Love is in the air, as it should be in February.  Valentine’s Day is this month after all. But did you know:

• February also hosts No Politics Day on February 1st
• Groundhog Day on the 2nd.
• Feed the Birds Day comes next on the 3rd.
• Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day, Send a Card to a Friend Day, Superbowl Sunday, National Pizza Day, White T-shirt Day, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington Birthdays, National Margarita Day, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Be Humble Day, Walk the Dog Day, Public Sleeping Day, and No Brainer Day to name, oh, just a few.

The importance of self-care

February is anything but boring. But lost in the mix can be, well, ourselves.  And let’s be real:  when you pile on the traumas of the past few years—how to deal?  In these stress-filled days when far too many of us have been isolated, it’s so easy to binge-watch the news and get angry at everything and everyone around us.  In reality, the exact opposite needs to happen.  Where does change start?  With us.  Always.  And a little self-care is an easy place to make that start. 

But why self-care? What exactly is the importance of self-care? 

Stop existing and start living

You could make the argument that what I’m about to say next is obvious; or trite; or over-simplistic.  And you may be right.  But I’m convinced that we need to stop existing and start living. And for me personally, that begins with Health and wellness. I’m also convinced that key components of a happy life involve looking after our physical self with nutritious food choices, eight hours of sleep, and regular exercise.

Focusing on the little things in life like a daily walk, an afternoon tea, reading a good book, or drawing a hot bath boosts our mental health.  And in the aggregate, they make a huge difference.  If we want to age with grace, strength, and beauty, self-care needs to be incorporated into our lives to live our best lives at 50 and beyond.

Self-care tips

When we feel our best both mentally and physically, it’s easier to handle stress and spread love. And if the world ever needed love, it’s today. Here are ten easy ways to show yourself a little love.

A walk

Start with a 10-minute walk around the neighborhood.  Nuthin’ fancy.  Just some time to think while getting some exercise. 

Social time

Our society is beginning to open back up.  Schedule time with friends and family, even if it is still just a Zoom call. 

Manicure/pedicure 

Indulge in regular manicures, either at home or in a salon. When I head to the nail salon, it’s a little me time to be primped and pampered to relax and unwind. But I have a manicure set and nail polish at home for daily upkeep.

Play a game 

Here are some games I love, you may or may not know: 

• Hardback: A Scrabble-like card game for wordsmiths and lovers.
• Cards Against Humanity:  A fill-in-the-blank, Madlib-style card game. 
• Sagrada:  A stained glass building dice game.
• Ticket to Ride:  A train track-building game.

Start a side hustle 

Pick up a hobby like knitting.  Share your skills as a tutor.  Or start a blog.  (I’ve written an entire post on how to get started in the blogosphere.)

Say “no”

Sometimes saying “yes” to ourselves is saying “no” to someone else. 

Light a candle

Did you know our guest editor Marlene did an entire post on National Candle Month?

Learn new makeup skills 

My friend and amazing MUA JennySueMakeup offers virtual lessons. 

Feeling good inside and out

As life slowly begins to return to normal, remember to put yourself first from time to time.  Because what good to others can we really be if we’re not feeling right on the inside and out? 

Valentine’s Gifts

august is fast drawing to a close and so is the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. in fact, today is the last day to shop. on august 31st prices go back up. so let’s take a look at what’s left.

last day of Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

blazer, jackets, and coats

makeup

shoes, boots, and booties

skincare

handbags

 

 

don’t miss my big, big announcement i’ve been dying to share with you! plus, a 5-minute eye tutorial.

 

foundation | concealer | lipstick | mascara | blush | brow pencil | eyeliner | waterline pencil | eyeshadow | lash primer | eyelash curler

 

and in case you missed it, here’s a link to what came home with me from Nordstrom Anniversary Sale earlier in the month. 

there are so many questions about my skincare routine. makeup also ranks high on your list of want-to-knows.  and so does boosting your immune system.  so, i thought i’d roll up all three topics into one mega-post.  i’m definitely not a beauty expert by any stretch of the imagination. but i’ve tried my best through the years to stay current with the latest and greatest beauty products. because skincare products do make a difference with how our skin looks. and there’s good news.  even if you’ve neglected your skin for years, it’s never too late to put a beauty regimen in place. these are a few of the ingredients i look for when it comes to skincare products: vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and retin A. it’s not an inclusive list, but it’s a start. i also love products that use natural ingredients too.

 

nutrition

but i would be remiss if i didn’t touch on the subject of nutrition. yes, those fruits and veggies, the good fats, protein, seeds, and nuts are loaded with nutrients that keep our skin glowing and boost our immune system. consuming them every day keeps our immune system in tip-top condition. and we all want a vibrant, healthy immune system in place 365 days a year. it’s the first line of defense our body uses against alien microorganisms. a strong immune system doesn’t make us invincible, but it does make a difference. there is no doubt about it fitness begins with food. but for whatever reason, as we age, we have a false assumption that gaining weight is a given. if our lifestyle slows down  considerably, then we’ll require fewer calories, so we may need to tweak our diet. but excess body fat increases the risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and a slew of other auto-immune diseases, which impairs our immune system. so we need to be vigilante with what we eat. but just like skincare, it’s never too late to change bad habits into good habits. and there’s no better time to work on your immune system than today. a diet filled with the micronutrients and macronutrients is so important. but it can be challenging getting everything we need through food alone, so adding a daily dose of vitamins and supplements is an excellent idea.

beauty routine

but let’s tackle beauty first. here’s what my skin looks like at sixty one sans makeup. yes, i have uneven skin tone and hyper-pigmentation due to worshipping the sun all through the seventies and eighties. if i could turn back time, i’d definitely have worn sunscreen and lots of hats. and, yes, i have fine lines and wrinkles. i’ve earned every one. and, no, i don’t want to look like i’m forty, so i haven’t turned to cosmetic treatments or fillers. i don’t know why we think that looking younger means we look better. for me, i just want to look healthy and vibrant. 

moisturizer | eye cream | cc cream | blush | highlighter | eyeshadow | eye pencil | mascara | brow pencil | lipstick | perfecting brush

secret sauce | brow power | bye bye under eye cream | cc cream | blow out lash | skin perfecting brush

as a lifestyle blogger i try lots and lots of products. IT cosmetics rank high on my must-have list.

boosting our immune system

now onto boosting our immune system. there’s no easy fix or overnight gimmick to a healthy microbiome but we can help mold it to give us the best health that we can. it boils down to making the right choices every day. why is a healthy gut so important? science is learning more and more about how our gut affects every part of our body, including our brain and immune system. most of our immune system is located in our gut so if that eco-system is disrupted then our immune system is compromised. and that’s what we don’t want. our gut health and our immune system go hand in hand so i’ll share a bit about how i maintain a healthy microbiome.

as i mentioned fitness begins with food so let’s start there. first i believe in a balanced diet so i’m neither vegan, carnivore, paleo, low carb, or keto. i may select a keto friendly recipe or a vegetarian recipe from time-to-time as i’m always looking for delicious and nutritious meals. there are good carbs or whole carbs in the form of veggies that we definitely need in our diet. but i do steer clear of bad or refined carbs included in sugar sweetened beverages, bread, pasta, and pastries. protein found in beef, pork, or chicken is so important to our overall health as it is a macronutrient that builds muscle and bone and repairs tissue so that’s included in my diet too. again, i think in terms of balanced.

a healthy diet – eat lot’s of food rich in micornutrients. spinach, kale, broccoli, bell peppers. think green leafy salads. and don’t forget about the healthy fats found in salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies, avocados, olive oil. add mushrooms, garlic, onions, ginger and turmeric into your diet as they munch up virus and bad bacteria and are loaded with anti-oxidants. bone broth is rich in collagen and it helps repair our gut. eggs got a bad rap for years but they are a good source of vitamin D and choline an important nutrient for our brains.

supplements – we don’t always get all the nutrients we need through diet alone. that’s when vitamins and supplement step in. here’s what i add to my daily regimen.

fish oil is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids that decrease inflammation and boosts your immune system. magnesium helps adjust blood glucose, keeps our immune system healthy, and has anti-inflammatory benefits.

vitamin D3 helps with the absorption of calcium, promotes bone growth, regulates your mood and helps fight disease.

 

B12 boosts your energy, improves memory and helps prevent heart disease.

prebiotics and probiotics work in synergy with each other to support the microbiome by maintaining a healthy colony of bacteria and other microorganisms. you don’t have to take a prebiotic for a probiotic to work but prebiotic acts as a fertilizer for the good bacteria. probiotics are called the ‘good’ bacteria as they keep our gut microbiome healthy. probiotics also help replace the ‘good’ bacteria when it’s been lost by taking antibiotics.

vitamin C supports collagen, and provides antioxidant support.

here’s a recipe to give your immune system a little extra support right now. both ginger and turmeric have powerful nutritional value that includes iron, calcium, magnesium and copper.

everything we eat matters. the healthier the foods we eat the better we feel and the better our skin will look. any number of chronic skin problems can be linked to our diet. the less attention we pay to healthy food choices the more problems we’ll see with our skin. if we starve our skin long enough it’s going to show. but if we want fabulous looking skin it all starts with a healthy, balanced diet.

it’s been self-care week over here on the blog.  today we’re bringing you a beauty and makeup gift guide.  Kelly and i put this together, and our guide includes everything from budget and drugstore makeup to higher-end facial care. 

below, you’ll find selected ideas split between myself and kelly.  we’ve further broken down each bucket by price point:  low, medium, and high.  i’ve also put together a fall rewind, showcasing some of my favorite outfits of the fall.  

beth’s low price point picks: hand creams to skincare sets

to kick things off today, i’m bringing you my gift ideas under $25.  they include everything from hand cream from Burt’s Bees to a lipstick set from Nordstrom.  

• hand cream trio 
• night cream
• nail color set | nail color set 2
• skin set
• fragrance set
• lipstick set | lipstick set 2 | lipstick set 3
• moisture duo
• transformation kit
• pedi scrub foot buffer
• mascara 
• facial spray

denim | sweater | c/o jacket | c/o scarf | shoes | similar handbag

denim boiler suit | blazer | shoes | similar handbag

denim | similar sweater | similar sweater |similar sweater | shoes

kelly’s low price point picks: eye treatment to exfoliant scrubs

Kelly’s all about the Kiehl’s this holiday season.  below you’ll find her picks under $30 for facial moisturizers, eye treatment, exfoliants, hair treatments, and serums. 

• face mist and toner
• deep pore cleanser
• hair elixir
• eye cream
• facial oil

dress in pictures | dress 2 | dress 3 | dress 4 | dress 5 | dress 6 | dress 7  | jacket (similar, high-to-low)

blazer |sweater | boyfriend jeans | similar belt 

beth’s mid price point picks: diffusers to makeup sets

below, i’ve got beauty and self-care gift ideas for under $50.  everything from Sephora to Nordstrom.  like Kelly, i’m really loving the Kiehl’s skin care set this year.   but you really can’t go wrong with the diffuser from Sephora—especially if you have dogs like me.  

• white cypress diffuser
• sleep mask
• skin care set | skin care set 2 | skin care set 3 | skin care set 4
• makeup set
• fragrance set
• candle | candle 2
• hand cream 
• lipstick

similar coat (Talbots) | denim (Ann Taylor) | shoes (J.Crew) | similar tote (Nordstrom)

denim | blouse | (similar) suede jacket | snakeskin boots | (similar) belt | (similar) handbag

faux leather overshirt | similar leopard jeans | similar white shirt | shoes | handbag | bracelet | earrings

kelly’s mid price point picks: facial toners to hair treatments 

kelly’s got a wide-range of mid price point gift ideas.  like me, she’s loving selections from Nordstrom this year.  

• ceramide capsules
• facial masque
• superfoliant
• eye serum
• face mist

blazer (Ann Taylor) | sweater (Everlane) | similar denim (J.Crew) 

similar blazer | turtleneck (Macy’s) | leggings (Macy’s) | booties (Easy Spirit) | similar handbag

beth’s high price point picks: masking to tighten & left sets

finally, i’ve got beauty and self-care gift ideas for under $100.  here, you’re going to find some of the larger gift sets, mostly focused on facial and skincare.  

• firming set
• luxe body collection
• masking set | masking set 2
• fragrance set | fragrance set 2
• tighten & lift set 
• skin care set | skin care set 2
• anti-aging set | anti-aging set 2
• hand lotion set
• makeup set | makeup set 2

pants (Talbots) | top (Banana Republic) | duster (Banana Republic) | similar handbag | similar shoes

jeans | handbag | bomber jacket | boots | sleeveless turtleneck

red turtleneck | red turtleneck 2 | trench coat | trench coat 2 |  dark skinny jeans | boyfriend jeans | white loafer 

kelly’s high price point picks: facial mists to serums 

kelly finishes it off today with her higher end picks.  her top 5 selections are in or around the $100 price point. 

• facial treatment
• eye treatment starter set
• face exfoliator
• hair care mask
• skin repair serum 

cashmere turtleneck dress | blazer | similar turtleneck dress | boyfriend jean | skinny jean | low heeled booties | scarf

lightweight cashmere sweater |  cashmere sweater 2 | dark rinse denim | crossbody handbag

in case you missed it 

i hope you enjoyed today’s holiday beauty and makeup gift guide.  as we start to wrap up self-care week, in case you missed it, check out all of our posts: managing grief during the holiday season, selflessness as a form of self-care, and putting the “self” back in self-care.

if you’re still looking for more beauty and makeup picks, tips & tricks, make sure to check out my YouTube series friday fives some of which are linked below. 

5 essential lipstick picks 

5 essential mascara picks

5 essential skincare tips

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