Hi! I’m Hope Leilani! I love Jesus and wildflowers, trying new recipes, hand lettering, singing, playing ukulele, embroidery, and reading! I am a bohemian minimalist and health conscious teen who is always experimenting with face masks and DIYs. READ MORE
Even though it’s starting to turn winter up here in North Idaho, I still have the fall feels! Earlier this autumn, my mom and I were making a bunch of beauty and home DIYs for fall. We made some pretty awesome recipes that give all the warm cozy feelings of being snuggled up by a fire with a cup of apple cider! So I wanted to share a couple of them with you!
1. Vanilla and Spice Room spray 🍁
This is the perfect blend of oils for a slightly spicy, warm, and sweet atmosphere in your home! We sprayed it everywhere when I first made it, and it’s a perfect quick bathroom freshener.
Ingredients:
1. 1 Tbs vanilla extract
2. 5 drops YL cinnamon bark EO
3. 5 drops YL orange EO
4. 3 drops YL nutmeg EO
5. 3 drops YL clove EO
6. Distilled water or pure voldka
7. Small glass spray bottle ( 3-4 oz)
Directions:
🍁 Add vanilla extract and all of the oils in the spray bottle.
🍁 Using a funnel if needed, pour in the water until almost full- leave room for the lid.
🍁 Make sure lid is on tightly and shake. Spray anywhere you desire!
2. Orange cinnamon lip scrub 🍊🍯
This lip scrub is the best thing. Why? 1. It exfoliates and scrubs off dead skin. 2. It moisturizes. 3. The cinnamon essential oil increases blood circulation, making your lips plumper and pinker! 4. It smells amazing!! You can also use this for super soft, moisturized hands!
1. 2 Tbs sugar (can be white or brown)
2. 2 Tbs olive oil (you can also use grape seed, jojoba, or coconut oil)
3. 2 drops YL orange EO
4. 1 drop YL cinnamon EO
5. Small glass container ( I think I used a 1.5 or 2 oz jar– we get them from amazon!)
🍂 Mix together sugar, olive oil, orange EO, and cinnamon EO in container.
🍂 Wipe any sugar or oil off of the container and rim.
🍂 To use, take a tiny bit and scrub lips gently. Rinse off with a warm washcloth and apply chapstick (Young Living’s cinnamint is the best!). Enjoy super soft, moisturized, and plump lips!
Cinnamon molasses apple oatmeal🍯🍎
Oatmeal isn’t my favorite food. To be completely honest, I think of it as a boring, I-have-nothing-else-in-the-house-to-eat kinda food. But when you use the right ingredients, it changes everything! This oatmeal is the ultimate fall breakfast comfort food. Like so good. It has the perfect sweetness, addicting spices, and chia seeds. Because, hello, chia seeds are amazing. 🙌🏻 Oats (organic + non-Gmo always!) are actually pretty good for us. Although they have a nice double digit number in carbohydrates, they are high in fiber and vitamins and have a decent amount of protein.
Serves: 4-6 Approximate calories: 265
Time: 35-40 minutes
Ingredients:
Optional toppings:
Directions:
Bring the 1/4 cup of water to a gentle boil in a medium size sauce pot. While you wait, chop apple and pear into small cubes.
Once the water is gently boiling, add the apples and pears, nutmeg, ginger, clove, 1 tsp of cinnamon, molasses, and sweetener.
Mix together well, and simmer until the fruit is soft, about 5-10 minutes.
Pour in the 3 cups of water and boil.
Once boiling, add in oats and mix well. Bring it back to a boil for 5 minutes, then lower the heat down, and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.
When the oats are thick and gooey and almost done, add in 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, vanilla extract, milk, salt, and chia seeds.
Turn the heat off and cover with a lid. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Take lid off and mix well, then serve and top with all the good stuff! Enjoy!
Palm trees ocean breeze salty air sun kissed hair endless summer take me there!
Yes, we went to Maui! It was such a dream and wonderful escape from the cold fall weather of northern Idaho. My family and I went for my Mom and Dad’s 25th anniversary (cue the clapping) and for my 15th birthday!
Our total travel day time was about 16 hours, including the layovers, driving, etc.. We woke up at about 4:30am and boarded the plane around 6:30am. We didn’t get to our hotel until around 8:00pm. (I totally did an eye mask the next day 😂). We took three different flights, the longest of which was the main stretch from LAX to Maui, and was about 51/2 hours. Our first flight to Seattle was delayed for almost 3 hours😐😩 but thankfully we were able to still make it to our next flight ( thank you Jesus!) which was literally around the corner of our gate and was waiting for us and for a couple other people from our flight! Even though the travel day was long and stressful, it was so worth it! When we got off the plane and stepped onto Maui for the first time ( the first time for me anyway) a blast of hot humidity smothered me. The night before we left Spokane, Washington, there was a snow storm and the entire city and some of Idaho went out of power. It was freezing and the reason why our flight was sooo delayed. So, we came from freezing cold dry weather to hot, humid tropical weather and it was quite a shock! The Kahului airport we arrived in was really unique because it was open to outside and so you were basically outside right away!
Here are some pics of flying into Maui! We were welcomed with a beautiful rainbow! The camera on my phone couldn’t really capture much of the colors or quality but it was beautiful!
We stayed at the Westin Kāánapali Ocean Resort Villas- it was really awesome! It’s hard to explain this trip in words, but thankfully I took tons of pictures!
The pictures above are all from the resort and Kāánapali beach. As you can see, the water is GORGEOUS!! It was sooooo aqua blue and clear and literally the best beach I’ve ever been to. The snorkeling here was AMAZING and we saw almost all of Hawaii’s native sea life and swam with sea turtles. The coral was so alive in certain areas and there was colorful, crazy unique fish and sea creatures everywhere. You didn’t have to go far out at all to see ocean life. We snorkeled, swam and went to the beach every day for at least 2 hours and it was so amazing. I have such a good tan (but can’t show it off because its freezing back in Idaho😂).
We saw a lot of Green Sea Turtles and I even saw an eel 😳. I kinda panicked as it swam right under me into a crack in the coral. I was so freaked out I didn’t even move or really pay attention to its size or color I just knew it was an eel 😂. But really, if you ever go to Maui, snorkeling is a MUST! Honestly, it was one of the biggest highlights of my trip. I was really worried at first (thanks animal planet and river monsters) but it was so magical and it really was a whole new world! Not joking, I really did have that song from Aladdin stuck in my head while snorkeling.
Molokini is a world famous tourist destination for snorkeling and snuba diving. My dad, my little brother, and I went on a boat ride tour to the crater ( which is the product of a volcano) and snorkeled and I snuba dived!
You may be wondering if I’m misspelling snuba diving but no- they are two different things. Scuba is where you have the oxygen tank on you and dive as far as you want. Snuba diving is more for beginners and tourists because it’s a little bit safer and easier. In snuba diving, there is a raft floating above you that holds the oxygen tank and a line/rope thingy is connected to you that only lets you go a certain depth. I went down 15 feet. I didn’t even wear a wetsuit and it was a colder day and I was perfectly fine temperature wise. It was a little bit difficult equalizing my ears as I went down, but it was a pretty cool experience.
Surprisingly, there was barely any coral or sea life there compared to Kaanapali Beach. The coral looked dead and there was only one type of fish. But the water was beautiful and like a huge swimming pool even though we were practically in the middle of the ocean. For the price of the trip (and the motion sickness), I’m not sure that I would do it again when in comparison we could go down to the beach where it was swarming with sea creatures and the coral was alive and flourishing.
We stayed in Kaanapali, but everything was so close to each other that driving to another town or beach was no problem.
So, as much we wanted to drive this whole road with beautiful views and tropical jungles, waterfalls and swimming holes that you have to hike to, and fun local farmers market stand pit stops, we didn’t. Because there are small children in my family (3 & 6) they didn’t have the patience or forbearance to do all of that so we ended up turning around after the second stop. We did go to mile marker 2 which is the bamboo forest and Twin falls and it was so perfectly lush and tropical and gorgeous. And the town of Paia that you have to pass through on the road to Hana is super cute and has lots of good açaí bowl places and popular restaurants. So maybe next time we will be able to go through the whole road to Hana and do all the long hikes to waterfalls, but it isn’t the most kid friendly activity to do in Maui.
This was a pretty cool experience of learning about the Hawaiian’s culture and beliefs and seeing their dances and traditions. It wasn’t as exciting as I imagined, but it was still neat. You got to eat a lot of food including authentic Hawaiian food and see all of the dances and such. They gave us a lei of fresh flowers when we arrived which was really beautiful. I didn’t take a lot of pictures so, sorry!
Basically, I just cycled through three pairs of linen shorts, four tank tops, and a dress and a couple jumpers. It was so easy to dress and layer your bathing suit under your clothes ( since you never knew when you would happen upon a beach that you just had to jump into!). I loved the easy, relaxed, and natural vibe you got while being out there. Nobody wore makeup or worried about their hair, and you just let the sun and the salt water be your beauty treatment. My skin loved the salt water. That and getting a sun kissed tan was way better than wearing makeup. And your hair gets highlighted from the sun too☀️. So it was really nice to just slip on some comfy linen shorts and tank, pull my hair back, and slip on my Birkenstocks and be ready for the day! There are several things that I wish I didn’t pack and did pack, so hopefully the info below is helpful if you plan a trip out there!
Relaxed, light, and breezy clothes
🌴 I packed a pair of jeans and jean shorts thinking that I’d wear them sometime, but I didn’t wear them once. I didn’t even wear the linen pants I got. It was pretty hot and very humid, and anything more than the very least was kinda smothering. I also found lots of cute things in the shops out there, and so make sure you have room in your suitcase for all the things you’ll want to get! The shorts and tank tops I wore practically everyday were from Old Navy (one of my favorite clothes stores!) and so was one of the jumpers. I also got a dress from aerie ( my other favorite store) that screams island vibes!
🌴 Also, if you’re someone who loves to hike or run, there are lots of amazing hiking and running trails on the road to Hana, Haleakala, and other places, so be sure to pack some tennies and running shorts!
🌴 You’ll also want to make sure that you bring a hat and sunglasses because that Hawaiian sun is hot! My scalp got sunburned while at the beach ( so now it looks like I have dandruff because it’s peeling🙄), so a hat would have been helpful but I just put it in a pony tail.
🌴 For shoes, I basically just wore my Birkenstocks (I’m in love with them😍) all the time or went barefoot, because, hello it’s Maui! So I guess you could say I looked sort of like a local 😎🤙🏻.
A book or two, self care, and more.
🌺 I really enjoy reading, and during drives, lazy days on the beaches, and down time in the hotel room I read. Even if you plan on being go, go, go during your vacay, you should still bring a book for the plane rides and winding down at the end of the day.
🌺 Aloe Vera gel is a must!! I used it everyday after the beach and it is so refreshing and cooling. I also love to use it on my face to help with sunburns and blemishes.
🌺 Young Living’s sunscreen, after sun spray, and personal care items are so good! I love how their sunscreen doesn’t clog pores or cause breakouts because it is all natural and made with zinc- and did you know that zinc actually helps with acne?! So it protects your skin from sunburns and helps to make blemishes disappear 🙌🏻. Their after sun spray is also a lifesaver for itchy hot sunburns or just for a refreshing spritz after a long day at the beach. It’s made with lavender EO, menthol from mint, and aloe vera- which are all amazing key ingredients for a refreshing and cooling spray!
🌺 Some of the main YL personal care items I brought were the Orange Blossom Charcoal bar soap, Geranium EO, Royal Hawaiian sandalwood EO, Grapefruit chapstick, and of course my Savvy Minerals! I love the charcoal bar because it draws out toxins and impurities and is good for my oily skin. Geranium EO is such a gem of an oil- it gives such a glow to my skin! It’s a little bit of a spicy oil, so if your skin is sensitive it would be best to dilute it a little bit with a couple drops of jojoba oil😉. And how could I not bring Royal Hawaiian sandalwood?? But honestly this oil is super good for your skin and has healing and glow-enhancing properties too! The savvy I brought was pretty much the bare minimum- foundation, mascara, and my DIY palette. But it was perfect and I really didn’t use it that much.
🌺 I also brought a couple green tea eye masks from 100% Pure because I knew that I would be out in the sun a lot, and that I might need a little bright eye boost after a long travel day. They are really refreshing and a nice little self care bonus. My mom and I also did Young Living’s ART beauty sheet mask for a little pampering. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and looking really glowing.
Maui was so surreal and amazing! I’m so grateful that God has blessed my family and I with the ability to travel and have crazy awesome experiences together. I really love the island vibe and the gorgeous beaches and hope to return some day🏝. But honestly, I really did miss home and I’m so relieved and happy to be back! Thank you for reading this post and I hope that you enjoyed it and got some good information from it! Have you ever gone to Maui or plan on it in the future? Let me know in the comments! Bye for now- Hope Leilani🤙🏻🌺 ( P.S. that hand sign is actually called the Shaka. Didn’t know that before!)
From cozy sweaters and perfect autumn shades of nail polish to masala chai lattes, fall sparks joy in every area of life. Below I share with you some of my favorite things so far for fall! ( just so you know, I’m not being paid to advertise any brands or items. I simply just love them and want to share them with you!)
Cozy sweaters: feeling warm and comfy and embraced in a cozy knit sweater is one of the best fall feelings. Especially while taking a walk through a colorful autumn forest and breathing in the fresh crisp air. Here are some of my favorite cozy knit sweaters!
Non-Toxic nail polish is super important to me. Why? Did you know that nail polish actually goes into your bloodstream? Have you ever wondered what makes it smell so terrible that it gives you headaches? Well it sure isn’t stuff that’s good for you. And if it’s going to go into my blood stream I definitely want good stuff in it! We shouldn’t have to compromise our health for beauty. So here are some non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty free nail polishes in beautiful fall shades.
This color, Skinny Dip+Chips, is a pure nude color. I love nude because it is so simple and fresh and goes well with almost everything.
This masala chai mix is sooo good. Like so good. It smells like a gingerbread cookie and is perfectly sweet, spicy, and creamy all at once. I love to make mine with two scoops of the chai blend ( I like it spicy), steamed cashew milk, and a drizzle of raw honey. Talk about autumn in a cup.
I hope that you enjoy these favorites of mine for fall and try them out yourself! – Hope Leilani
A couple weeks ago, we picked as many apples as we could reach with our ladder off of our apple trees. And let me tell ya, we got roughly 200 apples. And there was a lot more on the trees that we couldn’t even reach with the ladder!
I never knew how dangerous it was to pick apples… until you’re balancing ut on a ladder, and you look up and pick an apple, and then all the other apples next to it falls on you. We screamed like every time it happened😂.
My little brother Charlie would pick out the best looking apples and watch us while he ate them😂.
As we were standing on the ladders and collecting the rosy apples in the crisp air, we talked about all the things that we would make with this abundant harvest: Apple pie ( of course ), apple crisp, apple butter, apple sauce, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, apple turkey sausage, apple chips… and the list goes on! We’ve made almost all of the above so far plus baked apple cinnamon oatmeal. After making all these things, we still had half of a box left, so we brought it to a family fall day our church put on and they made fresh apple cider from everyones own apples! Below are more pictures of our apple picking, plus some of what we made. If you have any recipes that uses lots of apples, please comment and tell me! We still have a big bowl of them on our counter and it would be much appreciated!
I love using essential oils to enhance my mood, attitude, and atmosphere, and its so awesome how I can bring fall and its cozy familiar smells into my home! From spicy, warm, and pumpkin spice, to faint sweet scents, the perfect diffuser blends for autumn are here! And of course, these recipes are made with Young Living Essential Oils, so I can’t be sure if they would work for any other kind. 😉
I hope you enjoy, and happy fall wishes!
One of my favorite ways to remind me of a season, promise, encouraging word, or reminder is to put it as my screen saver, so that every time I open my phone, its right there! These fall screen savers bring me such warm fuzzy feelings of the beautiful season that we’re in. I hope that you enjoy them too!
As much as I love summer, autumn is probably my favorite season… cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice and chai lattes, crazy colorful trees, leaves falling, crisp air, fruit and vegetable harvest, tons of baking, and the list goes on!
Up here is Northern Idaho it is the perfect sweater weather right now and our apple, plum, and pear trees are bending over with ripening fruit. Our cucumber vine is also producing a ton of huge cucumbers. Like we have two big bowls of them and more growing every day. The tips of the trees are also turning yellow and orange and we have a light scattering of leaves on the lush green ground. Our 19 hens have also been producing over a dozen eggs a day – they love the weather too! In fact, we went on a two week trip to Texas to visit family and friends, and when we came back there was a huge pile of eggs in a corner of our pole barn… One of the hens has been sitting on it every day, all day. We might have some baby chicks soon!🐣
I’m so excited for this beautiful season and all the wonderful things that it brings. But, I’m even more excited for what the Creator of this beautiful season has in store! Seeing so much beauty and abundance in each season of the year, and of my life, leaves me in awe and gratefulness to Him.
Here are some beautiful bible verse for fall that if found!
How abundant are the good things that You have stored up for those who fear You, that You bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in You. Psalm 31:19
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,what is mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them? Psalm 8:3-4
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.Psalm 126:5-6
I also put together a song playlist for fall that I thought I would share: Fall playlist🍁🍂☕️
I’m so excited to share fall screen savers, baking recipes, cozy ideas, diffuser blends, and more with y’all! Stay in tune for more to come and please comment with any ideas that you would love for me to bake, make, or discover! Happy first day of fall!💛🍁
