dress - PinkBlush | sandals - Nordstrom (Tory Burch Miller in Makeup) | necklace - Mickey Lynn

Mondays can either be a great day for people or a dreadful day for people. Some go into the day already with a bad mindset because the weekend is over, reality of work flows and parenting or commitments take over and it's draining. I end up being the opposite where I'm typically excited about the fresh start to the week to tackle a to-do list and get myself setup for success with systems and routines for the upcoming things I want to get done.

I came across this on Instagram probably 2 months ago but I loved it so much.

I had so much happen yesterday that was all chipping at my heart and emotions and while if it were any other day during the week I probably would've climbed back in bed and declared a do over. But after coming across this quote, it's hit me hard that I CHOOSE my mood, my impact, my intention, my words and how I put action behind all that I am doing. So even with hit after hit yesterday trying to take me down, I owned my day and made it the best fresh start to my week! And I woke up today, Tuesday, happy and feeling accomplished for pushing through the uncomfortable for the sweet relief it brings - and the self awareness it's given me.

Happy Tuesday, friends! xx

Happy Friday! We ran to Target earlier today and I picked up some of the girl's Easter basket goodies from there a few weeks ago - obviously! - so I figured I would share for a few ideas. We always pop in some of our favorite online shops into the baskets so this year we have June & January and Cuddle + Kind. Emery desperately needed a new swim suit for this season with her growing like a weed so we snagged a cute bubblegum striped one from J&J along with some cute outfits and headbands. Cuddle + Kind is a shop who donates 10 meals to kiddos in need with every doll sold and their mission alone is worth the splurge but add the quality and darling elements of their handmade dolls and our girls freak over them.

So here's our Easter Basket round up for you in case you need some inspo!

chalk / June & January / Cuddle & Kind / birks / pocky sticks / Chelsea King scrunchie / basket idea / eggs / grass / book

Do you guys have your Easter plans set in stone? I've always wanted to go to the sunrise service at church so I think I'll plan to go by myself at 6am even without the family since we will all go together earlier in the weekend. Something about that service though always entices me and I really want to experience that! Don't forget my Easter dress ideas from this post. Happy weekend! xx

Last week I shared this post on my wellness instagram and it was a huge hit. Some people don't always think about adding in a room or bathroom spray with their essential oils and while soft Springy ones that air on the side of floral are always nice, I'm a vanilla girl at heart. Somewhere around Christmas I made this and it's been a tried and true love in our home and all the bathrooms now.

You know, to rid the stank. ;)

Bath bombs! I made these and totally thought of my mama because she loves bath bombs and she loves Rose! I used Release, Rose and Grapefruit for these and they smell so so so good. Drake smelt them last night and asked to take a bath over a shower and when he got out he couldn't stop raving about how good they were and how his skin was soft and smooth like lotion but without lotion.

Here's your recipe to make these on your own at home:

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Mix dry ingredients together thoroughly, add melted coconut oil, water and EO mix together. I used my hands at this steps because the consistency is crumbly. Pack mixture into molds tightly, transfer to a baking sheet and let sit 6-8 hours! I added dried flowers in the molds before putting in the mixture so when we popped them out they had something extra special!

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Can you say perfect Mother’s Day gift?! We’re doing another batch this week for the girls using food coloring and edible glitter. We’re calling them our unicorn bombs and using lavender and stress away in them!

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Who’s DIY-ing this fun recipe?!

GRAB YOUR STARTER KIT

http://bit.ly/JoinSomethingEssential

Aubrey Kinch ID: 11517995

Easter is just around the corner and I'm prepping myself for what to wear already. Secondly, because it's already in the 90's in Arizona so it's also been refreshing throwing on a simple dress and sandals and I feel so much more put together than with jeans and a tee.

Having dresses on hand when things start to heat up also make me much more intentional about getting ready each day. When it's winter and chilly I typically and a leggings and sweatshirt kind of person practically all winter long. My poor husband. He even said one time before date night I looked so dresses up and I was in jeans and a blouse. That's a bit embarrassing. But working from home, throwing a simple and comfortable dress on makes me so much more motivated and intentional!

You too?

Let's talk about the two dresses I'm going back and forth on for Easter! This lavender one felt a bit out of my comfort zone and a little more retro than I typically can pull off but adding the denim makes it feel much more up my alley. The color is a dusty purple and seriously so pretty in person - making it a great option for Easter! The length is even better so when I'm wrangling babies during the egg hunt, I'm modest and covered and peep shows won't be happening. Comes in 4 colors, too!

dress | sandals | jacket | necklace | watch

The second option I'm debating is more for when we're hitting church and a more formal lunch instead of the backyard BBQ type day. I'm always a huge fan of cream dresses and ones that remind me of Free People but at a fraction of the cost. Another reason I snagged this one is because I'm getting my arm tattooed in a couple weeks and going all black and gray like my other half sleeve so when I'm buying clothes, I'm always thinking of ways to coordinate and stay neutral to match my tattoos. So random - but true, it's how my mind works.

dress | sandals | bracelet

Which option would you pick? I'm leaning towards the second and bringing a pair of sandals to swap into after church if we end of BBQ-ing and keeping it casual. I'll just have Andrew wrangling babies during the egg hunt this year. ;)

Thank you to PinkBlush for sponsoring this post and always being the shop I tell my friends to check out when needing to refresh their closets. Truly, you're the real MVP and a favorite of mine.

Happy Spring!

Okay sister. Let's talk skincare. We are always changing and evolving and in different seasons of life so depending on the amount of busyness happening, the foods we're eating, the activities we're doing - that can all help or hinder our skin and how it reacts to our products we're using every day. While I've kind of been a product junkie the last 6-ish years blogging and having the opportunity to try new things, it started showing on my face and body and I regret everything. Dramatic much?

Of all the things we invest in, our skin should be the biggest priority because - hi - we live with it for our whole life! Better take care of it well. Ya hear me?!

So let's talk about essential oils and how they can support your skin. After 18 months of only using oil on my face (gasp!) it's better than ever before. I thought that would be counter intuitive already having oily/combination skin and then adding oil to it...? I had no idea how that would even help but I gave it a try. Guess what? It worked. Better than anything I've ever used before - says the girl who used Acutane years before from cystic acne and horrible scarring. Yikes. so now all I put on my skin daily are a few oils and a cleanser along with clean, mineral makeup.

Here's the deal, we have oils that are much more budget friendly and we have oils that are what I like to call splurge oils but overall, these bottles make serums you can use for months at a time whereas buying high end products from Sephora or Ulta or Nordstrom, you're getting wayyyy less bang for your buck.

Another thing I should mention is how frugal and intentional about money I've become over the past hand full of months. I had an eye opening experience that changed so much of how I see things when it comes to finances and knowing I could do better topically and financially by DIY-ing my skincare routine was a no brainer for me.

That's where this body polish comes in. Blue Tansy is a high dollar oil coming in at $125 retail, $97 wholesale for a 5ml bottle. But hear me - that bottle will make me 12 months supply of the facial serum I use (here, but double the recipe) or 24 months supply of this body polish or lip scrub. BOOM. You listening yet? What's so great about Blue Tansy? Let me tell you!

Antioxidant + Anti-Inflammatory Properties

This is like gold when it comes to skincare. Helps reduce redness and irritation, can diminish the look of blemishes, calms the skin, reduces heat and supports skin ailments like eczema or acne (I have eczema, too!).

Emotional Support

It's harvested with tiny yellow flowers in the chamomile family and one of the key ingredients in Valor, Peace & Calming and JuvaFlex. All oils that are similar with their grounding, mood boosting properties that help support your emotional well being.

But what does it smells like?

Okay, it's actually one of the best smelling oils out there - truly! It has a sweet floral scent but I even feel like it has a hint of blueberry. It's so soothing and light but potent to do the job when used. My favorite was to diffuse this oil is with Stress Away or Dream Catcher.

Now let's get down to the recipe! This body polish is one I had to make because when season's change my skin flares up and the irritations I deal with are so extreme, I scratch and bleed often. I opted for a little vanilla extract in my recipe because it just ups the ante on the smell and I love it even more!!

1 cup white sugar

1 cup carrier oil (I like Vitamin E or Jojoba as they don't clog pores)

10 drops Blue Tansy

1 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)

Directions: Mix everything together in a large bowl, can and store in a mason jar.

Who's going to make this dreamy polish? If you're not already a Young Living member and want to snag this oil at wholesale cost, grab your starter kit, here, and add Blue Tansy to your order. I'll send you some happy mail to welcome you to our team and you'll be able to DIY all the beauty recipes we're sharing in our online oily community this month in April!

Last Blue Tansy tip for you blondes out there, add 2-3 drops to your entire shampoo bottle and create your own "purple shampoo" without the chemicals! I like this Vanilla Copaiba shampoo and conditioner.

Happy DIY-ing!! Check out my favorite items to use for all our essential oil DIYs, here.

blanket, saranoni | ella the unicorn, cuddle & kind

Happy Thursday! Ever get in those funks you literally are drowning with all the things you have to get done? I am really good about consistency with lists and our calendar and how to add all the things to my plate but executing them on a timely basis and following through is where I always drop the ball. I have the highest hopes for myself and getting things in order and structured and systematized and then BOOM. Doesn't happen... it's totally my fault but I'm working on it!

We moved my work space from our master bedroom into the playroom last week and some may think that's actually insane but it's working super well for us right now. I say right now lightly because that could change tomorrow. Reason being, we're homeschooling the girls I ordered Emery's curriculum so having our oversized table my dad built all set up for myself and Emery with school keeps everyone happy and in the same space so we can be productive.

Which leads me into - I actually did meal planning this week - what?! I can't believe I actually did it, shopped and prepped so we're golden for at least a solid 6 days from now. Here's the print I made and print out to fill in with our meals and then post it up by the family calendar and the kid's chore charts so all can see. I really don't like the continued questions of "what's for dinner mom?" so having it where everyone knows is doing me a big favor.

CLICK HERE FOR MEAL PLAN PRINTABLE

I'll share some more on homeschool with our processes, curriculum, system and why we chose it for the girls next week. Also working on a post with some info about my current gym routine / life of how it's working for me and maintaining the lifestyle we have been the last 7 weeks.

Okay, talk soon!!

We're about 2 months out from this little vacation we took but it was a good one that deserves a little photo dump on the blog. We spent 6 days in Mexico with my parents, brother, sister-in-law and their son, Carter. We drive down from Arizona and it's about 4 hours from our place which makes it so easy to get access to a beach close to home without trucking to California.

One beach house right on the ocean was so peaceful and beautiful - just what we needed to end 2018 and start 2019! We've been going down to Rocky Point since I was Hollyn's age so it's a favorite place to visit and relax. Ironically, this was Drake's first time ever going with us (and Hollyn) but Emery has been 3 times now.