Tag: living well

beauty · life curation

Embracing Natural Beauty

Mstldelano2 Comments

With all of this “free” time at home, I have been concentrating on slowing down and enjoying the simple pleasures around me. The main pleasure I’ve indulged in regularly is taking in the stunning beauty of the flowers and trees surrounding my home. Here are a few of my favorite photos. Enjoy!

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My hot pink azaleas

A yellow rose bush that is beginning to bloom

Baby pink rhododendrons

My Japanese maple (the leaves are stunning!)

I find that spending a little time walking the perimeter of my home does wonders for my mood and my energy. Embracing natural beauty has such a calming effect on me. I also planted some irises, tigridias, and gladiolus bulbs that I’m patiently waiting to bloom. When those flowers bloom, I’ll take more pictures and share them with you all.

health

Fibro Fridays: Nervine Herbs

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In the quest to reduce my fibromyalgia symptoms and treat my condition with as few chemicals as possible, I’ve began exploring and experimenting with natural supplements. I don’t claim that these options will work for everyone, but for those that are curious, there are certain plants that may relieve some of the common symptoms associated with fibro.

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I have been reviewing The Woman’s Herbal Apothecary by JJ Pursellquite a bit over the past few months. This book offers a condensed herbal dictionary and a host of natural remedies to try. One of the best things about this book is how the various effects of certain herbs is summarized for each plant listed. I was intrigued by the herbs that have nervine properties.

My constant companion over the past few months

Nervine herbs can influence the nervous system. It can soothe the nerves and reduce the reaction within the nervous system. Since fibromyalgia is essentially an overactive nervous system that exaggerates sensation in the body, a nervine herb could, theoretically, relax some of those nervous responses and cause the system to calm down.

Below, I’ve listed some of the nervine herbs outlined in the book (the author includes several more).

  • Angelica Root
  • Black Cohosh
  • Chamomile
  • Gotu Kola
  • Hop Flowers
  • Lemongrass
  • Sage
  • Skullcap
  • St. John’s Wort

I’ve personally used chamomile tea, and I’ve made a tea from fresh sage. I have noticed that I am noticeably more relaxed after consuming either tea. I may eventually try experimenting with using these teas as a way to wean myself off of prescription medication, but for now, I’m pleased with the gentle effects from occasional use.

My current favorite chamomile tea blend

On the occasions when my grocer runs out of sage,I’ll order it from Amazon

Have any of you tried any nervine herbs? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

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*Disclaimer: this post is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your doctor for any medical recommendations and advice.

**This post contains affiliate links.

luxury

A New Way of Defining Luxury

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Since purchasing my home last year, I have thought carefully of what I consider to be luxurious when it comes to my surroundings. I am committed to creating a beautiful, inviting space that feels opulent and elegant. But, I had this nagging feeling that maybe I’m “missing the mark” when it comes to TRUE luxury.

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An opulent room that is just a wee bit too extravagant for me

I got back to basics and look at what defines luxury. Luxury is –

“the state of great comfort and extravagant living”

Luxury, then, could be filling a space with items that cost significant amounts of money (that would be extravagant but not necessarily tasteful). But this lacks the personal taste that I want to infuse into my space. I want my version of luxury to reflect my own preferences, regardless of the cost of the items.

In this way, a new (or better) way of defining luxury for myself is creating a beautiful and comfortable environment irrespective of the cost of the objects I buy. And true luxury could also include the intentional absence of excess, as well, so long as the absence of excess creates more comfort in my space.

I’m curious about minimalism but I’m not committed to the aesthetic. So while minimalism has defined luxury for many affluent Gen-Xers and Millenials over the past couple of decades, I’m declining to hop onto that trend, and I’m aiming for a balance between excess and the Spartan approach.

So far, I’ve added some art, antique furniture, and a few rugs. However, I’m not aiming to cover every surface of my home: I’m content to have a few things here and there to display my personal flair without cramming each room. I’ve got a lot more to do before the house is exactly where I want it to be, but I’m delighted that I’m defining luxury for myself and enjoying my home in the process.

That’s all for today, friends. I’ll talk to you all tomorrow!

health

Fibro Fridays: Resources for Chronic Pain Sufferers

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Over the past year, I’ve compiled quite a few resources that I’ve used regularly. These resources consistently provide reliable information and guidance for handling the next steps in my health journey.

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One of the first resources I uncovered is The Fibromyalgia Digest. This is an excellent website that provides information related to obtaining government benefits if you suffer from chronic pain. Their team is very proactive about reaching out to digest subscribers and offering assistance. I most benefited from the website’s encouragement to keep a log of my daily symptoms to identify trends and keep track of what treatments work best.

WANA is We Are Not Alone, an app that provides a virtual community for chronic illness sufferers. Users can connect based on similar illness or specific symptoms.  What’s really cool is how the app lets users learn more about traditional medical treatment as well as explore alternative treatment options.

Fibromyalgia Association of Michigan is a great resource for learning about the most recent research on fibromyalgia and treatments. I usually follow their Facebook page for updates, but the main website is fantastic, too: you can easily get updates from the blog within the website.

I hope these websites can help you! This chronic illness journey doesn’t have to be a solo one: there is support for us.

That;s all for this week! I’ll talk to you all soon. Take care!

life curation · travel

Throwback Travel Thursdays: Cruise 2018

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I know for a fact that most of us that have permanent cases of wanderlust are seriously missing our ability to travel freely. While we are all (hopefully!) doing our part to flatten the curve, it doesn’t mean that we’re not looking forward to planning our next trip once things are a little more amenable to travel. Until we can look forward, we can always look back, hence

Throwback Travel Thursdays!

I’ll try to post throwback pictures from previous travel in these posts, just to keep things light and fun, and to remind us: we’ll be able to resume our lives soon. Just hang on, friends!

I’ll be sharing some photos from the cruise I took in 2018. I’ll also add links to my cruises posts here. Enjoy!

Fall Vacation Part 1 – Cruise Overview; Cruise 2018: Ports of Call; Cruise 2018: Dining on the Sea

 

KODAK Digital Still Camera
KODAK Digital Still Camera

Beautiful Cozumel

KODAK Digital Still Camera
KODAK Digital Still Camera

My first time in Roatan, Honduras

KODAK Digital Still Camera
KODAK Digital Still Camera
KODAK Digital Still Camera

I miss cruise dining!

beauty

Shelter-In-Place Skin Care

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While sheltering-in-place, it can be tempting to “let ourselves go”. After all, the only people that are seeing us regularly are our families and friends that we choose to either 1) quarantine with or 2) video chat with regularly.

But while I’m inside, I’m amping up my skincare. Why? Well, *one day* in the not-so-distant future, I’ll be going outside again. And when I do, I want to look great! I want to look good and feel good when life returns to “normal”. So my skincare isn’t taking a break while I’m at home: in fact, I’m learning new ways to improve my skin.

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I’m still doing a version of the Korean 10-step skin care regimen, but I felt like my skin could use a little more care than normal. So I looked up different beauty treatments for the face and body. I created a fabulous coffee & brown sugar scrub using this recipe from Living Chic on the Cheap. I love using this on my body to soften my skin. I prefer to use this after I apply and rinse my soap off while showering. That way, a light layer of coconut oil (one of the scrub’s ingredients) will remain once I leave the shower. However, I have noticed that it helps to use a dark towel after using the scrub: some of the coffee color can remain on your skin if you use the scrub as the last step.

Next, I found this great video showing how to give yourself an at-home facial. I am a HUGE fan of gentle skin care, but there are times where a little more “elbow grease” is required to get the results that you want. This video shows you ways to gently extract impurities from the skin, and how to effectively steam your face. I’ll likely add a relaxing, inexpensive herbal tea to my steaming water, just for the aromatherapy benefits. Also, instead of using a mechanical scrub, I’ll employ a chemical one (I bought one from The Ordinary that I’ll review once I’ve used it a few times).

 

This week, I’ll be using my coffee scrub as well as doing my at-home facial. I’m going to give my skin the extra TLC it needs and deserves!

That’s all for today. I hope you all are doing well! Take care.

life curation

What Happens to Our Goals During the Quarantine?

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Happy Monday, friends! It seems weird to actually keep up with the days despite the fact that many of us are staying home 90%+ of each day. As a result of the quarantine that most of us are experiencing, the days tend to run together. It’s so easy to lose track of time while we’re at home!

In the midst of this, many of us still have our goals and desires on our minds. While we’re home, we may not feel like working on our goals. After all, we are being urged/forced to stay home and this tense period of time can make us feel exhausted and uninspired (I wrote all about it here). But for those of us that are feeling motivated to work on goals during this time, the question remains: what happens to our goals while we’re quarantined, especially those goals that require that we leave our homes (perhaps for internships/jobs, in-person networking or training, purchasing supplies, etc.,)?

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While we may not be able to leave our homes freely at this time, you can still work steadily toward your goals (if you’re so inclined). Finding alternative methods to accomplish tasks should be a priority. Look online for virtual job and internship opportunities if you need certain experiences to achieve your goals. Network through social media and online groups: regularly engage with others on these virtual platforms and remember to OFFER VALUE (it makes it much easier to connect with others). Look for virtual training sessions to help you keep your skills sharp or, in the case of those trying to meet fitness goals, to stay in shape. Many of the supplies you may need can be found on large online retailers, but also try to support local smaller businesses (which are particularly impacted by these times).

Take a close look at your goals and break them down into small steps, then see which steps can be done now, while you’re at home. Even if the steps are time-consuming, you’ll be much further along if you start now than if you allow yourself to be discouraged to the point of inactivity.

That’s it for today, everyone! I hope you have an enjoyable Monday. Talk to you all soon!

health · life curation · relaxation

Take a Moment to Feel the Sun

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The sun is such a blessing. I feel very connected with sun energy, and I embrace the times where I can go outside and simply feel the sun on my skin. My good friend Diana mentioned more than once that I need to intentionally connect with sun energy, and that’s why I’m devoting this post to her. I’m listening, chica. I’m choosing to regularly connect with this incredible energy source.

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Enjoy the sunshine

This life-sustaining ball of fire continues to remind me of all of the good things about life. Delicious fresh fruit and vegetables grow because THE SUN IS. My skin grows to a deeper chocolate hue every summer because THE SUN IS. Time and all things that we use to measure the span of our lives is possible because THE SUN IS.

So, if you can, take a moment, step outside and feel the sun. Let the rays kiss your skin and serve as a reminder that every day is magical. And then, embrace the other magic that shows up for you: it surrounds you, and it is waiting for you to see it.

beauty · fitness · life curation

My Latest Obsession: Mature YouTubers

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There’s something truly magical about learning to love the skin you’re in and embracing the aging process. I’ve spent a lot of time combing through YouTube to find content creators that can offer their life insights along with beauty information that’s applicable to the 40/50+ crowd. I’m inspired by these lovely women that define “aging gracefully”.

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The Free Range Diva: One of my all-time favorites. She is one of the rare mature women of color in the green beauty realm. She’s taught me about many green/clean beauty and health brands that I’d never heard of before. Here’s a video where she shares some things we can do while quarantined.

MzBrazell: She cooks, she dons different hair looks, and she’s charming. MzBrazell’s channel has been one of my favorites for quite some time. Here’s a video where she shows her most recent Amazon haul:

 

Life Over Sixty with Sandra: She has a background in media so she is amazing on YT. I love to hear her musings and refletions on her career. This video about listening to your intuition is a treasure.

 

 

NeeCJae: She has beautiful makeup looks and reviews, and I love her energy! This is a video with ideas of what you can do while quarantined.

 

Sussex Sandra: One of our sisters across the pond has a YT channel that discusses makeup and beauty. She does a lot of unboxing videos, so if that’s your thing, her channel is worth checking out. Here, she does a Treasure Tress Hair Subscription unboxing:

 

These are a few of the ladies that I’m watching right now. Do you have any favorite mature YTers? Please let me know in the comments below!

health · life curation

How I’m Managing Anxiety Right Now

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During this time, I continue to surprise myself with how calm and level-headed I have been. Yes, I know that having many privileges and blessing (comfortable home, enough food, adequate finances, family in good health) factor into my relatively anxiety-free state. But, I’m also actively managing my anxiety levels because I’m very susceptible to low moods and bouts of nervousness that can easily aggravate my fibromyalgia and trigger a flare-up of my symptoms.

For starters, I’ve tried to maintain my normal schedule as much as possible. Remaining committed to a regular schedule can really help you feel “in control” of your circumstances and more relaxed as a result. Along with good nutrition and continuing to take my pain management medications, I also have been incorporating yoga into my routine several times per week. I find that doing stretches and sensing the areas of tension in my body have been crucial in learning to relax and manage my anxiety.

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I pour my feelings into a journal in order to give myself some relief. I have designed over 100 journals that I absolutely love, and I have happily used several of them to capture my musings and to help me manage anxious feelings whenever they arise. I’m glad that I haven’t had to use them daily, but whenever it’s needed, it’s good to know that this method is available to me and it’s effective.

I’m also taking a supplement that I purchased from a local health food store. I cannot guarantee that this supplement will give you amazing results, but I find that it gives me some relief, especially when I’m experiencing fibro symptoms. This hypericum performatum is great and I’ve enjoyed using it occasionally. I’ve found that it really does help with my symptoms

How are you all managing your anxiety right now? Please let me know in the comments below!

 

 

 

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