Happy weekend...

Happy Friday! We're in my old beloved city of Philadelphia this weekend, and I'm excited to love up some of my bests and enjoy a gorgeous wedding. I hope you have a nice weekend! Here are a few things that caught my eye this week:

• Spinning Father John Misty's newest album on overdrive. Sure, Josh Tillman was great in Fleet Foxes, and equally as transfixing as J. Tillman, but his new spin has been positively glorious (and he is fantastic live). Check out "True Affection."
• Using my awesome new reusable coffee mug all.the.time, and stepping away from disposable coffee cups when I get my caffeine fix outside the home.
• Thinking harder about fashion and sustainability after learning from Avneet Basi (of the gorgeous jewelry line Krysos + Chandi) that the fashion world is the second biggest polluting industry on the planet, and then reading this related piece in the Times.
• And finally, a gorgeous poem on spring and the renewal that comes again every year:

"Just before the green begins there is the hint of green
a blush of color, and the red buds thicken
the ends of the maple’s branches and everything
is poised before the start of a new world,
which is really the same world
just moving forward from bud
to flower to blossom to fruit
to harvest to sweet sleep, and the roots
await the next signal, every signal
every call a miracle and the switchboard
is lighting up and the operators are
standing by in the pledge drive we’ve
all been listening to: Go make the call."

- Stuart Kestenbaum, "April Prayer"

Allergy Soothing Essential Oil Blend

If you're a seasonal allergy sufferer in the Northeast, there's a good chance that this spring has been a bit rough thus far. Both weather and medical specialists point fingers to seasonal weather patterns and climate change's impact on pollen, and forecast that this spring might be shorter than seasons past. Regardless, woes of stuffed noses, scratchy throats and throbbing headaches have been widespread amongst my family and friends, and my own sinuses have been suffering worse than they have in recent years.

In times like these, over-the-counter prescriptions tend to not be enough, and I have been doubling my typical water intake just to combat their drying side effect. I've started using my neti pot to soothe my nasal passages with a warm saline rinse, but was beyond thrilled this weekend when I remembered something my soon-to-be father-in-law taught me: peppermint oil is a fantastic nasal decongestant when inhaled externally. So when I found myself unable to inhale through my nose while on a hike in Upstate New York, I tried this little trick out and was able to clearly breathe in ten minutes flat.

I've brought my trick back home and built an essential oil blend to diffuse in our home. A combination of peppermint oil, and essential oils of lemon, lavender and marjoram (sweet oregano) can supplement your typical allergy remedies by soothing and encouraging clear airways.  Lavender essential oil is naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal, while the lemon essential oil is a great antioxidant and has rejuvenating properties. Marjoram essential oil has been historically used to treat sinus and respiratory ailments as it has expectorant qualities. Our diffuser now sits by my work station, and I've been breathing easier ever since.

Allergy Soothing Essential Oil Blend

4 drops peppermint essential oil

3 drops marjoram essential oil

2 drops lavender essential oil

2 drops lemon essential oil

For each blend, mix together in a dark glass bottle, keeping these proportions constant even if increased. When ready to use, fill your diffuser to the fill line with water, and add in 3-7 drops of the essential oil blend.

Spring Soaking

On Sunday, we signed the lease on a new home. It's a sunny, top-floor apartment with bay windows, in a quiet neighborhood with much more space than we have now. But the real deal-sealer for me? A freshly re-enameled clawfoot tub - the sort of thing of dreams, my friends. In anticipation of our move in May, and many many luxurious soaks ahead, I've compiled a list of bath items to bring along.

(Left to right, starting in the top row)

A luxurious natural sea wool sponge, to massage soaps into the skin.

A detoxifying soak, to revive the body and warm the soul.

A new book, "The Untethered Soul: A Journey Beyond Yourself" by Michael A. Singer, to explore inner peace and serenity.

A bathtub caddy to hold my book, a candle and on the most relaxing evenings, a glass of red wine.

A delicious spring soap, with hints of lemon and rosemary.

A sumptuous bath towel, like the one we've placed on our registry, to lock in the warmth.

A gorgeous candle, made in Virginia and for a great cause, to fill the air with earthy scents.

A wooden bath mat, for stepping back into the world after blissfully floating away.

A natural tub brush to scrub down and prepare for the next night of relaxation.

Weekly Words: "April"

"I wanted to speak at length about
the happiness of my body and the
delight of my mind for it was
April, night, a
full moon and –

but something in myself or maybe
from somewhere other said: not too
many words, please, in the
muddy shallows the

frogs are singing."

- Mary Oliver

Refreshing Green Smoothie

I like to start most of my days with a smoothie, and am always looking for new ways to switch up my go-to recipes. So when fevers hit our home a few weeks ago, and the only requested meals consisted of liquids, I figured it was a great way to come up with a new nutrient-dense drink that would not only deliver a punch to the flu but also wake the body upon any old Monday.

This smoothie is extremely refreshing, thanks to a few citrus squeezes, a cooling mint kick, and a touch of sweetness from apple. It balances the flavors nicely, and received rave reviews and repeat requests in my household. It also delivers some great adaptogenic boosts through the addition of raw garlic, whose antibacterial and antiviral properties are present, though the taste is perfectly hidden amidst banana and greens. It's then rounded off with raw protein power and bee pollen, which provide good energy and immunity support. I can't think of a better way to jump start the day. 

Refreshing Green Smoothie

1 small banana, sliced

1/2 lime, peeled

1/2 orange, peeled

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp lemon rind, finely grated

1 small bunch of kale, de-ribbed

2 sprigs of mint leaves

1/2 apple, sliced

1 clove of garlic, sliced (let sit for 5 minutes before adding in)

1 packet of raw protein powder (I prefer this kind)

1 tsp bee pollen

Combine first ten ingredients in blender, and top with water or preferred nut milk and 3-4 ice cubes. Blend until combined. Top with bee pollen and enjoy.

Happy weekend...

It has been a long and busy week here amidst the cold April showers! I'll be back next week with some delicious recipes for both breakfast AND your skin. In the meantime, wishing you a peaceful weekend, and sharing a few things that caught my eyes, ears and heart this week:

• Feeling an instant wash of good vibes come over me whenever I revisit the music of Ghanian musician E.T. Mensah, particularly on "Day by Day."
• Being moved by Toni Morrison as she reads from her new novel.
• Purchasing a re-fill of this gorgeous local facial oil that gives a little extra oomph to my face after a few weeks of harsh airplane air and cold spring breezes.
• And finally, gorgeous words on finding solace in nature through the poem "The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell Berry:

"When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free."

- Wendell Berry

Roundup: Coming into bloom...

Even though we're dealing with some classic early spring weather in the Northeast, I'm pushing forward towards the May flowers ahead. I've got big dreams of seedlings pushing through the warming earth, fresh buds on trees, and the return of greenmarkets, sharing their early harvests around the city.  Here are a few things that I've got my eye on for an April in bloom.

Left to right, beginning in the top row:

A couple of Hudson Valley seed packs, for generating a little homegrown haven on my little city balcony.

An energizing flower remedy, to motivate and renew.

An herbal bath tea, for relaxing amidst the blooms.

A gorgeous new fragrance oil, for dabbing sexy jasmine and rose scents on the key pressure points.

A new diffuser, so that every room can smell just as delicious as outside, thanks to floral essential oils.

A nourishing rose petal hydrosol, for nurturing turn-of-the-season skin during those raw early spring days.

A fermentation crock, for pickling and curing 'krauts that honor our internal flora and fauna.

A bright nail polish, in "Pansy", for bringing the tips and toes to the flower party too.

A market basket, for toting home locally-grown blooms from our favorite farmer's market and shops.

Happy weekend...

Happy Friday! It's been a long first week of spring, and I'm looking forward to enjoying some time at home before hitting the road again on Monday morning. I hope you have a restful and fun weekend as well! Here are some things I've been fancying for the past few days:

• Revisiting Joni Mitchell's "Ladies of the Canyon" and getting overly excited about spending a July weekend up in Woodstock, NY with my own ladies in a gorgeous modern barn.
• Thanking my lucky stars, and this Black Elderberry Syrup, for keeping me healthy this past week after the flu hit our house and I spent a few hours on a plane.
• Slowly increasing my daily meditation to 10-15 minutes, twice a day, thanks to apps like "OMG. I Can Meditate!" and "Simply Being." It really does help induce restful sleep and peaceful living.
• And finally, a gorgeous quote on sowing positivity and growth to take you into the weekend:

“When you open yourself to the continually changing, impermanent, dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid. You’re able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. And you notice when you get caught up in prejudice, bias, and aggression. You develop an enthusiasm for no longer watering those negative seeds, from now until the day you die. And, you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently.”

— Pema Chödrön