Month: April 2015

Why I Gave Up Face Wash

Published by papaya_and_lime

I won’t blame any of you who may have already judged me, just a little, on the basis of this post’s title. So let me please begin by assuring you that while I am guilty of being a little bit of a hippie, I am certainly not of the dirty variety! To prevent you from backing away from your computer screens any further, allow me to clarify my opening statement a little. True, I have given up on face wash, but I haven’t given up on washing my face. You see, 10 months ago I adopted a natural, plant-based lifestyle. It began with boycotting the farming industry and eating plant foods only, but as I gradually became more educated on what I was allowing into my body, it led to an intense questioning of what I was putting on to it as well. I was beginning to feel the myriad benefits of nourishing my body and cells with organic, nutrient-rich whole foods: no more additives, preservatives or chemical nasties. It felt only natural to extend the …

menagerie: island vibe

Published by chelsea

Time for island inspiration! Summer is closing in, and while I’m away basking in the sunshine of Bali, here are some of my favorite pins to share that island fever with ya! Where you headed this summer? Share your vacation plans with us! Especially if you’re visiting an island!

DIY: build a better blog

Published by chelsea

This DIY is geared towards all you bloggers! It does not particularly relate to nature (except the underwater shots!), but I feel this will be well received by some who are looking to create visually stunning posts on a beautiful layout with whatever free & inexpensive tools you have available. Surprise! You don’t need Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, and you don’t need to pay for expensive stock photo use or fonts. There are so many free resources available, and I’ll list my favorites right here as well as provide a link to the ones I don’t mention (but are still awesome and you may find useful!). Hosting | Many of you likely already have a hosting platform, whether that be Blogger, WordPress or something else. I now host with WordPress.com (not the self hosting platform of WordPress.org $$$) and migrated my blog by myself over to WordPress fairly simply. This process could have cost me close to $200 if I paid someone else to do it, but instead I found some easy tutorials and then …

Read Your Way into a Better Life

Published by papaya_and_lime

In the past year I have revolutionized my way of thinking and turned my life around in ways I never would never have thought imaginable. As I write this I am looking out over a deep blue swimming pool surrounded by tropical foliage and a fragrant frangipani tree blooming with delicate white flowers. The sun is a bright yellow paint drop on a perfect blue canvas, the people working on their laptops around me all wear shorts and sandals and an expression of blissful content. If you had told me 3 years ago that I would be doing location independent work on a tropical island I would never have thought it possible. There were many factors in play which ended in my decision to move here to Bali. However I truly believe that a vital key to success and manifesting positive changes in to our life lies not only in our actions, but the way in which we choose to perceive and react to the word around us. We hold the power to change our universe …

the lost art of thank you

Published by chelsea

I grew up in The South. And in The South, children learn to say “thank you, ma’am” about as quickly as we learn the words “mom” and “yes” [ma’am]. Along with just learning the times to express these sentiments of gratitude (always), we also learn when and for what reasons to express a thank you in the tangible form. The handwritten thank you almost seems an idea of the past. With social media and internet-everything all over the place nowadays, it’s pretty easy to see why. Which, in my opinion, is unfortunate. How did we let this common courtesy slip past us? When did it become acceptable to just wish someone happy birthday on Facebook rather than pick up the phone and call? And why are we okay with this? Why is our generation so disconnected? (See my latest post on Four Ways To Be A Nicer Person to tune in!) Writing thank you letters and cards has always been a virtuous deed in my house – even after I moved out of my parents …

bali honeymoon homestays & guesthouses

Published by chelsea

As the day draws even closer, we are growing increasingly excited about our wedding and honeymoon! The final plans are coming together, we’re booking our stay over in Bali, and tying up all the loose ends for the final preparation of the big day. Soon Evan and I will be waving farewell to Puerto Rico as we head out to Texas! I can’t believe we are finally making this a reality. It seems like the last two months have just flown past us and now we are packing and making lists, and crossing off tasks, and eagerly busying ourselves over the next few days to finish up all the work here before departing. How time flies? If I count the days before my wedding, Evan and I have been together for about 1795 days (that’s just shy of 5 years!). Hard to believe that five years has almost passed and I’ve spent those years head over heels for this person. I think you know it’s true love when you just sit silently next to each …