Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Spring Forward with Organization, Sponsored by Wayfair


Do you guys want to see something scary?

This is real life in my house lately. I took this photo with my phone when Wayfair and I started chatting about organizing for Spring. Note the pile of Winter gear. Note the unreasonable amount of shoes gathered at our doorway. Note the pot of dying/dead plants. Note the duct taped basketball hoop in our entryway. This situation up in the Light household, well, it's not been ideal when one likes to open and close your front door without issues. My husband and I have long been talking about providing some sort of relief for our lack of organization but often thought back to the coat rack we had when we first start living together. That bad Larry fell over if more than two coats were on it... and now there are four humans living in our home now.


In the spirit of Springing forward with organization, we thought that we should do some sort of mudroom organizing piece, since I know that Wayfair does carry a ton. While everyone has been removing things from their home that don't spark joy, I'd just like to get our stuff in order. We knew we wanted something clean, sleek but most importantly, something that was super functional for our family. There were a couple of options, like this Wesson Wide Hall Tree and Ottoman Hall Tree but we landed on this unit, for the extra shoe storage, can you blame me? My husband spent the better part of a Sunday putting it together and I couldn't wait to get our business all up on it... and you know what else I realized in the process? This baby provides me more space for PLANTS! Take a look at the end result!


Spring cleaning is going to be so much easier, now that I have our entry way cleared up. I'm not kidding. This one piece has solved a multitude of our issues. We've got a place for the kids to take their shoes off and learn that there's a place for them. It's been nice to direct Wes to put his shoes in a cubby, and guess what? It's already stuck and he's been automatically helping out. We hang our coats up and everything is kept off of the floor. We're like a brand new family-- one that has nice home decor... now to keep it that way!

Check out Wayfair's Storage options if you're looking to get on the organization train this Spring!

Monday, February 25, 2019

Wilson Farm Keeping it Interesting, As Always

This past week, my friend Elizabeth and I had the opportunity to visit Wilson Farm in Lexington, MA. You may remember my visit from last Fall but things change so much seasonally, if not monthly, that it was such a special treat to take Teddy for a morning on the farm. Honestly, we could have just strolled leisurely through the greenhouses and nursery, because it truly provided me with a little rejuvenation that I needed this Winter. The warmth and the greenery were welcoming and y'all know that I am a #crazyplantlady so it was a Monday morning dream come true. Pssst. Someone please buy me a new wandering jew plant!


Goats met us as we rounded the back of the chicken coops to head down to the larger greenhouses and bakery. I would have to say that Wilson Farm has made me the world's best mother because not only did Teddy get some goat snuggles, he was also treated to the biggest treat of his entire life on this Earth. His face when he was passed an enormous cookie was the cutest thing to behold and frankly, it kept him busy for the duration of our trip on the farm.


Wilson Farm is really just one of those great places in the community that has amazing food, both prepared and farm fresh, plants, flowers, baked goods, super fun events and a really vested interest in their people, the products they put forth and the experience that they provide for the people they serve. It really does feel like a special place when you visit.


And you know you love your kids when you're willing to whip them up a batch of pancakes even though you've been doing Whole30 for the past month, but when Wilson Farm treats you to their delicious pancake mix, someone has got to make good use of it! Speaking of breakfast, the team at Wilson Farm has a ton of great events planned, most notably the Farmer's Breakfast, taking place the weekend of March 9th and 10th from 10am-2pm. Check out their events page to keep up with all their goings on through to Spring!


You can follow Wilson Farm on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!

Friday, February 8, 2019

Galentine's Day Treats on the Cheap

I don't usually go big for Valentine's Day or Galentine's Day for that matter but this year, for some reason, I am feeling the love. I've got some tricks up my sleeve for some of the ladies that I love and all without spending too much money at all. It doesn't take much to let someone know that you care about them and I do sincerely believe that it is the thought and care put into a gift that counts. Here are some of the things that I did this year and I just wish I had time to do it for every single person I know!


A Magazine Subscription (because they are so fun!) I love getting magazines in the mail. I have slimmed down what I actually have delivered to the house because I simply don't have the time to read them all but I do still have a couple of subscriptions... I think it's such a cool idea to gift someone a magazine subscription because it's a gift that lasts over a course of time. I have grabbed them off of Amazon before and have even snagged a couple on Groupon over the years (hello Yoga Journal, BHG and HGTV Mag). They're super affordable gifts ($4-$10) for a much bigger impact plus it's so simple to cater to your gal's tastes. Easy Peasy.


Handmade Cards (better than store bought imo) You might recall me talking about how into block printing I am lately so I whipped up a heart block which was mildly successful... successful enough to print out some cards to send out this Galentine's Day. It's super easy to pick up a pack of blank cards (these are my faves) and either print on them, do paper crafts, paint, use store bought stamps, the possibilities are endless. I usually write something thoughtful and light hearted to my ladies so that they feel loved and uplifted on Galentine's Day!


Kids Valentines (they're cute, right?) It gives me such joy to know that I am heading into the kids' valentines cards stage of life. Wes is in PreK and headed into Kindergarten next year so I'm assuming they do it for a couple of years at least? In any event, choosing Valentine's Day cards used to be one of m favorite things to do as a kid. Even now, I think some of the kids cards are the best, and I've bought them and given them to my friends. If I think they're cute, then it must be a nice little surprise to get kids card in the mail one day, right? Also, all it costs you is a couple dollars, some envelopes and stamps!


DIY Tees (or DIY anything, the possibilities are endless!) I love to create a statement tee on occasion and had fully intended on making tees for my entire family for Christmas...which sadly did not happen. But it's almost better for Galentine's Day imo. I picked up some white tees on my the cheap (I don't usually recommend Walmart for anything but you can get the best cheap tees there) and used my Silhouette machine to create an iron on transfer. Stencils work great as well or even a block print! Need other ideas? Try my friend Elizabeth's DIY Face Serum, these easy zip pouches from See Kate Sew or Handmade Rosemary Shampoo Bars from Freebie Finding Mom.


A Useful Staple Item (a girl has needs)- I am at this stage in life where I am just as excited to get new socks as I am to get a cute little trinket from someone. I am all for gifting your girls something cute but also something useful. For example, I just snagged some travel sized dry shampoos which, tied with a cute bow, are the perfect companion to a handwritten note about "life hacks" and a personal joke. I don't think you have to choose between being cute, frugal and/or practical. Use your imagination and find ways to make a useful item, a great gift! Other recs? Travel Makeup Bags, Beauty Products, and snacks are always great ideas!

Do you have any Galentine's Day Ideas that I can get on board with?




Monday, February 4, 2019

WOODS Wild Botanicals + Giveaway

*I was provided product for review. All opinions are 100% my own.

You know me and you know that I love a good indie clean beauty brand. It's one of my small joys in life to be able to try and experience the beautiful products that small batch makers are creating... and I am fortunate every time a brand like Woods Wild Botanicals wants me to feature their products on Prim and Propah and talk about what I think!


I think the initial reaction to the products and packaging can be described as "Heart Eyes". When I opened my package, I started privately swooning to myself. I am a sucker for pretty packaging... but what's most important is the quality and effectiveness of a product line themselves. The team at Woods sent me a few of their products to try so I took the Purifying Face Oil, the Purifying Face Oil Uplifting, and the Nourishing Body Mousse out for a spin. First off, I just love this scent driven messaging. I am a lover of scents and am often inspired by smells throughout my day.
So let's start with the Body Mousse. It is absolutely the perfect time of year to discover the benefits of a hydrating cream, body butter or mousse. I've used a lot of different products but what I think makes this mousse stand apart is it's weight. It's not too light but it doesn't leave your skin feeling caked in product. In the Winter and colder months, I want my skin to feel protected but still want to have my moisturizers absorbed fairly quickly because I detest a greasy feeling. After a shower or bath, this is a great product. A little goes a long way and my skin felt sooooooooooooooo soft, which is saying something because my skin is generally some level of dry this time of year. The scent is light lavender and I can tell that they've used coconut oil... that said, I don't think it's overpowering if that's something that you look for in bath and body products. Overall, I really like this body mousse but I would consider it on the higher range price wise ($58) for what I would normally spend on this type of product.

Ingredients: 
Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter*,  Cocos Nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil*, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil*, Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Oil*, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil*,   Tocopherol (Non-GMO Vitamin E), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Oil*, Citrus Aurantium (Neroli) Flower Oil*, Boswellia carteri (Frankincense) Resin Oil*.

The Face Oils (purifying grounding and uplifting) are gorgeous. It's not often that I find a face oil that wows me right out of the gate. I have tried so many at this point that it's gotta be something special for me to take notice and consider making a permanent swap in my face routine. The scents come into play here, the uplifting having a citrus-y scent that totally makes me happy and the grounding having a lighter, almost geranium-y scent. Both are light but present enough to really get the benefits of aromatherapy. They apply so light, not greasy at all. They're just lovely, lovely. Priced at $66, these are reasonably priced for such a special oil. I can't wait to use these alternating, morning and night, to see what the long term results look like with these in my routine.

Ingredients: 
Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil*, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Oil*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil and Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract*, Squalane Oil (Olive Derived), Tocopherol (Non-GMO Vitamin E), Pelargonium Roseum (Rose Geranium) Flower and Leaf Oil*,  Helichrysum italicum (Immortelle) Flower Oil*, Salvia Sclarea (Clary Sage) Flower and Leaf Oil*, Matricaria Recutita (German Blue Chamomile) Flower Oil*.

So now that I've piqued your interest do you want to try Woods Wild Botanicals for yourself? They've so graciously and generously offered one of my readers the opportunity to win a collection of products-- head over to my Instagram to enter to win!

Follow Woods Wild Botanicals on Instagram and Facebook