So, I fell down the stairs...

     Well, it didn't really start there…I did FALL down the stairs, though, and we will get back to that ASAP.

     Rewind to somewhere around 17-years-old (I promise this post won't be a book...Nick said I just lied to you all…I'm sorry in advance).  During the summer before 12th grade, 2003, I came back to the USA to visit with friends and family and to work.  I worked part-time for Mister Mark's Fun Park (with Jennifer Hoffart…what a fun summer!!!) and part-time as a nanny for the Zavell family.  While I was watching their two young boys, Susan Zavell was taking classes in order to become an esthetician.  I LOVED LOVED LOVED everything about what she was learning.  I was already into waxing, hair and face masks, pedicures, manicures and pretty much anything that a very girly spa resort would offer.  I decided that I would go to beauty school, but my dad said "college first" and reminded me of the beauty school dropout scene from the movie "Grease".  Anyways…although I didn't go to beauty school, I spent an unimaginable amount of hours online and in magazines reading everything I could about caring for your skin and body.  I wore sunscreen like it was my job, hosted my own personal spa nights and even enjoyed waxing my friends legs in college…I know, its weird, but I LOVED it!

     However, while doing all this, I was completely unaware of all of the harsh chemicals I was so lovingly rubbing on, breathing in and soaking up and what they could possibly do to me!

     Fast Forward a couple years again to 2005.  Grandma Jackson was diagnosed with cancer and I don't remember all of the specifics, but her doctor didn't allow her to paint her nails because of the chemicals that would soak in through her nails and surrounding skin!!!  WHAT?!?!?!  I started to wonder "If she can't paint her nails because of the harmful chemicals, then why is anyone allowed to?"  And that's when my REAL researching and reading and researching and reading began!!!  Since that lightbulb moment, I haven't painted my nails (unless a girlfriend took me for a pedicure date…who can pass that up?) and I have changed A LOT of what I use in my home for cleaning, for toiletries and what I eat (except when I turn into a food monster princess, which happens every now and then…ok, maybe pretty frequently…everyday?...anyways…I try…).  Sooooooooooo…the more and more that I have learned, the more I have changed my ways and replaced things in my home with healthier options.  Just this year, my sisters, mom and I did more than a half of a year experiment where we washed our faces with the Oil Cleansing Method (yes, oil on our faces) and used Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar for washing our hair and Coconut Oil for everything from Hair Mask, to Shaving Cream, to Lotion, to Eye Cream, to…you name it, we tried it!!!  We used all sorts of essential oils and mixtures to the point that Nick started calling me "The Little Apothecary".  Don't let me fool you though…I'm not as crunchy granola hippy as I may sound…I still like REAL deodorant and no, I don't want to work in the yard to grow an organic garden.  Just wanted to set the record straight…

     So now that I've told you all of my background, you know that I already LOVED doing things the chemical free, all natural, all organic, 100% pure, all whatever you want to call it, kinda way.  So, when my friend, Vaughn, added an event to Facebook about Young Living Essential Oils, I was TOTALLY interested and told her I wanted to be invited (she was going to invite me anyway…I think).  That Wednesday night I said "Bye" to Nick and told him, "I guess I'm not buying anything at the Oils Party since we didn't discuss it".  On the drive over, I kept saying, "I'm not buying, I'm not buying…ummm, I'm not buying…ummm, I don't think I'm buying…ummm".  I pulled up, got out of DaBolbo (the volvo, lovingly named by Clyde Padgetts boys), knocked on the door, walked into the living room of heavenly scents, saw the glowing diffuser and cute little bottles of essential oils…"ummm…I'm buying"…and then tried to sit calmly and maturely and act like an adult even though I was super excited and just wanted to get my hands on those oils and sniff away!!!  So, by the end of the party, I bought the Premium Starter Kit and was super excited for it to arrive in the mail.




The rest of the weekend our family joked about "There's an oil for that" for everything that happened to anyone and "We need to diffuse some oils in here"…I think that I'm on my way to becoming THE CRAZY CAT OIL LADY (I do have one cat, but that's beside the point)!!!!

I LOVE when I find something new to go crazy over!!!…Poor Nick