Lifestyle Challenge | Week 12 Update

Happy Monday... hope all you Football Widows made it through opening weekend.  My hubby is a 49ers fan and they start tonight so here's hoping the house is a happy one!

Today marks the official end of the first quarter of my new lifestyle... can you believe that it has been three months already?  I am shocked!  For my week 12 weigh-in, I am happy to report that I lost 1.5lbs for a new weight-loss total of 30.5lbs.  THIRTY POUNDS!!!

I just love getting new badges from FitBit... it really makes the journey so much more fun and rewarding.  Can you tell I am a competitive person?!  HAHAHA

Along with another month passing, it was also time to take some progress pictures.  I haven't shared them anywhere before because I was too self-conscious and it felt like such a personal thing BUT... it's time.  I am loving the changes that I see but because I don't have any new clothes (yet), most of the things I am wearing are too big so you can't really see any major changes.  The 'before' picture is actually already a month into this new lifestyle so I had already lost 13.5lbs and likely some bloat and maybe even a couple of inches but it still shows a dramatic difference between 4 weeks and 12 weeks.

WINS for the week:

1. StepBet - I did an entire blog post about joining StepBet but today is the official start of the elimination rounds and I am soooo excited to have some extra 'step' motivation.  I kicked the warm-up rounds butt so I am confident that I can kick the regular week's butt too.
2. Rest Day - I finally did it... I had a rest day!  No goals were met yesterday and it was planned that way.  I still went for a walk and did my normal daily things around the house but I also didn't stress the steps.  It was great... yes, slightly guily inducing, but well needed!  My plan is to take every Sunday, during StepBet, as a rest day to recover from the extra activity during the week.

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Mid-Week Weigh-In - Stoooopid me decided to step on the scale mid-week and it showed a gain of 0.5lbs... so of course I stepped on it again the next day... same... and the next day... up a whole pound.  The way it affected my mood was insane!!  At the end of the week, I clearly lost weight so the moral of the story is STAY OFF THE DAMN SCALE!!!

Loving life right now... I know that as we near Thanksgiving, Halloween and the Holidays that there will be some new challenges but I find that every day I put under my belt is another day closer to conquering these old 'diet' demons!

Summer No Buy | Two-Month Update

Happy August... Not going to say it, you all know what I am thinking.  Yes, I am starting to crave the fall because I am more than over the super hot temperatures and the humidity.  Seriously OVER IT!  If we could have fall-like weather all the time, I would be the happiest camper on the planet.

On to the Summer No-Buy update... month two.  It's a pretty boring one because I didn't purchase a single thing.  Not a nail polish, not a makeup item, not even any body care stuff.  I know, BORING, right?  Well, it may seem boring to everyone else but to me, it is a major victory and I am blown away by how easy it has been to retrain my focus onto bigger and better things.

Even more than NOT buying anything in July, I actually started another purge of my nail polishes and while there aren't very many that I was willing to part with this time (in comparison to the previous destash), I still got rid of close to 40 more bottles.  FORTY!  My new collection stands at 271.  There are definitely more that I can get rid of but I need to get past the mental block that is making me keep them.  It's been close to 3 or 4 weeks since I have even worn nail polish on anything other than my toes and that's only changed every 3ish weeks.  So really, 271 bottles seems like slight overkill!  However, Rome wasn't built in a day so I will continue to check back in with my collection and make changes as needed.

So, there is one month remaining until the end of the Summer No-Buy so let's see if I have a more exciting update for you come September!

Summer No Buy | One Month Update

WOW, where is the summer going?  I know that everyone says that but seriously, it's almost mid-July and once August hits, I start craving all things fall.  While I am talking about summer though, it is hot as blazes out this week and I've mentioned before that I do NOT do extreme weather... at all!  UGH... time for a good ole thunderstorm to break the humidity... please?!?!

Anyways, on to the 'No Buy' update...

I originally announced my no buy at the beginning of June but technically started it on my birthday (May 21).  We are sitting at 6-weeks and I am thrilled to say that I am holding strong.  Other than a couple of purchases (two) from Nine Zero Lacquer, I have not purchased a single, unnecessary, beauty item.

Let me explain Nine Zero Lacquer so you don't think that I am cheating...  Nine Zero is a nail polish brand made by my friend Jess and up until I closed down my YouTube channel, I was one of her swatchers.  That means that I have every single polish that she has made since her companies inception and when I started my no buy, I decided that the Nine Zero polishes would be an exception to the rule.  Thankfully, I have only ordered twice and don't anticipate another order until her fall collection releases.

So, how am I feeling after 6-weeks of not buying all the things?  It feels amazing!  I didn't think that it would be an easy task but as time has gone on, it just keeps getting easier.  In my original post (linked here), I mentioned that I was using 'wish lists' on websites so that when my no buy was over, I would remember the items I had wanted and be able to purchase them (if the need was still there) and I can honestly say, it has been weeks since I have added anything to a wish list.  I just don't have the desire to buy things anymore... I love my collection and am using the things I have.  Novelty, I know!

Even though this no buy is scheduled to be a 'summer' challenge, at this point, I can't see myself going back to my old ways... I don't want to.  It's been incredibly eye opening to see the abundance of THINGS that I have and wasn't using because I had so many NEW things coming in... ALL THE TIME!

This makes me SOOOOOO happy!  YAY... that was the point of this journey and we have already succeeded!  WHOOP WHOOP!!!

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?

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.