Hey Beautiful!

Here’s my list of little treasures I have uncovered recently that are making me happy, healthy, and more beautiful inside and out this week. Enjoy!

1. Recipe I’m excited about – Phat Fudge, a delish, sugar-crave-curbing snack by The Paleo Chef, Mary Shenouda. Check out the Phat Fudge recipe here and watch Mary’s backstory interview with Able James here about how she cured her migraines with food, what she did with a misdiagnosis of cancer and lupus and how she lost 30 pounds eating more fat and going gluten-free.

2. Podcast I’m digging – I’m in the process of writing a book about natural beauty. I couldn’t imagine writing this book without including what I believe is at the core of beauty self-love and self-compassion. I ran across this amazing talk by Tara Brach about self-compassion and the awakening heart in each of us called,  “Freeing Ourselves by Loving Ourselves”. Grab a cup of tea (and maybe some tissues) and listen to it for free here.

3. Quote I’m integrating – “Beauty is not caused. It is.” – Emily Dickinson

4. This week’s adventure I’m cherishing – I decided to start walking around my neighborhood as one of my morning rituals a few weeks ago. Now, I walk for a full hour every morning, with no iphone and no ear buds. I’ve observed that the full hour is just long enough for my brain to start to loosen its grip on the “to-do” list and open up to what I can only explain as creative possibility. The experience of movement and letting go is vastly different for me than sitting, meditating and letting go. It’s been a lot of fun to go on these walks with myself and observe the shift!

5. Radical thought I’m having –  Gratitude for what’s good is so trendy. I predict the next big trend will be practicing radical forgiveness through gratitude for what’s not good in the moment. Perhaps the first step to radical forgiveness is being grateful for the pain, the hardship, the lack and the misery in the moment. If we have the capacity to do this, what else is possible? How much more joy would we be able to welcome into our lives if we were actively grateful for what we judge as ‘bad’ or ‘painful’ in the moment we experience it?

6. Project I’m working on –  I’m working on a series of videos for my Afterglow Cosmetics website. Please respond to this email with any video requests you have beyond the basic ‘Features & Benefits’ and ‘How to Apply’ videos I already have lined up. I’d love your input. 🙂 What do you wish I would talk about or go into more depth on?

7. Afterglow product I’m reaching for – There is nothing like a perky, peach blush to bring my complexion fully into bloom. Our matte peachy pink Organic Infused Blush in Tickle takes me there.

Thanks for staying present! Enjoy your weekend!

Love & Light,

Kristin