latest health, beauty and household obsession

Happy Monday, friends!

This post is going to be a little different than usual, but hopefully you'll like it. :)

I recently started selling doTERRA Essential Oils, to which my sisters introduced me. They both love them and their excitement has made me love them and now all of us Bibers from start to finish are just lathering ourselves up in oils.

I took some to work last week on Friday, when I really needed to focus and my coworkers were super interested, so I thought some of you might be, too.

If you are unfamiliar with them, the idea behind them is that they can restore balance in your body via oils found naturally in the earth. These are the oils that our ancestors used instead of medicine. They work for keeping you healthy, balancing metabolism and reducing stress.

To be clear, I still believe in modern medicine. But if I can rub some oil on my temples instead of taking Advil, I'd rather do that 100% of the time.

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You can use oils by:

Rubbing them on your body. You can put them in a roll-on container and rub them on your feet (the biggest pores on your body), or ailing area (stomach for stomachache, temples for headache, zit for skin clarity). 

Diffusing them into the air. You can purchase a diffuser through doTERRA and diffuse them into the air, or heat up a cup of hot water, add a drop and inhale the steam

Consuming them. doTERRA is 100% certified pure oil, so you can add a drop to a cup of water and drink it, or purchase gel capsules to swallow. 

Cleaning with them. My sisters both use them exclusively to clean their houses. Many cleaning agents expose us to pretty bad chemicals and these are so harmless you can ingest what you clean with. 

Some top selling oils are:

Frankincense for relaxation, immune system support and mood enhancement
Slim & Sassy for metabolic support 
OnGuard for health protection and wellness

A few of our favorite ways to use them are:

OnGuard, Lavender oil + fractionated coconut oil at night to help me sleep and keep me healthy
Rubbing Digestzen on my stomach for IBS issues
Rubbing Balance on my temples for concentration and focus after a long day at work
Mixing a drop of Lemon and Grapefruit into a water bottle (must be glass or metal; not plastic or the oil breaks down the cup) and drinking it for boosting immunity

I want to try:

Cedarwood for skin recovery
Cypress and Deep Blue for tight muscles 
The flu bomb this winter: 
3-4 drops of onguard
3-4 drops of melaleuca
3-4 drops of oregano
3-4 drops of lemon
1 drop of Frankincense

If you want to know more:
Check out how they are using them on Pinterest
read 101 uses for essential oils
check them out on facebook

Happy day to you!

10 friends every girl in her 20s needs

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1. The one who is your boyfriend: She's there to pick you up from the airport, throw your birthday party and try new restaurants with you. Essentially, she's your boyfriend when you're single or your significant other is unavailable. And she rocks. 

2. The long-distance bestie: Sometimes, the best perspective comes from a little farther away. She's there to FaceTime you to pick out your date outfit, then waits for the call when it's over. It's the relationship that continues to grow right alongside the distance. 

3. The one who never cancels: The reliable person you know will show up, on time, probably with a gift. She's kind of like your very own Martha Stewart.

4. The one who thinks you're always right. I think of it as the mom of friends. She's ready to take your side no matter what, even when you might be just a teensy bit wrong. We all need a cheerleader from time to time. 

5. The one who challenges you. The person that makes you think outside the box and asks the hard questions. She probably can't be the same person as #4.

6. The one you go to Target with: Sometimes, actual plans are hard to make. But errands with a pal? There's always time for that. You can both respect that life is busy and time together is well spent even when you're getting a manicure, grabbing Starbucks and running to Target.

7. The one who is up for anything: A last-minute concert on a Monday? Yep. A random yard sale 40 minutes away? Why not? An unplanned trip you probably can't afford? Sure thing. Everyone needs an adventurer in their life. 

8. The financial advisor: She speaks 401k and is there to remind you that you really shouldn't put it on your credit card. 

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9. The one who makes you slow down and connect: Just give her a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and she's primed for a heart-to-heart. She's the one who believes that the world is bigger than us and the most important thing we can invest in is one another. And she's totally right.

10. The one who is better than you: Or rather, who you think is better than you; she's the one you admire. She might be funnier or more patient or more philanthropic. She's the one who you strive to be not out of jealousy or competitiveness but simply because she makes the world a little brighter.

happy VA weekend


This past weekend, Chris and I headed up to Virginia to visit Court&Co. We realized it had been exactly one year since Oktoberfest, which was pretty much when we both admitted we liked each other. It felt like a happy little milestone trip to commemorate one year of I-like-you-more-than-friendship-but-not-yet-one-year-of-dating. Nahmean? 


The weekend was full of great festivities: apple picking, exploring some farmland, a family dinner and a double date, lots of good workouts and convos and a little wine here and there.





  
{A Della Selfie. A #Delfie, if you will}



It was lovely.

Thank you, Court and Ry, for an amazing fally weekend!

today is important.


I blogged a few weeks back about hurrying and the importance of waiting. But, in retrospect, I think I missed something. I still believe what I said - that we need to enjoy the present to the fullest. That there is beauty in the waiting. 

But something I missed is this: 

what if right now is it? 

Not in a negative way; but in the sense that sometimes I think we're so focused on (1) the next phase or (2) trying to be patient while we wait for the next phase, that we forget that right now is amazing.

If I am fully, painfully honest, I'll admit that sometimes, I find myself waiting for marriage. And for living closer to all of my family. And to build my own family. I am waiting, in a sense, to grow out of this singles phase of my 20s and begin the next chapter. 

My heart feels ready for it and I put a lot of energy into trying to enjoy now and wait patiently and quietly for what's next.

But am I looking at it wrong? Should I be less focused on being patient and more on fully exploring and loving right now? Should I be less worried about building for later and instead embrace the present for all it is?  Should I stop looking at it as "developing patience" and a "waiting phase" and instead look at it as life right now?

What if, right now, this was it? What if it was exactly as far as your romantic relationship, or lack thereof, living situation and job would advance? What if today was as far as those things would go? Would you live the same way?

I don't think I would. I think I would be more relaxed and less concerned about pressing forward. I would enjoy it more fully and wholly. 

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I understand there is a very fine line - a balance to figure out. It's important to be intentional and forward thinking. I get that and I very much believe in it. But I think sometimes we're so worried about what is next and next and next that we can't appreciate how much right now matters.

This phase of our 20s matters. 

Being single is important. Dating is important. Being married without kids is important. These phases develop and prepare us. 

The jobs we have right now are important - whether we like them or not, they are giving us personal capital for later in life. They are developing us. 

The things we are doing right now are not things we should do with our heads down, gritting our teeth and staying quiet. They shouldn't be phases we're just trying to get through so we can get to the finish line, the aisle, the delivery room, the promotion - whatever it is you're waiting for. No. Nothing is wasted.

This life we're living right now, today, will grow us and shape our futures in the best way possible, if we let it. 

Today is about learning to love where we are, valuing it for all its worth and letting it shape us into the adults we're becoming. Today is valuable and important. Today is beautiful. 

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