day in the life of an oiler

last week

i hosted a little online event,

sharing an hour-by-hour look 

at life as an oiler.

i thought it would be helpful to have it on the blog too....

for my oily friends and

for those that may be oh so curious.

i realize that when you look
at all of this at once,
it may look like 'a lot'!

but really, truly, seriously, legit
it isn't...

oils and the access i have

through my young living membership

has simplified 

so so so many things!

from being able to reach for something 

at any given moment...

to eliminating so many harmful chemicals
& toxins from our home...

to creating an opportunity to 

be intentional and connected to my own wellness 

and that of my family's throughout any day or season. 

so here is a lil' peek
at a typical oily day
for me & mine!

Welcome to my “VIRTUAL” #onedayhh peek at a typical day of an oiler. I’ll be posting throughout the day, sharing how I use oils and oily products to promote wellness, lift moods and eliminate toxins. 

I begin most school day mornings like this...While making the coffee I get our downstairs diffuser going. This blend of Thieves, Peppermint and Orange is my school day go to! Peppermint wakes up the brain, Orange lifts up morning moods and Thieves builds up immunity to help fight any ick & germs that come our way! 2-3 drops of each and off we go, ready to tackle the day!

Before I drink my coffee I first drink 24oz of water with 1-2 drops of lemon oil. It’s an easy and natural detox and hydration before anything else gets into my system. And of course the oil saves time too, not having to buy/slice lemons on the regular!

Before the shoes go on we roll this oily “Perfect Attendance” blend of Thieves, Lemon, Oregano, Eucalyptus and Frankincense on bottom of feet and lower spine. The vita flex points on the bottom of our feet are amazing for getting the oily benefits to our body! This girl/mom is NOT scared about germs. I’m also kinda a little competitive about it too...they won’t rule this house!

I was going to bring you into the bathroom with me, but then I thought that may be taking “day in a life” too far...right?! Here are my shower essentials...shower gel, conditioner, shampoo and shave gel...all from Young Living! We have ditched soooooooo many personal care products in an effort to eliminate toxins. Guys, there is so so much junk out there that we are steaming up in our showers, breathing in and slathering all over our bodies. But with Young Living our products are 100% clean and my access / rewards is better than Target (sorry Target I still love you...but not for anything personal care)! 

And my after shower a few more quick oily products at the bathroom sink...Thieves toothpaste (& deodorant), face wash & moisturizer! Again...we have eliminated sooo many toxins by making this oily switch!

While riding our bikes to the bus we were greeted by Gus who decided to run through our invisible fence so he could join us on our ride. He was NOT happy that we left him behind. After a good 20 minutes of worrying he was going to run into the street, get fresh with the neighbors’ dogs, and calling his name repeatedly...we got back home and I huffed Valor from the bottle and rolled it all over my wrists. Valor is my #1 oil for recovering and/or preparing for stressful moments!

After the hussle of getting ready for the day, kids on the bus and my dog back in the yard it’s time for some focused work. This blend of Clarity with Peppermint is my go to productivity blend. I put it in my office diffuser and roll a little on my temples and can crank out some emails, phone calls, planning and writing!  So if you notice...a few minutes prior I reached for Valor to help me calm down from the Gus shenanigans...but then a few minutes later I’ve rolled something else. It’s okay, and it works for me! Each oil and placement is targeting something different...Valor on my wrists for emotions and stress; Clarity/Peppermint on my temples for focus and attention. #theresanoilforthat

While I’m working away is also time for another 24oz of water...this time with 1-2 drops of Grapefruit oil. Grapefruit is great for detox and appetite suppression. And because I put my oils in my water...I make sure I actually drink it!

Mid-day breaK, lunch, more water and SUPPLEMENTS!! I get all my supplements through Young Living...because I trust there are no fillers and they are oil infused, so yes!

Laundry!!!!!!! It’s endless you guys, right?! But can I tell you it was one of the first and most important switches we made. No more Tide. No more Myers. No more Bounce dryer sheets. No more TOXINS! I’ll talk more about laundry another time...but you guys, seriously it’s not good what’s in our detergents and dryer sheets are one of the biggest chemical carriers in our homes.  Ditch & switch...and get yourself some wool dryer balls (Amazon). I put oils on them and my clothes smell like lavender, clove...whatever I want!

Phone calls and planning with a friend who wants to host an oils class at her home with her people! I’ll be bringing all the good oily education and a pretty oily hostess gift. Friends - I would love plan something with you and your girlfriends/family! Let’s chat...I love educating about oils and my hostess gifts are legit!

I may not have baked cookies for the kids when they get home, but this “snickerdoodle” diffuser blend makes for a lovely atmosphere to come home to. It also helps relieve stress and lift moods after a day at school...this is also my absolute favorite “happy mama” blend!

Kids will be rolling in the door over the next hour...3 kids and 3 different buses. Before snacks & homework...hands are washed with Thieves hand soap. Kills the germs and there are NO product chemicals in any of the household products. We use Thieves everything...cleaner, detergent, soap, etc! And oh...it smells amazing too (clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary, orange & lemon).

Dinner prep with tunes going, “happy mama” blend I shared earlier diffusing in the background and chopping veggies for soup. I miss having garden herbs, but it’s also way easier to use my oils. Couple drops of basil, oregano and rosemary to flavor the broth!

For the first two months of school, Jane would be a hot mess when she got off the bus...she would literally cry and sometimes even take her clothes off on the walk up from the bus stop...total meltdown. Now I put a drop of Joy behind my ears before bus pick-up.  She doesn't want me oiling her up when she gets off the bus, but now just by me wearing it she gets the boost from our hug and piggyback back home. Brilliant, right?! And because I’m not gonna take a picture of the back of my ears, here’s a pic of happy Jane digging thru her Halloween candy pillowcase!

Homework & coloring before basketball practice and Girl Scout meeting at the Fire Station. Can’t beat the mood lift and happy blend of Orange and Stress Away! I gave the kids and small oily kiss when they came home from school since the afternoon was gonna be non-stop! A roller with this blend sits inside our craft /homework cart for easy access and kitchen table mood lift!

A quick check-in & oily kiss to Ella who is working on a paper and then later in the evening a soccer game under the lights! Oils for homework have been one of the biggest blessings...I can’t write the paper for her, but I can give her a big oily brain boost! #smartypants

Oiling at home is easy, but so is oiling I the go. As the mama taxi cab gears up for the evening I make sure to have my clutch of oils with me! I can’t tell you how many times I reach for this while out and about...headaches, bug bites, stress, car sickness, crabby moods, stinky pits, stinky sports equipment...I could go on and on. #theresanoilforthat

Okay, so this one is an oily academy award winner! At 5:30 me and my 13 Kindergarten Daisy Scouts were set to earn their “Respect for Authority” badge with a private tour and meet & greet at the Medway Fire House. Well when this Troop Leader showed up at 5:20 and was told by the Captain that they needed to cancel and were supposed to have called me...I wanted to cry...and well Jane did cry. A quick reach in my bag to take a couple deep breaths with my main squeeze Stress Away and I got the courage to tell the girls and the parents that drove them there during rush hour that we would have to cancel...but that they got a cute fire hat. But yeah...awards go to Stress Away and my go to green clutch!

Swipe of En-R-Gee on the inside of Ella’s ankles and mine too, before she laced up the cleats and I put on some warm socks and hat to watch her game. An energy boost was a must for this game under the lights, especially with day light savings just days prior.

Before bed mama bear routine... Face: Tea Tree on my pesky blemishes and Frankincense rolled all over to help minimize wrinkles! Hormones: Progessence Plus (all natural progesterone) on my wrists to help keep my girly parts balanced!!

Bed time essentialsssssssss... Lavender on the big toe and Release in my diffuser! If kids have a hard time settling down then they get the bedtime hook-up too...but most days they are pretty good at hitting the hay when it’s time. Lavender on big toe is amazing for sleep...especially if for some reason you wake in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep… swipe a drop on your big toe and good night! Release...ah-may-zing for turning off my mommy brain!

and that's an erin oily wrap friends!

a few final bits...

1. 

if you are not yet an oiler and would like to get started...

i would love to help you!

2.

if you want your family to gift you oils for christmas or hanukkah send them my way...

lots of mamas are asking for oils this holiday season!

3.

if you want to host an in-person class with your people, send me a message...

i'm booking dates in december & january and would love to bring the oily education to your people.

4. 

if you just want to go ahead and get started,

here is a sign-up link!  

do it...

you will not regret it and i'm here for you every step of the way!

xo,

happy oiling friends!

snickers bar letters

if you read yesterday's blog

about halloween, eeyore and the happy tree

you will know that this card

found on my bedside table with

her words and these snickers bars

is evvvvvverrrrryyyyythaaaaanggg

to me.

such that i will gladly break my

"no-candy-ember" 

commitment and celebrate 

motherhood

&

childhood

&

growing-up

&

staying little

&

forgiveness

&

learning

&

L O V E

!!!!!

(with all the capitals & exclamation points)

 grab a snickers bar friends,

because

it's friday

and some things sure do satisfy! 

happy tree's halloween reflections

yesterday was halloween.
the kids rocked their costumes
& trick-or-treating.
the adults rocked the halloween hustle,
sugar high craze & spiked cider sipping.

we had a blast,
but let me tell you...
i'm kinda excited to flip the calendar to november,
 to catapult the jack-o-lanterns into the compost,
and to box up the ghosts, spiders and skeletons.
let me tell you why...

* * *

ella was eeyore...
she and some of her friends
dressed-up as winnie the pooh characters.
they were totally adorable.
and i more than loved seeing this group of 7th grade girls
celebrate the sweetness and childhood innocence of pooh,
while skipping around our own backyard one hundred acre wood.

but also my girl was eeyore...
in a season when i am daily parenting
amidst tween blahs,
and encouraging my girl to shine.
i'm sorry but i can't relate to eeyore.
some days i kinda hate eeyore's attitude,
and would like to be the one to nail that tail back onto his behind.
but i can't hate my kid.
and i can't nail her tail back on because it's sewed to her onesie.
why couldn't she be tigger or piglet?

also...
the acquiring of this eeyore costume
was more than a little stressful.
first...
because eeyore is a slightly self-absorbed tween,
we HAD to order it at the EXACT moment
that she chose for us to get it (october 10th)...
instead of patiently waiting and looking for it at the
local halloween store like i suggested.
and...
since at that EXACT moment
i was busy doing other things,
distracted and annoyed, i said...
"fine, go ahead."
hit the purchase button to the online amazon account
that already has my credit card saved.
which means...
mom did NOT review the order or have the opportunity
 to select a costume that was not coming from CHINA.
so...
as of october 30 it still hadn't arrived,
(surprise, surprise)
in fact the arrival date was bumped to november 5th.

thankfully...
our neighbor down the street
knew someone who was eeyore last year.
she then then jumped through incredibly thoughtful superhero hoops,
on halloween day,
with her newborn as her sidekick,
to pick-up the costume for MY daughter.

 phew...
(thank you joy)
winnie the pooh halloween saved!
but can you guess what ella's / eeyore's response was
when i excitedly put the costume on and texted her a picture of me wearing it?
are you ready for it...
"nice."
not even an exclamation point.

she has lost phone privileges for her bit,
and will be wearing eeyore pajamas until she graduates.

moving on to bennett...
in years past my sweet boy was an adorable harry potter,
tom brady, superman and one year,
just to make his mom happy and go with my theme,
dressed up like a ridiculous giraffe.

this year..
a tatted up rapper wearing a leather jacket,
gold chain necklace and diamond stud earrings.

in years past his mama applied a lightening bolt to a little harry's forehead,
and eye black to a little tom Brady.
this year...
his mama carefully applied a scorpion tattoo to the back of his neck,
and a gothic clock sleeve tattoo to his forearm.

he was happy,
which made me happy
along with the "my little boy is growing up mama tears."
he really did rock it (pun intended),
but also went off to school
and trombone practice today still all tatted up...
because who showers on halloween?

and oh...
these massive fake tattoos are legit.
the one he applied to his little sister's torso
a few weeks ago is still holding on.

jane was a unicorn...
not bennett's tatted up rapper witch.
but...
she was almost dorothy from the wizard of oz.

she actually picked out the
dorothy costume & ruby red slippers
back at the beginning of october,
but then made a last minute switch to unicorn.
 not surprisingly,
the 5 year old kindergartener
opted for the sparkly and oh so comfy fleece onesie,
over the high-neck polyester tunic and 1930's jumper dress.

admittedly i busted out my very best
bribes and mama guilt in an effort
to persuade her to stick with dorothy.
i even shed tears while telling her how much dorothy means to me...
that dorothy was my childhood superhero...
that the quote in my high school yearbook is dorothy's.

"if i ever go looking for my heart's desire again,  i won't look any further than my own backyard...
because if it isn't there...then i never really lost it to begin with."

when she originally chose dorothy
i literally wept in the aisles of party city.
i couldn't believe my baby would be dressed as my childhood hero,
with ruby red slippers clicking together in my backyard...
("there's no place like home, there's no place like home.")
during a season when my heart's desire and new ventures
are all happening at home in my backyard.

nope.
she was unicorn...
and oh so happy about it too.

which brings me to myself...
i was a bob ross happy little tree.
and even this was complicated,
due to some things going on with my dad,
which has made these last few weeks tough...
super tough.
so putting on a happy face,
or happy little tree branches,
 is what i've had to do for days...
and not just for halloween parties or trick-or-treating.

my dad,
and my relationship with my dad is complicated.
i think i want to tell you more about this someday,
because it's a big part of my story...
but for now
know that i love him,
but there is a lot of stuff.

my dad has stuff...
my dad is going through stuff...
his stuff has a direct impact on our stuff...
which means his stuff becomes my stuff...
and my stuff as the oldest kid to divorced parents becomes the grown up stuff...
and the grown up stuff brings up the childhood stuff...
and the childhood stuff is big sister stuff...
and the big sister stuff is still childhood stuff...
but the childhood stuff is now grown up stuff...
and all this childhood and grown stuff is made-up of
love and loss,
truth and tragedy,
grief and grace,
sickness and sadness,
confusion and compassion,
and is hard,
really...really... really hard.

 so while jane as dorothy didn't pan out to be
thematic for me in this current season...
the happy little tree did.
and while the rest of the halloween decorations will be packed up this afternoon,
im not sure i'll be able to put away the tree branches just yet.
it's good thing they kinda match our thanksgiving decor,
we are gonna need them.
so keep that 2 inch paint brush handy bob ross...
but please don't beat the devil out of it!

ready...

the change of seasons is the current theme
of sideline, bus stop, grocery store,
and morning news chatter.

here in new england,
it quite literally blew
onto the scene this week.

i've slipped into my favorite boots,
bundled up in my gortex puffer jacket,
tucked my hair under a knitted cap,
and wrapped a chunky afghan around my shoulders.

i've climbed into the attic,
unpacked boxes from the basement,
and pushed the heated seat button in my car.

like all seasons,
the weather is the easy conversation to be had.
small talk that is often
accompanied by mild growling, disbelief, surprise and denial.

i often feel,
and think we all know deep down,
that this small talk is often the guise for the emotional shift
 that really defines the change of season.

 i think this is especially true of
autumn...
and maybe that's why it is my favorite.

some years i've found the shift to autumn sad,
longing for the warmth and long days of summer.
some years i've felt robbed,
feeling the bustle of life meant we missed the glory of fall.
some years i've felt overwhelmed,
that all the good is just too good to do...and do well.
some years i've felt anxious,
dreading the cold and darkness of winter.
some years i've felt tired,
from sleepless nights with a new born or third trimester exhaustion.
some years i've felt regretful,
realizing the year is ending and goals were note reached.
sometimes years i've felt lonely,
preparing to miss the ease of gathering in the backyard.
some years i've felt confused,
like didn't we JUST celebrate halloween, thanksgiving and christmas?

but most years,
and especially this year,
i feel ready for the shift to autumn.

ready to let go of some things,
like the leaves that were once green,
that will turn red, orange, brown and then fall.

ready to plant new things,
like the tulips and daffodil bulbs i'll plant this weekend...
but not see bloom until spring.

ready to gather and hustle,
like the very busy little squirrels in my backyard...
making preparations to thrive in winter.

ready to dwell,
like the animals that hibernate...
but remain cozy and close to the ones they love.

ready to celebrate,
like they did in plimoth and nazareth...
with the joy and promise of new life.

ready...
that's what i'll say when we small talk about the weather.
i won't growl or complain, act surprised or confused...
but i will wonder and hope we have a time to
share and contemplate the season's emotional shifts too.

are you ready?

***

if you are local
and want to spend some time reflecting and celebrating
this season you are in,
while preparing your hearts for the one to come...
you're invited to join me on
october 29 here in my barn.

i'll be leading a
workshop for women called
"stamped: made for this."
you can read more and register here,
or reach out with any questions.

i would love to spend this evening with you to...
reflect & renew,
connect & create,
dream & dance,
love & laugh!
because dear sisters...
we were made for this!

october programs

anne of green gables said

"i am so glad i live in a world

where there are octobers."

i have always loved this quote.
i sing it out each year
as we flip the calendar from september.
and let me tell you,

this year i'm feeling this
childhood hero at

a sisterhood soul level.

i'll also tell you that i'm feeling my
adult hero,

joanna gaines,
at a sisterhood soul level too.

her words in the fall 

issue of magnolia brought on all the feels.

"whatever season you're in, whatever life may throw at you, whether it feels like success or like failure, expected or unexpected, you are made ready. made ready to learn, to celebrate, to endure. to handle all of the things that get thrown your way in every season and to know yourself and take stock of your resources - of all the beautiful things you're already made of...
and whatever tomorrow may hold,
here's what i believe to be true: i am made ready."

thanks for this jo.
and as always, thank you anne.
your inspiration and encouragement are
exactly what i'm feeling as i
venture down a path i hope i was made for,
beginning here in an october i am so glad for.

with that,
i'm excited to share with you the details
and registration links for my october programs.
i sure do look forward to
sharing these with you.
and...
if you feel so inclined,
feel free to pass on any of these to your friends.
the programs are open to all.

october 9th
fall fun on the farm
for kids
(click here)

october
photo shoots at the barn 
(click here)

october 29th
stamped: made for this
for sisters
(click here)

and finally,
in the spirit of heroes and halloween
i'll also be channeling my inner mary poppins
for some 1:1 coffee chats and 101 classes
on essential oils.
read more here.
look for events on facebook.
or reach out and i'll "fly" right over.

here we go october,
let's do this!

mary poppins & oiling

there is lots & lots of halloween talk

happening in our house these days.

costume dreaming & scheming brings me 

back to my most favorite halloween costume ever.

that time i was mary poppins

& wes was sweet bert.

on rainy days like these,

i get to channel my inner mary 

when i carry my costume umbrella 

out and about 

mary momming around town.

but let me tell you...

my oils often bring out an inner mary too.

i swear that woman had oils in her bag.

i mean...

spoonful of sugar.

cherry cordial.

ruuuuuuum punch.

tea parties on the ceiling.

"every task you undertake,

becomes a piece of cake."

and a beauty of a bottomless satchel. 

her bag had a little something for everything.

and that's how i feel about my oils.

a dose of this.

a diffusor mix for that.

a roller for this.

a blend for that.

so, with my trusty mary umbrella in reach,

and a quiet hum of "a spoonful of sugar"

here's a little peek at some of my most favorite

mama mary poppins' oily mixes.

if any of you want to add some goodies to your

mary satchel let me know.

i'll fly right over!

germs, germs, go away!
immunity boost.

zzzzzzzzz!
mommy brain be gone.

homework hustle!
ella's most favorite diffusor mix.

achy head, achy muscles!
soothing without ibuprofen.

pimple poooof!
a dollop on plumpy pimples.

wrinkle rest!
my most favorite facial serum.

fall fabulous!
favorite seasonal blend for our noses and our brains.

laundry love!
kickin' smells and smelling sweet.

too much tequila & tacos!
tummy & head relief after a fun night.

happy mama!
my most favorite mama up mood lifting mix.

happy kiddo!
a little bit of sunshine when the crabbies take over.

breath again!
for when junk settles in the pipes.

dreaming darlings!
for when "but mom, i'm not tired."

athlete ewwwww!
for bennett's smelly gear & freaky foot funk.

crank & check!
tackling to-do lists with a boost.

perfectly peaceful!
diffusing now while we play
a board game and root for the red sox.