People often ask me what I'm doing to my hair to make it appear so soft or what scent I'm wearing, and it has made me realize that the finishing touches on a look — even simple ones (you don't always have to be in a full face of makeup) — can make a notable difference in not only the way you look but also how you feel. My beauty outlook and routine is very much influenced by the elder women who seasoned me as a girl. I loved walking into my grandmother's room and smelling her perfume in the air. I studied my mom's routine of moisturizing her skin. Women at my church almost always completed an ensemble with a brooch ... I do that very same thing now, in jeans and dresses. Because when I have taken a bit of extra time in my beauty routine, I feel it.





A youtuber I follow always says, "rich in color, rich in beauty." I believe that. The right blush can soften you and also give you a fresh-off-holiday look. I rarely step out without at least a sweep across each cheek.

Anyone else planning to be waiting at Sephora when they open in the morning for this Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Concealer. I'll be traveling to see my ailing Gram (ya'll pray for her, please), but as soon I get a break in the day I'll be heading over to the nearest Sephora. I'm a loyal fan of the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation as it has been the best foundation I've ever used ... and I've tried way too many to count. My shade match is precise, the finish is smooth and I don't shine through. People constantly compliment me on my skin and I almost always tell them that this foundation brand puts in work for me. From what I have read about this new concealer, the shades correspond with the foundation shades so you can skip the step of having to be color matched. I love it more already. 

Do you or have you used the brand? Let me know your thoughts. 

Every day, I eat three meals and two (sometimes three) snacks. I started snacking like clock work when we started our Family Challenge as a way of keeping me on track with my eating. Back then, I didn't always feel hungry for a snack; these days, I snack like my life depends on it because of my workouts.

I keep my favorites in my office as well as at home and also have options to keep in my bag.

I eat breakfast each morning by 8:30 a.m. and then have a snack around 10:30 a.m. If I'm going to have fruit, I have it at that time because I've read about it being better consumed earlier in the day to maximize my burn of the sugar. But, I don't think fruit is a bad option in the afternoon. I love to have a banana with peanut butter smeared.

My other current go-tos are:

Noosa yoghurts - This is my favorite brand of yogurt. I eat just half the container as a serving because they are higher in calories than many others. Also, half is actually quite filling.

Quaker granola bars - I'm pretty basic with granola bars ... I'm good with a simple chewy chocolate chip bar. But, I recently discovered Quaker's Girl Scout Cookie Granola bars. Listen, that's the best 100 calories I'll eat all day.

Cucumber slices - I peel, slice and top them with fresh black pepper and a drizzle of low fat ranch dressing. I'm willing to give up some calories to the dressing.

Wheat Thins - I love that they're light but hearty and now that there's a cracked pepper and olive oil option, I'm extra satisfied.

Oatmeal - This is both a favorite meal and snack for me. Steel cut oats with sauteed broccoli, yes.

Interestingly, if I feel more hungry throughout the day and I've eaten what I normally would, I will drink more water. I've found that sometimes when I think I'm hungry, I'm actually just under hydrated.

What are your favorite snacks? I'll try virtually anything once.

When was the last time you set a small goal for yourself ... crushed it and celebrated? For me, it was yesterday. Well, I set the goal about a month ago, but I achieved it yesterday and celebrated myself like I had won the lottery. I do that for just about every benchmark I surpass in my life — spiritually, professionally and everything in between. It helps me to stay encouraged and it has strengthened my ability to self-motivate.

When my Apple watch crossed the 45-minute mark and buzzed on my arm, I started clapping mid-stride as if I was crossing the finish line of a marathon. I mean, I felt like that because when I started using my stair stepper, my stamina was so low. I could only do about 7 minutes without stopping before my muscles felt tight and my legs burned too much for me to continue; that was Dec. 31.

In my last post, I talked about giving yourself time to make progress. It took me exactly 30 days to get to 45 minutes on my machine. I started with two 7-minute sessions — taking a two minute break in between, and then moved up to one 15-minute session the next week. A few days later, I was able to go 21 and then 25 minutes without looking down at my watch. I don't see the benefit of it yet on my body, but being able to do more lets me know that progress is happening and that better is going to show up soon.

xMVL

I don't like working out. But, I love how I feel mentally when I finish and how I feel physically every day because I'm pushing myself and getting through at least 60 minutes five to six times a week. I can thank my family's annual wellness challenge for this because prior to its start five years ago, I wasn't doing anything fitness wise. ... And I was 30 pounds heavier. I didn't even realize it until I lost the first nine pounds, which doesn't sound like a lot. But, nine pounds showed up profoundly in my face and neck. At that point, I had lost from stress and from having dramatically changed my eating with the Challenge meal plan: no red meat, no pork, no sweets, no carbonated beverages or fast food, and no fried foods, smoking or alcohol consumption.

The physical part of the family effort calls for at least 30 minutes of exercise daily and a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. We didn't really start focusing on moving until year two of the Challenge, but when we did the changes individuals experienced in our family were great.

And so, I'm back on ... though I try to never really be off (the Challenge lifestyle). The first two years, I stopped being dedicated to it as soon as Memorial Day weekend passed, which is our official culmination weekend (January through Memorial Day). But, somewhere between years two and three, I realized how differently I felt. I suffered from heart burn less. I slept better. My appetite, which had always been poor (and completely slowed down my metabolism) was hearty. I had great energy. Why was I stopping? So, I kept going. And while the group context is really helpful for keeping me motivated, I became my own best motivator. Being able to sleep at night and going from a size 12 to a size 6 made a huge impact on my mind and my perspective. More than anything else, however, I feel good.

Yesterday, I did 30 minutes on my stair stepper, spent 25 minutes on arm exercises with 4 lb. weights and I walked just over 20,000 steps. This morning, I had dark chocolate, coconut almond instant oatmeal for breakfast (it's what's in my cup in the pic). I needed this added discipline in my life.

Someone asked me on the MVL facebook page this week for tips to jumpstart. A few thoughts:
1. Start simple. Commit to walking 20 minutes every day. I believe we often derail our efforts before they're able to take hold by biting off too much in the beginning. Just start walking. I read recently that walking 10,000 steps every day can cause you to lose a pound a week.

2. Find someone who is going in the same direction as you with your goal to be accountable to. Accountability is a powerful tool, if you don't allow yourself to be intimidated by it.

3. Be consistent. Do what you have in your fitness plan every day until it becomes your routine. A week is not long enough to make a determination about results. Give yourself time to see some benefits.

4. Don't wait for a certain date or time. Begin today.

* What I do everyday: At least 30 minutes of cardio, but usually more like 50 minutes. I walk a minimum of 15,000 steps every day, but my aim is 20,000. I eat five meals - which includes two snacks. I drink half my body weight in ounces of water every day. No fast food. No soda. No fried foods. No red meat. No sweets. No pork.

xMVL

For the past two years, walking has been my life. I imagine that sounds over-the-top, but it is actually more accurate than I'm sure it could possibly seem. When my cousin suggested us moving a minimum of 10,000 steps a day as a part of our family wellness challenge in 2015, I thought I'd never reach that number. But, I found my rhythm and realized that getting to 10K required a much more dedicated approach to not sitting around, and something clicked for me. I started walking the mall at lunch, getting up and walking around my office more often throughout the day and even strolling our parking lot while reading. But, what changed most was my workout habits which generally included yoga and workouts six days a week via the Coach.me app. I always worked up a good sweat but I was so focused on getting through the hour that it was like a chore. I started walking my neighborhood, first doing about five times around which took just 30 minutes. That would give me a little over 4,000 steps ... Not enough. So, I increased to an hour and would come back to the house with nearly 9,000 steps on my Fitbit; soon, I was averaging 18,000 steps a day easily. I was happy about that alone [because I'm competitive and it had become quite a competition in my family to see who could log the most steps each day].

It took me a couple of months to realize that walking had turned into an emotional and mental outlet for me, and that my sleep and digestion had improved notably. When I walk, I think things through so thoroughly that by the end, my mind is clear ... problems are worked out and the stress of the day has faded. I couldn't remember a time when I felt better. 

This year during the family challenge, I decided to switch up my workout at the end of the spring because I was losing weight so quickly; and more than that, got tired of hearing about how thin I was looking. It excited me to realize that I'd found my sweet spot for dropping pounds and that my appetite was the best it's ever been but it started to be a bit counter productive as I was not noticing any remarkable changes in my upper leg muscles. So I thought, I'd just go back to my exercising -- focusing on different sections of my body each day. Fail. I did maintain my weight and fitness, but everything else was out of whack. And at the same time, I was juggling some projects that I definitely needed to be able to step away from. 

My sleep was no longer restful. I told a friend that I was in the midst of a 90-day PMS mood swing ... definitely not good for those around me ... lol. And heartburn had become a nuisance. Yesterday, I started back walking. 

A couple of lessons here for me: Know what's best for you and do that, despite what others think or say. And when you find the formula to wholistic wellness for yourself, stay with it. As the widely regarded saying goes, take time to do what makes your soul happy.

xMVL

By Katrice 

By Katrice 

By Katrice 

I'm so late talking about one of my best Influenster freebies, but better late than never. Not too long ago, I received a sample of Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes and took up the Neutrogena 3-day #wipeforwater challenge where I cleansed my face with just a towelette at the end of each day and no water. On it's website, the beauty brand describes of the ultra-soft wipes as clinically proven to completely remove dirt, oil and makeup, targeting even the most stubborn long-wearing and waterproof makeup. So, my expectations were great since I recently began using a full-coverage foundation and always find it challenging to remove all of my mascara. 



Verdict: The towelettes, which have an extremely fresh crisp green apple scent, did pretty well. I was tempted a few times to use my cleanser and water afterward because I was paranoid about having a breakout from not completely removing the products and residue on my face. I didn't notice any extreme irritation to my skin while using them without water, but I did feel much better when I could go back to using them as a first step in my nightly cleansing routine. Considering that I use makeup removing wipes on a daily basis, I'd buy these.