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Audrey JoAnn | Content and Copy Writer

Compelling Copy for Female Founders

EASY DIY CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR ANYONE

December 19, 2016

*Note: If you’re my grandparents, mom, or siblings, you might want to skip this post to avoid ruining your Christmas presents. Merry and happy!*

I’m usually one to go ALL OUT for Christmas gifts. Like, break the bank, in-debt myself to Visa, and practically sell my soul to get the very BEST gifts for people… You know, in true Christmas spirit. Really, though, I genuinely love and get so much joy from getting personalized, interesting gifts for each of my family members and friends, and nothing makes me happier than watching someone I love open something they’re crazy about. However, as discussed in a post about BUDGETING a few weeks ago, I no longer have limitless funds (aka credit cards) to spend willy-nilly for the sake of holly and jolly.

So, this year, I had to get a little creative.

I was trying to think of something I like, that I’d want to share with the people I love, that anyone and everyone can use, and that isn’t insanely expensive. (Dave Ramsey would be so proud.) Something that came to mind first were natural oils — because everyone wants to have nice skin, no matter your age or gender. I ran with it. I also wanted to come up with something else that was small and could complement the oils, and artisan soaps seemed a solid choice — because we’re all interested in hygiene (I hope) and smell-good things.

I decided to mix and match a random oil with a random soap (like French lavender soap with a dropper bottle of apricot kernel oil) and toss one of each into my gift bags. Attached to each bag with some pretty twine is a little note, where I’ve written out the exact kind of soap and oil inside, plus the benefits and uses of the oils, since I think they’re one of the biggest skincare secrets out there that most people aren’t using, because putting oil on your face may seem intimidating or they just don’t know about oils yet. That was me 100-percent — before I gave them a shot.

Nobody wants to look greasy or oily, but these natural plant oils, like sweet almond and hempseed, don’t sit on the skin and block up pores (unlike the stress- or hormone-induced oils that our skin naturally secretes). Instead, they soak in and release tons of benefits, like anti-aging, acne-kicking, skin-smoothing, extreme-moisturizing, and scar-healing agents and antioxidants. They make you glow-y instead of greasy.

And we could all use a little glow, yeah?

I’ve recently been integrating rosehip, avocado, and jojoba oils into my skincare routine. Every day, I apply one of these underneath my regular day face lotion or night cream, mixing them up daily. Most of them can also be used as lip moisturizers, heat protectants on hair, eye creams, massage oils, or moisturizers on their own. Pre-e-etty cool, eh?

And it turns out, I was able to find all of these oils at my local Whole Foods’ body section. They also sold these cute one-ounce dropper bottles for less than $2 each. The soaps are also sold there, too, so it was an easy one-stop-shop experience that I’ve really been able to personalize with some adorable Target (obvi) wrapping supplies.

Let me be clear: I am not a DIY-er. The only reason I am including “DIY” in the title of this post is because I poured oils into small bottles and wrapped the packages up pretty adorably. In my book, this equals DIY. All you need to know it you can do this, EASY.

If you don’t have a Whole Foods nearby (or yours doesn’t offer similar products), try another natural grocer or Amazon for the bottles, oils, and soaps. (If you have Prime, you’ll have everything you need before Christmas with two-day shipping.)

As for giving the gifts, because they’re all similar, yet they offer different benefits, I’m going to have a little fun with it and play Dirty Santa with my loved ones. If you’ve never played, it’s an easy game where you draw numbers and can steal away someone else’s gift. Here are the rules if you want to play with your family.

What are your simple, but fun, gift ideas this holiday season? Would love to hear in the comments below — it’s never too early to start prepping for next year, right?

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Welcome! I'm Audrey, and I adore connecting with female founders and telling their stories in a way that matters & lasts for years to come.

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audskelton

Me, trying to figure out what to do with my hands Me, trying to figure out what to do with my hands without a bump. 👐🏼 Wallace, trying to figure out what we’re doing out of the house. 🤨

First family walk in the books! All of 10 minutes. 🤪 (Also, does anyone else notice the rainbow over Wally?... My heart. 🌈🥺)
1 week old. 🤎 The hardest, most emotional & mos 1 week old. 🤎 The hardest, most emotional & most rewarding week of my life. Babies’ sleep schedules, y’all. They are not for the faint of heart.

Wallace is hitting all his milestones, has learned the alphabet, and is picking up Latin. Just kidding. But he CAN poop 3 times in an hour and a half 😎, and he eats like a champ, is so strong that we prefer to tag team diaper changes for now, and makes the sweetest, cutest noises all day long. (And night.) Like even his cry is cute. 😩

One of my friends called this time the “wet weeks”: urine, breast milk, spit up, night sweats, tears, blood, more tears. It’s a lot, and it’s temporary. So even in the hard moments, we are reminding ourselves that the hardest things are often the best things. 

And this really has been the best thing.

So, so thankful for a hands-on husband who’s been so involved in everything... there’s something indescribable about watching your partner care for your child and step into a big, new role like this so gracefully. And we are thankful for ALL of the support, near and far (... mostly far), from our family and friends and coworkers. What a week... here’s to continuing to figure it all out together as a family. 😌
At 5 a.m. my water broke and at 3:44 p.m. our worl At 5 a.m. my water broke and at 3:44 p.m. our worlds and hearts were changed forever. Everything in between was a gritty, fast-moving tidal wave of emotion, pain, instinct, and a kind of love I never could’ve imagined.

Welcome, Wallace Ronal Skelton. 🤎 You kept us waiting until you decided, very quickly, you’d like to be here. I’m still in disbelief that you are ours. 

January 4, 2021 • 7 lbs 4 oz • 20.5 inches • Sweet as can be.
Well, this baby friend doesn’t exactly have our Well, this baby friend doesn’t exactly have our sense of punctuality which realllly threw me for a loop after thinking & saying for months that I was certain he/she would get here early. I’ve drank 3 boxes of raspberry leaf tea in 3 weeks, walked dozens of miles, eaten way too many dates, done hundreds of squats and bench step-ups... and now I’m surrendering. You come whenever you feel like it, little one. I’m comfy enough and can still sleep through the night (minus a bathroom break or two) so we will just keep on waiting and letting you teach us our first lesson of parenthood: PATIENCE. I knew I could always use some more of it. 😉 #40weekspregnant #pregnancy
scenes from our blissful, muddy, much-needed morni scenes from our blissful, muddy, much-needed morning hike. ☀️🍂 in a year that’s felt like 5, getting outside whenever we can has been my favorite way to reset. so thankful to live in such gorgeous surroundings!
our first and probably only christmas just us thre our first and probably only christmas just us three! quiet and simple and a little sad but mostly filled with hope and gratitude. hope yours is special in all the best ways. 🤍
the most freeing parenting advice i’ve heard so the most freeing parenting advice i’ve heard so far? (and i’ve gotten a lot this year!) our children NEED to see us to mess up. they need to see us walk through mistakes, fix our messes, apologize, learn, and readjust.

as someone who very much realizes i’m nowhere *near* perfect but is also terrified something i’ll do might mess my kid up for life... hearing this advice has stuck with me so profoundly. i think about it every day, especially as we get closer and closer to becoming parents.

we don’t need to get it right. in fact, we’re serving them better when we get it wrong AND course correct openly. when we can admit our faults and say we’ll do better next time.

i had a friend tell me a few months ago she apologizes to her baby all the time. she’ll say, “i’m sorry that i really don’t know what you need right now, but i’m learning... i’m sorry that you’re upset, let’s figure this out together.”

and i thought that was a beautiful way to own and lean into the truth that parenting isn’t having the answers all figured out—at all. it’s guessing and learning as you go and being able to be humble enough to apologize to your infant when you don’t get it right (and then your toddler, and then your kid, and then your teenager).

these next 18+ years are going to be an adventure, i can already tell. lots of mess-ups. lots of sorry’s. lots of goodness. 🤍

oh, and... can we all agree that the worst parenting advice is “sleep when the baby sleeps”?! as the lightest sleeper ever, i don’t need that pressure in my life. 😅 

photo by @jilliangoulding
the body of the grinch but the heart of cindy lou the body of the grinch but the heart of cindy lou who. ♥️

(wrong holiday, i know—but let’s not pretend 90% of us don’t already have christmas stuff up already okay?)

however you’re celebrating & whoever you’re celebrating with today, i hope it’s special. happy thanksgiving, friend! 🦃🍂💛 #thanksgiving #35weekspregnant
simple joys today: 🍂a pecan praline almond mil simple joys today:

🍂a pecan praline almond milk misto in the @starbucks holiday cup.
🍂early monday morning grocery run with my husband for simple thanksgiving ingredients for our 2-person party (well, 3 technically i guess 😜) on thursday.
🍂cool mornings.
🍂fall colors.
🍂the charlie brown christmas album on repeat. (i honestly think this is my favorite album of all time. 😂 we even got it on vinyl this year. i listen to it from end of october through january every single year.)
🍂random fall-y at-home manicures.
🍂2 short weeks in a row.
🍂phone calls with family.
🍂baby hiccups, kicks, and rolls & starting to distinguish between knees, hands, and a booty sticking out of my stomach. 😂
🍂sleeping in.
🍂finishing up home projects. (y’all, WE FINISHED THE FLOORS. praise.)
🍂a clean home.
🍂daily walks & clean air.
🍂soaking in the joy of our last childless vacation/staycation.

so much to be grateful for. and this year it’s really the little things that are the big things. what are your simple joys you’re hanging on to right now?
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