k, byeee! – Page 4 – Beauty. Wellness. Inspiration.

New Organic Faves!

It’s been a while since I’ve updated you guys on new products that I love! There are a lot, including an organic deodorant that actually works (yes, it’s really true). Here’s what I’ve been using non-stop lately.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir – This little gem has always caught my eye in the checkout line at Sephora, so I finally decided to give it a try. You’ve probably heard beauty experts rave about it, and I’m just as obsessed now. I got this in Florida when my skin was dry and have been spraying it on before makeup, after makeup, and before bed. It gives off the most perfect amount of mist, and the formula was inspired by Queen Isabelle of Hungary’s own special youth formula.

Andalou Naturals Cannacell Happy Day Cream – Like I said, my skin has been kind of dry! I picked this up at Whole Foods and it does the job. Some days I just don’t feel like dealing with facial oils, ya know? Especially when I’m about to put on my makeup. It just doesn’t work for me. This is just the right amount of moisture without being too greasy!

Pure Life Soap Co. Coconut Milk Body Lotion – Another Whole Foods find! I have a habit of going in there to buy olives and leaving with beauty products. What can I say? This is my favorite body lotion right now! Not only does the scent remind me of the Bahamas, it gives a cooling sensation thanks to the aloe vera in it. This will be a summer must-have in this wretched Oklahoma heat!

Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy Mask – Okay, so this isn’t a new product for me, but I kind of forgot about it. I usually use Lush’s Cosmetic Warrior mask, BUT they just changed the formula and it made me break out. Still not over it. Anyway, this led me back to this gem and it hasn’t let me down! It’s great for acne, post-acne marks, and exfoliation in general. Plus the jar lasts forever.

Vibes Up Deodorant – This is it. The only natural deodorant so far that doesn’t leave me smelling like a beast. Is the packaging cute? No, not really though it does have crystals in the cap at least. WHO CARES THOUGH?! It works. If you’re in Tulsa, you can find this in store at COR Wellness.

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The Travel Edit

If you know me, you know I’m a homebody who loves to travel. Yes, I realize this is a contradiction, but I’m Gemini. It’s just the way it is. I love being cozy at home and at the same time, slowly start going crazy if I don’t go on vacation twice a year. Lucky for me, I’ve not only been to Salt Lake City for my best friend’s wedding this year, but have also been in Florida for the past week for work! Admittedly, I was super anxious about going on my first business trip. After all, I haven’t slept alone since Worsham and I started dating 7 years ago. Should I be okay sleeping alone at 28? Probs. Am I? Debatable.

Here are a few of the things I brought with me to make my trip easier and more fun!

1. Salt Lamp Night Light – This is the goddess of all night lights. Given that I haven’t slept by myself in 4,000 years, this was a necessity. It’s usually in our kitchen, but this week it’s been in my hotel room. It’s just enough light to where you can tell your suitcase isn’t a serial killer watching you sleep, but not too much that it’s annoying.

2. Pacifica Deodorant Wipes – These are always in my purse regardless of the occasion. They are a must-have, especially after a long day of traveling. It’s great being able to freshen up a little bit in the bathroom at the airport. Pacifica recently came out with a new rose scent and it’s magical!

3. L-Theanine – Ride or die. ALWAYS. L-theanine is the best for stress and anxiety, which I was having a lot of before I got to Jacksonville this week. Solaray’s formulation is the best because it also contains green tea. If you’ve tried a different brand before and it didn’t work, TRY THIS ONE. You won’t regret it.

4. Thieves Hand Sanitizer – This needs no explanation. It’s the ultimate hand sanitizer and one of my favorite things that Young Living makes.

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The Money Edit: My Money Tips & Tricks

All my life I’ve hated math, except when it comes to money. I’m one of those people who loves checking all my bank accounts, making budgets, stashing money away, and more importantly – spending it on things I love. After all, what is the point in having any money if you’re just going to deprive yourself? Money = freedom. Money = travel. Money = QUESO. While there’s more to life than money, how you use what you have can empower you or leave you feeling emo. Here are some of my favorite money tips and tricks!

I realize that not all of these will work for everyone, especially people with tons of debt or tons of kids (I don’t know about that life), but hopefully you can take away something that does work for you!

Have a Safety Net – Duh. This is Money 101, but not everyone heeds this advice even if literally everyone says it. It’s so important though! Make sure you’re stashing away something, no matter how small, every single month. You never know when you might need it! I have a separate spreadsheet in my budget called Savings where I put away $100 every month. I pretend like it isn’t there even though it’s really still in my checking account. This way I’ll never overdraw my account and if I have an unexpected expense then it’s not a big deal because the money is already there. It won’t eat away my money for the rest of the month.

Make a Flexible Budget – People tend to cringe at the word “budget”, but it can actually be fun. I’m not overly strict with mine. It’s more of a goal. If I meet it cool, if I don’t it’s also cool. Why? Because of the built-in safety net. I have categories for:

Automatic transfers – any money that I know will come out of my account every month
Food/drinks
Gas/car stuff
Shopping/fun
Savings
Self-care/other – probably my fave category! This is where I put my massages, hair appointments, vitamins, chiropractor appointments, etc.

I have it set up to where it shows me my “goal amount” left to spend each month and how much I can actually spend if I need it. Keep in mind, my “actual amount left to spend” doesn’t take any of my savings into account so I could really spend even more if I had to do so. The key is tricking yourself, people.

Pretend Credit is Debit – Again, another tricking yourself move. I know not everyone can do this, but if you can it’s the best. Treat your credit card as a debit and automatically deduct anything you spend from your budget. That way you won’t be surprised when you get your statement; you can just automatically pay it because you know the money is there.

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Why Peppermint is the Queen of Essential Oils

When you get deep into the realm of essential oils, it can be easy to overlook the basics that got you hooked in the first place. However, some of the most simple oils are also the most powerful. There’s one that really outshines them all though, and that’s peppermint oil! This little gem never leaves my purse. It goes to work, on vacations, home, and everywhere in between. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it!

Breath Freshener – Duh. It’s obvious that peppermint oil is great when you forget to brush your teeth or just want to make sure your breath is extra fresh! One drop is all you need to banish even the nastiest odors (peppermint oil is known to kill bacteria and fungus).

Deodorant – So you don’t want to use peppermint oil as straight up deodorant all the time, but it does come in handy when you forget to use some. It’ll burn a little, but at least you know you won’t smell bad. You gotta do what you gotta do, okay?

Sinus Pressure/Headaches – There’s nothing better than slathering on a bit of peppermint oil when you have sinus pressure going on. The weather in Oklahoma is bipolar AF, which means my sinuses can flare up pretty much at any moment. It’s a lifesaver. In fact, I have it on my face right now as I write this.

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Work & Worth: Why It’s a Problem

One of the first questions you ask when you meet someone new is “what do you do?” – as if what you do for a living somehow equates to who you are. I get it; it’s an innocent question and one we all ask just for the sake of conversation. But the underlying subconscious message is kind of toxic if you stop to think about it. It tells us that our worth is dependent on something outside ourselves – some measure of success, whatever it may be. That to be loved, valued, and fulfilled, we must keep doing, hustling, struggling, and achieving.

Why? For what? Happiness, love, and fulfillment? These feelings can only be found within ourselves at the end of the day. You can’t simply acquire them like you can acquire another degree.

Becoming a doctor does not make your more worthy of love than when you were a high school student. Writing another book doesn’t mean you’re more worthy and valuable than you were before you wrote it.

We get so stuck on the external measures of success that we overlook the fact that we’re already worthy, loved, and valuable just as we are. It’s okay to be right where you are, doing exactly what you’re doing. That’s almost controversial to say in our society these days – a society that always wants MORE and wants it RIGHT NOW.

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