The one question I get all the time is "Where do you get your lashes done?!" And I get so excited to say, "I did!"  For over a year now, I've been using and loving FlutterHabit lashes, DIY lashes that are applied under your natural lash. 

Even though we are working at home more than ever, I still do a few things to glam up my days and using faux lashes are top of the list. I had always wanted to try lash extensions but the upkeep and high price always held me back. 

But then I found FlutterHabit and lashes and I'm so happy! They are lightweight lashes that I can apply at home and they give me all the pop I want. And they are super affordable - about $5 a pair. 

They have 5 different styles so there is something for everyone. My personal favorites are the Originals and the Winks!

And because I know you will love these too, I have a FlutterHabit discount just for you! Use this link for 10% off your order!

There is a slight learning curve but FlutterHabit has application videos and a facebook group for you to find inspiration and troubleshoot. And I'm always open to help!

I use Mirah Luminous Cleansing Oil to remove the lashes in a hot shower. The key is to not pull on the lash segments at all. If you can feel any tension on your natural lashes, the glue is not soft enough for removal yet. Just keep gently rubbing up and down on the lashes until they slide off smoothly.

To give my lashes a boost, I use a natural lash booster in between sets. This works on your lashes and eyebrows!

​Lash Serum

What you need:

• bottles
• Lavender essential oil
• Cedarwood essential oil
• Rosemary essential oil
• castor oil

In these 4 ml bottles, add two drops of each of the essential oils and filled the rest of the way with castor oil. Swipe a super thin layer above your lash line (or even in your eyebrows!) before bed and you’ll start seeing results before you know it!

Lavender helps by increasing circulation and promoting lash growth, while helping retain the lashes already there. Plus, it helps you unwind before bed, so double win.

Rosemary can help thicken lashes, and fast! It's a great addition to the other oils because it gets them working quickly. It's also amazing for memory retention and balancing hormones, so your brain is thanking you, too.

Cedarwood stimulates the follicles and when combined with lavender and rosemary, has shown to increase growth by up to 44%!  Also a great sleepy oil, just like lavender.

Castor oil is the perfect carrier because it is thick, helps prevent any from actually going into your eyes, and is known for naturally promoting rapid hair growth! 

​
If you try FlutterHabit lashes, make sure you tag me on instagram or wherever and let me know how you like them! 

Each holiday season, I like to add a few new books to our rotation. Here are a few fall and Halloween-themed books joining our collection this year!

Alexandra Young is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This post may include affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you shop using the links below at no additional cost to you.  Thanks so much for supporting me and this blog!

Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht
We love Pick a Pine Tree by the same author so I'm excited to add this book to our collection! The story follows the journey of a pumpkin, "from picking out the perfect specimen at the pumpkin patch (be sure to stop for cider and toffee apples) to carting it home, scooping out the insides, carving a scary face, and finally lighting a candle inside." 
​

Gustavo the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago
New this year, the book description had me adding it to my cart: "Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves?" Looks like a great one to talk about courage and making friends with your little ones! There is also a Spanish version available. 

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
We love just about everything Julia Donaldson writes! This one is a favorite show to watch so I wanted to make sure we had the book too. One of my core values is inclusion and I firmly believe in building a longer table so there is room for everyone. Well, add in a hungry dragon and here you go! Bonus - this one comes in paperback or board book so you can choose what's best for you! 

Did you know Amazon Prime has a bunch of Julia Donaldson books as short shows? They are amazing because they are slow and quiet and perfect for calming down little ones! Send me a message and I'll share all the ones we have on repeat in our house!

Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton
You can't go wrong with Sandra Boynton's lovable characters! My boys love these books and so do I! 
"It’s Halloween! What will little Pookie decide to be this year? Pookie tries on costumes one by one, but somehow can’t find just the right thing. The resolution to Pookie’s dilemma will delight toddlers and their caregivers alike."  

Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins
​"A unique Halloween story about a stemless pumpkin who dreams of becoming a jack-o-lantern."

The Little Kitten by Nicola Killen
"A charming autumnal story about a little girl who must return a lost kitten to its home."

 Check Leif and the Fall by Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant
"Persistence and creativity can lead to amazing things, as Leif the leaf discovers in this lovely story."


Tell me in the comments - what's your favorite fall or Halloween-themed book? I'm always up for a good story and you can't go wrong with sharing a love of reading with your kids!

Check out this post for more book recommendations!

Do I have something fun for you today!!

This week, I sat down with my dear friend and Kappa sister Leanne Matullo to talk all things mindset, wellness, and setting intentions. The full conversation is available in Revive but I wanted to share some of our conversation here with you!

Leanne shares about her journey to building a yoga therapy practice and the ease that seeking your purpose can bring in life. Note, there is a BIG distinction between "ease" and "easy." There's some heart work that goes into discovering your true authentic self.  It was an inspiring conversation and I hope you check out the preview!

If you want more goodness like this, check out our Brave + Purposeful Women community here on facebook! ✨

​Watch us make these here. 

Laura's Spinach Balls (GF)

2-10 oz. pkgs. chopped frozen spinach
2 c. Chef Jeff Gluten Free Seasoned Panko flakes (from Whole Foods)
1 onion, finely chopped
6 beaten eggs
3/4 c. butter or margarine
1 c. parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. garlic powder or salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. pepper

Thaw spinach, squeeze dry (with paper towels).  Mix all ingredients together.  Form balls and freeze on cookie sheet.  Place in plastic bag when frozen.  Bake frozen about 20 minutes (flip halfway through) at 350 degrees.  Makes 80 to 90 one inchballs.

If you aren't concerned about gluten, you can use any kind of bread crumbs. Enjoy and try not to eat them all at once!

These cookies top my list for breakfast during the week. They pack a punch - I can get to lunchtime without a snack. Plus, they can be made in advance. What's not to love?! And if I ever get bored of the current recipe, they are easy to modify. 

Here's my go to recipe:

Breakfast Cookies
adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

2 & 1/3 cups gluten free quick oats
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup chocolate chips (Mix it up and try raisins or dried cranberries). 


Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until combined. [Note: I throw everything but the chocolate chips into my mixer first. Once it's combined, I add the chips and mix for a little bit longer.] The dough will be very thick. Form the sticky dough into a cookie shape. They don't spread in the oven so make them to the size you want. 

Bake for 15 minutes until edges are very slightly brown. Don't bake any longer or the cookies will taste dry. Cool completely before putting 2 cookies into a freezer bag. These breakfast cookies can stay frozen for up to three months, or fresh at room temperature for a week. ​

We are getting back on the birch + pine book club train this month with a fun summer read, American Royals by Katharine McGee. I love a good beach read and I feel certain this book is going to deliver. 

What if America had a royal family? When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Two princesses vying for the ultimate crown. Two girls vying for the prince's heart. This is the story of the American royals.

So, I'm pumped to dive into this fun read! Who is reading with us this month? Grab your book here or at your local bookstore!

The last few weeks have been full of play with my kids.

kayak rides
swimming
bike rides
foxtail (remember this?!)
hockey
baseball
tag
bubbles
nugget mountains
pirates
firefighters
marble works
construction
and so much more

Their imagination never fails to amaze me. Sometimes they need coaxing to start but we've found we can make a game out of pretty much everything.

And regardless of what we are doing, we find the fun. 

After a spring of no (no school, no parks, no friends, no stores, etc.) I promised myself this summer, I'd be quicker to say yes. 

And in saying yes, I've found myself putting down my phone more. And wading into chilly water to swim when I normally would have chosen to stay on shore. And biking just a little bit further into town, and needing to be rescued because someone's little legs just couldn't make it back. And loading up the car to drive an hour to see a new-to-us state park to seek out an adventure. And staying up thirty minutes later because we're playing tennis in the culdesac and the laughs won't stop. And saying yes to one more rice krispie bar, one more minute in the pool, one more bedtime story.

The play and saying yes has been so good for my soul.

Before the pandemic took over, I was burned out at work. Then, like so many of you, my burnout and stress was increased by having my kids home, while trying to stay healthy and safe, and deal with a changing work landscape, and honestly, I lost myself a bit. 

I've spent the last month trying to combat my burnout. To become more engaged in my life, and by focusing on play and saying yes, I've slowly realigned my priorities with my who I want to be in life. 

I want to be the mom who says yes, who enjoys play, I also want to be the woman who finds time to play - just for me. What brings me joy? What can I do to find the fun and relish in those moments of unbridled joy? That's what I'm seeking out this month: ways to incorporate play into my daily life.

Because after the last few months, I know we could all use a little more play time in our lives.

This month in birch + pine,  we'll be sharing tricks and tips to combat stress and burnout,  ways to find rest and relaxation, and see how play time can benefit our health and wellness!

xoxo,
Alex

If you are feeling stressed and burned out too,  you might like my guide to pamper yourself at home. Check it out here!

Last week, I came across the the concept of windows and mirrors and sliding glass doors as it pertains to literature. Rudine Sims Bishop pioneered the concept and wrote:
"Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be read or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of  the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a  means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books." More

As a white family, many of our books are mirrors. My children see themselves  and families like ours more often than not in the books we read.  So it's really important to me that we find books that are windows and show families and backgrounds that are different than ours.  We get a lot of our books from the library but I do keep a running list of books that I want to share as gifts for my boys, our niece, or friends that create a diverse and inclusive bookshelf.

Here's our reading list for little ones, full of book ideas for you to bring mirrors AND windows into your home.   

I also wanted to share two of our favorites that are classics and belong in every home:
​
A Snowy Day - My boys love this book. We read it once a week or so and it's a good one because we can talk similarities (we love winter, sticks, and sledding too!) and differences (Peter is black, he lives in an apartment, etc.).

Last Stop on Market Street - This book is so beautiful. It showcases an intergenerational relationship with a young boy and his grandmother while they ride the bus together. "The urban setting is truly reflective, showing people with different skin colors, body types, abilities, ages, and classes in a natural and authentic manner." - School Library Journal


If you are wondering what these types of conversations can look like as you read with your children, this is A MUST READ: 100 Race Conscious Things to Say To Your Child to Advance Racial Justice. 


Additional Book Lists
Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners
A Mighty Girl
Here Wee Read Diverse Books List
1000 Black Girl Books Resource Guide
Your Kids Aren't Too Young To Talk about Race

Instagram Accounts for more book recommendations
@inclusivestorytime
@mrschavezreads
@littlefeministbookclub
@booksfordiversity
@theconsciouskid
@thetinyactivists
@beginathome
@equalbookbox

It’s been hard to find the words this week. My heart is hurting - a man is dead, the investigation is ongoing, the people are trying to peacefully protest, and my city is being looted and burned.  It's been heavy.

Here are a few resources I've found impactful this week would like to encourage you to read this weekend:

A Guide to Allyship
5 Racist Anti-Racism Responses "Good" White Women Give to Viral Posts
Your Kids Aren't Too Young to Talk About Racism
It's Bigger than Buildings. America is Burning.
From Christian Cooper to George Floyd: A Letter to White Parents

More Resources
My friend Kristin put together a list of additional resources sourced from friends on Instagram. Lots of extra reading material there if you are interested.

Stay well, friends.
​
xoxo,
Alex

Well if March taught us anything is that we must nourish our souls as well as our bodies to help us sustain in uncertain times.

This month in birch + pine, we'll be sharing a few recipes that will fuel your body and your heart, and the stories behind them; ways to face each day with joy; and other heart-filling way to nourish our souls.

I am calling an audible on our previously shared book club list. We were supposed to read All The Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth but I know it's a heavy memoir and honestly, I need less heavy right now. So, we're going to pivot. I'm currently reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle and honestly, I can't wait to discuss it with you. So that's our read this month. I'll share a reading plan tomorrow.

Another fun thing we're doing this month is a 21-day cleaning challenge! I'm stuck at home (as most of you are too!) so it's the perfect time to kick-off our spring cleaning. We'll start Saturday!

I also have a Girls Night In event in the works so stay tuned for details on that! We'll also be continuing our virtual coffee dates on Saturday mornings as well as a wine night coming up.

And last but not least, Young Living has some amazing things happening this month with amazing promos and a revamped (and better!) compensation plan. I'm cooking up a way to put cash in your hand this month, even if you aren't a YL member! This business of mine has been life-giving in so many ways over the years and this community is everything to me.

xoxo,
Alex

You are in
the wilderness now,
but even here,
you are guided.
Even here,
the plan
for your life
is protected
and your heavy,
weary soul
is safe.
-- Morgan Harper Nichols