A Taste of spring

It’s hard to believe that it was snowing just a few days ago and yesterday was a gorgeous 75 degrees and sunny in southeastern Pennsylvania. It could not have come at a better time. The sunshine was a welcome reprieve to the sadness that filled our homes over the past week as we felt the pain of those directly affected by last week’s tragedy in Florida.

There is no denying that sunshine is good for the soul; it makes us happy. I took advantage of being off yesterday and got myself and my kids outside! We ate breakfast and headed to one of our favorite spots, the Morris Arboretum. We have had a family membership there for the past two years and we have definitely gotten more than our money’s worth! It’s our go-to spot when we are in need of some fresh air. Click on the link The arboretum to learn more.

We arrived shortly after they opened their gates around 10:30 in the morning. Not surprisingly, it was already filled with other families who had the same idea of soaking up this uncommon February warmth and sunshine. With Penn slung to my chest, the girls and I began to explore the arboretum’s beautiful grounds. No matter how frequently we have visited, I always have a unique experience each time I venture to the arboretum.

Last spring, on one of my last days of maternity leave, I came to the arboretum with just Penn. I soaked up the last of my time off from work with him as we wandered without a plan through the vast landscape there. Even though I had been to the arboretum countless times before, I stumbled across an area I had not seen before. It felt magical to come to this grotto that led to a cave that passed through to a trail alongside a bubbling creek. It was fresh, new…rejuvenating. It made me feel hopefully for what would come in the coming weeks as I anxiously looked forward to the inevitable of having to leave Penn when I had to return to work. And it was ok. And I felt ok.

I took the girls there today. We had been to the arboretum so many times since that day last spring but it wasn’t until today that I stumbled across the grotto again. They were both just as captivated by its beauty as I was a year ago. And I felt that same feeling again. It felt like spring. And the dark cave who’s opening allowed the brilliant sunshine to flood in, drew us to that path that raveled, twisting through the woods beside a singing creek made me happy. It made us all happy. It made us forget about all of our worries for a while. It helped us to be present and to enjoy the here and now. That’s how magical nature is. It has the power to transport us to a different place. Getting outside has been my therapy when I’m feeling down and it works every single time! Looking forward to warmer weather but trying to savor each and every day, rain or shine!

And hey, if it’s raining (like it is here today), you could always just dab on a little oil (ie-geranium, lavender, frankincense, bergamot, ylang ylang, peppermint, orange…I could go on and on!) and you will instantly feel happy!!

Click on the link to get your starter kit and start enjoy the benefits of herbal medicine!

Starter Kit

Always sunny,

Coco

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Enough is enough

My oldest missed the bus today. I was mad! On the days I don’t have to work, my mornings start with waking her up early to get her off to school by 6:50. Then, hopefully I can drift back to sleep a bit longer until the little ones wake up. Typically, I get an extra 20 minutes of shut eye, but hey, every minute counts! Today, of course, was the day they slept till almost 9—that NEVER happens!

There was tension on the ride to school. Normal stuff, I thought, considering the way the day had started. As we inched closer to school, I realized it wasn’t that normal stuff. My daughter was crying, she was anxious. She did not want to go to school today. I asked her what was wrong; we had already moved past the fact that she missed the bus, she knew I wasn’t mad anymore. Her angst had nothing to do with that. She was afraid to go to school. 

In light of what happened last week in Florida, and things that have happened way too many times before, she was scared for her safety. She verbalized fear of someone attacking her school the way many others had across the world. A child should not fear going to school. A school should be a sanctuary, a second home, a safe place.

In today’s society, it has become all too common to hear of children dying due to gun violence. We need to make a change. The time is not just now; the time was decades ago. For people with mental illness to have the ability to acquire assault weapons is a complete disgrace. We need to make our voices heard. We need to stand up for our children. We need to protect them. We need to make this world a safe and peaceful place where children can flourish and not have to live in fear every single day.

Enough is enough. Never again should our normal programming being interrupted to inform us of another school shooting. We all have a voice and we need to make it heard. Write to your senators, participate in activist movements. Let’s all come together to put an end to gun violence.

I didn’t make Taylor go to school today. I am scared, too. I want to protect my children and keep them safe. She will go to school tomorrow, and she will still be afraid. I cannot keep her home with me everyday; most of us realistically cannot keep our children home with us everyday. We need to fight to make our school safe and help prevent another tragedy from occurring.

The students of Majory Stoneman Douglas High School have started a movement to put a stop to such violence. On March 14th, there is the National School Walkout. This was established by the same people who organized the Women’s March. Students, faculty, and parents are encouraged on that day to walkout of school for 17 minutes in honor of each individual that was lost in the latest school shooting. On March 24th, March for Our Lives will take place in Washington, DC and other cities across the country. March for Our Lives aims to spread awareness and help make the lives of students across the world the number one priority. Never again will a child go to school and not return home that night. Enough is enough.

Please visit https://www.marchforourlives.com to learn where you can march. The more voices we the have, the louder it will resonate. Please do your part to help ensure the safety of children everywhere. You can make a difference. Do your part to help elicit change for the better and ensure a brighter future for all.

In retrospect, Taylor missing the bus this morning was so unbelievably unimportant and I am mad at myself for getting angry at her for it. It’s so easy to take for granted how precious every minute truly is. Next time, I will have a different take on it. I will look at it as an opportunity to spend an extra 20 minutes with just her. A time to catch up, a time to enjoy her. Life is too short. We just need to enjoy the ride… literally.

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Keep riding high

After a few weeks of highs, looking forward to our team, the Philadelphia Eagles, bringing home the Lombardi trophy, it’s easy to find yourself in a slump following all of the excitement. I often find that after looking forward to something for so long, enjoying the fun ride along the way, there is this period of feeling down immediately following. Do you guys ever feel like that?

Fear not, I have a solution to keeping spirits up and continuing to ride that wave of excitement to the next big thing! How, you ask…yep, you guessed it-OILS! My go-to when I’m not feeling my happiest is geranium. They don’t call it the great balancer for nothing! Geranium is known to balance hormones. When something major happens (like your team winning the super bowl!) your endorphins sky rocket. After the excitement wears off it’s natural to feel a bit off balance. Applying a few drops of geranium on your wrist or behind your ears can instantly uplift mimicking that feeling of sheer bliss that is experienced in life’s greatest events. Smelling it’s scent can signal the brain’s limbic system to release chemicals to recreate positive emotions and make you happy!

My family is die hard when it comes to the eagles-we bleed green! Many of us waited a lifetime for a championship win. That moment finally came and we literally could not be happier. All across the region you could feel the joy people had during this time. It was palpable. It’s amazing a football team could evoke such positivity in a community especially considering all else going on in the world today.

The natural high that accompanies such events is amazing. When that feeling wears off, don’t forget there are ways to naturally keep that feeling alive. In addition to essential oils, there are many ways to accomplish this. The day after the Eagles parade of champions, I have to admit, I was feeling a little down. I was exhausted from the week’s events-from the days leading up to the big game, high hopes held for an Eagles victory to the big game itself, culminating with a massive celebration in the city of brotherly love to honor our team, newly crowned WORLD CHAMPIONS and family life and working in between. I knew I had to do something in order to pick myself up. I had plans to travel south to spend time with my mother in law who had been away for weeks and just returned home with a new puppy. While the thought of traveling after a long week and a long work week ahead felt daunting, I knew it was as what I needed. I packed up the car and the kids early Saturday morning and headed to the beach and I am so happy I did! Even in the wintertime, there is something magical about being by the ocean. A quick walk on the beach, breathing in that moist salty air, hearing the ocean waves crashing on the shore, I felt happy. That, coupled with the ones I love (and puppy kisses!) no better way to keep that winning feeling going.

If you are ever feeling low, post big event or otherwise, all you need is a little fresh air, family, and oils!! That’s love!

Geranium is not included in your starter kit but lavender is another oil that makes me happy and it is included in starter kit. But get geranium too! Sign up for essential rewards and add that to your first monthly order and you will not be disappointed! Click the “starter kit” link to get started. Starter kit

Be happy friends!

🖤Coco

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Are you ready?

It’s game day. The big dance. The SUPER BOWL! Who is ready?? How are you feeling? Anxious, excited, PUMPED UP? Maybe a combination of all of those emotions.

For those of us who are eagles fans, this day is HUGE! What a feat already to make it this far. What a season! One that started so hot and kept rolling but was suddenly stopped in its tracks when Carson went down in that game against the Rams. I don’t know about the rest of you, but in that moment, I felt like our super bowl dreams were shattered. After letting the reality that Carson Wentz was out for the remainder of the season sink in, I realized, the hope was still alive. We have to believe! After all, we have Nick Foles for our backup QB and he’s taken us places before…why not Minnesota!

In the playoffs we saw the whole team come together and with some amazing plays from Legarrett Blount, Jay Ajayi, Alshon Jeffrey, Zach Ertz, and of course Nick Foles, along with many others, the Philadelphia Eagles flew to victory! Today will be no different. This team is going to step up, face adversity in it’s face, come in as the underdogs, and take down this notoriously dishonest team. There’s gonna be a parade in Philadelphia this week! And we are all gonna celebrate!

Today’s oil line up includes-

Envision-dab a bit of this bad boy on your wrists, breathe it in and visualize the future. Picture our Eagles flying to victory! Envision yourself joyously celebrating that victory at our championship parade!

White Angelica-expect her to step up today and knock out any negativity. She is sure to protect our eagles and help Nick secure the football. Good vibes only from White Angelica and the Eagles today!

Geranium-Expect this one to keep your mood right today, leading up to kick out and throughout the entire game. Anytime you are feeling stressed or anxious, rub a little germanium on and instantly feel uplifted and optimistic. Gotta keep believing!

Lavender-For anyone who is nervous, use this to shake that feeling! Lavender’s instant calming effect is certain to get you feeling right so you can fully enjoy today’s festivities as we watch our Eagles soar to victory! Also, if the babes are getting too hyper from the excitement of the day (as they should!) rub a little lav on their backs at bedtime (after they watch the Eagles win of course) and set them up for a restful, calm night’s sleep!

Grapefruit-I’ll be using this guy to flavor my beverage! A drop of Grapefruit in my Blue Moon gives it the perfect citrus flavor without the hassle! In addition, Grapefruit EO has the ability to encourage feelings of joy, satisfaction, and playfulness. Perfect for today’s big game!

Lemon-a drop of this oil in a tall glass of water following all the imbibing of the day before bed will help detoxify and have you waking up tomorrow morning feeling refreshed and still riding high after today’s Eagles win! 🤞🏼

With all those guys in the lineup, today will be a win for sure! Many of the oils mentioned above are included with Young Living’s premium starter kit. If you don’t already have one, get one! Click the ‘starter kit’ link below to add these oils to your lineup! You can’t lose!

Starter kit Let’s go Eagles!

Happy Super Sunday friends!

🖤Coco

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