Our Weekend Adventure In The Beautiful Outdoors.....Minus The Bug Bites!!!

Fresh air, blooming wildflowers, tree frogs singing, green leaves, warmer temps, mushroom season....

These things make me smile! Spring is here and I LOVE being outside with my family! This past Saturday late afternoon/early evening, my husband, toddler, and myself decided to go for a walk in our woods and we spent over an hour out there looking at plants, appreciating the weather, and getting some fresh air! This particular walk was even MORE ENJOYABLE than previous adventures in the woods due to one INCREDIBLE fact: Between the 3 of us, we got ZERO bug bites. ZERO. 

(Do you know how rare that is for us in the middle of the woods with mosquitos and ticks present?!!)

HALLELUJAH!

Non-toxic options are of HUGE importance to me.....ESPECIALLY when I want to spray something on my little one....or on my now pregnant self! (As you know EVERYTHING we apply on our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream and into our bodies! Toxic ingredients have a long-term negative effect on our overall health!) I have NEVER been a fan of "deet" products.....but I am also NOT a fan of bug bites and until now, many natural bug spray options haven't "cut" it for me! Any time I cannot find something that meets my picky standards, I end up researching, experimenting with herbs and ingredients, and formulating my OWN recipe! That is exactly what I did for this season (because nothing else met my expectations last year hahaha)

If you are looking for a natural option that WORKS, you will LOVE my handmade Herbal Anti-Bug Mist! Many of you go for walks, hikes, have kiddos who play outdoor sports, go camping, enjoy float trips, fishing, picnics, biking, etc. This is the perfect solution to have on hand! Feel confident in what you're spraying on not only yourself, but also on your loved ones!

Shake and spray......get outside and enjoy your day!!!!!!

Ingredients:

Witch Hazel, Vitamin B1, An Intentional Blend of Essential Oils. (I do NOT use eucalyptus oil as that is controversial for those ages 10 and under!)

To Order Click Here: www.faithnesshealth.com

Local pickup is available in Hillsboro, MO and shipping is available in the USA! (Orders over $50 ship FREE!) *This herbal bug spray pairs wonderfully with my organic elderberry syrup to prevent allergies and support sinuses naturally and also my herbal healing salve to apply to scrapes, cuts, and other boo boos from playing outside! All items are safe for little ones! (This mama wants the best for my little Nova and for your little ones as well!!!)

Transparent Post From 2011 Regarding My Digestion...Keeping It Real

Transparent post.....gotta keep it real with ya.

While sorting out a junk pile this morning, I stumbled across this. I'll never forget how I felt EIGHT YEARS AGO. I had stabbing pain that made some days miserable. While on the outside to others, I looked like I felt fine, but the abdominal pain I had was debilitating....and here's the thing. I did not know what it was from. I ended up going to a GI doctor who listened to my complaints, analyzed symptoms, and after the appointment prescribed me medication to help with my symptoms.

I WISH THAT YOUNGER ME THEN KNEW WHAT I KNOW NOW.

Yes, the doctor I saw did what he was trained to do. There is a time and place to see doctors when you do not have the answers.....but from everything I have learned first hand and put into practice now - I know there is a better way.

One of the tests they ran showed me I was lactose intolerant. That was probably the most helpful thing I took away from that visit....(although if I had thought to keep a food log then, I could have decided that on my own...)

Here's the thing. SO MANY PEOPLE are given prescriptions to "fix" digestive issues while in all honesty, those prescriptions only mask the issue (not to mention the lovely side effects that come along with it) - sort of like putting a bandaid on a broken bone. Those medical professionals did not mention looking into healing my gut, checking my pH levels, looking in depth for food triggers, adding in things to help with my digestion....they simply handed me a prescription...which is their job - but it didn't cut it for me. (I'll keep it short by saying that Big Pharma cannot make $$$ on healthy or well-feeling people! ...and I'll leave it at that.)

I did not want to live my life on that prescription...so I avoided dairy for some time...and ya know what? My symptoms improved.

EVERYTHING food and drink wise we put in our body is either viewed as medicine, nutrition, or a toxin.

When we have issues like I did in 2011 flare up it is our body's "CHECK ENGINE" light coming on!

Those things don't just happen for no reason. Our bodies are designed to work like a well-oiled machine when treated properly (and everyone is unique! It really is individualized!)

I want you to hear me out for a second. Perhaps you're suffering from some sort of digestive issue and the only thing that has been done for you so far is you've been prescribed a pill to take. Do you plan to keep living the way you are and simply accepting that diagnosis? Or are you ready to do some DIGGING and get to the root of the cause and improve and/or eliminate it?!!

The choice is yours. Everyone is different and it is completely up to you with what you will do from this point on.

Speaking for myself now in 2019.....after changing how I view food in the past few years, having a kid in 2015, after going through the changes that come along with how your body is impacted from growing a human, how your sleep (or lack of sleep) is impacted, how you decide to role model lifestyle habits etc....(the list could be so much longer but you get the idea)

I FEEL BETTER NOW THEN I DID IN 2011!!!!!!!!!

Let me repeat that.....I feel better NOW at almost 30 then I did in my early 20's!!!!!!!! That is HUGE for me because I realize that I have the power to change my digestion, to transform my body, and to truly understand on a deeper level what certain foods do to my body - now in a positive way! It all comes down to lifestyle choices.

THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU.

I want to be an encouragement to you.

I want to inspire you to take your wellness into your own hands. Take more responsibility for how you live....for the outcome you feel from what you eat and drink. Each meal you enjoy should leave you feeling BETTER than you did before consuming it!

It is still the beginning of 2019. THIS YEAR CAN BE YOUR BEST YEAR YET.

What are you willing to do?

What changes are you willing to make?

Here are some things I changed: (and it took years of adding in healthy layers, which is what I love teaching now also)

- Starting With An Elimination Diet

-Combining a few ways of eating for how I feel best now (there is no such thing as a perfect diet for everyone)

-Healing my gut (you can do this WITHOUT medication)

-Learning how to check, balance, and maintain healthy pH levels

-Incorporating natural options to support my adrenals, immune system, and energy levels

-Focusing on how to adjust my work life and lifestyle to eliminate stress and increase JOY
-Living with my newfound balance......it is SUCH A RELIEF!

I HAVE MORE SUGGESTIONS FOR YOU IF YOU'RE OPEN TO THEM AND WILLING TO MAKE SOME LIFESTYLE CHANGES. THE CHOICE IS YOURS.

Let me save you some tests, let me save you some misery with how you may be feeling in the digestion department. Let me encourage you and walk with you on this journey to your BEST SELF!

Anyways, long post - but I had to share with you when I found this piece of paper. I remember feeling so frustrated and totally get where you're coming from if you can relate to this! It has been a road of re-educating myself and I am SO happy I decided to take that leap and start that journey.......I want the same for you! I will be 30 next month and I feel the best I ever have. I have found my "groove" of how to live without dieting, to enjoy splurges without derailing, to stay active to stay strong, and how to be my absolute best for my little Nova. She deserves a happy and healthy mom.......and I cannot wait to see how I feel in another 5, 10, 20 years! To start the same journey I did and to have me along side you to answer your questions and keep you motivated, jump in my wellness accountability group! Knowledge is power when taking your health into your own hands. I'm excited to teach you! Click "join me" for more info...

Here's the link you need: JOIN ME!

The New Must Have For Everyone In Your Household

Ever wonder what you can grab in a pinch to help with wounds, skin issues, natural healing, overall topical wellness? I have the solution for you! I have this in my purse, in my toddler's room, and also in my vanity...This little tin contains some powerful healing ingredients such as organic butters and oils, herbs, and essential oils to help with ALL KINDS of issues: 

-Cuts-Burns-Acne-Bruises-Scrapes-Eczema -Skin Irritations-Diaper Rash-Welts-Insect Bites-Post Surgery Wounds-Sunburns-Wrinkles -Blisters


-Protects, Disinfects, and Moisturizes
-Stimulates Skin Repair
-Eases Joint Pain From Arthritis
-Antimicrobial
-Anti-fungal
-Natural Emollient
-Anti-Inflammatory
-Soothes Body Aches
-Prevents Wound Infections
-Repairs Skin Tissues

"Happy Healing" is the name of my all-purpose salve and I know that you and your loved ones will benefit from it while falling in love with the scent, feel, and results of using it!

Shipping is available on my online store:  www.faithnesshealth.com
Cost for this is $11 per tin.

Feel free to contact me with any questions you think of!

Ingredients: Local Raw Beeswax, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, An Intentional Blend Of Essential Oils.

*Variations available with and without loose, organic Echinacea. 

Natural healing is better. When something works in sync with how our bodies were created to heal, you can bet it is effective! I can't wait for you to start incorporating this!

-Andrea Newkirk

Grieving The Loss Of A Sibling...

 “As long as I am working on my grief, the grief work is working”.

It may take months or even years to get to the place where we feel back to "ourselves"........

I am finding this is how grieving works.....and I am allowing God to fill the gaps, fill the voids, as He hears my thoughts while knowing my every emotion along this journey of two years today......

Losing a sibling is not the most common of topics or discussions....
If you have lost a sibling I can relate to how you are feeling......When a parent dies, you lose the past. When a child dies, you lose the future. When a sibling dies, you lose the past and the future.... That is the grief of a sibling—grief for what was past, and grief for what should have been the future. It is a different type of grief that not everyone experiences....

ALL types of grief are difficult. ALL chapters of readjusting and re-learning how to live from that moment of loss, forward are for sure a journey and a process of finding that new version of ourselves...it demands a different version of us we NEVER thought we'd need to discover....

There are so many emotions and phases tied with losing a sibling and I'll share some of mine since there is no such thing as "normal" :

-Shock
-Pain
-Anger
-Regret
-Guilt
-Working Through Processing
-Acceptance 
-Reconstruction
-Hope
-Living Intentionally
-Focusing Only On Good Memories 
-Joy (YES. This is possible. I used to have guilt about feeling this way as I heal, but that is a LIE from the enemy. There is NOTHING wrong with having JOY again after a tragedy...God still wants us to live JOY-FILLED lives as our time on earth is only temporary! Our loss does not define us, but rather becomes part of our story and character)

I've heard it said that healing takes time.
That is 100% true.
I've heard it said that it gets easier with time.
That is also true......Time does not make the pain go away, however the sting of those raw emotions lessen....

I honestly do not know how people deal with the loss of a loved one without God. The comfort, the love, the peace, the support, and now the joy I am walking through is ONLY from God. There is NOTHING that could even come close to how God has helped me and is still currently helping me, and will continue to help me with my healing from this difficult experience in my life.

I want to encourage you to press into God.....
I want to remind you to allow healing to take time. Take the time you need.....
I want to let you know I'm here to talk if you need a listening ear, someone to cry with, someone to remind you that it is OKAY to feel these things.....

God created us for relationships and to feel deep emotions....both good and bad ones. 
God also created us with a longing for a savior...to have a relationship with Him, who is sooooooo much larger than this world and anything we will face. And we WILL have trials, tough chapters, and moments of confusion......

You can't rush your healing.

It is a journey.

Just as a flower loses its petals and blooms again the next spring, so will we shed tears, mourn the loss of our loved one, but we will ALSO be renewed, we will grow and bloom again to our fullest potential through this season as that is how God wants us to live!

I'm currently reading the book, "In a pit with a lion on a snowy day." 
It is helping me with my mindset in this season and journey of healing and growth. It is helping me process how I face anxieties and fears that I never experienced until losing my brother. If you're looking for a good read that isn't necessarily for grief, but rather for living a victorious and courageous life, check it out!

I want you to heal.
I want you to grow.
I know you will come out stronger on the other end.

Keep going.
One day at a time.
God's got this.
God's got you. 

And Just Like That.....Three Years Have Gone By

It is both crazy and amazing to think that three years have gone by. Since the moment I became a mom, time has passed by much more quickly than I ever could have imagined. Some days I'm hesitant to blink because I know that another day will be over and my little girl will be another day older. I find myself cherishing every significant "first" with Nova.

Being a parent is such a beautiful experience. While as much as we want them to stay little, we also get so excited for the "firsts" and the milestones. I get excited watching Nova mature and grow into her little self. (Each "first" is exciting and parents reading this, you get it so I'll share!) Today's milestone? She went potty on the big potty all alone. (I'm talking all by herself!) Lights on, up onto the potty without a step stool, did it all alone and back to me with a ginormous smile on her face when she saw me grinning back at her. "You're ready for pre-school" I told her.....She beamed and replied, "I am older and bigger Mom." 

It is crazy to think she will start pre school next week. She is ready. She is more than excited and I know that I'll be the sentimentally tearful one when that morning arrives.......gosh can time slow jussssst a teeeeenie bit? She seems much older than three some days... My heart is full as I get to watch her bloom into the Nova that she is meant to be! She is a bundle of energy and loves making up songs for me...Nova has so many different expressions and I am happy to have captured a few...

 

She has a BIG personality......she makes me laugh with her thoughts, her VERY honest comments, and her wild imagination. Seeing life through her eyes makes living SO exciting! Kids are awesome. They remind us what life is supposed to be about. Less worrying, more time appreciating the day at hand. More dreaming and imagining. Simply living as ourselves and keeping it transparent, without a care in the world. Her silly spirit and carefree attitude is teaching me to go with the flow more. Every day is an adventure......and it is supposed to be that way. It is easy to get caught up in routine that we forget about spontaneity (thank goodness Nova reminds me how often we need to do spur of the moment things! haha) See her two pictures above with that smirk? She's reaching into her pocket for some little marshmallows I bribed her with for these pics we took! (Yep. bribery works wonders sometimes) She was so excited to have those little goodies in her pocket during out little photoshoot outside! Actually, even taking these pics were spur of the moment - outfit and all! If you have a toddler,  then you understand the beauty of capturing a good mood, a bit of patience on their part, and decent weather to make it all come together! This chair? It happened to be on the front porch as we went outside so I grabbed it....her Corduroy bear? A prize from her summer reading program. Her green corduroy dress? It had been hanging in her closet waiting for the perfect opportunity.....Nova was SO excited they matched! Like I was saying.....Spontaneity. It happened to work out perfectly and it was FUN! I'll never forget her excitement and expression when I held her green dress next to her bear and she saw they coordinated! Nova couldn't wait to take pictures with her bear! (I LOVE how excited she gets over small things.....so sweet)

She's fun. Being a mom is fun. (Yes it is also a whole bunch of other things that can sometimes wear me out physically and emotionally......but in this specific entry I'm focusing on those fun moments when all is well with the world, YOU KNOW what I'm talking about - that moment your toddler is smiling with marshmallows and cooperating for a few pictures! LOL) Our outdoor cat, "Sawyer" also made an appearance off and on while we snapped photos....he's a very curious cat who loves going on hikes in the woods with us and even follows us down the road on our walks......he's a sweetie who showed up one day (about two or three months ago now) and he has belonged in our little family ever since. Nova loves animals and loves helping take care of him.

I love seeing life through her eyes. Those precious little blue eyes. (It is crazy to me just how much she has matured in the last few months.....almost like someone pressed fast forward and I think it is from her getting excited about being "older" for school! Last week she kept saying, "I am brave and strong." Oh Nova......you sure are!)

Enough photos for now - there are more I can share at another time......I just smile as I look through all of the candid ones we captured together. Her little personality continues to shine more and more the older she gets. I still have my moments when I realize how quickly time is going, and I can also say I am excited for each new milestone with Nova! Just like that, three years have gone by and I am so very excited for what the future hold with this little blue-eyed, curly headed, spunky-dimpled girl! 

I love being her Mama.......and I'm excited for our next milestone of preschool next week!

-Andrea Newkirk

#happy3