5 Must-Haves In My Summer Bag (+ 5 kiddo add-ons!)

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It's the first day of summer over here, and we are celebrating! We've already had a handful of days over at the pool, but since both of my boys are out of their preschool program for the summer, today makes it feel truly official.

I wanted to share a few essentials that I keep stocked in my summer bag - the contents don't change much whether we head to the pool, the park or the zoo. I even keep a stocked kit of most of these in our golf cart, since we hit the town via the cart paths almost daily in the summertime.

1. Sunscreen.
This summer I'm trying out Coola for myself and Bare Republic for my kids. I am always on the hunt for non-toxic sunscreen that doesn't turn my skin completely white, so I will make sure to report back if I love these versions.

2. Lip Balm.
Lately I am loving this 3-pack of lip balms from DoTERRA. Obviously I'm a big fan of my stellar essential oil brand, and they have a slew of lifestyle products that I have really gotten on board with. This pack is one of them - one for me, one for Stevie and one for Everett (because he begged for his own and I'm a softie.)

3. Water!
I've been a bad girl lately about drinking water - I need to make a goal for myself and just chug it each day! I go in spurts with doing this well and thennnnn not really. But I do love drinking out of stainless steel - my friend Becca got me this amazing water bottle and I love it so much that I got them for everyone in my family. I am also a water hybrid weirdo - I am obsessed with sparkling water, coconut water, adding essential oils to my water, and Spindrift (sparkling water with real fruit added in - no "natural flavors" garbage!) So even though I have trouble hitting my plain-water quota, I'm still getting there. Technically.

4. Hat. Hat. Hat.
I am in a baseball cap 4 days a week, minimum. Mom life my friends. I found this darling hat over on my friend Sarah's instagram and gosh, aren't they the cutest? Might need to add this one into my summer mix.

5. Sunglasses.
Some day I will graduate to big girl sunglasses. But these days my sunglasses are just a pawn in my children's games and they really can't be trusted with Karen Walker sunnies. So I am always rocking a $12 pair from Target! I absolutely love this pair and this pair, although I admit, over at RAW Bronzing studio they have some incredible looking Quay glasses that I'm feeling temped toward ;)

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Things that I add to my bag for my kids (because let's face it, my bag is really dictated by their needs #momwhipped):

1. Diapers and Wipes.
If you're in this phase of life - yeah. You need them everywhere and all the time. And especially when its super inconvenient - that's always when we need diapers! I like to throw diapers and wipes in a large zip-top bag to keep the wipes from "sweating" all over things in the rest of my bag.

2. Non-perishable snacks.
When you're on the go, you've got to be able to pull out some yummy snacks! We love Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, raisin packets & dried cranberry packets, Kale chips, and apple sauce pouches. When I have a mini cooler to take for a day's outing, I will also throw in some string cheese, Cutie clementines peeled and pulled apart,

3. Band-aids.
Because for some reason, we tend to need them more in the summer? Must be all that running to fetch popsicles. These Oh Joy bandaids are beyond cute, but not really for my boys, so Everett loves these Dory ones! In fact he's been known to ask for a band aid even when he doesn't need one...

5. Bug Spray.
In Georgia, the mosquitoes have the power and might of small birds. And we have to protect ourselves accordingly. I have been using this Terrashield oil to make my own bug spray bottle and it's worked beautifully so far! It's a blend of essential oils that repels insects and it's basically become my best friend, because I have the blood type that allllll the bug like a taste of. Gross. PS it also comes in a Bug Spray form, I just haven't tried it yet.

Bathing Suit c/o Yandy - top here, bottoms here

Bathing Suit c/o Yandy - top here, bottoms here

I'd love to hear what you keep stocked in your bag for summer adventures! Is there anything I should be adding into my mix? Would love to hear from you! Happy "official" summer break to you, friends!

P.S. - I shared more about keeping my skin glowing yet super protected this summer HERE.

DIY Cousin Relay Races!

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This post is sponsored by Taste Nirvana. All opinions are my own.

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The weather has finally turned warm for good here in Georgia! We decided to celebrate this happy occasion in a big way by throwing together a little relay race for my boys and all their cousins. Or at least, the ones that live nearby! It was so much fun getting these kids together and introducing Everett to the concept of relays! Daxton, too, except he mostly toddled around and stared in awe at all his big cousins. It was hilarious and chaotic and exhilarating and all the kids went home exhausted (#momwin). And as a result, now I fear I've introduced the notion of competitive play that cannot be undone. Everett keeps asking how fast he is, over and over again...

I found a few relays online and I thought it would be fun to share! A series of relay races could make such a stupendous playtime activity, birthday party, or even summer holiday celebration! And the best part is that you probably have most of the supplies you need in your garage. A big shout out goes out to my sis-in-law Lauren - she came up with the idea to host a relay race and I just took the baton and ran with it ( ohhh see what I did there? I might be a mom but I can rock some Dad jokes.)

You probably know how to put on a relay race (anyone else having middle school flashbacks or is that just me...?), but in case you need a refresher, the premise is that you have at least two teams with an even number of players working together to complete a series of circuits. The team to finish first wins! I picked up some practice jerseys for the kids to wear and used cones to mark the starting and finish line for each team, but you could get away without using them! The fun of these relays is you can really use your imagination - the sillier the better in my book!

Relays:

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1. Egg Walk

Place a hard boiled egg on a spoon and walk (or run!) as quickly as possible to the finish line cone, walk around it and head back to your team as quickly as you came! *We actually used some wooden eggs that were leftover from an Easter project and they required no clean up!
Supplies Used: These wooden eggs and spoons

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2. Golf Ball Waiter

Place a golf ball on a frisbee (flipped over, so the golf ball stays within the lip but moves freely). Using only one hand, balance the frisbee like a waiter and run to the end of the relay and back again. Then tag the next person on your team - the race is finished when each person on your team has gone!
Supplies: Golf balls, frisbees

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3. Bat Spin

Position a bat at the end of the relay (I mark this spot with a cone). Run to the bat, put your forehead on the top, and spin around three times. Leaving the bat, run back to your team and tag the next person in!
Supplies Used: Bat (any kind will work, but shorter ones will work best for children - we also used a child-sized golf club which worked just fine.)

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Other Relays:

4. Kangaroo Hop
Place a bouncy ball in between your legs and hop to the finish line cone, and then hop back to your team mates!
Supplies: Bouncy Ball x2
 

5. Zig Zag Race
Place 10 cones in a zig zag formation. Run in between the cones until the end, then run back through the cones on the way back to the team.
Supplies: 20 cones, like these
 

6. 3-Legged Race
The classic relay! Tie the leg of one team member to the leg of another and work together to get to the end of the relay and back again.
Supplies: 2 bandanas (or other tying apparatus!)
 

7. Wheelbarrow Race
This two-person race requires one person to "walk" with their hands on the ground while the other person directs the human wheelbarrow by steering their legs (example here)
Supplies: none! (Other than brute strength)

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After the relay race, the kids refreshed and re-hydrated with coconut water, care of Taste Nirvana. Since I've partnered up with them this month, Taste Nirvana sent us some petite 10 oz. cans of the premium Coco Real coconut water beverage for the kids to enjoy as a post-relay treat. I'm a big fan of coconut water because it is loaded with potassium and electrolytes, making it the ideal post-workout recovery drink. This goes for everyone - adults and children! (Don't worry - there was enough coconut water for all the moms and dads to stay hydrated, too.) While I've been a coconut water drinker for years, I can truly say that Taste Nirvana tastes fresher than anything I've tried off of the grocery store shelf (I shared more about the yummy taste here.) All the cousins loved having such a special "grown-up" treat when they were finished with all that hard work, and after they devoured their coconut water they took to blowing bubbles and playing on the play ground.

Is it just me, or is this summer already shaping up to be the best ever?!

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My sweet god-daughter with two handfuls! One for now, one for later - gIrl after my own heart. ;)

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I can't get over Everett's genuinely precious smile. And of course, there is his brother, trailing just behind him and watching every move! Watching these two as siblings makes my mama heart soar.

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Lauren!!! She is full of all the good ideas, you guys.

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He's like, "I know how to blow bubbles mom."

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Aren't they the cutest in their little jerseys?

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My niece blowing her bubbles with that darling bow! I sent everyone home with bubbles because it just felt like the right way to welcome the season. Summer, you can come on over and stay a lonnnnng while!

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Sweet Daxton. His hands fumbled to hold his own can by himself, and although most of his coconut water ended up hydrating the grass, he was still super proud of being one of the big kids. I just love him to pieces.

Taste for Yourself!

Taste Nirvana is offering $6 off an Amazon order of the Original Real Coco coconut water, the Coco Pulp coconut water and the Coco Aloe coconut water using the coupon found here (the promo is automatically applied at check out). This code is good through 6/30 so make sure to snag some at this discount while you can! Even though I love the Aloe version and the Pulp version, my favorite is still the Original Real Coco because I honestly can't get past the fresh, honey taste. This is a stellar beverage to have on-hand to keep hydrated for all the outdoor activities that are looming on our summer calendar! Many thanks to Taste Nirvana for sponsoring this post; you can shop their yummy beverages here.

Happy Friday to you, friends! xx

Like Mother, Like Daughter.

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This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

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Last year for Mother's Day, my mom treated me to a sunless tanning experience - a bronzing session at RAW Bronzing Studio. I had never had a spray tan before and I remember thinking this was a funny new activity for us to do as mother/daughter. Afterwards we went to lunch and she was doing her mom thing, asking me lots of questions about my life, and then she leaned over and looked me seriously in the eye. I wasn't sure what she was about to say, but I prepared myself to enter into a deep conversation about whatever it was she was about to propose. I caught a twinkle in her eye as she said to me, "Don't you love it? Your tan?" I breathed a sigh of relief - my mother! She's a hard one to peg, with all her simultaneous humor and depth. And I had to admit, I did love it. The bronze tone of the tan looked so natural and pretty, but my favorite part was that I had no tan lines. No tan lines, you guys! #dreamtan

My mom is the reason why I've started paying extra special attention to taking care of my skin. Over the past few years, she has had some basal cell carcinoma spots removed, so it's made me super aware of how seriously important it is to take care of my own skin. She's always saying that it was because she wasn't taking care of her skin when she was younger, so I want to heed her advice and take better care of the skin I have!

I'm pretty wretchedly terrible at washing my face at night (I know, it's so immature not to do this but I'm just always so tired), but I am trying to be more aware of how much sun exposure I am getting throughout the day. Especially as the weather is heating up and I'm outside more and more with my kiddos. I'm used to enjoyably baking in the sun, because I have olive skin and I don't burn as easily as some. However, that's almost all the more dangerous - I don't always feel the damage happening! But I'm getting better about being aware and taking preventative measures. I shared here about how I have been prepping my skin for the spring/summer season and I've been pretty consistent about that protocol.

My mom and I were at the beach together last weekend, and we had both gotten a bronze at RAW two days prior. I was like, DUH - mother daughter beach photos for the win! Thanks to my sister Rachel, who snapped these for us. I wanted to share with you all how real the sunless tan looks - my mom and I have very different skin tones and it still looks so natural on both of us! She has a lot of pink undertones in her skin while I favor my Dad's side more, with all those good yellow undertones. Note the sarcasm. Yellow = sallow.

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Now I'm not going to go mega-cheesy here, but I do want to say that I am immensely grateful that my mom is here with me, continuing to share her life's experiences. I don't take it for granted, because my mom lost her own mother at 19, and wasn't able to ask her questions and have the kind of relationship that I'm able to have. I am still learning so much from my mom - from skincare to how to navigate friendships and motherhood and taking care of my body and mind and heart - she is a wealth of wisdom and I am so thankful that she is here with me. Leaning in. Asking me hard questions and helping me answer them in my own way. With Mothers' Day approaching, I just wanted to share this little tribute to my mom. She's amazing. And she's funny. Never underestimate a woman with a good sense of humor.

All that to say - take care of your skin, you guys! Because my mom says so.

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Discount & Giveaway!

RAW Bronzing Studio is located throughout the metro Atlanta, Georgia area, and the studio local to me (location here) is generously offering my readers 25% off the price of a full-body bronzing service at the RAW South location with the code OYKRISTEN. This is an awesome deal for those of you local to me, and with all this warm weather approaching I hope you are able to take advantage of it!

Over on Instagram, I am giving away an awesome gift package to one lucky local, including 4 full-service bronzing sessions ($162 value!) - make sure to check it out, enter and tag your local friends! xx

P.S. - I'm wearing an old Victoria's Secret suit (remember their bathing suit line? RIP, similar here), these high waisted shorts and this leather wrap bracelet. The bandana is my sister's a my mom's outfit details are lost on me - although if you were really curious I could probably figure them out for you ;)

Our Daily Family Essential Oil Routines.

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Essential Oils have become a big part of our family life over here. Almost two years ago I started using them here and there, and progressively discovered different ways I could incorporate them more and more. What began with purchasing a simple starter kit (to have on-hand for my labor and delivery with Daxton!) has grown into a full-blown lifestyle for our family and I am so grateful! I love having so many safe alternatives for allergies, viruses, anxiety, rest management, energy support, immune defense and more!

I've shared about oils here and there but I wanted to give you a specific outline of how and why my family uses essential oils throughout the day to support our health and wellness.

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Morning:

1. Diffuse in the AM!
I diffuse something every morning once I get my kiddos downstairs and begin our breakfast routine. I like to diffuse something bright and cheerful, like an energizing blend of citrus oils (Elevation and Citrus Bliss are some of my favorites!) Because of pollen season, I've been diffusing a equal blend of Peppermint, Lavender and Lemon (this trio is available here!) a lot lately. I have also been loving DoTERRA's Yoga Collection, which is composed of 3 killer good oils called Arise, Align & Anchor and these three are all so grand and make me feel super happy for the day.

2. Drink Up!
I also take this opportunity to add 1-2 drops of a citrus oil to my first glass of water in the morning. Why? Drinking water with citrus helps detoxify the body, ridding it of chemicals and helping to balance the pH levels. Lately I've been on a kick with Grapefruit oil, but I also love Lemon & Tangerine oils. They're all good!

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Afternoon:

3. Work Groove!
Once 2pm rolls around and my kids are down for their naps, I get busy! Haha, not that I wasn't busy with them before hand... ;) Believe me, there are days where I need to take a nap, because motherhood is exhausting  - and when I feel that I need it I take the time to rest! But most of the time, I use this block of time in the afternoon to get work done (like this blog post!), and I usually need a pick-me-up. At this point in the day, I usually brew up a mug of hot tea (lately I've been adding this Beauty Dust into it) and I roll on my go-to "get stuff done!" oil - Motivate! I love rolling this on my pulse points (wherever you would apply perfume), but I also have a diffuser necklace that has this oil in it, as well. That way I can smell it whenever I want! This oil just gives me the amplification I need to get my work groove on before I have to switch gears again into Mom-so-hard ;)

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4. Laundry Flip!
Usually right before my boys wake up from their nap, I try to flip a load of laundry. That's gotta get done at some point, right?!I learned a few years ago about how toxic dryer sheets are (I'm talking about the potential cause of migraines, asthma, allergies, rashes - the list goes on and on!) because of the chemicals in them. It's not a myth, simply google "are dryer sheets toxic" to find a slew of research on the subject. Gross! I prefer not to serve my children a chemical cocktail every time I bring their folded laundry into their bedrooms. So I use wool dryer balls instead (found on Amazon!), which are less expensive and a completely toxic-free way to fluff laundry. I like to add a few drops of my Lemon essential oil to my dryer balls so that my laundry has a fresh, clean scent.

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Nighttime:

5. Boys' Bedtime!
I like to use my essential oils to help my kids wind down at night and help get to sleep and stay asleep (can I get an amen, mamas?) I do this first by adding a drop of Lavender essential oil into their nighttime bath. This helps them calm down and get into a restful mode - more cuddly and sleepy and less, you know, about wrestling.

Next I make sure to diffuse Serenity in their bedrooms, which is a beautiful blend that has so many delicious sleepy-restful oils in it! I have little diffusers in all our bedrooms so we can all get the benefit of nighttime diffusion. I got several of these on Amazon and they have held up pretty darn well (plus, this diffuser has a color-changing nightlight, so it's a big hit with the boys!) I have noticed a marked difference when I diffuse this in my boys' rooms - they fall asleep easily and don't wake up. If you're a mom, I'm sure you've experienced your toddler coming out of their bedroom 10+ times a night "needing" water, "needing" to go to the potty, "needing" to snuggle (when they actually just want to see what you're watching on Netflix - or is this only my child??) When I remember to diffuse Serenity, this doesn't happen!

During story time we also roll something on their feet - usually a diluted rollerball of OnGuard or Serenity. OnGuard is an amazing immune-defense blend, so if it's flu season or if they simply have a runny nose, I like to roll this on the bottoms of their feet to prevent any sickness. Why the bottoms of the feet? The pores on the bottom of the feet are larger and allow for easy absorption of the oil into the system. Plus, when I put socks on their feet afterwards, I don't have to worry about them getting oil all over their hands (or bed!) I've made up some custom blends for my boys to address teething, flu and fevers - I shared about that here ;)
 

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Beware of ticklish toes! Everett howls with laughter so I usually try to distract Dax with a book while I put on his teething oil :) BTW these pics are blurry because this is real life - lighting in the evenings is not ideal! But I wanted to let you guys have a real-life picture of how this oil routine goes ;)

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6. Lights Out!
After the boys are in bed and Stevie and I have had dinner and relaxed a bit, it's time for lights out! I love to get something going in the diffuser while I'm getting ready for bed, so that when I actually settle in, the oil has had a few minutes to diffuse and fill the room with a comforting scent. My absolute favorites are Serenity, Forgive and Breathe. These oils smell SO good and are super relaxing. If I am super sleepy and really need to get some serious rest, I will pop a few of the Serenity supplements, which are a natural rest complex and let me just say - THEY WORK. You wake up feeling super rested and satisfied with your sleep!

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P.S. - I've been re-reading Pride & Prejudice as my pre-bedtime book and I miiiiiiiight have made a specific rollerball blend inspired by the book. It may or may not be called "Most Ardently" and it may or may not be so freaking good, you guys. Not to brag or anything but I like to think of it as the essence of Elizabeth Bennett. Okay, bookworm moment over.

Giveaway!

Let's have a giveaway, shall we? Gosh I love giving away presents to you people.

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Since I love you guys and such, I wanted to give you a chance to try out my laundry routine by gifting you a set of 6 wool dryer balls and a 15 ml bottle of DoTERRA Lemon essential oil! Hop on over to my Instagram to enter :)

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Do you have any questions about this daily routine with essential oils? Let me know in the comments how you use your oils or if you are willing to try something you read about here!

Ready for More?

Don't have any essential oils in your life and you're ready to give them a try? I can hook you up for 25% off the retail price! Send me an email at oykristen(at)gmail(dot)com OR click "Hook me up!" and follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Click the link below.
2. Select "Join & Save" for 25% off anytime with your wholesale membership.
3. Select Your Kit! I recommend the "Home Essentials" or "Family Essentials", because those have a lot of the oils I mentioned in this post ;)

Green Beauty Cheat Sheet.

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This is a compilation of the natural beauty, skincare and personal care items that I have discovered and tested during my Green Beauty Trials. I wanted this information to live in a place where it could serve as a quick-reference guide for those of you that are looking to clean up your beauty routine. This way you can see what I've used, my personal rating, and links to any blog posts that features that item or topic. My rating system is simply 1 - 5, 1 being least performing and 5 being best performing! I checked all these products for their clean levels and toxicity on the Think Dirty app and the EWG app/site. You can always reach out to me if you have specific questions about a product, I am happy to share! I hope this is helpful to you :)

** This guide has been updated as of June 2019.

Concealer:
Currently Using: W3LL People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer in "Light" 5+++++

I've Tried:
- RMS Beauty Un-Cover Up 4
- Beautycounter Concelear Pen 3

I want to Try:
Nothing! I love what I'm using so much!

* I shared about my concealer here.

Blush:
Currently Using: ILIA Multistick in "A Fine Romance" and "At Last"

I've Tried:
- RMS Lip2Cheek Tint in "Beloved" 4
- Kjaer Weis Cream Blush in "Blossoming" 5+
- ILIA Multistick in "I Put a Spell On You" 3

I want to try:
W3LL People Nudist Cream Stick in "Nude Rose"

*I shared about blush here.

Highlighter:
Currently Using: RMS Beauty Living Luminizer 5

I've Tried:
- Galaxy Milk Illuminate Beauty Oil 4

I want to try:
- Becca Cosmetics in "Champagne Pop"

*I shared about highlighter here.

Personal Care

Hair:
Shampoo & Conditioner:
Currently Using: Innersense Color Radiance Shampoo & Conditioner 5 along with DoTERRA Melaleuca essential oil 5

I've Tried:
- Josh Rosebrook Nourish Shampoo & Balance Conditioner 3
- Rahua Color Full Shampoo & Conditioner 4

Dry Shampoo:
- Little Barn Apothecary Dry Shampoo 5

Style:
- Innersense Refresh Dry Shampoo 3
- Yarok Feed Your Hold Hairspray 5
- Innersense I Create Hold 5

I want to try:
Nothing! I love what I'm using so very much!

*I shared about shampoo & conditioner here

Toothpaste:
Currently Using: DoTERRA OnGuard Natural Whitening Toothpaste 5

I've Tried:
- Toms of Maine Clean Mint Toothpaste 1

I want to try:
- N/A (at the moment, at least!)

This page will continue to be updated as I test products! Please feel free to reach out if you have questions about specific products - I want this to be a helpful resource to you! And also, be on the look out for sun care, nail care & kid's sections coming soon! xx