The older I get, the less often I seem to want alcohol. Over the last couple of years, I have been better at listening to my body, and have leaned into the low-alcohol lifestyle. The biggest conundrum for me was not wanting to miss out on hosting or attending social events that were drink-focused. It was for this reason that I decided to get good at crafting tasty and unique zero-proof cocktails. Giving myself and others the option to skip the booze is a great way to still enjoy the act of sipping and chatting with friends and family without the negative effects of alcohol. Plus, it opens up a new way to bring herbs into everyday life. (Who doesn’t want that?)

Sheet masks are one of my favorite at-home spa skin care recipes to make. For those of you who may not have heard of them before, sheet masks are a skin care treatment that uses a piece of fabric soaked in a solution that is intended to bring a host of benefits to the skin. They can be found in just about any store that sells skin care products, but they come at the price of additional preservatives for shelf stability and single-use packaging. They also range in price, with the inexpensive ones including less than natural ingredients and the expensive ones being well...expensive! This is why I opt to make my own.

This nourishing facial serum is a very special one in my recipe book. Made with four of my favorite skin care oils, this blend is deeply hydrating and yields a lovely bronzing hue that can be tailored to many skin tones. The star of this recipe is sea buckthorn oil, which in my opinion, is an underutilized oil that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. While most skin care oils are pressed from the seeds of a given plant, sea buckthorn oil is pressed from the seeds and berries which yields a vibrant golden hue and contains abundant antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. Sea buckthorn oil also contains linoleic acid which has been shown to support the skin’s lipid barrier,  helping to reduce overall moisture loss. For all of these reasons, it remains high on my list of favorite skin care ingredients.

Skincare is all about balance. This is the basis of each natural skin care class that I teach. We should never be in battle with our skin, but rather, aim to help it maintain the balance it seeks. The cosmetics industry tells us the opposite. It tells us to use this cream for "anti-aging" or that treatment to "fight acne". They also push us into using harsh, drying soaps for our skin, especially oily skin. But did you know that oily skin is most commonly the skin’s natural defense to being too dry skin? In other words, the cleansers used to get rid of oil are actually perpetuating the problem.  
 

Seaweeds are one of the best foods to keep stocked in your pantry. Not only are they incredibly shelf-stable, but they add complex flavors to many kinds of meals, including soups, savory breakfasts, and stir-fries. Their nutrient density, however, is really where they shine. Seaweed is packed with necessary vitamins and minerals. In fact, they contain almost all of the essential amino acids, minerals, and trace elements the human body needs.

When it comes to lip balm, I’m a girl who likes to have options. Different aromas and hydration levels enhance my self-care in different ways. When I am going camping or will be spending a lot of time in the sun, I reach for a summer lip gloss recipe that gives me light coverage, but won’t melt in the sun. When I’m still feeling the summer vibes but want some more hydration than the gloss can offer, I craft ones that are more hydrating and that have longer staying power.

When I’m about to embark on a summer adventure, I always do the final check before walking out the door—keys, wallet, water, and lip balm. Being ill-equipped with any of these staples puts a real damper on my ability to take impromptu diversions on the roads less traveled.

As the warmer weather hits, many of us rely more heavily on deodorant. It’s one of the personal care products that even those who live an overall healthy lifestyle still can’t give up. Truthfully, I have been one of those people. Commercially purchased deodorants simply work more reliably and for a longer period of time—but at what cost?

As I move and shake my way out of cool-weather hibernation (and try to shed some extra winter insulation), smoothies become the perfect breakfast and/or lunch for me. These nutritious drinks keep me feeling light, but still nourished and focused, and I love discovering new ingredients to add to my favorite blended recipes.

Each year when Mother's Day rolls around, I seek gifts that will make Mom feel loved and appreciated. I also aim to get her gifts that she will actually use. You would think I'd have it down to a science by now, but as May rolls around each year, finding the right gift seems to get even harder. Maybe it's because the older I get, the more I appreciate my Mom and want her to know that, or maybe it's that I've gifted her so many things over the years that I want it to be different. What I do know is that she most enjoys my homemade gestures of love. She knows I took my time to make her something, tailored it to her preferences, and created things she can use instead of things that will collect dust or create clutter.