Category: Lifestyle

SINGLE and HAPPY

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

If you’ve just ended a long relationship or you’ve been looking for Mr. Perfect for far too long, there’s no better place to be right now.

Reminder: you have to stop wondering what to do with your life or how to spend your free time. Being alone doesn’t mean being lonely, and it gives you endless possibilities for discovering new dimensions of life and improving yourself.

There’s a time to be dating, and there’s a time to be alone. That doesn’t have to mean loneliness. Being single is all about being free and being happy. Let’s find out why.

Editor’s note: Although this article uses male pronouns, the advice applies to all sexual orientations and gender identities.

1. More me time

All this time that you used to dedicate to the thoughts of one particular man is now freed up and all yours. You can start new hobbies, focus on reading more, focus on your career goals, meet up with people that you haven’t seen recently, or just lie in bed and watch your favorite TV shows and relax all day, every day. Sounds like a great deal.

2. All decisions are in your hands

All couples can admit that, as a whole, they make most of their big decisions together. It’s not always nice having to agree on something just because your partner said so. You know the feeling … neglecting your needs and desires to satisfy your loved one is definitely not the best part of being in a relationship. So enjoy your freedom and make decisions on your own—no one is going to mumble about it.

3. No compromises

Relationships are built on compromises, and sometimes, there comes a time where you want to be free and not have to compromise with anyone. When you’re single, there’s no compromising about your love life, the way you spend your time, your hobbies, the people you see, where your finances go, and so on. You’re free to experience what you want.

4. Now’s the time … fill your passport

We all know traveling alone is an incredible experience, not to mention that, if you have a s/o, they’re not always going to want to come to all the places you want to go to. Problem solved. The best part of being single is that you can buy a ticket and go to any place in the world—and the only permission you need is your own.

For those of you recovering from a breakup, remember, you came to this world alone. At one point in your life, you never knew this person. So you can live without them and you will. And guess what? You will do just fine. Find your power, reach for life, and have fun again.
Dwelling on the past does not make space for the future. Sitting back and telling yourself “They really weren’t that bad” is the mind playing nasty tricks on you. If that happens, quickly call a friend and ask them to remind you of all the times you complained about your ex. That will help you squash that lie quickly.

I encourage you to find the courage to move on. A breakup creates space for something new. Let the newness of you in. Let whoever came to your life for a “reason” and “season” go. They have done their job. Now do your job and move on with the next exciting chapter of your life. Let the sunshine in.

6 tips for your summer body!

Published on by Lee4 Comments

Hello Beauties! Now before I get started on this post I just want to note that I am not a nutritionist of any kind! This is just simple tips I’ve learned from research, trial and error. They work wonders for me and hopefully they will for you too! My weight has always been up and down since I was teenager and once I became an adult I noticed it being way more up than down. I do still diet every now and then, but these are tips to add to your lifestyle for a complete change. I honestly feel that if I did not incorporate these things in my life I would be a lot heavier. If you have any eating habits that you live by feel free to add them below. Once again, look at these tips as something to add to your lifestyle and not so much “diet tips.”

♥ WATER ONLY – Now I am a human being and I do indulge in a mimosa or two but other than that I do not drink anything but water. I started to drink less soda and no juice. I have an obsession with lemon lime ginger ale soda at my job, I only drink it when I’m at work, I need help! Started to drink coffee again but I’m planning on ending that today. The worst thing you can do is drink your calories. I personally feel that this is how weight sneaks up on a lot of people. If you are having a meal that’s 500 calories, by the time you drink two glasses of soda that’s another 500 calories you’ve added on without even noticing! Yikes! If you are consuming soda and juices all day you could be adding 1500 calories to your diet per day and that’s not even including food. The average person should consume 2,000 per day. Now I am NOT a calorie counter but I do take heed of things I put in my mouth. I’m at a point to where I know I want I can and can’t have. But I will say that only drinking water gives me a little freedom to have more “cheat meals” with actual food. So try to completely cut out all sugary beverages!

♥ CUT THE SUGAR – This one is obvious. Excess sugar is so easily turned into fat. Now while sugar is found in a lot of foods besides sweets, I’ve always felt like that slice of cake or candy bar is just waiting to add itself to my bra roll in the back. If you can, skip dessert! And if you are craving something sweet I always have a mango or a handful of grapes to fight my craving. I now stack up on fruits!

♥ WARM LEMON WATER – Every single morning, I start my day with a glass of warm lemon water. I actually got this tip years ago and even wrote about lemon water benefits on here, BeautyLeeBar.com. I am always raving about the long list of benefits a simple glass of warm water with lemon to whoever will listen lol. Now the benefits I’ve personally researched are very long so I’ll just name the three that stuck out to me.

  • First the obvious being that it helps in weight loss. Drinking the mixture first thing in the morning helps fight hunger cravings, which will lead to either losing weight or just simply not over eating.
  • The second is it also helps in digestion. Feeling bloated and stuffed is the absolute WORST. Lemon water definitely gets everything in your digestive system flowing and helps make you regular.
  • The last is it improves skin. I personally have very dry skin and everyone knows dry skin is something that causes wrinkles. Once I incorporated it in my daily routine I noticed my skin was a lot more hydrated

♥ SAVE IT FOR LATER– Now this is something that I feel was instilled in us all as children. I think we can all recall our parents forcing us to finish our food in order not to be wasteful. But this is not something I practice at all. Always get smaller portions and if you are still hungry go back for more if you would like. But overloading your plate and forcing yourself to eat is not going to help you get that summer body. We all talk about having the itis, but I personally hate feeling lethargic after I’ve eaten. Now I don’t necessarily mean be wasteful, I love a some good left overs. So wrap it up and save the rest for later! So once you get that first feeling of satisfaction, you should be done eating. Never eat until you feel stuffed or sleepy.

♥  GREEN TEA – Listen up. I LOVE GREEN TEA. I wont even go through the very long list of benefits it has but this is the one! The main benefit is that it speeds up your metabolism! Now I will be honest I don’t drink it everyday but I definitely always make sure I consume a few cups through out the week. It definitely gives me a boost of energy when I’m feeling a little sluggish. It’s something about green tea that makes me feel so zen when I drink it lol. So besides the water, green tea is definitely something I recommend you add to your diet. Here is the link to the brand I drink.

♥ MONITOR YOUR BODY – I’m not saying be overly obsessive and step on the scale every 15 minutes. But I will occasionally throw on an old outfit to see whats going on. I never really monitor my body by what the scale says, its all about how I look and feel. If I notice something getting a little tight or if I do decide to step on the scale I know to tighten up my eating habits a bit. The sooner you catch it the better! Its much easier to drop 10-15 lbs over 50+. It’s hard to not let your weight get out of control but if you are person like me who does tend to gain it easily, this tip definitely helps keep it in check.

In closing I want to say that this is not a guide to make you overly obsess or feel like you need to be thin. I am no where near thin and I never will be, but through A LOT of struggle I have and I am still learning to love my body and do my best to take care of it. The older I get the harder it is to stick to a diet so I implemented these small changes and noticed such a difference. Now these tips are not going to make you lose 50 pounds in two weeks but it will give you a jump start to taking steps towards a healthier lifestyle. If you have any tips you would like to share comment below! Thanks for reading and let me know if any of these tips work for you! I’ve linked the green tea that I drink as well!

WHICH TIP HAVE YOU TRIED OR WILLING TO TRIED?

Inspired Idea: 5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Life

Published on by Lee2 Comments

We are officially in the middle of March, and I’m feeling more inspired than ever by the arrival of spring. To me, this season marks a time to refresh, clean out, and reflect. I’m sure these urges are even stronger for those of you who live in cold climates that have you feeling ready to shake off the snow and resurface as the days get warmer. In the spirit of initiating my own spring awakening, today I’m sharing some ways to do a mini life overhaul this season. Now, I’m not recommending you do these all at once, but now is a better time than ever to start chipping away at your spring cleaning to-do list. If you work through this list along with me, I can bet that by the time summer arrives, you’ll be feeling fresh as a daisy…

1. Do a tech detox.
When you hear the phrase “tech detox” you probably think I’m going to suggest you take some time off your phone to unplug. And while that’s all well and good to do often, I’m referring to actually cleaning up the contents on your phone so that it’s less cluttered and less distracting. The first great way to do this is to clean up who you are following on Instagram. This social media app is distracting enough as it is—add in scrolling through dozens of photos from accounts you don’t even know why you started following in the first place and you’re looking at a guaranteed time waster. Go through the list of who you follow, removing accounts whose content you don’t care to see as much of. The best part is that you will be able to more easily see photos from your friends, family and accounts that really matter when you open the app. The second great way to clean up your phone is to delete old photos from your camera roll. We all know that these photos take up space on our phones, causing them to eventually run slower. Cleaning up your camera not only will feel great, but it will also help you to find old memories a lot easier when looking for a specific moment from the past.

2. File away your email inbox.
If you look at the mail icon app on your iPhone and see a red bubble showing a number in the hundreds (or thousands!), this tip is for you. Take an afternoon to create a filing system for your email inbox. You can start by marking all old emails as “read” and filing them in bulk in one folder, then beginning your filing system from that moment on. The folders you make are up to you, but it’s a good idea to include ones based on the categories of emails you receive most often so that you can easily find old emails based on those categories. The end goal is to have a “working inbox” that displays a select number of emails pertaining to current projects, ongoing projects, and things that need to be responded to ASAP. It will work as a to-do list and keep you organized.

3. Tackle your wardrobe.
Now that we’ve gotten two tech tips out of the way, it’s time to dive into spring-cleaning physical items and areas of your house. Many of us clean out our closets regularly, and spring is an especially great time to go through the items you didn’t reach for all winter long and make room for new spring and summer purchases. When I clean out my closet instead of pulling out what I am willing to get rid of, I take everything out and only put back the pieces I really love and wear.  I also pack away seasonal item like scarves, coats and hats during spring and summer and do the same with bathing suit cover-ups and sundresses during Fall and Winter. If you can’t decide whether you should keep something ask yourself these questions:

  • When was the last time I wore this?
  • Do I like how I feel/look when I wear this?
  • Would I buy this today if I were shopping in a store?

If the answers to these questions lead you to believe the piece has run its course, it’s time to place it into your give-away pile.

4. Refresh your fridge and pantry.
Hoarding expired condiments and stale pantry items is a surefire way to achieve an unkempt kitchen. Organizing your fridge and pantry is, in my opinion, even easier than cleaning out your closet. It’s a black and white decision because of a little thing we call expiration dates. Those bottles of ketchup, BBQ sauce and salad dressing that have been in your refrigerator door for three years? Pitch them. Those pints of ice cream that have gathered so much freezer burn they look like they’re growing stalagmites? Get rid of them. That opened bag of crackers that’s been tucked back on your pantry shelf for an undeterminable amount of time? Toss them. Trust me, nothing will feel better than opening your fridge, freezer and pantry to see fresh items you know you’ll grab when cooking or snacking.

5. Spring clean your beauty routine.
You didn’t think I’d leave beauty and makeup out of this convo, did you? Take some time this season to wash your makeup brushes and replace old ones that have seen better days. Similarly, throw out and replace old makeup palettes, mascaras, lipsticks and everything in between. Not only will this help you to only keep what you really use on a regular basis, therefore getting rid of product clutter, but it will also ensure that you aren’t using makeup that has gathered bacteria and germs over the years. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you even take this opportunity to do a “green cleaning” by replacing old makeup with products from chemical-free companies like Beauty Counter, Juice Beauty or RMS Beauty, Fenty Beauty. While you’re at it, give those bathroom cabinets and drawers a deep clean too.

What tips do you have for spring cleaning your life?

I Got It From My Mama

Published on by Lee1 Comment

We inherit their eyes, their smile, their cheek bones and knowledge. We even mimic their gestures and laughs. Moms are extremely influential in our lives. I am fortunate to have my amazing mother who I have learned so much from- whether it’s a life lesson or love lesson, my mother have been an amazing example and supporter in my life. We might not share the same genes but we are basically the same person. She has offered a bevy of sound beauty advice and life advice. I might have never started using sunscreen as soon as I did if it wasn’t for her. I got my looks from my mama!

On Valentine’s Day, I had the pleasure of asking her some fun beauty questions. Oh yeah, I got these questions and idea from Pucker and Pout. Enjoy!!

What was the first beauty tip you received from your mom?

Mom: I really don’t remember.

Me: My mother told me to always wear sunscreen, she always made me as a child wear sunscreen. She also told me not to ever smoke a cigarette.

What product have you used since you were a young woman that you swear by?

Mom: It has to be Vaseline. It is a good moisturizer.

Me: I have been wearing Nars foundation since 8th grade and even though I wear Fenty Beauty now, Nars is still and forever my go-to makeup brand.

As you matured, how did you beauty regimen change? Products?

Mom: As far as a makeup routine, nothing has changed for me. I never have and still to this day don’t wear foundation. I only wear a little blush, lipstick and sometimes eyeshadow. I now try different skincare and beauty products because my daughter either get them for free or buy them for me. I just don’t like too much stuff on my face, I keep everything simple which works for me.

Me: I moisturized gently and daily. When I do wear makeup, I make sure before going to bed to take off my makeup and wash face. Products only change in a form that they are more expensive and now I use items that are for my skin type. I am more aware.

What is something you wish you started doing years ago and/or what do you regret doing?

Mom: Drinking more water, I am training myself to drink more water every day. I regret smoking, it is a bad habbit I picked up when I was in college.

Me: I regret sleeping in my makeup whenever I felt lazy and wished I started eating healthier and sticking with it sooner. So yeah, I wish I was more discipline and had more self-control.

What makes you feel most beautiful?

Mom: I feel most beautiful when I am happy!

Me: When my skin is clear and glowing!