5 Tips for Staying Healthy During the Holidays

There is no denying it, the holidays are here and are in full swing! How did that happen?!! Truth be told, I'm not quite ready to go all in on Christmas just yet....but I'm happily soaking up the last little bit of foliage, fall decor and all the Thanksgiving food coming this week! Cranberries, stuffing and pies, oh my! Pour me a glass of sparkling water (preferably Cascade Ice) and I'm a happy girl!

Along with the holidays come holiday treats and I have little to no self control. I mean...you can only get peppermint and pumpkin flavored things for a few weeks out of the year so you've got to take advantage of it while it lasts, am I right?! You only live once! But at the same time, I always want to look my best in a sparkly party dress come New Years, so I try to maintain balance and stay healthy during the holidays as best I can. I'm sharing five tips below that really help me keep myself in check.

0

Perfect's Not Easy: My Struggle with Being a Perfectionist

Hat | Tank | Leggings | Sneakers

Warning: I'm about to get real with you! Pour yourself a glass of Red Diamond iced tea and let's dig in.

I'm far from perfect, but I am a perfectionist. It's a flaw, but it can also be a good thing. I spend entirely too much time and effort trying to look perfect, act perfect, have the perfect house, the perfect hair, the perfect Instagram feed, the perfect marriage, the perfect life. I am very much a victim of Keeping up with the Jones' and hate doing things I'm not good at (hello, enneagram 3). One tiny flaw from my perfectly structured agenda can make me feel like an utter failure and can cause me to lose my mind for a hot second (or a hot couple of hours, ha). I run myself into the ground by saying yes / doing too many things at once and it always catches up to me. I do something perfect for so long until I burn out and can't do it at all anymore.....I say screw it and ruin or unravel all my hard work. Those are faults that I'm aware of and trying hard to overcome.

On the other hand, being a perfectionist has its perks and can be a good thing, in a way. I'm constantly trying to be the best version of "me" that I can be. I'm always working to grow my blog/Instagram and make something of myself. I'm trying to eat better, tone up and get stronger/faster/fitter at the gym on a regular basis. I'm attempting to keep my house cleaner, my dogs more brushed and my marriage as happy as it can be. I give myself me time, the occasional slice of chocolate cake and lots of self love (even if it's in the form of lash extensions or spray tans). These are all things that when done correctly, bring happiness and contentment to my very structured, type A mind and make me feel successful and pleased with myself.

All that being said, perfect's not easy, ya'll (even if it looks like it from my feed). I am not even close to perfect and have my fair share of flaws, but I still keep trying to better myself.....even if that means being less of a perfectionist!

0

Starbucks & Swarovski: My Go-To Healthy Starbucks Drinks

Crystal Tennis Bracelet c/o Roma Designer Jewelry (20% off with code AMANDASOK20) | Pleated Midi Skirt c/o Chicwish | Similar Cami | Pearl Barrette | Rose Gold Sandals, Similar & Less Expensive Version | Lips, color is Patina | Eyeshadow

Raise your hand if you're a coffee addict! 🙋🏼‍♀️ I legit don't think I could survive without coffee in the mornings. It is as much a part of my morning routine as washing my face or brushing my hair. I am a bit of a coffee snob and always make my "fancy" coffee at home in the mornings (as opposed to drinking work coffee, bleh). Recently I've gotten in a terrible habit of wanting a post-lunch / afternoon pick-me-up beverage....it's usually a drink from Starbucks (hello, gold star member here!), a Diet Coke or a zero calorie energy drink. When it comes to Starbucks, though, it can be hard to order a drink that is both delicious and low-calorie (some grande lattes have like 400 calories and 50+ grams of carbs - that's more than a typical meal for me). I have a few staple low-cal drinks that I love and thought I would share them! I polled my Instagram followers a while back and am sharing some of their suggestions below, as well.

First, though, let's talk about my outfit!! I wore this on C and my four-year anniversary day date last weekend. We got brunch (with all the coffee, duh) and then got afternoon cocktails! Roma Designer Jewelry sent me this Swarovski Crystal bracelet and I just love the simple sparkle it gave to my look. It is so elegant and classic - it shimmered in the sunlight right along with my wedding rings. It's technically a "friendship" bracelet but I think friendship is one of the most important parts of a marriage so it seemed fitting to wear it on our special date. The tennis bracelet will never go out of style and it is so easy to pair with all of my outfits (and even stack with other jewels). I know I'll be wearing it for years to come!

0

Talking Swimsuits + Body Image + Pool Floats

Tassel Bikini, only $25 and comes in a ton of colors! | Unicorn Float & Watermelon Island c/o Intex | $10 Designer Inspired Sunnies 

Swimsuit season is here which means swimsuit shopping is here......am I the only one who loathes trying on swimsuits and looking in the mirror? No? Good. There was a day a few years ago that I loved my body and was proud of my thick thighs and broad shoulders but now? Not so much. I'm challenging myself to get back to that mindset - both physically and mentally - and I thought the best way to do that was to put it in writing. Hopefully my vulnerability encourages someone along the way! 

As women, I think we all battle body image issues at some point in our lives (or all the time) no matter how big or small we are. I remember my first "negative" thought about myself was how huge my calves were during Vacation Bible School sitting next to my two best friends. Well....my calves are still cankles, but I've moved on to feeling negative about other areas of my body as an adult.....my muffin top, love handles, bra bulge, bingo wings, thunder thighs, etc. Sure, I'm good at hiding them in real clothes that flatter me, but in a swimsuit? It's all out in the open. 

I've been on a roller coaster of health and fitness stages the last couple of years and I'm currently in a valley. I was at my fittest in 2015-2016 but I had a pretty intense shoulder surgery a year and a half ago that was followed up by a gallbladder surgery last summer. My "comeback" has been challenging (just as much mentally as physically) and getting back into a healthy eating and workout routine (especially both at the same time) has been much harder than I expected. I think knowing what I once was has made me feel worse and more insecure about my current physical state. 

0

What I Eat in a Day

Ruffle Cowl Neck Sweater | Destroyed Denim (size down) | Quilted Sneakers, Dupes Here

I'm always so intrigued by the "What I Eat in a Day" videos on YouTube. Anyone else? I could watch them for hours! I'm not a YouTuber by any means (I can barely get my words out in an Instagram story, let's be real haha) but I thought it would be fun to share my own blog version with you.

I talked about it in stories a few weeks back, but I choose to follow a macro-tracking diet. In the past I've eaten Paleo, all natural + sugar free, etc., but the high amounts of fat in those diets really aggravated my gallblader (which I no longer have) and caused digestion in general to be really hard for me. A few years back I switched to "If It Fits Your Macros" and have since made it a part of my lifestyle. I work with Greg from MyoBrain; he is located in OKC but does nutrition coaching online for anyone.

0

How I Use Essential Oils

Hi friends! I haven't talked too much about it on here because I don't want to come off as pushy or salesy but I started using Young Living essential oils a few months ago and have really enjoyed it so far. I've had a few people ask me to share more about it, so here I am! I certainly do not think of myself as an expert AT ALL....I don't really even know what certain oils are supposed to do for you so I basically google and Pinterest everything haha. But I can tell you what diffuser blends smell good and what specific oils have helped me thus far!

I'm going to start off by sharing a few of my favorite oils and how I use them and then I'll share a few of my favorite diffuser blend recipes! Sound good? Good!

0