2023 Self-Care Holiday Gift Guide

Christmas ornament on a tree

2023 Self-Care Holiday Gift Guide

We all deserve moments of rejuvenation and self-indulgence, and what better way to show yourself or a loved one some appreciation than through thoughtful self-care gifts? Whether you’re searching for ways to relax, destress, or simply pamper yourself, our self-care gift guide is here to help you discover a curated selection of products and ideas that will nurture the body, mind, and soul. Enjoy our 2023 Self-Care Holiday Gift Guide!

Evolv

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS COMPANY

Evolv delivers biology-driven, science-based, high-performance products using natural and organic ingredients—for transformative visible results in all hair types. Their products produce visible results you can see and feel. Every product in the line does multiple jobs, and is highly effective. Experience EVOLVh – and you too will describe your hair as revitalized, renewed, restored, youthful, vibrant, soft, and manageable.

WHAT PRODUCTS DO WE LOVE?

EVOLVh Hair care products

SmartColor Protecting Shampoo

This ultra-protective, anti-fade shampoo keeps color in and impurities out. Its breakthrough color-preserving formula gently cleanses, while targeted amino acids strengthen and protect against damaging dyes and other color treatments for hair that’s healthy, shiny, and vibrant. It’s a smart investment for your color—and your wallet.

SmartColor Protecting Conditioner

This innovative, color-preserving, and reparative formula deep conditions while targeted amino acids strengthen and protect against damaging dyes and treatments. Sublime hydration leaves hair soft, smooth, and shiny—with vibrant color that lasts.

EVOLVh Hair care products

UltraShine Moisture Shampoo

Their weightless color-safe shampoo gently cleanses with sulfate-free, non-stripping ingredients—infusing nourishing antioxidants plus amino and fatty acids into strands for visibly stronger, smoother hair, and amplified shine from root to tip.

Ultrashine Moisture Conditioner

Their bestselling conditioner transforms dull, drab tresses into hair that’s free of frizz and full of shine—infusing nourishing antioxidants plus amino and fatty acids into strands to hydrate and detangle without weighing them down. Rinse out for a smooth, silky sheen you need to see to believe.

EVOLVh Hair care products

Ultimate Styling Lotion

A lightweight do-it-all styling lotion with medium hold. It smooths strands, defines curls into bouncy ringlets, eliminates frizz, boosts shine, and keeps it all together with buildable hold minus the crunch. All with heat & UV protection to boot.

SmartStart Leave-In Conditioner

A foundational step in your EVOLVh routine after shampooing and conditioning, this bestselling leave-in helps close the cuticle for brilliant shine and maximum smoothness. Plus, it nourishes and strengthens strands with plant-powered ingredients, while defending against damaging heat & UV rays.

EVOLVh Hair care products

Protect Your Color Discovery Kit

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15 Ways to Keep the Travel Spirit Alive While at Home

Buildings in Boston

 

15 Ways to Keep the Travel Spirit Alive While at Home

Traveling is one of the best ways to experience new cultures, meet new people, and broaden your horizons. I love the upbeat, relaxed mood my whole family gets in when we’re exploring a new place. No one has a care in the world. However, it’s so easy to fall back in a rut when you get home and it is not always possible to travel as often as we would like. Here are 15 ways to keep the travel spirit alive while at home.

Try new recipes from around the world

 One of the best ways to experience a new culture is through its cuisine. Try cooking a new dish from a different country and explore its unique flavors. Here are some of my favorite cookbooks that remind me of my travels:

Click here for my blog on 15 Cookbooks that Inspire Travel

Read travel books

 Reading travel books is another great way to learn about different destinations and cultures, and to get inspired about future trips. These books will make you want to pack a suitcase.

The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca 

By: Tahir Shah

Less

By: Andrew Sean Greer

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52 Weeks of Self-Care

yoga on a beach

52 WEEKS OF SELF-CARE

After a few health scares this past year, I discovered the importance of self-care. Sometimes we try so hard to take care of others that we neglect making time for ourselves. Self-care allows you time to relax, recharge, and be present in the moment. It’s important to focus on both physical and emotional areas in your life.

Self-Care and Travel

I love to practice self-care while traveling and it often becomes some of the best parts of my trip.  I love to head to a spa for a signature treatment, enjoy sipping coffee in a courtyard while people watching, breathing in the salty air at a beach, and taking time to put down my camera and be present in the moment. This year I plan on recreating these moments from the comfort of my home.

Not sure where to start? Well, let’s do this together.

 I’ve come up with 52 weeks of self-care that I plan on completing this year.  I will do one each week.

Follow along on my Instagram Stories each Sunday.

Don’t miss out…give a CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM. I’ll provide plenty of DIY options, share products I use, and give you links I find.

(These are not in any order. I’ll bounce around the list with whatever feels right.)

52 WEEKS OF SELF-CARE

Make time for stretching

Enjoy a facial

Sip on a warm cup of tea

Using Essential Oils (more…)


Book Gift Guide 2022

Wildflowers and books

2022 Book Gift Guide

Christmas is the perfect time to share your favorite stories with friends and family.   Looking for a good book for someone this Christmas?  These books are full of characters you wish you could meet, lives you’re thankful you didn’t live, and endings you wish would never come.  Pick some up as gifts or as a treat for yourself that you can enjoy after the craziness of this holiday season. Enjoy our Book Gift Guide 2022.

Enjoy!  Happy shopping!!

It Starts with Us

Colleen Hoover

It Starts with Us

Lucy by the Sea

Elizabeth Strout

Lucy by the Sea: As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it’s just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea.

Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this story are the deep human connections that unite us even when we’re apart—the pain of a beloved daughter’s suffering, the emptiness that comes from the death of a loved one, the promise of a new friendship, and the comfort of an old, enduring love.

 

Our Missing Hearts

Celeste Ng

Our Missing Hearts: Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.

Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.

The Passenger

Cormac McCarthy

The Passenger: It is three in the morning when Bobby Western zips the jacket of his wet suit and plunges from the Coast Guard tender into darkness. His dive light illuminates the sunken jet, nine bodies still buckled in their seats, hair floating, eyes devoid of speculation. Missing from the crash site are the pilot’s flight bag, the plane’s black box, and the tenth passenger. But how? A collateral witness to machinations that can only bring him harm, Western is shadowed in body and spirit—by men with badges; by the ghost of his father, inventor of the bomb that melted glass and flesh in Hiroshima; and by his sister, the love and ruin of his soul.

All Good People Here

Ashley Flowers

All Good People Here: Everyone from Wakarusa, Indiana, remembers the infamous case of January Jacobs, who was discovered in a ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. Margot Davies was six at the time, the same age as January—and they were next-door neighbors. In the twenty years since, Margot has grown up, moved away, and become a big-city journalist. But she’s always been haunted by the feeling that it could’ve been her. And the worst part is, January’s killer has never been brought to justice.

When Margot returns home to help care for her uncle after he is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, she feels like she’s walked into a time capsule. Wakarusa is exactly how she remembers—genial, stifled, secretive. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from the next town over, who’s gone missing under circumstances eerily similar to January’s. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find Natalie and to solve January’s murder once and for all.

But the police, Natalie’s family, the townspeople—they all seem to be hiding something. And the deeper Margot digs into Natalie’s disappearance, the more resistance she encounters, and the colder January’s case feels. Could January’s killer still be out there? Is it the same person who took Natalie? And what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night twenty years ago?

Girl, Forgotten

Karin Slaughter

Girl, ForgottenA girl with a secret…

Longbill Beach, 1982. Emily Vaughn gets ready for the prom. For an athlete, who is smart, pretty and well-liked, this night should be the highlight of her high school career. But Emily has a secret. And by the end of the evening, that secret will be silenced forever.

An unsolved murder…

Forty years later, Emily’s murder remains a mystery. Her tight-knit group of friends closed ranks; her respected, wealthy family retreated inwards; the small town moved on from her grisly attack. But all that’s about to change.

One final chance to uncover a killer…

US Marshal Andrea Oliver arrives in Longbill Beach on her first assignment: to protect a judge receiving death threats. But, in reality, Andrea is there to find justice for Emily. The killer is still out there—and Andrea must discover the truth before she gets silenced, too…

Half Baked Harvest Every Day

Tieghan Gerard

Half Baked Harvest Every Day: The millions of fans of the Half Baked Harvest blog and bestselling books have fallen in love with Tieghan Gerard’s recipes for their wholesome decadence, unfussy approach, and smart twists on comforting favorites. Written and photographed in the stunning mountains of Colorado, inspired by her big, unique family, and focused on what you’ll want to eat day-in-day-out, Half Baked Harvest Every Day delivers more than 120 all-new recipes that will feed your body and soul.

For Tieghan, feel-good food isn’t about restrictive eating. It’s about enjoying real food with lots of flavor, and the satisfaction of sharing it with those you love. Finding balance is about giving your body and your cravings what they need . . . whether that’s a light, vegetable-packed dish or a big ole plate of something comforting.

French Braid

Anne Tyler

French Braid: The Garretts take their first and last family vacation in the summer of 1959. They hardly ever leave home, but in some ways they have never been farther apart. Mercy has trouble resisting the siren call of her aspirations to be a painter, which means less time keeping house for her husband, Robin. Their teenage daughters, steady Alice and boy-crazy Lily, could not have less in common. Their youngest, David, is already intent on escaping his family’s orbit, for reasons none of them understand. Yet, as these lives advance across decades, the Garretts’ influences on one another ripple ineffably but unmistakably through each generation.

Full of heartbreak and hilarity, French Braid is classic Anne Tyler: a stirring, uncannily insightful novel of tremendous warmth and humor that illuminates the kindnesses and cruelties of our daily lives, the impossibility of breaking free from those who love us, and how close—yet how unknowable—every family is to itself.

Fiona and Jane

Jean Chen Ho

Fiona and Jane: Best friends since second grade, Fiona Lin and Jane Shen explore the lonely freeways and seedy bars of Los Angeles together through their teenage years, surviving unfulfilling romantic encounters, and carrying with them the scars of their families’ tumultuous pasts. Fiona was always destined to leave, her effortless beauty burnished by fierce ambition—qualities that Jane admired and feared in equal measure. When Fiona moves to New York and cares for a sick friend through a breakup with an opportunistic boyfriend, Jane remains in California and grieves her estranged father’s sudden death, in the process alienating an overzealous girlfriend. Strained by distance and unintended betrayals, the women float in and out of each other’s lives, their friendship both a beacon of home and a reminder of all they’ve lost.

In stories told in alternating voices, Jean Chen Ho’s debut collection peels back the layers of female friendship—the intensity, resentment, and boundless love—to probe the beating hearts of young women coming to terms with themselves, and each other, in light of the insecurities and shame that holds them back.

The Sanitorium

Sarah Pearse

The Sanitorium: Half-hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks, Le Sommet has always been a sinister place. Long plagued by troubling rumors, the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel.

An imposing, isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But Elin’s taken time off from her job as a detective, so when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel, Elin really has no reason not to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge–there’s something about the hotel that makes her nervous. And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing, Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her. With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

Elin is under pressure to find Laure, but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she’s the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in. . .

The Last Story of Mina Lee

Nancy Jooyoun Kim

The Last Story of Mina Lee: Margot Lee’s mother is ignoring her calls. Margot can’t understand why, until she makes a surprise trip home to Koreatown, LA, and finds that her mother has suspiciously died. Determined to discover the truth, Margot unravels her single mother’s past as a Korean War orphan and an undocumented immigrant, only to realize how little she truly knew about her mother, Mina.

Thirty years earlier, Mina Lee steps off a plane to take a chance on a new life in America. Stacking shelves at a Korean grocery store, the last thing she expects is to fall in love. But that moment leads to repercussions for Mina that echo through the decades, leading up to the truth of what happened the night of her death.

We Were Never Here

Andrea Bartz

We Were Never Here: Emily is having the time of her life—she’s in the mountains of Chile with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip, and the women are feeling closer than ever. But on the last night of the trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen says the cute backpacker she brought back to their room attacked her, and she had no choice but to kill him in self-defense. Even more shocking: The scene is horrifyingly similar to last year’s trip, when another backpacker wound up dead. Emily can’t believe it’s happened again—can lightning really strike twice?

Back home in Wisconsin, Emily struggles to bury her trauma, diving headfirst into a new relationship and throwing herself into work. But when Kristen shows up for a surprise visit, Emily is forced to confront their violent past. The more Kristen tries to keep Emily close, the more Emily questions her motives. As Emily feels the walls closing in on their cover-ups, she must reckon with the truth about her closest friend. Can Emily outrun the secrets she shares with Kristen, or will they destroy her relationship, her freedom—even her life?

Beautiful Country

Qian Julie Wang

Beautiful Country: In Chinese, the word for America, Mei Guo, translates directly to “beautiful country.” Yet when seven-year-old Qian arrives in New York City in 1994 full of curiosity, she is overwhelmed by crushing fear and scarcity. In China, Qian’s parents were professors; in America, her family is “illegal” and it will require all the determination and small joys they can muster to survive.

In Chinatown, Qian’s parents labor in sweatshops. Instead of laughing at her jokes, they fight constantly, taking out the stress of their new life on one another. Shunned by her classmates and teachers for her limited English, Qian takes refuge in the library and masters the language through books, coming to think of The Berenstain Bears as her first American friends. And where there is delight to be found, Qian relishes it: her first bite of gloriously greasy pizza, weekly “shopping days,” when Qian finds small treasures in the trash lining Brooklyn’s streets, and a magical Christmas visit to Rockefeller Center—confirmation that the New York City she saw in movies does exist after all.

But then Qian’s headstrong Ma Ma collapses, revealing an illness that she has kept secret for months for fear of the cost and scrutiny of a doctor’s visit. As Ba Ba retreats further inward, Qian has little to hold onto beyond his constant refrain: Whatever happens, say that you were born here, that you’ve always lived here.

Solito

Javier Zamora

Solito: Javier Zamora’s adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks.

At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents’ arms, snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family.

We Were the Lucky Ones

Georgia Hunter

We Were the Lucky Ones: It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurcs will be flung to the far corners of the world, each desperately trying to navigate his or her own path to safety.

As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death, either by working grueling hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an unwavering will to survive and by the fear that they may never see one another again, the Kurcs must rely on hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere.

The Mother-in-Law

Sally Hepworth

The Mother-in-Law: From the moment Lucy met her husband’s mother, she knew she wasn’t the wife Diana had envisioned for her perfect son. Exquisitely polite, friendly, and always generous, Diana nonetheless kept Lucy at arm’s length despite her desperate attempts to win her over. And as a pillar in the community, an advocate for female refugees, and a woman happily married for decades, no one had a bad word to say about Diana…except Lucy.
That was five years ago.
Now, Diana is dead, a suicide note found near her body claiming that she longer wanted to live because of the cancer wreaking havoc inside her body.
But the autopsy finds no cancer.
It does find traces of poison, and evidence of suffocation.
Who could possibly want Diana dead? Why was her will changed at the eleventh hour to disinherit both of her children, and their spouses? And what does it mean that Lucy isn’t exactly sad she’s gone?

Verity

Colleen Hoover

Verity: Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

 Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of the night her family was forever altered.

 Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents could devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her.

The Maid

Nita Prose

The Maid: Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

Family of Liars

E. Lockhart

Family of Liars: A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts.
A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow.
A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy.
A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes.

Welcome back to the Sinclair family.
They were always liars.

(The Prequel to We Were Liars)

The Reading List

Sara Nisha Adams

The Reading List: Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in Wembley, in West London after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.

Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.

When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list…hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon.  If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at NO cost to you.  Thank you for your support!


Carakits

Carakit Gift Box

Carakits

What do I love about Carakits?

When someone you love is diagnosed with cancer, you immediately want to help them. However, most of us don’t know how to help the physical, mental, and emotional needs of loved ones in treatment. Carakits help you find comforting products that are practical, treatment-safe, and free from harsh chemicals, dyes and strong fragrances. I love that all items hand-picked by cancer survivors.

What kit did we review?

Chemo Care Package – “Essential Healing Kit”

Product description: This is the kit we wish we’d received before or during chemotherapy: a medicine cabinet makeover. This women’s chemo gift basket is a do-it-all mix of practical products to manage chemo side effects plus comforting extras to pamper her throughout cancer treatment as well. PJ colors may vary.  Sizes are always exchangeable.

What products were included?

Lip balm (This lip balm comes in an adorable package and will moisturize and hydrate lips.)

Carakit Gift Box

Mother of All Creams (This cream works especially well on feet, which tend to get dry and cracked. It can be used on other dry patches as well.)

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25 Best Summer Reads for 2022

woman reading by the pool

25 Best Summer Reads for 2022

Tomorrow is the FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!!! Is there anything better than lying on a hammock by the lake or sitting with your toes in the sand at the beach? Actually yes…doing it with a book you can’t put down. Here are 25 of the best summer reads for 2022!   Not all of them are new releases.  Some are blasts from the past you might have missed.

Have a fabulous summer!

(Click on the title to get more information!)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

BY: Alma Cuervo

(Yes, I’ve recommended it before…yes, it’s that good!)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo:  Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

 

The Upstairs Wife

By: Rachel Hawkins

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10 Amazing Mother’s Day Gift

bee on a flower

Our April 2022 Product Review is dedicated to the amazing women in your life…MOMS! Mother’s Day is right around the corner and they deserve something special.  Here are 10 amazing Mother’s Day gifts for these fabulous women!  And if you’re a mom…treat yourself to something just for you…you deserve it!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

Doing Good

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM

I always love to hear a company’s mission because it tells a lot about their character.  Doing Good Co says their mission is to build others up.  The products included in these amazing gift boxes are something that offers inspiration and makes someone feel special. Throughout her life, Sydney, the founder of the company, has had one unwavering purpose – to find ways of encouraging others. I love that she offers the choice between a one time gift box and a subscription plan, where the gifts will keep on giving.  You can make it more personal by selecting individual things you want to include in your gift.  Choose from items such as candles, wooden signs, mugs, stationary, bracelets, lip balms, and much more.

WHAT PRODUCTS DID WE GET?

Be Still Box 

(Size: small $17.99)

Be Still gift box

Pumpkin Spice whipped sugar scrub

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March 2022 Product Roundup

spring montage of tulips, flower seeds

As we move into spring and say goodbye to the long dark days of winter, it is a perfect time for reassessing your self-care routines and make some more quality time for yourself. Get outside for a refreshing walk, spend a little more time in the tub, and get back to your night-time face routine. Enjoy this March 2022 Product Roundup and have a wonderful beginning of spring!

Two Sisters

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM

A pyramid of Bath bombs

As you know, I am a huge fan of self-care and I love that Two Sisters believe moms are at their best when they take the time to care for both their kiddos and themselves. I couldn’t agree more! Their bath bombs create luxurious bubble bath experiences (just make sure you drop it in as you start filling your bath).  They smell incredible and kids love the surprises inside of them.  They leave your skin feeling smooth and hydrated and not oily. I love to support companies owned by women and I love that their bath bombs are handmade in small batches by flex-working moms in the USA, in their home state of Minnesota!

WHAT PRODUCTS DID WE GET?

Oatmeal Milk & Honey Bubble Bath Bombs $7.99

Bath bombs

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Best Wellness Planners for 2022

woman doing yoga by a river

Hello January and welcome 2022! January is a time of renewal and wellness seems to be at the top of everyone’s list this year.  I had many readers asking for recommendations of journals or planners they can use while traveling to help them with their wellness journey. When I was a language arts teacher, I had my middle schoolers journal three times a week. I found it a was a wonderful way for them to reduce stress, become more self-aware, dream about their future, and as a place to vent. Here are four amazing companies that have wonderful products that can help you live the life you deserve. Here are the Best Wellness Planners for 2022 !

Tiny Buddha’s

WHAT PRODUCT DID WE GET?

TINY BUDDHA’S Gratitude Journal

Pages from a wellness planner

Practicing gratitude has been shown to increase happiness, make us more resilient, strengthen relationships, and reduce stress. Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal is an interactive way to spark those elusive moments of gratitude and get us closer to being our best, happiest selves.

The journal prompts in this book are incredible.  They range from relationships with others, self-talk, things you are grateful for, and even issues from your past.

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Twelfth House Apothecary

Throughout the last year I focused a lot on self-care, both mental and physical, and I learned that these are often intertwined.  Twelfth House Apothecary is a wonderful company with products that will make you feel relaxed (or recharged) in no time! They use organic or wildcrafted herbals, no unnecessary chemicals or preservatives, and work hard to make sure each product is made with love, intent and the utmost care.

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE TWELFTH HOUSE APOTHECARY

They take care to use the highest standard of herbals, botanicals and other ingredients to make the most magical products for you! A great testimonial is that everything they sell is tested on their family, so you know they stand behind everything.

They have some unique products that I can’t wait to try like their smoke wands, whipped body scrub, faerie cake bath melts, and (this is the one I most want…) Goddess of Spring Forest wands.

WHAT PRODUCTS DID WE GET?

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