photo source »»
Well. It's that time of year again. All the 2015 roundups are in full swing on social media, and new resolutions are being made. I checked in with my resolutions from last year, and I stuck to 3 out of 5: I learned to put down the tweezers (although I had an unfortunate threading experience a few months back, so now I'm re-growing the brows out. AGAIN.), I started drinking way, way, wayyy more water (much of this has been seltzer water, but still), and I've gotten really good at responding to to texts/voicemails in a more timely manner. 

Maybe if I whittle the list down to 3 intentions this year, I'll fare better this time around. Let's see...


Merry Christmas Eve!


Today marks the last day of Autumn, 2015. Back in October, I went to brunch with my friend Laura and made it my mission to do brunch more often this season. Since then, I've been to Another Broken Egg (did not blog - so in theory, it did not actually happen) (?), Waffle House (does this one really count?) Le Petit Marche, and lastly, Oy! on this past Saturday


White Barn, Bath and Body Works' candle label, stepped up it's game recently. They now have their own store in a couple malls around metro Atlanta, and it's quite the festive frenzy. It's a candle bonanza! There are so many scents to choose from. I went in looking for something different but came out empty handed for a few reasons: after like five minutes, all the fragrances start to blend into one big confusing aroma, and there are many more food-scented varieties then I remember (pumpkin, vanilla, apple pie, etc.) - those aren't exactly my cup of tea (read: jar of wax).

So, I'll be sticking with my old faithfuls from now on. For anyone else out there who loves a good scented candle this time of year but doesn't have the patience to sniff around for 30 minutes, let me save your sinuses by offering my suggestions. Here are my favorite White Barn Christmas candles.
photo source »»
1. If I see one more "natural" makeup tutorial that uses 15+ makeup products, I'm... probably going to watch it anyway but continue to be irritated.

2. I've recently started exploring the world of YouTube, and by exploring I mean actually subscribing to channels, and I'm know I'm super late to this party, but it's a major time suck, so maybe that's why I never subscribed to any channels before.

3. Also, YouTube keeps forcing me to upgrade my account to Google Plus if I want to comment on a video. This means I have been unable to comment on any videos.

So here's the low-down on Le Petit Marché: It's tucked away in East Atlanta's Kirkwood neighborhood. People rave about this place. Out of 400+ reviews on Yelp, it currently has 4.5 out of 5 stars, and it's a (black) family-owned establishment. Why I haven't been before 2015 is beyond me, but after seeing it featured on both Beth's and Sheriden's blog, I had to go.

A few days ago, Meredith came over (like she frequently does) and Raven excitment-peed all over the dining room floor (like she frequently does)(but only when she's super excited to see someone). I have no clue how to break her excitement-pee tendencies. I thought she would have grown out of it by now, but maybe she just needs more time? In any case, I keep lots of cleaning product handy. At one point, I had multiple bottles of enzyme cleaner for the carpeted areas of the apartment.

As Meredith and I were mopping up her "little" puddle, she complimented the smell of the products we were using and asked what kind they were. Cue my moment to share my enlightenment. Why, yes! They do smell great, and they're non-toxic!

I recently watched a documentary on Netflix titled The Human Experiment (briefly mentioned on this Netflix round-up post). Ten minutes into the film I was hooked, which isn't necessarily a huge feat. People sharing their honest and personal stories always, always reels me in. You could be telling me about your ingrown toenail, but if it's compelling and dramatic enough I will surely listen.

But back to the documentary. By the time the credits rolled, I decided I was making the non-toxic switch, and by "I" I mean we, and by we I mean anyone who lives in or visits my home.

Listen, Linda. HONEY*.
© the active spirit. +