A couple of months ago I had Brittany Ford on the All Gussied Up podcast and she really rocked my world when she brought it to my attention that everyone should be getting in organic movement daily.

As in, your 30 minute dedicated workout is not enough. When she told me this, I was like…FUUUUUUUUCK. For most of my adult life, I’d gotten my workout in in the early morning for a good 45 minutes and then called it a day. HOWEVER. Recent research has shown that that is simply not enough. And living a mostly sedentary day is as bad for your health as smoking a pack of cigs. SAY WHAT?!

There’s no end to the studies that link the power of regular physical exercise—regular meaning throughout the day—to maintaining health, weight and a general sense of well-being. Conversely, more time spent sitting increases the risk for developing dozens of chronic conditions, from cancer and diabetes to cardiovascular disease, circulation problems, obesity and greater total mortality. {via}

Research Pandey has been involved with at University of Texas suggests people should exercise for closer to two hours per day—or break it up throughout the day—to decrease risk of heart failure. The U.S. minimum recommended levels of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week triggered only mild physical reactions in participants’ bodies. People who did two to four times more exercise lowered their risk of heart failure by 20 percent and 35 percent, respectively, the researchers found. {via}

So, let’s fix this, k? If you’re like me, you probably want to add in more movement throughout your day. Here are my favorite ways to add in movement on top of your ‘regular’ workouts:

♡ Yoga: There are so many kinds of yoga that are easy to incorporate into your daily life. Whether its restorative, HOT, yin, etc. – there is a kind of yoga practice for you. I love restorative and yin yoga because they both preserve joint mobility and center the mind. I now practice either form of yoga at least once per day. All you’ll need is a mat and a tiny bit of space.

♡ Fascial release: Using a foam roller for myofascial release can reduce muscle tension, which can help lengthen a muscle. Fascia is a webby tissue that starts in your skin and wraps around and layers deep into the body, organizing all parts and systems and building your body’s shape and form. But most importantly, fascia is an entire body system unto itself—which is why a daily ritual can be so nourishing. I like to roll once a day using this roller.

♡ Dance: Dancing is SUCH a powerful way to tap in to your physical and emotional well-being. It can be so therapeutic. I have always felt like such an awkward dancer but when there is no pressure put on you in a social situation, dance is so powerful. I personally love free-form dance and how it brings us to our fullest expression.

♡ Hourly jumping jacks: I saw an Instagram challenge recently where you do 10 jumping jacks every hour during every waking hour of the day and I have adopted this method of ongoing movement throughout the day. If you have a trampoline, you could do this instead. It’s really mood-boosting, too.

Off to do some twerking!

xx,

Lynn

Exhausted and defeated are two (dramatic) words that could be used to describe how I felt about natural and non-toxic deodorants AKA those without aluminum and harmful chemicals. I had tried 20+ different deodorants that sold me on the promise to keep my pits B.O.-free BUT that was absolutely NOT the case. At least none that were actually non-toxic (I had tried some that had clever marketing to green wash their product).

So I gave up on using an all natural deodorant and stuck to a men’s deodorant UNTIL…

I read this article on Into The Gloss about using an acid toner as deodorant. WHAT THE WHAT?! I had never heard of this and started to dig a little more. What I found is that there are some deodorants very new to the market that are marketed as “acid deodorant”.

This was literally the best news I’d read that week, and I learned that they’re highly effective because acid kills bacteria which causes odor in the first place. As this study found, “by changing the pH of the [underarm], the bacteria are unable to act.”

So the grand reveal of the acid deodorant I’ve been using for the last 2 weeks with ZERO B.O. is…

NECESSAIRE LE DÉODORANT IN EUCALYPTUS ($20)

Necessaire is one of my most favorite brands. I love all of the products I’ve used of theirs and their packaging is just a cherry on top. It’s so Instagram-worthy and CHIC. When I saw that they came out with an acid deodorant, it was the only one I wanted to try out and I don’t plan on trying others. It smells so good. Not overpowering, just light and fresh. This deodorant contains mandelic and lactic acids and I haven’t noticed much more sweating than usual and I still smell fresh at the end of the day.

Off to do my pilates workout tonight – no stink included.

xo, Lynn

WAIT. HAVE YOU HEARD? YOU NEED A WEIGHTED BLANKET.

They’re all the rage right now, and I’m not surprised at all that weighted blankets are totally a thing.

I’d heard that weighted blankets are amazing for several different reasons, which I will get into in a bit, but I didn’t really give purchasing one much thought until I went over to my parent’s house and tried the one draped over their couch. I laid across the chaise and draped the blanket over myself, and it was like a big, tight hug.

AKA so soothing.

Some people use a weighted blanket while they’re relaxing to calm anxiety or just to feel more calm overall, and some like to sleep with a weighted blanket. I knew I wanted one to sleep with. And so the research began. I did so much reading about materials, what kinds of weighted blankets are best, how much weight you should be looking at, just all the details.

Here’s the deal: if you want a weighted blanket to drape over yourself while you sleep, make sure it’s a cooling blanket. I got this one from YNM and I’ve been using it for 3 months…it’s pure bliss. It’s satin, so the material will not make you hot and sweaty making it perfect for summer (or winter nights). I use another, warmer comforter on top.

Weighted blankets are designed to provide gentle pressure that mimics the feeling of being held (known as Deep Touch Pressure). This type of pressure has been shown to increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of sleep that has a calming effect. {via}

And the blanket truly does allow me to get the best sleep ever. I have not woken up once in the middle of the night since using this blanket. It’s quite magical, really. Jeff saw how much I was loving mine, so he got his own and absolutely loves it. He’s not as sound of a sleeper as I am and it usually takes him awhile to fall asleep, but now with the blanket, the sleep issues are gone.

Let’s talk weight and size. Weighted blankets range in weight and size, but after all of the research that I did, I recommend getting a 60×80″ blanket, especially if you’re tall. And avoid buying a queen or king size weighted blanket, because the weight distribution can get confusing. The general wisdom for weight is to pick a blanket that’s 10 percent of your bodyweight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you’d get a 15-pound blanket. If you are closer to 200 pounds, a 20-pound blanket is a good fit, and so on. Most adult weighted blankets are 10, 15, 20 or 25 pounds — kids blankets are lighter, starting around 5 pounds.

Let’s get into the specific benefits of using a weighted blanket:

♡ Eases Insomnia

♡ Reduces anxiety

♡ Fights stress

♡ Improves focus

♡ Eases restless leg syndrome

♡ Improves sleep quality

Like once you get one, you’re screwed. You’ll never go back to sleeping without one.

Currently laying under mine, about to finish Jessica Simpson’s book, Open Book.

Sweet dreams! Lynn xo

A cluttered house causes a cluttered mind. Nope, I did not coin this phrase but it is SO TRUE. Right?

I’ve been going through all of my things, section by section, in my house to clear out the clutter and it feels so damn good. But on that note, one of the most challenging spaces to organize is the makeup area. Can you relate?

If you looked into my makeup drawer(s) a couple weeks ago, you’d see a million products and most of them were OLD or had been barely used. Unless I’m going to a wedding or a special event, the makeup I use day to day is pretty much the same.

I shared some of this organization and makeup clean-out on Instagram Stories – if you saw those stories, you might have seen that I had makeup products that were up to 19 years old. YIKES. For the record, I DID keep the one 19-year-old product…it’s a glitter from Stila that I bought with my allowance at Macy’s. NO, I will not put it on my face.

Here’s how I cleared out the makeup clutter:

1. Throw away what you don’t use: This is so painful but so necessary. I had a green eyeshadow hanging out in my drawer for 6 years because it’s a pretty color but I never wore it. Not once.
2. Pay attention to shelf life. Ok, this is a BIG one. And ohhh boy was I breaking all of the rules here. I’m happy to say that now most of my makeup falls in line with how long you should be keeping your items. Here’s a quick guide for you to use.
3. Go through your makeup tools, too. There were so many tools I wasn’t using, like old beauty blenders, duplicate lash curlers, pencil sharpeners, etc. I tossed the duplicates and the items I didn’t need.

My makeup drawers are now super organized and I only have what I really love and use. BTW, do you have a vanity, or do you do your makeup in the bathroom? I have a vanity in my bedroom and it feels just a little juvenile…

xo, Lynn