New Website!!

I have been building my own website.

To say that I am proud of myself for completing this task, would be an understatement.

I will continue to blog on this new site, but also have  DIY section, Health section, Recipe section, and beauty section.

I am in love.

(Actually I am in love with the fact that I am finally finished with it and will have some free time!)

Check it out!...PLEASE!!!

dropsoflemon.com

This Is What Stupid Looks Like

Can I tell you about something? 

Reader: Always Sarah. Always.

I decided to be a test dummy. I guess that's what I am for all things oils. I don't want to tell you anything without trying it. So, when I have a chance or an idea, (albiet a stupid idea.) I like to test it out. 

Reader: I like where this is going Sarah..What did you do to yourself?

So, I had a zit. One of those deep under the skin "This hurts so bad." kind of zits. 

I hate zits. 

Have I told you that before?

Reader: No, but don't we all?! I mean they are the worst! The worst!

Anyways, I had a zit and decided that the most brilliant thing in the world would be to put some Oregano on it.

Oregano is anti bacterial, anti parasitic, and I believe anti fungal too. So, I thought, "Self! You are brilliant! You should put some Oregano on your zit! That will clear it up!! Oh Self! What would I do without you?!"

Yesterday, I put Oregano on my zit.

Oregano is a hot oil.

HOT

I did this every 4 hours...because I am an idiot.

Good news: My zit is almost gone. It really worked well and quickly. It went from a deep, "this is going to be days before it is gone, and it hurts like a biotch" kind of zit to a, "Where did that zit go? Oh yea. There it is, but I can barely see it." kind of a zit.

Bad news: Oregano is a hot oil. Oh. Did I say that already? I burned the area around my zit because I was not careful in putting the oil on. I now have a BIG round red dry circle on my face from where the zit was because I am an IDIOT.

I would have been better off keeping the crater on my face OR using one of the recommended oils for my zit.

The moral of the story: If you are going to use Oregano on your face. BE CAREFUL! Only apply directly on the zit or you will look like this....

DAH-VEED

I have loved using these oils. 

Did you know that?

Reader: No Captain Obvious. I had no idea. Oh wait. You created a blog to talk about them....

Well, I have loved these oils because they work on my family so let's drop the sarcasm Reader! Some days you are so grumpy! I never know how I am going to find you.

God has used them to make our family better. To keep us from getting sick. To heal us when we are sick, and to make us healthier.

But this week I got to do something amazing with them. This week I finally got to use them on one of our kids in the village.

His name is David (DAH-VEED), and we have known him since he was 6.

This was David the first year we met him.....I like to call those days, "the skinny days...." He is now14 years old, and I am no longer a blonde with beautiful young skin...in my skinny years..

He was really really sick this week. He had a fever that wouldn't go away, a very upset stomach, and his entire body was aching.

The medicine he needed was not available here, and they were going to have to take the bus to the city 3 hours away to get what they needed. They don't have any money and the last thing he needed was to be sitting on a bus for three hours.

I put together a mixture of Peppermint, Thieves, Copaiba, and Oregano. I gave it to him, and told him to rub it on his stomach and feet every two to three hours.

John gave him Tylenol...He tries.

Reader: Oh. That is cute. How is Tylenol going to make him better? Your husband is hot Sarah, but he is no doctor. You on the other hand are clearly a medical professional. Oh wait.. 

The next day, his fever was gone. He was not in pain and had no stomach issues.

Maybe the sickness had run its course. It is possible, but I believe these oils made him better.

Reader: Me too! Also, I am so sorry I was rude and sarcastic earlier in this conversation. Will you forgive me?

Always Reader. Always.

So, here is the dealio:

Thieves and Oregano are anti viral, anti bacterial, and anti parasitic.

Peppermint is used for digestive problems, pain, and fever.

Copaiba is used for aches, pain, and inflammation.

BOOM!

Reader: YES! You did it Sarah! Has this worked for anyone else?!

I am so glad you asked Reader. It has! My friend Gina was getting flue like symptoms and used these oils. She said she definitely thought they were working and were making her feel better when she felt like the flu was coming on.

Anyways, helping this precious sweet boy brought me joy, and I am so excited to start bringing my oils to the farm with me.

What better way to use oils than on sweet kids that have no access to medicine.

Just start calling me Mother Teresarah. (I thought it would be good to combine my name with mother Teresa's. Right?!)

Young Living Fail

I love almost every single product I have tested of Young Living's.

I LOVE them.

I am obsessed with Young Living.

Their products are great.

Reader: So true.

They are pure.

Reader: I know. Right?!

They are healthy.

Reader: One of my most favoritest parts!

They are safe.

Reader: The very safest!!

Did you know that I love them?

Reader: ME TOO!!!!

Well, I found one that I don't love.

Reader: WHAT?!?! Say it aint so Sarah! Say it aint so!

It is so Reader. It is so so sad.

John tried Mountain Mist. Sounds yummy. Smells yummy. 

I am an honest person, and will say when something does not work. I cannot tell a lie. Ok, I can tell lots of lies, but still, I try not to, and I will not lie about Young Living products.

(I also try not to have run-on sentences, but I fear it  happens all too often.)

I read a lot about DIY deodorants because I am a hippie now.

(Does anyone else picture a skinny person with long brown hair when they think of hippies?)

(I would totally become a hippie if it automatically made me skinny with long brown hair.)

(Alas, I think most hippies these days are overweight without any makeup on.)

(So, I am not a hippie. I still have remnants of makeup on from earlier today.)

I digress.

I read on another person's blog that she tried YL deodorant for her husband, and he loved it. He had said no to all kinds of homemade ones, but actually liked this one a lot.

This got me excited because I am always looking for more ways to make John fall even MORE in love with Young Living.

So, I ordered this deodorant, and had my in laws bring it all they way from Texas to Guatemala for me.

Guess what.

Reader: Wait. Sarah. I just have to say this. I think it is so awesome that you are a missionary in Guatemala. You inspire me, and I want to be like you. I have pictures of you all over my wall, and I think about ways that I can be more like you.

Thanks?

Anyways, he walked outside and started sweating right away.

This is not my husband looking super surprised that the Young Living Deodorants did not work. This is Chase Crawford. I went to high school with him. He is a doll. I felt I could use this picture since I know him and forgot to actually take a picture of my husband's armpits today. They looked very similar to this though. 

BUMMER!

It did not work on him.

This makes me so sad.

Maybe I just married a super sweaty man.

(Sexy, but sweaty.)

I am going to clean off the deodorant and try it on myself tomorrow, but until then, it is the first product that has not worked for us.

It might work for you though! Give it a try. Make me some money! Click on this link RIGHT HERE. DO IT!!

World Peace

Want to know how oils can work together for the good of the world?!

Here is a quick glimpse of four oils meshing together to bring world peace.

Reader: Oh Sarah! I knew they were wonderful! I didn't realize they could bring world peace, but I am so excited to hear that they can!

Ok, they aren't exactly bringing world peace, but when combined, they are bringing weight loss, allergy relief, cleaner houses, less wrinkles, less bugs, better stomachs, and fewer headaches when combined.

They also do a ton on their own too, but today we are focusing on togetherness.

In my opinion, this alone would help bring world peace.

Reader: That was a bit misleading...

I'm sorry, but my life has really been changed by these little oils.

We are slowly getting chemicals out of our house and replacing them with safe household cleaners made by oils.

We are no longer using as many prescribed or over the counter medicines.

We aren't really using Raid anymore (although sometimes it is necessary..Big roaches and spiders must be killed if seen. Although since I started using the repellent, they are rarely seen.)

I don't drink soda anymore because I love my water flavored with my oils. LOVE

I am using Lavender and Frankincense combined as a great skin care product at night, (Wrinkle Reducer!) and if I ever have a zit, I dab a drop of lemon on it, and it's gone.

So, let's all order some oils, make me some money, and create world peace.

Car Sick/Sea Sick/Morning Sick/Sick Sick

 When we drive to Guatemala City, we have to go through all kinds of winding mountain roads.

It is not for the faint of heart.

When we first knew that we would be moving here, my biggest fear was flying off the sides of one of these cliffs.

It was not being shot. It was not being kidnapped. It was not being robbed.

It was flying off the side of a mountain.

Reader: That seems odd Sarah. You have so many scarier things to worry about in Guatemala? Why a car flying off a mountain?

Well, when we first stayed here for a while with Julio and Lucki, (our ministry partners) we would drive to the city with Julio and he would say things, very nonchallantly like, “Oh look. A car must have flown off the side of the mountain. There is a group of people standing right there looking down at it. Want to go look?” Or “Hey look. A guy got hit by a car. I think he’s dead.”

This gave me anxiety I didn’t know even existed in me.

(If you will check out this post, you will see that for the most part, I am not an anxious person.)

Except for when driving through the mountains of Guatemala.

Two weeks ago when we drove in to the city, we passed an 18-wheeler on its side with a crushed truck underneath it.

The truck drivers here get drunk and drive. This ends with people flying off mountains, getting hit by cars, and being crushed by 18 wheelers.

We see it a lot.

Reader: That is so sad, and I realize this is going to sound so rude, but are you going to talk about oils in this post?

Reader you are kind of impatient. You need to chill a little. You interrupt a lot.

Anyways, we are currently driving to Guatemala City to celebrate my little nugget turning 3.

I am typing this post as we drive.

Reader: Well that is stupid. You must be getting car sick!

Rude, but yes, I am.

Well, I was.

You see, I pulled out my computer and started writing this because I had to tell you about what just happened!

I was planning my ESL class when I started getting super nauseous.  

(Sometimes I do missionary stuff like teach English to kids..sometimes.)

I thougt, “Hey self! You have oils right next to you! You have Ginger oil, and while I know you got it for cooking, you should use it for your nausea.”

I talk to myself often….

So, I high fived myself in my head, I pulled out my Ginger, put a drop under my tongue, and waited 1 minute.

Guess what.

I am not nauseous.

Even after writing this entire post, I feel great.

Ginger is a smell that I hate because I used it when I was pregnant with Jackson my first trimester. It makes me flash back, and I hate that!

However, it works.

It works quickly.

So, if you, your husband, or your kiddos get car sick, sea sick, or have morning sickness, try some Ginger. It’s really cheap and will last you for forever!

Also, while Ginger does work well, it does not protect us from idiots on the road so please pray for our safety.

Thanks.

I don't want to be nauseous anymore!

To sign in as a Retail Customer OR to get your Premium Starter Kit and get 24% off on all purchases in the coming year as a Wholesale Member, (Amazing, I know)

Click Here!

Happy Birthday Jack Attack

Dear Jackson,

You are three today. Where has time gone? I know every mother says that, but I really am shocked about how fast time has gone. I don’t want to say it makes me sad because I am so grateful that you have been given these three years. We are never promised tomorrow. For this, I thank the Lord.

May 10th, 2011

These years are just passing so quickly. I feel like it was only yesterday I was writing you letters about STD’s and sex before marriage while you were in my tummy. Yes, I was lecturing you before you were even born…

I think lots of parents wish they could go back to having a baby.  

I don’t.

Don’t get me wrong. You were a precious baby, but every single day you have grown, has been more fun for me and your dad.

First Birthday

You are delightful. You are hilarious. You are literally joy in my life. You love to make us laugh. You love to break dance on the floor. You already use funny voices and impersonate people. You are smart. You are kind. You love your doggies. You love to pick up doggy poop. You love to water your flowers. You love to toot on me. You love to look at your poop after you go to the bathroom. You love to sing. You have fabulous taste in music. You love to pray and thank God for everyone…over and over again.

You are a delight to my soul.

Your Daddy and I could not be more blessed to call you our son.

Second Birthday

We pray every day that you will grow up and love the Lord with all your heart.

That is the only thing we want for you.

Sure we want you to have a nice job and a wife who loves you, but more than anything in the entire world, we want you to have a personal relationship with Jesus.

We pray every day that He draws you to Him. That He woos you. That you seek Him. That you desire to know Him more every day. That you have a passion for Him.

You can work at McDonalds for the rest of your life. I don’t care what you do. You can move to the middle of nowhere to be a missionary. You can move to the middle of nowhere to be a fruit vendor (Random, but we just passed one on the highway.) You can be President. You can be a janitor. I don’t even care if you get married one day and make me grandbabies.

As long as you love Jesus and serve Him, I will be a happy momma.

So know this little stinker (literally. You have some stinky toots lately.): There is no pressure here. We know that life will be hard. We know that you will fail in life. You will make mistakes. We know that. We are not expecting you to be perfect. That is the beauty of salvation. It is for grace we have been saved and not by works. You will never be able to earn your way into heaven, so don't try. Lean on the Lord. Depend on Him. Seek Him. Find your rest in Him. Find your purpose in Him.

We will fail you. We will screw up. We will be hypocrites at times. We will lose our temper. We will yell, but we will always try to ask you for your forgiveness.

We will do our very best to model Christ’s love to you.

Just know that we are praying every day for you to be covered by the blood of Jesus and sanctified in Him.

Third Birthday

Thank you Jesus for the three years you have given Jackson to us. We could not have asked for a more perfect son who is not perfect. We pray for many more years with him. We pray for health. We pray for safety. Above all else, we pray that his name is already written in your Book Of Life. Thank you for blessing us with this gift. Help us to teach him. To tend to him. To love him. To be a daily example of your love for him.

We Don't Need No Water Let The Mother.......Burn!

Do y'all remember that song by Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three?

Seriously. Who comes up with a name like that for a group?

Maybe that's why they only had two hits..

"The Roof. The Roof. The Roof Is On Fire! We Don't Need No Water........."

Reader: Sarah. What in the world does this have to do with oils?

Nothing really.

Well, ok it kind of fits in to todays little chat.

I cannot cook.

I burn a lot.

My house often smells like burnt food.

This is not my kitchen, but it often looks like this. Without the fancy stuff of course.

That burnt smell is hard to get out of your house.

I have seen in the past that Purification oil (Comes in your Premium Starter Kit...HOLLA!) is great for getting rid of bad smells.

For example: Stinky teenagers, smelly dogs, paint fumes, BURNT FOOD etc.

So, yesterday I figured why not try it.

I put 7 drops of Purification oil in my diffuser and turned it on.

I walked out of the room for maybe 5 minutes.

I walked back in and the burnt smell was completely gone!

No joke!

I like my diffuser because it makes my house smell awesome, but I have never seen a horrible smell disappear so quickly before!...OK. I guess you can't "see" a smell, but you know what I mean.

It really works.

BLEW MY MIND!

Oooh. I just got giddy thinking about using the diffuser at Christmas with their Christmassy smelling oils...YUMM!

Get rid of those stinky smells! Get your Premium Starter Kit! It comes with a diffuser and Purification oil. No more smells for you! 

I Ain't Down Wit That!

Y'all, I don't like zits. 

They piss me off. 

I have enough problems in my life.

I don't need a zit to add to them.

It's like Jay-Z's lyrics but a bit different.."I've got 99 problems and zit is one"...of them.

I live in Guatemala for pete's sake. I shouldn't have to deal with zits too.

Reader: Sarah! You get zits too!? So do I! We are like kindred spirits here. I need to go sign up for my oil kit right now! But first, tell me what you do to get rid of them! I am waiting with bated breath!!!

All you need to do is put a dab of Purification oil on it.

One at night.

One the next morning.

By then it should be dramatically better. 

Some oils work differently on different people. 

If this does not work, try Lemon, Thieves or Frankincense.

Reader: Sarah, that is a lot of oils to try?! How am I supposed to afford all of these?!

Oh silly reader. Do not fret! They all come in your Premium Starter Kit!

Reader: Once again, you save the day! You are my hero. What would I do without you! You are the shiznit.

Thanks reader. You're pretty cool too! Let's be BFF's forever!

Reader: Sarah, you just said let's be best friends forever forever.

Shut up Reader. 

Cinco De Mayo! Cha Cha Cha!

Well, it is the 5th of May.

Sadly this is not a celebrated day in Guatemala.

Even if I wanted to celebrate, I am not sure that I would be able to find a Margarita at Burger King...

So I figured out how to make my own.

I learned about a great recipe.

And then...

I realized I don't have a blender.

Or

Any alcohol.

So, there is that.

But, this is a great recipe, and if I had a blender or alcohol, I would totally make it with OILS!

Lime Oil Margarita

1 cup of ice
1 1/2 ounces of tequila
1/2 ounce triple sec
5 drops lime oil (or more to taste)
3 ounces sour mix
Salt for top of glass

Pour it all in and blend.

After it is nice and blended...

Say, "OLE OLE! CHA CHA CHA!"

Drink and enjoy!

Also, about Lime oil. Did you know that there is a lime shortage right now?! Lime Margaritas are going way up in price because it is costing bars too much. They are doing half lime and half lemon in their margaritas. So, get some lime oil while it's super cheap! Then you don't have to panic about the lime shortage!!

Watch this video! So interesting!

I Don't Want To Take That Stuff!

That is what John said when I suggested he put some Oregano oil in a capsule and take it.

I had given him some peppermint oil in a capsule once, and he hated it.

He could feel it in his chest because it is a strong oil and almost has a chilling feeling when you take it.

(I didn't dilute it with any coconut oil, and let's admit it now, most men are babies.)

He had and upset stomach yesterday.

(Such is life in Guatemala.)

I told him to take some oils.

He said no.

I told him I was not going to feel sorry for him until he tried it.

He finally gave in, and had no issues.

5 minutes later, he felt great.

The stomach pain/queeziness he had all day was gone.

Oregano oil is filled with components that make it a powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and immune stimulating oil.It is one of the most powerful, potent essential oils. It is also one of the most researched, and has been found to be effective agains many different types of bacteria.

So, if you have kids...or a husband, get Oregano oil.


It's da bomb and right now it is one of Young Living's Specials this month! Holla! Read below!

Mad Men

Can I just say something?

I have never really cared all that much about women's rights.

Reader: Sarah! How dare you! How can you not care about women's rights?!

I think it's because I have never really felt unfairly treated.

I haven't ever cared that much about moving up in a business, so I have not had to deal with it.

Here is the deal.

Watching Mad Men makes me want to punch every single man in the face.

At least every single man in the show.

Were they really that bad in the 50's and 60's?

I keep thinking about My Grandma and how she was treated.

Was it really that ridiculous?

We are in season two right now.

I've been telling myself it will get better, but at the end of every single episode, I am PISSED!

It is so depressing and stupid.

Reader: Sarah, once again, you are not writing about oils. You need to write about oils. I need to hear more about life changing oils. SHARE YOUR WISDOM WITH ME SARAH!!

Well, I will say this: I need to be wearing either "Stress Away" or "Peace and Calming" while I am watching this show.

Maybe "Joy" because every episode ends on the most depressing note ever.

I think I am going to suggest that Young Living invent an oil called "Bitch Slap" and I am going to give it to all of the actors.

Reader: You really shouldn't cuss. You are a missionary. Missionaries don't cuss. 

This show makes me cuss.

I should stop watching it.

The end.

Mother's Day Gift!

Has your wife or mother always pretended to be happy when you give her flowers for Mother's Day?

She was lying.

No wife is content with just flowers.

Do you know how hard it is to take care of your kids?!

Do you know what a pain in the butt you were to raise?!

Flowers? Really?

We know you just stopped by the grocery store and picked them up.

If you ordered them, all we can think about is the money that you wasted.

Let's step it up this year.

Order the Premium Starter kit for you mom or wife this year. Oh! Or your Grandma!

Message me if you are interested!

To sign in as a Retail Customer OR to get your Premium Starter Kit and get 24% off on all purchases in the coming year as a Wholesale Member, (Amazing, I know)

Click Here!

Guilt Free Lemon Cake

I have been wanting to sub lemon oil for lemon juice and lemon zest for a while now, but was too lazy to look up a recipe.

Yea, in general, I am lazy when it comes to cooking.

I don't follow recipes.

I just don't like the step by step unless it is very simple.

I blame my ADD.

Well, we were at our friends house this week (again), and Gina asked me to make this cake.

She specifically asked me to "FOLLOW THE RECIPE."

I think she did this because I screwed up a SUPER easy dessert last week because I didn't measure the ingredients.

She then stood there and watched to make sure that I would follow the recipe.

So, I had to.

Except that I didn't because she is slowly starting to love oils too, and allowed me to try using lemon oil instead of lemon zest and lemon juice.

In general this is a bit of a healthier cake because it is made with plain yogurt. We used Oikos Greek yogurt. With lemon oil, I am calling it guilt free because lemon is a detox.

What goes in, will go out:).

Ok, so it is not really "guilt free."

It is however awesomely delicious.

Here is the recipe...I'm going to make it way easier to follow than the original recipe found on foodnetwork.com by Ina Garten. (Love her!)

This is not an actual picture of my cake, but this is what mine looked like. I just cut into it so fast, I couldn't take a picture.

RECIPE:

For the actual cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole plain yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 drops lemon oil-instead of 2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cups veggie oil

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons water 4 drops lemon (or more depending out how lemony you want it.)

DO THIS:
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl. Mix.

Combine yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon oil in another bowl. Mix.

Combine the two bowls (so easy right?). It says slowly mix together, but whatever.

Slowly fold oil into the batter. (This made me super nervous at first because it looked uber mushy. Just be patient and keep folding.)

Grease pan.

Line bottom of pan with wax paper.

Pour cake in.

Bake for 45-50 minutes

While this is cooking, combine powdered sugar and lemon mixture.

Once cake comes out of oven, let cool.

Take out of pan and put it on whatever you want.

Poor glaze over cake.

Don't wait to try it. Cut giant piece off of cake and shove it in your mouth.

Then put another slice on a plate and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Delight in the goodness that God allowed you to taste.

Remember me and my family and say a prayer of thanks along with a prayer that we don't get shot in Guatemala.

Send Thank You note.

Reader: Sarah, this does not sound guilt free at all. 

Details Reader! Details!