Diet Challenge | Week One Results

The results are in from the first week of the 50 pounds by Christmas challenge and... I lost 7.5 lbs!!  I am so thrilled to have such a great kick-off week loss.  Yes, I know that the majority of that is water weight and that I will not have losses like this moving forward, but to start off the challenge with such impressive results has really upped my motivation and made me ready to tackle week two!

WINS for the Week:

1. Planning - Not only did I have a menu and follow it, but I prepped all of my food and snacks for the work week.  Honestly, the mornings are very hard for me so having my fruit cut, my veggies back and my cereal portioned really made a huge difference.
2. Goals - Setting attainable goal on my Fitbit helped me get those steps in every day.  Whether it was walking outside or on-the-spot inside, I was moving as much as possible.  I also really like the 250 steps every hour goal so that it made me get up and move while I was at work.  Desk jobs can be challenging!
3. Accountability - I started an Instagram account for tracking my fitness and diet progress because I didn't want to bombard my nail polish account with Fitbit pictures and motivational quotes.  Posting my results each day has kept me accountable to anyone who is now following me.

Week two is all prepped and ready to go!

CHALLENGES for the Week:

1. Schedule - We have an insanely busy schedule which generally ends up in at least one, if not all, of us out of the house during the dinner hour.  However, planning a menu and knowing ahead of time that there is a commitment that evening, I was able to get in my steps when I needed to and plan for my dinners accordingly.
2. Weather - I don't do extreme weather of any kind and this past weekend was HOT!  Not only was it hot and humid, but we were on the ball field for a good majority of it so I was not looking forward to getting my steps in BUT, I got the suntan lotion out, walked earlier in the morning and then did a lot of it while grocery shopping in the air conditioned store.  

All in, I think my week was an enormous success and I couldn't really ask for more.  Moving into week two, I have increased my daily step goal by 1,000 so we are now at 8,500 per day... not too hard and I actually hit that most days last week anyways!

So, here we go.. onwards and upwards!  Only 42.5 lbs to go before Christmas!

Sometimes You Just Have to Smile

Being someone who has worked in customer service or dealt with the public for my entire 'career', I learned to 'kill em with kindness' and in doing so, I have carried with me the need to smile at all the people.  I smile at people in parking lots, at cashiers, at the dude working the drive through... and I am NOT a people person... but, sometimes, you just have to smile!

There really isn't a point to this post, I saw the meme (above) and it made me giggle so I thought I would challenge everyone reading this to smile a little more.  I promise that just smiling and maybe saying "Good Morning" to a passing stranger will not only make you feel better, but make them feel better too.  Who knows, maybe they were having a bad day and you just gave them a smile and made the day a little brighter.

Empties Update...

Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel

Picture Source

Pros:

Availability - You can get this online, through Sephora so it is pretty easily accessible to anyone who normally shops there.

Price - While some may find the $65 Cdn (for 1.69 fl. oz) price steep, compared to most other higher end skincare lines, this falls right in the middle and is definitely a price point that I think would make most people happy

Change to MY Skin - I only had a mini sample of this from Sephora so used it for about 4 or 5 nights and WOW... I was blown away by how smooth my skins texture was.  I have never used a product that provided such immediate results.  My pore were smaller and my overall skin just looked brighter. 

Cruelty Free - Pretty much says it all

Cons:

Price - I know I said the price was reasonable, but I did find that I used up my sample very quickly.  I can't remember, off hand, how big the sample was for comparison and until I use a full size I can't officially say but it did feel like it would be a product that was used up quickly

Overall:

Having only used this product for a handful of days, I can honestly tell you that I loved it.  I will definitely be purchasing a full-size of it, once I run through some other skincare I have because the change in my skin in such a short period of time was insane.  I look forward to trying more items from Drunk Elephant in the future.

Remember to SMILE!!

Laugh At Yourself

Learning to laugh at yourself is definitely a lesson that is learned through time.  In my family, you have to be able to laugh at yourself because if you don't, chances are, you will be only one not laughing.  We are a sarcastic group of people who look for any chance to laugh at one another... sad, but true.

This past weekend, on Father's Day, we had a BBQ and because the weather was so wonderful (read hot and sweaty), my parents set up a two-lane Slip 'n Slide in the backyard and while the assumption is that it was for the kids, the adults needed to give it a whirl too.

Here's the line-up:

Dad - total champion.  Great form, slid the full length and had a great dismount at the end... I sort of hate him right now

Steven (my son) - Decent form... he's 8 so very gangly and awkward, slid almost the full length and had a bunch of fun

Murray (husband) - Moderate form, slid the full length and had a slightly less than stellar dismount but I give him full credit, I didn't think he would have any form or style

Mom - Great run up but came to a full-stop at the start of the slide and basically just fell on to it and slid about 2 feet... needless to say, bad form, bad distance and no dismount to be seen

Me - Well... I personally thought I had the whole thing down pat however, it didn't go exactly as I planned or envisioned in my mind.  I took the standard 10 foot run-up and then (all this is according to the many witnesses) I swan dove about 6-feet into the air and belly flopped on to the slide.  Yep... landed flat out and had zero slide.  Zero form, no distance and horrifying dismount.

Needless to say, we have renamed the Slip 'n Slide to the Run 'n Thud.

Empties Update...

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny

Pros:
Availability - I purchase these in packs of three through Amazon because my local drugstores no longer carry this version but I have heard that they are still found throughout the US so they are very easy to get your hands on
Price - As I said, I buy mine is a three-pack for $13 (including shipping) but if you can find this in store, they generally run around $3 each
Colour - This is the perfect colour for an all over face bronzer... at least for my pale as white paint skin.  I absolutely love it!

Cons:
Not Cruelty Free - According to Cruelty Free Kitty, NYC has no clear stance on animal testing but are owned by Coty who does test on animals.

Overall:
I am so sad that NYC is not a cruelty free company because this bronzer is, by far, my favourite bronzer in my collection... and that I have tried.  I do have two more to use up before I can move on to a CF brand but I will no longer be purchasing this product.  If you aren't concerned about CF then I can 100% recommend it!

Why do so many companies still find it necessary to test on animals?

Next Up: The Diet Challenge

While I still work on decluttering all of the collections in my life, I figure it's also time to get the next aspect of "The Quest for Happy" underway and that is to tackle my health.

Generally speaking, I am a healthy person.  I don't have any communicable diseases, any major illnesses that I worry about (although a slight hypochondriac so there's that) and I don't live a very stressful life, I do need to start living a healthier lifestyle.

For the majority of my adult life I have been overweight... okay, I have been 'obese' but I hate that word so we will just stick with saying overweight.  Do I enjoy this fact?  No.  However, it's just something I have learned to deal with and I am ready to not make that part of my life anymore.

Last Friday, my good friend Tracy, who lives in Newfoundland (a half a country away) and I decided that we are going to lose 50 lbs by the end of the year.  Here's my plan for how I hope to do that:

1. Menu Plan - I always find that if I can sit down and plan an healthy menu for the week and use that to create a grocery list, it makes eating much easier.  We have a heavy baseball life so most weeknights we are on the diamond through the dinner hour.  Making easy meals, like salad or chicken, that you can pre-make is key!
2. Food Tracking - It's proven that if you write down every morsel of food that you put in your mouth, that you will be better about what you eat.  Who wants to look back at a food journal and see that they had crap for all three meals and crammed snacks in whenever possible?  Definitely not me!  So I am going to use the FitBit app to track all of my food.
3. Use My Fitbit - I mentioned it above but I have a Fitbit HR+ that I need to make sure I am wearing so I can track my activity.  I am not an exerciser nor do I want to be but even just making sure I log in some steps (and my food) everyday is more than I am going now.
4. Support - Tracy and I will be a great support for each other and being accountable to someone else is key.  Knowing you have to check in and report a weekly loss makes you try just a little bit harder to stay on track.

Whoa... look at the awesome prep-work!

So, here we go!  I will be starting today with the new healthy menu that is planned and will report in each Monday to see how I did!  Here's to being a new, healthier me at Christmas!

We Have Baby Raccoons

It will come as no surprise to anyone who has followed me for any length of time, but I love animals... all sorts of furry creatures.  We have two cats and a dog currently and I think if we lived in a larger house, I would have a very hard time turning away more cats.  Yes, I am a die-hard cat lover.  I stalk Pinterest obsessively for cute cat pictures, funny cat pictures, cat memes and well, all things cat.  My spirit animal is Grumpy Cat!

Yesterday, the tree trimmers at work came into the office to tell us that there were baby raccoons in one of the trees they needed to get into so I immediately grabbed my camera and headed outside...

I tried very hard to convince my coworkers to let me bring him in and domesticate him... I mean who doesn't want a pet baby raccoon to destroy your workplace?!  DUH!  Needless to say, they all said no and we watched as they were carefully relocated to a new tree.  SO CUTE!

*I am clearly joking about bringing the raccoon in... they are jerks so don't do it*

Empties Update...

Simple Sensitive Skin Experts Cleansing Facial Wipes

Pros:
Availability - Can be found at Walmart and most drugstores
Moisture Level - I find that these hold up throughout the whole package and never leave me needing a second
Cost - For a name brand wipe, these are pretty comparable to all the other brands available

Cons:
Cost - While comparable to most other name brand wipes, $9.99 Cdn for 25-wipes is still fairly expensive,  Technically, you need more than one package a month
Not Cruelty Free - Even though the name indicates 'simple', the brand does currently test on animals

Overall:
These wipes have been my go-to makeup removing wipe for years... YEARS and I am deeply saddened to learn that they test on animals and that the Simple brand is not cruelty free.  For that reason, and that reason alone, I will no longer purchase these once I finish the hoard I have as back stock... we are talking many MANY packages so it will be a while.

Looks like the Clarisonic (not a cruelty free brand but I already own it so...) and some regular facial cleanser will be my way to go for the future.

Declutter Series | Candles

Time to start the next area of my declutter and no, it's not makeup because I am not ready for that... yes, I will get there but right now, I want to tackle the closet in my makeup room and to do that, I am starting with the insane hoard for Bath & Body Works candles that I have.

The problem that I have with the BBW candles are that they smell amazing but I only burn them in the fall and sometimes the winter.  This year I have burned them a little in the spring, if the weather is nice and cool (fall-esque) but I don't burn all year long.  Also, I am super sensitive to certain scents and order most of my candles online so there are candles that I have lite once and gotten an instant headache.  Instead of passing it along, or returning it, I just stash it back in the closet to never use again.  Total FAIL!

Currently, I have candles in my collection.  I hate to even say collection because THEY ARE CANDLES!  My goal isn't to just get rid of them because I would like to use the ones that I know I enjoy and even try the ones that I haven't ever used.  My plan is to figure out which candles I know I will never use and set those aside for the community yard sale this weekend.  Bath & Body Works candles are insanely expensive ($24 USD each, although I always buy when they are buy one get one free) so I know that they will get snapped up quickly.

The Plan:

1. Organize by Size and then Scent - I have multiple sizes of candles, from the mini's to the 3-wicks and really only like the 3-wicks so can just declutter any of the smaller ones.  As for scent, I love anything bakery, food scented so will likely keep anything in that range but cannot stand the more floral, summery scents.  For some reason they give me an instant headache and that's just not worth dealing with, even if the smell is amazing.
2. Set Aside Untried Scents - After combing through and removing any scents I know trigger headaches, I want to set aside the remaining candle scents that I have never tried so I can test each one and see if they are a trigger.  If they aren't, I will keep them but if they are, they can be added to the discard pile.

The plan here is pretty basic, if I like it and don't get a headache from it, it will stay... as long as it's a 3-wick.  Otherwise, it's out!

Once I have burned through the remaining candles in my collection, I will have to take a better look at Bath & Body Works cruelty free policy as some have said that they are not a CF company.  Bath & Body Works is owned by L'Oreal, who does test on animals, but I am not basing my decisions on the parent company, only the actual company I am purchasing from.  In this blog post (more so the comments section) you can see that as of late May 2016, BBW still was not selling in China and are currently listed on PETA's website as cruelty free.  However, they are not listed on the Cruelty Free Kitty website which is the holy grail of websites for CF information.  Let's get to the end of the stash and then see what the opinion is and maybe look at other companies for different options.

UPDATE:

Forgot to take a picture of the stash I got rid of and all of them sold at the yard sale this past weekend... who wouldn't buy a BBW candle for $1?  Ugh... so much waste.

Anyways, I now have just a handful (8) 3-wick candles left to burn and then I am going to see what I want to do.  While I love burning candles, there may be a more household appropriate option out there.  

Empties Update...

Sephora Collection Instant Moisturizer and Age Defy Night Moisture Cream

*Just a note that these products are no longer available as is and have been reformulated.  I can't say that the formula is the same on the new ones so this review is only for the creams in the jars shown above*

Pros:
Cost ($29 Cdn for 1.69 oz of the Instant Moisturizer & $42 Cdn for 1.69 oz of the night)
Instant Moisturizer is a great weight for a day cream
Easily available at Sephora stores and online (assuming the formula hasn't changed)

Cons:
Possible formula change and no longer available on Sephora in these jars
Instant Moisturizer does not contain an SPF
Night Cream is a little light weight for aging skin
The Sephora line is not cruelty free

Overall:
While I found that both pots of moisturizer lasted a long time, making the money well spent, each of the products seemed to be missing a little something for me.

The Instant Moisturizer, which I used as my everyday cream, doesn't contain a sunscreen which I did not appreciate.  Even though I know that I can add the extra step of putting on an actual face sunscreen, I am lazy and prefer to have it in my face cream and makeup so I don't have to worry about it.

The Age Defy Night Cream was my everyday night cream and I just found that it was a little slippery and didn't sink into my skin the way that I would want a night cream to do.  Having the aging skin that I do, that is extremely important to me so I was disappointed by this.

If you have younger skin and don't mind the extra step of adding an SPF, these might work great for you.  However, for me, both weren't great and because they aren't CF, I will not repurchase.

I'm still mildly shocked that I finished these at the same time... that never happens!

Spotlight | Christine Kobzeff (PinkSoFoxy)

How do I help myself get through a no-buy or how am I okay with letting go of my 'stuff'?  Well, to be honest, I watch a lot of Christine Kobzeff's (formerly PinkSoFoxy) declutter series videos... on repeat.

I started watching Christine about 5 years ago when I first got into YouTube and at the time, she was an avid collector of makeup, nail polish and all sorts of bits and pieces.  Since that time, she has completely done a 180 turnaround and is now working her way towards becoming a minimalist.  No, I don't feel that is my exact path but her declutter series has given me life.

Just a couple of weeks ago, she posted a couple of videos that she titled her 'Minimalist Series' where she went through her nail polish collection and when she was done, she had FOUR polishes left... FOUR!  I was blown away by how happy she was with so little and to be 100% honest, that video is what gave me the courage to sit down and declutter my polish collection.  Okay, so I still have 300 polishes but I was able to destash over 500 and, to me, that is an amazing first step.  Hey... Rome wasn't built in a day.

By constantly staying on top of her collection, Christine has been able to keep her collection from growing and taking over her life.  It is something that I am working towards.  When I feel like I need a refresher, I am so happy to know that I can pop up her series and watch a couple of videos and by the end, the need to buy ALL THE THINGS is gone and I actually want to get rid of things.... clean up the clutter in my life.

So, thank you Christine... you have been an inspiration to so many and just watching you go from needing all the things to barely needing anything has been so amazing.  I look forward to following along on more of your journey!

Empties Update... 

Picture Source

Make Up For Ever Sens'Eyes Waterproof Sensitive Eye Cleanser

Pros:
Removes stubborn mascara
Cream cleanser makes it easier to control amount used
Easily available at Sephora (in store and online)

Cons:
Cost ($13 Cdn for 1 oz at Sephora/$30 Cdn for 3.38 oz)
Not Cruelty Free
Slight sting

Overall:
This is my first experience with a cream cleanser for the eyes and I actually found it very soothing.  While there was a slight sting on the initial use, I have since learned that you need to really ensure your eyes are fully closed and then it doesn't seem to cause any issues.  Even though the cost is higher than I would like for an eye makeup remover, the cream formula makes it much easier to control than a liquid so it actually felt like it lasted longer than my normal removers.  Although there may be some left in the container so that wasn't ideal.  However, my biggest issue with this product is that it isn't CF so I wouldn't purchase it again.  If that isn't a factor for you, I think you may enjoy it.

Phew... guilt gone ;)

Empties... Did I Actually Finish It?

It's been four years since I started my YouTube journey and as part of my monthly routine, I would film a video showing all of the things I used up.  Whether it's makeup, nail polish, bath products or candles, I didn't throw a single thing out without sharing it with the world.

Now that my YouTube journey has come to a close, I am not sure what to do with things I finish... sounds weird, right?

I had a giant basket of 'trash' sitting in my makeup room, awaiting a video that was never going to happen, and this weekend, I tossed it all.  It felt like the strangest thing I have done in a really long time.  It's sort of like when a tree falls in the woods... if no one is around, does it make a sound?  If I use up a product and don't show the world, did I actually finish it?

To be honest, I am not 100% sure how to tackle this moving forward because reviewing the crap that I used up was one of my favourite videos to film.  Seeing the basket fill up made me feel better about the things that were coming into the house because at least it seemed like I was using things up... right?  What people don't tell you about empties is that the vast majority of the things are bath and body products... maybe candles and then the odd makeup or nail polish goodie tossed in for good measure.  To finish a makeup product takes some serious dedication and with the abundance of makeup in my collection, unless it's mascara or chap stick, it just doesn't happen... like ever.  As for polish, you get to see top coat, base coat and cuticle oil.  Fun, right?!

Today I finished a conditioner that's been doing time in my bathroom and I am going to share my thoughts here because, well, it just feels right!

Picture Source

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Sulfate Free Conditioner (mouthful much?!)

Pros:
Drugstore Price (approx $11 Cdn for 8.4 fl oz)
Smells great
Washes out clean
Cruelty Free

Cons:
Hair is still tangled (at least my longer hair)
Need a lot to condition hair, so go through it faster

Overall:
I would definitely check out more items in the Marc Anthony line now that I have chopped my hair because the cons aren't as important to me.  I like that they are cruelty free and available at my local drugstore because most of the CF items I have been looking at are only available at stores in the US or online which means added cost for shipping... BOOOO!

Okay, that's all... I can now throw this baby out without the guilty feeling!  LOL

*Update: I will be adding a little 'Empties Update' to the end of each post, if I've finished anything and that will keep you in the loop and make me feel less guilty about just trashing the item*

Declutter: Part 1 - Nail Polish

According to my unofficially, likely not fully updated, nail polish collection spreadsheet (yes, I am a dork), I have over 850 nail polishes.  EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY nail polishes!!!  What the actually hell?  How does this even happen?  The sad thing, there are likely more than that because I kind of stopped updating the sheet and, I have also done so many declutter in the past that the true number of nail polishes I have owned is in the 1,000's... OY, it makes my stomach hurt.

The Plan:

1. Organize Polish by Colour:  My collection is sorted by brand because my OCD brain doesn't like different bottle shapes together so by sorting by colour, it makes it so much easier to see dupes (colours that are the same) or similar enough polishes to eliminate.
2. Cruelty Free Check:  I have a list of companies that are NOT cruelty free and based on that, I will comb through an take all those polishes out of my collection.  Makeup will be a different story but for nail polish, it's ditch time.  I will never use an entire bottle up so I might as well go full hog!  I will leave a list of the companies that are NOT cruelty free at the bottom of this post.
3. Wear Test:  Have I worn it in the last year?  If not, these are suspect and can likely be removed.  This is the hardest part of the declutter for me because if I haven't worn it, I might LOVE it but it's been a YEAR!  Some of the bottles in my collection have been there for years and I have never worn them... chances are it is because I have others in my collection that are the same or a better formula.  

Okay, it's been hours... literally HOURS since I started this post and I am done.  Man, what a journey.  I have learned many things from this declutter....  the first being that I have a thing for blue, green and purple nail polish.  There were so many that just those piles alone overwhelmed me.  Second is, I am 100% over chunky glitter... done, finished... When I first started collecting nail polish that was me... glitter all the things.  Now, I love a good creme polish or a sparkly holographic/shimmer.  The third thing is that NO ONE needs this many nail polishes.  

After a gigantic declutter, my collection now stands at 303 polishes.  I was able to get rid of over 500 nail polishes in one shot.  FIVE HUNDRED.  My new collection now fits of just 4 of the 5 nail racks that I have on my walls and I am also able to eliminate all of the foam racks I had made and the two acrylic table racks that I purchased.  There is a whole new space in my room for other things to be spread out and displayed.  It feels AMAZING and so freeing!

Now I just have to figure out what to do with all the unneeded nail polishes... Hmmm!

UPDATE:  Hubby took the polishes to work and here is what's left (out of all the ones pictured above)...

NON-Cruelty Free Polish Brands:

OPI

Essie

Revlon

Maybelline

Cover Girl

L'Oreal

YSL

Clarins

MAC

Avon

Clinique

Dior

Estee Lauder

Lancome

Mary Kay

Max Factor

Rimmel

Sinful Colors

Sephora Formula X

The Summer No-Buy

Have you ever tried to go on a 'no-buy'?  Do you even know what a 'no-buy' is?  Well let me enlighten you...

A 'no-buy' is a term that I first learned about in the beauty community on YouTube and it refers to a plan to stop buying things for a certain period of time... most people choose a month, some do it for as long as a year.  Either way, it is making a commitment to STOP BUYING ALL THE THINGS!

I have tried no-buy's so many times that I can't even begin to count them and all have failed miserably.  So I would then move to a low-buy, basically but SOME of the things and not ALL of the things.... total cop-out!  In any event, I generally find myself holding out for about a minute and then going hog wild to make up for the spending time lost.

This summer I have vowed to go on a complete no-buy... utter and complete STOP in buying anything I absolutely DO NOT need.  This should allow for me to actually use some of the items that are sitting in drawers or on shelves that I have forgotten about or pushed to the side in favour of newer, shinier items.  So, what is my plan to make this one a successful no-buy?

1. Declutter:  Yes, I know that sounds weird because getting rid of things would generally free up space to buy more but, for me, the collections of makeup, nail polish, bath products, body care, candles, is so overwhelming that I don't even see them anymore.  I look beyond my actual collection because just looking for a specific item is too challenging so I just buy new.  So, starting with my nail polish, I am getting rid of all the colours I don't plan to wear or have worn and don't enjoy... colours that I have multiples of.
2. Wish-Lists:  Again, this may seem odd but I am utilizing the wish-list feature on websites like Sephora and Nail Polish Canada where I buy the majority of my things.  By adding items that I am lusting after to a wish-list, I can be assured that I won't forget about it.  Unless it's limited edition, the product will be available when I am ready to buy again.  It will also take away that need to have it IMMEDIATELY... and who knows, when I actually look to buy it, I may not even want it anymore.
3. Unfollow/Unsubscribe from Emails: Honestly, one of the most tempting things for me is seeing sales and new item notifications so I have been actively unsubscribing to all of the emails that I get.  Whether is be stores, companies or bloggers, I no longer want to be tempted by pictures and reviews in my email account so I'm eliminating it as it happens.  Once you decide to do this, you will be amazed how many you get each and every day... WOW.  Also, if there are companies that tempt you on other social media platforms, consider unfollowing.  I haven't done that yet but have been using the 'Wish-List' plan to conquer the desire to buy when I see something new.
4. Going Cruelty Free: After watching some videos from my good friend Mary (aLoveTart) and videos from Christine (Christine Kobzeff), I did some online research and was horrified to see what cosmetic companies are STILL doing to animals.  The majority of these companies don't need to test on animals but in order to sell in China, the law requires it so, in my opinion, companies who decide to test just for the profit made in China, aren't worthy of my money.  How does this help with a no-buy?  Well, it decreased the number of companies that I can buy from which eliminates the temptation.  It also makes me research things more before buying it and allows me some more time to think about a purchase before making it.

I am hoping that by having a laid out plan for my no-buy that it will actually be successful.  As I type this, it has been almost two weeks and I haven't even been tempted to break it.  There isn't a defined end date yet but a group of us are heading to IMATS on October 1st in Toronto so that seems like a group guideline for now.