When I first started to slow my body down with the hopes of getting pregnant I adopted a new way of being, of slowing down and breathing deeper. A back to basics way of living. Enjoying the smaller, tinier pleasures in life. It allowed me to start waking up each day, finding excitement in knowing I was taking a few small steps in the direction of healing my body. One of the biggest switches I made was incorporating new tiny pleasures into my life. Instead of going out and buying a $15 t-shirt that made me feel good in that moment, I changed my mentality to find and source things that had life and longevity to them. Things that would actually help me to achieve my goal – small things like a new candle, some bath salts, a good supplement, a book – something that would help me to be a little more present with myself.

I can’t remember how I first found Heather and Ken at Be Naturally Prepared but I know when I stumbled upon their Instagram account and saw that they were also living and working in Ontario, it was a friendship meant to be. I was immediately drawn to their clean aesthetic and and thoughtfully sourced products. Not only are they good for us as people, they are really good for mamas and mamas to be! It was a match made in heaven.

I’ve been using a few of their products over the past couple of weeks and will be doing a little giveaway for you all tomorrow but before I do, I wanted to share a little about my 4 favorite products here.

Noble + Co Beeswax tapered candles – basically a dream with my favourite copper candlestick holders. The candles are made from 100% Canadian Beeswax which I love because they support local bee keepers but as candles they l a s t, they don’t drip like crazy and they naturally purify the air (unlike paraffin candles which pollute it). If you’ve got kids, they sell the most adorable birthday cake candles which are pretty much the cutest things ever.

I am crazy for mood lighting, to the point that I like cooking in candle light. I really really don’t like energy efficient light bulbs because they emit that terrible white/blue light, I am all for a good soft yellow old school light bulb. When Heather sent me the Himalayan Salt Lamp I was in heaven. I have had a Himalayan Salt tea light holder for a while which I love, but having this plug in Salt Lamp has been amazing for Aggie’s room. It emits an amazing soft amber glow which is perfect for middle of the night feeding sessions. Similar to beeswax, Himalayan Salt Lamps naturally purify the air as well as being shown to help with allergies and be a natural mood booster.

I have been taking some form of Omega 3 since being pregnant but always struggled with the fish ‘burp’ (sorry, kind of gross) and found that it really turned me off of taking them. When I saw that Heather and Ken carried OysterMax I was really interested in adding it to my current supplement roster. OysterMax is kind of a king in the supplement world. It not only contains some of the essential fish oils but it also has a very high concentration of oysters which are huge natural source of Zinc.

When I reached out to ask Heather about how she incorporates OysterMax into her family’s routine she told me that they (her husband and children) take Royal Butter Oil and Fermented Cod and Skate Liver oils daily, along with OysterMax. Alone, while an amazing product, it doesn’t eliminate the need for an unheated cod liver oil.  The naturally occurring Zinc in OysterMax works to transport the Vitamin A from the cod liver oil through our bodies. In pre-conception mode, Vitamin A is believed to boost fertility by helping you to create cervical fluid with a more fertile consistency. Cod liver oil is especially important to take if you are thinking of getting pregnant (for the first or the second time). It is filled with essential fatty acids that help to regulate hormones, promote regular ovulation, and eventually help to develop baby’s brain, nervous system, eyes, and heart.

I wrote about the importance of Zinc when I was talking about the important vitamins and minerals for fertility – it pretty much helps your body to function at it’s optimal level. Zinc works alongside other enzymes within the body to help balance our hormones as well as to mature our eggs – getting them ready for fertilization. It has also been shown to help with uterine fibroids by decreasing inflammation. Zinc was originally found naturally in our soils but as farming has changed, so has the level of potency in the vitamins and minerals we get from foods. This is one of the reasons I like to supplement! As with all supplements though, be sure to let your health practitioner know that you’re interested in taking it or are taking it if/when they need to give you any other medication as it may interfere with absorption.

Homemade Himalayan Bath Salts are pretty much my favourite. I’ve been adding them to the bath as a foot soak to wind down at the end of the day these past few weeks. When you add bath salts to hot water you’re hydrating your skin and infusing it with minerals – sometimes it can be an even better way to absorb the goodness than if you were to ingest it. When I talked about ritual last week I mentioned why I love simple daily routines. There is just something about including a ritual in your daily routine that is both nourishing for your mind and your body. It’s a simple gesture that sends a signal to your body that you care, that you’re ready to starting paying attention to it’s subtle shifts and changes. That you’re ready to tune in and help it create the goodness it was meant to create.

“Be Naturally Prepared was born out of our desire to always be prepared for whatever life may throw our way, to be ready and willing to accept the challenges as they arise, to ride the ebbs and flows of our life, and to do it as naturally and organically as possible.”

Thank you to Heather and Ken for giving me the opportunity to continue to take care of myself while I take care of my family and for supporting Lovefestjourney. Thank you to my readers for supporting the people that support us!

“If your compassion does not include you, it is incomplete” 

We are giving away 1 bottle of OysterMax to an LFJ reader. You can participate either here or on Instagram. To enter, leave a comment below sharing your favourite self care ritual! Giveaway is open to anyone residing in Canada or the U.S and will close on Friday. 

**GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED**