Monday, May 25, 2015

Are you prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse?


I'm a Prepper, he's a Prepper, she's a Prepper, we're a Prepper wouldn't you like to be a Prepper too!! ... haha!! Remember those lyrics?(ok, I'm oldish) In these days of unrest and rioting and all around craziness, it has made me a bit more neurotic about being prepared.
As preppers we stock up on medical supplies, we count bandages, tape, gauze, and bottles of liquids on our checklists. as well as stockpiling food and water. Many of us store and grow herbs like mullein, hops, rosemary and oregano to supplement medical needs with tinctures and concoctions. We take our family’s health seriously in every situation and try to prepare for every possible scenario. It's all very important and each of these things play a part in preparing for a future where the availability and quality of healthcare, food and water is unknown.
Personally I have racks of canned goods and boxes of medical supplies in the basement. I grow herbs in my garden,  and many medical and survival books line our library shelves. I’ve also learned another level of preparation, another way we can care for our family’s health needs both now and during uncertain times ahead – "What is that " you say? Well, let me tell you!! ESSENTIAL OILS!!!!! I have discovered that essential oils are safe, compact, and relatively inexpensive as you only use one drop of oil at a time. They last forever, are easy to transport, they are very effective as well as versatile and these oils belong in every prepper’s arsenal and bug out bag!
So here’s the scoop….. I am hooked on essential oils...not just any brand though because purity is a biggie for me. I only use Young Living essential oils and can’t speak for any other brand as I am a Young living junky! =)  So here’s a little info on them before I tell you what I’ve used them for.
Essential oils are the life-blood of the plant. When organically grown and distilled properly without solvents or synthetic additives they contain concentrated amounts of amazing  properties and have the ability to soothe and aid where other methods of healthcare don’t. Stored properly with tightly closed caps in a cool dark place they will last forever and maintain their integrity and amazing health aiding  properties. Young Living Essential Oils are oils that are therapeutic grade, 100% pure and safe enough to take internally, use diluted on children as well as adults and your pets and recommended for every ailment in this article. They are never diluted or synthetic. The quality is guaranteed from “Seed to Seal”  by Young Living. The plant molecules in essential oils are quickly metabolized by the body, they find the receptor sites that need them and jump right in to soothe, detoxify, strengthen, and restore... Unlike the man-made synthetic properties readily available for all sorts of issues and ailments that we take everyday.  Within 21 minutes of applying essential oils the molecules have reached every cell in your body and determined if they are needed or not and have cleansed and done their jobs….. leaving your cells healthy and restored.

Ok now that you got the science of it all here’s the practical side of it! (my favorite part!!)
Well….  soon after learning about Young Living Essential Oils and purchasing the premium starter Kit I had a chance to put them to the test. I burned myself...unintentionally...with my curling iron and one drop of Lavender resulted in no discomfort or blister or scar. It also has provided quick relief when I cut myself pretty good when working in the kitchen. Thieves has been beneficial in soothing our throats as soon as the sickies arrive in our house. It seems like the germs stay away too, as we have not been laid up in bed feeling miserable and going thru boxes of tissues. It is even used in a toothpaste for “just gone to the dentist” feeling!  PanAway and Deep Relief ( lovely blended oils) have relieved overworked backs and legs from strenuous hiking or working in the yard. Peppermint  is tasty dropped into hot cocoa or rubbed on tummy after eating too much at Thanksgiving or rubbing on your forehead and temples to stop a throbbing ache..  Lemongrass is one of my favorites! It tastes great in hot tea and is known for getting rid of swelling. It smells like fruit loops when diffused! Lemongrass along with Purification and Peppermint keeps bugs from invading your home or pets. Oregano is super powerful in helping to get rid of deep seeded unhealthy germs and ickiness that you usually need a pill for.  The Thieves oil comes in a cleaner too that I use to clean my home. It has been shown in science fair projects that  yucky germs don’t stand a chance when in contact with it! It has cloves in it so it smells wonderful and isn’t harmful if used near pets or kids and it cleans like none other! There isn’t a day when we don’t use Young Living Essential Oils in our home.
To cover larger areas like your bad back or overworked legs, the essential oils can be added to aloe vera gel, olive oil or coconut oil for soothing relief. Although entirely safe for children and babies, the oils should be diluted 50/50 with coconut or olive oil until you see how your children respond. But you will love how happy and comfortable your kids will be living in a healthy home and spending time playing instead of feeling bad in bed.
Your pets will also benefit from using essential oils to repel ticks and fleas and prevent parasites from taking hold as well as treating cuts and scrapes  and to keep them calm during stressful situations like being alone or thunderstorms.
As you probably figured out in the way I described some of my favorites, you can simply inhale the aroma from the bottle, use in a ultrasonic diffuser; apply topically; and take internally either under the tongue or in capsules.  So versatile and every bottle assists you in the best way to use that specific oil. I use each and every method depending on what I’m using that wonderful drop of oil for!  And yes I said One Drop!  More is not necessarily better… One drop is all it takes to get into your system and go to work finding where you need soothing or relief or restoration. A miracle really!
Basically there are so many uses for these wonderful oils. There will come a time, my fellow preppers, that we won’t be able to get to the grocery or corner drug store. These little bottles of liquid gold will be used over and over again to help where you need them for health issues. Ok... I'll be honest here.... I know it will help in so many issues physically and emotionally that you would face in a time of living off the grid, intentional or not, but I can't promise that they will help in the event of a Zombie bite. Haven't tested that one out yet! ;)
Here is my oil shelf…. yes , I know… I have an issue... but you will be jealous when you find yourself in need of some!!

My advice to you is to use these amazing oils NOW and experience natural health and wellness while educating yourself to all of the issues they can be used for. Then as a wholesale member you can start stocking up for the future health needs of your family.     You’ll be glad you did… if you don’t , you might be kicking yourself when you most need it for the health of your family!
I hope Zombies don't descend upon us or terrorists or crazy natural disasters or civil war but I'd rather be prepared and not have to use all of the stockpiles than not be prepared and really make a stressful situation even more stressful and scary! But these OILS? I use them every day.... for something or other. You can too! I promise that you will love them and feel so much more in control of your family's health and well being! Pinkie swear!!
Disclaimer this blog post is not intended to treat or prescribe anything. I am not a doctor, I am a woman who has taken control of my family’s wellness and has made it my JOB to educate myself in natural and holistic methods of wellness. This information is meant to inform you but in no way be a way to diagnose, treat, or cure sickness as a medical professional. Use your own instinct and seek medical attention in an emergency as there is always a place for modern medicine for certain ailments and circumstances.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Sheepdog up



It is Police officer awareness week... normally I would post without reservation...but....this year to be totally honest I'm a little afraid... alot of us Leo Wives have changed our names on social media so our husbands can't be found thru us. We've tolerated hate speech without literally knocking someone's block off... we've waited anxiously for him to come home safe and sound with our hearts in our throats after a newscast tells of another officer down. BUT.. despite all of that we are so very proud of our sheepdogs. If you see an officer, a sheepdog... tell them thank you and that you appreciate them being that thin blue line that stands between order and chaos. Now, more than ever, they need to hear it! So to all sheepdogs and to my hunka hunka burning love especially. .. Thank you and I am so very proud of you!     This video is for you.......  I see you..... thank you.... Sheepdog Up!


Friday, May 1, 2015

I turn into a hot mess...



I have PTSD.... there I said it. Finally after 23 years of dealing with it I have said it out loud. My close friends have known in confidence but I'm ready to face it and rise above it.  If you don't know much about PTSD let me enlighten you. Basically, when triggered,  it takes a perfectly normal silly girl and turns her into a hot mess.  Anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and other physical/physiological reactions to an irrational fear. Not fun, Not fun at all.  

Here is my journey....... June 28 1992 at 4:57 a.m. my world came crashing down around me.... literally. Some 3 hours later it flattened me.   A HUGE earthquake...7.3....  hit at 4:57 a.m. in the town of Landers, CA. We were living out in the boondocks running a summer camp up in the mountains near Big Bear Lake. Luckily our campers and staff had yet to arrive but my family were all sleeping soundly in our beds... I had 2 little boys, an almost 5 year old & an 18 month old. Now, Landers wasn't that close to us but it shook us up pretty good and toppled things in the house. It was a little scary but I was fine.... started cleaning things up and watching the news.  At 8:05 a.m. another quake... 6.7... hit hard. We were all in the living room watching the news except for my littlest sonshine... he was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor playing.  As I ran back into the kitchen... as the rest went outside... I saw dishes falling out of the cupboards landing all around my little boy. I swooped him up and ran back thru a hallway to get outside, hardly able to because of the violent shaking. (Cal tech came up a few days later to place equipment on our camp because they deemed it the epicenter of the Big Bear Quake) The ground didn't stop trembling for 3 days.... I still have not stopped trembling.  

nbcnews.com
I grew up in Japan.. the land of earthquakes and had lived thru many good size ones. I had NEVER been affected by them....until I became a mommy and I couldn't promise that the ground wouldn't start shaking again or that dshes wouldn't fall out of the cupboards.  Oh but it gets better!  5 days later my oldest sonshine started Kindergarten.  The closest bus stop was 6 miles away on winding mountain roads... you know the ones with a cliff on one side and rocks/mountain-side on the other. Talk about a traumatized mommy sending her little one so far away while the ground was still trembling. I can tell you right now, I can still show you the places where I would pray wouldn't slide across the road and keep me from my little man. I lived out worst case scenarios in my head daily as I rove him to the bus stop.  I lost 30 pounds that summer....(I wish for the weight loss but NEVER to lose it from stress and PTSD) I honestly have not slept well since. If a big truck drives by, my heart skips a beat as the sound is similar to an approaching earthquake.   Any small quake triggers my flashbacks and causes my anxiety to reach epic levels. Hearing about large earthquakes like the recent one in Nepal not only break my heart for those affected and the lives that will never be the same but it makes my heart race. Images of devastation fill my dreams and the dreams ALWAYS involve not being able to find my boys. Not fun, Not fun at all.
                                                                 

nypost.com
Oh! It gets better!  PTSD is evil because it causes fear and anxiety to rise not only in obvious earthquake related things.  I have a stupid irrational fear of flying now too .. Seriously? I grew up flying back and forth from Japan for the first 16  years of my life I loved being on a plane.... even thought about being a stewardess.  Now, I'm a hot mess in an airplane ...oh I hide it well but inside...not pretty!  I have turned down vacation destinations because of the flight time... that is not ok!

                                                                 

Basically it has caused me to be fearful of so many things.   Certain situations my hunka hunka burnin love has been involved in as a Sheriff deputy, has compounded the issue and sirens have me racing to the radio just to hear his voice.  Watching the news from the recent riots in Baltimore has allowed the fear to creep in and niggle at my brain. I don't want to be this way and I have been really praying for deliverance from this PTSD hell.  


Well.... as you know, I am a crazy hippie oil lover so I have been looking for a natural way to help me deal with my issues of anxiety and sleep. I have found ones that help me sleep better... not crazy great but good enough for now as I continue my search for the best essential oil for me for sleep.  But here's where it gets good.  I have been applying Release (a Young Living oil to help with anxiety , sleep and PTSD) daily for a couple weeks now and normally when I hear about earthquakes or this whole crazy Baltimore thing my anxiety goes thru the roof and I need to medicate. Guess what?  All I had was compassionate feelings for the people of Nepal and anger and frustration for the riots! No debilitating fear... what?!  When I stopped to think about it, it actually brought me to tears. Maybe I am capable of dealing with things like all you normal folk.  I've been praying for a solution.... I never thought it would be in a little brown bottle with a purple label. An oil.... made from sandalwood and geranium and blue tansy and lavender and ylang ylang.....  the life blood from those plants that God created is helping me like I never imagined.  I often wonder why it took so long for me to discover them. But I believe with all that I am that God's timing is perfect. I don't regret any of my years of dealing with PTSD... I have learned alot about myself and I am now way more compassionate to people who are suffering from it. 

I may have PTSD...... but now I can control it and it doesn't control me!