7 goals for a joyful 2016

I haven't posted on my blog in quite awhile (like... um, years.) Work keeps me busy, exhausted & distracted.

I'm excited to start a new year, regardless if it's just another month, another day just like the last! I'm making some goals for the new year ahead. I've been throwing them around in my head for weeks now. I can't really expect to make changes if I don't actually put them into words though. Right?

Some of my goals are literal... some are more abstract. This is the first year I've had "resolutions" and I'm actually excited for all the possibilities.

1. Blog More
Seems obvious considering I'm here. I just overall want to share more. Anything creative will do. I feel like when I'm not sharing and creating, life is simply passing me by and I can't just accept that anymore.

I also don't want to be afraid to share more. I'm crippled by my fear of losing privacy. I want to fear less and live more. To do that, I must share more. I have to push myself to put more to into the universe.

I also want to distract myself. I have a lot of stressors in my life and blogging/sharing my life outside of work is certainly going to distract me so I can nurture myself to complete the following goals...

2. Eat better. Lose weight. Drink more water.
Etc. Etc.

3. Lead with positivity.
This one is going to be a struggle. I am absolutely surrounded by negativity. From work, to friends, to dealing with people in public... It's rough out there.

I'm going to surround myself with people who are positive. I'm going to lead with a positive foot. I'm also going to read and learn how to be a more positive being. We're all students in life and I'm hoping to enroll in a 400 level Positivity course over the year.

4. Be more financially responsible. 
Self explanatory.

5. Take more video.
I feel like I want to start doing this every year. I did pretty well last year, let's see if I can keep it up.

This also corresponds to #1.

6. Edit my life.
Similar to #3, take people out who don't need to be there. Take negativity out that doesn't need to be there. Get rid of things I don't use. Live more simply overall.

This also coincides with #4 because to live more simply, I will have to want less, thus, spend less.

7. Start creating my happiness.
2015 just wasn't a happy year for me. No matter how I sliced it, there were setbacks and I was dissatisfied. It's also interesting because I was keenly aware of what in my life was making me happy (and I am forever grateful for those things, never taking advantage), yet the force of what was making me unhappy was much more powerful.

This goal is probably the most abstract and quite frankly, the one I have no idea how to start achieving. I'll have to learn along the way. It's going to be a conscience effort on my part to seek the happiness against the daily struggles. I'm not saying I need to look at the "silver lining" or look for the positive in a pile of crap, but to inherently find the happiness outside the pile of crap so that force will yield power much stronger than the pile of crap.

I don't want dead ends. I want boundless possibilities, happiness and joy.

Maybe that's all I want: joy.

2016 is going to be the year of seeking joy in life, money, body, adventures. Just joy.

<3


I'm excited to be here & I'm excited to make 2016 a good year, even if it's just another year, month, day.

http://fragileheartxxx.tumblr.com/post/136533185918

Shimmery Feet, Tingly Lips and Refreshed Faces (Freeman Beauty #BAREFOOTbliss #contest)

Summer's all about the barefoot.

I go barefoot year-round, actually. You rarely catch me in socks or slippers around the house.

I'm a Californian, what can I say??? I hate socks, prefer flip flops and bare feet.

But, my constant bare feet only mean my feet are usually dry, dull and dirty.

I received a complimentary product (#contest) from Influenster: Freeman's NEW "Barefoot" Spa Professional Exfoliating Polish*!

Purchased at Walmart!

Now, I'll be totally honest about the product... LOVED how silky smooth the polish made my feet feel after a good soak and exfoliation. 

Although, I wasn't a huge fan about the product's "shimmer".

After I soaked my feet at home, rubbed them with this polish and then used my trust Ped-Egg, I looked down at my feet and did a double take!

Were they glitter-y?!? Huh?

I'm usually not a fan of anything with a shimmer to it unless it's an eyeshadow.

I guess they looked pretty and they sure felt soft (use a good buffing tool for maximum smoothness!)

But... Shimmery feet?

I still like the foot scrub. I'll continue to use it - I've always been a huge fan of Freeman's foot scrubs anyway. There really not a lot of drugstore foot scrubs, and Freeman's always offers a great mix of foot exfoliators for the barefoot-lovers like myself!

I also grabbed Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue in Coral Crave.

LOVE Baby Lips! LOVE LOVE LOVE and maybe quite obsessed.

Don't be fooled though... despite the color, there was not pigmentation from the Coral Baby Lips, even if I put my foundation on my lips to provide a base.

Oh well, still love the glossy look and the tingly feel from the medicated stick.

The Just Peachy Baby Lips Dr. Rescue does provide a nice nude look, however.

During this Walmart trip I also grabbed an E.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set.

Love the refreshing feel... have no idea if it actually works.

The bottle works great for me, there is no smell and it has a great feel.

You won't see dramatic results, but haven't noticed my make up failing on me throughout the day either. Can't complain!

I'm such a beauty junkie and love a few good, cheap, functional products!

Successful Walmart Beauty Department trip, ifIdosaysomyself.

xoxo Sara

*This product was complimentary and I'm entering to win a brand-challenge prize for my awesome products to share and review!

#raiseyourarms

I had the pleasure of testing out the Dove Advanced Care Deodorant for review!

I have always been a huge fan of Dove deodorants, but I've never used the Advanced Care stick- and I'm completely and totally sold.

If you're like me- you shave your armpits 2-3x a week, and your underarms really get a beating. Advanced Care deodorant is smooth and nurturing, so your not left with irritated skin. You're free to "RAISE YOUR ARMS!"

The only small complaint I experienced with Dove's Advanced Care Deodorant was the smell. It has a rather "flowery" smell. I love their regular deodorant's powder-y, fresh smell or the option for no smell at all! Sometimes I think fragrances tend to irritate my skin more.

The nurturing your underarms receive with Dove's Advanced Care deodorant can't be beat! It's my new favorite stick.

My Green Juice Diary

I'm new to this. I'm not an expert. I just wanted to share my initial feelings in this journey to become a seasoned juicer.

I bought a juicer one night on a whim after raiding the produce section at the store. It was something I never thought I'd ever consider. Juicing always seemed too fussy for me, and I'll be honest, when a friend posted a picture of their juice, I rolled my eyes. It was literally overnight that I changed my mind.

I'm juicing a little for weight loss, but mostly for nutrition. I'm very, very interested in the Alkaline lifestyle. However, the thought of a "root wrap" or a salad of arugula and beets just isn't appealing. Now, if I can juice my greens and throw in a lemon, now that's appealing. So, I guess you can say I'm doing it 20% for weight loss, 80% for nutrition? By the way, I'm not doing a juice fast, just supplementing with a healthy lifestyle.

I have been researching the heck out of juicing. I feel like I know what not to do at this point and the best way to reap the benefits. So, here are THREE rules/ideas I've been following to make the experience the most effective and also make sure the juice tastes decent:

1. Use mostly veggies. I ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS use a leafy green- and tons of it!!! I have been switching between kale and spinach. I may start incorporating other greens, but for now, while I get the hang of things, I'm keeping it simple. During the juicing process, I juice the greens first. I've heard, since they're the softest, they'll then be pushed through the juicer by the firmer veggies. I pretty much always use celery, too. And I really don't like the taste of celery in the least bit- probably one of the only veggies I plain CANNOT stand- but it's easy to juice, has some great vitamins and full of water.

2. Limit fruit. This is kind of tricky, because some fruits you can use freely (cucumber for example) but the sweet-tasting stuff is full of sugar, and those I try to limit. When I do use apples and berries, it's at a minimum. I use a lot of lemon, but those are low in sugar and a high alkaline food (my juices also tend to run on the sour side- HA!.) You really have to play around with your concoction- but basically, your juice shouldn't taste like a smoothie. It should taste green and healthy. And, if that's gross, I promise you'll get used to it!

3. Drink your juice & clean your juicer immediately. The first is because your juice will start oxidizing and losing some of its benefits (and start to taste warm and not-so-good), the second is because that pulp will CAKE on your juicer and be a real pain the ass to clean.


So far, I'm really impressed at how full juices make me, I'm really not starving after them. They make a great supplement to a healthy lifestyle. I'm putting together a little list of my favorite juices thus far and I can't wait to share it. I would be really interested in some fun things you like to juice! I just bought cilantro and I'm excited to begin juicing that! I love cilantro!

Until next time.......

Russian Friendship Tea

I know this is a Christmas gift idea, and we find ourselves after Christmas... But, these were surprises, so I couldn't post this before Christmas! Tuck this idea away for next year....

This is one of my favorite little holiday drinks, the flavor is just so festive and comforting. It's called Russian Friendship Tea. I don't think it's Russian in origin, but it's certainly warming and delicious and it sure gets cold in Russia! HA!

I painted little matryoshka dolls on some jars with Martha Stewart multi-surface paint. The painting was tedious, a bit more difficult than I expected, but the outcome was so sweet and great, it was worth it.

I borrowed the tea recipe from a couple sites (HERE and HERE) but altered it a bit...

Russian Friendship Tea

1 Cup Tang

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Instant Tea Powder (I used Lipton, non-sweetened)

1/2 Cup Instant Lemonade Powder

1/2 TBSP cinnamon

1 tsp All Spice

Wilton Cinnamon Drops to your liking (they dissolve and add color to the mixture)

Sprinkle of nutmeg

To MAKE: 2-3 TBSPs mixture to 1 Cup hot water!

How stinking cute did they turn out?! The jars make for great Russian-vodka mixed drink holders post-Christmas!

yes.

<3

It's been 4 years.

I can't believe it's been 4 years since I moved to Illinois

I got this tattoo on my 1 year anniversary of

moving to Illinois & leaving California.

You can take the girl out of California,

but you can't take California out of the girl.