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weight loss, before and after, organic, transformation

12 Week Transformation Breakdown

weight loss, fitness, transformation, diet, shake

Essante Organics 12 week Transformation: Before & After

Well, this is it folks,  the end of my 1st 12 week Essante Organics Transformation Challenge!

Here are a few final thoughts I wanted to share with all of you who have followed my journey over the last few months. http://myorganictransformation.weebly.com

This challenge offered many rewards, both emotional and physical.

My most emotionally rewarding experience throughout this process was watching how my determination and perseverance effected and inspired others. My 4 year old daughter now asks to exercise with me daily. My husband and parents beam with pride as they brag to their friends about my progress. Other friends and family members tell me how I’ve inspired them to get healthy. Everyone around m has increased their activity level and/or their diet in one way or another.

Physically, my most rewarding experience has been accomplishing more than I ever believed I could. I’ve reduced my body fat by 20%. I’ve become a cyclist. I’ve become a swimmer. I’ve started attending a local boot camp. I’ve become a fitness addict!

At the start of this contest, if someone told me that I would accomplish or become any one of those things I would have laughed and reminded them of my disability and my hectic schedule with 2 small children. How on earth can a stay at home mom find time and energy to do all of that…much less a mom who happens to be a hemiplegic? Well, I not only did it, but I KILLED IT!!!

weight loss, before and after, organic, transformation

Essante Organics 12 week Transformation: Before & After

This challenge has also redefined how I define success.

“I don’t believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.” –Ken Venturi

My goal is always to be better than I was yesterday…That is success!!!

I’d LOVE to hear about your goals, challenges, successes! Please share in the comments below!

 

Organic Baby

Essante_Baby_Safe

I was so honored to be included in this hangout! Join ME, several of my lovely associates, and our awesome CEO as we share with you our AMAZING and baby-friendly catalog of products.

Are you aware of all of the dangerous chemicals you’re loading onto and into your babies on a daily basis? GOOD NEWS – There is an alternative!!!

*around 30 minutes listen for a top secret reveal that is yet to be released!*

[embedit snippet=”baby-care-that-cares-essante-organics-100-toxic-free-baby-products”]

Well Rested Mama

lavender essential oil

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LINKS:

Essante Lavender Essential Oil: http://tinyurl.com/lxgssqy

Essante Green Mandarin Essential Oil: http://tinyurl.com/m5bp7v7

Essante Sweet Dreams Essential Oil Blend: http://tinyurl.com/kab4vyv

Infononline 500ml Aroma Diffuser : http://tinyurl.com/l74orz7

**The FDA has not evaluated these statements. Products  are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

cyber monday, Essante, organic essential oils, beauty, baby, nutrition, work at home, business, deal, 50% off, 60% off, 80% off, free, www.ThepHMama.com

Cyber Monday

cyber monday, Essante, organic essential oils, beauty, baby, nutrition, work at home, business, deal, 50% off, 60% off, 80% off, free, www.ThepHMama.com

Did you brave the madness on Black Friday or have you been patiently waiting on Cyber Monday? Maybe you are sly enough the shop both!

In either case, please check out the awesome deals I’m offering through my at home business. These savings don’t come around often and will vanish at midnight tonight!

Happy Shopping!!!

Click HERE to save 50%-80% on certified organic and toxic free products.

Toxic-free Automatic Shower Cleaner

 

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I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about my homemade automatic shower cleaner recipe so here it is…

What you’ll need: Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower system with empty cartridge bottles (I recommend 3), vinegar, baking soda, toxic free soap, and cling wrap.

Method: Remove the cap from the cartridge bottle (this part can be tricky) and empty and rinse if needed. My husband was able to remove the caps and shave down the “teeth” with various tools in the garage…no idea what. Another method is to dip the capped bottle in boiling water for a few seconds to soften the plastic then carefully twist it off with an oven mitt.
First, add the baking soda, then fill the bottle half way with water. Slowly add vinegar to fill the bottle the rest of the way and finish by adding the soap…a little goes a long way. I place a small piece of cling wrap over the opening before replacing the cap to prevent leaking while reinserting cartridge in sprayer. Don’t worry, the sprayer will pierce the cling wrap when inserted.

Spray after each shower while walls are still wet. It’s just that simple!

Of course, the same solution works great in a spray bottle if you want to manually spray your shower after each use, but who has time for that…right? 😉

I’ve been using this recipe for about 6 months and our shower is cleaner than ever. Granted, I started with a clean shower, but we have very hard water and still my glass shower door is spotless.

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My breakfast most every morning. SO yummy!
The pH 7.365 alkalizes and adds protein…and yummyness
The Earth Greens adds 5.5 POUNDS of live, raw, green, organic, alkaline, whole food, nutrient dense vegetation
Spinach keeps me fuller longer
And the coffee …is… well, ESSENTIAL. 😉

How I Adapted to Being a SAHM

This is the true story of how I became a stay at home mom (SAHM).

When I discovered I was pregnant with our 1st child I was working full-time as a part-time and fill in Speech Pathologist. Confusing, right? Basically, I worked 2 days a week for one company and occupied the rest of my days covering for sick leave, vacations, maternity, etc. for another company. My health insurance was covered by my husband’s job so I was free to make my own schedule and the pay was excellent. It was a dream set up! I worked in a variety of settings with a variety of patients and my days were never boring. I was EXCITED to get up and go to work each day. No REALLY, I loved my job!

I continued to work for most of my pregnancy (often retreating to my car to upchuck). Everyone was very understanding and accommodating. My plan was to work as much as possible for as long as possible to build up a good cushion in the bank for my planned 6 week leave after baby arrived…remember the “perk” I mentioned above about being on my hubby’s benefits…that meant no paid leave for yours truly.

Around the 7 month mark my body had had enough. I was beginning to depend on a cane for balance and a wheelchair for long distances…it was time to begin my leave.

I missed my coworkers, my patients, and the joy of helping others. I couldn’t wait to get back to work…

Then my daughter arrived…

When my 6 week “deadline” arrived, I was not ready to leave my baby girl…so I stayed home another few weeks. Things were slow at my part-time gig so I decided to return there first. I had family willing to step up for childcare, so that was a bit of stress I was able to avoid.

My new return day came and off I went, breast pump in hand, back to work. It was good to be back in the “real world” for a few hours…

…I was miserable. I was torn between guilt for leaving my baby and the duty of being a strong role model for her and contributing to the household income. Mix in feelings of responsibility to my patients and for their well being…and…well…I was a disaster…or just a normal hormonal new mom returning to work…

I ended up making a bit of a compromise by transferring to an office closer to home with the the higher paying of the 2 companies and agreeing to work no more than 2-3 days per week. It was still a pay cut, but we adjusted our household budget and were able to still live comfortably.

However, remember how I mentioned above that I was “excited” to go to work each day…well, I had lost that loving feeling, woh-o that loooving feeeeling…now it’s gone, gone, gone woh-o-woh-o-oh

Two years later I found out that I was pregnant with our second. This time, we decided we’d figure out a way to make it primarily on my husband’s income.

We moved to a house in need of less upkeep, got a better mortgage, and I began working from home in direct sales.

The transition from being a “work outside the home mom” to a “network marketing SAHM” was not as easy as I anticipated. However, I decided to choose a company that promoted healthy living so I could feel like I was still perusing my original mission of taking care of people, there was just a lot less paperwork. 😉

The 1st company I chose to work with paid well, but ended up not being as “healthy” as they claimed to be. After a bit of research into their ingredients and my son’s allergic reaction to my breastmilk when I consumed the “safe” products…I resigned.

I was ready to give up on the idea of promoting with a direct sales company all together. And that’s ok. I learned a lot. In the end, it was important to me to promote for a company that shared my values and desire to educate and help others.

Fast forward a few weeks…

As many of you know, my son suffers with severe eczema and an allergy to dairy. A family member introduced me to the Essante Organics line of organic baby products and dairy and soy free organic protein shakes. I tried the products and quickly became a lifelong fan.

I couldn’t wait to try the entire catalog! When I found out Essante was a direct sales company it was a no brainer and I was back in the game.

Our home is now filled with Essante products…stuff for the kids, skin care, nutrition, alkalizing products, essential oils. I really had no idea how many products I had and used every day until I made to video below. I guess Essante is just so integrated into our lives now that it’s just become part of our routine. This was a huge revelation for me as I always feel like our journey to live an organic lifestyle is moving so slowly. I guess we’ve made it a lot further than I thought!

Another thing I love about Essante is that, as a company, we strive to educate others about living a healthy and organic lifestyle 1st. Emphasis on promoting products comes second.

Essante inspired me to follow through with my 4 year dream of bringing this blog to life and provided me with the tools and knowledge to make it successful. Our emphasis on education drove me to obtain my certification as a Lactation Counselor (CLC) (What’s more organic than breastmilk, right?). Essante has given this workaholic SAHM an outlet to help and inspire others while earning a paycheck.

I’m not sure what the future holds for me as a Speech Pathologist or CLC, but for now I have recaptured my excitement to “go to work” each morning as a mom, a blogger, and an Essante executive.

What gets you out of bed each morning?

If you would like more information about Essante, please leave me a comment below or visit www.EssanteMama.com.

Essante Organics

Must-Haves For Cloth Diapering Mamas

I know I’ve mentioned this product before, but there are just so many reasons to love Essante Sanitizer.

As you guys know, I love playing around with cloth diapers and the endless combinations one can create with the right pieces.

So yesterday, I put my son in a pad and cover in an attempt to gain more confidence in my ability to position everything correctly on my fidgety baby.

I must have done something right, because the diaper held through a 3+ hour nap with no leaks!

So anywho, back to my point…After I changed the soaked pad and laid the cover out to dry, I had an idea…Why not spray the cover with Essante Sanitizer. It’s chemical free, it’s easy, and it will extend the life of my diapers. Sure I could wipe the cover down with a baby wipe, but would I really be getting rid of the germs that can potentially cause odor…or just wiping them around?

Just as I expected, the cover was fresh, dry and ready to be worn again at next diaper change.

Here’s the best part…This stuff is safe enough to spray directly on baby! Works on diaper rash and booboos, helps with ear infections, spray in nose to head off a cold, and it even sanitizes toys, pacifiers, and breast pump parts!

This spray is a mama’s best friend.

Essante Sanitizer

Essante Sanitizer

Even as I’m writing this post, I’m chasing my sneezy snotty daughter around spraying it in her nose and on everything she sneezes on. My son scraped his knuckles this morning, Lord only knows how, so he is getting sprayed as well.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a huge vinegar lover for household cleaning and disinfecting. I’m just saying there are some things, like my baby’s bottom, that I would prefer not to smell like salt and vinegar chips.

The ingredients in this stuff are simple:
Purified water, stabilized active oxygen, sodium cocoyl glutamate (derived from coconut oil & glutamate amino acid), and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

Sanitizer Efficacy Data

It’s so mild and gentle that I can spray it directly on my son’s diaper rash and eczema flare ups to soothe and prevent infection.

My next secret weapon is Essante Laundry Liquid Concentrate. It is a powerful 100% organic, 100% chemical free, plant-based detergent that loosens & magnetizes dirt away, without weakening fabric. One bottle cleans 32 loads of laundry.
Essante Laundry Liquid Concentrate

Essante Laundry Liquid Concentrate

This stuff is loaded with only organic and pure ingredients:
Organic Purified Water
Anionic & Nonionic Soy & Coconut Cleansing Agents
Sodium Citrate (Salt) An anti-redeposition Agent
Sodium Metasilicate (Alkaline Builder)
As most cloth diapering mamas know, you must be diligent about what you use to wash your baby’s fluff. What could be safer and more effective than nature?

For diapers, I also add a scoop or 1/4 cup of baking soda just to give the diapers that extra bit of freshness. Works like a charm. All our diapers are clean, fresh, and stain free.

Again, my son has very sensitive skin and Essante Laundry Liquid has helped combat his eczema flare ups and has given me one less thing to worry about.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m in the process of adapting my home to become as green and chemical free as possible. These products are just a few of my baby steps…pun intended.

Happy Baby + Clean Dry Bum = One Less Thing for This Mama to Worry About!

Now it’s your turn. How do you keep your diapers fresh? What are your tips and tricks to extending the life of your cloth?

photo-3

 

 

Eczema…it’s so much more than a rash.

My son, Chase, has a wicked dairy allergy resulting in horrible eczema.
He was about 4 months old when the eczema manifested itself. He had always suffered from digestive issues, which I later discovered were linked to the daily whey protein shakes that I was drinking (talk about feeling guilty!), but no abnormal skin issues to speak of.

At Chase’s 4 month check up His peditrician refered us to a dermatologist. The dermatologist diagnosed Chase with eczema, impetigo, and infantile seborrheic dermatitis or cradle cap. He sent us home with a prescription for an antibiotic for the impetigo and several recommendations for over-the-counter creams as well as two prescription lotions. Nothing really seem to help.
In February, I was introduced to Essante Organics. Essante not only offeres an organic protein shake that is soy, dairy, and gluten free, but they also have a 100% organic baby line. Desperate to help our son, we ordered their baby wash and baby lotion immediately. With the use of these products Chase’s eczema cleared up in three days. I still have to avoid dairy and know every ingredient in the food I eat and introduce to him, but the hardest part of the battle was over…or so I thought…

*Update*
We have now added Essante Sanitizing Spray to our eczema regime. This spray is powerful enough to sanitize my diaper covers, yet safe and gentle enough to spray on raw scratched spots.

Unfortunately, since Chase spent most of his early months scratching, it had become a habit. He had learned that scratching would get my attention and often lead to nursing for comfort (smart kid, right?). Any gains we made were often lost due to scratching and irritating his fragile skin.

We were unable to find long sleeve onesies with fold over sleeves in the larger sizes that my son needed. We tried mittens with velcro and even homemade ones with secured draw strings, but as a seven-month old Chase became very skilled at taking them off. Not to mention, mittens can be very difficult to put on a protesting active baby and even more so, wrestling him down with one hand in the dark at 2am.

Then we found Scratch Me Not.

ScratchMeNots are a uni sleeve or cardigan type contraption with fold over mittens that can be worn year round. Each ScratchMeNot is made in the USA from a Bamboo/Cotton blend. The mittens also have a silk outer layer that provides reduced friction against the skin..

ScratchMeNots come in sizes up to 3T. However, should you need a size that is not listed, they will create one especially for you!

I love this company and I have been very pleased with their customer service, as well as, the products.

Thanks to ScratchMeNot, my son is sleeping better and I am not waking up to pulled hair and fresh scratches (on Chase and myself) each morning.

And lest we forget the adaptive part…this alternative to traditional mittens is a lifesaver when it comes to putting them on a squirmy baby. No more fastening and tightening or wrestling to put them back on. I simple put his ScratchMeNot on like a jacket and fold over the mitten cuffs. Easy peasy! Chase has yet to figure out how to get out of his ScratchMeNot and I don’t foresee that becoming a problem as long as I keep him in the right size.

****Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. I am an executive with Essante Organics and only receive compensation through their outlined system (sales, bonuses, commissions, etc).

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Essante organics sanitizer

Chemicals vs. Baby Poop

This whole “going organic” process has made me painfully aware of how strongly chemicals smell. Products that I’ve used to clean for years and that never bothered me, now make my nose and throat burn…baby poop ain’t got nothing on chemical stench!

I’ve also become more concerned about washing off the chemicals that I touch, than I am about washing up after changing a poopie diaper. That may sound gross to you, but watch 10 Americans or The Toxic Truth and you might understand.

So here’s how I’m adapting

I refilled my Swiffer Wet Jet bottle with a water, vinegar, and organic essential oils  (for a better smell and to condition my wood floors) solution. I also refilled my Scrubbing Bubbles automatic shower sprayer with a water and vinegar solution. I am replacing all of our sanitizers with an organic sanitizer, because bacteria & fungi find it almost impossible to survive in 100% stabilized oxygen, the primary active ingredient in Essante Organics Sanitizer. This stuff is safe enough to spray on my baby, yet powerful enough to sanitize our toilets!

You don’t necessarily have to give up your conveniences to live chemical free. Just find ways to adapt the products you love.

Sanitizer