Everyday Essential Oils

As you may recall, my husband and I recently became Independent Distributors for Young Living Essential Oils.  This has by far been one of the best decisions we have made for ourselves physically, emotionally and financially.  We love the oils and use them everyday!  

Here are a few ways we use our oils:

• Ryan takes peppermint with him to work and inhales the aroma whenever he needs an energy boost.
• We put a few drops of peppermint in a glass of water when one of us has an uneasy stomach.
• We rub Peace & Calming on our sons feet to help him calm down before naps and bedtime.
• I put a few drops of lemon in the bottom of the trash can to minimize odors.
• I use lemon and lavender in some of my homemade cleaning solutions.
• I put lemon in my water to purify it and to give it some flavor.
• I use lavender as a deodorant.
• I use Valor for my TMJ.

For more information please visit our blog and leave a message! We'd love to help you on your way to a better you!

Life Update

Hello dears,  I don't even know where to begin...

...so much has changed so far in 2013:

January welcomed the birth of our son, Tyler.  He has been an absolute joy and wonderful blessing to our lives.  I love spending my days with him.  He started sleeping through the night (8-10 hours) when he was 7 weeks old and usually wakes up smiling and cooing.  About a week before our son was born we had an 18-year-old girl move in with us.  She had been converted to Christ, but had fallen away as a result of her environment.  She wanted to get back on the right track with God and she already had a place in our hearts so we offered her a room in our home.  The first few weeks were very rough, especially as I was dealing with all the emotional ups-and-downs of being a new momma.  For the most part, everyone gets on very smoothly and I've come to really enjoy having her around.

February was a blur.  I don't remember anything too significant happening during that month.  I spent most of my time taking care of and cuddling with our precious little boy...which I absolutely loved!

March was fairly uneventful as well.  I started blogging again and have realized that it's too much to keep up with a schedule.  I'm just going to blog when I have the time...which won't be as often as I would like.  I have SO much that I want to share with you though!  I have still been able to do a few projects here and there.  Hopefully I'll be able to share them with you soon.

April brought a visit from my parents...aka Granny and Papaw.  Papaw taught Ryan how to replace drywall and install a shower surround in our upstairs bathroom - which we hadn't used since March of 2011 because water had gotten to the drywall and caused mold to grow and we just hadn't had the money to fix it.  So, with our tax return we finally fixed our upstairs shower...I LOVE having our shower back!  Especially having another person in the house!  Papaw and Granny might have spoiled our little guy just a bit.  But that's alright.  That's what grandparents are for, right!?!?

This month also brought a great surprise!  On the 15th I received this message from Jenn at Clean&Scentsible:

 

Hi Jessica!

Congratulations!!! You are the winner of the $1000 custom closet organization system from Easy Closets!! Please confirm your email and I will forward your information to Easy Closets.   I hope you enjoy your prize!  We would love to see what you do with it!

Jenn

I couldn't believe my eyes!  I read, re-read, re-read, and re-read the e-mail again.  Then the tears started.  We had won!  I sat at my computer for at least ten minutes, still in amazement that we had really won this amazing prize!  Our master closet is a major need of some organizational help.  This is perfect for us!  - A special and huge "THANK YOU" to the amazing hosts of the Spring Cleaning Challenge and this amazing Giveaway:  Clean & Scentsible, Ask Anna, Clean Mama, I Dream of Clean, A Real-life Housewife, and Spring Cleaning 365.  And of course, I want to thank Easy Closets for sponsoring the giveaway and making this prize possible!  I will definitely be sharing our closet makeover with you all!

As exciting and wonderful as the beginning of the month was, there had to be a challenge waiting for us:  Ryan's overtime stopped.  Initially they told him it would start back up in a week.  A week came and went and overtime still wasn't starting back up.  By the end of April we came to the conclusion that overtime isn't going to start back up anytime soon, perhaps not until November.  This is very bad for us financially.  We made some ignorant decision in the past and now we're paying for them.  Ryan was working 16-20 hours overtime a week.  We need for him to work at least 12.  Thus April was an emotionally and spiritually challenging month for us...and we're still trying to figure things out.  Which brings us to...

May.  Today is May 6th and this has already been the longest month ever!  On May 2nd we got Ryan's first 40 hour paycheck since the winter holidays.  Needless to say this kind of woke both of us up.  We have to do something to bring in a supplemental income.  I am going to be opening an Etsy shop as soon as I have a small collections of items ready.  This is something I have been considering doing for some time now, but our financial situation has given me a final push to really put things together and take the plunge!  I'm really excited and hope this can help us so Ryan doesn't have to get a second job.  On May 5th we took an even bigger plunge and signed up to be distributors of Young Living Essential Oils!  Ryan and I are very excited and cannot wait to receive our oils!  As soon as I have more information I will share it with you.  Until then, please feel free to visit www.youngliving.com for more information.  You'll be glad you did!  Backing up to May 2nd:  This was the first night that little man slept in his crib...in his own room...away from mommy and daddy!  He slept all through the night...just like usual!  This pushed me to work on his crib bedding some more.  I had finished the crib skirt in April and so on Friday, May 3rd I made one of his crib sheets.  More on those two projects later! 

My current "To-Do" list is ginormous and the amount of "free time" that I have is anything but!  However, I know I can make it through.  I serve a Mighty and Powerful God who has always been there to be the strength that I need to survive the tough times, a wonderful, loving husband to encourage, help, support, comfort and just be there for me, our precious son to make me smile when I feel like crying, a wonderful spiritual family close in proximity and physical family who are close at heart.  I am blessed and so very thankful that God considers me and that He has blessed me so bountifully.

As you can see there's a lot going on at the Pugh home.  Lord willing, I'll be able to share bits and pieces with you along the way.  Thanks for listening and being a source of support and encouragement for me!  You're wonderful!

Our Little Man

Two Weeks Old

Now I just need to take his 3 Month photos!

Have a wonderful day!

Loving My Husband

Since Tyler entered our lives and my role expanded to include that of "Mommy" I have really had to keep myself in check so that I am not neglecting the role I took on December 2, 2010, when I vowed to love my husband until death do us part.  (See this post for a in-depth study of this command.) This was very challenging for me at first.  Tyler's needs were such that the majority of my time was devoted to him.  That really hasn't changed much, and I don't expect it to anytime soon.  However, my super-wonderful, tender-loving, oh-so-understanding husband has needs, too: spiritual, emotional, and physical.  If I am to keep this vow (I'm only focusing this one for now...though I vowed much more on that blessed day) then I must make time to fulfill his needs.  

Occasionally this means that Tyler has to wait for one or more of his needs to be met.  No, we don't leave our son screaming for a bottle, sitting in a messy diaper, or crying hysterically just so we can have some "alone" time.  We love our son dearly and we both understand that his needs are often more pressing than our own.  Generally speaking we are able to wait until he's cooing in his bouncer or sleeping soundly before we take time to focus on each other.  

There are times when I shift my focus from Tyler to Ryan in an effort to show Ryan the love and attention he needs.  For example, I might be in the middle of feeding Tyler a bottle when Ryan calls on his lunch break.  For those of you who have ever fed a 2-month-old a bottle, you know it requires two hands - one to hold the baby, and one to hold the bottle.  So, when daddy calls, the bottle gets put down and the phone is picked up.  Daddy and I have a brief conversation - usually less than 3 minutes - and then I pick up the bottle and finish feeding Tyler.  Yes, Tyler may fuss a bit while the bottle is out of his mouth, but he is okay.  Some days Ryan really needs to hear my voice to help him make it through the day at work, especially when he generally works 6, 10-12 hour days a week.  Instances like this happen several times throughout the day.  I'm in the middle of doing something with Tyler, Ryan needs my attention, I give him my attention, and then return to finish caring for Tyler.  Tyler is home with me all day and he knows his mommy loves him.  It's good for him to see the love and devotion Ryan and I have for one another and to understand that he is not the center of our world.  God is the center, then we have each other, and then Tyler.

Sadly, there have been a few times when Ryan has called me out for paying more attention or talking nicer to Tyler than I am him.  Recently I have been striving harder to continually reaffirm my love for Ryan.  I don't want him to ever question or have any reason to doubt my love for him.  This has made our marriage stronger, more fulfilling and over-all more enjoyable.  The more I love Ryan, the more he loves me, and the stronger our love grows.  It's a beautiful, God-pleasing experience.

I hope this has encouraged you consider how you can shower your spouse with some extra time, love and devotion.
 

Our Newest Addition!

As I'm sure you've noticed, I've been a bit MIA since my last post on January 10th.  I have a very good reason for my absence.  In the morning on January 16th my husband and I headed to the hospital for my induction at 7:30.  Little Tyler Shane Kenneth came into the world 17 hours later at 12:26 am on January 17th.  He weighed 7lbs. 7.5oz. and was 20.5" long.

Tyler is 2 weeks old today!  I can't believe how fast time as flown since his birth!  He is such a beautiful blessing and we thoroughly enjoy having him in our lives.

I've decided to take the month of February off from blogging.  I want to take time to focus on my new role as a mother and balancing it with my roles as a wife and homemaker.  If all goes well, I'll try to be back in March.  Right now I don't have a plan for how often I will post or what I'll be posting about once I return.  I'll try to come up with something and share it with you once I return.  I will try to keep responding to comments throughout February, so keep sharing your thoughts!

Thanks so much for being wonderful followers!

God bless and I'll be back in March!

A day late...

Maternity Photo Shoots

My husband and I are blessed to have a beautiful young lady in our lives who loves photography and who takes gorgeous pictures!  She's not a "professional" as some would use the term, but I would definitely say her work is of a professional quality!  We did two photo sessions with Shelby, one in mid-November and the other in early December.  Thanks to the every changing and unpredictable weather here in Indiana we're wearing sweaters in the November shoot and short sleeves in the December shoot.

Now, without further adieu, here are our beautiful maternity photos!

Aren't they wonderful?!?!  We certainly think so!

Lord willing, we will finally meet our little guy in less than six weeks!

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Love,

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all a blessed day filled with love, laughter and praise to our wonderful Father above who has blessed us with family and friends to make memories with.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Today I'm also sharing my Thanksgiving Mantle:

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Love,

Baby Shower!

This past Saturday I was blessed with an opportunity to gather with my momma, sisters, MIL, SIL, GIL and many of my sisters-in-Christ to celebrate the up-coming birth of our son.  We shared a light lunch, played some games and learned some interesting facts about babies, birth and pregnancy.  To wrap up our time together I opened the many gifts baby and I were showered with.  I was very emotional and couldn't read all the sweet things people wrote in our cards because they would bring on the water-works. 

I feel so blessed to have so many family and friends that love us, are excited for us, and wanted to provide things to help us as we bring our little guy into the world.  Even some who weren't able to come sent gifts!  God is certainly to be praised!  Generous and loving hearts are such a blessing!

Thanksgiving Printable

This morning I decided that since we're having my parents and sisters over for a Thanksgiving meal I am going to create a special mantle and table scape just for the occasion.  

I've been brainstorming and have several ideas in mind...many of which involve burlap!  Since I don't have any burlap on hand and the nearest fabric store is 45 minutes away, I'm going to have to wait until next week to start those projects.

However, I was able to finish one project this morning and I'm going to share it with you!
(Chevron Background Image by Mel Stampz)

(Free for personal use only.  Thanks!)

Happy Holiday Planning!

Linking at:
The Sunday Showcase Party @ Under the Table and Dreaming
Our Favorite Things Link Party @ My Life's a Treasure
Making the World Cuter Monday @ Making the World Cuter
Made by You Monday @ Skip to My Lou 
Mop It Up Monday @ I Should Be Mopping the Floor
Tutorials and Tips Link Party @ Home Stories A to Z
Meet Me Monday Link Party @ You're Talking Too Much
Craft and Tell @ Cherished Bliss
Take-A-Look Tuesday @ Sugar Bee Crafts
Tip Me Tuesday @ Tip Junkie
Titus 2 Tuesday @ Cornerstone Confessions
Lil' Luna Link Party @ Lil' Luna
Home Decor and Organizing Link Party @ Organize and Decorate Everything 
The Creative Spark @ Clean and Scentsible
Wow Me Wednesday @ Ginger Snap Crafts
Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Party @ Delightful Order
The 36th Avenue Party Time @ The 36th Avenue
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
Finished Friday @ All Our Days 
Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge 

Nursery Update!

It's been slow-going in the nursery these past few months.  I guess there is still "too much" time before baby Tyler will arrive for me to really buckle down and get to work.  I have made quite a bit of progress towards cleaning out the room, though.

Visit this post to get a glimpse of the mess it was before.

Here's where we're at now:

 Everything in this corner is baby related.  Not all of it will stay in the nursery, though.

 Pile of cardboard boxes that have since made it to the basement...this corner is empty now!  Yay!

 Pile of "stuff" that still needs to find a new home.  Some of it is my husbands that he needs to sort through.  I plan on painting the rug and updating one of the laps for the nursery.  The Big Lots bag is gone, now.

Everything you see here (except Tyler's clothes) need a new home.  Still trying to figure out where to store everything!  I plan to made a new cover for the beanbag...so that's another project waiting for me to have time and energy to tackle it.


Oh, and here's what I've been working on sporadically for the past few weeks:

This is my husband's old dresser from his teen-punk-skater days.  So far I have only been filling the various etchings with wood-filler and sanding.  I hope to prime it today or tomorrow.  This is my first time re-finishing a piece of furniture and using wood-filler.  It's definitely been a challenge!

I have most of the fabric and sewing notions needed to make the crib skirt, sheets, crib bumper and changing pad cover, so I plan to start sewing this weekend, too!  Stay in touch to see how this room makes it's transformation from a messy storage room to a sweet little nursery for our baby boy!

Have a wonderful day!

...to be obedient to their own husbands...

Of all the qualities older women are to admonish young women to possess and exhibit, this is probably the least accepted in our American society today.  However, this does not diminish the importance of this command.  So, let's take a serious look at what God expects of us as we strive to fulfill this requirement.

Here are the definitions I found for the Greek word for "obedient," hypotasso.
Strong's:  "to put in subjection, subject, subordinate; to submit to, be subject to"
Thayer's:  "to subject one's self to, to obey; to submit to one's control; to yield to one's admonition or advice."
Vine's:  "being in subjection to"

From these definitions, it's clear to me that when I chose to marry my husband, I was also choosing to submit myself to his leadership - in everything, just as I am to submit to Christ in everything (Ephesians 5:24).  God desires for wives to submit to their husbands in the same manner we are to submit ourselves to the Lord (Ephesians 5:22).  This is why I was very carefully in choosing who I married.  Even though we had only known one another for about a month I knew he loved God and would always love me and lead me in such a way that would be pleasing to God.  That was all I need to know.  Almost 2 years later, I don't think I could have found anyone better!  He is a wonderful spiritual leader, loves me through his deeds and words, listens when I have a suggestion, and almost never makes a decision without first considering my thoughts and feelings, especially if the decision will effect me more than it will effect him.  He's not a tyrant and doesn't ask me to do anything ridiculous or anything beyond my capabilities.  Actually, he hardly ever asks me to do anything.  This is because I too fear God and take my role as a disciple of Christ, wife, mother, and homemaker very seriously.  He doesn't need to tell me what to do because I do my best to stay on top of things.  I'm really not trying to brag here, but rather make a point:  If we as wives are doing what God has commanded us to do then it's easier for our husbands to lead us in a loving way.

We should also note that being submissive in "everything" doesn't mean everything he could possibly ask us to do, it only means what is in accordance to God's Word.  If our husband is wanting us to do something that goes against God's will (ie. lie, steal), we do not have to obey, and should not obey because we are to obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29).

When we obey our husbands we are pleasing the Lord and are only doing what is our duty to do (Colossians 3:18).

May we always seek to please God in all we do so that He may be glorified.

Tyler and I are 5 months along!

Okay, so this is kinda late.  I was 5 months on September 6th.  Little Tyler and I went up to our monthly O.B. appointment and all seems to be going well!  Tyler is measuring right on schedule and I'm slowly but surely putting on a few pounds here and there.  The Dr. is confident Tyler is fairly healthy because of how active he is.  He was moving around so much that she wasn't able to read his actual heartbeat, but had to settle for getting a read through his umbilical cord.  It was on the lower side, but she said that was probably because it was coming through the umbilical cord.  I love feeling my little boy squirm and kick inside me.  Makes me that much more excited to be able to hold and love on him.  So thankful for our little blessing.