Kristin Cavallari on the one-year anniversary of her brother's death: 'I will see him again'

By: Gibson Johns

Kristin Cavallari's last twelve months have been a whirlwind.

Her brother, Michael, tragically passed away just days after she gave birth to her third child, Sailor, last fall. And, since then, Cavallari has been focused on healing, spending time with her family and getting to know her first daughter, who just turned one last month.

SEE ALSO: Kristin Cavallari reveals which former 'Laguna Beach' and 'The Hills' co-stars she would let babysit her kids

Through all the ups and downs, though, the soon-to-be 30 year old has made it a point to remain positive, which has partially been made possible by the fact that she still feels her late brother's presence around her.

"I look at it as though he's watching over us," she told me when I met up with her this week at The Lavender Room NYC. The shoe designer also alluded to those "amazing signs" that her brother was still around in a recent Instagram post honoring the one-year anniversary of his death.

Cavallari also "swears by" the powers of essential oils to keep her healthy, centered and calm, which proved especially helpful for her as she continued to heal. Young Living Essential Oils, which constructed The Lavender Room NYC, partnered with the star to help her spread her practices of mindful living and entertaining, just in time for the holidays.

I caught up with Kristin Cavallari to talk about how she's coping with her brother's death one year later, how she celebrated her daughter Sailor's first birthday and how she uses Young Living Essential Oils in her everyday life.

See photos of Kristin Cavallari through the years:

Check out my full conversation with Kristin Cavallari below:

Last time we talked, your daughter, Sailor, was about to turn one! How did you guys celebrate?

It was very low-key, as all of my children's first birthdays were, but it was great! I made her cupcakes, and she loved them. I got her a couple of girl toys, too, because the poor thing was playing with balls and trucks up until her first birthday. [Laughs]

Did she take to the girl toys? Or did she go right back to the boy toys because of her older brothers?

She loves the boy toys! She really does. I got her a couple of little ponies, which she was kind of into for a minute, but she went right back to the trucks. [Laughs] I can't believe she's a year, but it's exciting because I feel like we're coming out of the baby phase. We're now just really looking forward to enjoying our kids. It's an exciting time.

What are your holiday plans with your family?

This year we decided we're going to do Christmas just us. Typically in the past it was a free for all -- where anyone who wanted to come could come -- but this year we're going to keep it low-key. At Thanksgiving we opened up our house to everybody. I am going to have a family Christmas party, so that's kind of my way of doing both. We're looking forward to it not being so hectic, which will be nice.

You recently posted an Instagram remembering your brother one year after his death, and you talked about the "signs" that he's still around. Can you elaborate on that a bit?

The signs are for me and my family, and I want to keep it at that, but I think that it's been really cool. We've found a lot of peace in feeling that he's still present -- he's still around us. I like to look at it as though he's watching over us. I don't think you can argue with the signs, because some of them are so personal, and that makes it really, really cool.

Anytime someone dies -- for me, anyway -- it really makes me question what I believe in, and my faith and everything, and I have found a lot of peace in knowing that I will in fact see him again. It makes it not quite as sad. This isn't goodbye, it's goodbye for now, and I will see him again. So, that's helped me a lot.

2016 has been a doozy of a year. Do you have any resolutions for 2017?

No, I never make New Year's resolutions, because I'm not going to set myself up for failure. It used to always be to stop swearing, and then the next day I'm throwing f-bombs around, so I've given that up. [Laughs] But, no, I'm turning 30 on January 5, so I'm just looking forward to my thirties! I feel as though I'm in a really good place in my life, I'm comfortable in my own skin and it's way different than it was when I was 20. I'm really looking forward to this next chapter of my life.

Talk to me about this partnership with Young Living Essential Oils. Why did it feel like such a good fit for you personally?

I'm a huge Young Living fan, so I couldn't be more excited about this partnership. My mom got my hooked on Young Living Essential Oils when, a couple years ago for Christmas, she gave me the book that they have with all of their oils that explains their benefits and how you can use them. Since then, I've been hooked!

I use them for many different things: They're the first thing I grab when I feel a headache coming on, and I'll use peppermint oil on my temples and the back of my neck. I swear by it! I have this immune-boosting blend that I do that's a few drops of oregano, lemon, lavender, frankincense and Thieves, and I rub it on my hands and everyone's feet -- my kids, my husband, myself -- and I have it diffusing in my house all the time.

I really do swear by them, and they're the first thing I grab when anyone is getting sick. I also use the Thieves Household Cleaner. No matter what it is in my life -- food, cleaning supplies, whatever it is -- I try to stay away from harsh chemicals, so I have peace of mind using Young Living: My kids can eat off the counter and I'm not freaking out that they're ingesting harmful chemicals, and that's one of the reasons that I love them. I know that they're safe and they're pure.

There are definitely some people that will remain skeptical about the powers of essential oils in general. What would you say to those people?

Well, it goes without saying: There's a reason why they're always the first thing that I grab when my family is getting sick! Hands down, I cannot emphasize enough that I truly swear by these products. For someone who's new to the oils, I would say start with the lavender oil; it's very calming, very relaxing and I put it on my feet at night to help me sleep. I do it on my feet because it absorbs into your body more quickly. Or just put it in a bath! And if you can't relax after that, then ... call me! [Laughs]

So would the lavender oil be the one you'd suggest as the best gift for the holidays, too?

Lavender, peppermint or thieves -- those are my three favorites! Lavender, obviously, for the calming effects. Not only do I love the peppermint oil for headaches, but I also find it energizing. If I have an early morning, I'll smell it, put it on my wrists and in my water. Thieves is great because it's immune-boosting; they have a little travel spray that I love, and I'm the crazy person who takes it on a plane with me and sprays my seat and hotel room with it. But, hey, you know what? I don't care!

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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