Day after White Christmas

Everyone always talks of having a white Christmas, but no one ever talks about the "day after" white Christmas. Even though it was the day after it was still magical to see, especially after such a hard year. We drove through the city looking at how clean and white everything was. It almost felt like we were in the wrong city. Everything looks different covered in a thick blanket of snow.

Five Simple Things (December 24)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This House.

We did simple, sustainable decorations this year. I enjoyed the fact that they were easy to clean up and didn't take much to make the house look cute and festive. Best part is, when the holidays are over I can throw them into the compost, or even into the duck house for bedding.

2. This Surf.

We took off this week for a surf trip, but only got a few waves in before a storm rolled in. The wind picked up so much it turned the seven foot swells into 13 foot swells. We tried to stick it out, but decided against it. Everyone else in the water followed us out, as well. It was good surfing otherwise, though and we are all three getting better at navigating in larger swells and especially ones that are unpredictable. 

3. These Pomanders.

Skylar and I spent the day making eco-friendly Christmas decorations this past week. These pomanders are super easy to make and the smell of them with the whole cloves is one of my favorite smells around the holidays. Along with these, we also made another decoration with oranges below. The best part of these decorations is that they can be composted after their time is done.

4. These Cutters.

I found these small cookie cutters at our local Walmart and used them to cut out small orange peel decorations for Christmas. These are super easy to make and smell amazing as they dry out. We will probably keep these hanging in the window even after the holidays. You can get the same set here.

5. These Samples.

I received these three items for testing purposes. The Dove deodorant was a great concept, I really like the fact that it can be refilled without throwing away the entire container. The downside to this product is the refills come in a plastic container and that ends up in the landfill just as a plastic deodorant case would. Although, the concept is great, it needs improvement still. And, the smell was a bit much for me. I plan on trying out the other scent, but the cucumber and green tea was not a scent I enjoyed. You can get this deodorant here. The second samples are from Influenster. It's from Almay and it's their Clear Complexion line that's formulated with salicylic acid, prebiotics, and aloe. It's formulated for acne-prone skin and is part of the #YourBreakoutMakeup campaign. I really enjoyed the Clear Complexion Concealer, but the Clear Complexion Makeup broke me out and dried my face out a lot. The concealer was a great coverage makeup to wear all day, and I highly recommend it. You can pick up the concealer here. The one pictured here is in the shade 100 Light. And, if you wanted to give the makeup a try, you can snag it here and try it yourself. The one pictured here is in shade 200 Buff.

Did you catch Uranus near the Moon this week (15), or the Full Oak Moon (18), and the Winter Solstice (21), and Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn lined up (23)...

            

 

Positive affirmations this week.

Have a nice weekend, and a nice holiday.

Sometimes Wants (Winter)

These are the winter time "Sometimes Wants" that have caught my eye lately.

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1. Rose Beauty Balm

2. Bee's Wrap Extra Large Roll of Reusable Food Wrap

3. Inesscents Salvation CBD Moontime Harmony Skin Salve

4. CBD Sheet Mask Set 

5. Copper Metal Refillable Floss Pick

6. Mouthwash Tab (Crème de Menthe)

7. Sweet Baby Orange Shampoo

8. CBD Gummies (Full-Spectrum)

9. Organic Stress & Fatigue Formula

10. Onyx Stainless Steel Ice Cube Tray

With the winter season my skin, as I age, gets a lot more dry. I have been using the Badger Balm Rose Beauty Balm and it has helped a great deal in combating a lot of dry skin. I also use this balm on my hands, elbows, and my knees. We have completely cut out plastic in our home. No matter what, a few things slip through the door from time to time, but as far as purposely bringing plastic in we have gotten into a routine of changing our habits. Along with those habit shifts we have cut out the use of plastic wrap and plastic bags completely. In place of it we have been using Bee's Wrap. Of course, there are a lot of other brands out there, but we stand strong with the original Bee's Wrap food wrap for most of our food wrap. Since Burt's Bees ended their BooBoo Stick, it took me awhile to find a proper replacement. I found it in this Inesscents Skin Salve. Perfect for booboos, cuts, and even dry skin. CBD has become a staple in our house from its healing properties to it's calming properties. These sheet masks are amazing and definitely something to add to your selfcare Sunday routine. Flossing is a necessity and this reusable pick is a hit in our house, as well as the mouthwash tablets. We have all been enjoying the Sweet Baby Orange Shampoo. It smells amazing and it's made with natural ingredients and plant based cleansers. More on the CBD additions, these gummies are great for aches, pains, and anxiety. I've been using them at night, especially this time of year, which is the hardest for me. The holidays brings on a lot of anxious thoughts, and panic issues, and I like to use these gummies at night to help relax my mind. I also have been using the Stress & Fatigue Formula to help with my seasonal depression, and PTSD. We also do not have an ice maker in our house, so this stainless steel ice cube tray has been a great substitute for an ice maker. During the holidays and even throughout the year it's nice to have a glass of iced something on hot days and even sitting in front of our fireplace relaxing. These are all of my favorite things right now and I hope some of them peek your interest and become your favorites, as well. Happy winter solstice!