Stress is my least favorite 6-letter word. It leads to so many other problems, to include all the ones mentioned in the above picture (think higher blood pressure, which most definitely leads to lots of problems). Ugh.

I try my hardest to not stress out, especially about things I can't control. But let's be real. It's not always easy to just go with the flow and let the cards fall where they may.

So as most of you know by now, I am in the midst of wedding planning. This is added on to my business building, both with the health coaching and essential oils, as well as adding Crossfit coach to the list (this is a new one as of last week, but boy, is it so worth it!!). This is also added on to a fiancé in the Navy, who is often gone and/or so busy at work that the majority of the planning and household stuff is left to me (*note that he does SO MUCH for us and our family, so I am in no way complaining; just keeping it real).

So yeah. Stress is part of the mix, as much as I try not to let it be.

I think it's how we handle said stress, however, that really helps us avoid a lot of the problems stress causes. Do you take down time? Do you have some sort of stress relief built into your day? Your week? Your month? Or are you constantly on the go, go, go?

Monday and Tuesday last week were jam packed for me, starting from the minute I got up (at 430 and 4am, respectively). So on Wednesday morning, I slept in. Yes, I had things to do, but I also knew that my body (and my mind) needed the rest. I gave myself permission to have a slow morning before officially starting the day.

Without that down time, without allowing ourselves to slow down every now and again, our bodies and our minds will start to rebel against us. They'll let us know something is wrong and that we've been pushing too hard. That's when *disease* sets in. That's when we get sick. That's when things start to fall apart.

Let me know some of the ways you destress and wind down at the end of your day or week. Is it something you do daily? Are Friday nights your down-time, your time to relax and rejuvenate? Do you have something scheduled on a monthly basis to wind down? Maybe a massage or pedicure with a friend?

I try to do a lot of different things to keep myself focused, but it's often hard to shut my brain down and just "be." I like journaling, especially when I have a lot on my mind. I just let the words flow and often find the answer I've been struggling to find. I also like watching movies with Scott...sometimes he has to force me to do it, but it's nice to shut everything else out and get immersed in a good movie. Going for a swim is also nice and relaxing. I'm so happy to have that luxury in my backyard now.

Let me know your methods. It's always good to have a number of ways to destress, and I'm always interested in learning new ways! 

I hope you have a beautiful week! And happy first day of August!! Seriously...we are in August already. Where has this year gone?! 

With love and wellness,
Whitney

PS - the big day is October 8th (this year)...can. not. wait. 

​Scott and I have started going to a new church since our move to the country. It's about 3 minutes from our house and full of our neighbors. It already feels like home for both of us. I didn't think we would find that together, so I'm incredibly happy! 

The sermon yesterday really got me thinking. About a lot of things but mainly about the fruit I'm bearing. 

Am I patient? Not as much as I'd like. Am I gracious and forgiving? Not as much as I'd like. Am I selfless? Not as much as I'd like. 

See the theme I have going there? I don't like it. At all. 

I am human. I am not perfect. But I can be better about how I view and interact with other people. I try really hard to see things from others' perspectives, but it isn't always easy and it doesn't always happen. 

So what fruit would I like to bear? Patience for sure. Love. Forgiveness. Selflessness. Graciousness. Compassion. 

Looking at all that is a little overwhelming. But I know that taking it one at a time, I will get where I want to be. I also know that I need to pray for help to get there, as well as immerse myself in His word. I can't get there on my own. I know that. 

So my question for you is what fruit are you bearing? Do you like what you are putting out to the world? Because here's the truth. What you put out is what you get back. 

Give out hatred and judgment, that's what you'll get in return. Give out love and patience, and that's what you'll get in return. 

I don't know about you but I'd love a little more love and patience coming back at me!! And in today's crazy world, we can ALL use a little more love and patience. 

Let's work on putting love out there. To everyone. Even to those people who you think don't deserve it. Because let's be real...they're the people who need it the most. 

So I'm sending love to all of you today. Pure, sweet love. No expectations of anything in return. Just bask in the love I'm sending you! 

Have a beautiful day! And work with me on spreading the love!!

With love and wellness, 
Whitney 

So I'll warn you right now...I'm about to get a little corny. And maybe a little sappy. So if you aren't into either of those, stop reading right now. 

Buuuuut, if you are looking for REAL and AUTHENTIC and RAW, then keep reading. I promise, for you ladies looking for your one true love, it will be worth it.

It took me a long time to be truly confident and comfortable with who I am. I would start dating guys and I would change who I was to suit them. I didn't really know who I was or what I wanted or where I wanted to be. So I just became whatever that guy wanted.

Let me tell you something...that DOES NOT work! At all.

I ended up being unhappy, as did the guys I was dating. And those relationships never lasted. 

Duh.

I'd like to say I stopped looking for "the one" after a series of failed relationships. But I didn't. I kept on searching and hoping that guy would just drop into my lap. You know, like it does in the movies.

Ha. That's a laugh, right?!

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of my baptism...when I invited Jesus back into my life and realized He was the man I'd been looking for my entire adult life. The man who accepted me for exactly who I am, without judgment, without fail, without any expectations.

​And it wasn't until then that I accepted myself for exactly who I was. I came to terms with the glory that is ME.

I realized that if a man didn't accept me for who I am, then they weren't worth my time or effort. I realized that if a man walked away because I wouldn't sleep with him, then they certainly weren't worth my time or effort. And I realized that if I had to chase a man or change who I was to be with him, then they definitely weren't worth my time or effort.

When I finally realized all this, something changed for me. I stopped chasing men. I stopped chasing the fantasy that had been playing in my head for years. I stopped expecting my "dream man" to fall into my lap.

But you know what I started to do? 

I started believing in myself. I started becoming exactly who I wanted to be. I learned what I liked and disliked. I became ME. 100% me. 

And I realized exactly what I wanted in a man. 

It was amazing to finally feel good in my skin...to know my worth...and to know my value wasn't based on whether a man liked me or wanted to be with me.

What a change this made in my dating life. As soon as a guy said they weren't interested or made it clear they were only interested in one thing, I walked away. There were no what-ifs or second guessing myself. I knew there was something better out there for me.

And that guy? He fell into my lap when I was least expecting it. I wasn't looking and I certainly didn't think it would end up being Scott.

It's a different feeling being with someone who accepts you for exactly who you are...I don't have to change who I am or pretend to be something I'm not. He loves me for the crazy, weird, impatient, silly woman I am. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

It's also nice not wondering and worrying if he likes who I am or wants to be with me. Because my worth and my value is not based on his acceptance of me (even if he does accept me).

That part needs repeating...my value and worth is not based on any man's acceptance of me. Just as YOUR value and worth is not based on any man's acceptance of you.

Self-love, self-worth, self-value...those are the three things that are most important. You have to have all of those for yourself first before anyone else will be able to love you. Believe me, I know that first hand.

As selfish as it sounds, I am in love with ME first (well, God and Jesus first, then me), because without that, I wouldn't be able to accept love from Scott (or anyone else for that matter).

I hope you've made it to the end of this long post...I wanted to share this with you because I think it's important. As women, we tend to put our worth and value in other people's opinions of us, starting at a young age. And that, my beautiful friends, is not the case. 

Whenever you start worrying or wondering what other people think about you, ask yourself if you can pay your bills with their opinions. And if you can't, then don't worry about it.

Yep, it's really that simple!

Have a beautiful week, and remember, you are beautiful exactly as you are!!

With love and wellness,
​Whitney

​
​My mom had surgery last week. It doesn't sound like a big deal because I think we throw around that word...surgery...like its a miracle cure and it's no big deal. But it is a big deal. People every day don't make it out of their surgeries. My great grandma didn't when I was 14. I still remember that day clearly. 

But back to mom...her surgery? It was to fuse her C-1, C-2, and C-3 in her neck together. She fractured both sides of her C-2 in a car accident in May. And the risks of the surgery? Paralysis or even death. 

The night before the surgery was terrible. I didn't realize it then but I look back now and I remember thinking that I couldn't remember the last time I'd actually talked to my mom. Actually heard her voice. And I hadn't seen her since the accident. 

As much as I tried to stay positive, my mind kept going to that dark place...kept saying to itself, "What if that last text is the last one you ever get from her? What if you didn't go visit her before her surgery and now you'll never see her again? What if you never get to hear her voice again?" 

I had to get up 3 times to put on different oils before I was finally able to calm down and sleep. The oil that ended up working was the reassuring blend. I then prayed for peace and comfort knowing that my mom was in His hands. I could physically feel my body relaxing and my heart rate slowing down. 

I didn't cry then. I didn't cry all day of the surgery as I was getting the updates. But at the end of the day, when I got the update that she was out of surgery, she was breathing on her own, and the surgery was successful by every metric, I just about lost it. 

She was alive. She. Was. Alive. 

We don't realize how fragile life is until something like this happens. We go about our daily lives almost taking it for granted. 

Holy cow. Not anymore. 

Say I love you. Tell people how you feel. Don't hold grudges. Make those phone calls. Take those trips. 

Don't put off doing something because you may never get the chance to do that something. 

Live your life to the fullest. Love with your whole heart. Take chances. Make memories. 

I've spent this last week with my mom (minus a few days at Disney). We'd already had vacation plans to come visit her and it being right after her surgery worked out perfectly. 

This was an eye-opening experience. And I can promise, I'm not going to waste my time here anymore. I'm going to live my life to the fullest extent possible. Because let's face it...life is short. And way too precious to just squander away. 

With love and wellness,
Whitney 

For the past several months, I've been battling this crazy rash on my back. I'm pretty sure it's from having an over abundance of gluten in my diet (believe me, it's in almost EVERYTHING). It has been super itchy and red and right along my bra line. 

So. Flippin. Annoying. 

I've literally tried everything, from a combo of different oils to a topical cream prescription from a dermatologist. Yes, even I go to the doc and use medication when it's necessary. 

But nothing has worked. Seriously, it's like the never ending rash. 

Until I tried a weird combo of oils out of desperation...and really, just a shot in the dark! It's not gone yet, but it helps with the itching and it's finally drying out. I use this combo mixed with coconut oil morning and night for sweet, sweet relief: 

• Peppermint - this is a great cooling oil, so it helps relieve the burning sensation so many rashes can have, especially when you scratch it (and shouldn’t…oops!). It’s also amazing for occasional head and neck tension, and occasional stomach upset! It’s one we use often in our household! 
• White Fir - this is a great oil for occasional muscle aches and pains, but I started using it thinking my rash may be infected. This is a great oil to help combat infections!! It also has a calming effect, which we can all use every now and again! And I’m sure it helps relax me as I’m trying not to scratch the craziness on my back!!
• Protective Blend - I use this one because it’s great protection against seasonal and environmental threats, which let’s face it…this stupid rash is some sorta threat against me!! it also supports healthy immune function, as well as the body’s natural antioxidant defenses! The added daily protection doesn't hurt with kiddos running around all summer!
• Cleansing Blend - This is an awesome blend that helps protect against environmental threats, and is used to help soothe irritations from bug bites and other skin irritants. I’m so glad I added this one to the mix!! I also add this one to my laundry detergent to help ensure my clothes AND my washer are clean!!
• Lavender - This is a calming oil, both emotionally and physically. It also helps soothe minor skin irritations. I use this one daily for my skin moisturizer, as well as for those unsightly bumps and bruises I get from being so dang graceful!! It was definitely one of the first oils that I started using on this stinkin’ rash!
• Melaleuca - This is an amazing oil for its cleansing effect on the skin. It’s great for those occasional skin irritations due to rashes, so it was also one of the first oils I used on this rash. I also use it after shaving to keep my sensitive skin bump-free!! It’s a great one for the occasional skin break-out too!

I'll admit it took awhile to find the right combo, but I'm so glad I kept at it and found what is working for me as it is FINALLY clearing up! 

There are literally so many things for which you can use essential oils. Are you interested in learning more? I'd love to teach you all about these amazing oils and share how they've changed my life! 

Contact me today to learn which essential oils our family trusts and uses! 

With love and wellness,
Whitney