Getting Spring Ready!

I love the winter. I feel like its the perfect time to "hibernate" and get spring ready. Meaning, ready to shed the coat and bare a little skin. As we all know coats are great for keeping warm and hiding those extra holiday pounds and I've found myself in previous years hanging on to the coat to hide the "results of the winter" once it was just too warm to wear one! Well, now I can't wait to show the results of winter by getting ready now.  Next week is the last week of my juice cleanse and will also mark my 100 day workout challenge. Every day, working out for at least 45 minutes a day. I am hoping to shape and tone to get ready for my first 5k and to rock some form fitting spring dresses!

Also, I'm making sure to take care of my skin from head to toe. I've been protective styling my hair since November. Meaning, I've kept it twisted and under a hat about 90 percent of the time to protect my hair from the cold and from rubbing on my coat collar.  The results have been amazing and my hair is full of life. I also attribute the results to the nutrients from my juice cleanse too.

I've been treating my skin with homemade cures such as honey and cinnamon face masks, homemade protein mask for my hair and DIY lip scrubs with great success.  I've also adopted using Nivea's Nighttime Renewal Hand cream almost every night for super soft hands. Also taking care of my cuticles with tend to crack and peel and my feet thanks to my handy PedEgg and foot bath.

What are you doing to get ready for spring?

Juice Cleanse: Day 19

No, I haven't been keeping a daily log of my juice cleanse, simply because there isn't much to tell. It's still an experience, but not as eventful as the first week thats for sure.

I picked up a share of produce from an organic collective. Got organic kale, oranges, cabbage, celery, carrots, lemons, etc... Since I am juicing nothing but organic going forward, that was a helpful kickstart.

My acne is still here, that's a bit depressing since I was hoping it when be gone by Day 20, which is tomorrow. Things seem to be drying/healing up, but they are still present which is a huge bummer. The key may be a colon/liver/kidney cleanse which I will start on next to flush out toxins that remain in my body.

I must say I am proud of myself for sticking with it. When I was on day 2, I didn't know if or how I'd make it to now. But I am grateful for sticking it out because the only way I could get to day 19, was if I successfully completed day 2.

My awareness is so keen. I am thinking so clear and fixing the things that I just didn't really want to to deal with and getting things in order as much as I can.

I realize that every other commercial pushes food in our faces. Laden with bad fats, oils and stuff we don't need. It is constant. I can't blame the media for how unhealthy some people are, but they are not innocent. I just don't think we are aware of the subliminal messages that we get to eat and eat and eat and eat stuff that really isn't that great for us. It's a cycle, and we as a society are stuck. It's only by doing this fast did I see the pattern that was there all along. To anyone that overeats, undereats, binge eats, eats for no reason and/or eats "bad" foods, ask yourself why. I think we will see that our external environment triggers internal levers that make us participate in unhealthy habits. I'm not a health guru by any means but 19 day of this cleanse has given me clarity that I just didn't have and clarity I think many people don't when we as stuck in the cycle of fast and processed foods.

I have, in effect drank more vegetables that I ate probably in the past six months...maybe close to the past year (sad but true) in just under 20 days.  True story. And this is stuff that my body needs to do its best. I've been in effect, starving myself all this time.  Never again. never again.

Right now I am looking forward to the next 11 day of this cleanse. Going to focus on detoxing the organs I mentioned above. I'll post about that as well. I know I need to drink more water even though it seems like I'm ALWAYS drinking it! I also started going to the sauna to help my skin detox, so I hope to keep this up as well.

I must say I feel fabulous, I really do.

xoxo

Pantry Beauty Cures

Over the past year I've been researching and learning more about natural remedies to common ailments and just how common items we have in our pantry help with overall heath in general.

As an acne sufferer, I finally quit all the Rx prescribed by the doctor that over the long term weren't good for me. I also learned that some of the OTC acne treatments may help with acne, but have really harsh ingredients for your skin overall, so I gave that up too. I'll chronicle my experience with some of these things at a later date. Right now, I want to share my holy grail items that i adore for their wonderful benefits for the body that have worked for me.

Ginger
I was a bit slow in getting on this bandwagon. I received a Go Ginger moisturizer sample during a giveaway they had and my skin looked awesome...no breakouts...nothing. I ran out and didn't replenish and a few

months later my skin started to erupt. Now, I'm not saying this product was keeping the acne at bay entirely but what I have come to realize is the power and goodness of ginger.

Why is so great: Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties among other things. So it can be used to treat inflammation from a myriad of sources. Ginger aids in digestion and helps accelerate the removal of toxins from the body. It's super high in Vitamin C and helps soften the skin and lessen signs of aging.  It is also thought that ginger can help with ovarian cancer, the prevention and the treatment.

How I use it: Ginger Tea. Twice a day I make ginger tea which I steep peeled and chopped ginger pieces in hot water. I may add lemon and/or honey depending on my mood. Ginger can also be applied directly to acne to help lessen inflammation.

Side Note: I need to get some more of that Go Ginger moisturizer! It's really good stuff.

Lemon
Lemon has been a mainstay of mine for quite sometime. Its a great sweeter and can be used in face and hair the power of the lemon, check it out!

masks. It boosts the immune system, cleanses the liver and helps fight infection. Here's a great article on

How I use it: In water every morning. I use it in my ginger tea often. I use it in my honey facial mask. I use it alone to help clear up dark spots on my skin from acne scarring. Yes, lemon juice can lighten marks, but please don't let your skin be exposed to the sun. I use it a lot during winter and when I'm in the house. If you expose your skin to sun after using lemon on it, there could be more harm done that good.  Be aware. I use only real lemons, not juice out of the bottle. If you can swing it (and you find a sale) opt for organic.


Honey
Yassss honey! Honey is EVERYTHANG! Yes, "thang"!  No, not the honey out of the little honey bottle that you can get for a buck. That stuff isn't raw 100 percent honey. Here you want to spend a bit more for raw honey that you can find at your local grocery or health food store.  I've heard the benefits of Manuka honey praised to the heavens, and at the price I haven't coughed up the funds to purchase it. I will give it a shot just to see if its worth the hype.  I recommend grabbing the raw honey it may cost anywhere from $5-$15, but its worth it. Honey helps prevent cancer and heart disease. It is also anti-bacterial and anti-fungal which is great for the fight against acne. There are many varieties of honey that have their own benefits. Honey is great for hair and skin as well. Honey helps retain moisture and softens and smooths hair. Same for skin, plus since its
anti bacterial it can attack the crap that helps to cause acne!

How I use it: I use a honey and lemon mask on my skin 1x a day right now after washing. Fresh lemon and raw honey and let it set sometimes up to 30 minutes, no less than 15 and rinse off with cold water. My skin loves it and though it hasn't cleared up my acne totally, there has been a great improvement to which I contribute this concoction.  I'm a hair mask junkie and I use honey in my deep conditioning hair mask that I make.  I also use honey in my green smoothies, in my tea and sometimes I'll just take a big spoonful and swallow just for the health benefits.  Honey is my liquid gold!


I'd highly recommend these good for you and good to you items to add to your beauty regime and in your dietary intake. I have a feeling I'll be posting more about these items quite often.  Next time, I'll be talking about more pantry beauty cures including Apple Cider Vinegar and Coconut Oil.

From Drab to Fab in One Simple Step

This image has absolutely nothing to do with this post,
I just thought it looked quite yummy! :-)

I must admit there have been plenty of days that just going outside was a feat in and of itself. Taking the time to do my hair and makeup to the gawds was just not happening. My naturally curly hair is beautiful but a challenge at times and rumbling through my unorganized makeup collection was tiring before I even tried. So out the door in my favorite leggings and any top I went feeling totally unfab!

Well, all that has changed.

No, I don't have a hour to spend beating my face and hair into submission worthy of the cover of Vogue magazine but I realized the little things that I can do that make me feel wonderful that are quick and easy. That feeling of "oh my God, what if I run into someone I know" doesn't phase me because I know I'm looking darn pretty cute.  And I know this resonates with a lot of you because sometimes life takes everything out of you leaving you with no time left for yourself. Now, I can't give you another 4 hours in your day but here is one simple tips to help you look and feel fabulous.

Give 'Em Face Honey!

While I lack the time and know-how to perfectly contour my nose, I realized I didn't need that anyway. What makes me feel pretty is just mascara, some poppin' gloss or lipstick and earrings. If I'm on the go and need to rush to drop off something at my son's school. Mascara (currently, Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam is my crush) and a coat of my favorite lipstick (or gloss) will do the job just fine. Simple, right? Takes less than 5 minutes, why didn't I figure this out before?!!  Once I figured this out, I was happily waiving at folks I knew that I'd encounter while out and about instead of ducking and hoping they didn't see me because I was less than put together that day. Your one step is to figure out what makes you feel fabulous. Going from drab to fab doesn't have to be a labor intensive process. Just figure out what effortlessly chic items make you feel amazing and go with it!

On any given day you'll catch me in some shade of a red, purple or pink lip.  I'd be remiss not share the mascara and lippies I so adore these days, both can be found at pretty much any drugstore. Total non-budget busters!

Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Red Label $5.49

Rimmel Scandaleyes $6