Abs Are Made In the Kitchen, but This is the Key to Long-Term Weight Loss.

Losing weight isn't quite as difficult as keeping it off.  When we need to trim off a few pounds, we know what to do.  We modify our diet and the pounds start coming off.  That's because we're creating a calorie deficit.  Meaning that we consume fewer calories than we burn.  Simple enough, right?

Maybe not.

Because often times, the weight we lost months ago starts to creeps back. I've experienced this personally and most others have too. Why? Because long term weight loss is nearly impossible unless one major puzzle piece exists.

My Search for a Holy Grail Skin & Body Exfoliator is Now Complete

What's your definition of a holy grail product? For me, when a product reaches holy grail status, it means this product has met all of your needs. You no longer desire to seek out alternatives to create better results because you found the product of your dreams.

Well, ladies, I have found the exfoliating products of my dreams.  For years I've written about the impact of physical exfoliation and how it holds the key to beautiful skin.

  I've tested a lot of products in search of the one.  Today, I'm here to proclaim that I have indeed found my holy grail exfoliating products.  And life will never be the same.

Habit Swapping. How To Get Rid of Your Negative Habits For Good

Over the years, I've invested quite a bit of mental energy on eliminating bad habits.  I've tried some of the common advice you typically find online. A lot of those techniques haven't produced effective results.  Recently, I was inspired by a brilliant idea that might be the answer to getting rid of bad habits once and for all.

The Easiest Goddess Locs Install Technique That Anyone Can Do

This year I vowed to rely on protective styles all summer to avoid having to battle with the Florida humidity.  The very first style idea that came to mind were goddess locs.  Since I have a mini-getaway coming up soon so I decided that now would be the perfect time to try these silky dreads.

The first thing I did was head to Instagram and search the tag for a local stylist.  I landed on a page and admired the girls work.  Eventually, I clicked the bio link to her website and discovered that these locs could cost me nearly $400.  I understand that braiding styles are a huge time investment, but $400 was a bit pricey.  In actuality, I didn't need a stylist to hand wrap the individual locs. I needed a simple solution that would produce the same results.

And I think I've found it!

Will Smith Put Me On to My Newest Beauty Secret.

As you guys know, I'm a sucker for a beauty secret reveal.  Typically, the tips are coming from Instagram models and pseudo-celebrities. This time I was inspired by A-lister, Will Smith.  When you think of Will Smith, you don't expect him to share his beauty secrets.  You can imagine my surprise when I opened Instagram and saw his recent post from the set of another installment of Bad Boys.

The caption was simple, he explained how keeping his eyes and hands "soft and glowy."  The accompanying image showed Will sitting pretty as he wore undereye sheet masks.  What really caught my attention was gloved hand.  My first thought was "is he wearing a sheet mask for hands?!" 

Indeed he was.  Until that very moment, I had no idea that sheet masks for hands even existed.  As soon as that realization came, I was inspired with an idea of how to do this treatment at home for less.

[Try This.] Making Your Daily Fragrance Last Longer.

Every so often I'll walk by someone who smells absolutely amazing.  I still think about that person moments after we've crossed paths, simply because I was enamored by their scent. I've always wondered if I ever left an impression on a complete stranger because of the captivating nature of my favorite fragrance.

I  categorize my perfumes into two groups.  Group #1 is comprised of the date night/evening scents. The rest are the fragrances that fall into my everyday rotation.    My day time fragrances were hand selected to play an important role in my feel-good routine. 

The only problem is that some of my favorite every-day scents have very little lasting power.  Yes, I know that budget-friendly fragrances don't last as long. but I still want to extend them for as long as possible.

Thankfully, I've learned of a simple & effective hack that several people proclaim is a solid strategy for a longer lasting fragrance.

Procrastinate No More! This Is How To End Procrastination Once and For All.

It's Monday.  At the start of every week, we typically make a mental note of everything that we'd like to accomplish.  Last week, I had a pretty extensive list.  Some of it consisted of personal goals, the rest of the tasks were given by my business coach.  

A new week has rolled around and I realize that many of the tasks aren't yet completed.  Why? Because I still have time to quickly do them and......I'm waiting until the last minute.  Yep, I'm procrastinating and I'm fully aware of it.  In my mind, there still seems to be an infinite amount of time left to complete my to-do list so I'm waiting until a later time to start.  

Actually, I'm not going to wait until a later time.  I'm getting it done today!  How?  I'm going to break my procrastination cycle using a simple technique that will propel me into immediate action.

I Got My MicroNutrient Levels Tested. Here's My Plan of Action

Last month, I spontaneously walked into a lab testing center and asked for them to conduct a complete micronutrient blood test.  This is something that I've thought about doing for a long time.  After turning 40, I understand that my body isn't operating the same as it did 2 decades ago.  I had a bunch of questions in my mind and I wanted answers.  Which vitamins was I deficient in? How was my metabolism functioning? What changes did I need to make to my diet to be the healthiest version of myself?

Summer Ready// Let's Do a Full Body Microdermabrasion Treatment At Home

Over the years, I've developed sort of an obsession with body exfoliation.  Having soft skin all over is an amazing feeling.  Now that warmer weather is approaching, all I can think of is how to slough off the dead skin so my arms, legs, back, and shoulders will glow in the summer sun.

I have a few tricks up my sleeve.  Just the other day, I restocked on my favorite Tree Hut Sugar Scrubs.  I also plan to make good use of the Salux Cloths I've purchased in the past.  I thought I was set.....that is until I learned of a body exfoliation product that may be far superior to everything I own.

Level Up // Time to Start Investing In Yourself

My mom loves working in her garden.  Every year, she always brings up how she needs to start planting seeds within a certain time frame in order to produce a decent harvest.  Recently, news came out that Rapper 50 Cent could be the beneficiary of hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to his savvy investing strategy.  50 was an early investor in a mattress company now worth a billion dollars.  Curtis Jackson (50's government name), has made a lifetime of investing.  He has a string of successful investments on his resume. He believes in allocating a portion of his money into opportunities that produce a solid return.

I, too, want to become great at investing.  Basically, I want to allocate money and time into endeavors that have a potential payoff.  Investing takes on many forms. Most of us think about investing as buying shares of companies.  Yes, this is a common type of investing, but I want us to expand the definition so the habit of investing can become a regular part of our lives. 

Try This // The Celebrity Make Up Artist Tip for Ultra Hydrated Lips

I'm patiently waiting for my package of Laneige overnight lip mask to arrive.  Once I heard the news that a product exists that can truly hydrate while you sleep, I immediately wanted in.  Thankfully, I found a website that was offering this holy grail lip product on sale.

While I wait for my little pink jar to come home, I will employ a lip hydration strategy that I learned from a master makeup artist.

The Best Advice on Eliminating Bloat that I've Seen on the Internet.

Bloating is a serious issue for a lot of people.  It's been a huge problem for me in the past.  For a long time, I've dreamt of eating a tasty meal without having to deal with a huge, swollen stomach afterward.  It seems like the older I get, the more consistent the bloating becomes.

In recent years, detox teas have become insanely popular.  There are countless images on social media shared by influencers who claim that a tea-tox is the right strategy to deal with bloat.

Weeks ago, I came across a post where a popular influencer shared a pic displaying her bare midriff.  The image showed her slightly rounded midsection.  In the caption, she informed her audience that she was now officially preparing for her upcoming vacation and would employ the help of this cleansing tea to help manage bloating.  #sponsored. 

Typically, I tend to immediately navigate away from such posts but, in this instance, I decided to check out the comment section.  I'm glad I did because someone left a detailed comment that, I believe was absolutely spot on.

Let's discuss.

The Recipe for How to Smell Your Best This Summer.

The countdown to summer has begun.  It's time to place our focus on beauty routines that compliment the upcoming season.  In order to thrive this summer, we must be brilliant at the basics.  The first thing that comes to mind when I think of summer is hot weather....which means sweating.

I'm fearful of sweating because I'm concerned about offensive body odor.  Because I work from home, I rarely wear deodorant.  When I do wear underarm protection, it's usually a natural brand.  Natural deodorants are cool, but honestly, they don't do a great job of preventing sweat.   Instead of trying to eliminate sweat, I prefer to take an alternative approach that consists of eliminating odor altogether. This summer, I'm implementing some tried and true solutions that address body odor at the source.

Summer Ready // Peel Pads are "the Truth" for Glowing Skin.

The warmer it gets, the more I think about how to prep my skin for summer.  During colder months, I'm obsessed with how to keep skin moisturized.  But, as summer approaches, my mind is filled with ways to keep my pores happy.  Unhappy pores are a recipe for congestion and breakouts.

Over the years I've realized that, if my pores are happy, my skin will stay in its lane.  Just as I was contemplating how to prep my skin for summer, I came across the perfect solution that will have my skin flawless by summer.

Idle Actions// What to do When You're Doing Nothing (to improve your life).

When I meditated daily, one of the notable side effects of this wonderful habit was an awesome awareness of my body.  On the flip side, when I'm not meditating on a regular basis, my mind consumes my full attention. Or, to distract myself, I direct my attention towards external distractions like consuming content online.

to combat this, I've decided to train myself to reconnect with my body by making good use of idle time. Ideally, I'd like to execute a series of activities that have some really positive benefits. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks now and so far it's been paying off.  Here's a short list of activities that I do during spare moments to help improve my mind and body.