Life/ Nurturing your spirit in your self-care regimen

Nurturing your spirit in your self-care regimen is in my opinion the core of your self-care. I believe your spiritual care is personal based on your belief, so I will be sharing some general things to enhance your spiritual life. My faith is the core of my decisions, lifestyle and is my command center of decisions in my life. I believe all the parts of your self-care regimen are important to live a balanced healthy lifestyle. Here are the summary of things we have covered so far to enhance your self-care regimen ( The mind and The body ) 

5 Things to Nurture your spirit in your self-care regimen

• Become knowledgable by reading and learning about your faith daily.
• Prayer and meditation.
• Attend gatherings where fellow believers are.
• Apply what you believe in your life.
• Make a firm decision to enhance your spiritual life.

Style/ Blue strapless summer dress

Blue strapless summer dress [From my closet]

Blue wedge shoes[Forever 21]

Cat eye glasses[From my cat eye closet collection]

This dress is one of my favorite summer pieces. This dress is comfortable and my favorite color for the win. As summer wines down I am wearing my dresses as much as possible. 

Life/ Stawberry and bacon salad with homemade honey mustard salad dressing

Strawberry and bacon salad 

with 

Homemade honey mustard salad dressing

What you'll need for salad

2 slices of uncured bacon

1 1/2 cup of prepackaged Italian blend salad mix

4 strawberries

What you'll need for dressing

1/4 cup of mustard

2 tbsp of organic honey

1 tbsp of olive oil

Directions for salad
Cook your bacon to a crisp, drain bacon and crunch up and set aside. On a plate lay out salad mix. Wash strawberries, drain them and slice them on top of salad mix. Sprinkle crunched up bacon on top of salad.

Directions for honey mustard salad dressing
1/4 cup of Mustard
2 tbsp. of organic honey
1 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil

Directions for salad dressing
In a airtight container mix mustard, honey and extra virgin olive oil together and stir. Pour sale dressing over salad and store leftover for another day (will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator)


Great substitutes: 
Instead of bacon use chicken, turkey or lean protein of your choice
Instead of strawberries use oranges, watermelon or your favorite fruit

Style/ Comfortable tank dress

Tank dress [Forever 21]

Leggings [Kohls]

Tan wedge sandal [Forever 21]

I absolutely love this tank dress. I wore this dress as a top with leggings. This dress is super comfortable and is ideal for a day in the park. The shoes I have on, I actually have had for a few years and still love them as much today as I did when I purchased them. The leggings are a pair of my favorites, I love the cute little cut out on the side. This outfit exemplifies my style, comfortable and cute.

Life/ Delicious organic kiwi strawberry popsicles

Delicious organic kiwi strawberry popsicles

What you'll need

1 cup of organic strawberries

2 organic kiwis

1/2 cup of organic rice or coconut milk

2 tbsp of organic honey

blender or nutriblast 

4 popsicle molds

Directions

Add strawberries, kiwis,rice milk and honey to blender/nutriblast and blend until liquified. Pour liquid into popsicle molds and freeze 4-6 hours.

These are great post workout treats, as well as just a healthy snack option. These are great for the kiddos too. Let me know when you make them, and I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as we do.

Life/ My Yoga routine and why I love it!

Things I use in yoga and why

• Yoga mat - For traction and padding (indoors and outdoors)
• Oil burner with tea tree oil - For calming and relaxing (indoors)
• Phone - For calming sounds, music and meditation scriptures (indoors and outdoors)
• Pillow or folded blanket - For leverage or padding (indoors and outdoors)

My current yoga routine

• I do 3 -10 poses, 1 minute each, based on my areas I am working on that day according to my goals for the month. Here are some pose variations HERE 
• This month my fitness goal is posture, core strength and flexibility.
• My goal mentally is concentrating and breathing.
• I play either calming sounds/music or meditate on monthly goal scriptures.
• I do yoga 3-5 days a week.

Why I love yoga and how it has enhanced my healthy lifestyle

• I love the way yoga makes me feel physically, mentally and spiritually.
• It has been great for managing stress, anxiety and mental health.
• It is helping to strengthen my core.
• It has increased my flexibility.
• It has helped me be more present in the moment.
• It has enhanced my ability to be still and quiet.
• It has enhanced my faith and prayer life.
• It has enhanced my memory and focus.

Please share your Yoga success stories in the comments!

Life/ Nurturing your body in your self-care regimen

Body care is important in your self-care regimen, because without our body functioning at full capacity we lack a healthy quality of life. Last week we discussed the mind and it's importance to our self-care regimen HERE. This brings us to the body. Below I am sharing ways of nurturing your body and practical steps to ensure a healthy quality of life. 

Caring for your body mentally

• Having a healthy self image at whatever stage you are in on your healthy lifestyle journey is important. It doesn't matter how others view you when you have a healthy self image. Be careful what you say to yourself and remember you have the power to be the best version of you. Healthy should be the ultimate goal to achieve. So mentally work on how you see yourself.
• Speak positively to your self, speak positive affirmations and words of love and optimism.
• Make up your mind that you will be the best version of you. Don't compare your body to anyone else's because your's is unique and beautiful, so concentrate on being your best you.

Caring for your body's health

• Make sure you're getting regular check ups with your doctors (eyes, dental, primary, gynecology, and any specialists needed)
• Exercise to improve health and wellness. Have a mindset of maintenance and not crisis care. Always be mindful to seek counsel from a health care professional when starting a exercise regimen, and know your limitations and move forward accordingly.
• Eat a proper diet of things your bodies need. Eat a diet high in lean protein, fiber, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
• Learn what works well for your body, and that takes intentional focus on your food intake and exercise plan is.
• Rest, Rest, Rest. Get proper rest, become familiar with your body and know when to sit it down. Be mindful of the amount of sleep you need per night to have optimal performance from you body and mind.

Caring for your appearance

• Take care of your personal hygiene overall (hair, teeth, body parts etc.)
• Buy and wear clothes that you love, and are comfortable, and work well for you.
• Take care of toe nails and fingernail maintenance.
• Keep your hair clean and cared for, and wear styles that promote your kind of beautiful and confidence.

Style/ Summer time polka dot dress

Style

Polka dot summer dress [Consignment find]

Shoes [Juicy Couture]

Sunnies [Charlotte Russe]

Melanin [Compliments of the sun]

I loveee this dress so much. I purchased this dress years ago at a consignment shop and love it as much today as I did then. I named this dress summer, because it just screams summer out loud, from the color to how it flows. Just a reminder to create a life that "looks good and feel good"

.

Life/ Nurturing your mind in your self-care regimen

Your mental well being is so important to your healthy lifestyle, and in turn, an important component in your self-care regimen. The mind is our command center where we make decisions and so important for a healthy balanced life. Below I am sharing areas and ways of nurturing the mind and maintaining mental wellness.

Mental wellness

• Exercise which helps boost your mood and brain function. Excercise increases confidence and promotes healthy living along with a healthy diet.
• Having a support system. These are the people in your life that are trust wothy, supportive, and truthful that you can feel comfortable sharing your life, faults, dreams, accomplishments, aspirations, tears and fears. I call my support system my inner circle and choose them wisely.
• Prayer which increases your faith and minimizes stress. Prayer is a time for reflection, communication, release, receiving, and direction.
• Yoga which decreases stress by calming and relaxing you through breathing, focusing and calming. I will be sharing my love of yoga and how it has elevated my body care routine and faith in a later post so stay tuned by subscribing and following me on social media and here on the blog.
• Therapy or counsel if needed to learn communication tools and guidance. Choose your therapist/counselor wisely.

Brain boosters

• Decorate with bright colors and things you love in your space. This increases visual joy and stimulation. Decorating with things you love reminds you of living the life you love. Decorating with bright colors you love has been proven to boost your overall mood. I love sunflowers and they are every where in my home, they make me feel joyous.
• Music is a great way to give your brain a boost through sound. Create a uplifting playlist that empowers and validates you and watch how you feel.
• Watch inspirational, healing, comedic, uplifting movies that validate your love of life and empower you to grow forward.

Knowledge and growth

• Read books that empower you to grow in your faith, self-care, business, personal life and healthy lifestyle.
• Take classes to increase in knowledge in any area you are looking to expand your life.
• Remain teachable. Life is a great teacher when we are mentally aware and open to receive.

Please feel free to let me know if these are helpful!

Style/ Beautiful blue and white swing dress

Style

Blue and white swing dress [From my closet]

Black gladiator heel [From my closet]

Sunnies [Forever 21]

I have had this dress for years and it is still everything to me. I choose pieces for my wardrobe that I love. This dress exemplifies exactly what I believe, "live a life that looks good and feels good".This dress is both beautiful and comfortable. I have learned to only buy pieces that I love for my wardrobe, and in turn they are timeless.