Health & Wellness

DoTERRA Essential oils

March 17, 2019 By denise Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This is not a compensated or sponsored post. I was provided the product for review purposes only. All opinions expressed here are my own.

doTERRA oils and products can support a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps you’re a little nervous to use oils in your home; maybe you’re not sure if they’re entirely safe for everyone. doTERRA’s products can be a wonderful addition to the family. We enjoy them daily in our house. If these products are used with care and common sense, you can safely reap all the benefits they have to offer.

Essential oils are not novel. While it may seem like essential oils are just the latest and greatest thing, they’ve actually been used by humans for millennia. Essential oils contain constituents that will be recognized by our body systems and handled appropriately.

Dilute. Kids’ skin is different from adult skin; it’s thinner and generally more sensitive. Even though most oils tend to be non-irritating on the skin (especially on the bottom of the feet, where the skin is thickest), it’s a great idea to dilute essential oil in a good carrier oil before applying to children. You’ll still get the same benefits of the essential oil—you’re just adding extra moisture and pampering delicate child skin. The doTERRA Touch products are great for this, by the way. They’re our favorites!

Diffuse. Aromatherapy is an excellent way to enjoy the benefits of essential oil without the worry of skin reactions. Inhaled oils have long been studied for their ability to enhance feelings of relaxation, encouragement, excitement, focus, and well-being. Additionally, diffused oils may support a healthier indoor environment.

Be informed. doTERRA has mountains of information about safe use of essential oils on their websites. There’s an entire team of support staff who answer questions about essential oils and products.

Here are some of the favorite doTERRA products in our house, and ways they can be used in your family.

1. doTERRA Touch^®. These products are awesome because they come pre-diluted. Young skin is different from adult skin—it’s thinner, more delicate, and generally more sensitive. It’s a great idea to dilute any essential oils before applying them to children, and this kit takes the mess out of dilution.

2. doTERRA OnGuard^® products. We love all the products containing doTERRA OnGuard, and they are very kid-friendly. The toothpaste is wonderful. My kids enjoy the taste and I enjoy that it’s not full of chemicals that even I can’t pronounce. The cleaner concentrate makes the bathroom fresh and I don’t have to worry about toxic residue. And, of course, we diffuse doTERRA OnGuard like crazy during the winter months.

3. doTERRA Balance^® and doTERRA Serenity^®. These blends have done wonders for our family. A nice massage with these oils helped everyone feel relaxed and grounded in their surroundings. We often return to these blends when the stresses of life have everyone worked up.

4. Citrus oils. We diffuse oils every day, and the citrus oils are one of my favorite. They are so uplifting and energizing—perfect for the dreary winter days when no one feels like rolling out of bed. It’s a natural way to chase off the post-holiday blues. Our favorites are Wild Orange, Lemon, and Grapefruit.

5. Correct-X^®. We always have this product on hand during our outdoor adventures; it’s great to have something natural and effective, yet gentle and non-irritating, for sensitive young skin.

Yes, we live doTERRA at my house. We are learning to be cognizant of our health while actively looking for natural ways to support well-being. I love it!

Adidas Kicks off “SheBreaks Down Barriers” Campaign

February 21, 2019 By denise Leave a Comment

We all know that adidas has been in the forefront of initiatives to change the inequality in sports. As a big sports fan, I appreciate when brands look to involve females in their campaigns. Growing up my best times with my dad would be when we sat together and enjoyed watching sports on television. It was a bond that we shared as I grew and one that I will always treasured, he never thought that I could not learn or play any sport that I loved, and made sure I was just as knowledgeable as anyone else in all aspects of sports.

Adidas She Breaks Barriers initiative is a continuation of its commitment to remove barriers in sport. Expanding on the #creatorsunite conversation launched in August 2018, this multi-faceted initiative is designed to inspire, enable and support the next generation of female athletes, creators and leaders.

To highlight the barriers faced by women in sport and to invite the world to join the movement, adidas premiered the She Breaks Barriers film, featuring some of adidas’ most influential female and male athletes* and narrated with musician Pharrell Williams , during NBC’s Sunday Night Football. To further support, adidas released an open letter to its employees and to communities around the country. The letter called on everyone to join the effort and together, level the playing field and co-create the future of women’s sport.

Pharrell Williams, emphatically calls for the proper respect and subsequent embrace of women in sports. It stands in opposition to toxic masculinity, and demands men break poor traditions and stand for something better; to stand for and with our fellow woman.

The carefully curated visual references elder news clips of men wrongfully denouncing women in sports and the power that they hold within it. More intimately, using Williams’ monotone voice as a vessel, sharply shoots down the notion that those clips were ever accurate. Even better, the short represents an antiquated thought process that never once held truth, only the illusion of it.

While the film only spans one minute in length, its engaging and tremendously biting message lingers for a much longer frame of time. Adidas, putting its full weight behind the short clip, highlights the likes of Candace Parker, Lindsey Horan, Chiney Ogwumike, Nora Vasconcellos, and Alix Klineman.

By age 14, girls are dropping out of sport 1.5x faster than boys[1] and by age 17, 51% of girls who participated in sport have quit[2]because they do not have a sense that they belong, and they don’t see a future in sport. 73% of U.S. adults believe that high schools and colleges provide better support for boys’ sports programs than girls sports programs[3]. This data proves just how important it is to remove barriers in sport and adidas is committed to providing the same opportunities for girls that are offered to boys. Participating in sport has many benefits, including teaching girls to be more confident and learn valuable leadership skills that help them later on in their lives. A recent study conducted by the EY Women Athletes Business Network and ESPNW showed that 94% of women executives in the C-suite played sport and 52% played at the university level or higher[4]

A series of new partnerships with three areas of focus – to provide access, to remove stereotypes, and to address the inequality for female athletes at all levels and ages – will be introduced including:

Partner with the Global Sport Institute (GSI) at Arizona State University to identify existing barriers to sport for women, examine how to overcome the barriers and explore what equality means for women in sport across opportunity and pay. As an independent research institute, GSI will help adidas tap into existing and new original research and subject matter experts.
A series of 6 projects in New York and Los Angeles – two of the brand’s global key cities – to co-create solutions to remove barriers for women and girls in sport at the community level. The communities will be called upon for their feedback on what programs are needed most in their community through the #creatorsunite platform.
In 2019, adidas and Pharrell have committed to a joint initiative dedicated to removing barriers to sport for young women. The program will be designed with insights and feedback from the Global Sport Institute and the engagement from the public following the campaign to ensure maximum impact .
Sponsorship of the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) supporting women playing, coaching and the development of professional women’s football.
Partnership with Jen Welter, the first female NFL coach, to co-host girls’ flag football camps across the US in 2019 and explore ways to increase access to the sport for young girls.
Engage in a three-part dialogue with students at Texas A&M to uncover the barriers to sport that exist for women on campus , discuss potential solutions for how adidas can help to remove these barriers and create change by funding initiatives on campus that continue to evolve the future of sport for women in College Station.
adidas will be a national partner of Girls on the Run through 2021, elevating the brand’s commitment to break barriers to sport for women and girls by inspiring them to boldly pursue their dreams through the power of sport. adidas and Girls on the Run together will increase the opportunities girls have to reach their fullest potential through various touchpoints including by providing apparel and footwear, co-hosting 5K events across the US and more.

Adidas can not do this alone, so let’s all get involved. For more details visit http://www.adidas.ca/shebreaksbarriers. To share your story, ideas and solutions to co-create the future for women’s sport with adidas use #creatorsunite on social media.

Check out some of the great pieces that adidas has that can make you get up and move for the cause.

https://www.adidas.com/us/women-bags

https://www.adidas.com/us/women-bras

https://www.adidas.com/us/women-tights

For more information please visit, adidas.ca/shebreaksbarriers
Instagram: @adidasCA
Twitter: @adidasCA

I plan to do my part, let me know what you plan to do to change inequality in sports or in another industry, share your story and inspire everyone?

Valentine’s Day Collection from DAVIDs Tea

February 10, 2019 By denise Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This is not a compensated or sponsored post. I was provided the product for review purposes only. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Valentine’s Day, the Hallmark holiday. A wonderful time to celebrate those you love with flowers and cards and chocolates and gifts. Red and pink hearts abound. All the while, intelligent companies bank on this commercial goldmine, like Lindt which sells the same Milk Chocolate Lindor Balls you can get year-round but in a heart-shaped box and with an inflated price tag. DAVIDsTEA is no stranger to the Valentine’s Day game and lucky for us that means new Valentine’-inspired teas to try. That and cute heart-shaped tea tins for those hoping to impress their tea-loving sweethearts.

The Earl’s Valentine is a returning Valentine’s Day blend that was sold last year to a great deal of popularity. It is branded as a black early grey based tea, but there are more chocolate curls and rosebuds in the dry mix than actual tea leaf. It is made with roasted carob, black tea, chocolate pieces, rose buds, cornflower petals, natural and artificial bergamot, chocolate and cocoa flavouring. It brews up a caramel brown color and looks rather oily on top, probably due to the chocolate pieces. Thankfully the slickness of that oil goes unnoticed unless you are focusing on it. As for the flavor, the earl grey base, though it appears minimal compared to the other ingredients in the dry leaf, is quite present. The bottom of the sip is brisk and citrusy while the silky milk chocolate floats on top. Sandwiched in between is the rose which acts as a nice segue between the other flavors that might seem out of sync without its presence. Sweet yet floral, this blend delivers on what it promises and should be enjoyable if you enjoy bergamot and can look past the sheen on the top of your mug.

White Chocolate Chai, This is probably the one I was most excited about. I don’t usually love floral teas so the rose should be more off putting to me but something about the simplicity of this blend just called to me. Black tea, white chocolate , rose buds, and natural and artificial flavouring make up this offering – no added sweeteners which DAVIDs has become so found of and no mile-long list of ingredients. The dry leaf is beautiful with its large pink rosebuds and its bright white chocolate pieces amidst the black tea base. Brewed up it is very similar in appearance to The Earl’s Valentine, caramel brown and with a slickness on top which, again like.

Of course if you have delicious tea, you need a mug to drink it in and honestly I think the DAVIDsTEA Panda Colour Changing Nordic Mug would pair perfect with some tea for a gorgeous Valentine’s Day gift. It was interesting to see that there were two Simplicity Tea Mugs in the DAVIDsTEA Valentine’s Day Collection but no Perfect Mugs or Nordic Mugs since this style does not come with an infuser.

I really love the quality of DAVIDsTEA mugs as I find them very well-made and with gorgeous designs, so the DAVIDsTEA Panda Colour Changing Nordic Mug is no exception. This fun colour changing tea mug with a panda design. Our ceramic Nordic Mug is clean, modern and sturdy. It also holds a lot of tea, and we mean a lot. With a stainless steel infuser and a lid that doubles as a saucer, it’s the cup you’ve always dreamed of. So how does it work? Pour in hot tea and watch as the design changes colour. Like you needed another excuse to refill your cup.

Will you be picking up any limited edition DAVIDsTEA products for Valentine’s Day?