DIY // Salt Dough Snowflake Garland

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you're enjoying some special family time this weekend. Since moving, we haven't been able to spend Christmas with our immediate families. It's been a few years since we moved to Portland, so Christmas has just been the two of us since then. It's definitely been nice being able to spend quality Christmas time just the two of us, but there's something to be said about being surrounded by siblings, parents, and our nieces. 

This year we're getting to do something a little different. Tim's cousin just moved (like two weeks ago!) to the Portland area (about an hour outside of the city), so we're taking advantage of having family in the same state and having dinner with them tomorrow. We're so excited!

Today I wanted to share another holiday DIY with you all - this super cute salt dough snowflake garland. The best part? It's easy! Here are the supplies you'll need:

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Snowflake cookie cutter (I got mine with a holiday set at Michael's)
• Twine (Michael's again!)

Directions:

1. Mix the salt and flour together
2. Pour warm water over the mixture while stirring
3. Continue stirring until solid dough forms (Hint: if it feels too dry, you're probably still on the right track. Mine was almost falling apart, but the snowflakes turned out perfectly!)
4. Roll out the dough on flour-dusted parchment paper
5. Use the snowflake cookie cutter to create at least 9 snowflakes
6. Use a straw to poke small holes on one of their edges so you can string twine through them
7. Remove the excess dough, but leave the snowflakes on the parchment paper
8. Let sit for the day (I let mine sit for about 8 hours or so and they were fairly hard by then)
9. Place in oven on 150 degrees for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. All ovens are different, so just make sure to peek in on them every now and then. I checked in on mine about every 30 minutes or so to make sure they weren't burning.
10. String them with twine and hang!

I wanted the snowflakes to hang at different lengths, so I tied them to the regular twine with green twine to give it a pop of color. We don't have a fireplace or mantle in our apartment, so we hung it below our gallery wall and decided to attach the Christmas cards we received to it. I love how it turned out! I think it's the perfect way to show off our beautiful family and friends <3 (If you sent us a card and it's not displayed, it's not because we don't love you! ;) We just didn't receive it before I took these photos. We've gotten some really cute ones since then that are now displayed as well).

Wishing you and yours a truly wonderful Christmas. We're off to church and Christmas light-seeing and we'll finish the night in our Christmas PJs with hot cocoa and a movie. Love to you all!

DIY // Mini Christmas Wreaths

You guys. I'm kind of obsessed with how these mini Christmas wreaths turned out. They're not only adorable; they're also super easy to make! You may not be able to tell, but they're made with mason jar lids, which just happen to be the absolute perfect size for mini wreaths! ;) 

Here are the supplies you'll need:

• Mason jar lids. I used the lids from a set of 8 oz jars I purchased for candle making. They're a bit smaller than the standard size.
• Twine. I purchased a beige and a darker tan.
• Ribbon. I bought a few different thin ribbons for 60% off at Michael's!
• Holiday buttons and embellishments. I found the ones pictured at Michael's. I can't get over how cute they are!
• Mini ornaments. I loved these mini ornaments - they came in a set of 10 at (where else?) Michael's. ;)
• Hot glue and glue gun.

I made these at the holiday craft night I hosted for a few girlfriends. It was so fun! In case you missed it, I hosted a fall wreath making party a few months ago. I think craft parties are going to become a regular thing for me in 2017. Or at least I'd like them to ;)

If you make these this weekend, I'd love to see how they turn out! Tag #TDLminiwreaths so I can take a peek :)

Happy Holidays!

The Essential Oil Lover's Gift Guide

I cannot believe it's 10 days from Christmas Eve! The whole month of December has felt surreal. I'm not sure how it's even the end of the year yet!

With the holidays comes the pressure of finding and buying the perfect gifts. The ideas I've curated are only a few of the many awesome essential oil and holistic health gifts you can consider for your essential oil-loving friends and family.

Something I love about the essential oil world is that there are so many amazing entrepreneurs and small business owners. Help support them by shopping small this holiday season! Without further ado, here are my top 9 gifts for essential oil lovers:

1. Holiday Gemstone Roller Bottles

These oh-so-cute roller bottles are from Whimsy & Wellness on Etsy. You're not only giving the gift of essential oil health through the use of these roller bottles, but you're also providing the gift getter with all the health benefits of the gemstone rollers. For example, the Snowflake Obsidian roller provides balance for mind, body, and spirit, while the Amazonite roller dispels negative energy, emotional trauma, and fear. I ordered Tim and I a set of 5 of her customizable roller bottles recently and absolutely love them.

2. Himalayan Salt Lamp

This beautiful amber Himalayan Salt Lamp is from So Well. One of the coolest things about how it's made? It's hand-carved by skilled artisans at the base of the Himalayan mountains from a solid salt crystal that hasn't been exposed to air in 250 million (yes, million!) years. SO COOL. Himalayan salt lamps provide wide-ranging benefits, including:

• Cleansing the air
• Neutralizing electromagnetic radiation
• Reducing static electricity in the air
• Increasing energy levels
• Promoting better sleep
• Improving mood and concentration

3. Lava Diffuser Jewelry

What I love about Lava Essentials' jewelry is how minimal each piece is. They're dainty, gorgeous, and perfect for those essential oil lovers who like using their oils on-the-go. So how does lava jewelry work? After you rub a pure, therapeutic grade essential oil on the stone, you'll experience the benefits of the aromatic experience for hours or days at a time depending on the oil you select. Here's to wearing a fashionable piece of jewelry that's secretly at work improving your health!

4. Holiday Essential Oil Blend

I love the doTERRA® Holiday Joy blend! It combines Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Wild Orange, and Clove with Siberian and Douglas Fir for a fragrance that truly smells like Christmas. I've diffused it almost every day since Thanksgiving! It's that good. Want to get your own? I can help!

5. Essential Oil Carrying Case

This case by Lava Essentials is one of the cutest essential oil carrying cases I've seen. Perfect for travel, the case has 18 individually-padded slots plus 2 larger slots. It can hold 5ml-15ml essential oil bottles and can fit up to 30 15ml bottles!

6. Modern Essentials Book

This book is the go-to resource for essential oil beginners and veterans alike. One thing I've learned since getting into essential oils is that there is always something to learn. This book outlines the history and science behind essential oils, as well as recipes and blends you can use in your everyday life. My favorite section is the reference guide in the back that provides quick answers to which oils are best for specific ailments.

7. Wool Dryer Balls

You would be shocked to learn the amount of chemicals there are in our daily lives. That's why we're starting to slowly replace everyday household products with natural solutions. I recently partnered with Keep It Real Natural Living on Instagram to provide a discount code for her amazing wool dryer balls. What's so great about wool dryer balls? Here are their benefits:

• Eco-friendly and help to reduce your carbon footprint
• Great for sensitive skin
• 100% natural and organic
• Locally handmade (from my hometown, which is even cooler!)
• Reduce wrinkling
• Softens and preserves laundry
• Laundry dries faster, saving you time, money, & energy

8. Essential Oil Clutch

These clutches from Sew Grown are perfect for toting around your primary essential oils daily. They can hold 8 glass bottles sizes 5ml to 1 oz, 8 15ml bottles, or 10 roller bottles. I love the idea of having all of my go-to essential oils secure in this clutch and throwing it in whatever bag or purse I'm using for the day!

9. Rose Lotion

This lotion from doTERRA is one of the more indulgent doTERRA SPA products. It not only smells amazing, but it also helps to moisturize and promote smooth, glowing skin. Even better is the purpose behind this product - the full purchase price of this lotion is donated to the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation™.

What are your favorite essential oil products and accessories? Did any of these products make it on your Christmas shopping list? Let me know in the comments below!