the root.
Homebody Botanica bloomed from a love for interiors & wellness — essentially all things home & body — for the homebody in all of us. We’re a [w]holistic lifestyle blog and brand, encompassing home design, natural living, nourishing recipes, and the raw, beautiful journey of motherhood.
What does living [w]holistically mean? For me, it is nourishment for body, mind, and soul; from the food we feed our bodies, to the products we put on them, and the environment we surround ourselves in. It is spending our time with the people that bring us joy and peace. It is finding at least a small bit of time to care for ourselves (and as a new mom, I truly know how hard that can be. I’m working on it). It is seeking and accepting that there is beauty to be seen in our everyday life.
If this is you too, then I’m so grateful you found your way here. I hope you’ll find something that speaks to you, whether it be a recipe for a nourishing meal or a bit of inspiration to get you through.
— Ash
“Through this space, i hope to inspire people to live a [w]holistic lifestyle, rooted in health, wellness, creativity, and the simple joys of life.”
— ashley, founder
my Story.
Ashley holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Florida.
She started her first food blog on a whim in 2012, Simple Craves and Olive Oil, which focused on seasonally-inspired wholesome dishes, influenced by her educational background in nutrition and desire for a healthy lifestyle. She taught herself photography and fell in love with capturing the beauty of wholesome food. Ashley also developed recipes for Food52 and The Florida Tomato Committee.
Her passions for health, wellness, photography, & design took her to the food media industry in New York City, and back to Florida where she spent time working for UF/IFAS Extension and planning to pursue her own ventures.
During that time, she met her now-husband, traveled throughout Europe where they became engaged on the Amalfi coast (a culinary dream of hers to visit her Italian roots), and married her better half.
In early 2018, Ashley envisioned a brand that encompassed everything important to her. A brand that represented a lifestyle centered around home, wellness, health, and finding the beauty through it all. The word “homebody” came to mind, not only because her home has always been her sanctuary, but it also took on the meaning of all things “home” (design-life-family) and “body” (health-wellness-nutrition). As a lover of nature and someone who is striving to make more natural & sustainable lifestyle choices, she chose the word “Botanica” to follow. It was a perfect fit.
She softly launched the Homebody Botanica blog in 2020.
In February 2021, Ashley gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. She is completely in love with this perfect little human and can hardly believe she gets to be his mama. She is always researching all things baby related, and just wants to do her best to give him the best. From natural and non-toxic baby products, to her first-time-mom must-haves and her favorite baby brands — she thought other moms might find it helpful if she shared it all (as it was for her when entering this new world of motherhood). And with that, our Baby Botanica series was born.
Currently, Ashley is soaking up her first year of motherhood, getting settled in their brand new first home, and dreaming up future plans for Homebody Botanica.
Follow our journey.
