[try this] The DIY Combo for Your Own Glow Enhancing Body Serum.

Ever since I wrote the article not long ago about body serums, I've had intentions to try a few of the options available on the market.  Unfortunately, I have some other wish list purchases that take priority so I had to improvise.

Winters are torture for my skin. As soon as the humidity drops, everything goes south.  Each year I'm plagued with dry, itchy legs and thighs.  The itchiness is so intense that I sometimes end up actually creating surface-level scars on the skin.

I've tried to address the itchiness with lotion but it's a losing battle.  But last night a tried a combination that turned out to be absolutely amazing.

"Every Minute Spent Organizing is an Hour Earned." - Confessions of a Self Proclaimed Planner Addict

One of my resolutions for 2020 is to get better at creating a written plan for my day.  It never fails, anytime I consistently use my trusty planner, I'm guaranteed to accomplish more than when I wing it from the top of my head.  Here's my problem.  Planning works so well that I start to believe that I'm a naturally productive person.  Then I enter this slippery slope of thinking that my productivity will stay the same even without a written plan for the day.

The truth is, if I want to have an uber-productive day, week, or month, using a planner a sure-fire way to achieve that.  Since I'm on a mission to reimplement the habit of daily planning, I thought I'd reach out to someone who embodies this habit. Shara Simmons is a card-carrying member of the budding planner community.  I've followed Shara on IG for years.  From afar, I've seen her launch her nursing career, buy her dream car and acquire a beautiful home.  If I had to guess, I'd theorize that her dedication to jotting down action items has influenced the direction of her life.

 I follow an entrepreneur who launched her own clothing line several years ago.  Over the years, her company has flourished.   One secret she revealed in a vlog was how she always keeps her planner nearby to document everything she needs to accomplish. 

Let's take a peek inside the mind of a person who's dedicated to the art of planning and see if we can gain a few takeaways to apply in our own lives.

I Modified the Manifestation Journal Concept and Made It Better.

A while ago, I attended a women's empowerment seminar.  The person leading the event dedicated an entire segment to the power of journaling for manifestation.  To further convince us of the effectiveness of this practice, she invited several of her students up to share testimonies of how journaling produced amazing outcomes in their lives.

Hearing their incredible stories inspired me to start keeping my own manifestation journal.  Because I didn't purchase her journalling course with step by step instructions on how to journal for success, I kinda winged it.

My idea was to practice journaling current manifestations as they happen in real-time.  Along with that, I planned writing out future manifestations in the present tense to help generate feelings of already achieving what I want.

It was a great plan....but I wasn't consistent.  Eventually, I stopped journaling altogether.

But here's the good news, this year I developed a modified journaling routine to one that I could actually maintain.  So far, it's working beautifully and I can't wait to share the process with you.

This Might Be the Greatest Sheet Mask Tip of All Time!

I can't believe that we're months into winter and I haven't written the sheet mask post yet.  Don't worry ladies, I won't let you down, because I'm here to share one of my best sheet mask tips yet.  I can't even begin to tell you how many sheet masks I have in piled up in my drawer.    I'm always making silent promises to use up my masks, but fitting in that extra step into my already elaborate skin routine isn't always convenient.

Deep down, I know that if I were to mask more often, my skin would be immaculate.  But who has the time?

I do! Especially now that I've discovered a secret sheet masking tip that a Korean beauty enthusiasts swears by.

This Heat Protecting Oil Has the Ability to Scientifically Rebuild Your Hair!

I haven't used direct heat in my hair for a long time.  The plan is to stay consistent with my wash day routine, feed my hair from within, then enjoy the fruits of my labor this summer.  Ideally, I hope to have retained a few more inches that I can flaunt this summer.

When it comes to using heat, I've shunned traditional heat protectants for natural oils.  Using oils as a heat protectant isn't recommended.  Instead of protecting the hair, some oils could heat up on the strands potentially causing damage.  Even though I was aware of the risk, I still took the chance because of how well my hair responds oils.

This morning I learned of the existence of a new styling oil that protects against heat while also repairing the hair at the structural level.

Why Vitamin D Could Be the Key to a Flatter Tummy.

It never fails, whenever I put on a few extra pounds, it always goes directly to my midsection.  Of all the times in the year, I seem to pack on belly fat during the winter.  Most of us will dismiss this phenomenon as a result of the extra indulgences that occur during the holidays... and that may be so, but I've recently learned of another trigger that could be causing us to have more belly fat than we should.

First Impressions// Why Salt Rooms are an Amazing Self-Care Experience.

A few years ago, I participated in a serious of wellness experiences as a means of elevating my vibration.  Basically, I signed up for a bunch of services including massage treatments, infrared sauna sessions, float tanks, cryotherapy, etc.  All of those experiences were amazing.  The best part is that I was able to manifest growth in my business by working less.  Abundance just seemed to flow.

One other experience that I really wanted to try was a salt room.  I've written multiple articles on the benefits of pink salt.  Not only is it nutritionally superior to plain ole table salt, it also has potential beauty benefits as well.

This past Christmas, I was blessed with a gift card to a local salt room.  This gift was given by a family member who lives across the country and had no idea this was something I wanted.  The gift card was an incredible manifestation.  This past weekend was my first of many salt room visits.  The experience was so incredible that I immediately wanted to book a second session. 

For those who've always been curious about visiting a salt cave, I hope this post helps to convince you to take the plunge.

Apparently we all need to buy Milk's Hydro Grip Primer....ASAP!

At the end of last year, I made a fairly significant purchase from Sephora in order to secure membership to their VIP program.  Once the purchase was made, I felt pretty confident knowing that I wouldn't be purchasing or coveting another beauty related item for a very long while.

*laughs nervously* I guess I was mistaken. 

It looks like I won't even make it through January before making yet another beauty buy.  But this time I can justify my transgression by saying that this might just be the most loved beauty product of 2019.

If You're Serious About Reaching Your Goals, Do This.

Do you have some lofty goals set for 2020?  I know I do.  Right now I'm full of optimism 'cause the new year just started and there's plenty of possibilities ahead.   Even with a ripe new year before me, I still know that unless I make some changes from last year, I run the risk of not achieving my desires.

This morning, I asked myself a simple question.  "If there's one thing I need to change in order to reach all of my goals, what would that be."

The answer came back quickly.

As soon as I "heard" it, I knew that this was the single most important key to my success.

To put it bluntly, the only way to achieve most of my goals is to manage or eliminate that which distracts me from achieving them.

My Favorite Body Exfoliation Bar Just Got Better!

In 2019, I discovered my new favorite body care product thanks to an Instagram Beauty Secret reveal.  Any long-time readers know that I'm obsessed with body exfoliation.  I attribute my long-standing habit of scrubbing in the shower daily as a key to helping to minimize discoloration on the body.

Until recently, I mainly relied on the help of sugar crystals to help slough off dead skin.  While sugar scrubs are great, they just didn't compare with the amazing microdermabrasion bar from CrystalPeel.  This exfoliation soap has my entire heart.  I didn't think I could find anything better.

Until now...

How to Turn Your Cell Phone into a Super Powerful Manifestation Tool!

My phone has become both a blessing and a curse.  On the one hand, it's a tool that I use for my business and to keep in touch with family.  On the other hand, my cell phone is a huge distraction.  My amount of daily screen time is more than I'm comfortable with.  What's worse is that a bulk of that time is spent mindlessly on social media.

Obviously, this is a habit that I'd like correct in 2020.  But instead of promising to spend less time on the phone, I have a better idea...

If this works, my phone can actually become a powerful tool that'll help me manifest all of my immediate goals. 

Here's how.

This Cutting Edge Technology Brand Created a Detangling Comb...and I Must Have It!

Years ago I had this comb drawer.  It was stocked full of various types of detangling combs.  Somehow, I developed this habit of picking up a new detangling comb whenever I came across one that seemed promising.  This went on for years until I found the detangling comb that changed everything.

Since then, I've been pretty content.  I invested in a couple Mason Pearson Detangling combs and called it a day.  The Mason Pearson comb became my absolute favorite for many reasons which are all detailed in this post.   Honestly, I never thought I'd see the day when another detangling comb would catch my eye....

But the day has arrived.

Optimal Allocation // The Art of Turning Your Increase into Greater Financial Abundance

Immediately after getting married, my husband and I sought to purchase our first home.  The problem was that we lived in a city with unusually fast-rising home prices.  Oh, did I mention the fact that we bought at the tail end of a housing bubble?  Interest rates were high and prices were extremely inflated.  After a brief search, we found a home that we loved at first sight.

We were both making hourly wages at the time.  After running the numbers, I figured we could afford the mortgage although things would be tight and we have to be cautious with our spending.  I hated our loan structure. The interest rate was too high and it sometimes fluctuated depending on the market.  Then the bubble burst, causing our home to lose a ton of value.  I hated paying a mortgage for a home that was worth much less than I paid for it. I wanted nothing more than a chance to reduce the monthly payments to free up cash for other things.

Eventually, that day came.  After years of wishing to lower mortgage payment,  I was finally able to refinance.  Once the payment dropped,  my monthly income *technically* went up.  It felt amazing. I thought my life would be so different....but it wasn't.

Nothing really changed once the payment went down.  The money we saved monthly was quickly reabsorbed into our lifestyle.  I fantasized for years about having a lower mortgage, and when it happened....I let everything slip through my fingers.

Here's the good news.  I'm currently in the process of refinancing my mortgage once again! Dropping interest rates have presented us with yet another opportunity to increase our monthly income via a lower payment.  But, this time, I want to do things differently.

[style obsession] Dressed In Denim.

I've made commitments to myself to wear dresses more often.  But, people tend to dress down where I live which makes most of my dresses a bit too formal for daily wear.  The solution to this dilemma is the dress that's absolutely perfect for shopping, running errands or even a brunch date with Mr. Hopefully.

It's the demin dress.

Why do I love denim dresses?  I consider them as timeless and classic.  Sure, they aren't as formal as other styles of dresses but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be staples in our closet.

If you haven't found a denim dress that you love, it's because you haven't been looking hard enough.  You've probably dismissed them as outdated, frumpy or even a fashion no-no.  I'm here to invite you to think differently about the underappreciated demin dress.

Fun fact, I met my husband wearing a jean dress.  Back then, I owned several because they were my favorite type of dress.  The one I wore, in particular, was slightly form-fitting, yet modest and stylish.  I appeared feminine and approachable because of the casual nature of denim.

What I love about the denim dress is that you can go for whatever silhouette that best suits you.  Pretty much any cut, shade, style, or shape is an option.  Short or long, form-fitting or flowy,  you can find it!

Not ready to go "full denim dress" yet?  That's perfectly fine.  Perhaps you can consider incorporating denim skirts into your style rotation.

Again, you can play around with style, length to find your perfect fit.  Denim skirts are the epitome of casual-feminine-chic, especially if you accessorize with a strappy shoe.  It's a perfect laid-back look that's can still be polished and put together.

Four Ways Meditation Helps You Lose Weight Effortlessly and with Ease

About a month ago, I realized that I had deviated away from my habit of jumping on the scale every morning.  Weighing myself daily was a habit I maintained to prevent my weight from getting out of control.  Whenever I don't pay attention to my eating habits for too long, the weight quickly shows up.

Since I hadn't weighed myself in a while, I was pretty nervous to find out what kind of damage had been done.  When I finally drummed up enough courage to jump on the scale, I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to find out that my weight was actually lower than previously. 

I was super excited about losing a few pounds and thought back about what I did to create this result.  After a few moments of reflection, my mind drew a blank.  Truthfully, I hadn't really done anything differently.   I ate pretty much the same, didn't exercise much.  I wasn't focusing on my weight during that time at all.  The weight seemed to just miraculously disappear.

Since I couldn't come up with a definitive conclusion, I just assumed there was no cause....that it was some sort of random occurrence.

Yesterday morning, the answer came to me as I conducted my morning routine.    The weight loss that I experienced during that time could be a direct result of my regular meditation sessions.

Here's why.