Introducing My New Business!

Drumroll please... I have an announcement! Today I'm excited to shed some background about my new business venture!

I have something to tell you. But let me first tell you why.

I grew up in a household that was health-conscious and active. My mom was having home births before they were trendy, she was buying organic groceries back when it was just plain weird and she was pouring over skincare ingredient labels before anyone else even knew that was a thing. She was always ahead of the curve, so far ahead that my immediate family often rolled our eyes at her crunchy-granola ways. Except for when we were sick - then we would let her anoint us with those hocus pocus essential oils, pray for our boo boos to be healed and cart us over to the chiropractor to get "re-set". She has always been a proponent of preventative healthcare measures, and even though I still like to tease her for being a quadruple-filtered water snob, I have to admit - my mom was right. That woman is always right! (We call her Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way.)

It's no surprise that since becoming a mother myself, I have gravitated towards taking those same holistic measures with my own family. Last November (exactly a year ago this month!), I purchased this Family Essentials kit from Doterra and I began my own journey into the world of essential oils. I was mystified at the difference these particular oils made in my family and myself - and the more I learned about Doterra's amazing commitment to purity in its products and transparency in its testing, the more passionate I became about these precious oils and sharing their profound impact on my life.

Over the course of the past year, I have been using and loving my oils, while simultaneously learning about the science behind why they are so powerful. Over the past six months, I have found myself mixing up oil concoctions for my friends and family as they have mentioned ailments that they struggle with. It has simply been a joy to easily share these goodies with my loved ones and see their lives touched by a natural solution.

Last week I shared about my own postpartum journey as I have navigated the murky path of dealing with Postpartum Anxiety. I honestly believe that these oils came into my life just in the nick of time, as they have been a major player in keeping my physical and emotional state supported while I have walked an unsure postpartum road. The truth is that I have fallen absolutely in love with these fascinating little bottles of life-changing elixirs. Since we have implemented a daily household routine with our oils, they have supported my family's immunity, aided in my skin's recovery from having a c-section, supported and uplifted my emotional health, and met a myriad of my family's needs. Everything from bug bites, scrapes and stretch marks to headaches, anxiety and non-toxic household cleaning has been addressed by our essential oils collection.

Because of all of this, I am so excited to be launching my own Doterra essential oils business! This is my official launch week (!!!) and I am sharing all of this with you first because this blog community is where my heart is at! Every day this week on the blog I will be sharing snippets of my favorite uses for essential oils, so if you're interested in learning more, make sure to check back here often!

THANK YOU!!!
I want to say an extra big thank all of you for following along this blog and being such kind, loyal readers. I wish I could hug every single one of you, truly. I really love this space and I feel grateful that this community has grown so richly in the 5 years since I started writing this blog. The content and direction of this blog will remain the same, although I will be sharing more wellness and essential oil-related content as I discover new uses for these products that I love. I just want you to know that the direction of this blog will continue to grow and evolve with me just as it has done in my previous adventures from Boston to New York to Atlanta, punctuated with motherhood & family shenanigans and peppered with fashion & beauty content. All the good stuff, along with an extra helping of my favorite wellness super heroes.
 

Want to Learn More?
And now for the good stuff! If you're interested in learning more about Doterra's essential oils, I would love to introduce you to them! I am hosting a few in-person educational classes this month and next month, along with several Facebook classes (for those of you who live far away or just love sitting in your jammies and learning the techy way!) I would be honored if you tuned in! Please email me - oykristen AT gmail DOT COM - and I will make sure to get you on the invite list! And for those of you who are interested in purchasing some essential oils, this month Doterra is offering 20% off several enrollment kits (I've never seen a promo this good - I like to think it's because this is the month I'm joining the company!!!) Along with that promo, this month I'm offering anyone who enrolls with me as a Wholesale Member an extra-fanciful welcome gift designed by yours truly, including: a 5ml bottle of Wild Orange, a luxe roller ball of my own custom calming blend, a premium sample pack from Doterra's personal care line and some of my favorite oil resources. If you would like to go ahead and learn more or make a purchase, click here and hit "JOIN AND SAVE".

Thanks again for all your support, friends!

P.S. - If you want to read up a bit more, check out the posts 3 Ways I Use Essential Oils Everyday and 5 Ways to Use Essential Oils in Your Home.

My Journey with Postpartum Anxiety.

Warning - super long post. Today I'm sharing my heart with you all about a subject that is very personal and dear to me. The postpartum experience is a sensitive one and I share this because I want others to know that if you've experienced this - you are so not alone. And I also share this because I want others to understand what some mothers go through during postpartum. Be kind, you never know what people are battling with.

This is a space for real talk, so let's have it :)

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I've waited a long time to write this post. I wanted to write it when I was all better. When I finally had a fresh perspective and wasn't in the middle of a messy open heart of spewing feelings and emotions. But here I am, typing these words, on a day when I experienced more anxiety than I have in months. Today I cried, I snapped at my children, and spoke unkindly to my husband.

I don't like to admit these things and I certainly don't think this kind of behavior is okay, but you know what? It happened. I'm not perfect, though I am trying my best to improve my character, my tone of voice, my heart stance. My patience.

In this season, I've learned to tell myself:

1. I am not an anxious person. Even when I feel anxiety, it's not who I am.

2. My anxiety doesn't define me.

Okay, let me back up a bit.

I never realized that I dealt with postpartum anxiety the first time I had a baby. I didn't even know that was a thing. I didn't realize until after Everett's 1st birthday that I was starting to feel better. "Have I been feeling worse and not realizing it??", I remember thinking to myself. I reflected on the previous year, the first year of my baby's life. Becoming a mom was the most incredible experience that had ever happened to me. Everett was a riot and a joy and so full of personality and passion. But. He was also exhausting, colick-y, and such a mama's boy. I couldn't leave him with a sitter because he would have full-out meltdowns. I had more than 1 sitter think that he was legitimately dying when I left him (to this day he still can still enact this special talent of blood-curdling screaming and body slamming himself to the ground, which he does every so often to keep us on our A-game.) He spit and hissed if we dared to offer him a bottle. He never slept. He didn't want to be held by anyone but me. And Stevie. And my mom. But if anyone else held him he barely tolerated it. His mission was to be with mommy always.

I was anxious about all this. But what is there to do? He was my baby, and I wasn't going to traumatize him by continuously putting him in situations that caused him to turn into a werewolf. I'm certain I've given in too much and probably made so mistakes with him, but gosh, I have done everything to my best ability. That boy is my prize, my treasure. Unfortunately, I didn't identify that I probably needed some extra support during that first year of his life until the year had already passed me by. The thing about becoming a parent is that you think what you're experiencing is normal - everyone is tired. Everyone is running on coffee and adrenaline. But now I know that not everyone experiences panic attacks when they go into church with their baby. Not everyone sweats through their clothes at just the thought of a stranger asking to hold the baby. Not everyone is brought to stressed tears when people look at their baby, talk about their baby, even if it's a compliment that is being spoken. Not everyone feels dwarfed by the smallest tasks of the day when they include taking the baby with them. Having your chest pound and feeling like your throat is going to close and your airways are constricted is not normal. I thought this was normal. I didn't know this was a sign of a deeper problem.

Not until after the year was over.

These symptoms drastically improved after Everett's 1st birthday. I was stunned at how lively I was beginning to feel again. I chalked it up to my changing hormones, but still, I wondered why I had experienced such a swell of emotions for an entire year.

The more I talked to other women, especially other moms, I realized a common theme. So many women dealt with postpartum depression but didn't realize it until after they were on the other side of it. I remember at my 6-week postpartum visit with Everett, I filled out the mental health checklist, the one where they identify feelings of postpartum depression. I wasn't battling feelings of deep sadness, or having urges to hurt myself or my baby. Those weren't my symptoms. I still laughed, still had fun, still had motivation for life and work. But these feelings were compounded by intense situational anxiety. I had a hard time wanting to leave the house because I couldn't predict what might happen. This sense of paranoia wasn't really like myself - I've never been a fearful person. I knew I didn't feel like the old Kristen, but I just thought this anxious feeling is how all new moms feel. So I left that appointment knowing that I wasn't depressed. But still, I didn't feel quite right.

I didn't know that postpartum anxiety was a thing. I thought it was depression or happiness, black or white only. I didn't know there were mannnnny shades of clinically defined emotions in between.

Fast forward to my second pregnancy, labor and delivery with my second son, Daxton. My emotions were sky high during that last month of pregnancy, and when I look back, I can't help but laugh at how super hormonal I was. After having an unexpectedly long labor and c-section with him, during my recovery I experienced a resurgence of the anxious feelings. This time around, I knew that those feelings weren't my personality, and at my 6-week appointment with my Doctor, I told her so.

Even though my recovery was extremely challenging, this baby boy was a completely different person from my first. Daxton was calm, he was quiet, he slept peacefully, he took a bottle, he rested in anyone's arms. He was the definition of peace. And yet, I was still experiencing the feelings I had when Everett was a baby. I began to realize that perhaps it wasn't the situation (or the baby), that had brought on those feelings of anxiety. It was just me. Or I guess I should say, it was just my hormones. I shared everything I was feeling with my doctor - especially about how I felt and the situations that triggered the anxiety. She asked me lots of hard questions and offered me a medication. Ultimately, I told her I didn't want to take any drugs and instead wanted to find alternative solutions. She was completely on board and helped me formulate a plan - I would begin exercising again (a natural way of detoxing anxiety), I would resume journaling my feelings (surprise surprise - I like to write), and I would meet with a counselor. I felt settled in this plan.

For the next few months I did just that. I met with a counselor (wow, did I learn a lot about myself!), started exercising again (I heart you, Pure Barre!), and got lots of prayer from my friends and family. I also visited a naturopathic doctor and got on some supplements to help balance my hormones. All of these things helped.

But friends, they just didn't help enough.

My anxiety was still present. I felt a heaviness in my chest almost all day every day. It lifted when I was being counseled, and most of the time it was gone while I was exercising. But other than that, I couldn't get my tightened chest to relax, I couldn't take enough deep breaths to calm the vibration inside.

So at about 4 months postpartum, back to the doctor I went. This time, I went back to my OBGYN, the one who had sliced me open on the operating table. The one who asked me all the right questions and had once offered the anxiety medication. I went back to her, explained where I was at, and accepted her offer of a prescription.

"It's a very mild dose", she told me.

It took me a few weeks to actually fill the prescription. All the naturally-minded instincts within me wanted to resist taking a medication. Wanted to resist the need for it. But something else within me begged to get back in the game again, to shake this anxiety loose, to be in the moment with my family, to enjoy this season, to finally relax. And if a little white pill was going to be the answer to all those prayers, then so be it.

I finally filled it.

Within 2 weeks on that anxiety prescription, I began to feel like myself again. Not drugged, like myself again. I felt like the medication was a bridge, bringing me back to the best version of myself. Laughter came so much more easily, social situations were enjoyable again, going to church was suddenly just not a big deal, and everything that had previously caused such a heightened mess of twisted stressors inside my heart didn't trigger that response anymore.

Thank goodness for my husband, my steady rock, who has been holding my hand throughout this entire journey. My slow recovery process, my mess of emotions and my ugliest moments haven't scared him away in the slightest (at least not that he's let on!), and I am the luckiest woman in the world to have him as my partner. My mom has been like a fairy godmother angel, coming to help with my boys on days that were just bad. I couldn't have survived this past year without her encouragement, prayer and parenting input and support. It didn't hurt that she would also come by and clean my bathrooms, fold my laundry and take my boys on stroller walks so I could have a few minutes to myself, which I mostly spent updating this little blog here.

Basically, friends, it's been a messy journey. I'm not out of the woods yet. I have days where the chest pain returns for a few moments, but that is truly so rare now. Most of the time I am able to overcome pangs of anxiety when certain situations trigger it. I am so happy and free, and thanks to my incredible support system, I am blessed blessed blessed beyond what I deserve. Thanks for being part of my journey and taking the time to read this heart of mine. If you struggle with postpartum anxiety or depression, please talk to someone who can get you some real help! It is such a game changer, there is no reason to delay your healing. Today is your day for success and victory and whole-body healing!

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This post is a lengthy one so I will share my coping tactics in another post. I hope this snapshot of PPA was helpful to some of you who have dealt with this, and hopefully, this helps shed some light on what some mothers go through during the postpartum journey. We are all in this motherhood gig together and we have every good opportunity to lift each other up in prayer and encouragement!
 

Whole30 Quick Reference Meal Guide.

Since I just completed my round 2 of Whole30, I thought I would go ahead and share a quick guide to some of my favorite and most-prepared meals. You can find all my favorite Whole30 meals throughout this blog under the tab "Food & Drink", and then click through all the categories, but I thought I would make it super easy for those of you who want a quick reference for exclusively Whole30 recipes. This is an easy way to find what you're looking for over and over again if you're on Whole30 and needing to cook a lot :) I will continue to add to this post as I share Whole30 recipes that become favorites!

Whole30 Breakfast:
Chicken-Apple Sausage and Spinach Frittata - (Probably our most-made breakfast during Whole30!)
Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash - (which we've made for lunch and dinner, too!)
Dragonfruit Smoothie Bowl - (omit the granola and honey and make sure the almond milk is Whole30-compliant, otherwise use canned full-fat coconut milk or coconut water.)
Acai Berry Smoothie Bowl - (omit the granola and honey, make sure the almond milk is Whole30-compliant or go ahead and use full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut water.)

Whole30 Lunch:
Salmon + Caper Spinach Salad - (omit the Parmesan cheese)
Strawberry + Grilled Chicken Salad - (omit the goat cheese)
*We find ourselves eating a lot of leftovers for lunches so that we don't get bored in salad land :)

Whole30 Dinner:
Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti and Chicken-Herb Meatballs
Pork Chops and Spiced Apple Sauce
Roasted Tomato Soup (omit the white wine and Parmesan cheese)
Lemon & Olive Chicken
White Pork Chili - My newest and favorite stew! Not just my favorite Whole30 stew, my favorite of all time!

Whole30 Snacks:
Note: snacks aren't encouraged on Whole30 unless you are pregnant of breastfeeding, which I was during my round 2, so these are some of my faves.
Apple Sauce, 2 ways
Boiled Artichoke (omit butter, sub olive oil and extra lemon)
Lara Bar (I love the banana, apple and blueberry bars)
Almond Butter Energy "Milkshake"
Almond Butter Date Round Bites - Coming Soon!

Like I said, I will continue to add to this post as I keep finding recipes that are winners. If you need some more guidance, feel free check out my Whole30 Diary (Parts 1, 2 ,3 & 4), my reasoning on why I love Whole30, my 3 biggest takeaways from Whole30 and my favorite tools to use in the kitchen. Happy Whole30 prepping/eating/enjoying to you!

3 Ways I Use Essential Oils Everyday.

I used to think essential oils were just hocus pocus. My mom has been using them to treat all kinds of ailments since before they were "in" so I never really understood why they were so important. Whenever I felt sick as a teenager, she would rub some on my feet, whenever it was flu season she would diffuse and whenever I had a headache she would anoint my head with something to ease the tension. I used to think it was kind of silly but I also kind of liked it, because, you know, it showed she cared about me. I honestly figured any relief that I experienced was just due to placebo effect.

Now that I'm a mom, I totally empathize with her. Trying to do the right thing by my family, especially using oils to prevent and help treat aches, pains and tension is something that I picked up from her. My mom always tries to do things the most natural way first, and as I am getting older I can see why. There are so many toxins and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in our medicines, cleaning supplies and daily-used products - it's nice to be able to swap out some of the harmful ones with something more natural and botanically-based. Don't get me wrong, sometimes you gotta use bleach to get a clean bathroom! But sometimes a little peppermint oil on the temples can be just as effective as taking Tylenol in order to overcome a headache.

I don't think essential oils are a cure-all for everything. But I do think they are an awesome tool that can be used alongside traditional approaches. I especially love how applicable they are in zillions of ways - especially in preventing sickness and treating pain. I am not an oil salesperson (although I admit I've fallen in love with Doterra so much that the thought has crossed my mind!), but I wanted to share some of the ways I've been incorporating oils into my daily routine over the past year.

1. Diffusing:
I love diffusing essential oils and I usually diffuse in several rooms of the house everyday. I have this kind of diffuser in all the bedrooms of our house (including Stevie's office!) and this one in our kitchen/living room. During the day I like to diffuse citrus-y oils, because they give me energy and clarity of mind. With two boys to take care of and this blog to keep up with, I am often switching gears throughout the day, and I love diffusing "Wild Orange" and "Balance" together to keep myself focused. At night I love diffusing "Serenity" to promote restful sleep, especially in the boys' rooms.

My newest favorite diffuser recipe:
Intention: (don't laugh - I named it!)
- 2 drops Lavender
- 2 drops Ylang Ylang
- 2 drops Bergamot
- 2 drops Rosemary
- 2 drops Peppermint
- 2 drops Wild Orange

2. Spray:
Since having a c-section and some wicked stretch marks, I've been using a spray concoction to (hopefully) lighten up my marked bod. These oils are especially helpful in healing and restoring skin - I followed this recipe from my friend Savannah (you should follow her @MamaTribe account if you're into oil DIYs!) and I modified it a bit to my liking. To make, fill up a 2 oz. glass spray bottle (I got mine here on Amazon), add the oils listed below, then top off the rest of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil (basically this is just coconut oil that stays in a liquid state). I spray this on my belly and c-section incision every time I get out of the shower, then rub it in.

Smooth Skin Spray:
- 20 drops Helyscrism
- 25 drops Frankinscense
- 25 drops Lavender
- 15 drops Wild Orange
- 15 drops Grapefruit
- 15 drops Cedarwood
- 7 drops Geranium

3. Rollerballs:
Another way I use oils everyday is by making my own little rollerballs. I name them all different things and I make sure that each one is diluted enough to use on Everett, too. (I need to make another one for his toddler self called "Chill, child".) He loves when I roll a mix of Lavender + Frankinscense on his feet before he goes to bed at night to promote restful sleep (just make sure to put on socks, so you don't have oily sheets!) Here is an easy guide for safely diluting oils to use on children.

I have lots of these rollerballs that I use on a daily basis, but my favorite one is for anxiety*. If I need to calm down, I roll this one on the back of my neck, behind my ears, and on my wrists. I do it a few times a day, and make sure to take a few deep breaths and breathe the oil in, as well. When I am regularly doing this, I am much more balanced and at peace. Which I'll admit, has been very, very necessary this past year :)

Stay Calm:
- 25 drops Bergamot
- 10 Clary Sage
- 15 Ylang Ylang
- 15 Lavender
- 10 Frankinscense
- 10 Cedarwood
*I never use this rollerball on my children, since it is not diluted enough for them.

I have loved using my oils over the past year (and believe me, I've had many moments with my mom where I admit she was doing the "cool" thing with oils before it was cool ;) If you're interested in more oil uses and recipes, I have tons of them and am happy to share! Please let me know in the comments if this type of post is interesting to you and if you'd like to hear more! I would be glad to put together a little series focusing on the way our family uses essential oils.

P.S. - Here is a great post about using EO's in the home, courtesy of my friend Savannah!

5 Ways to Get Your Child to Eat Anything!

Today I'm thrilled to have my dear friend Tricia here to share all about feeding your kiddo! As a pediatric speech pathologist (plus mother of two and a good ol' fashioned overachiever), Trish has a ton of experience educating parents on how to expand their kids' palates to eat anything. Since we are now feeding solid foods to Daxton and I am no expert in this area, I thought it would be fun to have her share a few tips with us mamas today!

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Although I'm a pediatric speech-language pathologist and parent educator, I spend most of my time at home with my two beautiful girls. Much of our day is spent preparing and enjoying food in the kitchen together. I wanted to share my tips for successfully introducing foods to your infant and helping your child form a diverse palette for all things healthy! Mealtime with small children can be enjoyable and non-stressful.

1. Start early.
Research shows that a child's palate for likes and dislikes is largely formed by 9 months, so it's best to start earlier with feeding and introduce a WIDE variety of healthy foods. Just little tastes here and there beginning around 5-6 months will increase your child's life-long willingness to consume WHATEVER YOU PUT IN FRONT OF THEM. Isn't that the goal?

2. Start with vegetables and fruits.
No one needs encouragement to like bread. That seems to be an innate desire. Vegetables and fruits are more nutritionally dense and flavorful, so they will give your child more vitamins and minerals in addition to cultivating their palate. If you begin the feeding process with more flavorful foods, then it's easier to incorporate more varied (and bland) items in later.

3. Make your food at home.
Packaged baby food is overcooked and lower in nutrition and flavor. Citric acid and lemon juice are frequently added to preserve the foods and can cause upset stomachs or increased diaper rash. Many people feel overwhelmed at the idea of making two separate meals for themselves and their baby, and my advice is EVERYONE EATS THE SAME THING! Don't make different food for your child, just blend or mash what you have cooked for yourself. Consider steamed or roasted veggies or even raw fruits or veggies blended into a smoothie. (I recommend using spices but limiting salt as you prepare dishes for you and your child. Salt is necessary for our bodies in healthful amounts, but you don't want your child needing lots of salt to enjoy a meal, so it's best to train their palate with spices but limited salt.)

4. Present a familiar food with a non-familiar food.
Trying something new is often overwhelming for little ones, so I reduce stress around the table by pairing a familiar food item with a novel food. Children often require about 10-15 introductions to a new food before they like it, so don't stop trying if things don't go well the first few times. When a child licks or takes a small bite of something, they are still increasing their familiarity with different foods and flavors.

5. Give choices.
Infants and toddlers are always wanting new ways to express their independence, and making choices affords them the opportunity to be powerful! Make a few types of vegetables and then rotate them through meals during the week by offering options between two. Young children can express their opinion through pointing, so separate the items on different plates and hold them out for your child to select. Our job as parents is to provide healthy options and allow the child to feel powerful by choosing from the wonderful foods available.

As a speech-language pathologist and parent educator, I train families to make meaningful connections with their children during routine interactions. As parents communicate and interact intentionally, their child thrives in all areas of development- language, play, social skills, positive behavior, and feeding. If you are struggling with stressful mealtimes and picky eaters, I'm happy to connect with you. Visit my website for more info!

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Many thanks for joining and sharing in this space, Tricia! You guys feel free to ask questions in the comments and make sure to give her some love on Instagram @thespicknall4!