ALT SUMMIT HERE I COME!
Well friends, I've gone and done it. I was 5 minutes late for my dentist appointment yesterday morning because I was in my car registering on my phone for Alt Summit!!! I've had many inquiries already asking what the heck is Alt Summit and you may be wondering too. Well, Alt Summit is a conference for bloggers! They get sweet speakers in and they teach a variety of topics. They also have craft tables and parties at night…wooot!
It usually happens every January in Salt Lake City. I was considering going next year but then they announced a week ago that they were going to be putting it on in June and I thought, "Well, I like the sun a lot better than the snow….I should register." I chatted to James about it and he fully supports my blogging dreams (love you babe) and agreed that I should do it. So with a whole lot of nervousness and excitement I registered!
Ok let's talk about fear for a moment. Registering for this kind of scares the crap out of me because 1. I don't know a single soul who's going. 2. I've never gone to Salt Lake City and going to an unfamiliar city alone is a bit overwhelming... BUT I'm choosing to not be ruled by fear. Gassssh, fear has held me back from so much and I'm not ok with that. Joyce Meyer (cool preacher lady) says "Do it afraid" and I so agree. If you're still scared after praying and talking with good friends than just do the thing that God is asking you to afraid. Chances are the fear will melt away as you step forward in faith and realize the fact that you had nothing to worry about!
So even though I'm afraid, I'm excited to step out of my comfort zone and meet fellow bloggers from around the world. I'm excited to learn from others. And Salt Lake City actually looks really pretty, so I'm excited to explore it as well…oh man this will surely be an experience for me!!
So the ticket is purchased. Now I have to book flights (ptL for points!), find somewhere to sleep, have business cards made (because they're kind of a big deal there) and plan my outfits of course (Rachel, you know I'll be calling on you for help).
eeeeeeeeeeeep! I'm a barrel of nerves right now, thankfully I have just over three months to pray those away!
What are you doing right now that's requiring you to step out of your comfort zone? I'd love to know so I can cheer you on and maybe you can give me some tips on helping me step out of my comfort zone? :)
xo,
s.s.♥.
WARDROBE // 3
her- headband | pluto's heart // coat | vintage hbc // shirt | zara // bag | h&m // jeans | nudie
him- hat | kangol // coat | vintage // shirt | cheap monday // gloves | calvin klein // jeans | nudie // shoes | abington
Ok, so I'm ready for you Spring. You hear me? We had a tease of spring last Friday...clear skies, sun shining, it was glorious. Then Saturday came along and we had this shoot planned and it was -5. Brrrrrrrrr. But I guess the good thing about cold weather is the excuse to rock a warm fur coat! Am I right?
| SHOP OUR LOOK |
Stay gold,
s.s.♥.
FEBRUARY FAVOURITES
Can you believe tomorrow is MARCH 1ST?? We're almost a quarter of the way through the year people. I know how we always talk about time flying by, but it really, really does.
Well February was a good month over here on ssheart. I learned the art of planning. Because of Illuminate, February is one of my busiest months. So if I can post consistently through my busiest month, than I really have no excuse throughout the rest of the year!
I thought it would be fun to look back and see what your favourite posts have been. These four have had the most views on them.
FEBRUARY FAVOURITES
1. MY FAVES // MAKEUP This was a fun post to make because I got to show you what's inside my makeup bag. I'm hoping to get some makeup tutorials up soon (kinda terrifies me!!)! So watch this space in the near future, and if there is something you'd like me to cover, then let me know in the comments!
2. ONE WORD BRUNCH was your second choice. That one was really fun and easy to make because I had a ton of pretty pictures to choose from (thanks Amy!) It also featured some of my insanely beautiful friends and...bacon.
3. ONE WORD AMY / NADIA / SARAH were your third choice. This is where my beautiful friends shared their beautiful hearts and explained the words that God has given them for 2014.
4. YOU & HER recap was your fourth fave. I had so much fun that night, and I'm so glad I got to share with you everything that they are doing.
Happy last day of February and happy Friday too! I'm so excited for my days off this weekend. I have some errands, running, blog planning and summit homework to do! It may get a little crazy but it's definitely going to be a lot more chill than the past couple weekends!
xo,
s.s.♥.
WINTER FITNESS // TREADMILL TIPS
Ok, so I know I've bragged about Victoria's mild climate but this whole polar vortex visited us last week and I'm not too pleased about it. We were hit with -5 degree weather and some places got a bunch of snow! We didn't get any snow but I didn't really want to run outside in crazy windy, ice rain, -5 weather...no thank you.
In those times I go to my last resort ...the treadmill. I've had a pass for the y since December but this Friday will mark my last day until it gets freezing cold again (hopefully next December). I mainly use it to run safely when it's pitch black outside and during torrential down pour. But the thing is, I HATE TREADMILLS. I hate them, I hate them, I hate them. Like (probably) all people, I run way faster and longer outside. I'm more free outside, like a killer whale in the ocean...(ok sidenote, I just watched the documentary, Blackfish...scariest thing ever. Orca's should not be in captivity!)
Enough with killer whales though...the truth is, I get hella bored on a treadmill. Especially when I run over 20 minutes...who am I kidding? I'm bored after 5 minutes. And I know I'm not alone in this, so I've come up with some tips that I've used to keep me going...
1. COMPRISE A PLAYLIST THAT KEEPS YOU GUESSING.
When I'm outside, I usually put on my "work it" playlist. It usually works for me by helping me run faster. There aren't a ton of songs, but that's usually ok because I get distracted by people, dogs, the scenery, etc. Meanwhile on the treadmill, I'm literally counting down the seconds in the songs that I know so well. What usually helps me is going to songza and using one of their workout playlists. They have a bajillion songs. The thing I love about the songza playlist is, it keeps you guessing. Being surprised by an old MJ favourite can do wonders for you on a treadmill. All of a sudden, you have energy to push that last km. Music is amazing.
2. PODCAST IT UP.
Now some of you may not be podcast people but for those of you who are, listening to a podcast is a great way of distracting you. Podcasts have the magical ability to take my mind off the run. I usually listen to Pastor Steven Furtick because he's the bomb.
3. KEEP SUPPLIES NEARBY.
The great thing about treadmills is having a personal water bottle holder. I always keep a water bottle (does anyone else find the gym extremely dry?). A towel to wipe sweat would be a good idea too (I haven't gotten around to taking a towel with me, but every time I wish I did!)
4. MIX UP THE PACE.
I found a great treadmill workout a couple months back and used it until THE Y CHANGED ALL THEIR MACHINES TO KMs. It was very annoying. I know we're in Canada and all but I was used to miles so I haven't done the workout for a few weeks but when I did do it, the time flew by. You can find some treadmill workouts on this pinterest board of mine.
5. RUN THE RACE.
And my absolute favourite tip is...pretend you're racing the people beside you. It makes your run very fun. I try to outlast the people beside me and if they get off before me, I fake celebrate that I beat them in the race. I know it sounds crazy but it works for me.
|| This post has been part of my Winter Fitness series. Check out the rest here, here & here. ||
Thankfully our weather is turning around and getting a lot warmer so I won't be resorting to treadmills anymore! How about you? I'd love to know what keeps you on the treadmill. Share your tips below!
xo,
s.s.♥.
MY FAVES // SKINCARE
I got started on a good skincare routine at a young age (thank you momma for teaching me!) I learned that it was important to wash my face every...single...night... as much as I didn't want to (and sometimes still don't want to). I also learned the importance of wearing sunscreen...almost every...single...day. And you know what? I've seen results, so I'm sticking with my skincare routine and you can bet your bottom dollar my future daughters will be taught the importance of washing your face every...single..night...
So here is my skincare (please note this is customized to my skin which is combination/oily. If you don't know your skin type, go to a Clinique counter and find out!)
1. Clinique Rinse Off Eye Makeup Solvent- As you can tell I use a lot of Clinique products...it's mainly because I worked for them and reaped the benefits of gratis (the best thing ever!) This eye makeup remover is a great basic remover. It's not greasy at all and that's what I love about it. If I'm wearing waterproof mascara, I don't go for this one as it's not strong enough.
2. Lancome Creme Radiance- I've used a TON of cleansers in my life and this one is my absolute favourite. Unlike a lot of other cleansers, it ACTUALLY removes the dirt and makeup from my skin. I love the smell of it and a little goes along way so it lasts a loooong time.
3. Clarisonic Mia- Now you don't know clean until you've used a clarisonic. I started using this baby last December and honestly I've noticed such a difference. I found it on sale at The Bay (yaaay!!) and I have not regretted it at all. I've noticed less breakouts since I started using it and my skin is more radiant. I HIGHLY recommend a clarisonic!
4. Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3- I've used this toner since I was 15 and I still love it. Toner preps your skin to receive moisturizer. Basic tip- if you don't tone and cleanse, your moisturizer won't actually penetrate your skin!
5. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel- I use this very basic moisturizer because my skin doesn't have crazy needs. It never feels incredibly dry nor oily. This is a great basic moisturizer to start on. if you have drier skin, start on the lotion, not the gel.
6. Clinique Super City Block SPF 40- Sunscreen is one of the most important things you can give your skin. Let's get this straight, the sun gives you wrinkles. If you don't wear sunscreen you could 1. get skin cancer 2. get lots of wrinkles. Wear sunscreen.
|| SHOP MY SKINCARE FAVES ||
So there you go, there are my skincare faves...! What skincare products can you not live without? Let me know in the comments below, I'd love to know!
xoxo,
s.s.♥.