That being said, I need to repel the bugs somehow. We have an electric bug zapper by our front door, which helps, but it is stationary so it only helps so much. I’ve tried the bug bands and bug fans and nothing has worked, until now. My Bug Off DIY Bug Repellent with Essential Oils actually works.

I whipped up a bottle of Bug Off the weekend before the Independence Day fireworks. We watch the fireworks from the mall parking lot so my mom can remain inside the car, air conditioning running, oxygen concentrator plugged in, and windows down so she can chat with the rest of us while we wait for the show. I brought my bottle of Bug Off with me and didn’t use it until I got bit, I want to make sure the bugs were out. Once I got bit I sprayed myself, Savannah, and Jordan, Ron never gets bit. I am happy to say, none of us got bit the rest of the night.

The other reasons I like Bug Off is the pleasant smell and the fact that it isn’t sticky! I didn’t feel like I had to run and shower off as soon as we got home from the fireworks! I keep my spray bottle of Bug Off by the front door and I spray it on my arms and legs whenever I head outside from late afternoon through the evening. Compared to a normal summer, I have been virtually bite free!

Not all essential oils are created equally. This recipe, and all of my essential oil recipes are made with Young Living Essential Oils. I only trust Young Living Essential Oils because I know the high standards they use in growing and harvesting the oils. The Seed to Seal process is a promise of quality.

Why Does Bug Off Bug Repellent Work?

• Citronella-known for its incecticidal properties. Have you ever burned a Citronella candle at a backyard party? Repels mosquitoes and ticks
• Lemongrass-from the same grass family as Citronella, repels mosquitoes, flies, and ticks
• Tea Tree-repels mosquitoes, flies, and ticks
• Lavender-repels mosquitoes, flies, and ticks
• Peppermint-repels mosquitoes, flies, and ticks

Mix together several bug repelling essential oils with some distilled water and witch hazel and you get a safe and effective bug repellent for those over age 3 years and up. Some of the oils are not recommended to be used on the skin of children under the age of 3. So to be safe, either don’t use it on babies and toddlers or spray their clothing, not their skin.

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Bug Off

Bug Off DIY Bug Repellent with Essential Oils

Keyword bug spray, essential oils

Servings 1 bottle

Author cindy

Ingredients

• 1 4 oz amber glass bottle
• 10 drops Citronella Essential Oil Young Living
• 10 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil Young Living
• 10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil Young Living
• 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil Young Living
• 5 drops Peppermint Essential oil Young Living
• 1 3/4 oz distilled water
• 1 3/4 oz witch hazel

Instructions

• Pour the distilled water in the bottle.
• Carefully drop the essential oils in the bottle.
• Pour the witch hazel in the bottle.
• Replace the spray lid. Shake well, spray on skin as needed.

Where to buy the supplies for the Bug Off DIY Bug Repellent with Essential Oils: 4 oz Amber Glass Bottle, Young Living Essential Oils, and Witch Hazel.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this website is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  The information represents what I, Cindy Schultz, an Independent Distributor of Young Living Essential Oils, have chosen to do to take charge of my own personal health and that of my family.  Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products on this site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using these products.

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I have been trying for almost a month to write about how transformational convention was for me as a person and as a Plexus Ambassador. I cried many times as the Lord touched my heart and spoke to my core. I texted my husband a simple but powerful text through tear filled eyes, “This has been amazing!! Things are changing!!” Things have changed and they still are.

While at Convention we released 3 new amazing products Lean-a chocolate mocha meal replacement drink, Slim Hunger Control-an amazing new Slim that is full of fiber in addition to balancing blood sugar, reducing cravings and everything else original Slim did and Joyōme our skincare line was released to the public. We also introduced our Plexus Charities and our first partnership is with Feeding America. Every serving of Lean sold = 1 meal for Feeding America, there are 14 servings in a bag of Lean. We also kicked off the partnership with a donation of $100,000 in less than a month we have donated 1,776,664 meals to Feeding America!

More than new product knowledge the Plexus Legacy Convention was about the people, empowering us to grow and become exactly who God created us to be. One of our leaders said something that amazed me, “Plexus is a personal growth company with a compensation plan.” WOW! Yes, we want to share our products with others but we want our people to be the best they can be. This sentiment summed up the entire convention for me.

“Plexus is a personal growth company with a compensation plan” who doesn’t want to be a part of that? #plexus
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Plexus Independence Day Offer

If you are ready to join this “personal growth company with a compensation plan”, to get yourself, your friends, your family healthier and happier there is no better time to start than NOW! From July 4-10 at 6pm EDT you can join Plexus as an Ambassador or wholesale customer for almost half price! Only $17.76 plus a Welcome Pack will get you started down the road with me by your side. Visit my website, click on ENROLL in the top right corner and walk through the steps, use code FIREWORKS at checkout to receive your discount. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me and put Plexus in the subject, I am here to help.

The post Plexus Independence Day Promotion appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Honestly, I haven’t seen a doctor about my knee pain in years. Ron and I are both self-employed and we haven’t had health insurance in 24 years. It sounds crazy but I am biding my time until I’m on Medicare to have my knee evaluated and hopefully fixed. My knee pain affects my every day life, it has slowed me down and it makes doing some of my favorite things more difficult.

Visiting Walt Disney World, which I do monthly, is getting more easier. Getting in and out of rides, especially the boats ie. It’s a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Gran Fiesta Tour, and Frozen Ever After are all difficult to climb in and out of. The Disney trams and some other attractions are difficult to step up into because I don’t do stairs well anymore. Thankfully my family and friends are always willing to help me, but I hate needing help. It often feels like my more adventurous vacation plans are on pause because of my knee pain.

My friend David and I at Walt Disney World.

It seems crazy that I am looking forward to the day that I am old enough for Medicare and I can find a doctor who can fix my knee and help me hit play on my more adventurous vacation plans once again. If you are dealing with knee pain, don’t put your life on pause. Hit play, see a doctor and enjoy your favorite activities again.

The post Don’t Let Knee Pain Force You to Hit Pause on Your Life appeared first on The Mom Maven.

How Does Your Kids’ Vitamin Stack Up to XFactor Kids?

• Sugar-most kids’ vitamins contain 3-5 grams of sugar. XFactor Kids has 1.
• Artificial Ingredients, colors, and flavors-XFactor Kids have none, they are also gluten free, 100% vegetarian and contain no GMOs.
• Bioavailable vitamins are easier for little tummies to absorb, are your vitamins bioavailable?
• Gut heath-having a healthy gut keeps kids happy and healthy, does your vitamin include powerful probiotics to help support a healthy immune system and digestive health? XFactor Kids does.

XFactor Kids and all Plexus products are sold by independent Plexus Ambassadors like me. All Plexus products come with a 60 day money back guarantee so there is no reason not to start the new year off healthier and happier. Please feel free to ask me questions in the comments or visit my Plexus site for more information and ordering. I am here to help your entire family have a healthier and happier new year. If you are interested in helping others become healthier, and make money doing it, I’d love to talk to you about joining my team. Plexus is one of the top health and wellness network marketing companies in the world and I’d love to help you reach your goals and dreams.

The post XFactor Kids The Easiest Parenting Decision You Will Ever Make appeared first on The Mom Maven.

About Plexus P96 Protein Powder

Plexus P96 Protein Powder is a gluten free, non GMO, 100% vegetarian, whey protein powder. It provides sustained energy, helps control hunger and curbs cravings. It also helps build lean muscle. Plexus P96 Protein Powder comes in convenient on-the-go packs to make it easy to use at home, at work, or even on vacation. Each packet is only 100 calories and had 15g of high-quality whey protein. It also contains more than 20 vitamins and minerals for optimal nutrition.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts on Plexus P96 Protein Powder

For years my breakfasts consisted of sugary cereals in 2% milk with additional sugar sprinkled on top. Then in my quest to be healthier I switched to bagels smothered in Nutella! Ha!! All of those sugar and carbohydrate laden breakfasts made me tired and I wasn’t full long and I quickly craved more sugar. When I have a Plexus P96 Protein Powder shake or smoothie I am satisfied for hours. My lunch is now typically nuts and cheese and then I eat a delicious dinner. Thanks to all of my Plexus products my sugar cravings are gone! I seldom feel hungry and my body functions better.

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Chocolate Dream Protein Shake with Plexus P96

Breakfast doesn't taste better than this Chocolate Dream Protein Shake with Plexus P96 Protein Powder.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 minutes minutes

Servings 1 protein shake

Author Cindy Schultz

Ingredients

• 1 packet Plexus P96 Chocolate Protein Powder
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 heaping TBS Hershey unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 heaping TBS peanut butter
• 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
• 6-8 ice cubes

Instructions

• I make this shake in my Nutri Ninja and it has a specific order to load ingredients for optimal mixing. Place ingredients in the blender in this order.
• banana
• yogurt
• protein powder
• cocoa powder
• peanut butter
• almond milk
• ice cubes
• Mix for 1 minute, I use Smoothie with Auto IQ Boost. Then scrape down the sides with a spatula, the peanut butter likes to stick, and blend for another minute.
• Enjoy!

Notes

To make this even healthier use a low-fat peanut butter or a fat free peanut butter powder.

If you want more information on this or any other Plexus product please just Email Me, I am here to help you get healthier and happier! I hope you enjoy this recipe and all of the easy recipes I share here on The Mom Maven. I hope you share them on your social networks. I just ask that you not copy and share the entire recipe with photos. Please use the sharing buttons below and share the link to this post. Thanks!

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I am giving away a 7 Day Trial pack of New Plexus Slim. All of our products come with a 60 day money back guarantee because change takes time. With a 7 day trial of Slim most people will experience at least 2 of these 4 changes:

1. A better night’s sleep.
2. Decreased sugar cravings.
3. Reduction of Appetite.
4. Increased energy.

Who couldn’t use any of those changes in their life? The New Plexus Slim will also introduce the prebiotic XOS to your microbiome!

New Plexus Slim Giveaway

This giveaway is for one 7 Day Trial pack of New Plexus Slim. This giveaway is open to US residents only. You will be added to my email list. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and verified. The winner will be notified via email and they will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don’t want to wait and see if you won, please feel free to visit my Plexus website for more information and to see all of our health and wellness products.

The post New Plexus Slim 7 Day Trial Giveaway appeared first on The Mom Maven.

About New Plexus Slim

The scientists at Plexus have spent years learning about how gut health impacts our overall health. I’m sure you have heard about this topic because it is cutting edge medical and scientific research all focused on your microbiome. Haven’t heard that word before, it’s ok, go Google it. It is all very fascinating, I’ve been doing a lot of research lately and as I learn, I make additional changes in how I live. You don’t have to do all the research, unless you want to. What you need to know is that most of your microbiome resides in your gut. Most of us have unhealthy guts. There are many, many symptoms of an unhealthy gut including but definitely not limited to stomach pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, hormonal imbalances, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, anxiety, depression, eczema, and other chronic health problems! Do you or someone you know suffer from any of these issues? Focus on your gut.

Plexus is making a name for themselves as the gut health company because we are on the leading edge of the emerging science. It takes time to heal your gut. The processed foods we eat and the medicines we have taken have really messed us up. One piece of the gut health puzzle is found in the new Plexus Slim and that is a prebiotic known as xylooligisaccharide or XOS for short. XOS works to feed good microbes allowing them to flourish, so they can better contribute to your overall health.

New Plexus Slim does everything original Plexus Slim did PLUS it feeds our good microbes to help improve you health. This is just one piece of the gut health puzzle and I will be sharing about the others in future posts. All of our products have a 60 day money back guarantee so you have nothing to lose and good health to gain.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts on New Plexus Slim

I have been using the new Plexus Slim daily for 3 weeks, I even took it on my cruise with me. I joked with my husband that new Plexus Slim ruined my cruise because I wasn’t hungry! I had to make wise food choices at each meal so that I could try new things and eat what I really wanted because my appetite was decreased and I wasn’t craving sugar like I normally would.

I have lost a few pounds since starting the New Plexus Slim and while yes, I have a lot of weight to lose, this isn’t about losing weight, it is about getting healthy. As my gut gets healthier, my weight will decrease. The new watermelon-raspberry-lemon flavor is refreshing and mixes easily in ice cold water. I just shake it up end enjoy my Slim when I wake up, 30 minutes before my protein packed breakfast. With Slim as part of my daily health routine I have fewer cravings, decreased appetite, much fewer stomach issues, better sleep, and more sustained energy throughout the day.

How to Get New Plexus Slim

I am a Plexus Ambassador and you can get Slim, and our other products from my Plexus website. There are 3 ways to buy Plexus at fill retail, at a discount as a preferred customer, and at an even better discounts as an ambassador. I started as a retail customer and within a month I became an ambassador because I knew I wanted the best discount I could get. It only costs $34.95 to become an ambassador and you never have to sell the products if you don’t want to. If you have any questions please leave me a comment and I will get back to you. If you would like it to be more private, please Email Me with Plexus as the subject and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Next week I’ll be holding a giveaway of New Plexus Slim. Make sure you are subscribed so you’ll know how to enter!

Here is hoping your gut is healthy!

The post New Plexus Slim is Now Available appeared first on The Mom Maven.

I was introduced to the Memo Box Mini a few weeks ago and this ingenious pill box and smartphone app combination has helped me stay on track. The Memo Box Mini has 3 compartments. I really need 4 but since all my midday supplements are the same I put them all in one compartment. I use the app to set a time to take each of my doses. When it is time to take my supplements my phone beeps and my Memo Box Mini also beeps until you open it.

I have a love/hate relationship with my Memo Box Mini. It has to do more with my crazy lifestyle than the product itself. A “normal” week for me has me waking up between 7-8am. A week I am working in Phone Central means I am up anywhere between 4:30-6am. This schedule changes my meal times which in turn changes when I take my meds and supplements. This requires me to re-program my times each week, which is driving me crazy.

I do like the fact that I can set a different schedule for different days. Sunday’s at 11am is not a good time for me to take my Bio-Cleanse because I am either on stage at church singing or I am leading Kid’s Church. My Sunday morning also starts earlier because I am always up at 6 to be at church by 8am.

If you have a more consistent schedule, the Memo Box Mini may be just what you need to keep on top of your medication and supplement dosing. It is also a great gift for a loved one who might need help in this area.

The post Take Meds More than Once a Day? Get the Memo Box Mini appeared first on The Mom Maven.

About Plexus Edge

Plexus EDGE provides healthy, sustained energy and increased mental focus. With just three key ingredients, EDGE gets to work fast, giving you energy, sharpening your thinking, enhancing your focus and improving your mood so you can power through your day. When looking to boos your focus and mental health, see here this leading hypnosis specialist in London.

Plexus EDGE contains exclusive, clinically tested, key ingredients: Theacrine (as Patented TeaCrine®) naturally occurs in Kucha Tea leaves. One of the many benefi ts of theacrine is its long-lasting, non-habituating effects. Theacrine improves mood, decreases feelings of stress and
irritability and increases motivation, without disrupting sleep.*

L-Theanine is a naturally occurring amino acid found primarily in green tea leaves. It helps to improve memory and enhances your ability to learn. L-Theanine is also our “jitter-buster”. It has a calming effect, making it an excellent choice to pair with natural caffeine.* The natural caffeine in EDGE is Coffea Robusta.

EDGE gives you the energy you need for the things that matter most. Just one capsule a day can give you the edge you need to live the life you’ve always wanted.*

Mom Maven’s Thoughts on Plexus Edge

I am a Plexus Ambassador and I was skeptical about this product. I have been off almost all caffeine for over 5 years. I used EDGE during VBS crunch time and I had all of the energy and mental focus I needed without the jitters and side effects I usually get from caffeine. EDGE helped me power through the long nights of painting and set building. I had more energy than my teammates who were living off coffee and chocolate. I was amazed at how easy it was to fall asleep once I got home. I was concerned that sleep wouldn’t come easily, but it did.

As I head into Sharathon season, working 4, 14 hour days a week, I’ll be taking EDGE with me. I take my Plexus EDGE around 10am after a protein packed breakfast and it keeps me alert, awake and focused all day long.

Plexus EDGE and all Plexus products can only be purchased through Plexus Ambassadors. There are three ways to buy, as shown in the image above, retail, preferred and wholesale from my Plexus website. The website can be a bit confusing at first so if you’d like some help, please feel free to Email me and put Plexus in the title and I’m happy to help you.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The post Personal Energy Crisis? Try New Plexus EDGE appeared first on The Mom Maven.

One of my most favorite things to do is to volunteer in kids ministry at church. It is something I have been doing for 39 years! I started volunteering at age 13. Currently I serve in 5 positions of children’s ministry leadership at church:

• Wednesday night Kid’s Clubs coordinator
• Teach the Wednesday night Stars class (3-5th grade girls)
• Serve on the RiverLife Kids leadership team
• Vacation Bible School Director
• VBS Bible teacher

It is a blessing and an honor to work with my fellow leaders and all of the amazing kids at our church. Some people think I am crazy, but I wish I could do more.

My typical Sunday morning attire

In case you have never spent time in kids ministry, there is a lot of jumping, dancing and running around that goes along with the teaching, preaching, loving and praying. As a 52 year old woman who has given birth 3 times and had a hysterectomy, all that jumping and dancing can lead to bladder leakage. Bladder leakage is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is a fact of life for many women my age. I refuse to let bladder leakage sideline me from ministering to the kids and thanks to Depend Fit-Flex underwear, I don’t have to.

About Depend Fit-Flex

It makes me sad to think that 65 million Americans, men and women alike, deal with bladder leakage. Many of them let this common issue diminish their self-confidence and keep them from living an active and social life. I’m thankful that Kimberly-Clark, with their Depend brand, is working hard to break the stigma and change how bladder leakage is viewed. Depend Fit-Flex underwear was created to be more flexible and allow comfortable movement with trusted protections.

If you suffer from bladder leakage I hope you will visit the Depend website to learn more and find out how you can try Depend Fit-Flex for free. If you are not comfortable buying Depend products in your local store, they are available online. On Amazon you can even subscribe for regular shipments! Please don’t let bladder leakage sideline you. Enjoy your life.

The post Trust Depend because Every Moment Matters appeared first on The Mom Maven.