left to have my back. I was amazed at the level
of commitment that these people had to their friends; that they would gang up
on one person based on a half truth, and I wanted nothing more than to have
friends like that; someone to have my back when I needed it, or go to war for
me on a whim. I thought that was amazing, because I had never had that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is what woke me up tonight. This is what stopped me
from falling back asleep. An event from years ago, that was not the most painful, devastating, or hurtful, but probably one of the most humiliating and the first
time I felt truly alone. I write this because 1 I couldnāt sleep and I wanted
to get this off<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my chest, but 2
because I am sure that I am not the only person who has gone through this, or
is going through this, or will ever go through this, and I just want you all to
know that it does get better. This is the first time since the week of the incident
that I have even thought about it. It will pass. Things will work out. I
promise.</div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-42629272489526536702017-01-31T07:34:00.000-08:002017-01-31T07:34:10.606-08:00Itchy dry skin Life Hack<div class="MsoNormal">
Hey my beautiful people! Who suffers from itchy dry skin? I
know I do, but hereās a little life hack that I learned recently from a good
friend of mine who is an esthetician to help save your skin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we all know at this point that heat is damaging to our skin
right? We know to cover up in the sun, and to avoid dry heat, and to lotion up
when we are exposed to that hot air, but how many of us thought about our
showers? I love my hot showers, and honestly when she told me that hot showers
were destroying my skin I screamed. Thereās no way I am not taking hot showers,
and I am sure many of you are the same way. Who wants to give up that hot
shower or hot bath? Not me! But the heat from the shower is aging your skin
terribly, and is drying your skin our terribly. Apparently the correct
temperature is cool, to lukewarm, but unless I end up in the military or in
jail, you will not see me taking a cool or lukewarm shower, ever, so hereās how
to help protect your skin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We all know that applying lotion after your shower can help
add moister back to your skin, and some of us use soaps that have lotion in
them to help keep our skin nourished, but these methods are for treating a
problem that already occurred. Like getting a cold and then taking medication
for it. I am more in favor of preventative medicine, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and making sure I donāt get that cold in the first place. So
how do you prevent your skin from drying out and withering away in that hot
shower?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_ilScmCLhl_Kp8Jaj7HgQnCCLZthJzAN9WC7hjXdWKVjl4ZEx8DymHlf_erdRl74ig_ypuTC2HRyMXRTuqNXSpSOIXWNKZEo3nmLdkIPCzOfIt4Mv0UYXkuf-1G9Giz5t_EoGSOgfE0/s1600/coconut-oil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_ilScmCLhl_Kp8Jaj7HgQnCCLZthJzAN9WC7hjXdWKVjl4ZEx8DymHlf_erdRl74ig_ypuTC2HRyMXRTuqNXSpSOIXWNKZEo3nmLdkIPCzOfIt4Mv0UYXkuf-1G9Giz5t_EoGSOgfE0/s320/coconut-oil.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Coconut oil!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of you have heard me rant and rave about coconut oil in my social
media posts, so I wont go over all the amazing, wonderful, great, superb, splendid
etcā¦ benefits of coconut oil, but I will share this with you. Apply coconut oil
to your body before you get in the shower. Lather yourself up from head to toe
before you hop into the nice hot shower. Pretty simple right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While your in the shower you will wash
most of it off when you scrub your body but, you will at least protect your
skin from the majority of the heat damage. Then once you hop out, apply more
coconut oil, or your lotion of choice, to make up for the oil that rubbed off
while scrubbing. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Think of this as preventative medicine for your skin. It
will help your skin from wrinkling as quickly as you age,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>drying out as much in the winter months
where we are surrounded by dry heat, and it will help your skin feel great
overall!</div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-59904748635660161762016-11-14T06:01:00.003-08:002016-11-14T06:02:32.622-08:00Chocolate Dipped Apples<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year we did
Jolly Rancher candy apples and they were an absolute blast making and sharing
with everyone. This year we made chocolate dipped apples and again, HUGE
SUCCESS! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRezsHSv8u-mgEHrBfMME_xlnCWVrRSlkgSCBVxVIB6FhAvQofoyMT7PA22a6NMrFmaQtFGqegIsUyUIdh5Dc5naAZN7muQXyTRyVPPYbNxtwXBtOn6A2rmtMiLjbBNrr4SmyGc3yUHZk/s1600/20161031_084751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRezsHSv8u-mgEHrBfMME_xlnCWVrRSlkgSCBVxVIB6FhAvQofoyMT7PA22a6NMrFmaQtFGqegIsUyUIdh5Dc5naAZN7muQXyTRyVPPYbNxtwXBtOn6A2rmtMiLjbBNrr4SmyGc3yUHZk/s320/20161031_084751.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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For me making these was so much more beneficial, because I
was sharing them at a work party, and no one wants to eat an entire apple, when
everything else is light small finger food, so slicing the apples made this
apple snack a lot better for if you are hosting or are going to be feeding many.
Also melting chocolate is a whole lot easier than melting candy, and it isnāt
nearly as sticky. So without further jabbering done by me lets get down to how
to make this super yummy treat!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7StXoh_Kix4K1IG2SGnh_O_b1UTYvE83-cIcJ4b712ZYEMKm4iQHWfDXhT1q9XqMGSxBQC2hEyO5a_MuyegziFPPa0x0LwGSVwCjON4zZ7AgZWzNoAp8T_LX6Tt1fMmZa2FfwECtekg/s1600/20161030_135906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7StXoh_Kix4K1IG2SGnh_O_b1UTYvE83-cIcJ4b712ZYEMKm4iQHWfDXhT1q9XqMGSxBQC2hEyO5a_MuyegziFPPa0x0LwGSVwCjON4zZ7AgZWzNoAp8T_LX6Tt1fMmZa2FfwECtekg/s200/20161030_135906.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
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First is rinsing the apples. So the FDA recently released
that the skin on most fruits is not considered food, and so any chemical is
aloud to touch it. Fortunately apples did not fall in that category, but things
like lemons, limes, bananas, and melons did, so I am overly cautious when
preparing my food. You can rinse with just plain water if you would like, but I
like to use lemon and lime essential oils and a scrub brush, to really get as
many of the chemicals off my food.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIAFVN5Xfjq6AwdHcIHS50PfoeFfv_a66aCI33I9PO_nfYC863a67Zc_Cr4VOCw4kdV4Ty59hlacccIVRYA-gAbiekLZRPD-daKV3wI9fczGqHuyodsx2QLFKvgTNX0IZAd2tNi-pkLo/s1600/20161030_140021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIAFVN5Xfjq6AwdHcIHS50PfoeFfv_a66aCI33I9PO_nfYC863a67Zc_Cr4VOCw4kdV4Ty59hlacccIVRYA-gAbiekLZRPD-daKV3wI9fczGqHuyodsx2QLFKvgTNX0IZAd2tNi-pkLo/s200/20161030_140021.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDffSNBpTCQvoADyjihyin-b5oqOhqTEGemCeCkg1A6HXXpB18hMJunTIalelox29ZiXKF5DyXdFIDBES3QZcaisPsyjZBXAZ0AXur-BAw4im9Inq7F90uPXTGDxpyyaFkRR3XF_4NC6Q/s1600/20161030_140014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDffSNBpTCQvoADyjihyin-b5oqOhqTEGemCeCkg1A6HXXpB18hMJunTIalelox29ZiXKF5DyXdFIDBES3QZcaisPsyjZBXAZ0AXur-BAw4im9Inq7F90uPXTGDxpyyaFkRR3XF_4NC6Q/s200/20161030_140014.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
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Next step is to get your chocolate started. If you have a
double boiler, please feel free to use that for melting your chocolate, I still
use the 2 pot method (fill the bottom of the first, larger pot up about 1-2
inches with water, then place second, smaller inside that pot, and add your
chocolate). Let this sit on a low heat with the lid on, and lets get back to
the apples.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KRldbyPp-5uIemmqH_zxBgrgogy1BaPwixklpd2TdERoB6c_oHe21Z5eG6ecg59kSnaiN0EFvmzQcpqw0dztV4NzkXgO5a6uT1PiOZ5_559vvZVVmFUK8_YfERd1rFQCXuwn0ook4V8/s1600/20161030_141741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KRldbyPp-5uIemmqH_zxBgrgogy1BaPwixklpd2TdERoB6c_oHe21Z5eG6ecg59kSnaiN0EFvmzQcpqw0dztV4NzkXgO5a6uT1PiOZ5_559vvZVVmFUK8_YfERd1rFQCXuwn0ook4V8/s200/20161030_141741.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the long part. You are slicing, and coring. You want
to keep your slices thin enough that they stay a 1-2 bite kind of food, but not
too thin that the chocolate will completely take over the food. I sliced my
apples into about 8-10 slices each depending on the size.</div>
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Once you are done cutting your apples, check on your
chocolate. It should have started to melt by now at least a little but, so go
ahead and give it a good stir, and add some heat, then cover it up again and
let it melt some more.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKEZ3o7j9ZcisUnGoqAwsI-lMdD-j3EziJvzVe6Kv_5tGsw0O5J2yrImhvkOSSr8o1dL7MQfGas9fiM1HmC3PoFzo85IQvNGkwyOvJD3-4kdKaxMVbtOVtDd4bkXhFGZ-BzDgtPA754Y/s1600/20161030_142711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKEZ3o7j9ZcisUnGoqAwsI-lMdD-j3EziJvzVe6Kv_5tGsw0O5J2yrImhvkOSSr8o1dL7MQfGas9fiM1HmC3PoFzo85IQvNGkwyOvJD3-4kdKaxMVbtOVtDd4bkXhFGZ-BzDgtPA754Y/s200/20161030_142711.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Getting the pan ready is super simple. You can use wax paper
if that is your preference, however I was out of wax paper and this is a good
alternative to any time you have run out of it. Line the pan with aluminum foil
(side note, I am the only one who still regularly calls this tin foil) and
spray it down with a butter spray, any non-stick spray you like to use. Yes
this makes things a little more greasy, but if you are in a pinch itās a trick
I love to use.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1-YlJd66rbnN9gA9XuZATIWRUyLhoh77is2OlgKaEyaCTyIsWesyV9QSdKDqwPHtJnwpLIGPASgz_p80JyLnKfkaqHJBusqFbji-TZKlKee0Sg05pTuaam7BNovL1SLE93etjq6beGE/s1600/20161030_143808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1-YlJd66rbnN9gA9XuZATIWRUyLhoh77is2OlgKaEyaCTyIsWesyV9QSdKDqwPHtJnwpLIGPASgz_p80JyLnKfkaqHJBusqFbji-TZKlKee0Sg05pTuaam7BNovL1SLE93etjq6beGE/s200/20161030_143808.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
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Checking in on your chocolate again, I personally like to
add either a little water or milk at this point in the melting stage, for this
recipe I used water, about Ā½ cup and mixed it into the chocolate. If you want
to use more and make the chocolate more runny feel free. I use the water to
help the chocolate stick to the apple surface. If you have ever tried dipping
apples, or anything else into chocolate for the chocolate covered effect, but
cant seem to get the chocolate to actually stay on the food, try adding just a
little bit of water here, it has really helped me with that issue.<br />
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Now we get to have fun!</div>
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Take your apple slices , dip one side into the chocolate
sauce, then place on your wax paper / aluminum foil covered pan. You can leave
as is with just chocolate, or you can be festive and add jimmies, or sprinkles.
These apples were for a Halloween party and so black and orange jimmies, were
used, but feel free to use whatever colors you want or get even more creative
with your apples and then let me know what you did! </div>
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Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-83189437587452500832016-06-29T09:00:00.000-07:002016-06-29T09:00:08.272-07:00Sweet Citrus & Ginger Grilled Salmon<div style="border: 0px; color: #373737; margin-bottom: 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>One of the best sources of protein is fish. Most fish is low in fat, and the exceptions usually have a good form of fat: omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s, which are found in salmon, herring, and other fatty fish, may help protect against heart disease and other chronic conditions.</i></span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ingredients</strong></div>
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1-1ā2 lb. <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">salmon fille</strong>t <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(skin intact)</strong><br />
2 Tbsp. <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">honey</strong><br />
2 Tbsp. <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">olive oil </strong><br />
2 Tbsp. <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ground ginger</strong><br />
1ā3 cup <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">orange juice</strong> or one drop of <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DÅTERRA Wild Orange</strong> with 1/3 alkaline water (<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in the store)</strong><br />
1 Tbsp. <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DÅTERRA lime oil (in the store) </strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEmwfQoDflqUmgtIbn3vs_ncvnF-ktF4OBFcbRY4rJjZ0Sa12s9X8jzThS3wd0A63ZRtn6HihegxnhmEnq4yh5lslWKi7B5xUph4lG70t81z5BWaGc9epRLSmlRjRulUh4RALkSB4-m4/s1600/06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEmwfQoDflqUmgtIbn3vs_ncvnF-ktF4OBFcbRY4rJjZ0Sa12s9X8jzThS3wd0A63ZRtn6HihegxnhmEnq4yh5lslWKi7B5xUph4lG70t81z5BWaGc9epRLSmlRjRulUh4RALkSB4-m4/s320/06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<ol style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em 2.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For marinade, whisk together honey, olive oil, ginger, orange or wild orange and lime oil and Braggās Liquid Aminos.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Arrange salmon fillets in a glass baking dish and pour marinade over fish. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lightly oil grill and preheat. (Note: Real wood charcoal tastes best, but gas works fine. Avoid instant-light briquettes as they make food taste like lighter fluid! Aim for medium heat ā if your grill lid has a thermometer built into the lid, it should read about 350 degrees F.)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Transfer salmon to a platter. Reserve marinade.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Place marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, cook for one minute. (Note: This will kill off any bacteria and make it safe to baste the salmon while itās cooking.)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Place the salmon, skin side down, on grill.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon, basting every 5 minutes. (Note: To check for doneness, test the flesh with a fork. When done, it will begin to flake. If you cut into the salmon, meat should be opaque.)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Transfer fish to a platter and serve immediately.</li>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">How to ordre doTERRA Essential oils:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #57584f; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://mydoterra.com/colleenfaye" style="color: #6e5646; font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif;" target="_new">http://mydoterra.com/colleenfaye</a></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">7/2/15 doTERRA oils blog </span></span>https://healinghealthandwellness.wordpress.com/tag/doterra-oil/</div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-15715564188201152462016-06-23T09:08:00.000-07:002016-06-23T09:08:37.895-07:00Tomato Basil Chicken (cooking with essential oils)<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
4 chicken breasts</div>
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8 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped</div>
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3 cloves garlic</div>
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3/4 cup balsamic vinegar</div>
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2-3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil </div>
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1 drop doTERRA Black Pepper eo / loads of ground pepper</div>
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2 drops doTERRA Basil eo / or 1 large handful or basil</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaozsMrfxMKAHZmpQfYHQPhQxFYGVG1ppcjwXVuptb8DN957si7l-CRZZpQUgje-MCicQFEcEGZL4Z6Oa0c1_hyphenhyphengt3_N-HXhVG3SIK7URQspMWvvpIiaFpXLEl7s7XAPRKi2rHL-CzdA/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaozsMrfxMKAHZmpQfYHQPhQxFYGVG1ppcjwXVuptb8DN957si7l-CRZZpQUgje-MCicQFEcEGZL4Z6Oa0c1_hyphenhyphengt3_N-HXhVG3SIK7URQspMWvvpIiaFpXLEl7s7XAPRKi2rHL-CzdA/s320/0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mix olive oil and doTERRA Black Pepper, and put 1/3 aside.
Drizzle <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the rest over each
chicken. Grill over medium-high heat on the outdoor grill or on your
indoor grill pan 5-6 minutes each side. Remove to serving platter.</div>
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In the bowl of your food processor, toss in tomatoes,
garlic, basil eo, vinegar, and olive oil & doTERRA Black Pepper mix.
Pulse until your get a nice salsa consistency. Taste and see if you need
a pinch more salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken.</div>
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That's it! Super simple and delicious. I
forget there is a grilled chicken under all of that tomato goodness. </div>
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Inspired by MIX AND
MATCH MAMA<span style="color: #2c2623; font-family: "trebuchet ms"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> <a href="http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2012/06/dinner-tonight-tomato-basil-chicken.html">http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2012/06/dinner-tonight-tomato-basil-chicken.html</a>
</span></div>
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<o:p>Interested in additional benefits from olive oil: </o:p></div>
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http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/26/health/five-things-olive-oil/ </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">How to order doTERRA Essential oils:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #57584f; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://mydoterra.com/colleenfaye" style="color: #6e5646; font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif;" target="_new">http://mydoterra.com/colleenfaye</a></div>
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Heart healthy benefits of Tomatoes:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/jared-bunch-rhythm-of-life/tomato-day-keeps-heart-doctor-away/">http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/jared-bunch-rhythm-of-life/tomato-day-keeps-heart-doctor-away/</a></div>
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http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44</div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333165860993436155.post-57794199738797618272016-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:002016-06-22T09:00:20.329-07:00Belly Slimming Smoothies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: #202020; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 22.0pt;">Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Smoothie</span></b></div>
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1.5 cups of coconut milk (or almond milk).</div>
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6-7 frozen strawberries (can use fresh, just add in ice
cubes)</div>
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1/2 frozen banana</div>
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1.5 TB cocoa powder</div>
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Add a couple drops of liquid stevia. I used my chocolate
raspberry stevia and it enhanced the chocolatiness!!</div>
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Optional add ins: free-range egg yolks, coconut oil,
and ice cubes if you use fresh strawberries</div>
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Throw everything in a blender, except ice cubes, and blend
till smooth. Take a peak and add in ice cubes to get it to the thickness you
desire.</div>
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Enjoy!!! From The Paleo Mama <a href="http://thepaleomama.com/2012/03/chocolate-dipped-strawberry-smoothie/">http://thepaleomama.com/2012/03/chocolate-dipped-strawberry-smoothie/</a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #202020; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 22.0pt;">Good Morning <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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1 handful spinach</div>
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1 handful kale</div>
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1 big spoonful of peanut butter</div>
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1 banana</div>
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1 handful of ice cubes</div>
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Ā½ cup coffee</div>
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Optional a chocolate or chocolate peanut butter protein
powder goes well with this if your coffee is cold.</div>
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Directions:</div>
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Throw everything in a blender, except ice cubes, and blend
till smooth. Take a peak and add in ice cubes to get it to the thickness you
desire.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #202020; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 22.0pt;">Triple Berry Banana Yogurt Smoothie<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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8 ounces frozen mixed berries</div>
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2 small bananas, cut into 2-inch pieces and frozen</div>
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6 ounces vanilla yogurt, preferably whole milk</div>
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1 cup whole milk</div>
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1 to 2 tablespoons honey</div>
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Directions:</div>
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Add the berries, bananas, yogurt, milk and honey to a
blender and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.</div>
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Recipe courtesy of Dave Lieberman http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/triple-berry-banana-yogurt-smoothie-recipe.html?oc=linkback</div>
Colleen Fayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02877330694265861565noreply@blogger.com0