Joanna, Author at jojotastic

The Benefits of Essential Oils in Bath Bombs

August 17, 2018August 16, 2018By JoannaPosted in beauty + cosmetics, wellness

Non-toxic skincare and clean methods of self-care are all the rage right now. More than ever people are interested in finding “cleaner” products (think essential oils and plant-based everything) to introduce into their daily and/or weekly beauty and self-care routines. Now, I don’t know about you, but have you ever looked at the ingredients list for some beauty products? There are so many long, unpronounceable words it seriously makes my head spin. One product in particular that I started making on my own a while ago because of questionable ingredients is bath bombs.

I love a good bath bomb as much as the nest person, so when I started making them myself, I wanted to incorporate as many good-for-me benefits as possible. One must-have item that fell into that category was essential oils. There are so many positive benefits associated with essential oils that it really was a no-brainer. Plus it makes the bombs smell ahhmazing.

So, what are these benefits (other than the great smell) of using essential oils in bath bombs? I’ve got all the answers below.

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Travel Guide: Tuscany & Annette Joseph Styling Workshop

August 15, 2018August 15, 2018By JoannaPosted in travel

I hope you enjoyed last’s Travel Guide for Pisa cuz today is all about where I visited in Tuscany and everything I learned while participating in Annette Joseph’s styling workshop! While participating in the workshop, Annette showed us beautiful areas of Tuscany that were just too beautiful to keep to myself. I wouldn’t call this exactly a comprehensive guide to that region because there is just so much more to explore… but this is a great starting point, especially if you’re considering taking one of her workshops next year!

Tuscany Travel Guide

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Travel Guide: Pisa, Italy

August 10, 2018August 15, 2018By JoannaPosted in travel

It’s finally time for my long-awaited travel guides for Italy!

In the coming weeks, I’m planning to share a travel guide to each city we visited during the trip, so be sure to stay tuned for each one. So many readers have asked on social media for me to do trip recaps because either you’re planning a trip to Italy or have already been yourself. Admittedly, it took me way longer to sift through all of my trip notes, photos, and videos to put these travel guides together, but I’m so excited to finally be able to share my trip experience with you! I started my trip to Italy in Pisa and spent 1 day there exploring because the flights were soooo much cheaper if I flew in a day early. It was definitely worthwhile because arriving a day early helped me cope with the jetlag and also start off the trip with some delicious meals and exploration.

Pisa Travel Guide

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A Summery Brunch Tablescape | Small Space Entertaining

August 9, 2018August 15, 2018By JoannaPosted in entertaining, small spaces

Wow, it’s been a hot minute since I shared a tablescape with you! In the heat of summer, I usually keep things pretty casual on the entertaining front… simple white plates with a buffet-style food serving situation — then tons of outdoor seating! Recently, I hosted a brunch for my girlfriends where I wanted the vibe to be a bit more curated, but still very casual. I pulled the inspiration for the tabletop pieces from Sarah’s all-white floral centerpiece, so there is plenty of clean white, natural wood tones, raw linen, and a touch of gold metallic (cuz every tablescape needs a touch of gold!).

A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape

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Our Twist on the Classic Negroni Recipe

August 7, 2018August 8, 2018By JoannaPosted in recipes

Last weekend we had some friends in town and took them to my favorite pizza spot in all of Seattle, Cornuto. Not only are their pizzas the best on the West Coast (IMHO), but they also have an excellent bar menu. We ordered a few rounds of drinks to experience the entire breadth of the menu, but one of my personal faves was the Negroni. Typically, a classic Negroni is made of one part gin, one part sweet vermouth, and one part Campari, then garnished with an orange peel. Ever on a mission to put my own twist on a classic cocktail, I asked Rocky, our resident cocktail expert for a twist on the Negroni… and it is sooooo good!

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Essential Oils for Spider Repellent

August 6, 2018August 8, 2018By JoannaPosted in DIY, wellness

Raise your hand if you think spiders are literally the worst. You can’t see me, but my hand went shooting up lighting fast. I am 100% not a fan of spiders, but they absolutely thrive during this time of year because of the heat. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t need any spiders crawling around in #mytinybungalow. Because I’m guessing you don’t want any eight-legged creatures invading your home either, I’ve been doing some research lately on the best way to naturally keep these guys away. As much as I hate them, I don’t necessarily want to kill them, and calling pest control can get a little pricey. And store-bought repellents have all kinds of crazy chemicals in them, which frankly freak me out more than the spiders do. So what’s the alternative? Natural remedies using essential oils.

After a quick search of the interweb and talking to some essential oil enthusiast friends, there are actually several ways to go about using natural, plant-based oils to rid your house of spiders. And it’s your lucky day because I’m going to share exactly what you need to do in this post.