What to do with your fancy candles after the burn & how to remove the wax

I have always loved a good candle purchase. I am of the mind, the more candles in the home, the better. I especially love when they come in a chic little container. If I am going to spend a pretty penny on a candle, I want to be able to display it as decor in my home. I also want to make the most out of it and keep the vessel for future use. Everything I purchase has to be aesthetically attractive, I’m not into buying anything that doesn’t suit my taste. So, candle shopping is a very intentional thing for me.
Nothing frustrates me more than a high dollar candle with a sub par smell. If I want a pretty little vase, I’ll just go buy a one from Anthropologie. However, there are a few brands that I absolutely love and stand by one hundred percent. The added bonus, they make such adorable little vessels/containers for chic storage, organization & flower arrangements. We’re all about the details around here, no?
Diptyque candles are the ultimate luxury. Sure, they’re above average on the pricing scale but I do believe they are well worth it. The smells are beautiful and true, the fragrance will fill the room and continue until the very end of the candle, you can’t say that about all candles. I find that they last longer than comparable candles, too. The large Baies in black is my go-to.
I love scents & perfumery. My aunt has a candle business, Antica Collection and I have sat with her & worked on creating candle fragrances and developing scents. A lot of work goes into creating the perfect blend of oils. Her candles are my absolute favorite, the silver one burns in my home. I am obsessed with their scent and how well they burn. Hers are around 120$, I understand how pricing them works because of the time and artistry that goes into scent making and they last forever.
Voluspa is another favorite brand. They’re a little more affordable and their vessels are super chic & pretty. They have more fun & feminine scents, so I love to give these candles as gifts and everyone loves a cute voluspa candle. You just can’t go wrong with them. I also love that they come in so many different sizes, these can be great travel candles ( I always bring a candle on my weekend trips ). Branche Vermeil is my favorite I am obsessed with the mercury glass jar, so is Mokara which comes in a pretty white jar.

So what do you do when the candle ends?

I hate throwing away a pretty little candle vessel. I just could never bring myself to do it. Especially when there are so many brilliant ways to use a cute candle vessel after the burn.

Here are a few fun ideas:
🖤 Fill it with cut flowers.
🖤 Organize beauty essentials ( perfume samples, Q-tips, makeup brushes, beauty tools).
🖤 Sort office supplies ( paper clips, pens & pencils, business cards, scissors )

🖤 Replant succulents or orchids.
🖤 Cute kitchen item display ( think sugar packets, tea bags, etc. )

HOT TIP: The secret to making sure the wax removes easily at the end is to be sure that each time you burn the candle, you let the entire top layer of wax melt. Don’t blow it out before then. This ensures a smooth burn so your candle lasts and the wax pops out easily.

….and VOILA’! You have a beautiful, stylish & chic container to use for so many things around the home.

What are your favorite candles? I would love to know, let me know in the comments below…and be sure to read this post for more candle tips.

Image credit for title photo: @thatblissfulbabe , @joplacencio wearing a chic denim jacket by @heatherkilgoreart

Everything you need to know about lash extensions

Hello darlings. Okay so, let’s discuss one of my most favorite things ever invented. Like of all time.

Eyelash extensions.

They are my absolute favorite luxury. Before I took the plunge and got lash extensions, I would try to apply drugstore lashes myself but always felt like a walking clown. They felt heavy, over-glued and seriously off center. I hated wearing them but I love the effect of extra bold lashes.

The first time I tried them I was terrified. I heard so many stories about glue burning your eyes and lashes all falling out, never growing back the same. There were so many horror stories. Fortunately, none of those things has ever happened to me. Having lash extensions has been an amazing experience. I often get complimented on my lashes and asked a lot of questions, so I felt a blog post would be a perfect way to share all the secrets. Here are my tips for getting a beautiful set of luscious lashes.

Find the right person. You’ve got to do your research and find a really good place. A place you like and feels comfortable to you. You will be sitting in their chair anywhere from 1-3 hours, so you’ll want to vibe with the person. I have had one bad experience when I went to someone new, in a different city. I’ll never do that again. It was awful.

My girls are incredible. If you are in Austin, go see Amanda @lashsistersaustin . If you are in Houston, go see Maria @ria_lash . Tell them Ashlina sent you and they will hook you up.

When you’re looking for someone, you’ll want to make sure they have the proper license and credentials. Find their reviews and read them ALL, every single one. Really see if you can get a feel for their work. I personally like to know that they have a strong Instagram and show that they are focused on growing their business. I love a hustler and a perfectionist. So if their images look good and their media looks chic, I’m a fan. Presentation is everything in business.

Be very clear about what you want. I’ve seen people ask for full lashes and come out looking like Janice, the blonde muppet. Like, you want to be very clear and specific about what you want. They make all kinds of lashes, mink, faux, hybrid, etc. They have shape, curl size, length, all sorts of variables. Do your research before hand so you can be very clear with your girl. Keep in mind, a good lash girl will have an in depth consultation with you and guide you to what’s best for your needs.

I personally use the single lash, with a D curl. I like mine between 11-13 mm and a little long on the arch of the eye, in the cat eye shape.

FAQ:

Does it hurt? No, never. I have never felt anything when getting them done.

Do they rip out your lashes? Do your lashes grow back? My lashes have always maintained even when they fall out. I highly recommend letting them fall out, NEVER try to remove them yourself. I have heard of lashes falling out but that was because of poor glue job so just make sure you go to a strict professional.

How long do they last? My lashes always last about 3 weeks but I take really good care of them and brush them every morning and every night.

Here’s what mine look like a few days after the appointment:

WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOUR LASH APPOINTMENT:

-Begin taking Biotin or HSN vitamins to help your lashes get stronger.

-Day of appointment, do not wear any eye makeup, or makeup that may fall into the eye area. Avoid wearing contact lenses, too.

-Let people know you will be unavailable by phone for 1-3 hours. Set aside time you won’t be able to answer the phone or respond to texts.

-Wear a sweater. Most eyelash rooms are very cold because they need to keep the temp chilly for the lashes and glue.

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR LASHES:

-Under NO circumstances can you get your lashes wet for 24 hours. If you don’t wear makeup, you can skip washing your face after the application.

-No heat or steam for 24 hours. No working out, swimming, grilling, sauna, steam room, facials, etc.

-Use oil free products in your skin care regime, so it doesn’t loosen the glue and lashes last longer.

-Don’t wear mascara. If you do decide to wear it, apply it only on the ends of the lash, that was it is easier to clean.

-Don’t rub or pull on your lashes.

-Wet a clean mascara wand and brush your lashes every morning and night. This is how I clean and care for my lashes.

-Sleep on a silk beauty pillow. They really help with skin, oils and all the bacteria.

-Schedule a refill about 2-3 weeks after application. If you care for them well, they should last a good 3 weeks.

Hope these tips help you & if you want more posts like this, let me know in the comments below. I am always happy to share. Love, Ashlina

Blissful Baby Mama: How to get your baby to sleep

I’ve really struggled with writing this post for a while now because the topic of baby sleep can be so, so controversial. There’s a lot of mom shaming out there and the mothering police are real. I am by no means an expert, I can only share what worked for my baby and me. I want to write this post for the mamas who are out there and feel alone. Motherhood can be very isolating and just hearing from someone else who is in the thick of it can totally help. You are not alone, sister.

When I was a new mom, sleepless and desperate for help, I read every single blog post on the internet about how to get a 2,3,4,6,10 month old to sleep. All of them. I also read several books. Each of them with their own method. I put my baby in magical suits and tried 32 different swaddles, we did everything we could to try and get our baby to sleep.

Roman finally slept through the night at 2.5 months. But then every few months he went through a growth spurt that caused sleepless nights and we always felt like we were back at square one. With each sleep regression, it passed and he was back to sleeping through the night. Last night, he slept a full 12 hours, but the night before he was up all night sick and hungry. Sleep is never constant and something you’ll always have to just roll with. The best thing you can do is just know, this will pass and it will get better.

Here are my tips for getting your baby to sleep through the night.

1. CONSISTENT ROUTINES. The common theme that runs throughout all books and advice columns is to have a consistent night routine. Pretty much since Roman was first born, I created a night routine for him and it really hasn’t changed. At 6:45 pm I draw him a bath. His bath time never changes, even though nap times, feed times and wake times can change and get all mixed up. No matter what, the bath time would stay consistent every single night. I believe that a firm, consistent routine is best for babies but that took a lot of sacrifices, missed events, dinners with friends, etc. I got a lot of judgement around this but I knew that his sleep time was a priority for us.

   His routine: He’d get a nice warm bath with a soothing lavender soak. After getting out, I give him a baby massage with this amazing scented lotion so he feels relaxed and comforted. I brush his hair, put him in his pajamas and zip up swaddle ( The Love to Dream swaddle was the particular swaddle that worked best for Roman because he liked his arms up) . The sound machine is set to come on with a soft blue light , ocean waves at 7pm sharp. I love the sound. Then we would cuddle and have a bottle. This little Fisher Price sooth & glow bunny plays as background noise and sleeps next to him in the crib. About 7:15-7:30, after he finished the bottle and was fully burped, I put him in his dock-a-tot in his crib next to bunny, and he would go down.

2. SLEEP TRAINING. I am a big fan of the BabyWise schedule. It’s based on a eat-wake-sleep method. The theory is, as soon as they wake up they eat, then keep them up for an hour or so with play time, depending on their age. During play they burn calories, so once they get tired, they show the sleep signals really well (rubbing eyes, yawn, lose focus). As soon as they show signals, they go down for a nap. You’re never to let them nap just after eating or let them snack all day. You make sure they have a full feed when they eat. It’s very important they eat well.

Roman had jaundice as a newborn, so he had formula out of the gate. I had a miserable breastfeeding experience, I made so much milk, I got mastitis in both boobs. It was so painful, I only lasted a month on the breast. But, I pumped a LOT of formula and saved it up, so I could mix formula with breast milk and stretch it out. I truly loved bottle feeding my baby because I could monitor how much he ate each feeding, which was really helpful. Roman was a big eater, he ate twice as much as the recommended dose of milk. Side note: I always trust my gut when it comes to my baby, I don’t follow the rules. I would feed him until he was full, milk drunk so he would sleep well. And he did.

Typically, when Roman wouldn’t sleep well, he was hungry, sometimes it was gas, which gripe water really helped me with that. A very good girlfriend of mine, who has a strong Italian family encouraged me to add a small bit of rice cereal to his bottle. The very first night I did it, was the first time he slept all the way through the night. I think it’s hard for us to ensure our baby is getting enough food. We can follow charts and listen to experts, but you have to know your baby and listen to him.

NAPS: Roman would NOT nap in his crib for the first 9 months. I mean would absolutely scream, wiggle, never would relax in his crib unless it was bedtime. (which is why I highly recommend black out drapes for nurseries). Naps during the day are key to a good nights sleep. They say that naps are practice sleep, the better they nap, the better night sleep is. For Roman, it was movement. He would nap if I would take him for a stroller and then he would sleep in the stroller or he would nap WITHOUT FAIL in his swing. This swing was such a life saver, it always kept him sleeping soundly for nap time. Here was his sample nap schedule (this was around 6 months):

Awake: 6-7am

Nap 1: 9am

Nap 2: 12pm

Nap 3: 3pm

**Bedtime routine (bath, massage, bottle, bed): 6:45pm

Sleep: 7-7:30pm

There are a lot of theories and perspectives when it comes to sleep training. How do you deal when your baby resists sleeping? There is nothing worse than trying to get your poor little tired baby to sleep and he just isn’t having it. Again, I’m not an expert but I took a little from all of the methods and this is what worked for us.....

After he was 4 months old, if he resisted sleep and wasn’t hungry, had a fresh diaper and seemed healthy, I did a 5/2 method. After I put him down, I’d let him cry for 5 minutes, and then go in and pick him up and comfort him for 2 minutes. I would hold him right at his crib and rock him in my arms. I’d comfort him with words like “mommy’s here but it’s time for night night” (you say the weirdest things as I mom, am I right?) Then I would put him back down and if he would cry again, I would stand a few feet away from him crib and say “shhhhh. Mommy’s here” I did this so he would know I was there, but I wasn’t picking him up. I’d let the cry go on for 5 min and then again, I would repeat it. Pick him up and console him for 2 and then put him back down and be standing in the room saying “shhhh. Mommy’s here” if he wouldn’t stop. After the third time of picking him up and putting him down, I would leave the room again, for the 5 minutes. Typically after the 3rd time, he would finally put himself to sleep.

The key here is that I never broke the cycle. I wouldn’t give in and let him fall asleep in my arms, come to bed with me or let him stay up. I was very strict and consistent with it. A lot of people say it is bad to let a baby cry it out and as a mother, its so hard to hear your baby cry and not go to him. Instinctually, I knew it was the right thing to do, to give him the opportunity to learn how to self soothe. They say that you want to ensure your baby can self soothe his way to sleep so he gets good at sleeping, a well sleeping baby is a happy baby. To this day, Roman goes to bed every night by 7:30 and sleeps through the night. He has his ups and downs (during growth spurts) but he is pretty comfortable with his routine. In fact, he just started school and his teachers told me, he is the best sleeper in the class.

3. MINDFUL MOTHERING. I think it’s so important that as a mom, I’m calm and centered. If I am stressed, frantic, upset or worried, my baby will pick up on that energy and emulate it. Half of the battle is actually within yourself. You have to trust yourself, trust your instincts and trust that you are connected with your baby. In order to be sure that I am mothering mindfully, I always made sure I was calm on the inside. For me, slowing down, just taking in the present moment and not trying to multi-task is key! I also love to incorporate breath work into almost everything. Breathe slowly in through the nose an out through the mouth. Here are a few affirmations you can say to yourself over and over again. . .

“This too shall pass”.

“I can trust myself, I was made for this”

“I am doing what is best for my baby and me.”

I know it is rough, the first year is so hard. Just remember mama, you are NOT ALONE! Hope these tips help. If you have tips to share, please share them in the comments below. Let’s create a safe space for mamas to feel less alone.

Love, Ashlina