Healthy Skin Awards

Whole Living magazine just released their 2012 Healthy Skin Awards list, and I thought that this would be something great to share. Some products are your old fashioned drugstore staples; the Cetaphil lotion that mom was always using, or the Witch Hazel toner that never smelled great but we were always told was great for our skin. Others are from the beauty counter; when we started taking our skin care routine more seriously, we bought things like eye cream and argan oil to moisturize and condition.
Take a look - I bet you already have a handful of these products at home!

What I Love About Sunday

...and Monday. Long weekends are always enjoyable, especially when the beach, friends and family are involved. I tried my first lobster Monday; although it was delicious, it was a lot of work. After a weekend at the beach, I am as red as these fellas were. It was tough waking up this morning and getting back into the usual routine. But look at the positives - it's not a full work week! :)

Friday Favorite

Besides the fact that it is Friday and gorgeous outside, it's the beginning of a holiday weekend - which means the office closes at 3pm today, and we have Monday off. I plan on lounging at the beach for the first time this summer (and I'm really more than excited about it).
Here are some other random things I'm happy about today:

chips and guacamole - could live on this snack

new green glass vase - a steal at $7

amazing make-up bag - need to purchase immediately

Be Our Guest

Two weeks ago, I had my friend Nicole contribute to this blog. Since she was such a big hit, she has graciously offered to be a guest blogger again! Here she is:

I know I said that my blog about recycling would be my one and only, but I couldn’t resisted doing another. 

I know many people have their own views on this topic but in my mind you’re crazy not to believe that global warming is not happening; I mean come on I went to the beach in May. As some of us may be enjoying the effects of global warming, we all must remember we share the planet with other wildlife. Climate change is altering key habitat elements that are critical to wildlife’s survival and putting natural resources in jeopardy. We have all seen the cute polar bears barely making it to the next iceberg because the arctic ice is melting. Wildlife depends on the right temperatures, fresh water, food sources and places to raise their young, and global warming is taking these important factors away.  The climate is changing fast and we need to address global warming. Species may not be able to adapt to this rapid climate change and endangering them, which will change the planet as we know it. Polar bears are in serious danger of becoming extinct due to global warming. Significant actions need to be taken NOW.  If you can’t see how making changes will benefit you, think about the polar bears.

What I Love About Sunday

Wow - the weather was gorgeous this weekend. I believe the sunshine really can lighten up any ones mood, and this weekend did just that. I finally had the chance to sit outside and soak up some sun (with a little bit of sunscreen - SPF 8, and yes I realize it should be higher). My skin needed some glow, and now I feel like a new woman. The entire week ahead looks like we'll be in luck with good weather - which makes sitting in an office even more painful.

ryan's niece wearing my sunglasses & her rollers - soaking up the sun 60's style

my boys in the front; brutus moved me to the backseat

oldie but goodie - OPI's tasmanian devil made me do it

Friday Favorite

Yesterday was her birthday, but we're celebrating tonight! My best friend Lauren turned the big 2-4, and there is no other way I'd rather spend my Friday night then having cocktails and dinner with my closest friends to celebrate. I easily consider her the one person who keeps me sane, can cheer me up, let me vent and assure me I'm not crazy, and encourage me (especially when I started this blog). Here's to best friends - I hope you're as lucky as I am to have a sidekick like her :)

Kind of sounded like a toast, didn't it? Maybe I'll use it tonight. just kidding.

Balance

last nights dinner

this mornings breakfast

it's all about balance right? :)


Breakfast Yogurt Smoothie

1 cup fat free, plain yogurt
1 cup frozen blueberries
handful of strawberries, cut in half
a few ice cubes
a splash of water
blend
& enjoy!

What I Love About Sunday

I completed a lot of mundane tasks this weekend, but listed below were my favorites.

first time juicing - spinach, cucumbers and strawberries.

 On Saturday, I decided I was going to finally put my blender to use. I've been researching the "juicing" craze, and what the buzz is all about. Although I do not own an actual juicer, the blender worked pretty well - I just had to add the extra step of draining. To my surprise, it tasted better than it looks. Juicing could be something I can keep up with.

laaaazy.

treat for me - Yonka gel cleanser

 I experienced my first Body Polish at a local spa, Blu Spa & Salon. It was an amazing treat - something I've been intended to do since February. I absolutely love learning about the type of skin I have, what products I should use and how to take care of my skin better. I've promised myself to take care of my skin better, which resulted in buying the Yonka gel cleanser. It is a little pricey, but completely worth it. After all, you can have cute clothes and a cute bag, but let's face it - your skin is more important, and will never go out of style.

relaxed with a glass of Cabernet

Be Our Guest

Instead of having the regular Friday Favorite entry - this week, I was lucky enough to have a friend offer her wisdom for a post. This may become a weekly feature; depending on the people involved and their braveness :)
Without further ado, please welcome Nicole. ;)

Hi everyone, I am a dear friend of Krystin’s and her number one fan!  Although she comes up with great things to share with you all, I feel that she should take advantage of all the people she can touch.  So she allowed me to be a one-time only guest blogger.  I would LOVE to take this opportunity to talk about recycling (as all my friends are rolling their eyes because I never shut up about it).  But it really is important, to us and our planet.  Recycling saves energy, reduces pollution and preserves the environmental condition (global warming), preserves natural resources (not having to cut down so many trees), and reduces waste products in landfills.

Interesting facts:

·         Running your faucet for 5 minutes uses up enough energy to run a 60 watt light bulb for 14 hours.

·         The process of recycling paper instead of making it from new materials generates 74 percent less air pollution and uses 50 percent less water.

·         Recycling steel and tin cans saves 74 percent of the energy used to make them.

·         Americans throw away enough aluminum every month to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.

·         Enough plastic bottles are thrown away in the United States each year to circle the earth four times.

I believe if everyone does their part in recycling we could make the planet a better place (who doesn’t want that).  Easy things you can do to recycle are to recycle the goods you use daily, reuse products you can, use reusable shopping bags every time, conserve your water, and carpool.

It’s up to us to want to inhabit a healthier planet and to make a difference.  Go Green and recycle, please for you, me and your kids, kids. 

Terrible Tuesday

Tuesday was one of those days where anything that could go wrong, did. Despite the fact that it was only Tuesday, and I had 3 more long days left in the work week; it was a bad hair and make-up day, a busy work day, a disappointing lunch and many other terrible, random things. I didn't post anything yesterday about it because I had high hopes of things getting better ... and eventually, they did. At about 8pm.

Introducing - Popcorn (with pepper - try it). Glee. New Girl. As I finally sat down to my favorite Tuesday line up, I finally tried to put things in perspective. Having a bad hair & make-up day isn't that bad. A busy work day is better than being out of a job. And a disappointing lunch ... well, I'm buying lunch today to avoid that one again. It really is the little things that sometimes cheer you up. And mine just happened to be popcorn and television.

What I Love About Sunday

a mojito to celebrate cinco de mayo

we had a quitter on our hands during a long walk

window shopping, walking and lunch with the girls

adorable chocolate covered strawberries at a bridal show

Friday Favorite

Last night I attended Buffalo Spree's BeautyBook Girls Night Out event at the Botanical Gardens. I was overcome with excitement as my night included wine, delicious food, and of course, fabulous beauty samples. It was so great to see local vendors and suppliers coming together in the name of beauty, and sharing their products and knowledge. And that, my friends, is obviously my Friday Favorite. I get to spend the weekend trying out these products, which will hopefully lead me to discovering a new favorite!

Above:

sumbody coconut salt scrub and eye serum
yonka cleanser and toner
Bogavia hydrating body butter
Crabtree & Evelyn avocado hand therapy lotion
European Wax Center's post waxing exfoliate

Jelly in a Jar

Something I always have on hand is Vaseline, or petroleum jelly. I can't even begin to tell you about the multiple things I use this jelly in a jar for. About a year ago, I had gotten home late and was getting ready for bed, exhausted. I went to reach for my eye make up remover, and of course, there was barely any left for one eyelid. Enter petroleum jelly! I was surprised how quick, and efficient this product was as a make up remover - and have been using it ever since.
Over the past year, I have been resorting to this product for every moisturizing need. I would recommend substituting something organic; after all, it is just as important to feed our skin with raw nutrients as it is our body. I, myself, am finishing up the current jar of Vaseline I have - then will move on to something natural, like raw coconut cream. Here are the many uses of this jelly:

Eye Make Up Remover: quick, efficient and moisturizing. I always had horrible luck with getting remover in my eye somehow, and it wasn't the greatest feeling. It also doesn't leave my lids feeling dry, or itchy.

Lip Balm: my obsession with chap stick is ... well, an obsession. It's always with me wherever I go. At night, I like something a little heavier, and it certainly works.

Eye Cream: Before bed, I'll dab this around my eyes to keep them moisturized if I'm out of a cream or serum.

Eyebrows: To tame your eyebrows! Just a little dab and a spoolie brush will do the trick.