What's Stopping You?

Friends, what's stopping you from joining the mission towards a healthier, happier home??
My husband and I thought living a more natural lifestyle was going to break the bank. It hasn't! Our family's health is the best it's ever been, which means less doctor visits, less prescriptions, and less time off work, thanks to safe, natural nutrition!
Our home is finally REALLY clean, thanks to nontoxic cleaners that actually work! My skin is looking and feeling better, and I lost those last few baby lbs thanks to excellent beauty care and a tasty weight management product.
Shaklee is NOT about selling miracles and I'm not either! Shaklee is all about SCIENCE, not fads! Trust me, I have not decided to make Shaklee my brand partner so that I can sell, sell, sell to people. No, that's not it. I chose to partner with Shaklee because I have a passion for helping other moms get their families healthier.  And in turn, I'm rewarded for it. But an even bigger bonus out of all that is that I not only help these moms get their families healthier, but I'm helping them either get their favorite Shaklee products FREE every month or create their own health and wellness business!
I love what I do and I want to help YOU, too! Whether you're interested in learning more about our products or you're ready to start earning an income, please message me at jallen44 at gmail dot com! 

On the First Day of Spring...

Woo hoo! It's FINALLY spring!
Did winter seem to DRAG on for you, too?
Thankfully, we're kicking off the first day of spring with temps in the 70's today! I love it!
Starting Monday, I'm going to be embarking on a Get Clean for Spring series that will hopefully help you (and me!) get your homes cleaned and organized! I can't wait!
But first, we all need our arsenal of safe, nontoxic cleaning products, right?
I get asked all the time what I clean my house with to keep it both clean and toxin-free! Well this is it, and to celebrate spring, I'm having a special!
Box up all those chemical cleaners and replace ALL of your household cleaners, including laundry and dish soaps, with these green, non-toxic cleaners that are cost effective and really work!

Bonus: Purchasing this kit qualifies you for a FREE Shaklee membership and a FREE canister of Cafe Latte smoothie mix! Your membership gets you 15% off all products!!
I'm so thankful for you and for everyone who has joined my Member Team! Together, we're making a great difference in the health and happiness of our families!!

Strategies to Keep Your Family Healthy This Winter

I don't know about where you live, but here in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, the flu has been running rampant. It is so contagious! 
And why is it that science is still no closer to a cure for colds and flu? Because we're dealing with smart viruses. Any one of hundreds of viruses could launch a cold or flu attack, and chances are that this year's flu virus won't be the same as last year's making it nearly impossible to develop a simple cure. 
While we can't avoid all germs; I do have two kids in preschool so germs are inevitable, we can do some simple things to help our bodies build up their immune systems and lessen our chances of getting sick!

Our Best Prevention Strategies:

Take Good Care of Yourself: As always, the best place to start to maintain a good immune system is with the basics. Make sure to keep exercising, sleep well, reduce stress, drink alcohol in moderation, and eat a low-fat, low-sugar diet.
Wash Your Hands: Washing hands remains the most effective way to protect yourself and your family from colds and flu. Lather, rinse, repeat throughout the day. Do it long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" twice.



Boost the Beneficial Bacteria: 80 percent of your immune system surrounds your digestive system. Research supports a healthy gut flora and overall immunity. 
Along with the above, we also use Basic G and a bacteria fighting essential oil to help keep the germs away. This strategy has really helped with our health, too!








Add Foods that Support Immune Health: There are many foods with medicinal properties, make sure you include as many as possible. Think about combining a lot of the ingredients below in chicken soup: 

• Oranges, strawberries, bell peppers, potatoes and other vitamin C and E rich fruits and vegetables are all good for your immune system.
• I do not like mushrooms, but have read that Shiitake, Maitake, and other mushrooms have been used for boosting the immune system.  
• Garlic and onions have  been researched for their ability to modulate immune function. 

Helpful Herbs: Research supports the immune modulating activity of tumeric, oregano, ginger, Echinacea, Larch, and elderberry. Our family uses a product called Defend & Resist when we start to feel that first tickle or stuffiness. It has larch, echinacea, and elderberry in it. It's our first go to when we start feeling run down!
Here's my favorite recipe for making a homemade vitamin water using Defend & Resist, Vitamin C, and Performance. It tastes so good and it really helps!! 















Make Sure You are Getting the Right Nutrients: Your immune system needs to be well nourished to function at its best. Stock up on the following nutrients:

• Macro-Nutrients: the macro-nutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Focus on good proteins for a healthy immune system. Supplement with EPA and DHA, or eat fish twice a week for those healthy fats.
• Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamins such as vitamin A, B6, B12, E C, folate, and the minerals zinc, copper and iron all support an effective immune response. 
• Vitamin D: vitamin D, in particular, has been the focus research on optimal immune system functioning. Vitamin D plays a role in the improving mucus membrane barrier functioning, the production of anti-microbial peptides (small proteins), and in general overall immune support. 

Take care of your immune system by starting early, taking good care of yourself, and feeding your body the nutrients it needs to stay strong!

What's in My Hair Styling Products? | Reading Labels

If you read my Facebook posts, you may have seen a post a few days back about the ingredient DMDM Hydantoin that's found in a lot of your everyday products like your hair care and body care products.
What is it?
According to wikipedia:

DMDM hydantoin is an antimicrobial formaldehyde releaser preservative with the trade name Glydant. DMDM hydantoin is an organic compound belonging to a class of compounds known ashydantoins. It is used in the cosmetics industry and found in products like shampoos, hair conditioners, hair gels and skin care products.^[1][2]

DMDM hydantoin works as a preservative because the released formaldehyde makes the environment less favorable to the microorganisms.

So basically, DMDM hydantoin is a form of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde can hide in your products under other names, such as: diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium-15, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, and sodium hydroxylmethylglycinate.

Why do I take issue with this? I don't want any type of formaldehyde on my skin or anyone else in my family. Plus, while I know these types of ingredients are cost effective to the manufacturers, I really believe continued use over long periods of time can and will have an effect on our overall health.

While purchasing safer, more natural products seems more expensive today, I believe on down the road you might prevent future doctor visits, illnesses, a general feeling of 'yuck' by switching. Just my two cents!

OK, so after finding out about DMDM hydantoin, I went on a search through our home to see if we had any products that contained it. I was CERTAIN that we didn't.  (I know our cleaning products don't have this chemical in them; we use the best and safest!)

Boy, was I wrong!

Here's what I found. These are the hair styling products in our home that contain DMDM hydantoin.

Ugh. Time to get busy on our mission of eliminating ALL potentially toxic products in our home!

Question for you: What hair products do you use that are safe and natural? I'd love to have some recommendations!!

Note: I'm not a scientist, nor am I an expert in the chemicals field. I'm just a wife and mom on a continual search to replace potentially hazardous products in our home with safer, natural, effective alternatives. If I have written something that's in accurate, please feel free to start a discussion below!

My 2014 To Do List

Hello and happy new year to you! As you saw on my last post, I don't do new year resolutions. I have my daily goals and to do lists, but resolutions are just too broad for me. That said, I'm going to try something different this year. I'm going to list my to do's for 2014. Mind you, these aren't the 'eat healthy-go to the gym-cut out sugar' type of to do's. This is literally things that hubby and I need TO DO in 2014! Enjoy! :)

1. Print photo books of each boy's first year.  I actually need to print a photo book for each year of their lives and yes, our oldest is 5, but better late than never, right?!
2. Finally finish our laundry room once and for all. I will not disclose how many years months we've been working on this, but darn it, it will get done in 2014!
3. Clean out, organize, sell or throw away the items in our garage apartment. This could possibly be a year long project in itself.
4. Meal planning. I hate to cook. HATE IT. And I'm no good at it. Matt is the chef of the entire family and what's more...he LIKES to cook! However, he works a lot and it's not fair for him to come home from work and cook us dinner every night. So I'm going to start meal planning so that I can either help him prep a lot before he gets home or actually cook something myself.
5. Plant some colorful plants/flowers in our front beds. Our front yard landscaping is very...green. Blah, boring. It needs color!
6. Take a cooking class. This should help with #4.
7. Get going on the potty training with our youngest. It's time. He's ready; I'm just being lazy about it. 
8. Expand my health and wellness business. I helped 15 families get on track to a healthier life in 2013, I'd love to double that in 2014!!

What are some of YOUR to do's for 2014?

How to Build Natural Herbal Medicine Cabinet

Helping other families get their lives healthy is my passion so today I wanted to share with you a way you can build a natural herbal medicine cabinet. You don't have to rely on OTC meds to get the relief you need! In fact, I believe using the best natural supplements you can find is an excellent preventative to sickness!

Why Shaklee? Tons of reasons, one being that Shaklee supplements are not only pure and from the earth, but they also have proven results! See the Landmark Study for vital information on why millions trust Shaklee for vitamins and supplements!  

If you want to help your family get over their sicknesses naturally and avoid those pesky antibiotics and doctor co-pays, then read on!  Join our family in being prescription free!  Yes, you can do it!!

Here are some of our tried and true tips to keeping the germs away, fighting off colds, coughs, upset tummies, and more!

Swap out your OTC products for the highlighted Shaklee alternatives!

Herbal Blend Multi-Purpose Cream 

Dr. Shaklee originally called this product “Foot Cream”, but it became known as Basic ‘F’ (face, feet and fanny!) due to its many uses! It's one product to replace 13!

• Rashes (diaper, poison ivy and oak)
• Detergent burns
• Chapped skin
• Athletes foot
• Aching muscles
• Insect bites
• Hemorrhoids
• Chafing

Instead of Banana Boat, choose Enfuselle SPF 30 for the Body

• Patented Vital-Repair contains antioxidant vitamins and botanicals to keep skin from aging
• UVA and UVB protection adds extra defense against cancer-causing sun rays
• Paraben free

Instead of store bought aloe vera, which has dyes and other junk, choose Calming Complex

• Paraben free
• Hypoallergenic
• The perfect 'after' product: after skiing, after running, after sunburn

Instead of arthritis creams, choose Joint & Muscle Cream

• Great for minor aches and pain from sports or overexertion
• Paraben free

Instead of aspirin or prescription pain medicines, which can have bad side effects, choose Pain Relief Complex

• Muscle and joint pain relief
• Helps prevent the breakdown of connective tissue
• Easy on the stomach

Instead of Airborne or ColdEeze, choose Defend & Resist

• Active Ingredients:  Echinacea to take care of bacteria and Larch tree extract to attack viruses
• Use as a preventative when flying or in large gatherings of people during cold and flu season or anytime you come in contact with allergy activators 
• We keep this on hand year round, especially with little ones in school!

Instead of Sudafed or Claritin, choose Immunity Formula 

• Can reduce allergy symptoms, and relieves lingering symptoms such as cough 
• Contains Shaklee Guard, a natural antioxidant 
• Especially good for those with sinus problems 
• Contains a synergistic blend of Vitamins 
• Speeds wound healing 

Instead of Gas-X, choose EZ-Gest

• Offers relief from incomplete digestion of food 
• Supports complete digestion of: carbohydrates, fats , protein, diary products , gas producing vegetables such as beans and broccoli

Instead of Lactaid, Dramamine, or Zantac, choose Stomach Soothing Complex 

• Relief for upset stomach 
• Acid Reflux (GERD) 
• IBS Colitis 
• Motion sickness 
• Morning sickness 

Instead of Tums or Rolaids, which have artificial flavors and food colors, choose Chewable Cal-Mag Plus

• Acts as an antiacid from natural sources
• Helps build healthy bones
• Is excellent for restless legs
• We use it in the evenings to help our son calm down and begin to relax before bedtime

Instead of Metamucil, choose Fiber Plan Tablets

• Promotes regularity, aids in digestion and supports colon health! 
• Especially good for those who are dieting 
• Insoluble fiber promotes regularity sometimes called “the broom” which helps detoxify the body 

Instead of Ex-Lax or harmful detoxes, choose Herb Lax

• Natural detox
• Cleanses tissue cells, blood, and kidneys
• Gentle laxative

Alfalfa

• Helps decrease allergy symptoms (Our oldest decreased his allergy problems by at least 50%)
• Provides 300mg of calcium
• Helps to fight disease causing fungi

Instead of Pedialyte or Gatorade, which contain tons of sugars and artificial dyes, choose Performance

• An electrolyte drink that helps naturally rehydrate
• Super helpful during bouts of diahrea and vomitting

Instead of Rockstar, Red Bull, or Monster, choose 180 Energizing Tea

• Boosts energy 
• Contains taurine which acts as a calming agent 

I hope you found all of this helpful! Feel free to comment or email me directly (jallen44@gmail.com) with any questions! I'd love to work with you to create a healthier family!

I am not a doctor, I do not prescribe anything, nor do I give medical advice. I just have a passion for sharing what I love and what works for our family! As always, consult your doctor first when someone is very sick!!

How to Clean Your Cast Iron Sink in 2 Minutes, 35 Seconds!

We have this great cast iron sink in our laundry room. It's huge and we use it a lot for...well, for just about anything!
Lately, I've gotten the craft bug so I've been doing a lot of creating around the house. If you know me, when the creativity strikes, I just do it. I usually don't have a plan or a space...I just start working. 
Which leads to frequent messes. Well, my latest creative project made a huge mess in our sink. I'm talking glitter, spray adhesive, and black acrylic paint. Yikes!

I tried just rinsing the sink out with hot water, but that didn't help. At all. So I called in the big guns. Yep, you guessed it! My absolute favorite scrubbing paste: Scour Off!

I knew it was going to work in a super short period of time and I wanted to show you how quickly I got all the grime out of this sink...without having to scrub until my arm fell off and without having to use harsh chemicals! I was able to get that sink clean and sparkly in 2 minutes, 35 Seconds! Woo-hoo!

I just LOVE this stuff! Just like the entire Get Clean product line, Scour Off is safe, nontoxic, and it works! Plus, it's a HUGE money saver!
Order here and let me know how you like it! PS: Sign up for a LIFETIME membership and get 15% off retail, plus loads of other goodies!

Easy, Healthy 10 Bean Soup

The other day I found some 10 bean soup in the bulk section of Sprouts. For some reason, it sounded SO GOOD so I scooped some up.
Of course, when I got home I had no idea what to do with it...I've never made a soup from dry beans before. 
Luckily, there are lot of recipes out there and I used this one with a few modifications.
Let me know if you try it and how you like it!

10 Bean Soup

(modified from Bev's Kitchen)

• 1 lb (2 cups) of your favorite bean soup mix (soaked overnight and rinsed off)
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow or white onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• To taste: dried basil, dried oregano, a dash of dried fennel, fresh or dried thyme, or use 2-3 T of Herbs de Provence
• 4 cups broth
• 1 can of diced tomatoes in juice
• Grey salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Cubed ham pieces (optional, but adds a ton of flavor!)

Toss the soaked soup mix into a large pot with the broth and bring to a boil.

While that's getting started saute the veggies, and add the seasonings. Saute for about 5 minutes or until they start to soften.

Add the veggies to the soup pot, and toss in the canned tomatoes and the cubed ham.

Partially cover and simmer for about an hour. If the soup starts to get thick, add more water. 

Taste and season accordingly!

This soup was a hit in our home! Matt kept telling me how delicious it was...WIN! 

Have we connected on Facebook yet? I love meeting new people!

Cyber Monday Special!

Hello and happy Cyber Monday to you! Today I'm offering a special deal to all of my super special readers as a way of saying "Thank you!" for being great friends and customers! You've helped make my 2013 so wonderful!

Just for you, I'm offering you a FREE lifetime Shaklee membership when you purchase one of my customized Shaklee packages! These packages are some of my very favorite products and are my most popular customer selections!

Here's how it works:

• Add one of the below packages to your shopping cart, when checking out select Join as a Member and proceed with the checkout process.
• Once your order has been placed and shipped to you, I will send you a rebate check for $19.95! Easy as that!
• Already a member? No problem! Enjoy up to $10 in shipping cost rebates on all orders over $100 (before tax)

I'm offering you this free membership because I think you're really going to love it! 

• get discounts on all Shaklee products (save 15% on everything and even up to 25% on some!)
• receive shipping specials
• get your own secure ordering website with LOADS of health information
• receive 100% money back guarantee on all products - no questions asked!

Now, here are some answers to questions you may be asking yourself:

• There is no yearly renewal fee. Joining as a Member is lifetime!
• There are no minimum orders EVER! You can order once a month, or once a year...it's up to you!
• You are not obligated to sell Shaklee, nor are you automatically a Distributor. 

Healthy Kids Package 
(What my fellow mommy friends are ordering to keep their kiddos immune systems up and running!)

• Shaklee Incredivites OR Shaklee Ocean Wonders (multivitamins)
• Optiflora Pre and Probiotic System (this helps maintain a healthy gut and keep those viruses and other yucky germs away)
• Chewable Vitamin C (immune support)

Healthy Home Package

• Get Clean Starter Kit (save hundreds of dollars every year on this safe, natural, effective cleaning kit! You get everything from laundry detergent to dish soap! This is my most popular cleaning kit to date...everyone raves about it!)

Mom's Stress Relief Package

We can't keep everyone else healthy if we're not healthy, right??

• B Complex (natural stress reliever with no yucky side effects, also called The Happy Pill)
• VitaLea Multivitamin
• Optiflora Pre and Probiotic System

Detox Your Body Package

Get back on track after Thanksgiving and be prepared for Christmas with our awesome Shaklee 180 program! If you go ahead and order one of the kits, your membership is already included and you get loads of other goodies for FREE!! Woot!
Also, we are starting a 5 day mini detox program on December 9th! Get these products, join our group, and we'll detox together!

• Shaklee 180 Smoothee (easy, yummy meal replacement smoothies)
• Shaklee 180 Snack Bars (I keep them in my purse for a quick snack while running errands)
• Shaklee 180 Energizing Tea 

Get Beautiful Package

• Enfuselle Gentle Cleansing Bar
• Time Repair plus SPF 15 (keep your face moisturized and protected during the day)
• Herbal Blend Cream (one little lotion, so many uses!)

Which package are you going to choose? Feel free to contact me with any questions...I love helping others get healthy!
Also, be sure to check out my awesome holiday gift guide for more healthy living ideas!
Jessica :)

Give the Gift of Health this Season!

Christmas is right around the corner! Wow, can you believe it??

Need some ideas on what to get or give? Check out this handy gift guide to help give the gift of health to your family and friends!  Feel free to contact me at jallen (at) gmail (dot) com with any questions. Bonus: You automatically get a FREE Shaklee membership with purchase of Vitalizer!

1. Enfuselle Nutrition Skin Therapy Kit

The same nutrients that help keep you healthy on the inside also play a huge role in how you look on the outside. 50 years of scientific nutrition research has been applied to developing the most advanced therapeutic skincare system around providing you the answer to healthy-looking, beautiful skin. Look and feel 25 years younger!

2. 180 Turnaround Kit

Lose Weight
Go from before to after with clinically tested weight loss products** – and a program designed to burn fat, not muscle. This customizable two-meal kit delivers a complete program of smoothees, snacks, energizing tea and metabolic boost* – along with access to exclusive tools and rewards. Over $395 value in product, program tools and first-kit shipping upgrade.

** The weight loss portion of the Shaklee 180 Program was tested in a preliminary 12-week clinical study.Meal-in-a-bar was not included in this study.

3. Vivix

Global cutting-edge research in the fight against cellular aging and years spent in partnership with leading scientists have culminated in Vivix—a scientific breakthrough from Shaklee.

Only Vivix contains both resveratrol and a proprietary phytonutrient blend. This phytonutrient blend harnesses the powerful antioxidant properties of rare muscadine grapes and has been shown to be 10X more powerful than resveratrol alone in slowing a key mechanism of cellular aging.*

All natural. Patent pending. Clinically tested key ingredients. Exclusive.

4. Vitalizer

Vitalizer is the most advanced multinutrient supplement in the marketplace today with 80 bio-optimized nutrients clinically proven to create a foundation for a longer, healthier life.* Vitalizer is the powerful and convenient approach to complete supplementation providing the best spectrum of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-aging phytonutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics*, all in one daily serving.

• Custom formula created specifically for today’s healthy active men and women
• Patent-pending delivery system designed to enhance absorption of key nutrients
• Based on 12 clinical studies and a first-of-its-kind Landmark Study

Feel better in 30 days or your money back.

5. Shaklee Baby

Clean, fresh baby. These extra gentle products are naturally formulated to get your baby pip-squeaky clean from head to toe. Made with organic chamomile and lavender,  these products are pH balanced and sensitivity tested to shower, moisturize, and soothe even the most tender skin with love.

6. Basic H Organic Cleaning Concentrate

This little 16 oz bottle creates an unbelievable 48 gallons of super-safe, really powerful, all purpose cleaner. We challenge you to use it up any time soon to clean everything from spilled milk, to bug guts on the window, to splattered spaghetti sauce. Now go, get cleaning.
Basic H Instruction

For all-purpose cleaning:
Add 1/4 tsp. to 16 oz. of water.

For windows and mirrors:
Add 1-2 drops to 16 oz. of water.

For degreasing:
Add 1 1/2 tsp. to 16 oz. of water. For bigger jobs, add 2 oz. to 1 gallon of water.

7. Shaklee Sports Nutrition

Shaklee’s Sports Nutrition products are used at the highest level of competition so you can trust them every time you take them- before, during, and after your workouts. Everything you need. Nothing you don’t. No artificial flavors, sweeteners or added preservatives.

8. Get Clean Water

Cleaner, healthier water and a cleaner, healthier planet? We can all drink to that!

This Starter Pack contains all you need to get one full year of healthier, great-tasting water*:

• Get Clean®  Water Pitcher – Food Safe: BPA-Free; 10 cup capacity
• Get Clean®  Water refillable Filter Housing Kit (with 1 filter – 80 gallon capacity)
• Get Clean®  Water Filter Refill 3-pack (80 gallon capacity each)
• The only filter on the market to remove lead from water.

9. Enfuselle Spa Shea Butter Lotion

Enfuselle® Spa Ultra Moisturizing Shea Butter Cream - Pamper your skin. Luxurious shea butter is extracted from the fruit of the shea tree, and has amazing moisturizing properties. Back by popular demand, this Shea Butter Cream has a wonderful consistency and soaks deep into your skin, leaving it smooth and hydrated. We’ve added vitamin E for extra skin nourishment. For hand and body. Paraben Free.

10. Prosante Hair Care

The ProSanté Hair Care System provides one simple, flexible system that can be personalized to meet each individual’s unique hair needs in every situation. Each ProSanté system includes one each of the following products:

• Nourishing Scalp Treatment, 2 fluid ounces
• Revitalizing Shampoo, 10 fluid ounces
• Purifying Shampoo, 8 fluid ounces
• Lightweight Conditioner, 10 fluid ounces
• Replenishing Conditioner, 8 fluid ounces
• Long-Lasting Finishing Spray, 8 fluid ounce

11. Stress Relief Complex

Stress Relief Complex offers nutritional support that helps you get through the day in a calm, alert and healthy way.  It’s powerful ingredients are designed to provide relief from tension  — without making you drowsy.*  Includes L-theanine, ashwagandha, beta sitosterol, and L-tyrosine.

12. Nutriferon

A Shaklee exclusive, NutriFeron is a patented, clinically proven blend of immune-strengthening plant extracts. When used daily, it increases the production of your body’s natural interferon, a critical activator of the immune system. NutriFeron works at the cellular level, by rapidly activating your immune system’s defenses*