Friday, November 21, 2014

Farm Fun: Distelrath Farms

I have never felt the desire to really immerse myself into a farm - we've visited places like Trader's Point Creamery, Waterman's, Kelsay's and the like, but the concept of a co-op like Distelrath Farm is very intriguing to me. Granted I haven't jumped in and joined officially quite yet - work schedules, and littles under the age of one make committing to anything a wee bit difficult. But I love this place and venture there as often as our schedule allows. (thank you to Sarah for putting up with us)

One of the activities we were invited to take part in this summer was a Sunflower Harvest. Something just sounds so blissfully fall and memory making about this. We ventured out, cut sunflower heads, gathered them up in the bed of a pick-up truck, hauled them to a wide open space, and laid them out on the grass once back at the farm and laid out a blanket for everyone, mom's, families, babies, toddlers, children, to all sit and hand remove as many seeds as you could or wanted to and conversed, enjoyed one another's company, and revelled in being outdoors.

At one point my youngest, fell asleep on the blanket, surrounded by seeds and the sounds of chickens and her big sister running around and playing with her friend. Moments that pull at the heart strings.

My kind of bliss. :)




Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Things to Do as a Family: Kelsay Farms

Living only a few miles from this agritourism location, I am a little ashamed to say that we just now visited this past fall. Here I like to think of myself as a hometown tourist -- tsk tsk.

Well we finally made it! Loved how everything at Kelsey Farms (except food and products) is included in the admission cost. No repetitive explanations about why no we are not going to do this or that because it costs extras.

Tours - included.
Fun zones - included.
Train rides - included.
Activities - included.
Plywood cow milking - included.

Families - relieved. :)





Dispelling the Fear: Becoming a Young Living Wholesale Member

When people hear the phrases ‘signing up for,’ ‘enrolling in,’ or ‘becoming a member of" in association with getting involved a company or purchasing a product - they get scared, mad, or just all around uneasy! I have never received so much hostility and skepticism before I started telling people about YL products - it has seriously surprised me. No one wants to be duped or pay more than the product is worth, or agree blindly to any type of commitment that you don’t know enough about, am I right??

Well, let me give it to you straight. Yes it is true, the way Young Living operates as a business is as a MLM - a network marketing organization...deep breaths everyone...to be completely honest -this is not bad! This simply means they strive on word of mouth - as much products do - friends sharing with friends about products that have changed their life.

With Young Living being a Wholesale Member simply means you get Wholesale Prices - nothing more....and that is it....unless you want it to mean something more but that is totally up to you.

Signing up as a Young Living Wholesale Member just means that you get to purchase your products at great wholesale prices, 24% off retail. A good way to think of it is as being similar to having a membership to Costco or Sam’s Club - except you don't pay annual fees to be in the "club". Your "fee" if, you will, is just ordering a Premium Starter Kit - so it straight out equals product you will receive in your hands....to remain a "wholesale member" you need to spend $50 a calendar year on additional product FOR YOURSELF...and the first year is taken care of by purchasing the Premium Starter Kit....after that you are just replacing oils with the ones you ran out of in the kit or ordering other oils that didn't come in your kit, etc.

Let me dispel some concerns commonly associated with any sort of MLM:
  • You DO NOT have to tell anyone about Young Living.
    (I am amazed by these oils and cannot keep them to myself - so I share with others!)
  • You DO NOT have to sell their products.
  • You DO NOT have to carry any sort of inventory.
  • You DO NOT have to make this a business.
  • You DO get a discount.

If you want to tell others about Young Living or even make it into a legitimate business, you can certainly do so. But simply enrolling as a "Wholesale Member" in no way commits you to doing that.

Ready to give Young Living a try? You won't be disappointed... Click here >> wholesale membership, or get ahold of me if you still have questions or concerns!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Getting Started with Essential Oils


I first fell in love with essential oils with my first whiff of lavender. Lavender was my gateway oil! :) I have planted my own lavender plants, coveted everything lavender scented, and gradually acquired my first bottle of lavender essential oil while newly pregnant with my first child through a friend and neighbor who was clearing out her own birth oil kit stash. I still have that first bottle of lavender oil - though it is nearly empty now!

My first two oil experiences were lavender and clary sage - which through some freak accident unknowingly fell into our toaster and melted the cap - that was one RELAXED morning! :) But slowly my collection grew as did my excitement for their uses in promoting a healthy family lifestyle - and now that my first bottles are dwindling I decided to finally give Young Living a try after hearing so many great things from several close friends and having had a chance to experience them at workshops.

And truth be told - they DO indeed live up the hype. I was skeptical - I mean why can't we all just use what we find in GNC or Earth Fare? Sure - I have tried them and they are ok. But after experiencing what a true Seed to Seal quality of oil like Young Living’s is actually like - you realize how much you were missing out. Definite difference in quality - and coming from a skeptic's mouth - means a lot. Opening that Young Living Lavender bottle was like woah! - so much stronger! And if you look into my two diffusers - there is a huge difference. My Young Living diffuser has only ever had young living oils - and is clean, not discolored and no residue or weird smells. My other diffuser had the off brand oils is discolored in the water basin where the oils touch it and occasionally gets a really "off" weird smell. :( I should do a picture to show the difference - maybe here soon!

Essential oils are such a great experience, makes your home smell like a heavenly spa without all the unwanted chemicals or waxes (and headaches that come along with them) that candles or commercial air fresheners have and oils have so many great health benefits beyond pampering the nose!

I am so happy now that I have the Young Living Premium Starter Kit. Having dabbled off and on with off-brand oils for over a year I was ready for more support and access to higher quality and the wonderful blends that Young Living offers (Panaway, Stess Away, and more). I can honestly say that we use essential oils everyday! Valor helps me focus and clears up some mommy-brain, Peace and Calming helps our little ones and myself settle down and get to sleep, Thieves supports our immune system and smells like Christmas!, Stress Away when things get a little too crazy, Lemon and Orange for cleaning, Lavender diffused at night in my mascara, Purification for air freshening, we are experiencing the benefits of overall wellness. (And an added bonus, my house smells amazing even with 2 dogs and 2 little ones running around and we have the peace of mind knowing that we are using natural products!)

These oils have benefited our family in so many ways and I  want to share our experience so that it might impact your own family’s wellness as well.

Have a lot of questions?? I definitely did when we ventured into the idea of trying essential oils. Hopefully I can answer as many as I can for you. (and feel free to get ahold of me if you have more questions!)

Why Young Living?
Young Living is deeply committed to the purity and quality of their oils, from “Seed to Seal”. Their oils go through a strenuous testing and distilling process in order for them to be most effective and safe. Oils you can purchase at stores, while they may be cheaper, have no regulations, meaning they can be adulterated with chemicals and water to make them go further. Young Living Essential Oils are the only oil I trust enough to share with you.

This along with the opportunities and incentives to share their fabulous products had me head over heels for Young Living.

How Do I Use Essential Oils?

* Inhale – deep breaths from the bottle, put a few drops in your hands and cover your mouth and nose or by diffusing (my favorite! we have two diffusers in the house)

* Topically – apply directly to the skin/problem area or dilute with a carrier oil such as coconut oil, almond oil or even vegetable oil - or apply to the vitaflex points on the feet (great for kiddos) or hands - I love applying oils to my wrists, or to the therapy points on the ear (all outlined in the 480+ page Quick Reference Guide for Using Essential Oils that you will receive in the mail after joining our team)

* Ingest – through drops placed in water or foods or by gelatin capsule

The uses are endless!

Why Choose the “Wholesale Option” When Signing Up?

You automatically receive a 24% discount when signing up, and you have the option of earning commissions when others join – but this part is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. (However, if you’re like me the benefits will compel you to share with your family and friends! - I have to refrain from constantly wanting to say "there's an oil for that!" - definitely becoming a crazy oil lady ;) )

You automatically get the wholesale discount without any commitments to sell.

If you are interested in remaining an active distributor, you need to order a minimum of 50PV (point value – usually equal to dollars) a year.

Regardless, there are NO Minimum Orders. NO Monthly Fees. NO Obligations. NO Selling Requirements. (So nice!)

What Kit Would You Recommend for Starting Out?

The absolute best bang for your buck is the Premium Starter Kit. This is your Black-Friday type steal! This kit contains everything you need to start and experience these oils for an amazing value. The kit includes the 10 Everyday Oils, Stress Away Oil Roll-On, 10 purse-size Essential Oil Samples in foil to share with others!, two Ningxia Red Samples, references for getting started, and the Diffuser (which alone around $100). A $274 value for $150!



Where Can I Go to For Support and Questions?

I’m so excited to let you in on this part. When you sign up under me, I can add you to several private Facebook Groups. It’s an instant community to learn from filled with resources, and others who are learning about the amazing benefits of oils right along side of you! (So much better than WebMD) And you are welcome to contact me anytime with questions or support.

How Can I Share Young Living with Others and Reap the Benefits?

When you sign up, you will receive a member # to give to family and friends who are interested in joining, which earns commissions for you to use to purchase oils or to help your earn some extra cash!

Okay, I’m In. How Do I Sign Up?

1. Click here to begin the enrollment process. (It is so easy!)

2. Member is already selected so that you can automatically receive the 24% off. (Leave it on Member. No one wants to pay retail, it’s a no-brainer)

3. Double check to make sure my member #2151519 is in the Sponsor ID and Enroller ID spots.

4. Choose to enroll in the Essential Rewards program, or click “No Thank You”, try the oils out first and come back to this later.

5. Be sure to include your email so I can invite you to the private Facebook group.

6. Choose the kit you want to get started and add anything else to you may want to order.

7. Constantly refresh browser for a package tracking update while waiting for your box to arrive -haha! I know I did! Haha!

Jump in - I promise you won't look back! I cannot wait to hear how you much you love Young Living Oils!


* These statements are based on my own experience and resources. Not everyone may experience the same results, everyone's body is different and reacts differently just like with traditional medicines, etc but I hope you and your family have great results! The statements above are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent disease and are not evaluated by the FDA. I do receive a commission on sales when you sign up, which is a little boost of motivation to share. However, the main reason I’m telling you about our family’s experience with essential oils is because of their positive impact on our family.