New beginnings

Hi loves,

As promised 😌, I've come through with writing about working out. Finding the time and the motivation to stick to a routine is so, so hard especially when having a family, a full time job, and school. I thought about constructing this post and thought about how to have it as simple as possible because let's face it, most routines we read about tend to be half of the story of how a person transforms within that 12 week period. My outline below is the whole story. I promise you that it has worked for me and here is the secret: I have put the time and the effort and the truth and the matter is that hard work pays off! I will share first steps to getting your foot in the door. I will have another post where I will explain different exercises and meal choices that will help.

Please write to me with any questions you may have. I hope this helps you and motivates you to make today the day you decide to have the best fit body you want. At the bottom you will see a before and after pic. You can be the judge and tell me if you see a difference 😊
  
1. Fit Gym
2. Gym swag
3. Fit bit
4. Playlist
5. F.O.R.C (Factor Of Reason to Commit)
6. Time
7. Nutrients

1. Fit Gym. Find a gym that will fit your needs. Find a gym that offers a mix or different group classes, that way you can find a class that will fit with your busy schedule. I found a women gym near my house that offers an awesome variety of classes in the AM and in the PM. My monthly fee is about $60. Let me know if you live near the Milton/Quincy area, I will gladly help you answer any questions regarding the gym i go to.

2. Gym swag. That first day is hard as it is and what can make it feel less of a total fail is making sure you wear the most comfortable gym outfit. If you are not feeling 100% with what you are wearing, I guarantee you that you will feel like giving up and not put your full energy into your workout. If you don't focus while working out, you will not get the results you want. Put on a workout outfit and give it a try at home before you go to the gym. Walk around the house do some jumping jacks and some squats and see how what you have on feels and adjust where needed. I personally love using compression tights. Ever since I have discovered them I wear them on the daily basis. There are several benefits on wearing compression tights when working out. I've noticed that my workout performance is much stronger when I have the compression tights on. Some of these benefits include: improved blood blow through muscles, faster recovery (reduces post workout sourness), endurance, muscle focus, always a plus, keeps everything nice and tight. I use these and LOVE them!! 

3. Fitbit. Invest in a fitbit These are life changing! My husband gifted me one and ever since I CAN NOT LIVE WITH OUT IT. It is addicting. I can write pages about this but I will not. It is not super necessary but It will help you.

4. Playlist. Music is key when doing cardio by yourself. A good playlist WILL give you the stamina. I cannot stress this enough! Add your favorite music to your playlist! You will think of me when you will not be able to push through a workout. 

5. FORC. Find the motivation that determination and commit to sticking to a lifestyle of wellness. My personal FORC are my children. They are my motivation to be the best person I can be in is this planet. I believe that, when I take the time to better myself, it allows me to be a better mother. Also, your significant other will appreciate and respect the effort and admire the dedication, and lust over that body 😅 After many years of marriage things will get super monotone and letting yourself go will NOT help. Your husband should love you though thick and thin and a good man probably will but not feeling your best, will have some sort of an impact in the relationship. 

6. Time. Give it time. I promise you that, if you do everything right, by 12 weeks you will see a difference. Do not get discouraged. You will have better days than others and that is completely normal. Go home and tell yourself you will try again tomorrow without giving up. DO NOT GIVE UP. Just remember, hard work will pay off.

7. Nutrients. When you join the gym and start a routine, you will want to be a better eater. My advice is to not have anything after 8PM! Make this small change and see how it will work for you. If you do not want to give up anything, just try not having food after 8PM for 1 week.! Tell me how you will feel after you have tried not eating after 8PM for one week and I will share with you how to go the next step. 

On the next post, I will share with you techniques that have worked for me and my lifestyle.!

It is important to find some sort of a balance in your daily life. Find a routine that works for you and stick to it. It is important to make a difference when you are not feeling your best. The only person that could help you is YOU. Helping yourself be your best will not only benefit you but the people around you as well.

Before         After

                  This might not look like a huge difference for many but it's just
                      3 months worth of working a modest workout routine.

Fall in Velvet

ASOS has always been my go to, especially when I need something within a couple of days. The two day shipment is marvelous.  I was looking for a nude velvet midi. Velvet is a perfect silky, smooth material. It is usually made by weaving two thicknesses of material, and different types of fibers at the same time to give it that rich feel. It is considered a very luxurious material because of all of the handmade work that goes into it. Here is a little history of a velvet.
After sorting through the category of dresses. I came across this one, product code:916093. I really loved the length of it and I really liked the back. I love a low cut back so that instantly caught my eye. The dress came to my door step within a couple of days. I received it on a Friday. The birthday dinner that i need the dress for was on Saturday night. The dress is very soft and it has some stretch with the low cut back, wrap design. I tried it on and the fit of it was great. It felt really soft on the skin and very comfortable considering that 90% of the dress consists of polyester and the rest is elastane. The front of the dress seemed sort of plain and that the necklace I had on didn't really add any value to the look. I looked at the back of the dress and the idea of having the low cut in front had me question if I could pull off a v plunge look. I turned the dress around and as a result had the low back in the front. It was a little too plunged for me so I used a mini safety pin to secure.

                                                 Here are some of the pics from ASOS.

Front

Back

 Here is how I wore it. With simple straps and a black choker

Skincare

It is safe to say that skincare is important to all of us. Having and maintaining a healthy, flawless, beautiful skin isn't always easy. Before you decide to commit to a skincare routine, you have to realize that in order to get to where you want to be with your skin you will have to put the time and effort into researching products that will work for you. If have blemishes, dark spots, fine lines, and want to have that flawless, smooth skin, you will need to make an appointment with your dermatologist or an licensed aesthetician. They are the only qualified people that can give you concrete advice regarding your skin concerns and how to go about treating the problem areas. They might recommend treatments such as facials, peels, microneedling, micro dermabration or just moisturizing. It is important to go over your concerns with your dermatologist/aesthetician before you invest in any skincare routines. The right treatment will reverse all of that sun damage and teenage acnin scars.


SUNSCREEN
I was a non believer for the longest time until i got the chemical peel done. I don't go a day without sunscreen anymore. Most of tinted moisturizers and some foundations have sunscreen in them but not enough. To maintain a healthy, brown spot fee and refrain skin discoloration, and slow the process of premature wrinkles, or skin cancer, you need at least 40SPF. I use 50SPF everyday before i put any thing else on my skin. I use this one.

Cleanser
I always wanted something that removed the day off without all the harsh chemicals. I used to use  OZ naturals' ocean mineral before they sold out so it forced me to switch to something else. So lately I use Origins' checks and balances which feels squeaky clean afterwards reminds me of an Albanian all purpose soap (sapuni 15 leksh).

Vitamin C
I use this twice a day. Before make up and after make up before bed. Vitamin C is so important for the skin. I've been using OZ for almost a year now and i see huge difference. Also, I just love that this company is natural. Don't break your bank when buying vitamin C because the common thing all the product have in it is vitamin C which is what you need anyways. Just always aim for natural and organic and stick with it.

Moisturize
Choosing a moisturizer can be time consuming. I've settled on this one and someone will have to pay me big bucks to try something else. It has done so much for me. It does what it should do and my skin craves it. I use it twice a day. Once in the morning and before bed. My aesthetician recommended it to me about a month ago and I've never looked back.

Hydrating masks
I've tried a variety of hydrating masks. From Dr. Jart, Sephora collections, Origins, Boscia ect.. Honestly, all of these masks feel great after you use them and they give you perfectly smooth skin afterwards but all of that goodness unfortunately doesn't last for very long. I wake up the next morning not really seeing much difference for me. If any of you guys swear by a hydrating mask I would love to know so i can try it.


Summary:

Every morning:
1.Cleanser
2.Sunscreen
3.Vitamin C
4.Moisture

Every evening before bed:
1.Cleanser
2.Mask. I'm sure you can use hydrating masks daily however, skin treatment masks are not recommend for daily use. Read the instructions. I alternate between hydrating and treatment masks.
3.Vitamin C
4.Moisture

Stick to a routine, It is important because the skin craves as much nourishment as our body and mind does!

Intro

Week 1 (2 days/week) of Construction I went well. The instructor seems very knowledgeable. There is a total of 6 students (including myself) in class which is great considering that the majority of us have 0 to very little experience when it comes to constructing/sewing. I think it's smart to have just a few students so that the instructor is be able to pay close attention to all of us individually.

The book that we will be using throughout this course. It goes into a lot of detail which is great because as a beginner, I will need all the visuals and the explanation it will have to offer.

These are all the supplies that we were given our first class.

Got a chance (second class) to thread the sewing machine. The instructor was very informative. She explained every little step in detail and also walked us through it all. As they say, sewing machines follow a similar thread path: across, down and around, up, down, and through. These 'simple' steps can become so confusing. Practice makes perfect for sure!

The skirt sketch. My very first project.

During the weekend I went to a fabric store to pick out the fabric that I will be using to make my very first project which will be a skirt. At first, the fabric store was a little overwhelming or maybe it just seemed that way to me since I had Joanna (my 2 year old) with me. Joanna kept suggesting color fabric. How about pink? How about purple? How about yellow? Oh i know mix it all up!!! My mind was going a little crazy at that point. I decided on a very appropriate UEFA EURO 2016 - Paris (GO #ALBANIA) print fabric!! Being so excited, I totally forgot that the instructor said to not purchase a pattern fabric because it can be tricky considering it is your very first project. Wish me luck!