Mom, I Need Oils!

You know you have crossed over into being a true "oily" family when your two and four year olds are requesting oils at the drop of a hat. Seriously sometimes I think they make up things just to have me put oils on them! 

We use oils on our little ones around here, something that I believe can be safely done each and every day. For starters we love to use our Immunity Stick to roll on our Thieves, Frankincense and Peppermint for a good, healthy day! Thieves and Frankincense are excellent at boosting immunity and peppermint is great for a wake me up/mental alertness type of oil. I also love that Frankincense can really help one feel grounded and "happy" in a sense. It can have a calming affect on some - so that's a win for my two year old in my book!

We also love these amazing Kidscents oils from Young Living because they are already prediluted and can go straight onto their skin! In fact, I have actually added roller ball tops to a few of these recently so that way I can apply it even easier. While many people are fine with using oils "neat" (not diluted) on their little ones, others choose the comfort of diluting with a carrier oil such a coconut oil, olive oil or the V6 oil from Young Living. 

But truth is, sometimes all of that mixing takes a hot second and we all know that moms have limited seconds in their life these days! So that's why I love these quick and easy to apply oils!

While these oils can't be purchased as a set, you can purchase them individually and they are all under $20! The oil blends include Sleepyize for sleep support, Tummygize for digestion, indigestion and tummy support, Snifflease for the sniffles, Geneyus for focus and Owie for bruises, booboos and bites. 

Here's why I love this...because sometimes kids get mosquito bites that last for days. Sometimes kids pick booboos just for "attention." And sometimes kids fake a bellyache just again, for attention (mine love medicine for whatever reason). I surely would hate to turn to my medicine cabinet for every little thing they come up with when Lordy knows they don't really need those chemicals and medicines in their little bodies and bloodstream. I rather have something natural, safe and effective on hand! 

My Simple Personal Guidelines for Oils on Kids

• I dilute most oils with the exception of something like Lavender or Frankincense
• Leave the door open if diffusing in their room + usually use the intermittent setting if there is one
• On my newborn I only use oils as needed for support, not preventative. However I will add things like Lavender or Gentle Baby to lotion or coconut oil for massage after bath. 

Yea, it's pretty simple. 

If you've been on the fence about beginning your oily journey, I'm pretty sure my kids will tell you to DO IT. They are 100% proud little oilers! I've seen the affects so far on my little ones when using oils -- for instance, having the Tummy support completely cutting out my newborn's gas so he could get some sleep! 

I love my oils and so do my kiddos. So make sure to check out the links in my essential oils section if you're interested or shoot me an email at themushymommy@gmail.com. I would love to help answer your questions!

Cheers to healthy, strong and courageous kids!

A Beautiful Baptism!

Last Sunday we celebrated our sweet, little guy's holy day when he was Baptized. It was such a beautiful day and special day. Our babies have all been baptized in the church we both grew up in and was married in. And our little guy was a champ and never cried or said a peep throughout the whole mass. Love that little dude so much. 

Our after gathering was held at my parents and it was such a beautiful day. Decor was simple and from Target and the cake was amazing. I always stick with pastels and white of course for our baptisms and usually go for cute hanging poms and of course newborn baby photos. My go to cake flavor is ALWAYS chocolate cake with butter cream icing and bavarian cream filling. For all of my locals, our go to baker is Rouse's because they are just amazing and so inexpensive! Special thanks to my parents who always help host, decorate and cook for our friends and family. 

Here's a small glimpse at our beautiful day. And to top of how special it was, little guy wore his daddy's baptismal suit that his Nana made, his daddy's baptismal pin, my mother's baptismal necklace and special bibs from my mom and sister in law. 

Days like this capture the simple and beautiful joys of life and motherhood. Family and friends. 

Enjoy. 

Baby boy and my parents, technically the hosts, chef and decorator, lol

With his Godparents. 

If you are local and you are looking for a new church, I just want to tell you how amazing this Godly man is here. Father Josh is exactly what our area needed and there is something about him that is like no other. He's actually singing Adelle to our sweet baby here. He's the most down to earth person but he has a fire for Jesus that is so inspiring. Father Josh is the new priest at Holy Rosary Catholic Church and you NEED to come here him! 

Thanks for enjoying this beautiful day with us!

Sasha

So, You're Just a Homemaker?

When someone tells you that they stay at home with their children, what is the first thought that comes to your mind? 

For some it may be that they applaud the mother because they know they could never survive the job (this would be the thought of a veteran mother). For others they may think the mother is selling herself short or in capable of holding a fancy title (this would be from some snotty person) and others may think about how nice it would be to stay home too (this would be from either mothers who wish they didn't have to work or from others who totally misunderstand staying at home for a luxurious gig of some sort). 

I remember at times not always enjoying saying that I was a stay at home mother. At first I was SO excited to announce it to people, but every once in a blue moon there's that one person sitting behind a desk or who holds a fancy title, who asks about your employment and suddenly saying that you're a stay at home mother isn't something you're screaming from the rooftops. Suddenly writing "homemaker" in the occupation box seems less than thrilling. 

I know that sounds awful. Many mamas would give so much to be able to stay at home, but perhaps it's just that moment of the "superior" that intimidates you. Perhaps that's just my unused bachelor's degree speaking or my entrepreneurial spirit coming out. 

But it's silly really to ever feel like being a homemaker is anything less than anyone out there. And it's even worse to have someone offend you but saying that you're "Just a homemaker" or that "you don't really do anything all day." 

I am not just a homemaker. And sure I may not be utilizing my degree in the workforce, but I sure as heck put in the hours after the kids go to bed building a name and a business for myself and my family. But even if I didn't do that, I would never be just a homemaker. And neither would you. 

Being a homemaker, or a stay at home mother or a work at home mother, is by far the hardest job I've ever had. It makes my previous adult career look relaxing and fun. Being a stay home mother comes with many hardships that others don't realize sometimes. 

For starters there's no one here to really cheer us on and celebrate our triumphs, or our good days. There's no break room box of donuts to drown our sorrows in on the bad days either. There's no co workers to gossip with and laugh with and there's no down time to just sit and chill for a second. For the record, the original TMM blog was built and designed on my "down time" at work one day; there was no one looking over my shoulder to check in on me. 

But let me just sit at the computer here and there's three little people begging for my attention, my ability to cook, my ability to wipe their butts and then there's that one who is always crying for my milk bags. I give myself mentally, emotionally and physically to everyone ALL.DAY.LONG. 

There's never enough ME to go around. There's never enough hours within the day to complete the mile long to do list that will one day make my life sane because everyone knows that a clean home is a happy home. There's not always enough patience and there's never enough sleep. There's always this and that to do. Heck I hold the most job titles of all. I'm everything from chauffeur to chef and maid to event planner. I'm a professional crap wiper and a referee to sibling squalls. I'm the counselor for tiny, growing minds and I'm the shoulder to cry on. When truth be told, sometimes I'm the one that needs the shoulder to cry on. 

My job leaves me often times defeated, exhausted and worried. Am I doing enough? Am I getting on the floor to play enough? Am I also teaching them? Did I check my phone too much? Did I wish for time to pass too fast? Is my house clean enough and is my husband really enjoying this meal I worked hard on? Will he notice that there's no clean towels and that I'm not made up for day number 23 and that I'm wearing yesterday's yoga pants with the biggest granny panty line ever? Seriously. Who has time for glam when you're a homemaker? I can hardly pee alone let alone get "made up." 

So no, my job isn't fancy. I don't have a fancy title or name on my desk. Heck half the time I can't even see the surface of my desk. And no I may not always be utilizing my education but truth be told, I have the best damn job there is. I have the most important job I could ever have right now, in this moment. 

I'm not just a stay at home mom. I'm not just a homemaker. 

I'm a mother. It's my job and I've been blessed enough to be able to do it around the clock and put in my long days as a homemaker. Maybe one day I'll be on the other side of the fancy desk, but when that time comes (as relaxing as it may seem now), I know I will miss these days. 

I'm a homemaker and I'm damn proud of it. 

But may all the snotty people in suits looking down on us homemakers just get fat from their break room donuts (kidding. maybe). 

Cheers to all my homemakers. Cheers to all of my working mamas who juggle it all in a different way than I do. You guys rock too. Believe me, sometimes I don't know how you manage it all either. 

*this post was inspired by true events by using the phrase "so you're just a homemaker?"