One of my husband’s favorite things to do is watch the Today Show on the morning of New Year’s Eve.  He loves the review of all that has happened over the past year; reliving the good, mourning the sad, and acknowledging all that has gone on in our lives.  We drink our coffee and reflect.  This ritual of reflection is a wonderful way to raise our awareness to all we have in this life and to express our gratitude.

This morning we are snowed in as the “Blizzard of 2015” roars on and continues to dump snow on us at a fairly decent clip.  In my prior career, I would have, along with many excited students, woken up this morning and celebrated the fact that I was getting a snow day.  Got me questioning: does Get Lively offer “snow days?”  Hmm, well, I’m the boss now, so YES!  But the funny thing about having your own business, you never really start or stop working, so even though I technically have a snow day, I thought I would use this opportunity to have one of those reflective moments and share with you some of my favorite new “tricks of the trade” that I am using to support my own personal health and wellness in 2015.  So here goes!

• Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils.

  My “surprise and delight” of 2014.  Love these oily gifts from nature!  As I am always looking for holistic and natural ways to support the health and wellness of my family, friends, clients, and of course myself, these have been a wonderful addition to my life.  I could really go on about them as I have had so many “a-ha” moments, but I will give you my top three:

  1. Want to sleep better?

     Try: RutaVaLa. Ruta, WHAT??? So this is a blend of ruta, valerian, and lavender.  Honestly, I didn’t even realize how poorly I slept until I actually got a good night’s sleep.  As a frequent traveler to the restroom at night, my sleep has always been interrupted and I would often have a hard time falling back asleep, but I thought that it was just something I had to deal with.  You know, a small bladder + drinking lots of water + an active mind = interrupted sleep.  That was until I started rubbing RutaVaLa onto my feet at bedtime.  What a difference!  My frequent flyer miles to the ladies room have been cut back to one – or none – a night (from 3+ and beyond…) and I feel so much more rested in the morning.  Kind of blowing my mind.

     

  2. Happy, fruity, and craving curbing water.

     I’ve blogged about how working at home can be really challenging as I am always around a kitchen full of food and what better way to distract yourself when you are trying to avoid a task then a jar of cashews?!  So I have started adding a drop of citrus oil (must be pure, therapeutic grade) to my stainless steel water bottle or my mug of hot water.  The aroma is like sunshine and the flavor helps to keep my cravings at bay.

  3. Winter got your skin wanting to hide?

     Everyone that I talk these days mentions how winter is taking a toll on their skin.  Dry, cracked hands, eczema, you name it.  This time of year I always get this patch of eczema under my arm which is so uncomfortable and hard to clear up because it is in such a precarious place.  I’ve tried so many things that haven’t worked, but now that I have my essential oils, I’ve got some new tricks to try!  After two days of lavender and olive oil rubbed in day and night, it is gone.  This is so exciting for me as this is usually something I battle all winter…

     

• Rice Heating Pad.

  Oh, how I love this thing!  So easy to heat up in the microwave and I use it for my stomach, back, and neck; whatever needs a little heat and love!  Perfect for cramps, tight muscles, and sore backs.  You can bet I’ll be getting comfy with this after shoveling today….

  

• My mini trampoline.

  My new fitness BFF.  This thing rocks – especially since I am not outside walking as much because of the weather.  I bounce on it all the time during the day.  I’ll put on the radio and bounce to a song or two, I’ll bounce to the count of 100 when I need an energy boost – I just keep hop on it whenever I walk by.  And it’s not that big, so easy to keep against the wall in a corner.

  

• The “Get Lively” Almond Meal Muffin.

  These have become my “go-to” for breakfast, coffee chats with friends, holidays, you name it!  Get the recipe here and give them a try.

• The Art of Eating Well cookbook

  … and my LOVE mug… both Christmas gifts that have become staples in my kitchen.  This book is full of great recipes that offer healthy alternatives to traditional fare.  Just think: black bean brownie.

  

So there you have it, my top five toolkit buddies that are helping me to usher in 2015 with better sleep, soft skin, tasty food and drink, and lots of bouncing!  What’s in your toolkit?  Please share below!

(Note: Yes! I am an affiliate for Young Living Essential Oils, but these opinions are ALL my own and I love sharing how they are supporting my health and wellness.  If you are interested in learning more about how to try these great oils, email me at: jan@getlivelynow.com)