It is that time of year… in Arkansas, anyway, where it is warm, sunny and 70 degrees one day, and snowing like mad the next. It seems that it just gets worse and worse each year, Nature’s way of expressing her anger over how we have filled our planet with chemicals.

At least, in my mind, that’s what I think. Every time something happens- good or bad- I think of God, Nature, and how each and every one of us has such a huge impact on our planet. Earth is not something to take for granted! Unfortunately, in today’s hustle, bustle, more, give me more, keep up with the Jones’, MORE MORE MORE world… its all anyone ever seems to do. Pollution, whether tangible or chemical, is rampant.

What are we doing? WHY are we doing this to our homes, our children, our selves? Think of the last time you were sick. And then the time before that. What about the time before that? How many days, weeks, months, were in between your “colds,” “flus,” or “its just the crud!” … Probably not that many.

I am, as a health coach and nutrition counselor, very apprehensive about using chemical medicines. There is nothing I won’t do to avoid putting chemicals in my body, especially chemicals that have side effects far worse than the illness they’re supposed to be “treating.” I especially try to avoid any chemicals in my children!

If you’re like me, or want to go chemical-free, I have a few pointers for you. Have you ever heard of essential oils? I hadn’t, either, until a few months ago. When I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I started learning SO MUCH, it was (and still is, most of the time) like my brain was just swimming in so much knowledge! I love it. As I learned more, and searched more, I found my mentor and friend, Hayley Hobson. She has helped me in so many ways! As a member of her Strengthen, Nourish, Evolve team, I am now running a 100% chemical free home, thanks to dōTERRA Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils. Let me tell you how you can be, too.

• Prevent, don’t try to “medicate” when the illness strikes. I am not one to be afraid of germs. I had my younger daughter Sophia out and about when she was 2 days old- shopping for a baptism dress, eating out with her god parents, and road tripping 300 miles to pick up a brand new member of our family (a mastiff). Now, I am still the same. The only difference is, I’m prepared. Before I drop my older daughter, Olivia, off for school, I put a drop of OnGuard essential oil blend on her wrists. We repeat the same ritual when I drop both my kids off in the afternoons at their childcare program. I am so happy to say that even when the flu was rampant, my girls stayed well.
• Simplify. Remember how healthy generations before us were? Before the high fructose corn syrup boom, before all the chemicals came along, before genetically modified foods were all the rage, when our government wasn’t *so* involved with what we, as citizens, put in our bodies, and honest, home town farmers provided our markets with chemical-free food? Yeah… I don’t, either, since I wasn’t born until the mid 80′s. But my grandparents do. So do my great grandparents. You don’t need all the frozen food that looks SO delicious in the freezer section of Kroger. You don’t. And either do your kids. It can be really hard for families in this economy to provide a lot of organic produce. Just remember, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. With dōTERRA‘s CPTG oils, you can get a lot of flavor for pennies on the drop. And all it takes is ONE drop for HUGE flavor. You can cook daily with oils like lemon, cilantro, black pepper, oregano, and lime. I use them all the time! One of my kids favorite snacks are kale chips- and they’re so easy, cheap, and healthy to make. A bunch of organic kale is usually only $1 at our local grocery. Just wash the kale, pull the leaves from the stems, and then rub the leaves with a mix of 1/4c water and 1 drop lemon or lime oil. Bake them on a baking sheet at 350 until they’re crispy. Voilá, you have awesome chips the whole family will love for a grand total of $1.05 (pricing by drop of oil).
• Do It Yourself. Do you ever feel guilty for cleaning your home with products that, if your children or pets consume them, you have to call poison control or go to the emergency room? If you don’t, I think you should. If its not safe to ingest, why on earth would you want your family to breathe it in, touch it, etc.? Exactly. Why not make your own, and save money, too?! dōTERRA oils were actually featured on Fox News recently, for this exact thing! Mix your own cleaning solution out of water, a few drops of lemon oil, or peppermint oil, and melaleuca, white vinegar, and liquid castille soap. Disinfectant, and all natural. Still not convinced, DIY isn’t really your thing? Check out all the gross, awful terrible things that can harm your babies, pets, and yourself, right HERE.

See, now after reading all that information, why wouldn’t you want to go chemical free? I don’t know, either. You can contact me for more information regarding dōTERRA essential oils, or just click the tab at the top of the page that says dōTERRA.

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