Rooted Moon Collective

EXPLOSIÓN
Meet Lulo, a delicious perennial tropical fruit that grows in parts of South America. With a refreshing citrus flavor similar to a combination rhubarb and lime, I consider her to be the champagne of Kombucha. And this one exploded 🤭…

Tip for explosive Kombucha: Over carbonation is normal, open your bottle gently and if bubbles rush to the top reseal and open slowly in a mixing bowl with a plastic bag on top. This saves all the delicious brew so it can be transferred to a cup.
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VIVA LA VIDA
And that’s going to look different for all of us. Comparing how we live our lives serves no one. So when we are confronted with life, life choices and life styles that make us uncomfortable or reactive or judgmental…take a beat and ask yourself “where is this feeling REALLY coming from” and “is this thought mine or part of GENERATIONS of conditioning?”. It’s never about the other, it’s always about ourselves, our trauma, and a reflection of how WE need to grow, not someone else.

We can all be so hard on ourselves and others, so let’s live the life we’ve been given and give everyone else the compassion and grace they deserve to do the same. Have a restful weekend y’all. We’re all healing something. ❤️‍🩹
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FOREIGN SERVICE LIFE
So what helps us take root and grow every time we move? Developing rituals and traditions specific to our family, settling into our space with firm intention, guided by intuition, allowing ourselves time to grieve and be in shadow while we settle in and let our light reflect our needs and nourish us…just to name a few things.

We aren’t alone, we have the moon, The same moon you can see from any point on the planet, no matter where you live or what you do. The same moon our ancestors looked at, prayed under and created tradition. The moon reminds us that we are all in motion, connected to each other, past, present and future, cyclical and forever part of nature. Collaborating with this energy, moving with it instead of against it, has become the only way we know how to grow roots and thrive wherever we live and in whichever stage of life we happen to be cycling through.
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kombuchabruja

MORNINGS
What do your morning rituals look like? Mine aren’t perfect, but my intention is always there helping me create awareness and connection. The way my room is holistically styled helps me feel safe, filled with gratitude and held no matter what I do in my first few morning moments.

The way we create and imagine our spaces can help contribute to the rituals and practices we want to integrate, the energy we want to call in and surround ourselves with, the play and kindness we deserve to feel and the inspiration to live more authentic life experiences. If you want to chat more about what’s possible in your own home, I’m here for you. DM me to set up a free consultation whether you live in Bogota or beyond!
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Oh hey there, just wanted to share a fun list of things Rooted Moon Collective does to help you create sacred space that’s intuitive, functional and authentic to YOU.

Give me a holler if you’re feeling called to settle in a holistic way, or if you’re looking to create restful and healing spaces in your home. ✨🕯️💜
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QUEBRADA
/keɪˈbrɑːdə/
noun
a mountain stream or ravine.

For our family this Quebrada holds space for us in a sacred way. We’ve created family rituals, gratitude and grounding practices within its streams. We sit with the spirit of water and connect to nature and our intuition in a way that’s not easily accessible in the day to day of white settler colonial capitalist patriarchal city living. There in lies the root of many problems here on earth.

Find a space today, where you can connect back to nature, sit with the energy and spirits of the earth and build this routine into ritual. Doing so will help us realize how we connect and what we connect to is a CHOICE we consciously make. We have more power than we’ve been allowed to believe. And we are more powerful together when in right relationship with the earth.
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SUNRISE
Feeling connected and grounded doesn’t always come easy…until it does. Spontaneously catching this sunrise from a room I normally don’t visit at 5:30am because my child’s toy goes missing and WE HAVE TO FIND IT to start our day. This moment right here was no accident. It was an invitation to connect back to my roots, my elements and my essence.

Gracias Madre Tierra.

KOMBUCHA FIRE CIDER anyone?!

Popularized in the 1970s by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, Fire Cider is a herbal health tonic and folk remedy that helps boost your immune system, improve digestion, and prevent and treat a cold or flu. It is a mixture of horseradish, turmeric, garlic, oranges, ginger, herbs, and peppers all fermented in apple cider vinegar…but in this case I used half ACV and half kombucha vinegar!

Rooted Moon Fire Cider available for purchase in small batches in about a month! And stay tuned for more kombucha inspired tonics, toners, facial peels, and moisturizers, all available upon request. 🤩✨🕯️

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CREATING CONNECTION
While helping a client pack out we came across a beautiful collection of quilted mini shirts she had made, inspired by the style of Nelson Mandela. These stunning fabrics were purchased during her tours in Africa and from these fabrics she wove a new story honoring a beautiful history and a unique connection to the places she has lived.

As expats and diplomats we can easily collect artifacts from the places we’ve lived without truly honoring the heritage of these items or giving them a true place of honor in our home, allowing us to have discussion and educate others. These beautiful Mandela shirts, as she called them, do exactly that while also expressing her unique creative talent and spirit.

Thank you to everyone creating and collecting pieces in right relationship with the cultures and countries that we are invited to experience.

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WINDOWS TO THE WALLS
Pack out can sometime feel Iike this…🫣

You just have to find a place to sit down, feet out in front of you and thank the space you’re in for the time you’ve been in it, and the walls that kept you safe and the windows that let in the light.

Those rooms might not feel the same and whatever emotions start to come up, I remind myself that the rooms not empty but full. Filled with our spirit, alive with our energy and memories, and overflowing with potential and possibility for the next family who will one day move in and feel connected to us, not realizing the love we left behind for them. 💛🌱

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NON-LINEAR
Like nature, time, people and experiences, styling and settling into a home is not linear. We start with an idea and it spirals and grows into something much more organic. A reflection of us and the natural state of flow we live in. New versions of ourselves evolve and take shape as we settle in and make room for change and changing our mind.

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CONTROL
This quote really helps me regulate and hold space for myself when perfectionism takes hold and the need to control sets in. It helps me prioritize what really matters to me, being in control or acting from a place of love?

Relax, nothing is under control. 🤭 And now… take a deep breathe…and feel liberated in the shift you’ve just made, the patterns you’re breaking, the ease you’re creating by just allowing yourself (and others!) the experience of flow. Nature does it, and so should we.

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VULNERABLE
Transition season is coming up and lots of folx are packing out and uprooting. It’s a time of duality, anxiety and excitement, joy and grief, organization and chaos. One thing we all feel whether we realize it or not is vulnerability. Imagine yanking a tree out of its cozy soil, exposing its roots to unpredictable elements and expecting it to continue with its normal routines! If it’s not happening in nature it’s definitely not happening in my body. Feeling exposed and vulnerable is normal but not normalized. Feeling tender and distant should be embraced but can often feel embarrassing.

It’s okay to cry, mourn, nurture or hide yourself in a basket as you recalibrate your compass and move roots into new soil. Be easy with yourself and have grace with others as you feel the shifts and the basket becomes your safe container for a while. Wishing everyone with roots up right now a safe transition and warm baskets.

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PRIORITIES & PURPOSE
There once was a clunky, ugly, brown coffee table that sat in the middle of a room (not pictured here thank goddess 😂). It wanted to live in a grown up space with sophisticated friends but it had no real purpose in a home meant to be playful and prioritize family. So with a phone call to our friends in facilities off it went to live in storage. This allowed for a space that was so much more dynamic and inclusive to the playful and creative family living there. RIP Drexel coffee table and thanks for your years of service!

So what I’m trying to say y’all is when designing a space remember the autonomy of the people living there. We often want to create a kids area and have more grown up spaces separate. But what if we integrated the playful with the sophisticated? What if we reimagined a crafting table into a coffee table and invited those crafters to create while we all drank our kombucha cocktails pinkies up?

Prioritize the people and interests in your home and you will discover a space that is fluid, inclusive and inspiring so we can all keep growing and creating pinkies up!

Big thanks to my client for the before and after shots. 💛

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When it comes to abundance, from the Moon Studio has incredible insight and wisdom to share. This phrase from her course work on abundance stood out to me in a profound way.

Especially when designing and creating sacred, authentic space in our homes and communities, we can get caught up in what we don’t have, what’s lacking or what’s missing. Consumer culture distracts us from the process of creating and cultivating connections. So next time we feel the urge to consume, let’s create something instead like a collage, a cup of tea, a peaceful space, a moment of gratitude or a memory.

✨Ritual + Reciprocity = Abundance 💛

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LAYERS
I always admire the incredible diversity in architecture and street culture here in Bogota. What feels like a thoughtless clash can sometimes just be the spiral of time moving around and around until the layers overlap and time periods meet in the present moment.

We make our home where we stand and become a part of layers. What kind of layer will you leave in the spiral?

WATER RITUAL
Are y’all staying hydrated?! Nurturing and providing for the one and only body that is holding and supporting us through this life?

If you find it hard to connect with the element of water and struggle to remember to drink enough (even with those fancy bottles that have all the time checks 🫠)…then it’s time to turn that routine into ritual. Add ingredients that remind you of a summer day or a trip to the spa, ingredients that freshen up your experience of water and bring in all those rejuvenating vibes. Transform your water into something that is sacred and brings you peace.

I like to honor my water with cucumbers and fresh mint and basil. You can literally put anything you want in your water, pieces of fruit, edible flowers, spices. Try it and don’t forget to thank your water for giving you life.

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MANDALA MONDAY
I started making organic mandalas 7 years ago. Mandala is Sanskrit for circle. Originating in the 4th century, mandalas are popular across many cultures, countries and indigenous communities. It is a ritual of connection, impermanence and gratitude, a practice to focus spiritual and emotional work.

Anytime I have plants or flowers in the house that have died I build a mandala to return these gifts back to the earth and create an offering of gratitude. To be present with the cycles of nature and watch how the mandala changes over the course of a few days and weeks helps me stay grounded and connected to the land I live on. It’s become a ritual my kids look forward to and a practice we can share when we’re in community with others. This mandala in particular was created with our Baha’i Children’s class friends!

Go out and make a mandala this week, with any materials you have! Maybe you don’t have flowers but you have scraps of colorful paper, beads or pieces of fabric to build something on your coffee table or kitchen floor. A mandala is a blessing, create them whenever you want and whenever you need, to celebrate, to grieve, to initiate or close a cycle, to clear out old energy or call in new beginnings. Do a little digging and discover what your ancestors did. If they created mandalas or practiced other ways of connecting and showing gratitude. Would love to know what rituals make you feel most sacred and whole!

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I AM

Madre. Hija. Hermana. Amante. Amiga.

Sanando. Valiosa. De la Tierra.

Vulnerable. Intuitiva. Feroz. Juguetona.

Creadora y Creada. Kombucha Bruja.

✨Saludos, I’m Leslie.

I believe in Holistic design, Intuitive styling and Transforming routines into rituals that create sacred and settled space within us, surrounding us. Kombucha, moon cycles, anti-racism, rematriation and connecting to the land and ancestors are my spiritual practice. I’m happy to know you, breathe with you, root down with you, and be in community with you as we share this planet and help it heal.

Need a hand settling into your home, brewing Kombucha, or maybe just a new friend in Bogota? Check out the link in my bio to learn more about my woman owned business, Rooted Moon Collective. And hollar at me, I’m here for you. 💃🏻✨🖤

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DECLUTTER TO DECOLONIZE
Happy spring cleaning! Our seasonal rituals all look different. Whether we dump out the contents of our entire closet on the bed to see what brings joy, or just one drawer at a time in short bursts…there’s no wrong way to declutter.

What matters is in the moment of release we are taking the opportunity to be present with all the versions of ourselves, our cycles, our patterns, our privilege and how we need to change and grow.

What matters is the intention to hold space, celebrate and grieve what we’re letting go of so we can make room for something more authentic within us to take up space.

No matter the method to your madness, your release of all the layers, all the “things”, all the traumas and insecurities, all the versions of you that aren’t true and don’t exist anymore, is an act of DECOLONIZATION. Maybe it’s a stretch to believe, but for me, the ritual of releasing anything associated with guilt, shame, social expectations, unsustainable practices that harm the earth and exploit humans and communities, consumer culture, capitalism and conditionings associated with colonization… just about anything that is not in integrity with my values, keeps me feeling stuck and doesn’t support my growth or collective healing is a RECLAMATION of power, purpose and spirit.

Power isn’t in the purchase, POWER is those small moments where we take up and take back our space, creating a life that uplifts us AND the collective.

May your decluttering rituals bring you closer to healing, living intuitively and with love. For more tips and strategies around decluttering and living authentically, check out two people I admire and have learned soooo much from 🙏🏼 and

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ITS OFFICIAL
Join the club, registration for Bogota residents opens today!

Kombucha made in small batches means made with intention, amor and in collaboration with the local ingredients grown on the land we live on. It’s with much gratitude that I offer this gift to the community and call in all the healing benefits of this brew to uplift your vibrations and wellness. En relación sagrada con nuestra Madre Tierra, bendita sea!

If you’re living in the Bogota area and in serious need of delicious hand crafted home brew delivered to your door once a month, hit me up, I’m here to serve. 🥰

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KOMBUCHA MEMBERSHIP!!
We got something magical coming sooooooooon….like March. 🤭
Get ready and stay tuned!

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SOUND & STORY
I’m learning to listen in a different way. The stories told between tea cups and green glass, between the bitter sweet agraz berry and the sunlight streaming down the mountain. Sometimes the story is a sound that brings me back home to myself, my history and the imprint of my ancestors resting deep in my bones.

Te agradezco por tu canción hoy ☀️ y por recordarme cómo sembrar los sonidos de mi alma con los raíces de mis ancestros.

GROUNDING ELEMENTS
Whenever I enter a space, I seek out the light and the elements that help me feel connected to myself and the land I’m on. The roots of plants growing in pots, a glass of water, artwork from life’s travels. I open a window to let air flow through and shift energy, light a candle and touch the collection of rocks and seeds my son and I collect from literally all over. They’re small rituals but they matter to me and my family. What elements do you depend on to stabilize and connect you? What rituals are you practicing without realizing it’s a ritual?

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PAUSADO
Slow, deliberate, easy, gentle.
It’s one of those days that has a clear message. A day that invokes specific ritual, sacred space and intentional care of all our bodies (physical, emotional, spiritual). The spaces we create in our homes don’t need to be fancy or forced, just safe so we feel supported and held. I’ve realized that shifting the energy in a home allows us to align and flow through whatever work we’re doing for ourselves, our family and communities.

Speaking of, the incredible work I’ve been doing with is creating links between my nutritional health and habits to my nervous system reactions, gut bacteria, spiritual sound practices, colonial conditioning, generational trauma and the list goes on!! Returning back to the root of these patterns and wired responses is helping me reconnect not just to my physical body but to my emotional and spiritual authentic self, healing generations of trauma and harm along the way. I’ve been taught to behave and react to survive in a colonized world, but I see that my body is the key to healing, uniting and integrating the wisdom of all the ancestors that came before me. Their blood runs through my veins, my bones are their bones helping me stand in this world, and all that I am is because of them, all that I need is right here inside of me waiting to be nurtured, discovered and released.

It takes time and gratitude to access and will probably be the greatest work I ever do, for the rest of my life, into the next, continuing for generations; transforming, healing, connecting and uplifting the collective that we are all a part of. It’s an act of pure love, resistance, courage and decolonization to lean into our shadow and just hug the f**k out of it.

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INTUITIVE MIXOLOGY
Mixing flavors and trying new ingredients is my favorite part of brewing kombucha. And putting intentional love and ritual into my brew is the secret ingredient to feeling grounded, balanced, grateful and connected to the elements that make me and you and everything we know thrive.

My Fenix is learning to brew with me, she teaches me to be curious and experiment, to follow my instinct and not a recipe with boundaries. We play and put as much as we want of whatever we want, something you can’t find in a store or buy bottled and mass produced. is where it’s at y’all. And if you don’t want to start your own find a friend who brews and be REALLY nice to them. 😂 For real though, offering a trade or exchange of services is a beautiful way to honor someone else’s ritual and enjoy what they’ve created.

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SEPTEMBER KOMBUCHA WORKSHOP!
There are a few spots left for this Saturdays kombucha workshop. Learn to start your own and be inspired to collaborate with ingredients and flavors you’ve always dreamed of!

This is an in person workshop taking place in Bogota, Colombia. To register email us at [email protected]

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MINIMAL
We pack up, unpack, sort, give away, consume for comfort and begin again. It’s a cycle that can overwhelm us if we loose site of the simplicity of transition. Wether you’re coming or going, you always have roots you can tap into and part of rooting down is focusing inward and minimizing. Make time to minimize the noise, the stuff, the thoughts the struggle, the drama and tap back into the essence of who you are and your essential needs. Children are sooooo good at this. A little sunshine, a place to play, and quite uninterrupted moments to imagine, breathe, connect to their joy and the spirit of home within their own hearts.

Minimize and make time to root down into your essentials, your favorite elements, the things you can access any moment of the day regardless of whether you packed them in a suitcase or a shipping container, your UAB or your HHE. Breathe into your new space just as you are and see what messages your new home has for you.

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TRUST & BEWEAVE
Just doing a little shopping with a client today in search of woven lamp shades and local design inspo. My friend Elmer is a basket weaver and as we stood in his workshop chatting about materials and reeds and process, I felt immense gratitude for the traditions that are passed down within a culture, and even more amazing are those who embrace and learn those traditions and keep them alive.

This diplomatic lifestyle affords us many opportunities to consider what we value and what our traditions are. We often do what’s easy and quick vs. what’s sustainable and in right relation with the land that so generously provides for us, especially while living abroad. For me that means I’m a guest in a country full of heritage and history and it is my responsibility to honor the traditions that have shaped community and connection to the earth. To be in right relation is to show up and be witness to the stories that center the collective, honor ancestry and earth, all the while trusting your place in the story and believing in a narrative greater than yourself.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROOTED MOON!
Its been roughly a year since I launched this holistic home design biz and I could not be more grateful for the support and trust the foreign service and expat community have given me. 🎉

Check out my interview with of where I talk about my background, the inspiration behind Rooted Moon and my philosophies around holistic home design. Link in my bio🌛

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