Ever wanted to wipe your social media clean and start fresh. I’ve had lots of “friends” but at the same time felt very lonely.
I was a member of A LOT of online groups but none were a place I felt safe.
I long to be surrounded by other strong women who are doing their best. The best for their families, for their children, in the workplace, in the world.
I’m searching for a place where we can lift each other up, say ALL THE THINGS, learn from one another and laugh when the days are hard.
If I’ve invited you, you’re my people. I see you doing all the things and I want to cheer you on. I believe you have something to offer the other women I know and I want to invite you to speak over them.
Share something here.
Ask a question.
Encourage each other.
Create the space you’ve been searching for.
Here’s a little sobering reminder that just because we assume it’s safe, tested, and on our shelves for purchase, doesn’t make it so.
The TSCA of 1976 (The Toxic Substances Control Act) grandfathered in approx. 65-100k chemicals currently on the market today (i.e. they haven’t had any safety testing & we know little about them).
Of the chemicals tested, toxic labeling is required only if 50% or more of the animals tested with the chemical die.
Under the TSCA, manufacturers are protected by trade secret laws that allow them to keep their ingredient list a secret.
To date, the EU (European Union) has banned 1,300 chemicals in cosmetics; the FDA in America has banned only eleven.
I’m also uncomfortable with all the lack of disclosure in ingredients, especially fragrances.
Now that we know the ingredients that can cause us harm, we are empowered to enact change in the world around us. This is why we must read labels. We must understand what is going on and in our bodies. We must protect our future and present children.
We must take responsibility on ourselves to understand. And that’s exactly what here to help you do!
Even Young Living is constantly having to learn and grow as we discover new effects of products and combinations. You will see reformulations and changes as they constantly shift as our knowledge as a society grows. This is the mark of a company with your best interests at heart.
But I can tell you how they make me FEEL. And this one? It makes me feel like everything is going to be ok. It calms me and helps me push through, even on days I don’t want to.
How does it work? No clue. I mean I know about how oils work in general…..I’m just no super smarty pants. 
But I wanted to be able to tell you more….so I looked it up. Want to know what I found?
Here goes…it contains:
Spruce that creates balance and grounds the body. Helps you release emotional blocks.
Ylang Ylang can help you focus your thoughts and filter out the ever-present garbage. It brings back feelings of self-love, confidence, joy, and peace.
Fir may help create a feeling of grounding, anchoring and empowerment. 
Cedarwood was used traditionally by the North American Indians to enhance their spiritual communication. It creates the symbolic effect of the umbrella protecting the earth and bringing energy in from the universe. At night the animals in the wild lie down under the tree for the protection, recharging, and rejuvenation the trees bring them. 
I don’t know if those Indians were talking to MY God….but I know mine
hears me….so thankful for that.
This on my wrists…Cedarwood and Lavender going in my nightstand diffuser for all the sleep goodness 
….putting the kids to bed and going to knock out a bit of work for the next hour.
What’s in your diffuser at night?
Do you know what happened on October 21, 2013? I sat down at my computer, purchased a Premium Starter Kit and became a Young Living. It’s been a fun five years! Wow…..
In honor of my anniversary month, I wanted to share a little with you. I don’t think I can type a “short” post when it comes to the things I love. HA! If you’ve been around here long enough you know that. HA!
You might be a YL member yourself or maybe you’ve been watching from the sidelines. Either way, thanks for letting me share not only our family life with you, but our oily life too. 
When I first heard about Young Living from my friend Beth, I knew immediately that I wanted to get my hands on these oils. We had some things going on in our home and we desperately needed respiratory support….
I felt guilty about spending the money because we were in the process of adopting MinLan. Every extra dime we could tuck away was dedicated to bringing her home. After continuing to see my friend have success with her family’s needs, I knew we needed what YL could offer.
I jumped in and never looked back. I realized that not only could these oils help my family, but they could help bring MinLan home too.
And boy did my friends show up. Those that had even a slight interest in all things oils, jumped in and joined as members with me to help us bring MinLan home. I still hear stories today from my oily friends that the reason they joined with me in the beginning was to help with our adoption.
Tears……
Friends you will never know how much that means to me. We get the honor of raising the most AMAZING little girl….her laugh, her hugs and her spunky little attitude are just almost more than I can handle. You said YES to a kit and a membership and unknowingly helped bring us the greatest gift. You helped rescue her from a future with no hope in a country that saw no value in her life. We can never thank you enough.
Our business continued to grow and we were able to bring John Preston home. You walked with us through that hard season of stepping out in faith when we had no idea where the money was going to come from. You helped us fundraise, you shared our story, you joined our Young Living team….all to help us bring our boy home.
And you never left us. You stuck around when we came home and things got harder by the minute. You stuck around when we were trying to navigate what our new normal was supposed to look like. If you’ve watched here through Facebook, you’ve seen how much he’s changed. He’s not the same little boy he was. We still take things one day at a time but oh the difference two years has made. He’s learning what FAMILY means…something he had never known. You are a part of that.
These last six years have also brought so many friendships. I remember a time when meeting people “on the internet” was the weirdest thing I had ever heard of. HA! Now, I consider friends I’ve made online to be some of my most treasured friendships. Young Living has brought so many amazing people into my life….many I would have never met. Some of you, I only knew casually until Young Living intersected our lives. Now we do LIFE together…all because of oils. Amazing…
I’m so thankful for that Facebook post that introduced me to Young Living.
And now I’m thankful that I get to do life with a team of almost 400 families. They are working to make things better for themselves and their children. They’re not just some strange folks on the internet, they’re family.
I get to help people everyday…that’s my job. I mean if I get to TALK to people and HELP them, then I’m pretty much in hog heaven. HA! 
So I say all that to say, Happy Anniversary to me. 
I’m so thankful for the positive changes we’ve made over the last six years. I’m so thankful for the members I get to help.
If you’ve been watching from afar, jump in friend. Start making some healthy changes. I am honored to help you. Take a look over at https://jeniferparris.wordpress.com/membership/ for more details on how our family got started. There are so many of you that I want on this journey with me. 
If you and I met because of Young Living or we’ve reconnected or grown our friendship over these little bottles of oils, would you remind me in the comments? I’m so thankful for you!