Overcome to Become: Be The Person Your Dog Thinks You Are

Hello, friends! I've been taking stock this week on how I'm doing with my yearly theme. I think I made a lot of mistakes this past week, but since I have identified them (or they've been pointed out to me), I realize that I can fix them and change. And my dog has been helping me do just that.

You might be wondering just HOW my dog is helping me with my goal, so let me explain! There's a popular saying that goes around in social media about dogs, or pets in general. Here it is...

Source

This got me thinking about just what kind of a person my dog currently thinks I am. My sweet fur baby has been sick for the last few months. She's had multiple trips to the vet for blood work and shots, been on medication, and is just now showing improvement. She still cannot jump up onto things like she is used to doing, which makes our whole family sad. There's nothing better than having your fur baby hop into your lap to cuddle with you after a rough day.

I'm digressing. Let me get back to the quote. So, we have been giving our dog a lot of love and attention lately. We do usually, we have just increased it because of how she's been feeling. My dog trusts me. She knows I love her because of my actions. She knows I have expectations of her because she gets into trouble when she gets into garbage. ;) And then I show her more love after her stern reprimand. She's happy, we are happy. It's a beautiful thing.

3 Ingredient Dog Treats

1 c. peanut butter
1 1/2 c. oats
1 ripe banana

Combine all well. Roll 1/4" thick and cut into desired shape.
Cook at 350*F for 10-15 minutes. Treats should be golden brown.
Store in airtight container for up to 5 days, in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks,
or freeze for up to 3 months.

As I thought about this, I related it to the many other roles beside dog mama I play in my life--daughter of Heavenly Parents, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, teacher, employee, friend, minister, Young Women secretary, Sunday School teacher...I could go on. So, what have been the rewards and pit-falls?

I have tried to use the things my dog has taught me more fully in my 2nd grade classroom this week. Result? It was the BEST week we have had this entire school year. We were all happy, expectations were met with little to no reminders, and I feel that all students learned a lot. It was beautiful! Here is what one student wrote this week for his writing assessment...

So my next goal is to apply this to other areas of my life. I will keep you updated! What are the goals you are working towards this year? I would love to hear about them in the comments below! OR, you can always email me at onastampageATgmailDOTcom! 

Thanks for stopping by today, friends! I hope you have a wonderful week and that you feel peace and love. You are a wonderful part of this world and are needed--never forget that! Until next time, HUGS to all!

Essential Oils

***Before I start, I want you all to know that I do sell doTERRA essential oils and use them on a daily basis. While I would love to be the one you purchase essential oils from, if you feel they will not work for you (I used to feel that way) or already have a consultant/use another brand, please know that this post is NOT an ad. It's more about how oils and others who use oils have helped me on my journey, along with ideas on how to use oils to help when experiencing anxiety.***

Happy New Year, friends! I hope your year is off to a wonderful start! I always feel the need to have a break after my holiday break because I am SO busy. I am an introvert by nature, so I need my alone time to relax and regroup. One way I do that is by using essential oils!

Before I went to therapy and decided to take medication, I used oils all the time to help me manage my anxiety. It wasn't a perfect fix, but they did help. Some of my favorites are lavender, doTERRA Balance Grounding Blend, and ylang ylang. I still use them on a daily basis!

I decided that I wanted to share some of these oils with friends this year. My sister came to visit for Christmas, and we ended up at the Dollar Tree looking for things we could make for the women at church we minister to. We found these darling glass jars and epsom salts, and we knew just what to do!

We added some stickers to the front of the jars and put a thin layer of Mod Podge over them to help them stay in place and to make them semi-water proof. We then hot glued a paper flower for decoration. We mixed essential oils into the epsom salts we purchased, then carefully spooned them into each jar. Below is the recipe we used for the salts!

Have you ever tried using essential oils to boost/regulate/or calm your mood? I would love to hear your ideas on how you do this in the comments below! Until next time, take care of and be gentle with yourself! HUGS!