Here’s how I’m coping with stress and anxiety naturally. Like many, during 2020-2021, I rode the rollercoaster of various emotions. When my dad passed in 2021 many of the tips I used during that time I had learned and put into practice back in 2017 when our sweet Shih Tzu Ginger went through a myriad of health issues.
As an Ingredient Geek I needed to figure out how I would be coping with stress and anxiety as naturally as possible.
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Our favorite vacation (so far) was our 30th Anniversary Road Trip in 2018. We traveled for 17 days from San Diego -> Utah -> Colorado -> Kansas -> Oklahoma -> Texas -> New Mexico -> Arizona -> San Diego. Here are some road tip ideas that have worked for me over the years and maybe they’ll help somebody else too.
Apparently the sizes of carry-on bags have changed for many airlines, so what worked last year might not work this year. I once discovered that since I had purchased an “economy” ticket, I was ONLY allowed a personal item, no carry-on bag at all. Good thing I checked before I got there or I would have had to pay extra fees if I tried to board with my carry-on.
On one of my flights, I was on the airplane for an extra 2 hours! I was so thankful that I had many of my road trip survival items with me, and not with my checked baggage! In 2016 due to various road construction and area fires, Roy & I ended up spending 8 days and 44 hours (!) in the car on one trip. Of course that wasn’t the original plan, however I’m so thankful we had some of our road trip survival items with us.
Here are some of my road trip items.
WATER: If we’re flying, I like to bring my empty stainless steel water bottle. Once you get through security there are often Hydration Stations where you can fill your water bottle for free. Just remember to empty it BEFORE you go through security (yep, made that mistake once and got to experience the extra screening process). It also comes in handy if you’re at a conference/convention and you can fill that up once or twice for the whole day instead of having to go back & forth with a glass.
BRING SNACKS: I like to bring individual raw almond butter packets to add protein to the usually carb heavy free breakfasts. They travel well in my backpack. I’ll often have the almond butter with a banana (shh! Sometimes a waffle or English muffin sneaks in with them, but that’s our secret!) It’s also great to mix in oatmeal. Nuts, dates, and protein bars are some of our other go-to snacks.
Ever since our honeymoon, we now travel with some snacks. We landed on the big island of Hawaii and thought we’d take a quick nap and then go out to dinner. We woke up a few hours later and discovered that the town had shut down for the night. Nothing was open, and our dinner consisted of a vending machine picnic (ugh!)
LOOK FOR HEALTHY FOOD: If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see some of my great healthy finds at a few of the airports. I did have to walk quite a ways for one, but since I had a 3 hour layover, it wasn’t an issue. It’s tempting to eat a bunch of junk when traveling, but I always feel better when I eat better. Of course I don’t always eat that great, but I do try more often than not, and allow myself grace for when I don’t.
ESSENTIAL OILS: Sweet Orange, Peppermint & Lavender are the ones I take with me the most. We have a plug-in diffuser for the car and a battery operated one for the hotel room. Diffusing oils helps keep us alert while driving, refreshes stale hotel rooms, and helps us relax in different surroundings. It’s also great when we are driving through some “interesting” smelling areas ~ like lots of cows & chickens. 😉 Since I have MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) I also wear my oils around my neck in an aromatherapy locket, just in case I might have a migraine triggered by a funky smell, or someone around me wearing perfume.
PERSONAL CARE: Of course I like to travel with my Pure Haven non-toxic items. With my eczema I need to bring items that I know won’t irritate my skin. I love our Hands-on-the-Go for quick hand cleaning, and I put our Hand Soap in a small bottle since I can’t stand using the drying, smelly fragrance, and often toxic hotel soap.
SUNSCREEN: this is a must for me. Read my post here about what to look out for when choosing a safe sunscreen for you and for the environment.
MUSIC: what road trip would be complete without some rousing renditions of some favorites? We’re pretty eclectic in our taste from Broadway (nothing like Phantom of the Opera when driving at night!), 80’s rock (don’t judge!), Oldies, Classical, Praise & Worship, and Movie Soundtracks (The Greatest Showman is the new favorite).
MISCELLANEOUS: Reading material (of course) you never know when you’ll be stuck on a plane for an extra 2 hours. Extension cords (empty plugs are notoriously in awkward places). I was so thankful to have also brought 2 portable phone chargers with me. I was able to charge my phone on the plane so I had enough power to schedule Uber when I landed.
That’s all I can come up with off the top of my head. I’m sure after I post this I’ll remember more things. What are your road trip MUST haves?
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My passion is to help families with Swapping Toxins for Healthy Options. I can send you a list of the top ingredients to avoid. Let’s start the conversation about ingredients in products with others ~ Contact me to speak to groups, companies, or a few friends gathered together online or in person. Making small steps CAN make a big impact.
I like to read. When I say I like to read, I mean I REALLY like to read. A true Bibliophile with LackaNewBookaPhobia (fear of being without a new book). As a kid, I read the cereal box during breakfast, the shampoo bottle while washing my hair, and the toothpaste tube while brushing my teeth… you get the idea. I read long into the night with a flashlight under the covers. In fact, I still read under the covers so the light on my Kindle doesn’t disturb my hubby. My love of reading turned into researching healthy options.
One summer, my eczema got so bad my mom put the prescribed hydrocortisone steroid cream on the inside of my arms and wrapped them with plastic wrap. I slept with gloves on so I wouldn’t scratch! The doctors also tried an elimination diet where I remember ONLY eating green beans and drinking apple juice. I’m sure I probably ate more than that, but that’s all I remember from that time. Side note, in addition to the red, itchy patches all over, I also wore glasses, had braces with full headgear, and had acne. Let’s just say, I was a vision to behold and my self-confidence was not at an all-time high… and yes, I was smart, so truly a geek too.
The day we adopted Gracie @GracieGirlJourney on Instagram
Since I enjoy learning about various healthy options, I’ve taken many courses for people and pets. Everything from aromatherapy / essential oils, herbal remedies, and currently homeopathic medicines. Thanks to menopause (aka mental-pause), everything got a bit crazy. My hormones, thyroid, and adrenals got all out of whack. I began having a variety of extra health issues that I’m still managing, including Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and Environmental Sensitivities (ES). Many fragrances often gave me a 3-day migraine. I started making my own products, which was rewarding, but time-consuming.
Roy (my hubby) & I got tired standing over a hot stove melting beeswax for my eczema lotion. I saw a post about products made with great organic ingredients and essential oils. Praying that none of the products would irritate my skin or give me a migraine, I signed up as a consultant to get the best price. Thankfully, I loved all the products right out of my kit. It wasn’t until I started the training that I learned about “greenwashing.” I THOUGHT I was reading labels carefully & buying products that were safe, natural, and organic.
That’s when everything changed for me. I REALLY started reading the labels of EVERY product we used. Roy says I’m now a “crusader” empowering families to choose the healthiest products possible. Unfortunately, many are unknowingly harming themselves with their everyday products! Take a look to see if you are Avoiding These Top Toxins. Unsure of the ingredients on the products you’re using? I’m happy to help you decipher them. I’ll honestly let you know if they look good, or if there are ingredients of concern.
That’s just one of the reasons why I chose to become an Independent Consultant for Pure Haven. They create fresh products, made in small batches, free of toxins, environmentally sustainable, gluten-free, and cruelty-free. They adhere to a strict, six-step ingredient sourcing procedure and manufacture the products in their USDA Certified Organic facility.
Now that you know why I chose Pure Haven, are you ready to start Swapping Toxins for Healthy Options? Here are some First Steps to Living Toxic Free. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Let’s chat, and let me help you on your own natural non-toxic journey. I can also send you a list of the top ingredients to avoid.
Monique, the Ingredient Geek has an uncanny sense of ingredients and what is reasonable for our best health. She is able to make sense of some complicated products that would baffle any normal person. Being an Ingredient Geek is her superpower! ~ Milea S.
When you’re ready, come join our Natural NonToxic Living Community on Facebook. We can also start the conversation about ingredients in products with your friends ~ Contact me to speak to groups, companies, or gather a few friends together online or in person.
Did you know that the word “fragrance” when used on personal care and home products is not just one ingredient?So what’s hiding behind the fragrance ingredient? Good question, especially since it seems to be everywhere. I don’t know about you, but since I am an Ingredient Geek, I’m always checking the backs of the labels ~ even (especially) the so-called “green” companies! Thanks to “mental-pause” I now have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) in addition to my eczema (and various other issues). I REALLY need to know what chemicals might be in the products I’m using. Read my post Are You Avoiding These Top Toxins? to learn more about other top ingredients are best to avoid.
@healthy_child says, “And it’s not only where you think it is, like perfume, body cream, and candles. It’s in diapers, toothpaste, even baby dolls and orange juice!”
@womensvoices says, “The term “fragrance” can be a mixture of up to 100 different chemicals, out of more than 3,000 commonly-used fragrance chemicals! Chemicals of concern in fragrance are linked to allergies, cancer, birth defects, and infertility.”
If I see the word fragrance, or perfume, or parfum, I don’t use it, simple as that. Because it’s classified as a “trade secret” companies DO NOT have to disclose what’s included ~ even if there’s a child going into anaphylactic shock triggered by a popular body spray (as seen in the move “Stink”)!! You can also read the story here (Thankfully due to the strong outcry, as of 02/13/17 the ingredients are started to be disclosed to the public).
Oh, and guess what?
It’s just masking the odor and filling your lungs with unknown chemicals!
What’s hiding behind the fragrance ingredient? EWG’s Greener School Cleaning Supplies Report found that in the most popular air freshener, only 3 ingredients were disclosed on the label, yet the lab found 87 chemicals!! (WAIT, WHAT?!) That’s crazy to have that many undisclosed ingredients, in fact it could be quite are dangerous to many.
If you want to wear some type of scent, check out this post Avoid Synthetic Fragrances and Make Your Own Scent
My passion is to help families with Swapping Toxins for Healthy Options. I can send you a list of the top ingredients to avoid. Let’s start the conversation about ingredients in products with others ~ Contact me to speak to groups, companies, or a few friends gathered together online or in person. Making small steps CAN make a big impact. Let’s continue the conversation in our Natural Non Toxic Living Group.
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Here are some great articles if you want to learn more:
✔ Healthy Child
✔ Womens Voices