Showing posts from December, 2019

Decade in Review! // Stories & Top 10 Things I’ve Learned

You guys!!! It is the end of the freaking decade! How?!!? I am always one for a year in review post, so you can imagine how nostalgic I am feeling about a decade in review… I mean… in 2009 I was graduating high school & moving to LA. In 2013 I started my blog! I have been debilitated by illness & have had years of feeling great — I have lived in NYC, Florence, Sacramento, & Los Angeles. So many things have happened, and I have so much compassion and love and admiration for the girl I’ve been all along who never stopped pushing through.

Overall when I think back on the last decade the word that comes to mind is strength. Without immense strength and so much confidence & belief in where I knew I was going, I would have crashed and burned so hard (and oh, I still did — but my strength kept me afloat). If you read my blog you know plenty about my health crises (yes, multiple), my brand, my passion for wellness, the many directions my business has taken. But when you may not know is that on the other side of all of that, my inner world has been a bit tumultuous and I finally, finally, finally going into 2019 feel as if I am coming out on the other side.

Giving you a little backstory even though it was BEFORE this decade… because it leads into this decade & explains a lot.

To keep it brief, I fell head over heels in love with a boy who quickly became my boyfriend when I was 14. The deepest kind of love that words could ever describe. I finally felt like I had an outlet for all of the loving energy flowing through my heart and body at all times, and it flowed right back to me through him. It was everything. It was BLISS. My friends loved him, my family loved him, we were happy. Young, of course, but happy.

We stayed up all night on the phone when we weren’t together, and when we were we laid on the tennis courts gazing at stars and the bright, glowing moon. We wrote each other poems and successfully got many of our best friends to date each other, so we could all spend as much time together as possible. We all had a lot of fun, made a lot of memories, we didn’t have a care in the world. But by the time we were 16 new challenges were sprouting up… he began dealing with not only a drug addiction but a life gripping mental illness.

I did everything I could to help. We all did. I thought that by encouraging him to get into therapy I was helping, but somehow the wild concoction of pills he was put on only served to make things much worse. A series of very scary and life altering events happened… from lines of cocaine in grandmothers’ bathrooms to drug induced fights that lead to many breakups (and then get-back-togethers)… to nights that felt wonderful and positive only for me to learn later they were fueled by him being on ecstasy, cocaine, pain pills, and more. Often they were drugs I had never even heard of.

When we were 16 was the first time he tried to take his own life. For one VERY LONG hour of my life, I thought he was dead. I really believed with my entire being that he was gone. It was pouring rain outside and just a few days before Christmas when I found his goodbye letter in my MySpace inbox that he’d send the night before. I went ballistic. Unless you’ve witnessed someone go completely hysterical, blacked out to their very core with grief, it’s hard to describe. But if you have, you know.

Although he did live I never did quite get over that hour of my life. It ended my childhood, and ended my blissful notion of what life looked like. Everything I believed about the world and how wonderful and good it was was shattered. I was thrilled that he was alive, but that thrill lead to a decade long obsession with keeping him alive and feeling responsible for his every move. Even after my move to LA and eventually to New York, this deep obsession and fear persisted. Every time I drank (which was constantly) ended in hysterical sobs and freak outs about him. He tried to end his life during that period many, many more times.

Now that bleeds right into this decade… because by 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 this was all still going very strong.

As the decade wore on I dated new people, had new experiences, got my degree in English & Journalism, headed to grad school, took on new business endeavors. But at the forefront of my mind he was always there. It wasn’t healthy for either of us but it was an unbreakable bond. I often questioned where did I end and where did he begin… I felt like my life’s purpose was to be there for him until I absolutely shattered. In many ways I felt like we were one.

I bring this all up because it’s actually impossible not to — it explains everything. Everything about me. It colored my life and many, many years of it. It lead me to everything I now know. To yoga (which legitimately saved my life at 16 when I could barely breathe I was experiencing so many panic attacks per hour), to the depth I seek within all friendships and relationships I develop, to the compassion that spills from my bones for all living beings, to the emphasis I put on my health & wellness and to my love for treating my body well from the inside out. To starting this blog as the creative outlet that fuels me, and to my eventual head over heels love (and obsession and reawakening) with spirituality — for that is the driving force in my life that guides me and brought me back into alignment when I was splitting apart at the seams.

It lead me to eating plant based because as a teenager I developed so many debilitating stomach problems that finding this anti-inflammatory way of life truly saved me… even before I dove into it full throttle many years later! And it gave my life so much purpose, so much meaning… the rug was ripped out from under me at a very delicate age. I know we all have our shit we go through, and I don’t claim for mine to be any worse than anyone else’s. It’s my journey and it has shaped me into who I am. At times it was hell and at times it still is, but I wouldn’t trade it — because it gave me my life. This life.

I have so much to say about all of this and I want to keep it succinct, so below I want to share the top 10 things I have learned in the last decade. I hope that by me opening up and sharing more of my personal life with you in a way that shows you a slice of my heart, you can both see how I became the person I am today and I hope it makes you feel less alone. So let’s dive into the list below (you know I love a good list).

Best thing about the decade was marrying this sweet angel human puppy soul who makes me better every day

Top 10 Things I Have Learned This Decade //

1. Don’t wait until your health comes crashing down to put yourself first & take care of yourself from the inside out. I put myself on the back burner for MANY YEARS until my health came to a crashing halt a couple of years ago. I had to get to a point where I was so chronically fatigued I physically couldn’t get out of bed, and my skin was so on fire from rashes & Hives I could not exercise or really even move. I lost my ability to speak with any sort of ease, and lost all desire to be around anyone. Anything that required any human interaction was too exhausting for me to even think about, let alone do. It has taken me two years of exploring my health issues and the root cause of them to even begin to get back into balance… and even though it has been HARD, it has been the greatest gift I’ve ever been handed by the universe.

2. The universe knows what’s up, and it is always guiding me no matter how out of control things may feel. I have had some MAJOR things happen throughout this decade that have been very much out of my control. I won’t get into it all here, but about six years ago so much heartbreaking stuff was happening all around me with my family, my health, my relationships, and what felt like my entire life… that I truly saw zero light at the end of the tunnel. Now I realize that the entire time I was being guided. To surrender. To trust. To get through it. To develop resiliency. To come out on the other side as an entirely new, entirely stronger being.

I have always been extremely in touch with my intuition, even before I knew that that’s what I was experiencing. I am so glad I listened to the intuitive call to leave grad school, move back from NYC to LA 5 and a half years ago, and also stay in LA even when I was very unhappy and things felt impossibly hard. I am SO GLAD I listened to the intuitive call to start my blog! I had no idea back then when I started that it would lead me to blogging full time and living out the career of my dreams. It took hard work, but beyond that it took surrendering to the universe and being truly, wholeheartedly guided.

3. True love does not have to be complicated or messy or dramatic in order to have depth and be real — true love transcends all of that and enhances life in the best possible way. I shared a brief bit of my story with my first love above for many reasons, but one was to illustrate just how deeply I felt that love had to be complicated and messy in order to be real. Even after my first love that lasted on and off for literally a decade, I sought out relationships that were VERY complicated. I was drawn toward people who didn’t want to be with me or were completely unavailable for whatever reason. I thrived off of the drama and chaos within each relationship because it was all that I knew.

A good friend who knows both me & Jonathan told me several years ago, “When you’re ready to be with a good guy, you’ll be with Jonathan.” Then a few years later, I spoke to an animal communicator who through Huddy (MY CAT!!) said that very soon I would be dating one of my closest friends & to stop looking for love in all of the wrong places.

Well… I can’t tell you how true all of this is. Love doesn’t have to be complicated. Love shouldn’t be complicated. When it’s real, YOU KNOW. When you’re with someone who wants to be with you and who treats you the way you deserve, YOU KNOW. Everything changed for me when I opened myself up to being with someone who was truly kind to me. Things didn’t get boring just because they weren’t chaotic… life actually got way more interesting. I became so much more confident, so much happier.

And now, as of this November, I am MARRIED to this amazing man who I love so dearly. He has stuck by my side through so much. In fact, perhaps I am the complicated one given that I have been extremely sick for most of our relationship. He takes care of me so well. He is such a blessing in my life and I will never, ever stop being ridiculously grateful for him & all that he has shown me.

4. Pursuing creative passions is extremely important & I will never settle to do something for work that doesn’t excite me in my soul, but work is NOT EVERYTHING. People are. Ever since starting my blog in 2013 until about 2018… I really believed my work was my life. It is true that it’s a huge part of my purpose, but what I learned was that we are not here on this earth to be workaholics. We are here to create lasting connections, to experience love, to feel joy moving through us at all times with all beings. My views on life really shifted after getting sick. I have never been more appreciative of the people in my life, and I tell them so pretty much fanatically. I have never had so much compassion for all beings — animals, my Huddy man who literally saved me in so many ways and has added so much to my life, even to the magical powers of plants that have become so important in my healing journey.

In short, once I stopped being such a total workaholic, my world opened up in new ways. From adventures with people I love to inward plant medicine journeys, incredible healing treatments and serendipitous synchronicities right and left… life is so, so much sweeter now that I am more open and aware of what is beyond the work/brand aspect of my life. And on that note, my work is more fun and I am able to put SO MUCH MORE INTO IT now that my life has expanded in new and far deeper ways.

5. Sometimes you’ve got to let go of the rigid plans you have for yourself and let the universe work its flowy magic through your veins. My entire life my main dream and goal in life was to become an author. I always envisioned it would be fiction, but after starting this blog my horizon opened to memoir, cookbooks, poetry, you name it. After writing my first book Breaking Vegan in 2014, I became obsessively fixated on writing my next book. It’s like I couldn’t even enjoy becoming an author at the age of 24 because I was so diehard about what the next book would be.

For YEARS I obsessed over it, I beat myself up that it wasn’t happening, and I started so many different book ideas without finishing them. I wrote book proposals that pretty much ended up nowhere despite having an amazing agent and a great platform — simply because those ideas weren’t what the universe had in store for me. It took me all the way until this year to realize that in order to open up space for the universe to work in flow with me, I had to let go of the rigid plans and goals I had in place for myself.

And guess what? So many things have come through! Courses, marriage, healing my body in a real way, deeper relationships, spiritual awakening, a greater sense of happiness in every sense of the word. I still know that in my lifetime I will write many books. I am inspired and excited just thinking about it — but I am not tied in any steadfast way to what those books will be or when they will happen. I have learned to live in the flow of the universe, and it has been such a massive gift in my life.

6. The important things in life are very, very simple. Family, friendship, love, health, the ability to move our bodies and sleep and nourish ourselves and breathe. When I lost my health, and I lost my ability to do anything/everything I once lived, this became abundantly clear to me. This was certainly in every way, my lesson of the decade.

7. We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings have a human experience. If #6 was my lesson of the decade, this is the lesson of my lifetime. Once I learned and embraced this undeniable truth, my life opened up in countless new ways. I remind myself of this every single day. It reminds me that when things seem hard and life isn’t going the way I want it to, it’s for a greater spiritual purpose. My enteral soul came here to learn, to grow, to experience, to expand. That is exactly what I am doing and that’s exactly what you’re doing too.

8. Never take life’s little pleasures for granted. Farmer’s market Sundays, coffee dates with my love, cuddles in bed with Hudson, a hot bubble bath with candles and a good book, a phone call with my mom, a stroll with my best friend. These little moments are what life is all about. When I stopped running from all that was important in life to chase something I thought was more important (work, material success, etc.)… I was finally able to see — the truest gifts in life were right in front of me all along.

9. Nature is the greatest healer of them all. Nature heals. Nature is the universe’s gift to us. Have you ever stared into a flower and wondered how it could possibly be created to be so beautiful and perfect? And then realized that whatever divine intelligence created that flower, created you? Next time you feel lost… wander into nature. Lean into a tree. You will remember. Everything we seek, everything we need, is right here on this beautiful planet. We are one with it all & we are a part of it all.

10. All of the answers we seek are inside of us… & if we can’t find them, we just have to get more still to reach them. Meditation, yoga, plant medicine, going inward. We have all of the answers we seek. They are not outside of ourselves. This simple truth has reminded me that when I am looking outside of myself to doctors, my family, other people’s opinions — I will never really get exactly what I need. My intuition always knows. It has lead me to everything in my life now & I don’t ever want to stop recognizing how incredible that really is. And the same is true for all of us!

IS IT SURPRISING THAT I JUST WROTE 3,000+ WORDS?!! I mean, it is a whole decade we are recapping here.

And I feel like there is so much I didn’t say… LOL!

I really hope that everything I’ve shared here, from my story that begins in 2004 all the way until now, gives you some insight or some guidance or some hope or some happiness, or at the very least makes you feel less alone!

We are all apart of something so, so much bigger than ourselves.

Perhaps that’s why my decade recap culminates with so much spirituality. That is at the core of everything. I have found myself again through spirituality — from eating plant based, to kundalini yoga, to meditating, to Ayurvedic medicine, to returning to nature, to so much more.

I don’t even know how to describe the depth of nostalgia I have been feeling with this decade coming to a close. Powerful shifts are happening. I literally see and feel past relationships and traumas and challenges moving and flowing up and out of my body during these last few days of the decade.

If you are feeling it too, it’s because you are very in tune. The truth is, we all are. Some of us just forget along the way. So much amazing stuff is coming in 2020 — I can’t wait to share my new content and projects with you guys and everything I am working on. But beyond that, I just can’t wait for life to keep unfolding. To keep healing. To keep living. To keep loving. To experience it all.

What about you? I would love to hear about your decade & the top things you’ve learned. This is a great time to set intentions & get clear on what you want to call into your life for the next year, decade, and beyond. Love you all so much. Thank you for being a part of my life. <3 Cheers to MANY MORE DECADES TOGETHER!

More Holiday Gift Ideas! Wellness, Healing, & Healthy Gifts!

Hi my loves! I was so excited that you enjoyed my TBB Holiday Gift Guide, wooo!! I thought of more fun goodies to add to it, but figured they deserved their own post rather than tacking them on to the last post where you might miss the new additions.

But if you haven’t seen Part I of the guide yet, definitely head here! It’s full of all the high vibe spiritual books, card decks, crystals, journals, adaptogens, food products, and more. I mean, who doesn’t want to receive yummy food on Christmas or Chanukkah?!

This Part II will continue down the spiritual, healing, high vibrational path. I don’t have anything against giving clothes, bags, shoes, etc. as gifts for the holidays but I personally have mostly stopped contributing to that trend because I feel so much more passionate about sharing a healthy & heart-centered life with the people I love. They’ve grown to expect that their gifts from me will usually be energy clearing crystals, sessions with mediums, books about living mindfully, that kinda stuff.

And I do believe I have gotten them more into the healthy lifestyle that way, even if it’s just here and there. I never push this lifestyle on the people in my life, but I have so much passion about sharing it with them. So when I can, I do! Hence why we did a magical shamanic cacao ceremony on my bachelorette in Tulum… That was definitely very new for my friends as you can imagine, but it was an amazing way to bring them into the shamanic life for a fun, beginner-friendly experience.

Okay, let’s get into the gift guide! This is a mini version since Part I was full of allll of the deets, but I couldn’t *not* add some of my very favorite items & ideas that popped into my head today during my Panchakarma… there are some pricier options on here & also affordable ones (hellloo, SAJE!) but for my full list of super affordable gifts, head to Part I.

Some of these are for the person who is willing & able to spend a bit more, or for that one person in your life you want to go all out for!!!! Even if that person is YOU! I am all into the self gifts… I think they are energetically very important and healing.

A Very TBB Holiday Gift Guide, Part II!

+ Panchakarma – Since I just mentioned it above, it only makes sense to mention it here too. So this doesn’t fall under the category of “gifts on a budget” (a bunch on this list do, as well as almost all of the ideas on my first list!). An Ayurvedic Panchakarma is a five-step, mind-body-spirit healing experience that is comprised of herbal oil massages, steam baths, enemas (both coffee and oil), a healing kitchari diet (or you can make this part your own) and other purifying practices. I LOVE PK’s because they really offer a true reset from life.

The first time I did one, I didn’t use technology for even speak to anyone for 5 whole days. I went all in. Now I incorporate them into my life more regularly – I try to do 5 days at least twice a year. And when I do them, I do use technology throughout the week and stay up on my emails/life, but you absolutely don’t have to. It’s a huge commitment to your body and your healing overall, and you can choose to do a PK in whatever way works best for you.

I am doing one this week at Surya Spa in Brentwood, which is definitely the number one place to go in LA. In all of California that I know of. The Ayurvedic doctor there Martha Soffer is a genius! I will have her on TBB Podcast soon. All of the healers I have been going to, from angel frequency healers to Chinese masters who can materialize herbs out of thin air (not making this up), have been recommended by Martha.

If you have someone in your life who suffers from health issues or an imbalance in their health or hormones, or really just needs a RESET from life, and you’re willing to get them a very generous and involved gift, a PANCHAKARMA WOULD BE MY TOP REC. But I am honestly mostly including PK on this list because I think it’s a fabulous gift to yourself. If you suffer from chronic illness or any symptoms of chronic illness, Ayurveda is a beautiful and holistic way to treat the illness and find balance again.

If you go to Surya, tell them I sent you!!! And send me a message so I can tell you what to expect / how amazing it is. If you’d like to read about one of my previous experiences, head here! That one also links to all of my past PK experiences! Would it really be TBB if there wasn’t a mind-body-spirit holistic healing treatment on here? This one will radically transform your life… I will do another full post on it soon!

That post-Panchakarma bliss face on Monday got me like… *I AM IN HEAVEN*!

+ Saje Natural Wellness *EVERYTHING*! – I say everything when it comes to Saje because you honestly cannot go wrong with any of their products. I have been in love with their essential oils, diffusers, skin, and body products forever. But above all I am a HUGE FAN of their peppermint halos!! So much so that I gifted them to every girl & guy at my bachelorette party in Tulum this October. Peppermint halos are soooo amazing for migraines, headaches, sore muscles, tense jaw/TMJ, you name it.

Saje products are 100% natural, plant-based medicines that help you feel good, more zen, & closer to the earth all in one fell swoop. As far as their diffusers go (which have changed my liiiiife and rocked my world) my favorite is their Aroma Edge. They have a special glacier edition one for the holidays right now & it is SO CUTE! This is the perfect gift for your significant other, a best friend, your mom… yourself! A few benefits of diffusers are as follows…

Diffusers help to revitalize our air by pushing away all the dust and dirt and leaving room for the fresh aromas
It’s recreating the same sensation as if you were standing near a waterfall – bringing nature inside!
Cooling your essential oils is the best way to get the full medicinal benefit!

They also have adorable holiday gift sets that make it easy to bundle & gift a few of their go-to items. My favorite of the gift sets is the Pick-Me-Up, which has their fab peppermint halo as well as some of their other energizing mists and blends.

They also have THE MOST ADORABLE 12 Nights of Wellness advent calendar!! It is full of nighttime blends like their sleep blend, tranquility blends, Sleep Well Body Butter (sooo dreamy, you guys I am addicted), & more. And it’s so cute & holiday festive — a perfect gift to give to someone who needs that extra sleep boost in their life. Ahem… me lol or anyone similar to me even remotely!

Look how fun this is!! My kinda advent calendar!

Check out the rest of their products & enjoy!! (GET THE PEPPERMINT HALO! JUST SAYIN!)

+ Pranamat – You guys know I looooove my Pranamat! It feels like an acupressure massage and a bit of acupuncture (without the needles of course) all in one. I have been a fan of them for a long time. I love that it helps with back pain, headaches and stress… all of which I suffer from and I feel like many other people out there do too. It also improves the quality of your skin-tone ANNND quality of sleep. According to their clinical studies, 97% of people reported relief of back pain when using Pranamat frequently!!

I usually lay on mine for 15-20 minutes at a time, put on some calming music or a good podcast, and just zen out. I like using it at night. Plus they have lots of cute colors!! This is the person gift for someone close to you in your life (they’re about $230, but you can use my code for a discount) or for YOU! Self-care gift all the way!

+ Nama Juicer – Guyyyys I am SO excited because I just started working with Nama Juicers (not getting paid to say any of this but if you purchase through this link I will get affiliate commissions!). I saw some of my favorite recipe bloggers using it & it looked SO AMAZING and so much more functional and multi-faceted than other juicers I’ve had and used!! You can even make nut mylks in them, which really hooked me in!!

It keeps the juice super nutrient-dense, by maximizing extraction of the micronutrients that our bodies need to function at their best. It also maximizes the juice so you get the most out of your fruits and veggies. I love the Vitality 5800, and will have a bunch of pics to share of me using it soon, woooo!! You guys are always asking for my go-to juicer rec, and this is definitely it. They also have payment plans for those who are not able to pay up front!

+ Nespresso Frother! – You guys have probably seen me using my frother up a storm on Instagram stories ever since I got it off of our wedding registry a few months ago…!! I kept telling Jonathan it was my NUMBER ONE PICK on our registry because I wanted to make cool frothy lattes (or caffeine-free elixirs) like some of my blogger friends were always doing on their stories.

(Ahem… Olivia & Sam!!! Froth queens!). It definitely works best with certain types of milks like coconut milk and cashew milk vs. your straight almond, but no matter what type of milk you’re using it’s always a fun addition to a latte or any type of yummy drink. And pro tip, you can use them with Four Sigmatic lattes (code BLONDE for 15% off!), add a pinch of cinnamon and some stevia, & those will rock your world! Head here to shop, at the top of my Amazon shop page!!

+ Radiant Life Water Filter – I really felt the inspo to add a water filter to this list because first of all, FILTERED WATER IS SO DAMN IMPORTANT. I don’t think most people realize how contaminated our tap water is. And neither did I before I worked with Radiant Life earlier this year & got one of their amazing filters in our home!! You can use the code BLONDE for 10% off of a Radiant Life filter! Head to this post to read all about why filtered water is so important & all of the crazy contaminants in our tap water. Trust me, you’ll want to get a water filter immediately! Jonathan & I have their countertop system and we love it – it would fit anywhere, even if you live in a small apartment!

+ Gray Malin coffee table book – I had to add this in because as I am sitting here typing away I am looking at all of our Gray Malin artwork on the walls and our Gray Malin Italy coffee table book! If you haven’t heard Gray on the podcast yet, you must. He is such a genius, and truly my favorite artist of all time. And this was my home tour on their site! Depending on how much you are looking to spend, I think a coffee table book is a great investment and a beautiful gift to give to someone you love. (Especially someone who loves coffee table books as much as I do!!! They’re my FAVE.)

With some of my fave Gray Malin art!

+ A trip somewhere! – If you’re looking for a great gift to give to a significant other especially or a best friend, I always recommend an experience. If a full weekend trip is too expensive, a day trip somewhere is always in the cards. If you live in LA, a drive up the coast to Malibu, Ojai, or Santa Barbara are some of my favorite day trips. In Ojai there are the hot springs that are such a fun thing to do, and in SB there is the beach, cute shops, delicious restaurants! Other day or weekend trip ideas are Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, Big Sur, Carmel, or Yosemite. Sorry for peeps who don’t live in California, my ideas are fewer and further between hehe because this is my hood. I won’t say what or who (it’s still a surprise) but I mayyyy just be planning some fun getaways as gifts this year.

+ Also be sure to check out my Part I of the TBB Holiday Gift Guide for more fun, easy, and affordable ideas!! Also if you’re a last minute shopper like me… I GOTCHU.

+ Final ideas are printing out photos and putting them in cute frames or making a scrapbook, and a gift certificate to get a massage (SO INTO THIIIISS- Jonathan & I personally love Zeel because they come to your home, and The Now Massage here in LA!).

Okay my loves, that’s all I’ve got for ya today! I just got so excited thinking about all of the other fun, wellness & health-related gifts to give for the holidays that I didn’t include on the first go-round. I think the holidays are such a great time to spread the WELLNESS LOVE to those in our lives who maybe wouldn’t normally be into it- because doing so in the form of a gift is always fun. What do you think?! Any of these pique your interest?! HAPPY ALMOST HOLIDAYS! XO

OUR WEDDING, PART II: A WEEKEND OF MAGIC, ALL THE DETAILS LEADING UP TO THE CEREMONY!

Oh me oh my, how to describe our wedding day? In words, in photos, in video? It’s so hard to capture the true essence of what we felt on that day, but between those three things I feel it is definitely possible.

First of all, can I just say how cool it is to be able to share such special moments with you guys? I have had this blog for six years, so I have documented my ups and downs, extremely single years, years where I dated toxic people, my journey through sickness and health, many business ventures and very many intimate musings. All in all, to be able to share my WEDDING to the love of my life with you guys, as well as our entire relationship leading up to this point… is so damn cool.

I mean, my first podcast episode with Jonathan in 2016 documents our friendship BEFORE we were dating, and so many of you guys called it that there was an undeniable connection and flirtation between us. And now… here we are. Marriage! Magic! The most special day of our lives thus far! To be able to share it with you guys is everything to me — you are all my extended family, my friends from afar.

AHHH!!

Okay, so let me just begin with Thursday night — arriving to Ojai. And if you haven’t read my first wedding recap yet about how I was feeling on our wedding day, check that one out here to set the tone!

All photos taken in this post are by Tynan Daniels & Tony Modugno of Via Imagery. They are amazing and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM FOR ANY / ALL WEDDINGS!!!!

Thursday Night, Arriving to Ojai!

So we got to Ojai on a Thursday, and when we arrived all of my pain, Lyme symptoms, nerves and apprehensions literally melted away. We were shown into our bridal suite, and our jaws basically dropped to the floor. We’ve stayed at the Ojai Valley Inn many times before, but the bridal suite was actual magic. Multiple rooms, a huge magical bedroom, two gorgeous patios (one of them overlooking the Farmhouse — our wedding venue!), and of course a massive bathtub of my dreams.

Jen, the amazing consultant at the hotel who we’d been working with all year, had champagne and cold green juice waiting for us in an ice bucket. I mean, DOES SHE KNOW US OR DOES WE KNOW US?! We popped some champagne and juice on the patio at golden hour and reality started to sink in — WE. ARE. GETTING. MARRIED. THIS. WEEKEND. WHAT. IS. LIFE?!??!

I have to say, even the most intense pain and Lyme symptoms could not possibly flourish or function in a situation like that. It was heaven. On a huge, gorgeous balcony overlooking our wedding venue, at our favorite hotel in the world, nestled into the stunning mountains of Ojai valley, our best friends and our parents in all of the buildings and rooms surrounding us, watching the sun go down while toasting to our wedding weekend. Just IMAGINE THE SCENE! It was GLORY!

That night, we went to dinner in downtown Ojai with six of our closest friends. We ended up at a cute place called Sage Ojai (because our favorite place, the Hip Vegan was closed that night randomly!) and it was perfect. We told stories, ate yummy food, practiced our first kiss for them (Jonathan dropped me in our practice dip, LOL), talked about how amazing the next few days would be, and got hyped up for the weekend.

Later that night our friends, my parents, my parents’ friends, and some family who was already in town came over to our bridal suite for wine in bathrobes to kick off the weekend. Honestly, that night in our suite was one of my favorite memories in my life to date. It was just so perfect, so relaxed, so full of love. I could have stayed there with them for all of time. We told stories from high school (so many of my best friends have been in my life since childhood), laughed, drank (they did — I didn’t even need alcohol to feel drunk on life and amazing), and soaked in this weekend finally arriving.

That is my number one tip to anyone getting married! Treat your entire wedding weekend as if it is your wedding day. Soak it all in. The day itself will fly by in an instant, but the weekend is yours to enjoy. Make every moment count — have the deep conversations you crave with everyone who came out to celebrate you. Look around, grab your partner who you’re MARRYING, and take a moment to soak in the community and love you’ve created — that’s YOURS! It’s yours forever!! Cherish it!

By the time it was about midnight or 12:30 I think everyone in the room was like, “Okay Jordan has to go to bed,” LOL because everyone knows that I struggle with chronic fatigue/exhaustion from Lyme and after putting my ALL into feeling healthy and well for our wedding, it would be awful to be too exhausted to enjoy the rest of the weekend.

So we went to bed, and Friday even more magic began!!!!

Friday Day & Night, Rehearsal Dinner & After Party!

Friday morning we woke up and looked at each other and said, “How will today even top last night? Last night was PERFECT.” But somehow we knew it absolutely would.

More and more of our friends and family were arriving at the hotel, and we could see them from our balcony so we shouted our hellos to them and some of them came up to see our suite. Jonathan and I had a cozy morning on our balcony, in our robes, finishing our VOWS (separately, of course), and sipping on green juice and decaf coffee. It was… actual heaven. There was angel light everywhere. Pure magic. Again… moments to keep soaking in!

From there, I am pretty sure we went to get smoothies at the spa cafe with our friends and visited the Farmhouse location to show those of them who hadn’t seen it yet! The whole thing was basically a whirlwind! I think I was just saying over and over, “Oh my god. All of my favorite people in one place. This is perfect. What is life!”

Then we came back to our room to shower and get ready for the rehearsal!! My mom’s friend Jen (and my friend!) who was my hairdresser beginning from age 11 was there for the weekend, and she came over to do my hair that night! She is so talented and put some fun barrettes in my hair with some fun waves (very Dorit RHOBH most recent reunion style if you know what I mean) and I felt so GLAM. I put on my sparkly dress that I picked out at BHLDN earlier this year (in January!!) and had my bridesmaids over so we could all go to the rehearsal together!

Things were starting to feel REALLY REAL at this point!!!! We got to the rehearsal at the Farmhouse and saw so many people we hadn’t seen yet — my sister, brother in law, nieces, brother, KELSEY our reiki master and wedding officiant!!! Tynan our photog and dear friend!!! Max our videographer!! And Jonathan’s groomsmen!! And our flower girls!! JUST AHHHH! There are not even words to describe.

I am pretty sure I blacked out while our wedding planner was going over the details with our wedding party because I was just staring at everyone in this environment and feeling completely in awe. I was holding our niece Chloe (one of our flower girls) and just feeling so full of love for everyone and every thing that had gotten us to this point.

The rehearsal itself was so special — pairing our bridesmaids and groomsmen for the first time (you better believe we came up with the pairings months ago, and each one felt totally perfect and serendipitous) and watching them walk down the aisle.

Even doing the REHEARSAL walking down the aisle with my dad was EMOTIONAL AS EVER!! He was definitely crying — Byron gets very emotional and it is so, so sweet. We went over some more details for the next day, and then we headed to the rehearsal dinner.

The rehearsal dinner was EVERYTHING!! It was in this beautiful garden area at the Ojai Valley Inn, and they set it up completely perfectly for us. It radiated the best vibes. String lights, candles, flowers, garden magic. It was so fun chatting with everyone who came — we had about 80 people there, because between our families and bridal parties and select dear friends who we invited… the number added up quickly!

The SPEECHES were such an amazing part of the rehearsal dinner night. We had our friends do somewhat of a “roast” of us (originally we were going to do a full-blown roast but we decided against it last minute because roasts can get very raunchy, lol) and it was absolutely amazing. They all roasted/toasted us and so many of them had us rolling on the ground laughing.

My best friends for LIFE (literally, we’ve been friends since we were children) Katie and Danielle did an EMINEM STYLE RAP to “Just Lose It” with PERSONALIZED JORDAN LYRICS!! I need to post the lyrics to the blog in their very own blog post!! It was literally amazing!!! I still can’t even believe they did this and pulled it off so flawlessly. I will never forget one single moment of it.

My mom had an EPIC speech, all about how I am the opposite of the daughter she always thought she would have and the girly, fashion loving, shopping obsessed daughter she dreamed of… but how our relationship is so much more than she ever could have fathomed and that we are the best of friends in the world.

My best friends from college Alexi & Clare had an amazing joint speech with so many hilarious and special memories — not to mention Alexi’s memories of me and Jonathan’s relationship turning into a couple… as she has witnessed it every step of the way!

My other half JORDAN DORSO had a speech that brought me to tears. He is truly my brother and has been for so long. The love I have for him in my heart is like no other. And my dear friend Anya shared the best memories from high school and so many tidbits about me that people now wouldn’t believe (we were wild- very wild. LOL!).

Jonathan’s groomsmen had incredible speeches too. Hilarious ones and ones that moved us to tears. I will never, ever forget the words that were shared that night.

After dinner and speeches, we all went to a pub at the hotel called Jimmy’s and it was SO MUCH FUN!! We got to see a bunch of people who had arrived that day/night that we hadn’t seen yet, and we basically filled out the whole bar/restaurant. It was an UNFORGETTABLE night.

Again, a night that made it so, so hard to believe or fathom that the following night / day could be even better.

That night, we got back to our bridal suite around 12:30 or 1am and Jonathan stayed to tuck me into bed and chat before we parted ways officially until our first look the next day. I am so glad we decided to stick with that tradition even though I must have faltered on it a million times- thinking it would be so hard not to sleep next to him that night knowing what a huge day we had the next day!!!

That is my second big tip — sleep separately if you’re up for it!! It makes the heart grow fonder, and makes it super special to see each other for the very first time the next day either during the first look or during the ceremony. And I love that it keeps tradition alive. Weddings are all about tradition, even if you make them completely your own, so it’s fun to draw in traditions that people have been doing for centuries.

Third tip is, don’t skimp on the speeches! At the rehearsal AND wedding! We had received some advice to keep the speeches on the shorter end (with fewer people speaking) and we didn’t listen to it. I am SO GLAD we did what felt right to us, because the speeches are something I will remember forever. Jonathan and I both love speeches at other people’s weddings (and rehearsal dinners) too, so this was a no brainer for us as a couple!

The Wedding DAY!!!! & NIGHT!!

My angels, my lights. <3

Waking up on Saturday morning was a feeling like NO OTHER. I knew it was about to be the biggest, most special, most unbelievable day of my life ahead and I could hardly even wrap my mind around it.

Because I do have trouble sleeping, I took a pill to sleep the night before… and I am glad I did, because I did get good sleep and felt really rested. I called room service for green juice and decaf coffee (I had to explain that I was the bride, because they tried to say I couldn’t customize a green juice without fruit and MAMA WASN’T HAVIN’ THAT on that day!!! The moment they realized I was getting married on property that day, they accommodated! LOL), with a side of almond milk.

I decided I was going to eat super light that day, for no reason other than that my stomach is VERY SENSITIVE, and I was NOT about to risk not feeling 100% or having my IBS flare up on that day of all days. So I sipped my juice, a bit of decaf (because decaf coffee makes my soul happy), and decided to wait until I was hungry to eat any solid food.

My mom came over to give me something (I don’t even remember what?) and we chatted for at least an hour about the amazing night beforehand. In typical Jordan fashion I had plans to hand write my vows into my little vow notebook that morning before my bridesmaids and hair/makeup crew came over, which is HILARIOUS because my vows were extremely long and there was no chance I was handwriting them in anything less than five hours, lol.

So I started doing that, took a quick shower, and then hair and makeup arrived to set up! Doing hair was my dear friend Kelcey Barrad who I grew up with, and makeup was my friend Brittany who has been doing my makeup for TBB for years!! I highly recommend them both.

While they set up, my bridesmaids arrived at our 10:00am set time — which was something I fought hard for in our schedule that day because I know myself and A) I like to sleep in and be rested, B) I didn’t want to be stressed at all in the morning or use too much energy early on in the day, and C) I LOVED the idea of everyone having a leisurely morning and not feel forced to be somewhere super early. I wanted the vibe of the day to be CHILL, blissful, fun, relaxing, and full of love and joy… and I feel like that is exactly what we cultivated!

My bridesmaids and I started the day by pulling ANIMAL SPIRIT CARDS (this is the deck we love, at the top of my Amazon book page!) which is our favorite tradition ever since pulling cards together in Tulum at my bachelorette. It’s become kind of our thing. I pulled two cards that day… one was the DEER, and one was the BUTTERFLY. Very fitting! Transformation being one of the main themes, as well as gentleness… which is my theme of the decade and my overall healing theme right now.

That is tip number 4… keep the vibe CHILL, if you are able to. Sometimes it can feel like WORK to be in someone’s wedding, and that is the LAST thing I wanted. I wanted everyone to enjoy the day and truly feel the magic of the process and all of us being together. And do things that you love that are quintessential you… hence why we pulled animal cards in the morning, and started “late” in the morning as far as weddings go!

Then, it was time to start getting ready! We did hair and makeup all afternoon, and it was honestly so much fun. I look back on those hours together so fondly and I always will — the vibe was chill and so happy, and I was surrounded by my BEST FRIENDS. Love that my mama was a part of it all too. (She is one of my best friends too, duh.)

Hilariously enough, I was still trying to record my vows! LOL. IT WAS NOT HAPPENING. I could not focus. So thank GOD the hotel was so, so accommodating because I ended up asking if they could print my vows really tiny to fit in my vow notebook, which they were totally able to do. I cut it down to the wire, but crisis averted.

MY FIRST LOOK WITH MY BRIDESMAIDS. THE BEST MOMENT EVER.

I was also trying to finish (or let’s be real – start) this special scrapbook of marriage and love advice I was putting together for Jonathan from our parents and siblings, and again — there was no time! What was I thinking?!?! Thank god for my BFF Danielle (and Maid of Honor) who put the entire scrapbook together for me while we got ready. And for Jillian & Katie (also my Maids of Honor) for pasting my vows into the vow notebook!

Tip number five is- ask for help when you need it! Your people are there to help YOU on your wedding day, and they want to!!! They are waiting for tasks! I was so blown away by the love and help I received on that day, and I really, really needed it. Leaning into that support also made me feel so loved and so taken care of. It was true magic.

REIKI!

Not to mention, during getting my makeup done with Britt, Kelsey did reiki on me. It was honestly so special and so sacred. I was already feeling so good and so calm relatively, but I needed that extra zen. I definitely felt the DAY OF JITTERS, and the day was FLYING by in the blink of an eye. I wanted to slow down, and feel the support of my angels. So that is exactly what Kelsey helped me cultivate. It was amazing.

This moment with my BFF Jill… after she gave me such a special card. Truly indescribable.

During all of that, we got the robe photos of my dreams out on the balcony and on the stair case… and then it was time to do my FIRST LOOK WITH MY DAD!!!!

To be real, my dad had already seen my dress… he was actually one of the main people who picked it out! But I was so, so excited for this first look with him in my full hair, makeup, day of ensemble. My day and I are extremely close, and I am the youngest of four children. So I am his baby. He has always treated me that way, and has always taken extremely good and special care of me. He has warned Jonathan many times, “Do you KNOW what you’re getting into?!?!? She’s a princess!” Lol…

Our first look was incredibly special. And so US. My dad was shouting at me from around the corner, “DO NOT LET YOUR DRESS DRAG ON THE GROUND! THERE IS DIRT AND MUD OVER HERE!” So I was laughing hysterically before I even rounded the corner, but then when I saw him… it was perfection. He cried, I teared up, my mom and him gifted me a GORGEOUS diamond necklace that was made out of her first wedding ring!!! It was the most perfect moment — with my two magical unicorn humans who brought me to this earth — one that I will NEVER forget.

Then it was time for my first look with Jonathan!! EEEEPPPP!!!

Okay so this is what I had been waiting for, for what felt like forever. This is the moment I MOST LOOKED FORWARD TO ABOUT OUR WHOLE WEDDING! Aside from the ceremony, of course.

Unlike my dad, Jonathan knew zero things about my dress. He didn’t know the shape, the fit, or even the color… I mean he assumed white but YA NEVER KNOW OK!! He literally knew nothing. Every time we spoke about it this entire year, he left the room. He wanted to be SHOCKED. He knew nothing about my hair, makeup, shoes, or the entire vibe I was going for. He was going to be stunned.

I however had seen his tux, but I was so, so excited to see him in it and see my almost husband on our wedding day. I could hardly stand it. He was waiting out by the iconic oak tree at the Ojai Valley Inn with his back to me as I walked down. But first, of course, there were about 15 minutes of, “Wait, where’s Jonathan? We can’t find him!” tag going on between our photographer, videographer, wedding planner, and us. That’s my husband… in a nutshell!!!

Walking up to him was one of the most special moments in the world- I will never forget it. I could see him, but he couldn’t see me!! He had no idea how close I was getting to him when he called out, “Jordan?!” and I replied, “Jonathan!!” from RIGHT behind him.

Then came the moment we had both been waiting for…. I tapped him on the shoulder, he turned around, and took me in. He was ASTONISHED by everything, head to toe. The dress! The hair! The makeup! His bride!!! He had no idea I would pick such a simple dress, and honestly neither did I. I always thought I would go with something super flowy and bohemian, but this was super form fitted and elegant and simple and classic all in one. With buttons and a cute little drape. And a FLOOR LENGTH veil.

We describe Jonathan’s reaction as “convulse-crying.” Which is exactly what it was. He couldn’t catch his breath or even believe what was going on! This moment together was SO special. I twirled around to show him my full look and we took each other in. Then, I whipped out the scrapbook of marriage advice and he REALLY lost it. You can see him crying in these photos… I mean sobbing. It was amazing.

I will NEVERRRR forget out first look and I highly recommend doing one!!!! It is SO SPECIAL and a memory we will keep forever.

THE SCRAPBOOK MOMENT!

Ok next I will get into our pre-ceremony, our CEREMONY (BEST MEMORY OF MY LIIIFEEEE), PARTY, AFTER PARTY, and SUNDAY BRUNCH !!!!! I feel like this post is full of juicy info and I will hit you with round three either tomorrow or the next day. Who is ready?! What questions do you have?!

I will also include all of our VENDORS, wedding planner, etc. in the next post so you have all of that info on hand!! OKAY I wanna hear it all! What do you think!?!?!??! The pics?!?! I AM DYINGGGG and have been all day — we received the photos this morning! And the VIDEOOO ahhh!!

A VERY TBB HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR HEALTH NUTS! | Simple, Healthy, Affordable!

Hey guys! I wasn’t going to do a gift guide this year because technically I am still on a bit of a life hiatus post-wedding and honeymoon, and have been pouring all of my energy into healing. But the funny thing is… when I pour my energy into myself, I am SO RECHARGED that I want to do & create all of the things!

So if that isn’t inspo to pour into our own cups first… I don’t know what is. I haven’t recorded a podcast episode in months and have only written one or two blog posts this entire season, and dayum — my own cup feels SO FULL. I have been working on me, listening to my intuition and healing my relationship to so many aspects of my life (workaholism, stomach problems, being unable to make decisions without asking a million people for their opinions, the list goes on) and actually feel more tapped in than EVER.

The most exciting thing I am working on is an EBOOK & a 22-Day Reset Program for January 2020, so if you’re not subscribed to the blog, subscribe here to be among the first to hear about it and receive the link when it goes live. I have felt so in the flow and aligned while creating it, I really think and know it’s going to be a deeply special and transformative offering.

On that note, let’s get into the TBB holiday gift guide!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get overwhelmed by gift guides because there are SO. MANY. OPTIONS. Like, where to even begin and what to even get and for which person?!?! So this gift guide is curated for the typical TBB reader (a.k.a me, a.k.a you) who is into health, wellness, fitness, spirituality, and self care.

It is also a simple list because, like I said, I didn’t want to crowd it up with a bunch of excess. I hope you find some things in here that excite you or work for other people in your life! So let’s get into it!

I am not getting paid to include any of these brands, but for a bunch of these, you will find my unique discounts and offerings. Some of them (not all) are affiliate commissions, so by purchasing through my link I receive a small percentage & you’re helping to support me/my blog/this small business and I am eternally grateful.

Most of these gift ideas are very affordable and perfect for giving to your girlfriends, family members, other halves, and even to yourself! Everyone deserves some self gifts over the holidays. Near the bottom you will find some bigger items & splurges, so if they’re in your budget this year… great! If not, lots of other options & maybe they’ll inspire you to save for next year!

FOOD & BEVERAGE PRODUCTS //

* PRO TIP- bundle a few of these wellness items together to make a super special wellness goodie basket for your friends and fam!

+ Four Sigmatic adaptogen coffee/matcha/lattes! You can use the code BLONDE for 15% off. Oh… what healthy person in your life doesn’t want to try some adaptogen coffee, hot chocolate, or matcha?! Adaptogens are super-herbs that bring our body back to homeostasis – they work with each body differently, depending on what your imbalances are and what your body needs. Some of my favorite adaptogens are ashwaghanda, eleuthro, and Rhodiola. All of which you can find in Four Sig products!

My favorite Four Sigmatic products are their… adaptogen coffee, chaga mushroom elixir mix, mushroom hot cacao (it’s like a delish, creamy HOT CHOCOLATE!), and their regular mushroom coffee mix. You can find all of my faves on my curated page, here! If you’re going for the Four Sig gifts this year, I recommend including their skincare (it’s amazing) or also getting a BUNDLE! That way you’re giving your loved one a nice curated bundle of things you think they’ll love… and will enhance their health!

+ Liquid I.V. – You can use code BLONDE for 25% off! This is the PERFECT GIFT for your friends who will be sipping on cocktails all holiday season long, or your friend who loves to workout and get their sweat on. Or your friend who travels frequently! Liquid I.V. is my best friend Brandin’s company, and I have been involved with them since the beginning. It is a next level hydration supplement that hydrates you 3x faster than regular water.

I personally love having a LIV in my bag when I travel, exercise, or even when I am just out and about because it helps me combat headaches. I get horrible headaches when I am dehydrated and one stick of LIV (even 1/2 stick, usually) always rescues me from those terrible situations. Use the code BLONDE for a discount, and enjoyyyy! And know that you’re supporting an incredible young entrepreneur and fast-growing young company, a company who also has an incredible giveback mission.

Also… their PASSION FRUIT flavor is life! (They also have new sleep products & new energy products!!)

+ Cured Nutrition CBD – You can use the code BLONDE for a discount! What would a holiday gift guide be without a little CBD?! So, for the record, CBD doesn’t get you high. CBD is a phytocannabinoid found in cannabis plants that has been found to help alleviate anxiety, boost cognition, and help with movement disorders and pain. I LOVE using CBD for joint pain, to help calm my anxious mind, and to help me fall asleep at night.

Cured Nutrition is my faaaavorite CBD brand for so many reasons – one, because their founder is amazing and I had a chance to spend some time getting to know him this year. Two, because it’s simply the best brand I have found on the market so far (and trust me, there are SO MANY right now, it’s kind of insane and can be overwhelming to choose). Products of theirs I love specifically are their MINT TINCTURE, and their hemp-infused max salve for pain (it has shea butter in it and literally smells and feels amazing on the skin… I use it when my hands start to really hurt from some major joint pain I have).

I even got my dad started on it with his arthritis, and it is helping him a lot. So if you have a parent or a friend in your life who suffers from arthritis or pain, get them hooked on the salve!! It’s NEXT LEVEL. & use that code BLONDE for a discount!

+ REBBL! I am so obsessed with REBBL you guys, it’s like massive the obsession. This year they started selling online which is amazing, and you can use the code BLONDE for 15% off! I don’t think it’s weird to give a refrigerated gift (lol) but then again that’s just me – so maybe this would be a perfect gift for your parents or significant other so you can keep it in the fridge until you give it to them!

Some of my favorite products of theirs are their mint chip protein elixir (since it’s also low sugar) and and their new sparkling TONICS! This would be a great gift for someone who appreciates the beauty of adaptogen elixirs, and would also pair well with Four Sigmatic for a full-on adaptogen style gift bundle!

+ Beauty Bar Chocolate! If you have chocolate lovers in your life… THIS IS THE STUFF. We discovered that men and women alike are obsessed with this chocolate, but somehow there’s something special in it that has men really into it. (My dad and Jonathan both barely even like chocolate, and they are both obsessed with Beauty Bar. Not even kidding.)

To keep adding to the adaptogen train (can you tell what I am into?) this would be a great gift (one of their CBD bars, or one of their regular!) to add in with Four Sig, and with REBBL! Or honestly with any/all of these as a fun mix & match!

BOOKS //

Books, books, books! Books are an amazing gift. I don’t know about you, but I love to receive books on holidays more than just about anything else. Whether it be a great coffee table book, a philosophical deep dive, or a fun beach read… I LOVE BOOKS!

You can head to my Amazon shop page for a big list of my current fave books & reads that have changed my life this year — and I honestly recommend any & all of them!

Among the list that are actual top favorites right now that I would highly recommend gifting would be…

+ The Daily Stoic (& The Daily Stoic Journal) by Ryan Holiday — This book is for one of your more deep & philosophical friends, but don’t be worried, it’s still a very easy read when it comes to philosophy. It’s curated so that each day of the year is matched with a quote from one of the ancient Stoics. Stoicism is an Ancient Greek school taught that virtue, acting from the highest good, and living in harmony with nature and with others. If you’re looking for a great way to start your year off on a new and inspired foot (or if anyone in your life is, GO WITH THIS BOOK & the accompanying journal!!!!).

+ Super Attractor by Gabby Bernstein — Gabby is one of my ultimate spiritual teachers and guides. I go to her books and her programs every time I need a boost to tune back into myself and drop the bullshit of negative self-talk and fear-based actions. Her books are also great for friends who are just getting into spirituality, as she writes them from her approachable and very personal experience and shares many intimate details from her own life. She draws on the teachings from A Course in Miracles (another great read, also on my Amazon page, for someone who is ready to go MUCH DEEPER) and from her own teachers like Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer & Deepak Chopra. HIGHLY RECOMMEND, and would be great to give to a girlfriend, your mom, etc.! Similarly, her Super Attractor Card Deck (also on my Amazon page), would make SUCH A GOOD GIFT!

+ The Rose That Booms in the Night by Allie Michelle — This poetry collection was written by a dear friend of mine, Allie Michelle. She is so young, and SO WISE. Her poetry is like medicine for my bones. Honestly, each time I open this book it brings me exactly when I need, right when I need it. There are poems in her book about love, loss, growth, evolving, and truly just being human even when being human is the hardest thing to do. HIGHLY RECOMMEND, she is pure magic.

+ Honestly all of the other books on there from Nine Perfect Strangers for your friend who lives juicy fiction (written by the same author who wrote Big Little Lies!), to The Soul of Money (who has heard my dad rave about it on insta and the podcast?!), to the Definitive Book of Human Design, are all some of my top favorites & books that really influenced (or entertained!) my life this year. It would be fun to gift a bundle, and pair it with some skincare or even some CBD for a “wellness night in” gift basket!!!

SPIRITUAL //

A bunch of the books above absolutely fall into the spiritual category, and here are a few more ideas for you…

+ CRYSTALS! My absolute favorite place to shop crystals is Energy Muse, which was founded by the amazing Heather & Timmi who have been staples on TBB Podcast. Not only do I love their crystal gift bundles to give to people, I also love their jewelry! They have beautiful bracelets that come with intention setting exercises that I love gifting to people in my life (you can choose a set of Love, Health, or New Beginnings). I also love gifting their Energy Clearing Kits to my friends and fam that comes along with crystals, sage, and a singing bowl!

+ JOURNALS! My friend Tricia makes these AMAZING journals at Your Joyologist, with the best quotes on them that Jonathan and I are obsessed with. She also sells mugs, tumblers, magnets, and key chains with inspirational quotes on them like, “Fuck The Shoulds, Do the Wants,” and “Everything Is Going My Way.” A simple and easy gift for someone who loves to journal or is looking to get more in tune & inspired on a daily basis.

+ The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck & Guidebook! You can find these at the top of my Amazon shop book page and OMG, you guys. THESE ARE SO FUN! My bridesmaids & I pulled these cards at the beginning and at the end of my bachelorette party in Tulum, and they were SO SPOT ON. The first time we pulled, I was the Golden Egg card which is a spirit card and it spoke to my heart so truly and in such alignment it was just WILD. Then, we pulled them again the morning of my wedding! You can even see them in our wedding video that I shared on Instagram yesterday! HIGHLY recommend these as a gift, along with a journal and a book for a fun bundle, or on their own depending on who you’re gifting to!

+ You can always gift an EXPERIENCE to your friends, like a phone call with a medium, a session with a Reiki master, a sound bath experience, a trip to a kundalini class or yoga class, or a yoga retreat together! The options are endless!! My best friend and I are going to see a medium together for our gifts to each other this year… and I am SO EXCITED.

SKINCARE & SELF CARE //

+ Cocokind skincare! — Okay you guys, my friend Priscilla is such an amazing badass entrepreneur and this wouldn’t be an official gift guide without her products being on here. They have so many new and amazing masks and other things you can peruse, but my personal favorite is and always will be the MATCHA STICK! This highlighter trio set is an amazing makeup set with my personal fave… their chagaglo! So yes, you’re seeing the adaptogens that I love even in makeup on this guide. It’s amazing. Also, their macabeet stick makes a great blush. Highly recommend their products and you know you’re supporting a fantastic and inspiring entrepreneur in the process.

+ CANDLES!! The amazing brand Taja Collection made this incredible custom candles for our wedding that we helped design, and I couldn’t be more in love. They have a bunch of customization options from color, to size, to fragrance, and it’s literally a perfect gift to give to the people you love in your life, with their initials, or an inside joke, or something special between the two of you written on there. Super special and incredible brand!

+ SAUNAS !!! Now we are getting into the more splurgey gifts. I have both a Clearlight sauna & a Sunlighten sauna in our home, and I am OBSESSED. With Clearlight, you can use the code BONDE for $450 off a cabin style sauna that is literally amazing (or any of their products, but I have the one-person cabin style one!), and you can also use the code BLONDE with Sunlighten for $200 off any of their saunas plus free shipping. SWEATING in an infrared sauna is amazing for those of us with chronic illness, or anyone looking to boost their detox routine.

My new ebook will be full of info about infrared saunas & all things detox! Sunlighten also has an extra 10% off of their LumiNUR wand until the 17th, which is a personal professional-strength LED wand! Code BLONDE will get you an additional discount. The LumiNIR helps repair your cells, fight aging, wards of acne, and helps cell growth… and is $249 vs. a pricier sauna which I feel is perfect for a gift for someone you’re really close to.

Alright guys, that’s what I’ve got for ya for now! I said I would keep it simple so that’s what I am trying to do, even though you know me – I could go on forever! As you can see here, there are no clothes, bags, shoes, etc. on this gift guide. This is a guide for the HEALTHY GAL or GUY in your life or someone who you are looking to inspire to get more into the health & wellness world… I saved the super woo-woo stuff for another day. And keep an eye out for my ebook launching EARLY 2020 for a VERY SPECIAL RESET PROGRAMMMM that can serve as a gift to YOURSELF or someone you love this holiday season.. eeep!

Let me know below what/if anything here strikes your fancy! And tag me on Insta if you order it so I can see! YAYYY!

Leo Medical Trends