Vibrant Living Blog

Why Your Skin Can Be Moody (And What That Really Means)
Why Your Skin Can Be Moody (And What That Really Means)
Your skin breaks out when you're stressed and glows when you're happy. Turns out that's not random — and it's definitely not your cleanser's fault. A psychotherapist explains the skin-mood... Read more...
Earthset photographed by NASA's Artemis II crew on April 6, 2026, showing a crescent Earth setting behind the Moon's rugged surface from 252,756 miles away
The Question I Wasn't Expecting to Ask Myself This Earth Day
I wasn't expecting to question one of my most deeply held product choices this Earth Day. But here I am. From drought conditions in North Carolina to four astronauts looking... Read more...
spring ritual journaling with tea and notebook for setting intentions mood indigo living
A Simple Spring Ritual: Setting Intentions for the Year Ahead
A gentle spring ritual for reflection and renewal. Pause, set intentions for the year ahead, and welcome the new season one small seed at a time.   Read more...
Body Scrub exfoliation for smooth, glowing skin
Why Your Skin Loves a Good Scrub | Benefits of Body Scrubbing and Exfoliation
If your skin feels dull, dry, or rough, the answer probably isn't more moisturizer. What it needs first is exfoliation. Every day, your skin naturally sheds dead cells, but they... Read more...
From Bombay to My Soap Studio in North Carolina. A quiet celebration of women, work, and the long road that brought me here.
From Bombay to My Soap Studio in North Carolina. A quiet celebration of women, work, and the long road that brought me here.
A quiet celebration of women, work, and the long road that brought me here. Read more...
Finding Comfort and Joy: A Holiday Survival Guide - Revisited
Finding Comfort and Joy: A Holiday Survival Guide - Revisited
Vibrant Living | Holiday 2025 There’s a story my friend Rosie once shared about her dad, who passed away when she was just ten. Her mom loves to tell it.... Read more...
Golden autumn leaves scattered on the ground beneath bare trees — symbol of letting go and seasonal renewal.
Fall: The Season of Letting Go | Mood Indigo Living
As the season turns and the light softens, nature reminds us how to release what no longer serves. This is autumn’s true work — the gentle art of letting go. Read more...
Gift Season Isn’t Over—It’s Just Getting Started
Gift Season Isn’t Over—It’s Just Getting Started
Small gestures mean everything—especially right now. We usually think of winter as the main gift season. But spring and early summer bring some of the most heartfelt, gift giving moments.... Read more...
Bark-Worthy Baths: The Joys and Challenges of Washing Your Pet (And Why Natural Soap Bars Are a Game-Changer
Bark-Worthy Baths: The Joys and Challenges of Washing Your Pet (And Why Natural Soap Bars Are a Game-Changer
Bark-Worthy Baths: The Joys and Challenges of Washing Your Pet  If you’ve ever attempted to bathe a dog who thinks water is lava—or a cat who suddenly develops ninja-like reflexes—you... Read more...
20 Ways to Show Some Love This February — No Cupid Required
20 Ways to Show Some Love This February — No Cupid Required
This February, love big, love small, love often. Whether it’s romantic, platonic, or radical self-love, make this month about showing up for the people (including ourselves) who matter most. 💖 Read more...
Tending to Your Heart - Journaling for Renewal in 2025
Tending To Your Heart: Journaling for Renewal in 2025
As the new year begins, many of us feel a deep desire to reset and refresh as quickly as possible, and sometimes before the New Year even begins. I’ve often... Read more...
Finding Comfort and Joy: A Self-Care Survival Guide for the Holidays
Finding Comfort and Joy: A Self-Care Survival Guide for the Holidays
Rosie shared this story about her Dad who passed away when she was 10. "There’s a story my mom loves to tell about a Christmas morning when I was six.... Read more...
Woman using Mood indigo's natural body oils
Oil Change: Why Body Oils Should Be Your New Skincare BFF!
Body oils offer a multitude of benefits that go beyond simple hydration. They provide a natural, effective, and sustainable way to care for your skin. So let's face it, your skin... Read more...
Lavender Essential Oil - The Big Mamma of Aromatherapy
Lavender Essential Oil - The Big Mamma of Aromatherapy
Lavender Essential Oil, with its botanical name Lavandula angustifolia, stands as a quintessential gem in the world of aromatherapy. Extracted through steam distillation from the flowering tops of the lavender... Read more...
The Magic of Essential Oils: How Scents Shape Our Mood and Memories
The Magic of Essential Oils: How Scents Shape Our Mood and Memories
Have you ever closed your eyes and been instantly transported to another time and place, all thanks to a familiar scent or aroma? The warm, earthy, musky scent of wet... Read more...
Artistic heart shaped graphic with a note stating "From My Heart to Yours".
From My Heart To Yours
As we embrace February, love saturates the air, igniting our hearts with passion and warmth. Let's honor the diverse facets of love—Eros, Philia, Ludus, Agape, Pragma, Philautia, Storge—embracing them beyond... Read more...
Women small business owners discussing the holiday's shopping at a local event.
Embrace the Spirit of Giving: Why Shopping Small Matters This Holiday Season
As the holidays draw near, festive cheer fills the air, along with a hint of stress! Amidst the allure of big-box retailers, let's pause to celebrate the value of supporting... Read more...
Ingredient used in making Fire Cider Elixir
Herbal Magic in a Bottle: Crafting Your Fire Cider Elixir
Greetings fellow herbal enthusiasts, Thought I'd jointly embark on a journey into the world of Fire Cider with you. Fire Cider is a potion that not only delights your senses... Read more...
Sudsy hair from using a Mood Indigo shampoo bar.
Embrace the Suds-ational Shift: From Liquid to Lively Shampoo Bars
Calling all hair enthusiasts!Tired of cluttered showers and endless plastic bottles? It's time for a change with shampoo bars! These eco-friendly wonders cut down on plastic waste, last longer, and... Read more...
The Greatest Threat To Our Planet Is The Belief That Someone Else Will Save It
The Greatest Threat To Our Planet Is The Belief That Someone Else Will Save It
The IPCC's 2023 Synthesis Report is the starkest climate warning yet. But the science isn't the problem — the belief that someone else will fix it is. Here's what you... Read more...
Happy New Year over a tree filled path pointing to the future.
Ambling into 2023 putting one foot in front of the other!
As you walk into the new year, take this as a reminder to put one foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. One foot... Read more...
Woman on a ladder harvesting Loofahs.
Fall Musings: Supply chain woes, Elder-Care, Loofah’s revenge and TikTok!
Well, that’s my Fall journey summed up! It’s been a whirlwind of emotions, from business challenges to family care. Supply chain issues have been a nightmare, with packaging delays causing... Read more...
Lavender, salt and exotic butter ingredients for a sugar scrub.
The Benefits of Body Scrubbing - Exfoliating Bliss!
Are you exfoliating? It's a vital skincare step often overlooked. Shedding dead skin cells renews skin, yet many focus only on hydration. Exfoliation, like Ayurvedic practices, offers physical and mental... Read more...
Stylized sun graphic with wavy rays.
The Summer Solstice - A Time to Fall in Love With Your Life
 Can you feel it? Can you feel nature’s full expression? We're now in that time of year when nature is abundant, blooming, blossoming and ripening. Juicy and full of magic and... Read more...
Turmeric root and powder. Both ingredients in Turmeric soap.
Benefits of Turmeric in Soap and Skincare routines
Turmeric offers remarkable benefits in skincare! Our Golden Sunshine soap combines turmeric with ginger and lemon essential oils, masking its natural scent. Used in Indian ceremonies for centuries, turmeric's healing... Read more...
A seedling growing in dirt held by hands
Celebrate Earth Day, Every Single Day!
  We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it for our children. - A Native American proverb. Earth Day isn't just one day a year —... Read more...
2022 surrounded by fireworks for New Years
A Powerful Ritual: De-cluttering your Mind & Heart to make space for 2022!
As we approach the new year, let's pause to reflect deeply before setting resolutions and vision boards. Instead of rushing, let's go inward, decluttering our minds and souls. Embrace the... Read more...
A constellation of stars symbolizing the timeline of existence juxtaposed with the swiftness of life's passage.
Let's Leave Nothing For Later
I've been pondering the passage of time lately. Seems as I get older, time seems to speed up. I thought once the kids were away in college life would slow... Read more...
Trees leaves changing color during the Autumnal Equinox
The Season of Balance & Letting Go: The Autumnal Equinox
On this Autumnal Equinox, a time of transition, let's embrace the balance of light and dark. As we bid farewell to summer's warmth, let's reflect on our harvests—both literal and... Read more...
Shvetank Shan sitting in a café in Seville
A Mother's Day Tribute: A Remote (Lack of) Control, by Shvetank Shah
An article by Shvetank Shah found at Medium.com - Preparing for a journey retracing my mother's footsteps in Seville, I recall her vibrant spirit amid battling pancreatic cancer. From diagnoses to... Read more...
Daughters of daughters sharing time with generations of women
A Mother's Day Tribute: Two Generations of Women, by Cait Allison
Reflecting on the profound impact of two generations of women in my life, I'm reminded of our cherished Christmas tradition of receiving soaps, lotions, and potions from my mom, Mrs.... Read more...
Marguerite Williams mother who was affected by Alzheimer's
A Mother's Day Tribute: A Thief In The Night, by Marguerite Williams
Alzheimer's robbed us of my mother's vibrant spirit, erasing cherished memories. Despite the loss, she left a legacy of love and resilience. Her warmth and wisdom touched everyone she encountered.... Read more...
Maureen Rockhill's picture with her mother Dolores
A Mother's Day Tribute: My Mom Dolores "The Crazy Lady!" by Maureen Rockhill
Nicknamed Dolores, Babe, Liz, and more, my mom was our rock, our defender, our everything. Her love shaped my world, her strength carried us through. From simple joys to life's... Read more...
Beautiful daisies in front of a bright blue sky with light cloud cover
Make Space for the New Year!
Let it emerge from the deepest parts of you unquestioned and as you begin to start exploring, writing, thinking, dreaming about what you desire, don’t simply go to the ideas... Read more...
Mood Indigo face oils for winter skin
Face Oils are Magical
Not all skin damage happens on the beach or in the garden in the peak of summer. The dry and cold weather of winter, not to mention circulated indoor air,... Read more...
Bamboo with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson - Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.
A Small but Powerful Ritual for 2021
As we bid farewell to the tumultuous year of 2020, let's reflect and release before diving into resolutions. Take time to connect with your true desires and shed emotional baggage.... Read more...
BLM Justice Can't Wait
Justice Can't Wait!
It’s simply impossible to talk about self-care, health and wellness, without also acknowledging that these last several weeks  have felt like we are a nation on the edge, a nation... Read more...
A variety of expressions one face can make - Does this cause wrinkles?
Can STRESS Make Your Skin Wrinkly?
Is all this COVID stress and anxiety making your skin wrinkly? Patchy and dry? Acne or eczema acting up? Psoriasis flaring again? Well yes and no. No, stress and anxiety... Read more...
Lovely and wise elderly women enjoying each others company
Remember Who You Are - You have permission to Pause
Navigating these trying times has been a rollercoaster. Ignoring the flood of self-care advice, I've embraced my sloth-like tendencies, finding solace in simple pleasures. February was particularly tough, and COVID... Read more...
Transitions
My Season of Transition and Change
Life transitions are never easy and as I sit down to write this blog post I’m struck by the number of changes and transitions August has brought into my life.... Read more...
Grief, lightness, pain
Finding Peace within Pain
​I'm thrilled to share that a few weeks ago I had the honor of being interviewed by my friend and colleague Michelle Chalfant on her podcast, The Adult Chair and I'm even happier... Read more...
Hopes, Expectations and the Holidays
Hopes, Expectations and the Holidays
I really wanted to write to you about the wonderful Winter Solstice that occurred yesterday. And while I intended to wax philosophical about shortest day and longest night of the... Read more...
Sepia tone drawing of a woman riding a fire-breathing dragon
Khaleesi and the Launch of my Firstborn!
I left a piece of my heart in Memphis, Tennessee two weekends ago, and no, it was not because of Elvis!! We launched my beloved, first-born child as she soared... Read more...
Grief and the Cycles of Nature
Grief and the Cycles of Nature
I know it’s been a while, a long, long while, as I’ve grappled with my big writing block and fears of being vulnerable and visible to you all. And yet, I do... Read more...
Classic copper essential oil distillery equipment for steam extraction
Aromatherapy 102
Essential oils are extracted through methods like steam distillation, manual extraction, solvent extraction, and carbon dioxide extraction. Each method affects the quality and type of oil produced. Steam distillation is... Read more...
Yes, that's me, the Reluctant Blogger!
Yes, that's me, the Reluctant Blogger!
Yes, that’s me, the reluctant blogger but here I am attempting to blog again!! As the rest of you have moved into 2016, New Year resolutions in hand, I’m still... Read more...
lemongrass tea Chai tea
Lemongrass Lovers & Chai
The first thought that pops into my head when I think about Lemongrass is a cup of hot chai on a lazy Saturday afternoon. 4 o’clock tea is a veritable... Read more...
Gateway of India and boats in the bay
Bombay Blues
Recovering from the Bombay Blues, transitioning back to reality has been tough. Passport drama aside, the trip was fulfilling. Reconnecting with friends worldwide, the joy tinged with sadness as I... Read more...
India: The Journey Begins
India: The Journey begins!
My trip to India is fast approaching and as of the writing of this blog, I still haven’t received our passports with Indian Visas! (Read the prior blog if you’re not... Read more...
Afghan Women's Cycling Team
Afghan Women's Cycling Team
I posted a story about the Afghani women’s cycling teamto my Facebookpage a couple of days ago and cannot get the story out of my head. These women challenge all... Read more...