Weekends are for Fun!

Here are a few outtakes from our weekend in Steamboat Springs. 

To life...full of making memories with family! 

I Love Technology!

When you have a car ride that takes you up and over the mountains, two times, and you finally hit the city and there are lots of red lights and traffic because it's almost 5 o'clock... you're thankful for headphones, a drop-down screen, and a dvd player! 

To life... full of technological advances! 

A Snooze

Sometimes, when you wake up too early...

...you fall asleep before lunch is over! 

To life...full of early rising! 

Reading Books

Sometimes when I'm making dinner I'll look over and Levi is doing this... 

I'm thankful that he's starting to entertain himself. 

And actually sitting still for longer periods of time to read! 

To life...full of books! 

Melaleuca Alternifolia: Why I'm Using It

I have struggled with acne for years, half my life really. I've used a wide variety of products; some worked for awhile, others made things worse. At times I've found success and then we moved to a new climate area and it didn't work anymore. Or, as in the past 4 years, I've been in various stages of pregnancy and breastfeeding, which alters my hormones and changes how my face looks, again. I've been experimenting with different combinations of oils to see what might work best for my face. I have tried several combinations, but ultimately, what has worked best is simply this one oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia, also known as tea tree oil. It is "highly regarded as an antimicrobial and antiseptic essential oil."(1) It helps to promote cleansing and studies have shown it to be as beneficial as benzoyl peroxide. I began using it consistently about a month ago. After washing my face with water in the mornings, I apply the oil directly to any pimples on my face. I have noticed particular improvement along my jawline where I typically have many large, painful red pimples. I have been extremely thankful for this oil as I'm able to feel more confident being out in public without make up on. My skin is not perfect and I'm still working to find the right washing routine in the evening, but I have seen enough difference in my face from this one change (and actually eliminating most of the other products I was using) that I felt it was worth sharing.

January 2015 

January 2015 

Wow! I knew I had taken some pictures, so I went through our hard drive and found them tonight. It looked even worse then I remembered. Here are pictures from tonight, May 5...

May 2015

May 2015

There are many more uses for this oil. I have used it to help prevent mold growth in the shower and also recently added it to the sunscreen I made to see if it would help as a natural bug repellant. You can see in the graphic below the versatility of this essential oil.

To life... full of finding natural solutions! 

Reference 1: Essential Oils Desk Reference, pg. 84