today's inspiration

cheers to my health!

I had the flu in November (started the day before my best friend got married and carried on for about a week - straight through mine and my husband's holidays - joy) and I just spent another week at home sleeping. Yep - that's right ... I got sick at the beginning of this year's flu season and at the end. And the season isn't over (doctors say it is quite late this year) so who knows what will happen. The one positive point is that this is the first time in about 5 years that I wasn't sick at Christmas/New Year's - just before and after :) I consider myself fairly healthy - I don't exercise near as much as I want/need to but I do play soccer regularly, we eat healthy for the most part and I get lots of sleep because my husband gets up 2.5 hours earlier than me but I still try and go to bed at the same time as him most nights.

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With all of these "sickies" invading my body, it made me really start to think about what is going in my body and how I can help ensure that I do not miss nearly 3 weeks of my life again this year when cold and flu season rolls around again in the fall. This is what I am working on ...

Step 1: An old friend saw my "i'm-so-sick-please-feel-sorry-for-me" photos on Instagram and suggested that I go and purchase some Thieves Oil right away. I immediately purchased some and added it to a roll-on carrier oil which I apply to the bottom of my feet every night before I go to bed. I was actually feeling really good for about a week after I started using it and then I got sick AGAIN but I truly think that this round of the flu was not nearly as bad as November thanks to the Thieves.

Thieves® was created based on research about four thieves in France who covered themselves with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. This proprietary essential oil blend was university tested for its cleansing abilities. It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health.

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Step 2: Try to eliminate as many chemicals as I can in my beauty related products. I didn't go all crazy and throw everything away in my bathroom but I am slowly trading out some old products for new organic, paraben and chemical free. I have used Cetaphil for years to cleanse my face but read a few articles about how bad it actually is and I am definitely switching for good! Experimenting with a few different drugstore options but here are my favourites so far.

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Step 3: Working on eliminating wheat from our diet. Not gluten per say although it is a lot easier to find gluten free products than worrying about the wheat factor individually. Yes, I am reading Wheat Belly and yes, I bought the Wheat Belly Cookbook. I have jumped on the bandwagon but have always considered this (my dad had celiac disease and passed away from stomach cancer so it is always on my mind) and I just found that the Wheat Belly craze made it easy for me to looking into it a bit more.

Step 4: Consider eliminating dairy. Doing some research. Thinking about it.

I hope some of these tips might work for you and I would love to hear about any healthy living tips that you use on a daily basis! Thanks friends! xo

feeling better and instagram

I am feeling a lot better and am back to work (and hopefully normal) tomorrow. Heart of the City always makes me smile no matter if I'm sick or not. Love!

 



 

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really?!

I'm sick. Again. So sick. Again. So frustrated. Back to regular life shortly ... I really, REALLY hope. xo

recently

Another Kristin Hannah audiobook listened to and loved.

Pretty sure Debbie Macomber is for a much older reader but I enjoyed this Christmas story that wrapped up the characters from all her previous novels. It was a good way to get me in the holiday mood.

Could not love this movie more. Adorable, hilarious and a perfect chick flick. I highly recommend it!

What have you been listening to, reading or watching lately?

a little more and a little less

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Happy 2013 Friends! We had a fantastic New Year's Eve celebrating with good friends and delicious fondue. It was low-key and perfect. Today was my first day back in the office and it went really well - my boss even let us go a bit early to ease us back into the working schedule - ha ha. It helped :)

 

I've been thinking a lot about this year and what I want to accomplish. There is a lot of talk around the blog world about "One Word" - choosing one word that you focus on throughout the year. I have chosen two words: positive and gratitude. Whenever I am feeling down and out or stressed, I will focus on being positive and remember all that I am grateful for. I started doing this in 2012 and when I did, it made a huge difference for me. It's amazing that I have to make an effort to think positively in some situations and to remember to be grateful but life gets out of control from time to time - this helps me get back on track.

 

I have a list of personal goals for this year but these are my general resolutions - a little more and a little less:

1. Save more.
2. Blog more.
3. Create more.
4. Do more.
5. Read more.
6. Cook more.
7. Attend more.
8. Focus more.
9. Write more.
10. Decorate more.
11. Judge less.
12. Gossip less.
13. Spend less.

What is your focus for 2013?

 

PS - We broke down Boxing Day Week and bought a new computer so this will really help me with blogging in 2013. Having a computer at home that works well makes all the difference and makes me happy!