Which essential oil company is best?!

I'm a fan of Barefūt oils. 

I became a rep for Young Living to get the diffuser and deal on oils. I love Thieves but can't bring myself to pay the huge price tag for the bottle at its wholesale price!  

I joined DōTerra as well, got another diffuser and much more oil that YL starter package, which I really liked, even though the equivalent starter package was double the price of YL.  I also love DōTerra OnGuard, but again don't see myself paying the high price tag! 

When I found Barefūt I was enticed by the free oil for sure! After all, depending on its application a lesser oil is fine for many things so I figured that if I was disappointed in the quality I could just use it to scent my bathroom and car or flavor my homemade soaps. As it turns out Barefūt is not only more affordable but also equivalent in quality to the other MLM companies. There's no large startup cost nor monthly minimum or yearly fee for the privilege of paying "wholesale" prices.  Barefūt offers deals on their oils to the general public, points for buying oils that you can later apply to future orders for a further discount and on top of all that if you do choose to become an affiliate, which I did, it's free and you don't have to peddle oils to all your friends because you get 25% of your OWN purchases refunded to you within a couple months! It's a great deal, I don't feel swindled and I have an amazing collection of really great oils now!

Side by side they all smell different. DōTerra's Peppermint and YL's Peppermint and Barefūt's Peppermint each smell unique, but in application I've found they all offer the same benefits.  I healed a severe cut on my hand that probably should've been stitched up! I used Barefūt Frankincense, Helichrysum and Lavender. (Barefūt Helichrysum actually is a lesser plant than the one offered by YL and DōTerra but this is the only oil I've found this to be true for, the scientific name for the plant is right on the front of the label and it still has amazing healing properties.)

I've been to several oil seminars by MLM reps for both DōTerra and YL, and while well intentioned, the reps give out a lot of misinformation regarding the use of oils in general. Some of it even dangerous! I use oils internally everyday. Whether this is good or bad for me I don't know, but it's my choice. I use lemon or orange or grapefruit or peppermint in my cold or hot water, I made some yummy lemony rice crispy treats and some refreshing peppermint brownies, I made some crowd pleasing turkey meatballs with oregano, basil, fennel and thyme. I've added lime to my guacamole and lemon to my salmon.  That said, I wouldn't hold a seminar and recommend this to my friends as I don't feel confident in my research. (I'm just a little more experimental with my own body.) I'm currently seriously contemplating taking an aromatherapy course because oils have become a passion of mine that I'd like to eventually (knowledgeably) share with other people. But I'm definitely not comfortable at this point holding seminars for people! I'd be embarrassed! And I love public speaking!

I'm mad at DōTerra and YL for sending people out there to misinform the masses. I'm mad at them for their made up "certified" quality standards. I'm mad at them for their competitive and snarky banter! So what if some disgruntled employees left YL and opened DōTerra using their previous company as a template for success, tweaking things as they see fit.

The one company that I believe in that hasn't been mentioned is Mountain Rose Herbs.  In the research I've done I've found them to be a reputable, well trusted company that is not an MLM and stays out of the drama, instead focusing on selling quality products. They seem to be well trusted by actual licensed aromatherapists instead of just housewives looking for some extra spending money or free oils. At this point in time though, I'm perfectly happy with the products from Barefūt as well as their price point and selection so I don't see a need to purchase from Mountain Rose Herbs yet. 

Baked Chicken Thighs, baked potato and perfect Broccoli

Quick and Easy Crowd Pleasing Meal

Having a four month old leaves this mom short on time and creativity in the kitchen.   This is a dinner that I can whip up in about an hour with very little hands on prep needed.  It's as cheap as could be and pretty healthy too!

You'll need:

A sheet pan (optional wire rack)

Chicken thighs, bone in, skin on

Garlic salt

Olive oil

Bamboo skewer

Your favorite potatoes 

Medium sized saucepan

Butter

Sour cream

Black pepper

Heat oven to 350

Lay chicken thighs out on sheet pan (on top of wire rack if you have one)

Sprinkle generously with garlic salt.

Poke holes all over potatoes with bamboo skewer. The holes don't need to be really deep.

Lather potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt.

Place potatoes on top rack in oven.

Place chicken pan on the rack below. 

Set timer for one hour.

Check the skin of the chicken. If it's crispy and hard when you tap on it then chicken is done. Remove from oven and set aside.

With your oven mitt, squeeze a potato. If it yields easily then it's done. Remove them and set aside. 

Boil saucepan of water with a big pinch of salt.  I use sea salt, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Take broccoli crown and pull apart or cut into smaller floweretts. I break them off from the base and then slice the base into bite sized pieces.

When water comes to rolling boil, toss the broccoli in. 

Set timer for four minutes. 

Test broccoli for doneness by stabbing with a fork.  If the fork goes through easily, it's done. 

Strain broccoli and plate your dinner.

Everything should bea perfect temperature at this point and the chicken well rested. 

Top the potato with butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and enjoy your meal!

Leftover chicken is great as is, cold or warm. You can also make a chicken salad out of it or chop it up and add it to any dish you like!

Leftover baked potatoes are great for breakfast on a cold morning!

Bodhi Kainalu Doi!

I'm gonna be a mommy!

July 23rd is my due date! I've been commenting on baby boards for the last couple weeks, I found out that I adore giving advice and support. There's some judge mental meanies out there though, so I decided to channel my helpful energies into my blog.

When my friends and family found out we are having a baby they showered my with hand me downs so my office is piled high with things for someone I've never even met. It's quite a weird sensation. So I think I'll wait until I'm done with my finals this semester, then I'll delve into thaw nesting stage and highlight my journey for all to see and enjoy!

Homemade beefy oatmeal puppy bites

Ingredients:

Fresh beef stock

Oatmeal

Whole wheat flour

One egg

Equal parts oatmeal and flour, pour in beef stock and whisk to combine. Achieve a sticky cookie dough consistency. Whisk in the egg.

Use two spoons to drop walnut sized balls of batter onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 11 minutes. Let cool. Treat your pups to these healthy little snacks. They'll love you forever!

I fixed my own dryer!!!

Yesterday I watched a couple YouTube videos and grabbed some random tools. I headed out to my clothes dryer armed with minimal knowledge, inadequate tools and the gumption to disassemble this big machine that won't get hot enough to dry even the smallest load!  Although I had a few frustrations, a few hiccups and a few yelps from dropping things on my bare feet, I successfully accessed the inner workings of my fifteen year old machine and vaccines it out. I pulled a dense six pounds of lint, sand and dirt from the inner vent. Luckily by the time I needed to put it back together, my big strong Mike woke up and helped me piece the puzzle back together... Our reward? Our first successfully hot, dry load of clean laundry in close to a year!!! Cheers to energy, gumption and YouTube! We've been wanting to splurge on a new dryer but it has been far from in our budget. Now we can use that money for something for the baby! Yay!

I'm gonna be a momma!

The word is out! I'm 11weeks and 6 days preggers! I got my first sonogram a week ago. My little peanut was rolling around, arms and leggies flailing about. I am so excited! I've wanted to be a mom since my mid twenties. I never imagined myself into my thirties without child. This baby has changed my life, maybe even saved my life! For sure he/she has saved my sanity!  I've been tired for a couple months now. A lot of lounging around and sleeping. I've had no alcohol, caffeine or any medication of any kind since I found out at two weeks. I splurged on a shopping trip to Sprouts recently, I bought every healthy food I crave without feeling guilty for spending extra money. Either I'm early arriving into my second trimester of all the good food I've been consuming has awoken me from my lazy, uncaffeinated, uninspired state. I can't wait to hold my baby!!!