3 months

 3 months  ago today,

the lord's big ol' tug on my heart

pulled me away from a 15+ year in corporate,

and two hand pushed me towards living out my passions and 

pursuing some entrepreneurial dreams.

since that day,

i've been praying and reflecting, 

and stumbling and adjusting,

 and hustling and working 

to figure out 

my new normal...

my new every day...

my new how...

my new when...

my new if...

my new do...

really, my new everything.

working for myself has been a BIG change 

from working for a BIG organization.

my day to day has gone...

from conference calls to coffee chats

from powerpoint to photography,

from complicated campaigns to creating and connecting,

from programs in big venues to programs in my barn,

from budgets with lots of zeros to budgets that are zero,

from delivering on timelines, to determining timelines,

from meetings around conference tables, to meetings in my friend's treehouse,

from ornery colleagues to oily sisters,

from mistakes that really don't matter, to mistakes that do,

from high heels to hunter boots,

from loving my firm, to loving my farm,

from navigating a career, to navigating a calling.

while there have most certainly been some hard days,

most days are filled to the brim with encouragement and assurance

that this is where i'm meant to be.

thankFULL bits

our hearts and bellies

are filled to the brim 

from a weekend of 

gathering,

giving thanks

trimming,

gaming,

sipping,

oiling,

shopping,

loving

&

memory making!

and a final

smooch from wes' leftover meatball slider...

can you almost hear it saying,

"pucker up, butter cup."

happy thanksgiving

& merry christmas

dear ones!

christmas at the farm

 it warms my heart

to share a look at some upcoming 

holiday happenings 

at defoyd backyard farm!

i sure do hope we get to

make memories and 

share some of the

joy of this season 

together!

******

photos with mr. claus

december 1st & december 8th

8:30 - 11:00 a.m.

santa gave me a jingle jingle to say he plans to visit the 

farm on the mornings of december 1st & december 8th!

pop by for a cup of cocoa by the bonfire and 

a family / kid photo with santa under the twinkle lights.

$20 per family

(cash or check on the day)

******

paint your own 

ceramic christmas trees

december 6th

2:30-4:30

& 

6:30-8:30

growing up we had one of those decorative trees,

with the little brightly colored bulbs.

the tree has become a

christmas heirloom!

while mom hasn't passed it on to me just yet,

we did glaze our own last year,

that we cherish!

send the kids,

or paint one with the kids

while we sip cocoa and make some memories!

$50

(send me a private message to 

reserve your tree & pick your time slot)

note: december 6th is an elementary school 1/2 day in medway!

******

family photo shoots

at the barn

december 2nd

&

december 9th

it's not too late

to get a family photo for 

christmas cards or gifts!

photos will be edited and delivered within the week.

$125

(click on dates above to book your time slot)

******

ugly sweaters & essential oils

december 10

7:00 p.m.

cozy up in your ugliest holiday sweater

and join me by the fire for an oily holiday cocktail

and essential oils conversation.

i'll be sharing all my essentials

for the season

to keep us merry & above the wellness line!

invites & details on facebook

p.s.  young living has some amazing 

black friday / cyber monday deals i'll be sharing too!

and...

if any of you are hinting to your parents, hubbies & kids,

that you would like oils under the tree just send them my way! 

******

and that's
a holiday wrap!
oh what fun 

we will have during the 

most merriest time of the year!

a rockin' monday

this morning

i woke up and was inspired to

dress for the day!

ripped jeans, leather jacket and ballet flats,

hairspray, dangly earrings

and a soul on fire...

ready to get after this monday 

of thanksgiving week.

no,

really it was because i

was maybe just a little excited to dance

with my 4th grader 

for peek week

in his p.e. class' dancing unit.

did someone say dancing?

oh yes, yes, YES,

they sure did!

together with katy perry

and the backstreet boys

me, my boy, some mama friends 

and 4th grade buddies who i most often see

wearing football helmets, basketball shoes 

or eating me out of house & home

got our groove on!

the world would 

be a better place if all mondays 

could start this way!

don't you think?

bennett says no,

but i don't think he really means that.

happy monday of

thanksgiving week friends!

who else is looking forward to

time with family, amazing side dishes and

counting our blessings?

mine sure is off to 

a great start!

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!