Many of you most likely already know that I started a new venture as a BeautyCounter consultant a few months ago. While I have a mild approach to this consultant thing, this company has me feeling all sorts of red hot! Many of you most likely also know that I tend to get extremely passionate about things, and sometimes, this means against things - food corporations, liquid diets and hair clippings in our sink (looking at you, Mr. L) are at the top of my disdain list.
I knew the beauty/skin care industry was all sorts of messed up, but I felt as though I didn't have the capacity to peel back the layers. Between grad school and educating people about the importance of bee health (side note, check out Vanishing of the Bees on Netflix), I made excuses to keep the blindfold on. Then I took it off. You can't unlearn things and once you know better, you do better.
Let's pump the breaks a bit, majority of you understand the importance of eating a balanced diet as well as exercise. In fact, a lot of people I know put A LOT of energy towards what they eat as well as how often they exercise - this same amount of energy should be put towards your skin care and beauty routine as this is another way to nourish your body.
Did you know the products that you put on your body are not filtered by your liver?!? They go directly into your blood stream. Another fun fact, the United States has not passed a major law to regulate the ingredients used in personal care products since 1938. 1938!!! Here is what was going on in 1938: minimum wage was $.25, oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia and the tape recorder was invented. I may know of a few other laws that are outdated....but let's stick with personal care products. Currently, the US has only partially banned 30 ingredients. Europe has banned close to 1,400 ingredients and BeautyCounter has a prohibited list of over 1,500 ingredients (and counting). Why? Because these ingredients are hazardous and directly related to causing cancer and disrupting hormones (think infertility, weight gain and adrenal imbalances). Bottom line, it is crucial to know what is in your products (please, I will beg, if I have to).
This blog is here to increase awareness, so here are a couple resources that you can use to look into what ingredients are in the products you are using and to help you find healthier alternatives (ignorance is not bliss). Think Dirty - this is an app with over 1 million products catalogued with a rating based on a Dirty Meter. You can also scan the barcode of your products to search the catalog. Another resource is Skin Deep, a database through the Environmental Working Group. EWG conducts research and offers information to empower consumers to live healthier lives in a healthier environment by driving consumer choice and civic action.
Here are the swaps that I recently made in my own bathroom and make-up bag. The 'dirty' ratings are in the parenthesis - spoiler alert, the lower the number, the better:
Big, Sexy Hair volumizing shampoo & conditioner (8) ---> BeautyCounter Volume & Shape shampoo & conditioner (2)
Simple face wash (7) ---> BeautyCounter rejuvenating face wash (EWG top scoring product)
Method Pure Naked body wash (4) ---> BeautyCounter charcoal bar (0) or SheaMoisture Sea Kelp and Pearl Shea butter soap (3)
Aveeno Daily face moisturizer (5) ---> BeautyCounter Adaptive Moisture lotion (0)
Blistex medicated lip balm (5) ---> Burt's Bees medicated balm (1) or BeautyCounter peppermint lip conditioner (1)
Dove Advanced Care deodorant (4) ---> Soapwalla deodorant cream (0) or Ursa Major
Olay Quench Daily Lotion (8) ---> BeautyCounter citrus mimosa body butter (0) or CounterMatch Adaptive Body Moisturizer (2)
CoverGirl Lash Clump Crusher mascara (7) and Maybelline Colossal Volume Express mascara (5) ----> BeautyCounter volumizing mascara (3) and Honest Beauty Truly Lash Mascara + Primer (3)
Coppertone Sport sunscreen spray (8) ---> BeautyCounter {reef-friendly!} mineral sunscreen mist (1)
**Related note, here is the the EWG's 12th annual guide to sunscreen.
This list could be more extensive, but my goal was to give you an idea of healthier alternatives available that perform just as well, if not better, as top brands. I am a huge fan of voting with your dollars, so please let me know if you want chat more (BeautyCounter related or not!) about how you can make small changes in your daily routine. One more thing, BeautyCounter is not just making products that are safe for us and the environment, they are putting their profits towards doing good. They are tirelessly advocating for stricter guidelines and regulatory laws to shift the personal care industry away from harmful ingredients. BeautyCounter's mission is to get safe products into the hands of everyone - everyone means everyone (notice how it doesn't state get BeautyCounter products into the hands of everyone?!). If you are interested in learning more about BeautyCounter products, their Never List and/or their advocacy work, check out this link or reach out to me.
Do the best you can until you know better.
Then when you know better, do better
- Maya Angelou
Do better - for your health, your family's health and friend's health and Mother Earth's health. Namaste.
XOXO
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Green is the new black
A focus of mine (and Mr. L's, by association) is minimizing our footprint on dear Mother Earth. After one too many Netflix documentaries, I admit that it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start. Some people call me a hippie, and while I will gladly answer that, I prefer considerate. Thanks to current media, including the most recent Nat Geo cover, concerns around unnecessary plastic use and disposal is in our face now more than ever. Awareness makes my hippie considerate heart swell, so let me offer some easy swaps to implement!
Plastic wrap/aluminum foil: Can we all just take a step back and acknowledge how petty plastic wrap is? I mean it doesn't even work THAT well on covering bowls and dishes. Also, aluminum foil is actually more wasteful than plastic wrap when taking into consideration the heavy manufacturing footprint that is created from making it. When I took a hard look at our refrigerator, I realized that I was using plastic wrap and aluminum foil for things that could be accomplished using containers or a reusable baggie (next on the list). Being transparent, my biggest offense was wrapping partially used produce (for example, 1/2 onion or unwrapped cheese blocks) or to cover bowls/leftovers/marinating meats with wrap/foil. I had to combat this approach with a few different solutions:
1. Bee's Wrap / Abeego Wrap: Full transparency, I struggled with Bee's Wrap when I first received it in my MightyFix subscription (subscription information below). I had a hard time getting it to stick to itself, especially when comparing it to aluminum foil. This does take some practice and patience, but eventually these alternative wraps do wear in and work well. Pro tip, warm the wrap with your hands for better adhesion. Bonus, these wraps do not absorb smells and are really easy to clean - be sure to hand wash them with lukewarm water (not hot, to preserve the wax). I plan to try Abeego wrap soon to see how it compares to Bee's wrap, but I have heard good things.
2. Silicone lids: I don't know what rock I have been living under to have just discovered these, but these work REALLY well. My silicone lid was a freebie from a Norwex party that I hosted, but I thoroughly love it. It suctions to bowls really nicely and can be a much quicker solution than warming a wrap. Also, it is super easy to hand wash. Again, mine is Norwex and I can vouch for the quality of it, but there are a lot of silicone lids on the market.
3. Food containers: Ok, obviously you can use any type of container, but I prefer glass (cleans better and I don't have nightmares over chemicals leaching into our leftovers). This may sound obvious, but take an honest peek into your fridge and take inventory of what you are storing in either wrap or baggies when a basic container would have sufficed. I highly recommend keeping your stash well-stocked with several sizes of containers to make your life easier, which will make you less likely to reach for the plastic wrap/aluminum foil.
4. Mason jars: If I can be honest (and slightly shameless), let me just say that I was on the mason jar train long before it became a trend. I think mason jars are SO multi-purpose, whether it is food storage, smoothie transfers, hummus preservation, fermentation vessels, or just to simply use to enjoy a glass of water/kombucha/iced coffee/beer. Mason jars are incredibly easy to find for cheap (Target is NOT the place to get them cheap), so be on the lookout for jars at Goodwill/Savers/Consignment shops. I HIGHLY recommend investing in these plastic lids - they are much easier to clean than the standard metal ones and have been life-changing (not over exaggerating).
Plastic baggies: Ugh, plastic baggies. They seem like a necessary evil and a really hard habit to break, but are incredibly detrimental to the environment. Let's cover both food storage baggies and grocery bags. For the last 8-10 months, I have paid close attention to how we have used plastic bags and here is what I came up with: human food (duh), transporting food for Penny, TSA travel baggies, poop bags (woof), groceries and buying produce at the grocery store and here how I am working to combat:
1. Reusable baggies: There are A LOT of options on the market for reusable baggies including bumkins, rezip, general silicone, and the Cadillac of reusable baggies, the Stasher bag. Reusable baggies are so trendy right now, they are even sold at Anthropology! I have a variety of bumkins (with bike designs) and 1 prized Stasher. The bumkins work really well, do not absorb flavor or smell, and are easy to clean. I have used our bumkins for food storage, toothbrush protector (uhm, the mouth of my tooth brush canNOT be exposed while we are traveling) and snacks on the go (popcorn, always popcorn). I have used my prized Stasher for several things including as a transparent 3:2:1 TSA liquid baggie. As soon as I am gainfully employed, I plan to increase our Stasher stock aaaaaand they may also be on my birthday list (Leo season is approaching). Reusable baggies can seem like an investment, but just imagine not having to buy plastic baggies EVER again - I see a quick financial ROI and an immediate environmental VOI (value on investment, peeps).
2. Reusable grocery bags: I won't say much about this because I would be very surprised if every single one of you do not have a stash of these as they seem to be a consistent freebie at various events. I can tell you that I will not go grocery shopping unless I have my bags or know that the store will have a paper option (which will then be reused our house). I tend to have a stash of bags in my car (they fold up and tuck really nicely in any compartment) as well as a stash under our kitchen sink (also, neatly folded up and easy to access, mainly for Mr. L). This is BY FAR the easiest switch you can make, please do it. My hearts shimmers every time someone thanks me for bringing my bags, and yours will too. To touch on produce bags, I just don't use them. I honestly do not see the point in transporting 5 apples or 3 lemons in a plastic bag when I am going to have the wash the produce when I get home anyway. I will say that I have noticed Trader Joe's started stocking compostable produce bags - thank ya, baby Jesus!
3. #2 doggie bags: OOOOOK, this is absolutely a necessary evil, but dogs are worth it. I fell in love with Mr. L all over again when I came home to an awesome metal pooper scooper for the house, so we could stop using baggies to pick up Penny's #2s. Simple switches, people. However, we do walk Penny outside of our yard and we happen to be responsible dog owners - yes, I have lost a bag on a walk, walked home to get another one and walked back to take care of my dog's business. The bags we buy are Earth Rated, which are made out of 100% recyclable materials including the cardboard core and box. They also offer a 100% plastic-free option made out of vegetable-based materials that can be composted (fun fact: I didn't know they had this option, so we will be switching to these like yesterday).
Straws: I have been shamed for the reusable straws that I use, so if you do too, let's connect and start a support group (#millenials). I am a big fan of liquids from sparkling water to kombucha and green smoothies. A couple years ago, I was horrified when I realized that I was using a straw for my smoothies almost every morning and I instantly ordered these rubber straws. You have been warned, they are massive, but do not have a rubber taste. I recently received these straws in April's MightyFix. I believe these are much more appropriate for cocktails, but you do you.
Plastic utensils: During my reflection of how to minimize my daily plastic use, I quickly realized that while I was bringing lunch to work everyday in reusable containers (when I was employed - too soon?) that I was also using plastic utensils almost every day. I also realized that this was an easy fix by either bringing utensils from home or buying this bamboo travel set to keep at my desk. Easy to clean in a sink, whether at the office or at a state park, plus the travel carrier helps my brain deal with germ exposure. Does you keep stock of plastic utensils at home or does your workplace stock plastic utensils? See if you can switch these out with compostable/biodegradable options. Let me know if you need help building the business case.
This isn't an extensive list, but are meant to be easy switches. And let's be honest, there are just somethings that you may need to use the 'naughty' items for. For us, it's pre-making breakfast burritos in aluminum foil for camping trips to throw on the fire or using plastic baggies to disperse kombucha scobies (literally, the only thing I use baggies for!).
To help with making sustainable switches, Mighty Nest offers a monthly subscription called MightyFix. For $10/month, you get an awesome sustainable item, most are valued at more than $10. Some items that I have received include Bee's wax, glass food containers, a refillable dish wash and wool dryer balls. No, this post is not sponsored, I just really love it! I have a couple free months to share, so if you would like one, get at me! Again, I don't get anything when these are redeemed, I have actually already earned them by being a subscriber for almost 1 year.
Hippie or not hippie, there is no planet B, ya'll.
XOXO
1. Bee's Wrap / Abeego Wrap: Full transparency, I struggled with Bee's Wrap when I first received it in my MightyFix subscription (subscription information below). I had a hard time getting it to stick to itself, especially when comparing it to aluminum foil. This does take some practice and patience, but eventually these alternative wraps do wear in and work well. Pro tip, warm the wrap with your hands for better adhesion. Bonus, these wraps do not absorb smells and are really easy to clean - be sure to hand wash them with lukewarm water (not hot, to preserve the wax). I plan to try Abeego wrap soon to see how it compares to Bee's wrap, but I have heard good things.
2. Silicone lids: I don't know what rock I have been living under to have just discovered these, but these work REALLY well. My silicone lid was a freebie from a Norwex party that I hosted, but I thoroughly love it. It suctions to bowls really nicely and can be a much quicker solution than warming a wrap. Also, it is super easy to hand wash. Again, mine is Norwex and I can vouch for the quality of it, but there are a lot of silicone lids on the market.
3. Food containers: Ok, obviously you can use any type of container, but I prefer glass (cleans better and I don't have nightmares over chemicals leaching into our leftovers). This may sound obvious, but take an honest peek into your fridge and take inventory of what you are storing in either wrap or baggies when a basic container would have sufficed. I highly recommend keeping your stash well-stocked with several sizes of containers to make your life easier, which will make you less likely to reach for the plastic wrap/aluminum foil.
4. Mason jars: If I can be honest (and slightly shameless), let me just say that I was on the mason jar train long before it became a trend. I think mason jars are SO multi-purpose, whether it is food storage, smoothie transfers, hummus preservation, fermentation vessels, or just to simply use to enjoy a glass of water/kombucha/iced coffee/beer. Mason jars are incredibly easy to find for cheap (Target is NOT the place to get them cheap), so be on the lookout for jars at Goodwill/Savers/Consignment shops. I HIGHLY recommend investing in these plastic lids - they are much easier to clean than the standard metal ones and have been life-changing (not over exaggerating).
1. Reusable baggies: There are A LOT of options on the market for reusable baggies including bumkins, rezip, general silicone, and the Cadillac of reusable baggies, the Stasher bag. Reusable baggies are so trendy right now, they are even sold at Anthropology! I have a variety of bumkins (with bike designs) and 1 prized Stasher. The bumkins work really well, do not absorb flavor or smell, and are easy to clean. I have used our bumkins for food storage, toothbrush protector (uhm, the mouth of my tooth brush canNOT be exposed while we are traveling) and snacks on the go (popcorn, always popcorn). I have used my prized Stasher for several things including as a transparent 3:2:1 TSA liquid baggie. As soon as I am gainfully employed, I plan to increase our Stasher stock aaaaaand they may also be on my birthday list (Leo season is approaching). Reusable baggies can seem like an investment, but just imagine not having to buy plastic baggies EVER again - I see a quick financial ROI and an immediate environmental VOI (value on investment, peeps).
2. Reusable grocery bags: I won't say much about this because I would be very surprised if every single one of you do not have a stash of these as they seem to be a consistent freebie at various events. I can tell you that I will not go grocery shopping unless I have my bags or know that the store will have a paper option (which will then be reused our house). I tend to have a stash of bags in my car (they fold up and tuck really nicely in any compartment) as well as a stash under our kitchen sink (also, neatly folded up and easy to access, mainly for Mr. L). This is BY FAR the easiest switch you can make, please do it. My hearts shimmers every time someone thanks me for bringing my bags, and yours will too. To touch on produce bags, I just don't use them. I honestly do not see the point in transporting 5 apples or 3 lemons in a plastic bag when I am going to have the wash the produce when I get home anyway. I will say that I have noticed Trader Joe's started stocking compostable produce bags - thank ya, baby Jesus!
3. #2 doggie bags: OOOOOK, this is absolutely a necessary evil, but dogs are worth it. I fell in love with Mr. L all over again when I came home to an awesome metal pooper scooper for the house, so we could stop using baggies to pick up Penny's #2s. Simple switches, people. However, we do walk Penny outside of our yard and we happen to be responsible dog owners - yes, I have lost a bag on a walk, walked home to get another one and walked back to take care of my dog's business. The bags we buy are Earth Rated, which are made out of 100% recyclable materials including the cardboard core and box. They also offer a 100% plastic-free option made out of vegetable-based materials that can be composted (fun fact: I didn't know they had this option, so we will be switching to these like yesterday).
This isn't an extensive list, but are meant to be easy switches. And let's be honest, there are just somethings that you may need to use the 'naughty' items for. For us, it's pre-making breakfast burritos in aluminum foil for camping trips to throw on the fire or using plastic baggies to disperse kombucha scobies (literally, the only thing I use baggies for!).
To help with making sustainable switches, Mighty Nest offers a monthly subscription called MightyFix. For $10/month, you get an awesome sustainable item, most are valued at more than $10. Some items that I have received include Bee's wax, glass food containers, a refillable dish wash and wool dryer balls. No, this post is not sponsored, I just really love it! I have a couple free months to share, so if you would like one, get at me! Again, I don't get anything when these are redeemed, I have actually already earned them by being a subscriber for almost 1 year.
Hippie or not hippie, there is no planet B, ya'll.
XOXO
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
What's your deserve?
I heard this phrase at a recent summit I attended and it has been on my mind endlessly ever since.
Let's just go ahead and clear an elephant in the room, shall we? On April 19th, I was laid off of my job. I haven't been unemployed since I was 14 years old (shout out, Pizza Ranch!). On another note, when I graduated with my masters in December, that marked 3 1/2 years of working full-time and working on my graduate degree in the evenings and on the weekends. Following graduation, I was really struggling with what to do with my newfound free time (outside of working full-time, of course). Aside from watching Friends (not rewatching, but watching for the first time), I spent many evenings walking around our house not sure what to do with my hands. Then I was laid off. Talk about a nosedive.
Over the past 4 weeks, I have cycled through every reasonable emotion (and then some unreasonable ones too): anger, despair, freedom, angst and my favorite, 'why the hell did I even get my masters?!'. 48 hours after being laid off, my husband came home to 5 gallons of paint in our entryway and he was confident that I had cracked.
You see, there is a certain air around telling others you were laid off of work. Let's also address the certain connotation with being laid off (i.e. laziness) and that is just something that my ego will have to digest.
On the other hand, I have heard many things like:
- 'You are so marketable and employable, you'll be fine!'
- 'Being laid off was the best thing that has ever happened to me'
- 'Try to enjoy the time off. You'll be employed in no time and wish you could have the time back'
- 'You have your masters now, companies will be fighting for you'
- 'Don't tell people that you were laid off, just tell them that you are in between jobs'
and let me say that I appreciate and believe it all! I consider myself one of those coachable people, who thoroughly enjoys feedback, so having received an incredible amount of support strikes a deep chord with me.
Friends, here I sit over a month later still unemployed. I am straddling the line between taking advantage of the time off and feeling extremely lost, which brings me back to, 'what is your deserve?'. Currently, this applies to my job search, but I love how it can apply to almost anything in your life! You only get out what you put in.
I decided to make a list of things in my life that I know I deserve:
o An incredibly supportive husband, who lets me know that I am worthy of love and respect (employed or not)
o A clean, comfortable, yet small house in the city (hello, student loans!)
o A healthy and decently functioning body. I say decently because, well, after 8 knee surgeries things are bound to hurt and modifications became a necessity. However, I make an extreme conscious effort to nourish myself and practice lots of self-care, including listening to my body.
o 1 insanely lovable dog, who can't believe her luck that Mom suddenly has time for endless walks, fetch sessions and cuddles (she also desperately needs a haircut - Penny, not Mom)
o 2 cats who throw up all around our small house (I knew nothing about owning a cat prior to 2011. Hairballs come with the territory.)
o A family who never ceases to check-in with me (even when I am moody) and remind me that I will be OK
o Friends who were willing to be patient while I was consumed with work and school, yet always willing to squeeze in the tiniest date whenever possible. I promise I’m trying to make up for it post-graduation.
o A job that I like, but not necessarily love. Yes, I have my masters and some experience, but I am still at the beginning of my career. Love is the ultimate goal, but realism here, people.
So friends, what is your deserve? This self-reflection can be empowering and humbling. Be sure to discern with open eyes and a vulnerable heart.
XOXO
Let's just go ahead and clear an elephant in the room, shall we? On April 19th, I was laid off of my job. I haven't been unemployed since I was 14 years old (shout out, Pizza Ranch!). On another note, when I graduated with my masters in December, that marked 3 1/2 years of working full-time and working on my graduate degree in the evenings and on the weekends. Following graduation, I was really struggling with what to do with my newfound free time (outside of working full-time, of course). Aside from watching Friends (not rewatching, but watching for the first time), I spent many evenings walking around our house not sure what to do with my hands. Then I was laid off. Talk about a nosedive.
Over the past 4 weeks, I have cycled through every reasonable emotion (and then some unreasonable ones too): anger, despair, freedom, angst and my favorite, 'why the hell did I even get my masters?!'. 48 hours after being laid off, my husband came home to 5 gallons of paint in our entryway and he was confident that I had cracked.
You see, there is a certain air around telling others you were laid off of work. Let's also address the certain connotation with being laid off (i.e. laziness) and that is just something that my ego will have to digest.
On the other hand, I have heard many things like:
- 'You are so marketable and employable, you'll be fine!'
- 'Being laid off was the best thing that has ever happened to me'
- 'Try to enjoy the time off. You'll be employed in no time and wish you could have the time back'
- 'You have your masters now, companies will be fighting for you'
- 'Don't tell people that you were laid off, just tell them that you are in between jobs'
and let me say that I appreciate and believe it all! I consider myself one of those coachable people, who thoroughly enjoys feedback, so having received an incredible amount of support strikes a deep chord with me.
Friends, here I sit over a month later still unemployed. I am straddling the line between taking advantage of the time off and feeling extremely lost, which brings me back to, 'what is your deserve?'. Currently, this applies to my job search, but I love how it can apply to almost anything in your life! You only get out what you put in.
I decided to make a list of things in my life that I know I deserve:
o An incredibly supportive husband, who lets me know that I am worthy of love and respect (employed or not)
o A clean, comfortable, yet small house in the city (hello, student loans!)
o A healthy and decently functioning body. I say decently because, well, after 8 knee surgeries things are bound to hurt and modifications became a necessity. However, I make an extreme conscious effort to nourish myself and practice lots of self-care, including listening to my body.
o 1 insanely lovable dog, who can't believe her luck that Mom suddenly has time for endless walks, fetch sessions and cuddles (she also desperately needs a haircut - Penny, not Mom)
o 2 cats who throw up all around our small house (I knew nothing about owning a cat prior to 2011. Hairballs come with the territory.)
o A family who never ceases to check-in with me (even when I am moody) and remind me that I will be OK
o Friends who were willing to be patient while I was consumed with work and school, yet always willing to squeeze in the tiniest date whenever possible. I promise I’m trying to make up for it post-graduation.
o A job that I like, but not necessarily love. Yes, I have my masters and some experience, but I am still at the beginning of my career. Love is the ultimate goal, but realism here, people.
So friends, what is your deserve? This self-reflection can be empowering and humbling. Be sure to discern with open eyes and a vulnerable heart.
XOXO
Monday, May 21, 2018
If you don't fall off the wagon regularly, you're not playing a big enough game...
Over 4 years ago, I made a conscious effort to let Life on the Dee List blog softly fade into nonexistent. Why? Well, lots of reasons. For starters, I was newly engaged and starting grad school along with working full-time. Basically, something had to give. Why revive LOTDL? Good question, maybe I should just stop now. Kidding! Well, since I graduated in December, I have newfound free time to try new hobbies, or in this case, pick back up some old ones. Additionally, I have had a few people encourage me to get back to it (full transparency, just a few, more than a couple, but not many). Recently, I held a kombucha-making workshop for our church (big ups, ResMpls!) and after talking about a few of my passions including fermented foods, sustainability and bees, someone suggested that I write a blog. I took it as a sign to give this another go.
I don't consider myself infinitely wise or particularly interesting, but looking back on the conception of this blog, I realized that I enjoy making things more accessible to others - whether that is beginning (or continuing) a healthy venture, trying a new recipe, workout or behavior. I certainly haven't tried it all, but this a space where I can share my tips and tricks that hopefully you find relevant and mildly interesting. If you were a follower from the jump, I hope you like the new design. I was going for something with a holistic hippie vibe, while staying simple. After showing Mr. L the new redesign, he asked if I thought it looked outdated. Jokes on him, I am going for simple and user friendly - I am a bad millenial anyway, so I am staying in my comfort zone on Blogger (think paper datebook and one of THE worst iCal users). Anyway, I consider this a radical improvement from the peacock feathers and all lowercase typing (uhm, what?!).
So, let's reintroduce ourselves, shall we? Since we last coexisted in this space, here is a list of things that happened in my life:
- I got married! I totally out-kicked my coverage with Mr. L. Just kidding, we are perfectly proportioned equivalents in very different ways.
- I graduated with my masters in holistic health studies from St. Catherine University
- I had 4 more knee surgeries, bringing the grand total to 8 knee surgeries. Don't count on a post about this. I plan to let the past be the past on this, but I guess we'll see.
- My husband and I got a dog and we absolutely ADORE her. My current goal is to be making sure she is living her best life. She is a goldendoodle named Penny and please plan to see lots of pictures and updates on her.
- I became an aunt, 3 times (soon to be 4!). Again, plan on lots of updates around my littles. They are my world and I FaceTime them several times...in a week. In all seriousness, being an aunt is absolutely taking priority over becoming a Mom right now. My nieces and nephew deserve all of my attention right now!
- Traveled a lot more! Lots of places both domestic and international including Croatia, Hawaii, Curacao, New York (yes, including Niagara Falls, super anti-climatic), Arizona, Ohio (don't hate) and Colorado.
Here are some pictures over the last 4 years (pictures are sometimes more fun than words, right?!)
Ok, now that the obligatory catch-up post is done, let's get this thing rolling (again)
XOXO
I don't consider myself infinitely wise or particularly interesting, but looking back on the conception of this blog, I realized that I enjoy making things more accessible to others - whether that is beginning (or continuing) a healthy venture, trying a new recipe, workout or behavior. I certainly haven't tried it all, but this a space where I can share my tips and tricks that hopefully you find relevant and mildly interesting. If you were a follower from the jump, I hope you like the new design. I was going for something with a holistic hippie vibe, while staying simple. After showing Mr. L the new redesign, he asked if I thought it looked outdated. Jokes on him, I am going for simple and user friendly - I am a bad millenial anyway, so I am staying in my comfort zone on Blogger (think paper datebook and one of THE worst iCal users). Anyway, I consider this a radical improvement from the peacock feathers and all lowercase typing (uhm, what?!).
So, let's reintroduce ourselves, shall we? Since we last coexisted in this space, here is a list of things that happened in my life:
- I got married! I totally out-kicked my coverage with Mr. L. Just kidding, we are perfectly proportioned equivalents in very different ways.
- I graduated with my masters in holistic health studies from St. Catherine University
- I had 4 more knee surgeries, bringing the grand total to 8 knee surgeries. Don't count on a post about this. I plan to let the past be the past on this, but I guess we'll see.
- My husband and I got a dog and we absolutely ADORE her. My current goal is to be making sure she is living her best life. She is a goldendoodle named Penny and please plan to see lots of pictures and updates on her.
- I became an aunt, 3 times (soon to be 4!). Again, plan on lots of updates around my littles. They are my world and I FaceTime them several times...in a week. In all seriousness, being an aunt is absolutely taking priority over becoming a Mom right now. My nieces and nephew deserve all of my attention right now!
- Traveled a lot more! Lots of places both domestic and international including Croatia, Hawaii, Curacao, New York (yes, including Niagara Falls, super anti-climatic), Arizona, Ohio (don't hate) and Colorado.
Here are some pictures over the last 4 years (pictures are sometimes more fun than words, right?!)
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| 8/29/2015 |
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| Try and tell me that this face doesn't deserve the world! |
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| Aunt Dee and Uncle Drew strongly prefer to borrow kids versus having their own! |
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| P.s. In the last 4 years, I also learned how to fill in my eyebrows. |
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| Croatia! |
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| At one point, our house had more than 1 baby animal... |
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| I never understood the point of a GoPro, until this moment |
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| One more because I thoroughly love being married to this guy! |
Ok, now that the obligatory catch-up post is done, let's get this thing rolling (again)
XOXO
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