(diva)logues

"Beautiful people... champagne and rolled-up notes..."

 

Had lunch with a friend recently who was telling me about some of her current skincare obsessions, which lead to her purchasing this book... Eat Beautiful. 

I was intrigued because let's face it... I sometimes do judge a book by it's cover... and since it was pink with metallic gold lettering, I thought it was cute enough to be on display as a coffee table book if nothing else. 

But the content is great as well.  And quite honestly, it's pretty much how I eat most of the time. 

But if you're curious to know what foods are good for repairing skin cells, better digestion, detoxification, boosting your mood and more... this is a great read.

She talks a lot about how the food we eat, can either mess with our skin and prematurely age us... or nourish, not only our bodies, but our skin too.  I love it.  There's even a lot of recipes in the book with pretty pictures as well, if you're into that. 

And I don't know about you, but as far as this aging thing goes... I'm not going down without a fight.  LOL 

 

The obvious bonus to adding nutritious foods to your diet, while removing toxins like sugar & processed foods... is that not only will your skin look better, but your whole body will look and feel better... especially if weight loss or a healthier lifestyle is a goal. 

 

Coincidentally...on a similar note, I read this today & thought I'd share...

 

 

"The quality of your output is highly dependent on the quality of your input. What quality is the input you are giving to your life?

Vigorous, healthy activity, good nutrition, positive, truthful information sources all lead you toward favorable outcomes. So do beneficial habits, a variety of experiences, uplifting thoughts, and enthusiastic people.

If the results you desire are not coming out of your efforts, ask yourself this. What can you do to improve what you're putting in?

You can't make a quality product from inferior raw materials. To achieve the best outcome, start with the highest quality input.

Bypass the junk in your food, your facts, your friends, and your activities. Insist on truthful, in-depth information, quality nutrition, challenging work, and positive people in your life.

The quality of the life you live comes from the quality of what you put into it. Every day, every encounter, every choice, take the opportunity to give your life the best input."

- Ralph Marston

 

 

It's all food for thought and a good reminder to have more self care.

Detox your mind, body, refrigerator, home, timeline, contact list, environment... all of those things can weigh you down if they aren't healthy or positive.

 

Happy Monday... hope it's a great week!

XOXO

Mirror mirror on the ceiling...

 

Looking for a fun and easy way to jazz up a basic "boob light?" 

Or worse yet... the builder's grade light most of us get in a walk-in closet? 

 

Maybe I shouldn't really care so much about the lighting in my closet, but since I kinda like staring at all the shoes I rarely wear while I'm mostly in workout gear... I figure I should also like the lighting as well.

Although... since I don't exactly have a handy-man around anymore... any projects I attempt on my own cannot include rewiring of any sort.  Good grief, I had enough trouble changing out a doorknob a few weeks ago... so no way I'm attempting anything electrical just yet!  But the new doorknob is super cute if I do say so myself, so I'm kinda proud.  LOL

 

Anyway... I've had this project pinned on my Pinterest board for quite some time and finally decided to investigate some mirror options online that would work for this project.  Here is the image for my inspiration and the directions they provided seemed easy enough:

 

I found a mirror on Amazon that had the perfect dimensions... and let's just say I was also crossing my fingers that I measured correctly and the mirror would come out without an issue. 

Stonebriar Round Decorative Antique Gold 24" Metal Starburst Hanging Mirror for Wall, Modern Boho Decor for the Living Room, Bathroom, Bedroom, and Entryway

 

That actually ended up being the most time-consuming part... trying to get the dang mirror out.  And yes, I had pliers to pull up the clips behind the mirror, and yes I guess I thought it would just pop right out like a picture in a frame.  However, I'm pretty sure they must've super-glued it on so as to keep it secured through any force of nature.  But being the true determined Taurus that I am, I persevered and the next thing I knew it was shattered into a million tiny slivers all over the carpet.  #winning

So... if you need to figure in vacuuming time... the project MIGHT take more like 20 minutes than 10 minutes. 

Here's what I started with...

 

I removed the dome and then placed the frame of the mirror around the circumference of the light fixture.  There's about a half-inch to spare, which is good because I didn't need to paint or do anything to make the light look as if it wasn't all attached together. 

I added 4 screws in between spokes around the frame to attach it to the ceiling.  I also decided to hit the top of the screws with a gold Sharpie paint pen because I didn't like that the silver screw heads stood out next to the gold frame.  I should probably go back & add another screw because clearly they aren't equidistant, but again this is my closet & I'm the only one who's going to really see that minor detail...

Bryn was at school as you know, so I did this project by myself.  The trickiest part, aside from avoiding shards of glass on the carpet, is obviously holding the frame in place, while trying to attach it to the ceiling.  But with a little patience & elbow grease it is totally doable!!

Quite honestly I love it so much, I'd do it in other rooms except I had already changed out all the ugly builder's grade light fixtures when I moved in.  Although I guess I could hit the boring entryway light.  It looks pretty Mid Century Modern to me, so if you love that style as much as I do, this is an inexpensive way to add new life to a boring light.  I'll likely go ahead and add this to my other closet as well!

 

As for the shoe storage if you're interested... that's been around since I moved here and I miss having actual shelves, but these were an inexpensive solution that allowed for an organized display without having to remove the wire shelving.  Because why not have a nice little display of shoes you rarely wear?   SMH

SONGMICS 5 Tiers Shoe Rack Space Saving Shoe Tower Cabinet Storage Organizer Black 39"L Holds 20-25 Pair of Shoes ULSH55H

 

And on that note... happy Friday!  Hope your weekend is off to a fabulous start!

XOXO

 

 

The world is your runway ♥

Souper duper...

 

Quick post about a new obsession... ♥

I don't usually promote things that are labelled "skinny" or "low fat"... because nutritionally that usually means that it's packed with extra sugar or some kind of preservative to make it taste better.  

So... yeah... steer clear of those products in the store.  If nothing else it gives a false sense of thinking you can just eat more of it, because hey... they said it's fat-free!  Ummmm... NO. 

Additionally...  I didn't reach for this product in the store because I think I need to lose weight or eat things that appear by the name to be low in calories.   Quite the contrary.

The reason it caught my eye was because it said VEGAN on the label.  I'm not totally vegan, as I do eat lean proteins like chicken, turkey, eggs & fish, but since Bryn has severe life-long allergies to dairy, eggs & nuts... I've become accustomed to reading labels since she was diagnosed at 3 years old.  And unless a product includes nuts... VEGAN usually means she CAN eat it! 

So I grabbed 2 different Skinny Souping soups to try.  If you're local, I found them at Fresh Thyme.  Here's the ingredients of the Spicy Super Greens soup:

 

All fresh ingredients.  No preservatives.  High in fiber.  And it tastes SO GOOD!!  

It's pretty low in calories too... thus the name. 

 

I checked out their website & apparently "souping" is a better alternative to a juice cleanse.   Unlike with juice cleanses... the fiber, vitamins & nutrients are all maintained in the souping process. 

 

Since a cleanse was also not my goal in trying this soup... I'll add that if you're like me & just going to eat it because veggies are really good for you... you could always add some extra protein like a few slices of grilled chicken or a handful of shrimp for a meal that's still healthy!

 

I've since gone back to try a 3rd soup... so I can now give a big thumbs-up for Spicy Super Greens, Tomato Ancient Grains & Broccoli Lemon Arugula.  And I'm patiently waiting for the others to be restocked so I can try more! 

It's BPA-free packaging, so you can heat it up in the microwave or just eat it cold... I like it both ways.  

 

Great way to sneak some extra veggies in your diet!

Also a quick way to have already-prepared meals ready to grab if you're lacking in time or desire to meal prep every week.

When you have already-prepared healthy meal choices, you're less likely to grab food that isn't good for your body.

 

And although I'm a fitness instructor that promotes EXERCISE... the biggest impact you can make for your body if weight loss is a goal... is in the kitchen.  "They say" it's 70% diet... and 30% gym.  And unfortunately, we can't out-exercise a bad diet. 

 

 

Anyhoo... obviously this soup isn't a cure-all, but it's worth trying if you want some healthy choices in your fridge.

And this isn't an ad, nor do I get anything other than the satisfaction of knowing that you might be inclined to add something quick & healthy to your diet.

 

And on that note... I do hope to see you in class as well! 

XOXO