Top 10 Tips for a Healthy Homemade Super Bowl Party!

"Are you ready for some footbaaaaaaaaaaaaawl?"

I'm not a dedicated fan to this high impact aggressive sport, but I do have fond memories of sitting on my dad's lap as a kid while he cheered on the 49'ers. The sound of football on tv in the background on Sunday afternoons brings me right back to my childhood. Once I was married, I sort of adopted my husband's team and followed them during the playoffs. Hey, I enjoy a good beer and wings were sort of my "thing."

Super Bowl parties can be loads of fun. Getting together with a room full of people excited to root for their team can be pretty exciting. Unfortunately, this can also mean enduring some not so healthy food options. I'm all for letting loose every once in a while, but some of the stuff that gets offered at these parties can be pretty scary. Does accepting an invitation to your super bowl party mean I have to subject myself to loads of preservatives, additives and GMO's?

Seriously?

So I decided to search for some pretty awesome Super Bowl party staples that could be tweaked in order to not completely abandon all my beliefs. For me, it isn't so much about the indulgence of it all. More so, when you've spent all year eating whole foods in an all natural well balanced diet, the guacamole stadium stacked with frozen/ boxed or canned food made of artificial flavors just doesn't seem appealing at all. If you've ever felt this way, then keep reading!

So here are a few tips that helped me to keep my family happy AND healthy this football season.

Tip#1 Recipe's Were Meant To Be Broken:

Daphne Oz: Relish Recipe

• Don't feel pressured to stick to the recipe. If there is an old favorite you absolutely love, you don't have to completely abandon ship. You can replace a few simple ingredients to turn a "heavy" dip into a simple and light surprise. I substitute sour cream or cream cheese with plain greek yogurt, it keeps the texture the same without the dense flavor. Daphne Oz's Fish Taco Coleslaw is the best I've ever had, I was able to substitute with plain greek yogurt and it was still amazing!

Tip #2 Up the Ante On Your Ingredients:

• You can switch all of your ingredients to healthier options i.e., organic, free range and grass fed dairy if any at all. During the holidays or for special events I will pay the extra for raw milk, it's a stretch for the wallet, but the fresher the ingredients the better the taste.

Tip #3 Keep It Conscious:

• I prefer fair trade whenever possible. You'd be surprised how different you can feel about a dish if you know its ingredients were naturally grown, cruelty-free or the employeespaid fair wages for their work. If I can't find organic or raw ingredients, then I shoot for locally grown fruits or veggies. I'm infamous for scouring the local farms on the weekend to gather my bounty. 

French Onion Greek Yogurt Dip w/
Kale, Pita & Carrot Chips

Tip #4 It's Never Too Late to Teach An Old Dog New Tricks:

• If your dedicated to your dip recipe, then try changing the sides for variety. Chips don't necessarily have the market cornered, feel free to change it up with some veggies or fresh toasted pita bread. 

Yummm..

Tip #5 Change Is Good (Or So I've Heard):

• Try changing how you prepare your dish. Skip the frying and try baking or roasting for a different, lighter approach. This alone will be appreciated by all party goers who are watching their waistline. The Crockpot is a wonderful friend in the kitchen, these Honey Bourbon Glazed Wings were made in my Crockpot and they were so tender and delicious! You can find the recipe here.

Tip #6 Get Creative, Be Inspired:

• I love the fried green beans appetizer at P.F. Changs, the boys just go wild over it. I'm addicted to their Spicy Mayo, so I decided to re-create it at home. One of the best parts of making everything from scratch is you get to put together all the pieces in your mind as you go along, using your senses. It makes it all the more rewarding when you finally nail it! Turns out, I like my Spicy Mayo a lot more!

Tip #7 Round Up The Troops:

• Don't commit yourself to just one set of recipe's. I like to mix and match different styles from some of my favorites. Ina Garten has a great Tomato Soup w/ Grilled Cheese Croutons recipe, and Giada's Beer Battered Cremini Mushroom Caps are a hit! Both excellent party options for the Super Bowl or any get together.

Quinoa Pizza Bites - just add your
favorite Marinara to dip!

Tip #8 Challenge Yourself:

• I always like to use special occasions / parties to help push my own limits. I use it as an opportunity to take an ingredient I'm not particularly fond of, and incorporate it into my theme. Therefore, I'm challenging my mind and my taste buds. Turns out I wasn't much of a fan of Quinoa, as healthy as it is I just wasn't interested in the texture. In this case the quinoa bites replaced the traditional pizza pie at most football parties. These Vegan Quinoa Pizza Bites helped to change my mind and inspire me to incorporate more quinoa in my repertoire.  Which leads me to my next tip..

Tip #9 Diversify Your Portfolio:

• Appetizers are like shoes, you can never have too many. I'm pretty sure that's a famous quote, right? It's always best to have some diversity for all the meat lovers, vegans, vegetarians or pescaterians in your life.

Tip #10 Have a Backup Plan:

• When in doubt, the Internet is your friend. If a new recipe is a total flop and you don't have time to get super creative, Pinterest can be a lifesaver. If you don't keep a well stocked pantry with a variety of different grains, spices or condiments, then you don't have time to sort through a million pins only to find out you are missing items. In which case, SuperCook is for you. It's an awesome website where you can type in the ingredients you have in your pantry, and it will provide you with a list of all the possible recipes you can make. Brilliant!

Bonus Tip:

Entertainment is key at any soiree, and that isn't exclusive to the adults. Sometimes the sitter cancels and being a parent I find it best to make other parents feel as though a gathering is "kid friendly". There isn't much we do without our little ones, so we understand completely. Making them feel apart of the occasion by providing crafts or activities is a great way to spend time with your friends and family. At the end of the day isn't that what it's all about anyway?

And so it begins..

What is your favorite go-to Super Bowl Party Recipe? 

Essentially Yours,

Erika

Essential Oils: Slap a Cold, Kick a Fever!

It's that time of year, everywhere you look.. You can't seem to get away from it, no matter how hard you try. It's cold & flu season, and if you refuse to get a flu shot like me then you are washing your hands nonstop and avoiding anyone who dares to clear an itch in their throat within a five mile radius. These days I'm avoiding human contact with anyone who shows any signs of sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head or fever.

Moms don't get days off, especially Mom Bloggers!

I often get asked what I use on my kids when they do come across the occasional cold. So I'm sharing it all with you! Now, I usually diffuse Onguard essential oil in my boys room at night whenever they are in contact with a lot of children (which is weekly), I also apply to the bottoms of their feet. Usually if one of my little guys shows any sign of a sniffle I will apply diluted Onguard and rub on the Thymus for some added immune support (many times this is enough to cut whatever it was off at the pass). This, along with tons of hand washing are pretty good at keeping everyone generally healthy for the most part.

Occasionally (much less frequently since I started using essential oils as a means of preventative maintenance), they will come across something that they have to work through and in this case I use an arsenal of essential oils until I see symptoms subside. I keep the following in my medicine cabinet at all times.

• Onguard Essential Oil Blend
• Breathe Essential Oil Blend
• Lemon Essential Oil
• Eucalyptus Essential Oil
• Breathe Throat Drops
• Onguard SoftGels

In case of fever I would also add Lavender or Peppermint oil to the mix. 

The Onguard blend as I mentioned before is great as added immune support, I diffuse this as well as rub it on their feet and/or chest (Thymus). This is in addition to anything else I am using to treat symptoms.

If there is a lot of chest congestion and sinus pressure I apply a diluted Breathe blend on the chest as well as the feet. This usually helps to make breathing a bit easier, clears your sinuses right up (even if only for a little while). When I notice they start to struggle with breathing again I reapply, these blends won't completely erase the cold but it will help make us more comfortable throughout and it seems shorten the length of the cold.

I also apply diluted Lemon Essential Oil along the spine to help cut some of the congestion. For myself and my husband I will just add some Lemon Oil to a glass of water and it really helps ease coughing and break through some of the congestion. Children are not supposed to ingest any essential oil before the age of six so for now I just apply on their spine and I notice the runny nose takes a break for a few hours.

In order to bypass those night time interruptions due to sinus pressure/ congestion/ or constant coughing I diffuse  Eucalyptus Oil. I usually double the dosage when they are really stuffed up, this helps us all get a lot more rest (sleep is essential for a speedy recovery). This, along with a healthy diet, plenty of fluids, my "magic soup" and lots of mommy cuddles will usually do the trick. Before you know it they are up and running ready to drive me crazy keep me going.

If there is a problem with fevers then some Lavender Oil on the temples and forehead should do the trick. For a high fever that wont quit or keeps spiking I add some Peppermint Oil to the temples and/or feet, this usually brings it back down pretty quickly. To be clear, if the fever is scary high or persists, this warrants a trip to the pediatrician. I'm all for taking the natural route as much as possible, but I am not wreckless with my children. I also highly respect the opinion of my pediatrician, which is why I have chosen him. I mean, I was able to reach this man on Christmas Eve at 9pm when I was a new mom dealing with an infant who had severe acid reflux. Let's just say I'm a believer!

Now, during all of this "mommy-care" I have to be responsible and be sure to take care of mommy as well, otherwise I'm no good to anyone. So to help me stay healthy while caring for everyone else I make sure and stay on top of my vitamins, food and water intake, sleep schedule (ha, ha), AND I make sure and take my Onguard SoftGels. Moms need all the added immune support they can get when dealing with a germ filled household.

If I start to get that "scratchy throat" that usually warns me a cold is on its way, then I will start using the Breathe Throat Drops. These are very soothing and help feel as though they open up your airways and take away that tight / dry feeling in the throat. This along with the SoftGels and a little Onguard oil to the throat usually help fight off anything that was trying to form. If not, then I just follow the same protocol listed above with a lighter adult dilution.

That pretty much wraps up my cold care remedies. I love having natural options for my family. If you'd like to learn more about the essential oils mentioned above just click here. If you are in the Delray Beach area come join us for free Essential Oil Education classes offered monthly at The Salt Suite. The next class is scheduled for January 29th at 6pm. You can RSVP for the class at EssentiallyErika@gmail.com.

If you would like to learn about other all natural options that are available over the counter, you can check out my previous post on Kids Relief Homeopathic Medicine.


Essentially Yours,


Erika

Whatever Can Be Found, Can Also Be Lost

This year I noticed a growing trend on social media, everyone was encouraging each other to choose a word that would best describe where they were this year. While everyone was going around coming up with their "word", I was scrambling around trying to de-clutter as much as possible. My husband and I have been together for thirteen years and are coming up on our tenth wedding anniversary this year. Together we've accumulated a ton of stuff over the years having moved a total of six times, and getting rid of our storage facility last year. So naturally I thought my word was "Purge".

Long story short, I'm not a hoarder (don't ask my husband though), but I AM sentimental and have a knack for creating finding space for everything. Turning 34 this year I felt a certain shift, I suppose I have been building up to this for quite some time. I have lived by the motto "less is more" in almost all aspects of my life these past couple of years, so working through the clutter and purging has been my mantra since the holidays were over.

And then it happened. I lost my phone.Gasp!

Now, for most responsible iPhone users this is just a tad inconvenient, an unfortunate expense even.

But for me, this was death. The biggest purge of all.

I suppose we'll start with the fact that I hadn't backed up since March of last year (you heard me right). I am infamous at taking a ton of pictures of just about anything. If you follow me on Instagram then you know I love to post pics of my boys (of course), my vinyl collection, nature, food were growing in our garden plot, you name it. Anything that inspires the photographer hidden deep inside. So my storage is ALWAYS full, that annoying little message pops up and I hit "Ignore" (doh!). I've said it many times, I'm an Analog girl in a Digital world... Photos, Contacts, you name it. Gone!

When I realized my phone was gone I immediately felt my heart sink with sadness at all the memories I knew had been lost. Our recent family camping trip, most of the holidays, DIY projects, future blog ideas, EVERYTHING. I found that I was kicking myself about not being able to juggle two cranky toddlers at IKEA in the checkout line. I was beating myself up about not backing everything up constantly. I shed tears over all the beautiful memories I planned on framing.

We pride ourselves on being "unplugged" as much as possible in a tech driven society. We keep any sort of screen time to a minimum in our home, heck we don't even own an iPad. But even I was thrown for a loop. After the initial heartbreak of knowing that I will never get those photos back settled and I was able to think clearly. I realized just how much even I relied on this device. So there you have it, my lesson .

Attachment, rather lack thereof.

At the end of the day, I didn't need those pictures to know that I had been to those places or experienced those moments. Sure, it would've been nice to frame some of those beautiful memories. But it doesn't change the fact that they happened, and I was ACTUALLY there. So therefore I shouldn't feel so devastated because I haven't "lost" anything. In fact I gained plenty.

During the time without my phone I was free to focus on tasks a bit more. Relish in the moment a little more with my children, and have more focused one on one time with those I love. I always focus on keeping unstructured play time for my kids, I hadn't thought much of carving that time out for myself. See, I may not be glued to my phone all day, but having my phone means I'm accessible to the world at all times. Without it, I was free. Free to experience life as it was happening without interruption. Free to just be.

I had no idea what was in store for me when I chose my word, lesson learned.

Well played universe, well played...


Essentially Yours,

Erika

Gratitude in the New Year..

Please excuse my absence as we have spent the last few weeks relishing in the splendor of the holidays and spending much needed "unstructured" family time. Fresh from vacation I am now ready to embrace all that 2015 has to offer. However, it would be extremely remiss of me if I did not acknowledge all the magnificence that came with 2014.

The New Year is a time of renewal and always brings with it the gratitude for all that's passed. Good, bad, or indifferent. I have learned from every experience this year. So I wanted to send a heartfelt open thank you to all of my readers, followers, fellow bloggers, agencies or vendors I have had the privilege of working with this year.

You have all contributed to the evolution of this blog and its message. You've each provided inspiration to me at some point and for that I'm grateful. It's truly been a gift to connect with so many wonderful people and navigate this uncharted territory.

I look forward to continuing to work with all of you this year, and hopefully be an inspiration to you as well. I'm excited to meet and make some new and lasting relationships. I can't wait to see what this year holds for all of us! 

Essentially Yours,

Erika

No Elf For My Shelf..

Unless you've been living under a rock or go by the name of Rip Van Winkle, then surely you've heard of the Elf on the Shelf. It seems you cant scroll through any social media feed without coming across a ton of different elves set up in precarious scenarios. This creepy  popular child's toy has been sweeping the nation since 2005 and left a trail of tired parents along the way. Since the boys are getting older and dealing with some outside influences, I wanted to get a head start and figure out whether or not this was something we would have to deal with. So I decided to weigh the possible pros and cons in order to get a better idea, this is what I was able to come up with.

Apparently, this Elf was created by a very well meaning pair of sisters who have fond memories of a lovable little elf their mother lovingly told them was there to keep an eye on them for Santa. Much like anything that goes mainstream, it evolves. In this case, the Elf comes once a year to keep a watchful eye on little boys and girls, he hides in new and creative spaces each day and returns to the North Pole to report back on the children's daily behavior. But not before wreaking some sort of havoc and leaving a mess behind (a mess created by parents only to be cleaned up by parents). This had me wondering who this fad is serving more, the parents or their children? 

Has this trend become another competition among parents? Another way to keep up with the Joneses? Why does it seem everyone wants to be the Griswold's nowadays? More added pressure during already demanding / exhausting holiday festivities? I think the moral of the Griswold Family Christmas movies has been lost along the way. It was the focus on family and the simplicity of the season that sustained them. They were lost in all the madness and the chaos of the holiday dealing with societal pressures and living up to unrealistic expectations. We've made a real effort of taking things slow this season and only committing to events that we absolutely don't want to miss while playing everything by ear. Feeling comfortable with saying no to anything that's going to add pressure or take away from our family time, and relishing in the moment. Doing less with more presence was the goal and I'm proud that we've stuck to our guns thus far and haven't fallen victim to fitting EVERY holiday themed activity on our calendar simply for the sake of doing it all.

I kept coming across stories of tired parents jolting out of bed at 3 am only to remember they never moved the elf, the pressures of having to come up with new and mischievous scenarios to invent for their elf. Only to have to get up early the next morning and clean up said mischief. I can't be the only parent who would be stressed out by this. I've even heard tales of children being distraught by their elves having to leave when the season is over, the last thing I want Christmas morning is two screaming toddlers unable to enjoy their gifts.

Aside from the parental commitment and any stress it may bring, or the blatant hypocrisy with this fiendish elf sent here to monitor all of your behavior while exhibiting terrible behavior of his own, there are other issues I have with this elf. Like the fact that it's used as a disciplinary tool to coerce children to behave accordingly. Lets talk behaviorism people.. Behaviorism with a friendly face is still behaviorism, and many of its effects will still be the same.

Behaviorism is an approach to psychology that combines different elements. Behaviorism is primarily concerned with observable behavior as opposed to internal events like thinking or feeling. It's a worldview that operates on a principle of "stimulus response". In other words, you are your behavior.
Let's just say I'm not a fan.

Alfie Kohn

I've spent a good part of this year reading up on all of Alfie Kohn's research on behaviorism and human response. Some of his work includes "Unconditional Parenting", "Beyond Discipline" and "Punished By Rewards". The latter being one of my favorites. Tying rewards to a child's behavior is a confusing and vicious cycle. Moving forward children may only be responsive to, or require rewards. If the parent is convinced it's unrealistic to expect children to do what they're supposed to in the absence of an incentive, then what are the children supposed to think of themselves? By providing a reward for certain behavior, it makes good behavior seem like a means to an end, in fact it makes the reward the end, not the behavior. Let's give kids a little credit. I want my boys to do what is right because they are supposed to, because it's the right thing to do and lastly because they want to do it.

"The belief that we can offer rewards to jump start a behavior and then simply fade them out presumes, that the effects of rewards do not carry over beyond acquisition into later occurrences of the activity in question, and do not transfer to related but different activities. There is no reason to believe that there is anything self contained about the effects of a reinforcement regimen. -Barry Schwartz

This isn't to say that once you reward a child you will ALWAYS have to provide a reward, but you cannot remove the reward system without a consequence. "You cannot put a couch in a room, then remove it without having changed the room."

The problem with the elf is that it is an unclear threat. Rewards that are contingent upon a required behavior defeats the very purpose it wishes to serve. The more you want what is being dangled in front of you, the more you resent what you have to do to get it. When we are repeatedly offered extrinsic motivators (toys, candy, screen time, food, bribes of all natures) we come to find the task or behavior less appealing in itself than we did before.

Therefore, with our intrinsic motivation having been "shelfed by the elf", we are less likely to engage in this activity unless offered an inducement for doing so. Some may suggest that the elf just serves as a reminder for children to make the right decisions themselves putting the power in their hands. This still does not solve the problem, because the desired behavior is still framed as a pre-requisite for -an obstacle to- getting the reward. Whether the reward is given by the adults or the child is allowed to reward themselves doesn't change the fact that the introduction of the reward in the first place changes the very frame in which we place the behavior. 

A very wise woman by the name of Susan Caruso, Founder of Sunflower Creative Arts, once told me - and it has been my mantra in parenting- that when something isn't working, flowing or just plain doesn't feel right. You can change the frame in which you view it, it has the ability to change the situation itself. The problem does not result from the application of reinforcements; it resides at the very core of extrinsic motivation. 

It is important to refrain from rewarding children for engaging in an activity or behavior that we would like them to find intrinsically motivating. Being patient, kind, compassionate and caring are alll qualities I want my children to possess because it feels right. NOT because there's a prize / reward / incentive behind it. If so, then what are we setting them up to believe? That all good deeds should be recognized, rewarded or praised? Rewards serve as a shortcut, it clearly changes the reason for doing something immediately. "Extrinsic motivators are most dangerous when offered for things we want children to want to do." In fact, research shows that extrinsic motivators nearly always reduce creativity.

Rewards can stifle creativity for both the child and for the parent / teacher / manager. Making it an easy out for the child to get what they are looking for and easily becoming a crutch for the parent, a vicious cycle indeed. It can be applied in all aspects of your life. Dangling a carrot in front of a persons face doesn't awaken anything but a sense of urgency to "Get That Carrot." Denying the intrinsic motivation and satisfaction only allows for the extrinsic needs to become stronger. Children's want / need list becomes bigger and more demanding, creating a monster. Children can develop stronger extrinsic needs as a substitute for more basic unsatisfied needs. We see this all the time in demanding "tweens."

Rewards don't work on tasks of particularly low interest either. For instance, growing up I despised math, it was my worst subject. I just couldn't understand it. All my life I dealt with educators who used every reward in the book, from gold stars to special priveleges and even candy! This never worked, for years I was insecure about math as it progressively got harder and harder for me. It took one teacher (Mr. Brown, if you're out there YOU ROCK!) I'll never forget what he taught me. He taught math in a way that made it both interesting and attainable. His creativity in making scenarios fun and informative opened up new doors for me. It did wonders for my self confidence and at the end of the semester I was in love with Algebra. There were no frills no thrills, just an understanding of what needed to be done and a willingness to find a creative way to get there together. 

Needless to say we have decided to pass on this Elf and all that he brings. I hate to make it all sound so dim, especially seeing as how the creators of this elf were trying to introduce a simple toy without batteries or flashing lights to adopt different traditions for each family (and it has for many families) but it just isn't the right fit for me and my family. It's a shame that it has been used as a conduit for mainstream "parent-centered" discipline and pop behaviorism. However, in my research I have been able to find some pretty uplifting and creative ways for families to put a positive spin on this mischievous elf if you have already started on this path and would like to switch gears, or if you have children begging for Santa's very own spy. For more on this click here.

Sorry Elf!

Essentially Yours,

Erika

Kids Relief - Homeopathic Medicine

I recently had the pleasure of attending the USA launch of HomeoLab's Kids Relief Homeopathic Medicine. I take an all natural approach to healing, as natural as possible. I tend to rely on essential oils (in case you haven't heard) as the first line of defense or preventative maintenance. This works pretty well for me. My boys have been healthier this past season than ever before. My oldest was prone to ear infections, he had six episodes last year alone and the doctors were considering putting tubes in his ears. This year he hasn't had any and I attribute it to the preventative care with essential oils.

However, there are times when germs and/or bacteria find a way and prevail. In these instances I lean more on Homeopathic Medicine before I turn to any synthetic over the counter medications, just my preference. The homeopathic route usually only includes the inactive ingredients keeping it as "natural" as possible as far as over the counter medication is concerned.

So when I heard that HomeoLab was launching their Real Relief / Kids Relief line for the whole family in the United States I was intrigued. Michele Boisvert, the President / Owner of HomeoCan / HomeoLab, and winner of the Trailblazer Award started the company in Montreal, Quebec. It was the first woman-owned business in Quebec at the time. Since 1987 they have offered more than 200 prime quality natural products in homeopathy, phytotherapy, oligotherapy and aromatherapy. All products are manufactured in strict accordance with Health Canada and FDA regulations and guidelines.

They recently opened an office right here in Boca Raton, FL for their latest USA launch of the company and its products. They started out with Kids Relief and have recently expanded into adult healthcare. Providing a plethora of different homeopathy for adults from "Calm Remedy", to PMS / Menopause assistance and Adult Arnica Gel / Cream.

They have offices right in Coconut Creek, Florida and Michele is a Palm Beach County resident. She started out as a pharmacist in Quebec with a passion for homeopathy. She eventually closed her pharmacy and opened a manufacturing plant. The United States manufacturing plant is now located in New Jersey.

The beauty in Homeopathic Medicine is that there is no fear of overdose, it doesn't work that way due to all of the inactive ingredients. I've personally experienced this when my oldest son got his hands on a handful of teething tablets. Fearing I would need to have his stomach pumped or call Poison Control I checked the label first which had instructed me to call the hotline. The gentleman on the other line assured me no harm could come from his digesting these homeopathic tablets and set this frantic mommy at ease.

Another added bonus to using Kids Relief is that it offers relief for ALL ages. The age requirements on all of their products have recently been upgraded to 0-9 years of age! Most moms know that if you have a toddler with a cough you cannot find cough medicine for children under 6 years of age. This is incredibly frustrating, especially if you are watching your child suffer. The all inclusive age limits on Kids Relief is a major selling point for me, not to mention the yummy taste. I've tasted the cold/flu remedy myself and it was pretty good! You can find the entire Relief product line at your local CVS, Walgreens or local health food store.

If you would like more information on HomeoLab's Adult / Kids Relief you can visit their website.

Essentially Yours,


Erika

Spotlight On Noni's Eclectic Shop

Today's Etsy small business spotlight is on Noni's Eclectic Shop. I first fell in love with this shop for their beautiful aromatherapy diffuser earrings. These beautiful handmade coppertone bead and clay earrings are great at carrying just enough of my favorite scent on the go all day long while staying fashionable.

I loved them so much I wore them in my family photo shoot!

There is so much more to this shop though, it is truly an artist's dream! No shortage of creativity here, there is plenty to keep my hippie soul mesmerized, from paintings to jewelry. She has an awesome collection of aromatherapy diffuser necklaces and bracelets for children as well! This is perfect for the cold / flu season, I plan on adding OnGuard for my little guys to help keep their immune system nice and strong this year.

How cute are these??

Cheryl Ward, the Visual Artist behind this creative space has been gracious enough to extend a coupon to all of my readers. Enter code ERIKA10 at checkout for 10% off any order. That's not all! Cheryl has also provided a beautiful pair of purple HEARTS & ANGEL Aromatherapy diffuser earrings as a giveaway to one lucky winner. The raffle will begin today and end on Friday, December 19th. This makes a wonderful Christmas gift for the aromatherapy lover in your life!

Good Luck!

You can also find Noni's Eclectic Shop on Facebook  and on Pinterest, you should definitely go check it out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Essentially Yours,

Erika