Visiting Eindhoven, The Netherlands

During our trip to Germany, my husband took a side business trip to Eindhoven, The Netherlands. We decided to turn this into a date trip, leaving our daughters to stay with my parents in Germany for 4 days.

While hubby met and worked with his Dutch counterpart, I explored the city.

I've always had a fascination with cathedrals. My family of origin are first generation Polish immigrants and I traveled back to Poland several times as a minor. My interest in history piqued in high school and since then I've always specifically visited old churches whenever I am travelling.

When we arrived in Eindhoven I found two old churches that I would like to visit; St George's and St Catherine's. Both are beautiful but actually relatively young when it comes to old churches, as they were both completed in the mid to late 1800's. St. Catherine's, however, has an incredibly unique history that I couldn't help but do a ton of internet research  after leaving there!

I set out for a walk in the afternoon, without any real plans on where I would go. I ended up in this plaza in the medieval town center of Eindhoven and found St. Catherine's Church (Sint Catharinakerk). The beautiful church had a large plaza with several benches, so I took the opportunity to sit, be still and look. Not an opportunity I get too often with two little girls! The construction of the version that we see today began in 1861 and was completed in 1867. It is in the same location as the original St Catherine Church, which was mentioned as early as 1232. Throughout history the original church was the target of several acts of war and the new one replaced it.

As I walked around the plaza I noticed that the pavement stones were modern. I found an outdoor exhibition that talked about the archaeological significance of this plaza. In 2002 the city began replacing the plaza stones to lay the new ones we see today. They found that the entire plaza around the church was a forgotten graveyard, where Eindhoven residents had been buried over the course of 600 years. At some point in history the graveyard was abandoned and paved over and forgotten. This grave site includes higher nobility Eindhoven Black Plague victims. The archaeologists are currently working on an amazing study to link the DNA from these skeletons to aid in HIV research. Individuals with Northern Europe descent posses a DNA variant that has been found to be HIV resistant. Those who possess this variant have been found to have a 70% lower risk of of HIV infection vs those who do not have it. Using the preserved DNA (which by all accounts should not even be present due to the acidity of the soil) researchers are trying to find a connection.

Amazing, unexpected story, right? Even though it was the first large church that I visited during our travels it still remains my favorite. I spent hours inside the church just looking at all the statues, gorgeous stained glass and reading on the archaeological exhibition.

I also unexpectedly found St. George's Church while walking around. St. George was built between 1884-1885 but unfortunately I wasn't able to find any other history in English.

The following day I visited the Phillips Museum. Phillips; as in Phillips light bulbs, radios, anything you can plug in. Including my electric toothbrush. This humongous company started in little Eindhoven and they have a great museum that includes housing part of the original factory. 

As I checked in that morning I asked if there were headphones or an iPad available in English, as there wasn't any information about a tour. The front desk attendant smiled and said "wait here a minute," and a few moments later a older gentleman came over to give me a private tour! Part of me thinks he just wanted to practice his (excellent) English. He walked me through the whole museum, chatting about all the innovations and history of Phillips. Let me tell ya - I think that the museum is definitely a must visit and was very interactive and had a lot of cool technology to show off - but having a real person tell me the story of the Phillips family and their incredible impact on the world was truly an experience to remember. Visiting the museum and seeing first hand how far technology has come in a relatively short amount of time really humbled me and made me extra thankful for the ease of what it's brought to my life!

On our final day we visited the DAF Museum. DAF Trucks are a part of PACCAR Inc, the company that my husband works for, and the reason why we visited The Netherlands. DAF too had been founded in Eindhoven and the museum is attached to the original machine shop where the company began. My husband loves all things automotive; it's his job, so visiting this museum took on a whole different flavor than Phillips. This time my own husband toured me around and gave me tidbits of information on different trucks. Watching him analyze ancient engines and essentially geek out over all these trucks as amusing to say the least. 

This trip will always be special to me because it was the first time since Penny was born in 2012 that I had been away from either child for more than 36 hours. We were gone for 4 days and I had prepared myself for the great likelihood of Ruby weaning during my absence. Her sister had weaned when we went for our babymoon at Sleeping Lady Resort right around that same age. But -- spoiler alert -- Ruby didn't and even through all of the other 2 to 4 day trips that we took for the remainder of our time in Europe, she still didn't! Woop woop, way to go girl! 

And there's plenty more where that came from! We are just scratching the surface of our 5 week trip to Germany. Stay tuned for more posts on our trip.

Sources:
Information from the posted archaelogical exhibition in the plaza
History of the church filled in with information from the archaeological exhibition, Wikipedia and the official church website

Penny for your thoughts (Vol 4)

Penny pronounces "mistletoe" as "weasel town." #frozenforever

I AM NOT A PERSON! I am a big girl!

My eyes are sprinkling! (when she had tears after coughing)

Penny is currently reprimanding her sauropod family:
"You say 'YES PENNY.' Thank you."
"Those are very good choices. You have to stay close to your mama saur, the door is too far away."

"Can you please say "Drive Safely" to me?"

We're talking about healthy foods vs treats. As she's snacking on an animal cracker.
B: Fruits and veggies are healthy, meat is too. But remember, cookies are a treat. They aren't always very healthy but we can have them every once in a while.

P: No mom, cookies are a treat AND a snack.

B: Yes, but they aren't very healthy. Did you know that veggies and fruits will help you grow big and strong?
P: Yes! And cookies will make my ... arms ... LONG!

"Look mama, this part of my face is chubby." (poking at her cheek)

"This marker smells like someone coughed on it and spilled coffee on it"

"Mama when you cough, are you sending germs to jail?"

B - Penny, you need to nap today. Your body needs rest to fight the germs.
P- but mom, you said that eating good food helps fight the germs.
B - yes, that too, but your body needs to rest so that it has the strength to fight the germs.

P- but mom, you said that God is the strength I need in my heart to fight germs.

Win $75 from Diaper Junction!

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Disclosure:  Giveaway is open to US & CA and ends on 2/23 at 11:59PM EST. Must be 18 Y.O to enter. All opinions are 100% mine. This giveaway is in no way associated with, sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest or any other social media network.All opinions and experiences are Conservamom‘s. Open to US & CA residents only , must be 18+. Confirmed Winner(s) will be contacted through email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The sponsor will be responsible for product fulfillment to winner(s) of the giveaway. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. For questions or to see your product featured in an Event you can contact Elia At Conservamom

What to pack in your bag for sight seeing

While we were in Germany we took a few days trips that were just my husband and I. It was a great re-connection as a couple and we got to experience museums and other places that would have been difficult with the children. One of our favorite things to do as soon as we got into a new city was to link up with a local tour group that offers city tours.

Sight seeing for a day and not having easy access to all of your travel belongings means packing your day bag efficiently and keeping it light. Here's a list of things that I made sure to keep handy throughout our travels:

Shoes are quite obviously going to be your best or worst friend. I made the mistake of wearing my very adorable, normally comfortable, flats on a whole day of walking. It only took a few hours for blisters and sores to start up and it really slowed us down. My best shoes were my sneakers that coincidentally had coordinating laces to my jacket!

For those of us who made the mistake of wearing the wrong shoes - keep a few squares of moleskin in your bag. Moleskin attaches itself to your skin easily and creates a great barrier to prevent any further irritation.

Another mistake that I realized too late - even though I got a lovely pedicure the week before, my toenails were a little too long for the hours and miles of walking that we did. My toes were so sore! Keep a toenail clipper in your bag in case you find yourself needing to trim up.

This addition to my bag would have caused me to blush uncontrollably had someone mentioned this to me as being a reality of mommyhood a few years ago. Did you know that 1 out of 3 women experience LBL, or "light bladder leakage," usually associated with childbirth? I can tell ya - this became a serious reality after my second child. I quickly realized that even though I was doing my pelvic floor exercises things are different now and that's ok. But that doesn't mean that I have to limit myself in fear of embarrassment! So I keep a couple panty liners in my bag for those long travel days - because walking up stairs or laughing at a hilarious joke from the tour guide shouldn't cause hesitation on whether I should do it or not. Poise panty liners are thinner and stay 3X drier than other liners and don't feel uncomfortable or show. Whether you are worried about light leaks or heavier accidents, Poise has a product for you. The Maximum Pads are 40% more absorbent than Poise Moderate Pads, for more protection when you need it.

 Don't miss this! Save $4-7 on a pack of Poise Liners!

We learned that German businesses prefer to accept payment in cash, which is the opposite of the norm in the US. We had to get over the hump of being uncomfortable with keeping more than €20 cash on us, but in all honesty we never had any reason to regret it. In fact, at the end of our stay at a hotel we were told that their credit card machine was out of order and that we would need to pay with cash for our 2 night stay. Most Americans do not keep several hundred dollars in cash on them, so this was a very interesting situation to traverse!

A scarf is great to keep around all through out the year. During the winter it can help keep your face and neck warm and in the summer it can help shade your face as well. If you're like me - I dress with purpose when I travel. My good jeans, good shoes, layered shirts and my handy Columbia jacket. It's not terribly stylish but it protects me from the elements. When we go inside for lunch in a cafe or later for dinner it's nice to have a bit of pop in a scarf that can help dress you up a little bit from the outdoors.

I always keep a pair of gloves in the pockets of my jacket, I *hate* cold, chapped hands. Smart phone friendly gloves are pretty affordable these days too! Keep a packet of tissues in there too.

Chapstick is my best friend. Nothing ruins my day worse than chapped lips because it very quickly leads to cold sores. As I prepare myself for the day I slide my favorite chapstick into my pocket, so that it's always on me. These days I've been discovering the world of lip color so I've started keeping a tube of lipstick on hand as well! It's another way to class yourself up from the outdoors when you go indoors.

I personally think city maps are a little ostentatious and a big beacon for I'M A TOURIST, but they truly do come in handy. Just keep it tucked away when you're not using it ;) At the end of our city tours I would pull it out and ask our tour guide to circle a few areas of interest or to direct us to the closest bier hall.

On the topic of ostentatious big red flags for being a tourist and sometimes just plain embarrassing, you gotta do it - get a selfie stick. My friend bought one for me before we left and my husband VOWED that he would not appear in a photo taken by a cell phone on a stick. Well folks - here's a couple examples where not only did he break this vow but he also found it to be of good use to get some cool angles on cars at the BMW Museum in Munich. But do please practice proper selfie stick ettiquette. Consider those around you, don't walk down the stairs using it and don't take selfies in places where selfies just aren't appropriate - as my tour guide for Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial said - "If I see you taking selfies here, I take that stick from you and send you on the bus home." I'm only exaggerating a little bit. Or am I?

Finally, where will all of this stuff go? An aunt once told me that on the topic of cars and purses - no matter what size you have you will always fill it. I find this to be enormously true. But consider downsizing your day bag and opting for a messenger style strap. It's harder to tear off of you, which can be a problem in touristy areas.

There you have it! Packing for a day of sight seeing can be as complicated or as easy as you want it to be. What would you add?

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. This giveaway is funded by The Pierogie Mama and is not associated with any other entity, including but not limited to Sam's Club, Poise, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest. Please see giveaway for full rules and eligibility. 

Mama Self Care: A Formula For Happiness

Let me warn you a head of time - this post has a couple diagrams (gasp!) but I hope that it'll all make sense to you.

Last year I did something that I haven't done in over 5 years - I invested myself in new friendships. You see, going from being a mom of one very easy going daughter to the mom of two daughters - one of which is feisty, has a fire of her own and honestly I didn't know how to parent yet. My husband is an amazingly supportive father but as a stay at home mom I felt the pull to reach out to other moms. It was to not only create social interaction for my daughters but also give me the fellowship and support that I needed from other women too.

I grew a lot last year. I put myself out there and I can proudly say that I've made a handful of very close friends whom I will cherish for the rest of my life.

But there was something missing, at least for me. Even though I replenished my bucket through social needs, I wasn't feeding myself. Growing on this foundation this year I've got a new game plan, which became evident to me at my recent MOPs meeting about self care.

Being a mom is important work, as we all know. It's one of the most rewarding things that I will ever do, but it's also by far been the hardest. Some days I'd trade the crayons, laundry, diapers, nursing, songs, open schedule, tantrums and puddle stomping for a long day at the office working for "the man." Because at least at my old desk I'd have a cup of coffee in peace without running the risk of finding a surprise at the bottom.

The rewarding, satisfying days truly outweigh the days that I slump into my bed at night; exhausted physically and mentally. But the simple checks and balances of "what kind of day" it was doesn't equate in motherhood. Some great days are worth 5 bad days and other times they are worth 15 bad days, does that make sense? Some days one great day will equal one bad day. But what many mothers will admit, in the quiet comfort of their dear friend's company - sometimes I feel like I am putting out a lot more than I get back. And it's true; I think all mothers go through this phase. I am one of them.

So it becomes a good exercise to take account for what it is that drains us and what fuels us. The speaker at my MOPs meeting asked us to think of ourselves as a circle and to describe things that "fuel" us. For her it was horseback riding. She can go into her barn and spend hours there, forgetting about the world. When she emerges she feels refreshed. What are some things that you do just for you, that truly refuel you? Blogging, most of the time, fills that for me. In cases like today, where I get to write out my personal thoughts and work through something, I feel renewed. I feel the same way after a really great conversation with a friend. Or coloring. Hiking. Travel. Or hanging out in the backyard watching "chicken TV" (just watching my chickens do their silly thing).

Then she asked us to think about all the things that we put out that drain us. Lord, I hate doing the laundry. I hate tidying up the house. I hate going through all of our bills and calling up whatever company overcharged us that month because it inevitably means I'm going to be put on hold for forever and bounced around to whatever department can help me - all during my toddler's nap time when I am hyper aware of every noise in the house (including my own) because God help me - that little girl needs her nap every day. I do not enjoy the process of teaching my pre-schooler the importance of eating her dinner lest she wakes me up at 3am asking for a string cheese because she went to sleep hungry. But those are things that we have to do. It's adulting. But it wears on us because it's parts of ourselves that we are putting out, and often times we do not have an equal amount going back in to fuel us.

This can change on a daily basis, there are many days where I am able to fuel myself to recover for how much I put out. Sometimes, it's a matter of looking at it over a season. This past year - I was definitely putting out more than I was putting back into myself. And part of that is the cost of having children that are 24 months apart. Penny, my older daughter, became a three-nager and as mentioned before - my Ruby .... well, my Ruby has always had a spirit of her own and she made sure to establish that very early in life. Over a period of a few months it felt like I was treading water; getting enough food, barely enough sleep, drinking coffee to make up for it and finding ways that I can cope. I didn't have postpartum depression but it was definitely a task of finding a way to find a new normal.

So when this diagram was presented to me, a light bulb went off. That's what has been going on all this time. I had very effectively created a mama tribe of support, many of whom were available literally at all hours (thanks Facebook messenger), but what I really needed to take account for was my formula for happiness.

The speaker showed us another diagram of how to begin brainstorming ways to fuel ourselves. To keep it brief, people have four areas of basic need. Biological, psychological, social and spiritual. She encouraged us to come up with 5 ways we fuel ourselves (to make up for all the ways we put out) for each of the categories. This way when we take account for the imbalance on a daily, weekly or seasonal basis, we have a list of things to draw upon to help make ourselves feel more in balance.

Examples of fueling yourself:
///Biologically: eating, showering (it's amazing how therapeutic a good hot shower can be!), exercise
///Socially: date nights, play dates, taking a class
///Psychologically: counseling, book reading, journaling, meditation
///Spiritually: worship, bible study, meditation

There's an amazing amount of cross over for these groups as well. For me, Jesus permeates into each one of these categories. Meditation crosses over on several categories and I personally think that showering hits at least 2, sometimes 3, categories.

These concepts are going to drive my formula for happiness of self care for this year. Because a happy, healthy mama is a great mama, right?

How will you self care this year?
Did either of the diagrams help you?

Today's post has been sponsored by Gerber Good Start Formula. Each mama has her own journey of how she chooses to feed her baby and I'm excited to share about this ground breaking development from Gerber formula - Good Start is completely GMO free. Since becoming a parent myself, I have spent a lot of time making sure that the foods I feed my family are the best that we can afford. Not everything that we eat or drink is organic or non-GMO, but I do make sure to hit the important ones according to the Dirty Dozen list. Research shows that parents prefer foods made from non-GMO ingredients which is why Gerber not only make one single formula that is non-GMO, they made the whole line of Good Start formulas non-GMO to encourage consistent nutrition as your baby grows.

Guest Post: A Day In the Life: Homesteading with Kelly

Our little family of four lives on a five acre plot in rural Northwest Washington. We currently have 27 chickens, two turkeys, a horse, two doelings with the intent to milk, two barn cats and a sheepdog. My husband and I have always believed in teaching our children to respect the land and to respect themselves and others. To us, this means being aware of what goes into our bodies and teaching our children to live thoughtfully and with purpose. This is the Homesteading Life.

Very little goes to waste on our homestead. We grow much of our own food in raised  beds and plan our meals accordingly. Canning and freezing our food for the colder months cuts down on what we have to purchase. Whatever food waste is created in this process is either composted or given to the chickens and turkeys to eat. Our poultry flock provides us with eggs and meat. Their manure is composted for next year's garden.

The entire family is involved in this process. Our (not so) little Farm Boy collects eggs and takes the compost to the chickens each day. Our little Farm Girl feeds the chickens and feeds our sheepdog, who helps to guard our flock. Both children are frequently involved in the cooking and canning. We all do farm chores together until all the chores are done. They know where their food came from because they helped to harvest it or raise it. They both understand that all animals are treated with respect, no matter what their purpose is, as pet or food.

There is beauty in living simply. Even though we work hard to live this life, it is immensely satisfying to know that we are teaching our children values that they are unlikely to learn elsewhere: The importance of clean eating, the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle and the power of family.

Kelly is a licensed mental health counselor and stay at home mother. Aside from homesteading, she enjoys crocheting, baking, and riding horses.

Guest Post: Step Away From The Computer

Thanks for checking out one of the last few guest posts! Be sure to check out my new January sponsor and learn more about how Gerber is pledging to be GMO free. 

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In an age where technology is king and has progressed to a point where you don’t ever have to leave your house in order to live, it is more important than ever to make sure we are getting out of our homes and our comfort zones… actually interact with our families and communities!  We “communicate” with friends and family via Facebook and other social media. Send a picture via text and a pizza magically appears at your front door. Movies and television shows are streamed directly to your devices. And you can even have groceries delivered by companies like Peapod and anything else your heart desires by Amazon! With the holiday season is upon us, and what better time than now to reconnect?

So you may be asking “What can I do?” or better yet “How exactly am I supposed to find the time?!?”

Well to answer the second question first… you MAKE the time! Especially if you have little ones. Our children grow up so quickly, and we need to make sure that we are experiencing life with them – and not just in the social media sense!

So pull out your calendar, open up that planner app on your phone, or grab a piece of paper and a magnet to stick to your fridge… and pencil in some time!

Now, as to what can you do? The options are only limited by your imagination:

Volunteer –                     Not only are you giving back to your community, but you are teaching your children compassion and a sense of civic duty.

Schedule a Play Date –   This gets you out of the house and can be either indoors or out. If it’s cold, bundle your little one up and had to the park or an ice skating rink. Or find a fun zone or children’s museum and expand their mind as well as release some energy.

Join a Mom’s Group –      Here is a chance for you to get some “me” time and also meet some new ladies who are in the same chapter of life as you. Grab a coffee, create a book club, or just have a glass of wine and relax.

Plan a Date Night –         As life moves forward, we can sometimes get caught up and forget that “mom” isn’t our only title. Wife is another very important – and I would argue the most important – hat that we wear. After all, when your children are grown and no longer in the house, you don’t want to look across the table and realize that you no longer know the person sitting across from you.

Unplug! –                        Ok, so maybe you can’t get out of the house, but at the very least turn off your phone, TV, computer, tablet, or anything else that could be a distraction! Open a book, pull out the crayons, or turn on the radio and have an old fashion dance party. Just tune out the constant pull for your attention and dedicate some time to what matters most – your family!

Now it’s your turn. What types of activities do you like to do with your family? Share in the comments below and maybe you can spark an idea for someone else.

NonProfit DBA by day, wife/mom/baker all the other hours - Stacie is a Washington State native, DC transplant, and lover of all things creative. Owner and head decorator of Enticing Icing Cupcakes, this mommy baker enjoys sharing her secrets to a sweet life. Check out more of her work at www.enticingicingcupcakes.com.

Guest Post: Have Baby: Will Run With Dogs

Running is my sane place. I started running back in 2007 when my college roommates asked if I wanted to run the Honolulu Marathon with them that year. I laughed and said “sure.” I had never really run before but thought it would be something fun the three of us could do together. I walked the last six miles of that (my first) race but when I crossed the finish line, I was someone new: a runner.

While I have gone through seasons of running less, running has become a passion of mine. It is great exercise and the best way for me to clear my head. I got a dog (Apollo) and he became a great running partner. I added a second dog (Kona) and we became quite the trio; I was occasionally recognized in public and asked if I was the girl running with the yellow lab and German shepherd. Yep, that was me.

And then I added a baby. I must be nuts, right? Most days, I think so. But my husband is gone a lot for work and the dogs need the exercise, I need the exercise, and if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. So I’ve learned to make it work. Running with dogs is fairly straightforward; I personally recommend the following:

-a reflective leash

- a good harness (I just discovered Kurgo and LOVE them!)

-poop bags (seriously, I can’t stand people who leave their dogs’ waste lying around)

-water if you plan on being gone longer than an hour (I follow the general rule that if I stop for a drink, the dogs get a drink too, especially on warm weather days)

Add a baby into the mix and it gets a little more complicated. I recommend:

- a jogging stroller (if you plan on trail running, make sure the wheels are at least 6” in diameter)

- a weather shield for the stroller (leaves no excuses for cold/wind/rain/snow…I know, you hate me now)

- a stroller tether

-toys to occupy baby

When running with dogs and/or baby, don’t expect to run for time. Dogs like to sniff and pee on everything; sometimes baby needs a mama break. Running while pushing a stroller is a GREAT workout, so you may even find yourself improving your solo-run time (does this even exist anymore? Ha!). Most importantly, have fun. Lace up your shoes and get yourself out the door. It may be stressful getting everyone ready (it has taken me upwards of an hour to get us all ready and out the door) but once you start, you won’t regret it.

A little about Megan: I'm currently a stay at home mama to a little man named Declan. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology at Hawaii Pacific University, where I focused on marine mammalogy. After graduating and moving back to Washington, I worked for a marine mammal research organization, doing photo identification work and stranding response. I currently live in central North Carolina but hope to make it back to the coast so I can work in my field again. You may remember me from my previous guest post on The Pierogie Mama on how to make your zoo visit count!

Guest Post: 5 essential oil diffuser blends to start the new year strong

5 essential oil diffuser blends to start the new year strong

by Rachel Zupke

Hi there! My name is Rachel and I am excited to be here at The Pierogie Mama sharing a bit about essential oils with you! If you have any questions about oils after reading this, please feel free to contact me or head over to my blog for more info.

The new year ushers in a whole host of different emotions. Depending on how your holidays went, the turning of the calendar is something that most of us use as a motivation to usher in a new, positive habit. You might be breathing a sigh of relief that normal life is resuming again, coming down off a high from having a great time with family and friends, wishing you could go back and do it over again, or somewhere in between…regardless of your circumstance, let’s press the reset button together.

Using essential oils aromatically gives you and your family a natural boost through this second half of winter. The following blends involve 4 to 6 drops total in your diffuser making them an economical way to use essential oils. I also chose to share blends that include more commonly used oils; if you already use essential oils, you’ll most likely be able to make them with what you have on hand or, if you haven’t started using essential oils yet, you can make them if you purchase a collection of oils from various essential oil companies. For diffuser recipes that call for blends, I’ve given the common name*.

Fresh and clean

2 drops Peppermint

2 drops Rosemary

1 drop Melaleuca

Aid respiratory function with peppermint, protect against illness with rosemary, and promote cleansing with melaleuca. This blend is great when you want your environment to feel crisp and airy.

One-two punch

2 drops Protective blend

2 drops Cleansing blend

A little run down? Boost your overall health by diffusing a protective blend to support your immune system and cleanse your environment with a purification blend.

Immune support

2 drops Lemon

2 drops Invigorating blend

1 drop Frankincense

1 drop Oregano

Support your hard working immune system through the harshest months of the year. Lemon helps with environmental threats and promotes a sense of well-being, invigorating blend helps with stress, frankincense supports specific components of immune system function, and oregano aids respiratory function.

Get stuff done

2 drops Invigorating blend

1 drops Lemongrass

1 drops Peppermint

When you have a lot to get done but lack the motivation or focus, try this blend! Reduce stress and support your emotional health with an invigorating blend, promote awareness and enhance focus with lemongrass, and aid memory and mental performance with peppermint.

Relax

3 drops Grounding blend

1 drop Lavender

Harmonize your body systems and promote a sense of balance with this relaxing blend. A grounding blend promotes calmness, peace, and centering while lavender’s calming and sedative properties help lift feelings of anxiety.



I hope these diffuser blends are helpful through the potentially dreary months of late winter. If you’d like to learn more about essential oils and how they work, I’m teaching two *free* online webinars over the next few weeks. I’m a former high school science teacher so teaching webinars (and in person classes) is a way for me to keep doing what I love (learning and teaching) while applying it to my everyday life, and, hopefully, yours! Hop over to my blog, Mason Jar Values, for more information. I’d love to see you there! And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me!



Happy oiling!



~Rachel at Mason Jar Values



*Brands like doTerra, Young Living, and Native American Nutritionals (among others) have similar blends that go by different names but cover the same bases. For example, if you are stressed and need to feel centered and calmed, you’d want to use a grounding blend. DoTerra calls this Balance, Young Living calls theirs Valor, and Native American Nutritionals calls it Aligning.