Posted on

MOTHER’S SPELL SUMMER PARTY

A party to celebrate summer and the fact that Mothers Spell has been successful and has soared beyond my wildest expectations. We have been up and running since mid January of this year. I am so happy for all the interest my blog has garnered and especially all the emails and stories many of you have shared with me.

The party was beautifully executed from my vision through to my favorite girls in Brescia – the team of “Ila Malu”. They are an incredible team of  hard-working mothers and women with great ambitions and I am so lucky to have met them. I am inspired by their creativity and super powers.

I have had lunch at Al fresco a few times and I absolutely adore it. They have a beautiful outdoor garden and it’s just really nice to have dine out there, so quiet and you feel like you have escaped Milano. We just added Mothers Spell’s vibration, some magic and positive energy with beautiful old and new friends from all over .

I was happy to introduce “Support Syrian Children”  to our guests. This is a group of women , all are mothers with jobs, that organize a monthly trip to the Syrian borders. They arrive armed with first-aid goods for children and their families. Now in collaboration with Mothers Spell and support from many of you , we are raising money for our first orphanage. As a person and mother it breaks me completely to know how many children all over the world are suffering. My dream for many years has been to build something like this and now with the great help from “Support Syrian Children” we will make this happen.

If you are interested and in a position to make a donation, we’d really appreciate your help.

I have listed the donation information below:

children8

IBAN

IT89V0521651680000000090881

I also would like to introduce you to “Sep Jordan”. This is an A-Team business made up of extremely talented women living in refugee camps that make embroideries of one-of-a-kind ethical fashion accessories. You may find their lovely products on www.sepjordan.com. I asked them to embroider the Mothers Spell logo on some bags for my party. They decorated these bags so beautifully and 100 guests left the party with a gift bag. A gift from Mothers Spell in appreciation of the support we received from you, our readers. By purchasing bags from “Sep Jordan” we were able to support these women and their work. I hope you will enjoy the bags even more now with the knowing that they were crafted with so much love and hard work. We are in the process of making more and will post them for sale on our site soon. Stay tuned.

There was so much going on that night, a little something to see in each and every corner. The music was wonderful and it has been a while since I saw so many smiling faces under one roof.

I will change the slide show on the blog again to leave you with some fresh images from that magical night so you may all experience excitement and good energy.

Love and gratitude – JM

Posted on

THE COLORFUL SALAD

Here we have the colorful salad and I enjoy this one very much. Some people say salads are boring and not satisfying enough, well I highly disagree. Actually, it all depends on what you put in it. Of course they will be boring if we make them boring. Here I prepare salad so tasty, crisp and fresh. As I wrote earlier this week in my ” Summer in a Wrap “post – eating many colorful and fresh foods will get your skin glowing in a whole new way,  if it isn’t already. This goes for our children as well. Eating fresh food and making sure to include RAW vegetables in you and your child’s diet  is key as cooking your vegetables will fade the power of some very important vitamins and minerals.

I will often prepare this in the spring and summer months. I love raw beets, they are very satisfying and juicy, great for circulation and getting your skin to glow. Scratched raw beets in your salad changes the attitude of it. Warning – it might get a bit messy as the fresh, strong color will paint your hands a nice shade of red 🙂 You may also play and give yourself or your children red lips just by rubbing a piece of the beet against your lips 🙂 Beets are also known for lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation and helping to fight against cancer. With that being said they also have the highest sugar levels of all vegetables, so keep that in mind and eat them in moderation.

Below I have listed my ingredients for this salad. This salad is great on its own as a light lunch or as a great side dish at your next dinner party 🙂

Well washed fresh organic salad – your choice and chopped rather small (I find it easier and less messy to eat my salads that way.)

Handful of cherry tomatoes

Sprouts, here I have a mix of alfalfa and fenugreek

One beetroot washed, peeled and scratched

One zucchini washed well and scratched. I buy organic, so I can leave the skin on as it is full of vitamins.

One carrot peeled and scratched

Half of a cucumber washed well and chopped down into small cubes

Pumpkin seeds

Fresh basil which I use quite a lot of, a whole handful,  wash the leaves and chop them small and mix into the salad.

Half or even whole avocado. I am an avocado lover so I can never get enough of it.

Extra-virgin olive oil

I use coconut vinegar or juice of half lime.

Mix your salad well before serving, so you can get a bit of every ingredient into your bowl or plate. I hope this salad leaves you full and satisfied.

Buon appetito

Love JM

@Photo, www.mamafedona.com

Posted on

SUMMER IN A WRAP

 I am Icelandic and I have to say in  these days while I am out  walking around Milan I can really recognize this fact. I notice people wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts. Meanwhile everything I rock is short and I still feel as if I might melt from the heat. 🙂 Do not get me wrong though, I am absolutely loving this weather!  I am enjoying the sun because where I grew up we never had the sun shine on us every single day in May.

This is one of my favorite things about living in Italy – the lovely weather and never ending summers. Along with that my next favorite thing is the high quality of amazing fruits and vegetables. The flavors are out of this world and the freshness is just at the top of it’s game. For me to prepare healthy food with the whole color scale of the rainbow  is so much fun.

I would make this recipe while I was studying to be a Pilates instructor in NYC. It’s super easy to make at home, wrap up and bring with you to work, to study, the beach or a picnic. I was once told if you want to have glowing healthy skin you must eat as many fresh colorful foods as you can each day.

Here I have a gluten-free wrap. I usually buy mine at “Centro Botanico” here in Milan. You may also make your own wrap or buy the one you prefer and add your favorite salads and vegetables to it.  I have many favorite recipes and this one is definitely included in that list.

– Wrap of your choice, preferably – gluten-free

– One beetroot raw and scratched

– One carrot raw and sliced as thin as possible

– One cucumber raw and sliced as thin as possible

– Fresh salad (wash well)

– Tomatoes sliced small

– Sprouts of any kind, here I used alfalfa and fenugreek.

– Avocado smashed with the juice of half a lime

(I turn on my oven before I start to prepare all of this so it heats up and I can place my  wrap inside for a few minutes later on.)

I start prepping the vegetables – slice them down, wash, scratch and peel. I then scrape out the meat of half an avocado and smash it up with the juice of half a lime. When all this is done and ready I place the wrap in the oven for about 3 minutes.

Now for the fun part  –  I place all the ingredients in the middle of the wrap. I spread the avocado well on to it and then I place the rest of the ingredients neatly on top. To close –  I fold the wrap in half  and roll it up nice and tight.

My sons also have this during “Pizza Day” at school sometimes and absolutely love it. They call it their special pizza. I give them the option to choose what they want to make sure they don’t feel left out. I never understood why they feed our children pizza at school, in my opinion it should only be something offered on special occasions. Anyways, I guess that’s a topic for another day 🙂

In the meantime, I hope you will give this recipe a try and by all means,  feel free to add some of your favorite vegetables.

I am actually very confident that you will be surprised at just how tasty it is. When you mix so many colors of vegetables together the outcome can’t be anything but juicy and fresh.

Buon appetito

Love JM

Posted on

SUMMER SALAD

As the temperature rises steadily towards summer, I find myself a bit less hungry during the day and I crave things that are lighter and fresher when it comes to food. Salads are an ideal lunch meal for this period and I love trying new mixes and ingredients. I often find myself not having enough time to prepare something complicated, so I decided to start looking through my local health food store here in Milano. They have many good products that one can easily prepare and while looking I found this organic tofu that comes in a few different flavors. My personal favorites are the olive paste and tomato kind. It is such a  great addition to my salads or quick dishes and my sons are also enjoying them. When in a hurry and you need to prepare a quick meal then a food item like this comes in very handy.

I also have a thing for cucumbers – they are so fresh and crispy even if they don’t have much taste. Cucumbers are great for warm weather as they are made up of 95% water and thy hydrate our bodies well. Cucumbers are low in calories and high in fiber so they are both great for weight loss and digestive health. They reduce unwanted inflammation and support good brain health. There are quite a few reasons to keep them in your fridge, plus if you wake up with puffy eyes like me (often due to little or no sleep😊) slice them down and if you have a few moments to spare place them on your eyes.  Another great thing I learned from Ayurveda medicine is eating cucumbers releases excess heat in your stomach which is know for being one of the main culprits of bad breath. If you place one slice on your tongue for a while, chew and then swallow you will easily be ready to give your favorite sweetheart a good kiss 🙂

These are just some of the many reasons I suggest grabbing a bunch on your next trip to the grocery store. I also feed them to my sons as an afternoon snack and they love how  juicy they are.

 Recipe Feeds Two:

Note: I slice all my ingredients quite small for this salad.

– Wash the skin of one cucumber (preferably organic) well. Slice in half and then in three so you have many small cubes.

– One cup of cherry tomatoes, wash well then slice in four ways.

– One jar of tofu all sliced into small cubes.

– Handful of pumpkin seeds and sprinkle them allover

– Half of an avocado cut into small cubes

– Extra virgin olive oil drizzled over it

– Coconut vinaigrette drizzled over as well

– Toss all the ingredients together well and ENJOY!

An easily prepared healthy meal that is very fresh for those warm summer months. I truly hope you enjoy it

Love JM

@Photo, www.mamafedona.com

Posted on

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

we need your support

It was close to Christmas and the news was covered with photos of children in circumstances that NO child should EVER have to face. My heart was completely and entirely broken. It made me so angry, sad and furious that this was actually happening and taking place because of actions made by us humans. I posed a simple question on Facebook trying to find out how I could be of help to these children? How could I make a difference? I was contacted by one of the lovely women who work for, “Support Syrian Children”. This is a non-profit organization who travels back and forth to Turkey and Jordan assisting children and their families during these horrible times. They’ve brought first aid goods to different camps once a month for the past 4 years.

we need your support
we need your support

I have organized several events to garner donations to Support Syrian Children but it still didn’t feel like enough. One of my missions with my Mothers Spell website is to help feed and provide for children who have nothing and nobody. After one of our meetings I was haunted by the thought of all these children wandering the streets alone, meanwhile my kids were asleep safe and sound in their beds. During these many sleepless nights, I came up with the idea of building an orphanage. I am very happy to report that this is has now come into fruition. On May 30th I will be taking my first trip with Arianna, President of “SupportSyrian Children”, to search for a good, spacious home that can accommodate as many children as possible. It is in our hopes that this will be the first orphanage of many that we raise together. We will need to find amazing people with beautiful souls to work there and give these children the love and care they so greatly deserve but have been starved of. During this trip we will also bring first-aid supplies to various camps.

we need your support
we need your support

So I ask of you, if you are in a position to donate please do. Or you can send us an email with any loving messages you have for the kids which we will then paint onto one of the walls in our orphanage. We need to surround them with love, care and hope. We will do our best and we would love to get you involved.
I will report back once I am home from my trip and will share photos of this process and how your contributions have helped. I believe that together we can help to support each other and accomplish incredible things, unfortunately alone we can not get as far. 

Children8
IBAN IT89V0521651680000000090881

Love JM 

Photo credit Andrea Palmucci 

 

Posted on

LET LOVE GROW

Love seems to be a mysterious thing. Sometimes we fall deep and the person we fell hard in love with can one day become a terrible asshole and very different then the person we thought he or she was.
I have had that happen to myself and I know many stories like this. For sure this feeling is not true love. Probably more like lust or the feeling thata spell has been cast upon you. Most times this ends very badly. One or both parties are in a lot of emotional pain and think they will never love again. Thankfully, most times we do fall in love again. Hopefully this time with a better person. A person who is capable of truly loving us and has our best interests at heart.

I am fortunate to have many close and good girlfriends. The majority of them are mothers and have relationships, so we often speak about them. How good or bad they are and what we want to obtain from them. I have heard many stories and love listening. It helps me to see life in a wider range, to visualize my own personal goals and set my own dreams. I feel that it’s smart to take in the good and bad. I find a way to relate other’s experiences to my own. I learn and grow with my closest friends. Also, with stories I hear or read and feel connected to.
I do want to admit I was a bit scared and nervous to write about this topic, as it is very personal with many different viewpoints on the subject. Also, with my posts I like to wonder and think aloud, if I may. With you, my dear readers, I learn so much and I am quite curious about LOVE.

It is a beautiful moment when we are in the first stages of love. Everything is new, magical and extremely exciting. If you are experiencing this moment right now I have to say ENJOY! Inhale it into the bottom of your heart and keep it there to remember for later on 🙂 . Life takes us on rides that are extremely unpredictable and it has always been my instinct to just enjoy every single moment of it. Enjoy the surprises!

Live life with as little pressure as possible and never ever forget to take wonder in the small things. Now as a mother (I am sure all mothers can agree here) it becomes harder to stay so happily in love when you can never finish or have a conversation unless you leave your own home. I have been thinking a lot lately how to keep love alive and growing. It seems to me that so many people in 2017 divorce, especially after they have a child. I am a child of divorce and although I have lovely parents I still really wish with all my heart that my children will not ever have to experience it. I believe it is beautiful to be part of a family unit.
With all the crazy social media out there we are starting to see life in a delusional way. We start to wonder and think that we also deserve this.

I mean why settle down with our snoring man that has a little beer belly when MAYBE we can have a “better” more perfect man. Our minds start to wander way too far from reality. I would sometimes find myself in this position when I was on maternity leave. As mothers we stay home with our amazing baby, that we absolutely love more than life, but at times we can get bored and start to fantasize about someone else’s life that we see on Instagram or Facebook.

I think this thought has passed every persons mind because of all this social media hype and it can make us forget about reality. I consider the beautiful art of balance as the power of EVERYTHING. Without good balance we are always swaying from one side to another until we eventually crash and fall head first.
When we are born we learn how to breath, smile, drink, eat and coordinate movements.. so on. It is extremely important to every mother and father to know that the way we love our children is the way they will love as adults. Love is something that we learn; it grows. My point is that if in your relationship you have problems with love or how to understand each other then try and learn a bit about the parents of your better half. Give thought to how he or she was loved and raised. It might give you ease to know it is not always so personal when the other person in the relationship is doing something, that in your opinion, is hurtful or unfair. Oftentimes they just don’t know any better.

Figuring out each other’s backgrounds can be a huge help. With calmer conversations and the desire to try and understand each other you can find a balance in your love. When you are so mad at your partner that your head is about to pop off your neck and your feel like running the other way, just STOP and take a HUGE deep breath – try to remember your first days together. Why you love each other and what he or she did in the beginning that made you fall so madly and deeply in love. This can save you from an argument that has no meaning because often we are just stressed out, tired and we need only to take it out on someone else. Unfortunately, the person you love the most has to pay that price.

I once had dinner here in Milano with a lovely couple that had been together for 38 years. I saw them laughing together and holding hands as if they’d just met! I had to ask if they had a special secret or any advice for me? The man answered; ” Well , just don’t fight. Don’t try to win your argument or prove your point. Most of the time it is over silly stuff and if you do try to win..well then the person you are supposed to love the most loses! I mean why on earth would I want the person I love the most to lose”?
I mean how beautifully simple is that? This has been stuck in my mind ever since and it makes total sense. Grow together, keep love alive, always remember the beginning of yourrelationship. Look at photos together. Find each other again and also time to just be you. Let silly rules go, you can now create new ones together. I see this has become quite long now. Until the next time the love topic comes up I truly hope you find your balance.

Love JM

Photos by @sagasig

Posted on

HOW DOES ONE FAKE A GOODNIGHT’S REST? ICELANDIC MAGIC TO THE RESCUE!

Last week I wrote about natural beauty secrets. I want to share one secret with you that comes from my country. I believe I am very fortunate to come from a place on our planet loaded with natural powerful minerals and energy. A whole lot of good is done just by drinking Icelandic water and breathing in our clean air. Wherever you are there are some things you can do to obtain some of this magic without having to book a trip to Iceland.

There are women who are able to schedule their time well and take good care of themselves, which I think is absolutely great and we should all be able to do. Unfortunately, often time most of us end up chasing the clock and feeling like we are always behind in schedule.

This is one of my favorite ‘’pick me up’’ tricks that will do for any type of woman – a little secret from the nature of Iceland. I admit I belong in both categories depending on the day or month. My boyfriend and I have strange jobs,  so we never have the same schedule for long periods of time. Some weeks or months are just absolutely crazy and I am late everyday. Always running around just to make it anywhere, but my goal is to always have some extra time and be well organized. I am pretty sure you all know what I mean!

As I said in my last post about natural beauty tricks. Taking good care of my skin along with eating and drinking well is my most important beauty trick. I started to use these masks after I became a mother, as every mother knows there is not too many hours of sleep with a  baby ……let alone with two or more. And after awhile of too little sleep I always feel more wrinkly and kind of crazy looking 🙂

In all honesty, I never used masks before my sleepless nights started. This may be a result of passing 30 and becoming a mother of two. I have heard this from wise woman around me and most of my friends back home in Iceland use these masks.

The first thing I do when I wake up is splash some cold water on my face a few times to wake myself up. Then once a week I find a morning where right after my cold water splash I put a mask on from the Blue lagoon called “Silica mud mask”. I leave it on for about 5 minutes and during that time I start preparing my family’s breakfast by cutting up fruits for our morning smoothie. I then wash it off with lukewarm water and a soft cloth.

Dry my skin with a soft towel and put a layer of “Algae mask” that is also from the Blue lagoon while I finish making the smoothie, cafe, getting the boys dressed and  having everyone ready and going for their day. When it is my turn to prepare, I wash it off with lukewarm water and put on a good day cream and I will have a fresher look for the day or even the entire week. Some days I even drop the boys off to school with my mask on and then go for a long walk, run or practice some yoga in the park. I wash it off as soon as I get back home. ( obviously this mask doesn’t have color,  just a soft green hue,  but once massaged into your skin it disappears 🙂 )

Anyways, if it is Monday morning or Sunday night when everything is calm and nice it is good to give your self a little treatment. Some “ME” time, even if you are doing something else while you have it on. Speaking for myself it gives me extra comfort when I am able to do a little something like this. You can also even do this at the end of the day while preparing dinner.

I have traveled to the Blue lagoon since I was a young girl, I remember going with my dad and brother on the weekends. It was so cool and at the time there were only outdoor dressing rooms and showers, so on cold days you needed to get ready fast and hop into the warm water. It is so beautiful there sitting on the rocks in warm natural thermal water surrounded by the powerful nature of Iceland. I had eczema as a child, so my dad brought us there and my skin would immediately clear up. Mother nature really knows how to take care of us, we just need to notice and be aware of her.

Now The Blue Lagoon is one ofIceland’s most popular place to visit. It has become very famous. As anIcelandic person and a very proud one. I can tell you this place is magical and the mud at the bottom of the lagoonis very useful and helps your skin to glow in natural ways. Make sure to pay them a visit on your next trip to Iceland.

Love JM

Posted on

HOMEMADE HEALTHY ICE-CREAM POPS FOR THE WARM DAYS TO COME.

For me there are few things as satisfying as eating ice cream under the sun on a beautiful day. The only thing is that living here in Italy there are too many beautiful days,  perfect for ice cream! I had to put  a limit on the ice cream desserts because now my sons are curious to try everything I  eat, so I can’t even get away for a moment to eat alone. I decided to start experimenting with healthy home recipes. There is SO much sugar in ice cream and I am always trying to have my sons and I avoid as much sugar and dairy as possible. I tried out this recipe and it became a super hit with  my sons and I fell in love with it myself.

I went to Apple Pie, my favorite store in the neighborhood to buy a gift for Sebastian’s friend. While there I found a tray to make ice cream pops. Now I remember doing this with my own mom as a girl.  It was so much fun and I was always super excited waiting for them to freeze. I brought the tray home and started on this project right away with the help of my two boys. They were very excited! This is simple and actually healthy, so we can all eat it guilt-free on every sunny day we  will have this summer :

This was our first recipe with the tray but,  now we are on full- speed experimenting. It’s perfect for the whole family. Also, if you have a teething baby, around 1 year of age and up, then they can also taste it. This pop may actually help to  relieve some tension in their swollen gums.

1 little bottle of coconut water

1 banana

Dash of organic cinnamon ( optional )

Dash of organic vanilla (optional)

Throw all in a blender, blend well for about a minute. Pour the mixture into the ice cream pop tray and close with the stick lid. Place in the freezer for about 4-5 hours and then enjoy.

We also take ours outside to the park, they will not melt right away if you put them in a cooling bag with some ice.

Love JM

Posted on

MOTHER’S DAY

I always wanted to be a mother, I looked forward to being a mother and I planned to be amazing at it. I thought it would be so beautiful, easy and natural. I had a strict idea of which kind ofmother I was going to be. I would never ever yell. I would have all the patience in the world. I would just kiss, hug and cuddle my children all day everyday. Give them massages daily. My children would just fall asleep on their own in their cribs. Always sleep through the night. Behave in restaurants. Sit still on trains and airplanes. They would never ever misbehave in public, so I’d never have to feel embarrassed.  I would have around six children. I was going to rock motherhood. My children would never scream on the street or run away from me. Just walk by my side and hold my hand. It seemed that motherhood would make my life complete.

I have four younger brothers and I took a big part in raising  two of them,  as I lived mostly with my mother in my early teenage years. My other two brothers are from my dad and I did help  babysit them as well . I greatly enjoyed  being a big sister to all of them. Anyway, I have a very modern complicated family. We are all very close and everyone is friends…on most days 🙂

My mother  was a single mother orindependent mother – I prefer to use this phrase. She had three children and was so strong and obviously  had to work a lot to be able to put food on our table. I helped her with the boys. I refused a babysitter as she would have to pay for it,  so I gladly made the choice to help her. I was very young then about 12 years old, now I suppose times are different for children that age. After the experience with my brothers and always loving children and doing baby-sitting jobs throughout my teenage years I thought I was so well prepared for motherhood. Easy peasy. Plus, I had grown up and become an adult quite fast, but many people have stories like these.

I do LOVE being the mother of my children, but I had no idea it would be so hard! Sometimes it is simply not what I had planned. My kids scream sometimes on the street and cry in public. It is so uncomfortable and every mother’s nightmare as people look at you thinking somehow this is your fault and you are a bad mom. At least this is how I feel when it happens to me. I now know children are children and we are just humans. I got the feeling at some point that I try and give all I have to my little men. After days of cooking, cleaning, hugging, brushing, bathing, cutting nails, wiping poo, picking up the amazing food I prepare from the floor, waking up a 100 times in just one night, breastfeeding and the list keeps on growing. What I can say about all this is, yes this is life, at least for some of us.

If I saw another positive sign on a pregnancy test , I would be ecstatic! I would probably cry tears of happiness. Being a mother takes your life away and gives you a new one. You will never be the same. From now on you are a rock star. Super woman. You did it and you do all this everyday. Mothers should be friends, we are all on the same side even if none of us are the same type ofmother. We can all help each other instead of judging. Sometimes we cannot see straight from all the exhaustion and chaos happening around us. We can also not see straight because we are drunk off PURE LOVE and total happiness. When our children tell us they love us and give us a hug. When I tell my son I am taking him to the park to play, just the two of us together, and he jumps up and belts out a, “YES!!”  With his face full of excited smiles.  Well then it all becomes worth it and it is.

I guess I am  trying to say a goodMother is the best, learn from your mistakes – it is okay to make them as they help us grow. Mothers are strong and they know how to fight. I see women like my mother who do everything on their own. Think  about which kind of parent you want to be. Which kind of mother do you wish you had? Mindful parenting will raise mindful children.

Today is Mother’s Day and Mothers Spell along with Call Me Spa would like to treat one lucky mother to a home massage in Milano. To thank her for all her hard work, love and care. Every mother has tired shoulders and deserves a treat. Dad can take the kids to the park or when the children are at school you can rest in your own home. Call Me Spa will come over with their table so you can receive an amazing massage and after take a little nap to keep your relaxation going 🙂 Mothers Spell will send you a little surprise as well.

Here is what to do:

Share this post and tag another mom whom you think might like to receive this gift and leave a comment, even a few words, about what motherhood means to you.
If you have Facebook:  like the page Mothers Spell
If you have Instagram: follow Mothers Spell profile

You have time until midnight on Sunday 14/05
The most significant comment will be rewarded, the one that strikes me the most.
One lucky winner will be contacted privately (with a message on Facebook or Instagram) on Tuesday 16/05.
Take this gift,  you deserve it.

Love, JM

Posted on

NATURAL BEAUTY

I have received many requests to blog about skin/hair care and my favorite beauty products. Honestly speaking,  I am far from being an expert on that topic, but I do have some opinions and ideas of what works and what my skin and hair respond positively to. I believe our body and mind are connected. We are what we eat,  what we feel and what we drink. If we have stress in our lives, it will effect us and also how much sleep we get and the list goes on and on….

My personal opinion for every woman is that less is more when it comes to make up. Of course it depends on the type of occasion; for special events and etc it is fun for the evening. However, daily it is too much for me personally and honestly I just don’t have the time. And if I had to choose between getting all dolled up daily or squeezing in a yoga class ,well then I definitely  prefer to use my time practicing yoga 😉  Also, if you take good care of yourself you might not need so much makeup, but I do understand this might depend on your own personal taste and style. I think we are all most beautiful in a pure state of happiness and just being comfortable in our own skin.

It might also be because I am just not good at it and I don’t feel very comfortable with it on. It gives my skin rashes and drys it out and I feel like I have a mask on, but mascara is something I do pretty much every day, I rarely wear any other makeup on my face.

Skincare is the first and most important thing for me. I clean my skin each and every single night before I go to bed and sleep with a good natural hydrating cream on.

Also, don’t forget that our skin is an organ, our largest organ at that, toxic and unwanted material from our bodies are eliminated as well through our skin. So basically all the bad stuff from your body goes through your skin and the toilet. If you have a poor diet and eat fast food or food that is difficult for your body to work through it gives your sweat a different odor and your skin a different texture. If your diet is REALLY bad such as full of sugary food, fast-food, too much dairy or heavily processed meats your skin most likely will pay a price for it. You must eat well to earn your skin’s glow. You can’t buy a glow with expensive skin care products.

  • Drink water and plenty of it.
  • Get a good night’s sleep.
  • Make sure each meal includes fresh vegetables.
  • Avoid sugar as much as fire 🙂
  • Drink fresh cold pressed green juices.
  • Exercise and sweat at least 3 times per week
  • Don’t smoke!!!!
  • Make love.
  • Spend time outside in fresh air.
  • Laugh a lot.

What I see, at least in myself,  is that when I eliminate sugar, white flower and dairy, eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, drink at least 2 liters of water daily and  make clean good meals my skin flourishes. Try this out for about a week to 10 days and see how your skin will change. I know summer is around the corner and most women are thinking about how to get into bikini shape. It is never really comfortable to wear a bikini especially when you might have to run after your kids on the beach as well 🙂

I try to tell myself, ” oh well it is just a body and who cares”. At the end of the day we all care at least just a little….  So I hope this will help.

Love JM

@Photo, www.mamafedona.com