SundayFunday: My “At Home” Self-Care Spa Rituals
How to treat yourself… without breaking the bank and how I pick my work week outfits!
With the hustle and bustle of life, work, happy hours, brunches and everything in between, it can be a struggle to make time for yourself and staying true to daily/weekly rituals. When the hustle gets tough, it is mandatory to indulge in self care/ wellness. Self-care can come in many ways: a glass of wine and binge-watching your favorite show, reading that book you never “had time to read”, monthly spa treatments or DIY. projects around the house, for me self-care is all of that and more lol but on Sundays in particular I try to take it easy. I work hard and I’m always trying to get a million things accomplished so Sundays are for me to treat myself and love myself. Also, as a differently-abled woman I have noticed that being in my chair for long hours every single day is just not healthy for me anymore. In my 20’s I could be in my chair for hours upon hours and still function and have little to no side effects lol well them days are GONE!
As I approach my 33rd birthday, my body is speaking out and demanding I take notice and rest; so Sunday’s, unless I absolutely have to leave, I’m in the house and laid up in my bed giving my body a much needed recharge for the upcoming week. Part of my Sunday ritual is my home facials, foot soaks, and setting myself up for the week (including my Monday outfit selection)
The pictures above is what I call my Sunday Funday… at home! All the products I use for my self-care happiness, so let’s get into it!
I think it is VERY important to take care of your teeth and my dentist suggested that I purchase the Phillips Sonic Care Toothbrush. I purchased my set from Costco for 2 for $100 and it came with two toothbrushes, 4 heads, 2 carry cases. I found a very similar deal on amazon (even better than when I bought mine lol)
In the past few years I have been interested in whitening my teeth and I decided to try one of the “at home kits” first. The one I chose is:
Crest 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste and Whitening Gel System (2 part system)Crest 3D White Whitestrips Vivid Plus 12 Treatments Kit
The entire kit cost $40 on amazon.com. I absolutely love this set! I use the Crest 3D Toothpaste and Whitening Gel first (toothpaste first then whitening gel) from there I place the whitestrips on my teeth and leave on for 30 minutes. I personally noticed a difference after the first use! You don’t have to break the bank to treat yourself well; it’s all about being nice to the budget and yourself!
Next up is this beautiful face! Like many, my face and what I put on it is VERY important. My skin is sensitive and will flare up immediately if it doesn’t like something so I’m always looking for good products. My sunday facial routine a 5 step process of bliss~
I use a cotton pad (mine are from Target, but you can also find them here) and soak it with my Yes to Cucumbers Calming Micellar Cleansing Water. It’s perfect for sensitive skin and it’s cleansing power is great! I do this before I actually wash my face because it removes a lot of sweat and oil and allows my face soap to really get to my pores faster (in my opinion)To wash my face I use an exfoliating puff pad, its not harsh and still provides a great clean! For the past month and a half I started using Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar and so far it’s amazing! It suds up well, no funny scents, and leaves my skin feeling clean but not stripped. I think it may be my go-to and it’s budget friendly!After a good cleanse, I put on my Aloe Vera sheet mask and Cucumber Eye Pads!
MASK: I love this mask, because it is truly infused with Aloe Vera, which is great for my skin, calms an irritant that may cause a flare up. If you aren’t using a weekly mask, you are neglecting your skin and it must stop. There are a gazillion mask out there but for my girls with sensitive skin, I suggest you try an aloe vera mask… just might change your life. Try this one! I keep my mask on for at least 30 minutes (or maybe 45 minutes on a stressful day)
Eye Pads: Your eyes are SO important and they need rest and restoration so these eye pads are my answer! Try them out and watch the difference. I like putting them in the refrigerator (especially during the summer months) and using them daily. I leave mine on for 15–20 minutes.
Now to moisturize! A good moisturizer will change your life and with sensitive, oily skin… it’s a fine line from matte to over moisturizing. I recently received my monthly subscription box from OynxBox (check them out! one of the best subscription boxes and it gives me all types of #BlackGirlMagic) in the box was a face serum and face cream from Ziaja. Both are under $15.00 each so it doesn’t break the bank!Acai Berry Express Face and Neck SerumAcai Berry Nourishing and Regenerating Face and Neck Cream
Well it’s only been about a week but I LOVE these products! They don’t leave me skin dry or too oily.
Nighttime: I use the the face serum, it’s light but filled with a potent punch of antioxidants for my skin.
Daytime: The cream is lightweight and last all day! Doesn’t peel or cake up with makeup.
After my facial, it’s time for a foot soak! Over the past year, my circulation has dwindled and my long work days don’t help; my feet are swollen on a daily basis so a good foot soak with lavender epsom salt and a fizzy bath bomb is just what the doctor ordered!
After the day of pampering, I must move on to the daunting task of getting ready for #ManicMondays!
I did a little shopping over the weekend for my upcoming Vegas trip in 2 weeks, during my retail therapy I found some great pieces from Forever 21 Plus. I’m all about comfortability and basics. I also have a very compact frame so everything doesn’t always flow well with my body shape; overtime I’ve learned that separates look best on me. I can modify them more to work with my body and “Mariah.” I love bold colors and a great maxi dress, however for work I prefer more basic colors such as nudes and olives. These colors also allow me to dress my outfit up with vibrant accessories (sunnies, purse, jewelry.)
My typical work week outfit:
Shoes: I love heels! The higher the better BUT my little fat feet DON’T and wearing them for 11 + hours is impossible especially with bad circulation. I have noticed that the low block heel is more comfortable so when I found this nude heel at Target (under $30) I scoped it up.Sunnies: Traveling on public transportation, my sunnies allow me to block out the sun and reframe eye contact with everyone. This particular sunnies I found at my local Nordstrom’s Rack about a year ago. I love them!
Top and Skirt: Both from Forever21+; I love a good flowy top and working in an office I don’t always want to wear a sweater a cardigan (especially in the summer months.) I loved the long flowy sleeves, and who doesn’t like a cute, stretchy pencil skirt?!? I love it and since “Mariah Carey” be tripping at times, I tend to wear skirts more and this skirt was just what my closet needed. Each piece is under $15.00! It’s not how much you spend… it’s how you dress it up.
Compression Stockings: As I mentioned, my circulation has declined in my legs/feet and caused my feet to swell when I am in the chair for long hours (which ispretty much Monday-Friday) so to prevent excessive swelling and discomfort I wear compression socks everyday. unfortunately, they didn’t make them for fashionable moments so I had to get creative with how and when I wear them, especially when I wear skirts, shorts and rompers. After months of adjusting and searching I found these thigh-high compression stockings that match my skin tone better than most, and they stay up on my thick thighs and provide compression. After a 10 -15 washes I will need to buy a new pair as the compression wears down after each wash.
As you can see, I make a great effort to take care of my body, my mind and my spirit through self care. You only get one body, and mine already has issues so whatever I can do to find serenity and recharge …I am going to do it. The whole no days off motto is not healthy; we have to realize that sometimes staying in and loving you is just as cool (if not cooler) as hanging out with your friends. When you #KnowBetter you must #DoBetter. It’s doesn’t cost a lot to check in with yourself but if you don’t make the time now you will be paying a higher price to reverse your error.
Until next time…this is my world on wheelz!