Ameo Life Giveaway & Review

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Giveaway!

Would you like the chance to win 4 full-sized Ameo Life products? Click this link to enter.

What is Ameo Life?

Ameo Life  is a company that specializes in creating natural supplements which support overall health and well-being. The products are unique in that they contain silver. Sound a bit scary? Well, these contain a substance called structured silver, silver that bonds itself to water molecules. Basically, It means the silver can't separate from the water molecules and build up in our bodies. 

Some benefits of silver may include the ability to destroy bad bacteria, heal wounds, provide relief from inflammation, boost the immune system, and more. ***It's extremely important to use QUALITY silver products.

Ameo Life products are:

• Gluten Friendly
• Vegan Friendly
• GMP Certified
• Dairy Friendly
• GMO Free
• Made in the USA

A Closer Look

Ameo Life sent me 4 full-sized products to try. 

• pH Balanced Alkaline Silver Solution: designed to cleanse the gut of yeast, bad bacteria and mold. It's a safe and effective way to support digestive health.

• Extra Strength Silver Gel:  non-toxic, fast-absorbing gel that supports the skin.

• Oatmeal Spice Silver Soap: exfoliating soap infused with essential oils and safe for all skin types.

• Chelated Mulitvitamin: contains 18 essential vitamins and minerals, is rich in antioxidants, and helps increase energy and boost nutrient levels. 

*All of the above products are third party tested to ensure quality and efficacy. Please check the website for more information.

My Experience

First of all, the oatmeal spice soap smells amazing. Perfect for fall! It's smooth even though it contains oats, and it's even sudsy enough for shaving in the shower. I also like that it doesn't leave a ton of residue in the soap dish. I have used it on my face, but I've continued with my regular face routine as well. (My husband likes the soap too.)

I have experimented with combining a small amount of silver gel with my moisturizer and also using it separately before I put on moisturizer. Now, I'm trying it out on only one side of my face to see if I can tell a difference between the two. The gel is lightweight and seems to soak into my skin pretty quickly.  So far I haven't really noticed any changes in my skin since I started using it. I probably need more than 2 weeks to have a more substantial opinion. 

The first day that I included the silver solution and multivitamin in my diet, I experienced some pretty nasty heartburn and GERD symptoms--not typical for me. I decided to stop taking the vitamin but continue with the silver solution. I thought it was the vitamin causing the heartburn since the silver doesn't really smell or taste. After a week of this, I still had heartburn and that feeling that something was stuck in my throat. So, I stopped ingesting that too. 

I spoke to one of Ameo Life's cofounders on the phone about what was happening. He suggested that I may be having a herxheimer reaction which can happen when there's an overgrowth of yeast/bad bacteria. So, the silver solution was doing its job. Since I didn't want to live with constant heartburn, he suggested that I try again but only take 1/2 teaspoon instead of the recommended dose. So far, I am feeling ok and not having the same reaction that I did at first. Yay! He also reassured me that the solution was perfectly safe and that it was impossible for the silver (in this form) to build up in my system. Whew! I felt that he genuinely cared about my health and can't say enough about the great customer service I experienced. I plan to reintroduce the multivitamin soon. 

After I've finished using all of the products I received, I will come back here and give my final opinion. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway to try these products out for yourself!

{Disclaimer: I received products in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.}

What Happens When You Apply a Bentonite Clay & Apple Cider Vinegar Face Mask

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 When I came across this post from Organic Christian Living, I thought I'd give this 2-ingredient face mask a try. I had both ingredients on hand, and who doesn't want detoxed skin and tightened pores?! 

So, here's what happened to my face when I applied a bentonite clay & apple cider vinegar face mask. Except for cropping, none of the pictures have been edited at all. (To be clear, my hair is never this greasy. ;) I put coconut oil in it before I applied my mask.) 

I HATE no-makeup selfies, or any of my selfies for that matter, but here ya go up close and way too personal:

How to Keep Puppies Clean & Shiny

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I'm kind of a nut case when it comes to cleanliness. Having a new puppy definitely creates quite a challenge for me in this area. ;) Dogs are a bit icky, so in order to remain somewhat sane, my puppy gets a daily Burt's Bees wipe down!

I'm already a huge Burt's Bees fan. I use their lotions, lip glosses, chapsticks, etc. on a daily basis, so when these Burt's Bees multipurpose wipes caught my eye while I was searching for a puppy toy, I snatched them up!

Our puppy, Kylo, gets a good wipe-down from head to tail and back to belly usually every night. I end up using more than one per day if he has as accident in his crate, which, thankfully, hasn't happened in a couple of weeks. And one time, he just needed a real bath. My daughter says it isn't good for dogs to get too many real baths, so these Burt's Bees wipes are the perfect solution for staying clean and shiny!

Even though there really isn't a strong fragrance, the wipes make my puppy seem all fresh and clean. It makes me feel better, too, and that matters a lot!

Kylo definitely got a good wipe down after playing at our local dog park!

*If you can't find the wipes in your local store, you can order them on Amazon by clicking the picture below. I found mine at Wal-Mart for about half the price of the ones on Amazon. I did see a hypoallergenic version of these wipes on Amazon, though, that I didn't see in the store, and they are more reasonably priced. :) Although I have not used them, I've included a link in case those sound like a better option for your pet.

Burt's Bees Multipurpose Wipes work for my puppy and me!

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Simple, All-Natural Remedy for Puppy's Dry Skin

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(Photos from Pixabay)

Use Olive Oil!

Our family rescued a 9 week old puppy about 3 weeks ago. This, by no means, makes me an expert on puppies, however, I do want to share some tips over the next few weeks (or maybe even months) that have come in real handy for us since our family grew by 4 itty, bitty paws. 

Kylo, our new puppy, is some kind of lab mix, and we don't really know much about his first 9 weeks of life. He came to us with really dry, dull, flaky skin, so my husband did some research on how to help him naturally. He recommended that I try adding olive oil to the puppy's food. (None of our puppy pics really show Kylo's super flaky, dry skin, but, trust me, it was yucky.)

Right away, I began drizzling about a teaspoon of olive oil to Kylo's food 3 times a day. We noticed results almost immediately. His coat started to shine, and day by day, we noticed less flakiness. Three weeks later his fur is silky smooth and flake free! We are continuing to add olive oil to his food at least once a day to help keep his coat shiny and healthy.

Not the best photo since Kylo wouldn't stop moving around, but I wanted to give at least some idea of what his shiny coat looked like. Looks better in real life. :)

Remedy for Our Puppy's Dry Skin:

Recap: Our family added about a tsp of olive oil to puppy's food 3 times a day until dry, flaky skin cleared up. We continue to drizzle about a tsp of olive oil to puppy's food at least once per day. 

I use cold-pressed oil for my family, so that's what I used for my puppy. Private Selection's Spanish flavor was on sale. :)

Kylo at 12 weeks.

If your puppy or dog has dry, flaky skin, try using olive oil. I hope it works for you as well as it worked for me!

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Relieve Stress and Hormonal Imbalance With the Amazing Adaptogen: Maca Root

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(Maca root pic taken from Wikipedia)

Do you feel like your hormones are out of whack? Ever suffer from panic attacks, stress, or low energy levels? That was me 4 or 5 years ago. I suffered from constant fatigue, occasional panic attacks, extreme PMS related symptoms, and other stuff like that. If you're like me, though, and try to avoid doctors' offices and prescription medications, you might want to consider taking a wonderful supplement that has been a huge benefit to me: Femmenessence MacaHarmony®.

Femmenessence MacaHarmony® is a maca root supplement. Let me stop here because you might be wondering, what in the world is maca root? First of all, maca is a plant that is native to Peru and is also known as Peruvian Ginsing, although it is not related to ginsing. The maca plant is actually related to the radish plant and supposedly smells like butterscotch. While the plant has been cultivated for thousands of years as a vegetable crop, the root is used in medicine. (Web M.D. & Wikipedia)

Maca root is considered to be an adaptogen which is such a neat thing!  Here's a definition according to an online dictionary:

a·dapt·o·gen

əˈdaptəjən/

noun

1. (in herbal medicine) a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress and to exert a normalizing effect upon bodily processes. A well-known example is ginseng.

According to Dr. Frank Lipman:

"Adaptogens are a unique group of herbal ingredients used to improve the health of your adrenal system, the system that’s in charge of managing your body’s hormonal response to stress. They help strengthen the body’s response to stress and enhance its ability to cope with anxiety and fight fatigue – slowly and gently, without jolts or crashes. They’re called adaptogens because of their unique ability to “adapt” their function according to your body’s specific needs. Though the effects may initially be subtle and take time to make themselves felt, they’re real and undeniable."

Medicine Hunter says, "To qualifiy as an adaptogen, an herb must be completely safe and non-toxic, it must have broad uses for health, and it must specifically reduce stress, both mental and physical. To put it simply: Adaptogens help you adapt."

You can read about all kinds of maca root benefits all over the internet, but I like this easy-to-read list from YoungandRaw:

•    balances mood
•    strengthens the skin
•    increases energy
•    increases libido and fertility
•    better sleep
•    helps your body adapt to stress
•    increases memory and brain power
•    anti-aging properties
•    anti-acne properties
•    increases endurance and stamina
•    reduces symptoms of PMS and menopause
•    helps to reduce aches and pains
•    strengthens hair and reduces hair loss

Now that you know a little about the amazing little adaptogen, maca root, let me tell you about the product I mentioned earlier: Femmenessence MacaHarmony®. 

(Maca root has nothing to do with New Age meditation - I, personally, ignore the picture on the cover.) ;)

Femmenessence MacaHarmony® is a concentrated maca root supplement taken in the form of powder contained in swallow-size capsules. The recommended dosage is 2 pills per day: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It lasts for 60 days and costs roughly a little over $15.00 per month. Small price to pay considering all of the benefits!

My sister-in-law turned me on to this product when I was complaining about insomnia, low energy levels, racing heart, PMS that lasted for about 3 weeks per month, and then some. I had like one good week every month - seriously.

According to the pamphlet inside the box, it can take 1-4 cycles to rebalance your system. I don't remember having to wait that long to start feeling results. A few of the physical benefits I noticed early on were:

• better sleep
• calmer heart

As time went on, I noticed even more benefits:

• less tired
• less irritable
• fewer PMS days
• NO MORE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS

Did you catch that last one? Huge for me! Get ready for some TMI, but I've always been the kind of girl who suffered immensely with cramps. I would start taking Advil before I even started just to keep from experiencing labor-like cramping. I know it sounds too good to be true, but taking maca root keeps me from having to take Advil. I know it's the maca root that keeps cramps at bay because I quit taking it for a few months, and the cramps returned in full force. I couldn't order a box of Femmenessence fast enough! Maca doesn't take away every single PMS symptom entirely, but, overall, it has given me MUCH relief. 

Now that I've been taking the maca root supplement for over 4 years, I only take one pill per day to maintain balance. Directions say that after 4-8 months you can try cutting your dose in half to one pill per day. It is also recommended that you take breaks from using the product - everything is explained thoroughly in the pamphlet included in your box of supplements.

I told you some of the ways in which maca root has helped me - here's what the back of the Femmenessence box says maca root can do for teens and women during their reproductive years:

Insomnia is one of those "thorns in my flesh" so after a while, I found that I needed additional help in that area at times. I rarely, if ever, experience a racing heart for no reason, though. Benefits are still amazing, so I keep taking my maca!

I highly recommend this product because it truly works for me. If you decide to try out maca root for yourself, I really hope it helps you as much as it has helped me. Just remember that as an adaptogen, it may affect each person differently. Be sure to familiarize yourself with all of the instructions. :)

*Femmenessence is not recommended for pregnant or nursing women.

 

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The Benefits of Owning an Earscope

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I can remember suffering from ear infections as a child and having to drink that refrigerated, pink medicine. The medicine wasn't so bad, but the ear infections were. Can anyone else relate?

When I was a young mommy, I wanted to do everything I could to keep my kids ear infection free. I researched tons of information about preventing ear infections, and while I instituted those findings, I also wanted to be prepared in case my children ever did get ear infections. So, I bought my very own Earscope - an otoscope you can use at home for a pretty reasonable price. I also bought Ears: An Owner's Manual which teaches you about ears and how to properly use an otoscope.

Ears: An Owner's Manual

The 130-page owner's manual is a must if you've never used an Earscope before. Like I said, it teaches you how to use an otoscope, but it also teaches you so much more such as:

• Anatomy of the external, middle, and inner ear
• Causes of ear pain
• How to select an otoscope
• How to complete a home examination
• What a normal middle ear looks like
• What an ear infection looks like
• Different types of ear infections
• How to prevent ear infections
• Complications in middle ear infections
• Medications used for ear infections and their side effects

Earscope

It's been several years since I've had to use my Earscope, but I am SO GLAD that I was armed with such an amazing medical tool when my kids were younger. A few of the benefits to owning your own Earscope if you have young children are:

• It's super easy to use.
• You don't have to run to the doctor every time your child complains of an earache.
• You can monitor your child's ears if he does get an ear infection.

Tip: It's good to practice using your Earscope on your kids when they aren't sick, so you know exactly what your children's healthy ears look like.

Two Examples of When My Earscope Came in VERY Handy

#1 When my second child was about 6 months old, I took him to the doctor for one of those well check ups. From the outside, he was perfectly fine, however, the doctor told me that he was beginning to get an ear infection. While he was writing a prescription for an antibiotic, I asked him if my son's ear infection was bacterial or viral. I knew he wouldn't be able to tell me this information just by looking in my son's ears. He sort of gave me one of those looks doctors are known to give moms who ask questions. ;)

From the book I mentioned above, I learned that about 30% of ear infections are caused by viruses which means an antibiotic would be pointless, and in my opinion, even harmful. There was no way I was going to start giving an antibiotic to my baby son who had shown zero signs of having an ear infection. (I had done enough research about antibiotics to be cautious about using them unwisely.)

Anyway, I did take the slip of paper with the prescription on it home with me, but, thankfully, I never had to call it in. Because I owned an Earscope, I was able to monitor my son's ears on a daily basis. Honestly, I don't remember even seeing any type of infection, but I kept a close watch. I knew I was no doctor and that I could have been missing something. My son never showed any signs of having an ear infection, and nothing ever came of it. I can't tell you how glad I was that I didn't give my son the prescribed antibiotics.

#2 I admit, even though the ear manual says you shouldn't use cotton swabs to clean out ears, I did clean out my kids' ears on occasion. I was always super careful and never went into the ear canal - just around the outside to get rid of that nasty yellow gunk. Ugh.

Well, one day while I was sitting on the floor with my second child in my lap (he was about 4 at the time), and with my other 2 kids beside me, I was ever so gently cleaning out the ears of the child who was sitting in my lap. Unexpectedly, he turned his head pushing the cotton swab further into his ear canal. It all happened so fast - he started crying, and I panicked. I remember thinking, NO! Not his eardrum. Oh, please, no!

I ran and got my Earscope to check his ears. There were no signs from the outside that his eardrum had busted, but since he was crying, I wanted to make sure. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw his eardrum - a perfectly shaped little hole! My mother's heart almost failed me at that moment. But, after a trip to the doctor's office, my fears were relieved. Turns out, a perforated eardrum isn't the end of the world. This time I did use the (non-internal) antibiotic drops to keep out infection. It was so neat being able to watch my son's eardrum heal itself, and I am so thankful that there wasn't any permanent damage! He's 13 now and can hear just fine, well, at least when he chooses to. ;)

Thankfully, my young children didn't really suffer from ear aches much. I can honestly only think of a few times that my children complained of ear pain, but I was so glad to have an Earscope with which to monitor their ears. I've never given my children antibiotics for ear issues (other than that one time mentioned above), but I did give them Hyland's homeopathic earache tablets to soothe pain.

Truly, owning an Earscope works for me! I've provided links to all of the products I have mentioned in my post below. Looks like both books are the same with the second one pictured being a more recent version, I believe. I own the one pictured in the graphic above.




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Find Out If Your Cleaning Products Pass or Fail the Safety Test

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I learned about a website a couple of weeks ago when I attended my friend's Norwex Facebook party: EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning.

According to the website, it's an "online safety guide for household cleaning products, launched in 2012 to help people find safer products that fully disclose their ingredients and contain fewer ingredients that are hazardous or that haven’t been thoroughly tested. The database combines product ingredient lists gleaned from product labels, company websites and worker safety documents with information in more than 16 standard toxicity databases and extensive searches of peer-reviewed scientific literature. The database provides easy-to-navigate safety ratings for more than 2,000 cleaning products."

When I visited the website to see if my new Norwex cloths could be washed in my ALL Free and Clear laundry detergent, I was shocked to find that it received a big, fat F! I use All Free and Clear because I can't stand those chemical, flowery smells; they make my nose all itchy. I also choose ALL Free and Clear because it fits in my budget. I wasn't expecting an A or anything but an F? Wow.

So, since it is important for Norwex products to be washed in certain kinds of detergent (Norwex makes one, but it's pricey to me), I was hoping to be able to buy Seventh Generation Free and Clear powder detergent, which scored an A, on my next grocery shopping trip. Fry's didn't have it in the powder form, so I grabbed the liquid thinking it would be just as fine. Grrrr. EWG gave it a D. :(

I guess it's Amazon to the rescue!



Since my hubby's the one with Amazon Prime, I'm going to have him order this laundry powder for me ASAP! In about a week or so, I'll have quite a few more Norwex items to wash thanks to my hostess package and to all my friends who ordered from my Norwex Facebook party. :)

EWG works for me! Check it our for yourself to see what grade your cleaning products get.

Norwex works for me, too. Did you know you can purchase Norwex on Amazon? You can!



Never heard of Norwex? Feel free to watch the video below to find out more. YouTube has lots of other Norwex videos, too.


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Essential Oils for Everyday Use: Soap Dispenser

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Tip #6: Add essential oils to your soap dispenser. I usually can't afford to buy all-natural, super-expensive liquid soap, so whenever I refill our soap dispensers, I try to remember to add a few drops of an oil of my choice. This past time, I chose lavender.

 

I love lavender because it smells light and fresh and is pretty gentle as far as essential oils go. Even though it's gentle, it's one of the few oils (according to The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Over 600 Natural, Non-Toxic and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health — Beauty — a Safe Home Environment) that has all 4 of the following properties: antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral, and antifungal. Great oil in my opinion!

 

Anyway, after adding a few drops of oil to the soap (I like to use clear), I stir, swirl, and shake to evenly disperse the oil. The soap appears a little cloudy after this, but the cloudiness eventually goes away.

 

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Essential Oils for Everyday Use: Resources

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Tip #5: Invest in some quality resources to educate and familiarize yourself with the basics of essential oils.

I began my essential oil journey long before I ever heard about Young Living. When changing dirty diapers, wiping tiny noses, and reading a never ending pile of picture books marked my SAHM days, I was already into the natural living thing but hadn't really dabbled in the realm of essential oils. However, when I discovered that my second baby was allergy prone, I took my first steps onto the path of all things essential oil.

I started out by changing out most of my cleaning supplies and replacing them with essential oil or other natural based products. Devouring all kinds of information, I soon began using oils on myself and my family. They became a regular part of our lives and still are. A few years ago, I even started taking a few oils internally when needed.

Today, I am going to share 4 essential oil resources that are a part of my natural living library.

1. The Complete Medicinal Herbal: A practical guide to the healing properties of herbs, with more than 250 remedies for common ailments.

The first half of this book is filled with gorgeous color photos of herbs from A-Z. While this book isn't primarily devoted to the essential oil aspect of the plants, it sheds light on how all plant parts are used. Part of the information includes how to use a particular essential oil and for what ailments.

The second half of the book lists various ailments and natural remedies in chart form. I've owned this resource since the very beginning of my natural health journey, and I think it's a great book to have in your healthy living library!

Side note: My daughter found The Complete Medicinal Herbal particularly enjoyable as she researched many of the herbs mentioned in her favorite book series by Erin Hunter, Warriors. ;)


2. The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy



Even though this book isn't filled with vibrant pictures like the first book I mentioned, it offers a wealth of information. It covers topics such as methods of use, basic care kit, oils for skin and hair, oils for men, women, and children, oils for pets, oils for the garden, oils for cooking, oils for your home, oils you should NEVER use, etc.

My favorite part of this book is the essential oil charts listed in the back. Charts include bacteria busters, beauty oils, toning/slimming oils, facial/skin oils, and essential oils which gives info on the type of plant, part from which the oil is obtained, countries of origin, aromatherapeutic home use, and other uses.

3. What To Do When Antibiotics Don't Work! How to stay healthy and alive when infections strike.



Chapters 1-5 discuss what plant medicines are, natural antibiotics, why you should use plant medicines, understanding infections, and how to use plant medicines. Chapter 6 is the longest and covers about 50 ailments accompanied by directions for external and/or internal use of oils. Appendix A and B contain helpful essential oil and herb lists with their medicinal uses and cautions.

4. Quick Reference Guide for Using Essential Oils



I highly recommend this 275-page resource if you use any Young Living oils since the authors specifically reference YL single oils and YL blends. I got this book right after I started using Young Living oils, and I look up information in it often. In this book, you will learn basic information about oils and the importance of using therapeutic grade oils.

You will also learn about the constituents and application of oils. An extremely comprehensive list of ailments and remedies comprises this book. A wonderful body systems chart and single oil summary chart is located in the back of the book. A vita flex hand chart and a vita flex feet chart plus a list of additional resources and products can also be found in the book.

These are the essential oil resources that I own, but I've also checked out books from the library in the past. While scouring the Internet for information can be extremely beneficial, I think having a few books on hand is a good thing, too. :)

Do you have any amazing essential oil resources that you use? If so, please share in the comments!

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