Pregnancy + Young Living

I used Young Living while pregnant and loved having the natural options to help me feel more confident in being able to care for myself with safe, effective products. There are many products, depending on how deep you want to dive, but here are my favorites from my own pregnancy:

Dragon Time and Geranium: Dilute with carrier oil and apply to lower back, lower belly, neck and inside of ankle to support positive hormones.

Progessence Plus
Apply on forearms and inside of ankle to support positive hormones.

AromaEase: Inhale from bottle to help when you feel queasy. I even would apply to the tip of my nose so that I could keep inhaling the scent.

Gentle Baby: Dilute with carrier oil and apply to dry, tight skin to avoid stretch marks.

Lavender Lotion: Apply liberally to avoid stretch marks. I didn’t get any!

Valor, Grounding, Peace&Calming, Joy, Sacred Mountain and White Angelica: 
Choose one, a couple or use them all like I did! Apply to back of neck, behind ears, over heart and on wrists to remain calm and confident. Also use in diffuser to support positive emotions.

Super B: Energy

Slique Shake: Protein snack or meal

Ningxia Red: Antioxidant support

AlkaLime: Settles an upset stomach

AminoWise: Electrolytes

Check out these two books I use and love: Aroma Infant and Gentle Babies.

Toxins are never good for anyone, but especially when we’re pregnant! We’re transferring everything we apply, inhale and ingest to our baby. So, while choosing your oils and products, be sure to use our low-tox cleaning supplies and toiletries. These are my favorites 👇🏻

-Thieves Household Cleaner
-Thieves Hand Soap
-Thieves Hand Sanitizer
-Bloom Cleanser and Moisturizer
-Lavender Lip Balm
-Valor Deodorant
-Lavender Body Lotion
-Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner
-Morning Start Shower Gel
-so many more options!

***Order your Young Living essential oils and products HERE and use my 10% off code SHAREYL

4 Hour Work Week

Years ago, I read 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris and really liked how he talked about forgetting the typical end of life retirement and instead, going for whole life mini-retirements.

That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do!  I don’t want to wait until I’m 60, assuming I’ll still be alive and healthy enough to travel.  I want to do it now while I’m young, healthy and can afford travel on a tight budget 😉

I took notes while reading his book and here are the main things I took away:

1.  Be an owner, not a manager.

2.  Outsource everything possible.

3.  Don’t answer questions employees can find on their own.

4.  Use the least amount of words as possible.

5.  When meetings are unavoidable, keep them at 30 minutes or less and follow an agenda.

6.  Check email 1x per week.

7.  Use phone calls only when urgent and email won’t work.

8.  Don’t work for the sake of working.

9.  Say no to almost everything.

10. Treat customers like they’re in an exclusive club.

After reading his book, I implemented some of these ideas. Not only have I worked less over these last years, but I’m more focused when I do work and get more done. It’s the whole work smarter, not harder idea!

If you’d love to live a life of freedom, you should check out 4 Hour Work Week. It doesn’t have to mean constant travel, but following Tim’s ideas can mean more time to do what you love, with those you love 😍

PA Travel Recommendations

I never thought there would be much to do in Pennsylvania. I'm glad we went anyway and definitely want to go back. That's most places, though. As Ivy gets older, we want to take her back everywhere :)

So, here are our recommendations for PA🚗

Gettysburg - Camp at Artillery Ridge Campground and grab something to eat at The Ragged Edge Coffee Shop. Hop in the car and download the Gettysburg Battlefield Combo App so that you can do a self-guided walking/driving tour at your own pace.

Lancaster - Grab a bite at The Root Vegan Cafe and then drive out to Intercourse, PA and stay at The Inn at Kitchen Kettle Village. Walk around Kitchen Kettle Village shops, eat a pretzel and take a Buggy Ride. Hop in the car and drive around to enjoy a scenic tour and look for the covered bridges.

(Almost) Locked Up Abroad

It was the first day of vacation and we were already running from the cops.

Just a few hours earlier, I had found 100 Bolivianos by the pool. So Mary Ashley and I got all cute, picked up a taxi and headed downtown to shop.

After looking around a bit and finding a pair of earrings we wanted, I handed the 100 Bs over to the vendor. She walked away, saying that she had to go get change. But, as she chatted it up with another vendor, we began to worry.

Then she motioned over a cop and I felt the blood drain from my face.

He held up our 100 Bs. bill in the sunlight a few times. Then made his way over to us. I knew it was going to be bad. Turns out, the money was counterfeit and the cop couldn’t care less that I had found it on the ground at our hotel and wasn’t a common criminal. I even said he could keep it. He didn’t like that option.

(side note - counterfeit bills were all over Bolivia at that point and we knew that simply being a foreigner was most likely the problem).

We continued to argue with the cop and even suggested they follow us to the hotel to pick up my dad since he had always told us to never trust the Bolivian cops or get in a car with them. But instead, the cop continued to step closer until he whistled for a taxi and reached for my arm. He tried to pull me forward and force me into the taxi, but I ripped my arm away and Mary Ashley and I took off running down the street while the cop called for backup.

I’m certain we outran them due to sheer terror. We finally got enough ahead to duck into a store to hide. We watched from the window as they lost us. While, at the same time, some type of noise kept growing louder and louder and all of a sudden, dozens of people dressed in all black, with white “scream” face masks and axes appeared. Mary Ashley started to act hysterical, assuming they had joined the cops and were here for us.

We hid there, prayed and waited for the “scream” parade to pass, then snuck out of the shop, jumped in a taxi and flew back to the hotel. For the rest of the week, we enjoyed vacation by the pool and didn’t venture out into the city alone again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mary Ashley…you’ll always be my partner in crime.

Valentines

Nick and Ivy celebrated Valentine’s today together on a little date 🥰

You may think there’s no reason to celebrate (or even feel like you hate the holiday) because you’re not dating anyone and you’re not married.

But, it’s still the perfect time to celebrate those you love.

Don’t know how to make the most of tomorrow?

Here are some ideas:

1. give flowers to your mom
2. go on a daddy-daughter/mother-son lunch date
3. hit the town for a galentines dinner date with your girlfriends (or for the guys…go grab some beers and grill out)
4. get pedicures with your sisters
5. grab coffee with your grandparents
6. bake a chocolate cake for a family you adore
7. send a thoughtful note to a friend who needs some encouragement
8. plan a day trip or weekend getaway with your favorite person

As you can see, we all can make Valentines special!

The day doesn’t have to be all about expensive gifts and romance.

Instead, focus on how to make your loved ones feel special by spending time with them, showing them how much you care and making new memories together.

What plans do you have for the holiday?