3 Superfood Smoothies

June 9, 2019by annahavens10Leave a Comment

Sunday recipe posts are back on Momma Bird Blog! Although this is not a fitness and weight loss blog, nutrition is such a huge part of feeling good.

I often find myself talking nutrition with my husband, because I value the benefits of eating well. Sometimes when he’s really tired, I remind him to have a handful or almonds or an apple. When my family is all feeling under the weather, we focus more on hydration and electrolytes. And when I’m getting to that time of the month, I’m always craving heart healthy foods.

Today, I thought I’d share 3 superfood smoothies, especially for those of you who maybe have small children and not a lot of time to eat a balanced diet. Because when you skip a meal altogether, the burnout goes from a mental to physical state.

I’ve had my own speculations about superfoods because it seems like everything is considered to be this ultra-powerful food. It seems that social media tends to really hype-up any whole food. According to Healthline, there are only 16 real superfoods.

Keep in mind that smoothies are super flexible. You can always play with taste; adding various natural sweeteners, dairy, vitality essential oils, and more. If you decide to use oils, make sure to use 100% therapeutic grade essential oils that are intended to digest. (You don’t want to digest perfume oils or oils that aren’t intended for internal use.) Lastly, I used an emulsion blender to whip these up and served them in plastic stemless wine glasses. Perfect way to get that boost for the day!

Avocado + Spinach

Add some lemon or lime to this energy boosting goodness.

1/4 cup avocado ripened, and cubed
1/4 cup fresh, washed spinach
1/2 cup quartered cucumber
a couple sprigs of cilantro
2 drops of lemon or lime vitality essential oil (100% therapeutic grade)
1/2 cup water to thin
*salt to taste* (optional)

Blend with emulsion blender and taste.

Berry + Watermelon

1 cup of cubed watermelon (no seeds)
1/4 cup of frozen berries
2 drops of lemon vitality essential oil (100% pure therapeutic oil)

No need to add water, the watermelon thins well on its own! Blend and enjoy!

Tropical Ginger

1 whole banana
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
2 drops lemon vitality essential oil (100% therapeutic grade)
fresh grated ginger (a little goes a long way)
Dash of dairy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk

If you prefer a chilled smoothie, just freeze your chopped banana and pineapple ahead of time.

The Three Amigos

Next time we might just have to combine fruits and veggies! Perhaps even a smoothie with a little mint kick would do!

frugal, Health, natural living

Honest Review of Thieves Household Cleaner

April 9, 2019April 11, 2019by annahavens10Leave a Comment

As you may be well aware, I was introduced to essential oils in Fall of 2017. My only interest was in lavender essential oil, which I thought was just a smell good oil. Was I ever wrong!

I thought essential oils were just a trendy product. I was wrong about that, too. Like many people who have never tried them or are new to the process, I was clueless. Essential oils have literally been used for thousands of years, which earns them a lot of credentials (for their health benefits) if you ask me!

I still plainly admit that I still rely on modern medicine. If my doctor prescribes me a prescription, I have no problem taking it. If I have a migraine, I immediately pop an Excedrin. And I absolutely 100% still vaccinate my children!

But, I love this idea of mindfully living! I love the idea of switching out as many harmful chemicals as possible! I love the idea that I can hand a Thieves spray bottle over to my little helpers without worrying if they’ll get some cleaner on their skin. And I LOVE the smell of Thieves!

Gorgeous blue glass bottles actually have a purpose. The blue glass protects the fluid from UV rays that can weaken the EOs strength.

We don’t typically question the big brands we grew up. But, it’s natural to question things we aren’t as familiar with. So, let’s see if I can answer anything you might be curious about!

Is it actually effective to clean with?

According to some sources, it is over 99% effective in killing germs. Apparently you can order petri dishes on Amazon and do your own at-home test. However, in being transparent, I have never done the lab testing myself. I do know that the cleaner works well enough to remove that boiled over gunk off my stove top, as well as other problem-areas. I also trust the research I’ve done and the reviews of my friends who also use essential oils. In fact, the Hudsons’s YouTube channel (I shared with you earlier) is BIG into essential oils and have great things to say about the health benefits!

What does it smell like?

It smells like baking spices, therapeutic-style. The essential oils (in order) used in this are clove, lemon, cinnamon, rosemary and eucalyptus. The cinnamon definitely stands out in the rankings!

How do I use it?

There are so many ways to use Thieves household cleaner! You can use it an an all-purpose spray, glass spray, scouring scrub, disinfectant, toilet bowl cleaner, laundry detergent, spot cleaner, degreaser, mold and mildew cleaner, wood polish, appliance and stainless steel polish, and mop solution.

Check out the Pin I made for you below!

How long does one bottle last?

That 14.4 Fl. OZ. bottle is ultra concentrated. So basically I add 1 capful of this divine goodness to a spray bottle and top off with water. The very same spray bottle should last you a few weeks. If you have a bottle of this on hand and use it for EVERYTHING, it may last anywhere between 6 moths to a year depending on how much you’re cleaning and how concentrated you’re using it.

PIN ME! Here’s a chart for reference!
Any time you need a little extra strength, just add another capful. I didn’t even add the toilet bowl cleaner because I literally just add a capful right in the toilet and scrub! Easy as pie!

Here’s a link to 29 DIY cleaners made with Thieves household cleaner!

Please post in the comments if you’ve you ever thought about trying essential oils! Feel free to ask me questions about them!

Who’s already with Young Living? What’s your favorite product? This is probably my favorite because it’s practical, effective, and smells good!

As with most of my essential oil posts, I’ll share my link with you here to the Young Living catalog (affiliate disclosure below). Feel free to ask me any questions by email or in the comments!

(*** If you buy anything from Young Living through this link, I’ll receive some free products for sharing with you!***)

Have a great day, friends!

***All photos in this post belong to Momma Bird Blog. Do not copy without.***

natural living

Natural Sharpie Remover (Works on Skin)

February 5, 2019February 14, 2019by annahavens10Leave a Comment

**This post contains a link to a website which I may receive a small compensation from. **

When you show your toddler how to write their name, chances are they’ll be more inclined to practice on their own. And chances are if you have a toddler, they will find permanent markers that you didn’t even know you had.

My toddler recently practiced his A’s in Sharpie on our Golden Ecru walls. Then in few short seconds of his undercover work, he managed to add some black strokes to his face also. Sometimes I try to wash the pen ink off with a wet cloth, or let it fade with the week (instead of washing with harsh chemicals). But I’ve been using this one natural miracle remover!

Continue reading “Natural Sharpie Remover (Works on Skin)” →

frugal, Health

Homemade Laundry Detergent

January 11, 2019February 14, 2019by annahavens101 Comment

**This post contains a link to a website which I may receive a small compensation from. **

One thing I’ve learned through my laundry detergent research (and other household products), is that you can’t trust the label. “Plant-based” or “natural” mean nothing when you’re looking for nontoxic fixes. In the USA “natural” has no real legal definition. So, you have to educate yourself a bit on the ingredients on the back label.

Continue reading →

Health

Essential Oil Gift Ideas

November 29, 2018February 14, 2019by annahavens10Leave a Comment

**This post contains a link in which I may receive compensation from.**

Essential oils for gifts! Are you on board?

Here’s why I went from “oils are a fad” to “they’ve changed my life!” And here are some gift ideas for you!

A gift box filled with little glass bottles, luxury soaps, beauty products, and more. Can you just picture how exciting that would be to open?

It’s so fun to smell all of the scents and to decide how you’re going to use them. And the gift of wellness is always worth it!

For those of you who are too stubborn to try them like I was, they’re 100% worth it! I promise!

Continue reading →

Family, Health

Week 1 of Essential Oils [What It Did For My Family]

March 20, 2018February 14, 2019by annahavens105 Comments

Here’s what essential oils really did for my family on the first week.

**This post contains links that I may receive compensation for.**

Last week, I was anxiously waiting the arrival of the delivery guy with my Young Living starter kit. When I saw him pull in, I paced around the house, snatched the box, then had that thing opened up before he could even pull away. 😀

Yes, I was that excited!

Here’s why!

Continue reading “Week 1 of Essential Oils [What It Did For My Family]” →

Family, Health

Hopping on the Essential Oil Bandwagon

March 13, 2018June 9, 2019by annahavens103 Comments

Essential oils have really made a break into society. When they became really popular a few years ago, I wondered why. Here is my discovery.

**This post contains a link in which I may receive compensation for.**

Why Essential Oils?

After going to an oil party a few months ago (for Young Living), I fell in love! At the party, oil diffusers set the mood with relaxing lavender, lemon oil flavored the water (while detoxing), and the Thieves household cleaner actually works! I was given generous samples to try at home and absolutely loved the results!

With some previous knowledge of natural remedies, I knew I wanted to try some products with less side effects. Think about it, every medicine you take has possible side effects. Natural is just safe.

There are so many more benefits to using essential oils and I will share those with you along my personal journey.

I had never really thought about how many toxins are in my house, and how they may be affecting our overall health. But after that, I’m going to be much more mindful!

: Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

Going for it

So, I just wanted to share that I am finally hopping on the essential oil bandwagon. And I am so excited! This has been on the top of my wish list for months! Thanks to a friend who got me started ;-)!

When I hear mindful living, this is what I think of. Taking out all the extra. All the bad. And transitioning to bringing the right things into our home. I know it will be a slow process to making the switch, but I know that we will be living a happy, healthier lifestyle.

Not to mention, we could all use a little mood-enhancing diffuser, sending quiet steam puffs of relaxation, all throughout our homes! (By the way, I went to that party with all three of my kids, and left there relaxed, so that’s why I’m this excited!)

My package will be here any day now and I cannot wait to share with you how awesome all of the Young Living products are!

: One of the samples I received from the oil party!

Did you know

They also carry natural products for:

kids
hygiene
makeup
detox
food
laundry
dishes
pets
more

Learn more about essential oils here!

Save on your next order by starting out with a starter kit using this link!

For those of you who use them already, which is your favorite essential oil (and use)?

Tag: essential oils