Thursday, December 31, 2020

Ebb & Flow: December 2020

The highs and lows of the month.


Perfume:
Manor by Solstice Scents

Perfume Oil:
Marshmallows Burn Down the Yule Tree by Arcana Wildcraft

Body Oil:
Lavender and Rosemary by Wildroots Body Care

Soap:
La Vie en Rose by Bohemienne Life

Sugar Scrub:
Ghost Chocolate and Burnt Sugar by Sugar Spider

Lip Balm:
Baba Yaga by For Strange Women

Skincare:
Winter Moon Serum by Forest & Fjord

Candle:
Twisted Peppermint by Bath and Body Works

Incense:
Demeter by Mermade Magickal Arts

Wax:
Crystalized Spearmint and Peppermint by The Bathing Garden

Eating:
15 Bean Soup (the kind in the bag with dried beans) with country sausage and mustard greens (I feel bad for my husband but it tastes soooo good).

Drinking:
DRAM sparkling water drinks infused with CBD

Watching:
Finished Hannibal, and watching The Office before it disappeared, plus the newest season of The Great British Baking Show.

Reading:
Still reading The Witcher series. I am on The Time of Contempt. Only a few more to go!

Listening:
My new Ella and Louie vinyl albums I got for Christmas.

Awaiting:
The vaccine. New paths. Fresh starts. 

Dreading:
Flip flopping between online and in-building learning models when we return. It is so hard on the kiddos.

Hit:
My new Sugar Spider scrubs.

Miss:
My Bath and Body Works Candle Day order that never arrived. BBW is making it right but many of them are not available now and so I am out some that I was looking forward to.

Low:
Christmas without most of the family. 

High:
My 40th birthday in the mountains with Adam and the girls. Christmas with just Adam and the girls. It was quiet and low key and I didn't realize how much I needed that at the time. 


This is where we normally say good-bye but I wanted to add a small "Best of 2020" to the tail end of this if that is ok with you. These best of choices are based on products I purchased or used this year.

Best Perfume (EDP):

Best Perfume Oils:

Best Soap:

Best Scrub:

Best Skincare:
-Forest & Fjord Deep Forest Serum (she is rebranding as House of Yore and will return with goodies)

Best Lip Balm:

Best Incense:

Best Candles:

Best Wax:
- Candles From the Keeping Room Very Vanilla
- Candles From the keeping Room Christmas Around the Campfire
- The Bathing Garden French Country Christmas

Best Tinctures:

Favorite Pottery:

Favorite Jewelry:
- Blood Moon Botanica Lucky Mercury Dime Necklace

Favorite Planners:
- Many Moons by Modern Woman: for tracking the moon, my monthly and spiritual endeavors
- Tudor Planner: for artwork, goals, buckets lists, places to eat, things to do
- Purple Trail: for teacher work, lessson planning, calendar, conferences, report cards

Favorite Art Supplies:
- Stabilo pens
- Sakura KOI Watercolor Brush Set

These were some of my favorite things this year. I still used many of my tried and trues but it was a good year for creativity and comforting smells. A good year for pulling in and making coziness where I could. 

I will post some goals for 2021 on January 1st. As always, I have a hope for a clean slate. Not only for myself but others too. Did you stumble upon any new favorites this year? What brought you comfort? Please leave a comment below and be entered for a chance to win a medium flat rate box of smell goods (wax and perfume and such). I will draw the winner sometime Sunday. Cheers!

10 comments:

  1. I always love your lists so much! I love reading about all the goodness you're enjoying. I'm always sorry for the low, dreading and miss selections and feel for you. I am thankful you share the good, bad and ugly. ;) Helps to put life into perspective and truly enjoy the good that we do have. Thank you!!
    I'm not really carving out any solid resolutions, etc for the new year. My health has been quite difficult this year.. trying to make progress, but always feel like there's no steps forward, only going super quickly backward. I need to refocus and have a better perspective and angle on things so moving forward can hopefully happen. I'm hopeful, just need to work on more positive mindset.
    I think the thing that brought me the most comfort this year has been any silence and quietness I could steal away. Being so introverted and still not getting that decompression and recharging time I had when single is still a struggle in my married/mom life here. I don't take me time, I'm very unbalanced.. I need to reinvest in me more. So yeah, that will probably be my comfort in 2021 as well, all the tranquil isolation I can treat myself to. :D ;) ;)

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    1. Thanks! Sometimes I hesitate to put the negative things in case it sounds too whiny but this is my reality and like you said, gotta celebrate the good and recognize the challenges. I am so sorry to hear that your health isn't improving. I have been thinking about you. I pray that this year your get answers and healing that you need. Hope is so very important.

      You are right about solitude. May you get ample moments of true quiet time. It is so hard with a bustling family. I try to go outside and sit in the hammock when I can but I know you have a little. Like you, I am introverted as well. Recharging those batteries is vital. I love your goal and I hope you are able to carve those moments out. It certainly is needed.

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    2. Thank you so much!! <3
      Here's hoping 2021 holds lots of goodness and beauty for us all to absorb.
      :D

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    3. P.S. I am sending you a box of goodies. :-) Whatever you might not enjoy please feel free to pass on. <3

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    4. :O Ohh, you're too sweet! ;) <3 <3

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  2. My favorite new product from 2020 was Blood Moon Botanica's Olive and Tallow cream. You know how winter can be up here so its been my go to even on my face! Like April said above, it was a difficult year in terms of balance, I received more responsibility at work without a raise and at times I felt overwhelmed. So looking to be more grounded and start a self care practice in 2021.

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    1. p.s. I can't store more smell goods at the moment, my comment is not an entry but thank you ♡

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    2. Yes!! I loved that cream too. Britton crafted some incredible creams this year. The rose one was nice too.

      Oh no. I hate that you had more responsibilities off loaded to you. My sister had that happen this past year too. She ended up finding a new place to work and decided to go back to school. Hoping you can find that balance you need this new year. I love that you are taking steps in that direction with your spring cleaning and such. Hoping this new year is kind to you and you are able to have your heart's desire. <3

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  3. You got a Cornidez studio Haunted House mug?? I'm dead.............they are incredible. Did you post it and I forgot? Lol.
    I'll always checking on Dida Metals and sorta waiting for just the right piece for me, a fatty skull shape keeps popping into my vision. I don't know if that charm necklace link is your exactly but it is a stunner.

    Baking, small venturing into household plants, major organizing and peaceful walks/hikes with the hubs are what got me through this last year.
    Happy 2021 buddy!

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    1. I DID. I am SO BAD. For a whole year I was happy with the mugs I had but then I got a hankering again. Ah well. My sister is a fan of ceramics too and she asked me to do a post with my mug collection so I will get to work on that.

      Rachel at Dida Metals is SO SO nice. If you message her she will work with you. She made a custom for Scarlette and I am thinking of asking her to work on an existing ring I have that needs updating.

      I love your meditative hobbies. They all make me happy too. I am sending you a box of goodies. I do know there are some fruity ones in there that might not fit your bill but thought maybe you could share them with your sister or friends. Sending it out this week. Cheers!

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