Wellness Begins on the Inside With Prosperatea

 Stress is not good for the body. Finding ways to handle stress can begin with a glass of tea.

 My life has been kind of crazy this past month and at times stressful. I am glad that I can say that my life is almost back to normal. I am happy that my health has not suffered through all this craziness and it all has to do with my healthy diet and exercise. My staying healthy during a time of stress has also included a daily ritual of my superfood smoothies and some amazing functional teas.

 My crazy month all started with preparing my laundry room for the plumbers to do some scheduled work for our bathroom remodel project. We are in the process of converting our bathtub to a shower, so we needed the plumbers to move the drainpipe to the center of the tub. The plumbers decided that it would be best to get to the pipes through the ceiling of the laundry room. That meant moving the washer and dryer out of the room. It was then we discovered that a portion of the wall was wet.

 My husband cut out a portion of the drywall and what we discovered was not good. The insulation was wet and black. Right away, we knew that it could be mold. So my husband uncovered more of the way and that led to a slow leak on the pipe that connects to our main water shut-off. I immediately called our home insurance company and my husband turned off the water. The next day, the water restoration company started the long process of mold remediation.

 The process of mold remediation started with drying out the laundry room and then tearing up the walls that had mold on them. When the water restoration people discovered mold on the water near the water heater, that meant having to remove the water heater. Since we had no hot water, the insurance company moved us into a hotel for 10 days. That was good since I am allergic to mold but living in a hotel is not fun.

The power of herbs to heal and sustain your health

 I knew that I had to try to follow my normal routine of healthy eating and being active. While most people deal with stress by eating junk food or stoping their fitness routine, I knew that these were things that would help me with the stress of what was going on in my life. I also made sure to drink my superfood protein smoothie every day instead of eating the hotel food. I started my day in the hotel gym as exercise is great for stress. These things helped me to be able to continue to work while living in a hotel and I was able to handle the stress of mold remediation.

 It was not until that the mold test came back clean and we moved back home that I started to not manage my stress well and I was feeling anxious. It was having to repaint the walls and find a plumber to install our water heater. It was having to take cold showers as we waited several days for a plumber to do the work. It was realizing that I only had a week to get things done as I was leaving for a trip. Even my best anxiety tips were not helping me. I was feeling out of control and I knew that I needed to do something before my health started to suffer. 

 It was a package that I received that helped me remember the powerful medicinal effects that herbs and spices have. This package contained three containers of Soul Good Blends of tea. These were not any ordinary tea bags but were teas that could heal my body from the effects of stress. These teas had function ingredients that would help the stress from doing damage to my health. I was glad that my order of Prosperatea to help me heal my body. The last thing that I needed now was my body getting sick before my trip.

 I needed these teas that had the power of herbs with a holistic approach to heal my body from all the stress that I was dealing with. Seeing my order of Prosperatea reminded me that this tea could help me with my health and immunity. I grabbed my favorite tea mug and filled up my tea kettle to make a glass of this wellness tea. 

Made with natural ingredients

 I liked that Prosperatea is made with natural ingredients. These teas are made with plants that contain healing powers. Prosperatea has a line of 10 different functional teas that are made to support wellness in the body. These natural teas contain the power of herbs, fruits, tea leaves, and other superfoods. Each functional tea has different ingredients to support different parts of the body.

 The teas that I selected had ingredients to support my immune system, my overall health, and my mind. Those were parts of my body that needed help right now, especially with the stress that I was dealing with. The first tea that I decided to try was the Good Health tea. Then I placed all three tea boxes on my kitchen counter, so I would remember to drink the tea throughout the day. Stress can mess with your memory so I needed these De-Stress tea bags where I would see them, so I did not forget to take care of my health. 

If you use my code TARA10 or click the link below, you'll get 10% off your Prosperatea order

https://prosperatea.com/TARA10

Good Health Tea

 The ingredients in the Good Health tea are selected for overall body health. The tea was made from Tulsi Leaves, Ashwagandha Root, Pomegranate Peel, and Mallow Flower. I loved that the tea was caffeine-free so I could enjoy it any time of day. I place the pyramid shape tea bag into a tea mug and added hot water. 

As the tea ingredients steeped in the hot water, I could smell the earthiness of the tea leaves brewing. Once the tea was brewed, I placed the warm tea mug in my hands and started to feel calm. A warm mug of tea in my hands always has a calming effect on me. I then took a sip of the tea before I decided if it needed any sweetener. This tea had a mild flavor and did not require any sweetness. I enjoyed the Good Health tea before bed and it helped me relax. I was able to shut my mind down for the night.

Super Immunity

The next morning, I decided to start my day off with the Super Immunity tea. I had brewed the tea in a glass jar the night before and it was in my fridge getting cold. I always drink a glass of water when I wake up, so the iced Super Immunity was my morning refreshment. I drank the Super Immunity tea before I exercise.

 This tea had a nice minty taste and smelled like peppermint candy. The ingredients in the tea bag were Peppermint, Cardamom, Echinacea, Lemongrass, Cloves, Spearmint, Cinnamon, Burdock Root, Rosehip, Licorice Root, and Natural Flavors. It was a delicious way to start my day. I decided to brew several bags of Super Immunity tea to make it into iced tea, so I could drink it in the morning and throughout the day. The weather here is still warm so ice tea would taste better to me. 

Focus Tea

  After lunch is when I like to do my writing. So I needed the help of Prosperatea Focus tea to get my work done for the day. The  Gingko Leaves in this tea would give my brain some much-needed energy as stress can zap the energy from one's body. 

The other ingredients in the Focus tea were Hawthorn Fruit, Hawthorn Leaves, Hawthorn Flowers, Lemon Peel, Rosemary, Black Currant, and Natural Flavors. I was really liking the natural healing herbs in these de-stress teas as they were herbs that are known for their healing properties. 

 Did you know Gingko contains powerful antioxidants that may support cognitive function? And Rosemary is a healing spice that helps with focus. Prosperatea designed these functional teas with herbs and spices that have holistic benefits.

A Tea For Every Moment

 Whether you are looking to motivate your mornings, take a calming detour from life’s stressors, stoke your metabolic fire, or embark on a daily healing ritual, Prosperatea has a collection of intentionally blended, premium teas to support your body and mind every step of the way. These flavorful teas are made from the highest quality ingredients that Mother Nature can offer to benefit your mind, body, and spirit.

Small Batches with Tremendous Benefits

 Prosperatea knows that wellness begins on the inside and manifests itself outwards, and they believe deeply in the natural healing power of plants to support your health and wellbeing. I love that they make their pyramid-shaped tea bags in small batches. 

The Power of Tea For Stress  

After a full day of drinking Prosperatea, I was able to handle my stress better. My day was still filled with setting up an appointment for the water heater install and buying a new water heater. I also had to run to my kid's school for a parent's meeting as well as answering several emails. My day was plenty busy but I was able to feel calm as I tackled all that I had to do. Stress can only harm our body and mind if we let it take control. The Prosperatea help me handle my stress and it kept me calm.

 The key is knowing when stress is harming your body and taking action to stop the harm. The Prosperatea was what I needed to help my body through a stressful time. This delicious tea gave my body the healing herbs and spices that it needed. Wellness Begins on the Inside with a glass of delicious tea.

If you use my code TARA10 or click the link below, you'll get 10% off your Prosperatea order

https://prosperatea.com/TARA10

To discover all ten of the functional wellness teas that Prosperatea sells, click HERE. 

Mosquitos

 As summer comes to an end, parents have stocked up on backpacks, school supplies, new sneakers, and more. But there's one item that might not be top of mind for parents as they prepare their kids for the new school year: bug repellent. 

Sponsored post in partnership with OFF! ®, an SC Johnson product 

 My boys started school a couple of weeks ago and they are busy with homework and school activities. It is good to see my boys back at school and participating in school activities like sports. The oldest of the two boys started high school this year and joined the cross country team. This kid loves to run and is excited about participating in cross country meets.

 The high school cross country meets involve running through many different types of outdoor courses. Some of these running courses have the kids running through dirt trails and areas that are like forests. Here in the desert of New Mexico, we have an area that is known as the Bosque. The Bosque is a Southwest habitat that is filled with plants and trees. This area is near the Rio Grande river, so it is a perfect breeding place for mosquitos. 

The one sports item that most people forget to pack

With 61 percent of kids ages 6 through 12 participating in youth sports this back-to-school season according to Sports & Fitness Industry Association -and peak mosquito season running through the early autumn months, parents need to remember to pack personal pest repellents in their kid's sports bags to help them avoid the uncomfortable bug bites from mosquitoes and unwanted pests. 

Mosquito protection is important in the fall, as those bugs are still present and ready to bite your school athlete, as mosquitoes are especially attracted to body heat and lactic acid, a substance people emit when they perspire. Outside of the irritating mosquito bites, one needs to remember that mosquitoes can carry diseases like malaria, dengue, and Zika, so it is important to apply a personal bug repellant for outside activities. While parents may be able to protect themselves when on the sidelines with long-sleeved clothing, your young athlete's clothing may not protect them from mosquito bites. 

When your child gets ready for their sporting event and packs up a gym bag with sports clothing, athletic shoes, water, and snacks, make sure to include OFF!® Insect Repellent. That way your school athlete can apply mosquito protection before their sporting activity. But always remember to read product label instructions, and when applying on children, spray on your hands first, and then apply to their skin.

OFF!® offers a variety of family-friendly products

 I like that OFF!®, the pioneers in personal insect repellent for over 60 years and manufactured by world-leading household consumer products company, SC Johnson,  offers a variety of family-friendly products that help protect against mosquitoes and unwanted pests, including DEET-free products. A few of my favorites include: 

  OFF!®  Botanicals Insect Repellent is a line of DEET-free insect repellents that have no added fragrances or dyes, so no stickiness is left behind. Made with plant-based active ingredients synthesized from pine oil extract, protection is proven for up to two hours against mosquitoes, black flies, and gnats.

  OFF!® Active® Insect Repellent provides sweat-resistant protection against mosquitos, biting flies, gnats, ticks, chiggers and fleas for up to 5 hours. Since mosquitos are especially attracted to carbon dioxide and lactic acid, a chemical found in sweat, OFF!® Active® Insect Repellent I is made with 15 percent DEET

I am glad that I can give my teen options that are made from plant-based ingredients. OFF!®  Botanicals Insect Repellent also has no sticky residue that will get in the way of my son's race. Plus, with 2 hours of protection, my son can focus on his running and not on the flying bugs that may be on the cross-country trail. 

Six helpful tips to protect your family when outdoors

Applying personal insect repellants is just one of the ways you can help protect your family from mosquitoes and the diseases that they carry.  Here are six helpful tips from the experts at OFF!® to help protect your family from unwanted mosquitoes while outdoors:

1. Remove standing water ~  Mosquitoes breed in standing water, and even a small amount of water can become home to mosquito larvae. Find and empty unexpected water sources like buckets and old tires, and remove leaves and debris that may have collected in gutters so that water may flow freely. For birdbaths and fountains, change and flush out water at least once a week.

2. Stay Sweat Free ~  Mosquitoes are especially attracted to body heat and lactic acid, a substance people emit when they perspire. When exercising or working hard outdoors, consider a bug spray with sweat-resistant protection, like OFF!® Active Insect Repellent I, which provides protection for up to five hours.

3. Mow it Low ~  Long grass and unmanicured hedges offer shelter, shade and moisture to mosquitoes. Keep hedges, bushes and yards trimmed during peak mosquito season, and don’t forget to prune tall grass around walkways, pools and ponds that may provide a safe haven for mosquitoes.

4. Apply personal repellent ~  Whether an aerosol, spray, lotion, or wipe, applying a personal pest repellent correctly can help protect against mosquito bites. For use every day, consider OFF!® Botanicals, a plant-based insect repellent with no added fragrances or dyes that fights mosquitoes, biting flies and gnats for up to two hours.

5. Keep it Covered ~  Mosquitoes can detect even small areas of exposed skin. When weather permits, wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks outdoors. Reduce your chances of getting bit by wearing light-colored clothing, and consider spraying clothes with a personal insect repellent for added protection. Remember to only use a repellent product that is labeled for use on clothing and consult the label for full use directions before applying.

6. Play the Long Game ~ DEET — the common name for N.N-Diethyl-m-toluamide — is an effective insect repellent first developed by the U.S. Army in 1946. When applied correctly, DEET forms a vapor barrier at the skin surface that deters mosquitoes from landing on the skin. For campers and those who simply have plans to spend time outdoors for extended periods, consider this: The level of DEET in repellent helps determine how long the protection will last. Always read product label instructions, and when applying on children, spray on your hands first, and then apply to their skin.

Whether your child is participating in school sports or just play outside at the school playground, make sure to protect their skin from bug bites from mosquitoes or other bugs that bite. Having the right product for mosquito protection is important. That way your child can have fun while being outside and not have to deal with itchy mosquito bites later. 

Be sure to visit the OFF!® Product Finder to explore their full line of insect repellents to find the right mosquito protection to add to your back-to-school shopping list.