Happy Friday, y’all! Today is the last day of July, and for the first time in SEVEN YEARS, I am totally not stressing about the month of August. This time last year I was starting maternity leave early due to preterm labor (don’t worry, everything turned out fine in the end!) and the five Augusts before that were always some combination of summer finals, moving apartments, fall semester, and TURN. As a former student housing professional, Turn is the time of year when you work like a mad woman (100+ hours/week) to prep the units for new move-ins. It was always exciting and challenging and total bonding time for you and your co-workers. I miss my co-workers with ACC so much, but I am so happy that all of my Augusts moving forward are about celebrating my babies instead of dealing with vendors and employees who sometimes act like babies.
Monthly Archives: July 2015
DIY Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment
UPDATE – After using this mask for about two months straight, I started to notice a correlation between the application and my breakouts. It appeared that the ingredients were beginning to dry out my face too much causing me to break out even more. I eliminated using the EOs in the recipe and reduced the amount of bentonite clay and activated charcoal. Still too drying.
A couple months back I switched over to using this mask a few times a week. I’m happy to report it is the perfect balance of kaolin clay, activated charcoal, green tea, peppermint oil, and lactic acid to help heal breakouts, exfoliate, and brighten. I’m also now using this facial soap in the mornings after my barre workouts. These two products together are absolute game changers. I didn’t want to take down this DIY recipe because it’s a great resource for people who are looking for an alternative to preservative-laden acne treatment products.
And in full disclosure, I do receive a portion of the sales of these products. But I value my readers so much more than a profit, and I would never recommend something I don’t truly believe in.
Creating spa-like moments in my home is something I treasure so much. I savor having an hour or so in the morning or evening while the babies are sleeping to exfoliate, paint my nails, or use a face mask. A good mud mask helps keep my skin balanced and clear, especially in the summer months. I used Boscia’s Clarifying Mask for awhile; Sephora stopped carrying it so a salesperson recommended I check out Glamglow’s version. I’ve been hearing about this brand for years – a Hollywood favorite, beauty editor’s love it, fashion bloggers’ skin secret, etcetera, etcetera. The first thing I did before looking at the price tag (which is a bit of yikes, also) was read the ingredient list:
HUM Nutrition – Supplements for a Better, Healthier You
I’ve waffled between vitamin devotee and absentminded vitamin taker for years. Like since I was a “Flintstones kid”. I love routines and schedules, but I just never seemed to remember to take my vitamins. Or I subconsciously avoided them because the experience of swallowing a giant pill or two was not fun. Of course, that changed during my pregnancy when my daily prenatal + DHA supplement was taken every morning come hell or high water. Or the crippling nausea that occurs during the 1st trimester. But after a couple months of sticking to the same daily vitamin routine, it not only came easy to me, but I looked foward to it. I would take my 4 pills with a big glass of lemon water, basking in the happiness of knowing I was taking good care of my self and my growing little ones. Postpatrum, I stuck with my prenatal regime for awhile, then switched over to a delicious gummy version. If you are someone who loathes the idea of taking a daily vitamin, try the gummy version; it is so delightful, you will try to convince yourself that you “forgot” to take it in the AM just to sneak another gummy in the PM. I don’t recommend double-dosing, but you get the sentiment.
Starting a Capsule Wardrobe
If you are into fashion and style, chances are you’ve heard of a capsule wardrobe. The concept of a capsule wardrobe is to create an essential collection of clothing pieces that can be worn for a long period of time. The capsule normally has a consistant theme based around color(s) and style adding a cohesive sense to the clothing as a whole. In contract, for most of us, when we look in our closet there is not a lot of rhyme or reason, just a bunch of stuff.
Beauty Food Salad
Salad is my go-to option for summer lunches. Salads are refreshing, light, and satisfying without being too filling. There is nothing worse than eating a huge meal and feeling sluggish afterwards. This holds especially true in the summer heat. I try to mix up my salad options each week whether its veggie-focused with cucumbers, carrots, and tomatoes or fruit & cheese-focused like a winter Waldorf salad. I stumbled upon this salad chock full of beauty superfoods** on Into the Gloss, and I couldn’t wait to try it.
Green Beauty 101
My previous post, 3 Essentials for Your Summer Beauty Regime, featured products exclusively from Beautycounter. These are products that I use daily from a company that I trust. I sampled their skincare line for about a month before jumping in head first not only as a dedicated product user, but as an independent consultant. They are my dream company, not only as a consumer, but as a working professional.
3 Essentials for Your Summer Beauty Regime
Summer weather always calls for changes to your beauty routine to help combat the sun, heat, and humidity. It’s also a great time to use less products to help make getting ready hassle-free. This summer there are 3 essentials products that I cannot live without.
Healthy Snacks for a Happy Mom (and Baby!)
When it was time for the babies to start solids, I was still working full-time so trying to find the time to puree foods was impossible. So I headed straight for the baby food aisle at Publix to see what my options were. Actually I first headed straight to my laptop to research every baby food brand to determine the healthiest options available because that is what I do before I purchase ANYTHING. But after that I headed to the grocery store to buy a couple different brands to try out with the babies. As I stared at the various blends and snacks meant for older babies and tots, I thought about how delicous (and healthy) they all seemed. So I purchased a couple packs for myself!
DIY Turmeric Face Mask
I love a good face mask. There is something so calming about the process. Even better when the ingredients to make the mask can be found in my kitchen. And even better when it has anti-aging and anti-acne properties! Zero dollars out of my pocket and zero blemishes on my face 🙂
The Perfect Infused Water
Flavored water or infused water is an easy and delicious way to get your 8 glasses of daily H2O. I jumped on the flavored water bandwagon big time during my pregnancy. I was aiming for 100+ oz per day and it started to get pretty boring. Most store-bought flavored water had so many preservatives and fake sugars, it was not the best option. So I started concocting my own infusions!
Lauren, Etc. 