Winter Skin

I don't know about you, but as soon as that first winter chill comes rolling in, my skin likes to dry up and become more of nuisance then it has all year. Luckily Florida doesn't harbor many cold days, but my husband's family lives in brisk Philadelphia, so it was crucial to stock up on some products that would save my skin while visiting. 

I've tried many products over the years, but these handful are the best I've come across so far. Hopefully these suggestions will help keep your skin feeling hydrated and soft this season too! 

One | The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Butter - The best body cream ever. Goes on thick and stays all day.

Two | Philosophy Great Skin Is In Normal/Combo - The face cream works great for both winter and summer months - it's hydrating, but not heavy. In combination with the face wash, my skin was more vibrant then ever after using this set for only a week.

Three | Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve - This is the only hand cream I've found so far that has been able to keep my hands smooth throughout the winter. It's a miracle worker.

Four | Say Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes - These are great to remove eye make up and, well...all of your make up when you're feeling lazy after a busy day. Quick, easy and they leave you feeling refreshed. 

Five | Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in Coconut Lime - Great to exfoliate with in the shower and the shea nut oil ingredient helps to preserve natural moisture in your skin.

Six | Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Rose - Hydrates your lips and gives some subtle color.

Seven | Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash - It's so hard to find a body wash that doesn't have overbaring scents and this one does the job right. Lightly fragrant and locks in moisture. 

Eight | Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment - Soothes and heals dry, chapped lips. I like to use this first and then layer with the Burt's Bees after. 

Nine | L'Occitane Shea Butter - Use this shea butter for really dry areas like knees and elbows. 

Making Some Alterations

Of course with new years, come new resolutions. However this year, I decided not to suddenly jump on board the riot for change on the first of the month. I do want change - just not the kind of change that sticks for a glimmering second and then you're left every January 1st with a reminder that you couldn't (or just simply didn't) follow through the last time. So instead, I've been gradually working in some changes over the past month, and I have to say I've accomplished way more this January than other new years. Here are the couple areas I've been focusing on:

Caring for my home. I've been taking this one day by day by putting in 10-15 mins every day to improve or tidy up some area of the house. Even something as simple as picking up fresh flowers every Sunday during my weekly grocery shopping trip has helped to make our home more inviting, comfortable and complete (even if our bedroom is strewn with clothes that need washed/hanging up). I've also been trying not to get too intensive about the cleaning process and remembering that no one is glaring at the dust bunnies under our bed because in reality I'm the only one who even cares or knows about them.

Caring for my health. It is so easy to overwhelm yourself or even set yourself up for failure when you put unrealistic expectations on yourself when it comes to your health and fitness routines. I aimed to hit the gym four to five days a week for a few months last year, but ended up quitting a couple months in because I wasn't seeing the results I wanted. I knew I needed to incorporate healthier eating habits to get the results, but thinking about throwing so much change into my routine discouraged me even more. Instead of doubling on both at the start of the year, I simply chose to focus on getting a better diet in place since this aspect would affect my every day. And now after a few weeks of eating better, I'm going to start incorporating workouts back into my routine. 

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let's try this again

It's been quite some time since the last post, and much has changed over here since the beginning of this year. Not only did my name change (I'm now a Stephens!), I also have a new blog name!

As an update...after getting engaged last October, I shifted my career and started a new job, we got married this past April, and have now been settling in to our new home.

As you can see, this year has brought lots of change, but change I am so thankful and grateful for. I figured this would be the perfect time to start getting a bit more settled into my blog as well. I've got lots of exciting things happening as my life enters into this new season of life, and I couldn't be more thrilled than to document it all right here. So cheers to new beginnings, and I hope you'll stop by again!

24 days in

We're only 24 days in to 2012, and this year has already proved to be full of greatness. My schedule has been non-stop (although, I prefer it this way). 

The first weekend of January, we attended a wedding for our friends, Jesse and Robb, and it was by far one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever been to. Jesse's parents have a house on a lake and they held the reception in their backyard, with the ceremony a few houses down on community lakefront lot. They're such a wonderful couple to begin with that it was great to see them so happy during that moment and to share it with them.

We've been on a roll with wedding planning festivities and have been able to check a lot of things off our list. Our meeting with the wedding designer, Emilee, at our venue was so helpful and really understood the type of detailed wedding we are wanting. And, this week I'm meeting with the florist, which I can't wait for since the flowers are one of the most exciting elements of decor to me.

Spending time with good friends has ensued as well. We had the pleasure of hanging out with our friends, the Hembrees, one night to try out Yellow Dog Eats, a cute BBQ/sandwich restaurant in Gotha, Florida.

And, we celebrated our two year anniversary on Saturday. I surprised Chris with a day date at Discovery Cove. We got to ride, kiss and hug the dolphins. It was pretty amazing and I definitely recommend making the investment to go sometime. Then later on in the day, Chris surprised me with a mission letter to go on a shopping spree for a new wardrobe! I'm a lucky lady indeed. He's the best at surprises and giving gifts.

So, there you have it. 2012, you've been good thus far!