As we approach the last week of Spring and enter the beginning of Summer I like to take a quick inventory of my beauty cabinet to make sure I’m stocked up on the things I’ll need to keep my skin healthy. One thing I’ve learned over the course of my beauty journey is to address problems quickly. If I see my skin needs more hydration or protection from a bright atmosphere - I’ll definitely stock up in advance on spf and moisturizer. Today I’m going to share a few tips for customizing a summer skincare regimen made just for you.

Did you know that your skin sheds cells once every five days? If you do remove the dead skin cells off your face every five days your skin becomes dull over time and this leads to aging and acne. Exfoliating doesn’t have to be a big deal - just throw on a mask while you are making coffee or folding a load of laundry. But the importance of a regular exfoliation regimen is a BIG DEAL. Clear skin, healthy glowing skin requires maintain with and upkeep. Let’s chat about a few ways exfoliation helps your skin.

Staying at home means everyday meals are an opportunity to create a little magic. Having extra time on my hands has done some amazing things to the soul! How about you? Are you feeling inspired these days? Lately, I take time to do things with a little more effort instead of my normal rushing through life a million miles a minute. It’s been refreshing for my creative side! Dinner became an heirloom tomato tart on puff pastry al fresco. I’ve even started getting dolled up for dinner at home like they used to in the 1800’s. Taking major cues from southern France’s culture!

Let’s start with story time today… back when I was a little girl we lived in Lawton/Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Most of you have little idea where the heck that is and for good reason. We lived on an artillery base. So if you weren’t into those sorts of things or part of the military it’s unlikely you would know about it’s location. I spent the formative latter years of elementary school there. Summers felt like gusts blowing from a constant furnace across your cheeks in the blistering dry heat and Winters were filled with all of the fun of building a snowman.

Oh my dear - are we all in for a treat of ambiguity on the daily. I don’t know about you, but I am itching to go places. Travel is one of the things I work hard for, and right now that’s limited. I have been anxiously practicing social distancing as if going to the grocery store was human dodgeball, but my soul still loves to wander. What’s a girl to do?

Our world shifted and shifted fast a few weeks ago. It dawned on me that this shift is creating what we might call a new horizon. While we are all boarded up practicing sheltering-in-place, I thought it would be an incredible opportunity to address topics like self worth, confidence building, empowering others, anxiety and overcoming fear. With uncertainty compounding daily, I aim to offer an outlet for those of you who are looking for coping techniques and support during these unexpected times.

One of the biggest struggles from working from home that I’ve come across since I entered this journey, is getting the priorities accomplished. I’ve always been one of those people that adhere to the boundaries of a set schedule when someone else that for me, but I found since I started working from home it’s a whole new ballgame. I’ve realized just how important it is for me to have not only a set schedule but have a routine in place to make my life more efficient and to maximize the usage of my brain power. Here are a few habits you can please in your daily life to make working from home a little bit easier.

Today’s topic is heavy, but necessary after I realized that even the biggest and most successful people struggle with this issue: The Issue of Not Being Good Enough. I was watching the gorgeous Taylor Swift yesterday as she narrates her documentary on fame, success and her own journey through life’s toughest moments in front of millions of people. Heck - Taylor reaches billions at this point. Throughout the course of the film she shares issues with having an eating disorder, mental challenges, loneliness and the struggles of reaching the top. Needless to say I was pretty moved at three pm sitting on my sofa and tearing up like a gigantic baby. She’s right. All of those are real issues and they share a single common denominator: self-worth.

When my other half and I were talking about NYE this year we both said we wanted to do the exact same thing: relax and pamper ourselves with a luxury overnight stay at a fancy hotel. Some may call it frivolous and a waste of money - until you sleep in 1000 thread count sheets in a 5 star hotel… then suddenly it’s no longer so frivolous because sleep can be the best way to give yourself some much needed time off. That’s just what we both needed: sleep.