Find Peace, Joy and Love in Seconds

In recent posts, I have talked about my love for mediation and how beneficial this practice is in helping me remain calm and centered. Being a single-parent household with two teenagers, a nine-year-old, three dogs, and don't forget Covid cat brings a certain level of madness to my life. No matter how easy someone may make it look, there is no such thing as a perfect, easy life. That’s ok with me. When you work with and not against the universe, even the busiest life can be full of peace, joy and love.

You don’t need hours to reap the benefits of meditation. There are a couple of practices I use when I am short on time for mediation. Just calming your mind for seconds or minutes can keep you centered throughout your day. These are also good practices if you are new to meditation to get you started.

While I am busy doing other tasks, I remind myself to take slow, deep breaths. I do five counts in, five counts out. So, for example, while folding laundry, doing dishes, or driving in the car, you can breathe in good vibes from the universe and exhale all the negative. I am not sitting still, and my eyes are open. However, I am still getting the mind-calming benefits of meditation practices while getting my to-do list accomplished.

Almost everyone can find 5 minutes in their day to take to themselves. This meditation is the one I do the most. I love longer meditations, but I don’t usually have time for them. I can tell myself, especially if my mind is racing from whatever is happening in my day, to stop, find a quiet place to sit, and set 5 minutes on my phone timer. These 5 minutes are all for me, and I don’t take any interruptions. I like to close my eyes and start with the same five counts in, five counts out I talked about earlier. I focus on the feeling of being happy and at peace. My mind will sometimes wonder. If this happens to regain my focus, I visualize breathing in heart emojis from the universe and breathing out blackish-grey toxic vibes. I get so relaxed in these 5 minutes that the alarm startles me and makes me jump at the end.

You could also use these practices while you’re visiting family over the holidays and need some quick vital time from the chaos. I can imagine Clark Griswold from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation doing this as he is looking at each of his family members, especially cousin Eddie. His look might convey that he can’t believe what he is seeing and hearing when he is actually taking mediative breathes to center his mind to deal with the situation. Happy meditating!

Winter Skincare - Help Needed!

My skin typically runs on the drier side. So every year, when the temperature drops, I’m left scrambling to adjust my skincare routine and find products that work to keep my skin hydrated. Here are some easy-to-find products I am currently finding helpful.

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

I have switched to this lightweight, non-drying cleanser in the late Fall for a couple years now. I can’t find anything else that works better for removing makeup without drying my face out. However, the application is a bit different. It is a solid balm that you gently rub on dry skin and rinse off. It feels silky, like it adds moisture instead of depleting it.

Dr. Dennis Gross Universal Daily Peel

I know the name says daily, but I use this two-step process about twice a week to exfoliate. I love how the packaging of this product makes it easy to use. They are packets in a box that are labeled 1 and 2. Inside them are wipes. You open the side labeled one, wipe it on your face and neck area and let it dry before doing the same with the side labeled 2. One says it exfoliates and smooths, while the wipe marked 2 says it’s an Anit-Aging Neutralizer. I discovered this product when I walked into Sephora, looked at a sales associate, and said, “my skin needs help!” She walked me right to this product. It is a bit pricey. Currently, at Sephora, you can get 5 treatments for $17 or 35 treatments for $88. Bonus for buying at Sephora they will refund you if you are dissatisfied with the product.

Thayers Natural Remedies Rose Petal Facial Mist

After washing my face, I spritz Thayers on my fresh skin to tone and moisture. This alcohol, Paraben, Phthalate-free formula helps add a glow to my skin. Then, I wait for it to dry before adding anything else to my skin. You can buy an 8 oz spray bottle of Thayers at Target for about $11.

CeraVe Skin Renewing Gel Oil

I added this to my skincare routine just about a month ago. It gets rave reviews on Amazon and is affordable, so I thought, why not. I have usually used argan oil in the past. I didn’t love this product at first. It feels like it sits on your skin, and it’s a bit heavy. It just took some getting used to. However, it does eventual soak into your skin. I only apply this in small amounts to the driest areas every morning and night. I have noticed a difference in those areas. They are smoother with fewer fine lines. You can order this CeraVe product for about $18.50 on Amazon.

Aquaphor

I will add this once in a while to arid areas. If I am running outside in the winter or skiing, I put this on my nose, cheeks, and lips to protect them from the harsh winter elements. It’s also suitable for really dry hands. This is a staple in our house in the winter. You can purchase it pretty much anywhere for about $10 for 7 ounces.

Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray

I use this once or twice throughout the day to add moisture. I spray it either on bare skin or over makeup whenever my skin feels parched.

Glossier Lip Balm

I put this balm on every night and sometimes during the day if my lips feel extra dry. Some chapsticks/lip balms feel like they dry out my lips. Glossier is super moisturizing for hours. It comes in many fun flavors, scents, and tints. My favorite is their birthday balm. A .5 ounce tube has lasted me almost a year.

Something I didn’t touch on is an all-over moisturizer. I do like IT Cosmetics Confidence in Cream Hydrating Moisturizer and eye cream. Those products work great for me in the non-winter months. However, lately, I have been trying LA MER, which a lot of celebrities swear by. I ordered a sample set of LA MER products from Nordstrom. The only thing I have been impressed with within the sample set is the moisturizing cream. It does give me a dewy glow and makes my skin feel overall good and moisturized. However, it is very pricey, and I don’t love the perfumery smell. I am surprised how little of this product you have to use, so a container will last a while.

Calming Anxiety

Anxiety is a tricky beast to tackle. For me, it feels like a rock in my stomach, and I have trouble focusing on tasks or sitting still. Everyone has experienced anxiety at some point in their life. My anxiety was at its worse when I was in the middle of my contentious divorce. I have three kids and busy life; I knew I had to figure out how to deal with this unsettling feeling and not let it devour me.

At first, I turned to physical activity. If I was constantly moving, I felt much better, not to mention all those great exercise endorphins that improved my mood. So, I increased my days at the gym and picked up running. I learned runner’s high is an actual thing. Some days I would do an hour and a half at the gym with a mix of weights and cardio and run 6 – 10 miles. I loved, and still do, the feeling of putting in my headphones, blocking the rest of the world out, and just going. During this time, I would run hard and fast until exhausted. People would ask how far I ran, and I couldn’t tell them. Running wasn’t about a certain pace or tracking the miles. It was about outrunning the anxiety to feel better. This lasted me about a good year until my body was constantly sore from all the miles.

As my life started to find a new normal, I felt that rock in my stomach less and less, and I turned to meditation. Instead of beating my body up, running, and working out so much, I learned how to find a quiet spot, close my eyes, and breathe in all the love and good stuff the universe had to offer. This process didn’t happen overnight. I started by using some guided meditations from books and the Headspace app. At first, I could only do a few minutes, but after a while, I increased my mediation time, and now, I am to the point where I can meditate multiple times a day and do active meditation breathing into my day while doing other tasks. It has become addicting and brings me a sense of peace and well-being.

I could spurt off all sorts of good facts about how mediation positively affects your health, joy, and overall well-being, but I will spare you. An easy place to start is to be still for a couple of minutes and breath in for five counts and out for five counts. I like to close my eyes, but you do what is comfortable to you. In future posts, I will share more of my mediation practices and what works for me. I highly recommend reading more about mediation and seeing how you can incorporate it into your life.