Ashley Martin

How balanced is your life?

It wasn't until I read the book Oola: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World and learned about the Oola lifestyle formula that I really started to look at the 7 key areas of life.

Completing my life coach certification got me thinking about what I really wanted to get out of life and the importance of having goals and growing in all 7 areas.

What’s the extraordinary thing in life that you’re supposed to do?

Have you thought about it?

Whether you want to improve your career, get out of debt, build a business, move across country, start a charity, or simply achieve a more tranquil and balanced existence, the Oola lifestyle formula helps you decide (then take action) on what you want to do.

Use the link in the comments to check out my newest blog post. I’ve got a 7-part written guide that will help you start thinking about what you want.

You have the opportunity to dream big again, knowing you can achieve your loftiest goals.

You were made for greatness. Let’s go get that outstanding life for you.

How balanced is your life?

It wasn't until I read the book Oola: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World and learned about the Oola lifestyle formula that I really started to look at the 7 key areas of life.
Completing my life coach certification got me thinking about what I really wanted to get out of life and the importance of having goals and growing in all 7 areas.

What’s the extraordinary thing in life that you’re supposed to do?

Have you thought about it?

Whether you want to improve your career, get out of debt, build a business, move across country, start a charity, or simply achieve a more tranquil and balanced existence, the Oola lifestyle formula helps you decide (then take action) on what you want to do.

Use the link in the comments to check out my newest blog post. I’ve got a 7-part written guide that will help you start thinking about what you want.

You have the opportunity to dream big again, knowing you can achieve your loftiest goals.

You were made for greatness. Let’s go get that outstanding life for you.

“The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.”

Wow. Can we talk about this quote from author Ben Stein? It’s nothing less than a road map to the perfect life . . . an action plan for a life filled with amazingness. And all you have to do is . . .

Decide what you want.

But how easy is that, really? The truth is, we live in some crazy times. In fact, while tons of new stressors recently dropped into our lives, most people already had imbalances that kept stress at an all-time high.
You know what I mean:

💪🏻Fitness: Excess weight? Poor nutrition? Little exercise?
💵Finance: Crushing debt? No retirement plan?
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Family: Kids out of control? Marriage on life support?
🧑‍🏫Field: Career stress? Job loss? Low pay or no benefits?
🙏🏻Faith: No time for a daily relationship with God?
💃Friends: Toxic friends that create chaos? No mentors?
🥳Fun: No vacations, adventures, parties, or fun in years?

So what could living the Oola life look like for you?

Check out my recently published blog for a list of 3 simple steps that will give you some clarity. Just click on the Life In Bloom Collective button in my bio.

You were made for greatness. Let’s go get that outstanding life for you.

Pregnancy was the moment that I woke up to paying closer attention to what I put in and on my body.

Up to this point I didn't really think about it much. I ate whatever I wanted, and yes that included Diet Cokes and tons of processed food.

Once I got pregnant I started digging into the foods I was eating because I wanted to give this new little life the absolute best start. Could I afford all organic? No. But I made sure to get as much as I could, and I started cutting all the crap, like that Diet Coke.

I also learned that there were certain products that I might want to avoid, like skin creams and cleaners. It was the first time that I paid attention to what I put on my skin and started to wake up to how that would affect the little baby growing inside me. Don't get me wrong, I loved passing the cleaning responsibility to my husband, but I also started to question why this stuff was safe when I wasn't pregnant.

Guess what...

It's not.

I'd like to say I made all the changes right after being pregnant with my first, but I didn't. I tried to do better, but I was duped by the greenwashing that so many companies do.

There are so many studies out there about the dangers of ingredients in our cleaners and personal care products. And so many people just don't know.

I share because I'm so thankful that I learned it. I'm so thankful that I have access to products that support our wellness and don't destroy it. I'm so thankful that I don't have to stand at the store trying to decipher the crazy ingredient names and figure out if it's a phthalate, paraben, or some other crazy toxin.

I've put together a bundle to help you get started on creating a clean and safe home for your family. You can check it out using the Clean Home link in my bio.

Or reach out so we can talk about your individual needs. I would love to support you on your own path to whole body wellness!

Knowing better so we can do better four ourselves, and our kids, is so important. Every little step helps. Just start somewhere.

It was a full day of planting and playing with friends and it felt good!

I’ll take more days just like this.

Here are some of the reasons I fell in love with Young Living as a company. They all blow me away, but as a teacher number 2 totally stole my heart:

1. See the little white blobs in the picture below? They’re sheep in the lavender fields at our farm in France.
The farm manager, Nicholas Landel, has been working hard to find ways to ensure the fields don’t need any pesticides and that our farms maintain better than organic practices. He tried goats but they ate the lavender plants. He tried a few different breeds of sheep and they are the lavender plants too. He finally found a specific breed of sheep that eat everything EXCEPT the lavender plants! And they provide really natural organic fertilizer. 😉

2. Young Living ensures that our farms never have children working on our farms. They found that on our Bulgaria partner farm, gypsies were often coming into the area and working on the farm with their children. Young Living gave the farm a grant to build a school and to hire a teacher so that when the gypsies come into town, the children can get a free education and are not providing child labor. The Young Living Foundation also started a school in Uganda after Gary saw the school the local children were attending.

3. Did you know that Young Living AIR-ships their essential oils from the farms all over the world???? Do you realize how much money it costs to do that vs shipping it via freighter or ship? The reason why is so that there are less touchpoints for the oils so that Young Living maintains control of their essential oils at all times.

4. Besides our new headquarters, the company is debt-free. It is the greenest building in the entire state of Utah. There is a water filtration system for all of the employees and cost over $1 million dollars. No plastic water bottles are allowed in the building. They use gray water for the landscaping outside and inside the building.

I could go on with a lot more reasons, but Instagram will cut me off 🤣 but I can tell you that no other essential oil company goes to the lengths Young Living does.

Happy Easter!

I’m thankful for our quick little escape to one of my favorite places and the time to reflect on what Jesus did for each of us!

We love Him because He first loved us!

I bought this book about a year ago and it’s sat on my shelf. I decided to pick it up as we left for Disney to read on the plane and I’m so glad I did. I didn’t even pay attention to the cover photo until later. I’ve said many times over the last year that I feel like I’m living in the upside down.

One part really spoke to me, and it was a chapter on compassion. Easter is a special time and one where I like to really reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross. It was the most compassionate thing.

Compassion is something I’m continually working on. It doesn’t mean I agree with everything that others say or do, but it means I value them as a human being. Colossians 3:12 tells us “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Compassion is listed first because if you have a heart of compassion the other things will flow.

Make no mistake, a lack of compassionate connection with our fellow humans is part of a much bigger move of the enemy. If he can keep us distracted we will miss the much bigger story of redemption. I’m so thankful for God’s compassion in my life and the amazing peace that putting Him in the center of my life has brought me.

Happy Easter, friends.

A little fun with our new EggMazing egg decorator!

Side note- Cole is turning into quite the clown of the family.

I had a conversation with a friend today about our desire to not mess up our kids. Isn't that every mom's fear? I know I'm constantly praying that I'm making the right choices for them and asking the Lord for His help. Every mom I know has a similar desire and is doing the best they can, but often feel like they fall short in some area. And we do....because we're human.

Then our kids do something that gets right to our heart and lets us know we are doing something right. Today it was picked flowers in a vase and handwritten cards on why they love me.

💗I give the best hugs and kisses
💗I'm the best at playing (I literally just told the friend I was talking to that I was terrible at playing....so I'm pretty sure that's a lie)
💗I read them books
💗I get great gifts
💗I help with school
💗I let them go to their friend’s house

I don't share this to show how great I'm doing. I share it to show that I don't FEEL like I'm great, but it's the little things that our kids love.

So hang in there, mama. You're doing a great job!

Happy birthday to my love and our rock. It has been amazing to watch Ben with the boys on this trip and truly a gift for me. We are so lucky to have him and his incredible love for his family.

This past year called for an escape to the most magical place on Earth.

One more day until we leave for Disney and my house is a disaster! Anyone else have the need for their house to be clean before leaving for vacation so it's not SO hard to come home??

I'll get everything tidied up, but will have some work to do when I get back. I'm going to make it fun by starting a Spring Cleaning Challenge to kick off April 1. 7 challenges over 10 days and our homes will be ready for Spring! Who's joining me?? This challenge is for everyone, doesn't matter what products you use, but I'll also be sharing some of my favorite DIY recipes as we go along.

If you want to do a little digging into the products you are using to clean with, hop over to my very first blog post on my website. I'm sharing the dirty facts on some pretty common ingredients! You can find it at lifeinbloomco.com/blog

So who is joining me on April 1?? Let's have some fun and hold each other accountable! Link to join is in the blog!

We made the most out of this past weekend and got outside as much as possible. I absolutely love this weather, but am hearing from everyone around me about how they are already suffering from the changing seasons.

This is when we start to diffuse Lavender, Peppermint, and Lemon daily! You can also stick all three in a roller to roll on your temples, behind your ears, and on the bottoms of your feet. Need an extra boost? Stick some Roman Chamomile or Copaiba in there as well!

For the month of March, Young Living released the cutest little starter bundle. You get Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, and Peace & Calming along with the dreamy Haven diffuser all for only $135. Make sure you grab it before it's gone! So many things you can do with these 4 oils! I'm throwing in some rollers and a bottle of Copaiba for the first 3 people to grab one!

This combination of starter kit oils is a longtime favorite for SO many!! Don't miss out!

Ashley Martin updated their website address.

I began creating a vision board based on vision statements I came up with in a Bible study. In Habakkuk 2, God told Habbakuk to write down his vision and make it clear. I fully believe in the power of having clear goals written down and the power of a vision board, but it has a biblical perspective as well. God knows that it serves us...but there is a catch. God also says that Habbakuk will have to wait for an appointed time. That there would be a waiting period.

People who know me well know that when I set a goal I run for it. I can be overly ambitious. If I have a vision for something, then I want it now. I was reminded that God is the one who directs our paths and our waiting. We can wait patiently for His timing or struggle with micromanaging every detail of our lives.

If a door that you desperately want to open is still closed, know that God is right there with you. He's preparing your heart so that when the door opens, you can walk in peace. Psalm 27:14 says, "When I wait, You strengthen my heart." So true. When I decided to surrender everything to God, everything changed.

If you are in this waiting place, be faithful. Know that God hasn't forgotten you. Be open to opportunities that you are presented with. They may be ways of preparing you for what's to come.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Here's to going green in your home!

Make the switch super easy by grabbing my Simple Start to Natural Living from my website. Link in the bio!

It was so hard to pick some of my favorite green products from Young Living, but these supplements are a MUST for me. I like to think I'm a pretty healthy eater, but I know I have a lot of work to do and definitely have a big sweet tooth.

+Multigreens: Get your daily source of greens in this bioactive sea vegetable energy source for vitality. This power-packed supplement supports the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and the hormonal glands of the endocrine system



+Super B: This one has all your B vitamins, each with amazing benefits. I take it for the energy and mood boost I get from it!

+Super C: Super C combines Orange essential oil with a blend of camu camu, acerola, cherry, and rose hips fruit powder to create a super powerful immune-supporting supplement. Together, these ingredients give us polyphenols, carotenoids, and optimal amounts of vitamin C. This is perfect for adults and kids! Vitamin C is a super important vitamin. Not only does it help with collagen production, and even impacts the health of bones & teeth but it also helps us better absorb other nutrients.

+ Super D: An excellent vegan source of vitamin D3 that helps support bone growth and healthy muscles. Vitamin D also plays a key function in respiratory health and the immune system. Each dissovable tablet contains 1000IU for easy dosing.

Not to mention each vitamin is infused with essential oils, which increases blood absorption so you get the most out of them!

Which green oils or Young Living products are your favorite??

No one tells you how much you change when you become a mom. Well....maybe that's not true. I think a lot of people tell you, but you just shrug it off, thinking "Nah! It can't change you that much." When I was in the classroom I actually couldn't stand it when other teachers told me that becoming a mom would change me.

Well...it did. And in a pretty big way. Suddenly you have this responsibility for another person's life. And not just any person, the most important person on the planet to you. YOUR baby. When you stop to really think about all the decisions you make for your child it's astronomical. Even the everyday choices like what food I was feeding them became important to me. (Get that high fructose corn syrup and pesticides away from them, thank you!)

So you better believe that my mama bear came out when I found out about all the contaminants that were allowed in the personal care products on the shelf. Our children are even more vulnerable to these harmful chemicals and preventing exposure can help to prevent health problems down the road. You can Google ‘No More Toxic Tub’ to see a report that shared findings on popular brands that I know I have used in the past. In the report they share their findings on toxic byproducts from chemical manufacturing and product formulation. What is especially alarming is 61% of the products tested for both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. Ingredients that are banned in other countries and immediately recalled if found.

This is another reason why Young Living products were a no brainer for me. I trust their shampoo and body wash for my kids. There is a whole baby line for your littlest ones. There are soaps, toothpastes, lotions, and laundry detergent. It makes it so easy to fill your home with products that help you take a deep breath as a mom and have peace in knowing that when it comes to your home and what your kids are exposed to, you have control.

You too can make this simple, but incredibly important change. Start by checking out my website linked in my bio. Grab my Simple Start to Natural Living. I’m cheering for you!

After a long day of staring at screens and mental work, it felt so good to come home, head outside, and roll in the grass with the kids. I’ve been more mindful of dropping the to-do list and making sure to engage in fun with the family. You know what? Kids are really good at having fun. We just need to take their lead and follow them.

We hit balls, played tagged, rolled in the grass, giggled, and kicked off our shoes. It was just what I needed to kick off the weekend.

I’m so grateful for these little humans that call me mom.

Read that again.

What is it in your life that you aren't changing? If you are pushing toward a goal are you crystal clear on what you really want? Having a vision is so important. Even more important is writing that vision down. Are you also clear on where you really are? What's in your way? What is the story that you are telling yourself?

It's time to crush, destroy, and annihilate your excuses. If your story that you tell yourself is holding you back, then it's time to write a new story. I'm here to tell you that you are stronger than you think you are. Think about the things you need to do to get closer to your vision. Is there something in your life that you say you can't do? Then you must do it! In order to reach your goals, whatever they are, you are going to need to stretch yourself. You are going to need to go outside your comfort zone, which is going to trigger your brain to send you all kinds of warnings that you're in danger. You're not. Talk to yourself, don't listen to yourself. Don't buy the story of limitation that you have been telling yourself.

If you know what you really want then you need to commit to it. Know that you are going to do whatever it takes. Hunger is the #1 characteristic of success. Now go out and get it!

Oils are so easy a two year old can get it.

Cole is my third child and I’ve been using oils with him since he was an infant. It was actually him who showed me they worked! I was skeptical too when I first heard about using essential oils... until I saw how fast they called him. Now he loves putting his sleepy roller on his feet before bed.

When I think about all the things I could have used oils to support with my two older boys I’m so sad I didn’t explore them earlier. But at least we have them now! I honestly can’t imagine parenting without them!

It’s never too late to start! All ages can benefit from essential oils! even has a whole set of oils specifically for kids with the cutest diffuser/night light/ sound machine! Check it out on my website or message me for more info. They are a game changer! You can thank me later!

When people are unsure of where to start in switching to safer products, I always suggest starting with the laundry. Just think about how much laundry you do....and those clothes sit on your skin (your largest organ) all day, every day.

Did you know that conventional laundry soap is a leading cause of skin allergies and irritation - especially in children? It's not often thought about, but the residues left on clothes and linens from conventional cleanerssit on our skiln, often causing low-level irritation. Even the "green" options may contain hidden sulfates, dyes, and fragrance.

Fragrance is the "F word" in my home. It's not allowed. Not after I learned how damaging it can be. Companies aren't required to disclose the exact ingredients meaning it can hide a number of harmful ingredients. And just because something is "natural" doesn't mean you want to rub it on your skin. Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring compound, but I'm not touching that!

Thieves laundy soap uses essential oils like Bergamot, Jade Lemon, and Thieves for an amazing scent without the synthetic fragrance. No synthetic chemicals. No synthetic residue. Remember- your body doesn't speak synthetic. All the synthetic chemicals you put in your body need to be processed by your liver. Guess what- your liver is tired!

While you're at it- ditch your dryer sheets! Like run and get rid of them. Replace them with dryer balls and drops of your favorite essential oils. Lavender and Lemongrass is one of my favorites!! No more heating up a concoction of the worst ingredients and spreading it on your clothes and in your air!

If you've already made the switch- What's your favorite oil for dryer balls??

It's International Women's Day and I immediately thought of this group of women and the many others not in the picture. The ones I was introduced to when I became a Young Living member, and then got to know even better when I saw how I could use what I was learning to help change other's lives.

I've never met a group of women who are so positive, upbeat, and live for serving and helping others. It was a breath of fresh air that I desperately needed.

I've said it before. I wasn't looking to start a side business. It found me. I saw the impact Young Living was having on my life, and then saw how I was helping others make a difference in their own lives. They say when you positively impact just one life, the ripple effect of that positive difference is huge. It's why I loved my job as a teacher, why I love my job as an instructional coach, and why I love having a side business with Young Living.

Here's to all the women out there making a positive difference in others' lives. I am fortunate to know so many and I am cheering you on!

This child right here made me a mom. A life changing experience. People told me becoming a mom would change me, but I had no idea how much. Everything I do is for my boys.

Cian, I am so proud of the person you are growing up to be. Loving, funny, compassionate, curious, the best big brother!

This has been quite a year, and one that called for a big celebration of how you have handled it. Disney.... here we come!

I can’t let National Sons day go by without giving these three a shout out!

I love how different and unique they all are, but each has such a big heart. I am such a lucky mom. 💙

Tonight I had the opportunity to share some of my story to members from my church who are from a blended family and offer some encouragement. As I was working on my talk the song “Every Step of the Way” by came on . The chorus could not be a more perfect way to sum it all up. I'm so thankful for God's love and direction in my life. It's been amazing to look back and see how He was there every step of the way. 💗

Every step of the way
You've been You'll be
Working everything for the best for me
So I'll trust in who You are
Every step of the way
You've been You'll be
Fighting and writing Your love in my story
You've held my heart
Every step of the way

Moms, hear me on this one. Cleaners are supposed to keep us healthy, right? 🤔

Unfortunately so many of the cleaners out there are doing the exact opposite. Sure they are cleaning surfaces, but they are wreaking havoc on your health. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but your everyday run-of-the-mill cleaners are incredibly toxic.

Cleaning out my cleaning products for safer, effective options, was an important part of taking back control of my health. Our bodies don't speak synthetic and my body was letting me know that it was not happy. Even more, I didn't want to take the risk with how the ingredients could affect my son's hormones. I heard a scary stat the s***m count in males decreased by 59% from 1973-2011 and it's likely from chemicals in our environment! On top of that, things like testicular cancer are on the rise.


My number one pick for a cleaner will forever be Thieves. This one cleaner replaced every cleaner in my home. From counters, to glass, to toilets, to floors, to carpets....everything. Just one bottle cleans your home from top to bottom. And it’s safe for EVERYONE!

Want help making the switch to safe, plant based cleaners easy? Grab my Simple Start to Natural Living linked in my bio! Make your spring cleaning fun and rewarding this year!

Make your home a safe haven for you and your little ones.

For every one thing I do, I can think of a whole list of things I don't do, and that makes me feel guilty. Anyone relate??

I was chatting with some other moms about our vision for fun, particularly with our kids. The type A, perfectionist personality in me can have a very hard time putting work and household chores aside. All I see are the things that need to get done and projects I want to work on.

But then our kids say something that I swear is the Holy Spirit talking directly to me. Yesterday, I chose to drop everything that needed to get done when I walked in the door from work and jumped in the car to go on a hike. My oldest used a stick he found as a walking stick. On our way back to the car he says, "Mom. I'm going to keep this stick and paint it. It will give me memories from this walk!"

There it is. Right there. Do the dishes matter? Nope. The 5 baskets of laundry? Nope. Even as I plan a pretty exciting trip to make more family memories, this just shows how easy it can be. Moms, I know it's hard to find the time to play and the guilt over not getting all the things done. The comparison game that social media has created makes it even harder.

This was my little reminder that these moments with our kids are fleeting and I know I don't want to look back and regret lost moments. Can I stop everything to play all the time? No. But you better believe I will be finding more time for these family moments.