As we have jumped more into cultivating a well life, learning about low-tox living, and seeing the benefits that come from it, there has been one huge shift I have seen in my mothering. I am far more proactive with our wellness instead of reactive than I ever have been before. Don’t get me wrong, I have always been aware of things I wanted our kids to stay away from as well as making sure they are active, etc. However, I have come to learn that true wellness is a way of living every day. It’s a way of establishing daily habits and rituals that keep our bodies functioning as best they can. Can we prevent everything? Absolutely not, but I am better equipped as a mother more than I ever have been. This is why I wanted to share my favorite winter wellness must-haves! Because like you, keeping my family healthy and well during this season (and the times that we find ourselves in) is top of mind.

A little disclaimer before we dive in

And I just have to preface this post by saying that I will only ever share products I know, like, and trust here in this space. It’s also why you do not see me doing a lot of product sharing or collaborations. Why? Because I have become extremely particular in what I allow in my home. We are sold a lot of crap these days and mostly by big corporations who could care less about our health. Every day more things are being pulled from shelves because of harmful ingredients. And unfortunately, it takes time for their effects to surface. I will never forget when a friend shared her breast cancer story. Do you want to know the first thing her doctor told her to toss when she received her diagnosis? Her deodorant. Why is this not a conversation happening earlier on? And look what was just “voluntarily” pulled from shelves. One instance may not seem like a big deal. However, this happens again, and again. (And if you are anything like me, you have gone down the rabbit hole and know exactly why these things happen and are even allowed. However, that’s a subject for a different time.)

I share those things because they are what opened my eyes several years ago. They are what helped me to put two and two together and look at things with a fresh perspective. It’s also why our family has committed to doing things differently. Knowledge is power and when we know better we can do better.

Oh, and I always think this goes without saying, but just in case – wink! I am in no way giving any medical advice. I am simply a mom sharing the daily habits and tools I turn to in order to keep my family well!

The Basics

We could take all of the supplements in the world and douse ourselves in essential oils daily, but nothing is going to work if we are not doing the basics. Every day we try and make sure to:

• get good sleep
• eat whole and nutritious food
• soak in Vitamin D outside whenever we can (yes, even when it’s cold)
• hydrate by drinking plenty of water
• move our bodies
• have a healthy and positive mindset

Is it perfect? Of course not. Some days we are on the struggle bus. However, it is our focus and we approach our days with as much intention as possible.

My goal for this winter season is to make the homemade chicken soup ahead of time and have it available in the freezer. So even if the Bearded Gent and I are under the weather and cooking sounds like torture, we can still make sure we are consuming nutritious food to help our bodies recuperate.

For On-the-Go

As a mom, I always want to have an arsenal of handy tools for when we are out and about in public. I am not fearful of anything, but I am fully aware of how unsanitary things are. And kids don’t always remember to not touch their faces when out in public places. So I always have our favorite Thieves hand sanitizer (my kids know not to use anything else, because, surprise!). Not to mention, once you go plant-based and low-tox you can’t stomach the stuff you used before. All we smell are chemicals – it’s crazy how much it changes you!

Anyway, I always have Thieves hand sanitizer, Thieves wipes and Thieves spray (I find these helpful for wiping down restaurant tables or shopping cart handles). We also always make sure the very first thing we do when we get home is wash our hands.

Oh! And another habit I picked up years ago from a fellow mom is to make it a weekly chore for one of the kids to go through the house sanitizing all handles and light switches. So helpful in keeping germs at bay from all the comings and goings! 

Vitamins & Supplements 

This is an area that I am getting more and more comfortable with. Too much of anything can be bad and over-supplementing can be a problem. However, I started this from a place of never taking anything. It has taken a while for me to mature in this area and understand why it is important to supplement daily. The reason is that we are not getting the same nutrient-dense foods that we once did. While our great-great-grandparents could eat a single apple to get their proper daily dose of fiber, we have to eat nine.

This is because of the chemicals, growth hormones, etc used in food production and the quality of our soils being depleted from practices created to keep up with mass consumption. This is also why we shop our local farmers for our food to get the best quality we can. Even then, though, can we all say that we are eating our necessary amounts of greens, fibers, vitamins, etc? Probably not.

While we take a handful of things, the core few we turn to every single day are:

Inner Defense from Young Living. This one is incredible for immune support and strengthening. Formulate with Thieves and the Bearded Gent and I will double or triple down on this one if we feel like something is coming on.

Mary Ruth’s Ionic Zinc. I love the Mary Ruth’s brand – such good stuff. Zinc is wonderful for immune support especially during the months of the year where we don’t have as much time to be outside getting that sun and fresh air.

Multigreens from Young Living. This is basically a salad in a capsule. I love knowing that I can pump more greens into my system to stay on the up and up. And while none of my cubs are big on swallowing pills yet, I am able to sprinkle these in their smoothies for them to benefit as well.

Life 9 from Young Living. This is our daily probiotic. All health begins in the gut which makes complete sense. Especially as someone who deals with the gut-brain connection cycle that affects the digestive system – so, I get the importance for sure!

KidScents Pre and Probiotic. Same goal and benefit as the previous one and meant for the kids. We love the friendly pixie stick approach and it’s yummy.

*Not pictured is the Vitamin C supplement from Young Living we all take daily as well. As someone who used to do nothing preventative for me to stay well, I would always pound the Vitamin C when I got sick. What I have learned, however, is taking Vitamin C when you are sick doesn’t do what we think it does. Taking it long before we are sick is where we find the most benefit.

I have found several knowledgeable women and resources that I have been so grateful to learn from within this area.

On Instagram, I love the following accounts:

Shannon Tripp – she is a former pediatric ER nurse and is a wealth of information on all the things related to our kiddos!

My friend Natalie Postl who owns Thrive Family Wellness in Arizona – she is a holistic nutritionist and an incredible source of information. And yes, is thriving with cancer.

And of course, Kathryn and Kendra are two more that I love following.

In my mom toolbag

As I have mentioned, my history of care was simply waiting for sickness to happen and then grabbing whatever I knew to use over the counter. Goodness gracious, how much has changed since those days! I now find myself caring for my family in a completely different way. Daily habits that I know are supporting our bodies and health, beginning with a primitive approach when we have an ailment or bug, utilizing tools I know will help, and then if needed, turning to other options. 

When someone in our house is under the weather or not feeling well, I like to make sure we have a few things on hand. 

I was told about the Chest Comfort Syrup from Organic Olivia and I am so glad I was! Ingredients I can trust and it gets the job done!

With that, I also have a respiratory blend I have pre-mixed and ready to drop into diffusers when a little one needs support and to ensure good sleep at the same time.

*Recipe for the respiratory blend: Cedarwood, Pine, Lavender, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus Radiata, Rosemary, and Cypress essential oil. If used as a diffuser blend, no carrier oil is needed. If you are applying topically, I add 20 drops of each in a 15ml bottle and top it off with fractionated coconut oil.

Pictured above is also the Thieves chest rub which I cannot speak highly enough about. We love that stuff and it absolutely does the job when needed!

Another preventative daily habit we do is apply an immune boost blend topically every single evening as part of our family bedtime routine. I combine Thieves, Frankincense, Lemon, and Oregano essential oil in a 10ml roller bottle and top it off with fractionated coconut oil. We apply topically down the spine and on the bottom of feet for each of us daily. Thieves is an incredible oil for immune support and I have absolutely seen the difference in making it part of our daily routine.

There you have it! My favorite winter wellness must-haves. Tools that I have found beneficial in our home and that have made the biggest difference in being proactive when it comes to our wellness this time of year. I hope you found something helpful from this post!

You can dive into more things wellness and how our family is approaching things here.

If you want to shop any of my winter wellness favorites from Young Living, you can do so here. Or if you want to browse everything from Young Living, you can shop using my link. When you grab something, make sure and let me know so I can send you a thank you gift!

And of course, always feel free to reach out with questions. I am continually grateful for the women and mothers who answer mine when it comes to the protocols they use in their home, supplements, products, etc. We’re all in this together, right? Wink!