WHAT I LOVED LAST MONTH AND WHY YOU WILL TOO
Hello February!
It seems like we've just transitioned from the seemingly longest month to the shortest month, and I'm all here for what February has in store. January was quite the month for invaluable discoveries. The best part? Every single thing I found (or it found me) was by complete chance! Plus, everything I'm about to mention has become a core principal in my life. Perhaps that seems a bit dramatic, but it's true. Let me talk you through January's finds and I'll let you decide:
For starters, I've rediscovered the Bobby Bones radio show, a genuinely gripping morning talk show that I used to listen to nearly every day on my commute to campus. Perhaps since my drive to work is much shorter than my drive to college was, I found myself rarely turning on the radio, hence missing out on the best morning radio show. Anyway, Bobby Bones is so engaging and interesting to listen to. If you're expecting jokes and bottomless stories, you're at the wrong place. In the last two mornings alone, for only about 25 minutes each, I've learned so much. Yesterday, I learned about the Ted Bundy mini-series on Netflix and insight into serial killer's backgrounds. Okay, maybe not ground breaking, but it beats the heck out of the local radio station that was talking about a woman crawling in a clothing bin to keep warm then getting stuck. I'm scratching my head too. Today, I learned how the song "Safe and Sound" was written. Apparently, Taylor Swift texted Joy Williams, lead female singer of The Civil Wars, when she heard they were in LA for a concert and asked to collaborate. The duo wanted to write a song with Taylor, but had to preform that evening. Taylor told them, "It's okay, it'll only take like 3 hours to write." A very Taylor thing if I do say so myself. At any rate, I enjoy listening to this on the way to work as it puts me in a inquisitive mindset for the day ahead.
HIIT style workoutsUp next is . While I knew these existed, I never gave them any credit, although I had never tried one. I just assumed there was no way I could burn a significant amount of calories in a fraction of the time I was spending at the gym doing cardio and strength training. I was so wrong. I did know, however, that I was tired of my monotonous gym routine of cardio for 40-45 minutes and then strength training. As someone who has been dedicated to working out, these HIIT style workouts have got my heart pumping hard and my skin sweating in hardly no time. Plus, they're incredibly challenging, and it's a great way to learn new exercises to incorporate into my gym workouts. Experts recommend doing HIIT workouts only 2-3 times a week since they're so strenuous on your muscles, and I'm here to verify that they're not wrong!
Along the workout route, I discovered Heather Robertson, a fitness influencer who possesses a vast amount of health-related knowledge. In fact, the first ever HIIT workout I did was by her. She's so toned and has a YouTube channel where she posts challenging HIIT workouts along with other workouts that target any and every part of the body. Her exercises are engaging and her workouts are structured so well. If you're thinking of trying out an at-home workout, A) I recommend you do it and B) I highly suggest giving Heather's workouts a go.
Whoa. Holy abs. Seriously, you guys, this next find is hands down one of the best, if not the best, fitness inspiration I've come across. Back story: I turned on the Smart TV to YouTube to do another one of Heather's workouts. Right below Heather's videos, I saw a fitness guru by the channel name of Madfit and was A) absolutely floored by how fit she is and B) ready to try out a new routine and get some variety. Guys, Maddie is an absolute fitness and wellness genius. She is so talented that I'm surprised she doesn't somehow charge for her workout videos. She's taught me how precisely to engage my muscles so that I reap the most benefits from each exercise. I've only been doing her workouts for a couple weeks, and I am already seeing dramatic results in areas I thought I could never tone. THANK YOU, MADDIE. Bonus: She's a vegan from Canada who travels the world and creates both fitness and wellness videos to help change people's lives for the better. She and her boyfriend just left Cape Town, South Africa to stay in Bali for 2 weeks, and I'm not at all jealous...nope...
Food! If you talked to me for a minute, you'd know how passionate I am about wholesome, plant-based food. And to me, little is better than incredibly diverse, tasty, filling, and simple meals that don't always involve a grain bowl or veggie burger. If you want to cook flavorful meals that are easy to follow, give Pick Up Limes a try. Not only does she have incredible recipes, but just like Heather and Maddie, she's already taught me so much. For example, did you know you can microwave spinach for 1-2 minutes and it wilts just as perfectly as if you steamed it on the stove? I also read from her blog that most American's don't get their daily fiber intake, which causes gastrointestinal issues, hence undoubtedly a issue in my life. She's quite the knowledgable and talented plant-based lady! I look forward to adding her recipes to our weekly dinner menu and knowing how healthy each is.
Who has large pores? *raises hand* Who has textured skin? *raises hand again* Who wants to fix that problem? *raises both hands* I was so tired of seeing craters all over my cheeks and have rough skin. Although my skincare routine is as basic as it gets, I wanted a cure-all for my pores. Naturally, I turned to the holy grail of skincare, Kate. She recommended Garden of Wisdom's retinol and wow has it gone to work quickly. After using this product 2-3 times a week for the past month, my pores are noticeably smaller and my skin feels much smoother in general. Bonus: This bottle was only $16 with tax and shipping (!!!) Unheard of. I will say I'm still on the hunt for a product that makes my skin look luminous, but this is doing the job it's made for and oh my am I grateful.
As far as books go, The Light Between Us is the best book I've ever set my eyes on. If I was an English teacher, I would make this a required reading and my students would thank me. I found this book my complete mishap. Kate mentioned on her blog that she was interested in reading The Light Between Us, so I downloaded a sample and thought it was much different than how she described the plot, but still, I was intrigued. Come to find out, I was reading a book by a completely different author with a completely different story. But this was the best mistake I could have ever made. The author is a certified psychic medium who's story is nothing shy of genuine wisdom. This is a book that is perfect for anyone and everyone. I can't convey the amount of inspiration and motivation I have from the book. When I say it changed my life, I'm not exaggerating. Please give it a read!
Last but not least, are my new Zara black ankle boots (linked similar). I had a pair of trusty Forever 21 ankle boots that I wore for years and years, until I wore a hole in the heel of them this winter. Clackedy clack I went down the sidewalk walking to my car after work, praying they would hold out until my Zara ones came in. Alas, they did. On a search for new boots that held a light to my favorite Forever 21 boots, I came across these Zara boots on sale while I was actually looking at a dress on Zara. I looked at them for all of a few seconds, then added them to my cart and quickly checked out. The last pair of black boots were a size 10 (I have big feet, okay) and I snagged them. It took next to no time to wear them in, and they've instantly become my new favorite pair of black boots. What can I say? It was love at first sight.
That's a round-up of what I came across in January that really caught my eye. I was so fortunate to come across so many great things this month that have honestly changed my life and outlook on life in general. Here's hoping February is just as good! What have you been loving this month? Have you tried any of these things I mentioned? Let me know!
