It’s that time of year, everyone around us, including myself, is setting new goals, resolutions, intentions, manifestions, ETC! Most of the time, when you ask someone what their New Year’s resolutions are, you will hear things along the line of “eat healthier” or “start going to the gym” or “read more books”. At least, those were some of mine in the past. This year, I wanted to look at my resolutions in a new perspective, one that would focus on me as an individual as the “goal”, rather than the actual task being “goal”. What do I mean by this? Well, let me explain.
One of my main goals this year, was to be healthier, to be an overall healthy person. So I sat down and made a list of what being a healthy person to me entailed:
Eating three meals a day
Eating fruits and vegetables
Drinking enough water
Being active, getting my body moving
Maintain my mental health
Taking daily vitamins
Getting enough sleep
Maintaining doctors visits
Once I had that list of things, I slowly began planning out my month of January. Slowly adding in different steps so that I could continue in my goal to be “an overall healthy person”. In the first week I tackled, eating three healthy meals a day, getting enough sleep, seeing my therapist, and drinking more water. This coming week I’m introducing exercise in, at least two days out of the week. I find that by slowly adding habits into my weeks, I’m releasing that pressure to not mess up. I’m allowing myself to grow into this new lifestyle, rather than diving in head first and experiencing a quicker burnout.
What I found even more beneficial about taking on my goals this way, was that I noticed an overlap between goals. For example, under “be a successful content creator” I listed rest and taking care of my mental health as something that was needed to accomplish this; which can be seen in my “healthier person” list as well.
Now I know it’s only week two, but this is the first year I don’t feel an immense pressure to have to accomplish so much all at once. I’m feeling like I can truly accomplish so much, with baby steps leading the way.
I’m curious to know how you are approaching your goals this new year? Did you set big goals? Or are you just going with the flow?
As I filmed this weeks YouTube video on my favorite go to keto meals, I remembered I had started this blog post a while back and never got around to finishing it. Never to late right?
Keto was easily the diet fad of late 2018 and most of 2019. I will say I feel like the fad has come to a slow halt, while some people still are using this diet as a lifestyle. I was apart of this diet fad after seeing beauty influencer Katy’s videos on her progress with this diet. I was intrigued immediately as her starting place was very similar to mine. Like Katy, I felt uncomfortable with my body, with my eating habits, and moreover, uncomfortable with how much I was craving sweets and carbs. I decided that I was going to try being keto for 30 days, as a sort of cleanse, and thought it was a tough first week, soon it became easier. One thing I will say right off the bat, this diet works best if you have a support system to do it with you. A friend, family member significant other, etc. Having a significant other do it with me, as well as support from my mom and sister really helped me reset my diet habits.
When prepping to start the keto diet, one of the most important things is to figure out was how many carbs are appropriate for you body on a low carb diet such as keto. I will admit the first time I did this, I did not research what the appropriate amount would be for me, but I did the second time, and it really opened up a giant variety of things I could eat. When doing my research I found that many sites stated that 20 total grams of carbs per day was the perfect amount to remain in ketosis. While for most, 20 net grams of carbs can also maintain one in ketosis. I know what you are thinking, “What’s the difference?”. Total carbs, is pretty self explanatory, its the total amount of carbs that you have eaten in a day. Total net carbs, is the total amount of carbs – the amount of dietary fiber – sugar alcohols (not found in all foods.) For example, if my box of granola has, 20 carbs and 15 dietary fibers, it would equal a total of 5 net cards that I am eating. For myself, though 20 net carbs was the recommended amount across many websites, I also wanted to make sure I was doing what was right and healthy for my body. Using the PerfectKeto Calculator which can be found here, I found that my perfect amount of carbs was 30 net grams per day to remain in ketosis. I also love that this website helps explain how your protein intake works as well!
Once you have your totals figured out comes my favorite part, the grocery shopping. One thing that you will learn while doing keto is that you need to have a house stocked full of the healthy things you can eat; especially to fight against those cravings you are bound to have. Here are some of my essentials to start this cleanse off right:
Cauliflower: Make it into fried “rice”, mashed “potatoes”, breading for chicken, etc. I prefer to buy mine already “riced” as it makes cooking generally easier for the above mentioned.
Spinach or Mixed Greens: It’ll make breakfast less bland, it’s perfect for salads and a good addition to any dinner veggie mix.
Almond Milk: This is the only milk with the least amount of carbs. I personally love unsweetened vanilla almond milk. More over if you are really having additional sweet cravings, you can also get unsweetened chocolate almond milk.
Proteins: Chicken breast, lean ground turkey, salmon, tilapia, shrimp, different lunch meats, avocados, bacon, cheese, and eggs.
Other Low Carb Veggies: Lettuce, Asparagus, Cucumber, Zucchini, Olives, Eggplant, Green Peppers, Tomato, Cabbage, Kale, Green Beans, Broccoli, Red Pepper, Yellow Pepper, Celery, Mushrooms, Jicama, and Brussels Sprouts.
Low Carb Fruits: Raspberries, Blackberries, Lemon, Coconut, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Strawberries, Plums, Clementines, Kiwi, and Peach. Fruits are something to be careful for as they can have as high as 8 net grams of carbs. Raspberries and Blackberries are your best options as they only have 5 net carbs.
Low Carb Snacks: Pecans, Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts, Pepperoni, Seaweed, Dark Chocolate, Whip Cream, String Cheese, Hard Boiled Eggs, Pork Rinds and Peanut Butter.
These are just some of the basics that will help make this diet a lot easier! I cannot wait to share more recipes and foods that will help you out on your keto journey. Of course if there are any that you find along the way I hope you share them with me.
2019 was not only the end of a decade but also the year where the beauty industry EXPLODED with new products. If it wasn’t every day, it sure felt like it. This was the first year, in I don’t know how long, that I am not a Sephora VIB member. I didn’t spend enough to keep my status through 2020, and I’m actually okay with it. This past year had me feeling more overwhelmed than excited when it came to beauty launches. It was to the point where I had to unfollow TrendMood because I couldn’t handle the amount of “new product” posts that kept popping up on my feed.
With all the products that came out I had a list of things I did wish that I had bought, but there was also a list of things that I knew weren’t necessary; and that’s the list I’ll be sharing with you today. To keep it short, I will be sharing my top ten anti-haul items of 2019 with you. These are in no specific order, just in the order they come to mind.
1. Anastasia Norvina Palette VOL 1,2&3
As I’m writing this and looking at the above picture I’m reminded of one of the main reasons I was not drawn to these palettes. The amount of similar colors that crossover between the three palettes is just insane. To top it off, I felt like these palettes were announced one after another. It took away from the excitement, from that need to want them. I’m not going to lie, when Norvina announced the first palette, I was excited for it. It looked beautiful, those two blues called my name. Then, she announced the second one, and I was like wait….I can’t afford both, which one is better? Which do I want? AND THEN THEY ANNOUNCED A THIRD?! It just took away any bit of want or need I may have had for this palette.
2. Kylie Skin Care
Look, I love Kylie as much as the next person; buuuuuut I love my skin more than I love Kylie. Look, yes she’s flawless, but her skincare line did not get her that. Let’s be honest. For me, this felt like another Glossier. Skincare for people who already had perfect skin. Secondly, one skin care line isn’t for everyone. A foam cleanser for my combo skin? Too drying. A walnut scrub on acne prone skin? Sounds like a painfully bad time. To top it off people claimed it being too heavy, having burning sensation, the walnut scrub being to harsh, etc. I could go on, but as you can tell nothing really appealed me to this line. I mean….I liked the pink packaging, haha.
3. Colourpop Palettes
This is crazy that I’m writing this because I LOVE Colourpop. Guy, like I LOVE Colourpop. If you are OG Classyfiers, then you know I used to review and use Colourpop NON-STOP. Problem is, now Colourpop is non-stop too, but not in a good way. I remember always being truly excited for things Colourpop would launch. I loved waiting for the surprises, but now it feels like I log on and they are launching something you. Sometimes they are launching something “new” as people are adding a “new” product to their carts. This year they launched a bunch of monochromatic palette, which honestly, we super cute. I loved the yellow and green one….but then…it just became to much. Going Coconuts reminded me too much of Double Entrade, Give It To Me Straight, and Brown Sugar. I think you get my point. I think the monochromatic concept is really cute…just don’t give me a palette that looks like 10 other ones you already previously released.
4. Jaclyn Hill Lipsticks & Highlighters
No I am not jumping on any bandwagon. I’ve never watched nor liked Jaclyn Hill. Did I buy her first Morphe collaboration, yes. Do I still think it’s an amazing palette, yes. To be honest though, after the issues with her second collaboration with Morphe I was hesitant. The colors were gorgeous, I love me a good nude, but I feel like my lack of trust in her as an influencer…made me kinda hesitant to buy. Let’s just say I’m soooooo happy that I didn’t, that I still have my money and didn’t possible put something harmful on my lips. When it comes to her newest launch….and any future launch to be honest, I will not be purchasing. How she handled lipstickgate truly showed her colors as CEO, influencer, etc. The fact that people still don’t have money back? They way she attacked her fans? Just not acceptable.
5. OUAI Super Dry Shampoo
I didn’t like their original dry shampoo so nothing really made me want to buy the “Super” version. I love most Ouai products. They smell delicious and work amazing for the most part, but their Dry Shampoo made my hair feel….not so clean. I felt that it still looked oily, and ended up having to wash it in the end. The same applied to their Dry Shampoo Foam. My hair felt worse than it did before I originally applied it.
6. Almost Anything TooFaced
Too Faced foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, I LOVE! Their eyeshadows? I used to love. I truly think their formula has gone down. I think their highlighters are toooo junky, and well there is only so much scent I can handle. I feel a lot of what was launched this past year from Too Faced was really scented, eyeshadows, or highlights. So it was a hard pass for most items. I’ll make to share some of the items I did love from them this past year at some point!
7. James Charles Mini Palette
I love this palette. I love the colors. I love the formula. This just felt like a money grab to me. He stated he didn’t want to create a new palette because he didn’t want to scam his fans….but this feels like more of a scam to me. With how great this palette did, I would have loved to see what a second palette would have looked like from him. Yes, you don’t have to buy it, which obviously I didn’t. it just felt slightly ridiculous.
8. Morphe 39L Palette
Speaking of James Charles Morphe Palette, doesn’t this look like a shimmery version of it with some shadows moved around?! Part of the reason why I passed on it, but also, I’m not into that much shimmer in one palette. I personally tend to not reach for palette that have this much shimmer vs matte in them.
9. Jeffree Star Cosmetics Extreme Frost
I know people LOVE Jeffree’s highlights, but they are personally too junky and glittery for me. I feel like his highlights don’t really have a sunk in glow, if that makes sense. My experience is that they sort of just sit on top of the skin, and definitely emphasis texture. When I same EXTREME as a part of the name I got scared. I think its amazing how truly just one simple touch picked up so much product, but I feel like it would also then EXTREMELY emphasis texture.
10. Benefit Porefessional Hydrate Primer
I personally do not like the original Porefessional Primer. I feel like my make up slides around everywhere. I feel oily upon application and that my skin gets even more oily during the day when I apply it. If that happens with the non hydrating on meant to hide pores, I cannot even begin to imagine what this one would do to my makeup and my skin.
WELL CLASSY BABES, this was fun! I cannot wait to keep posting and sharing more!
It’s that time of year, and resolutions come flooding to your mind at the speed of light. Pen and paper come to play, and changes after changes are cemented, and actions move forward towards completion, at least for the first couple weeks of the year. I am a creature of this habit and will not deny that at all. For the past couple of years, I have “rebranded” not only, Christy Classyfied, but myself, every January 1st attempting to grow from then on fully. Each year, I start with a bang, I keep pushing and pushing, but two months or so later, I slowly begin fading on stamina to keep going. This past year, 2019, I honestly thought it was going to be my year. I once again rebranded Christy Classyfied, and to top it off, I booked two acting jobs within the first couple of months. I felt non-stop, renewed, motivated, and inspired. I would film two or three videos per day, submit myself to more auditions that I could keep up with, it was challenging, but I felt I could do it. It was refreshing to feel like I was finally getting somewhere. It isn’t to say that I haven’t grown a lot and accomplished things since the start of my acting career and Christy Classyfied, but 2019 just felt like the year more doors opened than closed.
Today, January 1st, 2020, I am here again, trying to rebrand, push forward, and give it my all. It may make some of you wonder, “Well, what makes this year different?” My answer to that would be the final months before the new year. At about the middle of the year, at the end of July, I lost someone that was like a father figure in my life, my old boss, Dr. Morales. How sudden this was, how painful this was, made me slowly lose the motivation and strength to push forward. Shortly after this, a family that is near and dear to my heart lost their grandfather to Alzheimer’s. This disease has also affected my family deeply. It took my loving grandmother.
Moreover, it was something that, to this day, I have not fully gotten over. Death has always been hard for me to process, the point where I don’t allow myself to grieve. The thing about not allowing yourself to grieve, is eventually it catches up with you. Your body can only hold so much emotion before it breaks.
At the beginning of November, I had the worse anxiety attack I have ever had. It happened while I was driving. I felt like I had no control. I had to pull over, go to urgent care. It was such an uncomfortable time for me. After that, it was a spiral of things. It started with the anxiety attack, that leads to excessive heartburn, where it felt like I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t eat anything. Then came tension headaches, which triggered my vertigo, I felt dizzy, couldn’t drive, move around. To say November was a hard time in my life feels like an understatement. On top of it, I had an acting job starting at the end of the month that I did not want to turn down. One thing that helped me get better during this time was to write. I sat down, brought out an old empty journal that I bought in my college years with the intent of filling it with my thoughts, feelings, etc., and I finally did all that. I wrote down everything that came to mind. Every thought, feeling, pent up idea that I had. It was liberating, and almost you can say freeing. It was what I needed. Every day was leading up to November 22nd, the day my acting job began, I felt weights slowly lifting off my shoulders as I kept writing. I was not going to let my anxiety stop me from pushing forward.
From November 22nd to December 29th, I spent my time fully immersed in the world that is the Polar Express. A magical train ride that never sleeps, where believing is more than just merely seeing. Here, on this train, I was surrounded by talented, funny, loving, and creative individuals. I was dancing and singing about hot chocolate, passing out snickerdoodles and bells. We spent an entire month together, not only bringing the spirit of Christmas and believing in Santa in children but those of the elder persuasion as well. The Polar Express was my saving grace at the end of this year. It was my motivation, my joy, and my happiness. It sometimes takes things like this to remind you of why you do what you do, why your passion is your passion.
The main thing I realized from this is that I can’t keep putting my dreams on the back burner. I can’t keep pushing things to the side whenever I feel down or upset. Yes, sometimes, it’s okay to take as many mental breaks as you need, but sometimes, putting your frustrations into the things that make you happy can create something beautiful and powerful. So here we are, new year, new me. Well, same me, but a new promise. This promise to myself is what makes this time different, and my outlook is different, my soul is different. My mind, my heart and my goals are different, and I’m just so ready for this year.
christyclassyfied.com 