9 Lovely Beauty & Lifestyle Hacks for Spring!

As spring begins to works its magic on my mood and the landscape, it seems plenty of shifts also occur for grooming and self-care essentials. Here are 9 Lovely Beauty & Lifestyle Hacks for Spring which could potentially add a lovely spring in your step.

9 Lovely Beauty & Lifestyle Hacks for Spring!

No. 1: Combine Exercise With Spiritual Practice

What a relief that we can finally get outside for fresh air, exercise, and gardening. It always amazes me how folks in my neck of the woods come alive when the ground thaws. Smiles all around, shorts, windows down (if it’s above 45 degrees, then it’s balmy, window down crusin’ weather), and brisk spring walks outdoors.

A New Take on ‘Heart Healthy’

Whether you’re the indoorsy or outdoorsy type, consider combining whatever you do for exercise with spiritual practices like prayer (silent and spoken), chanting, listening to worship music, etc. Being outside in nature helps most of us better get out of our heads and into our hearts so why not combine it with heart healthy movement? Here’s a sweet piece on the topic.

Track your steps, heart rate, calorie burn and more with this nifty band.

Find me on long power walks going into deep topics with companions, praying, or listening to podcasts on spirituality and wisdom.

Visit a Special Garden

Visiting a garden can be more of a soothing exercise for the body, mind, and spirit than crowded gyms can offer. Depending on where you live, a variety of beautiful things are blooming in spring. I’ll be heading to a few of my favorite pieces of paradise this spring (Anderson Gardens in Northern Illinois and Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Arizona) to spend meditative time with desert loving plant life.

No. 2: Try New Potions for Skin

Changes in humidity and seasonal conditions with spring often mean the needs of our skin change. You already know I’m a cheerleader for healthy skin care. Skin is an organ, and skincare regimens are not reserved for the vain, the superficial, and strictly high maintenance humans.

Don’t Blame Your Genes

I also don’t subscribe to the belief you simply inherit good skin from good genes. The field of epigenetics has turned much of that old school thinking upside down. We know now that genes can be switched “on” and “off.” While I’m not a biochemist who can explain the mechanisms plainly, this article explains “What you eat, where you live, who you interact with, when you sleep, how you exercise, even aging – all of these can eventually cause chemical modifications around the genes that will turn those genes on or off over time.”

Being intentional in caring for your permeable, protective layer not only promotes wellness, but also creates opportunities for stillness.

Opportunity to Decompress

Slowing down for a few minutes morning and evening to gently cleanse and massage healthy potions into the skin’s pores is calming. You are temporarily removed from the hectic pace of daily chores, work, and stress.

Smoother, dewier skin in spring may be just around the corner, and your skin is counting on you to protect it, hydrate it, and heal it just like the rest of you. Here are two ideas for saving and splurging.

Cost Conscious Soothers

I love a yummy oil that can soothe multiple areas, and here’s one I just bought from Aveda with the most subtle scent infused with Rosemary and Bergamot. Aveda Beautifying Composition Oil is one lovely investment for your whole body, the bath and even your scalp.

I especially appreciate this oil’s luxuriant effects on my tired tootsies just before I go to dreamland, and if you have yet to discover the complexity, calming effects, and gorgeous subtlety of Aveda’s Shampure Composition Oil, you are about to have your spring SOOTHED, mama!

Sweet Skin Splurge

I discovered the fine quality and effectiveness of SkinMedica products to enhance skin texture and tone back in 2013 in my reconstructive surgeon’s office. It was at the debut of my journey as a breast cancer previvor when I began thinking more critically about the ingredients within every product in my bathroom vanity.

The trio below–SkinMedica’s Award Winning System–is one I’m happily incorporating into my spring skincare regimen! (It was shared with me by SkinMedica to honestly review and let you know how it nourishes my skin!)

No. 3: Healthy Eating Tweaks

If you read this blog daily, then you may recall I have a long history with Crohn’s disease and more recently a digestive issue with breaking down fat (even after removal of my GB). What this has meant since last August, is a highly restricted diet of low-fat and high fiber healthy foods.

My nutrition choices may not be right for you, but since they emphasize plants and cleaner choices, maybe you’ll be inspired to adjust your diet to a lower-fat, heart-healthy one. Find more info about a diet with more plants RIGHT HERE.

Low Fat, High Fiber Diet

My doctors were hoping the removal of my GB would allow me to resume the diet I formerly enjoyed, but that is not yet the case. So in order to avoid excruciating episodes of abdominal pain radiating to my back, I must keep my fat intake to a low, 3-5 grams per meal/snack. For a sensual someone who loves food (and especially chocolate and so many dishes made with butter!), it’s challenging.

What have I been eating? I’ll warn you right now…it’s boring. Here’s an idea of what I used to eat versus the tweaks I made to stay as well as I can.

(Keep in mind, when I say I’m eating ‘salads,’ it means great big serving bowl size salads, not a petite little side salad. Appetite has never been issue for this fairy. This girl needs QUANTITY!)

Cravings & Reality of My Diet

Breakfast & Lunch

What I Crave For Breakfast: Whole eggs topped with melted cheddar on an english muffin followed by anything chocolate!

Low-or-No-Fat Breakfast Reality Right Now: No-fat yogurt, homemade granola & berries and if I’m still starved, 1-3 hard boiled egg whites.

What I Crave for Lunch: Avacado, turkey, and tomato on buttered sourdough toast with a creamy soup. And something chocolate for dessert!

Low-or-No-Fat Lunch Reality Right Now: Dark leafy green salads (with veges, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, kale, and cabbage) and about 1.5 tsp of this low fat dressing which only adds .5 gram of fat! Very lean turkey with a teeny tiny touch of light mayo wrapped in a corn tortilla (I toast it directly in the toaster for a quick wrap).

Desserts & Dinner

Desserts I Crave: Brownies, Symphony bars, chocolate chip cookies, any and every liberally frosted with buttercream cake.

Desserts I Eat Right Now: Chocolate Minute Mug Cake (find recipe in THIS STORY), 1/2 of a Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich, frozen bananas, prunes (yep!)

What I Crave for Dinner: Pizza, enchiladas, tacos, pasta, any cheesy casserole with layers of gorgeous cheese.

Low-or-No-Fat Dinner Reality RIGHT Now: Rainbow colored fresh salad, 1/5 of an avacado, lean chicken or fish.

No. 4: Spring Wardrobe Hacks

I love the offerings at J. Crew, Nordstrom Rack (check out their activewear and don’t forget about Lululemon for their accessories ), and even H&M for a number of lovely finds.

The easiest hack? A bold juicy color for spring. Coral?

Our dresses (below) are Tabitha (past season Anthropologie), but you may find past season stuff RIGHT HERE like I often do.

I dress less bold when away from Hawaii (above) and reach for everyday things like:

or since I’m a lounger-kinda-lady, this:

Here’s a skirt I would wear casually with a fun t-shirt, and I love that the stripe is black rather than the expected navy:

And I love BLISSFUL LINEN everything from HERE and HERE.

No. 5: Simplify Haircolor Maintenance

I was stuck in a rut and have been unsatisfied with my hair color and routine for some time. Therefore, I had my sister lop 6″ off the length then booked a consultation with a new stylist to discuss blondeness.

She is so wonderful and helped me bid goodbye to brassy factor, adding low lights in my natural hair color (medium blonde) for a much more dimensional look. The plan now is to get highlights occasionally but ditch the color touchups and two-process chemical processing.

No. 6: Spring For a Gentle Aromatic Atmosphere

Diffusers disperse a fine vapor in the air for your respiratory system and body to absorb gently. These make the best gifts if you have birthday or hostess gifts on your to-do list.

No. 7: Treasure Hunt for Lip Colors

My sister and I just went shopping and must have tried on 15 different colors, searching for a new everyday shade for spring. I knew I wanted a lip stain (I have to have one to seal and protect my lips from becoming chapped) and just could not find that elusive natural, non-brown, non-mauve, subtle pink nude yet not tawny lip shade.

It’s not as if I think the perfect color is going to turn us into Cindy Crawford, but makeup continues to be fun and helps me feel confident when facing the world. Did you see this video where Cindy is makeup-less and shows you her morning routine?

Back to lip color treasure hunting…I discovered just the color I wanted, and it’s an inexpensive lip stain I wear every day to protect my lips from the sun and prevent my lips from drying out. Nothing else has worked better for me in preventing chapped lips!

My sister and I also fell for the teeny sized Mini Mac lipsticks – this Dirty Blue Pink from Mac called Mehr is a beauty, but there are a ton of other lovely options for spring:

No. 8: Snag a Healthy Tan

I wear sunscreen 50 everyday without thinking about it by adding THIS FOUNDATION (which is actually moisturizer and covers all sins!) to my makeup routine. To add bronze goddess factor and a faux summery bronze, I personally love these sweet scores:

No. 9: Hack Your Beauty Sleep

Do you REALLY need the nudge from me to treat yourself to extra minutes of sleep to undo the day’s damage, boost collagen production, minimize the cortisol levels, improve your mood, and heal any number of hurts?

(BTW. Your pillow matters! Omg, I love love love my high quality pillow. I told you about it RIGHT HERE, and it has this awesome von awesome washable removable cover.)

My Exact Dreamy Pillow!

I also like this one!

Sleep in when you are able. Retire earlier than you normally do. Read this to get the scoop on sleep’s benefits. Unplug from media and dream of spring tulips…

I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.

Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

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