The Joy Factor

This last year has been about the search for simple. Things get too complicated. We spend our time running to and from, using products that are quick and accessible, buying things we don't even need. As moms, there is an unwritten expectation that we will mom perfect, work perfect, keep our house perfect, keep our people alive - perfect. That's not even possible. What we can do, is let go until we find balance. What we can do, is create space for play, and joy.

My work outside of the search for simple can be really stressful. This stress, it's a funny thing. You don't really see a wall coming, but it's in there, all disguised behind the stress, just waiting for your forehead to make contact. I knew it would come, but I was working on this simple life - right? So, obviously I could keep it at bay.

Wrong.

Here's what I've learned: there is incredible beauty in the imperfections of life. Simple is good. Imperfect is real, it's lovable, it's memorable, it's me. It's you, too, which is why we need it. We're losing ourselves, our joy factor, in the quest for perfect, while the quirky parts of us, the best parts of us that bring us joy -- they're shoved in a winter sock drawer somewhere. When we do this, we end up stifled. We shrink. We feel lesser about ourselves. We wonder, what else is out there?

If you know me, you might think me outgoing, outspoken, a doer of all things. An extrovert of sorts. When you know me well, you'll find that my peace, my joy, my energy, is in the little things...in the silence of thought and creativity.

So this joy thing is part of the simple I've been searching for, though this is a recent discovery. I have to pay attention to doing it.

I have been asked, how do you find time to do things like make candles and learn about essential oils? Well, sometimes I don't. Those times, I end up miserable. I race to get it all done and then my garden fails (miserable fail this year, laughable actually), I get cranky, I refuse to cook, I forget things, and I keep myself so busy that I start to feel badly about not being able to do it all. This, friends, is not good for the soul.

Truth be told, I have to make time. I schedule that time and then, because I'm a yes person, I have to fiercely defend that time. Multiple. Times. A. Day.

It goes like this: Could you put this together for...Thank you for thinking of me, but I can't help you with that right now. Ask me again next time. I can't get ahold of, since you're over there would you...I'd love to be able to help you, but I can't help you right now. Here's a resource that might help. Mom, I need this tomorrow and it's mandatory...I'm sorry you didn't plan this out very well, what other options do you have?

This is protecting time is dang near impossible for me to do. Did I mention I'm a yes person? I never thought of myself that way, until I started defending this me time. It's ok to say no. In fact, in order to keep myself in order and honor the time I set aside to do the things that bring me joy (cue candles and oils), I have to say no. It's part of defending the space to have my own joy.

The things we share with you here, are my soul work. They are the things I do to bring me peace and joy, to give myself thinking time, and refill the ole bucket.

Give yourself this kind of time. Schedule it. Defend it. Start small and allow yourself to play, to create joy, to share it with other people. I am a candle maker, an essential oil lover, a seeker of simple things that make our lives richer, and these are the things that bring me joy. I need these things. I give myself permission to do these things and the joy keeps on coming. It's ok if you do it, too.

XO

A Cleaner Clean

This blogging monthly has become a thing. There's so much to share and so little time! I always think -- I'll get up early, before anyone else, enjoy my coffee and blog. Fat chance. I love this find so much, that I just had to share!

On our search for cleaner living, we've tried a bunch of different laundry solutions. Liquids, powders, homemade, store bought, weird things from websites that we didn't have a ton of experience with. So far, nothing we want to make that life long committment to.

We have some requirements for our detergents: must be able to break through big dirt and dust, must be able to get the smell out of work out clothes, has to be super sensitive skin friendly, and our clothes have to smell good when they are clean. That's not too much to ask, right?

Over time, my sensitive skin has decided to revolt against our old trusty store bought powder, so we needed another solution. I'm not a huge fan of borax on my skin and the homemade detergents we've tried just don't get the grime out that the better half of us collects at work. Also, we sweat big, and any detergent worth keeping around has to do better than a swish.

Given that we love our oils (and it's cold season), I thought well, let's use up some freebie points and give this On Guard Laundry Detergent thing a try. It smells delicious, just like On Guard, and we love that smell!

I have to admit. It's awesome. It's ultraconcentrated, which always makes me skeptical. How can so little detergent clean all of that stuff in the washer? It works. REALLY. WELL. All of our dirt, stink, stains, and sweat were gone (I'm half way through the bottle - that's a lot of washes!) My skin is happy. My clothes are clean and not as crunchy. It's human friendly, dog friendly, and earth friendly. I get about as many washes as I do with old trusty powder and I'm sold!

Try it out. See what you think!

P.S. I'll let you in on my laundry secret weapon, too. If you have a really stubborn stain, as simple as it seems, this stain stick is the best.

A Light Unto My Path

We've been playing around a bit with a new thing. Some of you may have gotten samples or the real deal to sniff, share and enjoy. You're in for a treat!

It does take 2-3 times longer to get things rolling when there are so many moving parts -- and, when we are some busy humans!

Here's what we've been up to...

 

CANDLES AND WAX MELTS AND SOY MUCH FUN, OH MY! 

We have been sampling essential oils, fragrance oils, more soy waxes that you knew existed, new containers, old containers, recyclable containers, and all sorts of gadgets, so we could bring you a candle that we adore.  We can officially say that we have created a selection of soy candles that we love and we think you'll love them do! 

What's so awesome about our soy candles? 

-100% natural American soy wax

-Braided cotton wicks

-No added chemicals, no zinc or lead, and no color additives to keep the burn clean

-When the candle is gone leave a quarter inch at the bottom, (you don't want to burn the house down) so you can wash out the container with soap and water to reuse it

So, how do ya' get some? 

Shop Mikelly Farms to the right to visit our Mikelly Farms Etsy shop. We've added a small selection of our soy candles with a few fall scents to get started. We'll share a seasonal scent or two with you each season, to keep it fresh. Let us know what you love and we'll make more. You can get some of our fave essential oils and oil accessories there too! 

If you're local, give us a shout about our candles if you want to pick them up. 

Peace, love and candlelight, friends. 

XO

Sizzle Sizzle

Work hard and play hard in the sun? We do!

While we'd like to believe that we're awesome about protecting the good ole skin and peepers over here, the truth is, we're just not. That first layer of sunscreen, yes. That second layer is usually where we fail.

Enter: refrigerated sunburn relief! (Brr! Yes! Run! Relief! All at the same time).

There are quite a few oils in this mixture. Each one has its job to bring you relief.

Lavender is usually known for bringing on relaxation and peace. Lavender also has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, which supports your skin's healing process. Peppermint just makes us think of cool and ahhh. Peppermint promotes a cooling sensation and the scent will just bring you joy. Geranium has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce redness. Frankincense helps to promote the healing of your skin through regeneration.






What you need:
-4 oz glass spray bottle
-10 drops lavender essential oil
-7 drops frankincense essential oil
-5 drops peppermint essential oil
-5 drops geranium essential oil (or, exchange geranium for chamomile essential oil)
-3 Tablespoons of aloe vera gel
-2 Tablespoons of witch hazel
-Top with Fractionated Coconut Oil

Feel free to add a few drops of vitamin E oil as well, if you have some.

Shake well and spray on to sunburn. This mixture is for external use only. 

We like to keep our after sun spray in the fridge, which adds a little challenge, as you have to let it sit out for a few minutes to warm up so it sprays well when you use it. And, it may be a little surprising, but it feels oh so lovely when the cooled after sun spray hits your skin and just about sizzles.

Load up on your oils here. You never have to sell oils to get them at wholesale prices! We just love using them and want to share this goodness with you all.

Enjoy!

Summer Bug Busters

We're loving summer - the sunshine, summer nights, time at the lake...and the bugs are loving us! Chomp chomp.

We love to use Terrashield to keep the bugs off without all of the chemicals. It smells nice and will keep you from being skeeter dinner.

Terrashield is safe to diffuse and it won't stain clothing.



What you need: 
-1 oz glass spray bottle (always put essential oils in a glass bottle)
-10-20 drops of Terrashield (you can you get your favorite oils here)
-1/2 oz witch hazel (with alcohol - this works as a preservative)
-1/2 oz distilled water (distilled to keep funky sedatives out)

Shake and spray! 


Here is another similar recipe you might like:
-4 oz glass spray bottle
-10 drops Terrashield essential oil
-5 drops Purify essential oil
-3 drops lemongrass essential oil
-3 drops lavender essential oil
-1 Tablespoon fractionated coconut oil
-1 teaspoon witch hazel
-fill the remainder of the spray bottle with distilled water

Shake and spray!

You can find any of our favorite oils here.

Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Muffins

You know when life gets a little hectic and you, well, hibernate?

Summer's finally here!

We have a great company recipe to share with you, in case you're spending the weekend celebrating our Independence with some folks who just can't do gluten.

What you'll need: 

MUFFINS
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups + 2 T Gluten Free Flour (divided)
1 t Xanthan Gum
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 c sour cream
2 t vanilla extract (be sure to use real vanilla extract; some imitation versions may contain gluten
1/4 c milk (we use Ripple Vanilla Unsweetened -- any milk will do!)
1 T lemon juice
1 T + 1 t lemon zest

TOPPING
2 T Gluten Free Flour
2 T melted butter
4 T granulated sugar* 
1 t   lemon zest
*if your topping is not crumbly, add a little more sugar; if it is not crumbly enough, add a tad more


What to do: 
-Put together your crumble topping in a small bowl. Mix with a fork.
-In a small mixing bowl, roll your blueberries lightly in 2 T of gluten-free flour to coat the berries.
-In a second small mixing bowl, mix together 2 cups of gluten free flour, 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
-In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla, milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat until smooth. (Don't panic if things start to separate...flour is next and that'll bring it all together!)
-Add the flour mixture to the large mixing bowl one cup at a time.
-Add the sour cream to the mixing bowl.
-Carefully fold in the blueberries.
-Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full of muffin batter. Spring each muffin top with a T of topping before baking.

Notes: The gluten-free flour you use matters. If you have one that you adore, give that a try. Some gluten-free flours and flour mixes have a grainy texture that you won't like in your muffins!

If you want a really lemony punch, add a drop of lemon essential oil.


Baking: 
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. These muffins will have a light color when baked - use a toothpick to check if they are done at 20 minutes.
-Let your muffins cool, then enjoy!

April showers brings...snow? Spring cleaning with essential oils.

Here in the midwest tundra of MN, one can never really tell if it's time to put the winter gear away and leap in to spring. Usually, a sure fire way to get another snow storm is to start adding spring clothes to my closet. Worked great this year! We're working on 12+ inches of snow - in April!

A spring snow day home from school is a great time to get some little things done around the house. I tend to let things 'to do' stack up on our counter tops, so we made it through the pile today. But then, it's cleaning time.

Our fave essential oils co has some great pre-made OnGuard products for cleaning if you're not in to mixing stuff up or inventing potions on your own. OnGuard is a protective blend that smells fabulous anywhere in the house. We use it in a salve on our feet to keep us healthy during cold and flu season and it's a great natural household (and sheshed and barn) cleaner.

If you like to mix and mingle your own inventions, here's one that I like to put in a 16 oz (or bigger) glass spray bottle to clean all over the house:

• 1/4 c white vinegar
• 1 3/4 c water (distilled if you have hard water)
• 20 drops OnGuard essential oil
• 20 drops lemon essential oil

If you're thinking meh, no thanks, I like my toxic cleaners, you might also add OnGuard to your daily routine in other ways:

• Diffuse 3-4 drops of OnGuard to give yourself a boost 
• Add 2-3 drops in a veggie capsule for an immune boost
• Mix 10 drops with water in a spray bottle to clean toys 
• Add a drop to honey to soothe a sore throat
• Add to dishwater fluid to help remove water spots
• Put a few drops on your vacuum filter to freshen the air