GYIT Guide: Beauty

Photo by Gabriel Brandt on Unsplash

It's time to uplevel my look. All of the beauty shops are closed so I can't change my hair at the moment, so I'm letting it grow and trying to keep it soft, shiny, and healthy.

I'm also working on my skin. The goal is clear and glowing. So I'm drinking more water, using Retin-A, cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and self-tanning.

I'm challenging myself to do my makeup every day then taking selfies to compare. You don't have to post them on social media - but if you want to, do it! Life is too short to worry about the opinions of others. Practice makes perfect, so practice until it becomes second nature.

Keep up with beauty maintenance: brows, shaving, mani/pedis, and applying castor oil or olive oil to lashes and vaseline to lips before bed. 

Commit to an at-home spa day once a week. Use a bath bomb, face masks, deep condition hair... Basically treat myself like a goddess because I deserve it. 😉

When you look good, you feel better. And when you feel better, you think better thoughts. It just helps your overall sense of well-being. And we need that now more than ever! Agree?

What areas are you working on in the beauty department?

Sign up for my newsletter at the link below to receive your 4 page copy of the GYIT Guide: Beauty Edition!

https://simplelifeclub.net/gyitbeautty

One Day At a Time

Even though things are far from normal at this time, don't give up on your dreams and goals. Take it one day at a time and focus on what you need to do today.

None of us know what the future holds. Your progress may have slowed, but don't let it stop completely. Then you'll have to work twice as hard to get back to where you were! No more going backwards! I'm preaching to myself here too!

I want to create more content for you guys - in addition to my personal goals. Let me know in the comments what kind of content you would find beneficial.

It's another beautiful day here. My husband and I enjoy sitting on the porch and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine before it gets too hot. We've taken a little break from yard work the past two days. We have so much lawn debris the city needs to pick up before we can put anymore out.

Since the Corona virus and self-distancing has started I have been keeping busy with yard work and a little housework, but I also want to work on personal development. I want to use this time to come out better!

So I'm thinking about going through all my self-improvement notes and courses to put together a plan to begin implementing those things. Just because you read about something doesn't mean it's helping you. Action is a must.

Hope you are doing well during this time of uncertainty! Don't forget to let me know what kind of content you are interested in. 💓

The At-Home Spa Day

What woman doesn't love to feel pampered? One day I will have a pampered spa day, but until then I create my own spa days at home.

Beforehand I like to make sure my bathroom is squeaky clean and there are fresh sheets on the bed. There is nothing like slipping into clean sheets with freshly saved legs! I also like to make sure I have everything on hand that I will need for my spa day.

• Epsom bath salts
• Baby oil
• Pumice stone
• Charcoal face scrub
• Nail polish remover
• Nail polish
• Nail clippers
• Nail file
• Shampoo & conditioner
• Moroccan hair oil
• Fresh razor blade in the razor
• Aveeno shave cream
• Facial moisturizer
• Candles
• Music
• Ice water to drink

On my at home spa day I spend a couple hours bathing & beautifying, but this year I am going to kick it up a notch a make a full day of pampering. I'll prepare as much as possible the day before by going to the grocery store for healthy meals and salad fixings. I will also put a pitcher of water to chill overnight in the fridge with fruits and herbs to infuse the water. 

Here's a great article about detox water with fruit & herb infused water recipes.  

I'm going to aim for once a month to do a full day immersion of being at a spa resort and will report in afterwards. 

Who's in?

I'd love to hear your ideas for at home spa days and your results from doing a full immersion day!

Tracy x

Simple Beauty

"A smile is the best makeup a girl can wear." - Unknown

For women, we focus so much on outside beauty. Marketing makes us feel less than so we will buy their products in an effort to become "beautiful".  But we already are in our own unique ways. 

I'm not saying makeup is bad or that we shouldn't use it, just that we need to realize how beautiful we already are. Makeup should enhance the beauty we already have, not be used as a facade - a mask - to hide who we really are.

I'll be honest with you - most days I am completely makeup free. It's just the easiest route. But, this falls under the area of self care and it's an area that I need to work on. 

I have started working on my skin. It's very dry/sensitive and I wasn't very happy with the wrinkles that were becoming more prominent. I started using the lowest dose of Retin-A 2-3 times a week, mixed with my moisturizer. 

In the future, I'd like to see a dermatologist to get an expert opinion on my skin and it's needs. 

I've always kept my makeup pretty basic and simple - but I'd like to improve my makeup game by using the best products for my needs and improving techniques. I watch makeup tutorials on YouTube, but I know it's just going to take practice.

I think I will commit to doing my makeup 3 times a week to start. 

Wash my face every night and continue to use my Retin-A 2 - 3 times a week.

Moisturize like my skin depends on it. (It does!)

What are your thoughts on simple beauty?

Are they any improvements you have recently made or would like to?

Tracy x

A Bedroom Fit For A Queen

Pinterest

Years ago I named myself The Queen in jest, after seeing a Mary Englebreit pillow with the saying 'The Queen of Everything'. Oh, the family laughed in good fun, but it stuck. Now I'm known as the Queen. 

One of my goals for this year is to turn my bedroom into a beautiful sanctuary for my husband and I. A room befitting royalty. I want to work on this room first. 

People tend to work on the rooms that company sees - living room, kitchen, dining room, a main bathroom even. Meanwhile the bedrooms are looking pretty shabby. And I get it. But our bedrooms are meant to be restorative, intimate spaces. How much rest and intimacy can happen in a room that's haphazardly thrown together?

In November, I invested in new sheets, a king-size comforter, and curtains. But there is more work to be done. The room needs a fresh paint job. I need some shelves installed, paint my small antique 3 drawer dresser and replace the knobs, and get my husband to either declutter or organize his stuff. Hmmmm....

Being this is the year of my level up in many areas, I am declaring my bedroom as Home Project #1. This room is my top priority as far as beautifying and redecorating. 

Which room are you going to focus on first?

Have any decorating tips for bedrooms? 

Share below.

Listening, as always... x

Pretty In Pink

I am a pink girl. It's my favorite color of all which is why I am making it one of my main colors in my wardrobe. 

Pink, denim, and grey. 

I used to buy clothes because they were cute or on sale but I ended up with a closet full of clothes where nothing really quite went together or it didn't fit right or ended up being uncomfortable. So I basically had nothing to wear. 

Now I am much more careful about what I buy. It's one of the benefits of decluttering a zillion times over the years! 

This year, I want to work on my personal style. I've always been a jeans and t-shirt girl (keepin' it real), but I want to look a little more stylish and put together without sacrificing comfort. 

I think that by adding a few accessories and upgrading a few wardrobe pieces I can do it on a budget. I'll be using Pinterest for inspiration and guidance on how to put things together to achieve my goal. 

What's my style? Very casual. I dress for the life I live, so I'm not buying business  or gala attire. I'll share examples below...

LoveCasualStyle.com

 ClassyStylee.com

ClassyStylee.com

Now these are winter outfits and we are technically still in Winter, but we get days where it's 70 degrees or better, so I'll share a few ideas for those days, too...

Glamour Farms Boutique

Glamour Farms Boutique

I like to keep things as simple as possible and my wardrobe is no different. I like clothes that can be dressed up or down to fit the occasion.

So my tips for creating a wardrobe you love:

• Know the colors you love & look fabulous on you!
• Evaluate your current wardrobe & get rid of anything that doesn't make you look or feel like a million bucks.
• Write a wish list of items you need to fill in the gaps. 
• Do you have accessories you can use or do you need to invest in a few pieces? Costume jewelry is fine! 
• Shoes. Do you have footwear that compliments your look and clothing?
• Take your time cultivating your new wardrobe. Shop the sales if possible & don't be afraid to try consignment or second hand shops. Buy on;y things you truly love in your colors! 

I hope this helped you. Now, it's your turn...
What's your personal style? 

Any tips you care to share on how you created your fabulous style?

You know I'm listening! x

Live As If You Are On Vacation

Vacations are such a wonderful thing, aren't they? 

You're able to get away briefly from the daily stress and predictable routine. You get to experience a change of pace as well as a change of scenery. But the best thing about going on vacation is there is no clutter. Non!

Why don't we look at things in a new way, oui? 

• What if you could live like you were on vacation every day?
• What would that look like for you?
• What do you enjoy most about vacation time?
• How can you make every day life feel like a vacation?

Wherever your favorite place to vacation is, you can bring that feeling to your own home. For example, if Paris sets your heart aflutter, bring touches of french decor into your home. Listen to french music. Watch french movies. Learn the language and practice it daily. Learn to cook french dishes.

The possibilities are endless. Be creative! 

Many enjoy the simple aspect of vacationing. Your accommodations are sparse and you are limited as to what you can bring with you. Here is where decluttering comes in (remember, I told you yesterday that we'd be getting to this soon)! 

It's hard to let go of all of the things you have worked so hard to accumulate. I get it. But are all of the things making you happy? 

Do you feel like if only you had a bigger house (and mortgage!) things would be so much better? Non! You would soon fill up the empty spaces with new stuff!

Dear Swan, it's time to release that which holds you back from being happy and having peace in your heart. 

Clutter is not your friend. It steals your money and valuable time. You can always earn more money, but you can't get the time back that was spent moving, cleaning, organizing, and maintaining your clutter. 

You deserve more from life than battling clutter!

Tell me now, what are your thoughts on decluttering? 

What area do you struggle most with?

As always, I'm listening... x

Welcome 2020!

Welcome to 2020…

and to Simple Life, Happy Life!

I am Tracy - the blog creator. I am 45 years young and live in a smallish town in south Alabama, not far from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I live with my husband of 27 years, two Italian Mastiffs, and our three adult children - who are all currently at home with us.

I am a dreamer, a romantic, and a lover of all things beautiful. Thus, the creation of this blog. 

I am considering this year to be my level up years in terms of adding more beauty to my life while simplifying, adding self-care, and a lot more joie de vivre (joy of living).

The way I see it, we only have one life to live. I spent my younger years raising a family, sacrificing a lot of my desires for the needs of my babies. Now the babies are grown and it’s time for mama duck to become a swan. 

The second act of my life will be for me. 

Now, tell me about you and what stage of life you are in. 

Are you knee-deep in babies and diapers?

Have your babes flown the nest?

Spill it, sister. I am listening!