My Nighttime Skincare Routine.

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I have always been really really ridiculously bad at sticking to a skincare routine. I am totally the girl that goes to sleep with her makeup on, because in the back of my mind I think, “Well, it’s non-toxic makeup so how bad can it be if I just lay down for a minute…?” And that used to happen 3+ times per week. I know - BAD GIRL. But I have been on a skincare journey and last summer I started getting serious about my skincare routine. This routine has really become something that I look forward to at the end of the day, and feels like so much more than just washing my face. These 5 minutes that I spend helps me unwind, feels like a bit of self-care (ha because IT IS), and I genuinely know that my skin has drastically improved. So here’s the routine!

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1. Cleanse.
I squeeze a dime-sized amount of DoTERRA Facial Cleanser to my Clarisonic Mia 1 and do a 60-second scrub in a circular motion. It feels like a face massage and it’s so unbelievably relaxing.

2. Remove eye makeup.
I apply a few drops of Plant Apothecary Reset Organic Makeup Remover on a cotton pad and gently remove my eye makeup. It’s hard to find a clean eye makeup remover and this one performs! I love it.

3. Tone.
I do a quick swipe of this DoTERRA Pore-Reducing Toner with a cotton ball and then let my skin dry.

4. Serum + Face Massage.
This is the step that feels the most indulgent. I apply about 2-3 drops of this Yarrow/Pom blend and rub it in. Then I use this Rose Quartz Facial Roller and spend about 60 seconds massaging the serum into my skin. I use upward strokes and it feels SO. GOOD. I honestly credit my skin’s completely changed texture to this oil blend - it is so good it’s almost scary. I am OBSESSED. This blend of yarrow essential oil with cold-pressed pomegranate oil activates protective skin proteins that enable collagen production. AKA my secret skin weapon. Seriously.

5. Moisturize.
After the serum is roller in, I apply a dollop of DoTERRA Anti-Aging Moisturizer to seal in the moisture and give my skin a final drink of goodness. This moisturizer smells reeeeally good too.

5. Eye Cream, too.
Finally, I apply a tiny bit of DoTERRA Anti-Aging Eye Cream around my eyes. I use 1/2 of a pump of this stuff for both eyes because seriously - a little goes so far!

There you have it! The routine that I’ve been rocking lately and I am loving it. There is something truly therapeutic about taking these few minutes for myself at the end of the day. All of these products are all SO clean and good for my skin, which matters so much to me. Our skin is the largest organ in the body, and it soaks up everything we put on it. These products are free of phthalates, fragrances and chemicals that are loaded into so many other skincare products. So I feel good about them and they feel good about me, too! Also, you can shop all the DoTERRA products for 25% off here!

I posted an IGTV episode sharing this routine, you can see it here.

Do yourself a favor and put together a little nighttime routine for you skin - you will feel so relaxed and love the results, too! xx

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My Favorite Winter Lipsticks.

I tend to wear more lipstick in the fall and winter months - I don’t know why?! My summer skin just wants to be bare while my winter skin craves more pigment. My mom has always been a lipstick lover - I recall so vividly that she always gravitated toward brick red/burgundy shades, and I always feel a sense of nostalgia for her when I put on a similar color. Isn’t that funny?

As many of you know, I have spent a lot of time over the years researching green beauty brands and here are a few that I LOVE along with different shades that work best.

My favorite “neutral” winter lipstick is Axiology organic lipstick in “Devotion” - it’s a peachy-copper shade with the slightest hint of shimmer, and I just love how it feels really neutral but still really put together. This looks really good if you want to wear a smokier eye and just need something simple for your lips.

Wearing Axiology organic lipstick in “Devotion”

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Wearing Axiology organic lip crayon in “Enduring”

My favorite pop-of-color winter lipstick is Axiology organic lip crayon in “Enduring”. It’s a berry/brick matte formula and I just love this color - it makes me feel like my best self even if I’m not wearing any other makeup.

I didn’t mean for my two favorites to both be Axiology, I just have really been gravitating towards these shades because I feel like they just work for me with my skin tone. I also LOVE that this brand is completely non-toxic, cruelty-free, and comes in super flattering shades for every skin tone. I super geek out on the packaging, too (it’s SO PRETTY), which makes it all the more fun and special. Girl stuff.

My runner-up choices are the Ilia Multistick in “A Fine Romance” (a cranberry pink/red shade that doubles as a cheek stain!), Honeybee Gardens in “Desire” (a subtle red, if there ever was such a thing!), and RMS Lip2Cheek stain in “Illusive” (I love using this on my cheeks, too!)

These lip colors make really sweet gifts for friends and family (I am gifting several of these this Christmas), but you also want to make sure you pick up 1 (or 2) for yourself!

P.S. - Great green beauty gifts for under $30 from one of my favorite non-toxic beauty retailers!
P.P.S - My Green Beauty cheat sheet if you’re interested in learning more about beauty brands I love and use!

White Pork Chili (a Whole30 Meal!)

Taken and slightly adapted from Danielle Walker's Against All Grain Cookbook

This is my favorite recipe discovery from the past year. My sis-in-law Katie made this White Pork Chili for our family when I had just had Daxton, and it was the BEST thing to have during that cold month and newborn life. So I definitely associate this meal with feeling super loved and nourished. However, I happen to have a penchant for stews. I love one-pot meals, because they're so easy to make, and I especially love a hot bowl of soup. The original, paleo version of this recipe can be found in Danielle Walker's book, Against All Grain, however, I've changed it up to make this particular version Whole30-friendly. Don't let the lengthy ingredient list scare you - this stew is SO WORTH making. I promise you will love it. Omg I think I'm going to have to make more this week after drooling over these photos while I edited them.

Ingredients:
- 2 pork chops, grilled or oven-baked until medium done, cooled, and then diced
- 1 small jar tomatillo salsa
- 1/2 cup cashew butter
- 2 poblano peppers, deseeded and chopped
- 2 large sweet potatoes, diced
- 2 large zucchinni, diced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. ground oregano
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic together until soft and fragrant.
2. Add the peppers, sweet potatoes and all the spices and saute for another 5 minutes or so, until the vegetables are soft.
3. Pour in the chicken stock, then add the zucchini.
4. Add in the rest of the ingredients and cover the stockpot. Return every few minutes to stir, as the cashew butter will need to continuously mixed in.
5. Once the vegetables are soft and the pork is warmed all the way through, this is ready to eat!
6. Top each bowl with a handful of parsley and a fresh squeeze of lime.

There you have it! This meal stand alone beautifully by itself. If you aren't doing Whole30, you can add a splash of white wine to the broth. You can also serve it with some delicious baked bread to sop up all the savory goodness. Oh gosh, this is SUCH a great winter stew, I hope you super love it! Let me know if you decide to make it! xx

Snowpocalypse?

We had this funny dusting of snow this weekend. It was supposed to be barbaric weather. But it wasn't. For Georgians, any amount of frosty accumulation is reason for panic and madness and obviously, for all the school systems to close. As in, they don't always close but when they ultimately don't, kids are SO MAD ABOUT IT. Because no matter how much (or in our case, how little) snow dusts from the sky, these Georgia kids want to dive headfirst into their backyards and build a snowman. Doesn't matter if that snowman is only two inches tall. You can't deny southerners their chance at a winter wonderland.

So this past weekend it snowed, and honestly, it was seriously cold. It was as cold as our Cambridge and New York days, hovering around 27 degrees for more than a day. And it was windy. Those conditions, along with the freezing rain, turned the roads to ice, and then finally crescendoed into a Saturday morning of snowfall. So for all the silly teasing about Georgians going nutso over just a bit of winter weather, there really was reason for staying in and hunkering down.

Well, there was reason for it for about 3 hours. Then the sun came out and melted the snow. Oh Georgia.

But for those three hours! We enjoyed the snow as if we still lived in the Northeast. We made a big hearty diner-style breakfast (which was a bit challenging, since we are still on Whole30), and then got outside to play. We attempted to take our golf cart out to a park, but after being there for under 2 minutes, Everett flipped out and we had to hightail it home. That child wouldn't wear gloves. And it was blistery, blustery cold. So yeah, I kind of get it. I snuggled him really good on that g-ride home. By the way, he calls the golf cart the g-ride. Cutest thing ever.

But there was some yard frolicking and football throwing and yes, even some hot chocolate making. For my bro-in-law. Since we can't have it. But I made sure to take a reeeeeeally deep whiff of it before I passed him that holy mug. Gosh, this Whole30 is getting hard. I'll stop whining though. Pictures!!!

I know the entire East Coast was hit with this particular winter storm. What did you do this weekend during the "Snowpocolypse"? Hope you stayed warm and toasty, friends!

P.S. - Tomorrow I'm having a little mom chat about babies. So stay tuned, if you're into that kind of thing.

A Blustery Getaway at Serenbe. Part 2.

A Blustery Getaway at Serenbe. Part 2.

I just had too many great photos from this fun little getaway. See part 1 HERE.

For me, the beginning of the year is such a cleansing season. Everything is sort of bare, torn away, and a little bit unbeautiful. Almost a little too raw, a bit uncomfortably vulnerable. And yet I really love this wintery season. Of course, it's a lot easier to love it in Georgia than in Boston or New York :) Seeing the dirty sleazy snow turn a million shades of sick can really throw your stomach off for a day. But here, the trees are stripped to their skivvies and tenderly hold up their branches in a "raising the white flag" kind of way. Like, here we are, world. Ready to start fresh. Start over. Dream again.

Am I crazy? That's just what February is to me.

I had to include a few more Serenbe photos from last week. I couldn't possibly choose my favorites so I just pretty much chose them all. Seeing my little boy interact with my strapping husband is making me feel alive and happy in a new way. Maybe it's the whole February thing. Maybe it's a new mom thing. Maybe it's a clear-headed thing. Or a "I've finally slept, booya!" thing. But I'm having a small moment in the sun these past few weeks. Life finally doesn't feel so gosh-darn hard. I don't feel so bare bones tired. Or ragged. This little getaway to Serenbe couldn't have come at a better time. It was cold, but so what? I've had colder winters.

// I love setting up Everett's little bed when we travel. I don't know why. //

// I like to tease him that he's my muse. He. HATES. It. //

// 7.5 years. I'm a lucky lady. //

Happy February to you all!