Hey girl. Treat Yo Self is a series (inspired by my beloved Parks and Rec) that focuses on inexpensive indulgences that make you feel good without feeling guilty. Because when momma’s not happy, nobody is happy.

OK, today’s #TREATYOSELF feature could not get any better because you’re not only treating yourself, but it’s cruelty free, socially conscious and helps out a charity partner. WHAT?!

Let’s get real. It’s impossible for me to sit here and tell you that I know exactly what you should get your mom (or any mom in your life) for Mother’s Day. I don’t know if she hates the smell of grapefruit or if she would rather gouge out her eyes than entertain at home. I don’t know what she loves and what reminds you of her.

But I am a mom. And I know what I like. I also know what my mom likes and what my mother-in-law likes and what my mom friends like. So I put together a little Mother’s Day Gift Guide for you—not to tell you to rush off and make these purchases, but to inspire you to think of something special for the in your life.

peppermint chocolate truffles // circle scarf // custom initial bracelet (via Brit + Co, no longer available)// chamomile and grapefruit bath set (via Brit + Co, no longer available) // cheese and crackers serving board // The Inappropriate Baby Book: Gross and Embarrassing Memories from Baby’s First Year // geometric bamboo coasters

Treat Yo Self is a series that focuses on inexpensive indulgences that make you feel good without feeling guilty. Because when momma’s not happy, nobody is happy.

After a few highly-trusted friends raved about the awesomeness of their Birchbox subscriptions, I decided it was high time to treat myself. At just $10 a month for five personalized beauty samples sent to my front step, it seemed too good not to try.

The likelihood of trying out beauty products on my own is tiny because a) I’m cheap as hell b) I hate waste and c) as much as I love the idea of beauty products, I don’t use very many of them. The thought of spending money on a whole tube of something that I might potentially hate and immediately throw out (…or hold onto for three years before I throw it out) makes me itch. But itty bitty sample sizes for a fraction of the cost? Sign. me. up.

When I have a question—whether normal like What time does BJs open? or obnoxious, like when I’m trying to prove to my husband that I know all of the things and type Is Chris Hemsworth Australian?!—I usually turn to the magical oracle that is Google. It doesn’t let me down and leaves me feeling like a smug, fancy pants know-it-all (he is, indeed, Australian).

Still, once in awhile, I want the added comfort of speaking to an actual expert on the topic that I’m looking into, rather than a chorus of randos on the internet. I know I’m not alone in this, right? Google is my BFF, but there really is no substitute to an actual trained expert.

That’s why I decided to start a new series called Ask the Expert. I’ll take our burning questions and bring them to trained professionals. My first burning question?

Treat Yo Self is a series that focuses on inexpensive indulgences that make you feel good without feeling guilty. Because when momma’s not happy, nobody is happy.

Lately, I’ve seen facials and all sorts of DIY beauty business on Pinterest that uses honey as an ingredient. I was always intrigued, but I never tried it because… well, because putting honey on my face sounded disgusting.

I mean, how gross would it be all goopy and stuck in my eyebrows? And how hard would it be to get off? Also, why would I want to stick my hand in a jar of honey and smear it all over my face?!

Well, apparently BECAUSE IT’S AWESOME.

I’m one of those people who starts out as a skeptic, thinking that something is absolutely ridiculous and a waste of my time. Then, slowly but surely, I need to know for myself. I need to experience the ridiculousness firsthand. I need to get to the bottom of it (hello, shampoo-free movement).

So I looked into this whole honey-on-your-face thing a little bit more to try and figure out why anyone would want to do it in the first place. Turns out there are a bunch of reasons.