Author: chelsea

more tips for island living

Published by chelsea

So the first post of this series was a pretty popular hit with local island readers. So I figured I would share some more hints and tips that I’ve discovered in the five years of residing in Puerto Rico. 1 | save the silica dry bags. You know those little desiccant bags you get in some of your purses or with online orders? They say “choking hazard, throw away” – well don’t throw them away! You can actually use those suckers to keep out moisture and prevent mold in some of your hard-to-monitor places – like in your camera bag. We recently had to have our Canon sensor professionally cleaned because we started to notice some fungus through the viewfinder. Who would have thought that mold could grow there?? So now I’ve added some silica bags + bamboo activated charcoal to my camera bag to keep all of that from happening again. You can also try my homemade desiccant resource, the kitty litter dehumidifier which still works wonders in my cabinets and closets. 2 | keep …

avocado hair mask

Published by chelsea

Avocado season in Puerto Rico translates to months of breakfasts, dinners and snacks centered around the delicious fruit. We are blessed with a plentiful tree just down the road from us. Now that the season has ended, we have to scavenge the area for neglected avo or scale the tree to reach the ones no one else has noticed. Which means we reallly stretch them to their fullest in our cooking! So, I haven’t made this mask in a while, needless to say, but it did some nice things for my hair so I figured I would share in case you have extras around your place! Easy Avocado Hair Mask 1 over ripe avocado 1 tbsp of honey 1 tbsp of coconut oil Massage into your damp hair then wrap in a shoulder cap and sit in the sun for about 5 to 10 minutes to warm the oils and let the nutrients do their work. Wash out well, maybe use a tiny bit of shampoo if you don’t like the feeling of the coconut …

diy: blog tips + hacks

Published by chelsea

I have been working on this post for a little while, after a request from Cait who wanted to know a few little hints and tricks to spice up her own blog. So here are few simple and easy ways to hack the blog without forking over a pretty penny for designer assistance. 1 Adding an image to a post without having to download it first (careful, be sure the site is something you expect will never change, because technically this is a link. If you’re concerned at all, just download and insert instead) : <img src=”IMAGE URL” alt=”” width=”YOUR SIZE” height=”YOUR SIZE” /> . This will be added to the HTML section of your blog post. This is a great way to incorporate photos without having to download/upload them to your blogging server, which takes up space. The only downside is if that photo somehow disappears from its original source, it will no longer show up in your post either. 2 Keeping images from being “pinned” with Pinterest, add the code <class=”nopin”> after your …

we have a gift, and it’s everywhere

Published by chelsea

There is nothing else in our galaxy like our earth. Nothing that sustains life like our planet. We are blessed. But we don’t all know it. How can you teach someone to love the earth? If you can teach them, will they care about what they do to it? Will they love it like they love a friend, a husband, a mother? Will they teach others to love it too? I was at home recently in Texas and as I rode with my family on the interstate, my father pointed out some adjacent land. He asked “see all of that land and how it’s cleared?” I noticed it looked freshly sculpted, like someone came through with a rolling pin and created a hilly landscape and removed all the trees. I asked what was going on and he said “they are extracting oil” and he commented on how nice the land will look after all the grass grows back. Those rolling hills will be so beautiful, he said. The land that was once covered with the …

when life gets prickly, starve it of water

Published by chelsea

Today we are going to talk about handling stress. Because stress is one of the leading killers in Americans, one of the leading reasons for heart problems, and we really can do something about it. Mostly this is a topic of retraining the brain. Creating a new web of thinking that involves rewiring what we see as priorities. When we live to work, we live to be stressed. Why not just work to live, and once work is finished for the day – stop working. Of course, it’s never that simple. But there are ways to reduce stress, one baby step at a time.When we retrain our brain to think of jobs, chores, activities as positive aspects of life then we are already beginning to reduce stress – because how can we be stressed when we are loving what we do? But that takes practice. It’s hard to jump into these routines with a huge smile and a dedication to tackle everything with joy. Right, who can do that every day? So here are my …

Put it Down: 9 Things You Can Do Without

Published by chelsea

We now live in a world of over-stimulation. We are bombarded by the screens in our hands, in front of our faces, reflecting in the mirrors. We can’t get away from the influence, or so it may seem. We are constantly being told what to look like, who to emulate, what to idolize, where to eat and how to act. I don’t know about you, but that has put my brain on overload. I recently watched a very accurate and moving video about how our obsession with technology is making us all so selfish and unconnected from the real world, real relationships, real people, real feelings and emotions. While I have also seen some very inspiring and moving accounts of how social media has positively shaped our lives, I feel like this may not be case for the majority. What do you think? I’d love to hear your opinion! Regardless, the desire to step away from the screens has helped shape my dis-attachment to certain social media. For instance, I used to scroll through Instagram …

the sea, field & tribe store: shop the island

Published by chelsea

The time has finally come to reopen the Etsy shop! I am so excited to share with you all new items, and an all new look and vibe to the shop! You can now shop the Island on etsy for goods handmade in Puerto Rico. I have a new medium – coconuts – and have put a fun creative spin on trinket dishes and maracas. Yes, I said maracas. Remember those things you made as a kid with plastic coke bottles and beads? I’ve taken a hollowed out coconut, filled it with dried beans, and added a bit of my own unique twist and now you can add a little music to your gatherings with these hand polished, hand painted maracas. I also have trinket dishes from halved coconuts, key fobs featuring Bali seeds, and a dreamcatcher that is a total amalgamation of all things pretty and abstract. And just in time for the holidays – if you’re considering a handmade gift, then take a gander at these goodies from the island! Perfect for all …

to soothe your mind: bali botanic

Published by chelsea

I was so excited to receive this essential oil from Lou’s company Bali Botanic. Not only is it just thrilling to see my friend embark on an exciting new journey as an entrepreneur, but to see the lengths and efforts that her and her partner Bar have undertaken to find the perfect ingredients has brought so much hope and confidence to me as a consumer. It’s so easy now for companies to just simply slap a sticker on their product marketing it as “organic” or “all natural”, because they know that not a soul will ever be able to trace it back to origin. Lately I’ve become very skeptical of some of my favorite companies which has prompted me to do more research before I continue to invest in them. With Bali Botanic, it will never be a concern. I first met Lou and Bar on my honeymoon in Bali, however Lou and I had been internet buddies for some time – sharing stories and comments on sea, field & tribe – and now she’s …

the best ways to eat healthy on an island

Published by chelsea

I have discovered through a lot of trial and error that eating healthy on an island is actually pretty easy, even if you cannot grow your own produce and don’t have access to a farmers market. Now it seems pretty straightforward when you have a farmers market or farm stand, and access to all kinds of fruit trees. But this is definitely not always the case, and it certainly depends on what SIDE of an island you actually live on to even make this possible. Okay, yes some of those options are definitely fruitful – grabbing avocados from public trees, and mangos from along the road is very widely practiced in Puerto Rico. But sometimes you have to go beyond just those two fruits, right? Obviously. And occasionally you do encounter a great farmers market with a lot of options for produce. But what about all the other essentials, like flours, milks, nuts and seeds, oats…. Well you can get creative and if you have a lot of time on your hands, you can make …

the most inspiring instagram accounts

Published by chelsea

I am one of those people, one of those who does the Instagramming. I am not addicted to it, but I do like using it to discover new companies, new products and new people to be inspired by. Through Instagram, I discovered my now favorite organic, all natural sunscreen; my protein and greens, my deodorant that I just shared about last week… you get the idea. I’ve also discovered new places to visit, wanderlusted through several travelogues, screencaptured many bikinis to purchase later, and cooked and baked several delicious recipes. So this is my first installment of my favorite, most inspiring Instagram accounts that you should follow today. Of course, since this is an ever growing, constantly changing curated list, there will be future installments. But allow me to showcase this handful of awe inspiring women: @talinegabriel | you may know her as #hippielane . She is creator of the Hippie Lane app, an app of delicious vegan, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free desserts that make your mouth water. #foodporn @stellacrick | surfer, …