Morning and Evening Routines

How do you start and end your day? It’s so easy to snooze a few more minutes, or go to bed staring at a screen. As a counselor, it’s important for me to be present and focused with my clients, and my night and morning routines have a huge impact on my mindset for the day ahead. Let’s try to be more purposeful in the mornings and evenings by starting and ending the day with mindfulness and self-care. Here’s what’s on the schedule:

Morning Routine

Make Your Bed

Brush and Floss

Drink Warm Lemon Water

Morning Yoga Sequence

Meditation & Intention Setting

Healthy Breakfast

Making the bed is the perfect way to start the day off with intention and purpose. It’s also important to stretch and nourish the mind, body, and soul in the morning to feel refreshed and rejuvenated all day long. I love starting my day with a short yoga sequence, walk, or bike ride. Warm lemon water and a good breakfast, such as chia seed pudding, oatmeal, or avocado toast can help maintain focus and energy throughout the morning.

Evening Routine

Shower & Salt Scrub

Journal

Drink Chamomile Tea

Lavender Oil in Diffuser

Bed Yoga

Read

With colder weather on its way, my skin is in constant need of my tea tree lavender scrub. I’ll be using it everyyy night this winter. Journaling and reflecting on the day, warm chamomile tea, and the soothing smell of lavender can help keep the mind calm and quiet at night. As for the body, there are lots of easy, gentle yoga sequences that can be done right before (and in) bed. And rather than trying to relax with the glaring light from a phone, TV, or laptop, how about opting to fall asleep with a good book! The perfect way to end the day. Ahhhhh.

The light within me honors the light within you.

Handmade Herbal Soap Bars

The herb garden is still flourishing, and I’ve been using and saving as much as I can. Today I’m making a bunch of herbal soaps.  They’re great to have around for guests, and perfect for little homemade gifts. I just use a basic soap base and add essential oils, herbs, and moisturizers. Each recipe makes 1 bar.

Thymely Rose

  • 1 cup Soap Base
  • 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 10 drops Rose Essential Oil
  • Dried Thyme and Dried Rose Petals

Carefully melt the soap base using a double boiler and stir in oils. Pour into soap mold. Drop in thyme and rose petals as desired, and let cool completely.

Citrus Spice

  • 1 cup Soap Base
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 10 drops Tangerine Essential Oil
  • Fresh Rosemary & Cloves

Melt the soap base using a double boiler and stir in oils. Pour into soap mold. Drop in rosemary and cloves (optional… and scratchy) as desired, and let cool completely.

Lavender Oats

  • 1 cup Soap Base
  • 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
  • Dried Lavender and Oats

Melt the soap base using a double boiler and stir in oils. Pour into soap mold. Drop in lavender and oats as desired, and let cool completely.

Mintea Tree

  • 1 cup Soap Base
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
  • Fresh Mint Leaves

Melt the soap base using a double boiler and stir in oils. Pour into soap mold. Drop in mint leaves as desired, and let cool completely.

Lemon Verbena

  • 1 cup Soap Base
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 10 drops Lemon Essential Oil
  • Fresh Lemon Verbena

Melt the soap base using a double boiler and stir in oils. Pour into soap mold. Drop in lemon verbena as desired, and let cool completely.

Happy Herbing!

San Diego

Well, I fell in love again… with San Diego. An incredible little getaway with breathtaking scenery, perfect weather, and amaaaazing food. Luke and I made an impromptu trip to the west coast for a long weekend. It’s the farthest west we’d ever ventured, and we got to experience it together. We splashed around in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, enjoyed a picnic of street tacos and ice cream on the shore, rode bikes along Mission Beach, snorkeled with wild sea lions at La Jolla Cove, stared in envy at the thriving succulents and lemon trees, and explored the city, as well as some isolated islands and beaches. Soaking up as much sun, sand, and saltwater as we possibly could. We were completely in awe of our surroundings. We didn’t want to leave, but we ended our trip with a perfect dinner date in Little Italy. If you’re planning on visiting, here are some tips on venturing around:

Beaches

We were able to visit Mission and Pacific Beach, Shelter Island, and Point Loma. Shelter Island and Point Loma are smaller and more private, while Mission and Pacific are great for surfing, swimming, and soaking up sun. MB and PB also have restaurants, shops, arcades, etc. It can get pretty crowded, but you can rent a bike for about $10 a day and enjoy a ride along the beach until you find a less populated area.

La Jolla

Rooftop cafes with incredible views, cave swimming, wild sea lions… need I say more? La Jolla Cove was more beautiful than I could have imagined, and it felt so surreal to interact with the sea lions. I sat on a rock about 30 feet from one for a long time, just watching him sleep… with one eye open, on me. You can swim and snorkel with these babies, but don’t get too close. They’re protected, and will definitely bark and defend themselves if their space is invaded.

Nosh

The food in SD. Just. Wow.

We’re always on the lookout for vegan and vegetarian places, especially when we travel, and San Diego is full of them. Donut Bar offers vegan donuts, Civico 1845 offers a full vegan menu, and pretty much anywhere we went had some amazing vegetarian or vegan options.

San Diego is incredible, just beyond words, and I’m so thankful that we were able to go on this adventure.

Travel is necessary. Adventure is vital.

Salt Glow

I was inspired by my week in the Caribbean sun last month to make a few new batches of body scrubs. After soaking up the rays and now adjusting to the Colorado climate, these salt scrubs are once again to my rescue.

Here are the recipes:

Coconut Lime Pink Salt Scrub

  • 1 cup Himalayan Pink Salt
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • 10 drops lime essential oil

Mix ingredients until well combined and use as an exfoliant in the bath or shower.

Lemon Ginger Salt Scrub

  • 1 cup sea salt
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil
  • 5 drops lemon essential oil
  • 5 drops ginger root essential oil

Mix ingredients until well combined and use as an exfoliant in the bath or shower.

Getaway

In the midst of self-inflicted chaos, we decided to take a break. Preparing for a move across the country is a big undertaking. (We’re moving from North Carolina to Colorado this month). We set the boxes aside, pulled out the suitcases, and headed to the Eastern Caribbean for a change of scenery. We swam with wild sea turtles, drank raw coconut water on the beach, and soaked up just the right amount of sun and saltwater.

As important as it is to take breaks from stress and working, when we try to escape, reality often follows, begging to be acknowledged. Although nothing is ever perfect (even on vacation), you definitely get glimpses of perfection in places like this. It’s really about holding onto those glimpses, appreciating each other, and soaking in the moment. You begin to realize that it’s okay to let go of monotony every now and then in order to find adventure.

Where will you take your next adventure?

Winter Glow

A new year is upon us. The perfect time for a clean slate, a fresh start, or renewed resolutions. One of my resolutions is to continue to improve my self-care practices, including my skin care routine. As much as I love the winter, snow and all, my skin definitely does not. A lot of us suffer from dry, wintery skin this time of year, and for me, exfoliation is the answer. My homemade body scrubs, both sugar and salt based, helped me ring in the New Year with hydrated, glowing skin.

I mentioned this Yule Oil sugar scrub (above) in my last post. It smells incredible and is the perfect way to pamper rough skin during the winter season. Here is the recipe:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 10 drops Yule Oil

Mix ingredients until well combined and use as an exfoliant in the bath or shower.

My lavender and tea tree oil salt scrub (above) is my go-to this time of year. It saves my skin so I can enjoy the winter weather, especially the occasional snow day (which we are anticipating this weekend!). Tea tree oil is great for dry skin and lots of other conditions. Here is the salt scrub recipe:

  • 1 cup sea salt
  • 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 5 drops tea tree oil
  • 5 drops lavender oil

Mix ingredients until well combined and use as an exfoliant in the bath or shower.

Happy New Year, lovelies!