DIY Wintertime Self-Care

Are you ready to take on winter like a glowing goddess? Despite all of its beauty, winter brings with it some blustery weather that will surely sap your skin dry. And let's not forget all the wintertime illnesses that linger in the air.No worries though, I've dug up some delicious DIYs to carry you through this winter season! Bonus, they make perfect handmade gifts.

Evergreen Lip Balm

Our super sensitive puckers are left on their own to brave the elements. Smooth, shine, and refresh your lips with this grounding lip balm!

Supplies

• lip balm tin

• double boiler (or a glass bowl fit into a saucepan)

• grated beeswax

• virgin organic coconut oil

• organic raw honey

• vitamin E capsules

• toothpick

• your favorite evergreen EO (mine is Plant Guru’s “Deep Forest”)

How To

Add 1 TBSP beeswax to double boiler at low heat. When halfway melted add in 1 TBSP coconut oil. Melt together, then add 2 vitamin E capsules or ½ tsp. Remove from heat and quickly mix in-dash of honey and a few drops EO. Add mixture to the tin container before it solidifies. In order to keep ingredients from separating, continue to stir with a toothpick until the mixture is more solid.

Benefits

Beeswax is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and full of antioxidants. Heals damaged skin and protects against UV rays. Locks in moisture, soothes dryness, contains vitamin A for healthy cell development.

Coconut oil contains lauric acid that dives deep into the skin barrier to relieve inflammation.

Honey sucks moisture from the air and locks it into your skin, a natural exfoliant, heals, nourishes, protects.

Vitamin E fights off free radicals, softens skin.

Evergreen is a grounding scent that promotes harmony and clarity.

Vanilla Bean Body Oil

This sensual body spray is my new favorite. It smells heavenly and its added health benefits make it a cold-weather must-have.

Supplies

• glass spray bottle

• macadamia nut oil

• sweet almond oil

• 2 organic vanilla beans

• vanilla essential oil (optional)

How To

Combine equal parts macadamia nut oil and sweet almond oil into your glass spray bottle. Cut vanilla beans in half (lengthwise) and add to oil. The vanilla beans can take some time to infuse with the oils. For instant aroma add a few drops of vanilla essential oil. Spritz the oil on after your shower to seal in moisture! Once you’ve used up the oil, salvage the vanilla seeds and use them as a facial exfoliant or add to a body scrub!

Benefits

Macadamia nut oil is lightweight, reduces itching and inflammation; linoleic fatty acid helps skin retain moisture.

Sweet almond oil has 200% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin E, packed full of antioxidants that help protect against UV damage, contains vitamin A that can help prevent acne, helps with psoriasis and eczema.

Vanilla anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, contains antioxidants, packed with vitamin B for healthy skin! The scent of vanilla is said to promote feelings of well being, and the Mayans even believed it to be an aphrodisiac!

Homemade Honey Cough Syrup

Every year, I think I'm in the clear. And then...it hits me! Bam! That first cough/cold combo of the season is bound to happen. Whip up a batch of this cough syrup while you’re feeling good so you can tackle that sickness with a vengeance when it comes your way. You can even start taking some now as a preventative! This recipe will stay good for a few weeks when stored in a cool and dry environment.

Supplies

• raw or manuka honey

• ground ginger (fresh or dried)

• ground black pepper

• lemon

• ground thyme (fresh or dried)

• water

• mixing bowl

• mason jar with lid

How To

Mix 10 TBSP honey with 4 TBSP warm water. Stir in 1 ½ tsp each of thyme, ginger, and pepper. Squeeze in the juice of ½ of a lemon. Mix together thoroughly. Store in a sealed container.

Benefits

Honey coats irritated membranes with its strong antibacterial properties.

Ginger is a natural expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and helps sweat toxins out of the body; antiviral.

Lemon is super immune-boosting packed with vitamin C.

Black pepper is antibacterial, packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, and helps loosen phlegm when used with honey.

Thyme opens and relaxes airways, reduces inflammation.

Now you’re ready to take on wintertime like a glowing goddess. I hope you enjoy these blends as much as I have! Do you have a favorite winter self-care recipe? I’d love to hear about it, feel free to contact us.

DIY Crystal Infused Elixirs

I love discovering all the ways I can add a little more sparkle to my life! And let me just say, you are going to love my newest find! When it comes to beauty and wellness I'll take all the help I can get. Crystal elixirs are becoming the newest part of my regimen. I'm so happy to be letting you in on this little bit of magic that you can use to spark up your routine!

The Back Story

Crystal elixirs are no modern craze. In fact, they were all the rage in ancient cultures! Some crystals have long been esteemed as heavenly stones. They were put to use in Neolithic times for fashioning tools and weapons, by the Pharaohs and Indian culture for curing disease, and get this...Chinese emperors used to drink a powder form of crystals and herbs to achieve immortality!! Ummm, not sure if immortality is my aim, but wouldn't you love to add a little youth to your day!?

How it Works

Today, companies are selling crystal elixirs in the form of waters and beauty products. Here's a fun little tidbit. When evaluating the difference between tap water and water treated with crystals, Institute Hagalis (an international research company), determined that in the crystal treated water there was "a distinct improvement in water quality, neutralization of harmful substances, improvement of the pH-value and oxygen content, increase in bioavailability of minerals, and an increase in energy balance." Wow!

Also interesting is that the energy of the crystal can be transferred to the product it's being used in. KORA Organics beauty line uses crystal-infused water in their products. The process incorporates rose quartz "to give the vibration of self-love." Sounds amazing!

The Cost of Luxury

While I wish I could just add all of these products to my shopping cart with the click of a mouse, they'll cost you a pretty penny.

You can find Vitajuwel's Gem Water on Amazon for $87, which is a steal compared to some of their other products. Over $340 for their Golden Moments Crystal edition water, or a whopping $624 for the GranFontana Sunny Morning Set! Vitajuwel's products are utterly delectable though, so maybe jot down one of their Gem Wands onto your holiday wish list this year!

DIY Solutions

Budget worthy DIYs are definitely the way to go with crystal elixirs. You can tailor them to your exact needs, and incorporate your current stash.

Crystal Infused Water

1. Select a crystal that speaks to your needs. We’ll be using amethyst for this DIY.

2. Cleanse the amethyst with warm filtered water and incorporate any other cleansing routine that works for you, such as smoke cleansing.

3. Put the amethyst in a glass bowl and cover them with filtered water.

4. Charge your water in the sunlight or moonlight.

5. Enjoy your amethyst infused water!

Amethyst relieves headaches, as well as promotes good dreams and healthy skin. Add some lavender to your water and use it as a nighttime foot soak as you wind down from a long day!

Crystal Infused Face Mist

Instead of adding lavender to your crystal infused water, take advantage of amethyst’s properties for healthy skin by making this moisturizing facial mist!

1. Add your amethyst infused water to a 4 oz. glass spray bottle.

2. Add ¼ tsp of argan oil.

3. Add 12 drops of rose oil.

4. Add some rinsed amethysts directly into your bottle (optional).

5. Shake well.

6. Mist cleanse your face while repeating affirmations of self-love!

My skin has been loving me for this new elixir plus it smells like fresh roses. Rose and Argan oil offer a host of healing benefits for your skin including helping with acne, dry skin, and skin permeability.

Have a favorite crystal blend that you use? I’d love to hear about it!

How to Celebrate The Autumn Equinox

All year long you’ve been cultivating your spiritual toolbox! With the coming darkness of the Autumn Equinox, this is the time to reflect on the things you’ve been working on and maybe even transfer some of your good jujus to your surrounding community.September 22nd of this year will mark the equinox. Use this time to honor the changing of the seasons. You can do this by commemorating Mabon!

What is Mabon?

Mabon is the Pagan/Wiccan celebration of the Autumn Equinox. It was used as a time to pause and celebrate the second harvest of the season. It is still celebrated today but more often as a time to have gratitude and share abundance with others.I've gathered some celebratory tips that will get you in the mood for fall and leave your heart feeling full and grateful.

Find Balance

The Autumn Equinox brings us back to a time of equal darkness and light. Interestingly enough, this is the day that the sun moves into Libra! And guess what?! Yep, Libra’s symbol is the all too familiar balancing scales.

Creating balance within yourself is a way to feed your soul that will undoubtedly have a ripple effect on the people surrounding you. By keeping yourself in balance you shed positive light and energy...and hopefully, a little bit of good karma will come back around your way, too!

Some tips for bringing balance into your day:

• Disconnect! Make a plan to build in some tech-free downtime into your day.

• Balance your energy by taking a long walk (without your phone!)

• Invite a friend over for tea, and enjoy the lost art of conversation over tea and scones.

• Skip your vinyasa yoga class for a restorative one.

• Do an energy reset meditation.

Apple Picking

While most other fields are bare by now, this is apple picking season! Frolic through an orchard and reap the benefits. Apples are thought to be magical and are even used in some forms of divination!

A delicious tip for bringing apples into your home:

• Fill your home with the magic of apples by creating a stovetop potpourri! Anyone who you have over will be tricked into thinking there’s a yummy apple pie hiding somewhere!

• Ingredients: 3 cups water, 1 apple, 3 cinnamon sticks, ½ tsp nutmeg, 15 whole cloves.

• Directions: Cut apple and add all ingredients to small saucepan. Cover all ingredients with water. Keep the potpourri on low heat to fill your home with a sweet fragrance! (Be sure to turn off the heat when you are asleep or away from your home.)

Feel the Gratitude & Share the Abundance

During times when the well-being of a family rested solely on their farm’s harvest, people knew the importance of helping out their neighbors who did not have a good year in the fields. Whether it be spiritually or physically, perhaps this season has gifted you with an abundance.

Some tips for feeling the love and sharing it with others:

• First, you’ll want to get into the right frame of mind. The best way to do this is to have a gratitude ritual. Find some quiet time, grab your favorite crystals, incense, and maybe some fall-inspired bits and pieces. Lay out your items, arrange them in a grid or any way that feels right to you, and meditate on things you’re grateful for. This activity is intuitive and open, make it what you want, the most important thing is to focus on what you’re grateful for.

• Donate towels, sheets, and newspapers to animal shelters. If you have the extra time in your schedule, sign up to take your animal friends for a special walk while they wait to meet their furever family.

• Host a dinner for your friends and family. Invite some new friends, too!

Do you have a favorite Mabon or Autumn Equinox ritual that I didn’t cover? I’d love to hear about it. I hope these tips will come in handy, now go out and spread the love, happy Mabon! Find more rituals for Mabon here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

5 Simple Full Moon Rituals

Here we are, at the culmination of everything you set out to manifest with the new moon. You planted seeds of goals and intentions with all of your best effort and resources, and you have finally arrived at the full moon.On the 16th of this month, the moon will shine in all of her full-bodied glory. The full moon will be at her peak of life and power, and I'm going to share with you a few ways to tap into this power!

Burn a Habit

It's been said that the light of the full moon illuminates the things that no longer serve us. Take advantage of this by releasing fears, bad habits, and negative self-talk. How, you ask? Burn them to the ground! (With caution of course.) This ritual will serve you best if performed on the waning moon side of the full moon, which is usually the second day of the full moon.

Under the light of the full moon write down these items on little slips of paper. Add them to a mason jar with a lit candle in it (OR if you are super rad and have a cauldron handy, then use that instead). As you see, these “bad habits” go up in smoke. Send them up to the moon!

Gratitude List

Since the new moon, you have been manifesting your intentions and surely you have experienced some success! Begin a list that includes all you have to be grateful for. Don't forget to include the items you perceive as failures. There are lessons to be learned there! When you’ve completed your list, give a gift back to the moon for all she’s given you! Try an offering of dried flower petals.

Smoke Cleansing

The energy of the full moon is extremely purifying, couple this with your favorite cleansing smoke for a powerful combo! There are a variety of herbs to choose from for this purpose. Fallen cedar, lavender, mugwort, and desert sage are all great options! Waft the smoke around yourself and your space while visualizing any negative energy floating away with the smoke, then visualize purifying light from the moon filling in the place of any negative energy.

Ask for More

Float your desires in water to ask for an increase of something in your life. The moon has a special relationship with water. The energy of the earth and the moon pull at each other, but the earth just can’t hold onto its water. During a full moon, the Earth’s tides are amplified. So, to amplify results for your desires, float them in water in a glass bowl under the light of a full moon. This ritual will serve you best if performed on the waxing moon side of the full moon, which will be the first day of the full moon.

Moon Bath

Use the full moon’s detoxifying properties to draw out mental, emotional and physical toxins. If possible, add Himalayan salt crystals to your bath during the full moon. Himalayan salt crystals are a super pure mineral-rich salt that is mined from ancient sea beds. It has a number of detoxifying benefits...balancing pH, reducing inflammation...and when mixed with water this crystal's energy can be felt in full force! Dissolve 1-2 cups of Himalayan salt in warm water for your cleansing moon bath!

I hope you enjoy these tips and make it a regular practice to honor the moon’s cycle. By doing so you will align yourself with the rhythms of Mother Moon and feel more in sync with Divine Feminine energy.

The Power of Altars // 5 Steps to Create Your Sacred Space

Loss and change are an integral part of our human experience. I’m sure you’ve experienced your own passages through pain and hardships. Whether you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, a bad breakup, a sudden change in career path, or all of the above, these life experiences can leave us feeling isolated and lost.Even if you’re not going through a hardship at this moment, loss and change are inevitable. Today I want to share my story of the power of altars in my life and how you can use them as a healing tool in your life as well.

What is an Altar?

An altar is simply a space with a collection of items that hold significance to you, and they are often created around a theme. They can vary in size from a couple of items on a window sill to a large decorative display.Altars are a place that can hold energetic space for you, they are a place of reflection and meditation and a great place to conduct meaningful rituals.

My Experience with the Power of Altars

I’ve always loved the idea of having an altar, but to be honest, mostly just as a cute place to put my crystals. It wasn’t until the sudden loss of my grandma and father that the use of an altar became a powerful healing tool in my life.

I’m not going to lie, when I was in the depth of my sadness and a spiritual coach suggested an altar to help deal with my grief, I didn’t believe it would help. I thought I had too much sadness within me for a box with some stuff in it to help. But, I listened, kept an open mind, and decided to try what was suggested to me.

With my altar in place, I not only had space for my sadness to be felt but more importantly a place that my sadness could be held. If I had a bad day, it brought me comfort to know that I had a designated space for all of my feelings that I could visit anytime I wanted to.Because my experience with this altar was so meaningful I’ve gone on to create a second altar to honor my goals and for holding rituals, and have found it to be just as powerful and healing.

How to Create Your Own Altar or Sacred Space

So, where do you start? There is no reason to be daunted by the idea of creating an altar. Starting out, your altar or sacred space can be as simple as a collection of a few meaningful objects. Your altar is fluid and will never be finished, so it doesn’t have to be “perfect” when you start yours.

5 Steps to Create Your Own Altar

1. Decide what the purpose of your altar will be. Here are some ideas: memorial altar, meditation altar, goals altar, and ritual altar, seasonal altar but any loving purpose you desire will work.

2. Choose a space that fits the theme of the altar. If you’re creating a meditation altar you’ll want to place it somewhere that you’ll have uninterrupted quiet. For a memorial altar, it was important for me to have mine somewhere that I could easily see it and could have privacy.

3. Clear the space (optional). Though it’s not a necessity, it is nice to clear the space of your altar. Do this with a herb or incense of your choice.

4. Select your items for the altar. Find items that you’re drawn to, and that fit the theme of your altar. If you’re making an altar for reaching your goals consider researching crystals that are good for goal-setting. If you’re creating a ritual altar consider what items you might need to create your rituals.

5. Arrange your items and make a commitment to spend a little bit of time each day with your altar. Spending time with your altar can be as simple as looking at it in passing or simply touching an item on it for a moment. I found that daily contact of some sort with my altars has been helpful.

Here are a couple of my favorite shops for altars and altar pieces:

• Altar Shelves: Stone and Violet

• Altar pieces: The Lunar Fae Shop

• Animal Totems: Periwinkle Nuthatch

• Ritual Tools: The Ritual Store

Remember your altar is an extension of your soul and they’ll vary greatly in size, style, and appearance--there’s really no wrong way to do it. Let me know how your altar turns out, feel free to share a picture with me, or if you already have an altar I’d love to hear about your experience with it! Please feel free to send me a message.

Magic Charm Bags for Protection, Love, Luck & Health

Need a sprinkle of magic in your summer? Known in Voodoo as “gris-gris,” or to Native American’s as “medicine bags,” these good ol’ fashioned spells in a bag are sure to bring some magic into your life! For me, charm bags have some nostalgia surrounding them.

Growing up with my Grandma referencing her astrological charts and talking to spirits with her pendulum, I became very open-minded to all things woo woo. Though charm bags weren’t Grandma’s thing, I stumbled upon some magic books at a young age and was hooked. I created my first charm bag during middle school, in hopes to improve my relationship with my Mom. Like any good teen, I argued with her a lot. I’m not sure if it was the intention or true magic but our relationship did improve from that point forward!

This summer season, entertain your inner child by creating a custom charm bag (or two)!! I’ve got everything covered for you, from the container to its contents, a prayer to empower your charms, and even some printable “recipe” cards to have as reminders!

When choosing a bag it’s important to pick an appropriate color that reflects the purpose of your spell, lucky for you I’ve done all of the work on these details! Don’t have all of the herbs or all of the crystals for each one? Don’t fret, using one or two from each category is fine. Remember, the intention behind your charm bag is the most important part.

Protection

Bag Color: Red, black, or gold

Herbs: Betony (protects against malicious fairies), cedar, cinnamon, mint

Gemstones: Black tourmaline, amber, malachite

Charm: Shell (to symbolize a hard protective surface) or a piece of a broom (to brush away negativity)

Prayer: “Minions of the dark now quit this place, for only light will I embrace.”Imagine protective energy pouring into the bag and creating a force field of light around you as you place each item in the bag.

Luck

Bag Color: Silver, gold, or green

Herbs: Nutmeg, clover, ginger, fenugreek

Gemstones: Sunstone, moss agate, tiger’s eye

Charm: Moss; both Spanish and Irish moss are known to bring luck. Also, a horseshoe figurine.

Prayer: “Fortune smile on me this day, may all I need come my way.”

Imagine your hopes and dreams coming to you easily and effortlessly as you place each item in the bag.

Love

Bag Color: Red, PinkHerbs: Lavender, rose petals, a stick of cinnamon for passionate love

Gemstones: Rose quartz, copper, pink kunzite

Charm: Maple leaf; the sap of the maple tree makes sweet, rich syrup. So, the maple leaf symbolizes rich and full love. Or a triangle object to represent the love in the union of a mother, father, and child.

Prayer: “By air, earth, fire, and sea. Bring love to me.”

Concentrate deeply on the kind of love you want to bring into your life as you place each item in the bag.

Health

Bag Color: Yellow, blue

Herbs: Peppermint, St. Johns Wort, Thyme

Gemstones: Amethyst, sunstone

Charm: Toadstone or something to symbolize the sun. The sun is the heart of the solar system and provides life to all living things on Earth, so it is a preferred talisman for health.

Prayer: “Keep my mind and body strong and fit. Strengthen both my heart and wit.”

Visualize yourself at your perfect physical and mental health as you place each item in the bag.

Carry your charm bag in your pocket, display them on an altar or prominent place to remind you of its intention, or gift it to a friend. Just like your crystals, you can set your charm bags out in the light of the full moon to give them a good cleaning. Whether it be for protection, luck, love, or health, have fun in the childlike wonder and playfulness of creating your charm bag!