Autumn Is Finally (Actually) Here!

My Favorite Things: 5 Back-To-School Must Haves

Welcome to My Favorite Things! Each month, we highlight products to help you create a holistic lifestyle that inspires and nurtures you, so that you can be happier and feel supported.

As summer is wrapping up, many of us are gearing up to head back to school or double down for the fall season. Of course, it's much easier to take on a busy few months if we're organized and ready for what's ahead. So this month we've curated our top recommendations for getting back into the school season swing with a clear head and a neat space. Be sure to also check out our next podcast, with Diane Lowy from New York at Home. Diane creates "apartment solutions", and she's offered our listeners tips on getting organized!

Focus Mist

Our most recent podcast features my good friend and colleague, Andrea Giordano, who is a feng shui and essential oil expert. She also helped curate the Holistic Spaces Apothecary collection, and the Focus spray is one of my favorites!

A blend of fair trade essential oils and carnelian crystal, our Focus Mist was created to provide grounding, clarity and mental focus, and it's ideal for back-to-school!

Available at: Holistic Spaces

Mini Round Boxes

In our next podcast, I chat with organizer and space designer, Diane Lowy, and ask her advice on getting organized. 

Diane was also kind enough to recommend some of her favorite organizational tools for this month's My Favorite Things, and these mini round boxes made the cut!

"These are great for pretty much anything small that's otherwise tough to find in a drawer or your bag: SIM cards, paper clips, earrings, safety pins, a pair of earplugs, Tic Tacs, Tylenol. 12 clear boxes for $2.29 makes them an easy yes."

Available at: The Container Store

Recycled Notebooks

Notebooks are great for keeping notes and lists, setting goals and even organizing your thoughts through journaling. 

I love MUJI notebooks! I use these to keep all my notes, from meditation class to client meetings. It makes it easier for me to keep things in one location, and I like to write it down rather than put it in my phone. I love that they're recycled too!

Available at: MUJI

Post-It Tape

Another of Diane's favorites is Post-It tape.

"Post-It Note Tape is a great way to make labels anywhere that just peel off without leaving a residue but stay in place for as long as you need it. It comes in white as well as highlighter colors, and you can write on it just like paper. 

Labels can be super helpful when brainstorming for layouts after a move or renovation. They are also great reminders for that first week or two after moving stuff around and are very helpful when living with roommates!"

Available at: Amazon

Saraswati Yantra Mandala for Knowledge and Creativity

I love the Saraswati mandala because it is useful in so many ways! This yantra is associated with the Knowledge area of the bagua, since Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of wisdom and the arts. 

For inspiration in these areas, place the Saraswati yantra mandala in the Knowledge area of your space. 

Saraswati can also be used to cultivate abundance! Deepak Chopra shared a story about this in his book, Creating Affluence. You can read more about it in my blog post on attracting abundance. 

Available at: Holistic Spaces

My Favorite Things: 5 Home Accessories for Summer

Welcome to My Favorite Things! Each month, we highlight products to help you create a holistic lifestyle that inspires and nurtures you, so that you can be happier and feel supported.

Last week was the summer solstice, the first day of the warm season in the northern hemisphere. The summer is associated with the element of fire and the Recognition area of the bagua. As with each season, there are ways to balance out your holistic space using design features and feng shui philosophy. These are some of my favorite ways to welcome summer into your space!

Coyuchi Relaxed Linen

I love warm, cozy sheets and bedding during the cold winter, but when summer arrives, it's time to pack those thick blankets up and switch to something a little cooler!

I love these Coyuchi linen sheets. Linen is a wonderful option for summer - it helps keep cool and wicks away any sweat. These are available in a variety of neutral colors that will match any holistic bedroom! Try Alpine White, Fog or Storm for more Metal, Misty Ocean for more Wood or Undyed for more Earth. 

Available at: Coyuchi

Organic Buckwheat Pillow

In our list of organic pillow options, buckwheat is my favorite and is amazing for summer. Buckwheat pillows are great for eliminating back and neck pain as well as snoring. They are known for incredible air circulation and don't hold any heat, which is perfect for the hot season. 

My mom bought me a buckwheat pillow in college, and it's still my favorite pillow. I've dragged it around everywhere with me, and now my husband even has one too! It's worth noting that these pillows can be a bit loud due to the filling, so be sure to choose a pillow with an outer covering to muffle the sound, like these organic cotton options! 

Available at: CozyPure

no. 3 Space Mist

One of my favorite ways to welcome any new season is with a space clearing ritual. There are many ways to do this, including the BTB orange peel method, palo santo and more, but one of my favorites for summer is the Holistic Spaces sage spray!

Sage is known for its healing and space clearing properties, and this mist makes it portable so that you can clear your home, car, office or any areas you travel to without causing an issue with smoke alarms. It's perfect for hotel rooms or guest rooms and is one of our most popular apothecary items, so it sells out very fast!

Available at: Holistic Spaces

Folding Hand Fan

Folding fans serve a dual purpose as symbolic decor and an energy-efficient, no-cost cooling method. I was recently given my Shambhala name, which relates to fans, and in my studies, I found fans can be metaphorical in many ways. 

They represent femininity, but they can also be seen as swordlike to cut through difficulties and were actually used as weapons in some Asian countries. Fans even have their own secret language in China and the Victorian era, when women were almost forbidden from speaking their minds. I recently purchased a white fan with gold trim from DengraDesigns, and I absolutely love it!

Available at: DengraDesigns

Aloe Vera

I'm always a fan of adding more greenery to a space, and aloe vera is a great addition for summer! Traditionally, spiky plants or plants with pointy leaves are not good feng shui, but there are exceptions. 

Adding aloe vera to your space as a healing tool, not as a feng shui adjustment, can be a wonderful move for summer. Aloe vera is widely known for its healing properties, especially with regards to sunburns! This is also a great opportunity to add some water colors to combat the fiery summer element. Opt for a black or dark blue pot to cool off your space!

Available at: CB2