DIY: Basic shea coconut lip balm

Ever since I made my homemade + natural moisturizing lotion recipe, I've been on a quest to eliminate as many chemicals from my home as possible. Some of it involves making my own products like these homemade baby wipes. I've also been trying out a few cleaning and body care products from different brands.

It's been quite an intense journey to be honest, mainly because my life has been on overload recently, but also because I never realized just how many chemicals are around us on a daily basis, it's actually kind of scary! Anything from our skin care routine, to bathing, to cleaning our home, in our food, even our mattress and our car contains harmful chemicals, can you imagine?



With that being said, I have no intention of turning into a full on Green Holistic Naturalist (or whatever you call people that are 100% natural living) but I do hope to find some kind of balance and be more intentional in my everyday life without compromising my happiness and that of my family. Life is just to short to not enjoy everything you love.

Today I want to share with you a super easy basic shea coconut lip balm recipe. I'm using raw, pure and fair trade Shea butter from Kariderm. It's my absolute favorite product from their company. The texture is super light, it absorbs quickly and has intense moisturizing action. I use it in practically all of my homemade body care products.

MATERIALS

1 tsp Shea butter
1 tsp Coconut oil
2 tsp Beeswax (grated)

TOOLS

Glass bowl
Pot
Pipette
Lip balm tube

DIRECTIONS

Heat all ingredients in a glass bowl over a hot pot of water, on low heat. If you have a double boiler, you can use that too. When I'm in a hurry, I do it in small increments in the microwave, but I really don't like using the microwave too much so the stove top is my favorite way. Once everything is melted, mix it a bit, then transfer the mixture to the lip balm tube using the pipette (the recipe is enough for 2 tubes). Wait until it cools and enjoy!



This is super quick and easy to make and it's surprisingly moisturizing. It's been my go-to natural lip balm for quite some time now and although I keep trying different brands once in a while, I always return to my homemade one. It's also a super fun, thoughtful and intentional gift to make for your friends and family.

What kind of skin care products have you tried making at home?

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Kariderm. The Shea butter was sent to me at no cost. All thoughts expressed in this post are my own.

Wear: Spring in Mexico

Flowers!!! Colors!!! Sandals!!! Oh my god guys, I am just too excited for spring.

Being in Mexico brought a taste of warmth back into my life and I just had to capture the moment. It's been so long since I've done an outfit post. This shoot was completely random and unplanned (read: no makeup and crazy hairdo). I just wanted to remember the vivid colors, just in case the last few snowfalls back home discouraged me.

Ok so this may not be the fanciest of outfits, but it's so fun and so comfortable. I especially love my new sandals from Steve Madden. It was the first pair of shoes I bought there and I did find they were a bit on the pricey side, but after wearing them for 2 weeks I can tell you it was well worth the money. I just hope they last and retain their quality for a long time!

As for the leggings, they're an old pair I had lying around. As a matter of fact, they're getting a tad washed out. Tell me you didn't notice.

The shirt is new though, I got it at Bikini Village a couple of months ago. I'm so in love with the casual style, length and its loose fit. The fabric is super light and soft, too bad it doesn't come in vibrant colors, I would have bought them all!

WEARING

Sandals: Steve Madden
Leggings: Old
Shirt: Bikini Village
Earrings: Winners

Nail art: Black on silver, dotted

It's been so long since I've shared any nail art! To be honest, I haven't done any in a while. I don't know why, I guess I've just been prioritizing other things lately. I miss it though, it's always fun to take a few minutes a week to have a girly moment.

For this nail art I didn't really plan anything. I just picked a random color and painted my nails and went from there. It's always fun to experiment without a plan to see what you can come up with. It kind of forces your brain to be creative. By doing so, you learn more about yourself and your process.



In any case, I've been really busy lately, we're going to Mexico in a few weeks to visit family and I've been planning everything we need to bring. It's the first time we're going out of the country since we discovered our son is allergic to eggs. I'm not sure if I should bring food like bread and noodles with us. Stuff I know could be hard to find without eggs...

I can't wait though, we planned on going to the beach! It'll be our kids' first time so we're super excited to see their reaction and show them a whole new bunch of things; digging holes, building castles, getting buried in the sand... you know, the usual. :) Until then, I'm going to be working in my newly painted office and doing pretty Easter crafts.

You'll have to excuse my hands in this tutorial, they're so so so dry. The winter's being particularly difficult and I've been washing my hands like crazy to not catch any viruses before we leave on vacation. I also have been neglecting moisturizing... shame on me!

So yea, here's my super dry hands with pretty simple nail art. Lol. Enjoy!

MATERIALS:
Silver nail polish
Black nail polish
White nail art pen
Top coat



1. I applied 2 coats of silver nail polish. I do this on all my nails to give it a bit of time to dry before step 2.



2. Using the brush the polish came with, I made a brush width line down the center of each nail. Don't worry if it's not exactly straight. When I do this, I don't usually wait until the base polish is dry, even if it's still a bit damp I keep going.



3. With the white nail art pen I made little dots in a straight line right in the middle of the black stripe I just made. Again, you don't really need to wait until the previous step is dry.



4. Apply top coat and that's it! I use seche vite.

Nail art: Bare daisies

I've always dreamed of running through endless fields of flowers; the sweet fragrance, the cool breeze and the pure air. Wouldn't it be amazing? Just thinking about it makes me feel so free and happy. Living far away from the city, living off the crops we grow and the livestock we raise. Having all the time in the world to take care of my kids. For now though, I'll just have to settle with drawing flowers on my nails.

Have you ever had the chance to run through fields of flowers?

For this nail art I was looking to create something super quick, fresh and simple. I was playing around with my dotting tool trying to find different ways to use it and it occurred to me that I don't even need to put a base color before making my design. I love the clean look of this new nail art and I'm already planning other bare nail designs.

MATERIALS:
White nail polish | I'm using Blanc by Essie
Yellow nail polish | I'm using Lightening by Sally Hansen
Dotting tool | I'm using the Sephora dotting tool


1. Using the dotting tool, in a circle, place 5 dots in a circle to form the petals of a flower. Do this as many times as needed to create the desired pattern as shown in the picture below.


If you don't have a dotting tool you can use the tip of a pencil instead, or even a toothpick, anything will work.

2. Paint and yellow dot in the center of each flower and add a clear protective top coat.


The more nail art I create the more I realize how much I enjoy being creative. With all the things I want to do every day, and the little time I have, this is definitely an activity that I seem to find time for. When I first started doing nail art I thought "Oh-My-God, this will take for-ever"... but you know what? It doesn't. It really doesn't. What takes the longest is thinking up what you're going to draw and which colors you're going to use. Once that's settled, the actual art takes a few minutes (obviously we're not creating anything super fancy here). If you add a quick drying top coat like Seche Vite, it'll be even faster. You should give it a shot if you haven't already!

Nail art: Square

I bought some new nail art tools (mini brushes and striping tape) and I just couldn't wait to try them out! I'm very satisfied with the results, the little squares turned out totally adorable. I chose to use the striping tape as a guide to make squares and instead of leaving them on my nails, I removed them to show a clear white line underneath.

What kind of designs do you do one your nails?

After doing a few nail art, I see that I tend to gravitate towards geometric and symmetric styles; I wonder what that means? I'm square? Next time I'll have to try something a little more dramatic. For now, here's what I'm sporting these days.



NAIL POLISH:
Blanc by Essie
Bikini so teeny by Essie
Little black dress by Ceramic Glaze
Honolulu hibiscus by Ceramic Glaze
It's totally karma by Sephora by OPI

TOOLS:
Nail Art Striping Tape
Nail Art Detailer Brush by Sally Hansen


1. Apply 2 coats of white nail polish.


2. Put striping tape as shown below.


3. Apply colors randomly.


4. Remove stripping tape and add a top coat.

review

Sally Hansen nail art tool kit

Likes: Personally, I like the small size, but then again, I like all my tools small. They're easy to use and seem durable. The brush hair is soft and holds well together for precise designs.

Dislikes: The only thing I don't like is the orange color of the dotting tool, but that doesn't affect it's functionality.

My rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Disclosure: This review was not sponsored. I bought the product myself and gave my honest opinion.

OOTD: Mother's Day 2014, 33 weeks pregnant, baby #2

I never did a maternity style post during my first pregnancy because quite frankly, I'm not that great at styling a bump! ...and I don't want to buy too many clothes that I'm just going to use for a few months. This time around, I thought it could be fun to try and mix something up for a little photo shoot of my bump, as a keepsake.



Mother's Day was so very special this year. The weather was absolutely amazing and I got to spend the entire day with my two special guys (and a half...). As some of you may know, I'm about to be a mother for the second time and I couldn't be more excited to see my family grow.



The picture below is a Mother's Day special for you guys. I'm always burning with desire to post pictures of my little man and brag about how much of a good boy he is, but I just don't feel like I have the right to post pictures of him all over the internet without his consent. Let's face it, he's a tad too little to understand right now, so when the time comes, the decision will be his. Until then, here's a little treat just for you guys; a glance into my life as a mother to the most precious little boy.



I actually used the special day questionnaire I made to tell my husband what I wanted for Mother's Day and I'm happy to say that I got everything I asked for... and more. I had time to sleep in (until 8AM, but still... I woke up on my own!), I got time to take a long shower, pamper myself & select a pretty outfit. My hubby also made breakfast for me and got my favorite Starbucks drink, a Grande Soy London Fog (yum!). Plus, and this is the absolute best part... I got a letter from my son (written by my husband obviously) thanking me for all the wonderful things I do for him. There were so many things enumerated that it made cry. I also got some flowers, had time to take outfit pictures (finally!) and planted a garden with my son. What more could a woman want? Thank you so much for giving me the most wonderful Mother's Day of all to both of my guys.



This pregnancy has been much more difficult than the first. I was pretty sick for the first 3 months (nausea, vomiting, excess saliva, and physical exhaustion). The second trimester was better, but I still came home very tired after work every day, leaving me unable to play with my first born as much as I would have liked. Since the beginning of the third trimester, I've had a terribly sore lower back, thanks to an inflamed sciatic nerve in the right butt cheek. Needless to say, my mobility is reduced and I can barely bend over to pick things up.

I still have about 7 weeks to go, with 3 weeks off (work wise) at the end... I'm looking forward to this time to catch my breath and catch up on some much needed rest (and maybe some projects?). I found working full time and already having a child to take care of, while pregnant, much more difficult than just being pregnant and working; I'm permanently exhausted and I just don't have enough time to do anything. To all you working moms out there... how DO you do it?



My magic shoes...I know, not very fashionable, but they are so comfortable that I don't care! Seriously though, they're more comfortable than slippers and are good for your back; perfect for pregnancy. Plus, they're leather and they breathe, so if your feet swell, no problem! I highly recommend them.



outfit
Necklace: Aldo
Cardigan: Forever21
Top: Old (simliar)
Belt: Old hair band
Skirt: Jacob (similar)
Shoes: Clarks "Wave" (similar)

Nail art: Gold, white and black leopard print

This nail art is actually from last summer. I actually haven't been using any nail polish lately. When I'm pregnant I'm always very (probably-way-too-much) careful about absolutely everything...and I'm not too sure about those nail polish fumes! To think that not so long ago I didn't use nail polish at all, and now...I miss it! Not like I wore it every day, but still, I really enjoyed these little nail art projects of mine. Anyway, here's my version of a quick and easy gold, white and black leopard print nail art. Enjoy!

MATERIALS:
Blanc nail polish by Essie
Gold nail polish by ORLY
Black nail polish by Revlon (I used the black end of Moon Candy Nail Art)
Dotting tool
Nail art paint brush



First, apply a gold base. I used two coats.


Second, use the dotting tool (or tooth pick) to make random white dots on selected nails.


Third, use a nail art paint brush (or tooth pick) to make 2 black lines around each white dot.


...and done! Super easy. Don't forget to add a top coat, it increases durability. Wouldn't want to lose your art within a day now would you?

I really want to do a maternity outfit post. I've never really tried styling my belly before. I just kind of throw anything that fits on. Lol. I might challenge myself to do that so I can make a cute Blurb book of my style's evolution. Wouldn't that be cool?

OOTD: Summer green

I recently bought this gorgeous green dress at Jacob & I just had to show you guys. I originally bought it for work, but I just couldn't resist wearing it to the Jacob's fall collection fashion show at the "Festival de Mode et Design 2013".



I wanted the outfit to be simple, elegant and practical so I paired the dress with some simple black heels, a blue silk belt, some pearls and a blue cardigan.



Aren't these ruffles just gorgeous? I find it adds a unique and playful touch to the dress. I also love this particular shade of green; it reminds me of the forest, so peaceful.



I have to admit, up until recently, I hadn't worn many dresses. However, I am quickly growing fond of them. They make me feel like a lady. Do you like wearing dresses?



Tip: When wearing a dress without tights or stretchy shorts, if your thighs rub together and create a painful rash, use some baby powder. Put some on your hands and rub it on your inner thighs, it will absorb the humidity: reapply every 4-6 hours. You can also use this trick if you can't put your feet into your heels. Plus, it smells good. :)

outfit
Dress: Jacob
Belt: Jacob (from a shirt)
Cardigan: Simons
Pearls: Aldo Accessories
Nails: An affair in red square by OPI

OOTD: Mint, feathers and polka dots

Ok so we've still got a lot to learn photography wise, but at least we're getting better. Error in this photo shoot? Sun. Next time, we're looking for shade. I had a hard time keeping my eyes open and the photos came out way too bright; which is why I turned this one black and white, just a little trick.



It was a particularly warm day and I wanted something light and comfortable to wear. The shear fabric of this shirt let the breeze through, which was quite nice, and the color didn't absorb too much heat. The shoes had to go when we hit the park though; it would have been hard to walk on grass with them! I changed to a nice pair of sandals.



Isn't this necklace gorgeous. I find that the texture and color of the feathers make my outfit look lighter; which is perfect for summer.



What do you like to wear on a hot day?

Happy Canada day weekend to all my fellow maple syrup eaters, igloo owners, and people who see moose on a consistent basis. 'Cause that's who we really are, eh?

outfit
Jacket: Forever 21
Shirt: Forever 21
Pants: Old
Shoes: Aldo
Necklace: Aldo