Better Than Store Bought Lip Balm

I don't know if you are like me, but I like to keep lip balm tubes within arms reach of wherever I spend most of my time.  That means, I have tubes in my purse, in my car, in my bedside table, by my chair, in my desk, etc etc etc.

If you are conscious of what is in your products like I am, then you probably have all natural, organic lip balms - cha ching, cha ching, cha ching!

Well, this recipe for lip balm is WAY better than any store bought balm I have found - goes on smooth, moisturizes and heals, smells good and tastes good, all natural and all organic!  Plus, wow, it is WAY cheaper than the leading store bought brands.

To be honest, I put off making this recipe for ages because I was thinking it would be harder than it was.  Truly, this takes less than 10 minutes and is SUPER easy.  Plus, it makes a lot, so you will have plenty to share with friends and family.

Here are a few tips I have learned:

• Supplies are important!
• Beeswax - I really prefer the Pastilles rather than the blocks.  They are much easier to measure and much quicker to melt.  I also prefer the white beeswax, but I have used both and did not notice much of a difference in the finished product other than color.  Here is where I buy my beeswax.
• Shea Butter - I'm also pretty picky when it comes to my shea butter.  I really dislike the African shea butter because it is super hard and not easy to work with.    I use this one quite often.  It's soft and white and easy to work with.
• Coconut oil - I buy my coconut oil from Costco.  Amazing price on organic coconut oil when you buy the Carrington Farms brand.  
• Young Living Essential Oils - Y'all, I can not stress enough that the quality of your essential oil is important!  Young Living produces the best quality oils I have tried and I use them exclusively.  Remember, this lip balm is going on your LIPS, which is basically the same thing as eating it... choose wisely!
• Lip Balm Tubes - Here's where I buy mine.  The cost comes out to roughly 14 cents per tube.  Not bad at all!
• When it says "1 part" in the recipe, start with using 1 tbsp.  It makes more than you would think, and you don't want to have too much waste.
• Dedicate a glass container, bowl or jar to this endeavor.  It is very hard to clean all the wax and oil out of the jar when you are done, and I guarantee you will make this again.  I have a small pyrex glass bowl I use and I just keep it with my supplies.
• The medicine syringe literally changed my life when it comes to this project.  It is so easy to "suck up" the exact amount you need to fill a lip balm tube!  If you do not have one or have access to one, ask the pharmacist at your drug store.  They should be able to give you one.  I keep this and reuse it as well.
• Let the tubes cool completely before you cap and toss aside.  You don't want your lip balm to cool sideways.
• I personally used Young Living Peppermint oil for mine, but there are a ton of options you could try.  Lavender would be nice, too!  Just remember that citrus oils are photosensitive, so you might want to avoid those.  What oils did you choose?

I'm literally pulling my lip balm out to use as we speak!  I love this stuff!  I hope you love it, too!

Want to know how to purchase your own oils?  Check out this information HERE!

As always, please remember that I am a Mama and not a doctor. These things work for us and I am in love with using oily remedies for health in our home and I am excited to share them with you, but please use your best judgement for your own home. 

Game Day Guacamole

The number of uses I find for Young Living essential oils in my home is astounding.  Health, wellness, and cleaning  - but I must not neglect my first love - FOOD!

There are different schools of thought when it comes to ingesting essential oils, and I would absolutely recommend not using store bought oils in your food.  Many of them say "DO NOT INGEST".  A pretty big red flag if you ask me!  Young Living oils, however, have supplementation facts on the label if you peel up the corner.  Not only can ingesting high quality, superior oils be beneficial for your health, they also taste great!

So, some major sporting event is coming up - I know because my friends and my Facebook tell me so.  While sports literally do not cross my path of consciousness, I look for any excuse to have a party and make delicious food for my friends and family.

One of my favorite things to do for these types of parties is a big bowl of Guacamole.  Here's how I do it:

Game Day Guacamole

Ingredients:

4 large, ripe avocados (they should feel soft but not mushy and be a dark color)

1 roma tomato

Young Living Lime essential oil

Fajita Seasoning

Pepper

Seasoning Salt

Directions:

1.  Half the avocados and remove the pits.  Use a spoon to scoop the avocado out of the peel.  Mash the avocado well using either a potato masher or a fork.

2.  Dice the roma tomato, removing the seeds and gooey stuff inside.  Add to the avocado.

3.  Add 1-2 drops of Lime essential oil - you might want to add one drop and then taste.

4.  Season to taste.  I generally add about 1/2 a tsp of each seasoning, but you could add more if your avocados are not very ripe.

5.  Mix well, cover by placing plastic wrap directly on top of the guacamole, not on the top of the bowl.  This will keep it from becoming brown.  Serve chilled.

Super easy and delicious.  Great not only for game day, but for an everyday snack!  Avocados are full of healthy fats and my little ones love this treat.

Make sure the spices you use are high quality and organic!

Want to know how to purchase your own oils?  Check out this information HERE!

As always, please remember that I am a Mama and not a doctor. These things work for us and I am in love with using oily remedies for health in our home and I am excited to share them with you, but please use your best judgement for your own home. 

25 Children's Christmas Books

This year, I am trying a super cute idea that I found on Pinterest - find 24 Children's Christmas books, wrap them and use them as an advent.  My girls will unwrap one book each night and we will read it before bedtime.  I am so excited about this idea!

Even if you don't want to go all in and buy TWENTY FOUR books, I wanted to give you a list of my favorite children's Christmas books.  I love kids books - they are so simple, so beautiful, and so poignant.  Plus, it is so important to read with your kids, so this makes it a little more festive and exciting.

(source)

25 Children's Christmas Books

1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss 
2. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
3.  Santa's Favorite Story:  Santa Tells the Story of the First Christmas by Hisako Aoki
4.  Merry Christmas Mom and Dad by Mercer Mayer
5.  Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck
6.  Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner
7.  The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
8.  Little Blue Truck's Christmas by Alice Schertle
9.  Who is Coming to Our House by Joseph Slate
10.  Bear Stays Up For Christmas by Karma Wilson
11.  Merry Christmas, Mouse!  by Laura Numeroff
12.  Room for a Little One:  A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell
13.  The Night Before the Night Before Christmas by Natasha Wing
14.  Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by James Dean
15. Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans
16. The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman
17. Dream Snow by Eric Carle
18. Bob by Sandra Boynton
19. Olivia Claus by Kama Einhorn
20. The 12 Days of Christmas: A Pop Up Celebration by Robert Sabuda
21. How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? by Jane Yolen
22. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
23. Twelve Cats for Christmas by Roger Priddy 
24.  (And for the Bigger Kids) The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
25.  (And for the Parents - funniest book ever**) Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

**Not safe for kids.  Adult Content.



Right now, if you purchase a book through Amazon and use the code HOLIDAY30, you will get 30% off!

I have linked these books to my Amazon Affiliate Account.  For the month of December, the money I earn through my affiliate program will be used to donate toys to children in need in my community.  Thanks for your help providing a fun Christmas for these children!

Merry Christmas, Friends!  I hope you have as much fun reading these awesome stories as we will!

Organizing My Young Living Essential Oils

Today, I am welcoming one of my very best friends to the blog.  Nancy blogs over at Spreadsheet Mommy and is here to share with us how to organize all those beautiful little bottles of oil we have all over our house :)  Be sure to check out her blog after you read this entry!

Hi, I’m excited to be a guest blogger on Mama Marcie.  My blog, SpreadsheetMommy.com, is about using spreadsheets to keep things organized! I blog about other topics too – being a mom, cooking, having fun with my family, and living in Dallas.

This month I wanted to help Marcie organize her collection of Young Living Essential Oils.  Since essential oils are part of her everyday routine, it’s easy to see how tiny bottles of oils end up in rooms around the house, in the car, at work or at the bottom of her purse!

With this spreadsheet, Marcie can keep track of her oils and know what she has on hand. I added shading to the spreadsheet so she can shade in gray oils to purchase; this will make placing her next order fast and easy.

Download your free Young Living Essential Oil Personal Inventory spreadsheet today, and customize to keep track of your essential oils collection. (Click this link to download this Excel document)

What are some ways you keep your essential oils organized? While my collection is not as extensive as Marcie’s, I have a small case at home that holds 30 bottles and keep a travel case in my purse with several I use most often.

Happy organizing!

Nancy

Want to know how to purchase your own oils?  Check out this information HERE!

As always, please remember that I am a Mama and not a doctor. These things work for us and I am in love with using oily remedies for health in our home and I am excited to share them with you, but please use your best judgement for your own home. 

Easy, Healthy, Kid Friendly Dinner

Did you hear the awesome news?  For a week now, we have been homing three chickens!  Millie, Lily and Hattie have moved into our backyard, and we are all having a great time caring for them and watching them.  We haven't started getting many eggs yet (only 2), but the girls are absolutely fascinated with the idea of getting eggs from our chickens.  We talk about it often.

So the other night, I was out of dinner ideas, I was tired, I wanted my kids to eat something healthy, but didn't want to spend a huge amount of time on dinner - and since eggs were on all of our minds, I came up with Build Your Own Omlet dinner.  It was a HUGE success!

Here's what we did:

1.  Cut up veggies and other ingredients and place in individual bowls.  We used spinach, mushrooms and onions this time because it is what I had on hand, but we have also used tomatoes, bell peppers, and other veggies before.  We also sometimes cut up some turkey lunch meat, left over chicken from last night's dinner, sausage or other meat and we always have a small bowl of grated cheese.

2.  Mom or dad can crack the egg and put it in a bowl with a fork.  My girls took turns mixing up their omelets.  First, break the yolk and add a little bit of pepper.  Izzy, my 3 year old, can eat a 2 egg omelet, but Olivia only likes 1.  Let the kids choose their veggies and then mix again.  Tell them to be sure all of the veggies are coated with the egg.

3.  Send the kids to set the table while you cook the omelets.  Have a skillet preheated to medium.  Melt a small pad of butter to ensure your eggs do not stick.  Cook your eggs for 2-3 minutes on each side (should be slightly brown when done).

4.  Serve with fruit for a yummy, healthy dinner!

Enjoy!

Young Living Essential Oils for the Fall Candle Addict

Brace yourselves, my friends.  The news I am about to bring to you may be.... disturbing.  Pull your fingers out of your ears and stop saying "la la la la".  Because along with this bad news comes a fabulous alternative!

Did you know that those amazing candles you burn in your home are actually toxic to your health?  Yeah... I know.  Sad.  We are literally burning lead from the wick, petroleum from the paraffin, and filling our home with indoor pollution!

I won't go into huge detail, but if you are interested in reading more about why you should ditch candles, check out the links below:

• Green America
• ABC News
• Cheeseslave
• Holistic Health Secrets

Now for the good news - there is an alternative!  All you need is a diffuser and an assortment of Young Living essential oils.  They last a great deal longer than a typical candle and, not only do they smell good, but they offer amazing benefits to your health, too!

I haven't had candles in my home for years - I was terrified that my kitties or my babies would knock one over or burn themselves, so I just didn't burn any.  Last summer when I "discovered" Young Living, I realized how amazing of an alternative diffusing oils in my home was to burning candles.  

Here are my top 5 recommendations for Fall Scented Essential Oils:

1.  Thieves - Supports premium immune function and smells so delicious!  

2.  Clove - Supports premium immune function and has a warm smell that is so inviting for fall.

3.  Nutmeg - Nutmeg supports a healthy immune system and also gives you a boost.  This oil reminds me of pumpkin pie!

4.  Cinnamon - Another oil to support a healthy immune system (are you noticing a trend here?), cinnamon instantly puts me in a holiday mood!

5.  Orange - Uplifting and balancing, Orange is a great addition to your fall oil arsenal.

Did you notice a trend?  This is just my theory, but perhaps we associate these scents with fall because of their immune boosting properties?  Cool thought, huh?

Try mixing any of the above for awesome scents - my favorite is Orange with Cinnamon and Clove!

Want to know how to purchase your own oils?  Check out this information HERE!

As always, please remember that I am a Mama and not a doctor. These things work for us and I am in love with using oily remedies for health in our home and I am excited to share them with you, but please use your best judgement for your own home. 

What's in My Purse?

The Mama Purse - a magical space.

Does it remind you of this?

(image source)

I thought it would be fun to show you what is routinely found in MY purse - a mama, artist, teacher, oiler.

Thanks to my awesome mother in law, this is the purse I am currently carrying:

Large with pockets inside and outside.  Brightly colored a plus and chevrons a double plus!  This purse happens to be a Vera Bradley, but lately I have been REALLY into Thirty One bags.  Check out my cousin's Thirty One site here.

The cavernous purse of a mama.... a truly incredible sight!

Want to know what all this junk is??  I have to say, when I pulled it all out, I was impressed that there wasn't anything weirder in my purse.  Usually, I could win competitions for the most bizarre items in a purse, haha.

Here's what is in my purse now:

1.  Crayola Twistable Colors - I keep these in my purse for my girls.  When we are at restaurants or waiting rooms, they love to color.  Mommy wins, too, because the girls are occupied and being creative.

2.  Home Made Peppermint Lip Balm using Young Living essential oils (stay tuned for a tutorial!)

3.  Various Essential Oil Products - currently, I have home made bug spray, Tranquil and an Respiratory Blend that I made.

4.  A travel case with 8 sample bottles of Young Living essential Oils.

5.  Work Keys

6.  Organic lollipops - my husband calls these bribery ;)  We rarely get to this point, but occasionally the girls need a treat, so I keep a couple on hand.  I bought these at Sprouts.

7.  Green Tea Mints from Trader Joe's

8.  My wallet - with a thousand receipts because I am terrible about remembering to clean it out.  It's rather worn - might be time for a replacement soon!  Use it up and wear it out is our motto though :)

9.  Wall charger for my phone

10.  Toys - Likely, this was something that Olivia walked out of the house with and handed to me before school, but I generally have something to keep the girls occupied in my purse.

11.  Checkbook - who uses checks these days??  I do.  Once a month for our milk co-op and rarely for school stuff.

12.  Diapers - We use Honest Company diapers and we LOVE them.  Have you tried them?  Click my link and you can order a FREE sample - you just pay shipping.  I was sold after seeing the adorable designs, the amazing packaging and reading about their quality and attention to purity and the environment.


Ok, now tell me - what is the weirdest thing in YOUR purse??