kiehl's me.

kiehl's is one of my all time favorite skin care lines. simple, natural, and fresh.

i am quite picky about body lotion to say the least. in fact, i didn't wear the stuff for years. if i can feel it on my skin, no thank you. it has to be light, light, light {as a feather} and it has to smell heavenly.

the kiehl's gardenia lotion is, in my opinion, the best on the market {slight caveat here... they are discontinuing it. gasp! you better believe i ordered in bulk before they r.i.p.'ed forever!}

another new favorite find is the kiehl's original musk perfume oil.

i wandered into the store on fillmore street the other day with the high hopes of finding a new perfume and - voila! - i present to you... musk!

how boyish! you must be thinking.

but, my darlings, it really accents the skin quite nicely. it's warm, subtle, charming and sexy {much like a boyfriend should be!}. i apply it to my inner wrists and neck and i love when i get a surprise whiff with the turn of my head or the flip of my hair. yum!

blend it.

ever since i did clean, i've been having smoothies for breakfast. there's something about a liquid meal i always crave on a weekday morning, especially after exercise. i purchased a blender back in april, but now i just use this magical contraption that i may or may not have stolen from mom and dad {oops! hope they don't miss it too much}.

my go-to recipe combination:

banana

apple

blueberries

spinach

almond butter

almond milk

chia seeds

flax: seeds + ground

cinnamon

raw cacao powder

agave nectar

now, the color doesn't turn out to be the prettiest in the world, but i promise the taste is delightful. drink with a straw {pink, of course}.

... enjoy!

today is a gift.

sometimes i consider myself a runner. sometimes i don't. lately i'm more of a treadmill girl due to the shorter hours of morning light and the chilly weather. in due time i'll be back outside {with my running buddy}, but i really do miss it.

oh a whim this morning i decided to change it up. even though i'm not fully recovered, i needed to move. and i needed it be in the fresh air.

i forgot how different putting one foot in front of the other is on a dirt path rather than on faux rubber. not only is it harder, but it uses more muscles. today was more of a jog... a very slow run, if you will, so as not to overexert myself.

i was blessed with this scene...

it reminded me that today is a gift. don't take it for granted. feel lucky to be able to experience this moment. you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

spirit.

i decided this week that a positive spirit is one of the most redeeming qualities a human being can have. i think i've known this all along, but lessons learned as of late have brought me to this new found conclusion.

and, that's why i'm thinking twice about your spirit. and mine.

this quote comes to mind. spotted on one of my quotable calendars from years ago.

it occurred to me mid yoga pose {of course} on saturday morning {my absolute favorite time of the week}. it was likely during high lunge, arms up, pinky fingers in, palms facing the back wall. something about this gesture really makes you want to reach for something more.

to dig a little deeper.

to offer it all away.

i think at that moment anna reminded me of the word spirit.  

don't just do it, do it with a positive spirit, she said.

because no one likes holding a pose that long. legs burning, heart pounding. but, in that moment if we make a conscious effort to change our attitudes and find our inner spirit, things just might calm down a little bit.

this applies to life, too {are you seeing the parallel?}. we will cross many-a-difficult situation in our lifetimes {just like a burning high lunge} and if we learn to consciously shift our minds to look on the bright side, to channel our deepest and sincerest good spirits, we'll get through it. life becomes a little bit sweeter.

rusty said something similar today. it was about embodying a beginner's spirit. it is wise to approach every new situation, every new relationship with an open heart, as a beginner because this ensures that we don't set ourselves up to fail. every relationship is new. we don't know what works for us and what doesn't work for us until we cross that bridge. figure it out as you go along... that's the beauty of beginnings. open hearts, my sweethearts, to let the potential for something really really good to enter our lives.

in essence, we control our outlooks on life. may we approach it with a positive spirit, always.

i will if you will. let's do it together. ready, go. namaste.

{found here and here}.

health.

i've been a bit under the weather lately, friends. and, while this is no space to discuss negative happenings, i'm admittedly a bit frustrated because, well, i'd really like to kick this cold to the curb, to say the least.

i feel that this is a good time to reflect on what we can be grateful for even in a weakened state of health. i am grateful for mothers who take care of us. and, for homemade chicken noodle soup.

chicken soup for the sick soul. being down and out also makes me thankful for the times i am in optimum, perfect health. never do i ever want to take that thriving state for granted. for two healthy legs and two strong arms and a good set of lungs.

i haven't been able to take my usual deep, deep breaths these days without coughing. and, i miss them. how lucky are we to be able to do something as simple as breathe? do you ever reflect on that? well, i hope that my sick state can serve as a pleasant little reminder for you to tune into your gratitude for being alive and kickin'.

here's to healthy and healing energy. putting it out there in this darn, amazing universe!

xoxo.

it's my favorite month, dolls! and guess who started to decorate? i have a thing for garlands. so thankful for papersource around special holidays.

love me some x's and o's. two of the best letters in the alphabet {when paired together, of course}.

we go together like an x and an o.

a very special shout out to my one and only sissy pie as she turns lucky number twenty three today. oh those early twenties... such a time of growth and learning and figuring out who you are. i couldn't be more proud of the young woman you are becoming. 

hugs and kisses!