3 Sentimental Gifts That Show You Care

3 Sentimental Gifts That Show You Care

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Losing a loved one can leave a deep void in many hearts. Therefore, showing compassion and support to mourning people is crucial particularly for their mental heath. One way to provide solace is through thoughtful gifts that honor the deceased friend or family member. Admittedly, an estimated 85% of people tend to present fresh flowers on these occasions – some making it a mandatory practice. Beyond that, choosing meaningful gifts can take much time and effort, so feel free to consider these ideas listed below.

  1. Personalized memory books

A great way to help a grieving person cherish the moments spent with a departed loved one is by presenting personalized memory books. These books provide a space to gather cherished photographs, heartfelt messages, and stories commemorating the departed’s life. It can also be a memory book that offers a therapeutic outlet for grieving individuals, allowing them to reminisce and share fond memories. Sometimes, you can include pages for friends and family to write personal messages or memories, so feel free to consider this. Allowing the grieving person to revisit these heartfelt sentiments whenever needed is an excellent way to keep those special moments close to the heart. These memory books provide a tangible keepsake that captures the essence of the departed and can be passed down through generations, an ideal gift worth presenting to a grieving person.

  1. Glass cremation jewelry

Losing a loved one can leave the bereaved yearning for tangible connections and ways to keep their memories alive. Gifts like glass cremation jewelry offer a unique and personal way to celebrate the departed while comforting those grieving. These exquisite pieces can contain a small portion of the cremated remains or a lock of hair beautifully encased within the glass. Glass cremation jewelry comes in many forms. So, choosing from various pendants, bracelets, rings, and earrings is easy. For many people, this is an exquisite wearable tribute to keep loved ones close to their hearts. Did you know that every glass cremation piece is handcrafted? That makes it a personal and meaningful gift for a grieving person, so feel free to consider this.

  1. Sympathy care packages

It is understandable why grieving persons often neglect self-care as they navigate those difficult emotions. Therefore a thoughtful and meaningful gift to present is a sympathy care package. They are often referred to as gifts to nurture the soul. The packages usually include scented candles, soothing teas, journals, self-help books, and comforting blankets. A sympathy care package is a gentle reminder of your support and concern for the grieving person. Remember that the items may vary, so choosing those you think will offer the most help is important. If you have a little background knowledge of the person you’re gifting, it helps to include specific items you know they will love. The truth is that many grieving persons often need to be reminded about the things they love, and the special sympathy care package can do the trick.

How to Use Exercise to Boost Your Mental Health

Photo by Riccardo 

Exercise offers a great way to improve your mental health. Your mental health is something that must be a priority and you should always try to ensure that you are improving it.

If you’re still on the fence about starting an exercise program, taking a look at the benefits can help to erase your procrastination.

Improved Sleep

One reason exercise can help is by assisting you to get a better night’s sleep. It can also help to regulate your cardiac rhythm.

Exercise acts as a biological alarm clock that will help control when you wake up and also help to make you feel more alert throughout the day. However, although exercise can improve your sleep, it is not recommended that you exercise too close to your bedtime, as it may have the opposite effect.

Boost Your Self-esteem

As you begin to exercise you will start seeing changes in your body. Your muscles will become more toned. Your endurance will increase and you will start piling on a lot of physical achievements.

This will significantly increase your self-confidence. As you continue along your fitness path you will begin to notice that there is a tremendous improvement in your mind.

Better Personal Relationships

When you are feeling confident about yourself, you are likely to spread this confidence to others. You will find that exercise improves your mood and self-confidence so much that you want to be around your family and friends more.

It may even give a boost to your intimate relationship as well. Exercise has been shown to boost libido. If you are having this issue, sex therapists are qualified counsellors that can help. 

Reduction In Stress

With frequent exercise, you will see a stress reduction. When stress is reduced good mental health will naturally follow. 

It’s not hard to see how exercise plays a role in reducing stress. Since you will be getting better sleep, increased self-confidence, and better interpersonal relationships you will naturally see a reduction in your stress levels.

Mood-Boosting

When you exercise, chemical substances such as endorphins are released by your brain. These are called feel-good or happy hormones and you will notice them as soon as you start exercising.

Releasing these hormones continuously through exercise will help you to feel a lot better about yourself. This will boost your mental health.

Start Your Fitness Journey

Starting your fitness journey is something that you will never regret. There are so many benefits to your physical and mental health that it is impossible to ignore them.

Before you begin any kind of exercise program, always make sure that you consult your doctor. It’s always best to start slowly and then do more intense exercises as your body gets used to the continuous activity.

How to Protect Your Phone

Keeping your smartphone safe and sound is so important, as it’s such a large investment that you simply cannot let go to waste. Luckily, learning exactly how you can keep your smartphone out of harm’s way needn’t be as difficult as you might expect, as there are several simple tips and tricks that you can do to ensure you can keep your device for as long as possible. So, if you would like to find out more, then simply read on! 

Invest In A Strong Case 

One of the easiest options that you can pursue to protect your phone involves investing in a super strong case that can absorb the impact should you ever accidentally drop your phone. There are so many different cases available on the market today that claim to be able to protect your phone, but it’s important that you can spend some time researching a few options to see which have the best reviews. Many products claim to be able to stop glass smashing from a height of as much as 5 metres, but oftentimes it’s unlikely that this claim can be backed up or proven. So, read through the reviews that have been left by previous customers to identify whether each option is actually a worthwhile investment. A personalised wood phone case might just be the perfect option, as not only are they made from an über sturdy material, they’re also aesthetically pleasing to look at! Try to avoid those which do not wrap around the phone to protect the edges of the screen, otherwise you will still end up damaging or smashing your smartphone if you drop it face down. 

 

Get A Screen Protector 

Investing in a screen protector is a brilliant way to keep your phone out of harm’s way, as you can source even the most intense tempered glass to help protect your screen from any kind of damage. Even doing something as simple as popping your house keys into the same pocket as your smartphone can scratch all over your screen and cause serious issues, so you must make an effort to keep your screen clear of any imperfections by utilizing a screen protector. It’s a good idea to check out a few tutorials on how to apply a screen protector is the best way, otherwise you may end up with unsightly bubbles of air that get trapped beneath the surface. 

Check out Amazon for some cheap screen protectors that work great!

 

Get Insurance

Getting an insurance package that covers damage to your smartphone will help you to maintain ultimate peace of mind, as no matter what happens to your device you will be covered financially. If you break your smartphone beyond repair then your insurance company will ship out a new device free of charge, so it’s a brilliant investment that every tech owner should consider. Insurance can even cover less serious issues such as cracked screens too, so it’s a worthwhile decision that can be of real benefit for your device. 

It’s never been easier to protect your smartphone! 

2018 Goals

2018

Dress: Lulus {similar here and here} // Ring: Monica Vinader // Shoes: Marc Fisher

Can you guys believe it’s already 2018?! Seriously where did the year go? But also, thank God. I could not be more ready to start a new year. 2017 was definitely one of the hardest years for me. The year started out great but then the second half of the year I hit a wall. I struggled with severe anxiety (something I want to eventually write a post on), a break up, and a lot more. After what seemed like rock bottom, the only place to go is up.

I’ve never really been much of a new years resolution kind of girl, but this year I’m really trying to start fresh. That being said, I’ve read a lot recently about how writing down your goals can help you achieve them. So here we go, here are some of my goals for 2018.

1. Cook more. In 2017 I realized I spend A LOT of money on going out to eat. Now I love checking out new restaurants and food places (especially brunch, hello my blog name!), but that being said I don’t need to spend ALL of my money going out to eat. I’m going to try to go grocery shopping once a week so that I can meal prep. It’s also so much easier to eat healthy when you prep your own foods. If ya’ll have any recipes that you love, leave them in the comments for me to try!

2. Workout more. This is pretty much on everyones new years resolutions list but I’m going to try not to be that girl who only does it for the month of January. I’ve noticed that when I workout consistently, my body and mind just feel better. I am aiming to go to three workout classes a week.

3. Beat my anxiety. Now sadly, anxiety is probably something I won’t completely be able to get rid of for good. However, I’ve been taking steps the past few months to help minimize my anxiety (working out, therapy etc). This year, I want to really focus on getting past my anxiety and get back to the place I was prior to 2017, but better.

4. Move apartments. I’ve been wanting to change things up recently and I think moving will help. As my dad calls it, the geographical cure. While I’m still going to stay in LA, I want to move into a new apartment. It’s time to redo my decor and just have a place that is my own. My sanctuary.

5. Focus on the blog. I’m not going to lie. I kind of feel like I’ve sort of neglected this blog in the second half of last year. I didn’t do it on purpose but with everything going on in my life, it kind of just fell to the side. But I love this blog. I love writing these posts for you guys and connecting with all of you. I really want to put my time and energy into growing this blog and making it even better in 2018.

6. Travel more. This year, I really want to get out and travel as much as I can. I already have a few trips planned this year that I’m excited to take. The next one being Charleston, SC. So if you guys have ever been there and have any recommendations, please let me know!

7. Get organized. I’m a naturally messy person. It’s bad. I hate cleaning, it’s kind of my least favorite thing in THE WORLD. Like seriously. Just ask my mom LOL. That being said, I’m trying to revamp and refresh my life and that means get organized. Starting with, making my bed every morning. Got to start somewhere right?

8. Be happy. Above all, I just want to be happy in 2018.

What are your goals for 2018? Let me know in the comments below!

*Also, if you like this cute pup in my pics, be sure to go follow her on Instagram @mydogbaguette!

Photography by: Jordan Zobrist

Weekend Reading #33

1. What your airplane seat says about you.

2. These facial serums are recommended by dermatologists.

3. Foods you should never bring on planes.

4. Costco or Amazon, which is cheaper?

5. How to clean your yucky kitchen sponge.

6. The best IKEA home products.

7. Things to know and ask when touring apartments.

8. How magnesium can help with holiday stress.

9. Healthy flying tips from flight attendants.

10. The $1 storage item you need.

 

Brunch Diaries: Keltie Knight from The LadyGang

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Podcasts have seriously become a major obsession of mine lately, and my favorite podcast is none other than The LadyGang. Which is why I’m super excited to share my interview with the lovely Keltie Knight. Keltie is 1/3 of The Lady Gang and you can catch her on all the major red carpets interviewing all the hottest celebs. Keltie is serious GOAL ya’ll and I’m excited for you to get to know here more below!

CAREER LIFE:

What made you get involved with the LadyGang?
I think all of us just wanted to create something of our own, and I certainly was given the gift of gab. When we started I thought this might be a fun little side project and now it has turned into a full blown empire with our podcast, blog, and quarterly LADYBOX!

What has been your favorite career moment?
I will never get sick of getting all dressed up and going to the super fun red carpets of Hollywood, it’s so neat to see the gowns and gals you see in the magazines up close. Of course, meeting Oprah was major for me. I got the MOST star stuck over Paula Abdul though.

What has been the hardest part?

The rejection and constant criticism.

Who inspires you?
Sounds weird but I inspire myself, I constantly make to do lists, and sometimes I look in the mirror, or even watch back a major interview and I don’t even realize it’s ME looking back. It’s like I am two people. Keltie and then “Keltie.”

You seem to have it all, what’s your advice to girls who want to be successful like you?
I do not have it all. But, I will say that for a very long time in my life I lived what I thought was going to make everyone else like me, and helped many, many people without ever focusing on myself. To have your dream life, you legit have to work at all areas of your life constantly. I work out daily and I hate working out, I wake up very early and work very hard to make the right career decisions to put me in a place to succeed. I am very careful of what I spend my hours doing. I married the guy who was really nice to me, so now it appears as if I have the perfect marriage, I don’t, but it’s pretty close. I think you have to set yourself up for success and many people SAY they want it all, but are not willing to do the things to get them in that position.

 

SOCIAL LIFE:

Where is your favorite place to brunch?
Real Food Daily in LA. They have the BEST almond flour waffles ever.

Dress up, or dress down?
If I am not at work I am deep in that sweatpants life.

Favorite place to go for a night out?
I hate going out. I am a total homebody. Please, do not make me leave my house.

Favorite cocktail?
Diet Coke.

If you’re throwing a dinner party, what is your go-to meal?
I would never throw a dinner party because I legit just love to be by myself reading if I have a night off, but my good friends do invite us over to play cards and eat sometimes and they make the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted.

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FASHION AND BEAUTY LIFE:

Current favorite item in your closet?
My black MOTHER denim jeans.

If you could only bring 3 items to a deserted island, what would they be?
A kindle, Weleda Skin Food, and a big cooler of Diet Coke.

How would you describe your style?
Everygirl.

Best beauty hack?
I put purple shampoo on my hair with a shower cap and leave it for 30 mins to revive my blonde!

What is your go-to workout routine?
I am obsessed with the Sweat With Kayla App.

REAL LIFE

Favorite cause/charity?
TWLOHA and The Beagle Freedom Project

Top 3 people we should be following on Instagram?
Duh. @theladygang @theladygang @theladygang

What’s the one thing you cannot live without?
To do lists.

Where is one place you would love to travel to?
Toyko

What’s next?
The LADYGANG just launched it’s second LADYBOX and we are currently working on those, I’m heading to the swanky Vanity Fair Oscars Party, and VACATION!!!!

 

Be sure to follow Keltie on Instagram @keltieknight and @theladygang, also be sure to check out new episodes of The LadyGang every Tuesday!

Keltie Knight

 

Interview with Lauryn Evarts of The Skinny Confidential

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I’m back with another fun interview, this time with blogger babe Lauryn Evarts from The Skinny Confidential. Lauryn’s blog is seriously awesome. My best friend Cat turned me onto the blog last year, and it’s quickly become one of my favorites. I love how cheeky and real Lauryn is. She talks about everything from health, wellness, beauty and much much more. Not only is she a blogger, but she’s got her own fitness and nutrition guide, a book, a podcast and so much more! Check out my interview with Lauryn below!

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You’ve built a successful business out of blogging, did you always want to be a blogger? How did you come up with the idea for The Skinny Confidential?
The idea for The Skinny Confidential came about when I was attending San Diego State University. I was incredibly frustrated by the lack of healthy food options on campus… and I was BORED. At the time I was going to school full-time, working days & nights, and teaching reformer Pilates and Pure Barre. Also, I was on a major budget. So I started modifying all of my meals & the rest is history. I would take off one side of the bread in a sandwich or swap lettuce for spinach, sweeten coffee with cinnamon, make taco salads, you get it. Then one day I sort of had a lightbulb moment and thought, “why not share my tips and tricks with other women? There’s 20,000 women on campus, they need these tricks too! And shit, I want their tips.”

Since then, The Skinny Confidential has evolved from a fitness and health blog to a community for women all over the world to come & SPILL their tips & tricks. It’s a source of inspiration for women. The Skinny Confidential is also a book, a podcast, and soon to be product line.

What kind of info are women getting when they visit TSC?
Anything & everything! The more taboo the better, HA! One day I’ll share a healthy 1 minute recipe, the next we’ll talk home decor, and then another day BAM! A post on yeast infections! The content sort of varies but it’s always TSC branded.

Ultimately I like to get REAL real. A little sassy too.

What are your top easy fitness tips?
1. Workouts should be effective, not time consuming. I created TSC Bombshell Body Guide which integrates barre, yoga, Pilates, and your favorite personal trainer all into one. It’s 27 minutes, I’m dead sore after, and I can do it anywhere. Really ANYWHERE. In a hotel room, at the beach, in my office, etc. I shoot for three times a week.
2. You need cardio. Not a lot, but you need it regularly. Intervals are huge for fat burning. I shoot for 3 to 4 times a week.
3. I love a good Pilates class — huge Pilates fan. Also, yoga once in awhile is always good for the psyche.

Favorite quick/easy recipe?
Easy, the TSC 3 Ingredient Pancakes. I am also obsessed with TSC Detox Drink; I drink it every morning.

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Tell us about your journey from blog to book. What inspired you to go from online to also in print?
Since I get a lot of questions from readers, I thought it would be fun to put all of my tips in one place, in print, so women could have a coffee table book and refer to the chapters at any time. A lot of the info in the book is not found on the blog.

What can we expect to read in “The Skinny Confidential: A Babes Sexy Sassy Fitness and Lifestyle Guide?
Even though the content is fresh, it’s a lot like my blog. Kind of everything & anything. You’ll find recipes, personal stories, makeup tips, relationship advice ( like how to avoid the “Love Chub” ), easy/quick workouts, hair secrets, TONS of pictures, and more.

Which chapter did you have the most fun writing?
Definitely the chapter on my relationship. It was fun and something a lot of girls can relate to: LOVE CHUB. The guy can eat whatever he wants usually and as women we want to keep up! That’s love chub. I write about how to avoid it!

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You just had a super intimate wedding in Cabo. Tell us about it.
Michael & I were engaged for 4 years before we tied the knot. We invited our closest friends & family to Cabo for a 4 day wedding celebration.

Between the blog, staying fit, your husband, dogs, managing a social life, the list goes on and on, how do you manage it all? Do you have any tips for women that wish there were more hours in the day?
I make things quick and easy in any way I can. For instance, I use the 27 minute workouts in TSC Bombshell Body Guide — a lot of my recipes take 5 to 10 minutes to make. Quick, easy, painless.

As far as balancing it all? I recommend LISTS. Stick to them. I also set goals for myself & make sure to meet them. Balance is discipline & discipline is difficult. If it were easy though, everyone would do it. Discipline can really take you places if it’s utilized correctly.

My ultimate advice: start small, think big.

What’s the single most important thing you’ve learned from building a successful blog empire?
Anything that’s truly worth it takes time & patience. Success takes time. Business takes time. Relationships take time. Building anything takes time.

Time is your friend.

I launched my brand over 5 years ago. I have blogged and worked on it every single day, 7 days a week. Again, discipline is key.

What are you working on now? Any books or special projects we should be looking out for?
I’m constantly adding new content to TSC Bombshell Body Guide and Membership. We’re currently working on an ANTI-INFLAMMATORY meal plan, which I can’t wait to share with everyone.

Michael & I are having a blast recording our weekly podcast: The Skinny Confidential: HIM AND HER. We answer business and relationship questions from readers and just shoot the shit. It’s been so much fun to work on a new medium. Podcasting is something we are very focused on right now. Big plans to come.

Also, possibly another book & a product line are in the works. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, you can find some major realness on The Skinny Confidential.

 
Shout out to Lauryn for the fab interview! I can’t wait to try out the 3 ingredient pancakes this weekend!

You can find Lauryn on her blog The Skinny ConfidentialTSC BookBombshell Body GuideSnapchat: @laurynevartsFacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitter and her Podcast.

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My Vitamin Routine

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It’s that time of year again where everyone seems to be getting sick. There is nothing worse than being sick when it’s the holidays and you have plans with family and friends. My friends know me as the girl who always gets sick, but ever since I’ve started taking the vitamin and supplements above I’ve been feeling great. Here are my favorites:

Olly Undeniable Beauty – This gummy vitamin not only tastes great but it’s a great beauty supplement to take. It has Biotin, Vitamin C and E and Borage Oil. All of these wonders help to make your hair and nails grow, and keeps your skin looking great. My hair has really been growing nicely ever since I started taking this.

Olly Hello Sunshine Vitamin D – A few months ago, my doctor told me I was deficient in Vitamin D. Shocking I know because I live in sunny California, but I’m not much of an outdoor person. He said my lack of Vitamin D could be a reason why I was always getting sick. After he told me this I went out and bought this Vitamin D gummy. I haven’t had a full blown sickness ever since. I’m seriously obsessed with this stuff!

VitaFusion MutiVites – This is a great multivitamin. It’s a complete multivitamin so it has all of the essential vitamins you need daily. I take two of these religiously. Not only that but the gummy’s taste really great. If you can’t tell, I’m a child and love my gummy vitamins.

Natural Factors Acidophilus & Bifidus – This is the newest addition to my vitamin routine. It’s a probiotic. I’m notorious for having stomach issues. After a bad fluke with some sort of food poisoning, I went out and bought these Probiotics. Probiotics are great for your gut. These specifically help to keep you regular, and help balance out your pH.

Source Naturals Wellness Formula – This stuff is a miracle worker. For real. It has about 100 different natural ingredients that help to boost the immune system. I don’t take these every day but whenever I start to feel a little run down, I take a couple of these throughout the day and the next day I feel amazing again. The only downsize is these pills are large and taste disgusting. But 100% worth it.

Vitality Works Oregano Oil – Oregano oil is another one of those miracle natural remedies. Oregano oil is antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. Basically it’s a wonder drug. I had a friend turn me onto oregano oil a couple years ago and I have been obsessed ever since. Whenever I have a cold, I make sure to take this to help beat it fast.

What vitamins or supplements do you guys use? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Weekend Reading #23

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#23 my favorite number! So this should be a good one! I’m still recovering from Halloween weekend. I went about non-stop for 6 days, but it was all in good fun. I got to see Ingrid Michaelson in concert again last week which was INCREDIBLE! I absolutely love her. If you’ve heard of her or even if you haven’t, go listen to her new album. It’s fire. With all that being said and done, I’m excited to do nothing this weekend. Maybe I’ll do a little cleaning and cooking at the house this weekend, but I can’t wait to just chill. What are you guys doing this weekend?

1. Habits of a financially smart woman.

2. ClassPass is ending their unlimited classes.

3. Should you cut out nightshades too?

4. Best dessert options in LA, need to try them all!

5. I made these brussel sprouts and they are the BOMB.com.

6. Spiralized butternut squash? Yes, please.

7. This is why you weigh less in the mornings.

8. How does your November horoscope look?

9. Shopping is now coming to Instagram.

10. Netflix is working on going “offline”.

 

Weekend Reading #22

weekendIt’s the weekend, yay! This week was crazy busy for me so it seemed to fly by! Last weekend was jam packed with my friend Amy visiting. We ran around all of LA, including seeing the Venice Canals in the picture above. How pretty, right?! Serious GOALS for one day. This weekend I’m going to try to keep it a little more low key and catch up on some much needed sleep. My roommate and I are taking a spin class tomorrow at Cycle House, bright and early! I’ve been seriously slacking on working out lately so I’m hoping this will kick my butt into shape. What are your plans for this weekend?

1. Do your friends actually like you?

2. Is salad making you fat?

3. The ultimate anti-inflammatory meal.

4. 9 tips for more energy.

5. Never post this pic while traveling.

6. 11 times you should skip the gym.

7. Totally crushing on this bag right now.

8. Hair products you need.

9. How to remove every type of stain.

10. Obsessed with Sophia Bush, and her new home.