Winter Skin Saviors

 

I'm one of those rare people that actually prefers cold weather to hot, but I have to admit that by the time late February rolls around, I'm ready for slightly warmer weather. I've always been prone to eczema and dry, itchy skin, but I'm happy to report that I think I've finally cracked the code on what works to keep my skin content during this time of year. 

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream // This is certainly a no frills experience, but using this year round has essentially eliminated any of my eczema woes. And, you can pick it up easily at the drug store. 

Acure Argan Oil // I'd been a fan of the much more expensive Josie Maran version of this as a facial moisturizer for a year or so, but this Acure version is half the price and every bit as good. I use it on my face daily, and also add it to my body lotion if I need an added boost. 

Dior Creme de Rose Lip Balm // While pricey, this little tub has last been ages and is just such a pleasure to use. I apply it every night before bed, and my lips are flake free and ready to go in the morning. Plus, the rose scent is luxurious and relaxing. 

Leahlani Skincare Coco Infusion // The lovely Ashley introduced me to this gem, and it's a delightful coconut oil + fragrance experience that I save for special occasions. It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin, and the smell (I have the tuberose) is unique and beautiful. 

Deep Steep Sugar Scrub // Can you believe I never used a sugar scrub until this year? Because of my sensitive, easy to irritate skin, I shied away from exfoliating until I found this powerhouse product. It exfoliates, as you'd imagine, but it also contains coconut oil and other moisturizers that leave my skin nourished after a shower, even (and especially!) after shaving my legs. And, the brown sugar + vanilla scent is one of my favorites. 

What products have you been loving this winter season? I must say that I'm excited for the calendar to switch over to March, although I'll be fine to keep my scarves and boots in rotation just a little while longer. 

Balance?

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about balance, specifically of the work/life variety. How do I achieve this? Is it even possible? I certainly know when I feel off balance, and breathe a little easier when I perceive things are "under control", but how do I make peace with this once and for all?

Imagine my delight when I started flipping through the January issue of Real Simple (yes, I'm just a little behind on my magazine reading) and saw an article on this exact topic. They interviewed 10 influential folks specifically about work/life balance, and here are a few thoughts that really resonated with me.

"The assumption that everything must be right with the world or your life is out of balance is silly and, frankly, impossible." –Anna Quindlen

 That's the thing, isn't it? It isn't just that we should achieve balance, but that everything is 100% right in the world and done perfectly. If I picture what my ideal balanced day is, it is completely unrealistic: crossing every item off my to-do list at work, leaving on time with an inbox count of zero, cooking a delicious and healthy dinner, and drifting off to sleep after reading in bed. This may happen ONE day a year, if that. Pieces and parts of it do happen, however, and that is much more realistic.

"There's no ideal 50-50. Moment by moment, we're figuring it out, and what works is constantly changing." –Ellen Galinsky

Today's perfectly balanced day may look completely different from tomorrow's. After a hectic work day, Netflix & takeout might be just the ticket to get the pendulum to swing in the other direction. After an easy and accomplished day, I could do 3 loads of laundry, FaceTime with my parents, wash the dishes, and feel just as good when my head hits the pillow. We must get rid of this notion that balance is always the same, and that if we don't hit the mark, we're completely off kilter.

"If you have the luxury of thinking about balance, you're ahead of the game almost by definition." –Jennifer Senior

And then there is this: if we even have time to contemplate this, we're doing pretty good. Some days we'll eat a cupcake when we should have had kale, some days we'll stay late at work and miss out on having dinner with our significant other, and once in a blue moon we'll actually do it all. It's making the choice every single day to do our best that really matters.

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Embracing the Moment

"...Oh my God, what if you wake up some day, and you're 65, or 75, and you never got your memoir or novel written; or you didn't go swimming in warm pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It's going to break your heart. Don't let this happen." –Anne Lamott 

It has been a busy and off-kilter few weeks, and this week, I'm reveling in the comfort of routine and "regular life". First, there was an incredibly busy week at work leading up to a major event, and I spent the majority of my evenings and weekend time trying to make sense of my crazy to-do list. Next came a week spent in California visiting my beau's family, and last week I had a pre-cancerous mole removed from the bottom of my foot that was about 100x times more painful than I'd anticipated. This week, I'm pressing the reset button and embracing the moments of my regular life that are oh so sweet. 

I read the wonderful quote above on Cup of Jo last week, and it's been on my mind ever since. How many moments do I not fully appreciate because something isn't quite perfect? It's so easy to look to the future toward something that hasn't yet happened as when life really starts (when I lose 10 pounds, when I get married, when I figure out work/life balance, etc). But, life is happening now, in every single small moment of flossing your teeth, washing an endless amount of dishes, or pressing the snooze button. I'm not sure about you, but life is really zipping by at an alarming rate recently, and I want to do my best to stop and savor the moments as they are actually happening. 

This weekend, my beau and I took a blanket to a nearby park and I finished a fantastic book (This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper) while lying in the grass and listening to the kids playing nearby. I thought about taking a picture for Instagram, but resisted. Later that night, we laughed our heads off watching a Louie C.K. comedy special on HBO. Yesterday, instead of grabbing a Clif bar on the way out the door to work, I made breakfast and sat down at the table to eat it. Is any of that going to show up on the highlight reel of my life? Likely not, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

I don't want to wait for life to start, I want to embrace all of the beautiful moments that are happening right now. And if that means donning a bathing suit when I don't feel 100% comfortable, choosing not to share something on social media, or leaving the dishes in the sink until morning, so be it. 

P.S. I'm happy and slightly nervous to share that last week, I was a guest on Sarah Bagley's fantastic podcast. We talked about perfectionism, balance, and living in the moment. 

{Image via Pinterest} 

Recent Inspiration

There is just something about the change of season that has made me feel lighter and happier recently, and inspiration is popping up everywhere. I've run across so many terrific posts recently that have helped me my ordinary life through new eyes. I hope you enjoy connecting with these lovely ladies as much as I have!

The Lively Show Podcast – Several friends recommended this podcast, and I've listened to a few episodes this week and found them all incredibly inspiring. Jess has an affirming way of putting her guests at ease and bringing out their best, and even folks I had known about before (Grace Bonney, Erin Loechner, Danielle Moss) I saw in a fresh, new, inspiring light. My favorite tidbit was from the Erin Loechner episode, about figuring out what your "golden hours" (i.e. most productive) are, and making the most of them personally & professionally. 

Pressing the Reset Button via Flora & Fauna – I adore Tatiana's blog (she is a blog-turned-real-life-friend!), and I often get a boost from reading her well written words. In this particular post, she shares how making a few changes to her daily schedule, food, and organization made a huge difference.  "Sometimes we just need a reset button and this week was a good reminder that it doesn't always have to happen on january one, sometimes you need to start fresh in march, april or whenever." 

The Lines of a Story by Roots, Wings & Wanderings – Caiti is definitely a kindred spirit internet friend for me, and I find myself constantly inspired by her perspective. Recently, she has been exploring natural skincare, and she shared a post about the beauty of aging naturally. "We are given exactly one body during our lifetime, and I believe it is simply a container for our spirit. A spirit that needs to express itself through movement, labor, love. Even if that means we get a little worn around the edges, a little soft in the middle."

Productivity & Taking a Break by FunnelCloud –  Rachel took an "Olympic break" this February from social media and the internet and focused instead on truly savoring the moment. As someone who spends far too much timing looking at a screen myself (often as soon as I open my eyes in the morning!), I absolutely loved reading about how this break boosted her productivity and caused her to see everything with new eyes. "If I needed a break - those times I would usually glance at my phone - I sat down and read a book. I interacted with my dogs. I tasted my food. I looked out the window and appreciated the snow with my own eyes instead of looking at 20 photos in a row on Instagram of other people's snow-covered porch furniture."

A Fresh Look at Beauty & Wellness from MakeupTIA – I've long been a fan of Ashley's beauty videos, and many of the products she's recommended are my absolute favorites. But in the past few weeks, she's gone beyond the best lipstick or nail polish to share her weight loss journey, beautifying foods (and easy ways to eat them daily!) and new products that help from the inside out. She is such a brave & inspiring lady, and I'm eager to see what she shares next. 

{Image via Pinterest}

A Small Shift

There comes a moment when something shifts ever so slightly, but you feel as if a much bigger change has taken place. This week, I feel like I've been surrounded by those moments, and it's caused me to breathe a little easier and feel a little more connected to the world around me. 

I've been trying to do a little bit of yoga every day, even if  it's just 5 minutes of light stretching. I've been loving the Do You Yoga 30-Day Challenge, which I completed this fall and have been revisiting my favorite videos this month. The other day, I realized that it was just a little easier to get through the various poses, my muscles had gotten just a little stronger and I was able to enjoy the practice instead of counting down the moments until the "hard part" was over. 

With the time change, I now get to drive home with the sun still shining and there is a little sliver still peeking into my apartment at night when I arrive home. Though I get home at exactly the same time, that extra few minutes of light energizes me and makes me feel as if the evening stretches on a little longer. 

Things have also been extremely busy at work recently. When priorities shift and looming deadlines approach (especially for a tightly wound person such as myself), it's easy to feel that you'll never catch up. Yesterday, I finished two large projects and was actually able to feel a little space in my schedule to get reorganized and knock out those nagging tasks that have been lingering on my to-do list. 

Even though these were all small shifts in my daily life, they had a ripple effect that made me feel a little lighter as I continued with my week – I'm a little stronger, things are a little sunnier, and I'm breathing a little easier. And, although the weather out there today is decidedly wintery, I'm looking forward to the positive changes that the new season will bring. 

{Image via Pinterest} 

The Joy of Giving

Today is my mom's birthday. To set the scene, this woman loves birthdays. When I was growing up, she even made me a "half cake" for my half birthday, and even now that I'm in my 30s, she never fails to buy me multiple presents and call me on the morning of my birthday to sing to me. Even the year that my grandma (her mother) passed away 3 days before my 30th birthday, she selflessly put aside her own grieving to make the day special for me.

Couple that with the fact that she lives 350 miles away, I wanted to do something this year to make her feel extra special. I started with my normal routine, picking out a lipstick shade I knew she'd love from Sephora and choosing the best card Target had to offer. But then, something propelled me to take it a step further. I was thinking about sending flowers to her office, but then an even better idea struck me: cupcakes! 

My mom loves cupcakes, especially the extra pretty and delicious ones from Georgetown cupcake. Every time she visits here, we swing by for a sweet treat (I definitely got my sweet tooth from my mother), and many visits home, a pink box sits snuggly on my backseat as I make the 6 hour drive. I learned that I could ship a dozen cupcakes to her, overnight at a pretty reasonable price. I had fun choosing which flavors she would enjoy, and set it up to be delivered to her work. 

Waiting a week for her birthday to arrive was like waiting for Christmas as a kid! I had really been downplaying my gift to her via text & the phone, so she hopefully would be completely surprised. Though I'm notoriously not a morning person, I woke up this morning and literally couldn't wait to hear from her. I was obsessively checking the UPS tracking number, and had my cell phone prominently placed so I wouldn't miss a peep.

Around 1pm, she called, and I knew immediately from her tear-filled voice that she was very happy. And, my own heart swelled. Doing something like this for her made me even happier than if I'd received the cupcakes myself. And, it really made me think about the little things I can do for others in my day to day life – offering to go get coffee for a coworker, calling my grandparents, doing the dishes after dinner without the "who's turn is it?" conversation, and being kind to the people I interact with on a daily basis. Oftentimes, when we are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or sad, connecting with the outside world makes the biggest impact. 

And now, I think I might need to go get myself a cupcake. 

Facing Fears

Those who are closest to me know that I really struggle with change and being outside of my comfort zone. I love tradition and things that I'm familiar with. I'm not exactly the most flexible person you'll ever meet. I won't be the gal to go white water rafting with you, and while I love to read about goal setting, I can be adverse to anything that rocks the balance I've created in my world. 

Earlier this year, I shared that I'm using Lara Casey's Powersheets to chart out my goals this year, and the first step of the process was identifying your fears, as well as your highlights/achievements from the previous year. I thought this was a very insightful process, as it caused me to reflect upon the things I was proudest of, as well as giving thought to what may be holding me back from moving forward in life. 

It was easy to identify change as one of my largest fears, but what was very surprising to me is that nearly all of the highlights from my year involved times that I did bravely step out of my comfort zone and into the unknown. The obvious takeaway is that pushing myself to confront that fear brought the happiest and most gratifying moments, which really does make perfect sense. 

I moved out of the apartment I'd lived in for over 6 years, and in with my beau. Though this was clearly something I was very happy to do, I would be challenged to feel at home somewhere new, as well as opening my heart to sharing a home with a significant other for the first time. It was honestly one of the easiest things I've ever done, and even in those first few days, I didn't miss my old apartment at all. 

This fall, my college alma mater invited me to participate in a musical theater showcase. While I was initially very excited to participate (seeing old friends! singing on stage again!), I grew extremely nervous because I hadn't actually performed onstage since I took my final bow in Fiddler on the Roof senior year of college 10 years prior. But, I decided to embrace the opportunity and had an absolutely terrific time. 

I have struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember, and have fought finding a way to make it better because, quite frankly, I was scared. I was used to feeling that way, and what if I didn't like feeling different? What if it got worse? You get the picture. But, this year, I took a few brave steps toward finding a solution, and I feel better than ever. 

The lesson? I'm much stronger and more adaptable than I think I am, and stepping outside of my comfort zone and facing those fears have accounted for some of the absolute best moments in the past year. As we continue to move into 2014, I am trying to find more of these moments, and I hope that you do the same. 

{Image via Pinterest}