I spent all of 2022 doing "thought dumps" or "thought downloads" at the beginning of my day to help get myself into a better headspace. It was a new routine I had worked into to my mornings and loved the shift I saw in my approaches to the hard days and weeks. Getting my thoughts out on paper helped me sort through my emotions and mindset. It was a game changer when it came to starting my day.
Cue a few weeks ago when I woke up on a Monday morning and overwhelm hit. I knew the weekly to-do list in my head was a mile long. However, the thought of "all the things" left me feeling frozen and stumped on where to even begin. I have always been a pen and paper gal so I quicky started making one long list for the week. I love being able to cross tasks off as I tackle them. However, this time I was still feeling the overwhelm. It dawned on me to categorize my to-dos. One list for things to be done around the house, one for my new speech therapy business, one for my essential oil business, one for the boys. I quickly prioritized all the tasks. I pulled what needed to be done right away from each list and put it down for Monday. Then I wrote down what my list needed to be for Tuesday, and so on. When I saw that long list turn into short, doable lists organized into days, I felt a weight lift. In a matter of minutes, my brain dump turned into an organized week of tasks that would be crossed off by Friday!
For the past two weeks, I have been quickly creating a hand drawn grid with pen and paper to create my Monday Brain Dump. Today I decided this habit was going to stick and created a printable that would make the "To-Do List Break Down" look more organized and clean!
You are invited to start this habit with me. Enjoy the free "Weekly Brain Dump" printable below!
Alright friends!
When is the last time you had your hair cut? I chopped my hair off in the fall and had my last cut the first week in December. With all of life's events and now the stay-at-home orders, I have absolutely no idea when a haircut will make it onto our schedule. To be honest, I wanted to start growing my hair out after my last haircut. This mama missed the ease of putting her hair in a ponytail. However, I knew I was in trouble with these color treated ends and no haircut for sometime. Over the last few months, I changed a few things in my routine and my hair has absolutely taken off and is looking super healthy! 
I am here to share that with you as I know switching to a plant-based hair care routine can be so tricky! First, in the fall, I started taking an MSM supplement, after attending Silver Retreat. Lindsey Elmore spoke about Sulfurzyme and how beneficial it was for our bodies. She said it should be incorporated into everyone's routine. This got me digging. I started googling MSM and WOW! I get it, we should all look into an MSM supplement. The list of benefits go on and on. MSM has been studied and may support things such as:
- Inflammation/Arthritis
- Cartilage Preservation
- Range of Motion & Physical Function
- Reduce Muscle Soreness Associated with Exercise
- Reduce Oxidative Stress
- Seasonal Allergies
- Skin Quality & Texture
I found this article helpful! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372953/ . Rather than go down the rabbit hole of all the supplements available, I went with what I knew and trusted, Young Living. After about three weeks of taking Sulfurzyme, I noticed a difference in my nails, hair, and muscle tightness/soreness post workouts. If you are looking for a starting point with supplements, here is a great one!
Onto nourishing my actual hair!
My hair is growing. There is no doubt about that! The question now was how to nourish and make it through all of these months without a haircut. The big key here, is a plant-based formula. We are trying to nourish the hair and stay away from harsh chemicals and toxins. However, if you have ever tried to make the switch, you know it can be tricky!
Step 1: Cleansing
I recommend everyone start with Young Living's Lavender Shampoo! It is light and you get a great lather. Another bonus, it ALSO contains MSM. You need no more than a nickle-sized amount! My husband uses less. Only cleanse your SCALP! Unless you have product in your hair, you only need to wash your scalp. Leave those natural oils that are nourishing your hair alone. If you find you need more moisture in your shampoo, then try the Lavender Mint Shampoo. If your hair is extremely dry, over-treated, or breaks easily, I would look into the Copaiba Vanilla.
Step 2: Conditioning
If you have fine hair that is prone to oil and grease, go with Young Living's Lavender Conditioner. I have color treated hair so I want something with more moisturizing components. I go with the Young Living Lavender Mint Conditioner. You are going to wring your hair out and gather in your hand like you are putting your hair in a ponytail. Massage a dime to a nickel-size amount into the hair you gathered, staying away from the scalp. The conditioners are as thick as body butter so you do not want to over do it. Leave in your hair while you finish your shower and then rinse.
Step 3: Leave-In Conditioning (optional)
If you have short or thin hair, you may want to skip this step or use a lighter conditioner, such as the Lavender Conditioner. I like to use the Copaiba Vanilla conditioner because my hair is color-treated and my ends need extra nourishment. A bottle will last you months and months and months if you are only using it for this step.Take a pea-sized amount in your hands and massage conditioner into the ends of your hair. Leave it in and wrap hair in micro-fiber towel.
Step 4: Healthy Scalp (optional)
I love this step year round. I change the oils I add to this recipe based on my scalp health. If I am dry, itchy, or irritated, I grab Lavender, Melrose, and Cedarwood. If I am looking to promote healthy growing conditions, I grab Rosemary, Cedarwood, and Geranium. If I want an added boost, I add Ylang Ylang. Start with half a dropper to one dropper full of Mirah Lustrious Hair Oil. Drop into two ounce spray bottle. Add 5 drops each of three essential oils of you choice. Top the bottle with alcohol-free witch hazel and shake to mix. Before drying hair, lift hair and spritz mixture on the root of your hair. Comb through and style as usual.
That is it folks! I swear by this routine. My hair feels AH-mazing. My ends look healthy and my hair is growing. If you aren't ready to jump in at once, start with the Sulfurzyme and Lavender Shampoo. Then slowly build your haircare collection from there. This would be a great time to jump on Essential Rewards, ease yourself into the routine, and earn points back to spend on your oils!
You will love the results. Here is a YouTube video of me talking about my routine!
"Things will slow down after the holidays..."
Between moving a Christmas travels, I cannot tell you how many times I told myself this throughout the month of December. Well guess what, it is February and things have not slowed. Apparently, this pace of life is the new normal. With a million tabs open in my brain along with a million different emotions in rotation, I find myself holding things in and going through the motions of our days to keep things running smoothly.
I am in constant need of stress relief but find it difficult to take the time to really sit and enjoy the stress free moments. Essential oils have helped me catch myself from losing my mind a time or two by simply cracking open a bottle of Stress Away or Valor and taking some deep breaths. I can catch myself, think through my actions, and clear my head for a few moments. An added bonus to these magical bottles of aromatic bliss, is the ability to apply them topically. I love to apply them to my neck, my ears, chest, ends of hair, wrists, and even my favorite diffuser jewelry so the aroma stays with me longer that just a few moments. I mean, who wouldn't want to wear the aroma of White Angelica throughout the day???
My new favorite is Release. This oils is the perfect combination of floral, woodsy, and citrus scents. The aroma is very "perfume-like". While it is serving the purpose of taming those emotions, it is also serving the purpose of acting as my " perfume" for the day. You will literally have to peel yourself away from the bottle and find yourself hovering over the diffuser with this blend. I opened the bottle, immediately reached for a roller fitment, and dropped this baby in my purse. This pleasing aroma was just what this mama needed in this busy and emotionally charged season of life.
Have you ever developed an instant love for an aroma? Isn't it amazing how aromatics can affect our state of mind.
