Throughout my adult years I have realized the importance of
other women in my life and when I look back I am amazed at the impact other
women have had on me. My mom turned out
to be one of my best friends and when Alzheimer ’s disease took her ability to
truly connect with me I was blessed with other women God had so perfectly
placed in my path to help me through the rough waters. One was my baby sitter who in my adult life
became basically a neighbor. Having her
close by gave me a mother figure to turn to and lean on. I had a group of friends that had come into
my life through a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. These same ladies helped me label my mom’s
clothes as my Dad and I prepared to move her into a dementia care home.
There are so many other women that have impacted my life: my
childhood and teenage friends, the girls I danced with, my dance teacher, my
cheerleading coach, the other cheerleaders, the many moms from the MOPS group, teachers,
my next door neighbor mom, the moms I worked alongside of as we juggle(d) the
homeschool world, aunts, grandmothers, sister-in-laws, my daughter, my nieces and
on and on I could go.
When I say “Women RELATE”, I’m not saying anything negative
about men. I have had some great guy
friends over the years, and many of my friends’ husbands are like family, and
then there is my husband of 21 years who is my rock and knows me better than
anyone. My dad was my first hero and
even though my 4 1/2 year older brother picked on me constantly I looked up to
him and tried to keep up with him. What
I am saying is we as women have a connection and understanding of one another
that comes from our womanhood.
We know what it is like from a women’s perspective to have a
sick child, a broken heart, feel insecure, not know if we are making the best
decision for our family or self, feel overwhelmed because getting food in the
fridge and then on the table is a task that somehow becomes daunting in the busyness
of our lives of getting everyone everywhere and if we aren’t getting them
everywhere we are keeping up with where they are. We watch our parents grow older and try to
respectfully help them transition into that reality while mourning the loss of
the parents we once knew. I’m sure men
go through some of the same stuff, but let’s face it anytime you talk with another
woman and the topic of men comes up in some way shape or form it ends in either
a little eye contact, eye roll, a chuckle, or a deep down belly laugh. It isn’t because we don’t love our guys. It’s just we women are unique in how we see
and do things. I’m pretty positive they
have the same reaction about us. I’m
sure they question why we feel the need for things to be done just so, you know
“the way we do them”.
A little over a year ago I had become interested in natural
products and took a trip to Whole Foods to see what I could find in regards to
skincare products. I left with
deodorant, lip balm, and a face care kit.
Prior to this I had been focusing on eating cleaner (reducing processed
foods from my diet). Some of this
interest was created by wanting to do anything possible to be healthier and
hopefully keep Alzheimer’s disease away from my future. What I came to realize is old habits are hard
to break and there is often so much information out there you never really know
what to think and sometimes you just throw your hands up and decide you will
just do the best you can. I guess that
is where I am at. Some days I consume
coconut oil because some say that it’s good for preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Other days I forget coconut oil even exist.
I am truly a work in progress in all areas of getting and being
healthier.
In my dream world I would eat no processed foods or sugar,
and exercise at least 5 days a week, and use all chemical free products in my
home and on my body. In my real world, I
struggle. I struggle to get out of bed
early to fit exercise into my life. I
struggle to get dinner on the table and at that point in the day could care
less what the ingredients are because I just need to get my family fed, which
now includes two teens and a tween. I
struggle to eat healthy because I really do love to bake when I have time and I
really really love to eat baked goods. I
struggle because my reality is I live on a limited income and it’s my job to
see that at the end of the month we are not spending more than is being brought
in. I struggle to clean my house without
using harsh chemicals, but I have found some things I can replace with natural
alternatives and I pat myself on the back for every step in that direction I
take. Even if one week I grab the
premade stuff because I just don’t have time to mix the natural
concoction. I’m taking small steps and try to consider the
positive impact of those steps not the daunting list of things I could be
doing.
Recently, I was introduced to Lemongrass Spa and was
interested because it offered many skincare products that are 97%-100%
natural. I have quickly grown to love
their products and even became a consultant with them.
When I hosted my Lemongrass Spa party, before deciding to
become a consultant I was reminded of how important it is to take time out of
our busy lives and spend time with other women.
I don’t mean time with other women where we are doing something for some
other reason. I mean just hanging out. I have always loved bridal and baby showers,
but waiting to get together just because someone is having a baby or getting
married means it isn’t going to happen very often. How many times have I thought I’ll just have
a get together to get other women together? A million. How many times have I actually done it? I can probably count them on one hand.
At my party a lady expressed how she wasn’t sure about
coming, but knew she could use “girl” time and was glad she had come. When we all did the foot spa at my party,
that’s when I knew I wanted to be a consultant.
Everyone’s faces lit up at how refreshed their feet felt and I knew I
wanted to provide that opportunity for others.
A time to be with friends and a time to pamper ourselves.
I knew having a Blog and Facebook Page was a great way to share Lemongrass
Spa news and specials, but I didn’t want my page to just be about Lemongrass
Spa because my reason for becoming a consultant wasn’t just to sell
products. I recently had an Open House
and my daughter has nicknamed me the “Mayberry” sales person. It’s now a joke in our house, but I’m
completely fine with it. I don’t think
sales is my strength, but I love people and I love being around other women
sharing and connecting. I learn so much
from other women and just from my one party and my Open House I’ve already
learned about a helpful website for checking out products for their health
level and been reminded how salt adds in healing.
That is why I came up with this Blog and Facebook Page and its name. These won’t just be dedicated to sharing
Lemongrass Spa information. Though it
will be a venue for me to do that. What
I want this page to be is a place where women can RELATE. Whether it’s a great book I’ve read, a new
recipe, or some helpful information someone has shared with me I want this to
be a forum to share. I want to continue gaining
insight from women just like I have over the years, but through this world of
social media that I honestly am still getting used to. I hope you will join me because when women
gather they R.E.L.A.T.E.
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