February Goals

January literally came and went so fast. In the middle of the month, I hit a pretty bad slump that really made me re-evaluate the direction my life is heading. I love finding the silver lining in poopy situation. It made me re-evaluate if I still wanted to be a Massage Therapist, wanted to sell oils, wanted to continue living in Iowa, stuff along those lines. Serious life decisions were made in a two week slump because I chose to use what was a not-so-good situation for me and turn it into something positive. While I still have a bit to figure out, the ball is rolling and some decisions have been made on what I want to do. Declaring goals, however how small they may be, is something that will help me move in the right direction.

p e r s o n a l :

- Do more yoga

- Meditate more

- Read at least one book to help me grow spiritually


e s s e n t i a l  o i l s  +  m a s s a g e :

- Sell at least one kit

- Hit 1,000+ OGV to help me grow to Senior Star

- Love on my people and help educate them

- Get everything ready for a Sip and Sniff next month

- Look into room rent to start my business

- Get a firm business plan in place


b l o g :

- Post at least twice a week

- Rename?

- Redo entire theme

- Hit 100 views per day

- Grow my Bloglovin' following


For me, it's really important to declare goals. I love have something to work towards and having it written or typed out gets me all the more inspired to go out and actually get those goals crushed.


What goals do you have for the month? Season? Year? Let me know! I seriously love hearing what people are working towards!


-Kristina

Why I Got Started With Essential Oils

While I was still in Massage Therapy school, I was introduced to the wonderful world of essential oils and fell in love. I loved the idea of the natural health and wellness option that they offered and the freedom they gave me to get a better grasp of my own health and wellness. I went into essential oils knowing that I wanted to share these wonderful things with others so they could experience the same thing I was.

 

In February 2016, I got started on my own essential oil journey. I did tons and tons of research on which company that I wanted to go with because I wanted to make sure that the quality was the best it could be. If I'm making an investment in something I want to love and use for a long time, I want to make sure it's the best. I very literally spent months teetering between Young Living and DoTerra and ended up choosing Young Living.

I went on both websites to research the oils themselves and really loved Young Living's Seed to Seal process, which means they grow, distill, and bottle the oil themselves without using toxic additives and outside resources. If you compare them to lesser quality oils from other companies or grocery stores, you can tell that there is a difference in quality. If a farm crop didn't do well or they are low on resources, they would rather have an 'out of stock' product than to put an inferior one out.

I was oils in many different ways. I use them to help me sleep. They've helped transform my skin, hair, and nails. They help provide that overall wellness boost that I just didn't have before. I feel like I have more energy and am much more supported emotionally. The phrase "There's an oil for that" definitely stands to be true for me.

This company doesn't only offer essential oils; they offer natural supplements, cleaning supplies, and something that is important to my massage therapy practice, massage oils. They are constantly working on new products and making sure they have the best products possible. In being on this oily journey, I've learned more about toxic household chemicals and toxic things that we put in and on our bodies than I ever thought I would. As cliche as it sounds, my life has literally been changed forever.


I love these oils. I love the natural health alternative they offer. I love the way it makes me think about what I'm using in my home and products I use in and on my body. That mental challenge of constantly having awareness is something I'm thoroughly enjoying.

If you want to get started with oils so you can fall in love too, click here to go to my information guide to get started and be sure to leave a comment or an email if you have any questions. Helping my team and answering oily questions is something that is really bringing me joy.

-Kristina

I hosted a class.

You read that correctly. I hosted an Instagram class on Essential Oil 101. 

Actually, currently hosting is more accurate. 

Currently hosting as in I just posted it all tonight.

This is something I've never done before and if I'm being completely honest, it's kind of intimidating to me because of how far out of my comfort zone it is. And if I'm being honest again, I kind of like it.

Doing this whole loving essential oils and trying out the business side thing in general has gotten me out of my comfort zone which is something I didn't expect to happen during my oily journey. I truly love these oils and am enjoying doing the business side and connecting with so many amazing and wonderful people, but I just didn't even begin to realize how much I'd have to put myself out there.

For this instagram class, I'm going over 'why Young Living' 'what are essential oils' 'how do I use essential oils' 'what oils are good to start out with' 'how awesome the 'Happy Oiler' community is.' For real though, the oily Facebook communities that I belong to were a serious game changer for the better.

Oh. The class is over on my oily, health and wellness account called Mindful Oiler if you'd like to check it out. There also may or may not be a cheeky giveaway going on till October 12th.

-Kristina

Owning a Dog in College: Why it was the Right Move for Me.

As many of you may or may not know. I have a dog and I can't imagine how my life would be if she wasn't here. When I first got her,  I got a lot of grief from just about everyone. "You're only in college." "Where will you find the time and responsibility to take care of her?" "Won't that take you away from regular college life?" are just some of the comments people would say to me when I first got Addie. I ignored every single one of them. And I'm so glad that I did.

Before I got Addie, I was in just about the darkest place that I've ever been in my life. I just moved 4 hours away from my family and the dogs that I already had. I wasn't making very many friends and I could see myself going into 'self-destruct' mode. I was freaking out, frantically searching the internet for any type of home therapies, work-out, or distractions... Anything. Then, I stumbled upon the benefits of a 'therapy dog.'

The more I read about how a dog can help people with anxiety and depression, the more I got into searching for a new dog. After a few weeks of searching, I found her. I found my then 3-month-old puppy in a town an hour away. I spoke to the breeder and picked her up a few days later.

The first few months of having her was tough because she wasn't used to being away from her litter mates and I wasn't used to taking care of something so dependent on me all by myself, but I digress. Even the first few months of struggling with her there was therapy to me and I started noticing a significant difference in my mindset after the first two weeks of her being there. A month after getting her, one of my friends committed suicide and I had no one. Except Addie. And she was phenomenal at knowing what I needed.

When I bought her, I knew it would be a challenge. I knew it could get expensive. I knew it would be worth it. For me and for her. I cared for her. She cared for me. I knew I was responsible enough to care for her. I knew I had enough money to care for both of us. It was a bit of a struggle juggling work and school with my new puppy, but I made it work because not only did I need it and deserve it, she did too.

After a year of having her, with the help of yoga as well, my depression and anxiety was significantly better. All of those people who gave me so much grief for getting her came up to me again. "She is such a great dog. You did a good job." "I've noticed such a difference since you've gotten her. You seem much happier." "That dog has done you a world of good." ...You know, I knew she would.

After almost three years of having Addie, the progression has continued. I love that dog as if she was my own flesh and blood. She's the first thing and the last thing I make sure is okay every single day. Taking care of her and letting her care for me has nurtured my mind and soul in a way that I can't even describe.

Even now, people will sometimes give me grief for getting my dog when I did. I know that getting any animal in college is not the right move for people. Getting a dog young is not for everyone and not every person or animal has quite the same success that Addie and I have had, but it can be done. I know getting her was the right move. I'm a much better person with her here. I'm a much happier and healthier person with her here.

Please don't give people grief if they decided to get pets in college. It may just be the best thing for them. I know it was for me.

What kind of pets do you guys have?

Sincerely,

       Kristina

c u r r e n t l y . . .

It's been so long since I've done one of these posts and I love to do them. Not only for others to read, but I find that they are wonderful for me to look back on to see what I was thinking or feeling a few months to a year ago. Has it been that long already?

Making : Lots of decisions. As my life progresses, i find I'm making more and more adult decisions and I'm not quite sure if I'm making all the right ones.

Drinking : More and more hot tea... mmm...

Reading : More and more blog posts! Leave yours below!

Wanting : A Kit Kat.... I'm a simple person.

Wishing : For a new pen. My favorite one just exploded.

Appreciating : My life. Way too many people take theirs for granted and lately, I've just been appreciating simply being alive.

Wasting: Money. I guess it's not really wasting. Paying for my CAT scans and my 'oscopies' is just starting to get very expensive.

Waiting : For answers. So many things need to be answered...

Liking : The new coffee mugs at Target. Seriously though. Have you seen them yet?! Go. Look. Now. Please.

Loving : My new car. Let me tell you. Going from a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am to a 2015 Kia Forte is a HUGE jump.

Marvelling : The leaves changing. Besides spring, this is my favorite time of year.

Needing : Honestly, some support. Something significant happened to me and there aren't a lot of people I can talk deeply about it to and it's been a struggle to deal with.

Smelling : The Tea Thyme melted wax scent from Wal*Mart. It is a wonderful scent to transition from summer into autumn.

Thinking : About how much I have to do before graduation in December. Woof..

Knowing: That I am one step closer each day to having the life I've been dreaming of.

Feeling : So many things. My mind is deceiving me at the moment. So confused!

Anything new going on with you? I'd love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

        Kristina

Graduation is near!

This is something that I am so incredibly excited for : GRADUATION. I have constantly been in school since my parents first enrolled me in Kindergarten, so that fact that graduation is creeping up is something I am overjoyed about.

December 18th of this year is when I finally graduate and become a Licensed Massage Therapist and can start working to become a Certified Pre-Natal and Labor Doula. Words cannot explain how excited I am to open my business and start doing even more good in this world.

These are things I have long since dreamed of dating back to when I was that little kid in Kindergarten. Helping and comforting people is what I love to do and I'm so happy that my dream is finally becoming a reality.

People. Stuff like this is possible. Hard work truly does pay off when you let it.

Sincerely,

            Kristina

Shower Routine and Tips... Seriously.

A while ago, I came across this post on Facebook about showering and honestly, it changed my shower game. Showering is actually something I've researched and shockingly enough, not a lot of people talk about it. Probably because it's showering. Out of my research, I found a decent amount of people asking Yahoo if there was a proper way of showering.

I did a lot of experimenting with this and am no sort of professional, but I don't think I'll be changing the way I am showering now and am glad that I've adopted these new techniques.

First off, use separate shampoo and conditioner. Especially if you are trying to grow out your hair. Conditioner clogs your pores and slows down hair growth. Focus your shampoo solely on your roots and not your ends because of breakage and focus your conditioner more on your ends. Who knew that they actually served separate purposes.

Do wash your face and your shower. The heat from the water opens up your pores more and makes the face wash more effective. BONUS: Use an exfoliating brush to help with the dead skin.

Showering for me in general takes 10-15 minutes and let me tell you, that time is wisely spent. I try to give everything enough time so I can have the benefits you are supposed to get from showering. The actual routine is:

• Put in shampoo
• Wash body with loofa
• Rinse out shampoo
• Put in conditioner
• Wash face
• Shave what needs to be shaved
• Rinse out face wash then conditioner

It took multiple showers for me to find a routine that I thought worked best. What shower tips do you have that works for you? Let me know!

              Kristina

The End Goal for My Career

This is something that I've been thinking about for a long time and is something that I've changed my mind about probably a million times. When I was little the answers went along the lines of doctor and veterinarian and back then, I really wasn't far off from what it is now.

I always knew that I wanted to go into health care of some kind whether it be people or animals. I have jumped from profession to profession, college to college before I actually figured out what I really wanted to do. My majors went from Nursing to Occupational Therapy to Undecided to finally landing on Massage Therapy. Funny thing is, that isn't my end goal. My dream profession would be... Wait for it...

Massage Therapy, Doula, and a Midwife.

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With Massage Therapy, the profession is build your own schedule. It's something that I love to do because I know it helps people. It's something that I can work with and can open doors to being a Doula and Midwife.

With being a Doula, I've known for years that this is something that I want to do. I love pregnancy. I love pregnant people. I love the birthing process. I know that this is something that I'm going to be in love with and enjoy doing for the rest of my life. I can't wait to dive in to get my certification.

With being a Midwife, this is the last thing I'll go to school for. I know for sure that I want to do the other two, but this one is sort of my pipe dream if I have the proper funds to do. Everything about pregnancy and birth from being a doula would apply here. I love everything to do with it.

I know that all of these things go hand in hand and I'm so happy they do. I love all aspects about all of these things. Health care and holistic professions is what I now know that I have to and want to do. Although I'm still in the beginning stages of my career path, I'm excited as to where I'm going to end up.

If you have any tips for me on any of these things, be sure to leave a comment below!


Kristina.

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

Hello everyone! April was way too busy for my own good. Lots of stresses come with moving, school, and work and finding free time and time to do homework is hard. I have to schedule both of those things for crying out loud. For any of you interested, here's what I've been up to and am currently doing for just about everything.

Making : Lots of DIY's. I moved home and my room doesn't feel like my room, so I'm always looking for more ways to spruce it up.

Drinking : A lot more of iced tea. Iced, unsweetened tea in the Spring and Summertime is my favorite.

Wanting : A bunny. Oh, how I would love to get a fluffy bunny.

Playing : With my puppy. She's the goofiest little thing.

Wishing : for a different cage set up for Quinn. The regular large-ish rodent cage just looks so tacky to me.

Enjoying : that I'll be done with college in December. Bring on graduation!

Waiting : for my month off of school. I'm in desperate need of a vacation.

Liking : being home. So much money has been saved just after this one month!

Loving : all of the blooming plants.

Marvelling : At how beautiful Iowa can be. Driving to and from home to Sioux Falls three days a week has really made me all the more appreciative of my home state.

Needing : An iced caramel macchiato. It's been way to long since I've had one and might be going through coffee withdrawals. 

Smelling : All of the wonderful flowers that are in bloom.

Thinking : About the weather. Spring weather is my favorite.

Knowing : That I need to get homework done. Come on, December.

Giggling : At customers. They've just been so nice and funny lately.

Feeling : Achy. I've been going to the doctor a lot lately, so we'll see what happens there

Pros and Cons of Being the Oldest Child

Being the oldest child has a lot of perks, but it also has a lot of downfalls. Having conversations with my friends who aren't the oldest don't seem to quite grasp what being the oldest child means. Here is my take on what being the oldest means.

Pros:

• You get ALL the new clothing! You have no one older than you to get hand-me-downs from.
• You get to embarrass them from memories of them being younger. You seriously remember most everything and they hate you for it.
• You get to help be the leader/teacher. Most older siblings tend to have more leadership skills and trust me, it's in the oldest's blood to be a bit more bossy.
• You have someone to blame things on. I got in trouble by myself for three years before my sister showed up. They always think the youngest at the time is always the angel so they deserve some of the blame too.
• You get to watch them grow. I love thinking back to when my brother and sister were cute little toddlers and when they used to be nice and super cute with all that adorable baby fat. My youngest sibling is now a freshman in high school and I still picture him as a two-year-old carrying around his Blue's Clue's notebook.
• They look up to you. It's a nice feeling to know that they will, do, or have looked up to you.

Cons:

• You automatically get blamed for everything. I don't know if this is true in every household, but every other oldest child I've asked will say the same thing. Parents go out and house isn't clean when they get back, they blame the oldest. You aren't just accountable for your actions while they're gone, but your siblings as well. Even if they are old enough to stay home by themselves. It's still your fault.
• You have to be more responsible. This one goes hand-in-hand with the "blamed for everything" one. The oldest is automatically presumed to be more responsible and because there's that pressure to be more responsible since your the oldest, it can get pretty stressful.
• They look up to you. This one has it's cons too. Knowing that someone is looking up to you is a lot of pressure. They are pretty much your shadow, so one mistake could cost them as well as yourself.

So there you have it. I love being the oldest, but at the same time, it's one of the most stressful positions you will ever be in. Are you the oldest? Youngest? Middle child? Let me know!

Much love, laughter, and happiness,

           Kristina

5 Happy Thoughts for Monday | Week Four

I've come to love making these posts. Listing things that makes me happy helps me to reflect on when times weren't so crazy and hectic and help me be a whole lot more thankful for what I have.

1. Space Heater.
With the colder months being right around the corner, I am thankful for this nifty item to make sure my hedgie is always warm and not on the brink of death from being too cold. Thank you, space heater. You will be saving my exotic animal from hibernation for yet another year.

2. Fall.
Fall is my runner-up favorite season, coming in close on spring. I love the deeper colors, feeling all snuggly, the lovely feeling of switching from iced coffee to warm coffee, and of course, playing in the crunchy leaves.

3. High School Friends.
Over the weekend, my best friend from technically middle school came into town. It was so wonderful to see her. With most of my friends not being home and being alone most of the time, I've come to re-appreciate my friends. Especially the ones that have been around for a long time.

4. Mini M&M's.
I've been obsessed with these things for months now. I bought a tube of them awhile ago and rekindled my love for them. I like to buy the large bags of them so they are always handy if I'm feeling slightly munchy for something sweet. I kept the tube and use that to serve up my serving size. Without that tube, I'd demolish half of the bag in one sitting.

5. My daddy.
Tomorrow, on September 23, this man will be aging another year. He's always been a fun-loving, rather involved parent and always has your best intentions in his mind and heart. It only seemed fitting to mention him this week. Happy birthday, Daddy. I love you.

Circa 1993. One of my favorite pictures ever.