02 | choosing your word for the year

Resolutions are great - goals and plans and dreams are awesome. But the practice of selecting one word to carry throughout the year that encompasses the many things that are meaningful to you for the year is one of my favorite things.

I first learned of this idea from an old scrapbooking friend Ali Edwards. She has a huge amount of information about the practice on her blog (going back several years, in fact) and it’s definitely worth the read if you’re interested in this idea.

WHY I CHOOSE A WORD each year

I love goals and dreaming big and planning things, so picking a word that can help me do those things has always seemed like a great fit. I’ve been doing this for several years although I don’t always finish strong with the word. I try…and in my opinion that’s better than nothing…for me. I’ve taken Ali’s class before and the content is amazing at keeping your word close to you all year long. Other years (like this one) I’ve purchased an item like this key necklace from The Giving Keys that can help remind me of the word that I have selected and why it is important to me.

HOW DOES THE WORD [CHOOSE] TRANSLATE FOR ME?

There are a ton of cute quotes on pinterest all about choosing joy or today I choose to be happy…those are simple, easy to remember and sometimes simple is the best. I wanted a word that put me in control. I wanted a word that reminded me every day that I could choose the way I saw the world and reacted to it. I could choose the things that I can control (like how often I exercise, what I eat, how much water I drink, how hard I work and how often I let my responsibilities slide). And I can choose how I respond to the things that I cannot control.

“discipline is choosing between what you want now, and what you want most”

— abraham lincoln

how to select your word

Every year towards the end of the year I start thinking about my current year and how things have gone for me and I start thinking about what’s coming up. What are the things that I want to go after? Who do I want to be, what do I need to stop doing? What do I need to do more of? Sometimes a word will just jump out at me, sometimes I will read through past OLW posts on Ali’s blog to see if something speaks to me. There really isn’t a wrong way to choose a word (or a wrong word).

1. Reflect on your past year

2. Look at areas in your life that you’re struggling with

3. Look at areas in your life that you want to create a change

4. Look towards a subject that interests you

5. Think about where you would like to be, how you would like to feel a year from now

ways to live your word throughout the year

The biggest thing about choosing a word for your year is not to forget all about it by the 3rd week in January. You took the time and selected a word that you felt was going to help you be the best version of yourself - don’t give up on it. (Now…if the word isn’t working for you in the way that you thought or a new word all of a sudden feels better for you there is no shame in changing lanes…you do you.)

1. Share your word with others and if you feel comfortable, let them in on why you selected that word

2. Take a class (ali’s class is amazing) and join a community of like minded people working on their word monthly

3. Purchase or create something that keeps your word visible daily

4. Create a pinterest board that celebrates your word with quotes and other things that relate to how you want your word to work for you in the coming year

5. Read the definition of your word and look for synonyms that you can also use to keep your word close.

6. Revisit your word every month if not more often. Set a reoccurring event on your calendar with a reminder to take some time to think back on why you selected your word and how you have been incorporating it into you life and how you can make improvements.

how this relates to your self care

Self care is all about making sure that you are taking the time to ensure that you are working towards being the best version of yourself. Sometimes this means working hard towards something and sometimes it means taking time to relax, reflect and refresh. You need to do what is best for you and if you select a word to carry with you throughout the year, make sure that you choose one that is in line with your goals for the year. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be but find something that pushes you a bit (whether it’s pushing you to work harder or pushing you to slow down) and brings you joy.

Have you picked a word for your year? I would love to hear about it - what it is and why you selected it.

xo,
c

the psk | will I really use them all?

Yes. Yes you will.

I remember a year ago when my Premium Starter Kit arrived with all of the oils and the information and I was a bit overwhelmed. I remember thinking…what on earth am I going to do with all of these oils? I really just wanted to find a couple that might help support the sleep issues that I had been having (my entire life). But I was also excited. I was excited that our family was taking steps to add this healthy aspect to our lives. I really had no idea where we were headed.

The oils were each used for various things - I used them to diffuse in the various diffusers in the house (as I quickly realized one diffuser was not going to be enough), I used them to make rollers and used them in teas. I used them topically to relieve strain in my joints from too many photo sessions. I used them on dryer balls to replace the dryer sheets that I had used my whole life. I began to use them in my water and to roll them on my face for skin support. Eventually I found that I needed to replace these little bottles one by one and started adding new and different bottles to our collection…my drawer full of empties is pretty impressive.

what can you use the oils for?

There are so many things that these oils can be used for, some of the different ways that my family has been able to see benefits from the oils.

• sleep support: Lavender, Stress Away, Copaiba

• skin support: Lavender, Frankincense

• immune support: Lemon, Thieves, Frankincense

• muscle/joint support: PanAway, Cppaiba

• emotional support: Frankincense, Peppermint, Stress Away

• digestive support: Copaiba, DiGize, Peppermint

HOW Can you USE THE OILS?

Diffuse them, apply them topically, use them internally - but only the Vitality Oils! Here are a few sample diffuser blend with your Starter Kit oils - be sure to experiment, there are lots of ways to use these oils for your family.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER THINGS IN YOUR KIT?

There are two little red packets of Ningxia Red and a little yellow packet of Thieves Household Cleaner. Do not throw these out and do not leave them in the bottom of your kit (don’t forget - there are two levels to your Premium Starter Kit - there is so much goodness in that bottom layer!). Pop the two red packets into your fridge and enjoy them cold - over ice, mixed with a sparkling beverage (some people love LaCroix with theirs) or just plain - the benefits are amazing and you should really make the effort to get Ningxia into your family’s daily routine. Even my pickiest little one drinks it.

Go grab that yellow packet and a 16 ounce spray bottle and dilute it in water for the safest, nicest smelling household cleaner you have ever tried. We use this for everything in our home now - mixed with varying amounts of water or other products it makes the best cleaner for all of your needs.

There is a little black roller fitament and lid in your bottom tray as well - pop that baby on the oil of your choice and roll on the goodness. I use a roller top (you can purchase more through Young Living) on my Lavender, my Frankincense and Stress Away (and many other non-starter kit oils).

Best of all…your kit comes with a wholesale membership to Young Living. That’s right. 24% off retail on all of the best products for your home and family.

WHAT’s NEXT?

If you have a Premium Starter kit that you haven’t gotten the full use out of yet it is time to pull it out and start trying things. The best way to get the full benefits of the oils is to use them daily. Consistency is the key here. Create routines around the oils and you will start seeing the most amazing results. If you have yet to get your own Premium Starter Kit now is the perfect time…trust me, you want this in your life.

I can’t wait to start this journey with you.

xo,
c

01 | all about self care

What does self care mean to you?

Everyone is talking about it these days, self care is all the rage. But everyone is right. It’s the same concept as when you’re on an airplane for the safety speech and they tell you to secure your mask before you try and help others. You’re really no use to help others succeed if you aren’t taking care of yourself. As mothers we often feel like there are so many things that must get done (and there are) and that we’re the only ones who can do it all (and we’re not). Taking care of yourself and making time to make YOU a priority is vital to your own long term success in life.

Today marks the first week in a series here on the blog that’s all about self care and the different ways that you can incorporate it into your life. Not every idea will resonate with you but the hope is that over time you will begin to create or enhance your own routines and methods of self care.

For me, self care comes in three areas: mind + body + soul/spirit. I tend to get tunnel focused in my life and will focus heavily in one area while letting the other areas slide. My goal is to find some balance and find joy in a little bit of middle ground. To be slow and steady and to try and elevate each area consistently while attacking my goals and dreams to continue towards being the person that I desire to be. Over the following weeks each topic will play into one or more of these areas but for now, here are some thoughts on each one.

“Self care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.”

— Katie Reed

MIND

The following are some of the ways that you can incorporate self care for your mind into your life:

1. reading fiction or non fiction books without distraction

2. learning something new

3. limiting screen time

4. creating time for goal setting/planning

5. social media detox

BODY

The following are some of the ways that you can incorporate self care for your body into your life:

1. being conscious of the food and drinks that you allow into your body

2. giving yourself adequate outdoor time

3. moving your body more with exercise or other activities that you enjoy

4. ensuring that you allow yourself time to get adequate sleep

5. taking excellent care of your skin

SOUL/SPIRIT

The following are some of the ways that you can incorporate self care for your soul or spirit into your life:

1. finding time for something that you love to do

2. making the time for a gratitude journal every day

3. surrounding yourself with like minded and positive people

4. creating time in your day to focus on you (there’s time somewhere, you just need to find it)

5. listening to music that you enjoy

Now what? Now it’s time to think about you…what do you love about where you are and what areas do you think you want to make some changes? Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to make a thousand changes all at once, but do get a clear picture on where you want to be and start making small and meaningful changes daily.

What areas of self care do you need to focus on in your life? Is there a particular element that is lacking in your life? What are some topics that you would like to see explored deeper in this series? Drop a note in the comments and we’ll make sure that it’s addressed in the coming weeks.

xo,
c