Who's Your Crunchy Momma? {A GUEST POST SERIES} Featuring Ashlee from LIVE ESSENTIALLY

Be sure and check out our GIVEAWAY while you're here.

Welcome friends! Very glad you stopped by today. This is the second post in a Guest Post series titled, "Who's Your Crunchy Momma?" Last month I was excited to introduce you to my friend Teri who blogs at Homestead Honey that I have known since I was a little girl. 

Today, I am excited to introduce you to a new friend! One very wonderful and unexpected thing that has come from starting this blog is getting to know other crunchy, naturally-minded mommas who have similar passions. Ashlee is one such momma. I have been enjoying getting to know her through her blog and I know you will, too. 

Now, without further ado...

Hello from Ashlee of Live Essentially!

Photo used with permission from Ashlee of Live Essentially

Hi there! I am Ashlee from Live Essentially. I am a huge advocate of natural living and passionate about all things green and crunchy. I am a mother of two beautiful children. They are my entire world and keep me on my toes each and every single day. My only hope in this world is to give them back everything that they have given me.

A Little Background

I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, but my heart longs for warm weather and sunshine year round. We have been having some severe winter weather here lately, and it is inspiring me more and more to relocate.....

What a Typical Day Looks for Ashlee 

I have many jobs! The most important is being a mother to my two spunky kiddos. I also own my own massage practice where I work as a massage therapist. I am an Independent Product Consultant for doTERRA International (I love essential oils!), and I have just recently decided to join the blogging world to help inspire others to live a more natural lifestyle.

I became a massage therapist, because I wanted to help heal others in a natural way that didn’t involve medicine and surgery. As a massage therapist, I began experiencing essential oils which lead me into the wonderful world of doTERRA where I enrolled as a consultant. 

I am the wife of an intelligent, hardworking, and caring husband and father. We have two beautiful children, our daughter Marli (4) and our son Silas (19 months). We also have two 80lb dogs named Aydia and Ares, a bunny named Bunny Boy, a turtle named Simon, and a fish named Tealy. We like to keep things interesting around here....

How Live Essentially came to be...

After becoming more and more aware of the toxic and processed world we are living in, I decided to start living a natural lifestyle for the sake of my health and the health of my family. After everything that I have learned along the way, I want to share my knowledge with others and help them make changes that will make a difference in their own health, which is why I have decided to start blogging, in hopes to really get the word out.

What is a"Crunchy Momma"...?

To me, “crunchy” is a lifestyle. It is researching everything to avoid falling victim to mainstream beliefs. It is educating yourself in every decision that you make and being your own person regardless of what is popular. It is eco-friendly, health friendly, non-toxic, non-harmful, conscious living.

Photo used with permission from Ashlee of Live Essentially

The BEST part of being a Momma is...

I love EVERYTHING about being a mommy. I love the cuddles, the breastfeeding, the co-sleeping, and the handholding. I love being able to watch my children grow and become amazing individuals. I love nourishing their bodies and mind with real food and kind words. I love being able to comfort them in every way that they need it: wiping away the tears, kissing boo-boos, rocking, and hugging. I genuinely love it all.

The HARDEST part of being a Momma is...

The hardest thing about being a mom is time management. When my children are awake, I want to spend every moment with them, which can sometimes lead to a very messy house, mountains of dirty laundry, and a mile long to-do list, but at the end of the day, I know what is most important and that I spent my time wisely.

A few of Ashlee's Favorite Things...

See it on Amazon.

When I was a teenager I read the book, The Giver by Lois Lowry. It inspired me to start living against the grain and conforming to the “norm”. It was life-changing. It helped me step outside of my shell and become my own person. I think every young adult should read this to understand that it is ok to stand out and stand up for who you are and what you believe.

See it on Amazon.

I have an old, old cookbook that belonged to my great grandma, Betty Crocker's New Picture Cook Book. It’s my favorite because of it’s sentimental value, but also because all of the dishes are made from scratch. It was printed before processed food, GMO’s, food dyes, and chemical concoctions took over the shelves of the grocery store.

My favorite quote:

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” 

– Dr. Seuss' The Lorax 

Photo used with permission from Ashlee of Live Essentially

You can find Ashlee on her blog, Live Essentially, find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn 

Are you a crunchy momma? Do you run a blog or other website? Are you interested in submitting a guest post? Please PM me through the LittleOwlCrunchyMomma Facebook page. I would love to get to know you. 

(Note: this post may contains affiliate links. Meaning, if you shop after click on them you might be helping to support my blogging endeavors. Thank you!)