wellness

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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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.

How To Get Rid of Spiders Using Essential Oils

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Summer Inspired DIY Bath Bomb

August 2, 2018August 8, 2018By HannahPosted in beauty + cosmetics, DIY, wellness

Is there anything more relaxing than a bath? Maybe just a warm bath infused with a homemade bath bomb (especially with a glass of rosé in hand). In the past, I’ve mostly associated bathing with the winter — when it’s cold and grey out, lazing around in hot water sounds downright heavenly. But after a particularly hectic (in a good way!) summer, I’ve come to realize how wonderful a summer evening bath can be. Instead of focusing on making it a warm and cozy experience, I like to think of it as being refreshing and invigorating. That’s why I decided to flavor my summer-inspired bath bomb with the most refreshing drink that exists: mint lemonade.

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zero waste farmers market essentials

July 11, 2018July 16, 2018By JoannaPosted in wellness

When I first planted our garden, I was convinced that I’d be able to grow all of the veggies we needed and we could give up going to the grocery store totally. Then, when we added chickens, I thought it was even more possible! But… I’d basically have to turn our entire yard into a garden for that to happen! Sean vetoed that idea, so now I frequent farmers markets whenever possible. One of the best farmers markets in the entire city just so happens to be within walking distance of our bungalow, so we walk there every Sunday to scoop up what is freshest! During our many visits to the market, I’ve learned what is absolutely essential to a successful, waste-free market trip.

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how I (try to) find peace

June 29, 2018July 4, 2018By JoannaPosted in personal essays, wellness

Wow, I’m really crankin’ out the personal essays this week… but with Wednesday’s news of Justice Kennedy’s retirement, I went into a full blown tizzy. While I was traveling, the news of what our government is doing to immigrant children broke and I got upset. I’m not proud to admit this, but the news felt distant because I was abroad. I was able to stop crying about it, donate to the ACLU, and put it out of my mind until I returned. Same with the passing of Anthony Bourdain. Now that I’m back into my day-to-day routine though, it feels like I risk feeling constantly overwhelmed our dumpster fire news cycle. It is so hard to find peace these days, but a few things have helped me and I wanted to share them with you in case you feel the same way:

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DIY essential oil + soy wax sachets for your valentine

February 8, 2018By HannahPosted in DIY, wellness

The day of love is almost upon us and I, for one, couldn’t be more excited. I know many people cringe at the idea of Valentine’s Day and all the commercial red-and-pink ephemera associated with it, but I’ve always felt that the atmosphere of the holiday, sans trite Hallmark card messages, is truly heartwarming. And I’ve set out on a quest to bring non-believers into the V-Day fold by finding chic, non-cheesy ways to celebrate.

These pretty little wax sachets are the perfect example. Sure, they’re shaped like hearts and they have pretty little dried flowers pressed into them, but they’re understated enough to display in any well-appointed home all year round. We added a healthy dose of lavender essential oil to our batch so they release a bit of delicious scent in your car, on your bookshelf or in your lingerie drawer throughout the day. They’re wonderfully simple to make, and they make the perfect gift for your friends, family and (most importantly!) yourself.

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