Trust your gut; listen to your body

June 30, 2021.Reading time 1 minute.

I had a health scare recently. I’ve even mentioned it here on my blog about my tummy bloat. I had been noticing my stomach MUCH larger than normal. I chopped it up to the pandemic. Eating, too many cocktails, not enough exercise and also attributed it to possible perimenopause. I reached out to my OBGYN in Sept 2020 and she suggested an ultrasound. I was not thrilled about going to the doctors office in the middle of this lockdown. And quite honestly, pap smears and anything invasive ‘down there’ is never pleasant. So I put it off. Fast forward to April 21′. Stomach is ridiculously large. Scheduled all the stuff, finally. I was measuring like 5-6 months pregnant. 😱 Results come back. I have a 9×10 inch cystic mass tumor. Well, that would explain my bloat. Surgery completed this month, an ovary, fallopian tube and tumor removed. All benign which is most important. It was an extensive surgery as this mass was attaching to other organs. Yikes. The bottom line is, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If something feels off, get it checked out. It will be a relief to hear it was nothing to worry about. Or the sooner you know, the better. I wish I had gone back in Sept of last year. Got it. Lesson learned. 🙏

Olive & June nail polish

June 28, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

During quarantine last year, we had to resort to doing our own nails. Dislike. I am not a fan of painting my finger nails and toes mainly because it just never looks like when a professional does it. And honestly, who doesn’t want a nice foot rub with their pedicure? One day, Olive & June popped up on my IG. It’s been around for several years but just in case you haven’t heard of this line or are finally coming out of hiding from the pandemic, here you go. The 1st thing that drew my attention to it, was the claim of being long lasting like a gel mani you would get inside a salon. My gel used to last almost 2 weeks. I would say this polish FOR ME lasts 1 good full week. But, I’m VERY hard on my hands. It’s also not a fair assessment as we are washing our hands constantly and using lots of hand sanitizers. And, I tend to pick at my nails and cuticles. A big no no. Using their cuticle cream helps a lot and the glossy top coat is fabulous. I love how fast the polish dries too. The other thing that grabbed my attention is the selection of beautiful colors. These 3 are my latest infatuations. From left to right, the colors are-Lava, Sweet Gracious, and Lemony Lemon. Never too bright for me! Lava and Lemony Lemon are from their 2021 summer line. You can remove it with regular nail polish remover in a few quick swipes. This polish is also: formulated WITHOUT Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde resin, Camphor, Ethyl tosylamide, Xylene. AND it’s Vegan and Cruelty-Free! Click here for a link for 20% off any O & J nail system. 🙂

There’s no one like you.

June 3, 2021.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Rainbow cloud 🌈☁️

May 28, 2021.Reading time less than 1 minute.

This effect is called cloud iridescence or irisation, terms derived from Iris the Greek personification of the rainbow. They’re caused by the presence of very tiny ice crystals or water droplets in the air, which cause light to be diffracted (spread out). The photo is unedited. What a treat to have seen this rare phenomenon. 😀

Loss and the check in

May 24, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

Most of you know I lost my beloved cat, Lily of 17 years last month. Absolutely devastated. She was my baby, my shadow. In times of sadness and adversity, I’m mature enough now to determine who is really there for me and what relationships are simply superficial. I am personally excellent at checking in on people. I don’t know if it’s because I was an only child growing up and I craved that companionship. Almost like I always wanted to make an effort so the love would be returned to me. And I was lucky to have received that love from my mom, but I still yearned for it from others. Sometimes it was returned and sometimes not. I didn’t learn til later that some people just won’t feel the same about you no matter how hard you try. And that’s ok. It’s not for you. Through the years, I’ve filtered many people from my life who I didn’t feel were really a true friend, or made me feel sad. And even some distant family members. Blood is no exception. I don’t mean to say I want a relationship to be tit for tat, but it is not ok for it to always be one-sided or negative in tone constantly. Life is too short to be surrounded by unpleasant vibes. And if you feel you’re putting more into it and not receiving any care back, it’s time to move on. I can’t buy the excuse about someone being too busy. A check in takes a few seconds at minimum. Even if it’s a simple text to say “hey, how are you?” Or “was just thinking about you and hope you’re having a good day.” It may not seem like much effort, but to the other person, it is. Words matter. Take the time to show the ones you love you’re there and support them in the good and bad times. 🙂

Bum Bum Cream

May 18, 2021.Reading time 1 minute.

If you love the smell of beachy summer heaven, you MUST check out Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream. It’s on the sweeter side with hints of vanilla, but it doesn’t smell sickening sweet. I walk by my husband and he literally says you smell delicious! Well, it was actually “bubblicious.” 😆 Or as I would say “bumbumlicious.” 😉 It is cruelty, sulfate, paraben, phthalate and mineral oil free, vegan, sustainably sourced, has safe ingredients and contains no microplastics. They have a long list of ingredients that they absolutely will never use. Their “blacklist.” It also claims to visibly tighten and smooth the skin. I love that it’s not sticky and sinks into the skin easily. It can be found here, Sephora or Amazon. Yum Yum for your Bum Bum!

My mom reminded me that it’s been 40 years since the legend Bob Marley left this earth. 🙏 This is one of my all time favorite quotes.

May 13, 2021.Reading time less than 1 minute.

One foot in front of the other.

May 13, 2021.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Camoflauging a “peri” tummy

April 27, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

I’ve always had a little pooch after I had my son. But these last few years, I tend to look 5 months preggo on the regular thanks to lovely perimenopause. 😩 This is a perfect explanation of why the weight gravitates towards the stomach. “Even women who typically carry weight in their hips and thighs (🙋‍♀️) can find themselves gaining around the middle once they hit perimenopause. Why there? Well, estrogen, tells the body to deposit fat in the thighs and backside rather than around the middle. When estrogen declines, the body begins to accumulate abdominal fat.” Lovely. Here’s the full article. It’s a great read.

I do take a multivitamin and probiotic and that helps aid in digestion, keeps things, um, regular and definitely helps my weak immune system. I highly recommend Culturelle. 1 or 2 day. But it doesn’t tackle the daily bloat consistently. This is like nothing I’ve dealt with before. There are changes I know I need to personally make. Like adding more greens into to my diet, more AGUA AGUA, cutting down on sugar and carbs, limiting alcohol-wahhh. I also have to get my body moving more. But in tracking my diet, I really don’t eat excessively or eat heavy amounts of sugar or dairy. Unfortunately our metabolisms in our 40’s and up just don’t work like when we were younger. 😏 I am currently researching a good supplement for this very issue as well. I’ll report back with my findings! In the meantime, here are my suggestions/visual aids for how to conceal the bloated stomach. 😊

1) Blouses: Yes to flowy, peplum, tunics, crossover and asymmetrical styles

2) Long cardigans or kimonos with mid to high rise jeans and quality leggings

3) Wrap dresses are flattering on all body types

4) Don’t be scared to wear patterns. It confuses the eye a bit and won’t focus in on the mid-section

5) A statement necklace or fun scarf directs the eye up ⬆️

6) Show off another part of your body that you are happy with. Shoulders, legs, your bosom! 😉

Oscars 2021!

April 25, 2021.Reading time less than 1 minute.

The people in attendance at The Oscars was scaled back tremendously this year, obvi, so there wasn’t the biggest display of dresses. But here are several (and a tux) that had me giving a standing ovation. 🤩😍 Bravo to all the winners! 👏👏