On The Go First Aid Kit

 

Summer is a time of going, adventuring, hiking, fishing, working outside and swimming!

 With that in mind there is often a need for a bandage or cure for a bug bite. I have started caring a simple On The Go First Aid kit with me all of the time and it makes life much simpler.  

 

 

Our family on a recent fishing trip.

5 MUSTS for your On The Go First Aid Kit:

DIY Bug Bite Roll On

1. Bandages
2. Bug Bite Cure {Check out my DIY Recipe for Bug Bites HERE}
3. Disinfectant Wipes
4. Essential Oils
5. Antibiotic Cream 

Having these 5 essentials in a small bag or baggie in your car, backpack or purse helps you to be prepared for the little hurts that might arise so you can continue to have fun. 

Here's to lots of Summer Adventures!!!

How to be a a Stay at Home Mom while Earning an Income

 Have you ever wanted the flexibility of being a Stay at Home mom yet need the stability of bringing in an income for your family? 

That is where my heart was when I started my journey of being a WAHM 10 years ago. I was a mom of a 18 month old and we were expecting a second. I didn't want to be away from my babies so I sought out searching for any avenue I could find to help me to contribute for our family. 

Fast forward several years and I am beyond thankful for the opportunity that I have. I'm blessed to not only be able to be home with our now 4 kids but I also can share my experience with other moms who are seeking out a similar need as I was. 

So you might be wondering... "How can I be a Stay at Home Mom and Earn an Income?"

1. First and for most do your research. This decision needs to be treated with true honesty and peace of mind. What are your interests, likes, dislikes, abilities and restrictions? Being real with yourself as well as finding a company that fits your needs is a process. For me it took months before I decided upon the path I have taken. I'm so thankful I took that time!

   

   You need to ask THESE questions before starting any business!

2. Be prepared to educate yourself. With any business or job there is a learning curve. This is a time to learn the ropes and find what works best for you. Never stop learning, reading, listening and being around others who can lift you up to that higher level of ability.
3. Create Balance. This is hard for so many of us in our lives. Balance as a WAHM comes in many different forms at our house. Three things that help me the most to find balance... 

• My calendar and day planner. Scheduling action, knowing my time limits, events/activities with our kids and creating a plan daily, weekly and monthly. 
• Knowing that some days my house will not be clean and my kids might eat cereal for supper. Yet as I end each day, I know that I was the one who was here to hug them good morning, help them off to school and kiss them good night, that's what makes my journey worth it.
• Starting my day in prayer. I have so much more peace, structure and abilities when I start my day this way.

Remember as your searching that there IS A Light at the End of the Tunnel, keep searching and looking for a legitimate avenue that fits your families needs! 

 

DIY Bug Bite Roll On

 The bugs are in full force right now!
Daily I spray the animals, kids and myself but sometimes we wind up with a few bug bites that are itchy and uncomfortable.

THIS is our go to fix and is one of those things that's simple to make but packs a punch with just three ingredients. 

You'll start with 2 tsp of Fractionated Coconut Oil. 

Then add: 

10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

10 drops Lavender Essential Oil 

*Not all Essential Oils are created equally! If your looking to use Essential Oils or even a seasoned user its important to know the MYTH about Therapeutic Grade.

 Then pour your mixture into a roller bottle. 

You can find these at a wide variety of places.

 I then created and printed off this cute little label.

 This Roll on is perfect to throw in your purse, beach bag or first aid kit.

 Hope this simple recipe helps your summer to be a little more comfortable!

  

Helping Others by Donating Your Hair

  

 There are lots of ways that we can help others, one is by donating a part of ourselves. 

Ive had the privilege of helping several friends donate their hair. Today was one of those days!

Its really simple to donate your hair. 

You just need to meet these guidelines:

• Hair that is colored or permed is acceptable.
• Hair cut years ago is usable if it has been stored in a ponytail or braid.
• Hair that has been bleached (usually this refers to highlighted hair) is not usable. If unsure, ask your stylist. We are not able to accept bleached hair due to a chemical reaction that occurs during the manufacturing process. **If the hair was bleached years ago and has completely grown out it is fine to donate.
• Hair that is swept off of the floor is not usable because it is not bundled in a ponytail or braid.
• Hair that is shaved off and not in a ponytail or braid is not usable. If shaving your head, first divide hair into multiple ponytails to cut off.
• We cannot accept dreadlocks. Our manufacturer is not able to use them in our children’s hairpieces. We also cannot accept wigs, falls, hair extensions or synthetic hair.
• Layered hair is acceptable if the longest layer is 10 inches.
• Layered hair may be divided into multiple ponytails.
• Curly hair may be pulled straight to measure the minimum 10 inches.
• 10 inches measured tip to tip is the minimum length needed for a hairpiece.

You can visit Locks of Love for all of the details as well as the address to mail your donation. 

 http://www.locksoflove.org/get-involved/

Helping Others: Justins Story

 

As I thought of how I can help someone today, I thought of my cousin.

One of the ways you can help someone is to share their story. Today I'm sharing my cousins story. 

This is my cousin Justin and I. He was born just two months before I was. As a little girl I remember my family telling me that Justin was allergic to the sun. 

 As Justin has gotten older his disease is so much more than being allergic to the sun. You can read his full story below.

The Story

Justin was born with an extremely rare skin condition called Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria (CEP) that makes him highly sensitive to the sun. This skin photosensitivity to the sun leads to severe blistering and scarring, as well as loss of facial features, much like deterioration. The main areas affected and most exposed to the sun are his face, ears, and hands. Other health and physical drawbacks Justin has faced include small hands with stiff joints and the lack of gripping due to the high degree of scarring. Because of this, Justin hasn't been able to proceed with his college degree in the HVAC field. Simple things like holding a wrench, buttoning a shirt, or opening a lid to name a few are daily struggles for Justin. He's a true inspiration as he's always figuring out his own ways to manage, physically and emotionally. Like for instance Justin has always enjoyed swing dancing, but because of the lack of gripping he would arch his wrist and that's how his dancing partner would hold onto him. Most recently, Justin had surgery on his thumb due to a severe blister getting infected. It was so bad, they had to take a part of the thumb bone so this has made his mobility in that hand even worse. Justin and his family has visited various specialists from his youth to present. With technology and knowledge of CEP improving, so far the only form of a "cure" is through a bone marrow transplant. This should allow Justin to be in the sun without the horrific aftermath his faces now. There is no known match through Justin's family yet, however faith is guiding him to a solution. Over the last few years, his eyes have been affected by the sun too. One of his eyes has a small crater in the inner white of his eye that with all the struggles has currently lead to surgery. They successfully​ preformed an eye graft and cornea transplant last week. Over the next month he has to make the 4 hour trip to see the doctor once a week to ensure it's not trying to reject the transplant. Eventually Justin will have surgery again to have tissue put on the thin parts and cover his eye with a permanent lens to protect it. This fundraiser is to assist Justin and his family in paying for home bills as his wife hasn't been able to work all last week due to his doctor visits and surgery plus future days off for checkups, medical expenses and prescriptions his insurance won't cover since the doctor is out of state, as well as gas to and from the doctors. Your generosity and prayers are greatly appreciated to help Justin get through this roadblock. 

Follow Justin's journey on Facebook or support him through YouCaring.

Helping Others through Soles4Souls

I have found my kids have a large amount of shoes! 

As I was cleaning their closets out of shoes that no longer fit I started searching for ways to help others with these unneeded items. 

Thats when I found the organization Soles4Souls, 

you can learn more about them HERE.

Since Soles4Souls began in 2006, they have distributed over 30 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries and all 50 US states.

They are looking for gently used shoes of all sizes and styles. Our family donated 13 pairs and it was fun for my kids to understand that the shoes they no longer wear are going to help other kids who don't have any. The art of giving!

 Are you looking for more ways you can join the #HelpingOthers challenge?

1. Come back tomorrow.

2. Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date by clicking HERE.

3. Learn more about our team and mission to Help Others in all aspects of their lives by clicking HERE.

Helping Others by donating a Bra

We live in a society with so much stuff! Stuff that sits on shelves or in drawers. Stuff that collects dust and gets shuffled from one place to the next. 

What if instead of letting our things take up more room, we turned it into ways to help others?!

Our Mission for the next 30 days is to challenge each of you to use what you have to benefit those around you with our #HelpingOthers challenges. 

So glad your here to join us!

Its reported that the average woman in the U.S. has 16 bras and adds 4 purchases each year to her stash. Often those unused/outdated bras get tossed in the trash.

Today I challenge you to donate your bras to a cause that will help Girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking. The organization is called Free The Girls, you can learn more about them by visiting http://www.freethegirls.org/. 
They truly have an incredible mission!

To donate its very simple, go to their site, download the printing label to ship bras directly to the organization. You can also search for those in your area who are hosting a drop off location. Our MOPS group did this a few years ago and it was a huge success. 

If your looking to stay up to date with our challenge you can:

1. Check back here. 

2. Follow us on Facebook by clicking HERE. 

3. Learn more about our team and mission to help others by visiting HERE.