Mindful Living with Words of Affirmation // Hallmark Review

Living a mindful life for me has evolved into a multi faceted journey.  First it started with just more awareness in my daily life, then I decided to go cruelty free with my make up, which then evolved into a low-tox lifestyle, and has now moved into nurturing my relationships with others.  This year, in 2018, my word of the year is Authentic.  I am focusing on living the best, truest version of myself and this involves investment in personal relationships.

I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.  Read my full disclosure here.

I have to say I am not one to send cards.  For me, it's not a priority but the thing a card says is 'hey, I care about you.'  And in that simple act you can really enhance or build a relationship with someone you care about.  As I grow older I'm reminded of the cards I received on birthdays, holidays, & smaller occasions and I want to make this a priority in my life going forward.

Which is why I'm excited to have been sent this fun little box from Dollar Tree to share with you!  Today, August 30th each of the 6500 Dollar Tree stores nation wide will begin to carry Expressions from Halmark at $1 each and Heartline a Hallmark Company at 2 for $1 - two super affordable card lines!  This means that you'll be able to celebrate life's amazing moments - both big & small - with wonderful cards that won't break the bank.

There are also 4 additional lines being carried at select stores to help us connect even closer with our loved ones:

Mahogany: Mahogany enhances emotional connections among family, friends, and the community, and celebrates what is most beloved about Black culture.

Vida: VIDA expresses the voice of Latinos across generations, bringing them closer together to celebrate life’s special moments.

Tree Of Life: Tree of Life brings Jewish family and friends together to celebrate their faith and culture by honoring meaningful holidays and milestones.

Joyfully Yours: Joyfully Yours lets family and friends express their faith in just the right way during holidays, special occasions, and moments big and small.

One of my Love Languages is Words of Affirmation.  I love to give compliments and share encouraging words because I also love to hear those same things!  The cards that Dollar Tree is offering now are both high quality and relatable.  The card stock these guys are made from is thick and the cards seem substantial. I feel like sometimes when we skimp on the card, it shows - whether it's poorly made, the sentiment is kinda off, or it just seems dated - a bad card can throw off the whole vibe that we're going for.  These cards have such sweet sentiments and delicate touches that your loved ones will totally feel appreciated.  They aren't hokey and no one will know you only spent a dollar!

I can't wait to give these guys to my friends, family, and coworkers to express my gratitude & celebrate life's little moments!  Check out more of the fun sentiments here on the Dollar Tree website and while you're there, check out this project.  I totally want to create a ready to go system where I can grab a card and give!  The best thing is this is so affordable I almost can't believe it!

How do you show your loved ones you care?  Are you excited for these new lines from Dollar Tree?

ps. check out another amazing Dollar Tree DIY post here!

Three Tips for a Successful Planner

Planning has become an obsession of mine.  I started out with just a mini binder from Target and now I have too many shelves of planners that I don't know what to do with.  But while those guys sit unused, I've been focusing on my Mini Happy Planner for ages now.......but just to switch things up I'm playing around with a Classic Size! What???

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

Something I hear a lot about in the planning community is planner peace.  While this looks different for everyone it is often a long journey & sometimes feels unsuccessful.  Planning should be two things:

1. About you & your needs
2. F U N

Yes, we're using this system to get things done but we should also be focusing on how planning affects us.  If we're having fun and feeling inspired we're more likely to get things done & feel productive.  That is why I like to functionally decorate my planner.  Sometimes pretty does serve a purpose...if you want to live an inspired life you've gotta surround yourself with inspiring things.

Here are my 3 tips for a successful planner

Watch YouTube Videos

Now, when you watch these guys don't go getting a case of #FOMO (fear of missing out).  You're watching these videos to get ideas on what you may want to include in your planner.  I can't tell you how many times I still watch a Mini Happy Planner set up video to see how others are using their planners.  When it comes to the Happy Planner line a lot of people call this style of planning frankenplanning because you're taking different parts of different planners or accessories and putting them together.  I don't think I have a Frankenplanner....I just think I have a set up that works for me!  If you want to see my most current Mini Happy Planner set up for some inspiration, check it out here.

Plan your Planner

Now that you have an idea of the sections you might want to include in your planner it is time to figure out how you'll use them.  I love to plan my planners and you can often find a section in my planner about ideas for my planner.  This is all about making the planner work for you.  

If you have a plan then you're not out there all willy nilly buying planner supplies you don't know how to use.  If you see something out there you like consider how you'll use it.  Make a plan for it.  This will save you money & save your sanity!  This goes for any planner system, not the just the Happy Planner!

Experiment

The final tip is to just see what happens!  If you find yourself really interested in a system but you're not quite sure how you'll use it just go for it.  I recently used a 50% off coupon on a teacher planner from the Happy Planner just so I could see if I'd really like to use it as a social media planner. (spoilers I LOVE IT!)  I'm gonna make a good go of it and if it doesn't work out then I didn't spend too much and I can probably pass the rest on to someone else.

When you feel the call to do something...sometimes you shouldn't ignore it!  A system you're interested in may end up working perfect for you or you may learn something else about your needs that you can switch up later.  

There is no right or wrong way to plan.  Hell, even just putting a sticker down on paper serves a purpose for you - if it's inspiring just do it.  Planning is a creative & productive outlet for me so don't let anyone tell you that your way of planning isn't the right way.

If you'd like to test out some printable inserts to see what might work for you in your planner, check out the etsy shop!  I use some of the personal size inserts like the budget & week on one page in my Mini Happy Planner and love it.  You can also join the Printable of the Month Club over on Patreon to get a brand new planner printable each month.  Subscribe for only $3 here.

What planner system works for you? What have you tried that hasn't worked out?

xoxo, Moe

Make it Monday // DIY Essential Oil Recipes for Travel

If you haven't noticed from my Instagram feed, I travel a lot.  Like a lot, a lot.  We've been around the world a few times - Korea 3x (check this hashtag for the first trip & this hashtag for the second), Japan, Amsterdam (yay for Hema!) - and we've traveled home quite often.  Being that I moved 800 miles away from my family I like to go home as much as I am able.

this post may contain affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.
the 10 ml glass bottles & spray tops were sent to me by Got Oil Supplies, all opinions are my own.

Traveling with an array of essential oils while possible isn't always practical.  Of course I've got a list of the top 10 oils I love to travel with but sometimes I need to be more compact.  Traveling with a diffuser can be troublesome as well so I've teamed up with Got Oil Supplies for this super easy, travel inspired DIY to help you keep your oils with you!  (ps. There is a coupon code at the bottom of this post just for you!)

Maintaining routine when traveling is very important.  We can get thrown off our rhythm and distracted from any self care rituals we've set put. We can find it hard to sleep in new environments and have trouble adjusting to a hotel room, a new city, or even being back in our childhood bedroom so keeping things close to us that provide comfort is a must.  For me, that includes my essential oils.  These guys give me a sense of peace & a sense of normalcy.  Not to mention some of them outright replace a few things I used to carry with me.  So lets get to the recipes.

supplies // roller bottles & spray tops from Got Oil Supplies (I'm using the 10ml size), witch hazel, water, fractionated coconut oil, various essential oils (I use only doTERRA CPTG oils, learn more here)

For each of these recipes we'll be using some sort of carrier.  I use that term loosely here because usually you'd use something like Fractionated Coconut oil to carry the oils - dilute them properly for topical application.  But for some of these we'll just be spraying them on clothes or a pillow and not necessarily the skin so there's not really a need for FCO in each recipe.

Sleepy Time Spray

This is like instant lights out! So if you have trouble sleeping especially while away this may give you some peace of mind.

In the spray bottle combine 5 drops Lavender, 3 drops Cedarwood, and 3 drops Vetiver.  Lavender is great for calming while both Cedarwood and Vetiver are grounding.  I swear, for me, any thing with Vetever is so soothing to me!  Top the spray bottle off with water.  Shake before you spray your pillow then nod off to sleep!

Deodorizer Spray

Stuff can get stinky if we've been traveling - especially in the summer - so a little deodorizer & fabric refresher can be much needed.  Combine 5 drops Purify blend & 5 drops Melaleuca in a spray bottle.  Top with water if you're going to be using on your clothes or use witch hazel if you've like to try for a natural deodorant.

I have yet to find something that helps me not stink but these oils work great for me on fabrics.  Spray a bit on the fabrics and let them air out.  Both of these oils have purifying & cleansing chemical properties.

Happiness Spray

My two ultimate feel good, get your happy on oils are Douglas Fir & Citrus Bliss.  This is literally happiness in a bottle!  Combine 5 drops Douglas Fir & 5 drops Citrus Bliss in a spray bottle and top with water.  Spray on anything & everything, any time you need it.  Make sure to avoid skin if you'll be outside as citrus oils are UV reactive.  But seriously, go ham with this blend!

After Sun Cooling Spray

This is a blend I used recently on my summer vacation & I have something else to add to it - witch hazel.  Witch hazel is great for the skin and when you add in other skin loving oils like Melaleuca & Lavender you've got a wining combination.  Combine 5 drops Lavender, 5 drops Melaleuca, 1 drop Peppermint (you can do more, I just find Peppermint to be very strong) in a spray bottle.  Top with equal parts Fractionated Coconut Oil & witch hazel.

You can either spray right onto the skin or spray on a cotton round and apply.  Applying with a cotton round is easier for the face especially if you've gotten a bit too much sun other wise just do a few quick sprays to cool off.

Chill Vibes Spray

Balance is an oil that I wish was in a roller bottle, a spray bottle....heck I wish I could get a 50 oz bottle of this stuff!  For me this is my zen oil.  Whenever I need a break or I need to really relax I bust this baby out.

Combine 10 drops with water in a spray bottle and spray on your clothes, etc when you need to just relax.  This is a perfect way for me to travel with this oil when I need it quickly.  It really helps me sink into a meditative head space easily.

If you hadn't noticed all of these blends use some of the top 10 oils for travel.  The problem with traveling with a ton of oils means the blends you're gonna make - in your hand, on your pillow, or in your travel diffuser - take up space because you've got to bring them all!  The slim profile of these spray bottles from Got Oil Supplies means they won't take up too much space.  In fact, they will only take up as much space as your roller bottles.  Love it! 

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE LABELS HERE

These guys will slip easily into a small make up pouch or pencil case (hello Target Dollar Spot #amirite) so they won't take up space in your bag.  I've even got some labels for you to print at home and cut by hand or with your Cricut or Silhouette machine.  These guys fit perfect on the bottle - the are 1.5 inches wide by .75 inches tall and have a space to write your own blend names in permanent marker.  When you upload the PNG to Cricut Design Space be sure to erase the branding strop at the bottom & size it to 6.75 x 9.25 inches.  I also suggest this waterproof paper from Online Labels to print these guys on.

Now for the coupon code: 

use 516LOVE over on Got Oil Supplies for 10% off your order!  
valid until 9/30/18

There's a ton of quality supplies, containers, etc for your essential oil blending, storing, and sharing needs. I especially love these purple glass bottles that were sent to me for this project because purple is my favorite color!  It is always nice to be inspired by your collections - sometimes plain old amber bottles just don't do it for me.

What are your favorite blends?  What are you going to pick out from Got Oil Supplies? Let me know in the comments!