Freshly Picked Moccasins Winner!

Wow- what an awesome giveaway! Hello to all our new followers through Feedly, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! We hope you stick around and enjoy the content here at Breaking New Ground. Feel free to check out the About Us section, but know that I am a bit behind on updating it! Baby #3 problems....

So now for why you're really reading this post...the giveaway winner! The random generator through rafflecopter chose Kelly F. as the winner of one pair of Freshly Picked moccasins of her size and color choice! 

She has been emailed and has 48 hours to provide me with her information to claim her prize or an alternate will be chosen. In the event that an alternate is required, there will not be an additional blog post but an email sent to the winner. 

Thanks so much for participating! If you didn't win, head on over to Freshly Picked to purchase your favorite pair of moccs for your favorite little one! They just released the "Utah Collection" that I just adore! 

b.lovely photography

Back in December I featured b.lovely photography. Later that month we were honored with the privilege of having her photograph our family. She was so patient and kind even though the boys were acting out like kids usually do when you need them to sit still. Her sneak peeks shortly after knocked me off my feet and when I received the rest this past week I was honestly in tears over how beautiful they turned out. The photos capture our family so perfectly that I feel like this collection is such a precious gift that we will enjoy for years to come. 

You can view her portfolio on her website and keep up with her most current sessions on facebook.

Here is a collection of some of our favorites...

Freshly Picked: A giveaway!

It's finally here! Your chance to win an adorable pair of Freshly Picked moccasins for your favorite little person!

If you're new to Freshly Picked you've definitely been missing out. They have the cutest leather moccasins for newborns on up to older kiddos. They've come out with lots of new styles and colors and all of them are absolutely precious. I had a hard time choosing for our little gal but I just had to stick with her signature color, coral.

Coral is a color that can definitely be up to interpretations. Some would liken it to orange or red, while others still would say it's closer to pink or peach. I'd say FP's version is definitely on the peach side, which I love because that is our other favorite color for little miss Aurelia.

It won't be long before Aurelia will be running around in these pretty little things, but until then they make a fabulous addition to her coral + peach nursery decor.

Okay- 

so by now you must be ready to find out how you can win a pair! 

Just follow the rules on the entry form below and you're entered to win. 

The more entry methods you complete, the better chance you have of winning...

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This contest begins Monday February 16th, 2015 and is open until midnight Sunday February 22nd. A winner will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter. The winner will be announced here and notified by email at the address associated with their Rafflecopter entries. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to the email to claim their prize or an alternate will be chose.

Interested in seeing your product featured here, see the PR + Disclosures tab and contact Breaking New Ground by email to be considered. Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review. All opinions are my own.This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with, Facebook.  Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

Questions, concerns, comments unrelated to the nature of this giveaway can be left on other generic posts or emailed to Breaking New Ground. 

"Instagramming"

In an effort to solve a few problems I've had with social media lately, I've recently decided to split my Instagram feed. This will allow me to maintain privacy when sharing photos of my children with trusted family and friends on my personal account that I had previously been sharing with the public. Creating a new account (@breakingnewground) just for blog related posts will allow me to still share photos of what's coming up on the blog and the occasional (and thoroughly watermarked) photos of myself and my family while keeping it a public account allowing me to interface with all of you and other accounts in a safer way.

Hopefully this doesn't cause any confusion, but as always, feel free to contact me for questions. Comment here, on Facebook, Instagram or shoot me an old school email ;) 

How I Started Using Essential Oils

A little over a year ago I started sampling essential oils with the advice of a friend. The biggest impact was a calming blend. My boys struggled to get to sleep and stay asleep at night. I mixed a few drops of the calming blend with unscented lotion (or coconut oil) and slathered it on their feet and the back of their necks at bedtime. In the beginning they did drift off a little faster, but Desmond would still wake in the middle of the night. Ben would reapply (we started using a roller with fractionated coconut oil which was much easier) and Des would ease back to sleep. After a while, he didn't wake at night anymore.

Later I started using the calming blend as well when I found I couldn't fall asleep because my mind was too busy to slow down and let me rest. It helped me fall asleep faster. Then Ben's sleep "antics" started to become a problem (he's been a sleep walker for a long time, especially when he's very tired). Neither one of us was getting enough sleep because of his frequent and jolting night waking. He decided to try the calming blend first and it worked! He falls asleep quickly and sleeps more soundly all night.  All of our initial experiences were so positive, I just couldn't wait to try more essential oils! 

That's just one small part of my testimony for essential oil use. I will share more in posts here and there along with tutorials for homemade products using essential oils and other ways to use specific oils and blends. 

I would love to  help you try essential oils for the first time or add to your collection. Head to my essential oils page for more information. Contact me to get started on your wellness journey!

Disclaimer- This information is my opinion based on my experiences and resources. Please use common sense and the advice of your qualified health professional when making your health decisions. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.  

We use essential oils because of the health benefits we've seen in our family.  Every person is different and you might not experience the same results, although I truly hope you will! 

Thank you so much!