Dana Rose Lee Blog

Why I Have Been MIA | Unplugging On My Honeymoon

In case you are wondering why I have been MIA on this blog (20 days to be exact), I have a really really good reason: I was unplugging on my honeymoon. Unplug, unplugging, Honeymoon, Kauai, Big Island, Kona, Adventure, Marriage, Honeymoon, Married, Travel, Trip, Sightseeing

(Image from Google Images)

On December 3rd, I left chilly Maryland and headed far far away to Hawaii. Before I left, I made it fairly vocal that I would be unplugging as much as possible. The thought of doing this made my stomach go up in knots. This meant not being present in both of my businesses which both revolve around social media. However, I knew that I wanted to unplug to be present and enjoy my time with Josh. My motto: you only go on your honeymoon once and we will never ever have this time to ourselves in this season of life. Honeymoon, Kauai, Big Island, Kona, Adventure, Marriage, Honeymoon, Married, Travel, Trip, Sightseeing

Unplugging on my honeymoon was THE BEST decision I made. I am proud to say that other than the once-a-day IG (and share to Facebook) post, I stuck to staying unplugged. It was SO worth it. You will have to stay tuned for future posts (yes, there might be a few) sharing all about our adventures. I can tell you that there wasn’t much down time. We came, we saw and we conquered all there was to do in 11 days.

One of the best decisions we made was to delay our honeymoon. I wanted something to look forward to after the wedding. I also knew that I wouldn’t want to travel far far away thanks to exhaustion. So instead, we took a mini-moon for two nights up to The Sagamore in Lake George, which was absolutely perfect. If you are in the wedding planning stages and thinking about delaying your honeymoon, I think you are a smarty pants to do so. I also highly recommend you go to Hawaii – it truly is a magical place!

My Lifestyle Journey With Young Living Essential Oils

My lifestyle journey with Young Living Essential Oils began on May 25th, 2014. I had noticed essential oils popping up everywhere, they were taking over Facebook. Even though Young Living as a company has been around for over 20 years, they weren’t taking the world by storm until pretty recently. After seeing post after post, I decided to do some research on Essential Oils. In case you didn’t know, I am an expert researcher (aka snooper), so I read a number of articles before hopping on this journey. I wanted to know the what since I already had my why.

WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL OILS

Now, you might be wondering what on earth essential oils actually are. They are the aromatic, volatile liquids distilled from plants. The oil comes from the roots, seeds, shrub, flowers, leaves and trees and bring health and healing to the body. While I was never good at chemistry, I can tell you that the chemistry is extremely complex and may consist of hundreds of different and unique chemical compounds. Because of the complexity, essential oils are so powerful that they are able to reach every part of our bodies on a cellular level. The fragrance of the oils work on the limbic system in the brain, which stores emotions. This can help relax and clear the mind, as well as release emotional trauma. They can have profound physiological and psychological effects.

Here is a fabulous graphic of all the things Young Living Essential Oils can do for you – wowza, right?!

My Lifestyle Journey With Young Living Essential Oils, YL, Body, Health, Wellness, Plants, Lifestyle, Young Living Essential Oils

WHY I BEGAN MY LIFESTYLE JOURNEY WITH YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS

In December 2009, my Mom passed away of a non-smokers lung cancer having never smoked a cigarette in her life. The type of cancer she had was extremely rare – 1% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed with it. She attributed her streak of bad luck to art chemicals, as she was an extremely talented artist. Here is one of my favorite pieces she did. It hangs in my living room so I can look at it every single day! All of the words are hand stamped and the open hand and box were custom stamps that she made herself too. Her talent amazed me.

Gods Boxes, Artist, Creative, Talented, Artwork, Mom, Young Living Essential Oils , My Lifestyle Journey With Young Living Essential Oils

 

She also thought households products might have had an influence on her health. Unfortunately we will never know the exact cause. However, it prompted me to want to rid my home of as many chemicals as possible. I was on a mission to lead a more healthy lifestyle. Losing a parent is a huge wakeup call but loosing a Mom who is your best friend makes things a million times harder. I wanted to ensure that 30 years down the road, my children wouldn’t have to experience what I went through.

And that my friends is how my lifestyle journey with Young Living Essential Oils began! Stay tuned for my next post on WHY I CHOSE YOUNG LIVING…

New Home | Dana Rose Lee Blog Rebrand Reveal

I have been keeping a secret for the past 2 months, but I can finally share the news that I did a rebrand and this is my new home! I honestly hadn’t planned on changing my photography website and blog. However, with a period of refocusing on myself and where my businesses are at, I decided to make some pretty big changes. I say businesses because yes, I am running two at the same time and have been since May 2014. While many people only know about Dana Rose Lee Photography and my passion for documenting children and families, I am also a distributor for Young Living Essential Oils.

For the last 2 1/2 years, I have been using essential oils. I have steered friends and family to better health and wellness. While some think this is just a side gig, I am ready to set my story straight. I have 2,885 people on my team with 863 people actively pursuing the business side. My personal team brings in over $170,000 in sales every month. It is hard to imagine, but the essential oil market is projected to reach 9.8 billion in 2020 (Globenewswire.com). So no, this isn’t just a fad. I fully believe this business, including mine, is going to keep on growing at a rapid rate.

So back to the shift of two business under one blog (I feel like I am reciting my Constitution).  I wanted a place where my photography could co-exist with my oils and my journey of wellness. Where I could talk about my life happenings, both in business and in my personal life, without feeling like it had to fit in one category.

This shift was not an easy decision, having invested so much time and money into my photography website and blog. But this feels right and sometimes you just have to go with your heart, even if there are nerves involved. Let me tell you, there was definitely some anxiety over this. But once I decided I wanted a change, I immediately searched on Etsy and found a template by 17th Avenue Designs. I was in love: it was clean, simple, beautiful and all the pretty adjectives. Thanks to my oil loving friend and teammate Brittney Tyler, owner of AstroBarn Design, for designing my logo, which is my signature on all emails. She also designed my new business cards that are ah-mazing and just arrived!

FRONTLogo, Design, Dana Rose Lee Blog, Home, Makeover

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Logo, Design, Dana Rose Lee Blog, Home, Makeover, Business Card

Brittney didn’t stop there – she also designed my about me page! Go take a look – I mean, isn’t it freaking adorable?!

For my Dana Rose Lee Photography page, I wanted a simple gallery slideshow. I believe the images capture the essence of my work: bright, joyful, fun, carefree and happy.

Whew, there you have it – the makings of my happy place. I hope you will grab your hot beverage of choice and take a peek at my new home. Then you are always welcome to leave some LOVE.