An Anti-Aging Wonder: Fountain of Truth Beauty

I could not be more proud of my dear friend, Giuliana, for using her story for good in so many ways. One of which is her most recently launched skincare line called Fountain of Truth. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, G was unable to find a clean skincare line that treated the appearance of fine lines, discoloration, and other skin issues. So, she created her own! It has been extra sweet to watch how personal this process has been for her + how much care she has put into creating it.Reasons why I personally love FOT:

• The Fountain of Truth^™ formulas contain Super Bio-Ferment technology of clean, safe, gentle, and highly effective, fermented, skin-loving botanical ingredients.
• The use of fermented ingredients: efficacy and potency of ingredients may be increased when they are fermented because they can be "broken down" into smaller molecules to help improved the appearance of skin's surface.
• It uses smaller molecules, which can allow for more skin penetration, hydration, and soothing. Not to mention, fermentation can also help the nutrient density and concentration of skin-loving ingredients. All this makes for a gentle, yet effective formula to help to improve texture, tone, dryness, and the appearance of fine lines.
• A few of the ingredients:
• • Wakame Seaweed has powerful antioxidant benefits.
  • Iron, Magnesium, Copper and Silicon get fermented and play important roles in helping skin look and feel healthy.
  • Zinc is an important antioxidant for the skin.

P.S. This is the cutest present ever for the holidays!  

The Gift of Clean Cleaning

We know what you must be thinking- the gift of clean cleaning doesn't sound very appealing for a Christmas gift, right? Well, we say wrong! Cleaning our homes is a daily aspect of our lives and doing it with clean products is so important. Branch Basics' concentrate and refillable bottles have been truly life-changing for us, so we want to share that with people on our gifting list this year!Their concentrate is crafted with completely pure ingredients, causing it to be totally safe and free of toxins. This is the only cleaning solution I use for our home! It gives me such peace of mind. I have had the joy to get to know their founders and they are such wonderful, kind people with a serious passion for toxin-free living.Eliminating as many toxins as possible in our homes helps our bodies and minds be as healthy as possible, as we were originally made, and not filled-up or so affected by harsh chemicals that affect our nervous system and so much more. By removing toxic products from our homes, like chemically-based cleaning solutions, we can help our bodies be restored to a more pure state.This holiday season we invite you to think again about giving clean cleaning products. Branch Basics seriously makes for an amazing wellness gift (as we mentioned in our Gift Guide), one that keeps giving daily through the year. Thank you, Branch Basics, for creating such a pure product!

WHAT I'M WEARING:

Turtleneck | Denim | Sunnies | Booties (c/o)

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Wellness Gift Guide: 30 Gifts to Give

It's that time! Our official 2018 holiday gift guide is here. Introducing the LSK Wellness Gift Guide: 30 Gifts to Give.  If you are part of our email list, you received it last week and have probably already gotten a head-start on shopping. As we talked about in a recent post, we are taking gift-giving very intentionally this holiday season and gifting wellness-focused items that are good for one's body, mind, and soul! Scroll down for 30 wellness gifts. Enjoy! xoFor the...ready-to-go-clean person in your life! A pre-shop to my subscription program: Clean Sweep for a discounted price- limited time only!essential oil lover with a tense jaw/tension headaches: H. Gillerman Jaw Clenching Remedycleaning queen that you just adore: Branch Basics Starter Kitcozy homebody who wants organic cotton sheets: The Citizenry Sheet Setspa lover and self-pamper pro: Primally Pure Spa Kit *SOLD OUT* we recommend the sea soak or flower bath!baking champ and sweet-tooth friend: Sweet Laurel Cookbookfriend interested in gut health & all things keto: Dr. Cole's Ketotarian Bookdeep sleeper who loves their beauty sleep: Slip silk pillowcase + sleep maskall celery juice fans:  Breville Juicerthat smoothie-every-morning person:  Vitamix blender + plant-based strawsDIY almond milk lover: Nut milk bag + glass milk bottlecrazy for organic coffee friend:  Glass french presscook-at-home type of person: Le Creuset cast iron skillethostess or host of the year: Le Creuset dutch ovenon-the-go friend or fitness guru: LifeFactory glass water bottlebeauty queen with the best hair: Dyson hair dryerperson who cares about air quality in their home: Molekule Air Purifierlover of clean beauty products + a good natural glow: rms bronzer + bronzer brushfans of baths, detoxing, and smooth skin: Dry brush + body butterone who has been searching for a good sustainable wine: Scout & Cellar winegirlfriend with that beautiful long hair: Aquis hair turban + mason pearson comblover of fresh flowers and home decor: Farm girl wreaththe one who cares about recycling and reducing plastic: Everlane ReNew collectionthose who are always on their phones: Radiation blockers as stocking stuffersthe plant lady or guy in your life: Snake plantessential oil lover: This diffuser + Young Living Essential Oilson-to-go girl who still wants great hair: Stranded dry shampoo & shhhowercapperson who loves a good detoxing soak session: Pursoma bath soakgirl who loves clothing made with sustainable fabrics: All Things Reformationlover of a great face mask/cleansing cream: Honey Mud by May Lindstrom[show_shopthepost_widget id="3382556"]

Gifts Guided By The Heart

Hey friends,With gift giving season in full effect, we are preparing for the festivities with an excited heart, clear mind, and grounded feet! Meaning, we want to enjoy all the fun while keeping the true meaning of the season in mind. This means gift shopping with intention, quality over quantity, and refraining from getting swept up in the gift shopping craziness. Turning into a crazy-lady chasing down the next deal isn't our best look, and we say that from experience :)When gifts are guided by the heart, we believe they serve to bring joy, comfort, peace, and happiness to the person on the receiving end. The gift will be useful instead of another "thing" to add to their collection of "things"! Something that helps me gift well is to keep track of when I think of or see the possible "perfect gift" for someone. Writing these ideas down throughout the year helps with intentionality and purpose when it comes to gift shopping.This year specifically, we are focusing on wellness gifts for everyone on our list. For example...a juicer to promote celery juicing, linen bedding sets that last, skincare from Primally Pure, cleaning sets from Branch Basics, a cookbook for baked goods made healthy, and so much more.The LSK Wellness Gift Guide will go out to email subscribers this Friday and will be live on the blog next week! We hope that it will help guide you on the gift shopping journey and make for a calm, healthy, happy experience for all! xo.images: felicia lasala 

Wellness-Focused Sales

Let the gifting craziness begin! Wishing you peace and calm to navigate all the deals out there. We will have a post next week about our gifting approach, so more on this later, but we invite you to take all the sales with stride and gift intentionally and thoughtfully, with so much love! Below are a few wellness-focused sales that we are loving on this Black Friday. xo

Branch Basics

*20% off all starter kits! Code: HOLIDAYGIFT20

Primally Pure 

Receive a free deodorant with purchases over $60

or 15% off with LSK15 

Follain 

20% off everything! Code: GETCLEAN / they sell ursa major, may lindstrom, and more!

Anthropologie 

30% off everything- a few clean brands they have: rms, h. gillerman organics, ilia beauty, + juice beauty!

The Citizenry

*For every $150 a customer spends with The Citizenry on Black Friday, 1 girl goes back to school in India.

Sage Wellness

20% off everything!

[show_shopthepost_widget id="3372753"]--images: Stefanie Johnson (@stefannagram on IG) 

Thanksgiving Family Traditions

Hi guys!Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday spent relaxing and having fun with friends and family. It is such a special, cozy time of the year. When it comes to Thanksgiving family traditions, being home in Dallas, TX first comes to mind! The day before Thanksgiving (AKA, today) our whole family is cooking and baking all day - it may be my favorite day of the year! We always plan the Thanksgiving meal plan a few weeks before, and then we go for it in the kitchen on Wednesday.Every Thanksgiving morning, we wake up in our PJs and watch the parade.  You can guarantee that we will be drinking celery juice while watching! Since we are in Dallas, we go for a long walk almost every day, but specifically on Thanksgiving, we go for a walk to the park in the neighborhood and play football! It’s been a long standing tradition and it is so so fun. But on that Wednesday of cooking, we are in our PJs all day long and most of the day on Thanksgiving :)We also have people over Thanksgiving eve for dinner that had no where to go for the holiday - usually it is close family friends that are not spending it with their kids that year because they are with the in laws or we have single friends over who couldn’t go home to see their family. It is extra special and always such a blast!When it comes to the menu, we honestly always look up new recipes each year. They are all nutrition filled and extra healthy but so delicious! This year, these are a few things we are planning on:A massive saladA smoked tenderloin in the oven all dayA pastured turkeyRoasted sweet potatoesA yummy veggie of some sortDessert from the Sweet Laurel cookbook this yearHomemade breadThis Thanksgiving Day I specifically want to say a prayer for California. It has been such a tough time recently for the State that Jason and I call home between the shooting and the wildfire, and we are thinking of the individuals and families who are walking through loss and pain right now. Praying that God's comfort, love, and strength covers you every moment of each day.With love,Lo.

OUTFIT: tee | pants (c/o Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive Clothing Line)

All Things Celery Juice

This morning was extra special as sweet Kathie Lee and Hoda discussed the enormous benefits of celery juice and gave me a shout out for talking about it so much! You can watch a short clip, here. You may have seen how much I believe in the great impacts of celery juice from this blog post as well as my Instagram. I have received a lot of specific questions from you guys in blog comments and Instagram DM, so I wanted to share answers to the most-asked questions. See below!•What juicer should I buy?This one is under $100 now and works like a charm. If you want one that is more intense, this one is great too!•When should I drink celery juice?Juice first thing in the morning! It is important to drink it on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before food or coffee. I wait an hour!•Can I use a blender if I don't have a juicer?We recommend using a juicer, but it is possible with a blender. If using a blender, blend and then pour through a nut bag to get the juice out and discard the solid pieces of celery.•Should I drink celery juice on an empty stomach?Drink it on an empty stomach 30 minutes to an hour before eating any food or drinking coffee.•How much celery do you juice for one serving?Juice one bunch of ORGANIC celery- yes, the entire bunch of celery! Side note: I find they normally stay fresh in the fridge for three days, so I buy 3 bunches of celery at a time for me and 3 for Jason...that is one bunch juiced each morning for me and one for him.•How much juice do you like to drink?16oz is the magic number for the full gut health benefits, but you can start at 8oz and build up to that.•Can I juice celery juice the day before and drink it the next morning?It is best and most effective if you drink it immediately because it loses medicinal effects quickly. Make it fresh each morning!•Do you juice the celery leaves or discard them?You can juice the leaves; it just makes the juice a little more bitter, but some people like that.•Do you add anything to the celery or just juice the celery?Just the celery! If you add anything to the celery juice, such as cucumber, apple, or lemon, it dilutes the medicinal properties of celery juice.•Can you add ice to it?It is best not to add ice- just celery juice by itself is the way to go!•Is celery juice okay to drink while you are pregnant?Please consult your doctor of course, but I have seen several pregnant women that juice it every day!

Shop Juicers:

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BENEFITS

• Heals the gut
• The powerful varieties of sodium work together to eliminate toxins from every inch of your body, including your gut, helping to heal and regenerate your stomach lining
• Celery juice is soothing and cooling to the digestive tract, which aids any inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. This is perfect for anyone with IBS, Crohn’s, or colon cancer
• Strengthens and regenerates bones
• Purifies the blood stream
• Highly detoxifying; this magical juice is extremely hydrating and alkaline, making it effective for balancing the body’s pH level and neutralizing any acidity in the body
• Anti-inflammatory; can reduce symptoms associated with arthritis, osteoarthritis, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, gout and more
• It simplifies digestion and elimination, helping the body to cleanse, detoxify and restore
• The combination of sodium and potassium makes it a natural diuretic, and it regulates the fluid in the body and promotes urine production
• helps protect healthy cells and balance essential mineral levels, lowering the risk of heart disease, protecting bone density, and reducing inflammation
• Boosts the immune system
• Helps you maintain a healthy weight
• The sodium in celery maintains the fluidity of the blood and lymph and prevents them from becoming too thick
• Celery is rich in Vitamin A, C, iron, and magnesium. This combination helps to nourish and rebuild red blood cells and aids those suffering from rheumatism, high blood pressure, arthritis, and anemia
• Helps reduce blood pressure

--I hope this Q&A has helped provide more detailed information about celery juice! As I mentioned in the last email featuring Dr. Cole, he introduced me to celery juice for the gut healing properties, and I am so thankful. It has made a major difference in my personal gut health journey! I hope that you enjoy it as well.Other source: Food Matters

Slowing Down

Who else can hardly believe that the holiday season has arrived? It is so exciting, yet it is almost alarming how quickly this year has passed by. I also notice that this time of year has an interesting flow. It feels as though the majority of people (including me) are hurrying up to slow down in the career aspect of things, are trying to balance calendars with event invites coming into your inbox daily, and are planning + prepping for homes full of cooking and family.

I would like to preface and say that this time of year may be my all time favorite. It seems as though the cozy days that surround the holiday celebrations are focused more on community, which only heightens the sweet reminder that the people we love are the most fulfilling priority. Yet, for fellow introverts, this can feel quite overwhelming, yet at the same time really joy-filling depending on the freedom you feel in your relationships.

So let's get to the point, shall we? The holidays are bustling with plans and travel and people galore, but how can we continue to balance our schedule amidst all of the hoopla? The holidays should be deeply enjoyed, yet sadly so often, they are filled with strain and emotional heaviness. Circumstances aside and for those who experience this, I have hope that a change can be made.

Scroll down for some tips that I have learned and am still learning to incorporate!

1. Space out your yeses.

My husband is a full on extrovert, so I always notice a bit of stress well up in me as the holiday season approaches. Spontaneity around this time seems to steal from my rest rather than bring extra adventure to our days because it seems to happen too often for my wellbeing. Not to mention, this week I received three invites for work related events just for Thursday night. I am so thankful, but in the same breath, #sos. When making decisions, I try to be open-handed while also remembering to shamelessly prioritize my own needs first. This may sound selfish, but I always want to bring my full self to anything I say yes to.

2. Space out your yeses / part two.

For those of you who are super driven, I feel like this will hit close to home. Currently life has been so project-full on top of this blog, LSKF, and Stranded, but in the sweetest of ways. We are in the midst of creating some much needed on-the-go wipes, I am interviewing contractors to renovate our new house so I am dreaming and planning for reconstruction plans and design, and am also working and editing The Clean Sweep, a three-month subscription program and hand-help guide on how to clean up your life that will be launching in January. My close friend came to me with a new project, and although I am dying to jump right in, I had to postpone starting until the Spring. These decisions are tough, but so freeing in the end!

3.  For you people pleasers, it's okay to say no.

This has been a big one for me. I have learned over the past few years that saying no is almost always well-respected from the receiver. Often the anticipation of saying no and the assumption of the response is the most nerve-racking part. Attached to most holiday seasons is the angst to make sure everyone is happy: family, besties, and your significant other. Although it is so important to care deeply for others, it is not our responsibility to hold the burden of their emotions or carry the weight of everyone's needs. Let it go. You will feel so much freedom, and I have noticed that as you practice saying no, it only gets easier. Doing this will actually allow you to love others better day after day!

4. Schedule time for yourself and plan ahead.

For me, I have to block out times in my calendar for myself, such as a facial, a massage, a walk, coffee with a friend, free time to read, otherwise, I will never do it. Also, for all of you gift givers, planning ahead is key. I start making my gift list in early November and try to have all of my purchases made by the end of November. It is the most freeing feeling, gives me time to think of thoughtful presents, and it also makes such a special thing so stress free and extra meaningful.

So to all of you, I am wishing you the happiest and most-freedom filled holiday season. Try to make some changes this year for your own well-being. I guarantee that even if it feels hard, you will feel so rested and content in the end.

This post is done in collaboration with the Refined Collective- be sure to read the other posts from the wonderful ladies in this group; The Refined Woman, Jess Koehler, and Jessi Green

___

OUTFIT DETAILS

sweatshirt | denim

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images: felicia lasala 

A Brand To Love: Primally Pure

I recently spent the sweetest afternoon with the ladies of Primally Pure. You guys have read of my love for Primally Pure products here on the blog, as well as on Instagram via @thecleanstuff account! I have been hooked on all things PP for a while because of their completely pure ingredients. Each product label is so fun to read because each ingredient is not only clean and safe, but so good for you and as natural and pure as it can get. Yes, please!Meeting people that you have emailed with and who's products you use on a consistent basis is such a fun experience and one that I am so grateful for as a blogger. Bethany, the founder of Primally Pure, and her team are all so kind, warm, generous, fun, and inspiring to be around! It was such a pleasure and honor to be photographed as their current Primally Pure Babe (so fun) and the feature is live now on their blog. Head over there to check out the Q&A and below are the PP products that are in my daily rotation! Keep scrolling to see more photos from the day, too :) enjoy, xo.

deodorant | body butter | everything spray | lip balm | beauty cream | bath soak

images: Stefanie Johnson (@stefannagram on IG)