If you are looking for a great place to shop, check out The Helicopter Daughter! This is one of my favorite wellness shops and they are right in the Matchworks Building by our studio! Karen is the owner and she does a great job of making you feel welcome and answering all your questions. She has the place decorated so cute and quaint and she has a great selection of items to choose from.

The Helicopter Daughter was created out of a desire to help others focus on finding ways to implement self-care moments into their daily lives. At The Helicopters Daughter, they believe that self-care isn’t selfish. It’s about finding ways to keep life in balance and giving others the best of you, instead of what is left of you.

They offer all kinds of products for mind, body and spirit…

• Teas can aid in digestion, fight off free radicals, increase antioxidants and help to relax.
• Journals help you connect to your values, emotions and goals and can help to reduce anxiety.
• Faith-Oriented and spiritually inspiring products.
• Fun and inspirational t-shirts and accessories.
• Natural soaps, lotions, facial creams, cleansers as well as items to help you feel special.
• Shower and Bath products including bombs, Epsom salts, candles and many wonderful items to create that much needed down time.

My wellness journey started when my daughter got sick. Back then we were in crisis mode and I was overwhelmed and exhausted! This is not the way I would advise anyone to do it, but we had no choice. I made a ton of mistakes and I tried a lot of things that didn’t work for us. Now that “crisis” mode is over I’m still on a wellness journey but at a more relaxed pace, and I will tell you this is the way to go!

My idea of wellness is broken up into 8 categories… Bemer, Eat Well, Exercise, Give Back, Have Fun, Reduce Stress, Take Vacations and Use Clean Products. I came up with these because I want to have an enjoyable balanced life and these are what my family does to achieve that.

We Bemer every day, twice a day… just like you brush your teeth. It takes 8 minutes twice a day to help our bodies achieve good circulation which I’ve learned is the key to good health.

My approach to eating well is eating things that we still like but making them a little healthier as we go. I want to gradually introduce better foods so we don’t crave the stuff that we gave up. It’s like losing weight… if you do it gradually you are more likely to keep that weight off.

Exercise doesn’t need to be just done in a gym. If you like to work out in a gym… great! If not, make something work for you to get yourself up and moving. My family plays volleyball together and my husband and I like to walk every day.

Giving back is also an important part of our lives. I feel it is important to do things to help others. It makes you feel good and it lets you appreciate what you have.

Have FUN! This one is a big one for me. I believe that life needs to be fun so find things that you like and enjoy yourself!

Reduce stress. Stress is so bad for you. Some stress in your life you can’t avoid so make a conscious effort to eliminate the stress that you can have control over. There are lots of enjoyable ways to reduce stress… guided imagery, yoga, working in the garden, getting a massage, are just a couple examples.

Take vacations. This is another big one for me. I think it is important to get away. I like to have vacations to look forward to and I also like the break from all the day to day stuff that goes on in our lives. Vacations don’t have to be huge or long. When we were first married, we would take trips down to Amish for an overnight or just go to a local hotel to get away.

My last category is to use clean products. The last couple months I’ve really tried to eliminate a lot of the chemicals that were in my house. I’ve found some great alternatives that work really well for us and I will share those with you.
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These are my approaches to wellness. They didn’t come overnight, and they are what is right for my family. My idea is to share what I’ve learned with you. Don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to do everything at once, and if something that I do isn’t right for you, then that’s is fine too!
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I’ve been working on using products in my home that aren’t filled with all the chemicals. I searched for a long time for a good chemical free hand soap recipe that doesn’t dry your hands out. I liked some of the ones that I found in the stores but they were really expensive. This recipe is on the cheap side and it works great! It is a thin consistency but suds up really nicely and it doesn’t leave soap blobs all over the sink!
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​All you need is…
¾ cup distilled water
¼ cup of Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap 
(Comes in Unscented, Almond, Tea Tree, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Citrus, Rose and Peppermint)

We like the Almond and Peppermint. Just mix it up and pour into your soap dispenser.
                                           
​                                                      It’s that cheap and easy!!

8 things to help your family get thru the cold and flu season...

1. Use the BEMER daily to keep your immune system strong. If you start not feeling well use the extra applicators to target the areas that need a little extra attention.
2. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer as soon as you come home so you don't bring the germs into your house. We love Dr. Bronner's organic peppermint hand sanitizer.
3. Eat healthy foods and take your vitamins to keep your body healthy.  
4. Wipe down door knobs and bathrooms to keep germs from spreading thru out the family.
5. Run your diffuser with your favorite immune boosting essential oil. We use Germ Fighter from Plant Therapy.
6. Make sure you get enough sleep. You should make sure you get at least 8 hours especially if you are exposed to something.
7. Keep your stress levels low. When your body is stressed it is more likely to catch whatever you've been exposed to. Guided imagery, yoga, BEMER, or simply taking a walk in the park are great stress relievers.
8. Keep your freezer stocked with soup in the winter. Who doesn't like a warm bowl of soup when you are feeling under the weather. I make homemade chicken soup and freeze it without the noodles or rice. Then when we want a bowl we just defrost it and add either fresh noodles or rice.
   

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