what i loved & where i’ve been: black belts, positivity & healthy hair

What I Loved:

*How to be a black belt/4 Steps to Accomplish Your Goals: When I saw on Facebook that my dear friend from way back when I first moved to Southern California, Mike Powers, had the opportunity to do a Tedx talk, I was so excited to hear what he had to share.  Years and years ago, he had been the voice of wisdom and comfort during a tough experience, and I’ve always truly appreciated his friendship.  Jimmy was also intrigued given that Jiu Jitsu is a big part of our life, as both Jimmy & Taylor have been going now for years, and continue to train at least 3 times a week.  Over the years of Jimmy’s training, I have had the pleasure of listening to him liken the lessons of Jiu Jitsu to our real life.  Listening to Mike, I realize that maybe Jimmy could give a Ted talk of his own one day.  Whether you have any interest or affiliation with the martial arts or not, Mikes talk is encouraging & incredibly inspirational, and in 15 minutes I can tell you that you’ll be that much more motivated to go after your goals and dreams!


*Glow of Grace: 
I’ve heard it said many many times that it can be hard to find genuine girls in the YouTube “beauty guru” world, and while I have experienced that firsthand a bit, I have to say I have been truly blessed to come across some of the sweetest ones out there.  They’re lovely, Godly, unaffected, and genuine in their care for others.  Rachel, of Glow of Grace, is most definitely one of those girls.  Not only do I love her heart for the Lord, but she has amazing makeup tutorials and the best beauty recommendations!  Her sweet genuine spirit will capture you, and I know you’ll all love her just as much as I do!

*Lies Women Believe & The Truths That Set Them Free:  I have spent this last month pouring over this book every night before I drift to sleep.  It’s one of those books that just settles your heart and mind, and allows your spirit to get right where it needs to be.  I’ve confessed that I’ve been one to battle negative and discouraging thoughts, a lot of which I think I learned and picked up from childhood.  It’s been a struggle to first acknowledge that they are, in fact, not truths after all…but even tougher to make the switch into reminding myself what is TRUE.  It’s a journey I’m on, and even though I’ve finished this book, I can tell you I will be referring to it quite often as I continue to learn and grow.  In fact, I pulled out a journal/notebook, and plan on spending time going through all that I highlighted and journaling through what I learned, so as to really drive it home.  I honestly believe this book needs to be read by EVERY woman I know, whether or not they think they have battles in their thought life.  It’s just THAT good.

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Where I’ve Been:

*On the SheKnows Mommalogues this week I showed off my Shoe Collection, which I have to admit, “Collection” is quite the appropriate word.
~ We talked about whether or not our kids have their own computers…can you guess my answer???
~ There was also discussion about our favorite winter activities.  Um, I live in Southern California and it’s been in the 80’s-90’s this week, so I’m not too sure what winter activities are anymore. What’s the deal with the weather lately???
~ And finally, today, we’re talking about the things our husbands do to drive us crazy.  Please watch this and tell me I’m not alone!!!

*On my Le Musings of Moi YouTube Channel (where I’ll be posting 3x a week):
~ I shared my latest Health & Beauty Haul from Vitacost, which included a ton of new to me products that I’m already majorly loving.  If you’ve never shopped at Vitacost…oh man, you don’t even know what you’re missing out on!
~ I also filmed a Day in the Life where I unboxed (show & tell) all the surprise beauty packages that came in, as well as discussed the deeper things in life such as ANT Therapy & Wednesday tantrums.  It was quite the exciting day!
~ And todays video is a collab with my dear friend, Trisha from A Glittery Life, where we are sharing our Best of Hair for 2013.  And not only did I include the products that did major things for my hair, but I also included some tips & tricks to keeping your hair healthy!

*On Instagram, I’ve been posting Truth Quotes & Pictures once a day that have really been inspiring and speaking to me.  This quote definitely has to be one of my favorites for the week, especially in light of our #GetHealthyJanuary month.  We’ve not been perfect, but this quote keeps us going!

instapic

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This weekend I’ll be emersing myself in the beauty/makeup world at IMATS with some of my most favorite YouTube friends, and while I have no idea what I’m in for, I’m definitely excited for all that I’m about to learn!

Have a blessed weekend guys!

xoxo

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what i loved & where i’ve been: submission, wine, and workouts

Included in my 2014 goals, is getting back into the habit of posting on my blog at the minimum 3 days a week. I’m trying out the whole content calendar thing, which is actually incredibly helpful at keeping me on task, organized, and inspired.

One of my favorite types of blog posts to read myself are the ones where the writer shares what they loved reading/watching/learning about on the World Wide Web throughout their week. I love this for so many reasons, as it allows me to discover new and interesting things I might never have found myself.

All that said, my plan is to make Fridays the day to share with you all that I was drawn to, inspired by, thought a lot about and overall just loved during the week.  On the list could be blogs, blog posts in particular, YouTube channels or specific videos, workouts I loved, recipes I tried, and so much more.

Basically if it was a major moment of my week, I want to share it with you…my online besties.

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What I Loved…

Candace Cameron Bure’s “S” Word (link is to her latest interview) ~ There’s been a whole lot of chatter this week about Candace using the word submission in her latest book, Balancing it All, and a lot of it hasn’t been so sweet. (I shared my own take on submission last week on the Mommalogues, and we’re not so far off).  I realize that there are many opinions on this (you know what they say about opinions…they’re just like ___, everyone’s got one!), but I have to say I’ve been extremely proud of her for how well she has been handling it all. This interview especially made me smile because it truly shows her dignity & grace, which are just two of the reasons I’m proud to call her a friend. Now can we talk instead about her incredibly adorable wardrobe on this press tour? I mean…hello???

mencandace
{Now, does this look like a face you wanna mess with???}

Shannon Sullivan/Glamour Wonderland (YouTube) ~ Speaking of sweet people.  Oh my word, I don’t even know where to begin with the cuteness of this girl. When I got a notice that she had followed me on Twitter (I’m trying to get more active there this year!), I clicked through to see what she was all about, and instantly I felt as though I had found a new friend. (that’s not creepy at all, right?)  She is absolutely adorable, has the sweetest most genuine demeanor (she’s a retired disney character), and I love love love her natural product & health tips. This is a girl you guys need to take a moment to get to know. You will love.

14 Hands Red Blend ~ Yes, you read that right. I just listed a wine. I’ve never been much of a drinker, in fact I think in 2013 I maybe had a total of 10-12 (ish) drinks all year long. But, as I age, (or is it the homeschooling?), I am finding that a nice glass of wine after a long day is just a lovely thing. And this week, this was the wine for me.  But, I’m new to the wine club, so I’m always up for suggestions!

Suzanne Bowen Fitness ~ In the last month, I’ve recently started adding in Suzanne Bowen’s Barre Method into my workouts a few times a week, and I am so impressed…and SO sore!  I love non-traditional workouts, and her barre work is insane but in the best way ever.  It’s basically like you’re working out with a friend, which I love, and I am seriously hooked.  You guys HAVE to go check out her website where you can try her streaming workouts for free!!!  I HIGHLY suggest the Tabata cardio workout, as it kicked my everything twice this week, and I still can’t wait to go back for more! (fyi: No barre is needed!)

Marriage Today ~ I’ll be the first to admit that marriage is hard work.  It’s tough having two imperfect people bound together for better or worse, yet expecting happily ever after.  A friend recently shared this website with me and I think whether you have struggles yet or not, this is definitely something to listen in on for words of wedded wisdom.  

Dr Oz 3 Day Detox ~ And lastly, in the theme of #gethealthyjanuary, I put my Vitamix to work this week by doing the Dr. Oz 3 day detox.  It’s by far the easiest and yummiest detox ever, and is the perfect way to jumpstart those New Years health goals!  If you end up trying this, you have to let me know your thoughts!

3 Day Detox_Final_REV2

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Where I’ve Been…

On the SheKnows Mommalogues we were busy discussing…
~ Kindle or Old Fashioned Books? (what do you guys prefer?)
~ Our kids latest craft projects (I think I failed this one!)
~ Zumba vs. Yoga (Brilliant idea in 3, 2, 1….)
~ What our typical Saturday morning looks like (alone, alone, alone.)

On my Le Musings of Moi YouTube Channel I posted…
~ Yay or Nay: Reviews on products I used up (or just couldn’t use anymore!)
~ New Years Resolutions & How to make them WORK! (cause I can’t talk about this enough!)
~ Current Drugstore Lip Obsessions (I mean, seriously, I could throw away every other lip product I own now.  I won’t.  But, I could.)

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Now it’s your turn!
Where have you been and what have you been loving?
Share with me!

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!