Simply September

I woke up yesterday morning and turned to Justin and said, "It's time to start decorating for Halloween!!!" I've been so excited to try out some decorating ideas I saw on Pinterest (I will share those on my next blog post).

Then, I started feeling a little anxious. Once Halloween hits, then we have Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the obligations that come with the months of November and December. Poor September. It's a month that we take for granted. It's after August with all the end of summer, back to school festivities, and before all the holiday months. I thought to myself, what is there to get excited about for September? It's not quite fall but not summer anymore. I decided that I need to jazz up my September but don't want to commit to any major projects or spend a bunch of money. Here are some simple ideas I came up with to make my September a little more special. 

*Start each morning with a fun "goal" or positive thought. 

I like to believe in the power of positive thinking, and I tell my students about making your dreams a reality all the time. Each morning think about one thing that you are grateful for or one fun thing you would like to incorporate into your day. Why should November have all the fun when it comes to being grateful? I'm going to make it a commitment every morning to think about what I'm grateful for. Today it's Grandparents Day and I thought to myself, how incredibly grateful I am to my wonderful grandparents. They are like parents to me. I also said a little prayer for my Grandmother Nancy up in Heaven. Already my day has been off to a great start! I also like the idea of themed goals. Maybe one morning the theme could be "feel like a rock star" and wear all black with some funky eye makeup. Maybe one morning it's "Feel like a goddess" and you could wear a pretty outfit to work. Or quite simply, "Survive the day" and wear some comfy clothes. I think it makes your mornings a little more exciting :). 

*For exercise, take a walk. 

This is the time of year to start a workout routine before you are bombarded with social commitments and lots of holiday food. Don't have time or money to go to the gym? Go take a walk! The weather is starting to cool off  and you can connect with your neighborhood. Have kids? Take them with you! Some of my favorite memories have involved taking Julian on a walk with him riding in his red wagon. It's such a great way to bond with your family and burn some calories at the same time.  

*Pick one part of your beauty routine that you'd like to change or spend some TLC on.

I've decided it's time to change my hair routine. Last weekend Birchbox had a great Labor Day weekend coupon. I took advantage of it and purchased the following products all for $45 (included was free shipping and the two products in the front row. I also used $10 worth of credit I had earned for reviewing boxes). I'm going to start shampooing my hair less and using dry shampoo more. 

The reason for this? In Women's Health I read ways that celebrities keep their hair looking so gorgeous, and here are the two ideas I'm going to try out this month: 

Want to join Birchbox? Don't forget my referral code: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/crystalking

*Try out some new fashion that won't break the bank! 

I'm never sure what to wear in September. Here in Texas it's still too hot to wear fall clothes and if you are like me then you are already sick of your summer clothes. One simple fix is to buy a few scarves and wear them with your summer tops. I just love anything with sparkles and I can't wait to mix in some sparkly scarves with my wardrobe. Confession: I don't like fall fashion or clothes. I don't like how constricting they are. I'm a sandals/dresses/tank tops and shorts kinda gal.  

Here's another fashion idea-jazz up your nails! People will be so busy looking at your fabulous nails that they won't even notice what you are wearing. I saw these examples in Women's Health and I can't WAIT to try them out, especially the color combos: 

So, how about you? What are some things you would like to try this September?

Power Up Challenge

If you are my friend on Instagram or Twitter you've been bombarded the past 24 hours of pictures from me. I signed up and received my first Birchbox a few days ago and included was a packet full of 12 mini "challenges." In my previous post I discussed tasks and wanting to check items off a list, so needless to say I was only too happy to participate. Even more motivating was the opportunity to win a contest, but the only catch was I had to do it in a 48 hour time span because the contest ends tonight at midnight. Here were the challenges and what I did for each task. If you want to read more specifics about each challenge, visit https://www.birchbox.com/magazine/article/power-up-challenge

If you want to see the pictures that I posted, check out my Twitter page: https://twitter.com/crystalmdking

Challenge 1: Write it down
A few of my close friends use the app MyFitnessPal. I joined about a month ago and have been logging my workouts and calorie intake. It really does make a difference when you can see what you are consuming and burning off.

Challenge 2: Part your hair differently 
For as long as I can remember I've parted my hair on the same side. I parted it a different way and this sounds silly but it kinda threw me off for a little bit! It's funny how the smallest changes can make a big difference.

Challenge 3: Eat veggies for breakfast
I bought some tasty spinach and quinoa cakes at Costco and paired them with some veggie bacon. Delicious meal! You could even put some eggs over medium on top. I need to get better about putting spinach in my morning smoothies.

Challenge 4: Get out of your color comfort zone 
I wore purple lipstick to the courthouse this morning. Definitely out of my comfort zone, but it was fun to try out.

Challenge 5: Sit smarter 
My trainer has been working on some back exercises with me. A lot of people slouch because they don't have the back muscle support! I've become cognizant of sitting up now every time I am seated.

Challenge 6: Skip the mirror 
I don't spend too much time looking in the mirror to begin with so this really isn't a "challenge." Only if you are putting on makeup, I guess! I skipped putting on my makeup in the mirror this morning and just went for the purple lips. I'm sure that was all I needed anyways!

Challenge 7: Up your sleep quality 
This is an area where I know I need a lot more work on. Go to bed 5 minutes earlier than the night before, and turn off that technology! I've been getting really bad about playing around on my iPad instead of reading a good book this summer. I'm looking forward to continuing with this challenge.

Challenge 8: Log 10 minutes of outdoor time (daily) 
Not really a good time of year to be doing this but I did it anyway. Julian loves being outdoors so this is a good way to bond with him as well. There are days during the school year when the only time I am outside is walking to or from my car. Fall is my favorite time of year for weather so I can't wait to do more outdoor activities.

Challenge 9: Go on a blue streak 
I wore some blue eyeliner! And actually liked it! That was seriously my first time to do that. It makes my green hazels eyes pop out more than just my black eyeliner.

Challenge 10: Sneak cardio into your day 
I've been going to the gym pretty much every day this summer so it wasn't too difficult to "sneak" some cardio in. Really, going to the gym is the only alone time I get to have in a day so I try to make the most out of my time.

Challenge 11: Take a cold shower 
Yuck, not a fan of this one. It's supposed to energize you and all that, but I prefer my showers to be scalding. Even after going to the gym I prefer a nice hot shower. This was my least favorite challenge and not one that I'll do again.

Challenge 12: Perfect your push up
I've been working on push ups and planks at the gym. Add in the stability ball...not fun but funny to watch, but I've been getting better each time working with the trainer!

If you try any of these challenges out yourself (or all of them!) let me know. It's fun and takes no time at all.

If you check out Birchbox and think it's something you would like to try, I would appreciate it if you use my referral code. But don't worry, I'm not going to beg you for referrals ;-) https://www.birchbox.com/invite/crystalking