What I’m Into Lately {December 2016/January 2017}
Sharing all of my favorite finds over the past few months—food, fitness + health related, projects or intentions I’m working on and basically whatever else that’s really been speaking to me lately.
I’m literally attempting to write this post with my dog using half of my keyboard as her pillow {like how is that even comfortable?!} and while the biggest football game of the year plays on as background noise and nothing else. Except when it comes to the halftime show… I ALWAYS make time to watch the halftime show and it’s usually well worth it, but this year was different. This year Lady Gaga’ not only performed at halftime of the Superbowl, she put on one of the best shows I can remember and according to Facebook, I’m not the only one who thinks that.
But, even more exciting than this years halftime show is that it’s time for another edition of {What I’m Into Lately} and with the past 2 months filled with holidays, family gatherings and lots and lots of other plans, I have SO many great things to share with you today. So let’s get started right away!
Food: Basically the statement {anything sweet} sums up my food interests lately. I know it’s definitely time for a 21-Day Sugar Detox when I start craving sugar around the clock. BUT thanks to Hail Merry Snacks and my amazing {Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cup Cookies} my sugar consumption has been limited to high quality sources and that makes me feel {a little bit} better about it;)
Fitness: These past few months it’s been a total toss up! I am loving both teaching and practicing regularly at YogaFit Studios here in Minneapolis and you should totally come sweat with me! Join me at YogaFit Roseville THIS Sunday for a YogaBurn class at 4:00pm followed by refreshments and mingling to help welcome this new studio to our community! Find details for the full event here! In addition to yoga, I’ve also been hitting up the good ol’ standard gym and playing around with new exercises like up the wall mountain climbers, bench step-overs + ALL of the burpee variations while making my own HIIT or AMRAP style workouts. Oh, and I almost forgot… I also have been getting back into lifting and finally fought through my fear of the 45lb plates so watch out everyone—haha jk that’s nothing compared to some people I know!
OH! AND I started a new series over on my SNAPCHAT called Fitness Fridays where I share a new workout that you can do anywhere/anytime over the weekend! So definitely take advantage of that goodness by following along on snapchat [@definefettle]--- and make sure you say HI because I love new faces.
Beauty: I am not, I repeat NOT a liquid foundation type of girl because {cakey/face full of makeup looks} just aren’t my style. Fake, messy, uneven… I could go on + on about other liquid foundations I tried way back in junior high when I first started wearing makeup {or attempting to} but they all were an end result of dissatisfaction which is why I’ve been a powder girl over since. Literally 15+ years of powder foundation {woof I’m getting old} and now I’ve gone and changed my tune back to liquid for one reason and one company only… Beautycounter’s tint skin foundation. I have been looking for a non-toxic makeup brand that actually worked for years {much like my natural deodorant hunt} and a finally, a few months ago the frustrating hunt ended. I found Beautycounter and immediately fell in love. Not only do they refuse to use any toxic chemicals in their products and give back to their customers, their stuff actually works and makes me look like a million bucks every single day!
Skincare: My new favorite skincare routine is also jam packed with Beautycounter products and you guys I’m being completely honest when I tell you that my skin has never looked or felt better! I am so happy to say that I am very adamant about removing my makeup each and every night {for the past LONG time I was not} and after I cleanse, I make it a top priority to use my nourishing rosewater mist as a toner and once that dries I apply my nourishing night cream and head to bed. I love that this cream is non-greasy, it absorbs quickly and when I wake up my skin looks fabulous! If you’re in the market for some new skincare, you NEED to check out these products.
Product: I’ve already told you about how much I love collagen back a few WIIL posts ago, but apparently I haven’t told you about Vital Proteins Collagen yet {which I highly recommend} OR my latest addition to my very small supplement collection…. Vital Proteins Grass Fed Beef Liver Capsules! I’ve known for a long time that organ meats/liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods available to us as it’s filled with vitamin A, vitamin B12, Folate, Riboflavin and much more! And while I’ve definitely made my own pate a few times and still have a freezer stocked with liver, heart, etc. I just don’t always remember {or have the time} to cook up a batch. But, I am really trying to concentrate on removing toxins and balancing my hormones so I wanted to find some way to still be able to incorporate the nutrients into my everyday life and a bit of a Google search later… this product shows up right before my face and the next time I was out grocery shopping {at Linden Hills Co-op for those of you who are local} these very pills were ON SALE so I took that as a sign that it was time to purchase them and start a new daily habit!
I haven’t been using them longer than a few weeks, but I can already tell you that a huge draw is that they don’t have the overpowering taste that many associate with liver and are so easy to ingest! I just pop 2 in the morning and sometimes 2 at night with a glass of water and I’m good to go! I am hoping that next month I will notice decreased PMS symptoms when it comes to that time of the month, but I will have to keep you posted on that one.
Family: From a family of 3 to a family of 4! No, no don’t get any crazy ideas in your head… I’m NOT growing a tiny human inside of me. Let me repeat that. I am NOT having a baby. Now that we’re all clear on that little issue, let me explain! In December we welcomed my boyfriends brother Logan’s dog into our family as he is in NYC for school for the next few years. Carly is a full sized golden doodle {the bigger version of our Joie} and although she eats and eats and eats… she is simply the best! She plays so well with Joie, even though she is 6 years older, sleeps in the craziest positions {usually all 4’s up in the air} and is the BIGGEST teddy bear! She is so well behaved and a great big sister to Joie who never leaves her side.
Carly loves going on walks, belly rubs, playing tug of war with her little sister Joie and I’m also turning her into a coconut oil fanatic as we speak;)
2017 Intention: Instead of following everyone’s common theme of making this year the {Year Of Yes} I decided to do the exact opposite. Instead of making 2017 the {Year Of Yes}, I’ve set out on a journey to make this the year of NO. Now let me explain just a bit before you start to wonder if I’ve lost my mind. As you all probably know and can relate to, I have A LOT going on right now. I work a full time job, multiple part time jobs, I’m passionate about blogging and entrepreneurism and I’ve been doing some freelance photography too. Then add in self care {which to me is mainly my workouts each day}, maintaining a home, cooking/eating real food, doing all of the freaking dishes {I have no dish washer---heavy sigh} and whatever else life throws my way and life can get a little chaotic.
At times I definitely am not sure how I’m going to get through the week and recently I came to the realization that I just can’t continue to do it all. I can’t let my immediate response when someone asks something of me to always be a yes, but this is basically just a habit for me at this point since it’s something I’ve done {and struggled with} for years. So that’s why my focus this year is to be intentional with my time, making sure that there is value in each and every item I add to my calendar. And when things come about that I maybe don’t feel are a good fit for me or won’t serve me, then I’m learning to be ok with saying no and letting those things pass without holding onto regret.
This is by no means going to happen overnight, but my hope is that I can really become more focused and involved with the things and people in my life that push me to be a better person and let go of things that no longer have anything to offer. By doing this, I’m crossing my fingers that my calendar won’t be quite so full and I will be able to live a more intentional and stress-free life.
Chat with me!
What have been some of your favorites over the last few months? Food, makeup, skincare... I want to hear it all!
To see more of my favorite items check out: What I’m Into Lately {August/September 2016}, What I’m Into Lately {October/November 2016} or any of my other previous WIIL posts!
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