Why it's More Important to Eat Healthy Now More than Ever

During this time of quarantine, it's really tempting to stock up on a bunch of non-perishable snack items and to frequent the drive-thru since it's one of the few types of business still operating.  But today I want to make the case for eating more fruits and veggies.  Not just because they'll help you ward off that quarantine weight, but because they contain a chemical compound that could actually help play a critical role in helping to fight the damaging effects of the virus.

Dopamine Detox // The Key To Fueling Your Motivation Like Never Before!

Prior to the start of the nationwide quarantine, I learned something critical about how my daily habits fuel my unproductive behavior.  As soon as I learned the root cause of my lack of motivation, I went straight into action to make immediate changes.  Since those changes have been implemented, I've experienced a huge surge in motivation and productivity.

The solution is simple, but also difficult.  There's a little bit of willpower involved but, I promise you, if you commit to giving this a try, you will not regret it.

I tried Halle Berry's 4 Step At-Home Facial...And You Should Too!

Earlier today, my skin was dry & dull.  But now it's smooth and hydrated thanks to Halle Berry.  Yes, Halle Berry, the 53-year-old actress who still holds beauty inspiration status 'till this very day.  We've been waiting forever for Halle to reveal how she maintains her beautiful skin and youthful appearance.

Well, ladies, the day has finally arrived.  Wanna know the best part?  Her routine only involves 4 simple steps that anyone can recreate with products we already have on hand.  Halle's video came just at the right time because Sundays were meant for skin treatments.  So, give this routine and try and see if you love it as much as I do.

[live beautifully.] Turn Your Home into a Space that You Never Want to Leave.

Most, if not all of us will be homebound for a while.  I'm hoping for things to return to normal but who knows how long it'll be before that happens.  I'm a homebody so this quarantine experience nothing new.   Here's a tip to survive being confined at home, the more you love your environment, the faster the time will fly.

I strongly believe that turning your home into a mini-oasis is the key to thriving during these crazy times we're in.   Let's chat about some simple, cost-effective ways to turn your living space into an environment you'll absolutely love.

Try Frequent Wash Days for Your Healthiest Hair Ever!

For the past several months, I found myself dreading wash days. Shorter, colder days just don't mesh well with extensive wash day routines.  So I pretty much tried to avoid them whenever possible.  But now that we've got a few additional hours of light each day, and I'm pretty much home all day, I thought now would be as good of a time as any to institute frequent washings into my routine...and why you should too.

Productive Habits to Build During Your Quarantine.

I've been running my business from home for 5 years.  Even before leaving my job, I worked from home with my previous two employers.   I will never forget the day working from home.  I nearly had a panic attack because I didn't know what to do with myself.

Do I work from morning to night?
Do I clean my house in the middle of the day?
If I had to run an errand, was I stealing time?

Until I had somewhat of a structure in place, I had a lot of anxiety about working from home.   This nationwide quarantine has brought back a ton of memories of the early days of working at home.  The more I think about it, the more I realize that I've strayed from a defined structure that supports the very best outcome of working from home.   Now is the perfect time to get back on track.

Your Immune Boosting Self-Care Routine.

The coronavirus outbreak has pretty much taken over the media.  All the updates about new cases and infection rates could cause high anxiety.  Based on the little we know so far, it's somewhat likely that many of us to come in contact with the virus.  Because many hosts are symptomless, we could be interacting with infected individuals without even knowing.

Thankfully, most of the people who will be infected with Covid-19 will experience mild symptoms.  The hope is that our immune system can effectively combat the virus.  The stronger our immune system, the greater the chance for a full recovery.

Let's talk about some ways that we boost our immunity as a part of a self-care regimen.

The Superfood for Glowing Skin, a Leaner Body, and a Supercharged Immune System

Years ago, I enjoyed an amazing, nutrient-rich smoothie every morning.  I tried my best to include as many superfoods as humanly possible into my daily smoothie.  I searched high and low for the perfect ingredients to boost up my morning drink.  The two must-have ingredients that I always included were spirulina and chlorella.

Once I took on a busy position that included lots of travel, I no longer had the luxury of making smoothies at home every morning.  Eventually, my diet no longer included blue-green algae.  I've now rectified the situation by restocking on both spirulina and chlorella.  After I share some of the amazing benefits of these amazing superfoods, you'll be just as obsessed as I am.

High Neck + Sleeveless.

With spring quickly approaching, I've been very vigilant for inspiration to update my wardrobe.  It gets pretty hot where I live so I'm always thinking about how to stay cool in nearly 90-degree weather.  I pretty much live in tank tops.  But, if I were being completely honest, I admit that my tanks aren't really that stylish.

Sure they look ok if I layer a little cardigan or something over it.  But I want tops that look perfectly stylish on their own. 

How To Maintain an Abundance Mindset While Reducing Your Debt

A couple of years ago, I developed the intention of increasing how much money I made by reducing my monthly expenses. For a long while, I mainly followed the principle of raising your income instead of budgeting.  While focusing on raising my income was great, I eventually became weary of how much money I was spending monthly.  I wasn't really buying a bunch of lavish things.  The expenses mainly consisted of stuff like updating our house, helping family members and, and other expenses that were deemed to be necessary. 

One day, I did the math and figured that I could save a nice chunk of change if I paid off my student loan and eliminated a few other recurring expenses. With laser-focused intensity, I got rid of my student loan, refinanced my home (twice) and got rid of a bunch of other on-going expenses.  In the end, I was certain that I'd have a lot of money left over for discretionary spending.  In actually, the opposite happened.

Instead of having a lot of money left over to play around with, it seemed like the money was nowhere to be found.  Perhaps it was absorbed by unexpected expenses that showed up out of nowhere.  But I have another theory about what exactly happened....

[summer ready] Why Underarm Masking Should Be Your Part of Your Beauty Routine

Although spring isn't here yet, I've already had the pleasure of experiencing some pretty warm days.  The moment I'm exposed to warmer temperatures, I automatically start thinking about prepping for summer.  More specifically, I like to focus on detoxing before summer hits.  Why? Because I have this theory that everything sort of slows down during the winter months. Our metabolism slows, circulation slows, cell turnover slows and so forth.

When warm weather finally arrives, we start to sweat again, oil production peaks causing us to suffer some unwanted side effects like acne, unflattering body odor, and congestion.  This year, I plan on adding a new ritual to my summer hygiene routine that I think will have some amazing benefits.

[add to cart.] Egyptian Magic Beauty Balm

I've made a conscious effort to temper my desire to want to buy every beauty product available.  Lately, I've tried to make purchases of items that I believe will be sure bets. More importantly, products likely to become long-term staples.  One such product, I've never spoken about until today. But I've longed to get my hands on this cult favorite for a while.

Last year, I wrote an article about how I was all about balms.  The older I get, the drier my skin becomes and balms really add that extra bit of oomph when it comes to sealing in moisture.  All the balms I purchased were great.....I hadn't found the one.

Thankfully, fate awaited me at a local Marshall's as I was introduced to the beauty balm of my dreams.

The Whoosh Effect is the Motivation You Need to Stay On Your Weight Goal Journey.

The closer we get to summer, the more we begin to think about how to shed those extra pounds from the holidays.  Losing weight can be frustrating sometimes, even when you feel like you're doing everything right, sometimes the weight just seems to stay put.   Well, today I bring you some encouraging news.

I recently learned of a weight-loss theory that could help us stay motivated through our journey to a leaner body.

[valentine edit] Your Perfect Lip Routine.

I have a love-hate relationship with my lips.  They're full, prominent, and should be a highlight of my face.  Instead, I've neglected them.   Barely doing anything other than wearing lip balm in response to excessive dryness or covering them with bold lip color on date nights.

My neglect actually produced the aspects of my lips that I disliked the most. I hated the dryness and mild discoloration. I just wanted soft, flesh-toned lips that looked amazing with our without lipstick.

And now I have the routine that gives me exactly what I want.

Yvonne- Founder of the Skin Line Focusing on Areas Ignored by Other Brands.

I love discovering new accounts on IG.  Recently I landed on Yvonne Jay's feed.  After quickly checking out her pics, I realized that she wasn't your average fashionista.  Yvonne seemed just as obsessed with glowing skin as we are!  Her passion for healthy skin is what caused me to reach out and learn more about her detailed regimen and style inspiration.  

Keep reading to learn more about Yvonne's journey to self-discovery that lead to the creation of her very own skincare brand.