Exercise Your Brain

I believe I've always been a bit of a nerd. For two consecutive years in elementary school I won our classroom reading race, a competition to see who could read the most books in one school year. I totally crushed the competition. A well stocked book store still brings never ending excitement to my day. I also enjoy things like sudoku and puzzles. My great grandmother would do those huge 1000 piece puzzles well into her eighties. I come from a long line of smart women. 

A perfectly winter appropriate challenge I present to you is to take fifteen minutes today, and as many days as you can, to workout your mind. Society always emphasizes outer beauty and obvious strength as the definition of health and perfection. We often forget to work on the unseen, like our brain and our mental strength. Plus, it's really relaxing and will benefit you much more in the long run than that extra episode of reality tv. Promise.

Reevaluate Your Skin Care

For the past three years I haven't changed my face care routine. I have oily, sometimes acne prone skin. Never too much dryness but some sensitivity and tightness at times. I, naively, thought my daily process was fine. Facials every six to eight weeks kept my skin mostly clear with the exception of break outs from stress or, you know, hormones.

Friday, I came back from walking the three minutes to grab lunch and looked in the mirror and my face was red. Like super embarrassing looked like I had been crying red. We will call that my aha moment. My gel wash and acne prone moisturizer was no longer cutting it. I've never had good luck with more gentle cleansers though. They clog my pores instantly and I turn into an oil slick. I was discussing my horrifying situation with a friend and she recommended Simple.

Never would I think of myself of having sensitive skin. Who knows my skin better than me? Well, I came across a trial pack at Target on Saturday for less than five dollars. It contained a face wash, moisturizer, and a small pack of cleansing wipes. I considered it a sign I really needed to give it a try. Three days in, I love it. My skin has been way less oily, less tight, and is still super clear. We also went down town today in a horrible snow storm and below freezing temperatures and my face didn't look red or feel sensitive when we stopped for a bathroom break.

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This winter has been especially brutal and your daily routine may need a switch up as well. It's easy to remember to switch your wardrobe to things more weather appropriate, but often we forget about our skin. At least I did! I know I got super lucky finding a whole little pack to try out, try to find a trial size of a new product to give it a go. Taking great care of your skin now will pay off in the future, I want to age amazingly and gracefully so if a face wash/moisturizer update is all it takes, the changes are worthwhile!

Get Your Yoga On

Last night, on Valentine's Day, my relationship of seven and a half years reached a whole new level of intimacy. That's right, my fiance asked for my assistance in working out and getting in wedding shape! And no, not working out like that either! A month or so ago I had asked him his plan on getting ready for the big day, I volunteered to cook leaner dinners and suggested he started to think about how he wanted to work out and begin to get in shape. He dismissed me, saying he had no problem eating better, but exercise wasn't really a priority.

Well yesterday we decided we will start doing yoga together once a week. This weekend will be a fail as I have hair and make up trials tomorrow and I get to try on my dress on Monday, plus we need to get him his very own yoga mat! I feel like a proud parent here.

The whole conversation brings up an interesting point, for the longest time I dismissed yoga as a legit form of exercise. Back in the day, I believed if you weren't lifting or jumping it didn't count as exercise. Yoga was simply for hippies or the elderly. Then I tried power yoga and fell in love. The routine did indeed zen my overanxious tendencies, at least temporarily. Also, holding some of those poses caused me to break a sweat and really focus on my body and how it was moving and supporting itself. Now, I can't speak highly enough of yoga. It's a great in between workout for when your body needs extra stretching, toning, or if you're not feeling up to something super intense.

Try out at least one yoga workout this week. Nearly every YouTube fitness channel offers a free routine but I recommend at least forty minutes of yoga to really get all the benefits. I prefer the strengthening and toning benefits of power yoga, but maybe you want to try something more gentle and ease into a new routine. Either way, give it a go and incorporate yoga each week. You will see your body being a bit more toned and your mind a bit more relaxed. Do it with your significant other for extra bonus points!

Get More From Your Workout

As a fitness enthusiast and bride to be, my level of svelte-ness over the next few months is extraordinarily crucial. However, sometimes a fitness plateau occurs. Sometimes it occurs as your the date of your first wedding dress try on is rapidly approaching. Awesome. As frustrating as the timing is, I have been working on slowing down my workouts in order to continue improving my fitness.

Everyone has their favorite type of workout. In general, I prefer circuit training with weights. You get your strength training in for your muscles, while breaking a sweat and getting your cardio. A double whammy. Really slowing down each move, feeling your shoulder blades pinch together during back work, focusing on keeping your belly button in during core, is going to make a difference. What if you prefer cardio? Get your arms all the way up during jumping jacks. Bring your knees as high as you can in tuck jumps. Really breathe through yoga poses. You get the point.

Often, reviews on workout DVDs or fitness YouTube videos complain about the difficulty of a move and how they couldn't get through the repetitions. Doesn't matter. Make the exercises more effective for you. No one cares if you only eek out 15 of the 30 reps as long as you're using the proper form. Form is what will ensure your abs are strong and your legs are rockin. Even if the routine is super easy for you, want to make it hard? Slow down and focus on contracting each muscle as you are moving. 

In a sick, twisted, workout lover way, making yourself feel the burn is the best. While it doesn't necessarily make your workouts fly by, it seems like each move is custom made to improve your own body. Moving through each position allows you to be more effective and develop a better appreciation for your body and your own strength, and isn't that what exercise is all about in the first place?

Brush Your Body

Not to brag or anything, but I typically have the supple, soft skin of a goddess. It's not necessarily anything I noticed myself, but I always received compliments on my skin tone and lack of dry elbows. Well this cold weather is destroying my bragging rights. My devotion to long, hot showers after my daily workout may also be slightly to blame. Regardless, scrubbing my skin with abrasive scrubs and creating a slippery body scrub fest on my shower floor wasn't working out for me. I swung into Ulta one day, picked up a body brush and gave dry body brushing a go instead. 

While dry body brushing has a plethora of benefits for perfect skin year round, it is especially awesome at perking up your skin this time of year as well. An added bonus? It feels amazing. I can literally feel my body becoming more awake and refreshed. Check out this article on Mind Body Green for all the details. For a basic run down, keep reading.

Step one. Get your body brush

Step two. Start at your feet, work your way up toward your heart. Feet, legs, stomach. Do the opposite down your back, start at the top and work your way down.

Step three. Shower, wash all those dead skin cells away.

Step four. Moisturize away! Your skin will be ready to absorb whatever you put on, I love Trader Joe's Vitamin E oil.Or add on your favorite body cream.

BYOBottle

This week has been the worst. Between having crazy long days at work, having too full of a schedule at night, and trying to get some sleep I feel like I haven't had any spare time! On the upside, it's Saturday, I slept in til nine, and this frigid month is a quarter over! Now it's time to catch up on some posts! 

I love to watch documentaries to relax on the weekends. Super weird, I know. Not too long ago I watched Tapped. Tapped is about the bottled water industry, the strain on worldwide water supply, and being aware of what you are purchasing. While I don't always believe what I am told simply because it was in a movie, they promote a movement I have been a part of my entire life. Stop buying bottled water, bring your own, and conserve your water with small changes (for example, turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, easy). 

When getting ready in the morning, it's very simple to forego your own bottle water and grab some at the local coffee shop or as you pass by a grocery or convenience store. The cost adds up very quickly, and while some people (my mom) will reuse the water bottle, some people will recycle, most people will just toss the plastic bottle and buy another the next day. I am totally guilty of getting bored of water and will pick up a soda or iced tea at times. For the past few days, I've been adding fruit to my water. Lemon iced water is delicious but the acid in lemons can hurt your enamel over time. My current favorite addition has been oranges. So fresh and you get a couple slices of oranges to eat after you down your water. It's pretty good incentive. I advise against berries, they tend to get soggy if they sit for longer than an hour or two. Check out some more water combos here and here. Whatever you do, please don't add Mio or other processed additives in. Know why it's zero calories? Artificial sweeteners. I used artificial flavoring liquids last year and it gave me pretty intense stomach pain. Keep it natural. Fresh tastes better anyway.

Personally, I don't like the quality of my tap water so I bought a Brita pitcher and change the filter when needed. A life, and money, saver. Invest in a good, BPA free plastic or glass water bottle. I carry two water bottles with me to work each day, one of them is glass and I love it, buy it on Amazon here. You can pop it in the dishwasher if you don't have time to hand wash and they will last forever. 

Lastly, carry your bottle everywhere and proudly. I drink an unbelievable amount of water to stay hydrated and feeling good and always have a bottle in my purse or car. It will save you money and if you find a tasty flavor combo you enjoy, it will save you a lot of calories, too!

A (Fabulous) At Home Facial

Facials are one spa service I can absolutely justify splurging on every couple of months. They combine a mini massage of the hands, neck, and feet for relaxation while clearing the gunk out of your pores to keep you looking your oh so radiant best. Such services can vary from $50 to $100 in price depending on where you live, at those costs I can only go every eight plus weeks, and that's because I tell myself it is technically a "wedding expense". Regardless of your facial frequency, it's always good to do the occasional at home maintenance to keep things clear. Let us begin.

First, assemble the above materials. A face wash, gentle exfoliant, face mask for your skin type, toner, and moisturizer.
Face wash: I use Target's Up & Up brand acne wash. I get occasional acne, but more importantly it helps with my oily skin.
Exfoliant: When purchasing this it is crucial to get the proper kind. Most scrubs offered today do not have round beads but shard like abrasive objects. These will cause microscopic tears in your skin creating damage and the opportunity for infection. Scrub a break out too hard with those? Great job, now you've caused it to spread. Mine is from one of my Birchbox orders but Ulta, Beauty Brands, and other stores offer a higher quality you need.
Mask: Read through the description and ingredients, the above brand, Formula 10.0.6 received good reviews online and was a steal for around six dollars at Ulta. It is a mud mask which is ideal for my complextion.
Toner/liquid exfoliant: My Aveda botanical kinetics exfoliant may be the most I have ever spent on a single facial skin care product at around $26. Not super steep but considerable more than my four dollar face wash. Witch hazel provides the same cleansing effect but doesn't aid cell turn over like the Aveda product. I love it and it helps keep my post work out clogged pores at bay.
Moisturizer: After all of that cleaning, you'll need to put some good for your skin nutrients back in with a product suitable for your skin. Mine is the dual action moisturizer from Target, it replenishes while treating with mild acne treatment.

Next, get to work!
1. Wash your hands to remove all bacteria, remove eye make up, and if you wore a lot of powder/foundation, remove that as well. Work the face wash into your skin for about a minute, using warm water and rinse completely.
2. Exfoliate! The key to getting things really clean? Take your time. Small circular motions with the scrub and some warm water for a couple of minutes is ideal. Use light pressure, hard does not equal better in this case. Rinse with warm water.
3. Mask it up. I like to make an event of my face masks, often while no one is home. Otherwise, certain fiances walk in and stare at me like I am insane, judging my pursuit of porefection. Each mask has different instructions, mine requires you apply it to dry skin. ALWAYS use a clean, dry washcloth. I have a whole basket of white wash cloths I use for just my face and a clean one each time. I leave mine on for ten to fifteen minutes most masks harden as they are ready to come off, however some stay moist so read up on yours. Rinse with warm water and pat skin dry with a clean towel, cloth, whatever.
4. Toner. Mix your toner by shaking and dispense on to a cotton ball, enough to get it moist but not sopping wet. Take your time to run it over every nook and cranny of your skin.
5. Moisturize your face and neck. Look in the mirror and admire your new glow!

What are some of your favorite skin care products? I'll try any product once, but am rarely blown away.

Love Where You Live, Live Where You Love

Residing in the glorious city of Chicago, it's easy to boast about the uniqueness of where I live. The activities are endless, the diversity is ample, and the food is delicious. Public transit, valet parking, lakefront bike lanes, all help to make the city accessible to tourists and locals alike. Being from small town Indiana, I am fully aware some places don't have nearly as much to offer for culture, events, and all around amusement.

So what is your Fabulous in February challenge for the day? I believe we are in control of our lives much more than we realize and a healthy dose of appreciation and perspective of where you're living is needed on occasion. You task today is to find an activity to attend, or coordinate a neighborhood party, throw together a girls night out (or in). It doesn't have to be expensive, aka a classic dvd and cheap bottle of wine in your own abode will add some atmosphere to your home, your life, and your city. 

Taken from Oak Street Beach on a glorious summer day!

Last night, I went out to take advantage of restaurant week for a second time. I will say, all of my food was amazing and it was worth the freezing cold train ride after work! I am completely guilty of not enjoying all my glorious city has to offer, this is something that needs to change. 

Where are you from? What makes your town so unique and what do you enjoy doing?

Fabulous in February: A Man Friendly Potluck Dish

We attended a friend's Super Bowl party today. It was potluck style at their condo and, at my fiance's suggestion, I needed to bring my famous meatloaf. The dish isn't inherently potluck, grab and go, appropriate. Also, our friend's wife doesn't eat red meat. Major whomp whomp. After some soul searching, and grocery searching, I put together a football friendly treat.

Mini (Turkey) Meatloaf Sliders:
-3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-1/2 cup oats
-1 egg
-1/2 teaspoon salt
- BBQ Sauce for topping
-1 pound lean ground turkey
- Hawaiian Mini Sub Sweet Rolls
Calories per mini slider: 169


Mix egg, oatmeal, milk, cheese, and salt. Add in ground turkey. Form into large six mini meatloaves. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and cook at 350 for 45 minutes. Let the mini loaves cool, then slice in half. Slice the mini sub rolls in half and place half a meatloaf on each. Secure with a toothpick. This makes one dozen sliders.

These were a total shot in the dark initially and I think they're going to be a big hit. I ate one already and the pairing is delicious.

I also brought along some vegetables and hummus to snack on myself. Because, you know, if I'm famished table full of dips, chips, and unhealthy treats is staring me in the face I am totally eating it.

Fabulous in February: Get Your Life Together For the Month Ahead

I always love the beginning of a new month. A fresh page in my agenda book, changing the calendars to see what events I have ahead. Also, it is the perfect time to analyze whatever it is you want to accomplish in the next few weeks. I've laid out some of my tasks broken down by category to give you some inspiration on what you can focus on this February:

Finances:
-I don't follow a strict budget (although that may be changing soon), but I lay out which bills with be coming from which pay check. Checking my calendar, I can see I also have a facial, hair cut, and dinner out with friends this week. I need to make sure I have extra money set aside for that as well as my usual groceries, gas, and Target run.
-I finally tackled an issue one of my student loans seemed to be having. Luckily, it was an easy fix. I made an over sight on some forms I needed to send in, so they are now addressed and ready to be sent out.

Fitness:
-My monthly goal is five workouts a week with one being an hour long yoga workout to stretch and help my muscles recover. I often get six workouts in each week, which helps me to feel extra productive and great!
-I try my wedding dress on in 16 days. You bet your butt I'm stepping up the cardio and toning routines. Early this morning, I did a 45 minute workout dvd consisting of weights, abs, and cardio. I will keep you updated on the new fitness routines I try throughout the month.

Home/Organization:
-So today I cleared out my fridge and cabinets. It's a very unsettling thing to do when it's too snowy to leave the house. We are living on leftovers today, may do dinner out tonight, and it allowed me to accurately evaluate all the items I now need to buy at the stores tomorrow. At least there will be plenty of room for everything when I cart it home!
-I also created my weekly list of errands, workouts, and other tasks to do.
-I like to use my weekends to get things accomplished so our place is vacuumed, mopped, and our half a dozen loads of laundry are complete. The latter is no easy task as it required quarters and traipsing up and down a freezing cold stairwell to the basement. I will be so glad when we have laundry in our own home!

Wedding:
-My wedding to do's this month are super simple. Thank goodness. I need to mail our Save the Dates, the main issue has been getting to the post office to purchase stamps. I also want to register, set aside pictures for my hair and make up trial on the 16th of this month, and set up appointments to do our cake and food tasting. You know, the fun stuff. I'm actually pretty pumped for this month of planning, our long engagement and working ahead is starting to pay off.
-Chill. Relax. Enjoy that I am engaged and planning what is going to be a seriously amazing time for our friends and family. And, of course, appreciate being one month closer to marrying the love of my life.

Health:
-Throughout this month I will be doing some clean eating features and healthy food swaps. I am aiming to incorporate more whole foods into my diet each day. Processed items, even too frequent of granola bars, leave me feeling bloated and hungry.
-Mental health is also important, I am going to finish two books and make more time for "brain games" like sudoku. My fiance and I play chess on SocialChess for our iPhones, so I plan to get in the habit of checking our game more than once every three days. Maybe this will help me improve my chess skills? Doubtful, I am really quite awful.

What are some of your big picture goals for the month?