Doterra Essential Oils

If you have ever wanted to try Doterra Oils, but did not want to spend a bundle on the family kit, read on.

This handy little keychain holds a 2 mL sample of eight different oils. Because I am putting it together, you get my eight favorites.

What is the catch? I need seven people to do it, or else I would have a ton of oils left over. The cheapest on ebay is $50. I priced it out, and I can do it for $38, if I get seven people to go in on the oils. What a bargain!

Included in this "offer":

a black or purple key chain

Modern Essentials booklet (how to use the oils)

2 ml samples of my favorite eight oils:

1.lemon

2.lavendar

3.melaleuca

4.peppermint

5.DigestZen (digestive issues like heartburn, gas, tummy aches)

6.Breathe (Vicks on steroids! Love this one)

7.OnGuard (all around immune booster)

8.Past Tense (headache/migraine relief)

By the way, I am not making any money off of this. I am not looking for a "down-line" or anything like that. I feel like the oils have helped me and my family and I wanted a more economical way to introduce people to them other than the $150 family kit! The good news is, you get an intro without costing and arm and a leg, and then, if you like them, you have the nifty little key chain that you can throw into your diaper bag or camping gear.

Another thing, Leah Acton is able to teach classes, she just can't do them out of her home because she has little ones under foot. She said if someone wanted to host a class in July at their house, she would throw in another key chain with 8 different oils--giving you a larger exposure. Apparently, if you buy a family kit in July, you get $100 towards more oils. My thinking is, if we do the key chains now, then you can see if you like them and then you can buy the kit end of July and get the extra oils.

Again, I am not making any money off of this. I am just trying to be helpful in my own little way. Let me know if you are interested in a key chain and I will see if we have enough interest to get them ordered. E-mail me at girlpowerjedi (at) hotmail (dot) com if you would like to order one.

Job Opportunity

For anyone interested in full-time job tending a newborn child, please contact Lori Mortley @379-6375.

Help a Sister!

Stefanie B. is cleaning her house tomorrow since they are moving to a different home in the neighborhood.  She is starting at 10 AM.  Any help you can provide I know she would appreciate so much.  Thanks! 

PS if anyone would like to drop their kids off here from 10-12 to help out, let me know.  We will probably do water games in the backyard, so bring swimsuits!

-Kristie L.

Jeans available

I am FINALLY finished with my jean quilt that has been 5 years in the making!!!  I still have a HUGE assortment of jeans left (some that are seam/zipper free and ready to be cut into squares, others that are just holey and you'll have to start demolishing them).  Do you want them?  Email me at melissa dot lee dot spencer at gmail dot com before next Saturday or they're going to Savers.

Parenting notes from last week's party

Thanks to all who came to the parenting party/potluck from last week. It was amazing and I know I'm already seeing good results from the great advice you ladies voiced.

*** A nice wooden spoon, a pink/green sippy cup with handles and some spiderman sunglasses were left at my house. Are they yours?***** melissa dot lee dot spencer at gmail dot com

 To re-cap on the highlights, I'm putting a little bullet list below of some suggested ideas that were discussed (sorry this is a novel!);
1. In addition to "self maintenance chores" (making your bed, brushing your teeth, keeping your room clean, taking your dishes to the sink), assign each child one additional chore that helps out the entire family (dusting, mopping, vacuuming, etc.) See the very bottom of this email for my chore rotation list.

 2. Little ones can help sort laundry, dust, unload the dishwasher, make their beds, etc. Do it with them and train them until they're good at it themselves.

3. Having "training" sessions where you're teaching your kids a new chore. You'll have to revisit these steps every so often. Perfection comes with practice and time. Praise their work ethic more than their skills at first.

4. For allowances, suggest that the kids set a goal for what they're wanting to save and then help them remember this goal at trips to the store. Some families give $1 per year of age/month (ex. a 9 year old earns $9/month) starting around age 4 or 5... Or you could try $0.50 per year of age per week (a 9 year old would earn $18 a month). You'll have to play with the numbers to see what works with your kids. Some families do more and require that birthday gifts for friends come out of their own money ($10 minimum gift with a $20 reserve in their savings as a minimum.) Some families reward kids for saving by an "interest" payment quarterly, some "loan" money to their kids at ridiculous interest rates to teach the pitfalls of credit. You can require that a set amount be put towards long term savings, short term spending and tithing to teach money management.

 5. Offer "money chores" to supplement the allowance. Again, each family's numbers will be different. The principle is that you want to teach your kids to work and if they have ample amounts of money then they'll be less inclined to want to work hard to save up for things. Here's a example of some "money chores" I make available at my house (along with their very modest rates...) Fold & put away laundry: $4, Scrub the barstools down: $1/chair, weeding: $1/set area (based on skill level), Scrub down the refrigerator (outside and in): $8, Organize drawers: varies based on the size of the drawer and it's disaster status. The sky is really the limit in what I'll offer to my kids for money chores. If they come to me saying they want some more money I'll generally give them a list of 4 or 5 things on my own to-do list at the moment.

6. Creative parenting; see Sacha B's spot on Pintrest for ideas- for kids who stick their tongues out at others, they must sit in the corner and keep their tongue stuck out for X minutes, for arms that hit, that arm must go in time out (belt or tape it to their body for X minutes)

 7. Self confidence comes from being able to do things for yourself (not necessarily from sports, instruments or school work)

 8. Emphasize the words "I'm so proud of how hard you worked" rather than "You're so smart or talented". A study found that telling your kids you were proud of them inspired greater success than just telling them you thought they were good.

 9. Another good motivating phrase is "I love seeing you....(read), (dance), (Play the piano), (work hard), (Keep your room clean.)

10. Find your child's motivation (or something they're passionate about) and use that as their "currency" to motivate them in chores and other areas. 11. Christine G. suggested a great idea that has been working wonders at my own house this week- restrict breakfast until their room is tidy and they're dressed. Genius!

12. Have a weekly meeting on Sunday with each child (mom or dad) and have it be an opportunity for candid discussion. Ask specific questions about areas of morality with your kids too.

13. Have a monthly "date" for each child with either Mom or Dad- builds love, trust and good memories. They do not have to be expensive.

14. Have a birds/bees talk with your child by the time they're 8 years old. Continue to keep it an open channel of communication by discussing it frequently- revisit the idea as your kids grow each year.

 I'm copying below my kid's chore chart rotation that a few of you asked for. Don't judge- it's not perfect and areas of our house do get missed every so often... If you want to do something similar I suggest you make a list of the chores that you want done at your house each week and then divvy them out based on skill level. Amy H's idea was cool too- write all these chores down on their own popsicle stick and then pull out several at a time and set them on the table. Then everyone can pick one, do the chore, then come back and grab another one. This is awesome because it encourages quick working so you're not left with the undesirable chores....

 January, April, July, October
 Lily
M- clean kids bathtub with ajax
T- kids bathroom toilet, sink, mirror
W- sweep kitchen
Th- sanitize door knobs & light switches
F- dust, wipe moldings in dining room, piano room & TV room
S- vacuum upstairs & stairs

Corinne
M- clean back door glass, dust
T- clean downstairs bathroom toilet, sink & mirror
W- sweep under the kitchen table
Th- wipe moldings in all bedrooms
F- clean parent’s shower with ajax
S- wipe moldings in upstairs & downstairs halls

Henry
M- clean parent’s bathroom toilet, sink & mirror
T- sweep under the Island, wipe moldings in 3 bathrooms
W- dust, clean big bathtub OR downstairs shower as needed with ajax
Th- take out trashes & recycling
F- bring in trash & recycling bin, clean back door glass
S- clean downstairs toilet, sink & mirror

February, May, August, November
Lily
M- clean back door glass
T- sweep front step, clean front door glass
W- Sweep ALL tile in house
Th- wipe moldings down in 3 rooms or halls, different from the week before
F- clean downstairs bathroom toilet, sink & mirror
S- vacuum upstairs & downstairs

 Corinne
M- clean downstairs bathroom toilet, sink & mirror
T- Dust
W- mop ALL tile in house
Th- take out trashes & recycling
F- bring in trash & recycling bin, clean parent’s toilet, sink & mirror
S- sweep front doorstep of leaves, clean front door glass

Henry
M- wipe moldings in all bedrooms
T- clean kids’ bathroom toilet, sink & mirror
W- sanitize door knobs & light switches
Th-clean backdoor glass
F- Dust
S- sweep under the island 

March, June, September & December
Lily
M- clean parents toilet & sink
T- sweep under table, mop kitchen & dining rooms
W- dust, clean parents mirror
Th- collect all trashes & recycling, take out to bin
F- Bring in big trash can & recycling bin
S- Vacuum downstairs, sweep under table

Corinne
M- clean kids toilet &sink
T- sweep kitchen & bathrooms, mop bathrooms entryway & laundryroom
W- clean kids mirror, sanitize doorknobs & lightswitches
Th- clean back door glass
F- clean kids sink
S- dust, vacuum stairs, sweep kitchen

Henry
M- sweep front doorstep, clean back door glass
T- Sweep laundry room & entryway
W- Clean downstairs toilet, sink & mirror
Th- sweep under the island
F- clean front door glass
S- clean downstairs toilet & sink

Incredible Art Classes!

Just a friendly reminder ...June 4th is the last day to register for my summer art classes I am excited to announce my lineup of art classes for this summer. I am holding 3 classes. Here are the details:

To register, send me an email to confirm that your child will be attending. (Rachael Boyle - rachaelboyle(at)gmail(dot)com) Please include their name and age and which class they will attend. A $30 NONREFUNDABLE deposit (per child per camp) will need to be mailed to me (please email me if you need my home address) OR delivered to my house within a WEEK after registering. The $30 will be applied to the total cost of the class, the remainder of the total cost will be due on the first day of class.

The deadline to register for ALL classes is June 4th! Don't miss out, register early!

There needs to be a minimum of 6 children registered per class otherwise I will likely cancel that particular class. So invite your friends!

On the other hand, if a camp becomes too full, I will split it and create a second group.

If your child would like to participate in one of these camps but your schedule does not allow it, please let me know. If I have enough interested children I will hold another camp at a different date.

As a side note, I will begin teaching semi-private art classes in the fall. If you are interested, please let me know.

And here's the summer camp lineup ...!

Skillful Drawing and Painting - Training The Artist's Eye I am going to tell you a secret. Shhhh. To more easily paint/draw a beautiful masterpiece of something, you need to break it up and look at it in terms of colors, shapes, and lines! Wa la! Instant success, and that's what I want to teach you in this class. What "really" makes a picture? Training the artist's eye! Acrylic paints on canvass, watercolors on cold pressed paper, and black and white charcoal/chalk on black and white drawing paper will be our tools to create our 3 masterpieces. If you attended last year, our approach will be similar to the approach we used when we painted the picture of the boat docked on the beach with the shimmering sunset. (It won't be the same photo again, but it was very helpful for the children to reference a photo.) I taught the group what to look for, then I walked around and helped each child individually. It was very successful and each child was VERY proud of their work. This class is appropriate for children 7 years of age and older. June 11, 13, and 15th, 3 days 10am - 12am each day Cost is $75 per child. Includes all materials. Child is responsible for bringing their own cover-up.

Window Splashes: Promotional Signs and Holiday Art on Home and Business Windows You know those cute holiday pictures or those neon promotional signs you see on business windows? Well I am going to show you how they're done. Window painting is super fun! But it is also takes planning and can be technical. In this class, you will use acrylic paints at first, BUT once you've practiced, you'll learn how to transfer your design to big windows and use very high quality paints (that are special ordered), expensive brushes, and very smelly chemicals like turpentine and other oil solvents. Here's the best part, we will paint Dairy Queen's windows, located on Southern Blvd., for the Fourth of July Rio Rancho parade! Everyone will see it from the road! That's right, you'll be famous! Plus, after our hard work, Dairy Queen is going to treat all of the hot and tired artist to ice-cream! This class is appropriate for children ages 8 and older and who want to be a part of something BIG! June 18-22 Time: 5pm-6:30 pm Cost is $100 per child. Includes all materials. Child is responsible for bringing their own cover-up and bottled water. More details will be emailed to those who register for this class.

Splatter, Stick, and Stain This is your get messy, make messy, messy here, messy there, messy EVERYWHERE type of camp for children who like to have fun and create. But before we start, I will read a different book at the beginning of each day that will go along with our project for that day. Your child will enjoy listening to the book and thinking outside of the box while incorporating real art skills and learning about famous artists. Everyday we will create a new piece of artwork for your child to take home and proudly display! This class is appropriate for children entering kindergarten in the fall to 8 years old. Come get your mess on with us! June 25-28 2pm-3pm Cost is $60 per child. Includes all materials. Child is responsible for bringing their own cover-up.

I can't wait! We are going to have super fun and I am looking forward to seeing all of my returning artists and new ones! Here's to splattered paint, black charcoal smudges on our faces, fingers stuck together, colored soaked cover-ups, and messy floors!