Hello, March! It's time to turn a new leaf and wish the snow be gone. The lull of dark winter nights is slowly but surely fading and I'm ready for a spring refresh in the coming weeks—life's been good these past couple of months, so I thought I would write a brief update on all the winter happenings and what I'm looking forward to this month!
01. Continuing work from home and transitioning into the office this spring. So far, I have been really embracing my work-from-home routine, especially since the thought of commuting in 20 degree weather just isn't ideal at the moment. I've been switching up my days by going to coffee shops or working at my gym's lounge before I workout and I've also really enjoyed getting to know my team more over the past couple of months. I've been able to work on some fun campaigns for Trolli Gummi Worms and General Mills cereal brands, so it's been a lot of fun and every day is different for me. I know I'll be heading back into the city soon, but for right now, I'm totally okay with waking up at a reasonable time and having my morning coffee without worry of catching a train.
02. Setting boundaries and creating time to dedicate to myself has been my motto. With balancing time to go out with friends, travel a lot more, and work full time, I have honed the ability to be fully content with just having time and peace to myself every now and then. I think I've fully grown into my introverted-extroverted self. I am okay having time at the end of a long work day to decompress or go to the gym and run it out to Lizzo. Setting boundaries for me to reset, be productive, and work on me—even getting back on my blog—has always helped me stay grounded.
03. A wedding, a wedding! No...not my wedding, silly. This month I'm headed down to Virginia for my good friend's wedding and I can't be more excited to actually be at a wedding with people my age. Now, before I get too old and sick of weddings, I just love to celebrate love with the people I love. That AND open bars AND cake.
04. Speaking of traveling, I've had a bit of a travel bug lately and planning quick, spontaneous weekend trips just seems to be in the cards for me lately. With skiing in Idaho, to a weekend trip to Georgia with my best friend, the wedding, and next...well I've got a big trip over the pond in the works for this summer, too!
While keeping tabs on happenings throughout the world (I say that so so lightly), my cousin and I have booked a trip to Italy and France later this summer. Details to come later, but we are thrilled and are fleshing out the itinerary as I speak...so stay tuned!
05. So, this is really cheesy and gimmicky, but to remember the joys of each day I've been writing down little blurbs of good things—whether it be my hairdresser keeping a clip I left in the salon a year ago or just simply treating myself to Chinese takeout, I've made it a point each day to reflect on one good thing. Big or small. It keeps me in check and focused on what matters and what makes me happy. After I write these little blurbs down on my mini Post-Its, I drop it into a blue mason jar on my bookshelf for safe keeping. When one day I find myself in need of a little uplift, I can open one of these blurbs and remind myself of all the good I've experienced. Cheesy enough yet?
The newness of spring is on the horizon and I'm ready for whatever may bloom this month. Keepin' it fresh and being open to change—or even cultivating change—in my routine is on my radar and I'm looking forward to sunnier and longer days ahead!
The Mountains are Calling and I Must Go
Last weekend was a weekend filled with firsts. I went skiing in the mountainous west with my cousins in McCall, Idaho. This was also one of my first winter trips, as my family usually hunkers down and only visits family remotely near us during the holidays. I was excited to get the chance to appreciate the snow a bit more and spend it with family I don't often get to see—along with three new little munchkins running around and just beautiful, blue sky mountain views.
Day 1: McCall & the "Little Ski Hill"
With zero experience skiing, I was going fully prepared to experience blood, sweat, and tears—sans the tears—and test my athleticism, patience, and mental aptitude for what was a pretty successful first ski run for me! Thankfully, my cousin's husband Shane was a ski instructor and their whole family was equipped with extra gear for me so I was among the experts. As daunting as that already is knowing that they regularly ski, I knew that I wanted to make the most of the trip as much as I wanted them all to enjoy it and not have to worry about me going off the mountainside.
Before we checked into our cozy Air BnB, we explored the quaint ski town, which reminded me a bit of the Wisconsin Dells—it definitely had a lot of tourists visiting for the weekend ahead of their annual ice festival, which I was really excited to see since I haven't seen ice sculptures in person before. We took a stroll around the frozen lake with their golden retrievers and stopped for some much needed caffeine before we hit up the first mountain of the evening.
The Little Ski Hill (which I report is NOT little for a first time skier) was where we ended up going that night just to get me on the skis and learn the basics—little did I know I would be basically leashed down the hill, but to my cousin Rachael's point—I was not going to live up there. Only one way down! The first hurdle for me was getting adjusted to the fact that you're on a high mountain and it definitely psyched me out. I would take many, many, falls just because speeding down it was not going to be an option for me that night. Instead, Shane was patient with me and showed me the basics to turning and weight distribution...all I'm going to tell you is that I made it down that mountain. Thanks, Shane.
Day 2: Brundage Ski Hill & Winter Tailgating
The second day was our big ski day as a family. We headed up to Brundage Mountain and from my previous day of struggling down my first mountain, I will admit I was a bit nervous considering we would be going down more similar or even harder runs. Thankfully, my cousins and I decided it would be most beneficial for me to take at least one lesson to feel more confident in my skis and also so they could go off and do their thing while I was learning on the bunny hill below.
The hardest part for me learning to ski was understanding how weight distribution and speed work for you rather than against you. The more momentum you have, the easier it will be to curve and turn down the mountain—learning how to regulate your speed was another hurdle. You can't just pizza and french fry the whole way down. It's exhausting! So, turning was really the secret to having an effortless run. And I had to make it to the top!
My ski instructor was patient with me and I finally had my turns down for the most part, it was just graduating to steeper hills and remembering to lift the weight off of my inside ski and using the whole width of the mountain to my advantage. When I finally regrouped with the family, we took the lift all the way to the top for what were just stellar views of the valley below and a quite relaxing road to ski down until I got to some of the more steeper slopes. Once we finally got down the mountain, my aunt met up with us for a winter tailgate and barbecue (bless Aunt Laura!)...and much needed beers. We ended the night with rejoining with more family that met up with us at the house and some hot toddies.
Day 3: Snow Shoeing in Ponderosa State Park
By Saturday, I was pretty gassed out and was feeling the soreness all over my body from using every single muscle to ski. My cousins and I were also ready for a break and to also just enjoy what McCall had to offer. We slept in and took our snow shoes to Ponderosa State Park for a hike!
I've never snow shoed either, but it almost feels like you're strapped into moon shoes and are walking on an elliptical since your stance is so wide and you're cutting into the snow. It definitely was a workout in itself, but the paths were pretty groomed for snow shoeing and cross country skiing. Not to mention it was cool just being able to walk through the forest and see the portrait of Payette Lake, with a majestic bald eagle crossing the horizon as we howled and cawed over the frozen lake.
After snow shoeing, we drove into town for some much needed shopping and lunch at the Salmon River Brewery as we had all of the babies with us. We wandered around town, visited some cool ice sculptures, and ended the night eating a big spaghetti dinner at my uncle's friend's house outside of town. It was definitely a day needed to just rest and have some quality family time before heading out on Sunday.
Day 4: One Last Ski in Boise
With a good lay in, the whole crew was getting ready to pack up. Time flies when you're flying down mountains! We headed into town for one last bite to eat—the most amazing french dip at the McCall Brewing Company (all the breweries, yes) where we said adieu to most of the cousins and headed out with my aunt and uncle and cousin Lindsay back to Boise. We were going to night ski one last time before I was dropped off at the airport and they headed back to Oregon.
I was feeling like mush from skiing for two days, but one more day couldn't hurt right? Mustering up the courage and what I learned to get through my first intermediate ski run (the level goes bunny hill, green, blue or intermediate, and black diamond). Also successfully going down my first green without falling. I owe it to my cousins for their patience with me and being the true ski cheerleaders as I trudged back on my skis every time, had a couple yard sales, got a pretty good battle scar on my knee, but never—not once—shedding a single tear, just powder.
They know this already, but sending another huge thank you to the Livingston crew for inviting me on their yearly ski trip and for putting up with my mother goose ski skills. It truly is a difficult sport, but I understand why so many people do it once they have the gear and experience down. The running joke was that my next ski venture is the winter olympics...so just you wait.
It's that time of year again—brisk sub-zero mornings and very deceiving sunshine. And yes, dry dry skin from walking Cooper on my lunch break. The winter nips have gotten the best of me, so I thought it was time to update you all with what's on my skincare shelf this month.
I love these rattan shelves by the way. I think they're from Five Below? At some point I needed to find something to fill up this blank corner next to my desk and these were perfect for holding some of my essential skincare items and perfumes I reach for on the daily. It's a designated spot and excuse to clutter up with all of my favorites, so let's dive in!
Eau de Parfum
I don't talk a lot about perfumes as much as I used to mainly because my favorites haven't changed all too much. I'm also usually the type to use them sparingly so they don't run out. Winter is when I love to wear warm and spicy scents—I'm not to keen on the sweet, vanilla-y perfumes. A hint of musk and some type of woodsy note draws me in!
Chloe Nomade- This mother of a bottle on the bottom shelf was a big holiday splurge for me, but when you find your perfect scent—I think it's worth buying the full bottle. This is a warm floral with notes of freesia, oakmoss, and mirabelle plum liquor...sounds decadent right? It's definitely one of those head-turning scents and is the perfect blend of spice and sweetness for fall and winter.
Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede- A cult classic and a fragrance I've held onto for a while because I can't justify wearing it as an every day perfume. This is definitely a brighter floral with notes of peony, red apple, and jasmine. It's a very flirty scent and I always like to just dab it on my neck and wrists before I go out.
Pour Le Visage
Onto the face! I'm all about the moisture and hydration—"slugging" if you will. The more creams and preventative lotions I can put on my face the better. My skin transforms during this month while it figures out how to adapt to the snippy chill—a never ending story I suppose.
Laneige Water Sleeping Mask- So, apparently this lovely ingredient squalane with a pro-biotic derived complex are the best concoction for treating ultra-dry skin. Both add visibly hydrated and glowy skin and act as a moisture barrier to mimic the skin's natural lipids...a lot of science there, but hey! It works wonders. I'm already a fan of this water sleeping mask and douse my face in it before I go to bed, waking up feeling hydrated and fully refreshed. Best for days when my skin really needs it.
Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream- When I'm feeling like my skin is in an okay place (rarely), I will opt for a light moisturizer. Since I do have acne prone skin, this is usually my go-to anyway but since it's winter, I'm switching out and rotating moisturizers. This cream in particular is the best daily moisturizer for me. It has hyaluronic acid which is great for strengthening your skin's moisture barrier and balance out complexion.
Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment- I constantly rub my eyes during the day and night. They're usually dry, itchy, or just tired to be honest. I am always opting for a super rich eye cream and have never been let down by Kiehl's. This eye cream features avocado oil which smooths, de-puffs, and brightens. I will slather this puppy on every night—no more itchy, dry eyes!
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment- Dr. Jart is my BFF and now is this product. It is a green-to-beige transforming cica cream that neutralizes redness and evens your skin tone. The perfect fix for red and dry skin, especially when you have to hop on Zoom calls and don't have the extra minutes to fully conceal. I've constantly dealt with uneven skin and skin pigment, so this has just been a lifesaver of a product—have no fear, the green actually does go away so you don't end up looking like Shrek LOL
I hope everyone has been staying warm this month, how have you been treating your winter skin lately?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons