Bergamot

Bergamot

As the end of the school year is winding down I have found it difficult to get the full amount of sleep my body needs. Luckily, dōTERRA has a few products that are calming to the body and promote relaxation.

Diffuse calming essential oils, such as Lavender or Bergamot, before bedtime to create a relaxing atmosphere. dōTERRA Balance, Breathe, Cilantro, Clary Sage, Melissa, Sandalwood, dōTERRA Serenity, Thyme, and Roman Chamomile, are all great oils to diffused to promote peacefulness. Alternately, they can also be taken internally to soothe your body and improve sleep.

For additional tips to help improve your sleep, visit our Essential Oils for Sleep blog here.

Mom on a Mission

Mom on a Mission

Before I became a parent, I thought all of those stories about a mother’s love and mother bear were just exaggerations. And for the first few years of being a parent, there wasn’t that big of a difference between Kami and me. Megan was in most ways the ‘perfect’ baby/toddler. What I mean is she must have read “What to expect the First Year” while she was still in utero because she hit every landmark almost to a day! Crawling at eight months, walking on her first birthday, etc. She may have been a pain when it came to sleeping through the night, but that was about it.

We assumed that all would be fine when Jeffrey was born. But as you know by now, it wasn’t. When we first learned about his early issues, I went into a sort of hiding…I covered my eyes and hoped it would get better. Then I went to the “whatever the doctors say” mode. But not Kami. From Day One, she became a mom on a mission.

For years, Kami fought to get Jeffrey what he needed. When CHOP couldn’t see him for four months, she got him an appt. When the IU placed him in the incorrect setting, she fought for to get him into a classroom that was best for him. In kindergarten, he was in a ‘regular’ special education room. Not good. She fought so much that the director of special ed. made sure that her calls went directly to him and he was eventually placed into the autistic support class.  When he was diagnosed with ADHD, she refused to medicate him and instead researched and changed the family’s diet to support him (and it worked beautifully!)

We were in a pretty good place until the summer of 2016 – the summer of the migraines. If you don’t know our story, Jeffrey has something called CVS (Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome) that was explained to us as something like abdominal migraines. It causes him to vomit every 30-60 minutes for up to 24 hours. They told us that it was likely to transition into migraines when he became a teenager. Well in August of that year, he suffered such an extreme migraine that he was hospitalized for 8 days because the doctors couldn’t get it to break.

Instead of sitting around the hospital feeling bad about the situation, Kami was once again on a mission to save her son. She researched extensively on what could help him. Now in the meantime, he was given a nerve block (a series of 12-15 lidocaine injections in his skull) to break the migraine, which eventually worked. The neurologist suggested continuing the blocks every 4 weeks to prevent future migraines from occurring. I thought that would be the way our life would be with him for while, but not Mom!

Kami’s research had uncovered some things that she implemented for him that have kept him migraine free since September of 2016. One of those things was “Jeffrey’s Blend” which has not only helped Jeffrey, but countless people all over the country because of her presentations at various nursing conferences. According to his neurologist at CHOP, his improvement has been unprecedented and she had never seen a child respond the way he has.

I’m not trying to exaggerate about how awesome she is, but without Kami, I’m sure that life for Jeffrey (and the rest of her kids) would not be a rich and full of life that is has become. We are all truly grateful in the Schaal household for what she has done, and continue to do, to be the best mom for all of her kids.

Thank you Kami for being the BEST MOM EVER! Happy Mother’s Day ~ We all love you! 

Rosemary

Rosemary

This week we’ll be spotlighting dōTERRA Rosemary essential oil. While it’s frequently used for cooking, Rosemary has long been revered by many cultures for its internal benefits and energizing scent. The herbaceous, energizing aroma of Rosemary essential oil makes it the perfect companion for citrus oils like Wild Orange or Lemon. To help you and your kids finish the school year strong, diffuse Rosemary while studying to maintain concentration.

Rosemary is an aromatic, evergreen shrub whose leaves are frequently used to flavor foods such as stuffing, pork, roast lamb, chicken, and turkey. Along with its culinary applications, Rosemary has many benefits. Rosemary supports healthy digestion* and internal organ function.*Taken internally, it helps to reduce nervous tension and occasional fatigue.*

For a satisfying dinner at home, try dōTERRA’s Rosemary Zucchini Fettuccine through the link below.

https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/recipe-rosemary-zucchini-fettuccine

Braving it out

Braving it out

After 200K views on FB, we wanted to enable sharing of this video beyond Facebook so we felt it was a good idea to upload it here. This is our family’s story of our mumps journey. We never intended to enter into the vaccination debate (EVER) but here we are. More than anything we want to encourage open, honest, and transparent communication so that we can learn from each other.

 

 

Helichysum

Helichysum

Are you ready for the scrapes your little ones will get while hunting for Easter eggs? With dōTERRA Helichrysum oil you can be! Helichrysum holds many benefits for the skin as it promotes skin cell regeneration, has rejuvenating benefits for the face, and offers a soothing sensation.

Due to its skin cell regeneration benefits, dōTERRA Helichrysum is a helpful aid to diminish skin imperfections or blemishes. Enjoy the soothing benefits of Helichrysum by applying the diluted oil to the skin after days spent in the sun. Apply the oil to your face to reduce appearances of fine lines and wrinkles.

Another added benefit is it’s ability to aid in stopping bloody noses! Just rub a drop on the bridge of the nose.

Receive relief from razor bumps by using the DIY Razor Relief Serum containing Helichrysum, found here.

Learn more about all the skin benefits by reading the product spotlight here.