💅 Self-Care

Hi there and thanks for stopping by! Today I'm sharing some of the products I've been loving for at home self-care. It's so important to pamper ourselves during these uncertain times, and it doesn't have to cost the same as a spa treatment. Here's a few things I've been using:

Deborah Lippmann Liquid Metals Set-
At home mani/pedis are so important to me to keep my fingers and toes looking fresh and cheery. I love Deborah Lippmann's formulas, colors, and the brush makes application so easy. I had a Nordstrom Note to use so I scooped up this set of rainbow metallic shades, perfect for any season. (And don't forget to grab some good top coat too!)

FaceTory Subscription-
Anyone reading here for a while knows how much I sing the praises of this Korean mask subscription. For under $9 a month you get a 4-pack of themed sheet masks. I haven't tried one I don't like yet! I love the variety and the cute packaging and I love treating myself to 20 minutes of quiet time while my skin soaks up all the good nutrients.

Online Fitness Classes-
Exercise has been such an important part of my daily routine, it boosts serotonin while releasing stress and anxiety. And since I can't visit my local park or yoga studio, I've been relying on YouTube for free fitness I can do in my pajamas in my living room. I love Leslie Sansone and Holly Dolke, and Jessica Smith for cardio, and both my township and library are offering free yoga classes every Wednesday. And I can't forget walking my pups too!

Please stay safe and take good care of yourself. Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

🌵 Vaca Recap~Arizona 2019

Hi friends and Happy Monday! First, the winners of my Starbucks giveaway! We have 2 winners, Meri and Mrs. Grits! Please email me or leave a comment with the email address you'd like me to send your digital Starbucks gift card to. Thanks to all who entered! :)

Now on to today's post...

I’m sharing a short recap of a long weekend getaway in Scottsdale, AZ. 

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch. It was a lovely resort property with some amazing amenities. Here’s some of my very favorite highlights from the trip:

~Yoga classes were complimentary and so amazing! I love trying classes from different instructors. I always learn something new and enjoy different perspectives. My favorite quote from one class is “Where your attention goes, your energy flows”. So true both on and off the yoga mat. 

~Gondolas! I know what you’re thinking, didn’t she go to Arizona, not Italy? But at the resort there were 2 authentic gondolas flown in from Venice, complete with classical trained opera singers. They would take you on a 15 minute ride around the man-made lake on property and serenade you.  So romantic!

~Bike rentals are another complimentary hotel activity, you could rent bikes and take a 4 or 5 mile ride around the area. David and I took them for a spin early one morning before it got too hot. 

~Pool time-The hotel has several pools with our favorites being the adult pool complete with beverage service and a pretty neat water feature, as well as the mineral pool at the spa. It was like floating in Perrier!

~Avania Spa is #2 in the entire Scottsdale area, and for good reason! We spent multiple days vegging out and relaxing there and I very much enjoyed my mani/pedi. They also offer beverage service and David and I sipped on rosé poolside one afternoon. Très chic!

~One day we needed a break from the heat and checked out Scottsdale Fashion Square mall. Wow! They had every store imaginable and such friendly sales staff. My souvenirs from this trip include a new perfume, Gucci Flora Emerald Gardenia. It has notes of watermelon and pear and the scent will always remind me of Arizona! I also picked up the cutest travel mug at Starbucks, I will be reminded of my wonderful desert trip every morning with my cup of Joe. 

~The four of us went to a fancy dinner one night at Fleming’s. It was such an incredible experience with top notch service and an absolutely delicious meal. We also indulged in all of our faves we don’t have in NJ including Del Taco, Sweet Tomatoes, Pei Wei, In-N-Out Burger, Krispy Kreme, and Menchie’s. Vaca calories don’t count, right? ;-)

We headed home feeling lighter and more relaxed. The desert is so healing and a lot of fun. We made lots of fun new memories and I can’t wait to return, hopefully soon!

Have you traveled to anywhere fun lately? Let me know down below, I love hearing from you.

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

Meditation

Mediation has become such a huge part of my life in the last few years and I thought this would be a great space to speak about something that I am so passionate about. I am by no means an expert on the subject, but I feel like anyone and everyone could benefit from the power of meditation. 

It all started December 2015 when my husband David booked a private yoga lesson at a local studio for us. I tried it and loved it and pretty soon was practicing yoga 3 days a week. It quickly evolved into reiki sessions and training for myself, massages, ear candling, sound baths, drum healing, chakra work, and meditation. 

I went on to take 2 levels of meditation training, even interning as a teacher assistant during a course. It was life changing to say the least. It was if I was seeing the world for the very first time. 


It took an incredible amount of work to be able to quiet my mind and meditate but I was able to go from 1 minute to 5 minutes and work my way up to an hour or more. 

I could go on and on about the topics of self awareness and meditation for days, but here are a few brief points I've learned along the way that I find most valuable in my every day life:

*That I could quiet my mind and that my mind tries to tell me stories as a human defense mechanism and that I could simply say “no thank you” to them was such a new concept for me.

*The idea of staying “interested but not invested” to drama or gossip or things that simply didn’t serve me was a revelation.

*The only person I need to please in this world is myself and that I am all I need and how it’s better to rid yourself from toxic things and people was a very valuable lesson learned.

*I was suddenly paying more attention to the smaller details such as where my food was coming from, TV shows that I once thought I enjoyed I now saw as senseless drama, and being stuck behind the worse driver suddenly didn’t bother me anymore. I feel more tuned in to myself, both in mind and body, and can honestly say my meditation practice has me feeling the best I’ve ever felt.

*No matter what the world may throw at me, death, illness, job losses, heartbreak, I know that I will be OK. If I'm not OK, that simply means I am dead (morbid, but true) and it won't matter.

*I don’t need to make dialogue up in my head about what may happen or go back over what has happened. What’s in the past is in the past and cannot be changed and what’s in the future hasn’t happened yet so there’s no sense in worrying over it. Worrying or going back over past events is creating suffering for yourself, and that can be harmful. Glen Turner said it best when he said “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it gets you nowhere.” There are so many studies out there on stress and anxiety and how they’re linked to illness both mental and physical. 

To meditate for me gives me inner peace and that is priceless. Especially in today’s fast paced world training my mind to be quiet and still and not be a constant whirl of thoughts is so valuable.

I hope to keep meditation a topic on my blog, just little bits of food for thought, since I am so passionate about it. I am no authority on the matter, but if you have any questions shoot me an email, I’d be more than happy to help!


Thanks for reading, enjoy your day. :)