Rewild Your Life!

Wildness: 

the quality of being wild, untamed and free: a quality produced in nature.

So the writer of one of my favorite blogs, Nature Is My Therapy, posted about a challenge hosted by We Are Wildness called "Rewild Your Life."  For 30 days in September, the participants will attempt to spend at least 30 minutes a day in a natural setting for 30 days without electronics (except to take pictures).  The goal?  To "help you reconnect with that inner wildness deep down in your soul!"  Don't you love that?

This challenge really appeals to me, as I have a very deep connection to the earth and nature that is an enormous part of who I am and how I feed my "soul".  A connection that has been mostly blocked due to coping with an illness that drains the heart and darkens the spirit.  When I do meet with nature, I find tremendous joy.  A challenge like this will hopefully provide motivation to clear up and rebuild my earth-y connection.  :)  I'm excited to start! 

Projects I'd love to Make: Awesome Ways to Salvage Earthy and Thrifty Finds

Sharing more amazing projects I would love to try my hand at! These three DIY ventures involve making found and thrifted objects into fantastic treasures!

Featured Artisan: Bohemian Rose

My love of handmade goods extends to natural bath and body products, especially when it's obvious that they are crafted with carefully-selected ingredients, and high quality; are body-, animal, and earth-friendly; and made with love. :) The wonderful products of my fellow EtsyVeg teammate Jenn of Bohemian Rose definitely fit the bill.



I was super lucky to win a package of handcrafted soap and skincare products for the whole body from Jenn of Bohemian Rose recently! She let me choose my favorite scent in a bar of her handmade soap and my favorite lip balm flavor, and also sent me a fabulous facial scrub and sugar scrub! I've tried both soap and lip balm from Jenn before, so I knew I was in for a special treat- I was not disappointed!

The package arrived exuding the amazing scent of the Tir Na Nog soap I chose, a unisex (a bit more on the masculine side) muskiness that is both invigorating and soothing. Jenn describes Tir Na Nog as a "sexy" scent blended from "sandalwood, musk, and spice... topped with citrus, amber, and a hint of rose," and that is right on target. I tried the soap in my very first shower after it arrived. On top of the fabulous scent, the soap creates a gentle, bubbly lather that leaves me feeling clean and soft without feeling tight or dry in any way. Just what I hope for in a soap! The size is perfect for holding and is generous enough that after a bunch of showers it is still pretty much the same size as when it arrived.



Jenn also sent me a jar of her Facial Scrubbing Mask, which I also tried right away. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous trying something new on my face, as my skin is super-sensitive and gets inflamed and irritated easily. But I had nothing to worry about! The scrub/mask, a finely milled powder mixture clay, oats, dry coconut milk and bamboo, and oils of jojoba and lavender, comes dry in the jar. The ingredients alone are enough to win me over!



Following the directions, after wetting my face I add some water to a scoop of the scrub powder in my palm and blend. Then I apply to my face and rub lightly in circles. The scrub feels oaty-floury and soft in your palm once mixed with a little water, but it actually has loads of these teeny tiny granules that exfoliate gently and effectively- you can feel them once you apply it. Love that!



After scrubbing and then leaving on my skin to dry as a mask (a suggestion in the directions) for a few minutes, I rinse well.



Afterwards, my skin feels soooo baby soft and smooth, and very clean and oil-free (my skin is super oily)! My moisturizer feels like butter when I smooth it on afterwards. :)

My package also included a Strawberry Lime Lip Balm. Jenn's lippies are creamy soft going on, very moisturizing, and last a really long time. I love the Strawberry Lime even more than the Red Currant I tried before. And when you look close at the actual balm itself, there are tiny red flecks in it. I like to imagine that the flecks are real bits of strawberries. ;) Bohemian Rose has lots of tasty flavors of lip balm to try out!

Lastly, I won a sugar scrub! I chose the Minty Lavender scent, which is awakening and energizing. The scrub is very exfoliating and smoothing, leaving skin softened and nurtured. I actually sometimes just use it on my feet (which take a beating from bare feet and flip flops) as a foot scrub to smooth everything and make my heels and toes pretty. :)



Thank you sooo much, Jenn! I love everything!