About

Hi ya’ll, and welcome to My Merry Messy Life! I’m Sara, the owner, and I’m at stay-at-home mom to three precious boys. I share my passions of green and natural living, essential oils, real food eating and recipes, crocheting, and homeschooling. I named this blog, My Merry Messy Life, because it perfectly describes my life! We do have a happy, merry family as my husband is an incredible man who supports me fully and he really sets the tone. Our boys are very much BOYS – they are always outside, playing in the mud, dirt, sand, and gravel. And if they’re inside? It’s painting, coloring, play-doh, trains, cars, cooking together and making messes!

Green and Natural Living

The most popular category of my website by far is green and natural living. I’ll never forget how my natural journey started in 2009 – I had just found out I was pregnant and was a dance teacher at the time. I told my boss and she quickly blurted out that she had natural labor with her twins – yes, TWINS! She said she knew a fantastic midwife and chiropractor. I looked at her like I thought she came from looney land and basically said, “Thanks, but no thanks” (freak!), while thinking, “you couldn’t pay me to have a baby without drugs!” Six months later, I was Bradley-trained and giving it my all without drugs. Now, if you read my almost-natural birth story, you’ll see things didn’t go as planned, but I am so happy I started down this path.

This girl who would run to the doctor for every little ache or pain, ate Snicker’s bars for snacks, loved fast food, and thought Cheerios were a health food has now not even needed the doctor in almost a year, eats like a health nut, lost all the baby weight plus some (after three babies), and uses essential oils on a daily basis. Yup, that’s me! And I feel the best I’ve felt in years, all thanks to that one crazy comment from my boss.

Topics

Essential Oils – I believe God gave us all we need to heal our bodies with real food and plants, which is where essential oils comes in! They are so powerful and so effective. We have gotten healthier and stronger the more we’ve used Young Living essential oils and I love having these helpful tools at my fingertips.
Natural and Safe Makeup – There aren’t too many makeup brands I trust – most contain very harmful chemicals. I now use only Beautycounter!
Non-Toxic Cleaning Recipes – You can replace those toxic and dangerous cleaning products, one by one, and before long, you’ll have a green and natural house with supplies that won’t aggravate allergies, asthma or send you to the emergency room if swallowed.
Natural Health and Beauty Recipes – I make all my own lotions, body wash, shampoo, foundation, face wash and more and share all of my recipes with you!
Homeopathic Recipes – I love to use herbs and essential oils to heal from viruses and even bacterial infections. With the help of my naturopath and chiropractor, I now have a full natural medicine cabinet!
Green Living – Paper-Free – I like to use as little paper and plastic products as possible – it’s both green and non-toxic.

Tons of Free Crochet Patterns!

I share all free crochet patterns here. I started crocheting in 2011 right before my second son was born. Believe it or not, I learned on YouTube! It is such a fun and relaxing way to spend my evenings after a long day at home with my three littles. I have patterns in every category:

Kevin and I met on an accidental double date – my best friend was dating his best friend, and we happened to be the only ones who could go out salsa dancing with them one night. We totally hit it off and couldn’t stop talking and dancing! Only problem? He lived in France at the time where he was finishing his Ph.D.! So, we didn’t exchange emails, numbers, nothing. Nine months later he got my email from his best friend and contacted me, saying he hadn’t met anyone else in nine months who was as special as me, and he didn’t care anymore that he lived in France – he had to talk to me! We talked and emailed non-stop for six months, until he made the decision to move back to the states to see if things would work out between us…and the rest is history! Now, we have the American dream and couldn’t be happier.

Real Food & Healing with Nutrition

In addition to a natural, non-toxic lifestyle and using essential oils and herbs, I believe our bodies function properly when we are eating a real food, nourishing diet. And while that can seem overwhelming, it’s actually quite simple! Understand and know every ingredient in the food you’re buying. In general, if it has more than five ingredients, it is not real. Stick with plants (organic is best), grass-fed and pastured meat and dairy, and soak your grains.

I have done the GAPS diet to heal eczema, but for my family, we eat a traditional foods diet, like the one outlined by the Weston Price Foundation.

See all my free real food recipes and articles here!

Extras – Homeschooling, Pregnancy, Crafts

I’m passionate about homeschooling my children and have been doing some Montessori work, both in lifestyle and education, and the kids have THRIVED under that philosophy. It partners well with our parenting philosophy of Positive Discipline, which is based on a book by the same name.

I’ve shared my pregnancy journey with our gender reveal party, and must-haves for pregnancy and newborns.

I’ve created many crafts for my children, and hope to get more into that as they get older and I have a teesny bit more time to myself!

Love to Shop on Amazon

Shopping with small children, and even older children, is no fun, as most of you know. Wiggling, screaming, complaining, temper-tantrums – it takes nerves of steel to survive it sometimes! So, I shop very little in real stores anymore because I find nearly all of what I need on Amazon! See which products I buy and recommend here.