It's Monday!!

Wow ... Christmas vacation is officially over and the kids are on their way to school for their first day of the new year.  We had the best weekend and I soaked up every single second of time with them since the schedule will officially ramp up this week for both them and me.  It is market week here in Atlanta and I have so many things on the schedule and so many friends to meet up with.  It is a lunch, dinner, meeting galore week and I love it! 

Saturday I spent with my best friend Lance (& David!!) antiquing in South Carolina and we ate lunch in Columbia and dinner in Anderson.  It was a driving day where we would stop, check out some shops, pop back in the car and drive to the next location.  We had so much fun and, as usual, lots and lots of laughter.  When I arrived in Commerce at 8 am to start our day Lance met me at the door and we noticed we were wearing the same outfit ... navy sweater, white jeans + tennis shoes.  What can I say,  great minds!!  Lance and David set aside the day to spend it with me any way I wanted to for my birthday weekend and it made my heart so very happy to be with them.  I bought three things I am super excited about which I will share with you on Stories. I was so good and only snagged three things but I could have easily come home with a whole set of china and many more goodies. 

Sunday I spent the day soaking up the love for the official last year of my 40s.  How is that even possible?  Do you ever feel like you are so young and you are just pretending to be the age you are.  I think I feel perpetually 34 or 36, but since I have a 22 year old that is just not correct.  The day started with my family in the den for coffee and snuggles and then brunch with my girlfriends.  I am an official Blackened Brie addict and I must try to make it at home! (We missed you so Allyson!!) We had planned to go roller skating as a family but two of the kids are getting sick (ugh) so we postponed until next weekend when I know they will feel so much better.  I took a fabulous nature walk and ran an errand or two before finishing the day with a family movie and take out Chinese with a fire in the den.  It was perfect and I just soaked up all the laughter, slight bickering with the kids, and the love.  My heart this morning feels like it might explode.  ❤

Today I am busy taking down and putting all our Christmas away ... and getting things fluffed and refreshed for the new year.  I am officially ready to get some new content and some fun things on the schedule.  I also will set my content calendar today for the month and I have so many fun things to share with you.  We are going green as a family and a household this year so I will be sharing that journey with you each Thursday as part of a Weekly Wellness series this year.  Since we have officially been on a cancer journey for six months I am ready to share some of the things I have already changed and the changes we are making this year.  Anything I can do to make my home safer for my husband can and will be done.  Since this is a major area to tackle I am doing it slowly and tackling something each week and I will share each step with all of you.  First up for us will be the laundry room since every single thing we wear and use on our body filters through this space.

Last year I tackled clean beauty and skin and it has been life changing for me.  I was so unaware of the unsafe products I was buying and using. These products that I was spending really good money on were doing more harm than good and a lot of the issues I was having with my skin were due to the products I was using on them and using incorrectly.  There are no regulations in the self care industry and more than 1500 ingredients that are in the products sold in the United States are banned in the --.  Only 11 are banned in the US.  That to me is a staggering statistic.  I have downloaded two apps I recommend you add to your phone that will educate you on what is in the products you use and eat.  The first is Think Dirty and the second one is EWG Healthy Living.  Take the time to educate yourself and then make the decisions you need to for you and your family.  I promise you it is devastating to sit in an oncologist's office and know there are things you could have done (maybe or possibly) and had no idea even existed.  Promise me you will do your homework!!

Today is the last day of the Winter Sale going on at Beautycounter and I have a personal order going in this evening.  I highly recommend you check it today to see if there is anything you want from the sale.  I would suggest you snag the following products, they are so good and the sale is crazy fabulous! 

Instant Awakening Trio - this set is amazing and the Overnight Peel will change your skin!!!
Eye shadow Palette - 18 amazing shades + a brush for such a great price
Lip Gloss Vault - 10 shades that are limited edition colors (I love mine!!)
First Light Highlighter Palette - I love this so much.  Two colors are limited editions, such a deal!!
Charcoal Essentials - This is life changing.  I use this mask every single week and swear by it!
Sunscreen - we all should be using safe sunscreen that really protects our skin!!

Have the best day! I hope you are seeing the same sunshine we are ... it is glorious!!