Balance. Something I constantly seek. It’s part of the fun of being a Libra and I must say, I kinda love it. An ongoing race where I’m striving to find my best self — perfecting my style on the inside and the out.

A somewhat recent quest for balance has been the shift towards incorporating more natural elements into my lifestyle. Call it age, call It wisdom – either way it’s been a positive move towards a better life and the funny thing is I didn’t even realize it was happening.

Integrating Natural Elements

What’s in the secret sauce you ask to perfecting a life au naturel? Trial and error to start! And since I’ve been in trial mode – here’s a few ingredients to get you started — 

#1 | Get outside and in touch with nature: the cure for almost all things – at least I think so. Whether it’s throwing a ball with your dog in the yard, going for a walk in your neighborhood, or planning a hike over the weekend – just go outside and get some fresh air. Though this may be easier said than done for some – us Seattleites have to deal with rain but then get rewarded with the nearby mountains – there’s a few different ways to achieve this task: 1) do a neighborhood hop by starting in your own and migrating to the next (we love the walk from our neighborhood of Fremont to Ballard — two miles downhill towards restaurant / bar heaven, two miles back up). 2) Add a little burn to the neighborhood walk, and make it an “urban hike” (our favorite is the walk from Fremont to Upper Queen Anne where again we can reward ourselves with a treat and then Car2Go home). 3) Take a day trip and plan a hike on a nearby trail — (shout out to the WTA’s Trailblazer app for all you Washingtonians – Blanca Lake is a killer but definite fave).

#2 | Fill your surroundings with plants: this definitely is a new thing for me and not sure why it took two years after buying our house, but it’s an obsession. Not only do plants add the perfect punch of color you might be lacking (my home in a nutshell – greys and whites), they provide countless benefits: regulating the air temperature, reducing carbon dioxide levels, minimizing airborne dust, lowering levels of certain pollutants like benzene and nitrogen dioxide. So visit your local nursery and start expanding your succulent collection into actual plants and trees. Here’s a great article from my favorite nursery in Seattle that shares some great options based on the light you have. Pro tip: the Fiddle Leaf Fig is the perfect add to any home. Shout out to my girl Liz for introducing it to me :).

#3 | Cooking and eating clean: you are what you eat folks – I truly believe in this. Ever eat a greasy burger and afterwards feel sluggish, oily in your face, overly full and a little clogged in the throat? It’s all connected with our intake which is why it’s incredibly important we find balance in what we eat and make sure we’re fueling our bodies with the right types of nutrients on the day-to-day. The secret? Meal planning + filling your mind with information and inspiration. We’ve been on a Sunbasket kick lately that sends us three recipes with ingredients every week – all from Pacific Coast’s best suppliers – which totally helps with the meal planning. In between I love following fellow friend and local blogger Lauren Chambers of So Fresh N So Green. Check her out 🙂 – she has amazing recipes!

#4 | Treating your skin with respect: incorporating beauty products that have natural, non-chemical ingredients can do wonders for your skin. Instead of buying the next it thing at Sephora due to their in-store marketing displays, I’ve been doing my fair share of research online on Korean Beauty products that use a laundry list of natural ingredients: maple tree sap, bee venom, rose oil, sea kelp, tea tree oil, pig collagen, starfish extract, eggs yolk / egg white extract… to name a few popular ones. I’ll be following up on a dedicated post on this soon with my faves.

#5 | Buying products made of raw materials: and last but not least, if you’re going to add natural elements to your home, diet and skin, then you might as well ensure you’re wearing the latest and great au naturel garb, am I right? Fair trade clothing brands made with organic cottons that create ethically made pieces are really starting to make their way into popular fashion. I’m positive we’ll see this more and more and I’m excited to see the trends that come out of it.

Which leads me to an exciting new brand I’m thrilled to partner with on this post… JORD.

Your New Hand-crafted Wood Timepiece

If you haven’t heard of them already, JORD (pronounced YODE) watches are making their way to fashionistas around the world who love the look of au naturel. These watches are made of 100% natural wood — sans toxic chemicals. Providing you with one raw and refined timepiece. The perfect element for your chic wardrobe.

I fell in love with the Frankie Series and definitely needed to add the Ebony and Gold to my collection to match my monochrome closet. The natural dark sandalwood is hand finished and pretreated with tung oils, giving it a gorgeous polished look. 

Into it? Wanting to add some raw material to your assortment of accessories? You’re in luck, love :).

Enter the JORD GIVEAWAY

Now through the end of this month, you can enter to win a $100 gift code to be used towards a JORD watch!

And the best part? One lucky person will win, but everyone who participates will receive a $25 code as well!

 Just fill out this form to submit your entry! 

… and let me know how you’re achieving au naturel.

// cb ✌????

Luxury Wooden Watch