Don't Miss the Holiday

As you get older, do you feel as if the days are going by even faster…? I remember saying this pretty much as soon as I became a mama. The days were flying by, though sometimes the weeks themselves felt long. The same rings true today, and almost more. Somehow, my kids are six and seven years old. Gone are the baby days; the days when bottles were being heated, diapers being changed, and when my babies were snuggled warm and cozy in fleece onesie pajamas. I try to embrace each year, but guys, they’re going so fast. In this moment, I am thanking God that I invested in a good camera, taught myself how to take photos with it, and that I can use it to capture these days.

We’ve looked forward to Christmas since November, let’s face it. I married an Elf and basically St. Nick himself, so each year it seems we start to decorate and prepare earlier and earlier. I’m not complaining though—the twinkle lights, gorgeous garland, family village pieces, and the beautiful Christmas tree bring SUCH an indescribable JOY to the home. This season, we are trying so hard to just ENJOY IT. Not to rush it; not to go from one thing to the next, and not to worry about the messes being made [too much anyway.]

Have you ever wished you could simply freeze time? Just for a moment. Or two.. or for a few years. I know I have and that I do often. There have been so many days that I am running from one thing to the next, constantly thinking, “What’s next?” and this year, Asa and I have tried to be intentional to just SLOW DOWN. I suppose no matter how hard I try, the days do keep speeding by…but we are still challenging ourselves to live as intentionally as possible with them. “Don’t miss the Holiday trying to make the Holiday,” has been Asa’s mantra and I completely agree. I hope you enjoy looking through these photos our Gingerbread House memory; this was the first time we have done this [I’m not sure how that’s possible?!] and it was so fun! (And messy…) :)

Will You Adopt Me? Late Night Thoughts From This Teacher/Mama's Heart

Have you ever been asked by a child, “Will you adopt me?”

I will NEVER forget when I was asked those four words. It brought back memories of when I opened our front door on Jackson Street close to downtown Louisville, and my favorite little boys stood there in front of me, eyes wide and full of anticipation—they said, “Our brother was killed last night.” Two different scenarios, but the feeling in my soul felt the same. What do you say? To a child with innocent eyes, whose heart is beyond broken; what HOPE can you offer them?

The moment in which I was asked if I could adopt is one with a lot of background. She was a former student, who I had as a fourth and fifth grader…Enter middle school, and she was back in a location where she was in need of treatment for some really poor choices she had made. After she confided in me the numerous [poor] decisions that she had made, including running away from her foster home, was when she said, “Mrs. Glass, will YOU adopt me?!”

I am always honest with my students. I don’t believe in sugar coating but at the same time, I also don’t believe in being MEAN. So in a kind but upfront tone, which she was very familiar with, I said, “Girl, what do you expect me to do with that information!? I have two small kids at home; how could this work with everything you JUST told me?” What do you think she said…….?

“But Mrs. Glass, I would BE good. I would be great for you and Mr. Glass.”

In March of 2019, there were over 10,000 children in the state of Kentucky in foster care. I tell you this not to overwhelm you, but to show you that the need for care of children is very REAL where I live. There is an epidemic of neglect, parental drug use, abandonment, abuse, and more. And this is on my heart, ALL THE TIME.

It was time for me to head home that day, so I smiled and told her that I hope she knows I love her, and that I really needed her to take care of herself. She smiled back and HAPPILY said, “Okay, Mrs. Glass. Tell Mr. Glass I said hi!”

Flash forward to the summer of 2019. We had been traveling a lot, and my mind was in that ‘I’m on vacation mode,’ which means I wasn’t in school or student mode. But she still crossed my mind often, and I was still praying for her a lot. And then I woke up to an email in my inbox.

“I am contacting you to see if you would like to be part of her support network OR consider her for adoption,” it read. It was her adoption recruiter who was reaching out, and she went on to say that this student had identified me as someone who she significantly looked up to, and I had a good relationship with.” Y’all. I felt WRECKED.

As I read, internally I was feeling a gazillion different things. I knew I (WE) couldn’t exactly say YES to adoption; we hardly knew (know) her, and there are a lot of risks when taking on that sort of responsibility with children who have suffered from psychiatric challenges, and who have had a LOT of trauma in their personal lives—especially when you have your own young kids to think about. But I at that moment knew without a doubt God was (is) doing SOMETHING in our lives with this young lady. Asa was so supportive from the beginning of this, as he always is (thank you, Lord for an amazing and empathetic husband!!) and he said, “Ash, we’ll figure it out. We can absolutely be part of her support system, whatever that may entail.” I quickly e-mailed her worker back and told her that I would 1.) check with my workplace and see what the protocol was and 2.) that we were definitely interested in helping however she thought we could.

Then, the rest of the summer it went kinda quiet. I thought about her daily, wondering how she was, WHERE she was, and praying that the Lord would continue to do HIS will and that I wouldn’t be selfish in any of this, or trying to be the hero. From the beginning she was someone I connected with, who I desperately wanted to help and who I saw as someone who could be SO successful…if she was with the right family. This is a teenage girl, who I honestly believe has never experienced what it means to BELONG. Her younger siblings were adopted all together, and she was left, yet again, alone. I don’t know if she knows what it feels like to be loved by a parent or an adult in general. Truth be told, I don’t know her well at ALL—but you know what?

GOD DOES.

Thankfully I was given the okay to be on her contact list, and that was the next step. And then a month or so ago, I received another inquiry from her case worker—this time she informed me that the student was going into a new foster family, but her team was wondering if we would consider being Respite Care for her should the family need it. Yet again, that was something Asa and I had to talk about, and ultimately we decided YES, we would. I told her worker that ideally, we would be able to meet with her and get to know her better before they hypothetically call us for that, so that’s where we have left off! I’ve been able to have several phone calls with this sweet teen this month and each one has been SO happy and positive. I always ask, “What’s GOOD?” and ask positively framed questions. I go soon to have an in person visit with her and I am SO excited.

Maybe wherever you are tonight, you wouldn’t mind saying a prayer for her? I can’t say names and I won’t ever talk about things that are protected through privacy laws, but God will know who you are talking about! She’s thirteen, has a heart of gold, and is just a kid who needs to be loved. I am praying that her current foster family is one of the GOOD ones, that she can be willing to BE loved by them, and that she is SAFE. I want so badly for her to choose success, to choose life, to choose hope.

Thanks, sweet friends. If you can’t tell, my heart tends to break for those who need rescuing. I recently started teaching high school and it was mind-blowing to me how many of my current students are also in foster care…one fourteen year old recently found out that he wasn’t going back to a family member to live with and he said, “You know…you could adopt me!” Oh if only I could, guys. If only I had all the time and resources in the world to give EVERY one of these kids a safe and loving home, I would in a heartbeat!

Holiday Finds for Everyone with Tuesday Morning

CHRISTMAS!! You all know this is the Glass Family’s FAVORITE. With two small kids ages six and seven, we are still at that fun stage of Christmas shopping! And because we recently discovered Tuesday Morning and how much they have to offer in all seasons, we were so excited to partner with them again for our Holiday finds. As soon as we walked in, 1.) our kids were ecstatic and 2.) we knew we could buy for so many on our list! We have avid DIYer’s to think of, entertaining experts, and imaginative little ones and guess what—Tuesday Morning had SO MUCH. One of my favorite parts was that they had so many unique wrapping solutions too.

The kids wanted to help with choosing presents for their cousins and Grandparents; that part is always fun for me as their mama. They actually take time to consider each individual person, and as they walked up and down isles, I could hear them discussing with each other what, “GG would like,” and “Cousin Arie,” or “Uncle Noah,” etc. Reese put a bunch of fuzzy socks in the cart because SHE said, “Mama loves fuzzy socks so we have to get her all of these.” I laughed and told her they could wait on buying for me but that I loved how she thought of me. Both our kids have such a big heart and are showing themselves to be super thoughtful people!

What I love the most about this store is that it really can be a one-stop destination to shop gifts; there is a TON of variety of products and categories, and all for inexpensive prices. We got things like fuzzy socks for family (of course), glassware for the host enthusiasts, remote control cars for some nephews, electronic gadgets for our nieces who love technology, giant Yankee candles, and even some bath goodies. Browsing through the home decor section I found an adorable pillow that I knew would look great on our Navy couch, and then the kids walked past the Christmas ornaments. We love to help them add to their ornament collection so they each chose one which is very fitting in their current seasons: Reese is such an animal lover, so she chose a kitty, and Pierson is obsessed with all things sports, so he found a football player.

Where is your nearest Tuesday Morning? Aren’t sure?? Click here to find out so that you too can enjoy an exciting holiday shopping experience FULL of savings. You will be able to shop for so many people on your list, if not ALL, between the gourmet food options, holiday decor, bath & body, small appliances, stationery, and gift wrap galore!

Essential Oils: How to Grab Your Starter Kit

Hi, Friends!! I’m so happy you are here and are interested in learning more about Essential Oils! This post will help you step by step, so leave this tab open and get started!

Sign up as a Member – this does not mean you have to sell oils ever, it just means you are getting a starter kit & will therefore get 24% off retail prices!

ORDER HERE  – and make sure the number 20381963 appears in both the “Enroller” and “Sponsor ID” fields. Sign up as a MEMBER to get the 24% off! (See below for FAQ). Reminder you do not have to sell oils ever! 

Next you can choose to set up your Essential Rewards monthly auto ship (by picking out a few other items like the Thieves cleaner, Grapefruit, Tangerine, or White Angelica essential oils) to try out next month! We highly recommend this optional program as a way to order those things you wish to have outside the kit and begin to cut toxins from your home with YL cleaning products & makeup.

When you sign up as a member buying a starter kit you are not only joining us, you get to join a much larger community as well! We have private wellness groups on Facebook that are designed to help YOU get acquainted with your oils and learn all the fun and different ways to use them. In these groups you can draw on the experience and knowledge of thousands of other oils users. Ask questions and find endless DIY’s, recipes and so much more!

If you are interested in selling the oils and sharing about the company I am passionate about helping women earn income to help support their families! We have monthly business bootcamps & provide mentorship to everyone who joins our community!

FAQ
What can you use oils for? For just about everything!! Whether you are looking for oils to help you sleep, for natural immune system support, for energy, focus, or relaxation, for your kids, or for natural alternatives to cleaning products – the list is endless – there is an oil for that!! And you will learn along the way, there aren’t hard set rules, but part of joining our oils team is that you get access to the most amazing resources & our private Facebook community.

Why Young Living? YL has an unmatched Seed to Seal process to guarantee the purity & potency of every oil. Each batch of oils is rigorously tested in house for therapeutic viability & they are so confident in their products that you can actually visit the farms & participate in the harvest/distillation process.

How can you use oils? You can diffuse them (you get a diffuser in your starter kit!) which is great for making your house smell great, helping your babies or kids relax at night for bed, getting rid of unwanted odors in the house & more. Or you can apply oils topically (some require a carrier oil like coconut oil; you’ll learn all about that later!). You can make rollerball combos, creams, sprays, and just about anything!!

How will I learn how to use my kit? You’ll get plenty of reading material with your kit, but as mentioned above, you’ll also get access to our exclusive Facebook community full of amazing resources, including things like how to use each oil in your kit, which oils to avoid around kids or while pregnant/nursing, and all of the dilution ratios for individual oils. We have classes, books, live Facebook hangouts & search functionality that will help you navigate through any questions you might have.

What should I get? A premium starter kit, which comes with 12 of the most commonly used oils + your diffuser (I recommend the Desert Mist, it has a flicker setting to give you all of the candle feelings!), two NingXia Red samples, a Thieves Cleaner sample, a Thieves Hand Purifier, two Roller Fitments, the most gorgeous guide to ALL things oils & the wholesale membership that you only buy once. This is the best value & provides you with everything you need to get started. You’ll get over $400 worth of product for only $165.

Do you have to order more oils monthly or sell them? Nope! Your kit can be a one time purchase, but along with it comes a wholesale membership, which just means that should you decide to purchase oils in the future, you would get a 24% discount! You will also get a personal referral link should you ever decide that you want to share them, but neither is required.

If you still have questions or just want to chat more about oils, shoot me an email here.

***Any suggestions made on this blog are very specific to Young Living essential oils and should not be used with oils from another source. Statements made on this website about Young Living Essential Oils have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Anyone suffering from disease or injury should consult with a physician. If you are currently on medication, please do not stop.