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Health

The last Time

March 6, 2021      Leave a Comment

“Cause you never think that the last time- is the last time. You think there will be more. You think you have forever, but you don’t.”

This quote stopped me immediately and I re-read it multiple times. Flashes of the “last’s” swirling through my brain like a movie reel.

The last time I spoke to a loved one, the last time I picked up my youngest daughter, the last time I was normal- instead of living with chronic illness, depression, and anxiety.


As a teenager, I was introduced to death. In 2005 my cousin was killed in a freak accident at 25, in 2007 I lost my aunt, and both of my grandparents.

2007/2008 was my senior year in high school, one morning I walked out of our house and due to straight line winds it was destroyed. When I returned home, there was nothing left. I think God was making me stronger for the tragedy that would come next.

It was July, hot as hell in Tennessee. We were visiting my brother, his wife and my niece before he deployed to Afghanistan again. This was the last time I seen my brother alive. He was KIA on August 15th, 2009- 15 days before his daughter’s first birthday.

Sgt. Jonathon Travis Rape 04/09/84-08/15/09

In 2019 I found out after sudden and progressive symptoms- that I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve and had a 4.6 aneurysm, on July 15th I was headed for Open Heart Surgery. My life was saved and I fully believe it was a miracle, but this was also the year that changed everything for me physically.

Two weeks before my surgery I was cleared to travel with my family to Gulf Shores for vacation. On this trip was the last time I picked up my youngest daughter- I should have soaked it all in. I thought life would return to normal after my surgery but that’s not how my story would play out.

Following my surgery, I have been diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder and fibromyalgia. It’s been over 2 years since I’ve had a day where I wasn’t in any pain. And I can’t remember the last time I felt truly like myself.

Picture of me and my youngest daughter.

I write this, not for pity. I write this to remind myself of the struggles I’ve endured, the strength I didn’t know I had, and to remember that any moment could be the last.

Oil Spotlight: Ylang Ylang

February 18, 2021      Leave a Comment

Ylang Ylang essential oil has a permanent spot on my nightstand, inhaling this oil lessens tension and stress plus promotes positive feelings. However, that’s not the reason it stays on my nightstand- weather your having fun alone or with a partner it adds a little warmth to spice things up.

Interested in learning a bit more about using essential oils in the bedroom? I have a post for that 😉.

Want to deep dive in all the Ylang Ylang Information? Check out these links with history, uses, tips, testing and research:

  • https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-ylang-ylang-oil
  • https://www.doterra.com/US/en/ylang-ylang-oil
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4534619/

Want to get Ylang Ylang for your night stand? You can purchase it here for retail price, or with a yearly membership (Like Sam’s Club or Costco) you can get it for 25% off!

If want you want to learn more about doterra check out this post:

  • https://thebellwetherlife.com/2020/04/11/tell-me-about-doterra/

Be Mine For Longer: Women’s Heart Health

February 8, 2021      Leave a Comment

February is the month of love. Women and moms everywhere give so much love to others that we often forget to love on ourselves. Taking a shower and running errands alone, while great, isn’t self care. 

When we think of Women’s health most of us assume that we’ve got it covered, because we have our yearly paps, breast exams/mammograms, and take a multi-vitamin. Most of us are so consumed with everyday life that we fail to stop and listen to our bodies, if we did stop, there’s so much we can learn.

2 years ago I noticed my body changing, I went to my doctors and at first they all said the same things. It’s normal for a mom to be tired, depression can cause these symptoms you’re having. I was prescribed anti-depression medicines and sent on my way, however as my symptoms progressed I had to learn how to be my own advocate and take control over my health.

My surgeon told me that I was very in-tune with my body, listening to my instincts and not giving up when doctors dismissed me had saved my life. At 29 years old I discovered I had a bicuspid aortic valve and a 4.9cm aneurysm, I was in complete heart failure. – Check out my Open Heart Surgery Post if you want a more detailed story – 

Cardiovascular Diseases continue to be a deadly threat for women, The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women is a platform to bring awareness to Womens heart health.  As a heart patient myself I am passionate about bringing not only awareness to Womens heart health but, also showing how we can incorporate healthy habits plus natural options to better care for our hearts.

If you’re building a house, one of the first things you do is build a foundation which will hold up your house. The same is true for our bodies, we need a proper foundation to build our way to a healthier you. ( I say “you” as in, collective you, I’m speaking to myself too.) To help build a strong foundation for our health, high quality supplements are a good place to start.

Meet doTerra’s number one selling product, Life Long Vitality Supplements. Backed by a 30 day money back guarantee these supplements are the building blocks for our foundation and the start of healthier habits.

These essential oils may also be beneficial:

Cinnamon Bark and Cassia essential oils can promote healthy circulatory and cardiovascular function, as well as Marjoram and Copaiba. Take 1-2 drops of oil into a veggie capsule and take internally, if heart health is a concern for you. And it should concern you, especially as a woman. You can learn more about heart health and essential oils here.

Learn more here.

doTerra’s wellness pyramid is the basis for everyday health, including your heart health. Reducing toxic load. rest and managing stress can be achieved with the Life Long Vitality supplements and essential oils.

Informed self care is so important, like I mentioned earlier you have to become your own health advocate especially if you feel like something is off in your body. Proactive medical care is important for catching things sooner rather than later, like getting your yearly physical, Pap smear, Mammogram, Colonoscopies, etc can hopefully catch things before they become an even bigger issue.

When I first started to get sick I felt like a fraud to be preaching a healthy lifestyle with essential oils while my own health was spiraling out of control. I still have the same feelings and insecurities pop up but, I know that my healthcare is better when I incorporate natural alternatives along with traditional medicine. It doesn’t have to be a this or that, but we can mesh them together to take control over our health and our lives.

This February I challenge you to start building your foundation to a healthy lifestyle and schedule those check-up appointments. I have to remind myself often that I can’t pour from an empty cup.

Ready for a complete overhaul of your health? Doterra has released a new enrollment kit for just that- The Foundational Habits Enrollment Kit. This kit includes:

  • Chocolate protein powder
  • Doterra fiber
  • Doterra greens
  • Doterra On Guard 5ml- protects against environmental and seasonal threats
  • Doterra Balance 5ml- Creates a sense of calm and tranquility
  • Frankincense 5ml- Supports healthy cellular, immune, nervous, and digestive function when taken internally. When diffused or inhaled it promotes feelings of peace, relaxation, satisfaction and overall wellness.
  • Lemon 5ml- Provides cleansing and digestive benefits and supports healthy respiratory function.
  • Lavender 5ml- Swiss army knife of oils, calms and relaxes when taken internally, use in a bath, massage or inhale/diffuse to ease stress and help sleep.
  • Deep Blue Rub- This is one of my most used products. This rub helps soothe tired and achy muscles.
  • Doterra Lifelong Vitality Pack
  • TerraZyme and PB Assist- Supports digestion and optimizes your gastrointestinal tract.

There are TONS of enrollment kits so if this one doesn’t work, please reach out. I’d love to help you find the perfect products for your unique needs.

My Morning Routine

January 15, 2021      Leave a Comment

First off I’d like to say that I’m not the mom in the drop off line who has her shit together. My kids are now scrambling around for masks as I’m pushing them out of the van. I’m not literally pushing my kids out of the van, Karen but, after all the virtual learning we’ve done momma needs a break.

Every mom should have sort of system in place to make her life easier ie; Picking out clothes the night before, packing backpacks/lunch’s at night too. As a mom with a chronic illness I never know when a flare is going to strike and of course I have to use my spoons wisely. One less thing to worry about in the morning, or fight about- girl moms know what I’m talking about.

My morning starts by getting up at 5am and working out, just kidding, I hit snooze till 6:45 where I drag myself into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I will admit I used honest brand toothpaste until dōTERRA reformulated their toothpaste which I got in this years convention kit and It’s love.

2 years ago I never took any daily medications besides birth control and forgot all the time, and your girl here couldn’t even swallow pills until 29. face palm. Now I have a pill organizer to store my prescribed medications plus my Life Long Vitality Supplements. I keep my pills in the cabinet over my coffee pot so I take them while I’m brewing my mornings coffee.

The key to remembering to take your vitamins is to have them easily accessible and in a place where they are easily seen. Same goes for your oils, consistency is key but, if you have your oils hidden away then chances are you aren’t going to use them.

These are all my “extra oils”, I just snagged this adorable shelf for my office/craft room.

My hubby built me an oil cabinet for my kitchen that holds my oils, it’s in a central location and easy to get. I also have citrus oils by our water purifier, in the bathroom, in the bedroom, basically everywhere in our home you’ll find some kind of essential oil.

My oil shelf, plus oils on the side table and the LTO Cuisine blends by the stove.
My bedside diffuser and oils

Up next is prying cranky kids out of the bed and off to school- I offer no advice on this matter, it seems my children are sloths in the morning then it’s like they both turn into Donnie from The Wild Thornberries when they come home from school.

What’s your morning routine look like? If you are also a mom with a chronic illness how do you manage during your flares?

But, You Don’t Look Sick?

December 17, 2020      Leave a Comment

My next favorite ”Get better soon!”, well meaning maybe but, that’s not how chronic illness works.

I’ve seen blog posts on this topic, I’ve seen peoples thoughts on social media, and now have first-hand experience on how many judge-y assholes there are in the world.

Last year before Covid turned the world upside down, I was sitting at the dollar general – waiting for it to open after dropping the kids off at school. I was in my minivan waiting, parked in a handicap spot close to the door. There were a few others in their cars and some standing by the door.

As I watched the worker prepare to unlock the doors, I got out of my van and was greeted with ”Looking healthy today” with his head cocked to the side as if he was scorning me for using that parking place. He quickly apologized when I informed him I was a mere 3 months post op from open heart surgery and was still having issues.

The sorry wasn’t sincere, he got caught being a judgmental ass. This wasn’t my last encounter with peoples whispers and side glances and Im completely confident it will happen again.

If you’re not familiar with invisible illness, it includes an array of illnesses and diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, CIDP, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Connective Tissue Disorders, Dysautonomia, and many others. A quick google search can give you even more information on the different types of invisible illnesses.

Life is chaotic bills need paid, laundry is piling up, the kids have school work, the dog needs food, medicine needs picked up, there’s doctors appointments all time. As mom’s, as parents we know this is all hard. Add in a chronic illness and it becomes even harder, I say this not in comparaion but to remind everyone – even myself that everyone is fighting some sort of battle we know nothing about.

A new year is coming and with it I wish with my entire broken heart that we could all stop the sudden judgements and just be kind to one another.

Oil Spotlight: Frankincense

December 2, 2020      1 Comment

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for centuries then you have heard about Frankincense, it has been renowned for its health benefits and at one time was worth more than gold.

If you’re familiar with biblical stories then you know that the 3 wise men brought Jesus gifts of Frankincense, Myrrh and Gold. The ancient Egyptians also used Frankincense to make perfumes and salves for the skin. For centuries people have used plants, roots, resins and oils for their medical benefits.

Frankincense is also known as the king of essential oils for its many attributes like rejuvenating the skin. supporting your cellular, immune, nervous, and digestive systems.

Want to learn all the things about Frankincense? Check out these articles:

1.) https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/frankincense-oil

2.) https://www.doterra.com/US/en/education/pe/frankincense-oil

Already have Frankincense? Try out some of my favorite diffuser blends below.

Don’t have your doTerra essential oils? Not to fret, its super easy and I promise you won’t turn into a crazy oil person. Get your starter kit here.

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Last month I grabbed -What Would Frida Do- by @ariannagab as an add-on to my #bookofthemonthclub box. This then led me to Pinterest to find her paintings, and of course, I had to watch the movie too. I've been working on this piece for several days- not exactly a self-portrait though. I was inspired so much by Frida's courage to use art to express herself and document her pain and heartbreaks.
I got my first #covidvacccine today! If I turn into a zombie 🧟‍♀️ - it was nice knowing y’all 😂
-Live like someone left the gate open- Today Coco lived her best life, which after all this rain, meant bath night. I’m glad she cooperated at least. Afterwards she rolled herself in our quilt, only freeing herself after falling off the bed. My quilt is wet and my back hurts but, the laughs and love she gives in return is priceless.
My office/sewing room got some new art today. ❤️❤️
Using green cleaning products not only saves us from the harsh chemicals in traditional cleaning products and it’s better for the environment. What’s even better? This one bottle of concentrate is 14.50 with a wholesale membership. Your not only saving money but, in doing so your helping keep plastic waste down!
Create beautiful things that bring happiness and joy. ❤️🌵🎨

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