Resolution Time

It's that time of year again. The time where everyone starts setting goals and plans to make major changes in the coming year. Realistically, we all need to make some changes. Whether it's in our personal lives, our health, or even something like leaning a new skill, it's a change. We have any and all kinds of education at our fingertips. Take advantage of it! Set some goals and go for it! I've created quite a list of things I'd like to accomplish this year. My family and I have lots of change coming in 2015!

2015 will be a year of adventure, education, business growth, and traveling!

We are looking at, possibly, two moves this year. One is for sure. The other may or may not happen in 2015. We have several close friends that are preparing to move as well. One family is headed north, another to sunny San Diego, and one more overseas.  I am both excited and sad. Our current state of residence really feels like home. We've thoroughly enjoyed our time here. We've met some amazing people and have taken full advantage of all the city has to offer! I have also done a tremendous amount of volunteering in the last year! Most importantly, we've had the opportunity to be close to home for a few years. I've spent more time with one of my best friends in 4 year than I have in the 12 years we've know each-other. The comfort of knowing my mom and dad are only a few short hours away is priceless. Our crazy and unpredictable lives must do what comes next though. In just 6 short weeks, we will begin our "see ya later" process with our neighbors.

Since we have so much change coming our way, my husband and I have made the decision to home school the boys this coming school year. I know. I know. You're thinking, you? You are going to home school your children? Good luck with that! Like most of the amazing things in my life that I was once skeptical about, I was not so sure about this decision. I've receive support from people I least expected. The more research I conduct, and the more people I speak with, I know that we are making the right decision. Some of the educators that I know are so supportive about our decision, to say the least. For them to share my excitement, is awesome! I have a close friend that has been homeschooling for some time now and she has been a great wealth of information and support! The boys are equally as excited! I can't wait to see all the we are going to learn!

Business! This is a fun one! As most of you (OK, probably all of you) know that I began my journey with Young Living Essential Oils a little over a year ago. Business was not on my mind to start off with. I tried the oils for my own reasons, fell in love with them, and wanted to share information about them. Guess where that lead me? Business! I want to help educated people on the alternatives. I want people to try essential oils. I want people to fall in love with essential oils. It doesn't have to be through me, but that would be nice ;) I just want people learning about these amazing, powerful, and natural oils! I hope to help educate more people, share more experiences, and get people on their on oily journeys in 2015!

Last, but not least, there will be some traveling! Aside from where were are moving, our family will have the opportunity to do lots of traveling! I am excited to take them to where I grew up, to visit family and friends up north, and also to experience all there is to do close to where we'll be living :) It will be exciting for sure!

Oh, I don't think that I mentioned our very dear friends will be making this move with us! That, my friends, will make this whole experience that much better! Best of luck to all of you in setting your resolutions for 2015 and meeting those goals! Don't forget to take a break every now and then and enjoy a beer or any beverage!

Insanity? Nope! That's just my thyroid!

Picture this. You're sitting at a table. You're cold and irritable. You cannot concentrate on anything and you're not quite sure how you even got out of bed this morning. You feel sluggish and confused. Your thoughts are not connecting and you're starting to feel like you may be losing you mind. Someone breathing in your direction, from 10 feet across the room, is enough to set you off.

Sound familiar to anyone? I am thankful that this doesn't happen very often. For some people though, it is a constant battle. Thyroid disease is not uncommon, but commonly misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. Whether you are on medication, regulating naturally, or even just suspect that something is off, there is no reason you why can't make a few simple changes.

1.Please try to get a few minutes of exercise in a day. It can be as simple as walking up and down the halls of your workplace.

2. Take a good multivitamin. Do your research. Not all vitamins are created equal. There are plenty of good supplements on the market, you just have to search for them. Try to look for something that doesn't contain a bunch of fillers.

3. Food. Eat well. Scale back on the deep friend, over processed crap. That's right. I called it crap because that's exactly what it is. I'm not saying you can't ever eat it again, just east wisely. Adding extra, fresh, fruits and veggies never hurt anyone. Stick to lean meats. Indulge every now and then. I wouldn't want to to go totally insane ;)

Your thyroid NEEDS selenium and iodine. Foods such as Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, oysters, tuna, whole wheat bread, beef, chicken, and turkey contain high amounts of selenium. Foods such as sea kelp, cranberries, yogurt, navy beans, strawberries, and potatoes (with skin), contain high amounts of iodine. Try to incorporate some of these food into your diet.

There are TONS of natural supplements out on the market as well. They are worth a try! Please be cautious and use common sense. Over the counter supplements can be just as powerful and dangerous as prescription drugs if used carelessly. Use ya brain!

I try (my hardest) to do all of these things. I take a multivitamin. I get my bum moving a little each day. I do my best to eat foods that contain high amounts to iodine and selenium. I take and use natural supplements. For me, they've made a difference. I take a supplement called thyromin before bed every night. In the morning, I take (internally) two drops of an essential oil blend called EndoFlex. EndoFlex contains spearamint, sage, myrtle, nutmeg, geranium, and German chamomile. Depending on how I felt the day before, I may not even take EndoFlex internally. If that's the case, I apply it topically to my neck when the thyroid is located. I also topically apply Sacred Frankincense, twice daily, to the area.

This is what works for me. It may or may not make a difference for you. All I'm saying is that there are products out there that can help! It may be in addition to what you are already doing. It's worth a try :)

You've got to go!

HELLO world of the interwebs! If you recall, I was having some health issues not too long ago. Turns out, my gallbladder and I needed to part ways. We had a great 30 years together. I really thought I was giving my BG everything it wanted and needed. How wrong I was! After months of not knowing what was going on, I had an episode that landed me back in the ER. As frustrating as that was, that little hospital visit helped me get some answers. I had lots of gallstones.

When I had the first ultrasound months before, I probably had a just a few small gallstones. That might be why the doc said everything looked OK. We thought, maybe, it could have just been an infection or even an ulcer. My lifestyle change would help the situation, or so I thought. I lost weight so quickly! When I say "lost" I mean 30 pounds in 2.5 months. It was nuts. Apparently, when you lose weight like that, you can develop more gallstone. Lesson learned.

I had surgery at the end of September. Everything went great! Recovery was painful. I'm glad that everything is done and over with. I am so thankful for the awesome doctors and nurses that I had! Between them and my super amazing support system, I made it through the breakup with my gallbladder successfully :)

Fast forward to now. I have created a new love affair with food! It's going to cause some trouble soon if I don't get a grip on my tastes-buds and their desire fro everything yummy!

In total, from the day I announced a change was happening, I lost 40 pounds. 40!!! Since surgery, however, I've gained back 7. Not terrible. I can manage that. I am super excited about the meal planning and fitness schedule my hubby and I will be working on for ourselves.

That's all for now! I hope everyone has a FABULOUS weekend!

Smooches :-*