Happy International Love week! If you have been following along for some time now I like to follow the “traditional wedding gifts” list when buying Brandon anniversary gifts. We don’t really do big gifts for our anniversary because we like to take a trip together instead but if you know me, I LOVE buying gifts. This list allows me to get him something small but still be creative.
Year 6 is the year of iron 🙂 so today I am sharing some iron gift ideas.
Iron Bookends – If your loved one is a book reader or book collector you can find so many bookends that are super unique and fit their personality! Etsy has so many options but if you know Brandon, you know he would die over these Liberty Bell ones.
Iron Cuff Links – If your man wears button downs on a regular basis like Brandon, this is a great small gift idea!
Grilling Set – I love that you could personalize this gift. I would totally have gotten this for Brandon but I would have to teach him how to cook first lol
Golf Clubs – If your man loves golf and you want to win a wife of the year award get him a new set of clubs!
Iron Bottle Opener – These personalized ones are a really great gift. They also make a great groomsmen gift if you are planning a wedding!
Cast Iron Skillet – Honestly, I’m gonna probably buy myself this as a 6 year wedding anniversary gift lol. You could also purchase this along with a cooking class for 2 gift certificate. That would be a fun date night!
The Perfect Girl’s Day Itinerary in Galveston, Texas – Beyond The Beach
We absolutely love to travel and explore new cities around
the world but we often forget that the delicious restaurants and historic
explorations that we search for across the globe can be found in our own
backyard.
You guys may have seen that a few weeks ago Cindy and I were having a fun girls day in Galveston. Well I am happy to share that we were there on assignment with the Houston Chronicle. We were on a mission to take you through a day with us in Galveston to experience the beach town on a whole new level and let me tell you, it made us fall in love with the city all over again.
I’ve lived in Houston for a little over ten years and our usual trip to Galveston includes enjoying some fun in the sun and ending the day at one of the many restaurants on the seawall. While I still myself having these kind of beach days every Spring and Summer ahead, I wanted take a deeper dive into the side of town that I had never took the time to experience before! Below I am sharing our girl’s day itinerary to help plan your next visit to Galveston.
The Perfect Girl’s Day Itinerary in Galveston, Texas – Beyond The Beach
Coffee at Mod Coffee House: The cutest coffee shop on the island if you ask me. They have specialty coffees like Almond Joy, Milky Way and Caramel Dream that gave us that morning caffeination that we needed to start our girl’s day off on the right foot! I loved the cool hipster vibe and the crowd was diverse from people having business meetings, to firefighters (oh hey single ladies), and people of all ages in the sitting area next door working on their laptops or reading.
Tour of The Grand Opera House: We had the honor of taking a private tour through The Grand and it was like immediately being immersed into a different century. The 125 year old theatre has survived major damage from natural disasters but after touring the beautifully designed building, you can tell there has been a lot of TLC put into the theatre and now it stands stronger than ever. Although The Grand started as a opera house, today it hosts a wide variety of shows and performers like Willie Nelson, Million Dollar Quartet, The Beach Boys and a musical I definitely want to see, An American in Paris. You can check out their website for show schedules. It would make for the perfect evening for a girl’s night or even a date night! If you want to schedule a tour like we did, you can also do that on The Grand website.
Shopping on Post Office Street: Don’t miss out on all the cute boutiques, antique shops and art galleries on Post Office Street. So many great shops all in walking distance of each other. Some of my favorite shops we visited were Tangerine Boutique, Ha.Ba’s, Style Co., and Nautical Antiques.
Lunch at Rudy and Paco’s: After touring The Grand and doing some shopping, we definitely worked up an appetite. So many great restaurants ranging from Tex-Mex to Asian fusion all within walking distance of each other. We opted to try out Rudy and Paco’s as it came highly recommended. Rudy and Paco’s is just one of those special places. Not only did Mr. Paco himself greet us as soon as we sat down but he chatted with us about the history of his restaurant and it made our lunch there even more special. I had the Mahi Mahi and Cindy had the shrimp tacos that were both the specials of the day and friend’s, I say this without exaggeration, that was the best Mahi Mahi I’ve ever had in my life. If you watch my Instagram story highlights from our girl’s day you’ll hear Cindy sharing that the shrimp tacos were the best she’s ever had as well! While you are there and even if you feel like you cannot take one more bite, you must try their famous cuatro leches cake. Totally worth having to roll yourself out of the restaurant!
The Bryan Museum: Our next stop after lunch was The Bryan Museum . It’s no secret that Galveston has ton of museums but with only one day to explore some “new to us” locations, we decided to stop into The Bryan Museum since it is the newest museum on the island. The building operated as an orphanage in the late 1800’s-early 1900’s and today sits on the most beautiful property. In 2015, it opened as a non-profit institution to preserve and promote the history and art of Texas and American West. Below are photos of us enjoying the Texas Frontier gallery getting some Rodeo Houston outfit inspiration ?
Happy Hour at The Tremont House: If you thought that after the delicious meal at Rudy and Paco’s we would not have room for a cocktail, then you would be wrong. We wanted to end our perfect girl’s day in Galveston with a bang so we ended it enjoying a drink and charcuterie board at The Rooftop Bar at the Tremont House. The Rooftop Bar serves creative seasonal cocktails like the Merry Mule, Cinnamon White Chocolate Martini’s, Butterscotch Hot Toddy’s and more. Before we sipped on our delicious cocktails and enjoyed a great view of downtown and the harbor, we took a tour through the ultra chic Tremont House hotel. The tour had us contemplating whether or not we were going to call our husbands and tell them we were just going to stay the night, ha! With the perfect downtown location, comfortable rooms and southern hospitality, The Tremont House would be the perfect accommodation destination while staying in Galveston.
Also something I didn’t know is that Tremont House is a sister property to Hotel Galvez so guests staying at Tremont House can enjoy the beautiful pool and spa at Hotel Galvez. There is a shuttle that will take you to and from the properties if you don’t have a vehicle or just don’t want to drive!
We had so much fun spending a full day of doing “new to us” activities in Galveston. With an arrival time of 10:15 am, we spent about 8 hours enjoying our full itinerary above. That includes walking to each of the places. We fit in so many fun activities and delicious food during our girl’s day in Galveston, but it’s safe to say we are planning a trip again soon that will include some other places we had on our list but didn’t have time to visit. Some of these stops will include: La King’s Confectionery for a sweet treat, Vargas Cut & Catch for dinner and Daquiri Time Out for some unique, craft cocktails.
Tie Dye Sweatshirt | Wearing a small | Tie dye is back and it’s better than ever! You all were loving this sweatshirt and sold it out so fast! Linking some similar styles here, here and here!
Silky Shirt Midi Dress | Another best seller and it’s from Target! I love this dress so much and can appreciate a piece that you can style multiple ways!
Disney Coach Tee | There are so many cute Disney inspired tees out there but this one might be my fav! Wearing a medium.
Faux Leather Drape Front Jacket | There are so many things that I love about this faux leather jacket! The fit is perfect, I love that it’s a very feminine style faux leather jacket because some look too masculine and boxy. The drape front style makes it easy to dress it up or down. Oh and it’s 50% off right now! Wearing a medium.
Marc Fisher Shearling Lace Up Boot | These boots were such a favorite through winter that they kept selling out! So happy they were restocked before our trip to Leavenworth and are still in stock. Wearing my true size 7 and they are fine even when I am wearing thicker socks.
Star Print Sweater | Wearing a medium. So cute with leggings and tucked into jeans!
Checkered Travel Makeup Case | This Louis Vuitton inspired makeup case is the perfect way to keep your beauty essentials organized!
Black Jumpsuit | This jumpsuit is even more chic in person! Wearing a medium.
Good American Denim | The best fitting skinny jeans of all time! So flattering and I can wear them over and over again between washes and they do not stretch out. Wearing my true size, 27.
Green Cocktail Dress | Silver Cocktail Dress | It looks like you guys have a lot of special events coming up because these two Amazon favs starting popping up in my analytics again! They are both such beautiful dresses and so flattering. Wearing my true size medium in both but if in between sizes, size up. The silver one is super snug so I would even recommend ordering both sizes and trying both.
As always, thank you all so much for looking to me to help find your new closet items, shopping through my links and just for being here! I appreciate you guys more than you know!
If you have been following along for some time now, you know that I completed my first round of Faster Way To Fat Loss last March. Since then I have incorporated the FWTFL program into my everyday lifestyle. Immediately after I finished my first round of the program I was hooked. I was eating better, I was working out less, yes LESS and my clothes were fitting better! My shorter workouts were making much more of a difference than my one hour + workouts I had been doing and it’s because all of these workouts are specifically designed to coordinate with your nutrition plan and maximize fat burning + muscle building.
Before I get into the details of this six week fitness and nutrition program, let me give you a little history of why I started it. I have always enjoyed physical activity. Whether it was going to the gym, a trendy workout class or training for a mud run, working out was something I really loved to do. In my mid 20’s I was in the best shape of my life as I was working out 6 days a week and even though I wasn’t really eating that great, my 20 year old self was doing just fine. Well then my 30’s hit and then I became a mama. I could no longer work out 6 days a week and I really had to watch what I ate. I feel like I had to be so strict on what I ate and my workouts I was used to doing were no longer making me feel like they were working. Also, if you know me, you know I love food so being strict on what I ate was making me miserable!
Everything that worked for me before wasn’t working for me anymore and I was getting so discouraged. I began to see people posting about the FWTFL program so I started to look into it. The more I read about it, I saw that it was not a diet plan or just a workout plan but really a program that teaches you to incorporate healthier living into your everyday lifestyle. The workouts are an added bonus but I saw a lot of people sharing their weight loss journey with this program not doing the workouts. I was immediately intrigued. Although I knew I would continue to workout I was shook that these people saw great results without them. Right around this time, my now coach, Cathy Dezorzi , reached out to me about the Faster Way To Fat Loss program and I am so glad she did.
Today I want to sharing everything you need to know about the Faster Way To Fat Loss Program
What Is Faster Way To Fat Loss?
FWTFL is not a quick fix or crash diet. The Faster Way to Fat Loss program is a 6 week program that incorporates intermittent fasting, carb cycling, whole food nutrition and strategic workouts to accelerate fat loss. The program is flexible and they focus on progress over perfection. It is truly meant to become a sustainable lifestyle and that is why it is so successful.
INTERMITTENT FASTING – Intermittent Fasting is basically just a formal eating window. The program recommends an 8 hour eating window and a 16 hour fasting window. The time that you choose for your fasting and eating window is up to you and what works best for your schedule and lifestyle! This is the part of the program I think made the biggest difference for me. Because I am both a night owl and an early bird, I would eat at all hours of the night.
Can you still have your morning coffee? Answering this because it was a deal breaker for me LOL. The answer is yes! If you can, drink it black but if not just keep it under 50 calories. Unsweetened almond or coconut milk or even nut pods are great choices. If you prefer your coffee sweet, they suggest you use liquid stevia to sweeten.
CARB CYCLING – Carb cycling is a strategic method to accelerate fat loss. Your body needs carbs to help fuel your body. Carb cycling between low carb days and regular carb days will help ensure that your body burns fat effectively without causing significant hormonal damage or dips in energy. Carb cycling helps your body store less fat, as well as, helps improve your insulin levels. When you pair intermittent fasting, carb cycling and the workouts included in this program, you can break the typical plateau that so many people hit when they’re trying to lose weight. When we carb cycle we are able to deplete our glycogen stores and our bodies will then burn fat for fuel. The ultimate goal is to convert you from a “sugar burner” to a “pro fat burner”.
WHAT ARE MACROS AND WHY ARE WE COUNTING THEM? – This was probably the most confusing part of all to me LOL. Do not get intimated by this. Basically macros are carbs, proteins and fats. When you’re “counting macros” all you are doing is entering everything you eat into the MyFitnessPal app. Thankfully MyFitnessPal does all of the calculating for you and Cathy is there to make sure you set your goals up correctly. Also, the Facebook group you will be added to when you join is super helpful when you have any questions. Each day you will use the MyFitnessPal app to keep track of your macros. This app will allow you to plan out your daily food intake and then it will calculate your macros for you. Don’t let this overwhelm you, once you get started it will start to make sense.
WORKOUTS – There are three levels of workouts to choose from within the Faster Way to Fat Loss program – low impact, at-home, and gym workouts. They’re mostly a mix of HIIT (high intensity interval training) and strength training. All of these workouts are specifically designed to coordinate with your nutrition plan and maximize fat burning + muscle building.
The workouts are amazing and effective! Some are even only 30 minutes and you will be so sore the next day! You all know that I have been doing Orange Theory and trying out other workouts but friendly reminder that I have been incoporating FWTFL into my lifestyle for almost a year now so I have an idea how to alter my workouts with my macros for the day. If you are doing the FWTFL program for the first time, I would just consult with your coach on any of your exisiting workouts you want to incorporate along with the FWTFL workouts so that she can help you maximize your program. Otherwise for the first six weeks, I would highly suggest you stick with only the workouts in the program to see your maximum results! 🙂
If you are ready to give this a shot and invest in yourself, my girl Cathy has another 6 week round starting on February 10th. You can join the next round by clicking here. I cannot recommend this program enough!
5 Fun Things To Do In Houston With Your Girlfriend’s This Galentine’s Day
Quality time with your girlfriends is good for the soul! You all know I love a good girl’s night to laugh my butt off, talk about mom life and if it’s a good night have a cocktail or two 🙂
Today I am listing 5 fun things you can do in Houston next week to celebrate this month of love with your best girlfriends!
Taco x Tequila Fest – Ummm, yes and yes! The Taco x Tequila Fest is being held on February 15th at Guadalupe Park. Purchase a ticket here to do a margarita tasting, vote on your favorite tacos and get your dance on!
Carnivale Mystique Mardi Gras Gala – If you and your girl’s are looking for an excuse to get dressed up, this Black Tie Affair will have entertainers, a silent auction, a fabulous photo booth, high quality vendor shopping, a well-stocked cash bar and much more! You can buy single tickets of $75 or invite 9 of your friends to purchase an entire table of 10! Event is from 8pm-1am on February 15th.
Wine & Chocolate Pairing – Buy The Glass Wine Bar is hosting a wine and chocolate tasting event from 3pm-10pm on 2/15. For only $25 you can enjoy a delicious tasting.
Speed Dating – For all the single ladies of course! All of my besties in this post are taken (and me, duh!) but if you have a group of single friends, I think this would be so fun to do together! Grab a drink prior and then try out this speed dating thing! Held at the Hilton Houston in the med center from 7:30pm-9:30pm. Get more details here.
Whatever you and your girlfriends choose to do, I hope ya’ll have the best time! Friendly reminder to let your people know how much you love them! #YOLO
If Bavaria is on your bucket list but you haven’t made it to Germany yet, Leavenworth is for you! Leavenworth, Washington is a charming Bavarian style village located in central Washington State surrounded by the beautiful Cascade Mountains. The views are reason enough for me to go back but in today’s post I am sharing all the fun things you can do in 48 hours to make it a trip of a lifetime!
How to get to Leavenworth, Washington: We flew into Seattle and drove 2.5 hours to the charming Bavarian town. Another airport option is Spokane. From the airport you can drive, take the train, or shuttle. We ended up driving so we could have a vehicle to get to all of our activities and after experiencing the absolute most beautiful scenic route ever, we had no regrets!
A train ride would have been another fun way to take in the views but with all of the stops, a one way trip from Seattle to Leavenworth could have taken up to 4 hours so that is definitely something to keep in mind if you are heading up for a short stay like we were. Also, if you are taking the train make sure to pay attention to the schedules as we noticed at the last minute there were no trains leaving Leavenworth on Sunday, which is the day we were heading home so that schedule would not have worked for us.
Day One In Leavenworth, Washington
We flew in Thursday afternoon. Our flight landed around 11am so we grabbed our Mazda CX9 rental and headed to grab a quick bite in Seattle before we headed onto our scenic drive into Leavenworth.
Once you arrive in Leavenworth, you will totally forget you are in Washington State! Or the US even! The Bavarian Village looks like it was taken right out of a storybook drawing! The buildings, the food, even the street signs are so on theme!
We arrived into Leavenworth about 5pm so we checked into our hotel, unpacked and went to have dinner.
Where We Stayed: While there are many hotel options in Leavenworth, we stayed at the charming Enzian Inn. This family owned and operated hotel is walking distance to town, full of character and screams Bavaria! They have a gym on property, an outdoor swimming pool, an indoor swimming pool and even a basketball court!
Dinner at Sulla Vita: This Mediterranean inspired wine and beer bar cooks up brick over pizzas, delicious pastas and more. I ordered the pistachio halibut and it was amazing 🙂
Day Two In Leavenworth Washington
Morning Run: I was dreading running in the cold but I am so glad we decided to go. We ran on the main road, stayed on the sidewalks which was super safe and the enjoyed the VIEWS!! Oh man, the views on the run were worth it all! See my Instagram stories for more.
Breakfast at Enzian Inn: Our hotel had a breakfast that was included in the stay. We all had omelettes each day but there were also biscuits, breakfast meats, a variety of pastries and even breakfast fried rice!
Also, be sure to stick around to see the Alphorn performance that happens every morning at breakfast. A gentlemen wearing head to toe Bavarian gear: shoes, leather shorts, suspenders and an alpine hat plays the alphorn. After some investigating, I found out that the gentlemen was actually the owner of Enzian Inn which made me love the hotel’s charming tradition even more! Bob and his son take turns on who will be playing the alphorn each day.
Shopping | I was so surprised to find there was so much shopping up and down Front Street. From super cute kid’s stores, trendy women’s boutiques and souvenir shops. There is literally something for everyone.
Lunch at Andreas Keller | The German inspired restaurant serves up traditional Bavarian food like Bratwurst, Weisswurst and Schnitzel. But if Schnitzel isn’t your thing you can enjoy the Chicken Octoberfest like I did. I also just saw they have a gluten free and vegetarian menu. The restaurant exudes Bavarian charm.
Snow Shoeing at Icicle River Trail | For only $12 you can gear up to take a fun “hike” through the snow with a tour guide. It’s a fun way to take in the views at a slower pace all while learning more about the plants and animals that surround the area. And if you are lucky you will see some cute animals crossing through as well. This guided tour took about 2 hours and ended with hot chocolate.
Drinks at Icicle Brewing Company | I highly recommend their Crosscut German Pilsner. I like a light but not fruity beer and this one hit the spot. The girls and I shared a pitcher. Side note, do not make the mistake of ringing the big bell on your way out like Rebekah did. Apparently it means you just offered to buy the whole bar a round of drinks LOL.
Dinner at Bavarian Bistro | I had really been eyeing their craft burgers (what they are mainly known for) when I had looked at the menu prior to getting there but after I enjoyed all of the Crosscut German Pilsner I opted for the Chicken Arugala salad with a side of sweet potato fries. The food was really good.
Day Three Leavenworth Washington Itinerary
Workout at the Enzian Gym| It rained a little this morning so we couldn’t go for a run. Thankfully there was an onsite gym to use.
Breakfast at the hotel | We couldn’t miss out on our last day to enjoy the Alphorn performance!
Sleigh Ride at Red Tail Canyon Farm | It was literally like we were in a Hallmark movie! This family owned farm is surrounded by snow covered canyons and the views were unreal! The 120 acre farm hosts events and weddings throughout the year and opens for sleigh rides during the winter season. I highly recommend taking this 45 minute sleigh ride while you are in town! This activity also ended with a cup of hot chocolate and in a tipi!!
Lunch at Tumwater Bakery | Easy to grab a quick bite or latte at this cute bakery. They serve hot sandwiches, salads, pizzas and extraordinary pastries!
Ice Cream at Whistlepunk Ice Cream Co. | If you didn’t grab a pastry at Tumwater Bakery or are just craving ice cream, walk a few blocks down the road and stop in to enjoy some handmade ice cream.
Cross Country Skiing at Icicle River Trail | If any of you are intimidated by the thought of skiing like I am, I am here to assure you that Cross Country Skiing is super easy to do. The equipment is light and easy to put on. The sound of cross country skis scraping the snow crystals is so calming and being surrounded by the snow covered Cascade Mountains is icing on the cake. If you stay at the Enzian Inn like we did, they will provide you with the equipment you need (skis, boots and poles) otherwise you can rent equipment on site. There are different distance “loops” you can take on the trail depending on how far you want to go. Very little downhill “slopes” so I promise you this trail is great for any activity level. I think it would be perfect to take the kids too. The trail fee at the Icicle River Trail is $12 and can be paid once you arrive.
Dinner at Mozart’s Steakhouse | After a fun filled day of Cross Country Skiing and Sleigh riding we were so ready for a nice dinner at Leavenworth’s number one steakhouse.
Wine Tasting at Goose Ridge | I couldn’t have thought of a better way to end our perfect girls weekend than at a tasting room. We ordered a bottle of wine and talked about what everyone loved most about the trip all while enjoying the tasting room crowd, filled with both locals and tourists.
So the burning question is would I go back to Leavenworth Washington? That’s going to be a hard YES! I actually told Brandon that we have to go back with Landon. Although we had the ultimate time on this girls trip, Leavenworth is such a magical place that would be so amazing to experience with the family. One of the things that we didn’t have time to do is visit the Reindeer Farm so that’s reason enough for me to bring Landon back!
I am typically not a snow vacay kind of gal but if you can’t tell by all of the pictures, I truly had an amazing time! Leavenworth may have changed my mind on these snowy mountain filled vacations!
If you are planning a trip to Leavenworth in the future, you can pin this post for reference. I am also inserting an easy to print or screenshot PDF below of the 8 things you should totally do when you go even if you can’t fit in everything we did in our itinerary above!
Thank you Visit Leavenworth for hosting us for the most magical snow filled weekend!
Shop Your Best Friends Closet Series: Leopard Puffer Jacket
I am so excited to be starting a new monthly series on the blog and even more excited that I got to kick it off with some of my best friends while we were in Leavenworth, Washington.
If you are anything like me, you love to swap clothes with your friends and sisters. I mean, can we even be friends if we aren’t borrowing eachothers clothes? LOL. I love that one piece can be styled so many different ways and this series is going to allow me to share some of my girlfriend’s and how we can take the same piece of clothing (or accessory!) and wear it in on our way to fit our different styles!
For the first post of the Shop Your Best Friend’s Closet series, Annie, Alice, Rebekah and I are styling a leopard print puffer jacket 4 different ways!
You all know I love my leopard print and this puffer jacket is no exception! Jackets take up so much room in a suitcase so this was a fun way to show that you could totally pack this for your next snow or cold weather trip. It can easily be dressed up, dressed down and is warm enough to wear for snow shoeing like Annie did! We are all wearing the size small jacket.
I am super excited about this series and I hope you guys are too! I already have a few items in mind for the upcoming months but if there is anything specific that you all would like to see styled different ways on different friends, feel free to send them my way!
Hey friends! We leave for Leavenworth, Washington tomorrow and I am so excited to explore a new city with my sweet girlfriends! Our itinerary includes some skiing and snow shoeing. I have not done either of those activities before so that makes me extra excited!
Below I am sharing items that I purchased for the trip. A lot of cute puffer jackets were added to my wardrobe this week because we really don’t wear jackets on the reg here in Houston but I know I will need them in the snow. I took a couple of mirror pics. Not sure I’ll be wearing these exact outfits together but I just wanted to make sure everything fit (leave it to me to try them on 2 days before we leave lol). I also wanted to make sure and link up everything for you guys prior to the trip so you can snag them before they sell out. The cognac puffer is my favorite piece and it sold out so fast some of the other colors and sizes so snag that fast if you want it!
I am always excited about receiving packages from Red Dress Boutique but I am super excited about this latest order because it has me ready for Spring! All of these items are great transitional pieces that you can wear now but will also be able to wear straight into the Spring season!
Hello friends! First Amazon haul of 2020 and many more to come! 🙂 Below I am sharing my favorites from this month along with sizing info and all that jazz!
Star Sweater (wearing a medium) | Spanx Dupe Leggings (wearing a medium) I also wear a medium in the Spanx leggings, just for comparison. These dupe leggings are such a great find! They don’t hold you in as much as the actual Spanx leggings but if you don’t really care about that I think you’ll really like these! I was really shocked on how much I did| Golden Goose (such a splurge but so worth it!)
Small Toiletry Travel Case | Checkered Set | Travel Makeup Case ( I am linking a few different colors and prints here and here because the checkered ones sell out so fast but I will keep my eye out and share on stories as soon as I see it come back in stock!)
Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, I am partnering up with some blogger friends to give one lucky winner $2,500 to spend on Amazon. You can check out that giveaway post here.
If you haven’t noticed already, I do miss working with my old team quite a bit and I really miss mentoring and growing individuals but instead of me being sad over here 🙂 I’ll be putting that energy into providing you tips that I have learned along the way! Today I am giving you 4 things to implement in your everyday work life to ensure you are killing it at the office.
4 Tips To Help You Excel At The Office
Learn Your Boss’ Likes and Dislikes – The better you understand what your boss values and dislikes, the better you can perform your job to their expectations and demands. You don’t have to be best friends with your boss but getting to know his or her likes/dislikes will make your life a whole lot easier. Getting to know your boss’ communication style is a very important factor as well. Good communication between a boss and employee is essential for a positive working relationship.
Have A Positive Attitude – Did you know that recruiters find that a positive attitude is a trait of high achievers? Don’t you want to be put in that category? Your attitude at work can determine the quality of your professional relationships, affect your productivity level and determine your overall success!
Volunteer For New Projects or Volunteer for Special Committees Your Company Might Have – I am probably one of the first people to volunteer for a fun project. And not because I am a brown noser LOL. Getting involved in projects outside of my own department was always a refresher for me. Sometimes it’s nice to work on other projects that get you away from your day to day tasks. Volunteering on the American Diabetes Association at work gave me the opportunity to work with other people throughout the company that I would have never been exposed to otherwise. Another plus was that, through these relationships I was prive to other projects that were coming down the pipeline and in some cases got to be involved in highly visible company projects that were out of my department which meant getting to know more people and having the experience with working with different teams. In a company with 20,000 people, being involved in extra curricular activities can help you “get your name out there”. Being involved in the ADA was very special to me but what meant more was building and growing those relationships that also helped me professionally in the long run. Also, I personally think it looks good during a performance review when you are able to maintain and excel in your duties while volunteering in other company initiatives.
Earn Your Teams Trust – How to earn the trust of your team, colleagues and boss? Be a team player by meeting your deadlines, sticking to your word, help problem solve when they come to you for advice and last but most certainly not least do not partake in office gossip. You can do all the right things but once you begin participating in office gossip, it will quickly downgrade your status. You also want to remember to show your trust in your team members. Nothing is more un-motivating than a boss who micromanages. Of course you should be periodically checking in with your team members but you should trust that they are doing their job. After all, you hired them for a reason.
Like any first time Mom, I am a pro “googler” when it comes to Landon. The first time he got a cold, the first time I had to take him to get shots and the first time he seemed to be having a restless night of tossing and turning. I googled things like “what to do?”, “how to build the immune system?”, “why is my baby sleep crying”.
While I came across so many different articles, the one common thing that came up when researching all of these different things was detox baths for babies. The more and more I saw this topic, I became eager to try it. Of course, I checked with Landon’s pediatrician before trying anything and I would highly suggest you doing the same before trying a detox bath for your babes but today I am sharing why we do them, the benefits and how we do Landon’s detox baths!
4 Reasons To Give Your Toddler A Detox Bath
Detox baths have benefits of all sorts for kids and adults of any age. While detox baths can provide great relief when your kids are sick, you can also give them a detox bath regularly to boost their immune system.
Basically is a detox bath is a bath using simple yet detoxifying ingredients that your body absorbs and uses to flush out toxins.
Vaccines – If you vaccinate your kids, this is a great way to get all of those yucky ingredients used in vaccines that accumulate in the body and will stay there if nothing is done to expel them. Vaccines contain heavy metals like aluminium, monosodium, glutamate and thimerosal that can build up in our babies body systems. Detox baths contain negatively charged ions that help flush out heavy metals and other toxins away from the body.
Strengthen Immune System – Detox baths do a great job in promoting the overall health of your child by boosting the body’s immune mechanisms. Detox baths will clean the body and get rid of toxins that kids (and adults) are exposed to every day. This translates into a stronger immune system!
Promote Sleep – Another great epsom salt health benefit. It helps kids relax and sleep better. If you think your baby is having irregular or disturbed sleep patterns, I highly recommend giving them a Detox Bath. Some people also add lavender oils into the bath but I prefer not to use any scented oils during the detox bath.
Relieve Stress and Improve Focus– Magnesium is such a wonderful mineral that not only strengthens the immune system, but also has calming effects. Magnesium is involved in thousands of chemical reactions in the body, making it an essential connection to everything in your body. Magnesium has been proven to improve long-term memory as well.
Eczema– So the more and more I started reading up on different detox baths I found one that included apple cider vinegar for eczema symptoms and I started using it in my baths and in Landon’s detox baths. I can attest that this has definitely helped! The apple cider vinegar helps clear up any skin conditions by naturally killing bacteria and soothes inflammation and balances pH of the skin.
How To Give Your Toddler A Detox Bath
There are a number of ways to detox the body, but an Epsom salt detox bath is gentle and absolutely safe for kids. Just make sure you use the appropriate amount of Epsom salt for their weight. Since Epsom salt is high in magnesium and they will be absorbing lots of it through their pores, you want to make sure it’s not too intense for them.
Recipe for Detox Bath
Epson Salt – 2 tablespoons
Baking Soda – 1/2 cup
Bentonite Clay – 1 tablespoon
Magnesium Flakes – 2 tablespoons
Apple Cider Vinegar (optional) – 1/4 cup
Run a warm bath like you normally would and mix in the indredents into water. I like to mix it all in a bowl first with warm water so that it mixes completely before I pour it into the bath but honestly you can do it either way.
Benefits of each ingredient:
Epson Salt– Helps draw out heavy metals and toxins. Improves body immunity, improves quality of sleep, great for skin conditions like eczema and helps lower stress levels.
Baking Soda– for those with unfiltered bath water, which is probably most of us, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) helps neutralize the chlorine in the water. Baking soda is also said to balance the waters pH so that is great for skin or a diaper rash if your babe has one.
Bentonite Clay– When mixed with water, bentonite clay becomes negatively charged. It attracts postively charged chemicals like lead, mercury and aluminnum. These are all chemicals we are exposed to in everyday life but are also found in vaccines. It is powerful detoxifying agent.
Magnesium Flakes– Magnesium is such an important vitamin that we need in our bodies. Like epson salt, the magnesium flakes help eliminate toxins from our bodies, helps skin hydration, helps relax the nervous system and helps control circulation .
Additional Details:
Don’t wash their body with any soaps during a detox bath. The pores are open and you want them to absorb the magnesium and other ingredients
Try to keep them in the bath for 20 minutes to get all the benefits of the bath
Detox baths can make you thirsty. So be sure your little ones are drinking lots of water before and after
If you want to moisturize after the detox bath, use natural moisturizer like coconut oil
Let me know if you have ever given your child or yourself a detox bath and if you do them differently. I’d love to hear!
Roselyn
Hi! I'm Roselyn Weaver and I'm so happy you are here! I am a wife and mama of two living with with my family in Houston, TX. Here, I hope I can help you find inspiration for your everyday life and style.
