Five Simple Things (November 11)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Brushes.

I've been dry brushing now for about three weeks and I am definitely seeing a difference in my skin. I am hoping to build a routine of it and highly recommend you starting. It's not so much a rough brushes, but a light skin exfoliation before your shower. I like to do my workout in the morning, dry brush, then shower, and finish my routine with my skincare and body care creams and serums. It's been such a nice self-care addition that I am fully enjoying. The ones pictured here are what I use and you can pick them up here.

2. This Cleanser.

I've been really enjoying this brand W3ll People, and I am totally into their charcoal face wash right now. On my path to change all of my face care and skin care products to ones that are better for me and the planet, W3ll People definitely hits that mark. You can check out their products here.

3. This Sponge.

Skylar was stocking the shelves at Autozone this week and saw this shark car cleaning sponge and immediately thought of me. It's sold mostly for washing your car, but I added it to my surf bag and am going to use it as a body sponge after surfing. A few rounds in the washing machine and I think it's perfect. And, I love that he thought of me in such a great way. 

4. This Eclipse.

 

Did you catch the full lunar eclipse this week? It happened for us here on the west coast on Tuesday morning, about 4:00 a.m. We made sure to wake up a few minutes before totality to see it and it was well worth it. I make sure to tell Skylar how important events like this are and how sometimes they are once in a lifetime. We are hoping to head down south to watch the next total solar eclipse in April 2024.

5. These Flurries.

 

We had a bit of snow flurries this week. I always love when it snows here, even if it isn't a lot. Once it sticks and covers the city everything looks so clean, white, and pretty. These flurries didn't last long, but they were a nice change from all the rain lately.

One last thing:

A few measures I've been keeping an eye on with this year's midterm elections. Oddly, I've never been invested in keeping track of anything political until recently. I do not claim to pick a side, I just follow what I think is important and decide accordingly to what will have an impact for future generations. I feel that short-term gains are a long-term loss when it comes to elections. And, with many being so focused on the now and how it impacts them currently, or take thing personal, the long-term should be the main focus for everyone. Anyone that reads this that disagrees, that's okay. The best part of living the United States of America is how diverse we are and how different views and opinions shape our land. With that said, here are the measures I feel will impact all of us and future generations in the long-term.

I am glad this finally got the votes to pass. Although it will be held up in the courts for awhile, I am still glad it passed with most of the state agreeing that this measure will help. I made some comments about this measure before and during the midterm and you can read that here.

This measure not passing is unfortunate for those that struggle and have a safe alternative to heavy medication. Hopefully, it will be brought to vote again and will pass.

This measure did pass after all votes were counted.

Positive affirmations this week:

If you're struggling with coming to terms with your body and losing weight, here are things that helped me.

1. Wake up and get on the scale every day. Weight yourself every morning and write it down.
2. Drink at least 16 ounces (2 cups) of water right when you wake up. After that, try to aim to drink half your weight in ounces of water a day.
3. Eat at least two cups of vegetables by 2:00 p.m. and again by 6:00 p.m.
4. Stop eating anything that doesn't taste good, or isn't filling, especially bad foods that lose their appeal after the first few bites.
5. Chew gum to keep your mouth distracted from wanting to eat out of boredom.
6. Write down your feelings when you feel they are tempting you to eat. Emotional eating is a habit and it not normal. Finding triggers that makes you learn towards food is the best way to break that habit.
7. Set reasonable weight loss goals. Example: Eight pounds in a month, or 30 pounds in four months, etc.
8. Exercising is always optional. You can either exercise and help your weight loss, or you don't. You always have a choice, but exercise in the long run will definitely be to your best benefit. Remember what I said, you always have a choice.
9. Stop the excuses. It's either now, or later, and the sooner you do it the better you will feel.
10. Keep reminding yourself that you are worthy of this and you CAN do this. Say it every day, every moment you have doubt, and every time you feel like you aren't doing enough. Progress, not perfection.

You can do this!