Clean Fragrance: Skylar Scent Club

I think the most asked question I get from you guys is...what is a good fragrance I can use that is not filled with toxic ingredients?I finally have a company that I love and trust and can't wait to share with you!Meet Skylar. I am such a fan because all of their products are non-toxic, hypoallergenic, vegan, cruelty-free, absent of parabens and phthalates + all packaging is 100% recyclable.Scents are so powerful and I think are one of the hardest things to change when entering into a nontoxic lifestyle. Isn't it crazy how a smell can remind you of a memory, a person, or even a specific place? Or it can just bring a sense of comfort. I used to just wear "perfume" on an evening dinner date, an event, or a special festivity, but I love Skylar scents because they are light and airy and perfect for wearing on the daily. P.S. it seems to just polish up a whole look (even though it's a scent). Agreed?Have you heard about the Skylar Scent Club?

The Benefits

The Scent Club is so exciting because you get a new scent delivered to your door each month, and it's the perfect opportunity to mix up your scent collection. Plus, they offer exclusive savings and access to a very engaged group of like-minded women in the Scent Club Facebook Group Page. Did I mention the scents are travel-sized, so they are so easy to pack on any of your adventures!

How it Works

1. Join! Enjoy new travel-sized scents delivered to your door.
2. Customize - skip, add, change, or cancel at any time.
3. Save - save 10% on everything Skylar.
4. Enjoy! Play with your scents for every mood or occasion.

The two scents they currently have are called Fresh Vibes and Sweet Incense. Fresh Vibes has a Mandarin zest with a touch of white ginger and sandalwood. It is so fresh and has a sense of embracing the new! It is perfect for the beginning of a new year. The best part? Skylar donates a portion of the proceeds from this fragrance to cure childhood cancer. Sweet Incense, on the other hand, is full of juniper berry, incense, and vanilla orchard. It is such a cozy and comforting combination that feels like what the bliss of a weekend would smell like. Proceeds from this scent are given to the International Justice Mission.Sweet Incense is my favorite scent even though I love both of them. It is such a warming smell and feels so feminine too!The final day and last chance for you to sign up for Scent Club in order to receive the Sweet Incense scent is on Sunday, February 23rd. Not to mention, they are so sweet to offer a code to get 50% off your first month. The code is 50LAURENKENNEDY. A customer service note that I love: one of the benefits of becoming a Scent Club member is that you can re-order past scents, given availability, by emailing us at hello@skylar.com.

Ensuring the Purest Air in our Home: Austin Air

NEW YEAR

First of all, happy 2020 to you all! We are incredibly grateful for the community that has developed on LSK. It is truly one of the greatest highlights from this past decade! As you guys probably know by now, I am so passionate about living a clean and nontoxic lifestyle. My life experiences, personal research and wellness journey has all led me to where I am now, which I am ultimately so grateful for!

NEW HOME

Okay, so...I have so much to fill you in on. We have been in a bit of a holding pattern as this past year was wild yet exciting, challenging, and quite adventurous to say the least. I will get into way more detail in blog posts to come, but a small portion of this year was digging into the renovation and remediation of our new home! 

MOVING FORWARD

Long story short, we were in escrow on a house we fell in love with, and it happened to be in the Woolsey Fire 4 days before we closed. We first made sure our house was still there as the house next door burned down, prayed if we should continue forward, felt extreme clarity to do that, and then the remediation and renovation process began! What an intense learning curve this last year has been. We truly had no idea what we were getting into, but I must say, it ultimately has been so rewarding and worth it. 

NONTOXIC RENO

We aimed to do a fully nontoxic renovation + made sure to remove all toxic contamination in our home caused by the fires and smoke damage. We installed a special HVAC system, we painted the interior of our home twice with non-toxic, no-VOC paint, had several deep cleanings, replaced insulation, installed a whole house water filtration system, and did multiple toxicity examinations with solutions to follow.

CLEAN AIR

Even though we installed a rare and highly productive HVAC system to filter toxic air that could remain, I felt like there was more we could do to make sure we had the cleanest air circulating through our home. This has been my top priority. I did extensive research to find the most effective air purifier , and through many recommendations and research, Austin Air takes the cake. We chose to get the HealthMate Plus because it removes the widest range of gases, chemicals, VOC’s and formaldehyde. This broad-spectrum adsorption makes it the best choice for anyone exposed to smoke from wildfires and people living close to busy highways. The HM+ filters the broadest range of pollutants, so it totally won me over.

HEALTHY HOME

We run our filter 24/7 as they are designed to do. I love to know that our air is being filtered all day; it is the most settling feeling! They have three different levels of filtering strength, and we love turning it on high when we are out of the room or house so it’s extra productive when we are gone. At night, we put it on level two. For max health benefits, it is so great to run the unit in your bedroom when you sleep. And the best part is, it’s so easy to move, so we run it in other areas of the house during the day, but we always do it in our bedroom at night.

THE BENEFITS

My favorite part is seeing how pure air inside our home, thanks to Austin Air, physically affects our health!

-Eases headaches and reduces nausea related to chemical exposure

-Strengthens the immune system

-Eases coughing, wheezing and sneezing

-Reduces dry mouth and runny nose

-Sounder sleep

-Reduced snoring

-Lessens night time allergies and asthma attacks

Another bonus: it actually filters viruses and bacteria! What’s not to love?

THANKFUL

Jase and I are so thankful to have this running in our home. It is worth the investment as the air we breathe is one of the most important aspects of our wellness. Also, Austin Air is so kind and is offering a code for you to use to receive 15% off your purchase!! Use code: LSK15 at checkout. 

If like me, you’d like to clean up the air in your home, check out the Austin Air HealthMate Plus here. And its free shipping if you order direct with Austin Air. And thank you, Austin Air, for this collaboration! 

Five Winter Recipes To Try

Now that we are all moved-in to our new home, I am spending so much time in our renovated kitchen! It is so nice to be settled and have a space to create home-cooked meals again. Winter is also such a cozy time and makes me want to stay in and cook yummy, warm meals. Who’s with me? Below are five winter recipes I am wanting to try.When looking at them, there are definitely a few edits I would make to the recipes, like making them gluten and dairy free. Typically, this is very simple to do! Whenever following a recipe, there are many times I don't follow it exactly. There is such freedom when cooking, so don't feel like you have to use every ingredient listed in a recipe. Take out what doesn't suit your body or health plan!Do you have any recipes on your to-try list? Please share in the comments! xo 

THE LIST

Loaded Sweet Potato

Chicken Noodle Soup

Lamb Meatballs

Coconut Curry Ramen

Crockpot Butter Chicken

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Image credit: Public Lives, Secret Recipes

My New Favorite Face Mask From Primally Pure

You have heard me talk about Primally Pure many times here + on my @thecleanstuff IG account and that is because their clean skincare products are simply the best. That being said, no surprise that my excitement level when they dropped face masks was off the charts! They released three masks: clarifying mask, plumping mask, and soothing mask.Today I want to pay all the attention to the soothing mask because soothing is just one part of this incredible product! It is definitely my new favorite face mask, and I have to tell everyone about it. It soothes and nourishes my skin, leaving my face noticeably healthier than moments before the face went on. It is gentle yet powerful, light yet impactful. Crafted with raw honey, spirulina, chlorella, and more of the purest ingredients work to soothe the skin and help heal it from irritation.Treat yourself to a mask at home that your skin will love you for! And bonus, a little goes a long way, so this mask will last you for many spa-mornings-at-home. Even better, take 10% off your first Primally Pure order with code: LSK10. Enjoy!xo

Christmas Morning Plans

Hi friends!Christmas morning is right around the corner and I can barely contain my excitement. It is such a special morning, celebrating the birth of our Savior, and it is something I looked forward to yearly.I always seem to get up a little earlier on Christmas because I get so excited! We have a tradition of making a big breakfast together and then we all sit around the Christmas tree and open presents. We of course have cozy Christmas music on all day, and we love going to the park to play football if it’s not too cold. If we don’t do that, we go on a long neighborhood walk. It’s so fun!This year on Christmas morning, I cannot wait to make this pumpkin bread. It is my favorite as of lately and it is so easy to make! There is something about baked goods on Christmas morning that just feels so cozy and comforting. There are a few little changes I make to the recipe: I only use coconut sugar for the sugar, olive oil for the oil, and almond milk for the milk!What are your plans for Christmas morning? Let us know in the comments below. xo

One Week Only: The Wellness Bundle!

You guys!! I have such exciting news to share. You know my Clean Sweep Program well by now: a clean living 90-day guidebook to clean up the foods you eat, the products you use, and the self-care practices you follow...normally priced for $129.99. However, today I am sharing an opportunity to get the Clean Sweep + 29 other wellness-focused programs created by wellness gurus for just $99.99!! YES. You read that correctly. It's the deal of a lifetime and only available this week. Keep reading for the details!

The Bundle Co.

I have teamed up with The Bundle Co: a company that works with influencers to package their programs (like my Clean Sweep!) with like-minded programs into a bundle, creating a community of influencers, causing awareness for the incredible content they have to share, and making it accessible and affordable for YOU!

30 Wellness Programs for $99.99

You can read more details HERE, including all of the amazing programs included in the bundle. A few of my favorites include:

The Confidence Master Class by Namaste Jenay

Yoga For Beginners by Yoga By Candace

Say Goodbye To Your Period Problems by Monica Yates

& so many more!! By purchasing all 30 programs in this bundle for $99.99, you are saving a total of 98%! YES, all of this must-know wellness & information for 98% off! It's such a smart investment for your mind, soul, and body.

Over a $5,000 value

I know how much heart and soul I put into creating the Clean Sweep and believe that all other 29 creators in this bundle did the same with the incredible health-focused content that they curated. In total, all of the programs together are valued for over $5K. You would be purchasing all 30 programs, with forever access to the information, for $99.99. That is seriously INCREDIBLE. It's a deal only available this week, so hurry and don't miss it!! Here is the link and I will be talking about it on Instagram all week long.

 xo, Lo.   

A Wellness Story: Stop Eating Gluten & Pray

Hey LSK readers!Melissa, here- Lauren's friend and blog contributor! When Lo asked me to share this story with ya'll on the blog, I was so excited and thankful for the opportunity. As you know, health and wellness are at the heart of LSK! My wellness journey and migration toward mostly clean living started several years ago, but I have learned SO much through Lo in the past couple of years, especially through the creation of her Clean Sweep Program. It's SUCH an incredible resource for everyone who is on their own wellness journey. Speaking of wellness journeys, my health took a major turn south this past March. When symptoms set in and I started to feel very unlike my normal self, I was shocked and a little scared since I have always felt "good" and am pretty healthy.Without boring you with too many details, I basically all of a sudden felt awful. With what I now can clearly see as the perfect storm of bad allergy season in Maryland, high stress, delayed response to emotional trauma, not fueling my body with the proper nutrients, not resting enough + a very busy schedule, I was left feeling completely depleted and pretty convinced that I was going to receive a diagnosis of some kind. When it came to symptoms, here is the summary: one morning and almost all at once, I experienced extreme fatigue, daily headaches, major moodiness and emotional rollercoasters, bouts of depression and anxiety, an extremely irregular menstrual cycle (when I am ALWAYS a 28 day cycle), constant digestive struggles, incredibly bad brain fog, muscle weakness, some tingling in my feet and hands, body aches, sinus problems, dizziness, and probably a few more things that I have mentally blocked out. These symptoms came in waves of intensity, on and off, but occurred on most days over the course of four months, leaving me in a pretty consistent feeling of being unwell.After MANY frustrating doctor's appointments including an anti-anxiety prescription that I never filled, a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy that appeared fine, a negative celiac test, and a negative lyme disease test, I felt answerless and frustrated. Then came a life changing statement from a very well-respected doctor here in Maryland that my brother had recently become connected with through work. He told the doctor all my symptoms and his advice? Stop eating gluten and pray. Despite testing negative for celiacs, he still thought eliminating gluten could help me. It's worth noting, too, that he referred me to an amazing endocrinologist to rule out autoimmune and thyroid issues as well. Again, everything came back fine. Blood tests did show though that I was on the low end of some important nutrients, including iron.On July 4th, I stopped eating gluten and stepped up my prayer game when it came to my health, telling the Lord that I surrendered to not feeling good right now and trusted that this season of feeling so bad was temporary. I spoke my trust that He would lead me to green pastures of feeling healthy again. I spoke it and prayed it until I really believed it. A week after cutting out gluten, the thought came to me that I needed to supplement my diet since I had cut out some foods. Side note: months ago when I first told my wise and loving older brother, Doug, that I didn't feel well, he semi-sarcastically (but mostly seriously) told me to go eat a steak. I laughed because I didn't eat red meat and hadn't for years. He told me the same thing again (and again!) and finally one day I listened. I walked over to Whole Foods, bought a grass-fed tenderloin and cooked it in my cast iron skillet in ghee. And it made me feel good. My stomach didn't even flinch after close to 10 years of not eating red meat. In fact, I felt like my body was literally soaking it up. Note: it was grass-fed, high quality, and well-sourced meat, of course, but at that moment I started to regularly incorporate red meat in my diet.Also, I started to really pay attention to my protein intake in general from red meat, to chicken, to fish, to plant protein powder, and more. I apparently missed the protein train along the way and am pretty positive that for years, on most days, I was not getting enough protein to fuel my busy days. How insane is that!? Essentially, I was felt like I was running on E and I pretty much was. Now, I consciously make sure I am getting adequate amounts of protein (from quality sources) at every meal. Important to note, this remedy might not be for everyone and I am not a doctor! What works for me might not work for you, but there is power in sharing our stories of healing and figuring out our own personal health stuff. Every situation is different and every body is different, but hearing stories of healing is inspiring and empowering.To summarize: removing gluten and increasing protein has made a world of difference in my life. All of the symptoms I listed earlier have literally disappeared...all of them, including my irregular menstrual cycle (within a month of the diet change) + a lifelong rash I've had on the back of my arms...poof, gone. Even more than all of that good news, I feel better than I ever have before: strong, happy, healthy, sharp, positive, calm, and equipped to take on the challenges of life. The photos in this post are from a trip to Aspen, Colorado that I took in August; once I was feeling like my new, strong, healthy self!Whatever you might be going through health wise, I pray that you find people in your life to help you get good advice. I pray that you give yourself time to figure it out for you. And I hope this story, plus Lauren's Clean Sweep program, encourages you that food is powerful and medicinal. Food is not always the answer of course, but in my case and many cases it is. Explore what foods you are fueling yourself with and see where the journey takes you. It might just surprise you and lead you to feeling better than ever before.Thanks for reading :) xo, Melissa.

Healthy Traveling Tips

Hey friends! In the spirit of summer travels, I am sharing some of my tips for how to stay healthy and feel your personal best on vacation. Vacationing is of course a time to have fun, relax, and unwind, but I find that by incorporating a few things in my routine and by making a few wellness-focused choices, even while on vacation, I feel my best and end up enjoying the vacation as much as possible! 

it's all about the balance...

celery juice

-When it comes to my morning must-have celery juice, I can go a few days without it, unless the hotel is incredible and is able to provide it!

water

-The Larq water bottle for travel is so intriguing - it filters + cleans the water through blue light! However, if we are driving somewhere, we bring water in glass water bottles and refill them when we can.

supplements

-I bring my daily supplements in a daily supplement container to keep them contained and organized!

snacks

-When away, I generally bring two snack options: Paleo Puffs and Ohi bars are my go-to right now.

eating out

When eating out, it’s important to order whole foods and ask questions - is the fish wild? Is the meat pastured, grass-fed and finished? I always ask about the oils in salad dressings + if my food could be cooked in olive oil. However, I will say, splurge a little on vacation! Eat a pasta or a pizza one night if you want because... YOLO!

makeup

-My makeup routine gets simplified for sure! I just bring concealer, tinted moisturizer/foundations, RMS bronzer, Ilia lip tint, and an Ere Perez color pot.

exercise

-For exercise, we always aim to workout in the gym, walk on the beach, or go on a hike, but most of the time we take vacation as a time to relax and rest. Above all, we listen to our bodies!

sleep

-I bring essential oils for relaxation, this silk pillowcase + this amazing sleep mask.

 [show_shopthepost_widget id="3680125"]Hope you enjoyed this list and here's to happy and healthy traveling!xo, Lo.

The Natural Deodorant You Need To Try

Why I Love Primally Pure Deodorant...

If you are a regular LSK reader...you know my love for all products by Primally Pure, but especially their toxin-free deodorant. It is seriously so effective, toxin-free, and truly the best natural deodorant that you need to try!

Deodorant Stains No More.

Also, I am happy to report, that if you ever get any of it on dark clothing (#inevitable), a little spray of All Purpose spray by Branch Basics (another pure brand I adore) + a little rub-off action with a natural brush like this one, and problem solved. That's a win!

Subscriptions Now Available...

And the news just gets better- Primally Pure is now offering a subscription program for their deodorants. This is such a blessing because the end of all deodorant sticks have a way of sneakin' up on ya, right before a trip...you've been there? It's the worst! This subscription will put an end to those unfortunate situations once and for all.

Plus A Discount To Enjoy!

The best news of all is today, tomorrow, and Wednesday (through the end of July), use code HALFOFF for 50% off one of the deodorants in your subscription. Enjoy! Your armpits will thank you :)

xo.