Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas of baby humans and furry babies.
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Beautiful artwork by @saarmanche (on instagram) from her Mothers and Daughters prints.
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🌻💕🙏🏼
Caterpillars
I brought in some milkweed cuttings to keep them from taking over as they self seed (this is a non-native milkweed which is 👍🏼 for monarchs, but it needs to be managed). I checked to see why it looked ratty all of a sudden and found SIX monarch caterpillars munching the leaves. Escorted them to the more abundant milkweeds in the backyard. Good luck little ones!
Behind Every Successful Woman...
Love!
Take A Moment
Take a moment to recharge with someone you love.
Legs up the wall is a great yoga pose when you're feeling tired, jetlagged or just overwhelmed. It's more refreshing than a short nap and it only takes a few minutes!! 5 to 10 min would be ideal but even 2 min can make your day better!
Try it! Tell us what you think. :-)
Self Care
Self care has quickly moved from a way to get off the hamster-wheel of busyness to a very hot commodity - including green beauty and clean eating. There are many articles on what self-care should look like and feel like, but is this just additional pressure to be perfect and achieve more? Rebecca at Kings Road Apothecary speaks to the difference between what looks like self-care in the media and what actual real-life self care is. What do you think? http://thornandwonder.com/blog/2017/7/soft-soft
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#takecareofyourself #selfcare #selflove #bekind #loveyourself #kindness #rootdownriseupgrowlove #nocreepystuff #becauseweloveyou❤️ #love #support #mentalhealth #grow #community
Women I Admire
There are so many inspiring women we love.
Who are the women you love and admire?
Inhale / Exhale
Letting go of what we're holding onto (or what's holding onto us) is necessary to be able to take the next breath, to move forward into our future.
What are you letting go of today?
Happy Earth Day!
Here are some tips to save the Earth:
1. Adjust your thermostat - increasing the temp by one degree in the summer and decreasing it by one degree in the winter will save you 10% on your energy consumption
2. Go vegetarian once a week - it takes 2500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef
3. Reduce waste by composting your food scraps
4. Reuse your shopping/grocery bags
5. Recycle your electronics, plastics, and glass
And I said to my body...
<3 I totally relate. How about you?
Happy Easter!
This Easter, we remember that each day we have an opportunity to give ourselves a clean slate, a day to forgive yourself or another and start fresh. May you be happy, healthy, peaceful and free.
Be a Fruit Loop in a World Full of Cheerios
From the first time I saw the Island of Misfit Toys I felt like that’s where I belong. https://youtu.be/JIO0a-4hCvA for a little throwback. Can you relate? So grateful for #dearhandmadelife for creating #craftcation a creative entrepreneurs conference where fruit loops like me can connect, learn and grow. BTW you should totally check it out!
Look deep into nature
“Look deep into nature & you will understand everything better” - Albert Einstein
Connecting with nature can help transform a bad day into a good day. When it’s been hard, what helps me a lot is going for a walk. If I can get to a more secluded area the better - it always gives me the perspective that I need to recharge and feel better.
GIVING TUESDAY + COURAGEOUS WOMEN WEDNESDAY
Tuesday AND Wednesday Lovetree Essentials will donate 20% of sales to the Courageous Women Fearless Living (CWFL) program.
There's still time! A message from my heart to yours:
I hope you'll grab a cup of tea and join me for a story.
My name is Ann Braden, founder of Lovetree Essentials. As you may know, Lovetree Essentials was born as a result of changes I began making after a breast cancer diagnosis. What you may not know is that back in 2012, I was feeling pretty broken and very overwhelmed. I thought a retreat might help, so, eight weeks after a double mastectomy with DIEP/SIEA flap reconstruction, I boarded a plane to Colorado for the Courageous Women Fearless Living (CWFL) program. I wasn't even sure I should go - I sure didn’t feel courageous and was feeling pretty fearful most days.
The fear kept me company as I pondered all that could go wrong. How would I wrangle my ridiculously large suitcase? What if the plane explodes in the air? What if no one wants to talk to me? Everything felt threatening. I didn’t realize at the time my entire system had been on high alert for months.
I was nervous arriving, but with the pine-drenched mountain air and the warmth of everyone at registration, something started to shift. Over the five days on retreat, fear began falling away, replaced by a strong sense of connection and belonging. I fell in love with every one of the 36-ish women in the program. While each of us had our own unique experience, we had a common bond. Even when I got back home, it felt like no matter what might happen in life, I would always have the love and support of these women with whom I am forever deeply bonded.
I’ve gone back to this retreat, this wellspring of soul healing, four times. Most recently as part of the staff. Every year is different, but every year my spirit is nourished in ways that bring joy and make me do crazy bold things I never would have done before. Like training for and completing my first marathon! Or starting therapy. Or beginning a new apothecary business in mid-life. To paraphrase a line from “Wicked,” I like to think that I’ve been changed for the better but I know I have been changed for good.
On this Giving Thursday, consider supporting this amazing program.
Tuesday and Wednesday I'm donating 20% of my sales to the Courageous Women Fearless Living (CWFL) program.
Here’s a link to give directly, donations are tax-deductible: http://cwfl.org
And if you know a woman whose life has been touched by cancer, let her know about this program.
Thank you for listening.
With love and gratitude,
Ann
Natural Sunscreens
As you enjoy what is left of your summer vacation, it's important to remember to protect your skin. Conventional sunscreens have toxic chemicals and ingredients that can do more harm to your body than good. But which natural sunscreens are not only good for you but also FEEL good? There are a lot of natural sunscreens that feel greasy, don't spread well, or just plainly don't smell good.
Luckily Mind Body Green has compiled a wonderful list of 15 Natural Sunscreens to help you pick out the right sunscreen for you and your family. Click here for the link.
