Holistic Conference 2010

This weekend my sister and I went to the LDS Holistic Conference down in South Jordan. I learned some good stuff, had a good time and bought me an awesome cookbook that I think Levi will actually eat out of. It's called the The Feel Good Cookbook: Whole Food and Allergy Free Recipes. (It's also sugar and dairy free!) What I love about it is that it is full of mostly NORMAL recipes with ingredients you can generally just find at the grocery store. It always drove me crazy when you would try and eat healthy but the recipes you find are some crazy vegan jacked up recipe full of ingredients I have never heard of before and you have to buy at some specialty shop and it costs a fortune.

I figured with all the allergy and asthma problems I've been having ever since I moved here that probably changing my diet (eliminating alot of the sugar I eat) would be very helpful for me. The lady who wrote the book was there talking about it.....apparently she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia years ago and realized changing her diet and eating super healthy she could cure herself and she claims she did. She has nine children now and she looked incredible!! I told Levi about this and of course he is all against anything healthy, natural, or organic...he thinks it's all stupid and too extreme....but I think he will eat out of this cookbook. I guess we will have to wait and see.....

Of the classes I went to was one on mothering and how important it is to be a mother. It wasn't necessarily anything I hadn't heard before...but all the same it was enlighteing and thought provoking. The next class I went to was called "The Miracle of Birth" and I was hoping it was more on natural birth and how it is done and how to prepare for it....but it was more abt having a natural birth after having a C-section which really didn't relate to me. Nonetheless it was nice and she did say something that I really liked. She had a quote that said "It's not just about making babies....it's about making mothers." She talked for a little bit about how the whole pregnancy/birthing process is what makes you a mother. How empowering it is to women to have carried and then given birth to a child. Your not really a mother until you give birth to that baby. I don't know....I just thought that was an interesting point...I hadn't thought of it like that before.

I went to a "healthy" food storage class. The lady had taken the churches food storage list and "healthified" it. It would be an awesome food storage to have but unfortunately incredibly expensive and you would have to be way on top of it to keep it rotated correctly.

The next class I went to was on essential oils. I had been told, read online and in books that you have to be very careful with essential oils when you are pregnant, especially Lavender. I asked her about it and she said she doesn't know how she made it through any of her pregnancies without essential oils, especially Lavender since it is so relaxing. She said the reason that there are so many restrictions on the oils is that it is the only way the FDA will allow them to be marketed and sold. Totally makes sense to me.....darn FDA. She gave us a paper with what she deemed the top 10 essential oils and what they are used for. Now of course when I told Levi about this...he was still skeptical about it and was like they are just oils...what's the big deal. Well on her list...she listed Frankincense. Apparently this oil is for "clearing the mind" "clarify intellect" and for "cleansing and restoring". I told Levi...this must be a pretty awesome oil....cuz like we all know from the Christmas story that the "wise men" brought this oil to the Christ child. Must be pretty imporant. Levi couldn't argue with that....then we started talking about Myrrh and how cool that is. I also learned that burning or steaming oils (something I've always done) isn't good. She said it kills the molecules and so you don't reap the benefits. She said the best thing to do (especially for novice oil users like myself) is to put a few drops oil in your hands and then use some olive or coconut oil and rub it on the bottom of your feet or use a cool mist diffuser. She said the oils are "smart" and will know where to go. Very interesting class.

The last class I took was called "Celestial Education" and honestly I thought this would be a boring class and I was tired and hungry ...but I went and boy was I glad. It was a very interesting class. It was taught by this sweet lady who said her credentials was that she was mom and I thought that was credentials enough! She lectured on how the world is so focused on making sure our kids can read 2nd grade level when there in preschool, and that your kids have read all the classics, and your kid can play basketball, the piano and takes dance lessons, and your kids goes to a fancy private school and blah blah blah.....she compared that all to a Telestial Education. It's not bad to want all that necessarily....but it's not what is important. We need to give our kids a "celestial education" teach them that they are children of God....let them know what their mission in life is....teach them how to pray, when baptism comes they are ready for it and understand the covenants they are making, etc...and when we teach them that not only will they have a celestial education but all those other things we want for our kids will all just fall into place. I really really enjoyed this class!! The conference was pretty awesome and hope I can go again next year!

Well in other news.....I saw Toy Story 3 this weekend. Such an adorable movie!! I think Ken and Spanish Buzz were my favorite!! I love Pixar!! They are like the only decent movies left in this world. I took my sister and Clay to Five Guys...it was delicious but one more reason as to why I bought that cookbook. My kitty has disappeared....haven't seen her in a week......anyone see a gray tabby kitty running around? I cut Levi's hair for the first time all by myself and I don't think he looks to bad. My yard was made beautiful this weekend by Levi's family! Oh and Elissa.....whoever did my lawn.....give them a super super big thank you! We couldn't get all our rocks done in our front yard until all the weeds were picked! Thank you thank you thank you!!

Oh and Happy Birthday to my Mom today!!