I hope y’all had an amazing Fourth of July because I know we did!

We spent so much time outside and you know what that means, lots of fun, lots of sun, and lots of bug bites.

Did you know that out of 2,000 sunscreens reviewed, more than 75% were found to contain toxic chemicals?

Or that common side effects for insect repellents include skin reactions, allergic rashes, and eye irritation?

Also, many topical medicated creams for insect-bite itching and irritation have side effects causing redness, irritation, and swelling.

So here are a few of my after fourth favorite DIY home remedies.

Sunburn Spray

1 cup aloe vera juice

1/4 cup fractionated coconut oil

1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

8 drops lavender

8 drops Melaleuca

8 drops Roman chamomile

Combine ingredients in a 16 ounce glass spray bottle. Shake well and spray onto sunburned skin. Repeat as needed.

Bug Repellent

10 drops lemon grass

10 drops lavender

10 drops geranium

10 drops peppermint

fractionated coconut oil

mix essential...

Okay, so who doesn't love a long weekend, am I right?

And I'm so excited that my first "Friday Favorite" series starts on the long July 4th weekend. 

Okay so let's talk about some of my favorite things about the Fourth of July. 

1. This is probably a given, but fireworks! Duh. Aside from the animals hating them I can't help but think they are just gorgeous. There's just something about fireworks, you know? The way they light up the sky. The way that no matter how old you are when you see them you still feel like a child, full of amazement and wonder. 

2. Um, the food. And I mean ALL of the food. I can't even pick a specific favorite because I am pretty sure that nothing beats a proper Fourth of July cookout. I can't even talk about it that much because it makes me so hungry. The burgers, the hotdogs, the fixin's, the sides, the desserts. ALL. OF. IT. Do you have a favorite Fourth of July food or recipe? I'd love to hear it!

3. Spending time with friends...

Hey y'all. 

So this post is a little different. 

I've had a lot going on in my personal life lately and I thought about sharing it with you guys, but I wasn't sure I should until this past weekend. 

This is my space for you to join me. This is a place for us to come together. And so I knew I had to share what was going on.

So where do I start? 

My father-in-law recently had a heart catherization and stint placement after learning that he had had a heart attack one Sunday morning. After lots of testing it was obvious that he was on course to have another heart attack if action wasn't taken. 

There was damage done to the heart, but he is on medications to help strengthen his heart and keep the stint open. He is at home and resting. Taking some much needed time off to let his body heal. And I'm happy to report that he is feeling much better. 

Then there's my mom, Tammie. 

I won't go into all the details here because you can actually follow her story...

If there is one thing I love to do all year it's read a good book, but there is just something extra special about a good book and the summer. 

Whether I'm curled up on my porch with a cup of coffee or I'm laying out on the beach, it doesn't matter. Reading during the summer is one of the best things ever. 

Like, ever ever. 

So to celebrate I've included my top 10 favorite books of all times. But you have to share with me some of your favorites too! I mean, it's only fair. 

1. BIBLE- (always the best place to start!)
2. Secrets of Six Figure Women
3. The 5 Second Rule
4. Love Walked Among Us
5. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
6. Take control of your Life
7. Everything is Figureoutable
8. The Go Giver
9. Think and Grow Rich 
10. Rich Dad Poor Dad

Okay, now your turn! 

XXOO!

I don't know what it is right now, but I could use all the relaxation tips and tricks i can get. 

I have learned that you can't give from an empty well, but sometimes taking time out for ourselves can be hard. Maybe we feel guilty? Or maybe there's just no time? Whatever the reason, it is okay. 

Try diffusing my favorite blends for relaxation. I keep my diffusers going all day long. Not only does it make the house smell amazing, but it calms my nerves and everyone else who's under the roof. 

It's a win-win for everyone.

Do you have a favorite relaxation blend? Tell me about it! 

Until next time y'all, woo-sah.

XXOO!

I don't know about you, but I could seriously use all the extra energy I can get. 

I do my best to take care of myself, eat well, drink a lot of water, get enough rest (hahahahaha- Mom's will know why I'm laughing), etc. But sometimes I just need a little extra oomph. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my coffee. Like, love my coffee, but I feel like I've been drinking it for so long that somehow my body has become immune to it. And really it doesn't do anything to give me extra energy these days. 

So what's a girl to do? Life, as you probably know it, does not slow down for anyone, especially for a mom of seven. 

Well, lucky for all of us, there's an oil(s) for that. 

Single Oils

• Basil: stimulating and reviving
• Peppermint: invigorating and energizing
• Wild orange: uplifting and rejuvenating
• Lemon: cleansing and refreshing
• Lime: energizing and enlivening

Blends

• Invigorating blend: rejuvenating and energizing
• Respiration blend: invigorating and reviving
• ...

Ah, stress, It's something I do my best to avoid, but let's be real, with this many kids (love y'all!), a husband (love you too!), way too many pets according to 'some people' and you just live in the world today, stress is sometimes inevitable.

Today, I wanted to share with you my favorite ways to destress. From single oils to bath remedies. Add a few of these to your weekly self care, you won't regret it. 

Single Blends

• Lavender- calms and relieves stress
• Roman chamomile- calms reduces stress
• Wild orange- energizes while reducing anxiety and depression
• Frankincense- reduces depression, trauma, and tension
• Vetiver- improves focus and sedates

Blends

• Invigorating blend- energizes while reducing anxiety and depression
• Grounding blend- balances mood while reducing stress and trauma
• Calming blend- reduces anxiety and stress
• Tension blend- relieves tension and stress
• Women's blend- balances hormones and calms anxiety

Roller Bottle Remedies

Combine oils into a roller bottle and...

"That's it! I've had enough!" You might think I'm yelling at one of my kids, separating a fight, or just yelling out of pure mom frustration. 

Nope, wrong.

It's bugs y'all. I am so over the bugs. I've already shared a DIY bug spray, but today I wanted to go a little further in my pest repellents. 

Whether they are in your garden destroying your beautiful homegrown tomatoes or they are just keeping you from spending the time outside that you've been waiting for, it's time to get serious.

Below is a list of pests and the essential oils you can use to repel those unwanted visitors. 

• Ants:  peppermint, spearmint
• Aphids: cedarwood, peppermint, spearmint
• Beetles: peppermint, thyme
• Caterpillars: spearmint, peppermint
• Chiggers: lavender, lemongrass, sage, thyme
• Fleas: peppermint, lemongrass, spearmint, lavender
• Flies: lavender, peppermint, rosemary, sage
• Gnats: patchouli, spearmint
• Lice: cedarwood, peppermint, spearmint
• Mosquitos: lavender,...

I don't know about y'all, but when I started making the switch to safer, healthier products for me and those I loved most, I couldn't help but be completely overwhelmed with all the choices.

Where in the world was I supposed to start?

This is probably one of the questions I get asked the most. Where to begin? 

Now, I love all my oils and y'all know that. And I already came up with my Top Three Favorite Oils, but I wanted to share my top three oils for beginners. 

I always suggest that new people start with these oils. They have some great benefits. They smell amazing. And they are easy to understand. 

First up is Lavender. This oil is great for stress relief and calming effects. I love diffusing Lavender at the end of a long day or right before bedtime. It just soothes and calms the world around you. And it smells soooooo good. 

Next, is Lemon. This is probably one of my most used oils. I put it in my water. I use it to clean and disinfect. I diffuse it to...

I think it's a given that we, especially as women and mothers, are always trying to do our best to take care of those we love. 

We try to make better choices on the foods we eat. We try to make sure that everyone is drinking enough water and getting enough sleep. So it can be super frustrating to find out that some of our well thought out choices are actually no better than the junk we're trying to avoid. 

So how do we even begin to make the switch to safer if we aren't even sure what safer actually is??

I totally get your frustration and I'm hoping I can help just a little! 

My number one suggestion is to ditch the "fragrance". No, I'm not just talking about the perfume and body spray, but rather anything with the word "fragrance" listed as an ingredient. 

Did you know that the word "fragrance" is considered a trade secret meaning companies don't actually have to disclose the ingredients they are using to create said fragrance. 

Cool, huh? 

So what...