Following Intuition, Natural Skincare, Journaling, and Nourishing your Soul: 11 Things I’m Loving this Week

We live in a world filled to the brim with inspiring and beautiful people, stories, and things. This week, I’m sharing 11 things that are bringing me joy and helping me go deeper into my journey of personal growth.

I’ve been reflecting on life much more than usual lately, and I feel immensely perceptive to both the beauty and destruction around me. The number one thing that has brought me more joy and clarity over the past two and a half weeks is my return to journaling.

I was an avid journaler in high school and into college. I’d lie in bed and write, sometimes late into the night, about what was occurring in my life, my hopes and dreams. Later, I realized journaling helped me understand and process everything happening around me.

I’m not sure when I stopped journaling, although I could go back and check the date. However, all that matters to me now is that the words keep flowing. It’s almost as if I fell asleep and I’m just waking up to life, and I have a lot to say about it. So, at the bottom of this post, I’ve left you with three journaling prompts to help you get started, in case you’re not sure what to say.

10 Things Bringing Me JOY This Week:

1. Finding Purpose in Pain: Ruthie Lindsey was interviewed on the Almost 30 podcast (one of my favorites), and her words broke me open in the best possible way. Ruthie has experienced immense pain and loss, and yet, her voice is healing and her positivity contagious. The way she speaks about her former self with so much love is nourishment for the soul, and her story of falling back in love with herself was the dose of inspiration and courage that I needed. Give it a listen.
2. Surrendering to the Universe: Claire Michelle (@plantifulsoul) was interviewed on the Balanced Blonde podcast, and her life story is a reflection of the pure magic that lies in listening to our intuition. Her story of moving to Kauai (my ultimate dream), and then to LA, meeting her soul mate, and continuously saying yes to what brings her joy is moving. It’s beyond words. Listen here. Get my favorite podcast recommendations here.
3. All Natural Skincare Routine: Every day, the 4.2 trillion-dollar global market for beauty products tries to convince us that we need to shell out big bucks to look younger. Lily Diamond just launched a free ebook with a simple formula for natural skincare that costs just $10/month. It’s a skincare routine pure enough to eat! I’m continuously working towards using all-natural body care. She is one of my favorite bloggers and people to follow – both for her honesty and her deep knowledge and love of botanicals and the earth. Her cookbook is amazing as well. Get the free ebook here.
4. Strawberry Rhubarb Popsicles: Nature is incredible. While humanity does its best to destroy her, she quietly prevails as best she can, churning out nutrient-dense goodies for us. I recently made strawberry-rhubarb popsicles with sweet coconut cream and declared they tasted like the nectar of life.. and maybe they are. Thanks for keeping us alive, Nature. We’ll do our best to return the favor. Get the recipe.
5. Wicker Goddess: “Jungalo” vibes have taken Instagram by storm, and my explore page is constantly filled with lovely bohemian abodes with the perfect touch of wicker. My sister Sarah recently started carefully curating a collection of wicker furnishings and bohemian accents for sale, and I love seeing all of her amazing finds – and how fast they sell! If you’re a fellow boho lover like us, follow along and keep an eye out for that perfect piece. Take a peek.
6. Open Shelving in the Kitchen: My tiny apartment is tiny and not updated in the least, so as I ogle perfectly-curated photos on IG and Pinterest, my desire for a beautiful, modern kitchen weighs on me. In the meantime, I found the perfect raw wood, floor-to-ceiling shelf in the dumpster, of all places, and it’s bringing me immense joy. 
7. Nourishing Micro Greens: Baby plants are really cute. The glee of watching sprouts rise up from the earth is second to none (in my book), and so it’s no surprise that I love eating micro greens. They are packed with nutrients and loaded with flavor. And they make my body happy, which makes me happy. Pick some up at your local farmers market, or grow your own!
8. Goddess Vibes: Isabelle Feliu creates amazing art that features the splendid female form in dreamlike deserts, jungles, and spectacular architecture. I first saw her art in the lobby of a local resort, and recently came across it again at a local wellness space. My favorite pieces speak to my soul. Grab a print.
9. Fall in the Arms of the Universe (and Dance Your Heart Out): The song Arms Open by Benny Benassi x MazZz & Rivaz Remix makes me want to dance… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to this song at the office in the last week and fought the urge to frolic through the sales floor (I’m sure everyone would find it highly amusing though). I like to imagine that the song is in fact a message from the universe rather than a love song, and that the universe is just waiting with open arms. My favorite line is, “So when you feel like you can’t take another round of being broken, my arms are open. And when you’re losing faith and every door around you keeps on closing, my arms are open.” Listen (and dance!)
10. Locavore: Raimondo’s Gluten Free Eggplant Lasagne: I’ve long lusted after this unbelievable lasagne at my farmers market, and finally purchased a piece to stash in the freezer for a rainy day (though I doubt it takes me more than a week to eat it). It brilliantly uses thinly-sliced eggplant in place of pasta to make a gluten free lasagne, and if you’re a fan of eggplant parm, you’ll love it. Contact on Facebook or call 602-757-3527 to order.

3 Journaling Prompts

The easiest place to start is writing about your day: what went right, what went wrong, and how can you be better tomorrow? If you want to dive deeper, here are three questions to ask yourself:

1. Who do you want to be?
2. What time is it in your life?
3. What are you waking up to (in your life, the world around you, your own mind)?

If you’re looking for a new journal, this one is my current favorite from Target. I also love to keep mini notebooks in my bag for when inspiration strikes on-the-go.

Want even more? Connect with me on Instagram where I share my heart on the daily.

Big love!