My Favorite Young Living Products and How We’re Ditching the Chemicals in Our Household

*This post contains affiliate links.  

Although I don’t mention it much on the blog, I’ve been a loyal Young Living customer for three years now.  These last three years, I’ve slowly transitioned many of our household products to Young Living products, and as a result, our family is being exposed to way fewer toxins and chemicals than ever before. 

There are nasty chemicals in every single thing that we use on a daily basis – from perfume to candles to household cleaners to shampoo to dryer sheets – and they can disrupt everything in our bodies from our immune systems to our hormones.  Some can even contribute to health problems. 

Most people think only of essential oils when they think of Young Living, and although those are a huge part of their product line, they also offer tons more products from cleaners to supplements to makeup to toothpaste and much, much more.  All of their products are clean, making them a one-stop shop if you’re looking to ditch the chemicals in your household. 

Young Living used to require enrolling members to purchase an entire starter kit, but they recently revamped their entire system, and now anybody can purchase anything anytime!  So exciting!!  

Since it’s so easy to purchase through them now (no commitment), I thought I’d share a few of my very favorite YL products with all of you in case you’ve been considering cleaning up your home as well!  You can sign up here, or shop the links directly in the post below.

Thieves Cleaner

Thieves cleaner is arguably the most popular YL product ever.  It is awesome.  You can use it to clean and sanitize tabletops, countertops, floors, toilets, mirrors, windows, carpets, upholstery, and so much more!  The best part about it is that it’s safe to use around children because it has no harsh chemicals.  The cleaner in this bottle is incredibly concentrated, so just one bottle makes almost 30 bottles of cleaner.  Yes, y’all.  3-0 bottles of cleaner!!  Just add 1/2 oz. of Thieves cleaner and 16 oz. of water to a glass spray bottle, and you have a single bottle of cleaner that can clean every single thing in your house.  I have used nothing but Thieves in our house for the last three years and I’m still nowhere near done with my first bottle.  (In full transparency, I still use Lysol with Hydrogen Peroxide to clean the countertops after cooking with raw meat, though.  I know some ladies who do use Thieves for that, but when it comes to raw meat, give me all the chemicals to clean it.  Haha.)

 

Thieves Hand Sanitizer

Thieves hand sanitizer is all of the goodness that Thieves has to offer, but in hand sanitizer form.  I keep it in my purse at all times and it smells like heaven… minus the yucky chemicals that are often added to other hand sanitizers.

 

Calm CBD Roller

This Calm CBD roller is something that I never ever leave home without… it’s probably my personal favorite YL product!  This roller combines CBD with essential oils Lavender, Orange, Vetiver, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang, and Eucalyptus and they all work together to create a peaceful scent that can help ease stress and worry. 

When I’m feeling anxious, I roll it on my neck and behind my ears, and within minutes it starts to take the edge off of my anxiety.  It comes in two different strengths – 300 MG and 600 MG – and you can roll it on as much as you need to throughout the day.  I use the 600 MG roll-on and I LOVE it.  As a matter of fact, I’m already on my second roller, and I just bought a third to have when the second runs out.  I’ll never be without it.  This product contains 0% THC so it’s perfectly safe to have and use. 

I’m not going to lie, it is very pricey, but considering each roller lasts several months for me (I don’t have to use it very often), it’s worth the money.  It also allows me to manage my anxiety naturally, and that is priceless.

 

KidScents KidPower Roll-On

The KidScents KidPower Roll-On is formulated to help support mental well-being by invoking feelings of positivity and confidence.  It smells almost identical to the Anthropologie Volcano candle that everyone loves so much, and it’s SO good that I have started wearing it as perfume!  Perfumes and lotions are some of the worst products on the shelves when it comes to toxic chemicals, so I ditched perfumes and body sprays years ago.  It also comes in a dropper bottle so you can diffuse it and enjoy that Volcano scent!

 

Sulfurzyme

I started taking Sulfurzyme, a daily supplement, at the beginning of March and it has helped so much with my hair growth.  Sulfurzyme is a blend of MSM (a dietary sulfur) and Ningxia Wolfberry that has loads of benefits.  I have been having trouble with hair loss for the last few years, and I know several ladies who have had lots of success with this supplement, so I decided to try it for myself.

In the last couple of months, I have already noticed a huge difference in my hair growth.  At just a few weeks in, I have loads of baby hairs sprouting up all over my head, primarily around my hair line.  My hair feels thicker and fuller already, and it feels healthier, too.  I’ve also noticed that my hair isn’t breaking off as easily, and it’s also not shedding nearly as much as it was either.  I used to have to clean out my brush every few days, and now there’s hardly anything to clean out.

In addition to seeing a difference in my hair, my eyelashes have also grown exponentially, and they’ve thickened, too.  They are longer than they’ve ever been in my whole life right now, and I’m sure it’s from the Sulfurzyme as I haven’t been using anything else. 

I was hoping it would help my eyebrows grow as well, but so far, I haven’t noticed a difference there.  Mine pretty much stopped growing several years ago, and now they’re sparse and uneven.  Yeesh! 

In addition to supporting hair and skin health, Sulfurzyme also supports joint health, normal range of motion, bone health, circulation, and the immune system.  I can’t speak to the other benefits as I’m not sure it’s something I would notice anyway, but it has definitely helped with my hair regrowth.  It’s also certified vegan friendly, gut friendly, keto friendly, and cruelty free, too.  The capsules have no scent or flavor, and I haven’t had any negative side effects from taking them.

The suggested use is two capsules two times daily, but I’ve only been taking two capsules one time daily, and I’ve already noticed a difference in my hair growth.  One bottle is a bit pricey, but each bottle contains 300 capsules, so it will last around five – six months at the rate I’m taking them, making the cost less around $10/month, or $0.33/day. 

*Please be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any supplements.  I am not a doctor.  ;o)

 

Diffuser

When I first signed up for YL, they sent this diffuser with my purchase, and it’s still going strong three years later, even after daily use.  It has 11 different color settings including the ever-popular candle-flicker setting (my favorite), and it has three different modes – high, low, and intermittent, so you can choose the amount of oils that are diffused. 

This diffuser is larger than most that I’ve purchased from Amazon, and it fills our kitchen and living room generously with scent when it’s on the high setting.  It’s only $29.95 when you sign up as a member!

 

Essential Oils for the Diffuser

I have been a candle lover my entire life, but candles are the absolute worst when it comes to chemicals.  I shudder even thinking about it.  When I first started using oils, I wasn’t convinced I’d be able to give up my beloved candles, but all it took was a few months of experimenting and finding combinations/amounts that I truly loved, and boom, no more candles.  I haven’t burned a single candle in nearly two years.  Instead, I’ve been using the following oils to create my own scents, and I love these even more than my candles now!  And the best thing about oils is, you can customize the strength of your scents by adding fewer or more drops to your diffuser.  I like my scents pretty strong, so I tend to use a lot!

Lemon Myrtle – Perfect for spring and summer, Lemon Myrtle smells like a little piece of heaven.  Combine 3 drops of Lemon Myrtle with 2 drops of Vanilla in the diffuser for the dreamiest lemon crème scent!

 

Lime – Lime is crisp and fresh, and it’s an amazingly energizing scent when you’re in the afternoon slump.  Combine 4 drops of Lime with 3 drops Peppermint in the diffuser for an afternoon pick-me-up!

 

Cinnamon Bark – Cinnamon Bark is my personal favorite Young Living scent and it’s the only thing I diffuse September through December.  In the fall, I love to combine 4-5 drops of Cinnamon Bark with 3-4 drops of Clove for the perfect cinnamon pumpkin scent… it’s nearly a perfect dupe for the beloved Bath & Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin candle.  During the Christmas season, I diffuse it all by itself because it’s just that good.  It smells like a red hot all by itself. 

 

Clove – Warm and spicy, Clove oil is the perfect fall scent.  As I said before, combine it with Cinnamon Bark in the diffuser to have your house smelling almost exactly like Bath & Body’s Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin.  

 

Vanilla – Vanilla can be combined with nearly any other oil to give it a perfectly dreamy, creamy scent.  A few of my favorites to pair it with are Lemon, Lemon Myrtle, Lime, Cinnamon Bark, Peppermint, Orange, and Grapefruit, but it’s so versatile it goes with almost everything. 

 

Peppermint – Another energizing scent, Peppermint is another great oil to diffuse for a little pick-me-up, and it’s also great when you’re feeling nauseated.  I also love it during allergy season because it helps open me up when I’m stuffy.

 

Essential Oils for Remedies

Not only do oils smell good, many of them also serve other purposes and have many other benefits.  Here are a few of the oils that I always keep in my “toolbox.”

Thieves – Thieves is a powerful blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary and it’s known for its immune support and cleansing properties.  I roll this on our spines every morning to boost our immune systems.  I also roll it on the bottoms of my feet before bed, especially when Brian or the kids are sick.

 

Digize – Digize is a blend of Tarragon, Ginger, Peppermint, Juniper, Fennel, Lemongrass, Anise, and Patchouli and it supports the digestive system.  Any time my stomach feels queasy or upset, or even if I’m overly full after a big meal, I roll Digize directly on my stomach for relief.

 

Lemon – Lemon oil is excellent for removing any kind of sticky residue.  Any time I remove a price tag and there’s a sticky, gummy residue, I drop 2-3 drops on the residue, wait about 30 seconds, and then I wipe it off with a damp paper towel.  The residue just slides right off like magic and makes the product look like new!

 

Lavender – Lavender is known for its calming properties, and it’s very gentle on the skin.  I massage 1 drop along each jaw line every single night before bed, and it has helped tremendously with my jaw clinching at night.  I do still do it at times, but I’ve found that I do it less frequently since I’ve been using lavender.

 

And there you have it!  My favorite YL products!  As I said at the beginning of the post, Young Living has revamped their whole system, so you no longer have to purchase a starter kit to sign up as a member.  If you sign up as a member, you get the member discounts, but there is no commitment for you to reorder or sell or anything like that. 

If you’re interested about ditching the toxins in your house and you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me!  

Happy Wednesday, y’all!

Five on Friday - First Communion Dress, Sulfurzyme, Daily Games, and Best Lent Ever

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It's a very important Friday today – Good Friday – and I have a few things to share with y'all, including a couple that are fitting for the special weekend on the horizon...  

O N E – First Communion Dress

Olivia will be making her First Communion in May, so we have been on the hunt for a First Communion dress for her to wear.  I searched high and low across many websites, and all of the dresses were either super expensive or they weren’t all that cute.  My favorite dress was this one at Nordstrom, but I just didn’t want to spend $95 on something she’ll only wear once, so I continued to shop around. 

I’m so glad I kept looking because I ended up finding that exact same dress on major sale at Macy’s.com, and we ended up getting it for $56.  The quality is top-notch (I mean, it better be since the original price is $144!!), it’s absolutely gorgeous, and it fits Olivia like it was made for her.  It’s also extremely twirly, and that’s the main thing Olivia looks for in a dress, so it was a winner in her book, too.  ;o)

We’ll be buying a flower crown for her to wear with it, and we just can’t wait to see her all dressed up on her big day! 

And if you can't catch it on sale at Macy's, Dillard's has it priced at $85 here all the time, so it's not nearly as expensive as it is at Macy's.

 

T W O – Sulfurzyme

Y’all know I LOVE my Young Living.  I may not talk about their products much on the blog, but I am a loyal Young Living customer and I have been using a wide array of their products for years now.  They offer a huge selection of products – not just essential oils like most people think – and all of their products are clean.  That’s why I started using them in the first place. 

I started taking one of their supplements at the beginning of March and I wanted to share it today because I love it so much.  Sulfurzyme is a blend of MSM (a dietary sulfur) and Ningxia Wolfberry that has loads of benefits.  I have been having trouble with hair loss for the last few years, and I know several ladies who have had lots of success with this supplement, so I decided to try it for myself.

I started taking it about six weeks ago, and I already have tons of baby hairs growing all over my head, primarily around my hair line.  My hair feels thicker and fuller already, and it feels healthier, too.  I’ve also noticed that my hair isn’t breaking off as easily, and it’s also not shedding nearly as much as it was either.  I used to have to clean out my brush every few days, and now there’s hardly anything to clean out. 

In addition to supporting hair and skin health, Sulfurzyme also supports joint health, normal range of motion, bone health, circulation, and the immune system.  I can’t speak to the other benefits as I’m not sure it’s something I would notice anyway, but it has definitely helped with my hair regrowth.  It’s also certified vegan friendly, gut friendly, keto friendly, and cruelty free, too.  The capsules have no scent or flavor, and I haven’t had any negative side effects from taking them.

The suggested use is two capsules two times daily, but I’ve only been taking two capsules one time daily, and I’ve already noticed a difference in my hair growth.  One bottle is a bit pricey, but each bottle contains 300 capsules, so it will last around five – six months at the rate I’m taking them, making the cost less around $10/month, or $0.33/day. 

Between the Sulfurzyme, my beloved daily multi-vitamins, my elderberry, and of course, my mostly healthy diet, I feel like my body is getting everything it needs!  I have also considered starting a turmeric supplement since turmeric has so many benefits, but I haven’t looked into it yet.  If you take turmeric, let me know which brand you use and if you like it!

And also, if you consider ordering this Sulfurzyme, be sure to talk to your doctor first.  I love to share things with y’all that I love, but I’m obviously not a doctor.  ;o)

 

T H R E E – Wordle

I finally jumped on the Wordle train several weeks ago, and it’s been a fun brain exercise every day.  So far, on my best day, I guessed the word in two tries, and on my worst day, I got it in six tries.  I have yet to miss it altogether, although, I’m sure it’ll happen one day!

 

F O U R – Heardle

And speaking of Wordle, have y’all heard of Heardle?  It’s like Wordle, but for music!  I’m a die-hard music fan so I look forward to this every day even more than Wordle.  My taste is very eclectic, and I love almost all genres, old and new, so I consider myself to be very knowledgeable about music. 

Heardle is very similar to that old game show “Name that Tune,” and it has been so much fun to play every day.  Most days, I get it in just one note, but some days it’s taken a bit longer.  There have been a couple of days that I didn’t know the song at all, but that’s been rare. 

But anyway, if you like music, you should totally try Heardle.  It’s so much fun! 

F I V E – Best Lent Ever

I started doing Dynamic Catholic’s “Best Lent Ever” back in 2020, and I look forward to it each year.  Every day, they send an email to your inbox with a short video (usually 2-5 minutes), and the videos are always very inspiring.  Each year has a theme, and this year, they sent not one, but two, videos each day.  The theme this year for one series was “The Generosity Habit,” and the other theme was “Difficult Teachings.”   

I have watched all of the videos in both themes this Lent, and although I loved both, The Generosity Habit resonated with me the most.  Each day, the speaker talked about the different ways to be generous and why generosity is so important in this current world of self-centeredness, and then each video ends with a suggestion for a generosity habit that you can start. 

A few of the habits that he suggested were catching someone doing something right and praising them for it, going out of your way to make someone’s day, teaching your expertise to someone, asking someone what their dreams are and doing something to help them accomplish that dream, going out of your way to encourage someone, standing up for someone who is being treated unjustly, complimenting a stranger, praying extra hard for someone who needs it, giving someone a hug, spending time with someone, etc. 

There were 40 different suggestions on how to be more generous, and they all included little back stories and elaborations on why they’re important.  The series also discusses how generosity and gratitude go hand in hand, and how gratitude is such an important factor of being able to live a happy, fulfilled life.  It was such a great series (my favorite Best Lent Ever yet), and it’s inspired me to start trying to be my most generous self. 

 

Friday Funnies Notes

On the Blog This Week

 Items in My Emergency Car Kit

Our Week – The One with My Birthday Celebration at Momma and Daddy's

Our 2022 Disney World Trip by the Numbers

 

It's a Good Friday, indeed.  Sunday is coming.

Five on Friday - The Perfect Fanny Pack, New Organizers, and Favorite CBD Roll On

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hey y’all, Happy Friday!!!!  It’s time for some favorites from the week… y’all ready?

O N E – Fanny Pack / Waist Bag

Well, I’ve gone and done it, y’all… I bought a fanny pack.  Or waist bag.  Or whatever they’re calling them these days to market them in a positive light.  I never thought I’d buy one, but here we are.  AND I LOVE IT.  Does it look super cheesy?  Yes.  Does it give off all the 80’s vibes?  Also, yes.  But is it the most awesome thing ever to be able to carry all of your essentials and not have to sacrifice your hands or shoulders?  YESSSS. 

We’re heading to Disney World for spring break soon, and I knew there was no way I was going to carry a purse on my shoulder for 10+ hours every day, nor did I want a giant backpack weighing me down, so I took the plunge and bought a fanny pack. 

I ended up buying four different ones from Amazon (all with free shipping and free returns), and I loaded each one of them up with my essentials, tried them on, and walked around the house with each of them for a bit until I decided which one I wanted to keep.

There were two that stood out among the four, and I had a really hard time deciding which one to keep.  I loved how stylish this one was, and I loved that it didn’t have that old-school fanny pack shape, but ultimately, this one won out because it was more comfortable and it has a hidden pocket on the inside where I can store my ID and credit cards without having to worry about someone sliding the zipper open when I’m not looking and stealing my stuff.  I also didn’t like how the zippers clanked together when I walked on the bag I didn’t keep.  The one I kept has zippers that are made out of a different material so there’s zero noise when you walk.

Y’all, I love this bag!  It’s large enough to fit all of my essentials, and it has four separate zippered pockets so I can keep everything organized.  As I said before, there’s a small inside zipper pocket that rests against your abdomen where I can store my ID, credit cards, and cash.  Then there’s a small zipper pocket on the outside where I’ll probably keep medication (Ibuprofen, Band-Aids, etc.).  The zipper pocket just behind that one is the perfect size to hold my iPhone, a charging bank, and a cord.  And then the main zipper pocket is large enough to hold everything else – hand wipes, hand sanitizer, my inhaler, sunglasses, a small sunscreen, Chapstick, a couple of Young Living oils that I never leave home without, gum, etc. 

The pack is comfortable, it’s fully adjustable, and it’s waterproof.  It also has a built-in headphone hole (although most people use wireless headphones now anyway) so you can use your headphones without holding your phone, and it has a loop on one side that will also hold a water bottle.  It can be worn around the waist, as a crossbody bag, or as a standard one shoulder bag and I could not love it more.  At just $15.29 it’s going to be worth every single penny, and I have a feeling I’ll be using it for a lot more than Disney World.

If you’re in the market for a “waist bag” then look no further than this one.  It’s perfect. 

 

T W O – Shower Organizer

Our kiddos never wring out their washcloths in the shower, and they always just toss them on the floor of the shower when they’re done.  Sigh.  This means said washcloths staying balled up and soaked between uses, and they get really gross really fast.  I just bought this new shower caddy to hang over the showerhead in the kids’ bathroom because it has two hooks, a place for each of them to hang their washcloths after they use them.  So far, they’re actually using the hooks, and I hope they’ll continue to do so… then we won’t have to worry about washcloths getting ruined anymore.  Eventually they’ll be able to use the organizer for much more, too, once they’re tall enough to reach the top area. 

 

T H R E E – Barbie Storage

Olivia’s Barbie collection has grown by leaps and bounds these past few months since we just had Christmas and her birthday, so I’ve been trying to figure out how to store everything since we outgrew the small plastic container that we’d been using previously.  While I’d love to sort everything into several smaller bins to keep it all organized, I knew Olivia wouldn’t keep up with that, so ultimately, I just bought this big basket.  All she has to do is toss everything in there when she’s done playing, so cleanup is a breeze, and the basket looks great in the room… much better than the plastic container that we were using before!  Getting all of the tiny Barbie shoes, clothes, and hangers off of the floor has been a huge favorite these last couple of weeks!

 

F O U R – Young Living Calm CBD Roll-On

I mentioned above that there are a couple of Young Living oils that I never leave home without, and the primary one is this Calm CBD roller.  This roller combines CBD with essential oils Lavender, Orange, Vetiver, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang, and Eucalyptus and they all work together to create a peaceful scent that can help ease stress and worry. 

When I’m feeling particularly anxious, I roll it on my neck and behind my ears, and within minutes it starts to take the edge off.  I am a huge fan of CBD, and of course, this one contains 0% THC.  It comes in two different strengths – 300 MG and 600 MG, and the 600 MG roll-on is the one that I use and love.  It has for sure been a favorite since I started using it a few months ago.  As a matter of fact, I’m already on my second roller, and I just bought a third to have when the second runs out.  I’ll never be without it.

 

F I V E – Encanto Soundtrack

Like most other families with kids, we’ve been listening to the Encanto soundtrack on repeat, and although I’m soooo very tired of it at this point, I have to say, it’s been one of my favorites from the past few weeks.  Disney just keeps on cranking out the magic and I will always be here for it. 

If your kiddos have been begging for the songs, too, the MP3 is only $7.99 on Amazon, and it has 44 songs on it!

 

Friday Funnies

 

On the Blog This Week

 The Lindsay's Sweet World Travel Guide to 30A Florida

Our Week – The One with Two Lunch Dates and Two Birthdays

All About Disney's New Genie+ / Lightning Lane System

Happy Friday, y’all! 

Five on Friday - Affordable Accent Rugs, the Best Masks, and the Best Dance Recital Bag

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Well, I've had this post all ready to go for over a week, but sadly, I had to come back in and change the intro last night because we've had a crazy week.  I had a post go live Wednesday morning, but that one had been scheduled for quite some time, and I obviously wasn't able to update it before it went live.  I also owe the blog a weekly recap from the previous week, and I'll just have to get that up whenever I have some time.

Anyway, as most of you have probably already seen from social media, Olivia fell on the playground Tuesday morning and broke her elbow.  It was a very nasty break, one that I wish I could unsee, and it was a big ordeal, as you can probably imagine – ambulance ride, emergency surgery, four pins in her elbow, and an overnight hospital stay.  The silver lining - she broke her left arm which is NOT her dominant arm, so we are very grateful for that!  And she is HOME now, too, and we are happy she's on the road to recovery! 

Recovery is going to be a long one – splint for a couple of weeks, pins out, hard cast for at least four more weeks, and then physical therapy, so probably all of summer and then some.  She was THE MOST excited for summer and swimming and playing in the ocean, so she has been heartbroken these past few days, which in turn, has broken all of our hearts as well.  It is now my main mission in life to give her a wonderful summer despite the circumstances, and I'm going to make sure she's smiling again very soon!

Please keep her in your prayers for speedy and complete healing, and please pray for her to return to her jolly self soon... she is NEVER sad or mad or irritable, and we just can't stand seeing her this way. 

Now that that's out of the way, let's get to a whole bunch of superficial favorites that I had already posted about prior to the arm break that don't really even matter anymore.  Hahahaha.

O N E – New Accent Rugs

I’ve been searching high and low for some nice, neutral 2x3’ rugs for our kitchen for a couple of years now, and I haven’t been able to find any I like.  I did find these at Anthropologie that I included on my birthday wish list, but they were just too pricey.  I was THRILLED to see that Target recently came out with these beauties, and I couldn’t add them to my cart fast enough.  They’re only $15, y’all, so they’re not only gorgeous, they’re super affordable, too!  I grabbed three for our kitchen – one to go in front of the sink, one to go in front of the back door, and one to go in front of the garage door, and I couldn’t love them more.  They’re soft, not scratchy at all, the quality is fantastic, and they look way more expensive than they actually were.    

 

T W O – Perfect Masks

Mask-wearing is on the decline since the CDC recently said that vaccinated people no longer have to wear them in public, but I thought I’d share these anyway for those of you who are planning on sticking with it for a little while longer.  During this last year of mask-wearing, I tried several different brands of masks, and while I did find a couple of that were pretty comfortable, I never could find any that were super comfortable and cute. 

These masks have been on my wish list for a while now, and B ended up getting them for me for Mother’s Day, and y’all, after a year, I finally found the perfect mask… just in time for everyone to start lifting mask mandates.  Haha.  These masks are comfortable, they don’t slide up and down on my nose when I talk, they’re breathable and don’t make your face sweat, the ear loops are comfortable, and they have the best nose piece that I’ve seen on any mask.  The nose piece is much longer than most, and therefore, you can mold it across your entire face (nose and cheeks) for the perfect fit.  Plus, they’re SO CUTE!!  I wore them for hours on end during Olivia’s recital weekend, and I barely even noticed that they were there.  They’re a little pricey as far as masks go, but they’re well worth the money if you have to wear masks frequently or for long periods of time.  They come in a three-pack, a five-pack, or you can just buy them one-by-one if you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

I’m fully vaccinated but will be continuing my mask-wearing when indoors in public for a little while longer as a personal choice.  Our kiddos aren’t vaccinated at all since the vaccine isn’t available for their age group, so they’ll still be wearing theirs in public indoor spaces, and I’ll be wearing mine in solidarity with them.  It’s not so bad when you find some that are actually comfortable!

 

T H R E E – Dance Recital Garment Bag

If you’re a dance mom, then you know just how much stuff has to be hauled to and from rehearsals and recitals.  It is a LOT, y’all.  For Olivia’s first recital, we packed everything into a large bag, but that just didn’t work well since it was harder to find things in the bag.  I found this garment bag on Amazon (where else?) and it is the absolute perfect bag to hold aaaallll the things… and be able to see everything!! 

The bag opens fully on one side to hang all costumes and clothes, and then the other side has five pockets (some large and some smaller) to hold ballet shoes, tap shoes, jazz shoes, hair pieces, accessories, makeup, etc.  Unfortunately, I didn’t grab this one in time for her recital this year, but now we have it on hand for next year!  It’ll be so nice to have everything organized and in plain sight!  Those clear pockets make aaaallll the difference, y’all!

 

F O U R – New Oil

Young Living finally released a vanilla essential oil a few months ago, and it’s been sold out ever since.  I was finally able to get my hands on some in my last order, and it smells so delicious!!  I’ve diffused it with lime for a refreshing fruity/cream scent and I’ve diffused it with peppermint for a sweet/minty combo, and both have made the house smell so dang good!  I can’t wait to try it with some other oils – maybe orange or tangerine next for a creamcicle scent! – and this will be one that I keep in stock all the time.

 

F I V E – Wedding Planner Soundtrack

As I’ve mentioned on the blog recently, I’ve been watching The Wedding Planner on repeat, and it’s been serving as my happy background noise while I work.  It’s right on up there with Love Actually as my favorite movie of all-time, and I’ve loved it since it came out in theaters in 2001.  I was the soundtrack queen when I was a teenager, and I owned tons of soundtracks for movies, especially the rom-coms and teen movies (Can’t Hardly Wait, Clueless, etc.), but for some reason I never got this one.

I popped onto Amazon and a few other websites a few months ago to download it and found that it doesn’t exist for digital download… how strange is that?!  These days I thought everything was on the internet!  Haha.  So, my next step was to find a used CD on eBay and buy it for $3-$5 and then rip it myself (remember ripping CDs to transfer your music to your iPod years ago?!).  Well, a quick look on eBay, Amazon, and a few other websites let me know that this CD must be really rare, because they’re all listed for $25+ EACH, some for $100+.  What?!  I wasn’t about to pay that much so I’ve just been checking every now and then to see if anything cheaper becomes available.

Amazon finally had one pop up for just $5.99 + free shipping last week, so I grabbed it and ripped it, and I’m so excited to have all of these cheesy songs from the movie in my music library now!  Haha.  The prices for all of the other CDs are still really high everywhere, so I must have just lucked out when I bought mine.  I guess I need to sell my CD now and make some money on it??  Haha.

 

Friday Funnies

Totally used to do this when I was little.  Lol.

It's funny because it's true!  Hahahaha.

Y'all better be crying because you miss me so much!  Haha.

Totally had a whole wall like this when I was little!  Y'all Bop magazine lovers know what I'm talking about!

On the Blog This Week

 Bar Cart Essentials – Everything You Need to Have a Festive and Well-Stocked Bar Cart

What I Wore – April Recap

Happy Friday, y’all!

*Linking up with A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites.