Bohemian Lavender and Patchouli Aromatherapy

Admittedly I'm a bit of a hippie, and this bohemian, free-spirited side of me adores things like aromatherapy and everything crafty or homemade. I recently started to use some lovely whimsical oils in my little aromatherapy burner at home and I completely fell in love with the earthiness of patchouli and lavender mixed together. Whenever I feel the need to unwind I infuse a few drops together to create an aura of peacefulness.

Aromatherapy is one of the oldest methods of holistic healing, equipped to rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit, the aroma of therapeutic oils triggers physiological and psychological responses: lift moods, increase alertness, and calm anxiousness. I personally love how it ads warmth and ambiance to your home, especially during the winter months.

I mean come now, what's better than a warm cuppa hot chocolate accompanied by the sweet gentle smell of lavender, or even better, a warm soothing bath with beautiful aromatic candles to enhance serenity + bliss. What your favorite aromatherapy blend?

Beauty Tip - Make your own essential oil bath or body blend by combining three drops of your three favorite essential oils in two tablespoons of oil. (Plain vegetable oil will work, but grapeseed, apricot kernel and jojoba are nicer.) Use this lovely blend as a body , bath or massage oil. ;)

Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains - Diane Ackerman

Image - My own

All About Balance: Eating Healthy + Staying Energised

Hey there, today I'm working from home, or rather from my bedroom. Most of my loyal readers will know that I like new adventures, a lot. I recently started to work at a community radio station, I'm guest presenting their breakfast show and marketing my small business blog Social Media Blooms while doing some social media on the side - all at the same time. I always push myself to do more, even more so now that I'm getting older and you know what it's all good to be a go-getting + creative hustler. That is until you get sick!

And yes I will admit I've been skipping breakfast a lot, gosh I've even skipped lunch a lot. When you sit behind a laptop all day you sometimes loose track of time and let's face it, eating 2 Minute Noodles for lunch (two days in a row) will just give your stomach a lining, there's no nutrients in there, are there? ;) And having a whole packet of chocolate cookies may taste good and give you a great energy rush, right? But in the end it will just add more fat to the waistline. Oh and then coming home to a glass of bubbly? Well that's just wrong in so many ways.

So I've been suffering from a lot of heartburn lately, leading to a very sore tummy due to my bad eating habits and obviously this is a clear sign to take action. I've been going through my favourite blogs and I love Australian beauty + transformation coach Connie Chapman's blogpost called Why I simplified my morning routine - at the time she was also completely out of balance. Now she starts her day by making a fresh-pressed vegetable juice followed by some meditation.

I also adore beauty blogger Luzanne Ashby's Smoothie/Slushie Sunday recipes. All her recipes are super-easy + healthy! At some point a lack of energy was also a major issue for her, but I really love how she took some action and now she's a bit of a green juice guru. :)

For more awesome tips you can also check out lifestyle blogger Meghan Silva's blogpost called Link Love: Healthy Eating - here she compiled a fabulous list of healthy yummy recipes. I will definitely use all of these ideas myself. Like they say, prevention's better then cure!

Please leave the link of a healthy recipe/habit in your comment if there's one you would like to share.

Image - www.weheartit.com

Blog of the Month: Pink Peonies

And so we're in the beautiful month of May, and the awesome blogger that I've selected as the Blog of the Month are none other than the pretty Luzanne Ashby from the fabulous beauty blog Pink Peonies. Luzanne truly loves everything beauty related from makeup to nail art, crafts, photography and fashion. She adores peonies, decadent cupcakes, pastel colours, smoothies, candy floss, horror movies and macaroons - to name only a few! ;)

I love the fact that she's one of the most generous bloggers out there. She recently had a super awesome Blog Birthday Giveaway to the value of over R2000! Yep, she really went all out + included all of her favourite brands + beauty products in this giveaway.

I also love the delightful graphics/images that accompanies all of her well written blogposts. Luzanne's slightly addicted to the wonderful fresh, organic + handmade products from Lush. Well then again, who doesn't love Lush? ;) And you know what, those are the blogposts on her blog that I enjoy the most, the ones that features products from Lush! What posts do you love most on Luzanne's lovely blog?

Image - My Own
Blog Graphic - Luzanne's