Get Started with NINGXIA!

🍷30 day Ningxia + Sulfurzyme challenge 🍷

Read to the end! (for non-Young Living members or inactive members only)

If you haven’t experienced the benefits of Ningxia Red, this summer is a great chance to do so! If a superhero was a drink, it would definitely be Ningxia! Made from the antioxidant superfood, the wolf berry and other fruits like blueberry, plum, cherry, and more.

The addition of essential oils, along with the liquid state of the supplement makes Ningxia a highly bio-available tool to fight free radicals. Free radicals are reactive, energy sucking molecules that damage our cells. There are multiple exposure sources in daily life, and antioxidants are crucial for cell protection, repair, and regeneration.

You may have seen some of the testimonies like lasting energy without a caffeine crash, stronger immune functions, and those healthy “Ningxia placenta” stories, just to name a few. (Drinking Ningxia while pregnancy and breastfeeding is incredibly beneficial. 👶🏼🤱🏻)

Sulfurzyme recently came back in stock, and I jumped on the chance to plan a team challenge for some fun accountability and a giveaway!
(Not that drinking a yummy drink every day is a “hard” challenge…)😜

Ningxia AND Sulfurzyme combined are a POWERHOUSE. Every cell in your body needs sulfur. (Not sulfa!)

🌻Here are some of the key benefits of Ningxia:

⋒ antioxidant, mineral, and nutrient rich⋒supports liver function, and eye health

⋒ High in carotenoids, which are known to stimulate immune function without provoking inflammation

⋒ Contains 18 amino acids, 21 trace minerals, beta-carotene, and vitamins B1, B2, B6, and E

🌻Here are some other key benefits of Sulfurzyme:

⋒ Supports bone, joint, and skin health by providing building blocks for strong collagen and cartilage.

⋒supports recovery time (fitness/sports)

⋒ We call the the hair, skin, and nails supplement!

…and so much more! Stay tuned!

I can’t say enough about this supplement!

🍷You will need:
•Ningxia Red
•Sulfurzyme powder (powder not the capsules!)
•Lime Vitality

The “red drink” was formulated by Dr. Minke.

If you aren’t a Young Living customer yet, jump in in with a Ningxia challenge! Your 100 pv order OR your order on Subscribs to Save (no catch subscription program) unlocks your access to wholesale prices! (24% less!)

You’ll also gain access to resources, community, and education specific to our team, which in my opinion is pretty epic. We have wonderful, freedom fighting, wellness pioneering leaders on this team, and I can’t wait for you to experience the legacy impact + cheer on and support your wellness journey!

Read the checkout instructions to purchase your supplies below, then

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE.

My information *should automatically be entered in the sponsor and enroller spot, but if it’s not, my member # is 12728574.

In step 1, (Choose your stater kit) select “other premium kits”

From there, select “Premium Starter Kit with Ningxia”

In step 2, you’ll be asked if you’ll want to participate in the amazing, but optional subscription program! You can even use this purchase as your first (June) subscription purchase and earn spending points! If you select yes, it will ask you to set up next month’s order too. You can either select another kit or completely customize your order!

Send me a dm on instagram or email me at brendakanagy@gmail.com if you want more info about this or have questions at all about the checkout process! I’m an open book!

Now for Sulfurzyme! Before continuing to your personal payment info, select “Add More Products.”

You can either search for Sulferzyme by name in the search bar or type in the exact product number. You want the POWDER for the Red Drink we’ll be making- not capsules!)

Yes, I misspelled “sulfurzyme” when I typed it in the search bar in the above photo. 😀

Now that you have your Ningxia Kit and Sulfurzyme in your cart, you are ready to check out!

Enter all your personal + payment info in the final steps. Create username, password, and 4 digit pin. WRITE IT DOWN because you’ll need it to login into your virtual office later!

Process your order, and you’re done! Now wait for your welcome email, snail mail gift from me, and for the mailman to deliver the best box of antioxidants ever!

Make sure you connect to our Facebook community to get plugged in! (details in your welcome email)

I can’t wait to welcome you on the other side!

xoxo- Brenda

Protein Balls

Raise your hand if you’re a hangry human and need snack ideas for yourself or your kids. 🙋🏻‍♀️⁣⁣
⁣⁣
I broke out the protein balls for both pregnancies and postpartum, and my daughter loves them now too. It’s so nice to have them on hand to grab in a low blood sugar moment or for a bedtime snack. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
And no, one batch will not last long. I usually do a triple batch. Trust me on this one.
⁣
Psst! Do you spy the baby toes photo bomb above?⁣
⁣⁣
Recipe:⁣⁣
* 1 cup natural peanut butter (or other nut butter of choice) ⁣⁣

* 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

*2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

* 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut ⁣⁣

* pinch of salt

* 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (I use Lily’s sugar free chocolate chips.)⁣⁣

* 2-4 teaspoons water or additional vanilla extract
⁣⁣
1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter, maple syrup or honey and vanilla extract.⁣⁣
2. Stir in the oats, coconut and salt until well combined, then add the chocolate chips. If the mixture doesn’t hold together well when pinched together, add the additional water or vanilla, a teaspoon at a time until the mixture holds together well when pinched.⁣⁣
3. Form 1” balls by pressing about 1 tablespoon of the mixture together.⁣⁣
4. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for 1 week. (I prefer to freeze them and eat chilled)⁣⁣
⁣⁣
*Because I wing things and rarely follow strict rules and recipes: I actually cut back on the peanut butter and add a few large tablespoons of melted extra virgin coconut oil instead of added water or vanilla. The oil incorporates well with the sticky nut butter to mold the protein balls.⁣⁣ I also skip the salt. ⁣⁣
*original recipe inspo: https://www.texanerin.com/peanut-butter-protein-balls/

ENJOY!

©️Brenda Kanagy

 

Let’s Talk About Vernix

You know that sticky, cheesy film covering many newborn babies’ skin at birth? Judging by the ways babies are often rubbed dry and bathed soon after delivery, it gives the implication that newborns are dirty and need to be cleaned. This couldn’t be farther from the truth!⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Let’s talk about the magic of VERNIX. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Vernix Caseosa is a waterproof, protective coating that forms in utero to minimize loss of electrolytes as well as keep amniotic fluid from permeating the skin! It also helps provide lubricant in the birth canal, minimizing birth trauma. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Along with the amniotic sack and mucous plug, vernix helps protect baby from unwanted pathogens and meconium exposure. Vernix also helps “prime” baby’s digestive tract for nutritious breastmilk due to the similar peptide composition. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Scientists have identified many antibacterial and anti microbial compounds in vernix. (Look up the list! It’s phenomenal.)

⁣Approx. 60% of the unique proteins in vernix can ONLY be found in the vernix of human babies. Truly a custom⁣ design!⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Other benefits of vernix after birth: ⁣⁣⁣
•Acts as insulation and helps regulate body temperature and skin PH.⁣⁣⁣
•Moisturizes baby’s skin- nature’s built in spa for newborns!⁣ Helps retain moisture better with than any lotion. ⁣⁣
•Has that “newborn smell,” which helps stimulate oxytocin and bonding for mom and baby. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
So instead of rubbing it OFF, consider letting it be or rubbing it IN! If there’s excess blood, it’s understandable to clean baby up a bit, but vernix isn’t dirt; it’s God’s wonderful design! ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Both my babies had vernix on their bodies, and I was amazed how it naturally absorbed into their skin within a few hours, leaving it so supple and soft. They didn’t smell dirty; they smelled like pure sweetness. 🥰⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣

I washed their hair after a day or so, but they didn’t get baths until a week or two later. I know others who go much longer! ⁣⁣⁣

Feel free to weigh in! Did your babies have vernix? Was it rubbed off or left alone? ⁣⁣

©️Brenda Kanagy

SOURCES:

The biology of vernix caseosa

UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY OF VERNIX CASEOSA-

 

 

 

Peppermint Lemon Lip Scrub

I don’t know about you, but winter does a number on my skin, and my lips tend to get dry and need some extra help this time of year! Chances are, I’m not alone! You might like this DIY lip scrub I whipped up for Christmas month.

This is also a super easy and affordable DIY gift for your friends, family, coworkers, or anyone really!

Warning: good luck not eating it instead of wiping and rinsing it off. Tastes like a high quality candy cane!

CONTEXT: I used and only recommend Young Living essential oils because of the Seed to Seal quality standard. 😉

Worth the research! Seed to Seal is far beyond USDA organic standards, from sourcing integrity, hand weeding, growing in soil that hasn’t been touched by pesticides for 50+ years, (organic standards only require soil to be free of certain-not all pesticides- for 3-5 years) owning their own farms, and distilling properly on site to ensure plant properties are in tact at their highest potential.

We have an entire line of Vitality essential oils with the FDA stamp of approval for internal consumption. (The regular labeled oils with topical and aromatic usage instructions are the exact same “good enough to eat” quality as well! Just different labels, per FDA rules)

Grab your starter box of Young Living Essential oils here! Purchasing through my link means I get to be your assigned oily bestie, and you get access to my team’s exclusive resources, education, and community! I love empowering people to do wellness the non-toxic, plant based way like God designed!

Ok, here are the supplies you’ll need and recipe!

Supplies:
•Mini container or jars to gift the lip scrubs in. I used these small 3 ml sample containers I had on hand for samples, but you could do larger containers or glass jars if you like.
•honey (I prefer raw and/or organic)
•extra virgin coconut oil
•organic brown sugar
•Lemon and Peppermint essential oil.

✨Recipe:
1&1/2 TB coconut oil
1 TB honey
2 TB organic brown sugar
2 drops Lemon essential oil
2 drops Peppermint essential oil

Instructions: combine all ingredients in a bowl and store in container of choice! Store at room temp or in refrigerator. (You want to keep it out of the heat so the coconut oil doesn’t melt together before it ever gets to your lips.)

Application: when ready to use, apply a small dab to your lips and use your fingertips to massage the scrub over your lips to gently exfoliate. Tastes so good. 😉 Wipe or rinse, then follow up with a nourishing lip balm.

This recipe filled approx 8 of the 3 ml containers, but feel free to double or triple the recipe for your needs. This goes for ingredients as well. You could experiment with others fatty oils like almond or jojoba, as well as other essential oils and combinations! This one is very festive though.

Note:
To clarify. the sugar pictured for the lip scrub is organic, unrefined turbinado sugar. I definitely recommend smaller grained brown sugar because these crystals were too large, but it was what I had on hand. Still yummy and works, but lesson learned to pass on to you!

Enjoy!

Here’s an extra plug for this DIY Lip Balm Recipe I use to make lip balms for gifts, welcome packs for new oilers who join our oily family, etc! It pairs perfectly with the lip scrub!

Other supplies:

Lip Balm Containers

Lip Balm Labels

Coconut Oil (not the exact brand I used, but any organic, extra virgin coconut oil is great. I use it for everything so I usually buy large 54 ounce containers.)

Cocoa Butter

Beeswax

Sweet Almond Oil

xoxo

-Brenda

Getting Started!

Ready to jump into the world of plant goodness with essential oils? Let’s make it official!

Getting started with me through my link means that you have access to my team’s resources and community! We are honored to have you. Even if you aren’t local, there are tons of ways to stay connected and be educated. (A great start is our bomb Facebook education group. Daily posts, videos, recipes, giveaways, and more! You’ll receive a welcome email from me and be plugged in there right away.)

After you grab your starter kit, you’ll also receive a welcome gift in the mail with some goodies to sweeten this wellness journey for you!

Reference the 5 step instructions below then, CLICK HERE to purchase your starter kit!

(Psst! You can use this link to shop the best prices on my team with any kit! Ningxia, Thieves, etc. In fact, you don’t even need a kit to unlock your 24% discount. It’s unlocked with either a starter kit, any 100 pv order, OR a subscription order. We’re just focusing on the most popular way to get started in this post!)

My referral number should automatically be entered in the enroller & sponsor id section, but if not, it is 12728574. That’s me!

1. Search for Premium Starter Bundle in the search bar. You’ll see multiple options pop up. The Starter Bundle is a no-brainer route to get started. Over $400 of all the basics you need+ a diffuser for $165.

2. Choose your Premium Starter Bundle and diffuser to go with it! The Desert Mist and Dewdrop diffuser are included in the $165 price and have the exact same light settings and diffusing time. I love them both! The Rainstone ($205- kit included) and Aria ($265-kit included) are an upgrade. (Pro tip: This is the cheapest way to get the the gorgeous wood and glass Aria!) A Premium Starter Bundle includes:                                                                                  Twelve 5ml bottles of
   -Thieves Vitality
   -Lavender
   -Peppermint Vitality
   -Lemon Vitality
   -Panaway
   -Raven
   -Digize Vitality
   -Stress Away
   -Frankincense
   -Peace + Calming
   -Citrus Fresh Vitality
   -Valor                                                                                                                                        +Two roller fitments (Pop it on your Stress Away or Valor & roll it away on the go!) +Thieves Cleaner Spray (Kill all the nasties while protecting your good bacteria & immune system!)                                                                                                         +Thieves Hand Purifier (Keep in it your bag, backpack, car – anywhere you need a quick clean!)                                                                                                                                          +Ningxia Red Sample (Superfood antioxidant drink! Fights free radicals, boosts your immune system, plus is delicious!) Pop these in the fridge and drink up!               
3. Subscribe to Save- Now you can get yourself a monthly wellness box set up! This is entirely optional, but I highly recommend it.
   Deets: free to enroll, free to cancel, earn shopping points back to spend, (begins at 10%, and I earn 25% back now!)) and get access to exclusive gifts with purchase (at 190, 250, 300, and sometimes 400pv) that change monthly! Earn free oils at months 3, 6, and 9 of being a loyal subscription customer.
   If you want to do this, make sure you also set up next month’s order! You can either select one of the essential rewards kits (like Thieves or Ningxia) or build your own custom box, which is usually what I do most months. Email me (brendakanagy@gmail.com) or DM me on instagram if you have questions or need custom recommendations. It’s what I do! Ex: Thieves Cleaner is my favorite all purpose, toxic cleaner replacement, and I highly recommend Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak for cutting toxic grime exposure!
4. Enter all your personal + payment info. Create username, password, and 4 digit pin. WRITE IT DOWN because you’ll need it to login into your virtual office.
5. Process your order, and you’re done! Now wait for your welcome email, snail mail gift from me, and for the mailman to deliver the best box of oily goodies ever!

Welcome to the oily family!

xoxoxo- Brenda

Thank You, Haters.

Thank you, haters; you made me dig deeper.

Thank you, critics for keeping me humble.

Thank you, slanderers and those who whisper behind my back for helping me find true friends who clap loudly when I’m up and kneel beside me when I am down.

Thank you sideliners with your opinions about how I should be and do- thank you for reminding me that my identity is neither in criticism or praise- success or failure.

Thank you religious police for instilling deeper in me why I chose and will always choose Jesus.  Thank you for forcing me to a crossroads: either close up and give up on hope or dive into the darkness of pain to be healed. I choose the latter. I’m broken, but better and stronger for it.

Thank you, doubters, for stirring the coals of my faith.

I meditate and do the work and clear my head more because of you. I do more gardening in my heart and building immunity to suspicion and gossip.

You’re just like me; you need love.

The voices in my head, both from real memories of pain and also the voices or imaginations from another realm have pushed me to renew my mind. There is no other option.

It IS life or death.

I don’t hate haters and critics. I am thankful like I am thankful for a weight which helps me build muscle. Being compelled to confront my anger, to find the actual root of self hatred that needs the light of love to shine in is a gift.

I can’t resent growth that follows risk. I can’t resent the healing that follows pain.

Opposition can either be looked at as an obstacle or an opportunity. I choose the latter.

You don’t have to resent the storm to embrace Peace.

I want my life to spill all the colors of the Father on hard and soft hearts alike.

Most of all, I find safety and clarity and peace in the perfect One.

©️Brenda Kanagy

Unraveling

UNRAVELING
It’s a fascinating word. Kind of poetic and painfully beautiful.

Painful, because while in the mind, “unraveling” sounds like a silky ribbon fluttering and being set free to the wind, unraveling in real life often feels like hell.
Earlier this year, my husband received a word about unraveling. Things often must unravel to heal and be redone correctly.

“Correctly” sounds like a formula, and formulas don’t work well with humans.

Redemption, it is.

Redemption is beautiful to watch from the outside in. It is a supernatural phenomenon that may actually feel like a natural surgery without anesthetic.

Without  anesthetic, because while we are divinely eternal spirits, we enhabit human bodies that are intricately entwined with sensory experience and ALL the emotions.

It’s the tension of being spirit human. The beauty of love is the choice to walk away. Angels wonder at the jealousy of redemption. The Lover went to hell,  rose up in a time-bending explosion of Light to curse death. All for his children. All for his bride.

For thousands years, the human heart has struggled to grapple with the phenomenon of outrageous love. Cults and religions have formed only to grossly  misunderstand and misrepresent the Author of Life all because we simply can’t receive the simplicity of our Father whose DNA we share.

We can’t see past the shadow of ourselves into the light of the unknown home of our hearts.

Well.

We think we can’t. We simply have to change our minds!

Faith is hope + imagination.

I can imagine that I will be more loved tomorrow because I am more open tonight. I can imagine more freedom because I feel a hunger pain.

And so it begins. Change your mind.

Here’s to unraveling.

…Unraveling what we know for the sake of discovering who we are, in who He is.

©️Brenda Kanagy

 

 

God Who Speaks

“God isn’t speaking to me.” 

Actually, God is speaking on a regular basis, but we generally like for him to swoop in and make our lives more efficient, peaceful, and overflowing instead of us cultivating what he’s giving and saying. All the effects of his presence in our lives are good and needed, but he’s not a microwave. Character in us and intimacy with him takes time and energy from us. (Different than striving.) 
Tonight I was struck by the amount of times I have creative ideas and brilliant and wonderful things whispered in my ear when I stop to think about it. Generally, I am inspired or excited and start following the path, wildly writing notes and taking it all in…until the path hits a wall and the trail of my idea or mystery or truth or healing runs cold. The picture is incomplete, yet I lack follow-through. 

I turn away from a treasure hunt so easily, yet how often do I allow condemnation and frustration and rejection and discontentment to steamroll through my mind without permission? That’s the enemy. He’s loud, impatient, and possessive. 

Your Prince, on the other hand, is a gentleman who knocks and has given you the key to control what you connect to. I can have all that I am willing to receive and invest in. I instinctively want to wait until the result or the journey is perfect to move forward or grow or share what I have. But that is just not how the Father works. 

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”
Isn’t that the most beautiful reality? 

🦋🦋🦋

Rainbows & What Can Happen When We Need Him

My baby has never been a stellar sleeper, but teething has forced me to dig deeper creatively to make bed time more manageable and less hysteria. 

My life is a little crazy, and a lot of the time I feel like don’t know what I’m doing, and occasionally I fall apart in the worst moments. But sometimes something wonderful comes from the stretching if I am open to something new.

The other night after her last bottle, we read rhyming stories about prophet Jeremiah  and God’s special spy, Caleb, to try to wind down and trick ourselves into sleep mode. We tried to read the “rainbow book” (The story of Noah’s ark and the flood) but as usual, she firmly insisted that we skip the words and only look at the pictures with  rainbows on them.  

“Raymo! Raymo!” she exclaimed over and over. I told her that a rainbow is a sign of God’s promise, and even though we skipped most of the story,  it was a good word. 

When I was putting her to sleep, I felt the sleep fighting hysteria rising, so I started singing silly songs she didn’t recognize to distract her. I knew singing anything she associated with bedtime would upset her, so when I forgot words, I started making up tunes. 

She starting drifting off, and I knew she would be asleep in minutes if I kept it up. My brain starting going blank, at a loss for anything to make up a song about. 

God, help! 

Words started coming, and soon I was singing spontaneous worship to Jesus. Weirdly, words rhymed and melodies flowed, as my heart unloaded all the affection I had in the moment. Suddenly there were tears, and I felt so overwhelmed with the presence and goodness of God with the heaviness of my daughter in my arms. 

She was asleep, and my song faded. I was quiet and a little surprised at what had just happened. 

I thought to myself. That was such an intimate moment I needed to have. I never would have gone there if there hadn’t been a need. 

In the beginning, connection was all Adam and Eve knew, but now, being saturated in brokenness, we developed connection amnesia and forget what it’s like and how desperately alone and futile our “full” and noisy lives are without The Garden inside. How can we forget we are restored and alive to the Spirit? Need breaks my spiritual amnesia. 

No one is immune from struggle. And honestly, sometimes the deepest treasures are found beneath the deepest pain.  I don’t want to relive pain or wish it on anyone, but I don’t regret the incredible strength and wisdom that can come from it. It has everything to do with how we handle it. 

Need drives me to the only Solution, the only Comforter, the only Rock. In fact, I really screw up my life when I forget I have need of something greater than me. So not in a resigned sort of way, but in a redeemed awareness, I don’t regret weakness. He is there. He has overcome, and I can rise with his victory.

I’m not crazy enough to think that God purposely puts harm in our way to teach us things. (Bad theology alert) But I am crazy enough to believe that His goodness is so intense that he redeems even the worst things to draw us back to what we need: Connection.

Let your pain and struggle take you deeper. 

©Brenda Kanagy

Adopting Baby #2

:to take by choice into a relationship; to embrace voluntarily as one’s own child- to say, “I want you, you are lovable, you belong, as if you were always mine.” 

We talked casually about adoption multiple times in our early marriage, but I almost expected the idea to fade away when the exciting prospect of biological babies took the forefront. Once I experienced love for baby Alexandra, my heart didnt retract in contentment only to continue growing our family biologically. The experience of being a mother for the first time only seemed to enlarge my heart to all the possibilities within the father and mother heart of God. 

Motherhood and fatherhood is life altering, it turns out. Physical conception of babies happens all the time, but actual parenting- from the heart of the Father’s love has wrecked us in all the best ways. 

I have so much respect for parents who pursue adoption as the redemption of the pain of infertility, so to speak, but I want to adopt, not because I can’t have children, but because I’m learning to experience the Father’s love and I have love to give. Why on earth should those already hurting be the only ones to give love where there is already an astronomical need for fathers and mothers? 

I’ve heard it said that, “It takes special people to adopt.” No. No, it doesn’t. It takes normal, every day human beings who simply know the Father’s love. Orphans shouldn’t adopt orphans. Biology and shared genes aren’t a magic pill to make the parenting gig all work out.  The more I pursue the Father’s love, the more adoption squeezes out of me because adoption is EXACTLY what he is doing in me.

Making a baby with a piece of you and the one you love is the best, most wonderful gift, but loving a baby you didn’t carry in your body, but in your heart-  that is supernatural. We dream of the day we get to give the literal gift of adoption to a child- to say, “I WANT you. You are lovable, and you belong.” 

Logisticly speaking, we completed our home study so far this year, which means we are legally approved to adopt! There’s no hiding from the FBI now, if we wanted to. 🙂 Financially, we were able to submit the final check to be fully activated in our adoption consultation program after our fundraiser last weekend. We are so grateful for the unexpected support! We may have actually received more separate donations than food sales, but we are blessed that God looks out for us when we take scary risks. 

We have also been working on our adoption profile, which some call a “dear birth mother” letter, that helps us to reach out to pregnant women looking for loving homes for their babies. We don’t know when, but hopefully before too long, we will be a family of four! 

We are preparing. We are learning. We are growing. We are dreaming. We are taking risks. We are excited!

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

©Brenda Kanagy