February Favorites

This is a new series that I’ll be sharing on the last day of each month, a collection of favorite things that I’ve been using in my everyday life that I hope you’ll love like I do. These can be beauty products, recipes, accessories, whatever. Just a chronicle of great things!

 

1/ Oregon Chai Sugar Free Chai Tea Latte Concentrate
I’m diabetic and have been missing chai lattes since my diagnosis almost three years ago. While grocery shopping last month I found this sugar-free concentrate that I’ve been using to make dirty chai lattes (coffee + chai) and get my fix.

2/ Makers of Wax Goods Wood Wick Bourbon Candle
Sometime last year I picked a smaller size of this candle at Marshall’s because I really loved the packaging, but I feel even harder for the scent itself. Since then I’ve been addicted and have this candle in three rooms of my house!

3/ Dr. Jart+ Water Drop Hydrating Moisturizer
My skin has been flipping out this winter – flakey and breaking out. I’ve had to amp up my skincare game in a big way and this moisturizer is my latest discovery. It’s so lightweight, is absorbed immediately, and makes my skin feel plump and nourished.

4/ Scentered Therapy Balms
Part of my bedtime routine, somewhere between feeding the cats and reading Twitter one last time, includes the Sleep Well balm. I just rub some on my wrists and breathe deeply in and out five times. During the day I rely on the Stress Less to help keep me focused.

5/ First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Sleeping Cream
I alternate between three different moisturizers depending on how my skin is behaving. This one is great to put on before going to sleep when I’ve had an especially stressful day and maybe haven’t eaten the best.

6/ Sephora Collection Lotus Face Mask
For Christmas my friend sent me a package full of different sheet masks and this one has made me a devotee. (You can actually get two uses out of sheet masks if you put them back in their package and make sure it’s tightly closed.)

7/ Herbivore Botanicals Jasmine Body Oil
Again with the dry skin. This body oil is super pure and smells heavenly, so much so that I skip the perfume on days I wear it.

8/ Fashionable Mini Tirhas Saddlebag
This bag was a Christmas gift from my stepdad that I’ve been carrying every day since. I’m a longtime fan of Fashionable and the quality of this piece is outstanding.

9/ NOW Rosemary Essential Oil
I’ve been adding this rosemary essential oil to my diffuser every afternoon before turning it on for an afternoon pick-me-up. It makes the entire first floor smell so fresh and clean.

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Richard Yasmine / Ashkal

 

Richard Yasmine created Ashkal for the Sursock museum store, an ode to the reflection of a human’s soul as a nostalgic yet contemporarily design and Sursock’s history. Ashkal means shapes, or in this case faces. The series of magical yet simple vanity hand mirrors – a circle, a square, a rectangle, an oval, a pentagon and a triangle – are all made of a mirrored stainless steel fixed on a golden brushed brass pedestal.

 

 

 

 

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Decked Out for Valentine’s Day

LOVE IS LOVE! Valentine’s Day is a favorite of mine, even though I’m almost always single when it rolls around. To me the day is about love in all its many forms and any reason to celebrate it is a good one, especially lately. Check out these printables, recipes, accessories, and more for a super decked out February 14th!

 

ROW 1: Printable Valentine Stickers // Printable Hot Tea Pyramids   ROW 2: Stripe Shirt with Heart Collar // Sugar Cookie Bars // The Love Spell Cocktail   ROW 3: Valentine’s Day Almond Cake // Valentine’s Day Treat Bags // Woman of Many Hearts Shades   ROW 4: Printable Tags for Valentine’s Day // Marbled Raspberry Dark Chocolate Valentine’s Day Bark // Red and Spotted D’orsay Flat

 

ROW 1: Acrylic Heart Frame // All Around Giant Heart Towel // Always and Forever Bunting   ROW 2: Arrow Cocktail Stirrers // Brass Heart Box // Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Valentine’s Hearts   ROW 3: Chocolate Pots de Crème // Coffee Lover Mug // Conversation Heart Ice Cream   ROW 4: Heart Necklace // DIY Hugs & Kisses Garland // DIY Pompom Heart Wreath

 

ROW 1: Rose Painted Valentine Cake // DIY Rose Petal Bath Salts // DIY Valentine Bouquet Wraps + Printable Love Quotes   ROW 2: DIY Valentine Heart Magnets // DIY Valentine’s Day Wall Hangings // Gold Heart Earrings   ROW 3: Graffiti Painted Clutch // Heart Print Sweatshirt // Heart Shaped Double Wall Glass Mug   ROW 4: Heart-Shaped Rose Tart // Jute Heart Rug // Love Potion #9 Martini

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10 Tips for De-Stressing This December with Rescue Remedy

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I’m so stressed. It’s something we hear someone say or think to ourselves at least once a day. Stress is one of those facts of life that can seem inescapable at times, especially during the holidays. December has been a hot point for me since at least college, when I associated it with finals and traveling. Today the sources are more along the lines of budgeting for holiday gifts and the uptick in Q4 blogging, but it’s there nonetheless, from mid-November through the New Year I just can’t seem to shake it.

 

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This go ’round I’m partnering with Rescue to try and help ease stressful moments. Developed by a doctor nearly 80 years ago, the Rescue brand aims to help you keep calm, cool, and collected when you’re feeling anything but. I’ve been reaching for three of their products throughout the day for the past month – black currant Rescue pastilles at my desk, Rescue Remedy spray when I’m on the go (I keep it in my purse), and Rescue vitamins by my bedside before bed. Each provides gentle, non-habit-forming stress relief just when I need it. Their lines even includes products for children and pets, so there’s literally something for everyone when they need to calm down.

 

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Let’s talk about some other ways to step out of the red zone when you feel stress and anxiety make themselves known. Along with Rescue products, my go-tos are pictured through the post – lighting a relaxing candle, making a cup of tea, or taking a moment to pick up some flowers.

Eat well. Your immune system becomes compromised when you’re stressed, making it harder to recover if you come down with something. Reach for dark greens, herbal teas, and proteins.

Go outside. Sit on the porch or go for a hike, just get some fresh air. Be present and try and let go of whatever is getting under your skin, even if it’s only for a five minute walk around the neighborhood.

Learn to say no. Whether it’s to a project or a night out, know your limits and respect them. Mental health is just as important as physical and you need to know those limits.

Try meditation. I’m loving the Headspace app for short ten minute stints. Focusing on little other than breathing does wonders for centering yourself before getting back at it.

Talk it out. Reach out to that friend or family member who inevitably makes you laugh or reminds you how good you have it. In this digital age we sometimes take human contact and its effects for granted.

 

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List what you’re thankful for. Don’t let negative, stressful feelings get the better of you. Instead take a moment to think of what you’re grateful for, what makes you smile, and what brings you joy. Make it in your head or jot things down to hang up as a reminder when you most need it.

Get moving. In whatever way you feel most comfortable – if you have dogs take them for a walk, if you belong to a gym make it part of your routine, if you like to run chart out a course. By increasing your heart rate you’re like to eliminate built up anxieties in the process.

Stay hydrated. Take a five minute break in between tasks to drink a glass of water. Even better, keep a carafe on your desk so you don’t have an excuse not to. Infuse it with fruits or herbs if plain H2O just isn’t your thing or as more of an incentive to drink more.

Go to sleep. It’s what our bodies require to recover from a multitude of things, including stress. Make sure you’re getting the appropriate amount of hours every night, and if you can swing add in a thirty minute power nap a few afternoons a week.

Put it in perspective. Chances are whatever is stressing you out isn’t the end of the world. Make plans to volunteer at a food bank or animal shelter, make a donation to a charity you believe in, or just realize how lucky you are to have humankind’s basic needs available to you.

 

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This post sponsored by Rescue, find out where to pick up your own stress relief here. All words and opinions are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the brand that help Design Crush create fresh content!

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20 Super Rad Gifts

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1/ a black cast iron fondue set for your cousin who wants to borrow yours
2/ a set of four brew espresso cups for someone who can’t stop won’t stop
3/ a chic candle snuffer for your mom who always has one burning
4/ a ceramic flask for your uncle who loves the outdoors

 

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5/ a double ended highlighter set for the students in your life
6/ an Esym scent pod for your best friend’s stocking
7/ a pair of gold agate bookends for your aunt who’s a librarian
8/ a Juniper 37G knife for your friend who always has one in their pocket

 

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9/ a Lomo Instant Sanremo + 3 lenses for your dad who loves photography
10/ an overdue notecard set for your grandmother who still writes to her childhood friend
11/ a maple sugar cube for the sweet-tooth
12/ a set of four frosted stout beer glasses for your friend who loves craft beer

 

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13/ a One iOS lightning charger for the workaholic
14/ a SOMA glass water bottle for your super healthy aunt
15/ a Soundflex bluetooth speaker for your friend who bikes every weekend
16/ a standing pen for the one who’s forever asking to borrow one

 

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17/ a torq nutcraker for your grandfather who loves snacking on nuts by a fire
18/ an acrylic chess set for your best friend’s uber smart kiddo
19/ Wild Medicine soap & crystal for your boho pal
20/ a bottle of winter oil bath for the one who needs to slow down and relax

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Take a Whiff of These Fragrances

You’re probably changing up your wardrobe for autumn, but have you thought about changing up your fragrance? Warm weather scents tend to be lighter, more floral or fruity. While cool weather scents can afford to be a bit stronger, think musks and earthy undertones. Do you change your scent with the seasons?

 

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ROW 1: 1996 by Byredo // Bless this Mess. by anese    ROW 2: Dark Wave by OLO // Gold by Commodity // REPLICA Lazy Sunday Morning by Maison Margiela    ROW 3: More Than the Stars by Olivine Atelier // Nirvana Bourbon by Elizabeth and James // Phoenix by MCMC    ROW 4: Ritual by Smoke // Room Service by Vilhelm // Rose Atlantic by D.S. & Durga    ROW 5: Scorpio by Strange Invisible Perfumes // Silent Films by Goest // Tobacco Vanilla by Tom Ford

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