Watch Your Words

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First of all, Happy New Years! 🙂

And secondly, I had another post in mind, an assessment of how 2019 went for me and what I plan on doing next, but I think that this post takes precedent.

I’m noticing a pretty worrying trend amongst the New Years posts I’ve seen over the past few days, and it has me concerned. Sure, every year you're going to have those "stop saying 'new year, new me'" posts and other relatively harmless jabs, but I can't help but notice that this latest batch of jokes are laced with spite and cynicism (i.e. shade).

"Okay, people are making jokes. So what?"

What if I told you that the same people I've seen making these jokes are the very same ones that constantly preach about love, positivity, and supporting one another the other 360-some odd days in the year?

Moreover, many of them are in leadership positions; business owners, CEOs, etc. with tens of thousands of followers.

Sure, it doesn't matter who has made the jokes, but  rather the underlying message in hem: People who have failed before will never change, so they should just stop announcing their efforts.

No.

If your message- no, if your life is really dedicated towards having empathy and supporting others, then you would share encouraging content rather than cutting quips. You would be their loudest cheerleader rather than another negative voice snickering in the background. You can't be positive and petty at the same time. You have to choose one or the other.

After all, what if the shoe was on the other foot?

So tell me, what are your thoughts? What are you looking forward to doing in 2020?

Until next time!

❤ Monique

A Year of Ipsy

Last year, I got an email from my sister (via Ipsy) telling me that she sent me a free Glam Bag. Of course, there was a catch: I had to sign up for a membership. “No biggie.” I thought. All I had to do was sign up to receive my bag and cancel the membership before the next month. After all, I don’t wear makeup and I prefer to keep my skincare routine pretty minimalist with all-natural products.

Well, let’s just say that some things don’t always go according to plan… 😅

So what is Ipsy anyway? Ipsy is a monthly subscription service where for $10 a month, you can try out five samples of makeup and skincare products that come in a cute makeup bag; or for $25 a month, you can subscribe to the Glam Bag Plus where you get five full size products (but no cute bag).

I’m subscribed to both and I’ve been pleased with my experience. Ipsy has made my skincare journey fun! I've enjoyed trying out new products, especially luxury brands. Speaking of which, I loooooove getting luxury items for a deal! For instance, last month I got the 111Skin Vitamin C Brightening Booster, which retails for $180, in my Glam Bag Plus for $25 along with 4 other items!

However, there have been a few drawbacks. For me, the main one is product overload. I’m drowning in lip glosses! (If it weren’t for my sister, I’d be drowning in eye makeup too.) Another one is that my preferences seem to be overlooked. I have indicated that I prefer skincare products over makeup, but 12/13 of the bags I’ve received have been makeup-heavy.

Luckily, these issues come with simple fixes. For instance, to avoid product overload, you can choose to skip a bag/box for a month or two (I decided to skip the July Glam Bag Plus). If you miss out on the bag for that month, don’t fret. You can buy the bags from eBay or you can make swaps within the My Subscription Addiction community. As for product preferences, many in the community recommend that to get your perfect bag, you should a) review the products you receive every month, and b) keep your beauty preferences up to date. (We'll see how my August bag turns out.)

Want to give Ipsy a try? Click here to use my referral link to subscribe!

Until next time!

Love,

Monique ❤

P.S. Here are some of my favorites thus far:

Favorite bag: October 2018

So cute! I could not think of a better bag to have for the Halloween season!


Favorite Product: BKR Hydrating Water Balm (From the July 2018 bag)

Source: Ipsy

This is a must for winter!! ☝🏾


Favorite Overall Bag: June 2019

A mostly-skincare bag + TETRIS = A winning combination for me!

Adventures in...Coaching?

Source: MaxPixel

Yes, you read that right! I'm working on becoming a coach 🙂

And, no, not a health and wellness coach, nor a beauty coach, but rather a life coach.

To make a long story short, I know what it's like to have a lot of big dreams and goals but getting stuck on the execution. Maybe it's because you're unclear on how to get started. Maybe you're overwhelmed by the process. Or maybe you just have a fear of failure. Whatever the case, I want to help you through it.

I also know what it's like to get caught up in the gimmicky, salesy world of personal development. Everyone seems to have the answer for all of life's problems and they're willing to share it with the world...for a fee of course. However, let me be the first to say that there are truly some great, genuine, and hard-working coaches out there and I'm thankful to be able to work with some of them 🙂

With that said, right now, I'm looking at taking on three new clients, so if you're interested, send me a message through the "Contact" page. If you know someone who would be interested in working with an up-and-coming life coach, please share this post with them.

Until next time!

Love,

Monique ❤

A Little Unconventional

Today's Weight: 218.6

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and bacon with collard greens (Pictured above)

Dinner: Greek salad with chicken

Thoughts: My breakfast is a little on the unconventional side, but I needed to get my greens in so this was the first thing I could get my hands on.

Also, I was glad to have a day off from work (state holiday). I spent today getting some shopping done and later coming home to cut up some Lush bath bombs.

Peachy bath bomb.

I had a total of five bath bombs I've been hanging onto for months now, but for one reason or another, they went unused. Since I'm working on eliminating products with added fragrance and colors from my skincare regimen, I figured that the best use for them would be aromatherapy. I plan on dissolving a chunk before or during a shower and letting the fragrance fill the entire bathroom.

With that said, I ask you, what are some unconventional methods you've used to achieve a goal? What are some unconventional ways you've used products?

Until next time!

Love,

Monique ❤

A Snack Attack

Source: Wikimedia

Today's Weight: 217.4

Snacks: Half an order of fries from Dairy Queen, pepperoni slices, a mind KIND bar, and a few slices of chicken.

Thoughts: Yeah...definitely didn't do well with the eating today...

These snacks weren't consumed in one sitting, so I had several chances to turn things around and eat on plan, yet I didn't.

Why?

Well, it wasn't because I was eating my anxiety. Rather, it was that the food was just...there. And I knew it would taste good and I knew that I wanted some.

After all, when would be the next time I will get french fries, right?

Instead of just mindlessly eating, I should have just followed Coach Jennifer's advice when it comes to cravings:

1. Do a 20-minute pause.
2. Check in with your thoughts and feelings.

Looking back, my feelings were of desire. These feelings didn't come out of nowhere, but rather from the thoughts that I had about the food ("It would taste good", "When will be the next time I'll get fries", etc.).

This is a skill that I know I need to develop in order to get to my goal weight, yet the pause is a pain because it's so inconvenient. Even I'm not exceptionally busy most of the time, I have other obligations that require my time and attention (work, family, and other goals of mine). I barely have the space to breathe.

How do you practice mindfulness in the midst of busyness and chaos? Let me know down in the comments.

Until next time!

Love,

Monique ❤