First stop...Bodie, California

First stop: Bodie, California

Bodie is a ghost town in the Bodie Hills east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County, California.  In keeping with the theme we started our research trip here because it's the most intact gold-mining town nearby us. We drove up 13 miles off highway 395 and the last 3 miles towards the town is a dirt, bumpy road. Those crazy roads and sharp turns were enough to kick-start everyone's anxiety...lol! Not only was there anxiety from the road trip itself, but on top of that we had to explain over and over the meaning of a ghost town to our little one Adriel. Our kids Alyssa (18), Cynthia (14) and our little guy Adriel (10) had fun at the ghost town (because it was broad daylight), but I think it's the fact that we were staying at a historical inn is what terrified them. The Bridgeport inn, where we stayed, was rumored to be haunted. A spirit, known as the "white lady," was seen by many guests throughout the years of stays since it was established in 1877.  Lets just say the girls had a sleepless night!  

Here's the link if you want to read about her story: "The White Lady." 

Going back to the ghost town itself, we purchased a self guided tour pamphlet which guided us through the 50 remaining buildings left. All the sites were numbered and we were able to read about each story. Being able to experience this with the kids was just the icing on the cake, but our sole purpose was to take pictures to use them as reference for our backyard. Going into this project, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is what originally inspired us. It all became more as we dug deeper into research. Soon enough Danny and I found ourselves watching gold rush documentaries for fun that the kids said they were forced to watch in school lol! From the rusty, dusty saloons to the whole town itself, it was quite the research trip. Although, the saloons were what intrigued Danny and I the most. While in line for Big Thunder, there are smaller replicas of saloons that were similar to what we saw in Bodie. Of course the paint job wasn't nearly as fresh in Bodie, I saw what it once was. In our backyard, we plan to put two saloon style buildings where our deck was before. These will serve the purpose of being Danny's art studio. Not only did the buildings intrigue us, but also the rock structures on the way home. Basically, Danny and I were fascinated with rocks! It's a whole lot more than that though and a picture will never do it justice. We managed to capture some while driving (which was extremely difficult considering the high elevation we were at-- 9,000 feet. Oh, and the crazy scary turns on the 108). Adriel kept saying "Uhhh..mommy...You know planes fly at 10,000 feet?!" Which I assured him with, "we're almost there.." knowing dang well I couldn't look over the edge or else I'd make this face

                                    With that, I leave you with some pictures I have of Bodie. 

Backyard Remodel

Just as most families can relate, loving all things Disney isn’t hard to do. With the first and main thing that’s adored being Disneyland itself of course. The attractions are all so intricately designed that it’s sometimes overlooked by many guests. The Disney Imagineers have turned that park into such a magical place for so many of us... ok ok and Walt too! Disneyland rides immerse you into a world while waiting in line (possibly to also help us forget about the scorching Southern California weather for those who understand the summer struggle). Making the rides worth the wait! Right?! I’m not a fan of waiting in long lines at Disneyland and I’m sure many could agree. In fact, I’m not really a fan of waiting in lines at all. Example of being immersed… In the line of Indiana Jones Adventure, you begin outside passing a transport truck actually used in the Raiders of the Lost Ark. As you enter an archeological expedition you will soon forget you’re at Disneyland. When the ride first opened in 1995, cards were distributed to decode the secret messages (I wish I would have kept one). All these little details add to the Disney magic and make waiting in line...fun?! Who would've thought. Cool, RIGHT?! So many things go into one attraction that those fast passers miss for the most part, sucks for them, lol! Okay, okay, I will admit that I am indeed a fast pass user. It once took Danny and I three whole hours to wait for Indiana Jones. So, for that ride, fast passes are anyone’s best friend. But oh, it doesn’t stop there: Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain and Big thunder Mountain are all Disney Imagineer magical products…Ahhh BIG THUNDER, Big Thunder… is one our favorites, so why not theme our backyard after it. So where do we start, to create the overall look? A good set designer does research trips and our first stop is Bodie, Ca an old mining town located north of Yosemite near the stat border. Stay tuned for next blog :)

Before...

Concept...

Kitchen Bench

Happy Wednesday!  

Today was back to school day for our kids. As a tradition I take a photograph of each of our nuggets on our kitchen bench which got me thinking on how much has changed. We purchased our "Little House" July of 2011 and with a family of five storage is much-needed! So once again I challenged  my wonderful an talented husband to build me a bench with storage... and he did! I'm truly thankful he's an artist and he was able to photoshop and image for me so we could see how it looked before we built it. There's a saying... Couples Who Sweat Together Stay Together! lol! We have laughed, cried and even bled... but making our house into our home has been a true adventure, and one of Danny's favorite sayings "We ain't done yet! We just getting started." 

 Concept

Before

After

Young living oils... Yes! There's an oil for that!

Ready to give this whole “oil thing” a try, While there are several starter kits available, the essential oil starter kit I started with was the premium starter kit because it was the most cost effective. And my family and I use each and every one of these oils. And then some.... Young Living’s Premium Starter Kit includes 11 oils, a diffuser, samples of Ningxia Red, a whole sale membership, and a membership to our exclusive group, Lemon droppers .  These incredible oils have the purchasing option of a whole sale membership which gives you 24% off your entire order, every purchase!  And the membership is free. It’s really such a great deal.  You are never under any obligation with the membership – no pressure to sell the oils, to buy so many times per year, etc.  You can just enjoy the 24% off when you want it.   

The new Premium Starter Kit from Young Living includes 11 oils, a diffuser, a wholesale membership, and quite a few samples.

Included oils (5ml each):

4 Single Oils – Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint

7 Blends – R.C., Panaway, Stress Away, Purification, Thieves, Copaiba, and DiGize

If you haven’t heard of essential oils before, you might be thinking, “Say what?”  Here’s a brief description about what essential oils are:

“Essential oils, known as nature’s living energy, are the natural, aromatic volatile liquids found in shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds. The distinctive components in essential oils defend plants against insects, environmental conditions, and disease. They are also vital for a plant to grow, live, evolve, and adapt to its surroundings. Essential oils are extracted from aromatic plant sources via steam distillation, and are highly concentrated and far more potent than dry herbs.”(Content derived from the Young Living Essential Oils site.)

Interested in Getting Oils for Yourself.....

If you are interested, you can go to www.youngliving.com and click “Member Sign-Up.”  If you do, my member # (to use as your enroller ID) is 2503822.

To view Young Living’s entire product catalog with wholesale and retail prices. 

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If you have any questions, leave them as a comment below and I’d be more than happy to help!

Our little home....Living Room Update

I can't believe July 1st will mark 4 wonderful years in this once dated, now charming home. After installing the fire place, placing the moldings and discovering the secret treasure (the hardwood) we chose Kelly Moore Vintage Find for the walls. Also, Little Flower for the moldings. We're currently in the process of finalizing our choice for the front door. As far as furnishings, due to the lack of space, I went with a Pottery Barn Pearce Deluxe Sleeper in the Performance Everyday suede, Stone. I purchased the Sleeper Sofa at the new Pottery Barn Outlet...Take deep breaths Esther, it's just an outlet... psh who am I kidding! Freaking out because there's a location in California yet again! It's located at the Tejon Outlets (5701 Outlets Tejon Ranch Pkwy)

*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ Esther Arriaga

**Stay tuned for my Summer Mantel! ☀ ▼(sneak peek: bottom left-hand corner picture)▼**

OMG! What's that smell....

I'm just a wife and mom who has fallen in love with essential oils and they have transformed my world and my family. We use them for everything…literally. Wanted to share how my oil journey began. I joined Young Living in February 2015, when I ordered a Premium Starter Kit after a friend had made a me a magical recipe to help my son's face... His entire left side of the face was completely scraped by the asphalt on the street. And in disbelief within three days his face was healing with no scars left behind! I was sold!!  I was so excited to receive it, but I was still a little bit skeptical. lol! Today, I don’t leave home without them! 

I chose Young Living essential oils because of their Seed to Seal process & the therapeutic quality grade of their oils, among many other reasons. 

How do they work? Click link https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=hC0oRf22OYY&app=desktop

There is several ways to use essential oils: 

They can be diffused, inhaled, applied topically, incorporated into massage, or taken internally to: 

  

Independent distributor

Member number #2503822

Earriaga28@yahoo.com

**NOTE** I am not here to push Young Living, rather I wanted to share with you my journey. I encourage you to do your own research to make the best choice for your own family.  

****These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

CTN Roadtrip

Phew! What a whirlwind of a weekend. So proud that after weeks of preparation, the Burbank CTN road trip was a success! Magic happens when your artistic husband meets your interior design eye (almost as magical as the amount of people who adored the set-up). It was an overal humbling experience. Remember: no matter who you are, where you come from, what your past was like, your dreams can come true *cue in cheesy, inspiring music.* Also, a truly a grand time and I can't wait for the next CTNX...hmm maybe I should start thinking of ideas now...Novemeber here we come! P.S. (Note to self) Remember to bring the right size table cloth, Esther!! lol!