kindly, ken

5 Senses Stimulation

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you all had an enjoyable, stress free week. This week I wanted to do something that was a little fun and that everyone can do with me. So I came up with the idea for 5 senses stimulation. I always talk about doing self-care activities but what about ones that appeal to all the senses instead of just one or two?? I went to Target (shocker I know) and got a few things for this activity. Don’t feel like you have to do this physically at the store. This is something you can fully complete at home or by online shopping. But enough with all the talking. Let me show you what I used! (I get commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.)

Taste – Smart Sweets Sweet Fish

For taste I wanted to get something sweet because I ALWAYS get a sweet tooth at night. In the same sense I didn’t want to get a lot, just a little something to settle my craving. I’ve heard a lot of good things about these Smart Sweets from a bunch of influencers and, what do you know, they had them at Target! So of course I had to buy them. I got the sweet fish kind but there are also peach rings and sour blast buddies (which is basically sour patch kids). The most appealing thing about this candy is that there’s only 3 grams of sugar. At first I thought that meant each piece of candy contained 3 grams, but the bag says 3 grams per bag! Once I got home, I gave them a taste and I really liked them. They have a strawberry flavor to them and they aren’t too sweet to where you feel guilty or sick after eating them.

Smell – Sandalwood Vanilla

For smell I of course went with a candle, but you could also go for a lotion, a perfume, or anything that smells good to you. Are we shocked that I got a candle with vanilla in the title? Because I’m not at all. Candle shopping is always fun though. Especially at Target because there are SO many options. AND this 11oz candle was only $2.99!!! Talk about a steal! I will say though, this candle is on the stronger side so I recommend lighting it in a large, open room if you’re sensitive to strong scents.

Sight – Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy

For sight I decided to go with a book. I finished The Silent Wife, which I had been reading for my morning routine, so I needed a new one. Luckily I have some books on my shelf that I have yet to read and Autobiography of a Face was one of them! This book is about the struggles the author had to face as a nine year old where she unfortunately had cancer and had to have a third of her jaw removed. Although it’s a sad topic, I think it will be an interesting and eye-opening read. Other ideas for sight could be a puzzle/puzzle book, a magazine, or getting your favorite picture framed to look at!

Touch – A New Day Fleece Quarter Zip

There are sooo many options for touch. Especially at Target. You could get fuzzy socks, a new blanket, a fluffy pillow, comfy sweats, (or in my case) a cozy sweatshirt! I am all about comfort these days so I will never turn down an opportunity to get comfortable clothing. Plus it’s getting colder by the minute here in Northern Virginia, so I gotta bundle up! These quarter zips are super soft on the inside. So soft that was I was rubbing my hands on the inside for a good 30 seconds. There are also a bunch of color options. I got blush pink (which is shown on the left), but there’s black, dark pink, yellow, neon green, and lavender. You can find this sweatshirt in sizes ranging from XS-4X.

Hear – The Lumineers, Cleopatra (Vinyl)

Girl put your records on!! For sound, I turned to my growing vinyl collection. Another idea for this sense is to make a “feel good” playlist on your phone. I talked about this awhile ago on Instagram, but the idea is to put all the songs that put a smile on your face in one playlist. Songs that’ll make you get up and start dancing! For this activity I played one of my FAVORITE records, Cleopatra by The Lumineers. This is one of those albums where I can just sit and listen to the entire thing in one sitting. It’s catchy, it’s soothing, and I can get stuff DONE listening to it (sassily snaps fingers). Except for when I have to stop what I’m doing to belt out the lyrics lol.

Overall, this activity was super fun and it helped me think outside of the box! I hope you give this a try too. There’s so many things you can get or use for each sense. And if you do give this a try, let me know!! I would love to hear your take on this and the all different ideas you come up with. Just a reminder, if you’re interested in any of the products I posted, just click on the picture for the link! Enjoy the rest of your weekend:)

Kindly,

Ken

Clean Space, Clean Mind

Happy Sunday everyone! Do you ever feel like you have so many thoughts flying around in your head? Countless to-do’s, ideas, reminders, and concerns. It reminds me of a post I saw where it feels like you have 20 tabs open in your head, you don’t know where the music is coming from, and ads are popping up left and right! And then your home is messy and unorganized, so that stresses you out. But you still have so many to-do’s and for some reason you just end up grabbing the remote and watching tv instead. Well THAT, my friends, is me. Sometimes I feel like I have so much going on in my head that I just have to sit down and do nothing for a minute. Whenever I have an unorganized space and an organized mind, the stress and anxiety is through the roof! Thankfully, I have discovered ways to help. (I get commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.)

One way is to keep my stuff organized. For me, the places that get the messiest are my closet and my bathrooms drawers. Sometimes I get so lazy I don’t want to fold my clothes back neatly and I just toss things in random spots. With my bathroom drawers, it seems that I have so much stuff and not enough space. Which reminds me of that old vacuum bag commercials where the lady echoes over and over “too much stuff not enough space”! To fix this problem, I found a bunch of handy organizing bins on Amazon.

The first product I bought were these Granny Says bins which conveniently come in a three pack. I put them on the shelves in my closet but they can go anywhere you may need that extra storage. In one I put all my PJs, in the second I put athletic shorts/jean shorts, and in the third on I put my sweats/joggers. They’re conveniently slanted so that you can easily see everything that’s in them. There are 4 different colors/patterns besides this one which is Grey/Beige. (Click on the picture for the link to the product).

These cube bins are also in the Granny Says line, in Grey/Beige, and come in a 3-pack. You have the option of choosing a size: medium, large, or JUMBO. I got the large. One of these bins holds all my crafting things and the other has random stuff I didn’t have a place for. You can order these in two different colors/patterns besides this one. (Click on the picture for the link to the product).

These plastic bins are made by Kootek and they come in a 12-pack (8 small rectangles, 2 medium squares, and 2 large rectangles). Let me tell you that these things revamped my bathroom drawers. Before, every drawer was cluttered and messy and it stressed me out!! Now everything has a place. You can order them in clear, grey, or brown and there are different options as to how many of each you want to get. (Click on the picture for the link to the product).

Now that our space is clean, we need to make sure our MIND is clean. To help with all these tabs that are open in our heads, it’s a good idea to write things down! Instead of keeping everything in your brain, you can just plop it all out on paper. To keep all the important dates together I use my planner, which is especially nice with school. Then there’s times where I have an idea on something or I just need to vent. Something you can do for this is to make a little, personal notebook for yourself. To read more about this you can check out my blog post called “Homemade Therapy“. If you’re not getting your feelings and emotions out to someone, it needs to come out somehow! So why not in a journal? Aside from that journal, this is the item that keeps my thoughts in together.

Fun fact: this is the exact academic planner I currently have. It’s from Erin Condren and I completely swear by them. I’ve used them for school for 3 years now and I don’t think I can use any other planner now. First of all it’s thick and it has a plastic cover so it’s nice and sturdy. Aside from typical calendar perks, it also has a class schedule section and a project/exam section so you can keep track of EVERYTHING. I feel like I have my whole life together with this thing. (Click on the picture for the link to the product).

I hope these products keep you organized because I know they are helping me out. We don’t need all the stress and anxiety from clutter and overwhelming thoughts. We need a clean space and a clean mind!

Kindly,

Ken

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This or That: Mask Edition

Happy Sunday everyone! This week, I’m starting something new. I’m starting a series called “This or That” where I will review two items of the same category and decide which one I like best. To start the series off, I will be reviewing masks! Eye masks, sheet masks, hair masks, and mud/clay masks. It’s always a good time for self-care, so I was excited to try all these masks and share them with you all. Side note: ALL of these masks are sold at Target, in case you want to try them out yourselves I’ve provided the links below! (I get commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.)

Eye Masks

Sephora – Pomegranate: The perks of this eye mask is that it is anti-fatigue and anti-dark circles. (Which I know I need A LOT of help with!) When putting them on, it was a little confusing because they are attached and I wasn’t sure which part to peel off. But there is a gritty layer and a slimy layer, the slimy side is what goes onto to your under eyes. Once I put them on, they felt SO good. They were very refreshing and cold and continued to get colder as I kept them on. I bought this one at Target, but for some reason I couldn’t find it anywhere on their website so I linked it to Sephora where you can also buy it.
Pacifica – Leave Pretty: This eye mask focuses on puffy under eyes and dark circles. You probably guessed it by the title, but the eye masks look like little leaves! So cute! The leaf masks were also cool and refreshing like the other mask, but smelled more clean and natural. Another plus was that each leaf was separate in its own compartment so there was no confusion. The packaging listed the main ingredients (blue tansy, linden leaf, and kelp) and the benefits of each. The blue tansy soothes the skin, the linden leaf moisturizes the skin, and the kelp extract is high in iodine, minerals, and antioxidants. Between the two eye masks, I would have to pick this one as my favorite because of how easy the application is, how it smells, and of course the cute little leaves!

Mud/Clay Masks

Yes To – Grapefruit: This mask is a brightening mud mask and it is geared towards dull and uneven skin. The first thing I noticed when opening the package, was the sweet smell. Although it’s grapefruit, it smelled like bubble gum or candy. The consistency of the mask is very thick, which I like because if it’s runny it makes it hard to put on. But because it was thick, the mask stayed on well. The main ingredients in this face mask is grapefruit, vitamin C, and pink kaolin clay. The grapefruit contains a bunch of antioxidants, the vitamin C brightens the skin, and the pink kaolin clay exfoliates and cleanses the skin.
Pacifica – Cosmic Clay: Right off the bat, I love the shape and the fact that it has a twist cap. Because it says the pouch contains 3-4 uses, it’s nice to have a cap on it so you can close it and save it for later. This mask is meant to balance your skin and provide a deep cleanse. The main ingredients in the clay is hemp and orange oil, but it doesn’t go into too much detail on what they do. When applying the mask, again, it’s thick and easy to spread. At first there wasn’t much of a smell, but once it was on my face I was able to pick up on the light and fresh scent. The mask tingled a little and tightened as the clay dried. If I had to pick my favorite between these two, I would pick this one as the winner. I liked the subtle, clean smell and the twist cap was a HUGE plus. Also a side note: I mentioned that clay/mud masks are such a hassle to remove, but I took this one off when I was in the shower and it was SO much easier!

Hair Masks

Hi Pro Pac – Moroccan Mend Argan Oil: Now this one. This one smelled absolutely amazing!! And I bet there was a hint of vanilla in there which would explain why I like it so much. This mask is meant to treat dry or brittle hair, replenish moisture, and revive lifeless strands. It contains argan oil, which does all the regenerating and hydrating, and amino acids, which moisturizes your hair and gives it that sheen look. The consistency is pretty much the same as a conditioner, thick but still silky smooth. This mask did wonders for my hair. Not only did it make my hair more soft and healthy, but it brought out my natural curls!! Usually when I air dry, my curls are frizzy and all out of whack with strands going every which way. But my curls were beautifully controlled. It almost looked like I went over them with a curling iron!
Brite – No Yellow Hair Mask: Again we have another twist cap, which I love. It makes it so easy to keep for later uses. Just a warning, this hair mask is only for those who are blonde or have highlights or balayage. Although I am brunette, I have balayage so I have blonde throughout my hair. The mask is a fun, bright purple and it doesn’t have much of a smell. Some purple shampoos smell like straight chemicals, but that’s not the case with this mask. After washing it out, I could already tell how silky smooth my hair was! Between these two hair masks, I would have to go with the Hi Pro Pac one as my favorite. Although I love a good twist cap, I really enjoyed how this mask affected my curls. And the smell was amazing too. (I even had a good amount left over and stuck it in a ziplock bag to keep for later).

Sheet Masks

Sephora – Lychee Face Mask: Sometimes I get a little grossed out with sheet masks just because they are so slimy and you have to unravel them while the slime gets all over your fingers, but the aftermath is always worth it. The scent was pretty strong and I can’t say I’ve ever smelled a lychee before. The pros of this face mask is that it focuses on moisturizing your skin and making your face glow. This sheet mask is very refreshing and you only have to keep it on for 5 minutes!
The Créme Shop – Watermelon & Kombucha: The packaging of this sheet mask had A LOT of good info. It mentions the main ingredients (watermelon and kombucha) and listed all the benefits they provide your skin. The watermelon hydrates, controls oil with vitamin A, and tones and refreshes. The kombucha detoxifies and brightens, improves skin elasticity, and decreases signs of aging. It was very cooling and even tingled a little, which means it’s doing its thing! The mask smelled exactly like watermelon to me, but it wasn’t too strong either. It was fresh and natural. Between the Sephora mask and the Créme Shop mask, this one was my favorite. Although you had to leave it on for 5 mins longer, the won me over. When something is this close to your face and nose, I’d prefer a more natural smell than a stronger one.

Click on picture for the link! (Again, I get commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.)

Well that wraps up the mask edition of “This or That”! Comment below if you have tried one of these masks yourself and what you thought about them. Or let me know if there are other masks out there that are a must try!! Just a reminder that I found all of these at Target, but a few of them I couldn’t find in the online store to link (both Sephora ones, Hi Pro Pac, and The Créme shop), so I linked the website for that brand. Just click on the picture to be sent to said websites to check them out for yourself. Go get yourself a face mask (or multiple because you can never have to many) and give yourself a self-care day!!

Kindly,

Ken

Glow Guide: Unmasking The Right Masks for At-Home Facial Needs - chérie liquor

Boosting Your Energy

Welcome everyone and happy Sunday! The other day, I took a poll on my Instagram to see who was feeling sluggish vs energized. I was feeling very sluggish so I wanted to see who felt the same way. After the poll ended, 86% of people who voted felt sluggish and 14% felt energized. I knew some people would feel the same as me, but I didn’t expect so many! Because of the results, I thought today’s post should focus on ways to boost your energy. Looks like we all need it!

I did a lot of research and picked out what I think would work best. There was some really good ideas and some really silly ones, but obviously I only noted those worth sharing . To keep it organized I filed these ideas into 4 categories: Activities, Diet, Exercise, and Sleep. So without further ado, let’s get started!

Activities

Splash Your Face With Cold Water – The first activity that will help with energy and fogginess is splashing your face with cold water. I’ve done this the past couple days and it definitely wakes me up haha! I typically hate anything that makes me feel cold but splashing my face instantly wakes me up and oddly boosts my mood.
Meditate or Stretch – As we all know, too much stress and being overworked can make you feel really tired and sluggish. So taking some time out of your day to meditate or stretch will not only boost your energy, but benefit your mental health as well! Meditating for just 10 minutes when you wake up or take stretching breaks from whatever you’re working on can pay dividends dividends in boosting your energy.

Diet

Drink Water – When I say diet, I don’t mean that you need to lose weight or starve yourself with certain dieting, I mean to pay attention to what you’re putting in your body! One thing to do is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drinking water has so many benefits, but the main one we are focusing on is that it improves brain function.
One Cup of Coffee – Another tip to discuss is to manage coffee intake. You all know how much I adore my morning cup of coffee, but there is a limit on how much you should drink. With my research, I found that you should only have one cup of coffee a day and only have it before 2PM. Having more than one cup can make you crash more quickly than just one cup. Having one cup is basically the sweet spot.
Eat Complex Carbs and Proteins – The last part of your diet to consider is what you’re eating in the morning. As emphasized throughout our lives, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so you want to eat foods that will give you energy. I found that it is important to stray from the fatty and sugary foods because they take a lot more energy to digest. So for breakfast try to eat complex carbs and proteins. For example, oatmeal with fruit. I’ve eaten oatmeal with fresh blueberries for breakfast the past couple mornings and I haven’t had any early morning energy crashes.

Exercise

Midday Exercise – Among my research, I found that midday is the best time to workout for energy purposes. Most of the time when we get fatigued, it’s in the middle of the day, which is when we want to take a nap. Although this is the time you won’t feel as motivated, it will provide the greatest energy benefit. I tend to do my workouts at night, but that’s because it usually makes me feel tired whenever it’s time to fall asleep.
Short, Intense Workouts – This one is funny to me because Nick has always given me crap for doing shorter work outs, when in reality there’s a lot benefits to them. One being that you’ll still feel energized after doing a shorter, more intense workout. Lately, I have been doing the 21 Day Tone Challenge with Blogilates and I have actually loved them! Every day I do a workout ranging from 20-30 minutes depending on the workout for that day. Because they are short, I actually feel motivated to continue because they don’t take too much time out of my day. I also still feel energized and in a better mood after I do them. Any time I have exercised for a long period of time, I feel exhausted afterwards. So stick to the shorter, more intense workouts!

Sleep

Go To Bed Earlier – Sleep is a HUGE factor in how much energy you have the next day. So it just makes sense that getting more hours will boost your energy. I know I’m a night owl, so I definitely need to work on this one. Especially since classes are about to start up again.
Wind Down Before Bed – A couple activities you can do to help you wind down before bed is to read a book or listen to soothing music. The idea for this is that you want to do something that doesn’t take much body movement because when your body is still, it’s much easier to fall asleep compared to when you’re moving around. In addition, this will limit your phone usage before bed because we all know staring at a screen for hours does not help with catching Z’s. If you’d like, you can also check out my nighttime routine, which helps me get into the sleeping mode.

I hope you all enjoy the last day of your weekend. Here’s to more ENERGY in 2021!!

Kindly,

Ken

New Nighttime Routine

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you all had an enjoyable and safe New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day. As most of you know, I recently uploaded a post called “Start The Morning Off Right” where I discuss a new morning routine to reduce electronics use. (If you haven’t read it, you can check it out here). So I thought, why not make a new nighttime routine as well! My main focus for this nightly routine is to help myself wind down before going to bed. Sometimes I have a hard time falling or staying asleep, so I think doing this will really help my quality of rest.

After the usual getting dressed and brushing my teeth, the first thing I do is wash my face. I used to NEVER wash my face unless I was in the shower, but I know you’re really supposed to wash your face every day. For Christmas I got the facial cleansing brush from Vanity Planet and I have been loving it! (Just FYI this baby is 50% off right now if you’re wanting to get one). After applying my facial cleanser, I’ll use the facial cleansing brush for about 3-4 minutes all over my face and my neck. Then, once my face has been washed and dried, I use the Olay active hydrating cream. The combination of these too make my face feel extra soft.

https://www.vanityplanet.com/collections/skincare-devices-mvp/products/raedia-facial-cleansing-brush

https://www.target.com/p/olay-active-hydrating-cream-original-facial-moisturizer-2-oz/-/A-11139404

The next part of my routine consists of some journaling. I also got a gratitude journal for Christmas, so I thought it would be a nice thing to use for my routine. The Gratitude Finder by Reminder Binder gives you 7 little spaces to write about something you’re grateful for each day. It also has sections for people or experiences your grateful for, random acts of kindness, and words of the week. Oh and they have stickers!!

https://denisealbright.com/collections/gratitude/products/000-spread-joy-deals-gratitude-finder-journals-with-165-stickers-12-styles

The last part of my nighttime routine is a 1-minute breathing exercise. I talked about this over on my Instagram for one of my self-care Sundays and it’s something that has really helped me in the past. All I do is Google “breathing exercise” and this little exercise pops up. Just press play and follow the directions given. You can use this exercise for yourself at the bottom! This exercise always calms me down and is great to ease your mind before going to sleep. Yesterday was my first time trying this routine, and I really enjoyed it. I think it will be a great aid in keeping me relaxed and falling asleep every night. I highly encourage you to try out the tips I suggested or create a nighttime routine that is most suited to your lifestyle! Enjoy and go get some shut eye!

Kindly,

Ken

The Right Resolution

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you all had a merry Christmas and if you don’t celebrate Christmas, I hope you enjoyed your time off. But now that the holiday is over, it’s time to ring in the new year! And we all know it won’t take much for 2021 to be better than what 2020 brought us. With New Years comes the infamous New Years resolution (that most people don’t even complete). If I’m being totally honest, I’ve never even made a New Years resolution. Maybe I thought I’d never complete it. Maybe I was too lazy. Or maybe I didn’t even know where to start!

For once, I think I will actually try it out this year. So, I thought I would make an easy template for myself and others to make things easier. I think the main reason why people don’t follow through with their New Years resolution is because 1) it is an unrealistic goal, 2) there is no time frame on the goal, 3) and the goal is too vague. An example of a typical goal is “I’m going to lose weight”. Although this goal is realistic and reachable, it is not very specific. What you could say is, “I want to lose 30 pounds in 6 months.” This example is achievable, it is specific with the amount of 30 pounds, and there is a time frame of 6 months.

So, the template to use when making your own resolution is: I want to ___(realistic/specific goal)____ within ___(time frame)___ months.

As many of you know, I am getting married soon. 9 months and 3 days to be exact, but who’s counting. I’m wanting to get a little more fit by then, so I can feel and look my best! I know I don’t have a ton to lose, but I want to feel confident on my special day. I want to do this not because of how people will view me, but because I want to feel good and proud in my own skin. So this year my new years resolution is: I want to ___lose 10 pounds___ within ___3 months___. Again, this goal is realistic, specific, and has a time frame. The theme of these resolutions have been pertaining to weight loss, but obviously a new years resolution can be about anything you want. Such as eating less sugar, reading more books, or trying new things on a regular basis. Whatever it may be, make it your own and make sure it is important to you. If it’s not, you may lose motivation and quit early. I know my goal will be somewhat difficult to do just because it can be hard to motivate yourself to go workout and eat healthy, but because this goal is important to me, I will work hard to complete it. I’ll probably have Nick keep me in check too haha!

Hopefully this sentence template will help you all create your perfect new years resolution. Remember to mold your resolution with your own wants and goals in mind, don’t conform to what others think you should do. Happy early new years and bring on 2021!!

Kindly,

Ken

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Start The Morning Off Right

Happy happy Sunday! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. A few days ago, I came to the realization that I am totally consumed by technology. As soon as I wake up, I check my phone and can sometimes be there for a quite a while. Mindlessly scrolling through all my social media platforms. Then I make my morning coffee and watch tv for hours on end. Why do I do this to myself when I know it’s not good for me?? I knew I needed to make a change. So for the past few days, I’ve been trying something new that I think will be more beneficial and therapeutic for me.

First I make a cup of coffee because nothing about my coffee addiction is going to change. Then, I grab the two books that I am currently reading and the homemade journal that I talked about two posts ago. To begin, I read one chapter from “The Silent Wife” by A.S.A Harrison. Then I read a few pages from “The Sun and Her Flowers” by Rupi Kaur, which is more of a book of poems. When reading these pages, I pick out a line or two that really stick out to me. Finally, I copy those lines in my homemade journal, write about how they currently relate to my life, and how they make me feel. It’s crazy how much insight and inspiration you can gain from reading! While participating in this routine, it’s important to keep any technology out of sight so you aren’t tempted. If you’re like me, I have to hide my phone because I’ll forget where I put it and am too lazy to get up to look for it. Which I guess is a good thing in this case?

I’ve really enjoyed doing this instead of going straight to the technology. I’ve also noticed a little difference in my mood after doing this and I’m sure if I continue to do this, I will see a more influential change. This new morning routine will be so much better for my mental health and overall happiness. Whenever I’m always on my phone or watching tv I feel extremely sluggish and just bleh! I know bleh isn’t a feeling, but it definitely should be. Sometimes you don’t know how to explain how you’re feeling, you just feel bleh. And that’s okay. Meanwhile, my new routine has made me feel more motivated and puts my mind at ease.

Also, if you’re curious about the books I’m reading, here is a little run through. “The Silent Wife” is similar to the book “Gone Girl”. It is a thriller about a married couple whose relationship is falling apart as the husband’s infidelity leads his wife to become a killer. So if you’re into those kind of books, definitely give it a read. The second book, “The Sun and Her Flowers” is a series of poems about life, organized by 5 categories: wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. This book is a good one because we have all experienced those phases at some point. I’ve been wanting to read more for quite a while and blamed the lack of reading on the fact that high school ruined reading for me, but let’s face it I’ve been out of how school for 4 years now. No more excuses!

I highly recommend adding this to your morning routine if you have the time. Your mind and mood will thank you. Take a break from all that technology and get to reading/writing!

Kindly,

Ken

Animated gif about gif in Lovely girl by ЛФФЯ ✨👑

Relaxation Day: A Self-Care Product Review

Happy Sunday everyone! As we all know, life has been tough lately. Instead of saying, “it’s been a week” let’s change that to, “it’s been a YEAR!” Thankfully this year is almost up. Hopefully 2021 will be better for all of us. Lately, I’ve been really struggling. While I have been working hard to finish up my first semester of grad school, I am still grieving over the loss of my furry best friend. So after my last class, I wanted to indulge in a little relaxation time. I decided to run the bath tub, throw in some bubbles, and treat myself to a relaxation day! Which is something we should all be doing more frequently. I bought some self-care products to use and will share my thoughts about them. I’ll also include the links for them if you’re wanting to try them out too! (All purchased from Amazon).

1.Glade Candle: 3.4oz, Sheer Vanilla Embrace – ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ABVK2E6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This candle smelled SO good. I’m a sucker for any kind of vanilla scent, so I knew I had to get it. Plus it’s only $2.91 right now! Candles are great for self care. There’s something about inhaling your favorite scent that is so relaxing. And for me, it’s vanilla! It creates a sense of comfort and helps me wind down. I always feel calm when lighting my favorite candle. There’s 6 different scents to choose from such as Clean Linen and Radiant Berries – hopefully they have your favorite too.

2. OGX Hydration + Sea Kelp & Hyaluronic Acid Body Scrub: 19.5oz – ⭑⭑⭑⭑ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YYYSHVB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I’ve been looking for a good exfoliant body scrub to make my skin feel extra soft and this one did the trick! I chose to get the sea kelp scent, but they provide other exotic scents too such as rose water and coconut coffee (for half the price…which I didn’t realize until now). I have to say, the sea kelp smells amazing! I wasn’t sure what it would smell like, but it has such a fresh and soothing smell. It contains sea kelp, hyaluronic acid (a moisturizer), and black rice to exfoliate. The only reason I give it 4 stars is because this scent is $6 more than the other scents that are the exact same size.

3. Upbeamo 24k Gold Eye Treatment Mask: 6.35fl.oz – ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GYGNG1Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I’m not gonna lie, I first found out about these on TikTok. They looked so intriguing, I had to try them out. These little under-eye masks are so satisfying to use. It says that there are 30 pairs included, but it looks like there are much more than that as they are very thin. Once you put them on, they are cold but in a good way. Like a refreshing coolness. They are supposed to help with dark circles, bags, and wrinkles and I totally believe it as they contain anti-aging collagen and hyaluronic acid. All you have to do is use the scooper to get one pair out of the tub and place them under your eyes for 15-20 minutes. I highly recommend!

4. Wel Deep Pore Cleansing Mask: 2.04fl.oz – ⭑⭑ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088FXHP3Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I purchased this face mask because I’m a big fan of peel off masks and it came with an applicator brush. I wanted one with an applicator because I hate applying it with my own fingers which makes a mess and piles up under my finger nails. Unfortunately, the applicator broke as soon as I took it out of the box. It’s still usable, but obviously that should not happen. Then once I peeled it off, it broke away into little pieces. So it wasn’t as satisfying to peel as I would’ve liked. Although it did make my skin feel a little softer, I would try to find a different peel off mask. I guess that’s what you get for $7.90.

I hope this product review gave you some ideas on what to buy when planning a relaxation day. As I have emphasized many times, it is so important to take care of yourself. I can’t stress this enough. Especially in 2020 with so many stressors hitting us all at once. Give your mind a break every once in a while and just relax. Create your own little spa day!

Kindly,

Ken

Q&A With Our Spa Experts: Tips + Tricks For Flawless Summer Skin - Station Casinos Blog

Homemade Therapy

Happy Sunday everyone! While I was thinking of what to write about this week, I remembered an activity that Nick and I did a while back. We have an adventure challenge book that contains various activities for us to do as couples and one of the challenges was to create personalized journals where we leave notes for the other person. Although our journals are for our relationship, I thought why not change it into a personal activity that everyone can do?

The point of this activity is to find a journal and make it your own, but my twist is for this journal to be your outlet. Times are stressful now more than ever, so it’s important to have someplace to express buried emotions. We all know that bottled up feelings can take a toll on your mental state. Not everyone has the luxury of seeing a therapist or someone to talk with, so sometimes the best way to release those feelings is to write about them. That’s one of the big reasons as to why I made this blog, so I could talk about what I’m going through in a different way. You can use your journal however you want whether it be a diary or just a place for ideas and lists. What makes this activity fun is that you get to customize it however you want!

What You’ll Need:

Journal (can be any size, but I would get a smaller one)
Scissors
Glue or tape
Magazine(s)
Stickers, craft paper, stamps (optional)

After you get all of your supplies, you’ll start by looking through the magazine(s) and cut out whatever words or pictures that you like. They can be things that represent you as a person, things that mean something to you, or just things you like. Then, arrange your items on the front cover into a collage and glue or tape them down once they are in the desired position. Think of it as a mood journal instead of a mood board. If you want, you can put clear packing tape across the front to make it look laminated. Other than that you’re all done! Doing this for myself was so much fun and I can’t wait to use it. Take a look at mine below for inspo. Have fun creating your own! Feel free to show me yours and tag me on social media!!

Kindly,

Ken

When To Say Goodbye

Today’s blog post is a little on the heavier side, but it’s something that I have personally been struggling with. As many of you know, my sweet Kitter has cancer and we have just been doing our best to make it comfortable for her in the last few weeks.

To be honest, I didn’t really want to write a blog post this time because yesterday was HARD. We had just got home from our Thanksgiving trip, both in a great mood after seeing family and friends. But we had an instant snap back to reality once we stepped through the door. Kitter had left many surprises, if you know what I mean. Plus, she was casually laying in some of her surprises as she was too weak/out of it to even move. I was expecting her to meow like crazy and get up to see us, but unfortunately that was not the case.

Nick and I looked at each other, knowing that her time was coming up pretty quick. We cleaned up the house and washed Kitter off as she blankly stared and I blubbering like usual. After dinner I even layed with her for a while, soaking up every moment. When it was time for bed, I layed her on a towel on top of our sheets so I could sleep with her one last time. And when I mean sleep, I mean I barely slept at all. But as we layed there, Kitter cuddled up to me and purred for the rest of the night.

Yeah I know this post is very sappy, but I didn’t want to write about some happy-go-lucky topic when I was not feeling that way whatsoever. I’m here to show honesty and transparency. I also wanted to share some wise words our vet expressed when coming to a tough decision to say goodbye to your pet. We were struggling with the big question: when is the right time? I obviously wanted as much time as I could get, but not at the expense of Kitter’s happiness and health.

He replied with a basic rule of 3:

1. Are they eating and drinking on their own?

2. Are they able to show love and affection?

3. Are they able to go to bathroom on their own?

He also added that you have to consider how you’re feeling. If you are constantly worried or anxious that your pet will pass away while you’re gone or sleeping, then that’s not a quality of life for YOU.

This is probably one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make, but I know we are probably making the right one. It’s hard to say goodbye to a best friend of 15 years, but another friend explained to me that I need to remember all the happy memories we have shared and celebrate the life she had. When a pet is on their last stage of life, it’s important to remember them as they were when they were healthy not as they are during their illness. If you’re experiencing or about to experience the loss of a pet, I hope this helps and that you find peace in your decision.

Kindly,

Ken