Hellooo everyone! When I’m in the mood for it, I love to cook. But, that is something that I really haven’t done in a while, opting for quick hunger fixes like sandwiches, eggs, cereal, and mac n cheese (of course!). I’ve wanted to make some more fulfilling meals for a while now but haven’t felt up to it. However, the bad bitch is back (lol) and I spent Sunday morning cooking up a pasta salad that will feed me for the week as well as some carrots with a butter glaze and rosemary. Check it out:
When I go grocery shopping, I try to buy a lot of fresh veggies to eat with hummus as a snack. It’s important to me not to be wasteful so I really do try to eat absolutely everything that I buy before hitting the grocery again. In my fridge, I had a bag of baby carrots and some lovely little cherry tomatoes that had been sitting there for a while so I decided to make some simple culinary magic happen with the ingredients that I had in my fridge and pantry.
I enjoyed my cooking time so much because I feel like I haven’t made a substantial meal since moving into my apartment and it felt good to create something delicious for myself. Self care includes eating good food and I’m hoping that my mental health will improve while I work my way through the pot of pasta salad that I made all by myself.
Here is the makeshift recipe I created for the salad if you’d like to try it out for yourself. I know I’m partial to it because I made it but it is such a nice, light pasta salad perfect for summer!
1 box bowtie pasta
2 small jars of artichoke, pour it all in (liquid included!)
1 container cherry tomatoes
Large chunks of mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese sprinkled over top
Seasoned with: Salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and oregano
And, for the carrots, I cooked them up, let them cook some more in butter, and then seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
I hope you enjoy my hodge podge pasta salad as much as I did and feel free to add your own twist onto it! 😀
What is your favorite dish to cook? What kind of food do you love to eat in the summer time? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
*FYI: This post has a trigger warning for eating disorders so read at your own discretion!*
Helloooo, darlings! When I was a teenager, I can never remember my “time of the month” causing me as much grief as it does as a twenty-something. The cramps, fatigue, bloating, and an insatiable appetite seem to be a more recent thing to the past few years. Now, the discomfort and tiredness is something that I can deal with with a Motrin and a Starbucks. But, what really bothers me is the crazy increased appetite.
For a good long while, I suffered from a vicious cycle of binging and purging and the amount that I eat in one sitting on my period definitely brings me back to that. But, oh my god, am I hungry! It’s a difficult thing to deal with and I was wondering if anyone had any tips to lessen these intense hunger pangs when Aunt Flo pays a visit. Whether that be more regular little meals, an increased amount of protein, or what have you – I am willing to try anything and any suggestions help!
Thanks in advance! ❤
What are your Period Problems? How do you make your time of the month more comfortable? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Greetings! During my last Sephora haul, one of the two free samples I chose with my order was the AmorePacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder. Woo, that is a mouthful! I tested this product out a few days ago and I’m not sure how to feel about it. Of course, it’s always nice to try something new. But, just one tester sample isn’t exactly enough to give you a full idea of how the product works. We’ll get into that further in a sec but, first, take a look at some pics:
My impression from reading the reviews for the peel on Sephora’s website is that it is viewed as a miracle product by its users. The reviews boasted of how well it exfoliates and that after using it, their skin was perfect. But, I have a hard time seeing how that was possible during my tester run with the powder to foam product.
After adding a few drops of water to the powder seen above, any attempt at “lathering” it onto my skin was in vain because it dried almost instantly. While some reviewers said that the peel tightened their pores, my skin was only left feeling dry and dehydrated. The name of this AmorePacific peel is all very confusing because the reviewers claim that it’s an exfoliater and not a peel. Meanwhile, I didn’t think it was much of anything!
If you have the option to sample this product with your online Sephora purchase, I wouldn’t recommend it. This exfoliater/peel/whatever it is is something that needs to be used several times before you can form an opinion on it and the amount that I was given really wasn’t enough to do anything for me. And, maybe this product is a holy grail one – but, I just wasn’t seeing it.
Has anyone used the AmorePacific peel before? What were your thoughts on it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
*This post contains a trigger warning for eating disorders*
Despite the prevalence of eating disorders in today’s society, the public is still struggling to understand what these are. Because of this, it becomes easy to believe the many misconceptions surrounding this family of conditions. To protect and educate ourselves with regard to this matter, it’s important that the truth is set apart from lies or misinformation. One good way to do that is to present all of the facts, like the following list of things to give you a better understanding about eating disorders:
Eating Disorders Are Medically Recognized Illnesses:
Eating disorders fall under mental illnesses. They are serious disorders which can be life-threatening if not treated immediately. This means that any eating disorder, be it anorexia or bulimia nervosa has clear diagnostic criteria for them to fall under this category. And, albeit alarming, the fact is that eating disorders have a higher mortality rate than any psychiatric disorder.
Eating Disorders Go Way Beyond Food:
While these conditions are related to someone’s eating habits, frequently, one’s view on food is not where this is rooted. In reality, there are various aspects that can influence its development. Among those factors include the biological, psychological, and sociocultural background of the patient. This means that trying to offer support with simple phrases like “eat more,” “have less”, and “be healthier” simply wouldn’t work, since the cause of the condition is rooted in issues that are often completely unrelated to food and material possessions. If you are suffering from an eating disorder, mental trauma must be worked through. This could be with a local therapist or an inpatient program. Whatever method you choose is an excellent step and talking about these feelings is only going to help you no matter how hard it is.
Recovery Is Possible for This Condition:
As serious as they may sound, getting over eating disorders is possible. You’ll find tons of treatment options for bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders in your area. Recovery, however, takes a lot of work and the patient needs to be willing to comply with it. Along with that, they need a strong support system to help them overcome this condition. This would only be deemed effective with the guidance of a psychiatrist, because recovery goes way beyond the patient’s physical health and impacts their mental well-being. For that, it’s necessary to have a doctor guide them throughout their healing process.
If you are taking the step to speak with someone about your eating disorder, then well done. You should be so proud of yourself! Be sure to be honest with yourself about what kind of therapist you prefer for the most success. Do you definitely want a female practitioner? Does their age matter to you? You want to have a strong connection with your therapist and this can all impact that. You can begin researching practitioners by entering a search for “eating disorder treatment new york” (or your local area). Make some calls to different well reviewed facilities to see if there is a therapist available that meets your specifications. Remember, you might have to shop around to find the best fit but it will be so worth it!
Anyone Can Suffer from Eating Disorders:
One of the things people fail to understand about eating disorders, is the fact that it can happen to anyone. No matter what gender or how old a person is, there’s a risk of developing this condition. Statistics have shown that the frequency of kids experiencing this has been on the rise. It only means that this illness can easily affect anyone. What’s even more challenging is that it can be difficult to tell whether a person is suffering or not. Contrary to what most people believe, that part requires proper diagnosis and an expert’s help. This is so they can assess which particular disorder the patient has.
Eating disorders can make you feel completely alone and it can be helpful to receive therapy in a group setting. In patient treatment centers can be a valuable place for this reason and something that should be considered. To get started, simply enter a search for “residential eating disorder treatment in Texas” (or your local area). Recognizing you need help is a wonderful first step and you should be proud of yourself!
Whether you are the patient or part of the patient’s support group, try your best to maintain a healthy and positive outlook. This will make the arduous process of healing a little easier for those involved.
Hi! I swear, these past few weeks have felt like a nonstop grind for Lil Red. I don’t know if it’s so much that I’m working more as much as I’m exhausted both emotionally and physically. First it was a break up that I’m not happy about, then the passing of one of our sweet family dogs, on top of my normal work week, concluded with ninety degree weather here in Ohio. So, needless to say, I am worn out.
Although a break can’t happen this month because my schedule for my clients is already in effect, I definitely plan on taking a few days off come August. I just feel like I haven’t even had a moment to myself to process everything that’s going on in my life without the stress of work, writing, housework, and the fact that I feel like I am light years beyond in the relationship game. But, that’s neither here nor there.
Despite things all around sucking in my life, I am happy to be able to go skating every week now. It’s a nice change of pace from every other week and it gives me something to look forward to to help take my mind off of things. It feels good to clear my head when I’m on the ice. Now, if only it would stay like that post skating sesh! -__-
How do you help yourself shake off the blues? What cheers you up when you’re feeling down? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hiii everyone! Today, we are going to be discussing Ruth Ware’s debut novel entitled In A Dark, Dark Wood. Miss Reese Witherspoon actually just bought the rights to this book to be made into a movie so be on the lookout for a Gone Girl-esque, twist and turny murder mystery flick on the horizon. And, *without spoilers* let’s discuss:
In A Dark, Dark Wood tells the back and forth tale of an adorably British term “hen do” AKA bachelorette party gone horribly wrong. Our story is told from the point of view of Leonora, Lee, Nora, or Leo depending on who she’s talking to and saying she’s not the most reliable narrator is an understatement. Especially considering that she found herself waking up in a hospital after a murder that she can’t quite remember the details to.
The hen do gathering is for Leonora’s high school best friend, Clare, but – the trick is that she hasn’t spoken to her in ten years. So why did she receive an email from Clare’s extremely passionate bridesmaid, Flo, in the first place? Reluctant at best to go, Leonora and another high school friend, Nina, make a pact to go together but leave if they see fit.
Surrounded by strangers at the bachelorette bash in a house made of all glass in the middle of the forest, Leonora finds herself trapped for a long weekend. Tensions build, secrets are spilled, and someone gets shot with a gun that was supposed to be filled with blanks. And, the question now is, whodoneit?
This is actually my second time reading In A Dark, Dark Wood because my mom thought it might be something that I would like. By the time I was about twenty pages in, I had realized that I read it before so that kind of shows you how memorable the book was to me, despite it’s grand reveal at the end.
Was this book entertaining? Quite. Was it just like Every. Other. Gone. Girl. Style. Book.? Abso-freaking-lutely. I won’t say I hated it, because that’s not true. I wouldn’t have reread it if I didn’t. However, it wasn’t the best thing that I’ve ever read and none of the characters were particularly likeable, which made it hard to get really into it.
Overall, I’d give this book a 5.5 out of ten. It was readable and a nice page turner to spend an afternoon with. But, I think you will find the superficial characters over the top and the narrator to be a bit of a bore. Read it, maybe. Or, better yet, just wait for the movie to come out, instead.
Has anyone else read In A Dark, Dark Wood? What were your thoughts on it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hi! Today, we are going to take a look at the swatch for Jouer’s Lip Creme Liquid Lipstick in Rose Gold. I have not tried this product on yet and, frankly, I am a bit nervous to because the reviews for it on Sephora’s website were abysmal at best. However, I think that the color is gorgeous and I’m hoping that I won’t hate it as much as everyone else does when I get around to using it, lol. Take a look:
The main complaint with this lippie among the reviews is that it is dry as the Sahara Desert and, even just from having it on my hand, I agree. It dried in the ten seconds it took me to take the pictures and it was about a bitch to take off. I had to scrub fairly roughly with water and then micellar water to get it completely removed. So, imagine having to do that on the sensitive skin on your lips. No thanks.
It’s too bad, because I like the color a lot and it’s disappointing to get something that might suck. But, at the end of the day, I got the sample size FO FREE so it’s not like any harm was done. I just wish those product reviews were up before I chose this as a freebie!
Has anyone tried this lippie by Jouer before? What are your thoughts on it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Helloooo everyone and welcome to a new post where we will be swatching Clinique’s “Almost Lipstick” in Black Honey. I got this lippie FO FREE with my Beauty Insider points from Sephora and I like it well enough but I do feel like the name is super misleading. My dumbass, who didn’t read what the product was like, assumed that it would be more of a cream based lippie judging by the pictures. However, it feels and looks very glossy. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:
So, I guess the buzz on this product is that it fuses with your natural lip color to create a shade that is unique just for you. Did I really notice anything that special about it? No. But, that’s not to say that I didn’t like the color because I did. I was surprised at how light such a dark shade appeared on me and I thought the glossy, plum shade looked nice.
Do I think that a large sized tube of the Almost Lipstick is worth twenty dollars for what’s basically a lip gloss? Not at all and if I didn’t get it for free with my points, I would never consider purchasing it. I’m a little disappointed with this product. I don’t know what I was expecting but it definitely wasn’t the results I had. Maybe I just feel that way a bit more because I normally really like all of the Clinique goodies that I have tried so this one feels very lackluster.
But, in conclusion, save your money for something more worth it because a tinted lip balm is not worth twenty dolla holla. #notimpressed
What are your thoughts on the Clinique Almost Lipstick? What is your favorite Clinique product? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Some people are very conscious about hair care. They make sure that their hair is shiny, fragrant, and clean. However, some of these people are not too keen on taking care of their scalp. They think that scalp is just skin under the hair. While it is true, you must realize that the scalp is very sensitive skin. And dealing with sensitive skin should be handled with utmost care. You might not have realized it, but you have taken your scalp for granted. You think that it takes care of itself. It still needs your help, though. And that help should not just be another attempt to remove the flakes or your refusal to shampoo.
It is a tricky thing to do, especially if it is your first time to focus on scalp care. There are a lot of ways that will make it simple though and you’d be surprised by how easy some of these measures are. If you are looking for such methods, you are reading the right article! Here are some of the pointers that you should keep in mind:
Keep it moist:
You do not want your facial skin to dry out and you should have the same goal for your scalp. When your scalp gets dry, that’s the time when dandruff will appear. Instead of blow-drying your hair regularly, you may want to skip it and let your wet hair dry naturally. When your scalp gets in contact with heat, it will get dry. Love hot showers? You may want to rinse your scalp with lukewarm or cold water and don’t forget to use a natural anti-dandruff shampoo.
Exfoliate your scalp:
Exfoliate? You may find it quite ludicrous, as you know that exfoliation is often done for legs and arms. However, you can exfoliate your scalp to remove impurities and dead skin cells (namely dandruff). Your scalp, just like the skin in other parts of your body, has pores. And these pores also get clogged, a dilemma that you should address ASAP. You may choose to shampoo your scalp problems away, but you can always go for home remedies by using mixtures of baking soda, tea tree oil, and in some cases, brown sugar.
Reduce the use of chemical products:
You are very expressive of yourself when you use hair dyes to color your hair. You go to the salon to get a perm. Or you are fond of using hair-styling products, such as gels and waxes. But you may want to limit your use. These hair products contain chemicals that can irritate your scalp. They may cause your scalp to dry, resulting in dandruff. Items, such as waxes and gels, actually trap dust and grime, thus making your scalp dirty – yuck.
Maintain a balanced diet:
Food may be the last thing that you will consider as far as scalp care is concerned. But remember, the scalp is a type of skin. And you need to keep it healthy by giving it proper nourishment. Eat food that is rich in protein, zinc, iron, and Vitamin B for a healthier scalp.
Your scalp is a sensitive type of skin. And it needs proper care. Leaving it bare and unprotected exposes it to certain agents and fungi that may cause it harm. You may even experience excessive dandruff, which is something that you definitely do not want. If symptoms persist, make sure you seek the help of a dermatologist.
It doesn’t really matter what you’re doing in life, leadership is a skill you should have. Whether you run a business, manage a team, or are just looking for your first job; you need to develop your leadership skills. Why? Because leading means you can take control and inspire others. This is a trait that will only help you improve your life and find better things in the future. From a job perspective, you open up so many new doors when you can lead.
So, how do you become a good leader? It’s not as difficult as you think, there are just a few things you need to know:
Think from different perspectives:
The ability to look at life from different perspectives is surprisingly hard. Not many people will have flexible views on certain things. Usually, we’ve all got our own ideas, and we stick by them. Without trying to get too political, this is probably why the country is in the state it’s in right now! Too many of us are stuck on one side or the other – with the inability to view the other sides perspective.
When you see things from new perspectives, it opens your mind to new ideas. Not only that, but you understand why people do what they do – and why they have specific thoughts. This is extremely important for a good leader. If someone comes to you with a problem, you need to see things from their point of view. Or, if there’s a disagreement between people, the best way to solve it is to view both perspectives. Even when you’re trying to secure sales, you’ll benefit from seeing things from the side of your lead.
How do you develop this particular skill? It’s something you should gradually start doing whenever you’re in different situations. Stop thinking about things in your own way, and think about what others may have to say. Also, education helps too. Places like Rutgers University have online degree courses that help you study new things and learn about new perspectives. Even something as simple as talking to people with different views or experiences to you will help. Fresh perspectives make you a more adaptable and successful leader.
You’ve all heard the saying, but what does it mean in terms of leadership? Effectively, it relates to a different saying; lead by example. The most inspiring leaders are people who do instead of just talk. Yes, you need to have a good grasp of your words and be able to speak to different people persuasively. But, all that talk is good for nothing if you don’t act upon it.
Think about it; what’s more annoying than someone giving orders that they don’t follow? If your boss tells you to keep working hard – but you see them with their feet up taking a two hour lunch break, then it’s hardly inspiring. You should start saying things, then using your actions to demonstrate that you do them, as well. If you tell someone to work hard, you have to visibly show that you’re working harder than them. Clock into work before everyone else, then leave when the room is empty. Set an example that people can follow.
You get a better response from people when they see that you act rather than speak. In turn, this helps you learn another valuable leadership lesson; don’t ask people to do more than you’re willing to do yourself. Too many ‘leaders’ give unreasonable commands. An excellent way to know if you’re stepping over the line is to see if you can do what you’re commanding. If it seems unreasonable to you, then it will be absurd to others as well. Don’t sit back and let your words do all the talking; show people that you act upon what you say.
Learn sympathy and empathy:
It’s crucial that you know how to show sympathy and empathy for other people. Both of these traits are simple ways to show human emotions. If you’re not capable of either, then it says a lot about your emotional state. People will come to you with personal problems all the time. You may get a call from an employee who can’t come to work because a family member died. Or, your best friend may tell you they broke up with their partner of ten years. In these situations, you need to respond accordingly.
Sympathy and empathy often get mixed up as the same thing. Sympathy is when you feel sorry for someone because of what they’re going through. Empathy is when you put yourself in their shoes to try and understand what they’re feeling. I’ll link a video below that explains the difference in more detail, so give it a watch if you’re interested.
Being flexible is, more accurately, being able to adapt to specific circumstances. All leaders will have an idea of how to do certain things. But what happens when a problem arises? What if the power goes out in your office and all the computers are down? The best leaders can adapt to this scenario because they’re flexible! They know what to do and how to alter the standard way of things to get better results.
Yes, it’s good to be meticulous and follow a rigid structure now and then. But don’t be too stiff. As a leader, you’ll be faced with various things that make you bend all the time. What happens if you bend something that’s too rigid? It snaps. Instead, you need to be more flexible and willing to change the way you do things if the circumstances dictate that a change is required. Think about leaders as rulers. Bad ones are the hard straight plastic rulers that snap with ease. Good ones are those flexible rubber ones that never break.
That’s all there is to it. So, go away and develop all of these skills, so you inspire those around you!
