Happy Black Friday, babes! Hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving and you’re ready to shop those deals 🙂 I love Black Friday online shopping. I never go to the actual mall anymore. It’s too chaotic and I’m usually too tired after Thanksgiving, anyway. I like to stay warm and cozy at home with my tea and laptop and get my gifting on! So, I’ve picked some really great stores that have some fabulous deals going on right now! Here are my favorite finds…
FREE PEOPLE:
I love me some Free People! Their sweaters are my favorite of all and they’re such amazing quality. I wear them for years! They are a little pricier than others, but in my opinion they’re worth it because the style is always top notch and as I said, the quality is superb!
WINDSOR STORE:
This is a new store for me but I’ve seen a lot of cute pieces from here from so many bloggers! The styles are really trendy and lots of them are cozy, too!
SHOPBOP:
Shopbop is having a buy more, save more sale! They have a lot of designer pieces so this is the time to stock up! I love their holiday dresses. I will have more of those to come soon. But, definitely check out their sale in the meantime 🙂
URBAN OUTFITTERS:
Urban Outfitters always has such unique stuff and a lot of the prices are really good considering the quality. They’re having a BOGO Sale! Lots of comfy staples and some cute dressier pieces, too!
EXPRESS:
I LOVE the Express Black Friday Sale! Everything except some of the name brands is 50% off! I think that their quality is really good and they have a lot of cute styles. I also really like their men’s collection, so I will share some favorites for the guys in your life, too!
Men:
Alright, guys! That’s it for my Black Friday Fashion Sales! I hope this guide helps to ease some of your shopping stress and to find some things you love for a lot less. If I can help you with anything else, please let me know! You can leave a comment, send me a message, or a DM on Instagram or my Facebook page. As always, thank you so much for shopping these links and supporting me. I do get a small commission from your purchases through these links. Every little bit goes to help me keep this blog going, so I greatly appreciate it! Thanks so much. Happy Holiday Season! 🙂
Happy Wellness Wednesday, friends! I hope you have had a great week and are ready to relax and eat your favorite Thanksgiving Day foods tomorrow! I love this time of year! It’s so fun to buy gifts for others that might make them know how special they are to you. What better gift than one that helps improve their health and well-being, right? Wellness gifts are my favorite gifts to give. Today, I’m sharing a bunch of my favorite wellness products with you that would make a great present for someone you care about.
ACTIVEWEAR:
Everyone likes to start the new year off on the right foot with their health! Activewear is a great gift to give to help encourage people to get moving. I found some really cute things at Nordstrom and on Amazon for you! I love these brands, use, and trust them a lot. I’m obsessed with 90 Degrees by Reflex products because they are just as high quality as the more expensive brands, but they always have great prices! Here are some of my favorite pieces of theirs and some other amazing brands, too!
For Women:
For Men:
HOME APPLIANCES:
There are lots of great tools that can help people stay on track with their health goals! These are ones that I use all of the time.
Ninja Blender: I love this blender. It is really high quality and will last for ages. Plus, it blends your ingredients until they’re really smooth! No one likes a chunky smoothie, haha!
Air Fryer: No need to deep fry your foods when you can simply air fry them! I like to make brussel sprouts, french fries, and coconut crusted chicken in mine. There’s lots of ways to use this and make your favorite fried foods in a healthier way!
The InstantPot: This is a necessity in my house! It cooks your foods faster than a crockpot and in minutes you can have a fully cooked stew, sweet potato, chicken, you name it! It’s a great gift for anyone starting a new diet, who cooks a lot, is really busy, or wants to just improve their health.
The Ionic Foot Detox Bath: This is something I utilize all of the time. It’s fabulous for detoxing out mold, fungus, heavy metals, chemicals, and other unwanted toxins. I got this for my home when I began healing from Lyme Disease. If anyone in your family has a chronic illness or cancer, this would be an excellent gift to give to them. Toxins are a main factor in why we get and stay sick. Plus, if you are killing off any bacteria, virus, fungus, cancer, etc, you MUST be helping your body to detox because it is too much for your liver to handle all on its own.
The Infrared Heating Pad: This is a lifesaver for me! It gets deeper down into your tissues than an electric heating pad and it does not emit EMFs which are harmful to your health. The relief is longer lasting than an electric pad, too! A must for anyone with muscle pain or bladder pain from IC. I also find it helpful for relaxation and falling asleep.
Infrared Sauna: Far-Infrared saunas are really expensive. I have a real one, but they’re not something you can necessarily give as a gift unless you have about ten grand to drop, haha. If so, message me and I’ll tell you about mine. But, you can give this gift of a portable infrared sauna! My Lyme Disease friends rave about this one and say it works really well for them. It helps to detox your body from die-off, mold, fungus, heavy metals, and other toxins. It’s not just for sick people either. Healthy people should also utilize them to stay healthy!
CLEAN BEAUTY:
Did you know that the United States does not regulate the ingredients that go into beauty products? Yep. It’s true! There are so many harmful, toxic ingredients that are in our products that we use on a daily basis. They do not get filtered out and they stay in our systems and contribute to disease. There are heavy metals like aluminum and lead, and other toxins like parabens, hydroquinone, propylene glycol, the list goes on. Giving your friends or family a clean beauty product or set helps them to discover healthier brands and shows them that you care about their well-being. Here are some of my favorites products and gift sets by some awesome brands!
BOOKS:
I love a good book! I don’t know what it is but ever since I got a bit older, I am so hungry for knowledge. I just want to be learning alllll the time! Learning about how to take better care of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health is a great thing to do. I always feel so much better when I’m reading a book about mindset or spirituality. I also love my cookbooks so I can find great recipes that taste amazing and keep me on track with my nutrition. Here are some of my favorites:
Gabrielle Bernstein: Gabby is a spiritual teacher. She writes books about how to align yourself with the universe, transform your life from living in fear to living in love and faith, and how to manifest things you want in your life. You can read these books no matter what religion you follow. They apply to everyone! I love that. I have read “The Universe Has Your Back” and am currently reading “Super Attractor”. I feel so good when I read her words and put them into practice! I can honestly say my life has changed for the better since I started reading them! I also love the card deck that goes with “The Universe Has Your Back”. There is a card for each day. I keep it by my bedside and read it first thing in the morning and remember that thought throughout my day. Really great gift! Someone special gave it to me and I’m so glad they did 🙂
A New Earth & A Course In Miracles: These are also written by mindfulness teachers and spiritual teachers. They are eye-opening and really awaken you to yourself! If you’re looking to improve your life and relationships, these are wonderful books to read!
You are a Badass: Love this book! I am a self-doubter. It’s held me back my whole life. I see potential in just about everyone but myself and that is just plain stupid! I loved this book because it helped me to change my thought patterns and see my own limitless potential.
Cookbooks: These are some of my favorite cookbooks! I absolutely love Danielle Walker, the author of the Against All Grain series. She does amazing Paleo (gluten free, dairy free, grain free, refined sugar-free, legume free, soy free) recipes that taste amazing! I also love the Paleo Approach Cookbook by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne because it teaches you about Paleo and Autoimmune Paleo, why it’s an effective diet for those of us struggling with autoimmunity, and has recipes to boot! The books listed by Dr. Wahls, Dr. Mark Hyman, Jennifer Robbins, and Mickey Trescott are also fabulous! They are all leaders in the Paleo and Autoimmune communities and have so much knowledge and incredible recipes, too! I also love the Forks Over Knives series for eating plant-based. I can’t always eat plant based, but if my gut would allow, I would! These would be great gifts for your vegan friends, or others that want to eat more plants in a delicious way! I also included this “Crystals for Beginners” book because I have a crystal kit linked later in the post. My friend gave me this book and it is so interesting. Crystals are very healing! I can feel the energy just holding one. It’s a great wellness gift!
MISCELLANEOUS:
I wasn’t quite sure how to categorize all of these, so I will briefly cover each one!
Foam rollers: These are really great for anyone who loves to workout, or complains of sore, tight muscles! This is me! Haha. My muscles are always in knots. These foam rollers have really helped me to loosen them up and relieve some of the pain.
Dry Brush: Dry brushing is another easy way to detox! You just simply brush your skin in upward circles before you get into the shower. It helps to lift dead skin and any toxins that we sweat out that are left on our skin that could be re-absorbed. It also helps with lymphatic drainage!
HUM Nutrition Skin Heroes Pre & Probiotic: This supplement helps your gut and your skin! Perfect for your wellness and beauty-loving friend!
Zypan: I love this supplement! In my top 3 Supplements of all-time! I wrote a whole blog post on it. This is hydrochloric acid in a very natural form. Standard Process is one of the oldest wellness companies. They make very high quality, pure supplements. The hydrochloric acid helps your stomach to break down food, especially proteins. As we age, our stomach acid decreases. We tend to get more bloated and don’t absorb our nutrients. By supplementing with HCL you can reduce the bloat and have more energy because your body is absorbing your food!
Crystals: I linked a crystal pendulum, water bottle, and a couple of crystal sets. As I mentioned before, crystals have healing powers! I love my pendulum! It’s so fun to dowse to see if certain foods are good for you or not. Other people even ask it questions about life! Just YouTube “dowsing” and you’ll find a video that teaches you how to use a pendulum. The crystal kits are great for people who are into wellness, reiki, and energy healing! I love the crystal water bottle, because it infuses your water with the healing energy of the crystals!
21 & Me: This is such a great gift! My brother got it for me last year. You can get your DNA tested to show your ancestory AND your genes to check for health problems that might run in your family. This way you can be more proactive to prevent them!
Alright guys, that’s a wrap on my wellness gift guide! I hope that you found something that inspires you! Let me know which are your favorites in the comments below! As always, I so appreciate your support by buying from these links. I do get a small commission from them that helps me to keep this blog running. Thank you so much for your support, and have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 🙂
Happy Monday, babes! Hope you had a great weekend! I am gearing up for the holidays over here. It’s already pretty crazy! We get so busy and I have to watch myself or I will run myself into the ground, ya know? I don’t have energy for all the things I want to do, so I have to plan accordingly. That’s a whole separate blog post! But, what I do love about the holidays nowadays is that it’s soooo easy to shop online! And, I’ve made it even easier for you again this year with gift guides that I will be rolling out in the coming days and weeks. I’m starting off today with the ladies in your life! Lots of gifts in different categories and price ranges. The ones I’m sharing with you today are $25 and under and $50 and under! But, as always, they are quality items. I don’t like to give cheap gifts that fall apart. So, you’ll find all kinds of fun things that are nice yet reasonably priced! Let’s check them out!
For the Homebody:
We all have that lady in our lives that loves to lounge! Or, maybe your friend is ill and you want to give her something cozy and cute to make her feel nice while she’s recovering. Here are a bunch of my favorites that scream comfort!
$25 and Under:
$50 & Under:
I have these polka dot jammies from Amazon and they are so nice! Very comfy and chic!
For the Fashionista:
Really, any lady in your life would love these gifts! Accessories can really make an outfit! These are some fun ones that anyone could wear and would love. I really love the Ettika jewelry. I’ve been wearing their pieces for years and they are so trendy but still classic. I’m still wearing the necklaces I got a couple years ago. They are great quality, too!
$25 and Under:
$50 and Under:
$50 & Under Ettika Jewelry: (use code “dresswellbewell20 for 20% off of your purchase 11/19-11/24!)
For the HGTV Obsessed Friends & Family:
Let’s face it, who isn’t obsessed with home decor, though? I love getting gifts for my home that add a little extra special vibe to my space. It’s always nice to look at them and remember the person who got it for me, too. Here are a few of my favorites right now that would make really cute gifts!
$25 & Under:
$50 & Under:
For the Self-Care Advocate:
I’m going to have a separate post for wellness gifts, but here are a few nice self-care items that would make a great present! I’ve been wanting to get one of these jade or quartz rollers! They’re great for massaging the face, bring blood flow back to your face, and helping you look more awake and plump! That youthful glow we all want! I also love these travel cases! I have the makeup one and the jewelry one and I use them every time I travel. They make staying organized so easy!
$25 & Under:
$50 & Under:
For the Entertainer & Game Lover:
I love having game nights! Especially in the winter when it’s so freezing and everyone just needs to have a good laugh to lift those winter blues! Games are an awesome gift to give because you’re gifting the gift of fun for years to come. I love this meme game! We play it all the time with friends and family. Catch Phrase is another favorite! There are two versions here, an adult one and a family one, so pick your poison! 🙂
$25 & Under:
For your Feminist Friend:
Girl Power is not only popular right now, but necessary! I love how we are rising up, digging deep to find our strength, and raising our littles to be independent women who don’t take any crap! We gotta stick together and fight for what’s right! Here are some gifts for your passionate feminist friend!
$25 & Under:
For your Bag Lovin’ Babe:
Some of my favorite bags are less than $50! They’re not expensive, but they pack of a lot of style into their little price point! I love these bags. They’re on trend, but still have a classic vibe to last for a long time. My favorite are these ruched pouch bags in white and cognac! SO CUTE!
$50 & Under:
Alright guys! That’s it for “Gifts for Her” for $25-$50! I hope you found something that might work for the special ladies in your life! I’ll be posting more gift guides soon, so be sure to keep checking back! Let me know if you found this helpful in the comments below! Also, it would be so great if you could sign up for the newsletter on the side of the page here. That way, you’ll get an alert when the rest of the holiday content goes live!
*Thank you for support by shopping from these links. I get a very small commission if you purchase through them, but every little bit helps to keep this blog going. I greatly appreciate it! 🙂 Happy Holidays to you and yours! <3
Happy Wellness Wednesday, ya’ll! Hope you are having a great day. Today I’m so excited to share one of my favorite clean eating brands with you: Primal Kitchen! I’ve been using Primal Kitchen products for years ever since I started the Paleo diet. Their items are always super clean and healthy and compliant with the Paleo Diet and often Plant Based, Keto, and Vegan Diets, too! I love that they never use gluten, dairy, grains, soy, refined sugars, oils, or nasty additives and chemicals that cause inflammation, gut irritation, and chronic disease. They recently sent me a big box of new and classic products of theirs to try! Here are a few of my favorites…
Unsweetened Organic Ketchup: Well, this just made my entire life! LOL! I come from the land of Ketchup lovers… Pittsburgh, PA is known for being the home of Heinz Ketchup. I grew up covering french fries and chicken nuggets in this delicious sauce. But, as I got older and learned more about nutrition and how to read ingredient labels, I quickly learned that it is full of nasty ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and sugar which lead to heart disease, inflammation, diabetes, and weight gain to name a few! On the Paleo diet, I can only eat sugar in natural forms – i.e. fruit and honey. So, high fructose corn syrup and refined white sugar in conventional ketchup are out. Meanwhile, in comes Primal Kitchen with the cleanest ketchup on the planet to save my homemade sweet potato fries from being sauce-less! It has six simple, organic ingredients: Tomato Concentrate, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, and Organic Spices. It’s delicious and I don’t miss the Heinz anymore! Many thanks to Primal Kitchen for understanding how desperately the world needed a clean ketchup 🙂 Highly recommend this!
Organic Spicy Brown Mustard: I love a good spicy mustard! When you are eating really cleanly, incorporating flavor with spices and sauces is essential to you sticking with the lifestyle change. If you don’t love the way your food tastes, you are less likely to stick with it, right? I love using spicy brown mustard mixed with honey for dipping sauce, or just on it’s own on a burger with a lettuce wrap! Primal Kitchen’s Organic Spicy Brown Mustard is sooo good and it only has five ingredients: Water, Vinegar, Mustard Seeds, Salt and Turmeric! Simply delicious.
Protein & Collagen Bars: If you have watched my Instagram stories lately, you have probably seen me talk about how bad the protein bar options are at health food stores. Most all of them have hidden sugars or inflammatory oils among other additives and unhealthy ingredients. They look healthy and they say they’re healthy, but when you look at the ingredient list and the sugar content, the writing is on the wall. They’re not. My choice for protein bars has always been Primal Kitchen’s Dark Chocolate Almond Collagen Bars! They are so delicious. They remind me of tootsie rolls! Primal Kitchen also just recently introduced new protein bars in a variety of flavors. They sent me the Almond Spice to try and it’s very tasty! They’re less chewy than the collagen bars. They have a much softer texture. They’re also nice, small squares, so you can easily fit them in your pocket, bag, or car. My favorite is still the Dark Chocolate Almond Collagen, though. Those are a staple in my handbag on the go! Both are sweetened with a tiny bit of honey, no refined or cane sugar, and are gluten, grain, sugar, dariy, and soy free! Plus, they are keto friendly!
Collagen Fuel: I’ve been using Primal Kitchen’s Collagen Fuel forever it seems! I love that the Vanilla Coconut Flavor is AIP friendly! It’s hard to find protein powders that fit the Autoimmune Paleo Diet, but this one does. I love to mix it with fruit or avocados, coconut or almond milk, and some spinach or other greens in a smoothie. They also sent me the Chocolate flavor which is equally delicious in a smoothie, water, or coffee if you can tolerate it. You can drink it hot or cold. Collagen is great for the skin, hair, nails, and joints! I’ve noticed my nails have been really long and strong lately. Thank you, Primal Kitchen 🙂
Salad Dressings: Another gripe I have with health food stores is their lack of clean salad dressing options. It’s crazy how many poor ingredients are in them! Almost all of them use canola oil and sugar. Canola oil is usually made from GMOs and is very inflammatory. That’s why I love Primal Kitchen’s dressings because they use only the best and cleanest ingredients like avocado oil in their dressings. I really love the Lemon Turmeric which is vegan, and the BBQ Ranch which is Paleo. They can be used as marinades, too! I’m going to share a recipe with you below using the BBQ Ranch. They have a lot of other awesome dressings you should definitely check out as well.
Avocado Oil: If you haven’t started using avocado oil yet, you need to get on board! It’s one of the best oils you can use for cooking because it has a high smoke point of 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that it won’t break down and release toxic fumes and free radicals that can damage healthy cells in your body like other oils such as coconut and olive oil. Coconut and olive oil are great oils, but they should not be used at high temperatures for this reason. That’s why I love and use Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil so much!
Mayo:  I also must mention Primal Kitchen’s Mayonnaise! Conventional mayonnaise has all kinds of gross ingredients you do not want to be eating including canola oil, which is a trans fat that leads to heart disease. Primal Kitchen’s mayo uses Avocado oil which is an oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Much healthier! So, if you’re going to eat mayo, make it a clean one like Primal Kitchen’s! Â
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BBQ RANCH CHICKEN STUFFED SWEET POTATOES:
I love a good, simple crockpot recipe and this is as easy and tasty as it gets!Â
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs (2 large) Organic Chicken Breasts
1 Bottle of Primal Kitchen BBQ Ranch Dressing & Marinade
4 Sweet Potatoes
Red Onion
Parsley Bundle
Directions:
Put your chicken breasts into your crockpot. Cover with 1/2 cup of BBQ Ranch Sauce.
Set your crockpot to cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.
Bake your sweet potatoes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour.
Wash and chop your red onion and parsley
When the chicken is done, simply shred it, leaving it in the sauce.
When your sweet potatoes are done, take them out and cut slits in them.
Take your shredded chicken and put half in each sweet potato.
Top with the chopped onion and parsley and drizzle the remaining BBQ Ranch sauce over top.
Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this super simple, clean, Paleo recipe! Thank you to Primal Kitchen for sponsoring this post today! Be sure to check out their website here and all of the delicious products they offer. I have been a big fan for a long time and only recommend things I use and love with you all. Primal Kitchen is a standout company and I definitely see myself using their products for a long time to come 🙂
Happy Monday! It’s November now. First blog post of the month. I love November because it’s my husband’s birthday month and I love to celebrate and spoil him! Also, Thanksgiving, of course. Even though I eat a Paleo diet, I still can enjoy sooo many delicious seasonal things at Thanksgiving (check out my post on how to stick to your diet through the holidays here), so I get very excited for that and of course spending time with family and friends. We will be home for Thanksgiving and sharing it with my immediate family and Ryan’s mother who is battling pancreatic cancer. She was diagnosed just a couple of months ago and has been so bravely fighting since. She is in a clinical trial at The Hillman Cancer Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. So far she has had several chemo rounds and is very wiped out from it. She has a scan coming up in a few weeks and we will find out whether or not she is responding to the chemo. Fingers crossed she is and she can continue in the trial and beat it! If you think of it, send her some healing vibes, prayers, and positivity! She is a lady with a grateful heart and we all want to see her win this battle!
Back to fashion now… I was so lucky to be able to work with the brand BB Dakota recently! I have loved BB Dakota for years. I first found them at a couple of my favorite stores, but then realized they have their own website full of all of their styles and often times it’s more fully stocked than other stores that carry their clothing. They sell out fast because they are such cute designs and very high quality, but also still in that affordable range. That’s my sweet spot! Exactly why I love their brand so much.
One of the stand-out categories of BB Dakota’s brand is their outerwear. They always kill the jacket and coat game every single year! Since we are officially into fall and it’s getting pretty chilly out, I wanted to share a bunch of their cute jackets you can find at their store right now.
As you guys know, I love me some animal print – especially this season’s top top two trends – tiger and snakeskin! (Did you see my post on tiger being the new leopard?? Check it out here!) This jacket I’m wearing in today’s post is a faux fur tiger bomber. I died when I saw it. It’s the cutest jacket ever! I love the stripe details on the sleeves and bottom. It just adds the perfect touch of edge and sportiness!
If you’re anything like me, you love some good neutral staples, and this jacket goes so well with all of your basic pieces in your closet. But, when you add this jacket over top, you are anything but basic! Instant fashionista status.
This is just one of the adorable jackets they have right now! I also go the faux fur snakeskin jacket, which I’m equally obsessing over and the red and black plaid moto jacket. But, they have so many other cute ones that I will link here for you. Be sure to check out their clothing and their new line of lounge wear, too! I’m in love!
Which are your favorites? Leave me a comment below! Have a fabulous week, friends! 🙂
Happy Wellness Wednesday, everyone! Hope you are having a good week! I am so excited to share this post with you today. Many of you have been asking for more clean beauty product recommendations. Look no further, I have some amazing ones for you today!
Ever since I made the switch to clean beauty, I have been so fond of Ilia Beauty’s products. They are high quality and high performance! As you know from previous posts, I love their True Skin Serum Foundation. It’s one of my go-to’s! But, I was so lucky to have them send me some of their other makeup products to try out, too!
First up is this Tinted Lip Conditioner. This was Ilia’s first product and still one of their best-sellers! It’s a cult classic. It is very hydrating and has amazing color. The Tinted Lip Conditioner is also buildable, so you can use more coats for your desired level of color. It’s not overwhelming or goopy. So light and sheer. There are 12 colors to choose from that are really beautiful. I got it in the color Little Sister. Love!
This next product I am soooo happy I found! The Clean Liquid Liner. Oh my gosh. I know, it’s only eyeliner, but when it comes to clean beauty, it’s harder than you’d expect to find a liquid eyeliner pen! This one is so great! It’s easy to use and the color is strong and lasts. I feel complete now, lol!
I love a good multi-stick, anyone else?! It’s so convenient, makes getting ready easier and faster, and it’s perfect for throwing in your bag on the go to touch up your cheeks, lips, and even your eyes! This Multi Stick from Ilia comes in 8 beautiful colors. I love this dusty rose color called At Last. It’s a great one for everyday wear and the color looks pretty on any skin tone. This stick is so creamy, glides on smoothly, and gives you the perfect rosy glow. I love it when my lips and cheeks have the same color! It really pulls together your whole makeup look. The cream formula looks so nice on cheeks and eyes too because it blends smoothly and hydrates, too!
Finally, the prettiest eyeshadow palette you ever did see! It’s so hard to believe that these palettes are clean! They look and perform so much like the conventional ones. But, they’re much safer and healthier for you! The colors in this Warm Nude Necessary Eyeshadow Palette are sooo beautiful. They’re perfect year round, but I love the spicy browns and toasted oranges in this one a lot for fall and winter. They are definitely trending colors right now for eye makeup. This palette also comes in Cool Nude which features more colors in the purple family that are so gorgeous. I love how they balanced this palette with matte shadows and shimmer ones, too. Perfect for contouring and highlighting the eye. You can build a really pretty look with this palette!
I’m so impressed with these products! I will be sure to show you all the looks I come up with over on Instagram. Follow me there to see more clean beauty from Ilia!
I’ve linked these products below. The first four are the ones featured in this post. The rest are all products by Ilia that I would also love to try or already use and are definitely worth checking out! Have you tried Ilia before? Leave a comment below and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Hey, friends!! I hope you had a great weekend! It was very dreary here. But, I am loving the colors of fall and all of the beauty PA has to offer. The temps are dropping, too, so now’s the time to bring out your coats or look for new ones!
Faux fur is still so big this season and I’m not mad about it! I love the coziness and how soft they are, without hurting any animals. I found this one through Lulu’s and let me tell you, it is a keeper! I’m so impressed with the quality. It’s kind of shocking! It feels so much like real rabbit fur.
The inside is lined, which is really nice. I also love the long pelts. It’s designed just like a real fur coat would be. It’s not too heavy either, just the right amount of warmth for fall and early winter.
I would totally wear this with jeans as well as dressier outfits. You don’t have to be dressed super glamorously to pull this coat off. It would look just as nice with jeans and combat boots as it does with dresses and dress pants.
I love an all-white look! It’s so chic and classy. So, I paired my off-white pants from Express with this coat and a lace top from Wayf. I topped it off with nude pumps and this faux Gucci bag I found on Amazon. If you didn’t see my designer dupes from Amazon post I did last week, check it out here.
This beautiful coat was gifted to me from Lulu’s and you can purchase it directly here. It comes in a few other colors that are nice, too!
I’ve also linked this outfit in case anyone is interested in it. These pants are on sale right now. I am wearing the petite size and they are the perfect length. I am 5’3 and they’re still long enough for me to wear high heels and not look too short.
Happy Wellness Wednesday! Thanks for stopping by to check out this post! I’ve been on my wellness journey for a very long time now, well over a decade. As many of you know, I’ve had autoimmune disease, chronic Lyme disease, and many other chronic issues. I still struggle daily with fatigue and pain caused from having these illnesses for so long. But, I do my best to manage them through holistic means. Here’s a quick look at some things I do for self care everyday!
START THE DAY OFF WITH POSITIVE VIBES: For a long time I used to wake up and immediately check my IG, Facebook, and email. While I can’t exactly ignore these things, I’ve been changing what I see first thing in the morning by incorporating new habits. I’ve been reading Gabrielle Bernstein’s books and I really love them! They’re so inspiring, uplifting, and give you great guidance. She has an app called Spirit Junkie. Everyday there is a new positive affirmation to read in the app. It has a reminder to check it. Instead of checking my social media right off the bat, I’ve been checking that app, reading the affirmation, and thinking on it for a few minutes as soon as I wake up. It’s just a great way to start the day on the right foot!
MINERALS DO A BODY GOOD: After I read my affirmation, I always take some minerals! Minerals help to keep your body’s energy up! I can always tell when I’m low on minerals because my joints get stiff, I feel anxious, and I get fatigued. Sometimes I even get body pains. But, when I take the minerals with plenty of water, I feel much better! I’ve been using Trace Minerals for over a year now and I really love them. They don’t have any extra added fillers or nasty ingredients in them like so many supplements do. They’re very pure and give you a great dose of Magnesium! Magnesium is critical for many processes in the body. It helps to regulate muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. It also facilitates the production of protein, bone, and DNA. It’s crucial for those of us who are doing protocols where you are detoxing. When we detox through sweat or other methods, we lose minerals. For a long time I didn’t realize this and was detoxing heavily without replenishing. I felt HORRIBLE. Now I know that taking minerals is super important to the process. I also take potassium and calcium.
BEMER MAT TIME: A couple years ago I was having horrific bladder pain. I thought it was a UTI, but it ended up being Interstitial Cystitis, aka Painful Bladder Syndrome. If you have this condition, my heart goes out to you! It is as miserable as having full blow Lyme disease. The pain feels like a jagged knife stabbing you in the bladder 24/7 with so much urgency and frequency to pee! I am so fortunate to have found natural ways to heal from this. I know so many women and men live it with it for their whole lives and it’s utterly torturous. But, back to the point… when I first had this, we were scrambling for ideas of how to help. A chiropractor I was seeing at the time had one of these mats and we started to learn more about it. It is a mat that’s full of coils and they give out customized electric frequencies that help get blood flow into your capillaries. This is where detoxification and healing begins. It is a fantastic tool for detoxing and pain management! My husband was so kind to buy this for me. It’s very expensive, but sometimes you can find one used on Ebay or from a practitioner. A lot of chiropractors and holistic wellness centers use them as well, so you can make an appointment to go and use one if buying one isn’t an option. They come highly recommended for any chronic disease, cancer, and pain. Tom Brady uses it, so you know it’s gotta be good! 🙂
MEDITATION: This is a newer one for me and to be totally honest, it’s hard as well! I am not one who sits quietly very well. I have a lot of anxiety and my mind is always running at full speed. So, that tells me I need to meditate even more! I’ve gotten a lot better at it recently and have even found it enjoyable. I realized that I don’t have to put so much pressure on myself to do it perfectly. It’s okay if your mind wanders. Just take note, and re-focus! You don’t even have to do it for very long to reap the benefits! It’s wonderful for reducing stress, anxiety, pain, muscle relaxation, boosting your immune system and mood, and even helps to decrease blood pressure! I know that when I take the time to do this my day is always better. I’ve been using Gabrielle Bernstein’s meditations that you can download from her site or the Headspace app. They are guided meditations and if you’re just beginning, it’s a great place to start! It really helps to clear my head and help me to focus, be present, and have a more positive outlook and attitude for the rest of the day. I kill two birds with one stone and do this while I lay on my Bemer mat!
FRESH AIR AND EXERCISE: I feel so grateful to be able to walk my dog again! For years just walking to the mailbox caused me a lot of fatigue and pain. I couldn’t do any kind of slight incline without flaring up terribly. Now, I’m walking Barkley for a mile and sometimes more! I don’t do a lot of hills yet, but that’s ok! Baby steps. But, getting outside to get fresh air, be among the trees (hello oxygen!! So necessary for healing!) and nature, and moving your body for 30 minutes a day is known to reduce disease and help digestion, joints, cardiovascular health, muscle endurace, sleep, and mood to name a few! I always feel less anxious and more focused when I get a good walk in. Plus it makes Barkley happy and it feels good to do something nice for someone else even if it’s just your pup 🙂
FOLLOW A WHOLE FOODS DIET: I strictly follow the Paleo diet, but not everyone needs to be grain and legume free. So, I’m not here to preach about being Paleo, but I love the lifestyle it has created for me because my body functions at a higher level and I have less pain and indigestion. The Paleo diet excludes grains, gluten, dairy, sugar, legumes, and any processed foods or oils. So, it really strips it down to whole foods that come straight from a farm, not a box. This is the healthiest way to get your nutrition. It is an anti-inflammatory diet. It’s great for everyone, but especially those that have chronic illness and inflammatory diseases. It brought my autoimmune disease into remission five years ago and I’ve remained in remission ever since I made the switch!
There are some Paleo approved snacks and products that I also use on occasion, but I try my best to always eat real food that you can buy in the produce section. I don’t love eating meat, but because grains and legumes cause me a lot of inflammation, I have to get protein somewhere, so I always buy organic, grass-fed meat, poultry, and wild-caught fish. I do make a point to have at least one plant-based meal a day, though if not more. It’s good for your body and for the environment!
So, even if you aren’t Paleo, eating whole foods (i.e. apples, squash, salmon, nuts, seeds) instead of foods pre-packaged, prepared, and processed, will make a HUGE difference in your health. If you’re looking for ways to get started, check out my post on the Paleo Diet here and here.
CBD FOR ANXIETY: At the end of a busy day, I tend to feel pretty stressed out and need to caaalllmmm down. This is when I reach for my CBD oil! I take a few droppers full along with some other herbs for relaxation and try my best to put my phone down, have dinner with my hubs, watch some TV, and relax. It’s important to have this time for yourself and your family. It’s healthy for your body and your relationships! CBD helps me relax so much. I would be lost without it! I also take Calm A.S.A.P. by Gaia, Rock Rose, and a homeopathic for anxiety. I love the Nano CBD by Hemple. You can use code KELLY10 for $10 off of your purchase.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OR SPIRITUAL BOOKS: I end my day by reading a book that inspires me to be a better me! Lately, I’ve been loving books by Gabrielle Bernstein! I just finished “The Universe Has Your Back” and I totally loved it! It is so full of great info, meditations, and guidance for how to love more and fear less. It’s helped me to gain a lot of perspective about life and circumstances we all find ourselves in. It helps to make the difficult times a little more bearable, knowing that you are always being guided. It’s a fresh perspective on spirituality. But, it is all encompassing. Anyone of any religion can read it and find value in it. It’s not a religious specific book. I think it’s amazing! So, I just got her new book “Super Attractor” and I’m loving it just as much! I downloaded the meditations and use them daily, too. I also loved Oprah’s “The Wisdom of Sundays” and “The Path Made Clear”, as well as Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth”. If you’re looking to elevate yourself and raise your vibration, check all of these out!
Those are my Top 8 Wellness Tips for Everyday! I do a lot more than just these things, but if I have to choose, these are my most important and effective ones. What are your every day wellness practices? Please share some in the comments below! 🙂
Hey guys! I hope you’re having a wonderful day! I wanted to share some really fun items I found recently on Amazon. Everyone loves designer bags, jewelry, and other accessories. But, we can’t always afford them. Luckily, there are some really amazing dupes on Amazon right now and they’re way too good to pass up. I am all for splurging on a designer bag when you’re looking to treat yourself. I would never want to take away from the amazing work that these design houses do. But, their prices aren’t exactly affordable for all and often you wouldn’t be buying them anyway, so I’m going to share some of my favorite look-a-likes! Some of these are so good people would never even know!
Let’s start with jewelry! These knock-offs are pretty darn good if you ask me! Only if someone looked extremely closely could they tell that they’re not the real deal. I personally have these Gucci-wanna-be pearl drop earrings and the LV dupe charm bracelet, and I LOVE them both! They look so cute and very much like their expensive counterparts! I’ve linked some other nice options, too! I’m loving these LV studs and the Cartier look-a-like bangles.
Next up are other accessories, like scarves, wallets, and even doggy harnesses! A little bit of a designer touch can really make an outfit! I love these hair accessories that resemble Gucci and Hermes! The all black LV scarf is so nice too because it’s dark and anything black always looks more legit and expensive. How cute are the air pod cases, too?!
Finally, what you all are probably here for, are the HANDBAGS! YESSSS. These are SO GOOD. I love the Chloe look-a-likes! I’m wearing the bracelet bag one here. Unfortunately, I did not realize when taking these photos that the gold ring was flipped over so you can’t even see it! So sorry! It’s so pretty though when it’s showing. I also just got the tan one with the gold chain I linked below. It is so nice (real leather) and looks so much like the original. People stop and tell me they love my Chloe all the time. I always tell them where I got it. I would never lie about it. It’s fun to share my finds! I have a real Chloe bracelet bag and it’s honestly hard to tell the difference between the one I linked here and the real deal. Here you’ll find bags that look so much like Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Gucci, Hermes, Prada, Valentino, Christian Dior, and more!
Which are your favorites?! I would love to hear! Let me know what you think in the comments 🙂 I’m also linking this outfit in case you’re interested in it, too! These over-the-knee boots are so nice! I have them in all three colors because I love them so much. They have great stretch, but they also stay up so well on my legs. I have really petite, little legs and they work very well for me. I also know that girls say that they are stretchy and fit nicely for curvier legs, too. Use Code PREFALL for 20% off of them! Have a fabulous week, friends!
Happy Wellness Wednesday, friends! Hope your week is off to a great start! It’s so rainy here in PA, but I’m sitting by my Verilux Comfort Lens light (see the end of the post to shop this) to give me some sunshine happiness indoors! If you have seasonal depression or don’t get outside too often, check it out! I just started using it, but I’ve heard great things.
Today I wanted to share this clean beauty brand with you because it has truly been so helpful to me. The Lina Hanson brand reached out to me to see if I would like to try their products. I checked the ingredients and they were very clean, so I obliged and they sent me a box of three of their best-selling skincare products.
I love clean beauty products and I think they can work just as well as their toxic counterparts. In fact, I often prefer them to the chemical laden products. But, I hadn’t yet found anything that worked well for my dreaded breakouts. I tend to break out on my chin and forehead. If I don’t use something for it, it will just happen all of the time. So, when I got this Global Trio from Lina Hanson, I was actually VERY surprised!
I started using the Global Trio every night as a cleanser and exfoliator. You can also use it as a mask by only adding a tiny bit of water, honey, or yogurt. But, I typically am late getting to bed and need a faster routine, so I just used it as a cleanser and exfoliator by adding a little bit of water and creating a paste. Then, I put it on and in small, gentle, circular motions, just massage it into my face. I ALWAYS take my makeup off first with a non-toxic makeup wipe. Yes, you have to be careful of the wipes you choose, many have nasty chemicals in them.
Within a week, I noticed that my breakouts were gone or barely existent! I will take a tiny bump over a huge acne cyst on my chin any day! But, for the most part, it’s been a lot clearer and brighter. I’m so relieved because I hate using acne products with harsh chemicals. If I can keep them at bay with natural ingredients, that is definitely the way to go!
I then follow the Global Trio up with the Global Face Serum. It’s so moisturizing and gives my skin a nice glow and noticeable plump! I tend to get very dry and need a great moisturizer. I love that it’s so clean and gentle.
Finally, I use the Global Treasures eye and neck cream. It was awarded the Best Eye Cream by Glamour Magazine in 2019! I dab a tiny bit under my eyes and around the top. Then, I put some over my neck as well because the first signs of aging are always on your neck! Whatever you are doing for your face, you should also do for your neck and decolletage!
If you’re looking for a great non-toxic skincare brand to try and you’re worried about investing in it because it may not be effective for you, I totally understand. They are not always cheap. But, the ingredients are always clean and properly sourced, so what you’re paying for is that purity. In my opinion, it’s worth it. Your health is worth more than anything you own. So, investing in taking care of it is what’s best. I would highly recommend this brand to anyone looking for a great, clean option, especially if you suffer from acne, large pores, or dry skin skin.
Final note, I do not get paid anything from your purchases of this product. It was gifted to me, but I had no obligation or financial incentive to write this post or promote their products. It is all my own volition and personal experience. I really like the products, so I want to share them with you in hopes that they help you, too!
Let me know if you end up trying them! Leave a comment below if you have tried Lina Hanson, or if you have other clean beauty product recommendations! I love hearing from you all 🙂
