The influence of a father

Do you have a good relationship with your dad? What was something that he taught you? A skill? A talent? Did he help you with your math homework and stick with it until you got it?

That is why I love this video of Chloe Kim, the Olympic gold medalist and her dad. 

That is what my dad did for me, helped instill a love of running. Now I'm not winning any Olympic medals in running but I still enjoy running to this day and that is a direct result of my dad and I running together every morning senior year of high school. If it weren't for my dad and us running together, who knows how things would be different in my life.

And yes my husband is a university cross country and track and field coach and many people think he inspired me to start running. But it was because of my dad that Sean and I bonded over our like of running. 

Thank your dad for the investment he made in your life!

February 14

Happy Love Day!!!

smelling like a pizza

If you know anything about my family or our health or my business, you know that I have run a successful essential oil business for almost 4 years. It gives my family freedom. It gives my family better health. It gives me the freedom to stay at home with my children. It gives us less toxic products that make us feel better. 

I want to share more about oils, how you can benefit from them, as well as clean make-up, supplements, and other common household products that are less toxic and plant-based. Why? Because you and your family are WORTH IT. 

E V E R Y. D A Y. we apply these four oils every day. Why every day? To boost our immune system. To give our bodies the best chance at keeping and staying healthy. And guess what maybe these oils are actually doing what I have been saying for almost F O U R years because my family has stayed healthy and flu free this winter season. The power of plant juice!

Oh and if you understand the title of this post, applying Oregano makes you very much smell like a pizza or an Italian restaurant and it is keeping you healthy so keep applying!

Another meal plan Monday

Here is this week's dinner menu for you to ponder for next week or add into your dinner schedule this week if you don't have any ideas yet!

Monday - crock pot short ribs over polenta and sautéed spinach 

Tuesday - THE curry (we call it the curry because it simply needs no other explanation, it is delicious, smells wonderful and easy since it is cooked all day in the crock pot)

Wednesday - gluten free spaghetti, salad and green beans

Thursday - BBQ chicken, salad 

Friday - leftovers or tends to be pizza night in the Henning home!

Let me know if you want any of the recipes!

Meal Plan Monday

Need some help with your dinner meal planning? I am sharing our menu that we had last week. Interested in the recipes? I would be happy to share! I hope you get some inspiration, some renewed desire to make meals for your family. For my family, I keep our meals simple and healthy.

Monday - oyakyudon (Japanese chicken and egg dish) and miso soup

Tuesday - lemon chicken tomato pasta, Caesar salad, side of peas

Wednesday - birthday dinner

Thursday - Japanese beef curry

Friday - leftovers or pizza

after work greeting

Question for you - how many of you have spouses who have commented or have let it be known that when they come home from work they like to be greeted at the door with a show of affection? Maybe they highlight the show of affection or just the being greeted at the door? 

Now question for you, reader, as the recipient of the knowledge that your partner likes being greeted at the door, how often do you do this? Do you willing stop in the middle of what you are doing and run to say hi to them? Or do you just yell hi from the kitchen as you continue to prep dinner if around the dinner hour is when your partner arrives home?

I have rarely done this despite the request by my husband that he likes it is if I greet him. Last week, we went out on a talking date, the kind that we discuss and try and work out differences and find out what areas we are doing good in as a couple. 

I decided that without telling Sean I would start greeting him at the door after work every day, putting down whatever I was doing to show him he is a priority to me and I am happy to see him after his work day. 

Do you know how long I lasted? One day. Only one day of saying hi at the door when he came home. Why did I fail the next two days? Because I was being selfish and in my head, I thought "well he is later than he said he would be home so he doesn't deserve a greeting." Geesh when I put out my thoughts into words, they sound down right horrible and rude. In reality where do I get to be the one to decide what he deserves or not. 

So I get back to greeting him at the door after work tomorrow and telling myself to put whatever feelings or hurt I may have because he a) came home later than he said or b)I am grumpy from dealing with kids all day, that it doesn't matter. 

I need to do better so we are better together as a couple.

What are you doing to better your marriage this year?

Peace

Back in August, the whole family went up to Big Bear with Sean's cross country team for a few days of running (well them, not us). It was there that I found it - the peace that I had been searching for. In the midst of motherhood and life, which is crazy, busy, and just non stop, I found the peace that I have wanted. I opened up the windows to the cabin in the cooler mountain air, Kate was taking an extremely long nap, Caleb was with Sean and his athletes and I just sat there feeling like I can breathe a bit, relax and just enjoy life for a few moments. I have been searching for that same peaceful feeling or even longing to head back up to Big Bear to experience those few moments again. And then the other day I was convicted. Convicted by God that the peace I am seeking for once is only truly found in Him. It isn't in the cooler mountain air. It isn't found by renting a cabin up in the mountains. 

Motherhood has been amazing. But the chaos of it, the constant touch of kids, the I can't seem to finish a single thought in my head, the beautiful mess but it is a mess has left me in my heart struggling to handle it because I am not accustom to chaos or unleft items or the inability to not always feel like I'm rushing, rushing to possibly be on time somewhere, rushing through the day to make sure everything gets done, just rushing, rushing, rushing...

I have a tendency to not seek God first in the things of life that I am wanting and it is the not materialistic things I am referencing. If you believe in God, do you find yourself doing the same? That is my human, sinful nature wanting to find things that aren't of God to replace what God does provide. I want to find my own answers to my own problems. Does it work? Maybe momentarily but my answers are never for the long term and never fully ever satisfying. 

Here is my solution to the peace that I desperately want to have in motherhood - the Bible, God's Word. It is everlasting. It is for the long term. I will be reviewing all the verses about peace and when I find myself as a mother longing for those few August mountain moments, I will recite a Bible verse to myself and to my heart. 

And I can't start with a better verse than Micah 5:5

I have lots to smile about!

Yesterday, I had to run a quick errand for my dad before they come into town to visit us for Thanksgiving. While I was completing the purchase, I was asked to provide my drivers license for name check with the card I was using. The cashier said, "good for you" after looking at my photo. He then clarified, "good for you for smiling." Then he went into a few minutes of the importance of smiling, how it takes less muscles to smile rather than frown, followed by in a line up of people study, people were more attracted to those who gave even a slight smile versus showing no facial emotion. Then I said something to him that honestly even caught myself off guard. I said, "I have lots to smile about." 

Why did it catch myself off guard? Usually because when I am about and out publicly, I am so focused on what I am doing, completing the task that typically, my head is down and I am on a mission to get my check list done. 

It is 100% that I have lots to smile about. Three of them live with me every day, those are three reasons right there. Plus what they add to my life is already unmeasured reasons. I have a God who loves me unconditionally, despite all the screw-ups and times I have failed, which is every single day. This is just the starting point, I can go on and on but the point is - there is lots to smile about so share with me today. What do you have to smile about?

Essential Oils!

Want essential oils? Or Thieves cleaner? Or Savvy Makeup? Let me be YOUR GAL!!

https://www.myyl.com/meg

Want a reason to purchase Thieves cleaner to keep your home free of toxic cleaning chemicals? Check out this graphic!

Pretty much a no brainer right!

8 months

Our little Katie bug is 8 months today! 8 months of sweetness that I am obsessed with. She is slowly coming out of her shell with each passing day. She crawls, she stands when holding on something sturdy, and she currently has 2 teeth. 

8 months, it is hard to believe. I feel that once a baby starts crawling, times just speeds up quicker. From crawling to standing to cruising around the room then finally to walking, it can all happen in what seems like a blink of an eye. I love just seeing her crawl right now. Can she do that forever? I don't want time to speed up faster than it needs to. 

Here are some photos to capture her 8 months with us!

Pumpkin Patch Fun

If you live down in southern California, I'm sure you have heard of Tanaka Farms. They are known for their strawberry fields and of course pumpkins. I have taken Caleb there before in March and we did u-pick vegetables. Given its popularity, we attempted to go on Saturday. However, we saw the line of cars waiting to get into the farm and I quickly did a Yelp search for pumpkin patches. My search led up to Manassero Farms, just a few miles away from Tanaka. It was practically perfect, as perfect as a farm/pumpkin patch could be. The best part? All pumpkins that day were 50% off. 

Literally, there was no one there at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon. There were games for the kids to play, a photo op set up, tire swings and we only had to pay for the pumpkins we wanted. This is where we are going every year to get pumpkins from now on!

So my recommendation is skip the long lines and crowds and head to Manassero Farms for an easier fallish experience in southern California. Maybe one of these years, we won't be wearing shorts!

Hey momma, where is the room to breathe?

It happens at times. It happens when I least expect it and it is ugly. It is my reaction to when life hasn't given me sufficient times or opportunities to just breathe and think. Life is just go, go, go from when we all wake up to when everyone lays their head down on the pillow in the night. From feeding to changing, to making sure Caleb has his share item on certain preschool days to do we have enough toilet paper, oh we have one roll left, ok when will I have time to get to the store today? We don't have any corn husks as a makeshift toilet paper in the mean time. 

But what happens if there is no room as a mom to breathe? When is your time to sit and think and have all the thoughts throughout the day catch up to you? Do you even get a minute or maybe a few more to collect yourself? How do you keep going when your emotions are preventing you from? Your emotions want you to stop, just for a minute, just for a hot cup of coffee to sip, gather up all that is moving at a fast pace around you and just breathe. 

How do you respond when life is like this?

Also here is a pretty photo to help you if you are feeling the above, or need decorations ideas or need inspiration on all things fall decor!

Friday Five

Here is my favorite posts of the week, the Friday Five, the opportunity to share with you some of my favorite things of the week. 

The first thing is baby girl clothes, I get it now. I get when everyone was saying they are so cute, and why they are so cute because of the sweet girls who wear the clothes. Every outfit I put Kate in every day, my heart beats a little faster in love with her. So baby girl clothes, I get it now! Especially give me all the chambray items!

The second thing is I heard on the radio actually is we invest in what makes us feel good. That is one of the reason why we use the highest quality of essential oils is because they make us feel good, whether it is physically or emotionally too.  What do you invest in that makes you feel good?

Third, you can't walked by pumpkins especially at Trader Joe's and not take photos of them. I mean it is October after all. It is no secret that October is one of the favorite months of many people and it is in my book so definitely worth mentioning in the Friday Five. 

The fourth thing I want to mention is my Acts bible study. We are three weeks into the study and my heart, every time I study His Word, draws closer to Him, becomes more in awe of the wonderfulness He is, and thankfulness for the actions of Jesus. 

Lastly, lets sing the praises of being able to wear booties and field jackets even this early in the year! 

What are some of your fall favorite items to wear?

Essential Oils - Why You Should Care

If you follow me frequently on IG, you know that my family uses essential oils, and we have for almost 4 years. It was Thieves, our first bottle we bought that got us interested in learning more. Since then we have started taking Young Living's supplements, using their home cleaning products, their personal care products, the list goes on. You might be thinking, why, should I care about essential oils? 

1. Because essential oils have been around longer than any current essential oil company. They were used in ancient times, they were used in Biblical times. People used what they have available to them to help with issues and what was available was plants. 
2. You should care because they work. Do you think that if they didn't work, I would still be raving about them almost 4 years later and putting them on myself, my husband and my kids every day if they were a poor product. Would I be sharing about these great essential oils if the results didn't produce over and over and over again. Would I tell you about why you need to try essential oils if we haven't felt this healthy and stay out of the offices from professionals who deal with issues of the human body because we don't have a reason to go see them i.e feeling poorly. 
3. The science behind essential oils are legitimate. They aren't some shame thing, they aren't trying to rip you off and make you believe that these products, they work because they are proven. 

Have some more questions about essential oils? I use only Young Living oils so I will only provide answers with those oils because I have seen results using this company as I can't attest to the results by other oils, I wouldn't want to mislead you. 

I'd love to teach you more. Show you how to use your oils properly and introduce you to a lifestyle that is oils and beyond! Yes, I am a distributor, yes I do essential oils as a business but I do it because I care, and because if these oils work for me and my family, they are bound to work for yours. So if a CEO gets paid to promote his product, I can get paid to product these essential oils because they are true and real and I am just being 100%  honest with you about it as 100% honest as Young Living is with their essential oils.

Ready to sign up and start using oils? Sign up here http://bit.ly/2rCmdud! Once you sign up, I'll contact you, send you a bunch of educational materials and make sure you use your oils! So whether you want to use essential oils to reach your 

or use them for a great day using the great day protocol. 

Essential oils really can change your life. Believe the hype or at least give in and start with just one bottle as my family did, you never know where that one bottle can lead.

Want some more pretty photo of essential oils and suggestions of what you should order? Take a look!

 This combo can help with issues that occur when trees start to blossom and then stuff flies in the air.

Tree oils are great for promoting calmness, supporting the ability to fall asleep and they just smell great diffused especially in the fall!

Weekend Celebrations

On Saturday, it was my husband's birthday! Yay! He wanted to celebrate with having friends over for dinner that night. Good friends, good food, a birthday cake and we had a great birthday celebration for him! 

Here is this Sunday's Sunday snapshot. 

Sundays are usually rest days for us but we decided to have more friends over for dinner on Sunday night. As a couple, that is something that Sean and I like to do a lot. 

Lastly, here is a pretty group of sunflowers given to me by a sweet friend. Hoping they warm and bright up your Monday morning!

Friday Five

My new Friday series is back today. Remember, it is called the Friday Five and I feature five things I learned, loved and just want to give a shout out to of what happened during my week.

So the first thing in this second edition of Friday Five is the maple leaf cookies from Trader Joe's. I am not a fan of pumpkin spice but I am a lover of maple. Get these cookies. You won't regret it and if you eat 2 or 8 cookies in one sitting that is ok, it is all about how you count. 

The second thing I am loving is C.S. Lewis. Have you ever read C.S. Lewis quotes? Amazing! Tell me what you think of this quote of this?

The third is the song, Flood the Earth by Jesus Culture, my current favorite song. Find it. Listen to it. Be encouraged by it.

Fourth, fall fruits, bring them on and all the yumminess to be baked with the fall fruits, apple pies, homemade applesauce in the crock pot, pear compote, and my personal favorite a cranberry apple crumb for Thanksgiving!

Finally, the last item is those quote by Henri Matisse. "Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play." How are you encouraging your children to be creative? How much play time do they get or is their schedule jam packed of activities?

7 months

I blinked and here we are celebrating our baby girl's 7 month of life with us. Every month celebration now until her 1st birthday, I will cry a bit harder as that milestone gets closer because it is going all too fast.

She is becoming very expressive in the last few days. She is sugar sweet, full of personality, loves meal times of fruits and vegetables. 

Just a few snaps of her on her 7 month birthday! 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

 I can't with the tongue!

Reality versus Social Media Worthy

I started a Sunday snapshot series on my Instagram page. Yes, yesterday's photo was pretty picture perfect as far as social media goes. 

Want to see some outtakes, the ones that are less than picture perfect because in reality we have to take about 10 of those to get 1 great photo especially when kids are involved?

By the way right before this, Caleb was having a melt down because he gave me his cup of lemonade after church and thinking he was done with it, I threw it away. Apparently, he was not finished hence the melt down so remember that next time you see a great photo on social media, there was probably something not so great before and after the photo was snapped!

Here's hoping maybe you enjoyed the outtakes a bit more and that next time you will stop and think and what could have happened before and after the photo was snapped, that life isn't picture perfect for anyone. 

No Excuses with Aaptiv

I love to run. Well lets say most days I love to run. Some days I love to sleep in a bit more longer but 4 or 5 days out of a week you will find me going for a run in the morning before anyone else in the house is asleep. I run because it helps me keep my sanity. I love before I leave my stresses and worries behind as I pound the pavement through the miles. I run because it is part who I am. 

There are some days when I wish I had a running partner to help motivate me to run on the days I feel like sleeping longer or on the days that running isn't going as smoothly. As a post-partum mom, making sure I exercise is a top priority but the reality is some days it just doesn't happen. Recently, I tried out an app called Aaptiv, which is a cardio app. So I have someone coaching me through a fartlek run, or someone to give me a morning stretch routine on those days that I want to work out but my husband's practice is too early for me to run or my kids got up more during the night but I still want to get a quick work out in. Aaptiv has trainers that specialize in prenatal workouts, they recently added stroller workouts to their app and soon will launch post-partum workouts and speedy workouts for the teachers aka a back to school program. 

As a mom, it is important that we stay healthy with regular exercises. It can be hard to place priorities on ourselves and our health but our kids need to see us taking care of our bodies. During the summer when Sean doesn't have regular practice, and Caleb is awake when I go for my run, he always tells me, "have a good run, Mom!" Staying healthy for me was a priority even while I was pregnant with both of my children running just a few weeks shy of my due dates.

The first time I tried Aaptiv, I did a fartlek run, which is periods of fast running intermixed with periods of slower running. I returned to the house and told Sean what I just did. Now he has been a college coach cross country and track and field coach for 8 seasons now and he has just let me run. He was pretty impressed I had just done a fartlek workout. 

The next morning they had earlier than usual morning practice so I tried out a yoga work out while my kids were playing in the house. I enjoyed this app because it allowed me to select a workout that fit my needs of where I could work out and the length of time I had while giving me plenty of variety and music in the background especially while running outside is pretty nice.

If you are wanting a variety in your workouts regardless of who you are, or a mom who needs a non-excuse to not miss a workout or you need a personal trainer while you are on the treadmill, running outside or doing a yoga routine to push and urge you on to the finish, get Aaptiv! 

Weekend Happenings...

How was your weekend? 

This weekend was the start of the cross country season for Sean and his team. They had their first meet on Saturday and the kids and I went out to support them! What is a weekend without a little park time as well.

Sunday was more family time from church in the morning to a bike ride in the afternoon. 

Family togetherness is what we value on the weekend and I am thankful for these three people who provide plenty of love and laughter in my life!