Happiness Mama

Create the life you want, with mindfulness, purpose, and self-care. Go from striving to thriving!

Three Questions to Transform Your Life

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Three Questions to Transform Your Life from Happiness Mama

1. How will I feel about this at the end of the day?

Recently I was reading a blog post by Leo Babauta in which he talked about thinking about the end of the day as a way to guide the choices we make.

Basically the idea is that before you eat that doughnut or make any decision, you stop and consider how you’ll feel about that at the end of the day.  When you review your day, will you be glad you ate the doughnut?

  • Will I be glad I spent time on Facebook, or will I be glad I got some filing done and my desk cleared off instead?
  • Will I be glad I did at least five minutes of stretching, or will I be happy about deciding that it was just too difficult to do in the moment?
  • Will I be glad I made that phone call that’s been bugging me, or will I be glad I put it off yet again?

I have found this to be really helpful to get perspective on what’s important to me, what I want to do, since it’s so tempting to take the easy way out and do what’s easiest in the moment.

This end-of-the-day mindset is a corollary to another idea I’ve been applying over the past several months.

2. How will I feel about this in thirty years?

When I’m older looking back on this time in my life, how will I feel about what I’ve done?

  • Will I wish I’d made time for exercise so I can continue a joyful, active lifestyle?
  • Will I be glad I followed through on my dream, no matter what the outcome?
  • Will I be glad I worried and stressed so much about something that I wasted hours or days being an emotional wreck?

I don’t think I’ll ever be glad I let worry or stress take over my life.  Life is too short to get THAT stressed out about something. It will be okay.

It’s good to think about things that matter, and natural and good to be concerned, but getting worried and anxious to the point of freaking out isn’t helpful and is potentially harmful.

At minimum, it’s a waste of time. At worst, it can interfere with our relationships and keep us from doing what is needed and important and fulfilling.

3. How will I feel about this in the morning?

When I’m tired at the end of a long day, it can be difficult to make smart choices about how I spend my time.

It would be great to stop for a split second and visualize how energetic and happy and fulfilled I’ll feel in the morning if I get to bed at the time I need to.

  • Will I be glad I spent this time staying up late browsing the internet instead of going to bed and getting good sleep?
  • Will I be glad I stayed up late to watch one more Angel instead of just saving it for later?
  • Will I be glad I read my book for an hour in bed instead of turning off the light earlier?

Sleep is such a critical part of feeling good, being happy, and getting things done. I know I need to make sleep a priority. And even more so since I don’t ever know for sure what time my baby alarm clock might wake me up.

Sometimes we decide to be a rebel.

Sometimes we decide that the best decision this time is to stay up late finishing that awesome novel or watching one more show with the husband. Sometimes we really do want to veg on the computer for thirty minutes. And that can be a good thing.

Sometimes we wish we’d decided differently.

We need to be gentle with ourselves, and just keep moving in the direction we want to go.

Have you used any of these questions in your life to help you make the best use of your time and energy?

Essential Oil Basics For Moms

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Essential Oil Basics for Moms
“I want to learn more about essential oils, but I’m not sure where to start…” I was in that boat not long ago, and I wrote this article about essential oil basics for moms to help other moms learn to use essential oils.

(Click here to buy high quality essential oils!)

In this article I share what essential oils are, benefits and practical ways to use essential oils, three popular essential oils and some of their uses, and how to get started with essential oils.

This guide also includes information about the Young Living Premium Starter Kit. You will also learn how you can get free essential oils, a free reference guide to essential oils, and one-on-one support to make learning to use essential oils easy and fun!

I’m ready! Take me to the oils!

Let’s get started…

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts. They are produced through steam distillation, resin tapping, or cold pressing, depending on what essential oil is being produced.

Essential Oil Basics For Self-care

Essential oils can be used as part of your self-care routine, from baths and skincare to aromatherapy and meditation. There are many ways to use essential oils to nurture yourself.

Essential Oil Basics to Reduce Chemicals In the Home

I try to avoid harmful or questionable chemicals whenever possible. Many essential oils have properties that make them good alternatives for various products used in the home. Many people use essential oils to freshen the air naturally, to help deter pests, to freshen laundry, for cleaning, and more.

Essential Oil Basics to Promote Wellness

Many essential oils have therapeutic qualities. For example, many moms use Thieves oil as part of their back-to-school routine to help promote wellness. Lavender is a wonderful oil we use as a general first aid and anti-itch option. And tea tree oil is well-known for its antibacterial properties. Copaiba essential oil is being researched for its use in reducing inflammation. These are just a handful of examples.

Essential Oil Basics For Emotional Well-being

Research has shown that aromatherapy is effective for reducing the effects of stress, such as anxiety and depression. This article describes a study in which elementary teachers in Taiwan experienced noticeably reduced levels of anxiety after inhaling diffused bergamot essential oil. Lavender is also commonly used to promote feelings of relaxation and calm. I like to diffuse lavender during homework time, and sometimes we use it at nighttime to help with sleep.

How to Use Essential Oils Aromatically

1. Diffuse

Young Living has many excellent diffusers to choose from. They’re super simple to use. I have the Dewdrop Diffuser. It’s small, quiet, and works great. I love the auto shutoff feature.

2. Inhale

You can add a drop of essential oil to your palm, rub your hands together, and cup your hands over your nose and inhale. Or you can simply inhale from the bottle. (I’ll be grabbing my bottle of bergamot when things get stressful around here.)

Another option is to add oils to a bowl of hot water, and then lean over it with a towel covering your head and bowl as your breathe deeply.

3. Spray

You can make a room spray to freshen the air around you or your linens. You can also make your own custom “monsters-away” or “Happy Dreams” spray with relaxing lavender if your child is experiencing night-time fears.

Topically

Many essential oils can be used safely on the skin. While some can be applied directly, most need to be diluted. There are dilution instructions on the label as well as in the Reference Guide to Essential Oils.

When I started using essential oils topically, I wondered how to dilute them, practically speaking, and not knowing this actually kept me from trying it for a while. I don’t want it to stop you, so here are the details about how to dilute essential oils.

How to Dilute Essential Oils (Practically Speaking)

I take a small glass or ceramic bowl and add a little bit oil. (I usually use coconut oil, but olive oil, or Young Living’s V-6 oil are other good options.)

I use a teaspoon or other small spoon from my silverware drawer and scoop out a very small amount.

I place the spoon in the bowl, and then add drops of essential oil. I use the dilution instructions on the bottle as my guide. For example, if it says dilute 1 drop of oil to 4 drops carrier oil, I try to make sure there is about four times the carrier oil. I don’t measure exactly.

After adding the drops of essential oil, I just use the spoon to mix it all together before applying.

Sometimes I do further mixing with my fingers as needed.

After applying the diluted oil, I wipe off my fingers with a paper towel, and depending on the oils, I then wash my hands.

Internally

Some oils may be taken internally. Here are some different ways one can do so:
(Note: Always check the label for usage instructions. Some oils should not be taken internally.)

1. Mix one or two drops to a glass of water.
2. Add 1 to 2 drops to food when cooking.
3. Place several drops into a vegetable capsule with carrier oil and swallow with water.

Lavender essential oil to relax

Three Popular Essential Oils: Specific Uses

Lavender

Lavender is perhaps the most popular essential, and for good reason. It has many benefits, from aromatherapy, to supporting skin wellness, to creating a relaxing environment in the bath or home.

Peppermint

Peppermint is also extremely popular. From one drop in a batch of brownies, to inhaling to feel energized or diffusing to freshen the air, peppermint is awesome. It’s also a good natural way to relieve feelings of nausea.

Thieves

Thieves is a blend of clove, cinnamon, rosemary, lemon, and eucalyptus oils. It can be diffused, directly inhaled, or diluted and applied topically to help promote immune function. Thieves Vitality, which is labeled for internal use, can also be used as a dietary supplement or to add flavor to food and drinks. Thieves oil is also present in many different products, from cough drops to toothpaste to all-purpose cleaner, and more. It smells amazing. I love it.

Favorite Essential Oils From the Young Living Premium Starter Kit and Beyond

It’s amazing to see how different people respond to different oils. When my oldest daughter smelled Frankincense, she said, “It smells like home.” While she really likes it, I’m personally not that crazy about the smell. It’s fun to take note of which scents appeal to different people.

However, even if you don’t like the smell of a particular oil, the benefits are still there. Frankincense has myriad uses, including promoting feelings of spirituality. It is also used in many skincare products.

During my morning routine, sometimes I choose oils related to how I want to feel or what I want to invite into my life that day, such as Joy, Release, or Abundance.

A more recent favorite is Valor. I love how it smells. Plus, it’s blue!!

I love having a relaxing bath with lavender for me. Or sometimes I’ll add lavender or other essential oils to the shower or to a cotton ball placed in the shower, so I can enjoy them even when I don’t have time for a bath.

We love diffusing different oils at different times, depending on our moods, feelings, and needs. For example, something bright and energizing is good for the morning, to help us wake up and start the day, such as Citrus Fresh or Peppermint.

I really appreciate having natural ways to promote wellness when my girls are sick. Right now since we’re fighting a cold, and we’re diffusing R.C., which is a blend that contains three kinds of eucalyptus.

We also use Thieves diluted on the bottoms of our feet to help boost immunity. (And now Young Living has Thieves Cough Drops, which I really wish I had right at this moment.)

Purification is a blend that smells great and helps repel insects, such as mosquitoes. When we do get mosquito bites, we can use lavender essential oil directly on the skin to help relieve itching.

How to Get Started With Essential Oils

The Premium Starter Kit from Young Living offers 11 bottles of essential oils, plus a home diffuser, as well as some other goodies, like 2 packets of Ningxia Red, small samples and sample bottles for sharing, and some literature to get you started.

What Essential Oils Are In the Premium Starter Kit?

The Premium Starter Kit is a great way to get started with a variety of oils. The oils in the starter kit are Stress Away, Peppermint, Lemon, Lavender, Frankincense, Purification, R.C., Panaway, Digize, Thieves, and Copaiba.

The bottle of Stress Away comes with a roller ball so you can get started right away rolling it on.

The Young Living Premium Starter Kit also contains samples of Ningxia Red, a superfruit blend of wolfberry extract (goji berry), other fruit extracts, such as blueberry and acai, and a blend of essential oils.

I like to drink a shot of it as part of my morning routine to promote everyday wellness. Plus, it tastes delicious. Drinking Ningxia Red is a powerful way to promote wellness and energy.

I Have My Premium Starter Kit. Now What Do I Do With It?

Pick One Essential Oil

Once you get your Starter Kit, one way to get started is to pick one essential oil that you’re curious to try. Open it, smell it, and notice your feelings and thoughts. You might like to take notes or journal about the oils as you begin and continue to use them.

Use It

After you note any thoughts or feelings, begin to use the oil in ways that you already know how. For example, if you’re starting with lavender, you could run a hot bath, add some epsom salts, and 5 to 10 drops of lavender for a relaxing, self-soothing bit of mama me-time.

Learn More

It’s very helpful and fascinating to learn more about the essential oil. The Reference Guide For Essential Oils is my go-to source of information about essential oils.

How to Use the Reference Guide to Essential Oils

I use my Reference Guide all the time. Sometimes I use it to learn more about specific oils and oil-infused products and their benefits and uses.

Sometimes I have an issue that might benefit from the use of essential oils, and I use the Reference Guide to look up the issue and learn which essential oils can be used for that issue and how to use them.

Goodies and Guidance When You Order Your Kit Through Me

You’d like to get started with essential oils? There are many benefits to becoming a Young Living Member, including 24% off retail prices, and an Essential Rewards program for lots of perks to make essential oils affordable.

When you buy a Young Living Premium Starter Kit through me, I will send you either a Quick Reference Guide for Essential Oils or a handy app for your phone.

I will also be here to help you get started by answering any questions you might have. Just get in touch, and I’ll help you get started with essential oils and make sure you get your extra goodies from me.

Questions About Essential Oils?

Do you have any questions about essential oils? Post them in the comments below, or come and chat with me in the Happiness Mama Community on Facebook.

You can also email me at heather (at) happinessmama (dot) com. I’m happy to help!

Please Share

Did you find this guide to essential oil basics for moms helpful? If so, please click the social share buttons at the top to share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. You can also add it to Buffer or email it to a friend.

Take care!

Love, Heather

5 Reasons Why Sleep Will Help Parents Stay Happy

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5 Reasons Why Sleep Will Help Parents Stay Happy

5 Reasons Why Sleep Will Help Parents Stay Happy

As parents, we all know how difficult it can be to get some sleep with the kids around. It’s especially tough for new moms who give their all to their little bundles of joy, even in the middle of the night. But always remember that even in parenthood, you deserve to take care of yourself. And as Happiness Mama has shared about self-care, sleep is one area you should make a high priority. It’s easy to neglect sleep for the sake of your child, but getting enough sleep is vitally important. You can be a better mom, and a happier mom, if you get enough sleep. Here’s why:

Sleep Keeps You Calm and Relaxed

As moms, we know how stressful it can be at times to deal with energetic kids. Well, the simplest way to get rid of stress is to sleep all your troubles away! With a healthy amount of sleep, you can feel better and attend to your kids in the best way.

Sleep Keeps Your Heart Happy

If your heart could talk, it would tell you get some sleep. Harvard Health indicates that maintaining a regular sleep schedule significantly lowers cardiovascular risks, including high blood pressure and heart disease. A happy heart makes a happy and healthy mama, so be sure to get enough rest!

Sleep Makes You Lose Weight

Getting a full night of sleep is one of the most under-appreciated factors that contribute to healthy weight maintenance. At least that’s what psychology professor Matthew Walker told Time Magazine. But he speaks the truth: a healthy amount of sleep can reduce your cravings for food. That’s because it can regulate certain hormones which tell you to eat more or eat less. Ever wonder why your cravings for junk food may be strong on some days? It’s probably because you weren’t able to get a full night’s sleep.

Providing healthy snacks, such as cut up vegetables, fruit, and other whole foods is a great way to make sure everyone eats well and feels their best.

Sleep Makes You Less Clumsy

A good amount of sleep keeps your motor skills in check. You’re less likely to be a klutzy mama and cause an accident such as tripping over a toy or spilling coffee. So when your kids make a mess of the home and leave a labyrinth of toys on the floor, at least you’ll be fully prepared to tackle the situation, instead of making another mess yourself!

Sleep Makes You Remember Good Memories

Tons of research has shown how a good night’s rest can help improve memory skills. When you sleep, you give your brain the chance to reorganize memories of the day and store them properly. Also, with enough sleep, you can focus and pay close attention to what’s going on with your children. Is your child anxious about something? Is your child expressing interest in a new hobby? When you learn something new, the information registers faster in a well-rested brain.

There’s also a much more important reason why you need to sleep. Leesa explains that a person is twice as likely to form negative memories than positive ones when they are sleep-deprived. Research showed that when shown a list of words, sleep-deprived people performed 40% worse at remembering the words overall, but their ability to remember negative words decreased by only 20 percent. No one wants to dwell on the negative. Getting enough sleep helps parents to remember the happy moments with their children.

As mamas, we’ve all been sleep-deprived at some points in our lives. What did you do to solve this? Share your stories in the comments below.

I hope you enjoyed this post by a guest contributor! ~Heather, Happiness Mama

PMS: Strategies for Feeling Better 23

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Happiness Mama Podcast Episode 23 PMS Strategies for Feeling Better

PMS can be rough.

Listen as I share two key steps to feel better when PMS has you down.

Plus, learn 20 self-care strategies to help you take good care of yourself during PMS or any times of stress or anxiety.

PMS can even be a gift to us. A gift, you say? Yes, surprisingly, there are some benefits to having PMS, especially when we deal with it mindfully.

We may have PMS, but we don’t have to suffer through it.

Highlights:

  • Two key steps to managing PMS
  • How to accept your feelings, rather than pushing them down
  • 20 strategies to ramp up your self-care when you need it most
  • Happy birthday, Happiness Mama Podcast!
  • #2PodsaDay campaign: listen more, listen indie.
  • Show your love by becoming a Happiness Mama Patron! And get mentioned on the show…

Links and Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Spread the Word:

If you enjoyed the podcast and want to help other mamas be happier, too, visit iTunes orStitcher and kindly leave me a rating, review, and subscribe. Thank you!

How to Subscribe to the Happiness Mama Podcast:

Thank you so much for listening! I hope this podcast helps you love yourself more, body, mind, and spirit. Love to you!

Back to School For Moms 22

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Happiness Mama Podcast Episode 22 Back To School For Moms

Here are 8 ways to honor and love yourself when the kids are back in school.

Summer is coming to an end, and it’s time for the kids to go back to school. Back-to-school time is a great time for intentional change and ritual in our own personal lives as women.

Highlights:

  • 8 Ways to Celebrate Back-to-School for Moms!
  • Happiness Mama is an official nominee for the 2017 Podcast Awards!
  • Listen all the way to the end to hear a message from a very special guest!
  • Show your love by becoming a Happiness Mama Patron! And get mentioned on the show…

Websites and Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Spread the Word:

If you enjoyed the podcast and want to help other mamas be happier, too, visit iTunes orStitcher and kindly leave me a rating, review, and subscribe. Thank you!

How to Subscribe to the Happiness Mama Podcast:

Thank you so much for listening! I hope this podcast helps you love yourself more, body, mind, and spirit. Love to you!