Earlier this fall, I started making a list of my potential Thanksgiving blog recipes. One of the items on that list was called “Brussels Sprouts TBD.” As every other recipe got named, resolved, tested, and put in the works, “Brussels … Go to the recipe...
The post Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Many Ways appeared first on Love and Lemons.
My alarm goes off. I wake up, with half of my head on the pillow and half on the edge of the mattress, the end piece of “bread” to our P-Liv-Me sandwich. To our far left is 2/3 of a comfy king-sized bed. I just don’t understand.
I reach down and grab my phone, and depending on how much time I have, I check emails, social media, blog comments, and podcast stats with one eye closed. Does anyone else do this?!
Then, I stumble out of bed to the bathroom to splash water on my face, throw on some jeans, a top, and my mom sneakers, then start the before-school routine.
I put lunches into backpacks, make breakfast for the girls, get them dressed, hair and teeth brushed, then out the door.
It’s quick, efficient, and not the least bit peaceful or relaxing; a far cry for the motivational personal development books I’ve read. While the authors are meditating and writing in gratitude journals, I’m scrambling eggs in between looking for lost shoes, feeding the dogs, and buttoning the teeny tiny buttons on the back of P’s dress.
The only semi-aspirational thing I do is frequently make a morning Detox drink before I chug my coffee. This is quickly negated by the fact that I chase the Detox drink with my children’s leftover soggy waffles pretty much every day.
For a while, I was overly fascinated with morning routines. I found it so intriguing to hear about successful entrepreneurs’ morning routines and how they set the tone for the day. At the same time, I knew that these routines weren’t super realistic for me. I even told myself I’d start doing the Miracle Morning and then was up with both girls all night that night. For me, sleep is a rare and treasured commodity right now, so I’m at a phase in my life where I have to seize every second of sleep that I can. Maybe when the girls are a bit older, I’ll be able to wake up earlier and catch a workout and meditate in the morning. For now, I’m sleeping until my alarm goes over, staring squinty-eyed at my phone screen for like 10 minutes, and then racing through the morning routine.
It got me wondering, are there any people out there who have the most un-aspirational morning routines but still are slaying it at life? Does your morning truly dictate your tone for the entire day?
Thanks to the googles, here are some unique morning routines I’ve found:
(And please don’t let the title of this post fool you. These people aren’t slackers in any way.)
From Blinkist:
From wpcurve:
An interesting article about weird daily habits
I guess in my search I was looking to find some crazy stuff – like someone eating frozen pizza for breakfast each day or hitting snooze 18 times – but I was a bit disappointed. It just gave me a small pang of happiness every time I saw that someone did something unusual – like the guy who eats smoked trout every morning?
It was interesting to read that there are SO many common routines among successful people (gratitude journals, early exercise, drinking a lot of water when they wake up, cold showers, meditation, etc) but even so, morning routines can obviously vary. I don’t think that a morning routine directly affects someone’s will to succeed or internal motivation.
Some crazy successful people wake up early, seize every second, and accomplish a LOT. But there are also people who are waking up early, forcing themselves to go through these motions, and in a similar spot they were 10 years ago. I’d rather sleep until my alarm goes off and enjoy 30 minutes of before-school chaos, then wake up at 4:45 and cry to myself silently while trying to meditate, ya know? I just hate the mornings.
So, tell me friends: do you have an awesome morning routine? What’s something you do each day that makes you feel more centered and productive to crush it at life? For me, it’s getting outside at some point – whether it’s a walk with the dogs or playing with the girls in the backyard after school – and moving every day. On the days I don’t get in an official workout, I still try to be active in other ways (like chores or enjoying adventures outside with the girls) because it makes me feel a thousand times better.
Hope you enjoyed the long weekend! A special thank you to all of the veterans and their families who have served. <3
xo
Gina
* Praying for all of those affected by the devastating fires in California. My heart is with you, and if you’d like to join me in donating to the relief efforts, resources can be found here.
** Congrats to the Beautycounter giveaway winner: Natalie! I’ll get your goodies on the way this week. 
Stay tuned for LOTS of holiday giveaways headed your way.
*** Today is my b-day! I’ll be back tomorrow morning with a recap of all the fun, but if any of my Peloton friends want to celebrate with me, I’ll be riding in Robin’s class at 5:30 ET and hoping for a b-day shout out. 
For the rest of the day, I’ll be feeling extra thankful for my amazing family, for this beautiful life, and eating birthday cake. Happy Monday, friends.
The post successful slackers appeared first on The Fitnessista.
Thanksgiving is next week, but I’ve been eating mashed potatoes for a while now because blogging life means eating holiday recipes early! I first made these for a family dinner a few weeks ago and while I was in the … Go to the recipe...
The post Kale & Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes appeared first on Love and Lemons.
Temps have finally cooled down in California, which means it’s safe to say weather is chill everywhere. And like I always do during the transitional months, usually November and June, I’m making a few changes to my vanity. Swapping out the products and routines I swear by for summer and time in the sun with ones to combat winter conditions (even mild ones).
After all, our skin is dealing with totally different elements depending on the time of year. Just like you change up your closet, the same should be done for your beauty routine. If you don’t have a different beauty collection for summer and winter, do yourself a favor and follow these 5 tips.
Moisturizing overnight mask: I have somewhat oily skin, so a heavy moisturizer isn’t in rotation for me over summer. But once things cool down and the heat is on in my house, my skin totally dries out. This is when I bring in something like this Nuori Supreme Moisture Mask. This is actually an overnight hydrating mask and it’s super luxe and moisturizing. It’s made with grape and damask rose waters and natural hyaluronic acid to restore moisture levels. It also has chamomile extra which is known to be anti-inflammatory and soothing for skin that winter brings. I apply it 1-2 nights a week before bed and my skin soaks it up.
Hydrating Balm: I’m newly obsessed with this Boundless Solid Oil that I kinda use everywhere as part of my evening routine. It’s made with amla berry, which is rich in Vitamin C, and has loads of antioxidants and collagen. Plus, it has scents of lavender and geranium which naturally calm. I use it on areas that are super rough, like my hands, the area around my brows that always dry up, and even my neck/chest. Beyondddd relaxing and hydrating.
Eye cream 2x a day: I’m usually good with using eye cream at night, but my eye area tends to get more puffy and dry during fall/winter. It’s likely a combo of weather and diet, and my skin lacking as much moisture, but this is when I bump up my eye cream routine. I’ll apply some before makeup in the morning and then again at night. I’ve been using Grown Alchemist’s Age Repair for years and still love it.
Roll after products: Like Geri, I’m a major fan of all things face rollers – but especially this time of year! Since most rollers (like the ice roller or jade roller) help to seal pores, it’s imperative to use them after your morning/evening skincare routine. They help products penetrate into your skin and really soak up all the benefits of your serum, moisturizer, etc. I usually use the ice roller in the morning (because hello tired face), and then the jade roller at night.
Use a washcloth while cleansing: My facialist told me this and it’s a tip I always bring back this time of year. Even though I exfoliate, I still end up with lingering dead skin quite regularly. After you apply cleanser (this one is really rich) and feel like your face is clean, use a washcloth to softly wipe of the product. Then rinse with water. This extra step aids to gently remove dead skin while pores are open and the skin is loose. Just keep a stack of washcloths in your bathroom and voila! Easy exfolation at its finest.
I shared my tips, now it’s your turn! What winter skincare tip do you swear by?
P.S. You can shop the winter items I swear riiiight here:
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The post 5 Quick Skincare Tips for Colder Weather appeared first on because im addicted.
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