My Green Home ::Recipes Included::

I have been thinking about this post for sometime and I'm very happy that I have finally gotten it together! You can expect that these recipes have been tested and proved by yours truly! I have included some do-it-yourself recipes along with product recommendations. I often get asked, how I green clean my house or how I keep my house green clean and within this post I will be giving you my favorites for a full house clean! 

First up, the goods! I'm sure you're asking yourself why ridding your home of toxic chemicals is a good idea. Well--for starters we spend 80% of our time at home and considering that most common toxins in household cleaners have been linked to sever liver and kidney damage, narcosis, and pulmonary edema--I think I'll stay away. 

My DIY Faves 

 ::Laundry Detergent:: 
1 cup Super Washing Soda 
1 cup baking soda 
1 cup Epsom Salt 
6 drops Purification 
Directions: Combine all ingredients into and air tight container. 
**you can add 1 cup of Borax if you'd like** 

 ::Laundry Softener:: 
1 cup White Vinegar 
1/4 cup Organic Hair Conditioner 
6 drops Purification 
 Directions: Combine all ingredients into a jug or large mason jar. Add 1 capful (or 3 tbsp) to basin while filling. 
**for added softness use wool balls and dryer sheets** 

::Reusable Dryer Sheets:: 
1 package multi-purpose reusable wipes 
1 cup of laundry softener (see above recipe) 
 Directions: Cut reusable wipes into squares, place them in mason jar, pour laundry softener over wipes. The mixture will soak into the dryer sheets. To use them, simply throw one into your dryer! Once you use a dryer sheet a couple of times, you will want to set it aside until you have used them all. Once all of your dryer sheets have been used, you simply place them back in your airtight container and repeat! 

::Citrus Soft Scrub:: 
3/4 cup Baking Soda 
1/4 Castile Soap (Dr. Bronners) 
1 tbsp Distilled Water 
5-6 drops of Lemon or Purification 
Directions: Combine ingredient into a squeeze bottle. 
 **this makes an amazing stovetop, bathtub, and toilet scrub** 

Products I Love

 ::Thieves Dish Soap::
With naturally derived ingredients, Thieves® Dish Soap effectively cleans your dishes without chemicals, dyes, or synthetics. Young Living pure essential oils—Thieves, Jade Lemon, and Bergamot—work with other plant-based ingredients to leave your dishes sparkling clean.

::Thieves Laundry Soap::
With a plant-based formula, Thieves Laundry Soap gently and naturally washes your clothes, cleaning them without any chemical or synthetic residue. Natural enzymes and powerful essential oils add to the formula’s strength to leave your clothes fresh and clean with a light citrus scent.

::Thieves Household Cleaner::
Formulated with the power of Young Living’s Thieves oil blend, you can get a deep clean without dangerous or synthetic ingredients. Thieves cleaner also includes the scent of Lemon essential oil for an even more uplifting aroma. Chores will feel like less of a chore with the sweet-and-spicy scent and effective cleaning power of Thieves Household Cleaner.

This all-purpose cleaner can be used on any surface in your home for dusting, spot cleaning, scrubbing, or any other cleaning need. Wherever you use it, you’ll feel good knowing it’s safe to use around everyone in your family, including pets. Spot test in an inconspicuous area before applying this product to woods, plastics, fabrics, and granite. If staining or damage occurs, discontinue use on the material.

So that is my current cleaning solution! If you are interested in learning MORE about Greening Your Home Please check-out this informative video!

Wanna get your hands on the goods? If you are a current YL Member, add these products to your next order! If you are not yet a member--become one HERE!

Mirror Neurons and Parenting ::Wired to Connect::

My desire to understand human development and psychology started far before I had children but admittedly it's become quite an obsession of mine. Who wouldn't want to understand the psychology of a toddler tantrum? No? Maybe I'm just weird...

The coolest part about understanding how the brain works is the ability to be calculated and stealthy in your parenting or caring and conscientious ::whichever you prefer::! Ha. There are lots of different components to the human brain but learning and understanding even just the basics has been so helpful in my parenting journey and it's given me a sense of calm understanding that has been invaluable. 

Now presenting the wild world of MIRROR NEURONS!

What Are Mirror Neurons?

According to the American Psychological Association, "Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that respond equally when we perform an action and when we witness someone else perform the same action. They were first discovered in the early 1990s, when a team of Italian researchers found individual neurons in the brains of macaque monkeys that fired both when the monkeys grabbed an object and also when the monkeys watched another primate grab the same object.

Cool, huh?? 
Your mind--a mirror that reflects onto others---

WAIT---THIS IS SCARY SHIT.

I'm basically telling you that the way that you feel and act will be emulated and imitated. Are you cool with that?

Ok. Yea. It's scary.

Using This Applied Science in Parenting

Children are inherently good and a bad behavior doesn't erase the inherent good-nature that they just are. Instead, when children act out in particular ways it shows where they are hurting. We must change the lens in which we view our children and their behaviors--what we deem as "good" and "bad."

Our minds set intention--"And so it goes with our kids. With them we can hold love in our minds, and our body language confirms our belief in them as good, capable, loving people. When our intentionally calm, gentle faces and body language are combined with our loving thoughts (and often, with a needed limit) the mirror neurons in our children’s brains fire to match the emotional state we are showing them, while their tantrums, crying and dramatic complaints release their feelings of hurt, so they can once again feel our love, and attune with us at last. The more we can intentionally hold this good thinking for them, the more their brains can align with ours, because our mind sets the intention.  We are giving them the experience of feeling felt, creating attuned connections and resonance, thereby restoring warmth and goodness to them and allowing their minds to self-organize." (Source)

Your Parenting Image

It's always interesting when I hear parents say, "little Johnny hates such-and-such" because MOST of the time the parent also hates such-and-such. We project onto our children the ideals, behaviors, and in many cases the inner self that we possess. If you want to see a clear picture of yourself just look at your children.

It is important to be true to who you are, because as a parent, you face a mirror that reflects everything you do and feel. When we pretend to feel and think in a specific way, our child’s mirror neurons will pick it up. Mirror neurons never lie. Your thoughts, feelings and behaviors will be mirrored. It is not what they say that counts the most, but what their brain projects and what our brain mirrors. 

Let Go of Guilt
I am a strong believer in attatchment parenting  but I'm also a firm believer in striving for balance. I hate that word, balance because it gives people like me (researchers), this notion that balance isn't being achieved if you're "striving for it" however this article says that we (I) aren't doing so bad. I feel like this is important to chat about though, we (as parents) have done a pretty damn good job of keeping busy, stressed, and frazzle-dazzled! This display of stress and "busy-ness" isn't what I want for my kids. I mean really take a step back and think about what you are exhibiting; are you running like a wild woman because you've stretched yourself thin, are you laying around all-day never putting forth the effort in achieving anything greater, or have you achieved perfect balance and you are the mother that we should all strive to be ::bullshit::! Obviously, there are varying degrees between but think about where you are on the spectrum and how it impacts your children.

Real World Application

I recently witnessed an incredible transformation in a special little boy that sort of spurred this need to know more about mirror neurons.

In the course of about 6 months his family went through some big changes that included; moving, renovating a home, moving again, and selling a business. Needless to say his life was busy and a bit unpredictable. He hadn't potty-trained yet, was a little shy socially, and verbally wasn't very expressive. Last week we spent some time with him and it was a night and day difference. He is fully potty-trained, verbally expressive, and socially engaged. After chatting with his Mama I left feeling confident that she really understood their mirror neuron connection. She explained, "Christian he was feeling my stress and after a week of being settled, at home, and me being less stressed it all came together." Mind you--this Mama was being questioned about his development by family so you can imagine the weight once things finally came together!

I leave you with this,

Remember--Your behavior speaks and your child is also listening.

P.S.--I could talk with you all day about; the great leap forward in regard to human evolution and the need for interdependence but I'll let this video get that point across.

If You Too Enjoy Research::

https://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/ramachandran/ramachandran_index.html

http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct05/mirror.aspx

Stream of Counsciousness...

 

Where I've been, where I'm at, and why none of it really matters...

As I was headed (here) to my favorite spot in all of Sarasota, the Ringling Bridge, I was thinking about what I wanted to post about. What do I want to talk about; motherhood, natural living, or having a hot husband ::shoulder shrug::? As I was crossing my favorite bridge I noted the running path along the sides and I was quickly taken back to a memory (or a hundred), of running along that path the times that I have. It seems like decades ago that I was childless, training for a half marathon, and had ZERO time constraints. Who was that person? That girl? The "endurance" athlete who had not experienced natural childbirth, the girl giddy for her medal who hadn't overcome breastfeeding challenges, the girl who had no clue what it was like to love someone more than herself. She's such a faded memory. It's like my current life with children has eclipsed all that I knew, all that I was, and now it's affected all that I will ever be. I don't wish for my old life. I don't wish to go back. I just wish that when I HAD it I really understood what it was; carefree and independent. 

 

This week has been so challenging for me. I'm seeing my sweet baby girl blossom into and inquisitive little girl and my son is hitting the same milestones that I feel like Ella was hitting just yesterday. It's becoming all too real and I'm realizing more and more how quickly time is fluttering past me and I'm recalling instances with my kids as blurry memories. This is scary shit people. Is Christian with adult children, going to look back on Christian with babies and think "I wish she knew what she had..."?

The answer is YES.

So I will capture it. I will breathe it in and let it soak to the core of my soul. I will laugh harder, play the game Sneaky Snacky Squirrel with Ella 100 more times (it's her favorite), and I will play peek-a-boo with Wilde like its the last time everyday. One day...the games will be put away and the peek-a-boos will be traded for real goodbyes and until that moment I will enjoy every single moment while I can.

Young Child-less Christian,

You did the best you could with the knowledge that you had. I really wish that you would have slept more but you liked to party...

Current Christian,

Leave this spot right now and go cuddle your husband and kiss on your babies. There isn't a blog, a business, a website, or a project in this world that is more important than them. Go steal time sister. 

Ps--as I was leaving my spot on the bridge I saw one of the girls that I used to run with. She didn't recognize me and ran right past. Funny how things work out..

Nightweaning Two Kids: Two Ways

There is nothing more miserable than going without sleep. Often times, moms do it out of necessity and as a result  you end up with a Mama who is sleep-deprived and mentally fatigued. Who wants to "mom-it" when you feel like crap? I know I don't. 

Have no fear two gentle ways of night-weaning are here! 

  

 

My experience has varied greatly with each baby and I'm learning that each scenario has served a purpose and maybe that purpose was to help other mamas. Let me first tell you about each child and their pre-nightweaning eating habits: 

Ella:: Ellabird was an angel and still is when it comes to adhering and respecting boundaries. Being that she was my first baby I was much more gentle in nightweaning her. We began the weaning process at 20 months with Ella and after doing so, I realized that I could have done it a lot sooner! At the time, I was pregnant with Wilde and was having UNbearable nipple pain//aversion while nursing. Ella was nursing about 3-5 times a night--even at 20 months! 

Wilde:: He's such a man cub. He was nursing 3-5 times per night but VIOLENTLY. If you have a violent nurser than you will understand what I'm talking about. If you don't then you wont get it when I say, there was NO WAY I'd be able to be in the same room with him while night weaning. He's like a shark--he can smell me and when he wants it, he wants it. 

The Process. 
Like I said each child has been so different! Here's how it happened for each.

Ellabird:: I have always communicated with Ella through story and play. It's just her personality. If I were to sit her down (even at 20 months) and tell her "no more" she would have been very hurt (she's my sensitive sweetheart). I opted to start the process of "Milky in the Morning". It actually came from the book that we read together "Milky When the Sun Shines" and at night we would tell milky night-night, I would put on a sports bra, and when she'd reach for it in the night I would gently remind her that she could have milky when the sun was up. 
Funny story--
There was only one night that she actually had a difficult time and it resulted in us laying on the coach in the living room. I have a large back sliding door that looks out on horse pastures. Ella saw the barn light on in the distance and screamed, "mama, it's da sun, it's da sun, I has milk now..." Uh..negative. 
About a week to two weeks of this and Ella was sleeping through the night--GO ELLA! 

Wilde:: Remember how I mentioned Wilde being a violent nurser? Ya. The kid is intense in every way. One day it will serve him well but today and in the evenings, it's a pain in the ass. Realizing how beneficial nightweaning actually is, I've decided to wean him earlier than I did Ella by a few months. Maybe it's the age or maybe it's the personality but the book and gentle reminder method is not and WILL NOT be the solution for him. He's more of an out of sight, out of mind kinda guy. We started the process with Nate putting him to sleep and me coming in later--which totally worked until he realized that I was there. It was almost like he wasn't used to sleeping deeply because he was wanting to nurse. Make sense? So we began The current process of me sleeping in the guestroom for a few nights while he acclimates to a full nights sleep. It's working. I came in at 6AM this morning and he was out, he knew I was there, I gently patted his back and he went right to sleep. GO WILDE! 

My Advice
-I would not wean your child earlier than 18 months and even then you really need to ensure they are getting plenty of solids and water throughout the day. 

-Ensure that you have adopted a schedule. Kids THRIVE when there is routine and order. 

-Find a method that's right for them and be patient. Nightweaning is a HUGE milestone and for many littles can be a big deal. Stay empathetic and gentle. This is just as tough for them as it is for you...

-Include your spouse in this process if possible. It has been more difficult for us considering the schedule that Nate keeps but EVEN SO I can see how valuable it is. Your child should be comforted by the other parental figure in the home and in our case it has actually facilitated Nate having unique bonds with each of our children. 

If you have any questions, need any support, or just an ear, I'm here for you! 

Xoxo

DIY Salt Spray

It's no surprise to friends, family and maybe even YOU that I made my own Salt Spray! Here's how it's done!

You'll Need:

-an old Saline Spray bottle (get out my house 'Little Noses')

-QUALITY Pink Himalayan or other sea salt

-a funnel or steady hand

To make:

Sanitize your bottle and the water that you'll be using for your spray. Don't avoid this...

Mix 2 tsp to 1/4 cup of sanitized water and boom! Let it cool, pour into your container, and label! 

My sweet boy is fighting the sniffles so this wash, paired with YL's 'Snifflease' on the chest is just what the mama ordered! It's a rejuvenating and refreshing blend formulated just for little ones!

When you're needy toddler really NEEDS you!

Hey guys! 

I wanted to share what has been going on in my life lately in the hopes that it might be able to help someone else. I've been experiencing some new parenting trials and wanted to share with friends. 

Here recently (about 2 weeks) I have been noticing that our sweet girl has been very very needy, a bit spunky, and overall more challenging. So I decided to dive in deeper to try and help her along. I pulled out some of my human development textbooks from school and got to studying. Every time Eleanor goes through a developmental milestone I'm always amazed at the awesome wonder of creation. My tiny little human...getting so big and developing big girl thoughts and gaining more independence. She's done so well with adjusting to having a new sibling and within the last month her verbal processing skills have increased. 

All of that to say this---it's no wonder that she has been more "needy" because guess what, she NEEDS me.

There's something in development called the "reconnecting phase" and it's typically an intermission between developmental leaps. When parents are out of harmony typically discipline problems will multiply. If you are trying to foster independence and your child is trying to bond you're totally out of harmony. It's not being "needy" it's NEEDING to reconnect and it means that an emotional refueling needs to take place.

If you get too busy while your child is in the reconnecting phase you may miss out on the opportunity to patch up breaks in communication. 

Multi-Level Marketing--a Viable Income for Mamas!

I recently saw a comment on a thread that went a little something like this, "people used to be all watch out for pyramid scheme and now it seems that everyone I know is getting into something, it seems as though it's targeted to women, what's the deal?"

That comment was so poignant that I decided to write a post about it!

I want to answer the question in a public forum as to educate others. 

The answer is this--it works.

Within the last month I have witnessed (personally), mothers without hope beginning hoping again.

A single mother who now has the ability to provide the necessities for her son. A Mama who was trapped//stresses in the day-to-day of owning a business now having the ability to spend quality time with her family, while providing additional stress free income, and lastly a pregnant mother enjoy her postpartum without the stress and sadness of having to go back to work. 

Stories continue to multiply and you're right--it IS geared towards women, specifically mothers. It's growing and will continue to grow, as long as people continue experiencing the financial freedom that multilevel marketing has to offer!

You see "direct sales" or "multilevel marketing" has changed rapidly over the last couple of years. Before with companies is like Amway, Melaleuca, or Mary Kay you had to carry stock and provide your customers with the products that they desired. Nowadays companies like Jam Berry, Young Living, DoTerra, and Plexus provide you with something as simple as a member number, an affiliate link, or a back office! Simple and streamlined. 

Along with the explosion of multilevel marketing companies we have also seen huge growth in the "blogosphere". It seems as though every Mama is a "Mommy Blogger"  and you'll often find affiliate links sprinkled throughout every single one of their posts. You see direct selling is very very similar to those blog affiliate links, you receive a commission based on what someone purchases, just like that blogger receives a commission on whatever you purchased through Amazon.

Here's the catch though---you receive a commission every single time someone purchases through your "affiliation" --even once and it's called residual income. Furthermore, you receive additional commission when that initial individual that you introduced, decides to introduce someone else to what it is that you offer (and are passionate about)! You see it's a trickle down NOT so much a pyramid. Think of the company that employs you (if you work), you probably have a President, a CEO, and a Manager--that my friend is a pyramid. 

Imagine if you got paid every single time you recommended your favorite cloth diaper, teething remedy, or shampoo and someone went and bought it. Can you imagine getting a check in the mail every single time someone purchases one of your favorite items? 

So here's the catch to multilevel marketing, you have to sell something that you believe in! If you don't find essential oils to be useful--don't sell it. If keeping your nails manicured isn't your passion--don't sell it. Instead find something that you really love and WILL use so that when you talk to others you're not "selling" instead you're-- SHARING. 

Something else that you want to look into is the company's compensation plan. If the compensation plan isn't rewarding you adequately for your work then you should find another company. For instance, if you have to do a lot of work for a minimal pay then that doesn't fix your---"I want more freedom" problem does it? Find something that you're passionate about and that will pay you what your worth. 

My passion has and always will be, to help mothers who are working and have the desire to be home, come home. With this structure of business I am able to do just THAT! 

Let's face it--equal pay for women, specifically mothers is an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed. Whether you're working in a job or you're working your own multilevel marketing level business, I support you! 

If you are involved with a direct selling company that has changed your life, I want to hear about it! 

If you're getting involved and see the potential, I want to hear about it!

Let's support one another in our endeavors!!!

http://www.today.com/video/today/57208131#57208131

**edited--by posting a photo of my check. I am making no income claim and have attached my companies income disclosure form.

Ripping off the band-aide..

I was about to type out how it "pains me to write this" or "how I am a failure" and maybe add in a "wish I could do it over" but I'm not...I'm not going to type any of that regarding the previous existence of Everyday Baby. I am not in pain. I'm not a failure. I wouldn't do any of it over...

Instead I'll tell you the truth. 

When I gave birth to Ella it changed my life, the traditional work force wasn't for me, and I needed a way out. Everyday Baby was my ticket. I dreamed of a place that I could take my baby to work, empower other mothers, and provide support. I emptied my savings account and got started building a business from the ground up. I was good at it. My previous business experience served me well and I was going steady. Heres what I didn't have experience in, motherhood. I had zero clue how much raising a child was going to take, nor was I prepared for the uphill battle that owning a brick & mortar business was going to be. Fast forward a rigorous year and a half later and I find out that I'm pregnant with my second baby while battling my (newly diagnosed) Ulcerative Colitis, wasn't a very good first trimester. The store suffered, I suffered, and I wasn't happy. My happy place became a prison. A prison that I had created. A place that was supposed to be my ticket to freedom became a major stressor.

I needed a plan...and fast. I had nothing.
I could've hired and I could have modified operation but I felt like I would be doing a disservice to the business because my heart just wasn't in it anymore. After months of prayer I decided to close the brick and mortar and head to the Farmers Market, which I don't know if you've tried to apply to get into a Farmers Market but it's REALLY difficult, at least the market I wanted to get into..I actually had my 3rd meeting with them the DAY Andersen was born, needless to say I had to cancel.

The day that I had Andersen something else birthed from me, I became immune to the feeling of failure regarding EB. I realized the moment that he was born that Everyday Baby was done. That my "Everyday Baby" is my children. That I wanted to devote this time to them and that I wasn't a failure.

Failure is, the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, I have succeeded in everything that I set out to accomplish with Everyday Baby-it WAS my ticket out of traditional business and for that I am grateful.

There you have it.
The truth. Painful. Beautiful and all mine.

I will be closing the online portion at the end of this month.

I hope that you still choose to follow me! Just Christian the wife, the mother, blogger, and friend. I will be blogging more and talking about my new life as a SAHM and more about my oil stuff (which is now paying my bills, thankfully or I would've had to go back to work)..

Thank you to all of the people that helped make Everyday Baby what it was! I have met so many wonderful friends and can't thank you enough for your patronage. I will always hold the 'Everyday Baby days' fondly in my heart. You helped make me the Mother that I am today.

A chapter closed, the band-aide has been ripped off Nate. You were right...I do feel better. Love you!

Mamas little helper.

This time baby I'll beeee bulletproof...

My current obsession is Bulletproof Coffee! If you're anything like me (busy mama) you enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning! Why not to make it more healthy?! Bulletproof coffee combines grass-fed butter, coconut oil, and essential oils! According to Dave (creator of this delish concoction),when you drink this in the morning the healthy fats naturally energize you, make you feel satiated and jump start fat burning for the rest of the day.

I've added peppermint oil to mine! Peppermint aides in digestion and is a natural energizer. Here's how to do it...

Bulletproof Coffee

A delicious & creamy latte-like coffee comprised of healthy fats. Combining the flavors of high quality artisan coffee (I suggest going here), grass-fed butter, coconut oil, and high quality essential oils (I ONLY suggest these) 

Serves:2

-16oz of high quality coffee freshly brewed coffee (black)

-1 tablespoon (or less) of grass-fed butter or ghee

-1 tablespoon of organic virgin coconut oil

-1 drop of peppermint oil (this) 

**do not add more than a drop

Optional add-ins:

-local honey

-agave

-organic sugar

-heavy cream

-almond milk

-coconut cream

**to keep it Paleo I suggest not adding any additional sugars.

Directions

Blend it up in a blender until it's creamy//frothy!

By adding this into your morning coffee you will increase your daily intake and absorption of healthy fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K & K2 and healthy fatty acids such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Please remember that if you're breast-feeding you need to be weary of using large amounts of peppermint. In addition, this healthy fat combo has the potential to give you sustained energy for several hours! 

My Amazing Modern Blessingway...

A blessingway is a mother centered ceremony that replaces a traditional baby shower and replaces it with a gathering of the closest women in your life. Every ceremony that I have been to has been different and thats what I love about it! My blessingway represented me and what I needed for my journey. I will share all of the particular elements that made my blessing way special to me!

A woman centered ceremony in the sizing a woman strength, dignity, and her metamorphosis as she goes through the process of bringing new life into the world...

I held my blessingway at the Breathing Space in Sarasota, Florida. I wanted an evening ceremony that evoked a magical feel and couldn't have been more happy with the space. In the invitation we asked everyone to bring a string of their favorite color, a plant that best represents them, a blessing bead, and a dish to share. 

My dear friend Erin Ernst did a beautiful henna on my belly! We discussed a mermaid (her specialty considering that she's a mermaid herself) and turned out beautiful. 

I couldn't have been more blessed with the women that participated in this ceremony! Every single one of them made the event special...

We started the ceremony by honoring our mothers..."I am Christian the daughter of Gina and the Mother of Ella..." By doing this we acknowledged the mother presence in our lives. It was powerful! Some mothers and grandmothers had passed on so it was amazing to honor not just the living but also thank God for the lives of those that had passed. It was also neat to acknowledge ourselves as beautiful mamas...

The ladies went around the circle and tied the string around the laboring candle to represent their blessing during labor..

We did a cord binding prayer that connected us as a community-we took a large piece of string and wrapped it around our wrist, said a prayer, and cut the string. Each mama was left with bracelet around their wrist. That way when they looked down at it they could remember to pray for mama and baby...

Each woman was instructed to bring a blessing and a bead to adorn the laboring necklace! Everyone went around the circle and presented their bead and their blessing...it was moving! 

            My laboring candle was lit while I was in labor and it was a huge focal point for me.

Everyone left with a candle to light when I went into labor. Talking to some of them after Andersen Wilde was born confirmed that I had a long labor.."I had it burning for so long, I was getting worried..are you supposed to leave open flame if you have to go to the grocery store?"

    We made a beautiful prayer flag to adorn my birth space! I love having these little keepsakes too.

          To end the night we had delicious food around a gorgeous night sky and open flame.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Ashley Berry Photography for capturing my beautiful event! She has decided to extend an amazing offer to Everyday Axness readers by offering a portrait session for $75 if booked before December 20th!

This Wasn't My Dream...

I'm giddy that my children are napping at the same time, my house is clean, and I have completed 7 dinners to be frozen for future use. It's moments like these that I am reminded that "this wasn't my dream..."

When I was a young girl I wasn't aspiring to be a mother like other girls. I wasn't thinking of settling down with a guy. I had big dreams of becoming an independent, talented artist, living in a big city, and partying my whole life. I was going to make my own rules, be a girl boss, have a career, and laugh at the women that did the typical married with kids life. I was never going to have kids....or a husband. Then life really happened. I landed a great job, fell in love, got married bought a house, and guess what---had kids (plural). Everything happened pretty slowly and without thought, it was just a natural occurrence. It's amazing how you go along with what feels good and then look back to see its totally different then what you thought you wanted. 

After I had Ella my intentions of going back to work were thwarted by an overwhelming need to be with her. Guess what? I quit and became a stay-at-home mom, the kind that some young girl with stars in her eyes is praying to God she doesn't become and I'm ok with it. No. I'm not ok. I'm utterly ecstatic. If you would have told me 6-7 years ago, that I would NOT be living my dream of complete independence I would cry..but today I'm happy. I'm happy with all of it. This has become my dream. The thought of not having all of this; markers on the floor (without lids), crayons (broken), pieces of ripped coloring pages, the silence that a nap brings, the smell of just bathed toddler hair, baby breath, the sound of my name off my little girls lips...To not have these things would be a nightmare.

Communication w/ the Axness Family

Hey guys!

I want to say THANK YOU! We have received so many amazing words from amazing people around the world! My inbox stays flooded and if I haven't gotten back to you yet, I promise I'm working on it!

Just wanted to throw this out. If I recieve an email that is sent between the hours of 2-4AM and the first sentence starts out about me sucking...I don't finish reading. So-if I were you I'd save your iPhone thumb for another hate email.

I also don't read lengthy emails unless they're positive. It's just the way I roll...I like to keep goodness in my life.

Xoxo

My labor lifelines. What I REALLY needed...

I over prepared for my labor//birth. I thought that I knew something. I really thought that since I had done it before I would know what to expect, what I would need, and how it was all going to happen.

I was wrong. Very wrong.

Now you get to learn from my mistakes! I will be sharing my entire birth story next week but until then I wanted to share with you the things thatI needed during his birth... my lifelines.

.My husband

I knew that I was going to need him but I had no clue how much I was going to need him this time. Like my last birth I had back labor and a posterior baby. 

(Translation=really long//painful birth)

His energy, support, and presence really got me through it all. Having him near me touching me, reassuring me, and lovingly supporting was soooo necessary. He's an amazing birth partner. He massaged me the whole time, encouraged me, and at the end of it all delivered my son to me. It was amazing.

.My birth ball

Dear inventor of the exercise ball, 

what made you decided to invent such a beautiful thing? Did you sit on a balloon one day, it didn't pop, and then you just had the amazing idea to super-size it? Did you know that it would be used in thousand and thousands of childbirths or did you think it would only be found in gyms? Whatever the case may be..thank you. I mean that.

.My oils

Uhmmm...where to begin. To say that oils helped me during my labor would be an understatement. Not only did they help me but there were oils that I used for specific things that were AMAZING and I think that it's only fair that I outline them.

Clary Sage-I rubbed this on my tummy once labor got started. I have a new love for this oil. Clary Sage relaxes the uterine muscles and helps them prepare for childbirth and made contractions more efficient. This was beneficial in my case because of the babies position.

Lavender//Peace and Calming//ylang ylang- This is one of my favorite scents to diffuse. Its so relaxing and soothing. I actually kept that going throughout the house even after the baby was born. It kept everything calm and serene. Love it.

Panaway-Nate would use this to massage my back along with V-6 and it was uh-mazing! Remember how I mentioned I was in back labor. Yea. This helped. 

Orange//Peppermint-Nate diffused this in the bathroom at hour 20...Yea it was a long labor and I was starting to get tired. This blend gave me a nice energy boost and kept me going. I still love to diffuse this in the morning when we get up! It's so energizing!

Frankincense-Yes. Like the oil that they brought to baby Jesus (if it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me)! Great to use on the perineum to prevent//heal tearing.

.Honey

I was so exhausted and before it was time to push my awesome midwife brought me in a tablespoon of honey and it really gave me the energy that I needed to push out our little guy.

.A focal point

A had my labor candle from my Blessingway (more on that to come) lit and near me. It was a huge focal point for me and I really drew a lot of energy from that. Just knowing that there were other women from my community thinking//praying for me was powerful.

Thats about it folks....I didn't use any of the "Labor-aide" that I had made in the fridge, I didn't want to listen to the thousand "labor playlists" that I had created, I didn't need any of the herbal tinctures that I made, and I didn't need any of the snacks that I shopped for. Doesn't mean that you won't because every labor is different. I just didn't need what I thought that I needed...

Labor is trying.

Labor is hard.

Labor is beautiful.

Labor is a bitch.

Labor sucks.

Labor is amazing.

Labor is all of these things wrapped up into hours and minutes of your life only to be left with this...

Joy.

Gratitude.

Life.

Love.

Bliss.

Happiness.

A Beautiful Outlook on Natural Childbirth (that is NOT my own)

I want to share a mistake with you...
why would I do such a thing you ask?

My life is about being transparent (hence the reason I would broadcast it on national television).

This mistake gives me a platform to speak about a topic that is worth talking about. When you embed thoughts, articles or videos on your blog that aren't your own without citing the source it's wrong.

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In my early days of blogging I posted about why I chose Natural Childbirth. Within that post I un-maliciously shared the beautiful words of another blogger without citing her and I want to make it right.  As a beginning blogger I did not understand blogging etiquette and I made a mistake. I actually didn't think people would ever read my blog and kept it private as a family thing that I would post beautiful quotes..and thoughts privately...well fast forward and it's now VERY public.

I want to make it right and post it the correct way. How it should have been done 3yrs ago...

When you post a story within your own blog and you don't cite the source it's very very wrong...if you are a blogger and you are doing this even unknowingly you should think of the author, the videographer, the mother...its not okay.

Ashley's story is beautiful and I urge you to go and take a look HERE!!!

The word "Extreme" and what it means to me...

Everyday Baby and I, Christian Axness, are excited about the upcoming docu-series exploring different types of parenting that we were featured in last summer and I wanted you to hear it from me FIRST.

I have experienced so much positivity this last year regarding the filming of this show and I want to say THANK YOU! My intentions in participating with this show has/is to promote the ideas of "gentle conscious parenting" and I hope that you enjoy it.

In this crazy drama-filled world of mommy wars, mama drama and private FB groups bashing others I have found it intriguing to come right out and say that; "Yes...I am a gentle parent and I plan on breastfeeding my daughter for as long as she wants. Yes...I believe in home birthing, placenta encapsulation and, elimination communication."

Do I think that my parenting style is "extreme"? 
Nope.

Do I believe that extended breastfeeding is "extreme"? 
Probably.

Do I think that others are "doing it wrong"? 
Wrong for my family...we have chosen this as the right way for us.

Do I think that exposing your child to chicken pox vs. giving them the vaccination is "extreme"? Nope. Thats how I got chicken pox!

Do I think that there are more "extreme" parents featured on the show?
Heck yea! I can't wait to watch...It will be interesting to see these styles. It may make our family look less interesting. Ha!

I am truly passionate about Mothers and I believe that if you are going to choose a way, a plan or a philosophy for your family then you should OWN IT and LOVE IT! I love being at the store and surrounding myself with local mamas and the coolest part is that WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT. I support you and your journey 100%...

GO CHECK IT OUT!