Tag: self love

Life

Playing Catch Up: Give Yourself Grace

Sirua

It’s surprising how behind you can get when you have a week off.

Recently we went on a family cruise and we had a lot of fun. Granted that traveling with kids can be stressful in itself. Especially with a 4 and 1 year old who still don’t understand waiting in line. However, we all enjoyed the uninterrupted family time. So much so that I hardly could focus on school assignments. Thus, I was a week behind and struggling to keep up.

Sometimes I find myself in a limbo of how to study at home. But the distractions and sounds of my boys plus husband talking to them keeps me from actually focusing. Being home is where I’m comfortable and easily distracted. Eventually, I decided to go back to sitting at Starbucks for a coffee and 2-3 hour sessions of studying and catching up. I did this about 4 times in the last 2 weeks of the term before completing and catching up with about 90 percent of what was left for me to submit.

I’m always thankful for my husband in these times where I need him most. He understands that for me to succeed as a student I might need to put distance between the house and me. Once I’m seated with a a drink in my reach, do not disturb on, and music in my ears. I’m able to hyper focus and complete what I can. Hours will pass before I realize it’s already time to go home. I breathed a sigh of relief and the stress melts away. Everyday being closer to graduation makes me more and more excited.

So if you’re a student or someone in need of getting away. Whether it be to study or simply reading a good book. I understand completely. Sometimes home can be distracting and it’s okay to leave to get away to focus on yourself. It’s part of self care and it’s okay to want a break even if it’s for a moment. An hour or more a week. Give yourself grace. Cause you’re important too.

Drink above is Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato

Life

Five Months Post Op Gastric Sleeve/VSG

Sirua

It’s interesting how much your relationship with food changes when you have this surgery. Of course you don’t really lose the cravings or magically begin to eat healthy right away. But the surgery is a tool to keep you full and hopefully eating right.

I still struggle with serving myself more than I can handle. Measuring my portions have helped with this and I use this Food scale to get me by. With different foods it becomes hard to simple serve myself and wing it since I find some days I eat more than I thought. While others I take a couple of bites and I’m done for the moment.

I’m still drinking protein ready drinks. Mainly Premier Protein in the chocolate flavor. It helps keep my protein intake up and does keep me going for a while. I ended up buying a bit more than I can handle and I plan to switch over to my original protein drink GNC Lean Shake Mocha Expresso. This was my absolute favorite when I started working out in the beginning of my wellness journey. Hopefully I can tolerate it and it continues to help me with my weight loss journey.

Now, what do I mean by tolerate? Well there’s some foods that might not sit well with my new stomach pouch. Dairy can be a little heavy if I try to eat it all at once. Milk feels a bit heavier unless I sip slowly (I add milk to my coffee, a bit with Oreos, whole milk yogurt or mixed into my protein powder). It’s important to be cautious about certain foods as sometimes it can be overwhelming and make you nauseous at first or may as well not to get to enjoy foods the way you did previously. For some this is the rough part. I will admit it can be off putting. But I’ve accepted this as the new me. I can do this and will continue to strive for my wellness! I’ve currently lost 44 pounds and counting! Still need about 33 more to reach my goal weight. Wishing myself luck at this point. Hope everyone has a wonderful week. I’ll continue to post as much as I can!

As an Amazon associate. This blog does earn commission on purchases linked above. Thank you for reading!

Life, Tarot/Card Readings

Tarot Tuesday: Trust the Process

Sirua

Spooky month is here and my sweet tooth is acting up. Oreos and peanut M & Ms galore. I am also hoping to watch American Horror story as I only reached the third season before I stopped watching. But on to the universe and seeing what it wants to tell me.

Conqueror of coins & seven of coins

These both compliment each other as they each talk about hard work and dedication. Celebrating the work that has been put in and enjoying the rewards for doing so. Reaffirming my long term goals and efforts I’m putting in for the future I am hoping for through my routine and general hard work.

There are times I am not sure what the cards are specifically referring to as I have a lot happening. Career and school tie in together while my health and self care are personal. If it applies to both as I feel they do then I hope it can continue since these are times where it’s nice to know my efforts are being recognized somewhere.

More updates coming and introduction to some writing I’ve been working on be coming. Stay sweet everyone and hope your week is lovely. Comment below what your favorite Halloween activities are!

Affiliate Links, Life, Product Review, Skin Care Beauty

When Self Care becomes Priority…

Sirua

I started this blog as my journey for self love and self care. I try to make it my forefront in everything I do. I try to take care of myself. Somewhere along the way I began to ignore my skincare. Granted it can be time consuming. But I’ve accepted that some days I don’t need to do the full regimen and make it short as needed.

Recently, I had to go to the dermatologist. Ever since 2016 my skin began to break out in this itchy, flaky and red blotches. It would happen if I was stressed, not sleeping enough, or anything that brought me out of balance or disturbed my peace. This caused discoloration on my skin. This issue was from scalp to face. 6 years later and I final fl decided enough was enough. Yes at some point it was very controlled but other times it wouldn’t be.

I am now diagnosed with seborrhoeic dermatitis. She advised me to used medicated shampoos and to try my skin care regimen again. Essentially the way to control my symptoms is to self care and use medicated products. I’m not a fan of washing my hair every single day. But, I find that being in the shower for a few minutes and massaging my scalp is relaxing. Those 10-20 minutes are heavenly and it reminds me to take care of myself. Moisturize and start my skin care right away. It’s been a few days and I’ve seen a complete change in my overall skin and hair. I’m still thinking about whether or not to cut it since shorter hair would be easier to manage and wash. But I miss having color in my hair so perhaps some rose gold highlights or any added pink color would be amazing.

The product I’m using for my seb-derm (that’s what I call it now) is Head and Shoulders Clinical it has this citrus scent that I love and lathers up pretty well to get into the scalp leaving it refreshed and clean. I work this into my hair, around my ears, and even carefully into my eyebrows (yes I get it here too!). Some conditioner and I’m done with my hair. After getting comfortable I start my skin care regimen which I’ll talk about and update in another post with all the steps and products I use. My skin has cleared up and no flakes so far. I have to be diligent and do this at least every day or every other day. Or else I start to feel my skin flaking all over again. It’s amazing what self care can do and prevent in cases like this. I’m sure I’ll have my bad days or week. But I need to remember this is for me and my physical health. I’m on this journey for myself. A healthier me and to share this with others struggling too.

What about you all? Any struggling skin condition that consume your time? Or any self care tips/tricks/products that have helped you? Comment below and let me know.

As always. Thanks for reading. Stay sweet everyone!

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Life

Love Ebbs and Flows

Sirua

As some may know I’m married and have been for officially now for 7 years as of this month and 11 years together as of this month as well. Our anniversaries fall a day apart. many do ask how we’ve managed to stay married and mostly calm through our whole relationship. Of course, love doesn’t come without it’s hiccups or doubts. It’s defined differently across the spectrum.

Honestly my husband is my best friend. My fears, doubts, laughter, joy, jokes and simply how my day are shared with him. He supports my shenanigans and keeps me grounded. We have grown and managed to survive the obstacles. We appreciate each other and learned each others love language. We continue to learn everyday. Learning from our past, living in our present and planning our future. We want the best for each other, our children and our overall well-being. He makes me feel beautiful, sexy and wanted. He’s a simple man and an amazing father.

To celebrate our years together. I drew two cards. One was the expectations of our marriage and two what to watch out for.

Nine of Cups & Five of Wands

Nine of cups represents pleasure, contentment, and success and Five of Wands is competition and conflict. Neither cards surprised me as we are celebrating and grateful for each other. And what to watch for; I already have my eyes peeled for what’s to come.

I hope to have many years more alongside my other half and for our love to continue its path of peace, passion, and understanding. For love is similar to the ocean, it ebbs and it flows. It’s not always calm and peaceful but we ride the storms hoping to survive.

Dream Journal, Hobbies, Life, Stories

Dream Stories: To Write or Not

Sirua

I’ve been dreaming things up in my imagination for a while now. My earliest dreams were pretty dark considering the amount of scary movies I’d seen or imagined up myself in the dark before falling asleep. I was definitely one of those kids with the nightmares almost constantly every night. Except I never grew out of them til I was in a safer place. Surrounded by 3 cats and a family. Suddenly, these dreams weren’t so scary.

Not all or every dream were horror nightmares. Some were about my life or a different perspective or timeline of my current life. Many things that are unexplained or shown to me out of spiritual connections. However, some were actually a good plot to stories. I still recall them in a fair amount of detail. At times I wonder if I could write it all out. Publish and have people read to see if they’ll enjoy it. Fear and time have stopped me thus far. Will I ever be ready for this?

Maybe with a little bit of time and once I graduate school I’ll have some time to open up my laptop and type what on my mind. Starting is drag but finishing might be enlightening.

Random blog I felt like writing. Lately I’ve been tired and dealing with slight health issues, nothing crazy. Could be lack of sleep and rest. I’ll be back soon with updates and more tarot. Stay sweet everyone!

Hobbies, Life, Tarot/Card Readings

Tarot Tuesday: September Theme

Sirua

First tarot Tuesday of the month for September! I am excited for the weather to cool down. Fall weather is probably my favorite season of all time. It’s time to break out the hoodies and get comfortable. No more AC running and the kids seem more comfortable being in cooler weather.

For this tarot Tuesday I’m focusing on a theme for the month. What should I pay attention to this month? What should I be doing this month to help me further myself? The answer…

Four of Swords

This card brings forth rest, relaxation, and peace. After the chaos there’s a moment for rest. To understand my priorities and re-evaluate my next steps to come.

A wonderful time to bring this up. This month usually brings me peace, not only with the weather but anniversaries coming for my husband and I. We have a family vacation this month, our son returns to school, and overall it’s when we start to feel that end of the year feeling right before the holidays. I love all the holidays and plan to make it special for the boys. Comment below with your favorite holiday and why. Stay sweet everyone!

So thankful to be in a place of being told to settle down and rest. It’s been a constant state of stress for me but it’s time to bring it all down and look out for myself. School term has started for me as well and I’m slowly trying to keep up with the work. But I also want to invest some time into write a book for Amazon if that’s even possible. Seems like time escapes me and there’s not enough hours in the day. Organization first and hobbies later!

Affiliate Links, Discounts, Hobbies, Life, Product Review

4 Months Post Op: VSG (Gastric Sleeve)

Sirua

Wow 4 months! Honestly, time passes by more quickly than you’d ever think. I remember waking up feeling regret and pain. Change is difficult and this was another change I didn’t feel all that ready for. But I went for it. Cause when would I truly be ready?

As it turns out I was more ready than I ever thought I would be. The change has been pleasant thus far besides the heart burn that I now have if I sleep on a somewhat full stomach. Highly recommend not eating before bed unless it’s very light with some water. There’s been many times I wake up with a burning feeling all the way down to my throat or felt like I couldn’t breathe from the acid build up.

Besides that so far it’s been 35 lbs down and counting! I use my fitness pal most days to track what I’m eating and making sure I keep my macros within the range. That’s probably one of the difficult things since according to some research online and the app. My macros for a 1k calorie day are:

  • Protein 75-100 grams a day (30-40%)
  • Fat 33-44 grams a day (30-40%)
  • Carbs 50-75 grams a day (20-30%)

Of course this varies and things come up. Eat what I can and try to make healthier choices. But these are the set goals and what’s best for me besides taking my daily vitamins. Which I definitely suck at doing. I give my kids their vitamins and always make sure they’re eat well. But it’s so easy to forget about myself. I’ve been getting better at remembering that I matter too.

A typical eating day for starts with a protein drink for breakfast. Easy, simple and I’m on the go: work, gym, or preparing breakfast for the kids. I do like the convenience of the Premier Protein Bottles and my favorite is chocolate. As a back up I enjoy GNC Total Lean Shake Slimvance in the flavor mocha expresso. The premier protein contains 30g of protein. 4 carbs. 1 g of sugar, 3g of fiber and 160 calories. Meanwhile the GNC does have caffeine, 25g of protein, 18g of carbs, 2g of sugar, 6 fiber and 190 calories. GNC also has a fat burning quality to it. I alternate these depending on the day and if extra calories are needed I mix the GNC with half milk and water. Also, if you want to add a workout recovery and a friendly reminder to drink more water I use Collagen for some extra support. I usually drink this probably in the afternoon after a work out since it’s unflavored it’s a perfect addition to my water intake.

As far as how I am. I feel good, lighter, energetic and hopeful. I am hopeful that I find a healthy weight and work out more. I want to tone and be stronger, healthier and eventually get into some kind of sport/activity. I do love swimming as an exercise which I think I’ll continue to do and work out my arms and back to increase my stamina and strength. I’ve always liked the idea of karate or taekwondo but one step at a time for now. Thank you for those who continue to keep up with me and my health journey. Stay sweet everyone! Always feel free to reach out with anything through my social links below.

Disclaimer: EverSori Blog is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon associate I do receive compensation for any of the affiliate links clicked and used above.

Affiliate Links, Discounts, Hobbies, Product Review

Natural Deodorant Journey: Small Reviews

Sirua

Underarms.

They’re a nuisance for some and others they hardly think about it. Puberty was a weird time for me with my underarms. Shaving the hair made it itchy. While different deodorants I tried cause the one my mother thought would work didn’t work and white tees would yellow. Yeah, thanks aluminum salts for always making me self conscious and tuck my elbows out of fear.

Recently it’s been said that the aluminum in some deodorants are potential hormone disrupters. Although not proven; scientists have what I would call an inkling that aluminum can potentially be harmful. Why is there aluminum in deodorants? Well it’s to plug the ducts and to stop/prevent sweating which causes body odor. Thus why some say antiperspirant.

Of course none of this is actual concrete evidence and frankly I’m not sure what to think. But knowing that it caused yellowing in white clothes and the idea of my sweat getting clogged up. And years of having dark underarms. I figured why not make the change to natural deodorants and go on a journey (self care journey?) I’ve tried a few different deodorants in the natural category: Native, Lume, Little Seed Farm and Each & Every. Little warning if you’re planning to switch to Natural Deodorant. The first few weeks are body crazy. You might sweat more then usual, skin changes, odd smells as the adjustment period follows. It took me about 6 weeks when usually it’s 3-4 since I had issues with one of the deodorants I tried.

Native

Native was the first one I tried and oh man I wish I would of read ahead of time. For those who aren’t aware there’s a chance that baking soda can have side effects on your skin. Native has a line of baking soda deodorants and non baking soda for people with sensitive skin. I tried the baking soda one and essentially my skin began to burn and peel. At first I thought this was normal? My underarms were unplugging and breathing again. But then it began to worse and I couldn’t use it anymore. Unfortunately I became aware that my underarms are allergic to the baking soda ingredient found in deodorants. It wasn’t pretty. The peeling made it look like a chemical peel. The skin was pale and pink while the outer edges were dark. Perhaps if I had tried their non baking soda option I would of liked it more and probably wouldn’t have had an issue. But, I ended up moving on to another brand since at the time I was sure if they offered a non baking soda option. Which they do! Silly me.

Lume

Lume was first starting when I ordered a tube. Now they have a line of scented ones that I’m curious about. The first tube I ordered wasn’t a fan of the smell but it did do it’s job. I healed from the chemical reaction from using Native and the tube made it easy to use in other parts of my body (under boob sweat? Groin? Thighs? Covered!) Although it worked for me, I frankly couldn’t get over the smell and wanted something either floral or scented to at least feel like I was smelled nicer? Currently they do offer different scents that I have not tried. the tube is sort of like toothpaste and you simple squeeze, apply and done.

Little Seed Farm

Amazon purchase for the win. So I found Little Seed Farm on amazon when searching for best natural deodorants to use. I was happy to see they had samples to try in case you have a scent you’re looking to try but don’t want to commit to a jar just yet. You can find the samples to try here for all their scents. For their larger size they have glass jars so yes you essentially take a small amount and apply to your underarm. It melts down and you’re good to go. I personally enjoyed the lavender and cucumber options but they also have charcoal as an option. In total they have 7 scents and an unscented option. The little jars are perfect to wash out and use for little things afterwards if you’re a fan of reusing things! You can purchase a full jar here. Honestly, this is my second favorite and first favorite for my brother who also made the switch to natural deodorants.

Each & Every

This is my go to. The different scents and their plant based packaging. You can even return the bottles you’ve used up for points towards your account since they recycle it. They provide you with a shipping label and off it goes in the mail. They have different scents including my favorites: Rose Vanilla, Lavender Lemon, and Geranium Snow Mushroom. There’s many other amazing sounding scents. But these scents especially if there’s a sale specific for some odors I tend to buy it in bulk to share with my husband or mom who also fell in love with the brand. It glides on smoothly and the essential oils are such a lovely scent. It feels so luxurious and who doesn’t love luxury when pampering themselves?

How do I know it works? Well let’s just say I can definitely smell myself when I don’t use it or forget to apply deodorant (oops!). If you’re looking to try this one you can click here for a 5 dollar off discount on your first purchase!

Thank you for reading! I always enjoy doing product reviews for you all with my honest opinion. There’s still more to come!

Disclaimer **As an Amazon associate I do receive compensation for any Amazon links clicked above**

Affiliate Links, Hobbies, Life, Tarot/Card Readings

Welcoming Another Month: Card Pull with Fave Product of the Month

Sirua

New week means a new card. Usually I’d wait for the morning of Tuesday but I felt it should be today. (Read til the end for my fave product of the month!)

Luck, Fortune, Cycles & Inevitable Fate

A card that comes to remind me of the cycle of life. Where there’s good; there’s also bad. Overall I feel positivity radiate from this today. Letting me know that through a series of some unfortunate events. I’ll survive and surpass again. I’ve survived more than I’ve anticipated so far. Thus I’ll dwell in the good and overcome the challenges that steer my way.

Lately it feels like challenges come from all sides: work, school, and life. I’ve managed to overcome each one as an uphill battle. I hope to see the light at the end of the tunnel through it all. I still have my worries, inevitable procrastinations, and easily overwhelmed moments. I trust the process and what I can achieve step by step. I hope with the universe’s guidance. I’ll continue my progress in this journey I chose to be on.

What a way to start the week! Weekends can be stressful for me and it’s easy to count on the cards to ease my doubts and give me guidance in my time of need. Here’s to another month coming and more blogs to come: New cards to introduce, Tesla Related, and as always: Life.

Product of the week: Lip Mask by Laneige

My secret to soft lips and it’s part of my nightly routine. I wake up to wonderful soft lips vs the dried cracked lips I used to have. I had a tendency to rip or bite off the skin. I even use it on my older son who tends to lick his lips a LOT. It heals his lips basically overnight. This lip balm contains antioxidants, vitamin c and hyaluronic acid to heal and keep those lips moisturized and supple. Can’t help but love this product.

(As an Amazon associate I earn commission with the link used above)