This was a fun project and completely transformed the first floor of our house. It went from drab to FAB! My aunt and I took turns watching the baby and painting. Because let’s be real moms.. a project like this is impossible without extra hands!! All I used was a thick paint brush, cloth, white paint, and water! I mixed half water and half white paint and started. It took a little while to get the consistency just right but once I got it, it went quick. I brushed and wiped and brushed and wiped.. if the paint was looking to white, I just added water. Then, I left the mantle exactly the way it was and just painted it black. The contrast made the entire fireplace just pop. And of course I diffused DoTerra Purify essential oil to eliminate toxins from the air!

So.. The past few weeks have been pretty crazy at the Harclerode household. I don’t know about all of you but I am the type of person that once I conquer one thing, I move on to my next big project/ adventure. I need the excitement to keep me going! A boring life is definitely not for us Harclerodes!! For example.. When Rob and I first started talking about marriage; I said to him ” When we get engaged, I want to buy a house, get married within a year, and get 2 bengal cats.” And guess what, we did just that plus some! I’m not going to say it was an easy ride, there was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears! Rob and I put our minds to it, set a goal, and did exactly this. It will be a year we are married in August and we have already bought a condo, gutted our condo which we completely redid, bought 2 Bengal cats (George and Sonny), now sold our condo, moved back in with our parents, and we will be moving into a new house within the next few weeks. Also, in the midst of everything, we got engaged and I left my job a few weeks later. Not sure what was next for us, we took a leap of faith, and came out heads way above water! WOOAAHH tell me about it. A lot going on in a year!! I know, I know, leaving our jobs while planning a wedding probably wasn’t the smartest idea.. but we wouldn’t trade it for the world. This past year of our lives has been absolutely amazing.

One thing I could say is that when you set your mind towards a certain goal and actually work towards making it happen, it will. Nothing comes with laziness! And don’t get me wrong, we have had our lazy days/ weeks as well. We are not working zombies but we know what we want. If any of you have thoughts or ideas of doing things that seems almost impossible right now.. trust me its not! Every time Rob and I come forward with our next adventure, everyone says “wow, thats going to be great” and we know they are thinking.. “WHAT THE HECK, ARE YOU TWO NUTS!!!” But thats the fun of it, if you don’t try, you’ll never know. Shock people once in a while, its fun!

When I had these “crazy ideas” I wrote everything in a notebook, which no one but me knew about until now… Once in a while when I would get frustrated, I would open it up and start venting about how things weren’t working out to my “crazy, insane” plan. Lashing out and yelling about nonsense is definitely not the way to solve things. This notebook became a type of diary for me.  And let me tell you, so far, everything that I wrote down on that paper has happened for us. Put it this way, if someone were to find this diary now, they would think I was a nut case HAHA. To someone reading, it would make no sense what so ever, but to me it made complete sense. Not everything in life has to make sense, But it has to happen for us to get stronger.

If any of you reading can take anything from our crazy, insane, not-boring life, take this; if you put positive thoughts into the universe, the universe will give you what you wish for. Have faith that everything will work out; “Everything Happens For A Reason!” And when you have those doubts, a bottle of wine will be your Best Friend!!!! CHEERS!!!!

Photo credits to the amazing- Nino Ignacio

 

 

 

Oh, the struggle.. to find the best all natural deodorant. The past 2 years have been pretty rough switching from one natural deodorant to the next.. and the next, and next. Just when I thought I had found “the one” I would have a terrible reaction or they would discontinue the product line. GO FIGURE! Whenever we find that “product” we can’t live without, they discontinue it. OR, you have a reaction 2 days before your wedding so your armpit has a big noticeable burn!! It is not very easy to hide that when you love to dance and arms are whaling. Needless to say it didn’t ruin the day! Anyways, recently i just found 2 all natural products that have been working great. I also make my own deodorant which I will give you step by step on how to make.

So… The two deodorants I recently bought are from LUSH. One of my all time favorite stores!! They are called T’eo and Aromaco. I use both deodorants together to get maximum freshness and to keep dry throughout the day. First I use Aromaco, I hold it under my arm for a few seconds and then lightly rub. I usually will use my finger to melt a little better. Store Aromaco in a air tight sealed container or tin. I then use a light coating of T’eo for dryness. T’eo can be a little messy, I suggest doing in the bathroom, or you can break it up in a container and use a kabuki brush to apply. This combination has been great for me. You can also use them separately if you would like. I know, I know, seems like a lot of work just to apply deodorant.. but when it comes to being healthy, to me, its worth the extra 2 minutes in the morning.

Aromaco-

Main Ingredients– Witch Hazel, Baking Soda, and Patchouli Oil. Absorbs moisture, leaves your skin feeling great and fresh.

T’eo-

Main ingredients- Juniper Berry, Melaluca (tea tree), and Lemongrass. These are all essential oils that help to fight bacteria and keep you smelling fresh all day.

DIY Deodorant–

And now drum roll please….. my DIY concoction. It is super easy and works great.

What you will need.

¼ cup aluminum free baking soda

¼ cup arrowroot (can substitute with cornstarch)

3-5 tablespoons coconut oil

15 drops desired essential oil (see recommendations below)

1 empty deodorant container/ jar

Because my skin is very sensitive, I like to add a few drops of Lavender oil into my deodorant. Some other great options are Lemon, Melaleuca, Lime, Geranium, and Lemongrass. I mix the baking soda, arrowroot, and essential oils together. Slowly add coconut oil in one tablespoon at a time until you have your desired consistency. (FYI, in the summer I usually store it in a cool dry place or the refrigerator to keep solid.)

Voila!! 3 different all natural deodorants you can choose from or rotate and use all 3!!

 

 

So everyone… I’m sure we all just love love vacuuming all the time right!!?? Not!!!! Personally, cleaning is definitely not one of my favorite activities, but I love living in a clean home so I try to make it as painless as possible!

Obviously, blasting some fun uplifting music will automatically change your attitude. Something I just recently started doing is incorporating essential oils into my cleaning process. For those of you who are not familiar with essential oils, they are not just for relaxing yourself. Certain oils are very uplifting as well, as well as many many other oils and benefits! A great trick for getting the room smelling nice and fresh is to put a few drops of your Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils on a cotton ball and place it in the canister of the vacuum. This gives off an amazing and awakening scent while also purifying the air as you clean. Immediately, the pushing and pulling of that heavy vacuum doesn’t seem so bad!!! One of my personal favorite blends to use is Lemongrass and Spearmint… SMELLS A-MAZING!!!!!!!

Some Lemongrass Benefits-Promotes healthy digestion- naturally repels insects- dilute w/ fractionated coconut oil & apply after a run or workout for a refreshing feeling.

Some Spearmint Benefits- Used for digestive benefits- its sweet, refreshing scent is cleansing and uplifting- promotes a great sense of focus and positive mood.

Check out my website to purchase these awesome essential oils!

http://www.mydoterra.com/kellyupritchard

Hey, everyone! My name is Kelly. I am a Hairstylist and Makeup Artist with a passion for beauty, fashion, and living a healthy lifestyle. I designed this space to share the things that I love most with all of you. Im always looking for new tricks and tips so please feel free to share! Thank you for stopping by.  xo-KM