the power of sea salt

Brace yourselves.  I'm about to go off on how much I love sea salt.  I'm not a fan of eating salt, unless it's on some McDonald's french fries, in which case I can go to town on some salt, but I am a fan of using salt on my body.  Actually, I am a fan of using it all over my body.

I have weird, sensitive skin and autoimmune disorders associated with it (no, not psoriasis, even weirder ones), so I have to be careful what I put on my body.  When I shave, I almost certainly will get bumps on my legs, no matter how much shaving cream, coconut oil, or steam I use.  My scalp is going to itch from the shampoo regardless of the brand, cost, or scent (or lack-thereof).  I might as well not even try to use soap in the folds of my skin, because they will scream at me the next day.

All of this changed when I discovered sea salt.  I now use it for literally everything in the shower.  I scrub it on my legs after shaving and prevent razor burn, I scrub it on my scalp after shampoo and have an amazing head of hair afterward, along with a squeaky-clean scalp. And I scrub it on my body when I need to exfoliate and let it work it's magic.  I use it straight from the jar, which I keep in the shower, and let it burn as I rub it in.  Then I rinse it down the drain and admire my smooth and silky skin/hair.  I feel like I've discovered some secret wonder of the earth or something, but really it's just plain 'ol sea salt that you buy at the grocery.  Sometimes I use course salt, and sometimes I use fine salt, I don't even have a preference.

If you have skin troubles or are just looking for a natural, healthy way to good skin, I recommend trying sea salt and adding it to your daily routine.  Let me know how you like it in the comments below!  xoxo Courtney

why i decided to declutter

1. It feels amazing.

I can't describe the feeling I have knowing that I have rid my have of over 6 human-sized Rubbermaid totes containing clothes, trinkets, and junk. When I come home from work, my house looks clean, and I have a place for all of my bags, keys, and papers. It's such a great feeling.  I'm sure if I felt like researching, I'd find some article on cleaning and endorphins or something, because I actually feel high at the end of time spent decluttering. I have such an easier time with organizing when there are fewer objects, and it's less stressful to choose from objects when there aren't that many there. I am so much happier on my journey to a minimalist.

2. My boyfriend can't make as many messes.

Without as much junk around the house, he can't leave as much lying around, which leaves less for me to pick up. I yell less, and everyone is happier. Plus, there is more room for every item to have a designated space, so he has no excuse to not put something back.

3. Organizing has become a breeze.

As mentioned above, everything now has a place in our house. It is so easy to find everything and keep everything clean and picked up. Our cabinets and drawers have stayed neater, and even the fridge looks better.

4. You'll lose weight.

Literally.  Maybe not from your body, but your figuratively getting rid of extra baggage and poundage that you don't want, and that can cause a lot of stress. Over time this builds up and becomes incredibly overwhelming. I found I was more unhappy and depressed in a junky house, and maybe it was just coincidental timing, but I've lost 12 pounds off my body since I started decluttering my house. Clutter can play mental games with a person. It can impact your life. Be honest with yourself and let it go!

5. You are helping someone else (or making some money).

When I finished cleaning out my clothes, I had three large containers, like the largest containers they make. These were really nice clothes, y'all. I had Coach purses with tags, Sperry shoes worn once, and boutique dresses with less than one wear out of them. I could have easily sold what I had and made a good couple of hundred bucks, but a lack of time and energy, coupled with the pressing feeling too make a tithe, sent me to my local thrift store, and it felt great to bless so many people that way.  

Can you guys think of any other reasons to declutter?  I swear I have never been so happy as I have been since I have started trying to be more minimal in my life.  How has decluttering helped you?  xoxo Courtney

diy hexagon shelves

A few months back, I found some shelves on sale for $6.00 at Hobby Lobby.  Of course I couldn't resist because they were Hexagon and raw wood, so I knew I would be able to do anything I wanted with them, plus they were only $6.00, so I had to buy them!  I sat on them for a while, until this morning when I painted all three of them and finally hung them in my living room.  I'm so glad I did.  I love the way they look and how simple they are, yet how much they add to the walls.  I painted them gold and then decided to dab on a little glitter, which I think looks clunky up close, but from far away looks amazing.  I am so excited about them!  Basically all I used was some acrylic gold paint, some gold glitter, a paint brush, three wood hexagon blocks, and some nails to hang them, which all totaled me around $25.00.  What I got was the end result below.

I would say it will be worth the $25.00 once I fix the one shelf that's a little crooked.  I think I am going to leave them empty and use them as art rather than have them function as actual shelves because I like the way they look so much.  What do you guys think?  xoxo Courtney