Lavender is Life

Last weekend, Tim and I braved the 100℉ weather and ventured out to Oregon City for the Lavender Festival at the Oregon Lavender Farm. With views of Mount Hood and bright purple lavender all around us, it was so, so beautiful. Not to mention the scent! Imagine taking a luxurious lavender-soaked bath - that's what the fragrance was like walking through the fields.

A post shared by Bre 💕 thisdaintylife.com (@thisdaintylife) on Jun 26, 2017 at 12:22pm PDT

While wandering the farm listening to the awesome local bands, I sipped on lavender lemonade, which is probably the most refreshing drink I've ever had - yes, it was really that good. I mean, just look at the photo from my Instagram! The festival also hosted vendors - everything from handmade rugs, jewelry, and artwork to candles and natural beauty products. There was lavender wreath making and a distillation demonstration, which was so interesting! I've read about the process, but I've never seen it in person.

Tim and I also enjoyed lavender beer and lavender cider - serious yum. And on our way out we picked up a Killa Dilla, a quesadilla larger than our faces, to share 😋 It was absolutely delicious. We ordered the "basic dilla," which comes with mozzarella, cabbage, marinated red onions, and a "secret tangy dressing," and we added grilled veggies. Holy moly, you guys. I can't do its tastiness justice.

As the title of this blog post suggests, I use lavender constantly, so I thought I'd share how I work it into my daily and weekly routine.

My favorite ways to use lavender essential oil:

1. Combine your favorite non-scented, natural lotion with one drop of lavender to moisturize and treat yourself to a little at-home spa experience 💜
2. Put one drop into your mascara bottle to support strong, healthy lashes 💜
3. Diffuse 3-4 drops at night to aid sound sleeping or make a pillow spray with it for the same benefits 💜
4. Add 2-3 drops to your laundry detergent, especially when washing sheets or towels 💜
5. Add 3 drops to your wool dryer balls when drying laundry 💜
6. Use a roller bottle to experience lavender's calming properties on-the-go 💜

Do you love lavender essential oil? What are your favorite ways to use it?

Mila & Malbec

Tim and I took a last-minute trip to Northern California to spend some time with my family. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that my sister just had her first baby (the first grandbaby and niece on my side of the family!), and Mila is already 7 months old (time seriously flies!). It was planned pretty quickly, so Tim and I just decided to road trip down. It was a weekend filled with mama, sibling, and cousin time, as well as delicious food and elegant wine.

It's safe to say Mila was the star of the show for the 60 hours we were there, and rightly so! Her predisposition to laughter and sweetest double dimples make you just want to have a monopoly over cuddling her all day every day. Luckily there weren't too many arguments over whose turn it was to hold her ;)

Sunday was wine tasting day at Honig Vineyard & Winery, always the best hosts! They took us on a fabulous tour of their vineyard's operations and then walked us through an amazing tasting complete with cheese and a few extra on-the-house tastes. Needless to say, Sunday was my favorite <3

On the tour, we got to take a peek into the barrel room where they house wine from floor to ceiling (my happy place!). We finished our Honig tasting experience in a private room with beautiful views and even better company.

I have to admit the title of this post is a little misleading... Honig doesn't yet provide Malbec, but they were just about to plant Malbec grapes when we were there! That's why the view outside of the private tasting room looks empty and brown; they were prepping the land for more great wine.

Time goes by way too fast with the little ones, so we took this opportunity to snap a few family photos. Look at those cheeks!

After our amazing tasting experience, we had an absolutely mouth-watering picnic with deli sandwiches, chocolate-covered cherries, bread and artichoke dip, swedish fish, and other random goodies that tasted even better with our Honig bottles of wine ;)

Family is so important. Even more so as it grows and flourishes. I'm so happy we were able to spend some quality time with my mom, siblings, and little miss Mila Moo Moo (yes, she's going to hate that nickname when she's older), even if it was too short. I love them so much! Now just gotta convince them all to move to the gorgeous PNW ;) 

Essential Oil Rollerball Blend for Energy

I don't know about you guys but I have been TIRED lately. I just cannot seem to wake up in the mornings. While there are definitely habits I should kick (like immediately looking at social media right when I wake up instead of just getting out of bed), I'll take any help I can get in the energy department. That's why I'm oh so excited to share this essential oil energy roller bottle blend I created over the weekend. 

And it's my first time diving into a how-to YouTube video! I'm so excited to launch my YouTube account at This Dainty Life. Check it out and subscribe if you want to stay updated on all things TDL, from DIY fun to essential oil goodness. I have a few upcoming videos I'm so excited to upload in the next couple of weeks.

How to Make an Essential Oil Rollerball Blend for Energy

1. Supplies needed: glass roller bottle (mine was gifted to me by my lovely friend Janelle! you can find it on Amazon), essential oils listed below, fractionated coconut oil
2. Pour 20 drops of peppermint and white fir into your roller bottle
3. Add 15 drops of grapefruit and wild orange
4. Continue with 10 drops of Motivate®
5. Once all of your oils are in the roller bottle, top off your blend with fractionated coconut oil
6. Attach the rollerball, screw on the lid, and shake it to mix together the oils a bit - you're done!

Benefits of These Energy-Blend Essential Oils

Peppermint

• Boasts a refreshing, pick-me-up aroma

• Promotes clear breathing and healthy respiratory function

• Helps combat occasional stomach upset

• Can be used in toothpaste for oral health

White Fir

• Energizes the body and the mind

• Elicits feelings of energy, stability, and empowerment

• Aids the body in relaxation

• Supports respiratory function and clear breathing

• Gives soothing support to sore joints and muscles

Grapefruit

• Helps reduce mental and physical fatigue

• Aids healthy metabolism

• Supports and soothes sore muscles and joints

• Helps combat oily skin issues

• Purifies and cleanses

Wild Orange

• Uplifting to the mind and body

• High in antioxidants

• Acts as a powerful cleanser and purifying agent, while protecting against seasonal and environmental threats

Motivate

• Promotes feelings of courage, confidence, and belief

• Counteracts negative emotions of cynicism, doubt, and pessimism

What rollerball blends have helped you increase your energy levels throughout the day? I'd love to hear about them; share in the comments below!