I finally was brave enough to paint our piano! I’ve been debating it for a few years when painted pianos started becoming a thing. I was worried it was a trend that wouldn’t last and that I would regret painting ours and I did not want to strip the paint off later! I patiently watched the trends and then I thought - you know what? I didn’t buy this piano, a family member gifted it to us and its a great piano but its not a baby grand, so why not? I wanted a new color, one I hadn’t used in our home before. I believe in repeating colors throughout your home to give it some cohesiveness, so this is one I’ll need to use again. I went to the paint store and grabbed several swatches and also combed through my stash at home. I knew I wanted something in the blue family. We have blues, greens, muted pinks and wood tones in our upstairs and in the basement we have greens, yellows, blues, blacks and whites. I’ve learned over the years that Im always happier with the outcome if I go for muted colors without the saturation. They feel more like neutrals but add a great pop of color.

You guys! I am so happy with how it turned out. It’s the perfect muted blue. Its a beauty! Here’s how I did it. First, I prepped by cleaning the surface really well with my Thieves spray of course. I bought a small foam roller and small brush and a quart of paint in a semi gloss finish. I didn’t use primer, just went for it. If you use a good paint, you don’t really need a primer if its a natural wood surface. I used Benjamin Moore Advance in semi gloss, color in Smokestack Gray #2131-40. I painted three thin coats to get everything covered with a good finish. Once that was dry, I did a coat of poly to protect it. Pianos have a lot of little nooks and crannies you have to catch. The little part that swings and hold the music was the hardest! I had some drips I had to sand and had to be sure to do thin coats so I didn’t have extra paint oozing. The color in person feels more muted than these photos. It is absolutely perfect. If you’re on the fence about a painting project, I say Go For It!

This is my Theives cleaner that I use to clean everything in my home including plants!

I’m not sure what it is but I really love plants. I love bringing the outdoors inside my home. I love the organic beautiful colors and shapes of plants. I love how good they are for us - cleansing the air we breathe naturally. I love caring for them and encouraging more of their natural beauty. I’ve been called a crazy plant lady a time or two but its a title I’m happy to hold onto!

One question I always get is “How do you not kill your plants?”, it’s actually more simple than you think! I water all my plants once a week and it takes me about 10 minutes. I add this fertilizer to my water every time I water. My plants have so much more new growth than they used to and are so much healthier. You dilute it and it it lasts forever. This gold watering can is also a favorite. I’ve had a couple rust and this one has kept its finish so well. I also wipe every single leaf down with my Thieves cleaner and wipe it with a micro fiber cloth. It makes the leaves shiny and gets all the dust off. They look so healthy afterwards. When your plants have dust all over them, they can’t take in as much sunlight so cleaning the leaves and fertilizing will make your plants love you!

I think we can all agree that we want to have a healthier body for 2025! I started using Young Living products about a year ago and I have seen such a difference. Those of us that grew up in the 80’s and 90’s were exposed to and fed an array of unhealthy things and its taken a toll on me. Out with the food dyes, preservatives, seed oils, gluten, processed and in with whole foods, vitamins, less exposure to chemicals and improving our home’s environment for our kiddos.

If you have wanted to clean up your life and have less toxin impact on your home, now is the time!

  SHOP HERE SHAREYL for 10% off for New Customers!

If you feel overwhelmed, here are my top items to start with! I’ve been using these products for a little over a year and can’t say enough good things about them!

You have to buy one item, Theives concentrate and that’s it! We clean windows, counters, floors, bathrooms with one product! You put a capful in a spray bottle of water and it does the job without the chemicals! I used to Clorox wipe everything but started reading and realized how harmful cleaning chemicals are and how our bodies are made to fight germs without killing every last one. Thieves disinfects like nature intended – in a healthy way. We are all healthier and less sick since changing our cleaning products and chemical exposure. PURCHASE HERE

I’ve had Hypothyroid for over 30 years and my weak nails and hair have always bothered me. I’ve tried collagen and skin, hair and nail vitamins etc. and nothing has worked great, especially for the price tag! This Young Living product has been the best at having stronger nails and hair, Sulphurzyme. I love to mix it when I drink my Ningxia which is like a multivitamin with so many health benefits. Its considered a superfood and it packed with antioxidants. I crave it everyday – it has helped me so much with my energy levels and it tastes so dang good! I love to mix it with sparkling water (Trader Joe’s brand is my fave) and a splash of cranberry juice. I make this little cocktail 1-2 times a day and it gives me a little energy and by the end of the day helps me sleep better. PURCHASE HERE

I was obsessed with candles for years! I gave them as gifts to everyone. The ambiance and glow and smell is beautiful! It all changed when I started reading up on how many harmful chemicals are released when you burn a candle and I knew I needed to clean things up and give up my candle addiction. Thanks to Nesting with Grace, I have so many good combos of oil scents we burn on the daily. Instead of harming our health, they are contributing to our well being! We sleep better, have more energy and stronger immune systems all while having a a lovely smelling home. I especially love all of the holiday combos of scents. I love to put orange, evergreen essence, grapefruit and vanilla or when we are feeling a little sick, purification and thieves oils do the trick! PURCHASE HERE

I got rid of Tide, Dryer Sheets and Scented Pearls a year ago and haven’t looked back! This is one of the top ways to get rid of chemicals and toxins next to your family’s skin everyday. Did everyone miss the smell of dryer sheets and scented pearls at first? Yes we did. Although, now when I smell how strong they are, I know we made the right decision. Those items smell of chemicals now. They aren’t natural smelling – it takes a few loads but I promise you will be sold once you try Thieves detergent for your laundry. You use the smallest amount and it cleans clothes amazingly! You can also make your own scent booster or I add this to whiten, brighten and add a clean smell. Take a look on the EWG website and see how your detergent ranks on the wellness scale. As I’ve gotten older, I don’t want anything messing with my hormones. Chemicals in laundry and cleaning products have been shown to inhibit natural hormone production. It’s an easy switch, trust me! PURCHASE HERE

I’ve lived my whole life with curls! Of course there have been times when I’ve hated them but as I got older I chose to embrace the curls! I realized they are part of me and I should be proud of how unique curls are! I know a lot of people (including my mom) who have always fought their natural curl with blowing it out or using chemical straitening methods. I think most people who have curls hate the frizz! I can honesly say, that after 30 years of trying different products, I have found a combo I currently love. I think trial and error, mixing different brands and using different styling techniques is key to finding what works best for you. Several years ago, I read the Curly Girl Method book and that was the real beginning of finding my style method. When I was a teen, there were not as many options as there are now. I mean we basically had gel and mousse and hair spray, nothing catering to curls. Let’s just say, taming that frizz in high school and college was near impossible.

I am so happy there are such great and natural products on the market now! No more slathering my curls with silicon based smoothers to coat and suffocate my hair. Its a shocker my hair survived those days in tact.

All the curl products you need to have beautiful hair

Beautiful curls begin with a good wash day. I usually wash with a clarifying shampoo and condition with a deep conditioner and while thats on, give my scalp a good scrub with my rubber scrubber. Once in awhile, I’ll sleep with oils in my hair to condition and moisturize my dry locks.

Now comes the fun part of styling! I wring my hair out in the shower but do not towel dry. While my hair is super wet, I put 1-2 quarter sized amounts of curl cream and comb it through and let it sit a couple minutes. I then put small dime size amounts of Curlsmith In Shower Gel on small sections of my hair, smoothing between my palms. I then take that same section and brush with my curl brush to form nice clumps. I go through my whole head with this method. I then apply mouse in my palms and lightly coat my hair all over. I then lightly scrunch and use my Dyson Hair Dryer with Diffuser and move in small sections cupping my ends with the diffuser and pushing up towards scalp. Sometimes I let my hair air dry halfway and then diffuse. Its up to you to see which method you prefer! Once it’s dry, I add a couple tiny pea size amounts of styling cream and a few pumps of oil to my ends and a light coat all over. It adds a nice shine, tames frizz and moisturizes. Sometimes I use specific hair oil and I often use my Young Living orange essential oil. Not only does it leave my hair smelling amazing, but leaves the perfect amount of shine!

Curly Hair Styling Products

I hope all my years of trying products helps you find ones you love too! All my links are below. Cheers to happy, healthy and frizz free curls!

Curly hair is not cheap. Good clean and quality styling products are key to happy curls. Here are all of the products I love and remember you can mix and match brands!

#1 WASH - shampoo buy here #2 MOISTURIZE - conditioner buy here #3 COMB - buy here #4 CURL CREAM - buy here #5 GEL - buy here

#6 CURL BRUSH - buy here #7 MOUSSE - buy here #8 STYLING CREAM buy here & HAIR OIL buy here or here or the healthiest oil is orange essential oil buy hereNew customers get 10% off by using SHAREYL code at checkout. Visit this post for more info on oils and having a healthier home!

Other healthy hair items I love!

CURLING CUSTARD here DEEP CONDITIONER here HAIR SPRAY here SCALP MASSAGER here SCALP OIL here HAIR DRYER + DIFFUSER here

I have struggled for years to get good sleep! I’ve tried so many different things over the years and listened to many podcasts on the topic. I have finally found what works for me. It’s not perfect, but I’m sleeping better than I have in years so I will take that as a win! I’ve tried getting morning light first thing in the morning, taking hot showers at night, doing hot yoga, working out everyday, caffeine and no caffeine, OTC sleeping meds & prescription meds, journaling, reading, supplements, a better nighttime routine, etc. It has been so frustrating doing the things recommended by all the professionals and ending up empty handed most of the time.

I know you’re wondering what has worked and I will tell you! There are some things such as lowering my stress by having daily routines and down time. I have a goal to move my body every single day, whether that’s a walk, resistance training or yoga. I also try and spend time in the sunshine by doing yardwork, walking or enjoying the outdoors. I’m drinking a lot of water, eliminating toxins in my environment and generally eating healthier.

At night, I usually wind down by getting in the hot tub or taking a shower. I take a few supplements at bedtime about 30 minutes before I want to sleep. I’ve tried a lot of different combinations and to be honest you have to try a few things until you find the best combination for you. I tried the Huberman sleep stack for awhile which is L-Theanine, Apigenin and Magnesium Theonate and this combo worked pretty well but I still woke easily and it took awhile to fall asleep but I didn’t have insomnia which was lovely. I track my sleep with my Apple Watch and was frustrated my deep sleep was still so low. It was often between 20-30 minutes a night which is about half what it should be.

So what has worked for me? Currently, about 30 minutes before bed, I take 3 Magnesium Theonate and I had my doctor prescribe 200 mg of Progesterone. This has helped me get a full hour of deep sleep and I haven’t felt this good in years. I fall asleep quicker and stay asleep the whole night, waking feeling more rested. I also read for 10 minutes every single night no matter what. It’s one of my non-negotiables and it helps ease my mind and relax. For me, I love fiction. My mind needs a break and its enjoyable and fun!

I also have a good morning routine with supplements and that has contributed to my overall health and feeling better. I’ve been taking AG1, MaryRuth multi-vitamin and hair, DHEA and fish oil. Our kiddos take the MaryRuth multi-vitamin gummy in the morning and at night we’ve been weaning off of melatonin. My Drue has a lot of anxiety and that makes it hard for her little mind to quiet and fall asleep. The MaryRuth kids magnesium calm gummies have helped her so much! I’ve learned a lot about our water and soils being completely depleted of nutrients and minerals our bodies need. I think adding magnesium has helped all of us feel so much better.

Here are links to all of our current supplements on Amazon!

MaryRuth’s Kids Multivitamin, MaryRuth’s Multivitamin + Hair, MaryRuth’s kids magnesium gummies, Omega Fish Oil, Magnesium L Threonate, DHEA