Things I'm Loving | January 2018
Hello, you lovely human!
I'm sharing a new-to-me series on the blog, although I know this idea has been around for ages.
SO many of you ask me what my favorite products are (protein powder, almond butter, vitamins, foam roller, etc.), so I decided I'd start sharing my new favorite finds every month!
I was inspired to start sharing my monthly favorites with you because I absolutely LOVE reading these types of posts on other people's blogs. Also, I have a running list of ideas for video/blog content in my Notes app, and some of these things I want to share with you but don't feel like it's necessary to dedicate a whole blog post to them.
So, let's get into the health and wellness products I'm loving in January 2018!
VicTsing Essential Oil Diffuser
Mark got me this essential oil diffuser for Christmas, and booooy oh boy do I love it.
Actually, funny story: Mark originally got this for a girl at work as a Secret Santa gift. Since we share an Amazon Prime account, I got an email notifying me that an essential oil diffuser was on its way. Me, not being able to keep anything a secret, says to Mark, "ooooh baybeh!!! can't wait for the diffuser to get here!" And he proceeds to crush my soul by telling me it's a secret santa gift for his co-worker.
Needless to say, I hijacked that gift and she ended up getting a candle. (sorry, girl)
Right now, I use an orange zest scent in the morning to wake me up and invigorate my senses while I'm writing in the AM, and lavender at night to help me unwind and relax.
I'm a HUGE scent person -- I love perfumes, candles, and now essential oils so much. So if you're the same way, I 10/10 recommend getting an essential oil diffuser. Game. Changer.
*You can shop for this directly in my Amazon store!
Clue: Period Tracking App
My sister-in-law told me about this app and as soon as I downloaded it and started using it, I thought to myself, "HOW HAVE I NEVER TRACKED MY PERIOD BEFORE?!"
Ladies, if you're not already tracking your cycle - I HIGHLY recommend downloading the Clue app from your app store. As you can see above, there's the option to input how you and your body are feeling each day of your cycle. You can document your PMS symptoms, if you have a headache, how heavy your flow is, how much energy you have.
After a few months of tracking your cycle, apparently the app is able to predict when your next cycle will be, and sends you notifications on your phone.
It also tells you when you're most fertile, based on when the last day of your cycle was, so it's great way to stay protected if you're into *natural* birth control methods.
As someone who's always had an irregular, super crampy period - this is especially helpful, as it helps me track any unnatural things going on before/during my period. After losing my period for a whole year at one point, I don't take getting my period for granted (I'm actually happy to get it!) - so if you're in a similar situation with irregular or complete loss of your period, this can help you track signs and symptoms so that you can present them to your gyno without having to remember every detail (because who can, honestly?)
Overall: 10/10 recommend for all you ladies who want to stay more in-tune with your body and its divine feminine flow!
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Have you ever tried to start a project or embark on an endeavour that was super meaningful to you, that you know has the power to change the world (or at least YOUR world), only to find yourself procrastinating, putting it off, or doing anything to avoid it?
That, my friends, is called RESISTANCE. According to Pressfield, here's where resistance is likely to show up the most:
Here's what Steven Pressfield says about your true calling:
“Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”
Whether you're an artist, writer, content creator, entrepreneur, trying to lose weight, or anyone who's ever wanted to pursue something creative and meaningful, I highly recommend reading this book. It's also available on Audible if you're not interested in the whole sit-down-and-read thing anymore. (I'm old school, so reading + a cup of tea is still my JAMMY JAM y'all).
Amazing Grass Chocolate Superfood Protein Powder
YOU GUYS KNOW I AM A PROTEIN SNOB.
You may also know that I cannot tolerate whey protein, so I unfortunately had to forego my love affair with delicious flavours like Cellucor's Mint Chocolate Chip *sigh.*
For the longest time, I tried to find a non-dairy protein powder that didn't taste like straight up dirt and/or chalk. That led my to discover some of my favorite non-dairy protein powders.
Unfortunately, my go-to (Garden of Life chocolate) was out of stock last week, so I had to blindly order a new protein off of Amazon. I read a few reviews and decided to give this Amazing Grass Superfood Protein Powder (in chocolate - chocolate errthang, duh)... and I LOVE IT.
I would say Garden of Life chocolate is still my Numba One Lova, but this one takes a close second in terms of flavor. I can mix it with just unsweetened almond milk, a few ice cubes and a sprinkle of cinnamon, and actually really enjoy the taste of it. I've also made my low-sugar protein smoothie with it, and it's fab.
The verdict? Garden of Life is still my #1, but this one is also great and contains a lot of powerful antioxidants and greens.
*You can order all my favorite protein powders directly from my Amazon store!
The Desire Map Planner by Danielle LaPorte
Want to know all it takes to make me happy?
Give me a beautiful planner, a pen and a cup of coffee, and I could sit there and organize my life for hours.
If you're the same way (and you love to set Goals with Soul), then you will ADORE this Desire Map planner by Danielle LaPorte.
Apparently she has a book called the Desire Map that coordinates with this planner, but I haven't read the book. She mentions in the beginning of this planner that it's not necessary to have read the book to fill out this planner.
There are a few reasons I love this planner so much:
- At the beginning of the planner, you establish your core desired feelings. Then, you set your monthly/yearly goals in alignment with those core desired feelings. For example, if your core desired feeling is 'confidence' -- what goals would you set for yourself to help you feel more confident? Would you sign up for a 5k? Take a new dance class? Write a book? Go on more dates? The Desire Map planner helps you reverse engineer your goals - focusing on the FEELING you get when you achieve the goal, and working backwards. GENIUS.
- Every month, there's a space to reflect on the previous month and set intentions for the month ahead. So often we get tied up in the long-term goals that we write ONCE in January, and forget all about them by March. These pages serve as a monthly remind to refer back to the goals you set in January, and asses whether or not you're on track to achieve them.
- Each day, you write down a soul prompt (which is different every day) + your hour-by-hour schedule + my favorite part: the 3 most important things to do that day. I looove the concept of focusing on 3 major things to get done, because it forces you to prioritize what you actually NEED to do (i.e. that parking ticket you've been meaning to pay off for 3 months...). Then everything else is just a bonus! 3 things is also totally doable, so it builds you confidence when you can check off all 3 items, vs. feeling like you 'never get anything done' when you still have 15 items left on your 20-item to do list at the end of the day.
There's also a monthly calendar view, in case you're wondering, which helps you plan the month at a glance. This is where I write all major events (i.e. anniversaries, birthdays, dance workshops, etc.)
So far, this is the best planner I've used, so I HIGHLY recommend if you consider yourself a somewhat spiritual, creative, goal-oriented person.
*You can also order this planner directly off of my Amazon store!
Kombucha (always)
As I sit here and try to type all the things I love about kombucha - I am speechless. LOL JK LET'S CHAT ABOUT DA BOOCH.
First of all, why drink kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented beverage that contains probiotics, which are amazing for your gut health. Researchers say that your overall health is linked very closely to the health of your gut bacteria, so probiotics should be an ESSENTIAL part of any healthy lifestyle. Probiotics can aid in digestion, improve your skin, and even improve your mood!
You can also find probiotics in foods like kefir, kimchi, pickled vegetables and sauerkraut - but let's be real, the booch tastes a heck of a lot better than any of those things.
I will admit: kombucha can be an aquired taste for some. And you have to watch out for the flavours with a lot of sugar. I recommend sticking to the flavours that are lower in sugar (less than 5g per serving) so it doesn't send your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride.
My favorite lower-sugar flavours by Synergy (the only brand I've found that I genuinely like) are Trilogy, Third Eye Chai & Cranberry.
FEATURED IN THIS ARTICLE
I hope you enjoyed this new series! Let me know in the comments below what you're loving lately.
Subscribe to my podcast -- new episode dropping this week! xo
