carpet freshness.

I have carpets throughout my home. I don't like carpet. Personally, I feel like carpet is a mom's arch enemy. I mean the spills, the cleaning, the time it takes to clean, the dog, the stains...the list could go on and on, but I have found a little something to aid me in the process of the dreaded cleaning of the carpet.

Enter in...my essential oils. Thieves and Purification are two of my very favorite oils! I literally have used almost half a bottle within a weeks time. I love the way they smell and the benefits of antimicrobial properties that they have. If you have questions about Thieves oil, check out my blog here to just find out how awesome it is.

What I did was use Pinterest (isn't that just awesome!) and look up a good recipe for carpet freshner using Young Living essential oils. I also was looking for something to make sure I had no unwanted nuisances in my house (i.e. fleas) because of the dog scratching and it being 100+ degrees outside with little rain. So here is what I found.

Baking soda is a known ingredient to freshen up the home that is natural and inexpensive. Can I get an Amen?! It also acts as a magnet to hair and dirt and helps your vacuum pick it up better. Seriously, what more could you want from one product. Then add borax. Borax can be found in the laundry section. It is known to boost your already laundry detergent and is an aid to clean. It also has properties to kill fleas. Who knew, right? Now the essential oils. Purification is used to purify the air, disinfect and get rid of nuisances like bugs. Thieves, well, Thieves is a super antimicrobial, disinfectant. Now, I have had sickness hit our house this last week, so I was desperate to throughly clean my house.

Now, the ratios. I did 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup Borax, 7 drops of Thieves and 10 drops of Purification. I took a mason jar which I have several just lying up in the cabinet and I made holes in the top by hammering a screw (you could use a nail) just enough to get a "hole." I scattered them to make sure the mixture would come out evenly but not too quickly as I wanted it to be dispersed well throughout the room. 

Next, I measured out the baking soda and Borax and premixed them together. Then I pour about half into the mason jar and added 3 drops of Thieves and 5 drops of Purification essential oils. Then I poured the rest of the Borax and baking soda mixture in and added the last 4 drops of Thieves and 5 drops of purification oils. Then I swirled it around, careful not to spill until it was well mixed. I placed the lid back on the jar and let sit for at least 30 minutes to make sure that the oils could dispense throughout the baking soda/Borax mixture.

After about 30 minutes, I spread it out on the carpet. For my home, I was able to use that 1 cup total mixture for two rooms at a time, like my bedroom and my daughter's bedroom. I found mixed reviews on how long to let sit. I let my bedroom sit for about an hour, and then vacuumed it up. I was cleaner, but the smell wasn't very strong. Now, my daughter's bedroom I let sit overnight and it really smelt like the essential oils. So, I would say that it all depends on what you want from the smell stand point. My thought process is, is that at at least an hour, you know that most of the bacteria/viruses should be killed at this point and that was my main focus! So feel free to use and enjoy!

Also I have made some printable labels that you can use for you personal pleasure. Mix, sprinkle, print and enjoy my friends!

Happy oiling from this momma to the next, 

Lauren

Wanna know how to get your own oils so you can do awesome DIY's like this one? 

Contact me via facebook at https://www.facebook.com/laurenmcbridges or email me at lauren.bridges02@gmail.com. 

pure cleaning.

Are you a bleach momma? I know that I am, or rather was. It isn't clean unless bleach has been involved someway, somehow. That's how my momma raised me and her momma before her. Heck, we all know that bleach is known to kill pretty much anything and everything viral and bacterial wise. I remember being in my microbiology class in college and seeing videos of the outbreak of the Ebola virus and how the doctors would dress up in the crazy get up and literally stick their feet in a tub of bleach because they knew that would kill the virus. Bleach is something we use in the healthcare system to kill clostridium difficile (aka C. diff). In households, we use it to whiten clothes, disinfect bathrooms and kitchens. But then there's a downside. I'm pretty sure that my mom has killed her sense of smell because of bleach. Also, it can cause chemical burns. I literally had burns on my hands from using it one time and although I was slightly dumb wearing my jewelry while cleaning, it split my wedding band as well. So, the question at the end of the day, is it really something we should use in our homes?

So, my husband, who can be pretty skeptical asked if essential oils can be as effective as bleach. Well, I don't have agar plates to test, but lo and behold I googled if Thieves essential oil (by Young Living) was as effective as bleach and I found a retired biochemist who stays at home and did her own experiment. Now she herself claims that she is not tied to any essential oil company, but her results were astounding! You can check it out here yourself. To summarize, the thieves oil, clove oil and many others killed all the bacteria just like bleach. No this isn't testing viruses, but seriously! Who is not amazed by that!

If you would like to know just what is in the thieves blend essential oil, it is comprised of the following oil blends: clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary. Now each one of these oils is claimed to do the following according to the Essential Oils Pocket Reference Guide, Sixth Edition (2014): 

Clove: is one of the most antimicrobial, antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-infectious of all essential oils.  

Lemon: has antiseptic-like properties and contains compounds that amplify immunity. It promotes circulation, leukocyte formation, and lymphatic function.  

Cinnamon Bark: is one of the most powerful antiseptics known and is strongly antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal.  

Eucalyptus Radiata: is anti-infectious, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory.  

Rosemary: is antiseptic and antimicrobial. It is high in cineole - a key ingredient in antiseptic drugs. 

Now, there is a story to go behind the name Thieves. During the 15th century, a band of thieves who were robbing the dead bodies of those who had contracted the bubonic plague. When they were apprehended, the band of thieves were questioned about how they managed to stay healthy while being around these dead and dying people. They then disclosed the blend of oils, herbs and spices that they rubbed on themselves to protect themselves from the plague and it was comprised of amyn of the above. I mean isn't that impressive?! To me, that just shows how powerful essential oils can be.

So here we are in the 21st century and the same oils and blends can be just as powerful. Young Living has a whole Thieves Cleaner line. I'm super stoked because my bottle of thieves cleaner will be here in the next few days. Just look at this chart below and see how it monetarily compares to other products:

So you can see above, how this can save you money all the while removing harsh chemicals from your environment. Just to put something else in your ear. Did you know that the Mayo Clinic is using lemongrass essential oil to treat patients with MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)? The great thing about essential oils is that you have been hearing about bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, but did you know that bacteria cannot become resistant to essential oils? Yes people. These oils have opened up my eyes to something very new. I pray that they do the same for you! 

From one momma to another, 

Lauren

Want to know how to get your own Premium Essential oil kit 24% off retail value? Maybe even to try the Thieves Cleaner? Message me on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/laurenmcbridges or at lauren.bridges02@gmail.com. 

sharing the love.

Essential Oils! Yes, I'm a user, believer and educator. These babies have changed my life; how I use products and see everything. Over the past year or more, I have researched and did webinars and classes. There are many different brands out there. But after a ton of reading, researching, asking users, etc., I have personally decided to start using Young Living. 

Young Living is the only brand that has the seed to seal process. From the seeds to harvesting, distillation and actually sealing each bottle, care is made sure to deliver PURE essential oils. Did you know that depending on soil and when the plant is harvested, what the weather conditions are, depends on how the oil with be effective and what constituents will be in the oil? Well, Young Living uses third party lab testers to ensure that you would get quality product. You can watch the video below on more information about the seed to seal process on the website. It's really neat! 

http://www.seedtoseal.com/en/process

So, that alone sold me on the company. But you might have the question, what are essential oils? Why do I need them? Well, I can answer that as well! Essential oils are the "life-blood of the plant." Basically, that means that the oils behave for the plant much like blood behaves for the human body. They are clear, volatile substances that carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells, removes waste and helps to restore damage. Essential oils are vital tho the health, protection and growth of a plant and if carefully managed into a bottle, they can offer the same therapeutic benefits for our bodies. 

Now, how they work. You can apply them in 3 different ways including aromatically, topically and internally. Once applied, they work much like they do in the plant, delivering nutrients, oxygen, removing waste and supporting cellular function. Our bodies are made up of 400 trillion cells, from skin cells, blood cells, neurons, etc. So if you can just get that picture of how MANY cells that is, imagine that one drop of an essential oil, let's say lavendar, has 400 million trillion molecules. Because these molecules are so small, our bodies can more easily "absorb" them. So all your 400 trillion cells are surrounded by 100,000 molecules of that essential oil within 15 minutes of being exposed. Now all those molecules are carrying oxygen and nutrients to these cells and removing waste from them as well as supporting them.

Now, if you happen to do any reading/research of your own you can find out that many essential oils can do multiple things for you such as being digestive stimulants, anticoagulants, analgesics, antioxidants, diuretics, antitumoral affects, anti-inflammatory, relaxants, aiding with emotional support, mental clarity, antimicrobial properties and many, many more things. Common sense can tell you that these pure oils are essential (pun intended!) to your life. They can uplift your mood, relax you, support you immune system, rid you of nuisances and just overall support your health. How can you say no?! 

How can you get started? First, I suggest you do your own research if you're leery. But, if you have already decided that you need these oils today, I'm here to assist you in the process. Contact me at lauren.bridges02@gmail.com or through facebook at https://www.facebook.com/laurenmcbridges. If you allow me to assist you, I can help you become a member and to receive 24% off the retail value of a premium starter kit which is listed below. Trust me when I say that this is the best deal you can get! 

sickness & healing.

Sickness. Man. My family has been blessed that we don't have a lot of sickness in our home. I can count literally on one hand how many times my girls have been sick. So, when sickness does strike, it has been hard. Hand foot mouth disease was in the books last year for Gracie. That literally was a really difficult 3 days. Being pregnant with Zellie and only getting 3 hours a sleep a day on top of a miserable, high temp little girl. RSV also made an appearance while Zellie was only 2 weeks old and breathing treatments, vomiting, sleepless nights and miserable girls were in the mix. But, at the end of the day neither one had been hospitalized.

Now, enter in Monday this week. Zellie started not feeling well the week before, overcame and then around 3 in the afternoon started running a temperature of 101. As the day went on, medications were given and the temperature would come back higher and higher. 102. 103 was hit in the middle of the night with a miserable 8 month old. Fussy and not urinating ANY in 12 hours, I made the decision to take her to the ER. NEVER AGAIN. It was pretty much rule out RSV and flu and send her home. Tuesday morning took her to the pediatrician and explain to the NP about her condition. The fevers, the diarrhea, the lack of urination, no lethargy and now urinating, but stool, well it smelt awful. Yes, I understand that poop stinks, but hers, it was a different foul smelling infection kind. Trust me, when you're a nurse, you know the difference. So, we decided to do a stool culture which doesn't come back far at least 24 hours. We go home and take ibuprofen and tylenol around the clock.

Low and behold, that afternoon my essential oils came! I had been waiting on them for about a week and a half and they come in the midst of illness. Perfect timing! If you want to know more about essential oils, check out my blog here. So with much caution, I applied peppermint oil to her feet and her temp came down from 103-98.8 in 20 minutes. No kidding! However, after about 30 minutes it spiked again. If you know anything about peppermint oil, you have to be very cautious placing it on young children. So, I went back to tylenol and ibuprofen. Throughout the night the temperatures continued. Around 1:30 we hit 104. I gave the tylenol again. Followed with ibuprofen. Then the vomiting came once and we went back to sleep. At 8 that morning, she was BURNING up. So I checked her temp axillary and it was 104.5. Took it rectally, 105.5. Yes, you read that correctly - 105.5. Called the office and in we went. We weren't sure what was causing all of these high temperatures so the next few hours ensued of CBC, in and out catheter to check urine, blood cultures, urine cultures and then finally one dose of rocephin IM (shot). Everything was coming back inconclusive. So, we went home and continued the same regimen. I was continuously diffusing Thieves essential oil. You can read more about it here. I kept putting thieves on her along with cool washcloths. Anything I could do to get her comfortable.

Well, around 4 that afternoon, we received the call that her stool came back positive for salmonella. So many thoughts went through my head. "Salmonella? Salmonella! Did I hear that right? Where? How? When? No body else is sick. Gosh, they must think I'm the worst mom ever; that I'm dirty. But, I'm constantly cleaning, washing and doing everything constantly to maintain a healthy environment." The NP tells me that fortunately we have done the right thing giving her rocephin which is the treatment for salmonella and to keep watching her and making sure she's drinking and not getting dehydrated. If anything comes up, to call, but she would see her in the morning. So, I called and told my husband, my mom, Sam's mom and everyone asked the same thing; where did she get it. That was the million dollar question. No one knew. So the night ensued with 103-104 temperatures, but never seemed dehydrated. We made it back to the pediatrician's office the next morning and she was miserable. Seemed sicker more now than before. The decision was discussed and made to admit her to the hospital. "Wow. This is how it feels to be on the other side," I thought.

I have never done the admission process, go to the admission desk sign papers and get in like this. The next few days were a blur with multiple IV sticks, holding her down screaming and not understanding why we were doing this to her. I'm telling you, I knew this would be what I dreaded most. I have been that nurse taking care of a 1 month old and having difficulty finding veins to stick to start an IV. I have had to tell the mommas that this was the best way to make him/her better, holding the baby down and listening to his/hers cries. I have lived it and seen it. But here, here I was being the momma. Having to hold her look her in the eyes and tell her "It's to make you feel better. Mommy loves you. You're such a big girl" all the while she looks back at me pleading with her eyes to stop and why am I letting them do this. Yes. It was one of the hardest things to do and I did it 14 times. The whole time not letting emotion take over, but pleading with my Father "Lord, please let this one be it." I knew God was listening and I knew He had the situation, but I was overwhelmed by the moment.

It was an up and down roller coaster thinking one moment we're doing better, but then to find out the next not as better as I thought. The fevers continued and so did the diarrhea. But, she slowly started coming back to wanting to eat solid food and play and smile. I had a moment one afternoon as I was finally able to come home after 48 hours being in that hospital room and get a few things that we needed and I prayed and cried before the Lord. I told Him I know that you have this: "You're the Great Healer. You know exactly what's in her body. Lord you made her body. You know every hair on her head and love her way more that I do. So, Lord I place her before you. Heal her little body. Only You can allow the antibiotics that man made because you allowed us to work against this bacteria. God, please touch her. Heal her. Thank you for suffering the stripes and pouring out Your blood so that we can be healed. Thank you for never leaving us or forsaking us, but carrying us through this."

I was a desperate momma needing intervention after a very long week. Mind you she had fevers that were 103+ for almost 5 days. Yes, 5 days. We made it, but it was hard and it was a battlefield. But, if I could have learned one thing from this, is that God is awesome and great. First, she was able to stay mostly hydrated throughout all the high fevers. She never got lethargic or had febrile seizures. Second, because I was able to mention the smell of her stool, it lead the NP to do the stool culture. Otherwise, it may have been done much later and she could have been much sicker. You see the salmonella bacteria ended up being in her blood, running throughout her entire body. I believe this is why her fevers were so high. But because God is awesome, he protected her and we were able to get treatment early. Otherwise, she honestly, could have died. Sepsis is a killer that isn't usually mentioned. Did I mention that the NP decided to do the rocephin shot before we knew she had salmonella? Yes. And that just happened to be the number one antibiotic to treat although it is susceptible to any antibiotic. You see, although yes she contracted this illness, God protected her through it. And now tonight, I have a healthy 8 month old playing on the living room floor. I could be angry and upset that she ever got sick, but the Lord never said that we wouldn't face things. He simply promised that He would be with us through it all, never leaving or forsaking us. And that, my friends, is exactly what He has done.

Tonight, my heart is full. Full of gratefulness toward my Father, that he hears us and holds us and walks with us through it all. Praise to the One who loves, and loves deeply.

Much Love,

Lauren