Phew! Last week was a whirlwind meeting friends, cooking, yoga and shopping without any need to rush things. These last couple of months have been absolutely heavenly, and while I know it won't last, I am definitely taking advantage of this indulgent time.
So for the April kick-off blog, I just want to put down in my Pen Pretty Journal all the things I am obsessed with during this heavenly hiatus. My plan is to make sure all these new things I have learned will stick in my next working life, since it's already a part of my life now. It's all about consistency, people! It's a true lesson in committing to something and sticking to it. You can talk all you want, but it's what you do that really counts.
DAILY YOGA:
Whether it's 20 minutes or an hour, I cannot get enough of Yoga Download. They have an amazing range of classes that fits into my schedule and I cannot go a day without it. My favorite classes are Yoga For Back Pain, Yoga For Weight Loss, and Hot Yoga. Yeah, you heard it here. You know those Bikram classes you pay and arm and a leg for? You can do it at home with a space heater and a small room. Amazing! They've just boosted their library of Slideshow classes which I highly recommend so you can see each pose right on your computer screen. I pay $87 a year to have unlimited classes and it's SO worth it.
COOK, EVERYDAY
It's amazing what happens when you start making your own food. Suddenly, things like boxed sugar cereals and sodas are taboo, while using your own ingredients puts you in more control over your weight, mood swings, and everything else sugar and preservatives adds to our unhealthy lifestyles. I've been fortunate to be able to cook all 3 meals daily because I have time, but even when I jump back into my writing career again, I will always be sure to (at least) make dinners, and my own homemade oatmeal to take to work for breakfast! Last night I made a chicken and saffron rice dish in my Le Creuset french oven and the flavors were so different compared to if you had bought the whole dish frozen. Oh, and don't even get me started on cupcakes. I am obsessed. The picture in this post is my inspiration for my next batch - how cute is that??? Cupcakes in a jar. Adorable.
LET'S SPA IT OUT, BITCH
Ok, that's a bit harsh but like the famous words of Ari Gold in Entourage, nothing says love like a good hug-out session, or for the beauty obsessed like myself, a daily pampering session. Whether it's in the morning or night, I am either doing a mask or light therapy session with my Tanda to keep my face perfect and line-free. Since I have a stash of goodies from my last beauty writing gig, I have been doing everything from peels, to scrubs, to my SK-II masks, and even whitening therapies to banish dark spots on my face. And even if you don't have the goods, you can still get a good facial in with steaming hot towels, an apricot scrub, and a hydrating yogurt mask straight from your kitchen. If you have an hour, break it up like this:
20 minutes: cardio
20 minutes: yoga
20 minutes: facial
...and you're done! This way, you get it all out of the way in an hour and your beauty & soul are fed - with the glow to prove it! And vary it up a bit. I've been known to do weights with a mask on to make up for time!
LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD:
One thing this hiatus has taught me is that I have a lot of shit. And I mean A LOT! Right now, my husband and I have the guest bedroom stuffed to the gills with crap that needs to be filtered through and even dumped. It just nauseates me when I see that I have 10 black dresses and 20 pairs of jeans when I only wear maybe one or two out of the whole lot! Anyway, this month I will be putting one thing up on eBay everyday and whatever I don't sell goes to charity. After that, I will make it a point to put something up on eBay that I am not using once a week to keep the rotation (and eventual reduction) of junk moving. Now, before I go out and buy it, I make sure to see if I have it first. Try it. You'll be amazed at what you find. And hey, we could all use a little extra cash. Why not let go of that meaningless vase Aunt Vera bought you so you can get something you really want!
-j