Finding Spirituality

I've taken new interest in praying and being more spiritual lately. Here's why and how it's benefiting me (and my whole family)

I was sitting at Whole Foods recently, working from their cafe attempting to round out my editorial calendar for the rest of the year. (For non-bloggers, that's basically my blog post schedule/bank of blog post ideas I pull from). I was struggling to think of something "op-ed" to round out my recipes, crafts and essential oil post ideas. Nothing came to mind so I texted a blogging friend, asking for what she'd like to hear about from me. "Hey, I noticed you're getting more publicly spiritual or religious... Why don't you talk about what all that's about?" Ah-ha! Brilliant idea. If you follow me on Instagram stories, you might know a bit of what my blogging friend was referencing. I'm starting to both explore my spirituality more, and actually talk about it publicly. It's not something I'm doing on a whim; finding and experimenting with a deeper level of spirituality is actually very intentional. Here's what I'm finding out and why you might want to dig a little deeper into it yourself, too.

The thing I've noticed after having four kids is that I don't have postpartum depression or anxiety right away. It usually doesn't kick in until I start to wean. With Henry, I had horrible PPD (postpartum depression) that went diagnosed. With Otto, I had a few bad months of PPA (postpartum anxiety) when I stopped breastfeeding him, but was smart enough to get some help for it. Now that I'm working on weaning the twins, I've noticed my PPA kicking in again. The craziest thing about PPA is that I can completely recognize what it is; but the act of recognizing it doesn't take away the irrational thoughts or fears or feelings I'm having. I can literally say, "Paige, you're not thinking straight. You know what this is! Settle down." and it will do nothing to *actually* settle me down. Mental health is weird like that, isn't it?

Early last spring, I found a few mom devotionals (this one, this one and this one) that I started doing. I found that they really helped shed light on motherhood and in keeping priorities straight when things get chaotic. And with my four kids, things are often chaotic! They're, of course, religiously based and I started enjoying reading the passages of scripture and learning about how the authors applied those to real life, how they interpreted it and how it meant something to them, their families or to just motherhood. Both those devotionals end in a prayer, and I actually started to enjoy reciting those prayers in my head as I read them. I found myself repeating them several times.

I've also talked here many times before about my insomnia. There's nothing worse than not being able to sleep! To fill the hours I started to talk to God. Also known as praying, I suppose. I start with things that I'm thankful for, be it something that happened that day that made me happy or made my life easier or just something that went well. Then I transition to what I need help with. Struggles I'm having physically, emotionally or with my kids. Then I end with prayers for others, talking to God about things other people are going through and hoping He can help them or give them strength and peace. Some days, I have to think HARD to find things I'm thankful for. I try to make it unique and specific to that day - not just "thank you for four beautiful children" but something more like "thank you for helping Henry and Otto play trains so well together this afternoon, and thank you for the twins taking long naps and waking up happy! Thank you for all four kids eating their supper eagerly." That sort of thing. Specific to the child and what happened that day.

What's been profound about this is how much easier it's become to find things that I'm grateful or thankful for. At first, I had to think long and hard some nights about what had gone right that day! But looking for the good has become a habit, a way that my brain is now trained, and it's so easy to come up with a million things I'm thankful for. It translates over to daytime too. I don't just think about it at night anymore - as things happen during the day, I think, "Yes! Thank you God! That was so wonderful and it's made my day so much more enjoyable. Thank you for blessing me with _________ that made my life better/easier/happier/more fun." It could be as mundane as Otto thanking me for making him eggs for breakfast or as profound as thanking God for my twins not having any reactions to their immunizations. As simple as enjoying a good yoga class or as complex as having the strength and grace to manage a fight between my kids that got navigated without me losing my cool and yelling at them.

The second profound thing that's happened is that my PPA has become so much more manageable. As opposed to sitting there and obsessing about things, I start to talk to God about it. I ask him to take the weight of it off my heart, because I know it's not a battle I can or should be fighting alone. I ask home for strength and wisdom and freedom from it. It doesn't work overnight. And many moms still need professional help or medication to deal with PPD or PPA. But for me, this has been a huge help in managing my symptoms. I don't "get deep" with people often and I surely don't confess to ways I fail or feelings that are hard to manage. But praying about it has helped me not only openly confess to my imperfections in a safe way, it's helped me learn to ask for help with feelings I can't manage on my own. Neither of these things I was very good at to begin with. But doing it daily to a "safe" person like God has really helped me learn how to do it, to practice it, and to normalize it for me.

I think one of the other big things about this has been starting to talk about it publicly more. It's one thing to do things privately. But when you start to reveal yourself, in your most vulnerable state, to others - change really starts to set in. 

I completed yoga teacher training in 2013 and haven't taught a class because I was so uncomfortable leading the spiritual side of things. Not that yoga is a religion! It's not. But there's always soundbites of wisdom and reflection in a class and I didn't want to touch that at ALL. When I launched this blog nearly 6 years ago, I didn't want religion to be a part of my story at all because I didn't want to offend anyone or manage any questions I got with it. I was also turned off with how so many bloggers use Christianity as their platform to gain followers. "Loves Jesus, oils, and motherhood" is literally thousands of women's biographies in their Instagram. My relationship with God is MY personal relationship; it's not for other's consumption or for my own personal promotion.

But I wanted to do something to hold myself accountable. Yes, I read my devotionals and spend time with God everyday. And it's been beautiful! I also want to start to show that side to my followers because it's a part of me. I think it's an important part. And now, I think it's such a wonderful, healing, empowering and beautiful part! It's encouraging. It's loving. It's all the good things, and I'd love to gently encourage others to seek out a relationship with his or her God (all walks of faith encouraged! I truly think we all have the same God, but call it different things and worship differently, which is fantastic. How boring would life be if we all did things the same?!) 

Submitting to a higher power had been so beneficial for me. It's taught me to seek out the things I'm grateful for regularly, but especially at the end of the day. It makes me end my day thinking of the great things that happened. When you're always looking for the good things, you become a happier person. You start to think, "Well, that didn't go well, but it ended well, and I'm so thankful it did!" Your whole perspective changes. Finding my spirituality has been life changing in so many unexpected ways! I encourage you to find your spirituality and get closer to God. You'll be surprised the ways it improves your life.

The Best Essential Oils For Colds And Flu

How to use essential oils to boost your immune system and stay healthy this cold and flu season

This post is sponsored by Revive Essential Oils. These claims have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All opinions are my own. 

One of the biggest benefits I've noticed from using essential oils is how they help me and my family stay healthier during the icky cold and flu season. My twins have had two colds each; both have been on antibiotics once for an ear infection, but that's it. Not too bad for babies who go to preschool and a gym daycare! Henry is my healthiest child. Kid is rarely ever sick and when he is, he's so easy to care for. I think he's been on antibiotics once or twice in his entire five years of life, which is absolutely fantastic! Otto, on the other hand, got RSV at four months and spent the first year of his life on and off a nebulizer. He now doesn't get sick as often, but when he's sick, man - every time he does fall ill, he makes sure everyone is as miserable as he is, that's for sure! To avoid all that, I've learned all kinds of great ways to use essential oils in order to fight colds and flu outright, and to lessen the effects of the illness when it does hit. Here are the best essential oils for colds and flu, and how to use them to fend off or lessen the life of an illness.

Roller bottles:

Roller bottles are amazing because you can throw them in your purse and use the oils anywhere. They're already diluted, so you can apply them topically directly to your skin. I'm a fan of all roller bottles, but a few blends from Revive are essential for battling colds and flu, and are great to help you manage your symptoms if you do happen to get sick:

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Immunity Boost

I apply this to my feet every night! I also use it on my five and three year old's feet. I'll also use it on my one year old twins - I just dilute it a tad more with more coconut oil since all the oils in it are "hot" and baby's skin is so sensitive. The bottom of the feet is a great location because it seeps into your blood stream to help you fight illnesses without the irritation you can get elsewhere (the skin on the bottom of your feet is the thickest skin on your body - that's why it's a great testing location for oils!) Another great way to use this roller blend is by applying it to your chest and rubbing it in for respiratory support. I like to rub this on my chest with a few drops of wintergreen or peppermint. It feels so good and really helps to open up your sinuses.

Breathe Easy
Got the sniffles? Super congested? This roller bottle is perfect for helping you breathe a little easier. I like to apply it to my cheek bones and behind my ears to help clear my sinuses. I don't suggest putting it directly on your nose if you've been blowing it a lot - you  probably have some raw skin and no oil should be applied to raw skin (it'll burn a little)! I'm also a fan of applying it to my hands and then inhaling deeply as I cover my nose and mouth. It's also great applied to the upper chest area to help break up upper respiratory issues.

The Works

Aching body? Sore muscles? This is the roller you want! If you're feeling ill and achy, apply this roller bottle to the places that hurt. It's a great blend of oils all to help relieve those aches and pains. You can apply it anywhere that feels sore and achy, but my favorite way to use this is on my neck. A stiff neck is the worst! When the roller bottle is applied there I find it helps with headaches too. Shoulders and in between the shoulder blades is another great spot for muscle relief.

Anxiety Ease
Anxiety is another way we don't feel good. I know as soon as I hear one of my kids have the sniffles, I start to panic and plan on all four of them being sick, which in turn contributes to me feeling even worse! This roller is great for helping you ease anxiety, whether it's over sick kids like me or missing work or even just general life stuff that causes anxiety.

Diffuser blends:

Diffusing essential oils is a great way for your whole house to reap the benefits of the oils. Diffusers put them in the air with a cool mist, so not only does your house smell good without the use of toxic chemicals, but all who breathe in the air get the oils in their system via the lungs. It's a gentle way to use oils in your home. These are some of my favorite germ-busting or respiratory support blends to diffuse daily during cold and flu season:

• immune system support: 5 drops Immunity Boost, 3 drops Clove, 3 drops Lemon and 1 drop of Oregano 
• respiratory support: 5 drops Breathe Easy
• "cleaning" the air: 5 drops Purify, 3 drops Lemon and 2 drops of Tea Tree

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DIYs:

Sore throat spray If you're suffering from a sore throat, you've GOT to make this sore throat spray. It helps numb your throat and the oils in it help your body fight off infection and the common cold. The Immunity boost and cinnamon in it are life savers. They're "hot" oils, meaning it will burn for a few seconds after you apply them. Then the numbing properties kick in! They also help shorten the life of your cold. Ever wonder why they used to serve cinnamon milk and hot toddy's to sick people before the age of antibiotics? Yup, because cinnamon, lemon and cloves all are known for promoting health and assisting your immune system to kick that cold to the curb.

Fall sniffles relief roller Not sure if you have a cold coming on or just seasonal allergies? Yeah, it's hard to tell sometimes! Make this roller bottle yourself and give it a try before you start pumping yourself full of cold or allergy meds. It smells great and really helps with seasonal allergies.

Revive has become my oils of choice because they're therapeutic grade and indigestible (all their third party quality reports are available on their website, unlike Young Living or doTERRA) but you don't have to pay the high MLM price tag. There's no membership to purchase or commit to; you simply buy them like you'd buy something on Amazon (and, they have free shipping AND free returns in the US and Canada! Don't like it? Send it back to them for a refund. No MLM does that!) If you want to give them a try, use code Paige10 at checkout for 10% off your order. I was so skeptical as a dedicated Young Living enthusiast, so I started with one bottle of lavender. After seeing the quality firsthand and enjoying the customer service, I'm a convert! Revive is IT. It's the real deal. High quality oils minus the multi-level-marketing prices, sales tactics, and shipping costs with no ability to return products you don't like. Revive essential oils is a GAME CHANGER!

Cold and flu season is tough to deal with. When you're a parent, it seems like there's always someone who's got a runny nose, is running a fever, or generally doesn't feel well. Since we started with oils, I can say we get sick a whole lot less and when we do fall ill, the cold doesn't last as long. These are my go-to, best essential oils for cold and flu! When one hits your home, be sure to use all of them in conjunction: the roller bottles, diffusing various blends to inhale the oils and have them purify the air, and making some DIYs. That way you're getting the benefits of the oils topically, in the air, and in your digestion system.

Layering For Fall And Winter

Southern fall and winters were meant for layering. Here's how to do it to stay warm and cozy through the cold weather months

This post is sponsored by Cuddl Duds but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

The best thing about moving to Dallas seven years ago was I no longer wanted to die every winter. In Minneapolis, winter started at the end of October and lasted through early May. From December through March, it was a constant battle to stay warm enough. In Texas, winters do get chilly, but the chill is manageable with layers! With four boys, we're outside year round, and layering has been the key to our happiness and comfort in staying active outside 12 months out of the year. But it took me a while to get the layering thing down, since I was used to wearing the thickest wool and the heaviest coat for half the year growing up in Minnesota. There's a trick to layering so that you're comfortable throughout the day, especially when the mornings start out just above the freeze mark and climb up to the 70's by mid-afternoon. Here's how I've learned to layer for fall and winter.

Cuddl Duds work great for layering! Dress it up to go out with a vest, necklace and boots

The key is going light, and slowly building up to heavy. You want the lightest, cotton layers nearest your skin, and then build out to wool or down filled vests/coats on the exterior. I usually like to do a cotton tank top over my bra or bralette. Then do a cotton long sleeve shirt. Then add a sweater (usually cotton, because this is the South, but if you're in even the northern South, you'll probably want a wool sweater) and then finish it with a down vest. This way is helpful because you'll peel off the warmest layers first; down and wool are super warm so you can pull those off as soon as the morning chill wears off. Then you're left with cotton, which is quite cool and breathable, which is perfect for anything in the 70 degree range.

One of the other weird things about the South is that the weather seems to change by the minute. Minnesota had large temperature swings but they usually occurred overnight. In the South, you can literally feel it happening as you're outside! I remember one day earlier this fall, I was sitting outside supervising (aka refereeing) my kids playing and during the hour or so that we were out there, it dropped 10 degrees (we have a thermostat outside, so this number is legit). As the wind blew, I could literally feel it getting colder and colder. It was so bizarre! But yet another reason why layering is so essential. When you can feel the air changing temps, you want a good selection of layering pieces to keep you warm.

The shirts have thumb holes! And my sunflowers are nearly as tall as me

I've talked about this brand before, but they seriously are GREAT for layering. Growing up, we always had thick "long johns" to wear to the bus stop on the cold days. Cuddl Duds would work great for that! They have fuzzy and warm fleece lined clothes that are fitted enough to be worn under your clothes. They also have cute cotton fitted styles, like I'm wearing, which is perfect for warmer climates or for sleeping. I love how soft the cotton is! It feels like something that costs three times as much. A cool thing about this brand is that it comes in various warmth levels, so if you're in the South like me you can pick a lighter one or if you're up North like I was in my childhood, you can bulk it up with their fleece line and still stay warm.

We love to get outside year round and Cuddl Duds is the perfect thing to wear for outside play. I walked the boys down to our neighborhood park and it was perfect. On the way there, it's all downhill so it's an easy journey, but coming back? Oh man, that's one big uphill climb! The layers worked great for me to shed as I pushed 100 pounds of double stroller filled with the twins, and shouted bike directions to the older boys. You know, telling them when they had to stop so their slow mom could catch up to them. Just once, I'd love for them to push the stroller while I get to ride the bike, but I digress... They'd also be great for shoveling snow, ice skating, walking your dog, raking fall leaves or even dressing them up for a night out! The leggings aren't see though so they're perfect to pair with boots and the V neck is great for showing off some fancier jewelry when you want to spruce yourself up.

Perfect for an afternoon with a cup of tea, fuzzy socks and a book, too

Right now they're 30% off at Kohl's! Click here to check out all the different styles, sizes and warmth levels they have and take advantage of the savings. On sale now through November 6, so stock up for the winter. You'll be warm enough to keep doing all the fun outdoor activities there are to do in winter. Or, you'll be comfy enough to settle in by a fireplace with a book or a movie, it that's more your cup of tea. I know there were many days in Minneapolis I decided to do that instead. Any way you decide to spend your time, layer up to stay comfortable this fall and winter.