Feel free to cozy up with your favorite beverage (if you're like me, then maybe it's an espresso over ice with a splash of cream, or a warm matcha latte if it's cold outside!) and stay awhile. This is my place to share not just beautiful weddings or sessions, but to share my life. My hope is through this, you'll get to know a bit more about me and all the beautiful people that make it worth living! 

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A Mom Set Free, FROM MY HEART, IN MY HOME

January 30, 2018

introducing : a mom set free // living toxin free

a toxin free home, mom set free, diy recipes, laundry detergent, young living essential oils

I figured, what better way to introduce the newest section of my business by inviting you into my home and my heart. My story is deeply rooted in Jesus Christ and the freedom I’ve found in Him, but in that, I have waded through muddy waters and been pulled out of trenches of self abuse, shame and fear. I’ve battled things like an eating disorder that has crippled me since my childhood and kept me from fully living. I’ve told myself I’m not good enough and not worthy to share my story. You’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with the title of this post. Let me just say : toxins can attack our bodies. And I’m not just talking about the toxic chemicals out there that we are exposed to on a daily basis. I’m talking about the toxic words, and the toxic attacks that the enemy tries to throw at us. The things in our life that we eat or drink, wear, wash our clothes in, wash our hearts with and purify our homes with have the ability to either harm or nourish and bring life.

A month ago, I was sitting in my bedroom quietly praying and seeking God’s will for 2018. Little did I know He was going to completely wreck my heart just a few short days later. I had intentions to have a word for the year, to have goals written out, to have all of these little pieces of the puzzle in line to be put to use throughout the year. You see, I’ve always craved a desire for perfection. I’ve had an ideal “body type” and “dream home”, “dream car” and ideal “future” planned out. I mean, come on. I know I’m not the only one. You see, we set these intentions and goals that are UNABLE to be reached because we make them so big. We make them OUT of our reach. We set intentions and goals that are SO big that we fail. We fail over and over. And that leads to a spiraling daily battle of self abuse and self shame because we “failed” yet again. I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how many days I have wasted by looking in the mirror and saying to myself “well, I’m not my ideal today, I’m such a failure.” I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how many hours I have wasted scrolling through social media, only to find myself wallowing in a bottomless pit of despair because I didn’t measure up to these nutrition phenomenons and inspiring foodies, and my home and lifestyle didn’t match that of these seemingly perfect scenes that you want to jump right into. You see, our society has created a CRAVING for perfection. A craving for it ALL. A craving for this, a craving for that, and you know exactly where it leads you?

Isolation.

A place where satan does what he does best. A place where he meets us and fires at us these missiles that blow up these words of failure, doubt, anxiety, shame, fear, insecurity, despair, depression, slavery, bondage, loneliness, imperfection, not-good-enough. Just writing those words makes my heart sink. It’s his daily and interminable intention to BEAT US DOWN. To tear us up and to get us to a place where we feel like we cannot reach our goal.

But you know what? I’ve been created and MET and redeemed by a FATHER who has done the very same for you. And His daily intention is just to simply LOVE us. To protect us. To heal us. And the words that He speaks so gently over our broken hearts are words like :

Child. Beautiful. Redeemed. Talented. Gifted. Precious. Good Enough. Chosen. Secure. Confident. Fearless. Courageous. Driven. Protected. Made new. 

And writing those very words covers my body from head to toe in those holy-like goosebumps that only come when you know that truth has been spoken. And He wants to speak truth over our hearts and our minds and our bodies every single day. And what He desires more than anything is that we would just call upon His name and lay down every single chain and burden at the foot of the cross where He has redeemed our lives.

Friend, I just want to tell you that the burdens you are carrying were never meant to be carried by you in the first place. 

The burdens you are carrying have already been won. They have already been redeemed. They have already been broken.

I want to encourage you to print out these truths. Proclaim them over your heart. Believe them and know them and know who He says you are.

“So then, if I am in Christ, I am a new creation.”

“For freedom, Christ has set me free.”

“For He chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world that I may be holy and unblemished in His sight in love.”

“In Him, I have redemption through His blood.”

“For I am His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works.”

“And my God will supply my every need according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

That. Right there. And MY God will supply my every need

My every need.

So there’s no need to beat yourself up and drag yourself down and think you don’t measure up or your life is not good enough because you don’t have that perfect instagram home or wardrobe, body shape or car to drive. I can tell you right now that He looks at you with love and gentleness and thinks you are the most beautiful woman in the entire world.

After all, He created YOU in His very image for His glory.

And all of the lies that satan wants us to believe are LIES against the very things that Jesus has said YOU are. Give it up. It’s not worth wasting this precious gift of life with lies that slowly kill.

So welcome. Welcome to this little part of my heart and my life where I have been set free. And not just set free from all of this. But set free, too, from toxins that once filled my home and my heart.

So I thought, what better way to introduce toxin free living than through laundry detergent. Because as “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

And I believe that in that, we are to clothe ourselves with pure, clean clothes, too. :) This is my favorite recipe I have adapted and introduced in our home. Well, this is and our dishwasher detergent. That’ll be next. ;) If you’ve been on the fence and you’re ready to make the jump into a cleaner lifestyle, I want to encourage you that it will be the best investment you will ever make into your health and the health of your babies. I want you to experience the freedom of being a mom set free. It’s a beautiful life to live.

non toxic laundry detergent

1 . 5 cups washing soda

1 . 5 cups baking soda

1 /2 cup epsom salt

2 tbsp sea salt

1 capful Thieves cleaner (optional)

3 – 6 drops essential oils

(I use lemon, lavender, & rosemary)

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and use 1 tablespoon per load. Use 2 tablespoons for heavy loads that you feel need an extra boost. I double this recipe and it lasts forever!

Washing soda can be found at any grocery store, and is usually under $3 a box. Baking soda is cheapest at Costco in the bulk bags! Just think, when you buy epsom salts & baking soda that’s the base for the best bath salts ever, too! <3

If you want to jump into this new lifestyle, you can simply click this link! I would recommend starting with the Premium Starter Kit (+ adding Thieves cleaner), or the Thieves cleaning kit!!! I wish someone would have introduced this to me even sooner. The benefits are endless. A simplified home. Seriously. The Thieves cleaner is the only cleaner I use for my entire home!!! You simply use 1 capful to every 16-32 oz of water, so one bottle of cleaner can last upwards of 6-9 months! Uhh, we’re talking like $1.05 for a bottle of toxin-free cleaner that’s so safe your toddler can use it. Whaaaat!!!

Ok, I’ll stop blabbing! If ya want the hookup for dishwasher detergent, lemme know in the comments and I’ll get that ready to share!! <3 Enjoy!

toxin free laundry detergent, young living essential oils

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