Things I've Been Doing Lately (That Have Been SO Good for Me).

Replacing a meal with a smoothie. || And NOT a diet, low fat smoothie. A gooood smoothie, full of lots of good for you things. I recently discovered blender bombs from Hushup + Hustle and they have changed my life (dramatic?). I could never just have a smoothie for a meal before, but now I can. I look forward to them. I have a smoothie as my first meal of the day and start the day off with a bunch of fruits and veggies. It feels so good! 
Dry brushing my skin. || I read about this on The Skinny Confidential so obviously I had to try it. Um, I'm obsessed. I know it supposedly has a lot of good benefits like improving circulation and removing toxins, but all that aside, it feels so good. My skin has never felt so smooth. I do it before I shower and lotion up after. It's the best. 
Side note: After I read about it I went to Ulta and the dry brush they had was $29.99 and that seemed crazy to me. Then I went to target after and got this exact one for freaking $4.99, and it works great. 
Slowing the heck down. || I'm really learning that productivity + hecticness do not have to go hand in hand. That it's fully possible to hustle for your goals and take deep breaths and breaks. That being successful does not have to mean working yourself into a stressed out frenzy every single day. 
I've been consciously slowing down. Taking ten minutes to drink my coffee without my phone in hand. Noticing when work is about to overwhelm me and closing the computer for just a minute. Little things like that really add up!
Going on walks not for exercise. || Of course, it's physical activity, so it's exercise. But I've been taking more walks just for the sake of going on a walk. Not to run a certain amount, or not to go a certain distance, or not to get my heart rate to a certain number. But just walks to get fresh air and clear my head. It's been so good. 
Listening to audible while I do things like clean. || I love a good playlist, but while I'm doing mindless things like folding laundry or doing dishes, why not get a few chapters of a book in? Times where I can sit and read are few and far between lately, so this has been great! Plus, it motivates me to keep going with whatever I'm doing.
Drinking black coffee (with cinnamon). || I love coffee (and, alas, coffee creamer) more than anyone I know. I also drink a looootttttt of coffee. So, without meaning to, I was drinking tons and tons (and tons and tons) of sugar first thing in the morning, and I felt like crap. I went cold turkey about two months ago and just started drinking my coffee with cinnamon. I feel so. much. better. If I want a cup with my beloved flavored creamer, I just have one in the afternoon. Self-control is a thing that works, who knew? 
Got any new good-for-you-habits of your own? Let's hear 'em!

Let's Talk About Stress, Baby.

Self-care is really having a moment, isn't she? But for all the Buzzfeed articles and blog posts about the importance of saying no and caring for one's self above all, I feel like our stress is at an all-time high, probably because we're just so dang busy. 
And while it would be nice to tell you to slow down and say no to stressful things, I know that sometimes (a lot of the time), the reason our plates get so full is because there are no other plates around to share the spoil with, so you're stuck with more than you should be. 
Let's be blunt-most of us can't just remove the things that stress us out from our lives. If you can't remove stress, you've got to manage it. Here are some of my favorite ways to do just that. 
Aromatherapy bubble baths. || The entire Aromatherapy line at Bath and Body Works is truly the stuff dreams are made of, but their foaming baths are my favorite. Stress relief (yes, please), focus (need), and sleep (second best to the real thing!) are my favorites. You have to wash your hair at some point anyway, right? So take an extra five minutes and melt some of that stress away.
Dr. Teal's Epsom salt soak. || Same thought, way cheaper price tag. I love both!
Stress relief tea. || Not sure what exactly they put in this stuff, (just kidding, the ingrediants are on the box) but it works. And the whole taking a minute to sit with your hands wrapped around a hot mug thing is pretty good for your mental health, too. 
Yoga with Adriene. || I've talked before about how Yoga with Adriene has seriously changed my life, but specifically when it comes to stress and anxiety, she's the best. These are my favorites: Yoga for Anxiety and Stress, Stress Melt, Quick Stress Fix, and Yoga for Anxiety. They're so helpful.
Lavender oil + Eucalyptus oil. || So relaxing to smell throughout the day. Sometimes I diffuse this, sometimes I skip straight to slathering it on my skin. 
Get outside. || Daily walks (or runs) have become a stress reliever that I rely on. Getting fresh air is huge, and getting your heart rate up from something other than being anxious is great. Plus, it gives you a few minutes to yourself with no distractions-a perfect space to work through your thoughts. 
How do you manage stress? 

3 Things You Need to Know About.

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1. This stress relief tea. Oh. My. Goodness. I love this tea. This tea deserves a valentine. This tea deserves all the valentines. You know how when you have a glass of wine, you feel relaxed, but you also start to feel foggy, groggy, and sleepy? I realize those three words are basically the same but I felt they all needed to be present here. This tea lets you sip on something relaxing without making you foggy (or groggy or sleepy). It's magical. Just the smell of it makes me feel like I'm defusing some sort of anti-stress aroma. It's so good, it's so cheap, and you need it.
2. This kettlebell workout. Two weeks ago I decided I wanted to up my game a little bit with my weight workouts. And by up my game, I mean graduate from the 3-pound weights that I've had since I was in high school. So I went to Marshall's and picked out a kettlebell. I probably should have taken it as a bad sign that I struggled to get it from the bottom of the cart to the checkout counter, but I have too much pride to turn back, so I bought it.

I came home and googled kettlebell workouts and got approximately ten thousand videos spending thirty-two minutes teaching me the proper way to lift a kettlebell (no thank you), forty-seven thousand videos that were actually just ten second clips enticing me to drive to the store and buy a workout video that probably isn't even made anymore (also no), and approximately six million videos of tiny Victoria Secret model look-alikes who were secretly the Hulk and gave advice like "Now just go for a breezy seven mile jog with your kettlebell and follow that up with 84 jumping jacks with two kettlebells" (biggest no of all).

 But then I found this one, and it's perfect. Jillian low-key terrifies me in the best of ways, and anyone with abs like that surely knows what they are doing.

Pros: It's a full-body workout and cardio. Cons: I think my legs are probably going to fall off soon. You win some, you lose some.

3. Sweet potato chips+ guac. This is my favorite snack right now. First, the brand of those chips is "The Garden of Eatin'" and I will never not find that funny. But also they are delicious and go SO WELL with guacamole. Best of all: They taste amazing with this guac, so you can just swing by Target on your way to the pool and pick up the perfect snack, no messy kitchen required.

Now you tell me: What do I need to know about?