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Lately my hair has been a bit of a hot mess express in need of a little TLC. Naturally it only made sense to try out some new products and a fresh routine to add some life and zhuzh things up a bit! My hair has always been very thick, a little wavy + curly and prone to some dryness. I'm not a consistent masker so to add some extra moisture in, I scooped up this cute Amika Mask set. It comes with three of their bestselling masks: a full-size of the Dream Routine Overnight Hydration Treatment and two deluxe sizes in the Soulfood Nourishing Mask and The Kure Intense Bond Repair Mask. I can't wait to try them all. I've always been happy with how Amika products work and these all have great ratings-- they also smell amazing!
Also in the smoothing realm are these goodies from IGK: the Good Behavior 4-in-1 Prep Spray, Good Behavior Smoothing Spray and Crybaby Anti-Frizz Serum. There is lots of smoothing, de-frizzing and softening involved which hopefully transfers to my hair!
Lastly from Ouai, my sister bought me a little gift set for Christmas that came with their Scalp & Body Scrub, the Detox Shampoo + Hair Oil. I think between these, Amika + IGK, I've pretty much got all of my bases covered. I'll keep you posted on how everything works!
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Okieeee, it's time for the first "Top 5 Most Popular Blog Posts" of the month in 2024. If you didn't know, every month I post a little round-up highlighting the top five most visited posts here on TheKristenDiary.com. It's a little unconventional in that I always post these halfway through the month as opposed to at the end, however it lets me have an overview from the last 30 days with both the previous + current month. I love seeing what you all are reading the most + gaining insight on what to keep posting. I love that you all enjoy these too + I can't wait to see how they change throughout the year. Here's what made the cut this month:
1. OURA RING UNBOXING - What better way to kick off the New Year than with an Oura Ring? At this point, it should be no secret that I'm obsessed with mine + highly recommend everyone to also get one. It's a wearable device (similar to an Apple Watch) that tracks data on your health. The ring's primary focus is on sleep, however it will also give insights on activity, readiness levels + the female cycle. If you're curious about purchasing an Oura Ring, my unboxing post is a great reference with all the 411.
Read here: Oura Ring Unboxing
2. SHE READS TRUTH BIBLE | UNBOXING - Reading the Bible has become a non-negotiable part of my daily routine after purchasing the She Reads Truth Bible. It's always been a goal of mine to read the entirety of the Bible from start to finish which is why I purchased this version. It's a CSV (Christian Standard Version) that makes the readability a little easier to understand in today's world + has a beautiful design. For more info + photos, be sure to read the full unboxing here.
Read here: She Reads Truth Bible | Unboxing
5. MY AMAZON STOREFRONT - If you love Amazon, this is the post for you. I've got all of my favorite purchases and go-to essentials linked in my storefront. There's a pretty broad mix of snacks, fashion, beauty, fitness/vitamins/wellness, books + more.
Read here: My Amazon Storefront
Welcome back to my first healthy-ish grocery haul of 2024. Per my 2024 resolutions, I'm slowly easing my way into healthier eating this month. I've been fighting a nasty cold for the last few weeks which has been AWFUL, you guys. I've had the worst congestion and coughing, it's been rough. Since being sick, my motivation to do pretty much anything has been put on the back burner, healthy eating included. Whenever I do get sick, I'm always reminded what a blessing it is to be healthy and not sick! My main priorities these days have been resting, getting through the days and to stop coughing, lol. I think we're almost back to normal so I'm crossing my fingers next week I'll get back into the gym + start eating a little cleaner at home. In the meantime, I've been mentally going over what I want to start making + have made a few mini grocery runs.
Today's haul is a small one with just a few essentials + a few of my favorite healthier snack options. I also found a few of these items on BOGO this week at Publix which was nice BUT I also had to go on a scavenger hunt for eggs this week which was crazy. Who knew pasture raised eggs were on everyone's grocery list for the new year?? Lol, I can't blame them!
Alright, as far as my food goals go, the plan is to be more intentional with what I'm eating, up my protein intake, add in more fruits/veggies + limit snacks and "junk" food. Over the holidays I gave myself a lot of leeway to eat whatever I wanted. I'm always a "everything in moderation" gal but right now I could use a little sugar detox.
Because breakfast is always the easiest for me to prep + stay on track, I picked up all of my go-tos which includes: eggs, cheese, diced ham + these The Better Bagels which I'm excited to try. I always try to get a somewhat leaner protein for breakfast, usually this Greenfield Diced Ham (it has no yucky additives) or turkey sausage. I also love bagels but normally they're high in calories and carbs. I've been wanting to try these The Better Bagels so I picked up the classic flavor. If they taste good, they just might become my new go-to!
They're low in sugar/carbs with 160 calories + 26g of protein per bagel. If I'm in the mood for something sweet, *occasionally* I'll also have one of these Veggies Made Great muffins. Compared to regular muffins, they're also pretty low calorie but still taste great. They make great desserts too!
The rotisserie chicken was for lunch this week so everything else is just snackies. The Lesser Evil popcorn is always a go-to. It's delicious, made with clean ingredients + you get a good portion size for lower calories. I also really like the Kodiak Granola Bars. I'm not big on regular protein bars but I like the taste of these + that they have a little extra protein than regular granola bars.
Happy New Year, friends! One of my favorite parts about the start of a new year are all of the endless possibilities for growth, change + new experiences. I'm very much a goal-oriented list maker so I love creating new resolutions for the year. I do always say there's no time like the present and often times waiting to start something can be counterintuitive, however sometimes we can all use a little extra push to get going. Although research according to Google says only 9% of people accomplish their yearly resolutions, I think creating resolutions is a great way to hone in on the areas of your life where you want to see change and to kickstart the year off with positive habits.
Every year my resolutions tend to fall along the lines of eating healthier, exercising more, de-cluttering and saving/investing more money. I'll link my actual 2023 resolutions here if you're interested, but I would be lying if I said that I've truly mastered those. They always seem to be a work in progress which makes sense if you really think about it. To have a healthier lifestyle, you have to maintain healthy habits. It's more of an ongoing lifestyle than a concrete goal that you can start and finish. While I plan to still work towards those and take a much needed detox from all of the holiday snacking I've been doing, this year I've created my resolutions around more specific goals + tasks I can check off.
I'm also taking a new approach and looking at my resolutions as a fun way to better my life. Sometimes I put too much weight and pressure on accomplishing everything all at once. I'm looking to approach 2024 with a more lighthearted approach- I want to have fun and enjoy the journey.
MY 2024 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
+SWEAR LESS - When I think about the best, most ideal version of myself, she doesn't drop quite as many f bombs as the current day version. Sometimes I'll even reflect after using curse words that perhaps that sentence would have sounded better without one. Don't get me wrong, some situations just call for a good ole that's some bullsh*t. I also can appreciate the comedic edge that a good curse word can add, however sometimes I think it can diminish your polish a little too. I definitely want to work on being more a little more selective and mindful with my vocabulary this year.
+UNDIE DRAWER MAKEOVER - Alright, this is a goal I've had for awhile that I need to just bite the bullet + jump on. I'm at a point where I think a little underwear drawer clean out + makeover would greatly improve my life. My goal is to purge out all the old and re-purchase new, high quality undies that I love. I've also been really curious to try out some cleaner, organic cotton brands too.
+EMAIL DE-CLUTTER - I am one of those, you guys. I'm not proud of it and I'm fully aware of how much of an issue it is. Between my 4-5 different email accounts, I have an asinine amount of emails in my inboxes. Asinine as in over 60,000 emails. I know what you're thinking. I KNOW. It's absurd, really. I'm convinced there are two people- the ones with 60,000+ emails like me and the ones with less than ten. I want to be in the latter group, I really do. I have a game plan to make it happen too that involves a serial deleting spree + a massive amount of unsubscribing.
+CLEAN FOODS - Now that I've made it through the holidays + all of the yummy "junk" food, I want to switch back to cleaner foods. Side note on yummy snacks-- on NYE I tried this recipe for baked Boursin cheese + it was SO good. Definitely an indulgence but amazing appetizer that everyone loved! For me healthier eating is both watching what you eat + choosing higher quality, cleaner options when possible. That doesn't mean I won't still indulge here and there, just in moderation. During the holidays I pretty much just let everything slide but goal now is to eat leaner and cleaner. I'm looking to up my protein, minimize sugar + processed foods and to pick higher quality when I can (organic/grass-fed/less additives, etc.).
+SPEND MORE TIME GETTING READY - This one may sound silly but I would like to start spending a little extra time in the morning on getting ready for the day. I've been in a bad habit of just throwing on my clothes and rushing out the door most days. What I've noticed is that on the days I do spend a little extra time doing my hair or putting on a nicer outfit, I not only look better but I also feel better.
What are your New Year's resolutions?
