Essential Oils 101 - The Basics

I know that all of you have that friend that posts about the voodoo magic of essential oils. I'm one of those posting friends. The oils work like magic, but they are definitely not voodoo. They work. I love them and I know you will love them too! I thought it would be fun to do a little Essential Oils 101 series on the blog and in the future I can share fun recipes and ideas. Lets start with the basics.

What are essential oils?
Essential oils are naturally occurring aromatic compounds that are found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots and flowers of plants. After the oils are extracted from the plants, they can be used to help with emotional and physical wellness for ourselves, our families, and even our pets!

I cannot stress enough - not all essential oils are created equally. Please do not go out tonight and buy the oils you see at Target, Walmart or even the health food store. I am a doTERRA wellness advocate and firmly stand behind their quality.

Three ways to use:

• Aromatically - diffuse, inhale, etc
• Internally - putting a drop under your tongue, mixing with water, use for baking/cooking or taking in a veggie cap
• Topically - applying directly to the skin - some oils should be diluted before applying topically!

I have to admit...I was super skeptical of essential oils at first. I had a stomach ache at my sister's house one evening and she said "I have peppermint oil in the bathroom, go rub it on your belly." I half expected my skin to fall off. Plot twist : it didn't and five minutes later my stomach ache was gone. It's 10 months later and I am a firm believer. I cannot wait to share more about oils with you guys! 

There is an oil for EVERY problem and I am here to help! Sleep, allergies, immunity support, digestion, sore muscles, dry scalp, stretch marks, sun burns, bug bites, flea/tick spray for your pets, anything you can think of! 

If you want more information, email me at mermade.essentials@yahoo.com. I also post on instagram over at mermade.essentials. 

Five on Friday 9.22.17

Man oh man, it has been TOO long since I've done one of these. Life has been so busy and fun lately. Lets jump right in!

1. 

My coworker and I got a fish for our shared cubicle and she is PERFECTION. The prettiest little unicorn fish and her name is Petunia. We obviously don't get out much.

2.

I took a trip to Disneyland with my dad and little sister this weekend and I am dreaming about the next time I get to have a Jack cake pop. 26 days! 

3.

I am a bridesmaid in a wedding in November and I was having the hardest time finding cute silver shoes. I found these babies on Amazon for $25 and they are perfection! Comfortable and not too tall. They have a lot of colors that would be perfect for work or going out. The perfect "lady shoe". 

4.

After waiting a literal year for this chair to go on sale, I scored it for 50% off. I CANNOT wait for all the new home decor coming to Target. Goodbye paycheck, hello Chip and Joanna! 

5. 

Last but not least, stay tuned for fun essential oil stuff coming soon! Follow along on my essential oil insta - @mermade.essentials

I am so happy to be blogging again and cannot wait for all the fun posts to come! 

A Weekend Trip to Disney

Main Street Disney! 

I absolutely love Disneyland. The magic is undeniable. #Disneymylife

I finally got an annual pass!

This past weekend, my dad took my little sister and I for a quick weekend trip. We drove down Friday and came home Sunday. We never go on the weekends and now I remember why. It was PACKED. Some of our favorite rides were closed for hours during the day, which was annoying. BUT! Disneyland, California Adventure, and Downtown Disney were all decorated for Halloween and my Halloween loving heart exploded. This is the first year that California Adventure has been decorated and it did not disappoint. Downtown Disney had a bunch of pumpkin towers everywhere and massive pumpkins in all the planters. So cute.

stoked off Cars Land!

Cars Land!

I mean how perfect is this!?

I can't even.

me and my baby Maddie twinning

This was our first time staying at the Disneyland Hotel and it did not disappoint. We have stayed at Paradise Pier and the Grand Californian, so this was the last of the trio for us. I LOVED IT. I honestly expected it to be tacky Disney, but it was the perfect amount of Disney magic and class. We ate a bunch, walked a bunch, and soaked up a stress free weekend for as long as we could.

Chip (or Dale?)  watching TV when we walked into our hotel

Cotton Candy Lemonade from the Cove Bar in CA Adventure!

the most DELISH lobster nachos from the Cove Bar

My favorite time of day at the parks is first thing in the morning and later at night. The best!

Oogie Boogie Takeover! 

this is blurry but Carthay Circle!

the coolest ears! they also have orange bats.

Stay tuned for more Disney Halloween magic next month when I go to Mickey's Halloween Party (for the 3rd year in a row) with my best friend!

no detail was left out!

10 Things About Me!

I can't remember if I've done one of these posts before, but I thought it would be fun to do a little re-introduction since it's been so long since I've blogged regularly...or at all really.

1. My name is Miranda. (surprise!)
2. I am 25 years old. 
3. I have a dog named Matilda aka Tilly that I am OBSESSED with. 
4. My boyfriend Jarad and I have been dating for 4 1/2 years. I'm indoorsy. He's an adventurer.
5. We commute together, work together and live together. (we didn't meet at work)
6. We bought a house together a few months back and owning a home has been the best! We've moved 5 times in the last 3 years, so it's nice to actually get set up somewhere.
7. I love baking cupcakes, crafting, decorating, all things Disney and planning parties.
8. I also love essential oils. They have had such a big impact in my life since I was introduced to them in January. 
9. Halloween is my JAM. 
10. I like to live everyday like its Taco Tuesday.

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

Hellllllllo from the other siiiiiiiiiiide! 

I lost my blogging spark for awhile... My  creative light went out temporarily... But I'm back! With news!

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! 

We had originally planned on buying a house in the Fall, but the stars aligned, we found the perfect house on my favorite street in town, and it's ours! We get the keys on Tuesday and I cannot wait to share all about it! 

The inside is completely remodeled but the house was built in 1955 and it's so charming. I can't wait to show you how we decorate it and make it our home! Think industrial meets Joanna Gaines farmhouse. Eek! We will also be doing a ton of work to the front and back yard. If you have any tips, tricks, or ideas - shoot them my way! I have ZERO experience with yard work/planting things/anything related to the outside at all pretty much.

Here's a sneak peek to hold you over until I can take pictures of the whole house :)

The Normal Girl's Guide to Saving Money

 

If you read my last post, you know that we are trying to buy a house this year. Eek! After searching under couch cushions and checking all my old purses for spare pennies, I decided it was time to get serious.  I've budgeted before and was able to save $10,000 in very little time. Yo girl is back at it again. Here are the things that work for me - a normal girl who drinks too much coffee and spends all her money at Target.

• open up a separate savings account - (if this makes sense for you) We are doing this to keep our house money separate from our individual savings accounts.

• cut the Starbs - Make this a once a week treat and set aside the money you would be spending!

• don't open the emails - Giiiiirl, I know that 60% off is tempting, but don't do it. Just delete it!

• avoid Target at all costs - You can't black out and spend $200 if you don't enter those doors!

• cook at home - This is our biggest struggle. We commute a total of 5 hours a day to work and the last thing we want to do is cook. Our wallets + waistlines will thank us though.

• use cash - Go to the bank and withdraw a set amount of cash. I can swipe that card all day, but watching money physically disappear in front of me stops me in my tracks. 

•  start a change jar - I have a jar that counts the change as I drop it in. Once you hit $100, roll it and take it to the bank!  

•  recycle - We drink a lot of water, Vitamin Water, and Coke Zero in our house. I save all the bottles and take them to a recycling center for some extra cash. 

• hoard gift cards - I don't know about you guys, but I hoard my gift cards like it's the last gift card I will ever receive. This works to my advantage because when I HAVE TO HAVE something, I can use a gift card instead of swiping my card or taking it out of my cash stash. 

What are some of your money saving tips? I would love to hear them!

2017 Goals

 

I really need to get back on the goal bandwagon. I decided I want to set goals for the year as a whole and then do smaller goals every month... or so ;)

 

I've decided my word for the year will be INTENTIONAL. I want to be intentional in everything I do. I want to simplify. I want to figure out what really matters and be all there.

• de-clutter and simplify my spaces - mental and physical
• exercise regularly
• cook at home more
• learn to cook and bake new dishes
• squeeze in travel whenever we can
• save money $$$$
• buy a house toward the end of the year
• get engaged ;) ;) 
• go on adventures with Jarad (he's into tactical training, outdoors, and his bow right now)
• read more books

I feel like 2016 was kind of a bust for me and I really want to make 2017 count. Here's to taking chances and making it happen in 2017!