Here we are.
Another month of favorites.
Full of good ones this month.
Don't sleep on these.
If you are unfamiliar with this series, no worries.
I just started it last month so you are not too far behind!
I talk about my six favorite things of the month.
Let's get started.
JUNE 2021
1. LAYING OUT NAKED
Yep, you read that right.
It has without a doubt become my favorite thing of the month.
I love the sun. Worship it. (While being sun safe.)
I can not explain how happy every cell in my body feels when she is out showing us her beauty. (I'm sure many of you feel the same way.)
She is majestic, beautiful, calming and energizing.
There is a reason your animals seek it out within your home, friends.
The sun is so full of energy and life. Use her.
Remember, nature needs her to sustain life.
You are nature.
Anyway. It is very common for me to grab a book, my computer, my earbuds or nothing and spend an hour bathing in her glory when she comes out to play.
I did it at the Iowa farm house all the time.
But here it feels so different
Since it is so private where I live now, I can enjoy it naked.
On my back porch alone.
No distractions.
Nobody coming to disrupt my hour of bliss.
It is pure magic.
& if you have never spent any time outside naked, you are missing out.
(Also, it kind've blows my mind to know that there are people in the world that haven't skinny dipped. BLOWS. MY. DAMN. MIND. Please, enjoy your life and don't take it too seriously.)
Be free, my friends.
2. DATE DAY &/OR NIGHT
We suck at this.
We are actively trying to get better.
Every time we do it, we enjoy ourselves so much.
But it's so damn hard to peel ourselves from our safe, comfortable little home.
We love it, our kitties, the things in it. I like to cook. We like pajamas and nudity.
Most of those things require home. haha.
So, yes. It is hard to peel ourselves away from our favorite place.
But cheers to us doing our best to keep it up.
Because every time we do, we enjoy ourselves.
This month we went to find Keith some farm clothes.
I tried getting him naked in this dressing room and he declined. (very upstanding citizen, he is. a real good boy. 😜)
After, we headed off to a local Thai restaurant.
The air conditioner was broken and it was 95 degrees inside.
Inside!
& we were about to eat hot food.
But let me tell you, it was so worth it.
The conversation was good, the food was great and the view (of Keith ) was my favorite.
Cheers to getting out for more date nights.
& I have to make a recommendation. If that is a regular thing for you, try cooking together at home and making that your date night.
Switch it up.
Make your own fun.
We real cute.
3. MY GARDEN
Okay, I can't even express how relaxing this garden journey has been.
You would think it would be stressful.
Battling animals, insects, weeding, harvesting, watering, etc.
BUT I WAS MADE FOR IT.
First of all, I went into this whole garden thing last year with the motto, "if I get some food, I get food. If I don't, I don't." I was not dead set on it being an epic part of my life. I figured it would be fun and something I could enjoy but had very few expectations.
But it has turned out to be such a glorious journey.
I have enjoyed every part of it.
Even the bugs.
Because I get to find out what naturally works to piss those suckers off and keep my food safe.
Seeing the growth and abundant production after dedicating hours upon hours to caring for it has been so rewarding.
I love waking up in the morning and heading outside be one with my garden for 30 minutes.
I sing to my plants, water them, weed them, admire them and am grateful every day for the bountiful harvest I get to bring within the walls of my home and enjoy.
It has been so lovely.
& relaxing.
I highly recommend giving it a try.
If you don't have much space, just try one thing.
Like potatoes.
Potatoes are so easy.
How beautiful is my garden?!
the beginning
somewhere in the middle
currently
(this was a video I sent to my mom, so disregard part of the commentary.)
4. FOUR SIGMATIC PLANT BASED PROTEIN POWDER
Okay, this is serious.
Protein powders.
They suck.
Absolutely suck.
First of all, if you are not trying to build muscle there is absolutely NO NEED for you to be consuming them. & major news flash, you don't even need them if you are trying to build muscle. (To each their own. Do you, boo.)
Every single food you consume has protein in it. EVERY SINGLE FOOD.
Food is made from an arrangement of amino acids. A string of amino acids is a protein.
Yes, some have more and some have less, but every food out there has some form of protein in it.
We are not a protein deficient country.
That mindset came when children in Africa were starving to death. They were living off the only thing they had as food, tree roots and tubers.
Protein rich foods were sent over to help sustain them and we decided that protein rich foods were the hierarchy. & if we didn't consume them, we would wither away and die.
No, not the case.
As long as we are eating a VARIETY of foods (even if we are eating only non-protein rich foods) we will consume more than enough for the human body to thrive.
But...there are reasons why people consume higher protein foods.
Sustenance, muscle building, certain illnesses, etc.
Sometimes this girl needs to stay full a little longer and she does not have the stomach and bowel capacity to hold a lot of food.
Especially in the morning.
So a smoothie it is.
But you gotta stay full.
So protein powder comes into play.
& let me tell you, I have been THROUGH it with protein powders.
We do not get along.
First of all, protein isn't my body's favorite macronutrient to digest.
It's a little hard on me.
I have learned what to eat & not eat and how to manage, but over consumption happens pretty quickly for me.
I have found such a good one for my body type and I have to share it with you.
First of all, protein powder makes me fart. A lot. & bloat.
This one does not. (Unless I do it for like 5 days in a row; I try to stick to 2-3, then take a day break.)
& my biggest pet peeve about protein powders is all the nasty ingredients in them. & artificial sweeteners.
I'm sorry they just taste like fake crap.
Like downing crystal light packets (or something similar) with no water.
Just straight down the hatch.
No. Sorry. Not for me.
This one by four stigmatic is sweetened with monk fruit extract and maple syrup.
It doesn't taste like fake processed sugary shit.
It is divine.
My favorite is the creamy cacao, but I love the vanilla too. Bonus, it is made with REAL vanilla.
They also have a peanut butter one which I am dying to try and an unflavored one.
The protein blend is 5 different sources (hemp, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, coconuts and peas) which I'm pretty sure is the reason why my digestion does well with it.
I can not tell you how many brands I've tried and had so much pain, bloating, gas and taste aversions to. (& I don't consider myself a picky eater.)
Protein powders suck.
Pay attention to your ingredients and spend your money where it's beneficial.
I could not recommend it more.
HERE is the link to their website.
5. MAKEUP FOREVER HD FOUNDATION
Oh boy.
This foundation is it, sis.
I started using this foundation about a month after I got married (7.5 years ago!).
I was obsessed.
Then, like normal, new things come into my life and I forget how much I loved it.
We took a long break.
Like years. Three probably.
Then, in February 2021, I was probably the most pale I had been in years. (Not having that Mexico trip in January was brutal on my skin color. ha.)
Anyway, I needed a lighter foundation shade so I decided, hey...lets give that Makeup Forever one a chance again.
& I don't know why I ever stopped using it.
I have now bought a darker color again and I can't seem to stop using it. (I still love my It Cosmetics CC cream too.)
It lasts all day, you don't need much at all, it smooths the fuck out of your skin and it has a nice satin finish. You won't look dry and cakey or like a disco ball.
I highly recommend it.
Don't @ me for the price. It lasts forever and will be too good to you.
Click HERE for the link.
6. HAIR CLAW CLIPS
Okay, I can't get enough of these.
It is about the only way I style my hair anymore.
I always hated clips like these because they were so uncomfortable.
I felt like they dug into my scalp and caused so much pain and discomfort.
Could not handle it.
These guys are perfectly curved to the back of your head.
Like, perfectly.
And they are soft & bendy, yet sturdy & stable.
How you ask?
I don't know.
They are just fucking magical.
Trust me and try them.
Also, they are dirt cheap and found on amazon prime, baby.
HERE is the link.
Okay, another great thing about them.
I have been blowdrying my hair, then sleeping on it overnight and then twisting it up into one of these clips the next day and then when I take it out, my hair looks like this.
For real.
I can't believe it.
Note : my hair is thick, with a lot of body and very curly and frizzy. I give it a good blow-dry with a smoothing bristle brush (a lovely time consuming at home blow out) and take my time getting it as smooth as I can. Then I sleep on it to get rid of some of the poof and frizz. The next morning I toss it up in the clip. I only wash my hair every 3ish days.
Also, since it is all twisted in one direction, one side always turns out better than the other. You could do the two clip thing, but it makes the curls tighter which isn't a vibe for me. You could quickly throw a few more curls in it if you needed to.
That's it, friends.
Please let me know if you try any of these things.
Love to hear about your shenanigans.
If you want to comment below I would love that.
Not sure what is going on with the website, but the publish button in the comments section isn't showing up. If you click in the bottom right hand side of the comment box a blind publish button is there and it will ask if you want to publish your comment as a member or guest. Then I can see it. :)
Would love to hear from you.
xoxo
Kirsten☀️