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How I’m Getting Ready for Swimsuit Season

April 29, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 24 Comments

Disclaimer: I am sharing my own personal experience, but I am not offering medical advice of any sort. Please take great care when deciding whether or not to ingest essential oils, and if you decide to do so, carefully research the brand you choose. Please consult your physician should you have any questions or concerns. Essential oils have not been tested by the FDA. Affiliate links included. I love promoting what rocks my world!

I’m 21 days away from spending an entire week pretty much only in a swimsuit.

Yup. 21 days.

I prefer to spend my time daydreaming about how much fun my family is going to have and minimizing the amount of time I spend feeling uncomfortable about how my body currently looks in a swimsuit (it looks like it needs a lot more exercise, to put it simply). I’m not going to look like a cast member of Baywatch three weeks from now, but I am taking steps to shed a few pounds by making some healthier eating choices between now and then, by upping my water intake and by doing some exercises that offer maximum impact in minimum time.

Additionally, I’m making good use of my essential oils to help me feel energized and to offer support for healthy metabolic function. I have a pill I take every morning that makes a BIG difference in how I feel throughout the day (see ya later, 2 o’clock slump!), and for me at least, in how tempted I am to reach for snacks mindlessly. That might be one of the areas where this trio of oils that I use makes the biggest difference. I simply don’t feel as tempted to snack, which means I’m not loading up on pointless calories. I wish I could credit my awesome discipline with my habit change, but I have no discipline when it comes to snacking. I’m a grazer, people. It’s what I do. So the whole not snacking thing is a pretty big deal.

So let’s take a closer look at this powerhouse trio of oils that helps support a healthy lifestyle regimen and helps kick cravings to the curb! I take this trio of oils in a pill form, and I make a fairly large batch in one sitting to be efficient with my time. Here’s how it works!

How I Mix My “Swimsuit Ready”Trio

Ingredients

Lemon essential oil
Grapefruit essential oil
Peppermint essential oil
1/2 Oz Amber Glass Bottle with Glass Eye Dropper. I bought the 2 ounce size (too big!). Go for 1/2 ounce linked here or 1 ounce.
Stainless steel mini funnel
organic coconut oil
Veg-Capsules Double “00” Empty Capsules

The ratio of coconut oil to each essential oil is 2:1. So for every drop of essential oil, I need 2 drops of coconut oil. One capsule needs 2 drops of lemon, 2 drops of grapefruit, 2 drops of peppermint and 12 drops of coconut oil. If I were to make every capsule by measuring out each oil, I would want to hurt someone. But there’s an easier way! 🙂

Since I already knew the ratio of essential oils to coconut oil, I started measuring by glass dropper fulls of oils. In a small glass container I added 2 dropper fulls of lemon vitality, 2 of peppermint vitality, and 2 of grapefruit vitality (and a dropper full for me is when you put the glass dropper into the essential oil container with the top of the dropper squeezed, then let go so that it naturally fills…that point at which it fills on its own is 1 dropper full. Make sense?).

Now that my essential oils are all combined, it’s time to put them together in the amber vial. I didn’t make very much since I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not, but next time I will make a large amount so that I have my essential oil blend mixed and ready in this amber vial any time I want to make a new batch!

The next step is to heat the coconut oil to the point of melting. This time of year where I live, you can accomplish this just by putting your container of coconut oil outside for a bit (I believe the melting point is somewhere around 82 degrees). I don’t recommend using the microwave because many folks contend that the microwave zaps the health benefits of the oils. A stove top will work just fine and should not take long. No need to measure the amount of oil right now; I’ll do that when we add it. And whatever you don’t use you can pour back into your container, as it will become a solid again in a few hours. Here’s what melted coconut oil looks like:

Since coconut oil is solid at room temperature, I did not add it to the essential oils blend that I put in the amber vial. That would result in quite a mess later on! So best to keep the carrier oil and the essential oils separate for storage.

Now it is time to fill the capsules! I removed the small end of the capsule, and took the glass dropper and filled it with my essential oils blend. Each capsule should have 6 total drops of essential oils added. Then I took another glass dropper (I bought a set of vials and just borrowed one) and filled it with coconut oil. Each capsule should have 12 drops of coconut oil added.

I was able to make 25 capsules with this amount of essential oils. I put the capsules in the freezer. I don’t fear them going bad, as Young Living essential oils (other than citrus) don’t go rancid, and even that takes a long time. It was more about safe keeping. Also? I think they go down easy when they are cold! But perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned that if the capsules aren’t frozen once made, they will quickly start to break down the veggie capsule shell and leak. So if you want to make a large batch ahead of time, freezing them is a must. The other alternative is to keep your essential oil blend on hand and make your capsules every day. The only pain point there is ensuring that you have melted coconut oil daily.

If you are looking to make a few lifestyle changes to help you feel more confident before you hit the beach or the pool this summer, I think you might really love what this trio can offer. Always keep in mind, of course, that essential oils are amazing, but not magical. They don’t take the place of making healthy choices like drinking your water, moving your body, and fueling up with good foods.

What About Cellulite?

As you get toned up for swimsuit season, are you also struggling with cellulite? (Who isn’t? I hate that person, whoever it is!). I’ve got some great solutions for getting rid of cellulite naturally, too. Combine those 2 secret weapons with this trio and get ready to shine from the inside out!

Dry Cracked Elbows: What Works to Eliminate Them

April 27, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

In the winter months, one of the parts of my body that seems to handle the colder temps the worst is my elbows. I know, seems random. But by the end of winter they are SOOOO dry and are often even cracking. It is nasty, but forgiveable because I can cover it up with long sleeves.

Today’s high is 84 degrees here, so as you can imagine, long sleeve weather is gone. I’ve tried every lotion in my cabinet on my elbows without success. I had some success using my essential oils, but had not completely healed them as of a few weeks ago.

Zim’s asked me to try out their Max Crack Creme and since I had THOSE ELBOWS to contend with, I decided to go for it. Two of the main ingredients in this 100% natural product are arnica extract and myrica oil. I’ve never used either (to my knowledge) and I love trying natural products, so this seemed like a good fit. Nothing to lose but gross elbows, right?

I knew this product was a winner after my very first application, y’all.

The consisistency is much like the carrier oils I use with my essential oils (almond oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, for example). You only need a small amount for each elbow. I typically apply it twice a day, though sometimes I forget an only apply it once. It absorbs quickly and for me, I could notice a difference in how soft my elbows were immediately. This particular line has a few different products you can try (including stuff designed for cracked feet) but the original liquid formula is my personal favorite. My elbows look totally hydrated and healthy, now!

If you have dry cracked elbows then you are absolutely going to LOVE Zim’s Max Crack Creme. The best part? The price! It retails for $6.99 (couldn’t find it on Amazon, but Drugstore.com currently has it for under $5! Buy 2 at that price, y’all)!

(Giveaway!) Small Changes Can Make Big Differences: The Supplement I’m Taking Daily and Why

April 25, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt ·

This post was sponsored by Nature Made^® as a part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.

I’m a maximizer by my nature, and that means that if I’m going to add something to my daily regimen, I need to feel confident that I can reap quite a lot of of benefit from it.

There was a period of time, for example, when I got off the maximizer path and started exploring all sorts of vitamins, minerals and supplements, purchasing random items here and there, until my daily pill box of wellnes supplements was too full to shut. And that’s when I realized that I was going about my “maximizing” of wellness support the wrong way by just adding more and more stuff. This, by the way, resulted in me skipping taking my supplements altogether because there were so many it made me feel kind of sick to take them all. Instead, I needed to cut way back on what I was choosing to take and focus on what would provide maximum benefit.

One of the pills that made the cut for daily intake was magnesium. Are you currently taking a magnesium supplement, friend? Let me share with you why I think it’s absolutely worth my time and energy to incorporate this supplement from Nature Made into my daily regimen.

Magnesium is a mineral that your body needs every single day, and that your body uses to help support all sorts of important things, like nerve, muscle and heart function, healthy bones and teeth, and converting food into cellular energy†. In fact, magnesium assists in over 300 metabolic functions in the body. So you are certainly getting a lot of benefit by incorporating some magnesium into your daily wellness regimen!

I don’t know about you, but every last item on that list sounds pretty darn important. In particular for me, I’m interested in helping support good bone health as I age, and my understanding is that magnesium is quite excellent for supporting strong bones!

I picked up a nicely priced twin pack of Nature Made Magnesium at my local Walmart. Nature Made is the #1 Pharmacist recommended supplement brand in 9 categories** and is the nation’s #1 best-selling brand for quality vitamins, minerals and supplements* to help support nutritional gaps. I love that Nature Made Magnesium is completely free of preservatives and artifical colors, as well. And the price is right at Walmart, for sure. No need to wait until there’s a sale!

Additionally, I learned in the last month that my beloved coffee can actually be a magnesium leach, so I have to be extra conscious of making sure that I give my body plenty of magnesium for optimal function. I’ve also cut back a bit on the coffee to further help ensure that the magnesium going into my body stays put! I’ve been swapping it out for yummy spring water, making sure I have a few tall glasses of it (ice cold, of course!) throughout the day. These are small steps that I’m taking, but I know they are making a difference.

Do you have any health and wellness goals you are working on? Did you make some at the beginning of the year and get off track? I want to encourage you not to give up because there’s still more than half of the year left to make positive changes for your health. Every small step in the right direction counts, friends!

Nature Made wants to help you achieve those health and wellness wins, too, so be sure to check out the Daily Boost inspirations that can come straight to your email. It’s like getting a daily dose of Vitamin Do. 🙂 Signing up is free, naturally! You can also follow Nature Made on Facebook for additional health and wellness education.

I want to encourage you to do your own research and what support your body needs to function optimally. For me, that means taking Nature Made Magnesium and getting plenty of water in my body every day. It might look the same for you, or you might have some different health and wellness goals that you’d like to focus your efforts on. Either way, Nature Made can help you turn those goals into realities through their Daily Boost inspirations, as well as their product offerings, which you can find at Walmart.

Win it!

There’s a contest happening right now and I want you to get in on it before it closes on 4/26! TWENTY lucky entrants are each going to win a $50 Walmart gift card. This will be so helpful in jump starting your health and wellness goals or continuing on the path if you are already making progress in these areas of your life. See below for full details. Good luck! I-C will randomly select 20 winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes.

Nature Made Wellness 6

**Based on US News & World Report – Pharmacy Times Survey, Nature Made is the #1 Pharmacist Recommended Brand in Nine Categories – Letter Vitamins, Omega-3/Fish Oil, Coenzyme Q10, Flax Seed Oil, Herbal Supplements, Cholesterol Management-Natural, Garlic, Diabetic Multivitamins and Mood Health Supplements

On Learning to Lighten Up: How A Style Change Can Help Your Stress Level

April 25, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RethinkYourColour #CollectiveBias

Sister do you have your beverage of choice in hand right now? If not, go grab it and then come back and get comfy, because I’ve got something that’s been on my heart to share with you today.

Ready? Ok, let’s talk some truth. Sometime earlier this year I started waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep. I quickly realized that stress was the main culprit. I was worried about taxes (small business owners can feel me on that one!), I was worried about school choices for my children, I was worried about some health issues, and amidst all the stress and worry, I was absolutely up to my eyeballs in clutter in my house.

I felt the weight of the world on me, and after acknowledging my burdens, which is step one on the path to freedom, I realized that there were several areas of my life where, simply put, I needed to lighten up.

how to gradually lighten brown hair

So I’ve been working on lightening up all across the board, and those changes have been so positive! Today I want to focus on one specific area where I’ve lightened up with tremendous benefits, and that area might surprise you: STYLE. Style was not on my radar at all as an area where I could feel more rejuvenated and free by focusing a bit on it. In truth, it’s an area of my life I’ve completely ignored for quite some time, rocking that mom ponytail and yoga pants pretty much constantly. A few weeks ago, in fact, I realized that it had been AN ENTIRE YEAR since my last haircut, and a solid 6 months since I’d last colored my hair. In the midst of a stressful year, I just stopped thinking that I was worth the effort and that self-care wasn’t a wise use of my limited time.

Epic fail, y’all. And if you have a similar mindset about yourself and your personal style (or lack thereof), let me show you something simple and cost-effective you can do right this minute to lighten up. I promise you that you aren’t doing right by yourself to toss your own personal style out the window. Over time you are going to give your self-esteem a pretty good thrashing, and that is going to add to your feelings of stress. First, If you are long overdue for a haircut, I implore you to make an appointment TODAY. I actually did some sleuthing and found a quality stylist at a budget salon to help keep my costs low. I got 6 inches chopped off and felt lighter and more free instantly. It was wonderful!

To take my lightening up a step further, over the next few weeks I’m going to be exclusively using the new John Frieda Brilliant Brunette® Visibly Brighter ™ Subtle Lightening Shampoo and Brilliant Brunette® Visibly Brighter™ Subtle Lightening Conditioner as well as the John Frieda Brilliant Brunette® Visibly Brighter™ In-Shower Treatment that you can find at your nearest Walmart or on Amazon

One of the reasons I haven’t dyed my hair in a long while is because I’m bored with the very dark brown color I always choose, but didn’t know what other option I had. I’m an at-home color gal, and I’ve always been told that with dark hair, if I ever want to lighten it, even a tiny bit, then I’d have no choice but to visit a hair salon and shell out some serious cash for all over color followed by highlights that would need to be maintained. This mama has to pay for private school for two kids, so, um…NO. Expensive-to-maintain hair is truly out of the question for me, so I’ve always kept my color quite dark and just covered over the natural highlights I have.

But the new Brilliant Brunette® Visibly Brighter™ line is an at-home option that can lighten your hair on its natural spectrum with beautiful results, and at an affordable price. If you are ready for that sun-kissed look right now, go for the Visibly Brighter™ Treatment for instant lightening up to one shade (pro tip: if you can’t find it at your local Walmart, fear not! You can find it at Walmart.com or on Amazon!). And if you want to get a daily brunette brightness boost with glowing tones that’s a bit more gradual, reach for the Visibly Brighter™ Shampoo and Conditioner. The line is completely safe for natural hair, as well as for highlighted and color-treated brunettes.

So if you are stuck in a style rut and are just resigned to a ponytail and dark, dull locks, I promise you that you can take a crack at your stress level just by lightening up a bit. I can’t wait to get started on this simple style upgrade. Want to join me in the experiment? Head over to Walmart ASAP and get your products so we can do this together! I’m starting out with a bang and doing in the in-shower treatment first! 😉

5 Strategies We Use to Prevent “Summer Slide”

April 21, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post is brought to you by Camp Invention and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own, as always.

We are now less than 30 days away from my family’s week-long summer vacation. We love summer so much that we take our vacation the very first possible week of the break (in fact, my kiddos miss the last day of school! Ha!).

Once we return from our trip, though, it will be time to get in our summer rythym and I know from experience that if I try to wing it, it will be a disaster. The saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” is 100% true when it comes to summer break with kids.

Want to hear another phrase that can be painfully true? “Summer slide.” This refers to kids heading back to school in the fall having forgotten a fair chunk of the material they learned during the previous school year, and starting out behind. It is absolutely preventable, though, with a little planning on your part. Here are 5 things we are doing this summer to keep “summer slide” from occurring.

1. Communicate with Teachers

During the last week of school, I will be calling my daughters’ teachers and discussing where they are at in their learning paths and what we need to be working on during the summer. Your child’s teacher should have a very good handle on what is needed for continued success, so take advantage of their expertise and ask!

2. Gather Useful Resources

My girls really enjoy workbooks, so I have a large supply of those on hand. We also have a membership to ABCMouse.com, which they both enjoy immensely. Pinterest and your local library are also both incredible (and FREE!) resources for you to use. Find out what summer programs your local library might be holding and plan to take advantage of those. And go ahead and make a summer activities Pinterest board so you can start collecting great ideas.

3. Make a Plan for Your Unstructured Days

A little over half of my girls’ summer will be spent at home with me. I’ve learned that those “lazy days of summer” can quickly turn into boring days where kids just binge watch television all day long. But those days at home with mom are much more fun if I’ve spent a little bit of time the night before making a plan. I usually pick out some workbook activities for the day, a craft, a book or two to read, an outdoor activity and some less structured invitations to play, as well (bubbles, art supplies on display, puzzles on the table, etc.). I’ve found that throwing a bit of structure into the day makes things easier for everyone at home. And if the kids are used to only getting a small amount of screen time each day, they will be less likely to turn to it as a default when they are bored.

4. Choose Summer Camps (and Choose Wisely!)

I have enrolled my kids in summer day camps for 5 weeks of the summer, as well. I think summer camps are such a great resource, and I would highly encourage every parent out there to find at least one summer camp for their child each summer, if not more. I do want to caution you, though, that not all summer camps are equal! Be sure to read program descriptions carefully, talk with other parents who have enrolled their children in the camps in the past, and think critically about what might be an enjoyable, yet challenging experience for your child. You can also search for camps with a specific focus, such as a list of swimming camps or ones that focus on STEM or dance.

For example, Camp Invention is the only nationally recognized summer program that has a focus on real-world problem solving through innovation and creativity. Kids get to use science, technology, engineering and mathematics (that’s STEM!) and they have an absolute blast while doing so. Camp Invention curriculum is developed by inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and members of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. So the projects your children will work on are designed by the people who invent and help others invent for a living. How awesome is that?! Curriculum changes every year, and you can click here to learn more about what’s happening at the Summer 2016 camps. There are over 1,400 locations across the nation!

5. Visit Nearby Educational Hot Spots

Wherever you live, there are likely MANY great places to visit within a 3 hour driving distance (that’s the max time for us to do a day trip…your max time may be different). For us, we’ve got our own fabulous city full of great museums and other attractions, and we are striking distance from Knoxville, Nashville, Birmingham and Atlanta. We have many great choices of places to visit, and I have picked out a handful of museums for our family to choose from this summer. We will take a family vote to decide where we are going. We’ll do day trips on week days to help keep the crowd factor a bit lower. They will be fun educational trips that are totally different from our usual days at home, and will only cost us the drive and admission.

I hope I gave you some helpful tips to ensure that summer slide is not one of the things your kids experience this summer. And if you loved the idea of Camp Invention, I’ve got great news! If you register your child before May 10 you can get $15 off by using the code SPRING. Families with 3 or more siblings in the same household signed up for camp can earn $50 off per child.

And it gets better! The first 20 people to forward their registration confirmation email, along with the name of my blog, to communications@invent.org will get an additional $25 refund. Woo hoo! The refund will show up on your credit card 7-10 daus after sending the email. I’ll take down this offer once 20 people have taken advantage, so if you are reading this, then the offer should still be available!

Winning at Dinner on the Busiest Night of the Week

April 21, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt ·

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson® . The opinions and text are all mine.

Which night of the week is the one where you are most likely to dial it in or drive-thru to handle dinner? Since my kiddos aren’t in a structured after-school activity at the moment (I know…I’m such a rebel) it varies from week to week, but there’s always, and I do mean ALWAYS at least one night where time gets away from us and I find myself panicking about dinner when I realize that everyone’s hungry and all my meat is frozen. Fortunately, there is a solution!

I have a new favorite item that I like to pick up at Publix. Have you seen the Tyson ® Meal Kits? Here’s what they look like and where I found mine, in the ready to cook section of the fresh meat case:

These meal kits are honestly one of the best things I’ve found in the grocery store lately, and they come together quickly enough that I can prepare them faster than I can get to my nearest fast food restaurant and back. And it tastes a heck of a lot better, too.

Tyson Meal Kits offer a one-stop solution for a super quick meal your family will love. They have a really nice selection of flavors, too!

Beef & Cheddar Melt
Beef Marinara Penne
Home-style Beef Stroganoff
Beef Skillet Lasagna
Creamy Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
3 Cheese Chicken Carbonara

We especially love the 3 Cheese Chicken Carbonara because it’s a really quick way to enjoy the flavors we love so much in this Italian-inspired family favorite (our own recipe takes about 45 minutes to put together!).

The kit comes with fully cooked pasta (no boiling required!) and the chicken, I was delighted to discover, is already cut into thin slices, which really helps make the cooking process lightning fast. I used my kitchen shears to quickly cut the thin strips of meat into bite-sized pieces after it was cooked. Then you simply need to add your pasta noodles and your sauce back into the skillet to warm up. I sprinkled a little parsley on top because I learned long ago that a sprinkle of fresh herbs can make anything look fancy. 🙂 All done!

The day I prepared and photographed this meal, I very unexpectedly had both of my girls home sick with Strep Throat. I made this for our lunch because I had absolutely no plan for the girls; they normally eat at school! I was delighted by how easy and fast it was. It had a generous amount of food included (it was intended to serve 5) so we had plenty of leftovers for dinner, which was even easier than lunch because I just used the microwave!

If you find yourself hitting the panic button on dinner plans and yielding to take out more often than you would like, get over to Publix and pick up a Tyson Meal Kit. FYI, there will be a $2 off promotion running from 5/5-5/11, so definitely don’t miss that! I’m trying the Beef Marinara Penne next. What will you try first?

Giveaway!

Once you’ve visited your local Publix and tried the awesome that is the Tyson Meal kit, enter to win a coupon for another free kit! There will be ONE HUNDRED (100) readers who are each going to get a coupon for a totally FREE Tyson Meal Kit! To enter, simply share your experience with the Tyson Meal Kit with I Heart Publix. Go HERE for more details on how to get entered by 4/30.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson® . The opinions and text are all mine.

The Great Netflix Debate: How My Kids Decide What to Watch Next

April 20, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I’m a Netflix Stream Team member and receive complimentary streaming service. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

My girls get to watch about 20 minutes of television right after school. They both relish this chill time before launching into homework, and it gives me a bit of time to start prepping the kitchen for making dinner.

But sometimes Darah and Layah, who are almost 3 years apart in age, have a tough time agreeing on a show. They are close in age in the grand scheme of life, but at this stage, they can seem quite different! Layah, for example, loves to watch Little Einsteins and Darah has outgrown it completely.

So how do the girls keep from spending their after school television time arguing? We have a few key strategies!

1. Look for What’s New

Netflix, first and foremost, does an AMAZING job of releasing new content on the regular. At the start of the month there’s a whole new slew of great shows and movies to check out, and throughout the month Netflix Originals hit the scene, as well. When you get to your Netflix dashboard, simply look for what’s new. Often the girls are willing to give a new show a try together. Speaking of which, definitely check out Kong: King of the Apes. It’s a huge hit with my girls, and they found it earlier this week by searching for new content.

2. Search the Curated Lists

Netflix has lists organized by categories that kids can search, but for the month of April, they also have a few special lists with sibling harmony in mind. Check out the Sugar & Spice List which can satisfy the sassy and sweet child at the same time, or A Tale of Two Distant Ages if you have a large age gap between your kiddos. Finally, try Meet in the Middle, which has a little taste from many different genres.

3. Use the Fortune Teller

Still can’t decide? Leave it up to the fortune teller! Look at this super fun free printable that is loaded with fun shows and movies kids of all ages will love.

How to play:

1. Pick a color on the top four flaps and spell out the letters (e.g. B-L-U-E) while alternating a pinching and pulling motion with the teller to reveal a set of four numbers.
2. Pick a number and move the fortune teller the corresponding number of times, revealing a second set of four numbers.
3. Choose a genre and open the flap to reveal what’s up next on Netflix.

I hope the ideas we use can help you keep the sibling conflict over what to watch next on Netflix to a minimum. What are you watching on Netflix this month?

Olympic Paints Color of the Year: Getting Inspired by Blue Cloud

April 19, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Thanks to Olympic and The Motherhood for partnering with me on today’s post. Compensation has been provided. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last weekend I went to my local Lowe’s to get a little color inspiration and fell head-over-heels for the Olympic Paints and Stains Color Center in the store. Have you seen it?

I absolutely LOVED the takeaway items Olympic had on hand. Let me show you what makes them especially awesome. On the back of every long sample sheet is an example of how to put together a room using that particular color palette. SWOON!

I picked up several swatches to admire and think on, as the dining room/living room is the major home improvement project we have planned to do this summer. My home is mostly a combination of white, gray and blue (and tan, the color on the walls we are going to be covering up!). So when I noticed that Olympic Paints had a color of the year, and then I noticed what color it was, I felt immediately inspired!

Blue Cloud is this gorgeous deep gray blue that I loved at first sight. So I decided to create a mood board for what I’d love to see our dining room look like one day, incorporating this particular color, as well as Windswept, which is part of the same color sample strip as Blue Cloud.

What do you think? I usually keep colors in my home on the light side, but I really love this punch of deeper blue added in the mix. Both paint colors are exclusive to Olympic. I found the table and drapes on Overstock (such a fun place to shop for home goods!) and the table accessories as well as the bunny chairs (BUNNY CHAIRS!!!) at Anthropologie.

I may not be able to swing for those incredible chairs in the end, but I love having this mood board to help me think about the vibe I want: calm, classy, yet playful.

If you have a makeover project on the horizon in your home, definitely head over to Lowe’s and spend some time admiring all the great Olympic Paints. Grab swatches like a kid in a candy store and get inspired to #Bringonthecolor!

5 Strategies You Aren’t Using (But Really Should) to Survive Allergy Season

April 15, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Do you ever get allergy attacks? I’m talking about when you have crazy sneezing fits and just can’t seem to get it under control? I had one this year (that’s one too many…they are awful!) and that prompted me to do some digging about what I can do to help keep my body happy during allergy season that I’m not already doing.

I actually found 4 things that I haven’t been doing, and 1 that I already do (but that you probably don’t!). So let’s dive in and learn together!

1. Save Outdoor Exerise for Later in the Day

It turns out that allergen levels in the air can be at their worst during the first part of the day, so save your walk or your outside play time for later.

2. Keep Windows Closed

I know it’s so tempting to open up and enjoy those beautiful spring breezes. They really do feel great. But they come at a cost! By opening up a lot during this time of year, you are letting in all kinds of pollen and other allergens that might give you fits.

3. Try a HEPA Air Purifier

This is the strategy that I already do and that I very highly recommend. Honeywell recently sent me the HPA100 and the difference in our air quality has been noticeable. We move the highly portable device between different rooms just depending on which family member might be in need of a little extra support, and also depending on our activities. For example, if I’m vacuuming in a room you’d better believe that I’m running my Honeywell Air Purifier in that room after I’m done! Watch this quick video to see why the two go hand in hand.

I think having a HEPA Air Filter like what Honeywell offers is one of the very smartest things you can do to keep you and your family from having major allergy issues. There’s no way to keep all that dust and pollen from getting into your house. Once it’s there, let Honeywell take care of it for you. My Honeywell Air Purifer (model HPA100) captures 99.97% of microscopic airborne particles that pass through the filters.

4. Wear Sunglasses

This one might have surprised me the most. I knew sunglasses were good for overall eye health, but I never thought about the fact that they also serve as a physical barrier between all those allergens in the air and your eyes, which can become itchy and irritated by them. I have been contemplating investing in a prescription pair of sunglasses, and realizing this particular benefit of wearing them is all I need to hear. I’ll be buying a pair shortly!

5. Shower & Change Clothes After Being Outside

It’s not practical, nor would it be fun, to stay inside all spring. After all, this is a truly beautiful time of year with the great weather and all the lovely colors. So when you do spend a fair chunk of time outside this season, make sure you can enjoy the rest of the day by getting those pesky allergens off of you straight away. Rinse off in the shower and select new digs and it will help cut down on allergy problems.

Best of luck getting through spring allergy season without those pesky allergy attacks. Hopefully I’ve given you some new strategies to help! Want more tips to help you eliminate allergy attacks and breathe easy this spring? Check out the Honeywell Facebook page and follow Honeywell on Twitter.