An Uncomplicated Life Blog: 2020

Monday, December 14, 2020

Winter Skincare Routine

Dry, cold weather calls for a change in your skincare routine. Here are my favorite products and how I use them in cold weather months to care for my skin


Winter is back. Again. My least favorite season. Growing up in Minneapolis, all I saw was snow for some 26 odd years and froze for at least half the year. I maxed out on winter from my tenure there. Anyway, low and behold, here we are again in winter and while I don't live in as miserable a climate now, there still are cold days down here in Dallas. And with colder days comes winter skin, no matter where you live. Cold, dry air unsurprisingly dries out your skin too. These are some of my favorite products for combating winter skin issues. A few slight product changes can really improve your winter skincare routine.


This is hands down my favorite product I own! It's so rich and lightly scented with lavender and primrose essential oils. When you've got dry winter skin - especially elbows, knees and knuckles made raw from so many hand washes/sanitizer applications. This product is extremely rich and nourishing. It's small enough to fit in your bag/purse and since it's in a stick, it's easy to apply whether you're getting out of the shower or applying it on your hands while stopped at a red light. Seriously, your winter skin needs this product! I'm not much of a "product pusher" in terms of what I blog about and endorse, so when I say something like this, I mean it. Get yourself this lotion bar. If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen me talk about this lotion bar a few times, and it's because it's THAT good. 


Second favorite product! This one is formulated just a tad differently for your face. It's rich, but it absorbs into the skin quickly. I put it on first thing out of the shower (or after I wash my face at night) and let it sit for about 5 minutes before I rub it into my skin. Then I apply my makeup (I don't wear much - check out this two minute makeup routine I have that simplifies your makeup and shortens your morning routine) My makeup doesn't go into my creases and I've gotten multiple comments from strangers that my skin was "glowing" after I started using this lotion bar.


This is a secret not many people know... But dry brushing not only helps you exfoliate your skin (extra important in the winter when the dry air causes dead, dry skin) but it's a circulation boost. That circulation and stimulation to your skin has been proven to reduce cellulite! Dry brushing your tummy, thighs and bottom is not only good for your skin, but it's a cost effective way to help reduce visible lumps and bumps to smooth out your skin. It's good for your body and far cheaper than liposuction (and um, far less invasive). I do it in a circular motion while my shower heats up, then I jump in and wash off any dead skin cells I brushed off. It's easy to incorporate into your daily routine.



Winter skin is notorious for being dull, and this serum helps brighten it up. The lotion bar helps to moisturize your skin and give you a glowing complexion, but this takes it to the next level by firming the skin, brightening it up, and leveling out the tone without clogging your pores or feeling greasy. I know I've broken out from a ton of serums I've tried, or they've just been too greasy to be able to apply makeup over. Not this one! Plus, it smells divine,

Winter skincare takes a bit  more time and planning, but you can easily have great skin year round if you put in a bit more effort and get the right products. Dryness is the major issue to combat, and if you're in a cold winter climate, you've got to stay on top of it to keep your skin healthy and keep yourself comfortable. Basic lotions don't work. Most of them contain water as the first ingredient, and that's only drying out your skin more. These winter skincare routine products don't contain ANY water - they're made from organic beeswax and are scented with botanicals and essential oils. They've made a world of difference for my skin. Try them and see for yourself!

Monday, September 21, 2020

Holiday Essential Oil Diffuser Blends

What to put in your essential oil diffuser to make your home smell like the holidays without the risk (chemical or fire) of candles


I see it every year: moms in various mom groups online asking when Bath & Body Works is having a sale on their seasonal candles, which then sparks a debate about what smells are best and what candles are toxic and and and... Here's the thing. I LOVE my house smelling good. But have you ever walked by a Yankee Candle Company store in a mall and gotten an instant headache or felt a wave of nausea? Even when I walk by Bath & Body Works or the perfume section of of a department store and boom. Instant sore throat and headache. The best way I've found to have my home scented without the headache of candles (or the fire hazard with four young kids!) is essential oil blends in my diffuser. A common question I see in oily groups is that people don't know what oils to blend together for great holiday scents, so I'm rounding up my favorites for you to mix your own essential oil blends that will carry you through the holiday season.

Orange slices and chestnuts with three different essential oil diffuser blend recipes listed in font over the image


First off, a quick note on essential oil brands and quality. Revive is my favorite brand because they have pure oils (quality reports are published to their site - Young Living and Doterra don't do that!) that don't break the bank. How? Because there's no multi-level-marketing club to join, which essentially means you're not paying your "upline's" bonuses or their trips to Hawaii that you'll never get to go on. You simply buy the oil that you want, when you want it, and it ships free. The quality is the same as Young Living or doTERRA, but since you avoid the MLM drama, you don't have to pay their prices. If you're looking for high quality, affordable oils, check them out. You can use CODE PAIGE10 for 10% off your order, too. Plant Therapy, Eden's Garden and Living Libations are also great brands that won't rob you blind.

These diffuser blends are for a 500ml diffuser tank. So, if your diffuser is smaller, you might want to consider using less and if it's bigger then use more. Most of my tanks are 300-500ml, which means I basically use these drop amounts no matter what diffuser I'm filling. If you have a 200ml tank or less, however, I'd reduce the amount of oils used and if yours is much larger than 500ml, I'd definitely add more so that you smell it throughout the duration of your diffusing.

Favorite fall through Thanksgiving scents:
Sweet fall spice
- 10 drops sweet orange
- 7 drops cinnamon 
- 5 drops clove

Spicy fall spice
- 10 drops wild orange
- 10 drops clove

Pumpkin Pie
- 10 drops pumpkin pie
- 3 drops nutmeg
- 3 drops ginger

Candy canes and Christmas lights in the background with a text overlay of several holiday essential oil diffuser recipes


Favorite Christmas scents:
The Ultimate Christmas
- 7 drops Christmas tree
- 5 drops Holiday haven
- 5 drops Christmas morning

Homemade Christmas
- 8 drops balsam fir
- 4 drops cinnamon
- 4 drops clove
- 4 drops sweet orange
- 4 drops Protect

Christmas Cookie
- 7 drops vanilla
- 2 drops cinnamon
- 2 drops nutmeg
- 2 drops ginger

Favorite blends for the New Year:
Party Pants
- 10 drops Good Fortune
- 3 drops neroli

Fresh Beginnings 
- 5 drops Inspire
- 3 drops lemon
- 3 drops Royal

The smells of the holidays are one of the best parts, don't you think? They shape the memories of our children and help create a sense of nostalgia in adults. Candles are... fine, but these diffuser blends use real plant based materials to scent your home, which means you won't have headaches or burn toxic fumes in an enclosed space. Not to mention, diffusers are far safer if you have young kids or pets that want to touch the flame! Make your home smell amazing this year with these holiday essential oil diffuser blends, and ditch those dangerous candles. 

Monday, August 3, 2020

Life Update! New Business Ventures

Best natural beauty brands for women and men, discovered


I took an unexpected month off of blogging, and it was much needed. There's been a ton of changes in my life recently - both personal and professional - and I had to take some time to process them and get them off the ground. What a crazy month it's been! Oh, 2020, I see you... Anyone else never ever want to hear the term social distancing, the new normal, mask up, or Covid ever again? Yeah, me too. But this post isn't a rant on current events, it's a life update, so let's jump in.


More to come on the personal aspect... I know y'all love a good personal life update, and trust me, I'll fill you in when I'm able. But this post is focusing on the professional things I'm transitioning to, which I think will probably be of interest to most of you.

Blogging has changed. When I started, it was about sharing ideas and thoughts and DIYs. It was a community. Back when I started, I loved everything about blogging! It was such a fun creative outlet, and I genuinely enjoyed meeting other bloggers, bouncing ideas off them, writing what was on my heart, and sharing my life with complete strangers on the internet. It also morphed into my major source of income, which was a huge bonus.

Blogging looks a little different now. I still love writing and idea sharing, but I'd prefer to talk about the things that I'm passionate about and that really matter to me. Taking on sponsored posts makes that challenging. One of the things I dislike most about reading other blogs are the sponsored posts that talk about products I KNOW that blogger doesn't use, and potentially doesn't even like. Frankly, it ruins the efficacy of the whole blog for me. I don't want this to be *that* kind of blog, so I'm switching my strategy. If brands are an excellent, and I mean seamless fit, for me and for the niche of this blog, I'll absolutely tell you about them. But I don't want to sell my soul or bore you will marketing content on brands that are of no interest to you.

All that said, I've fostered a new relationship with a natural beauty brand that I absolutely stand behind. Their products are, hands down, the best I've experienced in my (nearly) 36 years of living. It's a small company that handcrafts it's products in small batches from Colorado, and the owner is a complete gem. In fact, she donates (and it's a SHE owned company to boot!) a portion of her profits to end child trafficking, which as a mom of four children, I support 1000%.

I've honestly never been so excited to be a part of a company, and am proud to be a product ambassador for such high quality products that are organic, sustainable, helpful and woman-business-owned-centric. 

If you're interested in learning more, you can follow my Instagram account here, and I've also created a Facebook group to educate on natural beauty products, share DIYs, and essentially support a more natural lifestyle with a heavy focus on education and community. If that interests you, I'd love for you to join us, so click here to get in on it