Share Your Voice: Releasing Fear & Receiving Truth

I know it’s typical and generic. I know it’s terribly cliche. But the end of the this year is making me reflect upon my actions. My actions of 2018. I had some incredible wins this past year, but I also had some setbacks. And sadly, I’m heart broken by them. I’m heart broken by my lack of actions. I’m heart broken that I gave into fear more times than I leaned into truth. I’m heart broken over all the times I held back.

I held back my words when I could have published blog posts that had the potential to help other moms. I held back videos on health and wellness that could have inspired others to take action towards bettering their health. I held back inviting loved ones to a doTERRA class when it really could have helped their kid’s tummy troubles or respiratory issues. I held back so many blessings, and for that, I am sorry.

Somewhere between changing diapers and school drop offs, I believed the lie that my voice didn’t matter. The lie that there are plenty of mommy blogs and health and wellness platforms, so I didn’t need to keep pursuing mine. I believed the lie that I wasn’t able or worthy to achieve the next level in my doTERRA business. I believed the lie that no one would care about what I had to say or write or create.

And then I thought… who cares? I need to do it anyway!

The truth is, all of those lies are a bunch of bull, and I recognize that, but—stay with me here—even if they were true… I still need to create. I still need to take the time to let my mind wander. I need to take the time to let my fingers roam on the keyboard and catch up with the words inside my head… because it’s been incredibly therapeutic for me.

This fear and the lies have been robbing me of living out my full potential. It’s robbing me of being the best version of a mother to my children, it’s robbing me of being an exceptional wife to my husband, it’s robbing me of being able to fully connect with friends who are dear to me, and it’s robbing me of the most intimate relationship with my Creator.

I want to feel free, loved, and joyful. I want you to feel free, loved, and joyful too! But there are days I feel trapped in this fear, unwanted, and discouraged. So, I’m taking the steps necessary to live freely. I’d love to take you on this journey with me. A journey of letting go of fear and receiving the freedom Christ has promised. I’ll share nuggets of truth I pick up along the way, and would love to connect more with you!

Who’s ready to share their voice this year? You story matters!

doTERRA BOGO: Serenity & Lavender

It’s Christmas in July! Not only is it Amazon Prime Day, but doTERRA has kicked off a week of BOGOs today. I’m gonna keep this super short and sweet, but I wanted to let you know the BOGOs that are happening today.

If you purchase a bottle of doTERRA’s Serenity (Restful Blend), you’ll get a bottle of doTERRA Lavender essential oil for free. Y’all… it doesn’t get much better than this! These are two essential oils that I use every day. Check out some of the benefits.

doTERRA Serenity (Restful Blend) can be used aromatically or topically

A good night’s sleep
Supports a healthy mood
Calm the cranky kids
Beautiful aroma for a natural perfume
Helps you chill out

doTERRA Lavender can be used aromatically, topically or internally

All things soothing
Soothes itchy or irritated skin
Soothes frazzled emotions
Soothes sore and tired muscles
Soothes head tension

So, how can you take advantage of these BOGOs going on this week? Go to my website mydoterra.com/amandagerber and just add the items to your cart. You can order 4 BOGOs per account per day. For the BEST price click “Join & Save” to get wholesale pricing for a year. No selling or monthly orders required for this.

PLUS with the purchase of any enrollment kit, you can get a FREE Wild Orange this month only. If your enrollment order is 200PV or more, you can get a FREE Wild Orange and FREE Copaiba! Come on, now. It doesn’t get much better than that! Well… it actually does because then you get my personal welcome gift, a free wellness consultation with yours truly, and I’ll support you every step of the way in your journey towards a healthy and happy life.

Who else is excited about this BOGO?! I’d love to know, what’s your favorite way to use Lavender essential oil?

Self Care Series: Sleep

I’m sure many of us have heard this before: You need to take better care of yourself. This may sound surprising considering my passion is health and wellness, but it was something that was coming up a lot for me lately. I was still providing my body with good foods, quality essential oils, and amazing supplements, but there were some key elements I was missing. I am just a few weeks into this, and I already feel a difference. So, I decided to share my personal experience with y’all, and start a self care series.

Today’s focus will be on sleep. Sleep has always been something I could easily sacrifice, but that doesn’t mean I should! When I was 12 years old I developed insomnia for over a year, so I was normally running on 2 or 3 hours a night. In high school and college pulling “all nighters” to study for exams or finish writing essays was the norm for me. Once motherhood came along, a lack of sleep had just become a part of life. I would throw phrases around, like Sleep when you’re dead… Sleep is for the weak… 10:00PM – 1:00AM are my office hours. I normally would stay up super late, and then just crash at midnight or 1:00AM. Y’all, my kids are up at 6:00AM, and 5 hours is NOT enough sleep for this 31 year old mama. I may have been able to function on that 10 years ago, but that is just not the case anymore.

Eventually, your body will show signs of wear and tear. (And please here me out on this, all you achievement driven people like myself: THIS IS NOT A WEAKNESS. Good grief, when did I start believing if I got 8 hours of sleep I wasn’t being productive enough? What a load of crap! Our bodies were designed to sleep for 8 hours a day.) If you are looking for a natural solution to help your body get a good night’s sleep, try using doTERRA’s Serenity (Restful Blend) products. You can find them at mydoterra.com/amandagerber.

Are you wondering what a lack of sleep actually does to your body? Well, let me tell ya:

Brain Fog & Memory Retention: When we sleep, we are giving our mind a rest. Just like our muscles need to rest overtime, so does our brain. If we aren’t giving our brain enough time to rest, then metal fatigue and brain fog sets in. You can also become forgetful, and your short term memory may suffer. For additional support, consider dropping 1 drop of doTERRA’s Frankincense under your tongue to promote a optimal brain health.
Weight Issues: If you’re someone who is trying to lose weight, then you definitely need a good night’s sleep. Studies have shown that an inadequate amount of sleep can prohibit your body from shedding pounds. For additional support, consider using doTERRA’s Slim & Sassy products to support a healthy blood sugar and metabolism.
Aging: Too little sleep can increase signs of aging. This can include fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots, and circles under your eyes. Many times, what is happening on our skin is the reflection of what’s happening internally as well. For additional support, use doTERRA’s Immortelle (Anti-Aging Blend) to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Emotional Suffering: If you’re not getting enough sleep for your body, then you will probably be quick tempered, moody, or suffer from mood swings. Now your lack of sleep is affecting everyone around you, especially your family. For additional support, try out some of doTERRA’s blends of oils that support your mood and emotions: Peace, Balance, Elevation, or Cheer.
Weakened Immune System: A lack of sleep can weaken your immune system, and make you more likely to catch various colds, or viruses that are in your area. For additional support, use doTERRA’s OnGuard (Protective Blend) and Melaleuca to support a healthy immune system.

I decided recently to make a change. I recognized how my lack of sleep was affecting not just me, but my family as well. So, I decided to get 8 hours of sleep a night. For the most part, I have been sticking with it. Have I noticed a drastic change? No, but nothing ever happens overnight. (See what I did there?) Plus, I was already feeling pretty good, so this is something I’m implementing for the long term benefits. Although, I have been noticing I am able to stay on task more without being distracted, so I am enjoying that!

Bonus from ME!

For those of you curious about the doTERRA essential oils I mentioned, here is what I am offering when you choose to start your doTERRA journey with me (and this month only doTERRA is throwing in $50 in FREE essential oils with any starter kit!):

•Welcome gift (personalized roller bottles, recipes, and other oily goodies)

•Private access to my team’s Facebook group (a wealth of oil knowledge)

•Free Wellness Consultation (a chance to really dive deep into your health goals)

•Continued Support (to answer your questions in real time from a real person— ME!)

Simply go to mydoterra.com/amandagerber and click “Join & Save” to get started.

Which one of these promos are you taking advantage of this month? Share below in the comments!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

I wanna know! How many hours of sleep do you get each night?

Friday Fun Facts #18

1. Well, it’s official. My blog is officially doTERRA Certified. What does this mean for you? It means I can be a little more direct when talking about essential oils, it means I can better serve and direct you when you have questions about essential oils, and it means (hopefully!) you’ll be seeing more blogs on essential oils and how my family uses them.

2. It’s hard, y’all. It’s hard to find time to write and express myself while raising 4 kids and running a business. This blog hasn’t been a priority for me, but I felt a sense of urgency that I need to keep this up… So, alas, I’m making another attempt. (I know, I’m beginning to sound like the boy who cried wolf).

3. On another note, my baby girl is almost 6 months old. How the heck did that happen? I just want to hold her, and squish her, and keep her little, but she’s already wanting to be on her own and rolling around and playing with toys. I’m so not ready for this.

4. Don’t even get me started on my oldest child. He keeps coming home with notes from girls, and a plastic ring, and a book… and a painted rock. He’s already committed to marrying the gal in his ripe old age of 5.

5. Since we’re talking about growing up and getting older, I should mention the fun fact that I turned 30 about a couple weeks ago. I am now as close to 40 years old as I am to 20 years old. I can’t even.

Friday Fun Facts #17

1. My husband and I have officially labeled Fridays as my work days, so hopefully you’ll start hearing more of me! I have from 8:30am-4:30pm to get all the work done that my heart desires at local coffee shops and restaurants. This is every work at home mom’s dream! Of course, our baby girl is still nursing so I come back about every 3 hours to nurse her. So, I guess the day isn’t completely kid-free, and realistically speaking this usually eats up about 2 hours of the day… But, it still gets me out of the house and around other adults, so who cares?

2. My son, Noah, got his first love note from school this week. Only it’s not a note. It’s an entire love BOOK filled with hearts and starts and words in kindergarten handwriting that says things like “You’re my best boy.” and “BFF.” I am so not ready for this. He wrote her a note back to give her today. And so it begins!

3. We got our first “cool” front in South Texas. Our high is in the 80s. This is a big deal, y’all. It’s been blazin’ hot here lately! Now it actually feels like fall. Speaking of fall….

4. Here’s a cute conversation I had with our 3 year old Tim.

Tim: “Mama, it’s down.”

Me: “What’s down, sweetie?”

Tim (looks around for help): “It’s down… When the leaves change colors.”

Me (lightbulb goes off): “Oh, you mean it’s fall!”

Tim (nodding proudly): “Oh yes, it’s fall.”

5. I’ve been consistently working out for a few weeks now, and I’ve adding a little bit of running jogging to the mix. Y’all… let me tell ya, jogging is not as much fun as it used to be. I used to jog for fun, it was my first choice for any sort of physical activity. Now, I just feel like I’m walking with a hop and dragging my body along with me. Ha! But, even if it’s not fun I’m putting my health first. We’ll see how this progresses. Any workout tips for this mom of 4?

Sweet & Sour Kids

You know those Sour Patch kids commercials? “First they’re sour, then they’re sweet.” That’s about what it’s like every day with kids.

My day usually starts around 3:00AM (sour) with a wake up call from my baby Sarah letting me know she’s ready to nurse. I usually groan, hit my cell so I can use it as a flashlight, then get my baby girl and make my way to the couch. As I nurse her, sometimes I’ll scroll through Facebook, sometimes I’ll close my eyes and doze off again, but other times I’ll choose to soak in the moment. I look down at my (sweet) baby girl and realize she will never be this little again, she will never need me as much as she does now again, and I kiss her cute little cheeks before putting her back in her Pack n Play while I crash back in my bed next to my sleeping husband.

Then my alarm goes off at 6:15AM telling me it’s time to start getting ready to take Noah to school. I snooze it a couple of times, knowing Nathan will be up and starting breakfast for everyone (thanks, babe). I finally drag myself out of bed in time to make Noah lunch and see how crazy his bedhead is to fix it. We walk to school, and he chats with me about his new friends and recess (these walks are so sweet). As soon as he walks inside the school doors I realize how freakin’ hot it is at 7:30 in the morning in October, and sweat like a pig on the walk back (sour).

The rest of my morning is filled with watching Tim and Isaac make a huge pile of pillows and blankets to jump on to (sweet) and being a referee when they both jump at the same time and knock heads (sour). Baby Sarah is quick to remind me every few hours to nurse her and will coo and laugh with me (sweet) until she poops (sour), and then laughs some more at me. The amount of diapers I go through a day with 2 littles still in diapers is ridiculous.

After lunch everyone takes a nap. I think most people will admit that kids look the sweetest when they’re sleeping. Some days I nap with Tim (sweet), other days I decide to tackle the dishes or work on the pile of laundry my kids create (sour). Then I wake them up to drive to get Noah (because I’m not walking 2 miles in 100 degree South Texas weather with all the kids). Now, that pick up line is something else: it seems no matter what time you make it in the line you end up waiting at least 20 minutes, and then occasionally our A/C goes out when the Suburban isn’t moving (oh so sour moments).

The rest of the day is a blur. I just try to keep the boys from hurting each other until Nathan comes home, feed and bathe them, and then put the boys to bed. This is usually when baby Sarah wants to tell me about her day so we chat and giggle at each other… These days aren’t glamorous, but they’re mine. These days are demanding and not always encouraging, but I know that even though I have some sour moments, I’m guaranteed some sweet moments too.

How about you? Share some of your sweet and sour moments below!

I Forgot

You just start to forget things after being sleep deprived for months. I’ve forgotten to pay bills, forgotten to set doctor’s appointments, I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be on time to an event… I also forgot my daughter’s birthweight.

So, earlier this week I went to my 6 week postpartum appointment (except it’s been 8 weeks. I forgot about this too). The nurse is asking me all the usual questions: Do you smoke? When was your last cycle? (Umm like 6 years ago because I keep having so many children). Then she asks What was your daughter’s birthweight? And I blanked. Numbers shot through my head: 7 pounds 3 ounces (nope, that was Noah), 9 pounds 14 ounces (no, that was Tim), maybe she was 7 pounds 3 ounces (no, Isaac was the other 7.3)… Y’all I seriously could not remember how much my daughter weighed. I tried to brush it off and not feel like the worst mother in the world.

Then as I was going to a room and waiting on the doctor I saw I missed a call and that a voicemail was left. Now, I’m normally terrible about checking voicemails and usually wait until I have about 17 voicemails and then knock them all out at once, but I figured I had some time to spare so I listened to it. Turns out I also forgot that it was Timothy’s first day of Mother’s Day Out. Crap, crap, and double crap.

From that point on until the end of the day I had this reoccurring thought… You’re a bad mom… This played in my head over and over, and as a result, my actions portrayed that for the rest of the day. I had less patience with my boys, I didn’t bother with carving out my usual 10 minute prayer time, and I was just plain grumpy. What I didn’t realize was that I had also forgotten a few very important things.

Remember that reoccurring thought of You’re a bad mom? I forgot that it was a lie. I’m not a bad mom. I’m not perfect, but I’m a good mom and that’s good enough. We as parents, as spouses, as friends don’t have to be a perfect parent, spouse, or friend; but we can just be a good one… I wish we (I wish I) would just remember this. No one is perfect, and we shouldn’t strive to be perfect. We all have room for growth, and it’s okay to want to work on that, but let’s not waste what little time we have focusing all our attention on our shortcomings that we miss the blessings right in front of us.

I also forgot to give myself grace for the moment. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep in months. Keeping 4 kids alive is challenging enough, and trying to remember dates and details is even more of a challenge. We all forget things from time to time, and it’s not the end of the world.

I also forgot that I don’t have to be perfect. “Being a good mom” isn’t defined by my forgetfulness. I’m a good mom because I love my kids. I love my kids and I’m trying my darn best to provide a good (but not perfect) home life for them. Soon they will all be in school and I don’t want to spend these short years I have with them at home beating myself up for things that don’t even matter; and neither should you.

So I challenge you fellow moms and dads and caregivers and grandparents: Forgive and forget your shortcomings, and make the most of your day with your littles by showing them just how much you do love them.

Mother’s Day Giveaway!

Today I am going to introduce to you my favorite essential oil blend from my trusted company: Grounding blend. Just thinking about it makes me relax in my chair. The Grounding Blend is a blend of spruce needle/leaf, ho wood, frankincense, blue tansy flower, and blue chamomile flower essential oils in a base of coconut oil. It’s got the nice woodsy, sweet smell to it that makes you want to breathe it in for days.

I use this oil every single day. I put it in my diffuser (along with a citrus oil) and it has helped my mid-afternoon ~~grumpiness~~ craziness I am prone to. Also, it’s already diluted with coconut oil so if one of my kidos is having a meltdown I can pour a drop in my hand and rub it right on their feet or chest. So between myself and my boys (remember 4 years old and under here) we go through about a bottle a minute! Just kidding… but you get the point; it’s that amazing!

From my own personal experience I can honestly say this has helped me recover after the birth of my children as well as keep my anxious feelings at bay. I can start to feel when I’m getting stressed, and mentally as well as physically I start to get tense; so I’ll grab my bottle and put some of the Grounding Blend on my feet, or even just smell the bottle and it calms me down.

This oil, in my opinion, is a must have for every mom. Remember, you can email me at info@amandagerber.com to get the oils in your home, but what I’m doing today is a Mother’s Day Giveaway. I want to give away a bottle of this amazing blend to a deserving mom. So, what do I need from you? Leave a comment below of a mom you would like to nominate to win this bottle and why they should win (go ahead and brag on them! Let them know they are loved!). This will be open today through Friday (May 8, 2015) ending at 11:59PM. I will announce the winner on Saturday.

Share below and she could be the lucky winner!

DISCLAIMER: This information is not regulated by the FDA and is not intended to cure or treat disease. It is for informational purposes only. I am just a mom, not a doctor, sharing my experience with essential oils and how they’ve helped my family.

Amanda Gerber

Real Life. Real Health. Real Business.

mom