Crafts.

I decided that I wanted to make something crafty out of the okra from my garden. It was too big and I wanted to let it mature so I would have seeds for next year. However, since I have 20 plants I had WAY more then enough to have seeds. So making a wreath out of some of it was obviously the next logical choice.

I found a plain wreath at the local craft store. It had been used so I snagged it for $3. Then I got a roll of floral wire for another $2.50.

After gathering the okra, which was brown and starting to split. Which is exactly how I wanted it. I took a big needle (or you could use a knife) and put a little hole in the tip of the okra.

Next, I put the floral wire through three okra ends.

Then I simply arranged the groups on the wreath.

Thats it. Added a bow (that I already had so it was free) and now I have a beautiful fall wreath that only cost $5.50, and about 30 min of my time.

Itchy foot relief.

My husband came home from work and said his foot itched. I told him after his shower I would put some essential oils on it. He said it itched really bad and has gotten worse all day. While he was showering I put together what I labeled "itchy foot relief". It consists of:

2 oz coconut oil

2 oz almond oil

10 drops oregano essential oil

5 drops peppermint essential oil

10 drops tea tree oil

I put this all in a small mason jar, and labeled it. 

As soon as I put it on his foot it stopped itching. Here are before and after photos of his foot. 

As you can see, it healed right up! According to my husband he had this rash for about 2 days, it had finally started it itching so much he couldn't I gore it and finally asked me to put something on it. After applying the "itchy foot relief" that I made he said it didn't itch anymore until about 24hrs later at which time I took a photo and applied more. 

I buy my essential oils at: http://www.mydoterra.com/kennatimmons/

My life as a "crunchy" mama.: My breast feeding journey. The first 3 months.

My life as a "crunchy" mama.: My breast feeding journey. The first 3 months.: From the very moment my son came into this world until he was about 3 months old he wanted to be latched on the boob. I'm not making thi...

The "Second" 3 Months (4-6 months) of my breastfeeding journey.

The "Second" 3 Months (4-6 months) of my breastfeeding journey.

Around 4 months the little man decided he wanted to sit up, it would be until 6 months before he could sit up all by himself. However, that didn't keep him from working at it every day until then.

By this point I was able to get 1-2 hours at a time without nursing him. I couldn't believe it! I had time to fix lunch, and eat! I had time to put something in the crock pot for dinner, and throw a load of laundry in the wash. It was simply amazing to be able to get a few little things accomplished during the day. Assuming you read my blog post about "the first 3 months" you know that I was overjoyed to be able to just fix a glass of water without the little man screaming, so to be able to do laundry was almost more time then I knew what to do with.

Occasionally, I could even slip away while he was taking a nap and have a little "me" time. We were co-sleeping from the beginning, but we began part-time bed-sharing around 2 weeks. By 2 months we were full-time bed-sharing. Nights were so easy, I would lay down with him, he would nurse to sleep, and I could slip out of the bed and go do whatever I wanted for an hour to two. Sometimes I could even get 2-3 hours of a sleeping, happy baby that wasn't latched on or touching me. Don't get me wrong, I happily practice attachment parenting, however when you have been either holding, nursing, or in some way touching another person constantly for nearly half a year, then I don't think it is too much to ask to have a couple hours to yourself now and then...even if it is at 2am.

During the daytime he pretty much nursed every hour, or maybe once a day he would go two hours before he would want to nurse. This was AMAZING! I realize that doesn't sound all that great, but it was constant nursing before that. He spent quite a bit of time trying to sit up, and I spent quite a bit of time watching him, talking to him, reading to him, and just looking at the world with him.

Then came the teeth. By 6 months the little man had two teeth (two more the next month). Once teething started he needed me a lot more so my few hours a day turned back into a few minuets during the 2-3 weeks at a time that he was teething.

There were quite a few challenges during the "second 3 months", such as moving from Hawaii to Arkansas. Which meant the little man and I had to fly across the country (we were by ourselves for that trip). I will say that during the trip I was SO thankful so many times that he only took boob and nothing that could be dropped on the floor, or that had to be mixed. I was also very thankful for my ergo baby carrier. That way I could hold him close, away from all the strangers in the airport, nurse him if he wanted, and load the stroller down with everything I didn't want to carry.

Overall the "second 3 months" were very different, easier, and more difficult then the first three months. They were a preview of what was to come when he started seriously teething, and it was a welcome and much needed time that I had a tiny bit of freedom to just take care of me now and then.


Click here for my doTerra essential oil page.

To read about the "First 3 Months" of my breastfeeding journey click here.

Why I became a doTerra consultant.

Essential oils

Essential oils have so many benefits. If you have the right kind, you can use them on your skin, you can ingest them, and use them for aromatically. There are many many reasons to use them, they truly are healing oils when used properly, and when you have the proper oil. 

The oils I had been using seemed fine, they weren't the most expensive or the cheapest. It wasn't until learning more about essential oils that I even began to question if I should get a different brand. The oils I was using were only recommended for aromatherapy. I wanted to use them topically, and was interested in learning more about cooking with them and using them in ways to be ingested. Because of this I started looking for a new brand, one that I could get oils that were organic, free of GMO's, safe to use inside and out of my body. That is when I found doTerra. 

DoTerra essential oils are certified pure therapeutic grade. Which is extremely important when you are picking out essential oils. Especially if you want them to be safe to use inside and on your body. They are much more effective then the "cheaper" oils, so even if they cost more per bottle, you are saving money in the long run because it takes less of a quality oil to be effective. Here is what doTerra has to say; dōTERRA CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade^® essential oils represent the safest, purest, and most beneficial essential oils available today. They are gently and skillfully distilled from plants that have been patiently harvested at the perfect moment by experienced growers from around the world for ideal extract composition and efficacy. Experienced essential oil users will immediately recognize the superior quality standard for naturally safe, purely effective therapeutic-grade dōTERRA essential oils.

I decided to become a consultant because it was so much cheaper for me to get the products that I wanted if I was a consultant. It only cost $35 to join, and I got $50 to spend on products, plus a very nice discount on all of the products I buy. I'm pretty sure it would just be silly not to sign up since I had already decided these were the oils I wanted to use for me and my family. I feel that these are some of the safest, and best quality essential oils on the market. 

If you would like to learn more, buy, or become a consultant just click here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5KNjWl1Zm4w

Does it work? DigestZen essential oil blend.

Tummy troubles? Want something that works, that is safe, and natural? Here is my review of doTerra DigestZen digestive essential oil blend.


First off, I have had kinda sorta of an upset stomach for the last day and a half. Every time I eat it makes me feel gross. So of course once my DigestZen blend from doTerra came in I wanted to give it a try right away.

doTerra says that you can rub some on your stomach, or you can ingest it. I decided the quickest way to get relief would be to ingest it. I'm not sure if this is accurate because I haven't tried the other method yet, non the less, ingestion is the way I went. I got a small cup of water (about 3 oz) and put 1-2 drops of DigestZen into it, then drank it. Right away I realized it had some sort of licorice tasting essential oil in it. After further investigation I realized it has tarragon, which to me tastes like black licerious. I do NOT like black licorice! However, since I didn't have a lot to drink I just took it all in about two big gulps. According to doTerra the digestive blend has essential oils from; ginger, peppermint, tarragon, fennel, caraway, coriander, and anise.

Anyway, you are probably saying to your computer stop talking about the licorice taste and tell me already...DOES IT WORK?

After about 20-30 minuets I noticed my stomach felt better. No more upset stomach, I just simply felt...normal. I'm very happy with the results. Next time I will try rubbing it on the outside of my stomach just because of the licorice taste, however, it worked well enough that I wouldn't mind enduring the taste for the relief.

Have you tired doTerra DigestZen? What were your thoughts?

Want to try it for yourself? Click my link here... to visit my shop. I would greatly appreciate your business and a comment from you letting me know how it worked for you.

My new best friend: The lotus diffuser, and serenity essential oil blend.

My new best friend: The lotus diffuser, and serenity essential oil blend.


I just received my Lotus Diffuser from doTerra it is amazing! My son was fussing, and I couldn't figure out what he needed, then FedEx showed up with my diffuser. So I immediately put Serenity essential oil blend into the lotus diffuser and we both began to relax right away. I am not surprised that it works, however, I am shocked at how quickly it started working! After about 15 minuets he started quietly coloring in his notebook, and I got to sit down and tell you guys about how well the diffuser and serenity blend works. The lotus diffuser is different because it uses atomization technology to diffuse essential oils into the air so they can be easily absorbed by the human body. This is why it started working so quickly. Serenity oil blend is a blend of several essential oils that are known for their calming properties. It is a very pleasant, subtle aroma that is very calming. It is very pleasant because it is made entirely of essential oils, nothing synthetic, no chemicals, no gmo's, and it is all organic. The lotus diffuser also has a very nice look to it, and has pretty blue lights. I am so happy I ordered it! I was a bit hesitant because I can get a cheap diffuser that I thought worked just fine, but I decided to go ahead and give this fancy one a try and see if it really does work better. Yes, it really does work better. I can now say with experience that a good quality diffuser, and good quality essential oils do make a huge difference. I had been purchasing the cheaper oils and thought they worked fine. Now I know better though. I can get the pricier oils, and use less of them and end up saving money in the long run, and getting much better results. 

If you have essential oil questions feel free to ask, I would love to help you on your journey to finding what works for you.

This is my review of the lotus diffuser and serenity essential oil blend, both my doTerra. What do you think?

Click here to visit my doTerra shop.