Nicky Goes Natural

Passion, Purpose, & Period Poverty.

I came across a quote this week that said “Follow your passion; it will lead you to your purpose.” I thought this was brilliant, as just the night before I had gotten so passionate about something, I could not stop talking about it. My mind was going a million miles an hour and I kept realising there was more and more that could be done, and I realised that it was something I felt was my purpose.

I don’t know about you, but there are times I just know that I was put on this Earth for a purpose. I know that I’m supposed to achieve something, and I get frustrated when I think that I am just letting the universe down by doing nothing. I’m not talking about great or famous measures. I certainly would not have done well marrying Price William & raising a future great monarch. Nor am I destined to be a noble politician (are there any left in the world?), or scientist who makes a world changing breakthrough. But, you don’t need to be any of those things to make a difference, or to change the world. All of us have the potential to make a positive impact, and leave the world better than when we found it.

So, what got me so excited, and how did I realise (or remember) my purpose?

One of my friends is going to Zimbabwe in the summer. Her teenage daughter has decided that instead of just going on holiday, she would like to help others at the same time. She would like to take sanitary products out there to help other girls out there who can’t afford it. Period poverty is a thing that is getting more attention, but as with most things, awareness is only the beginning. Growing up and having your body do weird stuff is bad enough. I have personally never been a fan of periods, and it’s never been on my “must discuss” list. But, I live in a place where I can choose how to “deal with it” from a very wide range of different options. Tampons and pads are readily available in almost every store. Whether you are a teenager awkwardly “smuggling” them through the self scan hoping no one sees, or a multi-tasking Mum who chucks a pack in the trolley in one hand while collecting the peels from the free fruit for kids in the other hand, it’s easy & inexpensive. I admit there are times I’ve stood calculating the cost between a known brand and store brand panty liner trying to save pennies, but I’ve never had to go without. Not only that, but there is a wide range of re-usable products out there, if you are able to make the upfront investment. (Totally worth it, by the way!!). I can use my pads over and over again because I have a way to get them hygienically clean. It’s a few extra steps, but I have clean water to use, I have essential oils to put in the soaking water, and I have a washing machine and sewerage system that can remove the water so it does not contaminate the water I bath in, cook with or drink. As much as it’s a pain, I have nothing to complain about. It’s actually easy. �

Meet Kendra – a beautiful lady, inside & out

Kendra has seen a need, and is using her own initiative to fill it. I love that. In all the “what would you do if you won the lottery” conversations, it would always include some sort of project to help poorer communities. Not donating to a charity (I may have ranted about them before), but actually going out there, seeing what is actually needed, and helping out in a meaningful way. I’m also big on solving route causes, and not just patching things up. I was looking in to set up a funding link so that people who wanted to help the cause could donate, and more sanitary products could be bought out there. It turns out all of them charge a fee for withdrawing the money –AND a transaction fee per donation! Crazy talk. They do offer free services, but they are only when the money goes direct to a big well known charity, not when you want to see with your own eyes where the money is going.

Going down this rabbit hole reminded me of the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation. It’s a non-profit organisation that is financed by doTERRA. It’s all about allowing people to give back, serve, and make a difference. They have two ways you can do it. The first I think is a new initiative, I did not know about it until I went on to their site last night. You can set up a fundraiser for an event or occasion (like you see people do on facebook), and it works like the other crowd sourcing links do. However, not only do they cover the fees, at this point they are matching donations. They aim to give $1 million US$ in 2019 – $500,000 raised, and $500,000 matched. There are certain criteria that need to be met though. I will be submitting a request for this particular project, and I will certainly let you all know the link if (when 😉 ) it’s approved.

There is, however, another way – and this, my friends, is part of my purpose. It’s a long term thing, which will take planning, but can make an even bigger impact – Wellness Advocate Projects. People like me who share doTERRA are called Wellness Advocates. If there is a particular cause that is close to your heart, you can partner with doTERRA to actually action it. If you go to the Healing Hands website, you will find so many example of the good that is being done right now. Wheelchairs for children in Rwanda, helping women & girls start their own businesses in Guatemala, helping students in Cambodia, emergency in Ohio – the list goes on! To do a project, you need to align with a non-profit organisation, and have a doTERRA sponsor a particular rank or above (Diamond). What you get from doTERRA, is up to US$10,000 matched funds, *and* up to US$2,000 in matched doTERRA products donated. Imagine the difference you would make with all that! But the best bit is not the money, it’s that you get to do it yourself, and see the impact personally. My upline Diamond have done a project, which involved building a hospital in Uganda. They raised the funds, go it matched, and went out and did it. I believe they still go out there to help and support, and one or two of their children have gone out with them. I could find a diamond to sponsor a cause, but I want to BE the Diamond! At that rank I would be able to fund the trips out there, there would be time freedom to go serve someone for a few weeks and not have to worry about not working during that time. I know I’m just a piece of coal, and there’s a lot of pressure still to overcome, but I am ready to shine! THAT is why doTERRA found me, and it chose me. In the short term I improve my health and the wellbeing of my family, and then help others do the same. I can see the improvement in the lives of those around me. In the medium term I might start to earn some money, to help my family financially. But in the long term, there is a chance to go out and do something for a whole community I have not even met you. I can find a need that I am so passionate about that it becomes my purpose, and fill it. I don’t have to win the lottery to serve others. I have a road map of real ways it can be achieved. I just have to work at it!

If you would like to learn more about the Healing Hands Foundation, visit their website here. They already partner with the Days for Girls charity, “empowering girls in developing countries with the support they need to attend school and work consistently – resulting in more opportunities to grow, thrive and contribute to society”.

If you would like to join me in the quest to make a difference (one drop at a time), email me at nickygoesnatural@gmail.com or find me on facebook. Alternatively, you can go to www.mydoterra.com/nicolastanton . Click on the contact page if you would like to get in touch, or click “join and save” if you are ready to roll. There’s always room or another like minded person like you on our team x

Once I have a link set up for this particular project (Kendra taking sanitary products to a childrens’ home in Harare, I know I’ve said a lot since I mentioned that) I will add it here. I will also post it on my Facebook page. If I do not manage to get a link set up but you would like to make a donation (no fees or cuts taken!), get in touch and I will let you know papal or bank details.

I aten’t dead

Greetings!

I know it’s Friday & I’ve already missed a week (😱), but this post is going to be short & sweet.

I’m just popping by to say I’m still here, and while there’s not much to read, there is still much going on. Too much, in fact.

I have several things brewing, just waiting for means & opportunity to be brought to life.

Fingers crossed normal service will resume next week.

In the mean time, feel free to share with me any new & interesting things you have discovered recently. Remember you can also find me on Facebook.

Have a wonderful weekend!

😘

Time to recharge!

My faithful laptop popped this week 😞. The usual tricks have not yet brought it back to life, and the next step is battery removal. Having looked it up, several bits needs to be removed first, & no one is brave enough for that sort of DIY at the moment. So, this blog is brought to you by my phone. I will need to keep it short for the sake of my eyes!

Please pardon all faults in it! If they are too displeasing, I may have to set up a go fund me campaign to get a new laptop 😉

Once again, my daughter’s nursery has inspired my post. Today we took in the batteries we collected for the battery hunt, so combined with our laptop issues, it’s got me thinking.

It turns out that the UK has one of the lowest battery recycling rates in the EU. After missing targets in 2016 and 2017, they (we?) finally met their (our?) targets in 2018, saving 17,811 tonnes of batteries from landfill. That is only 45% though, so there is still more than 20,000 tonnes being sent to landfill each year! If my maths is right (it could be wrong), that’s the weight of 3,300 bush elephants! (The big ones).

I love recycling. I do it as much as I can, but I’ll be honest & admit I have chucked a battery in the bin on more than one occasion. You keep them aside, because they can’t go into curbside recycling, then they get mixed with the good ones accidently, & just when you need a battery, you can’t find a good one. They’re a bit like pens in that regard. It’s good to chuck out pens when they conspire against you, but unfortunately the same is not true for batteries.

While almost all battery types can be recycled, please don’t add them to your dry mixed recycling. A recycle truck caught fire just last month after someone put a laptop battery in their recycling! It wasn’t me… We can’t remove ours 😉

It’s time to stop dumping them at landfill too. They are packed with earth metals & other charming substances that can (& do) contaminate the soil and water suppy as they degrade.

So, people – let’s step it up! Here’s what I propose:

Reduce – we have too many battery powered things in our lives. Toys especially don’t *need* to be powered. Let’s be more imagination powered! My kids are more than capable of making enough noise without the help 😂. The next time you are about to buy anything that needs a battery, stop & consider if you really need it.
Reuse – Use rechargeable batteries. I’ve tried this several times before. For some reason I can’t make it stick. Maybe too many things need batteries & I need too many? But I’ll try again if you will!
Recycle- this is not as hard as we make it. There are now recycling collection points in most supermarkets, as well as at waste management/ recycling banks. If we’re used to taking our own bags when we go shopping, let’s get used to taking the battery jar when it’s full.

As for phone batteries, mine never lasts anymore 😒. So it’s time to say farewell, until next week! I’m off to charge my own battery 😴😴

🔋 🔋 🔋

Make your own stock

Greetings! This week the kids are home for half term, so even though I have tried something new I can’t wait to tell you about, typing time is short. (A bit like childhood – my baby is walking! *cue “Sunrise, Sunset” in the background.)

So instead, I’ll share a quick recipe with you. I say quick but it’s something that does actually require a bit of time. This week we’re making stock! We’ve been making stock for many years so it’s not exactly part of the “goes natural” journey. I can’t remember what made us start but once we saw how easy it was, we hardly ever let good bones go to waste anymore. I say “we” but my husband actually makes it 99% of the time.

For those who don’t know, stock is a liquid that’s used in cooking. It is used in lots of different dishes and adds flavour. You can make different types depending on what you use but most commonly we make chicken stock. I have made vegetable stock before but it was so long ago I honestly can’t remember how I did it. I am almost certain I used leftover vegetables. If I find myself doing it again I will be sure to share.

Stock cubes are readily available in supermarkets so why would you want to make your own? Well, several reasons. In no particular order:

Fresh tastes best! When you make it yourself, you can add different flavours and play around with it. Nothing beats proper scratch cooking in my opinion!
It’s healthier. For one thing stock cubes are loaded with salt. I’ve just grabbed the nutritional information pieces from two boxes of stock.
If you make it per the directions, 100ml of chicken stock will contain 0.77g of salt. When I cook something with stock, I need a lot more than 100ml. If I used 500ml to make a pie, that pie would have 3.85g of salt in it, before any of the other ingredients were taken into account. The “reduced salt” beef cubes aren’t much better offering 0.66g of salt per 100ml. Yikes!
I have not had my stock scientifically tested, but no salt is added at all to the process. Any salt would come naturally from the ingredients, or the seasonally originally used on the meat the first time it was cooked. As you are using it fresh, there is no need to add a preservative. and there are SO many more options available for flavour!
It reduces waste. This is probably my favourite part. If you’ve just enjoyed a roast chicken hopefully you will use the leftovers for something. We had great chicken mayo sandwiches this week. But what about the bones? Chicken bones aren’t safe for pets, so chances are most likely discarded. Our council currently only take food waste with garden waste, which is a service we don’t pay for, so for us that carcass would go to landfill. But by making stock, you are taking that “rubbish” and making something worthwhile out of it. You would still need to chuck out the bones once you’re done, *but* at least you’ve given it one last run for it’s money.
Talking of money, making stock is cheaper. Stock cubes are not expensive, but the fact that you are instead using leftovers, makes home made almost free. (I know you could argue that case, but I’m going with it…)
Control – not only can you control what’s in it but also the end product. Things like the clarity (which may be important depending what you are doing with it) and the reduction. Adding boiling water to a crumbled cube will pretty much only ever give you one result.

Scary numbers on the box! (Excuse the unclear picture, my phone was dying)

What can you do with the stock? Lots of things! I am not google, but here are a few of my favourite things to make with home made stock:

Risotto. As it happens that’s what will be happening to the batch made this week. Bacon & mushroom, thanks for asking 😉 . (And it always tastes better the next day)
Soups. Any soup will need a stock base. That’s pretty much what it is. If you’re making soup, it will usually need a clear stock.
Pies. I tried to perfect a pie recipe, but I just hated making the pastry. But I think I mastered the filling. Make a roux, then pretend you are going to make a white sauce, but use stock instead of milk. Use that to coat the filling – I recommend chicken & mushroom. Ah-mazing!
Chowders. Like soup, only better. I make a wicked corn chowder.
Ramen. This requires clear stock. I have never made this, for the record.

So, how do you make it? You will need (for a basic meat stock, not clear)

A large pot (my biggest pot is known as the Stock Pot)
Bones. eg. leftover from a Roast.
An Onion
A Carrot
Celery (optional but commonly called for)
Cloves
Your choice of seasoning. May we suggest:
- Nutmeg/Paprika/Cinnamon
- Black Pepper
- Fennel
- Other strong flavours you think will go with what you’re making.

Add all the ingredients to the pot. Cover with water, get to the boil, then turn it down and allow to simmer for several hours. Keep checking on it as it’s cooking and skim the fat off the top. It will bubble up to the top then start forming a thin layer which you can remove with a spoon as you go. When the liquid is reduced to your satisfaction*, drain it through a sieve. Pretty please remember that it’s the liquid you want to keep. You’re not draining the potatoes here, so if you sieve it over the sink after all that, you will cry – and it won’t be the onion. As for the leftover solids, that would need to go in the food waste, or bin. As far as I know cooked food can’t go into home composting (I’m trying to learn more about that though, so watch this space).

Allow the stock to cool then cover & keep it in the fridge until you need it. I try to use it within a few days but I will leave that to your judgement. It is also freezable! If you have bones to use but no opportunity to use the stock, make it anyway and keep it in the freezer. You can also freeze the bones to make stock at a later date. I’ve never tried that though.

A bad picture of a good stock. A chicken carcass & bacon joint were used in this batch. It’s lovely and gelatinous & goes back to liquid when you boil it again for use.

Something new that’s been tried though, is adding oils** for flavouring. I normally don’t like the smell of stock cooking, but this latest batch smelled rather nice, like something yummy was cooking. It turns out that my husband had added a drop of Rosemary oil! I’ll admit I bought it for a hair spray, but it is definitely going to be a favourite in the kitchen! Other oils we’re currently trying in the stock:

Clove
Fennel
Lemon

That’s all from this “quick” post. If you make or use home made stock, share with us your favourite recipe!

Notes: *Knowing how you like it takes a bit of practice. Just keep making it and you’ll get the hang of it. Even an imperfect batch will be good enough to use!

**I will only use doTERRA oils for cooking, as I know they are pure, tested and safe. Not all oils are safe for consumption, please check the label first. If you do not yet have an account, get one here. Click “Join & Save” to get the best prices.

Walk this way

This week my daughter’s nursery decided to participate in Walk to School Week. They turned it into a great “Active Week”, where they learnt more about getting active and eating right. I love that the children are being taught the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle, so I thought I would do a post as a reminder to us grown ups.

We are all encouraged to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Just the thought of that makes me want to grab a pillow & have a nap. If you are like me and the word “exercise” makes you choke on your chocolate milk, you may feel better knowing that it can be broken up into 3 x 10 minute chunks. Not only that, but you don’t even need to step in a gym – walking counts as exercise too. I have always maintained that running around after small children more than counts as enough exercise, but now I can include the school run, and really feel like I’m officially keeping fit.

In the interest of active week, I have made an effort to walk everywhere I can. I am pleased to report that over the last 5 days I’ve only driven the car twice, each time has been when we’ve needed to go about 8 miles away – I’m not walking that far with 3 kids in tow! We have been lucky to have really good weather this week, have really enjoyed the walks and had fun in the great outdoors. The main lesson I have learned is that I need to find my smart watch and figure out how it works! I would love to be reporting back right now the miles that I have walked, and all the good it’s done for my body & the environment. Maybe next time.

If you feel you could do with an extra boost, I would love to encourage you to get out there & walk a bit more. Don’t be overwhelmed, or think of it as exercise. Find the excuse to do it, not the other way around.

Need to nip to the shops? Take a walk.
Need to burn off a bit of the kids energy? Take them for a walk. People here walk their dogs twice a day, I think I should start walking my kids 😉
Do you drive to work? Try parking a little bit further away from the building. (Parking might be cheaper there too 😉 )
If you use public transport, get off one stop sooner & walk the rest of the way.
If you have kids you need to get to school, re-evaluate if you really need to drive. Of course there are many case where you will need to. The school may genuinely be too far to walk, or you need to head straight to work after the school run. But if it’s just out of habit, try to form a new one 😀
Take the stairs instead of the lift.
Make a date with that friend you’ve been trying to catch up with *forever*and go for a walk together.

I’m not suggesting you go all out doing all of these things at once, especially if you have been a bit sedentary over the winter months. Pick one thing that you think you could achieve, and go for it. Try make it happen once a week, and see how you feel. Walk to Work Wednesday anyone? Go from there, slowly making swaps until you are reaching for your comfy shoes more often than the car keys.

I’ll share a great swap I did this week. On Monday evenings my girls go dancing (a great activity that is fun, healthy & social!). For the last few terms, their classes have been one after the other. It’s been very hard to keep the non-dancing child and baby occupied in a small crowded reception area for 2 back to back 45 minute sessions. If you ever want your parenting skills & patience tested (in front of a judging panel), I can highly recommend it. Well, the week before a helpful dance Mum who I had not seen previously, kindly suggested I take them to the park. I had done this a few years ago when here was just one dancer & just one waiter, but surely I should not be expected to trek 10 minutes to the park, for only 20 minutes play, then trek 10 minutes back to the studio to exchange dancers, trek 10 minutes *back to the same park* for only 20 minutes play, then trek 10 minutes back again to collect my rising star? All this with a newly toddling toddler trying to wiggle out of the pushchair with every step to/from the studio? Well folks, I did it. And I did not die. And do you know what else? The kids *loved* it! They were so happy they got to go play, that they came the first time I said “time to go”. I don’t know about you but I never though that was a thing that actually happened… We also got to see the baby geese, the ducks, the squirrels….And I had a peaceful time letting my kids be free and not having to keep them still and quiet for an hour and a half. Worth the walk, I think.

If you need a little bit of motivation see if you can find any apps that reward you for “swapping”. My husband has just started trialling one over the last couple of days, and it’s fun seeing how the miles add up. Click here to try it yourself. It tracks the time taken, distance, calories used, and co2 comparison. (Walking to town earlier saved 432g compared to driving! That will add up over a year…)

Of course there is also a selection of oils to help you out, whether you need motivation, better sleep the night before, being more focused, dealing with aches & pains afterwards, there’s an oil for that! Get started at www.mydoterra.com/nicolastanton, or get in touch for a free consult.

And if you still need convincing, check out the walkit.com website. It has some great information on the health benefits of walking, the environmental impact of switching, and tips to help you achieve it. Kind of how I wanted this post to be, if I had done it properly 😉

What does “Mental Health” mean to you?

Forward: I started writing this last night, and just needed to finish up in the morning. While the perfect opportunity arose, an emotional encounter left me in a frame of mind not fit for writing. Or doing anything really. It was ridiculously ironic (& annoying) considering the subject of my post. For the rest of the day everything seemed to send me the same message: No one cares what I have to say. I am not important. My opinion doesn’t matter. So in honour of Mental Health Week, I’m going to rebel against those voices, and continue my post. Even if you don’t care what I have to say… 😉

I’m sure by now you would have seen something or someone mentioning that this week is mental health week. (13th-19th May). So, of course, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share my thoughts on the subject.

What is mental health? To me, it’s is simply the health of your mind. Most often the term is used to describe problems or mental illness. However, I think it’s important to remember that it can cover all things. Just as our bodies have physical health levels, so do our minds and just as it’s not just those with serious illnesses that have to take care of their bodies, it’s not just those who have been diagnosed with mental illnesses who have to take care of their mental health. I would wager that not a single one of you reading this now has gone through your entire life without so much as a cold. By the same token, I’m sure not one of you have gone your entire life without a moment of poor mental health. Whether you are willing to accept it or not, it can (and will) affect all of us to varying degrees.

While there still seems to be stigma and lack of understanding towards those with mental health problems – especially in the workplace – I feel like the world is moving in the right direction. People are becoming more aware of mental health problems, and for the most part (I hope), being more compassionate. We (collectively) are more accepting of our friends who are experiencing problems. We are learning more about how our minds work and how to keep them healthy. Though things may often feel bleak, I truly believe the future is bright.

I truly believe that there is a connection between mental and physical health. I think they should be viewed equally. For example, we have days when we are just generally feeling unwell. It could just be a cold. The doctor can’t help us with that – we just need to drink more water, get some rest & help support our bodies. (Essential oils anyone?) The same way, our minds can catch a “cold”. We don’t need to go to the doctor, but we can do things that will help us out. Go for a walk, do something that you enjoy or know you are good at, speak to a supportive friend. Support your mind (and yes, there are oils for that too 😉 ). But in other cases, it may be a bit more serious and we do need to seek professional help. With our bodies, a doctor could refer us to a specialist. With mental health, therapy or counselling may be required. Just as with physical health, it may be that medication is required. Most people would want to leave that as a last resort but it may be the best solution.

What are your top tips for staying mentally happy and healthy? pic.twitter.com/s15F62Q89G
— Mind (@MindCharity) May 17, 2019

Some great tips from the @mindcharity twitter feed

There are may different types and causes of mental health problems. This too can be compared to physical health. In both cases:

Ill health can be a one off incident, or an ongoing /lifelong struggle
Sometimes it’s genetic. There can be a family history of some mental and physical health problems.
In some cases we can prevent ill health by taking care of our bodies and mind and doing things that we know can improve our “fitness” levels.
In a lot of cases we can support our bodies and minds naturally. Again, by eating right, exercising and using essential oils, we can support our bodies and minds to get over the bumpy patches that we could not avoid.
Other times, as mentioned, professional help is required. If this applies to you, please make sure that you are comfortable with your medical professional. Trust them that they understand what you are going through and what you need. If you find you are unable to do so, please try find someone else.

There are lots of good suggestions out there – like these from Vex King. Give some of them a try (I will too!)

I do not have a serious mental illness. In fact, I have never been diagnosed with any mental health problems. [That either means that my mental health is in reasonable shape, or my anxiety is so great I refuse to acknowledge it.] However, that does not mean that I have not experienced less than optimal mental health in the past. Here is an example:

I don’t deal with pregnancy very well. I may have previously mentioned it but they joyous moment between peeing on a stick and feeling like I’ve been hit by a bus is tragically short. But I am able to recognise (now) that it’s not just my body that suffers. During my last pregnancy, my worst days happened to coincide with the summer holidays. I had two little sweet hearts to look after. One was about to start “big school”, and the other was going to start preschool. Oh what plans I had! Our last weeks of freedom! There would be picnics, and swimming lessons, and trips to the beach and FUN! What there actually was, was Mamma spending her life puking. There was a 4 year old getting breakfast for her & her sister because the kitchen literally made me sick. There was no leaving the house before 3pm because I just physically couldn’t manage it. There was take away or other non-nutritious food for supper because Daddy was at work all day & I wouldn’t let him cook anything that smelt (Which was everything). What has that got to do with mental health? Well, everything. The guilt was crazy. My brain was telling me what an awful mother I was. I couldn’t even look after the two I had and now to add another? I felt terrible -but how dare I be miserable when I was blessed with another baby? I had no right to feel that way when others are struggling to get pregnant. How selfish to hate the way I was feeling when there are others who would never get to experience it.

Well, September came. We took our soon to be middle child to pre-school, and there on the notice board was a display from PANDAS. I had never heard of them, they are the Pre And Post Natal Depression And Support charity. I had also never heard of Peri-natal depression. Everyone knows of post-natal depression. We know the signs to look out for. But seeing that display, with all those thought bubbles saying the EXACT SAME THINGS as the voices in my head, I could have cried. I probably did. Babies mess with your hormones. They mess with your head – but not just after they are born. I did not need anything else. Just an acknowledgement that I wasn’t crazy, (or that I was but it’s okay). Just knowing that what I was experiencing was normal and that there was a reason for it and it would pass was enough. It didn’t cure me. I still had the feelings and the thoughts but I could cope a lot better with them. I don’t know why the children’s centre chose that display for that time, but I will always be grateful for it. If you would like to find out more about perinatal depression, and how to get help go to
http://www.pandasfoundation.org.uk/ or
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/postnatal-depression-and-perinatal-mental-health/postnatal-and-antenatal-depression/?o=9237#.XN83LY5KjIU

The best thing we can do – whether we feel mentally as fit as a fiddle or every moment is a struggle – is to support each other. How? Let’s start by not judging people. If someone you know has started seeing a psychiatrist, or takes antidepressants, or anti-psychotics, or find it too overwhelming just to get out of bed in the morning DON’T turn to idle gossip or criticism. If you want to check if your thoughts are fair, change it to a physical problem & see how it sounds. “Ooh, I hear Debbie has to see a specialist for her kidney disease. I don’t know why she doesn’t just get over it & drink more water.” “That John is *so* lazy. Just because he’s broken his leg again, he thinks it’s a great excuse not to come to work”. Would that be acceptable?

If being non-judgemental is too hard to start with, then try just being kind. Find something nice to say, and mean it. If that wasn’t so hard, try & maybe do something nice. Just as how it can be small things that can feel so big and overpowering in someone’s head, a small thing can also bring in some sunshine. And if failing that, just remember that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. There is way too much negativity floating around in people’s heads anyway – don’t add to it.

If you are struggling at the moment, check out the mind website: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/ If you need to talk, get in touch with the Samaritans: www.samaritans.org, call 116 123 (free) or email jo@samaritans.org

Post script. doTERRA have an emotional aromatherapy range, both as oils to diffuse or in ready to use rollers. Anyone who opens any account through me with either of these sets, I will personally donate £3 to the PANDAS charity. (£3 can provide training for their online support volunteers) Go to www.mydoterra.com/nicolastanton to order yours. I will add more information on my facebook page as soon as I can. In the mean time, please get in touch if you would like any further information.

Vaccines Work

When I first started sharing essential oils, people would often ask me: “Do you vaccinate your children?” I thought this was a random question. What about our conversation lead people to think I would not get my children immunised? As time has passed however, I have seen that there is a large group of people who do not. Unfortunately, if the internet memes can be believed, it is the rise of essential oils and natural wellness to blame. I can now see why I was asked this – taking a natural approach to healthcare = disregarding modern medicine. Essential oils = Anti-Vax. It’s time to set the record straight.

I don’t speak for the whole oil community, but I certainly hope I speak for a large portion of it. I DO vaccinate my children. Why would I do such a thing when I am trying to protect my family? A: For the same reason I use oils and other natural products – BECAUSE I am trying to protect my family.

Embracing natural wellbeing is a lifestyle choice. It is not just sniffing oils, it is about a foundation of health. I do my best to feed my family home cooked food, and teach my children about nutrition. We are active, the kids run around & play, we walk/cycle/scoot to school whenever possible. We reduce the amount of toxins in our house, and therefore our bodies. We do this by using natural cleaners in our home, and natural products on our skin (shampoo, body wash, creams). We use oils to support our bodies natural systems. They can help when we are coming down with something, have “seasonal discomfort”, they can help our mood and so much more. We also protect our children from PREVENTABLE, very dangerous and potentially deadly diseases.
I’ll be honest & say I’m not a fan of modern meds. Some are quite dangerous, and some are just not nice. So… I will do whatever I can to reduce the need for them.

It’s actually rather frustrating, as these diseases were being beaten. If the trend had continued, a time was in sight where they were eradicated altogether. There was a chance my grandchildren would not even have needed to be vaccinated for some of them, as they no longer existed. Sadly, though, disease is fashionable again. So even more children will have to go through the pain & discomfort of vaccines.

Aren’t there risks to vaccines? Yes. I do believe there are. In fact, I know there are. When I was last at the doctors with my littlest, I asked the nurse for the inserts from the vaccine boxes. These little needles are full of potential side effects. It’s like a CCG* (you know, like Pokemon) – you get commons, uncommons, rares and ultra rares. As it happens, I think poor littlest got the whole pack of common & uncommon. I felt awful looking at her poor little body with it’s mini measles. But she was actually fine. And I could not live with the guilt if I had let her get actual measles. Apart from a few discomforts, she was not affected in any way. A month on, and the only remaining sign is a little lump on her thigh.
So, yes, it’s not all fun. If you wear a seat belt you are more likely to get whiplash, and other minor injuries – but you are also 45% less likely to die in the event of an accident. Do you buckle up? It’s a risk you know!

There are at least 14 different diseases that children in the UK are routinely vaccinated against. You may not even know what they are or even heard of them, but that goes to show that the vaccines work! Even if you have no idea what something like Pneumococcal Disease or Haemophilus influenzae type b is (or how to pronounce it!), the fact that enough of an effort went into developing a vaccine against them shows that they are not just a mild threat. Look them up, see what they do, the damage they cause, the pre-vaccine era rates of infection, and even the mortality rates. These are serious things – we’re talking damaged immune systems, brain damage, hearing loss and yes, death. A lot of these do not have treatments. Once you’ve caught it, that’s it! Roll the dice to see how you come out.
Just picking out one (Haemophilus influenzae type b), pre-vaccines 20,000 kids were infected each year. Of these, one in five suffered brain damage or became deaf. Even with treatment, one out of 20 with Hib meningitis dies. And in case you’re wondering, it’s main target is children under 5. I picked this one at random. Please pick another, look it up yourself and find the stats.

One more to mention, not at random. Let’s talk about measles. Measles is not a mild cold. It is a highly infectious disease and also dangerous. Did you know that you can catch measles from being in the same room as someone up to 2 hours after that person left? Before vaccines, more than 450 otherwise healthy children died from measles per year. Since the vaccine became available in 1963, there has been a more than 99% decline in the number of cases in the US. Sadly, numbers are on the rise again. Innocent children are at risk.

It’s not just about you – it’s not even about your own children. There are people out there who cannot have the immunisations. MMR can only be given after 13 months. Until that time they are still very susceptible to it and the effects are even more pronounced if they do get it. They rely on herd immunity to stay safe.
What is herd immunity? It means that if everyone who can be vaccinated is, the disease has fewer places to spread. It struggles to find a host and be passed on. If your child comes into contact with it, they don’t catch it. They therefore cannot pass it on to someone else’s cute baby when they stop to say hi or play together or even go to the same park or softplay or anywhere. So, herd immunity sounds awesome. Does this mean you can let your kid skip the fun of immunisations? No. It only works if we’re all in it. The more people who rely on herd immunity, the less effective it is. It’s not just babies who are at risk, people with low immune systems can’t be vaccinated. There are also people out there who genuinely are allergic to the ingredients. We need to stop thinking of just ourselves, and remember what it’s like to be communities.

Why did I pick out measles? Because it’s coming back. Why is it coming back? Because parents are CHOOSING not to protect their children. Why are they making that choice? Because of bad science and misinformation. I’m sharing a bit of what it’s like to live with my nearly 4 year old, but I hope you see my point.

So, I guess you can tell that my message this week is that #vaccineswork. But in this day & age, I’m asking you to do more than just vaccinate. I’m asking you to be a vaccine hero. We’ve just had World Immunisation Week at the end of April. Had I not been researching this blog, I may not have known that. It’s time to speak out, and answer the call to be a “vaccine hero”. How can you be a hero?

*Ensure you & your family are vaccinated on time, every time
*Travelling? Know before you go – ensure your family’s vaccines are up to date.
*Be a vaccine champion – Talk to people about the benefits of vaccines. Vaccines save lives, help children learn & grow, & prevent serious illness & disability.
*Know the facts. Any licensed vaccine has been rigorously tested before use to make sure it is safe and effective for you and your family.
*Health workers: Every check up is an opportunity to check in on vaccination, for ✓children, ✓youth, ✓adults, ✓the elderly

https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-immunization-week/world-immunization-week-2019/key-messages

There are many other resources available to find out more information. Just a few:

I am hoping that the internet is wrong, and it’s not “oilers” leading the anti-vax charge. But if it is, I have this special message to my fellow oilers. Please remember: Oils & other products are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure diseases. You know this. Our products are amazing and do things we can not express in ways that we want. But they are not magic.

P.S. For the record, MMR does NOT cause autism.

*CCG- Collectible Card Game

Bags are for life

(Or at least for 173 uses)

Inspired by a recent challenge to tackle your scariest places, we tacked under the stairs this week. Or maybe it’s more realistic to say that everything was pulled out & I was made to face my fears. Whatever. The unsurprising discovery, is that I have a bag problem. Not a handbag problem, a shopping bag problem. …And I don’t even like shopping. There were at least two rather large bags for life, containing nothing but more bags. And more than one large nappy bags. Houston, I have a problem.

In the UK, a law was introduced in October 2015 which required single use plastic bags to incur a charge in order to discourage their use. Obviously, I fully support this and I have been using re-usable bags as often as possible even before the charges started (in fact, the same law was introduced in South Africa before I moved, so taking bags with you when shopping was something I was already used to). While this is great for the environment, it is terrible for my clutter threshold. So, nappy bags aside, what do I have?

Well, there are the large thick woven plastic “bags for life”, mostly labelled with a supermarket brand. I don’t remember ever buying any of these. I think I accumulate them as I am given stuff. They are very useful as donatable donate bags, so I have to keep hold of them. (These are now *all* in the donate pile, fyi).
Then there are the less thick 10p bags for life, which are designed to be re-used a few times until the handle breaks – the ones you buy when the reduced section offers more treasure than you were expecting, so you need to buy another bag to transport your haul. I will now confess that I am keeping them as rubbish bags. This is not really good for the environment but surely better than going out and buying black sacks specifically for putting my rubbish in?

Next are the fabric bags. There are jute bags, cotton bags & hessian bags. There are bags with fun slogans, cute pictures and handy handles. For the most part, I have parted with them. It’s time to make a decision on what to keep, and go with *just* that. So we’ve got the bags Chris uses all the time (as he is the one who actually goes shopping. I just hoard bags.), and the Disney ones from Poundland. They are super useful, and not too big. We use them for pack lunch, PE kits, spare clothes for a day out, snacks for a day out, a nappy bag (because I don’t have 3 of those I can use) etc. A few other larger bags have been kept for when large bags are needed, but only the awesome one. I still have a problem, but the ridiculous pile is reduced.

So, what did I do with all of those bags I don’t want? They are still really useful, and have lots of life left! Throwing them away would be scandalous! But who would want a supermarket bag for life? I’ll tell you – your local charity shop! While some larger chains do not accept them (those that sell their own branded ones for example), most do. They will use them for customers who need a bag for what they buy. You can get really lucky in a charity shop! You go in for a quick nose and there you see something you’ve wanted for ages in great condition at a fantastic price….but you weren’t expecting it, so didn’t bring your extra large bag for life . Have no fear! Nicky had a clear out, so we have a dozen to choose from. If you find yourself with too many bags for life with life left in them, please check with your local charity shop if they will take them. Great for your space, great for the environment, and great for the local community. Yay yay yay.

All the “keep” bags safely watched over by the Cornflower Fairy.

While we are talking about bags, I just wanted to take a moment to speak about the different ones you can get. I will not get technical, as I may get things wrong, so let’s speak broadly.

First up, there are plastic bags. “Single Use” plastic bags are made up of thin plastic. Going back several years, some stores decided to make theirs biodegradable. This may seem like a great idea but going to grab a bag and finding teeny tiny bits of plastic splintering off like confetti is not fun. Nor is it good for the environment. The plastic does not degrade completely, it just breaks up into pieces too small to see. Turns out this is just the kind of plastic particles being found in the oceans. It may not choke a dolphin but it is still poisoning the planet. These days, we’re seeing more “compostable” bags. They are not actually made out of plastic, but out of natural plant starch. This means that when they do degrade, they break down into organic matter, and not toxic material like plastic. I think compostable bags is an awesome idea for shopping bags. If you really do need to buy an extra bag when you get to the till, at least when you get home you can use it for your peelings & chuck it in the compost. Or, at least, not feel too guilty for filling it with rubbish & sending it to landfill. Although, please try use it for peelings & turn it to compost…

My bags are packed – they’re ready to go!

Cotton & canvas bags are much nicer than plastic. They are stronger, feel nicer, and, let’s face it, prettier. Obviously this is not a good thing when it means you start to accumulate them. But let’s consider if they are actually better for the environment? The cotton plant uses up a lot of water to grow. Then there is the energy costs involved in producing the bags. I’m all for breaking up with plastic but what are the environmental costs? Well, luckily I didn’t have to work it out myself, I just had to search. I managed to find an old report from the Environment agency, and they’ve crunched the numbers for me. It’s from 2006, but I don’t imagine it would have changed much.

Assuming you would only use a single use bag to carry your groceries home once, you would need to use a reusable bag:

Paper bag – 3 Times ( Good luck with that)
Low-density polyethylene bags (the thicker plastic bags commonly used in supermarkets) – 4 Times
Non-woven polypropylene bags – 11 Times
Cotton bags – 131 times

Assuming that once you got your groceries home, you then used the bag for rubbish, the numbers look like this:

Paper bag – 4 Times
Low-density polyethylene bags (the thicker plastic bags commonly used in supermarkets) – 5 Times
Non-woven polypropylene bags – 14 Times
Cotton bags – 173 times

So, I’ve made my choice, I choose cotton. I shall make it my mission to try use each of my bags at least 173 times. … Just don’t ask me to keep a tally.

So, what becomes of my precious cotton bags once they have reached the end of their usable life? Well, just like the compostable bags, I can use them for my peelings, & add them to the compost heap. They may take a bit longer to decompose but it will happen. But I don’t think I’ll do that. I’m quite in favour of using them as planters. Now, I am by no means green fingered, but I’m hoping that by the time my first bag reaches 172, I’ll have learned to keep something green alive by then. Who knows, we could have a Disney Princess powered vegetable garden some day! Well, we can only hope. ❤

When Life Gives You Lemons…

It’s time to make lemonade! Does the internet need another lemonade recipe? Probably not. Am I going to share my own one anyway? Of course!

Lemons are a wonderful fruit, and they are packed with goodness, most notably vitamin C. They are excellent for your respiratory system, as well as digestion.

I love lemon drinks. When I was little, my Dad would make me lemon & honey tea when I was sick. As a teenager, Sprite was my poison of choice, and when I was pregnant with my first child, it was lemon high juice that managed to slightly ease my “morning sickness” in the afternoon. I never found a cure for morning sickness, but I was glad to have found something that would occasionally ease the symptoms until I found a more acceptable place to lose whatever I had left in me.

By the time I was pregnant the second time, lemon high juice was getting hard to find. Suddenly, the range of drinks you could get without sweeteners went from “almost all of them”, to only orange. By the time I was growing number three, *if* you could find orange, it was more than twice the price of the rest. Fun times. I will definitely do a full on rant one day about sugar tax and sweeteners, but for today I will just tell you that I don’t like them. Some make my throat itch, some close my chest, and some of the “natural” ones make me more thirsty than I was before I drank anything. I prefer a choice, and my choice is sugar.

While I did not find the answer to my nausea blues, I do have the answer to delicious lemony drinks. Home made lemonade. My 6 year old loves lemonade just as much as me (wonder why?), and asked me to make some over the holidays. So, I decided it was time to perfect the recipe, and document it for future reference.

All you need is lemon & sugar. (I’ve added a couple of limes too this time)

Lemonade is simple enough. All you need is lemon juice (preferably from fresh lemons), sugar and water. Most recipes call for equal amounts of lemon juice and sugar, but I find that too sweet. I use half the amount of sugar. Common sense and efficiency will tell you to make the sugar syrup, then juice the lemons while the syrup is cooling. Experience will tell you that you never know how much lemon juice you will get out of a pack of lemons, so you may end up with twice as much syrup as you needed to begin with. (In this experiment I got about 3/4 of a cup from 3 large lemons, and topped it up to a cup with the “bits”). If I had stopped to think, I would have only used half the syrup and added cocoa powder to the other half for a chocolate syrup, but I did not. So, here is my way of making lemonade:

I’ll bet you’ve already been taught this, but slice fruit this way for best juicing.

Gather your lemons (as many as you want to use), and juice them. Roll them around a bit in your hands before hand to increase their yield.
Measure how much juice you have managed to squeeze out of those lovely lemons.
In a saucepan, pour in cold water, and granulated sugar. The amount you need of each will be half the amount of juice you made. Eg, if your lemons gave you 100ml of juice, use 50ml of water and 50ml of sugar.
Stir the mixture over a low heat, until all the sugar is dissolved.
Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and let it cool. As you have already juiced the lemons, use this time to catch up on your favourite blog sites or facebook pages. Don’t Netflix or you may forget what you were doing.
Pour your lemon juice into your sugar syrup, and mix it up. If you want to freeze it, now is the time. (You don’t want to waste freezer space with extra water!)
Dilute to taste, and enjoy! I can’t give you quantities here, it’s a personal thing. Start with a 1:4 ratio and work your way up (or down) until you find the perfect strength for you.

Bonus steps:

Zest one of the lemons before you juice it. Add the zest to the syrup while it cools, and sieve it out before you add the juice.
After step 5, tidy the kitchen while you wait instead of reading/watching anything.
If you are freezing in step 6, use ice-cube trays. These will be a welcome addition to your cold drinks in the summer months!
For step 7, dilute with sparkling water. I have a Soda Stream machine, and it is my best friend at times like this.

If you are craving the delicious taste of a lemon drink but don’t have the time or ingredients to make lemonade, you could use lemon essential oil. Add just one drop of lemon oil to a glass of water, and enjoy. As lemon oil is pressed from the skin of the lemons, and we’ve made the lemonade from the juice, their health properties will be slightly different, so neither is a direct replacement of the other.
doTERRA essential oils are pure and potent (and the only ones I’d recommend for adding to food & drink!) As such, just one drop can pack a powerful health boosting punch. It has cleansing benefits, and can help both the respiratory system & digestive function. You will need to make sure you use a glass or stainless steel receptacle, the oil can extract the toxins out of your plastic one & add them to your drink.

So, here’s a quick recap of our lemony goodness options:

Squash or High Juice. Pros: ~Easily available (if you like sweeteners).~ Easy to use. ~Stores well. Cons: ~Almost impossible to get without sweeteners, and if you can, it’s very pricey. ~Other preservatives added, which can be bad for your health. £ = 5p per 200ml serving, based on using a no added sugar one at a dilution of 1:4 as per instructions.
Home made lemonade. Pros: ~ You can control the amount of sugar, and therefore the sweetness. ~ All the health benefits of fresh lemon juice. ~ It’s fun to make! Cons: It’s less convenient having to make it yourself. ~Shorter shelf life (if you have good self control). ~Needs to be stored in the fridge. ~ You need to go shopping, or have the ingredients to hand. £ = 12.5p per 200ml serving depending on season, brand & other variables.
Lemon essential oil. Pros: ~ Wide ranging health benefits. ~ It’s alkali, not acidic, so no worry about teeth damage! ~ It’s convenient to make up, just open the bottle & add a drop to your glass. Cons: ~Essential oils do not contain vitamins. ~ Scientifically, oil & water don’t mix. So, you’ll have to remember to shake it up or stir again if you don’t down it all in one go. ~ Not recommended for children under 6. £ = 3.7p per drop, based on a 15ml bottle.

Once of the most important factors though, is taste. And that is down to personal preference. What’s my personal preference? Lemonade! What’s your preference?

If you decide to try my recipe, please let me know how it goes! You can comment either directly on this post, or on my Nicky Goes Natural Facebook page.

If you would like to buy a bottle of lemon oil, go to http://www.mydoterra.com/nicolastanton and click “join & save”. Lemon comes in the Home Essentials kit, Family Essentials kit, Intro kit, and Beginners Trio. Get in touch if you need help deciding which is the best way for you to get started. Lemon oil is also available to purchase separately.

Hoppy Easter!

Greetings!

I hope those of you who have managed to have a short (or long) break before the Easter weekend have enjoyed it. We’ve had the kids off school and it’s been great getting out and enjoying the sunshine (and hail…). I feel grateful that I live in a place that is never too far from a nice green place to walk, and that I have kids who are happy to spend their days outside. I’m also glad that they have imaginations, and are not tied to technology. Sure, there’s a YouTube habit that needs to be kicked, but its generally in the morning when no one else is awake. I am really hoping that my children will keep their imaginations and non electronic toys as long as possible. We’ll see how that goes 😉

As well as spending time in the garden and making a nest with a neighbour, the girls & I also pulled out my dusty box of chocolate moulds to make some Easter treats today. It has made me really want to get back into making chocolates, but this time, I want to start making “raw” chocolate. I am going to learn how to actually *make* chocolate, and not just melt & re shape. Of course I will be using all natural, and good for you ingredients. I have no idea when this will be, but rest assured I will be sharing my successes (and failures) with you. The recipes and experience… not the actual chocolate. Sorry about that…

This reminded me of stuff I used to to as a kid 🙂

If you had a chance before the end of May (& are close enough), I can highly recommend going to see the Lego animals at Whipsnade Zoo. The Brick Safari was brilliant, and enjoyed by all. (the random spring sleet just added to the fun 😉 )

There’s a theory that another reason zebras have stripes is to ward off flies. Who knew?

This post is about nothing specific, I have a few in the works that are a bit more serious and require more attention than a quick ramble after bed time, so I’ll get to those once the kids are back at school. I just couldn’t leave you hanging and go a Friday without saying hi!

So ,whether you are celebrating an ancient fertility festival, the return of Spring, the Resurrection of Christ or just an excuse to eat copious amounts of chocolate without anyone batting an eye lid, I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend.