The Domestic Doozie

Greek Pita Pizza

2014-10-01T09:02:00.000-04:00

This recipe is perfect for a quick lunch and has endless possibilities!

Fresh, healthy and completely satisfying!

Ingredients:

Sprouted Wheat Pitas

Fresh Veggies

Hummus (I love a roasted garlic version)

Greek Seasoning

Olive Oil

Instructions:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Brush the pita with olive oil and sprinkle with the greek seasoning.

*Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it and remove from the oven when it's perfectly toasted.

*Top with hummus and veggies.

*Enjoy!

This is also a great way to make your own pita chips.

Just cut up the pita bread before baking it and ta-da! Homemade pita chips!

Kerr Lake Campout

2014-09-30T08:51:00.000-04:00

Hello, Tuesday! It's really a "monday" for me, we took an extra day off this past weekend, so I'm easing into the week and trying to hang onto the stillness and peace we found at Kerr Lake.

I think it's safe to say that this is our favorite place to camp with the kids so far. The water was gorgeous and safe to swim in, boasting campsites that overlook amazing views--absolute perfection!

The boys swam and explored to their heart's content. The fun available right at our campsite meant I was able to play with paints while Mr. Doozie snoozed in a hammock or tossed kids around in the water. I truly could have stayed for a week!

Between geocaching (they found their 44th cache!), exploring the visitor center, and home cooked meals at the ready, we were just about to declare the perfect camping getaway! But life is never perfect, in fact it can be very messy and reality hit when Jack took a bite out of the campground toilet seat....(insert the heebie-jeebies here)

Yep....I had taken him potty up at the bathhouse and as he went to flush the toilet he slipped. His bum hit the floor and his head ping-ponged off the side of the toilet and the stall wall. It happened so fast :( The next thing I know blood was spewing everywhere and my baby was screaming like he bit his tongue off! Why oh why must mouth wounds bleed so much? Thankfully another woman was in the bathroom and rushed to her car to get a first aid kit. I could have hugged her and wish I could thank again her for staying by this frantic momma, handing me gauze and telling Jack how brave he was. I told Jack, I think God sent us a camping angel :)

Once the drama and trauma settled he walked out with two fat lips, inside damage to his bottom lip tissue and two top teeth pushed backwards. Sigh. We head to the dentist at 2pm today and I'm pretty sure those sweet baby teeth are dead. A reality check that yep, we are still The Doozie Family haha!

Pudding cups and Motrin...pudding cups and Motrin

So, we are home, unpacked and rolling into the week. Shaking off the bad and hanging onto the good. Every member of the household is still claiming the weekend a success! Hey, I'll take it!

xxoo

~ko

Respiratory Virus of 2014...

2014-09-24T09:12:00.003-04:00

Lets talk about this nasty respiratory virus that is making its way around the country. As a momma who's boys use to pick up every virus in sight, my ears perked up when the stories started making headlines. A child struggling to get enough oxygen revs up the momma bear in me. But there are things we can do to be proactive and I'm all about being on the defense. The oils I'm sharing with y'all today are known for supporting a healthy immune system! Woot woot! I'm talking oily immune boosters ladies!

What we are doing from now through winter:

1. Thieves oil on the bottoms of feet at bedtime. Allowing this oil blend to work wonders on their immune systems while they rest. Which goes hand in hand with all the good stuff our body is already doing while we sleep!

2. A drop of Thieves oil under the tongue after big public outings like Awanas...hello germ city! (I had a kiddo in my Cubbies class spiting on his hands for the fun of it last week....sigh...)Do try this on yourself first, this oil is spicy, like a cinnamon altoid on steroids. I have my kids chase it with some water and a gummy vitamin. They are ages 4.5 and 7 and rock it like champs.

3. Diffusing R.C. at night. This is an amazing respiratory blend that not only helps with already occurring coughs and but also helps fend it off. Last winter Jack woke up in the middle of the night with a barky cough and it was this blend that saved us from the middle of the night E.R. trip for a dreaded steroid shot.

What I am keeping on hand:1. An oil blend called Raven. It is the sister blend to R.C. and they can be used together, alternating one on the chest and one on the back. Excellent for helping coughing fits and opening up airways. Raven contains Ravensara (Ravensara aromatica), lemon (Citrus limon), wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), peppermint (Mentha piperita) and Eucalyptus radiate.

2. Breath Again Roller. This blend is already diluted and comes in a roller bottle. Great for quick application and can be used to help with chest stuff.

3. Finally, Oregano! Y'all this is a jewel of an oil!!! If my kiddos get sick this is the oil I will be applying to the bottoms of their feet. I won't lie, it smells awful but it's worth the stink in the long run. Oil those tootsies up and pop on some socks! It can also be taken internally via capsule, but honestly I have not done my research on that yet, and we've had great success with foot application.

Because we homeschool I get a lot of comments about how my kids really aren't around a bunch of germs. Totally, FALSE! In fact, and not to bash the homeschool community, but I'm finding our co-ops we attend have more sick kiddos in the group than when Will was in regular school. There is no school nurse sending these tykes home so we get exposed to A LOT! I really believe our daily essential oil routine has set my boys up for a great Fall and Winter. If you are wavering with oils my thought is take the leap now, don't wait till we are in the thick of winter colds and flus, get your kiddos armored up now!

Alright, this momma bear is off her soap box!

xxoo,~ko

If you'd like to purchase a starter kit please follow these simple instructions:

* Go to: https://beta.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/start

*Please make sure you've checked Wholesale Member (and not retail customer---you will not get wholesale prices as a customer)

*Select "I was referred by a Young Living member, and I have his or her member number."

*Enter 1685363 in the sponsor ID and enroller ID areas

*Fill out your info

*Select your kit ($150 Premium Starter Kit is the best value. You get 10 oils plus a home diffuser in this kit)

*You can say no to the Essential Rewards--in fact, I recommend this until you've tried the oils and know if you like them or not.

*At this point you can add more to your order if you'd like

*All finished!

If you do sign up, I can invite you to a private group page that will be a huge resource to you and has helped me learn so much!

Have any question? Please feel free to ask me here or message me.

Open Hands, Full Heart

2014-09-22T10:46:00.001-04:00

This summer...where to begin! From the move to the start of school, our days have been full. And while we are still settling in, still making new friends and relying on google maps to get around, we have filled our days with fun and adventure!

More than any other location we find ourself living outside here and I love love love it! Salty air in our lungs and sunshine on our faces. The boys play hard and sleep even harder. The street we moved to if full of kids and I'm back in a community that I've missed so very much.

Life is really really sweet right now and I am crazy thankful for that!

The boys have started school and I have a feeling it's going to be a great year! I fine tuned our curriculum from last year and so far we are humming along. I'll do a big curriculum share down the road. Teaching active boys has kept me on my toes!

I was in need of some "mommy time" when Ainsley from the Wild and Free conference contacted me about a project. I had the opportunity to create 125 swag bags for the ladies attending. After unpacking boxes and being in move mode it was the perfect release and getting a chance to be a part of something bigger was awesome!

We also have been taking advantage of our final days of summer. Camping with the boys is by far my favorite family activity. Unplugged, in nature, campfires and s'mores....seriously my favorite place to be. We have a handful of trips planned before winter hits and are dreaming up a big Summer 15' trip to Acadia National Park!

One thing I had to share with y'all are the quiet time books we brought with us camping this past weekend. We usually spend all morning through lunchtime hiking and geocaching with the boys. Once we are back at camp it's quiet time. I paint or read, Mr. Doozie snoozes in a hammock and the boys can explore around the camp, paint with me or read books. These doodle books were a HUGE hit last weekend!

Usborne books has by far the best activity books I've seen. Just type "color" or "doodle" in their search bar and be prepared to be amazed! Here's the link: Usborne Books & More

I'll be sharing more books with y'all down the road. Especially some amazing ones for school!

Feels good to finally catch up here! Our goal for the house being finished is Thanksgiving so, yep I'm waiting to post pictures till then :) Hope your Monday is happy!

xxoo

~ko

Friday's Oils! Lavender and Lemon!

2014-09-19T10:41:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday! We are headed out on a little family adventure so this will be short and sweet. I've loved sharing our family's journey with y'all this week. From here on out I will be posting on my oil page once or twice a week. I'll share tips and things we've learned as well as opportunities to try new oils! Thank you to everyone who has commented, emailed, texted and messaged me! I hope I've been an encouragement to y'all, I know you have been to me!

The last two oils for this week are Lavender and Lemon. These oils brought the very first relief to our family's seasonal issues. They were the first oils we used with the boys and I'm still singing their praises.

Lavender is pretty much my back pocket oil. It has a million different uses and !hello! it smells amazing. Remember in My Big Fat Greek Wedding how the father swore by windex for all aliments? That's lavender for me, bets are that if you come over to my house and tell me something is bothering you, you'll be walking out my door with lavender on

Lemon oil is known for supporting your immune system which in turn helps you fight those pesky seasonal issues. It's also fantastic for you to take internally and can perk up a sluggish liver and even help with appetite suppression! One of the reason's I love YL is their commitment to pure oils, making me completely comfortable with ingesting ones that are meant for that purpose.

Lemon oil is Lavender's best friend in my opinion. They make a dynamite team when it comes to battling seasonal stuff! We diffuse it in the boys room when pollen count is super high. Your house will smell like heaven and for my boys, the itchy red eyes and runny noses disappear.

We also use Lavender as a sleep aid. A drop rubbed on the soles of the feet or base of neck and I can bank on the fact I won't see my kiddos till the morning (next week I'll share a few more sleep oils we use as well).

Lavender and Lemon are another two oils that come in the starter kit and are ones that our family truly love!

xxoo,~ko

If you'd like to purchase a starter kit please follow these simple instructions:

* Go to: https://beta.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/start

*Please make sure you've checked Wholesale Member (and not retail customer---you will not get wholesale prices as a customer)

*Select "I was referred by a Young Living member, and I have his or her member number."

*Enter 1685363 in the sponsor ID and enroller ID areas

*Fill out your info

*Select your kit ($150 Premium Starter Kit is the best value. You get 10 oils plus a home diffuser in this kit)

*You can say no to the Essential Rewards--in fact, I recommend this until you've tried the oils and know if you like them or not.

*At this point you can add more to your order if you'd like

*All finished!

If you do sign up, I can invite you to a private group page that will be a huge resource to you and has helped me learn so much!

Have any question? Please feel free to ask me here or message me.

Panaway, My Go To Oil!

2014-09-18T09:48:00.004-04:00

Fourth oil of the week? Panaway! Fourth family member? Me!

Argh! I'll just come right out with it, I was hooked on Ibuprofen. Between tension headaches and monthly knock-you-out cramps, I had Motrin bottles stashed in my purse, the car and all over the house. It was not good y'all. Not good at all. I knew my liver and kidneys were not happy campers. I knew I needed another option.

The thing about essential oils and a journey to health and healing is that it is so very very personal.

And in an effort to be completely honest here, I've got to get a little personal. Skip the next paragraph or so if you need

Ever since middle school my periods have been horrible. Cramping that would send me into the fetal position with a heating pad and as much Motrin as I was allowed to take. I remember rocking back and forth, trying to just focus on a spot on the wall and telling myself to hang on for 20 more minutes and the medicine would kick in. Sometimes the pain would be so intense I would get sick to my stomach. Every. single. month. was like this. During the years I've tried different things looking for an answer. Diet changes, birth control pills, even yam cream (google that one). I always ended up with a handful of Ibuprofen and a heating pad, useless to my family and accepting that those days were just a complete loss.

NOT ANYMORE!!!! Since I've started using the oil I'm sharing with you today I haven't needed a single does of Motrin when my my time of the month starts! This is HUGE for me, Bill was in total amazement, so much so he had me order an extra bottle just so I will never be without. I can be pain free during this time, totally functional and available to my family! Isn't God so so so good! I love that He created these plants for us to use.

So, lets talk a bit about Panaway. This power packed blend has wintergreen, clove and peppermint in it. Because those oils are considered "hot" oils, this blend needs to be diluted when applied. It's like a heating pad in a bottle and the relief it brings is almost instant!

I apply it to my abdomen. The warmth from the oil is as if I have a cordless heating pad on and I am free to get on with my day! Because my pain is so intense I apply the oil straight to my lower stomach undiluted and if it becomes too hot for me I'll rub a little coconut oil over it. It took some trial and error figuring out what worked best for me. The main thing is you have to figure out what works for YOU.

For tension headaches I dilute it and apply to my forehead, temples and sometimes back of neck. You will smell pretty minty but I'll take that over the awful amounts of Motrin I was taking. The boys actually love the scent, they always tell me "mommy you smell soooo yummy, can I have some gum too please?".

The third way I use this oil is for growing pains with Will and Jack. Applied diluted over their shins gives them amazing relief and lets us all get back to sleep! Why oh why do growing pains come in the middle of the night? Just plain rude if you ask me. But now we have a fast effective answer, I even keep a little tub of coconut oil with Panaway already in it in our upstairs bathroom! A quick go to in the middle of the night.

I do think I should say here that we still keep Motrin in our house and that I'm not advocating a "throw all your medicines away, never take antibiotics" mindset. I'm just saying wouldn't it be awesome to try the natural route first and if it's working for you then awesome! I totally believe God created these oils for us but I also very much believe that God gave man brilliant brains that have figured out some amazing medical advances. Balance is all I'm striving for here.

Okay, off the soap box

Panaway, is a pretty pricy oil. I'll be honest and warn you about that. However, it comes in your starter kit, which is a steal if you ask me and because it's such a powerful oil it will last a long time. I just opened a new bottle, which means my starter kit bottle lasted nearly 8 months. Impressive!

So there you have it! If you have any questions let me hear them!

xxoo
~ko

If you'd like to purchase a starter kit please follow these simple instructions:

* Go to: https://beta.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/start

*Please make sure you've checked Wholesale Member (and not retail customer---you will not get wholesale prices as a customer)

*Select "I was referred by a Young Living member, and I have his or her member number."

*Enter 1685363 in the sponsor ID and enroller ID areas

*Fill out your info

*Select your kit ($150 Premium Starter Kit is the best value. You get 10 oils plus a home diffuser in this kit)

*You can say no to the Essential Rewards--in fact, I recommend this until you've tried the oils and know if you like them or not.

*At this point you can add more to your order if you'd like

*All finished!

If you do sign up, I can invite you to a private group page that will be a huge resource to you and has helped me learn so much!

Have any question? Please feel free to ask me here or message me.

Our third favorite oil, Frankincense!

2014-09-17T09:11:00.002-04:00

Third oil of the week? Frankincense! Third family member? Bill! Or as y'all know him, Mr. Doozie!

God knew just what He was doing when he placed this man in my life. I am passionate by heart, jump into things with both feet, a figure it out as we go kinda gal. The husband I am blessed with is tempered, a thinker, a show me the facts and research kinda guy. He even majored in math at the Naval Academy! I do my 9's multiplication on my fingers! Get the picture? He balances me and for that I am so very thankful.

So, when I approached him about starting in with essential oils he was skeptical. As frustrating as that was to me, it was a good good thing. It made me research like crazy, because like any good wife I wanted to prove him wrong haha

When we received our starter kit our focus was mainly on the boys and how we could best help them. As we saw improvements with the kids, his willingness to try them for himself increased.

The first big win for me...I mean wonderful experience Bill had was dealing with his seasonal issues while doing yard work. Normally he wears a mask while working and still comes in eyes watering, sneezing like crazy which results in a benedryl and then a drugged up hubby on the couch. Not fun for anyone. He let me put several drops of oil on his mask before heading out, a combo I'll share later with y'all, and what do ya know!?! He came in from working outside completely normal! Not a single sneeze, or eyes watering, just a little smirk that his wife might be right about these oils.

It was his run in with frankincense that sealed the deal. Ever since I've known him he has dealt with dry, scaly patches on his face. Poor guy. It seems to be stress induced and he is incredibly embarrassed by it. Since we've been married his doc has had him on eucerin cream and a steroid cream to keep it at bay. This option has never fully worked so when I suggested we try frankincense he was open to it.

For a week I had him gently exfoliate the area and then apply Kiss My Face Aloe and Olive lotion with two to three drops of Frankincense mixed in. Y'all!!!!! It totally worked! Healthy fresh skin! We were amazed!!!! He was trying this during an incredibly stressful time at work and his face was perfectly normal!!

He still has flare ups here and there but they are far and few between and now he has an answer that works. With healing that comes in a couple of days versus a constant battle to keep it at bay. I've known him for eleven years and this is the best his face has ever looked!

Frankincense has lots of other benefits but its the skin care properties that we use it for the most. I love adding it to my moisturizer, it helps with aging and sun spots, even breakouts and there is a ton of research done on how it can help fight cancer! Research it people!!

So, the mister is on board with essential oils now, even set up a monthly budget for me! He's smart like that

xxoo
~ko
If you'd like to purchase a starter kit please follow these simple instructions:

* Go to: https://beta.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/start

*Please make sure you've checked Wholesale Member (and not retail customer---you will not get wholesale prices as a customer)

*Select "I was referred by a Young Living member, and I have his or her member number."
*Enter 1685363 in the sponsor ID and enroller ID areas

*Fill out your info

*Select your kit ($150 Premium Starter Kit is the best value. You get 10 oils plus a home diffuser in this kit)

*You can say no to the Essential Rewards--in fact, I recommend this until you've tried the oils and know if you like them or not.

*At this point you can add more to your order if you'd like

*All finished!

If you do sign up, I can invite you to a private group page that will be a huge resource to you and has helped me learn so much!
Have any question? Please feel free to ask me here or message me.

Also, I highly recommend this book. It's my go to resource when I am looking for a specific answer plus the first section explains all the science behind why essential oils work!

Purification..my second favorite oil!

2014-09-16T09:04:00.000-04:00

Second oil of the week? Purification! Second family member? Jack!

Let's talk about Jack a bit. He's my second born, my wild card with a joyful heart that kindness just bubbles over from. I seriously love being his momma. Just like his brother this kiddo is prone to "the cough" especially when it is seasonally related from a post nasal drip.

Like I said yesterday, Thieves oil works great when they are sick sick. But when I know we are dealing with seasonal stuff it's Purification that grab.

This powerful blend has Citronella, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Tea Tree, Lavadin, and Myrtle oil in it. The scent is bright fresh and lemony

Rosemary is known for its benefits to respiratory health and its anti inflammatory properties.

Tea Tree oil is antimicrobial!!! What in the world!?! I am constantly amazed at how God designed these plants. Y'all he wasn't just making a beautiful world for us to live in, He was creating with purpose because He truly cares for us!

Because I'm a big believer in researching these oils for yourself, I dare you today to search out these oils in this blend and read up! You'll be amazed at what you can find.

At this point in my research is when I discovered that there are really two main oil companies. You can find flaws with both, but in the end I chose Young Living because it was right for OUR family. I felt confident in their Seed to Seal promise. What you can buy at Whole Foods or your local health store is not what you can purchase from YL. Most oils in the stores are overly processed and include fillers making them weak, causing you to use more and still not see the same results. After everything we went through with Will I knew we wanted quality and a product I didn't have to worry would have extra "stuff".

So, let me tell you how we use Purification around here:

*Diffuse in the boys room when allergies are threatening.

*Diffuse in the house, especially the kitchen if I'm trying to clear out a cooking smell. This oil is excellent for purifying the air, not only does it knock out any lingering smells but thanks to the antibacterial and antiviral properties you are actually getting cleaner air!
*A little testimony; my SIL had fried up a TON of bacon one
morning. (my brother was on some sort of high protein kick,
haha) and the smell of bacon had permitted the entire
house. She added Purification to her diffuser and when he
arrived home there wasn't even a hint of fried bacon!

*Apply topically to bug bites. We live in a very buggy area and Jack especially is targeted by those pesky mosquitos. A drop on the bite and the swelling and itching are gone within a few minutes!

*Apply topically to repel mosquitos. When I'm on the ball and can actually remember this trick, it works wonders and smells so much better than that nasty Deet stuff.

So far, both oils I've shared with you come in the starter kit, plus you get a diffuser! I don't like ending my posts with a sales plug, but if you want the oils this is how you get them. Just please know that I'm sharing from my heart and wouldn't be on here if I was just trying to make a dollar It's an awkward balance of being open with y'all about what our family has experienced and telling you how to buy the product. Can it even be done gracefully? lol

xxoo
~koIf you'd like to purchase a starter kit please follow these simple instructions:

* Go to: https://beta.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/start

*Please make sure you've checked Wholesale Member (and not retail customer---you will not get wholesale prices as a customer)

*Select "I was referred by a Young Living member, and I have his or her member number."

*Enter 1685363 in the sponsor ID and enroller ID areas

*Fill out your info

*Select your kit ($150 Premium Starter Kit is the best value. You get 10 oils plus a home diffuser in this kit)

*You can say no to the Essential Rewards--in fact, I recommend this until you've tried the oils and know if you like them or not.

*At this point you can add more to your order if you'd like

*All finished!

If you do sign up, I can invite you to a private group page that will be a huge resource to you and has helped me learn so much!

Have any question? Please feel free to ask me here or message me.

Finally Confident!!

2014-09-15T10:48:00.001-04:00

Hello hello!
I've kept fairly quiet the past 8 months as our family has incorporated essential oils into our daily routine.

My reservation with going public was that so many already had and I wanted to make sure that when/if I did I could say without reservation, THESE OILS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

Starting today I will introduce one oil a day that our family has benefited from as well as share with you how a specific family member has benefited.

First oil of the week? Thieves! First family member? Will!

I'm sure all you moms can relate, it is awful to see your child suffer! We will do anything in our power to stand between suffering and our children. Our mister Will is a string bean of a 7 year old and being our firstborn, pretty much had a room waiting for him at the ER from the age of newborn to six. He caught every cold, every cough, every bug we came in contact with. Then the seasonal (all the seasons) allergies hit him and the wild ride of fighting off allergies plus bugs begun.

This is what a NORMAL MONTH looked like for us: a nasally sniffle on DAY ONE, me wondering if we have another cold or could it be allergies, the doctor would tell me to make sure he was never off his allergy meds. Zyrtec, Claritin...you name it he's been on it. DAY THREE, the cough....oh the cough....a wet rattle that would attack mostly at night, dark circles under his eyes from lack of rest, my stomach in knots because medicines are not working, we add to the allergy meds an over the counter cough and cold, trying to dry that cough up. DAY SIX, no one is sleeping, the coughing is making him throw up....we head to the ER. Hello breathing treatments for the next week and a prescription antibiotic. By WEEK THREE you would find medicine lined up on the counter, a list of when he was receiving what, air purifiers on high all over the house, and a momma who felt like she was FAILING her child. I would look at him and burst into tears, what in the world was all this medication doing to his kidneys, he's such a skinny thing and I felt like everything the doctors were telling me to do only kept us in a vicious cycle. By the end of the month we would enjoy a few healthy days and then it would seem we were right back into DAY ONE.

Sometimes at night I would hear him cough and my mind would race....are we starting the cycle again??? The fear is what drove me to research, the research is what drove me to find a natural option.

You see, in the middle of all of the drama of just trying to keep him healthy, everything we added into his system to "help" of course has a long list of side effects. Will developed a rash around his mouth and our pediatrician told us "that may be a side effect you have to deal with from the allergy medication".....ummmmm a permanent rash??? No thank you! There were other side effects behaviorally too. Not monumental but just like y'all know every detail of your child, I knew my normal Will was slipping from my grasp. And at the moment I wanted off this roller coaster.

We started by dropping the allergy meds and switching to an herbal remedy. Poof, the rash was gone within a week and has NEVER returned.

Then we looked further into essential oils and this is where I feel God gave me that "momma nudge". I just knew we were on to something.

I'll stop here and say, I am not a doctor, this choice we made with Will involved a lot of prayer. Please don't yank your kids off their inhalers because I'm saying this works. Read up, ask questions, start small, stay consistent. Consistency is key.

Will has not stepped foot in the doctor's office or ER since last February! LAST FEBRUARY!!!! I seriously have to hold back tears when I type that. I am armed with knowledge and faith that God made these plants for us, these oils were created by Him with a purpose and it is making a night and day difference for my family.

There are 2 oils we are never without in our home and the first I want to share with you today is THIEVES. This oil blend has clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary in it. It smells like Christmas and is one powerful oil that can help fight off germs and boost your immunity. In fact it gets it name from grave robbers who coated themselves with this oil during the black plague and it kept them from getting sick. Pretty impressive.

Now when I hear a sniffle or the start of a cough, I don't panic, I don't worry about how all the rounds of medicine will take it's toll on him. Not at all! Instead, I thank God for healing my kid and grab my Thieves ;)

We diffuse it, put it on the bottoms of his feet (did you know your feet have the most absorbent pores?) and if I'm really thinking he is starting to get sick a drop under his tongue twice a day (I would say 6yrs and up on this and do it to yourself first, its like a cinnamon altoid on steroids)

We can stop a cough, sniffles, sore throat in a matter of 2-3 days! No ER trips, no antibiotics, no prescriptions whatsoever! No pesky side effects and my boy is rested and peaceful!

Another more precautionary way I use Thieves is by applying it behind their ears (kinda near those glands your doc feels on your neck) before heading into a public place like sunday school or ummm Chuck E Cheese ;) It is a hot oil so it is recommended that you dilute it when applying. We don't, but I have to put it out there. My boys tell me it makes their neck feel warm, not the end of the world.

I was going to go into how each plant oil works in this blend but you can google that ;) This post is way longer than I anticipated. If you have any questions though, feel free to ask them here and I will do my best to answer them or at least send you to a source I recommend.

And if you are wanting to start this journey with me you can follow the steps below :)

xxoo
~ko

If you'd like to purchase a starter kit please follow these simple instructions:

* Go to: https://beta.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/start

*Please make sure you've checked Wholesale Member (and not retail customer---you will not get wholesale prices as a customer)

*Select "I was referred by a Young Living member, and I have his or her member number."

*Enter 1685363 in the sponsor ID and enroller ID areas

*Fill out your info

*Select your kit ($150 Premium Starter Kit is the best value. You get 10 oils plus a home diffuser in this kit)

*You can say no to the Essential Rewards--in fact, I recommend this until you've tried the oils and know if you like them or not.

*At this point you can add more to your order if you'd like

*All finished!

If you do sign up, I can invite you to a private group page that will be a huge resource to you and has helped me learn so much!

Have any question? Please feel free to ask me here or message me.

North Carolina Home Sweet Home

2014-08-07T09:01:00.000-04:00

Moving in....

It's physically and emotionally exhausting!

But we are here!

Tackling the walls of boxes before us and checking off some DIY updates to the house as we go!

I always love sharing with y'all how we make these duty station houses feel like home

and this go around may be the most epic yet!

We are loving the area and the community is more wonderful than I dreamed it would be!

I'll be in and out of here until the house is settled but I truly can't wait to share with y'all what has been taking place in our home and in my heart!

xxoo

~ko

PS. It's a Jack-In-The-Box! Best paper stomper this side of the Mississippi!

In Limbo

2014-07-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

The littles and I have been at my parent's for over a week now,

Mr. Doozie to NC to start work and all of our home goods to a storage facility.

So here we are,

in limbo....waiting for our house on base to be available.

I am blessed with sweet, kind, generous parents that have opened their home to us during this time. My crew has taken over their empty nest and they couldn't be more gracious about the invasion ;)

Yet, it's still a strange place to be;

in-between homes, back under the roof you were raised but with children of your own, routines off kilter, living out of suitcases, living in limbo.

So this is where I am, where I will be for the next few weeks. I'm trying to take advantage of the freedom of being houseless. Pool days, lazy mornings over coffee, a nursery set being sewed, I'm even reading fiction (gasp)! We are missing Mr. Doozie oh so much! But I'm hoping that when the boys look back on this summer they won't remember the displacement as much as they remember their summer vacation spent at Mimi and Papa's.

It's Move Week

2014-06-24T08:12:00.000-04:00

Move week for us is always exciting but it's also crazy exhausting.

I enjoy moving around the country, tackling the task of making a new house feel like home, unpacking boxes feels like Christmas to me...

But the one part I wish I could skip over is all the prep that comes before the packers show up.

Compiling a "do not pack" list,

making sure we set aside enough to get by before our household goods show up,

dissembling furniture and agonizing over the decision to let the movers pack heirlooms...

We live in a sate of limbo and I'll be honest it's not a pretty state to see me in.

Bless, Mr. Doozie's heart, he carries me well; writing check-off lists for rooms and dishing outs lots of "it's all good" or "hey, in the end who cares if they pack my running shoes with your ball gowns"

Ummm...maybe we could leave out that last one ;)

We each have our strong suits and while this part of moving is not one of mine, it is for him.

I'm thankful for this team I'm on.

My New Favorite Breakfast-Bulgur Wheat "Porridge"

2014-06-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

This y'all, is fantastic!

My new go to breakfast in the mornings with the bonus that my entire crew loves it!

You can serve it warm in the morning for breakfast

or cold in the evening as a hippie dippy dessert (think rice pudding).

This makes a big batch but then we eat it over the course of a few days.

Enjoy!

Bulgur Wheat "Porridge"

Ingredients:
1 cup quick cooking Bulgur Wheat (I like Bob's Red Mill brand)
2 cups cold water
1 (13.5oz) can full fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
1/2 tsp of each- cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
(you can also sub a nice full teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice if needed)
1/2 cup golden raisins (or any other dried fruit)
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Combine the bulgur and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 12-15 minutes till tender. Drain excess water and then add the coconut milk and spices and stir well. Serve in bowls and top with nuts and fruit! Easy peasy, delicious and healthy!

And while we are talking about it

let me just tell you how fantastically healthy bulgur wheat is for you!

It's a nutritional powerhouse, google it, you'll be amazed!

Family Pictures!!!

2014-06-17T07:52:00.001-04:00

We are starting a new tradition!

Nearing the end of each duty station we will schedule family pictures at whatever spot has become special to our family. A great way to document the boys growing up and all the amazing parts of the country we have lived in!

We were blessed to be able to work with Chad Diblasio from DiBlasio Photography. He captured exactly what I was hoping for and I'm so excited to share photos with y'all today!

The pictures were taken at our favorite local farm where we get much of our produce from as well as our Christmas tree each year (anyone remember the post about the Great Christmas Tree Fall of 2012??). The boys have learned so much about farm life out there and a bit of our hearts will be left there when we move.

Enjoy the photos!

Where We Are

2014-06-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

This road to adoption has been full of twists and turns

Doors open and then doors close

Our hearts have been stretched and molded

We've cried joyous tears and ones full of frustration

Yet one thing has remained,

a certainty that this is the path we are supposed to be on.

We are finally at a point where I can look back and see what in the world these past years have been for.

You see, as much as I would have said otherwise, my vision for our adoption was in a tiny, neat box.

Overseas, healthy infant, no strings attached.

When we were accepted into India's program

I was thrilled.

But then India closed their doors to international adoption

When they reopened it was only for special needs children and we were asked to consider a special needs adoption.

My box was starting crack open

but with much prayer we felt like God was leading and we needed to follow.

Our agency then asked us to wait and hold off on our home studies till we moved so that nothing would have to be repeated.

Wait.....oh how I'm learning to love that word.

During that waiting period God did a lot with our hearts.

Counting the time we prayed and discussed our adoption options through being accepted into a program till now we have been waiting for

five years....

It's easy to get frustrated, to want to cry my eyes out everyday because this isn't moving faster.

But when we were asked to hold off on our home studies,

things started moving in our hearts and all around us.

Through a series of events we found ourselves being presented at every opportunity

with the suggestion of being foster parents.

And I'm talking smack you in the face, completely undeniable, God might as well have sent a burning bush kind of signs and suggestions.

Oh, me oh my.....this was so far from my neat and tidy adoption box I had secretly been hiding in my heart.

So about 4 months ago Bill and I sat down and had a talk that broke our hearts wide open.

We've been so caught up in the wait, so focused on ourselves in this journey as being the ones who are waiting.

But the second we let the thoughts of fostering sink it, it was as if a light bulb went off.

This is exactly what we've been called to all along.

From the beginning we've had the name Selah in our hearts. Really ever since we talked about starting a family, Selah was there.

In Hebrew it means "to pause" and now I am seeing this name, this word as so much more.

That maybe all along this was His plan and He was just waiting for our hearts to come around to it.

That while we wait for our daughter, for our adoption, we can have the opportunity to be His hands and feet. The opportunity to love on little ones who are hurting, the opportunity for our home to be a refuge....a place to pause....Selah.

Oh God has been so patient with us. It took us FIVE years to get here to stop being so afraid of the mess and embrace what is truly right for us and our family.

We are not going into this naively; we are very aware of the chances for heartbreak. But I will tell you right now I've never felt lighter in this journey.

It took a bit of explaining to the boys of what fostering to adopt could look like. They too have been waiting for their sister to come home. But once we explained that maybe one, maybe two, maybe three or four little ones could come through our house before it's our "Selah" they were fully on board. I'm ever so thankful for their tender hearts and desire to help others, it was a proud mommy moment when it clicked for them.

So the new Waiting For Selah plan is that we will enter the Foster to Adopt program in North Carolina once we move.

We will have about 10 weeks of training to go through and then we will see....

At this point (but believe me it's not a box) we are open to fostering a little girl 0-3 years old with the possibility of being special needs. I'm shaking my head as I type that out because I'm pretty sure God is shaking his head at me ;)

We are so thankful for everyone who has counseled us, prayed for us, dropped of clothing and baby gear, for those who have let us cry and those who have lifted us up. This journey is so much bigger than we ever expected and we truly are beyond thankful for each and everyone of you!

xxoo

Home Is Wherever My Marine Is

2014-06-11T08:43:00.000-04:00

As cheesy as it sounds, it's the absolute truth!

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

This will be our 7th move since we've been married,

and I might add we've only been married for 8 years!

That's a lot of packing and unpacking people!

Thankfully as Mr. Doozie's career has settled into a rhythm so are our moves,

coming about every 3 years now.

The movers will be here in 14 days and the adventure begins again!

This time we are heading to Jacksonville, NC!

We chose to live on base this go around for a few reasons:

1. the community (the mister will be deploying)

2. the community (I've missed living amongst other military families)

3. the community!!! (no, but really, we have friends in the neighborhood and among the 2 dozen houses they are counting 23 children under the age of 7 come this summer! I'm so excited for my boys!)

Also the fact the the hubs can walk to work, the house is on the water and home maintenance is just a phone call away, made this an easy decision for us. We lived on base in CA and are looking forward to the experience again.

So do you want to see the house??? Thankfully I have someone on the inside ;)

The homes were built in the 1930's so while we are gaining almost 400sqft all the closets and bedrooms are a bit on the small side which will require a bit of creativity.

A girlfriend of mine who lives in the area is choosing not to say her family lives in an old home but a legacy home! Ha! I love it! And when you think about it she's right.

These homes held families through WWII, The Korean War (which Marines were heavily involved in), The Vietanam War, Dessert Storm, OIF and OEF.

Their wall's have witnessed more homecomings, tears shed, prayers whispered, laughter and heartache than I can imagine.

I'm actually honored to be able to call it our home for a few short years.

Also the fact that it overlooks the water and our dear, dear friends live a few houses over makes this move over the top for us.

I've already been dreaming up how we will make this house work for us, take a peek at the floor plan

Let's talk about a few of the rooms!

I love my man :) The second I asked if the largest room downstairs could be used as the School/Craft room not only did he immediately say yes, but also suggested a HUGE handmade table out of 100year old pier wood to be the center of the room :) Yes please!

The School/Craft Room is the perfect size to host Craft Nights, work on custom orders and contain school life in one designated spot!

The Dining Room was bounced into what Southerners call The Carolina Room.

With windows on three sides and views of the water I think it will be a beautiful place to eat our meals! And see that one wall on the floor plan picture? That's where the coffee bar from Fixer Upper will be! I told Mr. Doozie it really is a NEED thing ;)

The boys are taking a major downsize with their room. Thankfully, the bunk beds will fit. But we are looking into lego storage solutions and toy purging like crazy.

We are also giving up a guest room in lieu of a room ready for our girl

(pretty sure our guests will be okay with that)

I will be sharing on Friday all the news on the adoption home front

But I will say, the movers will be unpacking the crib!

Another thing about moving so often is that we get to try new color schemes!

This is the new paint pallet we are going with this time;

Sherwin-Williams Coastal Cool

I keep penciling in colors for rooms and then switching them around so we will see what colors land where but I'm loving this collection!

And finally, Mr. Doozie gave this door knocker to me for our anniversary last month. Did y'all know bronze is the traditional 8th year gift? I did not, but thankfully I'm married to a romantic guy who knows this kind of stuff or at least how to google it ;)

I love that it will be the first thing you see when you walk up to our home!

That's a wrap on the home front.

It will be fun to share the reality of it all coming together over the summer!

xxoo

Annnnnd we're back!

2014-06-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

Getting back into the rhythm of writing blog posts

is always so awkward for me.

Especially when it's been ages since I've gotten comfy in this space.

I seriously hear crickets as I'm typing this out.....

But here we go!

I have a million new things to share with y'all:

an upcoming move, the adoption, homeschooling, the new business venture that is panning out well for me... the blog may have come to a screeching halt but life certainly did not!

For now take a peek around! Some things are still getting organized, but I'm hoping the new tabs will be easy to use and leave you inspired! If nothing else at least they will help me catalog better!

Also how cute is the new layout!?!

Alissa from Oh Ollie Paperworks was kind enough to hear out my vision and create something I squeal about every time I come here! She is such an inspiration and a doll to work with! You can check out this very talented gal over at her Etsy shop.

She was also featured on my new favorite show, Fixer Upper where she lent her talents in the creation of some gorgeous chalk art in a space you just have to see.

Which by the way, Mr. Doozie now has on his "Honey Doozie This" list ;)

So happy to be back!

xxoo

Excuse the dust!

2014-04-02T21:01:00.000-04:00

While Domestic Doozie is not fully up and running again I wanted to pop in and say "Please excuse the dust!" In-between school, normal life and move preparations I'm working hard on sorting old posts and learning to write code; a few more weeks and things will feel tidy around here!

That being said a little fire has been lit under me! Look what my sister texted me today!

That would be an entire article about the nursery I sewed for my darling niece, Piper, in the Wacoan Magazine! Ohmygosh! A serious honor!

So if you are visiting for the first time~welcome! I took the time to at least get the nursery post and the flower monogram post up in the DIY Doozie gallery. Bear with me, I have few hundred posts to reorganize....eeeek! But I do hope you'll be back for more!

Spring is a-coming!!

2014-02-28T11:18:00.000-05:00

And so is a new blog look!

I needed some time to reset my priorities and focus in on my family.

My heart is so full and I have much to share. I'll be back in this space sooner than later.

Can't wait to share all the new changes!

xxoo

Let's Catch Up!

2013-12-02T10:05:00.000-05:00

This post is going to jump all over the place

so you'll have to forgive me.

Instead of a few posts to catch y'all up I thought I'd

truncate it into one hot mess!

First,

The Teacher Shoppe!

Whoa ladies! Y'all have kept it hopping, I can barely stay in stock!!

Thank you a million times over!

Today I put up some new listings,

enter the code below for a happy little discount!

If an item sold out already, have no fear! I'm waiting on a shipment of supplies.

They should be here any day now!

School has kept me so busy with the boys.

We are having a ball this year, but wowza it makes for a full day.

I'm amazed that there are mommas out there that run small businesses and homeschool multiple kiddos…..

Coffee and Prayer are the only things keeping me going ;)

We attempted family pictures for our Christmas card a few weeks back.

Dora hated the hat.

The boys created "bat wings" in more pictures than I can count.

Dora really hated her hat…...

And the boys barely recovered from an accidental kiss!

Thankfully we got one perfect shot, which you will see later in the month.

This one was cute, not the shot for the card, but cute enough.

We were going for a very holly jolly look this year.

Starting today and going through Tuesday I am part of an Instagram auction

to help the Barge family pay down their cancer bills.

Follow @_hanmade_ on Instagram to bid!

And to wrap things up, a little update on the adoption!

This was the announcement we sent out a few weeks ago:

Through much prayer and patience, God has continued to guide our path to bring our daughter into our home. Currently that path has brought us to work with a newly founded adoption foundation in our local area. One of our dear friends Shannon from our church plant has a heart for children in need of a permanent home and began an organization to pair children with a forever home. Across the United States there are about 400,000 children in the foster care system and of those over 100,000 are waiting for adoption. These 100,000 children have had their parental rights severed for a number of reasons but that action is permanent. They need a permanent home. We feel like God has brought us to this point/place/time with intent and so have begun the process of working with Shannon and her group to bring Selah home through the Dept of Health and Human Services. India is still a very large part of our heart but it would seem that at this moment God has placed this organization and these children in our life for a reason.

Eventually I will sit down and write out the entire story of how this turn of events came to be. It was undeniable that this was the path we are suppose to be on right now.

I hope y'all are enjoying this season.

I know it can be so full, so busy, and well….so stressful.

This year I'm saying "no" to all of that. We trimmed down decorations, declined extra social events,

and instead are pulling our kiddos close and remembering the sweetness of this season.

Love you guys!

Thank you for reading, for being a part of my family's life!

xxoo

The Teacher Shoppe

2013-11-08T06:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday!

I have a fun announcement to share with y'all today!

It was a big decision to leave etsy, but I'm thrilled to announce my new shop!

With this new storefront I can firmly say that 100% of your purchase goes towards the adoption!

On etsy there were too many fees that were pulling from any profit I made so this switch is

very exciting for us.

All the items in the shop are perfect for teacher gifts,

but honestly would be perfect for many people on your holiday list!

You can click on the "shop" tab at the top of the page

or click HERE!

I only have a few of each item and they are selling out fast!

Good news is my mom is coming down this weekend to help me restock!

So shop away ;)

Salsa!

2013-11-06T08:27:00.000-05:00

Tomatos! Onions! Peppers!

So yum....

Especially when there are chips involved!

Our little family can put away a jar of salsa a week!

This can add up fast, so I like to make it from scratch whenever I can.

Thankfully our CSA boxes have been filled with peppers and tomatoes as of late.

Which means I've been in the kitchen chopping up a storm.

I dont have a set recipe since I try and use only what I have on hand.

But for the most part if you stick to the basics you can't go wrong.

Tomatoes, peppers, onion, salt, pepper, lemon, cilantro and cumin.

Then taste test as you go (that's the best part of the job).

I use my blender on pulse mode.

In the past we preferred chunky style salsa, more like a Pico de Gallo.

Now that the kids are eating it they prefer it a little more combined.

If you are in need of a set recipe,

I'll have to send you over to The Pioneer Woman.

Her salsa's are amazing and a perfect place to start before going freestyle ;)

Restaurant Style Salsa from The Pioneer Woman

Pico de Gallo from The Pioneer Woman

Fall Pumpkin Carving Class

2013-11-05T08:36:00.000-05:00

I have so much to catch up on with y'all!

Lots of changes are going on around here

and it is keeping me busy!

But my goal through the holidays is to be more consistent on here.

So, with that I want to share some pictures from

a recent pumpkin carving class that Mr. Doozie and I went to.

My house is being overtaken by pumpkins this season and I love it!

Adding these to your Thanksgiving tablescape will be a showstopper for sure!

The pumpkins are carved with a linoleum cutter!

I was amazed at how easy it was to use them.

You can find them HERE

A little tip if you choose to buy one.

All your line carving is done with the #2 blade

and circle cutouts with the #5 blade.

Mr. Doozie was one of the few men in attendance.

He sure does love me ;)

We worked on little practice pumpkins which I would recommend you do before

tackling the one you plan to display.

There wasn't a huge learning curve but the practice made us more confident.

We are steadily working away at home on some larger pumpkin projects for Thanksgiving.

Stay tuned for pictures.

Also, if there is a lot of interest I would be happy to post a full tutorial.

Fall Tablescape

2013-10-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

Taking a spin around Blogger and Pinterest has assured me

that I am very late to the game when it comes to sharing Fall decor.

Nevertheless, I thought I'd share how our little dinning room table is set up for the season.

My mom was a huge help when it came to what is actually on the three tiered tray;

we scoured Pinterest for ideas and we found a formula for the ones we were attracted to.

Top tier ~ light and airy items

Middle tier ~ the heaviest items of the grouping

Bottom tier ~ smaller unusual items

I think sticking with that formula is exactly what I need to do

if I want to incorporate serving trays into my decorating.

Hopefully it helps you too!

The rest of the items in the pictures will have links

to where they were purchased or tutorials I used

at the end of this post!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Pallet Post, including stain used and how we hung it can be found HERE.

My tutorial for the Easy Photo Art that is on the pallet can be found HERE.

The Painted Chevron Table Runner tutorial is HERE.

The owl and fox candlesticks were from Target last season and are no longer available.

The Wooden Tiered Tray is from Williams Sonoma and can be found HERE.

The Salt and Pepper Shakers are also from Target and can be purchased HERE.

Apple Picking and A Little Reminiscing

2013-10-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Apple picking always ranks high on our Fall Bucket List,

but this year was extra special for us.

For the first time since I graduated from Liberty University,

Mr. Doozie and I were able to take our boys back to the area.

This apple orchard was the one that I used to visit every Fall with my friends during our college years.

We would load crates full of apples, head back to our dorm, and bake every type of apple concoction you can think of all while watching You've Got Mail.

Wild times, I know ;)

Walking this orchard with a husband and kids was so surreal,

I remembered after Mr. Doozie and I were engaged that one day I wanted to bring

him back here. I just didn't know it would be almost 8 years and two kids later!

And yes, I am going to plug this recipe yet again for y'all.

It's currently baking away in my oven with the apples we picked from the orchard!

HERE is the link.