Monday Reads + Favorites

Happy Monday, friends! Today we are rounding-up our favorite online reads as of lately + clothing items that are currently in our carts and on our wish lists. We hope that you have a great Monday & enjoy this post at home this evening over a glass of wine or cup of tea...don't know about you, but we love downtime to read and browse! xo

READS >>

*beautiful advice on how to handle fear via Lysa Terkeurst

*Q&A on etiquette via goop

*five healthy habits via Cheetah is The New Black

*best foods to eat for healthy skin via The New Potato

*vintage shopping tips from Amy Abrams via The Zoe Report

*favorite fall fashion moments via goop

*giving up sugar, gluten, and alcohol via Primally Pure

*15 ways to style denim via Vogue

*how to think new via Brilliant Perspectives

FAVORITES >>

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The Beauty of Community

When you think of community, what do you think of? The idea of community has been on our minds a lot lately, specifically the beauty of community and how people loving, supporting, and caring for one another is instrumental and irreplaceable in all of our journeys.What is so cool about community is that it comes in all different shapes and sizes! Whether it is your closest girlfriends, your family, colleagues at work, people in your Church, couples that you are close with, or anyone else in your life, it is so healthy and rewarding to have people that you are able to be open and transparent with and really connect with on a soul level.Inviting people into your lives and sharing your lives with people is the Lord's vision for us as as believers-there is nothing that makes Him happier than to see brothers & sisters joining together and collaborating through life together, in His glory. Romans 15:5-7 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory (NLT). Another beautiful thing about community is when community grows- when you meet more people, when you share your story, your light, and your faith with others, you are willing and available to receive other's stories, light, and faith. Community develops overtime and the potential is endless! What inspires you to stay connected with others and spread your love? Let us know in the comments!

SHOP

jacket | jeans | sunnies | tee

The Benefits of Red Light Therapy

My friend introduced me to infrared saunas about a year ago, and I have been hooked ever since. There is a spa near my house in California that I try to go to monthly to get the benefits of this therapy. It is truly so relaxing, and I believe it has had significant impact on reducing the inflammation in my body. As y'all may know, I am a wellness nut and am consistently researching health and diet and everything in between. I have always been passionate about these things, but I struggled a lot with fatigue, fungus, and the affect of toxins in my body after my accident in 2011, so my research has only increased along with my desire to have my body function as it is intended!Because my schedule is limited to having the time to sit in an infrared as much as I would like, I was so excited when I recently discovered red light therapy. Jason and I ordered a mini version of this for our home, and our goal is to sit in front of it for five minutes every day. The effects are pretty incredible + it's collagen boosting aka wrinkle reducing. Can I get an amen?scroll down for the fun, scientific, mind-blowing information.These specific wavelengths of red light create a biochemical affect in our cells that serves to increase mitochondrial function. This improves ATP production in the body, which is the source of energy for every cell in the body. Without it, we don’t function at all. Without enough of it, we don’t function well.It’s wavelengths range between 630-880nm and are used to treat the skin’s surface. Red therapy light penetrates about 8-10 millimeters into the skin. Depending on which area of the body the red light is used, this can easily affect all skin layers, reaching into blood vessels, lymph pathways, nerves, and hair follicles. (Insert so many heart emojis).red light therapy vs. sauna treatmentThese are all beneficial but provide different results.The purpose of a sauna is to raise the temperature of the body. This heats the body from the inside out in a sense and is said to provide more beneficial effects in less time and at lower heat.Both sauna methods increase heart rate, perspiration, heat shock proteins and improve the body in other ways. Unlike red light therapy, infrared light from a sauna is invisible, and penetrates much deeper into the body.Red therapy light is not designed to increase perspiration or improve cardiovascular function. It impacts cells on the cellular level and increases mitochondrial function and ATP production. It essentially “feeds” your cells to increase energy.for you history geeks, this is for you!Red light therapy has been around the block. In 1903 physician Niels Ryberg Finsen won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his successful treatment of smallpox and lupus with red light. Russia uses low level laser therapy in their standard medical care (and they have since the 1970s). The Russians also published hundreds of studies over the decades on the benefits of red therapy light. Unfortunately, very few of these studies have been translated into English.Red light therapy has largely been ignored by the US and western Europe until recently. However it’s been used in a clinical setting since the 1980s in Japan, China, Canada, Northern Ireland, Vietnam, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.the good stuff AKA the benefits of red light therapy.Even though the western world is behind the times with red therapy light, strong evidence supports its health benefits. It is FDA approved for chronic joint pain, slow to heal wounds, wrinkles, hair loss and acne. Many others have used it successfully for other issues, like psoriasis, improved circulation and better immune function.here’s a partial list of the evidence based uses of red therapy light:

• It helps rejuvenate facial skin and smooths skin tone.
• Red light builds collagen in the skin to reduce wrinkles.
• It helps to repair sun damage.
• Red light activates the lymphatic system for potentially improved detoxification.
• Decreases inflammation in the skin.
• Helps fade scars and stretch marks.
• Improves hair growth to reverse balding.
• Stimulates slow healing wounds.
• Can prevent recurring cold sores, or herpes simplex.
• Helpful in the short term for carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Beneficial for skin to reduce eczema, rosacea and acne.

better circulation and collagen productionRed therapy light improves collagen levels naturally by triggering the body to produce more of its own. Since collagen comprises about 70% of the protein in our skin, it’s a big deal!Increased collagen doesn’t just give the skin a wrinkle free glow, but its ability to improve joint health makes it great for arthritis sufferers. It can be helpful for those with a variety of painful musculoskeletal issues. The increased circulation and anti-inflammatory effects that red therapy light provides also help reduce pain and heal the body.wound healing and red light therapy (I love this for my scars!)Fibroblasts in our skin synthesize collagen, maintain connective tissue and are integral to wound healing. Red therapy light stimulates fibroblasts to do their job, and increases circulation for faster wound repair time. People have used this therapy for burns, amputation injuries, skin grafts and infected wounds. It’s been successfully used for skin damage caused by cancer treatments, including those in the mouth and mucus membranes.a remedy for hair lossA 24 week study demonstrated that red therapy light significantly improved hair density and hair thickness without any serious reactions. So amazing!help for the thyroidOne randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study from 2013 looked at the benefits of light therapy on chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. This study showed an overall improvement in thyroid health from near infrared and light therapy. Many participants were able to reduce or eliminate their thyroid medication. In fact, a startling 47 percent of the participants no longer needed medication during the entire nine-month follow-up after the light therapy treatment. This is shocking as most people are told that they will need thyroid medication for the rest of their lives.help for acne, rosacea and eczemaThe collagen and ATP stimulating benefits of red light therapy make it a promising solution for skin problems like acne, rosacea and eczema. This benefits stretch marks, wrinkles, and an improved hair line. Hooray!how to use a red therapy lightSpas and dermatologists who offer this service generally charge $50-$100 a session, so we found it much more convenient and likely cheaper in the long run to get the benefits of red light therapy at home.There are plenty of at home devices for sale from a variety of manufacturers. I wanted to find a device that used a combination of wavelengths for maximum benefit. This way, I would get the benefit of the deeper penetration of the higher wavelength and the cellular “charging” of the lower visible spectrum.After much research, I settled on the Joovv Light. We are loving it so so much and think it was one of our best investments!Here is a great article on how to choose the best device if that is of interest! I love this learn page too, which answers frequently asked questions!Also, this device contains both red and NIR light. NIR will help with muscle recovery, joint pain relief, inflammation reduction. What’s not to love? 

Q&A With Jase On Love, Life, and Marriage

Happy Friday, Friends! We are so pumped to share a Q&A with Jase on love, life, and marriage! I could not be more grateful to be married to a man that is full of the sweetest wisdom and such a refreshing perspective on everything from career decisions to building new friendships to what it takes to balance life! He has helped me tremendously to relax when I get overwhelmed or am overthinking something (hello womanhood!) and enjoy life to the fullest capacity! Melissa and I were chatting about Q&A ideas for the blog and we were so excited when the idea of interviewing Jason came to our minds. As we worked on questions, a clear theme became evident: love, life, & marriage. No matter if you are single, married, or engaged, Jase's words will speak to you and hopefully fill you up with so much love, hope, and wisdom! Scroll down to read and thanks, babe, for doing this! xoWhat was the hardest adjustment after you got married?I would say in the beginning, I was just really worried about what it was going to be like living with somebody else and combining schedules and how that was going to work out. I was concerned if I was still going to be able to hang out with my buddies. Is she going to want to hang out with me all the time? Am I going to want to hang out with her all the time? After doing the dance for a little bit, you just get into a routine, and it’s the greatest routine because you get to spend time with your best friend every day. What have you learned most about yourself the last three years?That it’s important to have someone to do life with. It’s such a refreshing thing and a blessing to have someone in your life that you can talk about work with, your struggles, family...whatever it is. It is absolutely pertinent to have someone in your life that you are open with and knows everything about you.What do you look forward to most in life?Vacations with my wife...getaways. It could be a place an hour and a half away where you don’t have to get on a plane to even do it but just getting refreshed and escaping the craziness that life can bring sometimes is what I look forward to most.What would you say is the key to a healthy marriage?Communication and honesty or honesty and communication...easy as that!What do you love most about Lo? (insert several heart eye emojis here!) I think she is the most sweet and caring person I have ever encountered in my life, and I love the joy she has. I love that she is so encouraging to me, and when I get worked up over the small things, even though I may not like it every time, she’s really good at bringing me back down and reminding me that it’s going to be okay. On a different note, one of my favorite things about her is she tells stories that she thinks are really funny and it’s really not, and it always makes us laugh really hard. She’s also the best travel partner! And last but not least, I love her little arm to death.How has marriage strengthened your & Lo's love and what do you love most about being married?A lot of people say, oh I am so glad I married my best friend, but in reality, it takes a long time to become best friends with someone truly - to know everything about you and feel complete comfortable being 100% transparent. I have just enjoyed that she actually is my best friend now, and she actually knows me and gets me and knows what makes me tick. Any advice for singles with the desire of marriage on their hearts?Don’t start doing things that you normally wouldn’t do to get a guy. Just truly be yourself. Be a woman and let the guy pursue. Don’t change who you are. Trust that God will bring the right person to you in His timing.

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Favorite Fall Ankle Booties

We are so excited to share a shoe brand that we are officially in love with: Kelsi Dagger shoes. Have you heard of this brand before? We discovered the brand while browsing on Anthropologie's site and immediately noticed a few pairs of Kelsi Dagger shoes- simple yet cool in design, neutral colors, chic, leather, with looks like they would wear-in well and be comfortable. We are happy to report that all of the above is true and we can confidently say that Kelsi Dagger is officially in our top 3 of favorite shoe brands, if not #1! Below are our favorite fall ankle booties from the brand. The coolest thing about these booties is that they can be dressed up or dressed down. We love the look of pairing ankle booties with minis and maxis for fall, but also love the classic ankle bootie + denim look. We are so thankful that KD sent us a few styles to love and style this season and beyond. Their booties are definitely the kind that will last for years to come, breaking in naturally over time, while effortlessly maintaining that cool factor. xo[show_boutique_widget id="646012"]

Finding Comfort

Over the past few years, decor & interiors have become something that we are really passionate about here at LSK. Decorating a home is such a special, personal process and results in a haven that is uniquely yours. How cool is that? It is fascinating to us how everyone's home is entirely different; a collection of one's past, things that they love and are drawn to, plus items and pieces that they see as inspiring, practical, beautiful, and comforting, or a combination of all of the above.We definitely believe that as people, we decorate our homes and make certain interior design choices with the goal of finding comfort. Consciously or not, we seek comfort in all areas of life; sometimes though it is just not possible, since the reality is that discomfort is a very normal part of life. However, our prayer is that all of our homes can be a little corner of comfort for us in this world. No matter what you call home, we pray that it is a place of comfort, rest, safety, and peace for you; a little sanctuary where you start your day and end your day, finding peace and hope no matter what sort of day you had or are having .When we discovered this chair from Bakarian Studio, we knew that it had to be a part of our home. The unique design, beautifully simple aesthetic, and comfort factor caught our attention immediately.  We had been searching for the right chair for this corner of our guest room and this one fits perfectly and finishes the room just the way that I hoped it would. My wish is that guests find comfort in this corner while staying at our home; curling up with a blanket to enjoy a cup of tea before bed, reading a book, or making a phone call. Thank you, Lauren, for this amazing addition to our home! Also, friends, be sure to follow Bakarian Studio on IG- their feed is so beautiful and inspiring.

OUTFIT DETAILS:

denim (c/o) | tee | jacket (c/o) | the chair (c/o)

images by felicia lasala

Denim Diaries

Sharing our denim diaries today, as we are definitely denim obsessed here at LSK. Denim is the definition of casual, cool, and chic. Having a collection of favorite denim items that you wear again and again is the foundation of curating a wardrobe that you truly love. Not only is denim versatile and seasonless, but all-things-jean get better with more wear and as we all know, not much washing is needed. How great is that? A few of our favorite denim brands/shops include Levi's, Everlane, Free People, Reformation, Madewell, and Abercrombie. Get links at the bottom of the post and happy friday...! xo.

one: retro vibes with this black denim mini from free people

two: we love levi's and these cropped jeans can be dressed up or way down

three: effortlessly cool overalls, thanks to reformation

four: we love abercrombie for denim + this jacket would be worn on repeat

five: madewell is known for forever jeans and these look extra good

TOP DENIM:

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My Crane & Lion Activewear Capsule Collection

Friends! I truly could not be more excited to announce that I partnered with Crane and Lion active wear to create a capsule collection. This company was built to serve women who inspire daily by pairing sumptuous fabrics with high-performing design to power your journey with balance, strength and style. The words crane and lion are two poses in yoga that requires strength and stamina. I love this parallel to life!They are truly the most lovely company with the biggest hearts, and the most exciting part of this partnership is that 30% of all sales from this capsule collection will be donated to The Lauren Scruggs Kennedy Foundation for a year! This is such a blessing because we will provide for four recipients by January of next year, and we are now waiting for donations before we can continue giving to these sweet girls.Check out the sweet interview we did together on their website, and be sure to take a look at the capsule collection I created. P.S. Here is a fun shopping surprise: use this discount code to receive 20% off your entire order: Lauren_Scruggs_Kennedy, and this is limited to one use per customer. Happy shopping! 

The Truth about Transformation

Growth and transformation are two of the most beautiful, yet challenging, parts of life and the human spirit. Similar to when we were little kids going through physical changes and development, growing pains were real then and are real now! However, real change and true growth come from enduring those growing pains (hopefully with grace!), as we journey through life and become who we are created to be. Challenging? Yes. Worth it? YES, YES, and more YES.Last week we discussed living above worry, stress, and fear by clinging to faith in Him, and the week before that we discussed the idea of staying in the training and seeing challenging seasons as opportunities from God for growth. Both of those concepts are related to the journey of personal transformation and the beauty that comes from holding onto unwavering faith as we go along the journey.I recently heard this sermon on the concept of life-changing transformation and it spoke to the core of my being. The truth about transformation is that it comes from Jesus' unfailing love for us and happens when we fully surrender to Him and His plan for us. True transformation occurs on a soul level, when our spirit has been re-wired to be able to see the hope and change that only Jesus can bring.In the sermon, Pastor Tomassoni describes how life-changing, real, and deep transformation occurs when Jesus takes the journey to the center of our beings, our lives, our souls, and our minds. This truth is a breakthrough realization, because believing this allows us to not only have an incredible relationship with Jesus, but it is how we really transform and develop into who He wants us to be. Our responsibility? Make Him the center of our worlds. There is no other way! Plus, the joy of Him being at the center of our worlds is truly like no other. It is the most beautiful, joyful, comforting, and peaceful way to live.The sermon makes me think of this verse of Scripture from Romans 12:2...Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (NLT). No matter what our personal journey is and no matter what we are going through, God is constantly at work in us to transform us into who He created us to be. Knowing this and believing this enables us to endure hard times with grace, to see challenging times as His way of molding us, and to keep going because we know that His plan and will for us is good and pleasing and perfect. Are you going through a particularly transformative season right now? We would love to hear about it in the comments below so that we can pray for you! With love, the LSK team. 

THE OUTFIT:

sunnies | sweater (similar) | jeans | boots (similar)

 [show_shopthepost_widget id="2849674"] images by Felicia Lasala